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The Game v2.0 - Final Round

Thunder crashed outside of the cabin and it quickly began to rain. Hands in the pockets of his jeans and with silver sunglasses concealing his sapphire-blue eyes, the being known only as 'Jacob' stood outside of the cabin where the players of the Game were currently staring at Tony in shock. Even with thick walls separating them, he could still hear what they were saying.

"You cheated?" Ben exclaimed. "When!?"

"I just..." Tony began, stuttering. "I didn't want to lose any of them!"

"That's no excuse! How could you!?"

They argued and all the while X stood at the door with creepy, black-red tendrils rising from deep inside his trench coat, slowly creeping across the floor towards the players. It was clear he was enjoying the moment. He finally got the dissension he wanted as the entire group of players were torn down the middle by a simple act of love.

"Will you do anything?"

Ashley stood beside Jacob drenched just like he was but with her eyes filled with worry. That concern was mostly for her own safety and it was clear she wanted to earn some brownie points after what she and 'X' had done. Still, Jacob appreciated the sentiment.

"I don't quite know yet," he answered reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small flashlight. "It all depends on what everyone decides to do. The future is uncertain and we are at a crossroads. Either they walk the road together or they go their separate ways. Their story is far from over but this chapter is coming to an end."

"What ending do you want for them?"

"That isn't my call," he answered, lifting the flashlight towards the window where he saw Ben threatening Tony. He flicked it on and off several times, right into Ben's eyes. "Hide."

They quickly took a step back into the thick forests, ducking behind a different tree each. Ben glanced over at them and that moment of distraction, that moment where they stopped fighting was enough for the players to remember the threat that was looming at their doorway.

"Hey!" David cried as a black-red vine-like length that looked suspiciously like a sentient belt lashed out at Tony. The belts seized the lion, curling around him and yanking him to the ground. Despite their arguments, Ben held on doggedly and yanked back. Tendrils seized the enormous wolf and threw him back. Tony cried out as he was dragged towards X.

Ben slammed into Shaun and the two went down in a tangle. He gasped as all the muscles in his body went suddenly very cold. The wolf sucked in a deep breath as steam seemed to rise from his body and the curves on his body became just a little less defined. A cry from Tony pulled their attention back to the lion as the muscle definition he had just obtained began to fade.

"Shit!" Steven exclaimed and rushed straight for his lover. He seized Tony's paws, stalling his descent into X's dark, foreboding coat.

"Do not interfere with judgement," X boomed, tendrils rising up and lashing out at Steven. Blood was drawn and right before their eyes, Steven seemed to shrink. "Should you impede me, I shall judge you all guilty!"

Back outside, Ashley laughed softly, covering her mouth with her delicate fingers for fear of being heard. "He sure likes his theatrics, doesn't he?"

"Sssh," Jacob urged. "This is the moment we've been waiting for."

A fierce snarl erupted from Steven's muzzle. "Fuck you! Eli! Now!"

The biggest of the lions slammed hard into X from the side, throwing the creature against the doorframe. At that moment, Xavier and David rushed straight at him and drop kicked the man out of the room. X was thrown back down the stairs, tumbling comically with loud crashes and booms. Shaun and Aiden seized Tony, before he could be dragged down with X. They yanked the tendrils from Tony, suddenly collapsing onto the ground in a shivering pile. That same steam-like energy rose from their bodies. Shaun lost some muscle definition, David some height, Aiden lost some length in his cock.

Tony was affected the most. He lay on the ground, eyes wide and his expression like one that had just stared death in the face and somehow lived. His entire body had lost all the muscle definition he had gained from the last round.

Ben strode up to his roommate, resting a large paw on Tony's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The lion shook his head, eyes wide in horror. "I... It felt like I was... dying... It was like he was sucking out my soul..."

Ben grunted and hoisted Tony into his massive arms. A faint hissing noise filled the air as X's tendrils began to creep up the stairs and back into the room. "Well... you deserve a punch in the gut but not to die. Come on, we're getting out of here!"

As he turned, Tony seized his shoulders. "Leave me! He'll kill you all if you defend me!"

"No!" Steven shouted, striding up to his mate. "You are not going out that way! No way! You are going to have a rich, fulfilling life, grow old and then die after the best orgasm in your life with me, Xavier and Eli in the best goddamn orgy we've ever been in! This is not how you're going to go!"

Tony was speechless.

Jacob lifted the flashlight and flicked it on and off again at the window. This time, it was David who caught the signal but again, Jacob ducked out of sight before anyone could see him.

"How're we going to escape?" Tony asked, desperately. "We can't go down the stairs! He's waiting!"

"I've got an idea," David said, stomping over towards the window. With a loud cry, he smashed the window with his big, beefy arms.

"Too small," Ben grunted, holding Tony tight against his chest. "Hold on tight, kitty cat."

"What...?" Tony began but his words quickly turned into a cry of horror.

The massive wolf charged at the wall, shoulder first. With a thunderous crash Ben smashed right through the wall, splintering the massive wooden walls like it was paper and making a big enough gap for the rest of the group to make it through. Ben landed in the muddy ground with a grunt and staggered a little. Shaun landed a few feet away from him and took Tony from him, hoisting the lion onto his back and telling him to hold on. Aiden and David arrived a second later with the rest of the pride.

They cast one last glance over their shoulders as those tendrils came hissing out of the hole, creeping towards them like red-black snakes. The players bolted for the woods, heading north while Jacob and Ashley stood to the west.

"Is that the outcome you wanted?" Ashley asked.

"What I want is irrelevant," Jacob answered with a smile. "It's what they want. Clearly, they want to walk this road together."

A loud sound like an explosion ripped through the storm. The entire cabin exploded into a writhing mass of red-black tendrils that roiled and writhed angrily, lashing out into the air. From deep within the mass, X rose, suspended by the strength of the endless, slithering tendrils that sprang from deep within his coat. He raised his arms into the air theatrically. His tendrils shot into the sky before diving straight back down into the ground.

X dove into the writhing mass of tendrils. A wave of darkness exploded out from the mass the instant he vanished into its roiling masses. Like a plague, the shadows spread across the ground, turning grass black and bleeding well into the forest. Wherever the inky blackness covered, red-black tendrils rose from the ground, daring anyone to come close.

Jacob pulled away from the tree as a tendril seeped out from between the gnarled trunk and thrashed violently out. Large, thick vines of red-black material rose out from the ground, like feelers searching for prey. Leaves fell from trees as branches were replaced with thrashing tentacles. With the storm thrashing around them, lightning illuminating the forests every now and then, it formed a surreal scene of beauty, destruction and menace.

"You've got to give him props for making a scene," Jacob chuckled, striding out of the infected forest and making his way towards the ruins of the cabin.

Ashley followed him, batting away the tentacles that tried to seize her. "When he's like this, he sort of reminds me of a one of those tentacle beasts people tend to be so fond of overseas. Very rape-y."

"Now if only each of his tendrils was topped off with a penis and I'm sure you and he would be very happy together." Jacob bent down through the ruins and pulled out the remnants of the Game. In the chaos, it had been shattered completely and utterly. "Huh... Clever."

Ashley peered over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"He knew I had taken over the Game so he destroyed it. He tried to keep those poor fellows under his power. Too bad he forgot who he's dealing with."

Jacob ran a hand over the board game. The pieces of shattered wood sprang up from the ruins of the cabin, flying back together and reforming the wooden frame. The metal pieces that had been the player's Avatars came together once more and positioned themselves back where they had once stood. The shattered dice reformed and landed in Jacob's palms. Each of the coloured cards streamed in from all over the ruins, brushing aside the dust that had covered them and piled into each of the compartments.

"Game over," he said ominously.

*****

Tony wasn't sure how to feel. The world seemed to go very quickly to hell. When the thunder came crashing and lightning sizzled through the sky, he saw the horrors that quickly took over the forests around them. Red-black tentacles rose out from the ground and trees, ripping leaves off branches and sending them slamming against his face. His heart pounded hard in his chest with fear and worry.

When he looked over his shoulder, he thought he saw a flash of a red eye through the roiling tendrils. His mind went back to that terrible moment when those tendrils seized him and just seemed to pull his soul out of his body. He felt his whole body go weak and as much as he mentally screamed in defiance, there was nothing he could do as his life just bled out of his flesh and travelled through those tendrils. He could actually feel every ounce of his soul as it was drained out of him.

And now... each of his pride members and his friends were risking their lives for him... Risking exactly the same treatment.

"Shit!"

David stumbled. Several of those red-black vines lashed out at him, mummifying his legs and trying to pull him back towards the cabin. He shouted in frustration as he tried to kick them away. His height and muscles seemed to just fade away into the tendrils. Ben roared and lunged, claws flashing as he tore the tendrils apart. He stumbled himself upon contact with the unholy beings, his body shivering. The veins across his muscles just seemed to fade back into his flesh.

"Get up!" Aiden shouted, yanking them both off the ground, his own tentacles seizing their waists and pulling them to their feet. He ushered them both through the forest as Shaun and the pride ran on ahead.

Tony couldn't bear to see his friend suffer for him. Regret wracked his very being as he realised he was the cause of all this. He was the one who first pushed Ben to play the Game and he was the one that practically dragged David into the Game by altering that moment in his past. He was the one that cheated and as a result, he was the one that put all their lives in danger.

"No!"

His heart skipped a beat when he heard Xavier's cry. He spun towards where his cute, adorable pride member with the gargantuan cock was lifted up by tendrils attached to a tree. Steven growled and barked orders at Eli. He quickly leapt onto the other lion's shoulders and seized Xavier's legs before the youngest of the pride was dragged up into the darkness. Xavier whimpered as the sizable bulge in his crotch began to shrink.

Shaun let out a snarl and spun around, bolting back toward the tree. He let out a thunderous roar and leapt into the air. His claws sliced through the tendrils holding Xavier and the pride member went crashing into Eli and Steven. Shaun hit the ground hard, gasping as he stumbled and fell on his side, throwing Tony off. A cry escaped the tiger-taur when the darkness took advantage of his weakness and eagerly seized him. His muscles too began to fade and his eyes went wide, jaw dropping open in horror.

"Let him go!" Ben roared, tearing through the ribbons of darkness and freeing his mate.

"We'll never outrun this!" Aiden shouted. Shadowy vines tried to seize him but with his own tentacles, he lashed out at them, throwing them back. But with every moment of contact, his tentacles shrank further and further into his back.

Tony rose slowly and turned back south - in the direction of the cabin. This time, he was sure he saw X looming in the shadows. He took a step towards the creature, lifting his arms. "I'm here!" he shouted. "Take me already! Leave everyone else alone!"

He could just feel the tendrils creeping towards him with agonising slowly, making the last moments of his life agonisingly painful. A cold force gripped his shoulder and yanked him back. He remembered thinking 'this is it' before pain exploded out from his stomach and he was forced to gag.

"Didn't you hear Steven!?" Ben roared in his ear, pulling his fist away from Tony's gut. "You are not going out like that!"

"If I don't... you'll all die..."

"Then we all die," Ben said fiercely.

When Tony looked into his eyes... it was clear he meant it. There was no hint of doubt in his eyes. "Why...?"

Ben shook his head, unsure what he could say as a reply. "Just no, okay?" He took Tony's paw and bolted away from X.

The roar of thunder seemed to die out and there hadn't been another lash of lightning in a while. It still continued to rain hard but Tony felt that, somehow, the menace in the air had faded. X's assault, however, grew more intense. The tendrils were now actively seeking them, lashing out from every direction, from the ground, from the trees and even from thin air. They were constantly dodging and weaving, ducking and leaping through them.

A loud hissing noise made Tony spin around and he screamed for everyone to duck. They threw themselves at the ground as a huge tunnel of red-black tendrils came shooting out from the darkness behind them, tearing through trees and ripping through the air like one, massive, hungry snake that had just struck. It slipped back as quickly as it came but its job was done. The moment they were on the ground, tendrils lashed out and seized half their group.

Tony panicked and screamed as the tendrils hoisted him up into the air and began sucking out every fibre of his being. He felt suddenly very, very cold. All feeling in his body began to fade. He was sure he was still thrashing but he couldn't feel his claws raking across the tendrils or even feel the cold touch of the ribbons across his chest. The clouds above him and the forest faded into darkness.

The only thing he could feel... was his rapid breathing... and even that was fading...

Even the soft thump-thump of his heart died out into the silent, all-consuming darkness.

This was it...

Death...

In some part of his mind, before he felt it slip into the nothingness... he hoped X would stop his assault. He was captured so that must be enough, right? X would stop hunting the rest and leave them alone. They could finish the Game and put this all behind them. God, he hoped they would forgive him. He wasn't sure where Steven or the rest of the pride would go after he died but he hoped they'd stick around when the Game ended.

Then... he remembered.

They couldn't finish the game without him!

If he died... they'd never be able to finish the Game because they'd be stuck waiting for his turn!

If they couldn't finish the Game, X would just keep coming after them!

That wasn't fair!

He couldn't let that happen!

No...

NO...

"NO!"

Tony suddenly felt the rush of blood through his veins, heard his own cry, found clarity in his mind and the jump of his heart as it sprang back to life. He seized the tendrils around his chest and tore them from his chest with a mighty roar. He dropped back to the ground, shaking away the shivers and let his claws hang out of his paws. Suddenly feeling more like a lion than ever before, he tore through the other bindings that held the others.

"Come on!" he shouted. "We're getting out of here!"

The rain had stopped and the winds ceased their howling. Without the leaves suddenly blowing in his face, he found it easier to navigate through the dark forest. He charged head long, waving through the hostile ribbons that kept trying to seize him. Occasionally, he would lash out with his claws when one barred his path.

Several of the black ribbons suddenly crisscrossed in front of him, forming a thick, impassable barrier. A feral roar erupted from behind him. Ben and Shaun both charged past him, claws lashing out and ripping through the barrier with their combined might.

Grinning, Tony followed the duo through the swarm of darkness.

His feet suddenly left like they were crushing mud instead of the sickly, sticky darkness. When he glanced at his feet, he wiggled his toes between the blades of grass. The rest of the group stopped in surprise as they found themselves in a clearing with a single rock formation that looked suspiciously like a table sitting at the centre.

The Game sat open on the table.

Tony took a deep breath and hurried towards the unholy device. Though, as he approached, there was this odd sensation about it... When he first laid eyes on it, he had this awful sense of foreboding about it. It was a chill down his spine, a dryness in his throat and a shiver in his gut. This time, as sat down in front of it, there was a warmth that emanated from it.

"What are you doing!?" Aiden shouted. "We don't have time to play another round!"

"No," he said, pointing at the open Game. He wasn't even going to argue how the Game was open when it hadn't been a whole day yet. He was going to take what blessings he could. "This is the only way we're going to get out of this mess. We finish the Game!"

"X is right on our tails!" shouted Steven. "We can't -"

Tony ignored him and seized the dice. They felt warm in his paws. He quickly shoved them into Ben's paws. "Roll," he ordered.

Ben regarded the dice warily, casting a gaze over his shoulder and gulping loudly. Tony looked past where the wolf gazed and just as Ben began his roll, he thought he saw two figures standing amongst the shadows of the corrupted forest. The one on the right he didn't recognise but the one on the left pulled a pair of sunglasses away from his sapphire blue eyes and gave Tony a sly wink.

For some reason... he just knew they would be fine.

The clatter of dice against the game board brought his attention back to the present. Ben's Avatar strode forward a good two spaces onto a red tile. He scrambled for the red card, his big paws clamouring in panic. Shaun reached down, gripped his wrist comfortingly and placed the card in his paw.

"Single effect," Ben red. "Target: player's choice."

He gazed at what the d20 read and it was a 1.

Muscle growth.

"Tony!" Ben exclaimed quickly.

Before Tony could protest, his entire body began twitching forcibly. He forced the pleasure of the growth out of his mind and shoved the dice into David's hands. "Go!"

He grit his teeth against the transformation, trying to keep focused. As hard as his cock was, he couldn't let himself get distracted. X was looming around the corner and he didn't want to feel that consuming darkness. Never again.

"Yellow card!" David exclaimed excitedly. "Three spaces forward and..." He picked up the yellow card. "Single effect. Target: self!" His Avatar moved forward an extra three spaces from the four he already had. He quickly handed the dice to Shaun just as a thunderous crash came from deep in the forest.

Tony peered towards the shadows, spying a red eye amongst the darkness and with those comforting blue eyes gone. The darkness began creeping across the clearing, progressing much more slowly than before. He thought he heard someone swear from the shadows but turned his focus back towards the Game.

Shaun rolled. His Avatar strode forward four spaces onto a white tile. He grunted as the length of his body shrank down. Sweat rolled off his brow as he handed the dice next to Aiden. The tiger-taur was just nine tiles away from his finish.

Aiden rolled the dice in his paws and let it drop to the board. A six and he let out a loud 'yes' as his Avatar marched forward onto a yellow tile. His enthusiasm dropped when his yellow card demanded he take two steps back. Out of everyone else, he was the farthest from his finish and X was just around the corner.

Tony took the dice next and shook it in his paws. He pleaded for something good and let it drop to the ground. His Avatar marched forward six spaces onto another white tile. Those muscles he had just obtained shrank back into his flesh, leaving him feeling weak and cold but leaving him eleven spaces away from his finish.

Ben swiped up the dice.

"Ben!" Tony shouted.

The big wolf instantly ducked. A black tendril lashed out where his head had been. "Shit!" They quickly swiped up the board and dove for the far end of the clearing. X was advancing but it looked like he was struggling to get to them. Every step was laboured, slow and it looked like he was struggling against some invisible force that kept him for advancing as fast as he had before.

"Throw the dice!" shouted Aiden.

The dice clattered to the board. A six and a twelve. Ben's Avatar marched forward onto a yellow tile. Shaun swiped up the yellow card and let out a bright grin. "Single effect. Do not enact effect roll. Target: All!"

Everyone's Avatars moved forward two spaces.

David took the dice next and gave them a kiss before letting them roll. Four. The effect roll didn't matter as small, metallic, multi-cocked horse marched forward onto a black tile. Tony held his breath, waiting for the Game to consume them in some deranged sex game. Instead, X let out a triumphant cry and the creeping darkness surged forward, coming to within a few feet of Shaun. The tentacles of darkness were within lashing distance and the entire party snuck further away, closing in on the outer edge of the clearing but just a short distance away from the corrupted forest.

"Crap!" exclaimed Aiden as he handed the dice to Shaun. "Go! Go! Go!"

Tony had some quick thoughts... He glanced over at the worried Steven and the rest of his pride. He didn't want to lose any of them but when he looked over at Ben and the others... He didn't want to lose anyone...

Shaun rolled and fell on another four, putting him within striking distance of his finish. Now, he had to get exactly a three or be forced to loop around for another eleven tiles. He landed on a white tile, robbing him of some more muscle definition.

Watching Shaun's body shrink slightly, Tony realised something. He looked at his own paws... and then over at the advancing X.

"He slowly turning us back human..." he whispered softly. "He's taking our transformations away..."

"What are you saying?" Aiden asked as he tossed the dice. His Avatar moved forward four spaces onto yet another yellow tile. This time, it was in his favour as he was allowed to move another square forward.

The dice were shoved into Tony's paws. He tossed it aside while peering at X. Then his eyes met Steven's. His Avatar marched forward two spaces onto yet another white tile. Tony wasn't sure what transformation he had lost but he didn't care. The dice was passed around and he stood up, taking Steven's paws in his.

"Steven... There's something I have to ask of you..." he whispered.

By the way Steven gripped his paws back, it was clear he already knew what he wanted.

"Yes!" Ben shouted. "Red card with some width! Shaun! You get that back!"

They were only paying some attention as the rest of the pride huddled over to them, arms around one another and heads bowed in a solemn bow.

"I'm sorry..." Tony whispered. "I'm so sorry, all of you..." He felt the tears on his face, weight that kept his eyes from meeting those of the men he cared so much about.

"Don't worry," Eli said, gripping his shoulder with a powerful paw. "We understand."

Xavier threw himself at Tony, wrapping his arms tightly around the proud lion. "I love you."

"I love you too," Tony sobbed.

David shouted as he moved forward two spaced and got a white tile, losing more of his height.

"Whatever happens," Steven said, taking Tony's hands and squeezing it tightly. "Never forget us. We'll never forget you."

Shaun suddenly let out a loud cry of victory. X echoed the shout with one of anguish. The shadows seemed to recede and the tendrils snuck back. X looked like he had been physically struck and staggered back. Tony could only guess that Shaun had landed on his finish. He dared a glance over his shoulder and watched as the tiger-taur's Avatar lost all its features and became a solid block of steel again.

There was a sudden cry of surprise from Shaun. All eyes went to him as he held up his paws to eye level. His fingers tips twitched before slowly disintegrating into a shower tiny, white stars that drifted towards the skies.

"Shaun!" Ben shouted. The big wolf tried to lunge for his mate but barely got to seize him around the waist before Shaun's entire lower half drifted off into the skies. Shaun gave him a bright smile, no fear in his eyes.

"It's fine!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Finish the Game! I'll see you in a bit!"

Suddenly, he was gone. Ben arched his back and let out a howl of anguish.

That didn't stop Aiden from making his roll. He landed on the third yellow tile in a row, granting him a double effect and leaving him five spaces away from his finish.

Tony gave his pride one last nod, knowing that this would the last round of the Game for him, no matter what. He turned, picked up the dice and let it roll. His Avatar marched forward two spaces onto a black tile. X recovered from the blow what had been dealt to him but did not surge forward. Instead, he seemed pained and staggered forward, arms reaching for the players like the shadowy twin of a typical zombie.

Tony was five spaces away from his finish.

He then turned around and marched back towards his pride; not knowing what to expect or how to start. Somehow, Xavier seemed to know and he strode forward, wrapping his arms around Tony in one, last embrace. Tony felt the warmth of the youngest lion against him and shuddered as he felt their hearts beat against one another. Every muscle in his body twitched and shuddered as a sudden flood of strength filled every vein. He growled. Intense pleasure rose up from his cock and he looked down. Xavier had lifted his leg and pressed one toe against his piss slit. His cock eagerly rose up and grew to accommodate the sudden intrusion.

Precum was pouring out of his prickly prick, dripping all over Xavier's foot. As Xavier pushed his entire foot in, Tony shuddered, letting out a roar. The feeling of the moving, twitching lion inside his cock was unimaginable. The strength that flooded him was just as immense and he couldn't help but flex his biceps as they bulged. Xavier pushed his entire leg deep into Tony's massive, growing cock, having to rely on Tony and the rest of the pride to prop him up. As he pushed his other leg inside, Tony's cock had grown to epic proportions, big enough to rival Ben's. It eagerly consumed Xavier and Tony felt his lion's lower body twitching deep inside his balls.

There was a moment of fear in Xavier's eyes. Tony wiped that away with one, last kiss.

Then Xavier was gone deep inside his cock. Tony growled, feeling his entire body growing from the added strength of his pride member. He gasped when his spine stretched and his muscles bulged. Shaking his head free of the lust that threatened to consume him, he nodded at Eli who pressed his paws into that monster cock. More precum poured out and splattered Eli's upper body, making the muscly lion giggle. He dove in headfirst, wiggling all the way as his added his strength to Tony's.

"Tony! What are you doing!?" Ben shouted.

"Just roll the goddamn dice!" Tony yelled back.

It was Ben's turn and in his shock of seeing Tony's transformation, he dropped the dice. His Avatar strode forward the four spaces onto a red tile, one more double muscle growth. It was his choice of target. For the first time since they had met, Ben and Tony had a moment of clarity between them, a little conversation between them just with a nod of a head and a fierce look.

"Tony..." Ben whispered.

Tony grunted as his entire body was encased in a net of veins and the already bulging muscles all over his body exploded outwards. He was forced to his knees, enormous cock slamming against the ground with a heavy thump. He was nearing Ben's size. But it still wasn't enough. He knew it wouldn't be enough.

Warm paws pressed against his cock and Steven smiled down at him.

"I love you," Tony whispered.

"Yeah..." Steven said, laughing softly as a tear ran down his face. "Me too." He pressed his paw against Tony's slit but the enormous lion seized it. He pulled Steven against him, pressing their lips one last moment.

That one second of bliss, that moment of goodbye was seemed to last forever. But then Tony began to feel amazing pleasure rising from his cock and Steven slipping away. He couldn't bear to watch his mate disappear into him. Even the great strength he felt from Steven sliding into him was little consolation.

He never felt stronger in his life but at the same time, he never felt sadder. Rising to his feet, hefting his massive cock on one paw, he rose to his full ten feet tall, brimming with muscles to make all the world's men drool and whimper in jealousy.

David shouted 'five' behind him but didn't bother to see what the effect of the roll was.

Tony let out a ferocious roar and threw himself at X. He thought he saw the dark entity's red eye flash with surprise before a thousand black tendrils came streaming in from all directions to stop him. Tony bowled right through them, ignoring the horrific, chilling feeling of his very life fading away. He ploughed past a forest of tendrils, seizing X by the throat and hurling the creature halfway across the clearing.

Black, shadowy vines rose up from the ground and caught X, lifting him up into the air and twisting him upright. The darkness around him writhed and roiled. They exploded out in massive geysers on either side of him, each one filled with a thousand red eyes that peered right into Tony's soul.

Roaring in defiance, Tony charged through the murk, charging towards X. Tentacles of darkness seized his ankles, dragging him down but he resisted. One tentacle came lashing out, striking his cheek and hurling him back with enough force that he was sent crashing to the ground right beside the other players.

He saw Aiden roll a one, landing him on a yellow tile. The remaining players stared at him.

"Play!" he bellowed and leapt to his feet.

He heard Aiden scramble for the yellow card just several tentacles came rushing for him. Tony ducked... but then realised all too late X was not aiming for him.

He spun around...

"Aiden!"

The bull gawked, jaw open.

"No!"

The tentacle, spear-like shot right through Aiden's head, right between the eyes.

Tony let out a bellowing 'No'... but that died in his throat. Aiden's entire body vanished in a shower of white lights. The card in his hand dropped to the ground. It read 'Double effect. Target: All.' He watched both Ben and David give him one last look of horror before their bodies too began to vanish.

Each of their Avatars had strode forward four spaces, each of them reaching their finish.

Only Tony was left.

With a single space separating him from his end.

In one moment of clarity, David reached down and seized the dice off the board. "Tony!"

And he threw them.

Tony seized them but not before a black tendril came lashing out and seized his wrist. Pain exploded from the contact and his fingers loosened around the dice. He watched them sail back towards the Game board, pulled there by the forces of the device.

The d20 landed first.

4.

And the d6...

The d6 landed exactly on the edge of the game board, wedge against the wooden frame and a blade of grass that kept it from rolling onto a face! It was standing on its edge because of a piece of grass!

Tony's eyes widened.

He had to get a one.

Just a one!

He felt the black tendrils suddenly wrap around his body, his very life seeping out of him like each tentacle was a straw sucking out his blood. A cold breath brushed against his cheek and he spun to face the one red eye of X.

"You are mine."

Tony growled in defiance and tried to struggle but he was pinned down, completely unable to move.

He thought he could feel X grin even through the shadows. "I will never give up!" he shouted. "You can drag me down to the pits of hell but I will never stop fighting you!"

"Trust me. You will. One day, you will. You will be mine."

A flash of light cut through the darkness. Tony squinted against it. Warmth brushed against his cheek and it took him a moment to realise that the sun had peeked out from behind the mountains and the clouds.

Dawn had come.

And standing against the light...

... was a man with silver sunglasses.

X saw him too and his one, red eye went wide.

"You!" the menace scowled.

"You two seem to be having an argument," Jacob said, his grin visible through his silhouette. "Why don't we let the roll of the dice decide the winner?"

"No!" X cried.

But he was too late.

Jacob reached down and just pulled the blade of grass away.

The d6 dropped off the Game board...

... and landed on a one.

X howled in defeat.

Relief washed over Tony's heart.

The world went entirely white and became so very warm like a blanket after a blizzard. Fear left Tony's heart and the cold touch of X's tendrils faded into the light. He just seemed to float there... completely and utterly at peace.

The last thing he remembered was Jacob's voice saying, "Congratulations. You won the Game."

*****

Ding-dong.

Ben lifted his head from in front of the oven. His cherry pie was bordering on the point of being perfectly cooked and burnt. He was loathed to leave it but another ding-dong came and this time, it was far more insistent.

"Hey honey, you mind getting that?" he bellowed.

No reply.

Ding-dong.

Rolling his eyes, Ben got up, grunting as his thick thigh protested. After doing a legs day at the gym, he didn't know why he thought it'd be a good idea to sit in front of an oven to watch his pie cook. It was his first time cooking something solo so he wanted it to go perfectly especially for tonight. He tore himself from the oven and hurried over to the intercom.

"Hello?" he asked, pressing the button.

"Hey! Let us up, will ya? It's freezing out here!"

"Alright, alright!" he laughed. "Keep your pants on!"

He hit the 'open' button on the intercom that would automatically open the door downstairs. Before he could even turn back towards his pie, a knock came to the door.

"That quick? Huh... Must've been really cold."

He headed towards the front door and pulled open.

"Surprise!" Aiden and his father, David, exclaimed in unison, holding out a rather large basket of baked muffins.

Ben broke out into a smile at the couple. "Already talking in unison," he laughed. "You two really are cute together. Creepy, but cute."

"See, I told you it'd be weird," David said, taking the basket of muffins and striding into the apartment.

"So sue me," Aiden said, grinning broadly. "I'm a romantic." He turned his gaze towards Ben but not before steeling a gaze at David's sculpted ass and licking his lips. "So, how you been?"

Ben shrugged. "Still getting used to this whole thing." He gestured at his built, sculpted body. "Being human after spending so much time as a wolf can be a little disconcerting. I still keep fearing people will see a tail when I walk along the streets."

"I know what you mean," Aiden laughed, stepping into the apartment. "I'm completely turned off beef. Pork and chicken I'm fine with. But beef... nope. Your dad has gone full-on vegan, though."

"Looks good for having only vegetables."

"He gets lots of exercise and protein." Aiden added a wink and Ben just rolled his eyes.

The bathroom door finally sprang open and Shaun stepped out in nothing but a bath towel wrapped around his waist. His perfect six pack glistened with droplets of water. He broke out into his bright grin as he spied the two step in. "Hey! Welcome, guys! How've you been?"

"We just live next door," David said, parking himself on the couch with his big feet propped up on the coffee table. "You know exactly how we've been."

"I'd complain about the noise but I'm pretty sure we go to bed at the same time," Shaun chuckled.

A soft cough made Ben turned back towards the door.

Standing in front of him were what could have been three brothers.

"Can we come in?" Steven asked, the tallest of them all. His trim muscles suited him well as did the spiked collar that was lashed around his pink flesh. It still took Ben a moment to realise that these three were the same pride that had ran the gauntlet of the Game with them. Human, they held the semblance of their feline selves but were still completely alien.

"We brought cake," offered Xavier, holding out the large cake he held. By far the twinkiest of the group, he was adorable and had that youthful glean to his face while still having a hot, muscular body. Eli, the biggest and most muscular of the ground just grinned at them, wrapping his arms around his two friends.

Ben suddenly frowned. "Hey... where's...?"

"Hold the door!"

Ben peered out the door and down the stairwell.

He broke into a grin.

Tony came rushing up the stairs, spinning the car keys in his hands. When he spied Ben, he broke out into a grin through his big, bushy beard. "Miss me?"

"Get in here," Ben laughed, stepping aside to let all his friends through the door.

The trio of pride members stepped through, immediately mingling with the others. Tony brought up the rear, standing beside Ben with a smile.

"So how's the transition been?" Ben asked. "Is it weird for them?"

"Weirder for the rest of the campus," Tony answered. "Some people think they're brothers. Other people think they're really close and we're fucking one another. Others still think they're brothers that are really close and fuck each other. Either way, they're adapting well. History is still a little strange and a sensitive topic but you know what?" He turned a bright grin at Ben. "We'll make it through."

"I bet the twelve million bucks we got mysterious dropped into all our accounts helps too."

"Twenty-four million," Tony corrected, waving a finger. "Remember, that roll was a double effect roll."

"Of course." Ben placed his hands on his hips. "So tell me again why you're a multi-millionaire and yet you're still living in a college dorm with your mate and his two brothers that happen to be fucking each other's brains out?"

Tony shrugged. "Nostalgia."

They strode back to the rest of the group with Ben quickly excusing himself to get the pie out of the oven. As he set it on the cooling rack, he turned to watch the rest of his family and friends milling about the television as they put on some soap opera that Aiden recommended.

The couples quickly gravitated towards one another. Aiden with David. Tony with Steven and Xavier with Eli. Ben found warm hands wrap around his waist and a wet, half-naked body pressed up against him.

"Hard to think it's been a year, hasn't it?" Shaun whispered into his ear, gently swaying their hips together to some unsung tune.

Ben leaned into the embrace and let out a soft sigh. "Yeah. One year with the love of my life, my dad and his boyfriend as next door neighbours and my best friend visiting every weekend to catch up on our homework."

"How are your classes, anyway?"

"You should know. We're taking the same personal training classes."

"True, but you still need that English requirement and you have Tony in your class, right? How're those?"

Ben smiled and turned around in Shaun's grin, kissing him lightly. "Not as good as the time I spend with you."

"You're turning into Aiden," Shaun laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe. As I recall, I rode his cock last weekend and you rode my dad's."

"So if I fuck you, does that make it incest. You know, with some of your dad in me, we'd be like half-brothers." Shaun gave him a lewd grin and Ben just rolled his eyes, giving his boyfriend a light tap of the cheek as they wandered hand in hand to the others. They carried over some beer bottles and gave one to everyone. He sat down in a couch with Shaun right beside him.

"Oh hey!" Aiden exclaimed suddenly. "I got accepted into the police academy! I'll be starting there next semester!"

"Congrats!" Ben replied. "We should celebrate."

"Isn't this the celebration?"

Ben bobbed his head from side to side as he popped the top off his bottle and took a sip. "Actually... It's been a year, you know."

There was a pause and the noise from the TV faded into the background. Taking that as a cue, Eli switched it off and hugged Xavier tightly.

"One year," Tony sighed. He let out a soft laugh. "One year from one hell of a ride."

"We grew a lot in that week or so that things changed for us," David agreed. "But we still have a lot of growing to do. At least we don't have to do it alone." He hoisted his bottle. "To changing together."

"And to the lessons we learned," agreed Shaun.

"And the love we discovered," Steven finished.

They all took a swing and as Ben set his beer bottle down, he laughed softly and shook his head. Shaun asked him what was so funny.

"It's just that... Despite one year on, we've change so much but at the same time, we haven't changed at all." He reached down and gripped Shaun's erect cock through the dripping towel. "Case in point."

Shaun rolled his eyes and stood up. "Hey, we're only together like this once every month at most. A tiger has his needs!" For emphasis, he pulled off the towel. Xavier let out a loud cry of approval while Eli whistled loudly. Aiden flicked out a ten dollar note and added his whistle to the others. Ben rolled his eyes and had to admit, his own cock was rising well to full mast. Still, as he peered at the fluffy white balls of his mate and the pink, prickly cock that emerged from it, he couldn't help but wonder just how fortunate they were.

The rest of the party quickly removed their own clothing, some more slowly than others. Aiden dove in for a kiss with David, their faces lengthening as Aiden's horns quickly came in. David had to kick off his shoes quickly and had a bit of trouble with his socks. Luckily, Xavier was there and took them off, taking a sniff off them as David's feet merged to form his hooves. Xavier threw aside the sock as his own muzzle and feline features grew in. Not too far away, Tony was pushed to the ground by the domineering Steven, both of their feline personas creeping in, muscles growing through the golden fur.

He felt Shaun's paws twist around his shirt and he looked up at his mate. It felt like he was stretched out the muscles in his jaw as Shaun bent in and helped his muzzle grow in.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Shaun asked, with a lewd grin on his face.

In all honesty, Ben's mind was far from sex but he didn't dare say that to ruin the moment.

All he said was, "Just how happy I am."

"Me too, Ben. I love you."

"And I love you too, Shaun."

*****

Two figures met outside of a drab, featureless apartment. One was dressed in a trench coat and the other in a skimpy school girl's outfit.

The one in the trench coat grunted. "It's been a while, 'Ashley'."

"Yes it has, 'X'," she replied with a sigh. "How have you been?"

"Scared shitless. I've spent the last three hundred and sixty-five days jumping at shadows, ducking in and out and freaking out every time I see someone with silver wrap around glasses. That is no way to live."

"He was very pissed."

X wagged a finger at her. "Yeah but not the 'I'm going to blow up the universe' kind of pissed. He was that 'I'm going to be the biggest asshole you ever met' pissed. That kind of pissed where instead of gutting you and showing you your entrails before force feeding you your own shit, he will let you stew in your own juices for until you come to him begging to be killed." X sighed softly. "Tell me he sent you here as a peace offering."

Ashley said nothing.

"He's waiting in the apartment, isn't he?"

"He's waiting in the apartment," she confirmed.

X took a deep breath. "Alright... Let's get this over with then." He took the doorknob and gave it a twist. Then he immediately pulled back. "I can't. You do it."

"You baby," she hissed and pushed open the door.

The apartment was empty except for a table where the Game sat and a black, leather chair. The kind the swivelled around.

In fact...

The chair swivelling around and there, sitting with one leg over the other and caressing a wild, red-eyed koala on his lap...

... was Jacob.

"Why hello. I've been expecting you."

X winced and shut the door behind him. "Before we go into the whole spiel about me being doomed to the deepest pits of hell, what's with the koala?"

"I'd like to know that too," Ashley said, lifting her phone and showing Jacob the image of the rabid koala. "You sent me this image over a year ago and now it's stuck as my wallpaper for some reason. I freak out every time I see it and when I try to call someone, I die a little inside."

Jacob lifted the koala. "This is Nibbles."

"Nibbles?" X repeated.

"Yes. Nibbles. Nibbles the Face-Mauling Drop Bear."

"The what now?"

"You've clearly never seen my collection of 'Cutesy Animals that will Murder you in your Sleep.' Nibbles comes in the same set as Flippers the Exploding Baby Seal, Tony the Murderous Husky Plushy and, new to the collection, Chester the Skydiving Blue Whale."

X winced and took a step back. "So I'm being given the choice of either having my face ripped off by a fluffy, tree-hugging teddy bear, murdered in my sleep by a possessed doll, hugged and then ripped to shreds by an exploding baby seal or crushed by a two hundred tonne sea mammal that has no business skydiving with a parachute."

"I never said he had a parachute."

Another wince. "Can we please just get to the part where I die?"

Jacob stood up from his seat and headed towards the window. Just outside, he could peer into the apartment Ben and Shaun shared. There, the entire party of former Game players had fully transformed into their bestial selves complete with quirks. Shaun was once again a tiger-taur, Aiden had his tentacles, Ben was immensely muscular with a cock that could very well be a cannon and David had so many cocks that he could stuff almost each member of the party. Naturally, the pride had their own personalities too. Their powers, however, were not with them. Shaun could transform people into images of themselves, Ben no longer could make someone immensely muscular, Aiden could no longer control the shape and form of semen and David's orgasms were back to normal - at least as normal as a multi-cocked equine could get. Tony couldn't consume his pride just to make himself stronger either.

"You know you can't die," he said, turning away from the window and regarding the Game. "It's our job to give people their happy endings. We've had our chance and we gave it up to make sure everyone else gets theirs."

"So you're not mad?"

"I was. Still am, actually."

"Why though? Everything turned out for the better! Okay, so you interfered a little but I'm sure things would have turned out for the better if you hadn't! The Game is designed to give people their deepest desires. That's why I made it like that! You can't blame me for trying to do that!"

"No I can't. The previous incarnation of the Game did just that. It taught the players the lesson of regulating their desires, coming to terms with what is truly important and cherishing what they have without wanting the excess." He pointed at the Game. "This version, however, was just you two flexing your powers and trying to fulfil your own desires."

He narrowed his hidden gaze at Ashley. "Don't think I played blind to your machinations. You slept with dozens of people in the hopes of pulling them into the Game. This was all just so you could get off."

Ashley winced. "I hadn't been laid in a while..."

"That is no excuse." Jacob turned his gaze towards X. "And your desire to spread chaos and madness across the world... I don't even know where to start. This is not how we work."

"Doesn't it get tiring though to go to each individual person and work out their happy endings?" X asked. "Can't we just give them a device like the Game and let them sort it out?" He pointed at where the party was just coming to their orgasm. "Look how well it turned out for them!"

"Their story is far from over. This chapter in their lives reached a happy ending but I still have the keys to their paradise. They still have to earn that. The fact that I let them shift from their bestial forms to human is just another trial they will have to undergo but one I am sure they are capable of managing." His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, making both X and Ashley shrink back. "Seriously, what were you two planning if and when the finished the Game? Just leave them as anthropomorphic animals or making them human again?"

"I was thinking human," Ashley said with a shrug.

"We clearly weren't on the same page," X muttered.

Jacob shook his head sadly, massaging his temple with one finger. "If you left them human, they'd miss their bestial selves. If you kept them as animals, they'd be lynched, dissected and probably alienated. Bravo."

"Incidentally," he continued, "how do you think other people will react if these guys suddenly disappear off the face of the world? Tony has family. Aiden has multiple brothers and sisters. Shaun has his parents and both David and Ben have Sherry."

Ashley and X exchanged glances. Then, in unison, they asked, "Who?"

"And that is the exact lack of consideration that I am talking about," Jacob said, placing a palm on the Game. "Sherry is David's wife, Ben's mother. What of her?"

"They got divorced. What's the issue?" X asked.

"So you think. But I foresee troubles in the future. Remember, David said both he and Sherry stayed together for Ben's sake. They both clearly loved Ben. What of her involvement? Don't you think a loving mother will come knocking and try to explain?"

The two, like two children being scolded, looked at their feet and could not reply.

Jacob shook his head and sighed. "Their stories are far from over. One day, they will get their happy endings but not yet. There is still so much living to do. You can't just skip to the end. Just like the Game, you can't cheat and move straight to the finish."

"So you're mad at us for trying to rush things?" Ashley asked.

"No. It happens from time to time. Even I am known to have my bouts of impatience. Trust me, I of all people know what it is like to be waiting for what seems an eternity for people to make up their minds." He sighed and softly to himself, he said, "Waiting... always waiting..." He shook his head and tapped the Game again. "No, what I was mad at is that you two took away the element of choice from the Game."

X went rigid and look up. "What? No we didn't. We made sure -"

"Don't lie to me." Jacob lifted his finger. "I saw what you did. You manipulated the roll of the dice. You altered the contents of the cards. You designed those sick mini-games to intentionally mess with each and every one of them. You designed the challenges to sow dissension between them. You forced people to transform others. You took away the element of what changes someone could experience. In the previous version, you at least allowed the players to choose whether or not they wanted a cock in their tongue or tentacles to an extent.

"Here, you bound the transformations to tables you specified and controlled. We offer roads. We do not force people to take them. If there is no choice, there is no story. It isn't a tale. It's a puppet show and we are not puppeteers."

"Hang on!" X exclaimed. "You are no better! You went up to them and gave them advice! You told them what you wanted them to do!"

"No. I gave them advice but they were always free to take it or reject it. I offered them paths. It was their choice."

Ashley sighed. "He's right, you know..."

X mirrored her sigh. "Alright... Fine. I admit it. We did wrong. So what now? How are you going to punish me?"

Jacob smiled softly. "I'm not."

"What?" came the surprised reply.

"The Game, in theory, is actually a very novel idea. I actually do like the concept. We just need to reel back on the control. We need to make the experience more personal. And, in a little bout of impatience, I do think we should distribute this more widely."

X's eyes glowed brightly. "You mean we're going to mass produce it? Jeez... It's going to be hard monitoring all those board games... Got to make sure no one goes crazy with it, you know?"

Jacob just laughed. "Board games, really? Who really plays board games these days? Even Tony and Ben were hesitant at first. Besides, the production costs would be painful as is."

Jacob held up the Game, grinning from ear to ear. "No... I have a different idea in mind."

"Hold on!" Ashley exclaimed, stepping in between them. "I'm all up for turning the world into a crazy sex orgy drowning in semen." She turned to Jacob. "But what happened to your whole spiel about not making the Game just a set of rules we standardise everyone to? What happened to making it a personal journey instead of following a set path?"

Jacob shook his head, letting out a soft 'tsk-tsk-tsk'. "You really should take up a course in game design. It'll really open your mind to broader solutions to problems."

"You mean...?"

"Oh yes... There will be a Game... Version 3."