Who he was the receptionist knew well, his looks gave that away. As to where he came from, and why he was there, she knew not. Ever since he came in suddenly, and asked if the master healer was avaliable, he had come twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each time he gave his name, and each time he sat in the same place, not really bothering to speak. And everytime it seemed he did the same things.
	He came in presently, opening the door in a brisk way, as if it was something that was not supposed to be there, and that was to be treated as if it was unimportant. Walking briskly, the Receptionist never failed to notice the slight, ever so slight emphersis he placed on his left paw, as if his right caused him pain that he didnt show at all. There was once a time she thought he was coming to the clinic each time to heal his paw, but since it never got better, and he kept coming, she decided that was not the case.
	It took just over two seconds for him to walk the distance from the doors, which slowly closed again, as if they were reluctant to resume their duties in case of being treated in such away again. Just wait Thursday, she thought. Your treatment will happen again then.
	Looking down at her, he smiled. Same as he always did. It as an odd smile. There was no dout that it was well ment, but it never fully gave the impression of total trust. As if he was using the excuse to scan the desk without her notice. She was certain he did that each time, for his eyes always looked trough her before focusing a fraction of a section later. If he was scanning the desk, she mused, he wasn't looking for anything in particular, or else it would have taken longer. That is, if he wasn't trained. That was a first thought for her.
	"Good morning," He said in a plesent, but still slightly cold manner "I'm intrested in speaking to a Mister Hooflef. My name is Ash." Everytimg he said that, as if praticed. For the last five weeks she thought he was being cold compleatly, but very recently she detected the slight pause, and change of feeling in the last part of his statement. 'My name is Ash'. Unimportant to everybody but him, it seems. That was always curious. Was it a statement of trust, trust to know his name? Who knows.
	She looked up and smiled slightly, in the manner she did to all that have an appointment. "Certainly," She replied "please sit down, I'll just phone him." She gestered to his normal seat. The one he used everytime. It was as if he didn't have any intrest in doing anything out of the ordenary. If so, why would he go to a Psycic healing center week after week? She rang through, as per useual, and Hooflef answered after one ring.
	"Hello, I take it its the useual one?" He enquired almost lazily over the phone.
	"It is. Shall I send him through?" She both confirmed and quiried in the same voice that never waivered in pitch. She had long ago learned to think and speak differently at the same time. It was an asset for more unruly customers.
	The answer was givern little thought. "Yes, do that." he said, seemingly almost yawning over the phone with his tone. A less experenced Receptionist would have laughed, or giggled, but she didn't. 
	"Certainly." She said, and with grace, put the phone down, almost scilently. She was taken up for her job, apparantly, because she had finness about her, she was never vulger, in mind or action. Turning to the Dalmatian, she said simply "He is waiting for you, room 4."
	He nooded, and got up. There was no mistaking he had something about him. Nothing that would make a woman like him anymore then the next one, but he always had an air of something hidden, or pent up. Mabie he was venting safely twice a week? In any case, whenever he started for the doors to the main corridor his eyes were different, and that was obvious to anybody who bothered to look at them. Which not many did, for some reason. No more were they unexpecting or dull, but they were exited, and possably, dare she think it, apprehensive? 
	He opened the inner doors much the same as he did the outter ones, exhaling as he did so. That, too seemed part of his 'routine'. For a dog who looked in his early twenties, he ws remarkably use to routines and protocal, doubaly so since he was a Dalmatian, a dog known for their energy. Whoever had taught, or trined, him must have been either very good, very strict, or a mixture of both. After he left, there was an odd scilence in the room, which soon she was use to. He absent mindedly looked at the clock: three in the afternoon. she can relax, the next customer was the one who was after Mister Ash in half an hour.

	Ash entered the room in a respecable fashion, taking care not to push the door too hard. 
	Mr. Hooflef was sitting at a well fashioned desk that was both pleasing to the eye, as well as the mind. It was even good enough to be used properly. "Still keeping to your schedual?" He asked, good naturely. He motioned for Ash to sit.
	"Naturally. I get the feeling that they will know I'm coming here soon. I have to be careful. You know the score." He muttered, breathing more naturally then he had in the Reception. This, at least, was a place he could relax. 
	"Well, its a good thing that your being careful. If I'm linked to you, I'd be out of a job. They would ruin me. Quite honestly, I don't know why they dont shut me down anyway. After all, to some you are  a wanted dog, and if I'm caught teaching you, or anyone for that matter, healing without permission, I'll be breeching my code of conduct. I'm just glad that there are still some like you, no matter the processes that form you. Its always glad to know that there are others that have met with that many tailed Fox." He said, talking to what he knew was a frend.
	"Kitsune. Yove been looking in the wrong places. Look under Kitsune, you'll find more." Ash came back. "but anyway, what is up for todays teaching?" He diverted.
	"Well," Hooflef responded "this may intrested you, in relation to that old injury of yours. Psycic sergery. Just the basics. I'll start on you, of all, and you can take over. I'm quite sure your able to compleate it with your instincts, abilaties, and experence. Where did you get that paw problem, anyway?" He subtully asked.
	Ash was caught off guard. He never expecte anybody to actually notice his foot problem, something he got use to a long time ago. Not caring to cover anything up, he replied truthfully. "I got it a long time ago fighting Germans. The same time as meeting our Kitsune frend, would you beleave?"
	Hooflef knew Ash was old, he could tell that by his prefured style of clothing, but to say he was fighting Germans, why this ment that at the earylest he was fighting in Germany in 1953, but actually fighting the Germans themselves could only mean one thing, he surly couldn't have fought in World War Two? "Fighting Germans? You fought the Germans?" He checked, not fully trusting his ears. Ash had become more and more warm to him over the last five weeks, but to come out with this! "I guess you must have been fighting for your life!"
	"Yes, you could say that..." Ash retorted, almost, but not quite, sarcastically. "But the fighting before that helped me learn. It was in the gap between that Icame into contact with this 'stuff'." He reported, useing his word of the paranormal, 'stuff'.
	Hooflef was more then shocked, he was stunned into scilence by this. He knew by looking at Ash that he was not lying, and also he senced that Ash was old, but still, even so, two World Wars? So, it would seem that they were both able to do unuseual things. "Well," He said at last "Lets begin..."
	The both got up to start the learning process, almost at its apex.

	Tenty minets through the session, the Receptionist was surprised to see two men pass through the outter doors. They open the double doors un an official way, making sure not to make undure noise. One immediatly went to stand beside a chair next to the wall, while the second, taller one went up to the reception. "Excuse me, madem, we would like to see a mister Hooflef. It is of presing urgency.
	She smalled a rat immediatly. For one thing, they were compleatly dressed in black, save for their white shirts, and secondly, she noticed at a glance, which she was certain he didnt notice, the slight bulge of a holster under his coat. He wore sunglasses which did not particually suit him.
	Her reaction was one that was drilled into her. She never knew why, but she guessed she was about to find out. Instead of telling them to wait, she rang Hooflef's office straight away, as she had been told to do a few years back when she had joined.
	It was not ansered immediatly. On the third ring, the other end came to life. "Yes, what is it?" Came a mildly irratated voice. 
	She didn't even let a muscle twich on her face as she responded. "There are two ment here to see you sir. Should I send them in?"
	Hooflef knew this was probably a bad situation. He relised that she was ignorning what he said because they were listening in. "Ok, they are not to enter. Ask for their id before you do anything else. Make it look like you are after their names. Then pretent your talking with me. I wont be here, I'm finishing off some cleaning to get the office ready for the next customer. I will be avaliable in five minets after you talk back again." With that, he put down the phone.
	The Receptionist knew what to do straight away. Pretending to listen to more, she nodded a few seconds after Hooflef had hung up, then asked the men their names. The gave them, and flashed FBI badges, and a MI5 clearence pass for investigations. Going back to the dead phone, she told effectively nobody who they were, then once again listened to the static, occasionally muttering "Uh-huh" for effect. Eventually she put the phone to rest, and told them the deception. They waited.

	Hooflef used the time wisley. "Dont feel under pressure, but you have about five minets to hide yourself. How is your paw holding up?" He said, after a pause.
	Ash looked at his paw, moved it, and looked up. "Its healed better then I though it would have. I wont strain it, though. Why, whats the problem?" He enquired.
	The reply came as a mild shock. "Its them. Black and all. Looks like you have the MIB after you." He chuckled.
	"Call them that if you wish." Ash grunted as he moved to stand, making sure he didn't put pressure on his paw. "It thats your take on it. They do more then UFO's. Do I look green or grey?" He muttered.
	Hooflef gave the comment before Ash thought about what he said. "Well, thats a fairly grey spot on your head." He chuckles when Ash groaned. "Now, you said you had some sort of ability when it came to stones. I have some here I use for diognosis. Would they help?"
	Ash grinned. "Sure would. What ones do you have?" He asked, looking around.
	Hooflef went to a cabenet, and got out a well organised tray of polished gemstones. After glancing at them for a while, he read out the names. "I've got some Calcite, Flurite, Quartz, and Jade. Look,  havent got the time to go through them all, just choose!"
	Ash was still smiling. "Ok, got it, give the Calcite and Quartz. That'll do it."

	The two men walked in while attempting to look professional. They succeeded. Going towards Hooflef, they passed by Ash, who was standing near the middle of the room, studing them. They compleatly ignored him.
	The small one started. "We have been tracking someone across various countries, including the USA, England and other such places. We beleave him to be a danger to anybody he involves himself with. We have a list of victems, if you wish to see them. We are looking for witnesses of his whereabouts, and have reason to beleave that he might have come here for supplies. He beleaves in ritual sacrafices."
	Hoofler came back simply. "You know, it would help if I know his name. So far you've givern me everything but his name."
	Ash walked up to he two men as quietly as he could as they turned to look at each other. 
	"He is a Dalmatian if that helps. Occasionally goes by the name of 'Ash'. Othough he claims that he can preform blood rituals to invoke things best not talked about, as far as we can tell, he can't. To be honest, as far as we can see, he is just another crazed dog. After all, its not as though magic exists, is it?" Both men looked pointedly at Hooflef.
	"Certainly. To beleave in such things is rediculus." He agreed, amused by the fact that Ash was now standing beside them. He hid his amusment well enough. "I'm afraid I don't think I can hepl you Gentelmen. Now, there was an Ash who came here twice a week, but he didn't come in today. He probably got wind of you two. I am truly sorry, gentelmen."
	Both men looked at each other again. "Well, we are sorry for disterbing you in..." The tall one hesitated, looking at the stones "...What is it that you were doing with those?" He enquired.
	Hooflef wasn't fazed at all. "They are for my next patient. Analasis. All to do with Vibrations that the body produceses...."
	The Tall man cut him short. "Very intresting I'm sure sir. However, we must be on our way now. It was... nice speaking to you Mister Hoofler." Without another word, both men turned around, and left the room.
	Only then did Ash speak. "Bastards. Lyeing about me like that!" He started to growl under his breath softly, looking at the closed door.
	"Well, that was most amusing. You proved them wrong as they said their fake fabric." He observed. "Was this to do with that probe to those crystals?" He asked.
	Ash looked back. "Probably. I used them to override their sight. Only in a mild way. I'm not powerful, as you know. It was the Calcite."
	Hooflef smiled. "Unfortunatly, I'm afraid you'll be taking your leave then? They are on to you: You cant afford to come back." He had a mildly sorrowful glint in his eyes; here was someone who had also seen the specticale of, what was it they were called, Kitsune. Hooflef also has seened the same Kitsune as Ash, though under different circustances. He had never forgoton the event, but untill Ash had come, nobody he knew could say anyobody else knew of a Fox 'with three tails'. Even after he gave a full discription to close frends nothing came up. Then Ash had come. Suddenly a thought came to Hooflef. "By the by, how did you find me, or even know about me?" He bluntly asked, being a charictor of honesty and simplicity.
	Ash had, by now, stopped growling. He smiled, then almost burst out laughing. "Would... would you beleave me if I told you?" He managed to say. After waiting for the nod, he continued. "I didn't find you at all! Some hacker was tampering with files, and came up with a 'hazadus' list, and a 'non hazadus list'. He was apparangtly attempting to get as far into some companies database as he could go. Also, would you beleave, my name was on the 'Hazadus list'? It was up to date, because it listed me as 'missing'. He found me, by hacking. It must have been a big game to him. Well, he gave everyone on the 'Hazadus list' both the lists, including me. And guess what, your on the second list. I just had to follow the address on it. Don't worry, the Hacker, he is clean. If I had this list only a few years earyler!" He laughed, trying as hard as possibal to keep his voice lowered.
	Hooflef smiled. "I must admit, that is quite funny. Do you have a copy of the lists by any chance?" He asked.
	Ash fumbled around his coat, mutteing "Certainly, somewhere". At length, he pulled out a floppy disk and handed it over. "Here, keep it." He informed. "I have three copies, and by hell you earned one of those!" Looking around, he signeled the end of the conversation. "I think I'd better be taking my leave before I cause any throuble. Again, I owe you for what you have done, in all things holy I thought I'd always be with that shrapnel!" He put down the crystals, and dusted off his coat.
	Hooflef walked to the door. "I don't think they will be there any more, and I guess you like to stick to your routine when you leave." He said, reaching for the door handel.
	Ash Denied him that. "Routines? I hate routines my frend." He said as he limped towards the window, still not fully trusting his paw. As he reached the window, he stopped, and tapped his healed paw on the floor, lightly at first, then with more force. After about five taps, he rested his weight on it. "You know," he mutteded half to himself, and half to Hooflef "if this was avaliable earylier, we could have saved a hell of a lot more lives. I bet those guys think they are improving things by covering magic up. Idiots, all of them. Idiots."
	Hooflef saw the pity in Ash's eyes. "Well, At least here they do not really bother us, only explain for us. Here we can do as we please, within reason." He said.
	Ash took one last look back at Hooflef, and as he opened the window, he looked back one last time and said. "Your lucky in this place, this world. You get to do what you want in this world, I have to live in mine. Make sure those places, those worlds, do not come together for me." With those words, Ash climbed out of the window, and left.
	Hooflef stood there, slowly nodding.