"Chance Encounters" A story by Andre Cotton wolfie8898@hotmail.com, featuring characters copyrighted to Earl Bacon, Andre Cotton, and Cloudchaser Shaconage Featuring Cassie's Band and Furversity Please read the prequil, "The Ides Of August," Featuring Cassie, Foxonian (Cassie's husband) and Cassie's Band http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/the_ides_of_august.txt Please read the sequil, Fall's Paintbrush, Featuring Shiva (Cassie's security cheif) and Yang Li (Cassie's session guitarist) http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/falls_paintbrush.txt Chance Encounters "Ladies and gentlemen, we expect Angelic Airways Flight 215 to be delayed for roughly another fifteen minutes. Hopefully by then the storm system we're under will have broken apart and runway traffic will circulate again as normal. We thank you for your patience and wish you all a pleasant journey!" Cassie sighed and nodded as the airport's P.A. announcement droned on. "Well, there's one nice thing about this delay. It feels like the first real break the girls and I have had this whole trip!" the famous "Rock Vixen" thought to herself as she closed her eyes tight and massaged the bridge of her muzzle. Being on tour was always an exhausting affair for Cassie and her friends. Seated in the waiting lounge, with a few security personnel nearby, dressed in casual clothes to inconspicuously keep an eye on things, Cassie brushed back few loose strands of her long black hair from the front of her face. She adjusted her black sunglasses and long trenchcoat, which she wore to make herself a little less noticeable. She didn't like the idea of shooing off her adoring fans entirely, making sure to give a polite smile and wave to anyone who noticed, but right now she wanted peace and relaxation more than anything else. She glanced over to her five band mates seated nearby -- Cindy, Vixina, Laretta, Rachel, and Alex -- and noticed that they too were looking a little frazzled. Sure enough, excessive time on the road was taking its toll on all of them. Fortunately, their tour would be ending soon, but for these six furry ladies, the end just couldn't come soon enough. For one thing, this really was not their best tour ever. This time around, they played mainly their greatest hits and a few cover songs, not having a lot of new material to fall back upon. While the audiences didn't seem to mind for the most part, it was clear that Cassie and the band just weren't playing with the energy and drive that they were known for. Cassie put on the best "game face" that she could, but deep down she felt like she was rehashing the same old routine she'd done so many times before. Cassie sensed the same sentiment from her comrades; there were moments in some shows where Cindy and Laretta looked downright bored. Early reviews weren't encouraging, either. One critic said their performance was "lackluster and thoroughly predictable." Another complained that "this just wasn't the same band that I remember being so wild and exciting...maybe they're just running out of steam." Andy, the band's manager, encouraged the ladies to ignore these reviews and to keep plugging along, knowing that they had their fans' full support. Cassie complied, but more than once she silently wished that she could just pull the plug on it all and retreat back home with her husband. It also didn't help matters that the band seemed to be plagued with a run of bad luck this time around. The first unwitting victim was Rachel; shortly after the band's first show, she accidentally bumped into a local minister, knocking him down. Rachel graciously apologized, and the minister's injuries weren't serious, but the tabloid press didn't miss this opportunity to take a cheap shot at the band. Cassie scowled as she recalled how those hack writers insinuated that Rachel practiced "unholy witchcraft" and that she deliberately attacked that minister "to make an example out of a good Christian." Laretta also found herself involuntarily getting into trouble. At one airport, she'd forgotten that she left a metal claw file in her carry-on bag. This triggered an intense security hassle for the band. Airport security even went so far as to take a visibly shaken Laretta aside for questioning, though thankfully they stopped short of a full strip search. The tabloid headlines that followed weren't terribly surprising, though -- "RECKLESS PUNK SHE-WOLF SEEKS TO WREAK HAVOC ON DOMESTIC FLIGHT!" Even Cindy met misfortune at the band's most recent engagement. Just as the band finished their set, and a relatively good one at that, Cindy painfully banged her knee against a heavy amp stack. Flustered, the snow leopardess let loose a flurry of angry curse words...not realizing that her clip-on microphone was still turned on. Some audience members were so angered by this that the whole band required full security escort off the stage. Cindy was so upset by the incident that she loudly proclaimed that she'd just quit the tour right then and return to her fiance Victor. Cassie managed to calm her down, though a couple other band members quietly wondered if they should check Cindy's bags for suspicious bottles. Despite all their problems, the band stuck together, vowing they'd see the tour through to the end. Cassie reflected on what was so special about this tour: it was the first time she toured with her husband, Foxonian, in tow. Even though the circumstances of his being on the tour were awkward at best, and that they both ended up discussing the matter once or twice, Cassie was glad to have his love and support as they traveled. She sighed bitterly as she remembered that the bad luck managed to strike him as well. At their previous airport connection, Foxonian lost not only his boarding pass but also all forms of his personal identification. Cassie's vouching for him wasn't enough to get him past the front gate. Prodded by Foxonian's insistence, Cassie and the band continued on without him. Cassie didn't want to make her husband feel guilty for giving them yet another setback, so she reluctantly agreed. Cassie had just finished a cell phone conversation with her husband only a moment ago. He was doing fine and managed to work things out with the airline and airport security, and he promised he'd catch up with the band at their next stop. Cassie tried to take comfort in this, but one other matter weighed heavily on her mind. While Cassie and her band seemed to be struggling through a so-so tour, their chief rivals, the all furry-female thrash metal band named "Furversity," were on a cross-country tour of their own, and they appeared to be doing extremely well. Cassie and her companions never could understand their rivals' appeal. They agreed with many critics that Furversity's approach to musical performance was unoriginal at best, and heavily glossed over by the band's overdone stage antics and "bad girl" attitudes. Critical disdain aside, Cassie could simply not deny Furversity's rabid, and rapidly growing, fan base. Why so many fans bought right into that act, Cassie could not fully understand. She knew the band had to be doing something right, and that they certainly had talent and flair for pulling off big show-stopping numbers. In particular, she noticed Furversity could put out a quite respectable cover of Iron Maiden's "Two Minutes to Midnight," their closing encore number. Cassie also couldn't ignore the repeated subtle jabs directed at her and her band mates, most of them coming from Sasha Reinhardt, Furversity's lead singer and guitarist. However, Cassie also knew that kind of verbal sparring "came with the territory," and she vowed not to stoop down to Reinhardt's level. She would let her dignity and first-class stage performances do all the talking. Just then, Cassie noticed a figure all in black strolling towards her. The black-furred vixen was almost like a shadow moving on its own, since she wore a matching black leather outfit consisting of a long dress, thigh high leather boots and floor-length leather trenchcoat. Even her luminescent golden eyes were concealed by a pair of dark sunglasses. Only her long shimmering white hair and bright white parts of her fur stood out in stark contrast to the blackness. "Hi, Shiva," Cassie said in greeting, "What's going on?" The black vixen, who had resumed her post as chief of the security team for Cassie's Band, replied politely and calmly. "Cassie, I've just been informed that the flight will begin boarding soon, and the flight crew has given us the okay to get on board first to avoid any hassles. They would like for us to board right away, though, so there will be no further delays." Cassie nodded and rose from her seat, "That news couldn't have come soon enough. Come on, the rest of you!" As Cassie's friends stirred from their seats, stretching, yawning, and putting their shoes and sandals back on, Cassie gave Shiva a thoughtful look and pondered their relationship. Shiva had done everything to keep the band safe and secure, just as when she first started working for Cassie. To that end, Cassie admired and trusted the black vixen. Beyond that, though, Cassie's feelings towards Shiva were much more conflicted, owing to the affair that the black vixen had attempted to start with Foxonian. Had any other woman done what Shiva did, Cassie probably never would have been on civil terms with them ever again. However, Cassie knew about Shiva's unique nature and the circumstances that brought her together with Foxonian. Even with lingering negative feelings, Cassie was able to forgive Shiva and get on with her life. Still, some thoughts troubled Cassie about Shiva. How could she never have suspected that the black vixen was a vampire? If she had known, would Cassie have been able to prevent the bonding with Foxonian from ever happening? One particular thought echoed through her mind: "Are there any other secrets you're keeping from us, Shiva?" Cassie let that thought fade as she and her companions proceeded through the terminal, focusing her mind on more immediate matters. "Whoop-de-doo," Cindy muttered sarcastically from Cassie's left side, "We get to go through another fun-filled day of being crammed like sardines into a flying tin can!" Cassie nodded sympathetically, "I know, Cin, I know, but at least try to stay positive about it!" Alex hurried up along Cassie's right side and chimed in, "Yeah, maybe this time they'll show us a decent in-flight movie!" Laretta, keeping pace right behind Alex, grinned and added, "Yeah, or maybe they'll serve us more than just two peanuts and a pretzel for an in-flight meal!" Vixina, from right next to Laretta, spoke next, "It'd shore be nice if they gave us a lil' more leg room, too!" Cassie and Cindy chuckled and gave a glance to Rachel, who was right near Cindy. "What's your two cents, Rache?" The tall gothic doe smirked and replied, "Heh, I'll just settle for the wings not falling off!" Cassie was pleased to see that her friends managed to stay in a good mood. "Well, look at it like this, gals," she replied, "This will probably be the last time for a long while that we'll have to go through all this. Just one more stop, and then it's just smooth sailing from then on!" Upon hearing this, Cindy moved a little closer to Cassie and whispered, "Yeah, well, don't forget about what we've got on the back burner!" Cassie nodded silently, knowing that Cindy referred to the band's next major studio album they had planned for some time now. As it was, only two new original songs had been formally scheduled for recording. The only other thing Cassie could tell the others was that "new ideas would just come along when they would." Most of the band seemed okay with this, but Cassie knew that this did not sit well with Cindy. As Shiva and her two lieutenants advanced well ahead of the others to clear the way through the security checkpoint, Cindy continued to share her concerns with Cassie. "We really can't take a chance with this one, Cass," Cindy said, sounding somewhat ominous, "After all the junk we've been through on this tour, we need to show everyone that we're still on top!" Cassie sighed and replied, "I know what you mean, Cin, but just be patient and let things work themselves out, and we'll have everything going our way!" She twitched her black pointy ears slightly and continued her thought, "Things have always worked out for us before..." After passing by a few star-struck onlookers, Laretta moved up closer the duo, getting drawn into the discussion. "Do you really think we can pull off another win, Cass?" she asked eagerly, trying not to bump into her companions. Cassie turned her head, lowered her sunglasses a little, and gave Laretta a sly vulpine grin. "Oh yeah, I'm sure of it!" she replied enthusiastically, addressing the others as well. "If we just keep our heads on straight and our eyes on the prize, we'll turn the corner and hit something big..." Cassie didn't realize just how accurate her words were at that very moment. Not seeing where she was headed around a blind corner, she suddenly collided head on with someone else going in the opposite direction. Her sunglasses went flying off her muzzle and she clumsily staggered backwards, only avoiding collapsing onto the floor with support from Alex, Laretta, and Vixina. Cassie had now totally lost her cool composure and attempted a flustered apology to the stranger, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!! Are you all right? I really didn't mean to..." She couldn't say much more as the other vixen, struggling to get back on her feet as well, shot back angrily, "You'd damn better be sorry, you stupid bitch!! Are you blind, or just retarded?! Why, I ought to drag your pathetic tail to court, you..." Both vixens went silent with astonishment, though, as they finally took a good look at one another. Cassie in particular was amazed to slowly recognize her adversary. She was a red vixen like her, though with lighter orange fur, and she stood a good bit shorter than Cassie. She had very long wavy blond hair that nearly reached down to the base of her fluffy vulpine tail. Cassie noticed a few streaks of orange and pink highlighted in this impressive blond mane. The other vixen's piercing eyes were rich sapphire blue, which were emphasized with rather excessively applied mauve eyeshadow and thick eyeliner and mascara. It appeared this vixen did not believe in using a sparing approach to makeup application. One could not exactly describe her attire as modest, either. She wore a tight black leather choker around her neck, like Cassie's, but this one was studded with several small rhinestones. The only attire that covered her torso, and just barely at that, was a tight black leather bustier that laced together in the front, straining to keep her large round breasts appropriately concealed. Tight red leather hot pants covered her curvaceous hips and thighs, and they needed to be cut quite short in order to fit into her boots. Those black leather thigh-high boots, with high stiletto heels, were themselves a work of art. They covered the vixen's legs and feet like a second skin and featured various chains, straps, buckles and studs. Everything became clear now to Cassie and her companions as they stood there dumbstruck with amazement. They were now staring face-to-face with Sasha Reinhardt, who was approached by three other anthropomorphic females whom everyone else recognized as her metal band, "Furversity". Quite clearly, Sasha recognized Cassie just as well, as her expression changed from anger to amusement and contempt. The shorter blond vixen gave a slight chuckle and placed her dark brown furred hands on her hips, assuming a cocky, arrogant pose. "Well, isn't this a sight to behold?" she said with a smirk, "The high and mighty 'Boob Vixen' herself is here to perform her latest gig!" She gave a sly wink to her three companions and quipped, "What do you gals say? You think we should just toss a couple bucks into her guitar case now, and earn her a little more sympathy pocket change?" She crossed her arms with that disgusting smug grin on her muzzle, while her band mates laughed or smirked beside her. Cassie was still rather flustered, and she started to feel a little flushed, but she was determined to stay gracious and level-headed, even while taking in these insults. "Er, like I said, Miss Reinhardt," she started calmly, even extending her black paw-hand as a polite gesture, "I'm really sorry about that accident. I hope you're not hurt..." Sasha just laughed and pushed Cassie's hand aside, "Hey, it's cool! You know what they say, with old age, the eyes are the first thing to go!" She giggled and swished her tail back and forth, continuing her taunts, "Then it'll be gray hair, thinning fur, memory loss, and I'd even bet that this time next year, those jugs of yours will be dragging on the ground!" She laughed as she pointed at Cassie's chest, "Why, I think I know what to call your next big tour: 'Assisted Living Senior Center Prune- apalooza'!" This elicited more whoops of laughter from her companions. Cassie chose to remain silent and simply responded to Sasha with dirty looks. Cindy, however, was far less inhibited with her response. She marched right up to Sasha with a vicious glare and ferocious snarl on her face, looking like she was ready to tear the blond vixen to shreds. "Listen, you airheaded little skank!" she growled at the shorter vixen, "Cass is my best friend, so if you start something with her, then you're starting something with me! You'd better shut your oversized yap and watch your tongue from now on, if you know what's good for you!!" Sasha glanced back at Cindy with an unimpressed look and replied, "Are you gonna make me, spotty butt?" Cindy narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her claws, "You're seriously tempting me to!" At this point, Sasha's bass player waltzed up to join in with the verbal sparring. "Ooh, the big ol' kitty cat wants to play rough! That's sooo scary!" interrupted Wendy Larson with a mocking laugh. Cindy glared up at the large hyena femme, though she couldn't help feel slightly intimidated. The hyena was truly gigantic, towering over all the other ladies present, and she was also probably at least as tall as Foxonian or Victor. She also looked like she hadn't attended to her personal hygiene recently, either. Her shaggy mane of sandy hair appeared greasy and uncombed, and her large mouth contained many sharp fangs that looked almost as yellow as her menacing eyes. Her wardrobe didn't appear quite elaborate, either. She wore a faded olive green T-shirt that had clearly seen better days, with its frayed edges and various stains. Strangely, she wore with this a large black-and-red plaid knee length skirt, sort of like the type a schoolgirl would wear with her uniform. Whether the butch hyena lady ever even attended school was a question indeed. Completing the hyena's unconventional attire were fishnet stockings on her legs, and a large, heavy pair of black Doc Marten boots with riveted steel toe caps on her big feet. Cindy stood her ground against the cackling, oversized bass player. "Yeah, and that goes for you too, bitch!" she spat back, staring up at Wendy's muzzle. Wendy stared back down with a sneer, and replied, "Geez, what's with ya, huh?" Cindy instantly recoiled as she recognized the all too familiar stench of hard liquor on the hyena's breath. "Hey, wait a sec," Wendy continued with a nasty grin on her face, "I think I know why yer standin' up for the 'Booby Vix'!" Both Cassie and Cindy looked back with puzzled expressions on their faces as Wendy cackled with a mocking coy pose. "You gotta crush on her! I'll bet you even make kissy faces at her photos in yer dressin' room when ya think no one's lookin'!" she spat out as a laughing taunt. Cindy just went wide-eyed, looking like she'd just been socked in the gut. "Wh...WHAT?!?!" she shouted back, starting to turn hysterical. "Aw, what's-a matter? Ya think she's gonna dump ya fer Sash here?" Wendy replied with a sly chuckle, winking at Sasha. Sasha chuckled as well, joining in, "No way, Missy. These two definitely ain't my type!" Cindy started to rapidly lose her composure, looking like she was ready to physically tear into her tormentors. "Wh- why...how...dare...you...y-you...goddamn...BITCHES!!!" she somehow managed to wrench out between frantic gasps. Had Cassie not intervened at that moment, the scene might very well have become violent. Cassie took a firm hold of Cindy's shoulder, and calmly said directly to her friend, "Cindy, please don't do anything rash. These two simply aren't worth it!" Cindy nodded and took a few deep breaths, as she and the others became aware that a large crowd of onlookers was quickly convening around the two rival bands, so much so that the rest of Shiva's security team had their hands full just keeping everyone back. Right then, Vixina stepped forward to join Cassie and Cindy, with a rather angry and indignant expression on her vulpine face. "Yer darn right, Cass," she stated, keeping her glare fixed on the rival band, "These gals 're nuthin' but low-life tarts! They got no class, no smarts, 'n no place puttin' any of us down!" She expressed her displeasure so loudly and pointedly that a small number of the onlookers applauded with approval, much to the annoyance of Sasha and Wendy. While the rival vixen and hyena said nothing in response, one of Furversity's other members took this as a cue to step forward. This individual was a rather tall and slender ferret lady with a condescending sneer on her face. Shimmering bronze tan fur covered much of her shapely body, except for the stark white fur on her muzzle, chest, one hand and toes. For further contrast, dark, coffee-colored fur covered her ears and surrounded her sparkling emerald green eyes like a mask. Her short, straight hair was dyed mostly in a dark blue-purple hue, except for her bangs which stood out in bright neon green. This sultry ferret got away with as little clothing as she could manage. A hot pink spaghetti-strap halter top barely covered her large, plump breasts, and a tight purple spandex miniskirt barely came below her crotch and rear. She also sported a pair of strappy black slingback sandals on her white-toed feet, balancing precariously on very high and slender stiletto heels. The ferret lady also wore a unique hat that resembled a military officer's brimmed cap, though hers was entirely colored black and sported a skull-and-crossbones insignia on the front. Sherri Potter, who played rhythm guitar and keyboards in Furversity, stood in place momentarily with a haughty, arrogant expression. She held a lit cigarette in her white hand, apparently oblivious to the large 'NO SMOKING' sign right above her as she inhaled from her cigarette and released a small puff of smoke. Fixing her gaze on Vixina, she replied smugly with a heavy northern English accent, "My, that's a quaint brogue ye got!" With a sly twitch of her eyebrows, she quipped, "Was ye an extrer on that 'Hee-Haw' programme, or did yer mum 'n da come from the same branch on yer famerly tree?" Once again, the Furversity girls roared with laughter, and this time even a few onlookers on their side joined in with the laughing. Vixina fell into stunned silence, looking as if her glasses had just been slapped off her muzzle. Seeing that her red- haired vixen friend might start crying, Laretta, who stayed quiet the whole time, would stand for no more. She marched forward, growling furiously at Sherri. "Hey, you stinking, slutty weasel!" she snarled, exposing her sharp fangs, "You'd better apologize to my friend right now, or I'll shove that cigarette so far down your throat, that you'll be smoking out your other end!!" Sherri sneered down at the growling gray she-wolf, with an expression that suggested she had just stepped in a dog's 'surprise gift' on the sidewalk. The ferret simply took another calm drag off her cigarette, and exhaled a large puff of smoke right in the faces of Laretta and Vixina, causing them both to recoil in fits of gagging and coughing. "'Ey, there," Sherri idly replied, sounding disinterested, "Wot's got a bug up yer bum? Ye still mad 'bout the graffiti artist 'oo did a number on yer 'airdo?" When she finished rubbing the smoke out of her eyes, Laretta made like she was ready to pounce on her tormentor, but this time Rachel intervened to defuse the situation. "Don't pay any attention to her, Laretta," the goth doe stated, casting a cool gaze on the ferret, "She's too dumb to know what she's talking about, anyway!" "Look who's talking!" came a soft-voiced retort from Furversity's side. This came from the only Furversity member to remain silent up until that point. Rachel sent a harsh glare towards her taunter. She was a young badger lady with a husky, stocky build, and she was clearly the shortest of all the Furversity girls. Her overall appearance indicated that she was a follower of the 'goth' subculture, just like Rachel. The badger's white fur on her face, black fur around her eyes and ears, and gray fur on the rest of her body gave her a natural goth appearance as it was. This was further enhanced by her short, jet-black hair, which had a single white streak dyed down each side. Her unusual clothes also fit right in with the goth motif. These included a black T-shirt with a large blood-red pentagram insignia on the front, which she wore over a mesh fishnet undershirt, whose long sleeves covered her arms. She also wore a long, fancy black skirt whose frilled hem almost came down to the floor. A gust of air caused by the crowd's bustling brushed the hem aside for a moment, revealing that the badger wore black-and-white striped nylon stockings on her legs, and black patent leather lace-up shoes on her feet, much like the style a British nanny or school teacher would wear, except her shoes were propped up on high spiked heels. The most striking feature of this young badger lady was her face, or namely the astounding amount of piercings and jewelry she had adorning it. She sported no fewer than two silver studs and one gold hoop in each ear, one gold hoop in each eyebrow, another gold hoop in her left nostril, a silver safety pin in her right cheek, and two gold hoops in the left side of her lower lip. She even had a short jeweled chain connecting the hoop in her left eyebrow with the one in her nostril, and another one connecting the hoop in her right ear with the safety pin in her cheek. Maryanne O'Brien, Furversity's drummer, usually let her quiet, flinty disposition do all the talking for her, but in this case she couldn't resist getting in a verbal jab of her own. Rachel felt too self-restrained go along with the insults, so she remained content to respond to Maryanne with a scathing glare. Alex, who was right next to Rachel, felt otherwise. "You got some kind of problem with us, fishhook face?!" the short white vixen snapped back at the goth badger. Maryanne glared back at Alex with a piercing gaze from her light gray eyes that could have cut right through solid steel. "No," she calmly replied, "Not at all. You don't look like you're intelligent enough to cause me any trouble, anyway." Cassie was starting to get fed up with all of this squabbling and commotion, and desperately looked for a way to defuse the situation. "Look, Miss Reinhardt," she said directly to Sasha, as calmly as she could manage, "We don't want to cause you any trouble, and we certainly don't want any in return. All we want is to get to our flight and be on our way." All this accomplished, however, was to get Sasha respond with a loud, smug laugh, exposing all of her sharp teeth. "Oh, brother!" she laughed out loud, "You just couldn't make it more obvious that you're all terrified of us! Go on and catch your stupid flight, 'cause you're gonna end up in Loserville while my band and I are cruising on the Road to Riches!" Cindy balled up her fists and retorted to Sasha with a snarling threat, "Well, first you're gonna make a pit stop in the hospital!!!" With the sudden clamor, shouting and threatening gestures from both sides, Cassie quickly feared that the scene would turn violent, until help came from a very welcome source. "I would recommend that you both back down at once," Shiva said in a calm yet stern voice, stepping right in between Cindy and Sasha. As Shiva instantly defused the confrontation, her lieutenants went to work dispersing the crowd. Cindy calmed down, but did not remove her eyes from Sasha, "Looks like you just got lucky, you." Sasha didn't say a word, but she too backed away. "We're all really sorry about this, Shiva," Cassie started to explain to her security chief, but Shiva let her down gently. "Your apology isn't necessary, Cassie," Shiva responded calmly, "We do need to get to the flight to keep it from being delayed, though." Cassie nodded and put her sunglasses back on her muzzle, "You're right, Shiva. Come on, the rest of you, let's get moving!" She cast one last angry glare at Furversity, "We've wasted enough time here as it is!" Cassie's companions each cast their own dirty looks at the rival band, who were laughing amongst themselves and looking smug. Just as Cassie and her band turned and hurried down the concourse to their flight, Wendy made one last, loud taunt. "Aww, don't ya wanna kiss an' make up?" the large hyena shouted in a mocking coy voice, making a phony "kiss-kiss" face at Cindy in particular. "ARRRGGHH!!!! THAT DOES IT!!!! LET ME AT HER, CASS!!!!" Cindy exploded with fury and charged, claws fully unsheathed, straight for the cackling hyena lady. It took Rachel, Vixina, Laretta and Alex working together to successfully restrain her and prevent a violent brawl, but the scene that unfolded wasn't much more pleasant. As the others struggled to drag Cindy back towards their destination, the snow leopardess resorted to screaming threats and profanities at the big laughing hyena the whole time, loud enough for everyone in the whole concourse to hear. A group of young males, both human and furry, dressed in matching fraternity sweaters cheerfully chanted "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Mothers looked upon the scene in shock and disgust, tightly covering the ears of their children. Many onlookers also appeared to be holding up their cell phones. Cassie felt only an overwhelming sense of dread and exasperation. She knew she would face a big chore of calming her friend down enough to safely board the plane. The last glimpse she saw of Furversity chortling with glee, except for Maryanne, who displayed the infamous "single finger salute," didn't make her feel the least bit better. "Great, just great," she glumly thought to herself, as she gripped her forehead from the sensation of a migraine headache. "How can this trip get any worse?" Cassie might have had little to worry about after the incident at the airport. The rest of her band's tour concluded without any major mishaps, and in fact they played to an ecstatic audience who completely packed the remaining venue. Nonetheless, Cassie and her friends agreed that they couldn't be happier to be finished with the tour, and they were certainly in no hurry to start their next one. One week had passed since their unexpected encounter with Furversity, and the only task they felt any enthusiasm about completing was getting their long-expected new album finished. Cassie considered all of this as she waited in the private recording studio on her and Foxonian's Berkshire lodge property. She wanted to do some recording with her new 'secret' back-up guitarist, so she convinced the others to make the trek up to Massachusetts. As Cassie finished the tuning of her black Les Paul's guitar strings, she also thought about how barely a word was mentioned about the Furversity run-in from any of her band mates since that fateful day." It's probably just as well we don't linger on it," she contemplated, adjusting her black choker collar and the yellow belt on her thigh-slitted blue dress, "We really don't need negative vibes messing with our performance." Just as she started to wonder when her friends might start arriving, she saw a most familiar face join her in the main recording room."Hey, vixen," Cindy said with a slight bit of anxiety. Like Cassie, she was dressed in her normal stage performance outfit to "get into the right mood," as she considered it. She wore a short strapless black leather dress decorated with realistic looking tongues of flame around its fringes. Her shoulders were exposed, showing off the lacy straps of her bra underneath, and the dress's hem barely stopped at mid-thigh, fully revealing her sheer black silk nylons. To make walking to the studio easier and more comfortable, she wore her black leather biker boots. In one hand she carried a guitar case containing her favorite black bass, in the other she held a pair strappy black leather sandals with metal studded straps and high stiletto heels made of solid chrome steel."Hey, you," Cassie replied with a smile as she hugged her friend, "Ready to get back to the grindstone?" Cindy shrugged and grinned, "As ready as I'll ever be!" After she leaned her guitar case against an amp stack and put her sandals on top of the same stack, she turned back to Cassie with a solemn expression on her face. "Listen, Cass," she started hesitantly, "I...I'm really sorry about the way I acted that day in the airport. Damn it, I never should have lost my cool like that! I feel like such an ass!"Cassie grinned slightly and gently put her hands on each of Cindy's shoulders. The snow leopardess looked almost grief-stricken as she angrily glared down at the floor. "Come on, Cind, it's all right," she replied, "You're right that it would have been better to just ignore them and not cause a scene. I could see that they were really getting a thrill out of pushing your buttons, so I can't totally blame you, though." As Cindy looked back up at her friend, Cassie smiled back, "I came pretty close to losing it, too!"Cindy gave a slight laugh at the thought, "Jeeze, Cass, do you think we could've double teamed 'em?" Cassie shook her head and also laughed lightly, "I'm not really that much into getting down and dirty!" As her mood lifted from Cassie's reassuring words, Cindy sat down to pull off her boots and slip on her sandals. As she did this, she asked Cassie, "So, where do we stand with our pet project?"Cassie idly swished her tail and replied in a neutral tone, "Right about where we were when the tour started. I really hope we can get the final song line-up set today. I hope that Yang Li practicing with us will help us settle that. Her great session work should tell us which ones will sound the best." Cindy frowned as she removed her bass from its case and started getting it set up. "Well, whatever we do, we really ought to get things rolling in the right direction. I hate to say it, Cass, but this album has got to be the toughest one we've done yet." Cassie nodded slightly in agreement. She recalled how Rachel and Laretta complained about two songs they really liked getting cut from final recording line-up. Of course, the songs were too long, complex, and just didn't fit with the album's overall theme, so Cassie knew she was justified in dropping them from the list. However, she also didn't want to leave anyone with hard feelings, either."Howdy, y'all!" Vixina cheerfully said as she entered the studio. The bespectacled vixen appeared as she typically did, much like a vulpine version of Daisy Duke, and carried her fiddle by her side. After she received friendly greetings in return from Cassie and Cindy, she asked as she tuned her fiddle, "Yang Li's gonna be playin' with us t'day, ain't she?" Cassie nodded and replied, "Yes, and I don't need to remind you guys, but let's do our best to make her feel welcome and comfortable among us." Vixina smiled and winked, "Yew betcha Ah will, Cass! Underneath that big scaly hide o' hers, Ah know she's jest th' sweetest, friendliest gal y'all will evah meet!" Cindy twitched her long, bushy tail slightly as she thoughtfully replied, "Yeah, I think she's cool, and she plays her parts damn well, too. Still, I'd really hate to do anything to piss her off!" She continued somewhat quietly, "You think she'd actually roast someone alive with her flaming breath if she were really tweaked?" Cassie put her hands on her hips and smirked, "Really now, Cind, Yang Li is much too sophisticated for that! For one thing, she's fairly environmentally conscious, so I think she'd hate to contribute to air pollution and global warming!"The three ladies shared a light chuckle just as another one of their companions joined them. "Hi, you guys!" Laretta said with a smile as she entered. She was also dressed in her "performance mode" attire, though like Cindy she favored sensible shoes to make the trip to Cassie's place. She wore black and red sneakers on her feet, under which her white frilly lace-trimmed ankle socks were clearly visible. In her left hand she carried an unusually shaped guitar case, which held an equally bizarrely shaped guitar. In her right hand she held a pair of polished black patent leather stiletto pumps, decorated with a red bow on each toe. The others cheerfully greeted their she-wolf friend as she set down her guitar and sat down to change her shoes. As she unlaced her sneakers and slipped on her pumps, Laretta said, "I heard you guys talking about Yang Li. I'm actually pretty excited about rehearsing with her again. I like her!" Cassie smiled and nodded, "It seems like we're all getting along well with her. I think she'll make some great contributions to our work on the album." Cindy added, "Yeah, but will we be able to give her credit when it's due?" Cassie shrugged slightly and replied, "Well, she seems okay with the stage name she's using, and we don't think her brother should catch on. Still, it's a shame that she's so restricted with what she can do."While Cassie was talking, Laretta had removed her guitar from its case and walked up to approach Cassie. "Cass, I know I usually keep my thoughts to myself, and I'd never want you to think I'd question your judgment," the she-wolf started, "but I've been meaning to ask you about how we're doing with this album. Are you sure it's turning out the way you want it to? Do you think it will really be as good as our earlier hits?" Cindy and Vixina seemed to have similar questioning expressions on their faces, but Cassie replied with a thoughtful answer. "I know recording this album hasn't gone as smoothly as any of us would have liked," she said calmly, "but I think we should all just give it some time and work our way through it. Today we'll be making some decisions about what songs to keep, change, and let go of, and you know that I value all of your opinions tremendously. Aside from that, I wouldn't worry too much. After all, we do have our positive image and solid reputation..."Before Cassie could say another word, the sudden arrival of their other two companions caught them all by surprise. Rachel and Alex almost literally came bursting through the door in a flurry of energy. While Alex looked rather anxious, Rachel was simply fuming and gnashing her teeth. She tightly clutched what looked like a tabloid newspaper in her hands. A surprised Cassie barely managed a simple greeting while Rachel attempted to regain some of her calm composure, brushing back much of her long black hair out of her face, but with little success. "You guys," the goth deer blurted out, also catching her breath, "I don't suppose any of you have seen the latest gossip in the tabloids?" When the others cautiously shook their heads "no", Rachel frowned and stuck out the paper she held straight in front of the others for them to read. "Well, just take a look at what made the font page!"The remaining band members, Cassie included, gazed at the tabloid's front page with similar expressions of shock and disbelief. The giant color photo showed that infamous scene in the airport. In the photo, Cindy had a horrific snarl on her face and looked like she was only inches away from assaulting the members of Furversity, stopped only by being physically restrained by her band mates. At the top of the page, an accusing headline virtually screamed, "CASSIE'S BASSIST NEARLY SPARKS AIRPORT BRAWL!" Feeling drawn in against her will, Cassie took the paper from Rachel's hand and started to read the main story out loud."Recent events appear to be tell-tale signs that Cassie the Rock Vixen and her band aren't merely creatively stagnant, but are genuinely headed into a downward spiral. Their run-in with the hot, up-and-coming band Furversity exposed their dark sides to even their most loyal fans. Witnesses at the scene described what they saw as the Rock Vixen and her companions 'going into a tear of unwarranted threats, insults, and slurs,' against a very surprised Sasha Reinhardt and her equally astonished band mates. The incident reached its climax when Cassie's bassist Cindy McCormick came within inches of physically assaulting Miss Reinhardt and her companions. Airport officials complained the altercation badly disrupted passenger movement and resulted in multiple missed or delayed flights."All the other ladies in the studio, especially Cindy, began to look ill as Cassie reluctantly continued reading. "This display of erratic and unsavory public behavior could merely be the tip of the iceberg of deeper issues within Cassie's Band, such as drug abuse and mental illness. The absence of the Rock Vixen's husband from the scene also fuels speculation on the state of her marriage. On the bright side, Sasha Reinhardt claims she holds no ill will against Cassie or her band mates following the incident. 'No hard feelings at all!' Miss Reinhardt stated with levity, 'Why, my gals and I will be happy to hire them all as our go-fers and clean-up crew as soon as their careers tank!' Miss Reinhardt and her band continue to enjoy great success and a huge fan following from their 'Reject Your Elders' tour..."Cassie couldn't bring herself to read another word of the article. After a few moments of tense silence, Cindy finally spoke up. "What a stinking load of B.S.!!!" the snow leopardess exclaimed, "Where the hell's our side of the story?!" Rachel scowled and shook her head, "You know how the tabloids operate, and all those spectators with their cell-phone cameras sure had the time of their lives too!" Alex also anxiously interjected, "I might as well mention that some of those cell phones captured mini videos of the scene. The folks on YouTube are having a field day with it!""Damn it, this is the last thing we needed!" Cindy exclaimed with this disgust. At this prompting, Rachel walked right up to Cindy and stared coldly straight in her eyes. "And just who do you think we have to thank for all this?" the goth doe spat out, accusation dripping off of her every word."Say WHAT?!?!" Cindy exclaimed with bewilderment. Rachel continued her angry tirade without a pause. "Get a clue, will you! Think about all the other crazy stuff that's happened because of you...your bender that made us cancel that one fan meeting, that crazy 'make-out' scene you dragged Cassie into that also got caught on film, every single time you shoot your mouth off, and now this public temper tantrum!!""Aw, c'mon!!" Cindy shot back, getting defensive, "That hyena bitch was asking for it!!" Rachel crossed her arms and frowned, "You gave it to her, all right...free publicity for them at our expense! What other brilliant ideas do you have in that empty head of yours?!" Cindy viciously narrowed her eyes at Rachel and started cracking her own knuckles, "You want me to show you, Wednesday Addams?!" As this scene unfolded, all the other ladies, Cassie included, stared in complete shock. It wasn't much longer until another very surprising reaction happened. After a moment into Cindy and Rachel's shouting match, Alex drew a snarling expression on her muzzle and threw down her drumsticks in disgust. She grabbed her leather jacket and spat out, "Screw it, I'm blowing this joint!"Most of the others were still too shocked to react (besides Cindy and Rachel, who were still having it out), but Laretta snapped out of it and hurried up to Alex before she stormed out the door. "Alex, what are you doing?!" she exclaimed."What does it look like I'm doing, dummy?!" Alex retorted with a scowl, "I'm getting out of this dump and back on with my life! I could have found a new boyfriend by now, but instead I'm wasting my time on awful tours and cranking out a lousy album that's gonna flop for sure! Now get out of my way!" Laretta looked like she'd just been told take a dive into a sewage treatment tank. With narrowed eyes, flattened ears and a fearsome snarl, she shot right back at the defiant arctic vixen. "How can you say such a thing?!! Don't you have any sense of loyalty?!! Where do you think you'd be now without us?!!" Alex didn't back down and shouted back, "Certainly not being yelled at by some Canuck half-wit, that's for sure!!"For her part, Cassie looked like she'd just seen an entire building collapse. Only moments ago, everything seemed just right. How did all of her best friends end up at each other's throats?" Do you want to know what I'll do to you if you screw up our image one more time?!" "Yeah, sure, you'll put some kind of magic curse on me, witch!!""You can't tell me what to do!! You're not the boss of me!!" "I wouldn't have to if you'd stop acting like a spoiled brat!!" "Hey, y'all 're actin' lahke a bunch o' lil' brats!" "Oh, just butt out, Pollyanna Clementine!!" This was simply the last straw. The Rock Vixen took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Not even she would have ever expected what happened next. "THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!!" she screamed, exposing her fangs in a predatory manner. All at once, the room went completely silent, and all the other ladies fixed their stares at Cassie, wearing expressions of shock and fear. Cassie paused just long enough to silently command the others to give her their full attention. "I don't want to hear one more nasty word out of any of you!" Cassie continued, keeping a stern glare fixed on all of them. "I'm very surprised, and very disappointed in you all!" Seeing each of her friends turn quiet and scared, Cassie softened her tone and expression slightly, but still didn't miss a beat. "Look, we've all been through so much together. I really thought we'd all be mature enough not turn against one another. Can we all just stop for just a minute, stop and think before any of us does something she'll tremendously regret later?" After Cassie concluded her speech, the others stayed silent for a moment, looking sheepish and guilty. "Hey, Cind," Rachel started, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come down so hard on you." Cindy replied in a considerably more relaxed tone, "Aw man, it's all right! I deserved it. Sometimes I need a real boot to the head!" They gave each other familiar and friendly grins. It was then Laretta's turn to face Alex with an apologetic expression. "Alex, I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. I was really out line," the she-wolf said in a solemn tone. Alex replied with her familiar bright-eyed, cheerful tone, "It's okay, Laretta! Don't worry, I wasn't actually gonna run out on you guys." Laretta chuckled and put her arm around the arctic vixen's shoulders, while Vixina watched them all and drawled happily, "Ev'rahthang looks sooo much bettah now!" Cindy replied with a laugh as she gestured towards Cassie, "Well, let's not forget to thank 'Mommy' for giving us all a collective spanking!" Cassie gave out a light laugh herself before speaking again, "So, like I was saying before, let's just stick together and go all the way!" Smiles and nods came from all around as more visitors unexpectedly came through the studio doors. The first two were easily recognized as Foxonian, Cassie's human husband, and Andy, the band's lupine agent and P.R. representative. They both quickly moved to the sides as right behind them came a very tall, golden-scaled dragon lady who had almost stooped down onto her hands and knees to get through the door. After she made her way through, she stood up to express her full, majestic towering figure. Yang Li, who was an "unofficial" addition to the band as they worked on their album, bowed in a polite gesture, causing the jewelry around her neck, wrists, and ankles to jingle lightly. Cassie and Rachel smiled and bowed forward slightly in return, but the others flinched slightly and just gave short "hi"s, as they still felt somewhat intimidated by such a huge and ferocious-looking reptile. As Yang Li removed her large green guitar from its case, Foxonian addressed the group. "Is everything all right here?" he asked, focusing on Cassie but also glancing towards the others as a group. While the others looked slightly embarrassed, Cassie was quick to reply, "Sure, hon! Everything is just dandy. Why do you ask?" Andy quickly followed up, "Well, we're not really trying to pry, but just a little while ago we heard a whole lot of angry yelling down here from all the way up on the back patio!" Yang Li, who now had her custom guitar slung over her shoulders, added, "I mean no offense, but I actually heard it from my approach in the front driveway." By now, all the other ladies were looking rather ashamed, though Cindy mustered the nerve to speak up. "Just call us the Five Stooges!" she said with a slightly nervous chuckle, gesturing to herself and Laretta, Vixina, Rachel, and Alex, who all nodded in agreement. For her part, Cassie just shook her head and addressed her husband and agent, "Let's just say that all the recent stress has taken its toll and some of us had to vent about it. Now that it's done with, though, I wanted to tell you all something, including you, Yang Li!" Cassie's announcement drew the full attention of everyone in the room as they joined into a semi-circle around the vixen. Even Yang Li crouched down to fix her attention on Cassie. "You all know that we haven't had the easiest time working on our current album," Cassie started, which prompted nods and light frustrated sighs from her band mates, "but I have to tell you all that I'm proud of the work you've put into it, and how willing you've been to see things through." "Cass, I hate to sound pushy," said Cindy, shifting her feet back and forth and twitching her tail in agitation, "but where are you going with this? Can't you please just cut to the chase?" Cassie caught the eager looks from the other ladies and nodded patiently, taking that as her cue. "Okay, Cind and you others, get ready for this. I think we should take the songs we've already finished, "tweak" them a little, and make this album into a concept album!" Everyone in the room quietly blinked and looked between themselves and Cassie with uncertainty. "A concept album, Cass?" Rachel asked after the pause, "What's the concept, anyway?" Cassie turned her gaze back towards Cindy as she replied with a sly grin, "Well, Cind, do you remember when we talked about what it would be like if we were all mystical warriors and magicians?" As the other ladies gave little surprised giggles, Cindy sputtered and managed to reply, "You mean that "Lord-of-the-Rings" stuff? I was just joking around Cass, I didn't think anything serious would come out of it!" Cassie just smiled and said, "Well, you know, now something is! You see, I've always wanted for us to put out a successful concept album, and there's no time like the present to do this one! I think we're all doing really well with making mystical and dramatic sounds that would just define the fantastical atmosphere we'd need." Laretta spoke up next, "How much work would it take to get the rest of these songs recorded, Cassie?" Cassie walked over to a nearby stand-up speaker and rested her back against it as she answered the she-wolf, "Oh, probably not much more, since I see most of them being purely instrumental with spoken words." Before she continued, she brushed her long black hair back with her left hand and gave her band mates a caring gaze. "All of this is purely conditional, though. I won't even consider us pursuing this idea unless each and every one of you gals wants to do it, too. So what do you say?" A minute had not even passed when Cindy approached her vixen friend and grasped her hands in a friendly manner. "I don't have to tell you what I think, Cass," she said cheerfully, "You've never let me down before. I'm with you all the way on this!" Laretta soon approached the duo and placed her hands on top of Cassie and Cindy's, happily responding, "I'm with you too, Cass! I know you're right when you say we can do this!" "Well, don't y'all ferget 'bout me!" exclaimed Vixina as she padded over to the group and placed her hands atop the others, "Me an' mah fiddle 're gonna make yer album sound super. Yew can bet on that!" Seeing how happy the quartet was, Alex eagerly hurried to them and reached her hands up to the top of the stack. "Count me in, too!" she cheered enthusiastically, "I think the album's a great idea, and I'd hate for it to be without my awesome drumming!" After a brief cheer and laugh, the group's eyes soon turned to the one remaining holdout. Rachel looked apprehensive for a moment, but soon enough she gave a small grin and walked over to the others. "What the heck, count me in, too!" she said with the most enthusiasm she ever expressed, placing her hands on top of the others. The next moment, even Cassie was slightly surprised as Yang Li carefully approached the group and placed one of her clawed fingers on top of the others'\ hands. "For what it's worth, Cassie," she said serenely above their heads, "You have my support, too. You've given me a chance I never would have had on my own, and for that I'll always be grateful to you!" Cassie looked all around at the smiling faces of her friends, and gave a broad, warm smile of her own. "This is the only way I can define success, having all of you with me as my equals!" At that, the ladies raised their hands and enthusiastically cheered in unison, "CASSIE'S BAND FOREVER!!!!!" When the scene became one of everyone laughing and chatting happily among themselves, Foxonian gently approached his wife and drew her into a loving embrace, which she fiercely returned in kind. "I don't need to tell you how happy I am to have you as my equal, do I?" she said with a giggle as she nuzzled her husband's face. For his part, Foxonian just whispered into Cassie's ear, "I just want to tell you how proud I am of you, and that I've never loved you more than now!" In all of this happy scene, one lone individual remained apprehensive and doubtful. "Cassie," Andy said as he attempted to raise his voice above the chatter, "Don't you think you should reconsider this concept album idea, or at least think it over more carefully? Recording this album has taken long enough as it is, plus most mainstream music fans and label owners think of concept albums as cheap and gimmicky anyways..." His voice trailed off as he realized that Cassie was completely enamored with her husband, and everyone else was preoccupied with their conversations. The wolf sighed and shook his head as he quietly concluded, "Oh, never mind." Despite Andy's concerns, a strong sensation of happiness and optimism permeated the studio. ********** As this scene unfolded in the Berkshire studio, everyone inside was utterly oblivious to an avid eavesdropper. High up in the branches of a pine tree near the studio, a mysterious creature listened eagerly to every word spoken. A large black raven, roughly the size of a house cat, kept its talons gripped tightly around the branch as it fixed its gaze fiercely on the building below. Its devilish red eyes and oily black feathers glistened under the random specks of sunlight that penetrated through the branches above. The raven cocked its head from side to side and clucked its beak as it caught snippets from the conversation. If the ink black bird could make a frowning gesture with its beak, it surely would have from hearing the Rock Vixen's ideas and intentions. "This does not bode well," the raven thought darkly, "The blue-eyed, ebony-haired vixen intends to inscribe and perform the tales of the brave sorceress who vanquished those of my master's clan many ages ago. It sounds all too much like the prophecy that would be our undoing, should it prove to be true!" The raven shifted along the branch and appeared to furrow the feathers around its eyes, continuing its dark thoughts. "Perhaps this may all be a coincidence. That vixen and her friends appear to be nothing more than a bunch of silly ninnies, who can pose no threat whatsoever to my master and his followers. Still, ignoring them is too great a risk to take. I must return to the Salisbury Plains and warn Master Voraxus of this immediately!" As the black bird shook the branch under its movements, preparing to take flight, it caught a glimpse of movement below. A beige rabbit crawled out of its burrow, searching for grass and berries to eat. A wicked thought flashed in the raven's mind. "First, though, I think I shall enjoy a light meal!!" In that instant, the raven thrust itself downward from the branch, its wings spread wide and its talons extended towards the unaware prey. The rabbit barely had a second to give a terrified squeal before the midnight-black bird seized its prey in its razor-sharp talons. After a quick tussle scattering about a few black feathers and tufts of beige fur, the struggle was over. The raven seemed happy to indulge in such a rare treat, plunging its sharp beak into the dead rabbit's bowels and pulling out soft morsels of flesh. "Ahh, such splendid sustenance for the long flight ahead!" the raven thought sublimely as it finished its last choice bits from the pool of flesh and blood beneath its talons. Satisfied with its meal, the black bird cast one last wicked glance at the nearby building before spreading its wings and launching itself skyward. The last frightful image one might have seen that day was of a large black bird soaring high in the sky, fresh blood dripping from its talons.