AN: First of all, sorry that this chapter of the fic is under the usual 2,000 words that I strive for but I hope you like it regardless. I have also decided that I'm going to finish up this fic within the following two chapters (not including this one) so I really hope you have enjoyed it and will enjoy the conclusion. Thank you for reading.

Chapter Ten – Nearing the End

Kyoko couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong as she took Kuon on a walk, making sure to walk at a speed that was comfortable for him. He had asked her if he would be allowed to walk on the ground instead of just ride in the bag. The fact that he could talk was making things a lot easier between the two despite Kyoko still being upset that the love of her life was in the body of a puppy.

Something didn't feel right. The fact that that man had found their apartment and was strangely looking for her husband unsettled Kyoko greatly. If Kuon hadn't been able to talk and she hadn't been sure that this was her husband, she might have given into her doubts and given him up.

She would never give him up.

Even if the world saw her as being single forever and her husband having run away, she would stay with the individual who owned her heart. She saw a random ball roll out in front of them and she noticed how Kuon's tail involuntarily wagged in excitement. She gave a very slight yank on the leash she had him on.

"Doesn't that seem suspicious?" she tried to point out to him.

She was scared about him giving into more of an animal mind rather than keeping his own. Trying to entice him with a ball was a cheap and obvious move. She looked across at the bushes and saw a man ducking down, the same man who had come to her door.

So, he definitely wasn't a concerned citizen.

"We can play ball at home," Kyoko said as she saw Kuon want to sniff it. "Heel," she said as she gave a firm look at her husband and he immediately came up to her. "Does it smell strange, puppy?" she asked as he barked and gave a slight nod. "Then we don't sniff it, here, I'll carry you home," she said as she crouched down next to him and picked him up, holding him close to her chest.

She could smell that there was a slight trace of chloroform on the ball and she kicked it away. Did that man actually expect her to get rid of Kuon? She tensed up and kissed the top of the husky's head feeling his tail still wagging. This was much better than him being on the ground. She didn't even care about the dirt on his paws, that was the least of her worries.

"Come on," she said as they turned to the direction that was back to their house.

As she started to leave, she felt a hand grab her and before the other hand could push a cloth over her mouth, Kyoko had used her anger to break free from him and started to surround herself with a dark circle that most people would fear. "Get away from us," she whispered as she looked in the man's eyes. "So, you are one of the bad guys," she commented as she committed his face to memory.

"What do you mean bad guys?" the man asked her as he pointed to Kuon who Kyoko pulled even closer to her than he already was. "That's the bad guy, sneaking in, taking things that don't belong to him. Trying to play hero."

"He is a hero," Kyoko argued back, she kissed Kuon again and pushed her nose into his white fur.

"I think it would be best if he were euthanized," the man said as he withdrew a needle from his coat pocket. He squirted it for effect and Kyoko knew that he was telling the truth. She had to get away from them, if she hesitated even the slightest amount he would get to Kuon.

She turned and ran as fast as she could with the most determination she could have.

There was absolutely no way that she would let her husband die.

As she arrived back at their home, she placed Kuon on the floor and slammed the door, pushing a chair against it to bar it. She came over to him as he stood there with wide eyes. He shouldn't be surprised that people were trying to murder him, he just wished he was able to protect himself more and not rely on Kyoko.

"Kuon," Kyoko gasped before getting down onto the floor so she could inspect the tiny dog, "Kuon, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he nodded. "I can't believe I was about to sniff that ball," he said as Kyoko allowed her hand to go through his fur. "Something inside me just seemed to take over, some kind of instinct."

"As long as you're okay then it doesn't matter," she said as she pet him again.

Of course it did matter. There were people out there who were angry at her husband, people who wished him dead and he had no way of protecting himself in this state. If he were human, she would have no doubt in her mind that he could defend himself. She would be more worried that he would cause an injury rather than take one.

As a puppy, he had no choice but to rely on others. She wanted to get the police involved but even in doing that, she wasn't sure that she could trust them.

"You do know that I love you, right?" she asked as he nodded. "Good. We need to figure this out, make sure that they aren't going after anyone else, then again if that means that you'll get close to them I'd rather turn a blind eye. I can't lose you."

"Kyoko, there isn't much of me to lose anymore," Kuon tried to protest before seeing the firm look in his wife's eyes.

"Of course there is. You may be a canine, but that doesn't mean that your soul is gone, that your spirit is gone," she said passionately before closing her eyes and letting the tears and the sorrow overwhelm her.

Kuon came up to her and did all he could think of, he nuzzled her chin.

…..

…..

Kyoko had finally convinced Kuon to get under the sheets of the bed and take a nap with her. She needed him to be as close to her as possible. As she woke up, she reached out and instead of feeling the white fur, her eyes widened as she felt skin, a spine, and a well toned body. She opened her eyes and sat up with a smile quickly going over her face.

She had no idea how it had happened, but her husband was back to normal.

She pinched herself to try to make absolutely sure that this wasn't a dream. Once she had assured herself that it was all real, she wrapped her arms around him and pushed her face into his body.

She wasn't lying before, she would have loved him as a dog.

This was her Kuon though, the man who had taken up permanent residence in her heart. "Wake up, my sweet Corn," she told him as he opened his eyes.

Reaching out a hand, Kuon blinked in surprise where he had a human hand instead of a paw. He had to admit that he kind of missed the paw in a way but was relieved that he seemed to be himself again, but why had this happened? He hadn't taken any antidote to his knowledge.

They had tried to tell him that he would never be able to return to his human form.

If that were true then what was this?

He turned over and looked at his wife, "Hey," he said as he reached out to her and let his fingers run through her hair. "Is this real?"

"As far as I'm aware," Kyoko said as she pushed her head into his chest. "You're back, Corn."

Kuon nodded before looking down. "I want to stop them," he said as Kyoko looked into his eyes. She knew how serious he was about this, how much of a good and decent man he was for this. She didn't want to argue against him because that was an argument that she wouldn't be able to win, but she was scared that if he wasn't careful she would lose him, this time for good.

"I can't convince you not to go, can I?" she asked already knowing the answer to that question.

Kuon sighed as he kissed his wife and then drew back. "I love you, but I know more about the base since I've been there. These people shouldn't be able to get away with this. I promise that I'll be safe," he said to her as she shook her head.

"I don't know if you can be safe enough," she said, she felt guilty for not believing in him. She knew how strong and smart he was, how capable, but the fear of losing him outweighed everything else.

"I can't just sit back and do nothing," Kuon said as Kyoko took a deep breath in.

"Of course you can't," she smiled to him, "which is why I suggest that we do it together. That way if something happens to one of us, we'll have the other to help us. It sounds like the only fair thing," she said stubbornly as he placed his hand on her cheek.

"If I were to lose you…" he thought aloud but Kyoko shook her head.

"Then we have to make sure not to lose you. The most terrifying thing for me is for you not to be here anymore. You are the most important thing in my life, Kuon, I need to make sure you don't disappear and I'm sure they've come up with another drug that erases memories of your human life. I'm scared it would even erase your memories of me."

"Alright," he nodded as he kissed her, "but we rely on each other."

"Perfect," Kyoko nodded, "Just the way I like it."

….

….

Inside of a very protected room at a laboratory in Japan there was another drug being developed. This one had taken years of research unlike the ones that had come about so easily such as the cookie and the untested drug that Kuon had been injected with.

This drug would change the individual as well but not to a cute little puppy, but into a beast, a monster of sorts. The difference was that there was still a chance for a puppy or kitten to function normally in society. It would be a different life for them, there was no denying that, but they would be left alone to experience life for themselves.

If someone were to even consume the tiniest drop of this drug however, they would turn into one of the fantasy creatures and even though there was a chance of becoming a unicorn, it wasn't the type of unicorn that one would read in children's stories but a hideous beast that looked more like a skinned horse was moving around.

In a short time, both of the Hizuris would be in this room and there was a chance that they could both become affected and pushed out of the acceptance of humanity.

However, this was the only way of stopping the plan which they were both about to find out.