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I flopped down onto the bed exhaustedly, my mouth filled with the taste of Alexander's cum from his latest want. I hated being wrapped around his finger like that, but for some reason, my body didn't want to displease him. I groaned in pain as the brutal pounding I'd been given today finally set in and patted the slight bulge that all the cum I'd drank today had made in my stomach.

"Bella better hope that I don't catch up with her when I get out of here." I growled to myself as I lay there listening to the sounds of the palace around me. There were tons of anthros walking around today, bustling to make some feast for Alexander and some mercenary team he'd asked to take care of a problem for him. No doubt I'll be offered to them as an outlet for their 'needs'. I thought sullenly as I continued to listen to the sound of food cooking in the distance as well as the marching of guards doing drills in the courtyard. I heard a commotion outside and the sound of voices shouting made me intrigued as to what was going on. I struggled to me feet and stumbled to my open window to see what was going on. Outside in the garden that was directly below my room, somebody was arguing with someone else, but a tree was blocking my view. That was when I heard Alexander's voice and snarled quietly under my breath, but the sentence of cussing I was about to utter was cut short when I heard a familiar voice try to diffuse the situation.

"Okay, Alexander, we're terribly sorry that we trespassed on this wonderful garden of yours, but with all due respect, there was no warning or sign that stated that we couldn't be here. We didn't mean to cause offense." Fox McCloud's voice rang out. My eyes went wide with excitement at the thought that Starfox was here and a glimmer of hope as to my escape flared up inside my chest. But just as soon as that hope came, it was dashed aside by merciless reality. There wouldn't be anyway that my 'master' would let me anywhere near them or even to wander alone in the palace tonight. I slumped defeatedly against the window sill and felt tears start to well up in my eyes, but a sudden knock at the door brought me back out of the trance of despair I'd fallen in.

"What do you want?" I demanded in a harsh voice, not really wanting to talk to anyone or be taken advantage of today. The door opened slightly and a young looking leopard wearing a white robe that was the same color as mine poked their head into to see me. I stared angrily at the leopard and saw that there was a similar collar around her neck as there was around mine. She was also blindfolded and when she hesitated, someone pushed her roughly into the room. She stumbled across the floor and tripped on the large throw rug in the middle of the room. I watched her stumble for a few seconds and fall onto her hands and knees, wondering if she was in for the same treatment I'd been receiving day in and day out. I hesitantly walked over to the tiny leopard, her sobs making me soften to her, and put my paw on her shoulder. She jerked away from me and tried to back away from my touch.

"Please don't hurt me. I haven't done anything wrong. Please, I beg of you, leave me alone." She cried as she backed away until she was against the wall, her tears soaking the blindfold someone had put on her. I didn't know what to say to that, some maternal instinct in me seemed to kick in just there and I continued on my way towards her. She cringed with each step I took and shied away from me when I put my paw against her face. I carefully took the blindfold from over her eyes and let it dangle from around her neck while I stared into her ocean blue eyes, trying to work out what could've possessed Alexander to bring her here; she was barely sixteen. I brushed a lock of her goldenrod hair from out of her eyes and gave her a comforting smile to let her know that I wasn't a threat.

"I won't hurt you nor will I let anyone hurt you. You're safe here with me, little girl. I'll make sure of that." I told her in a quiet voice. She nodded fearfully and gave me a small smile as she tried to calm down. "Could you not call me little girl, my name is Michelle." She said quietly as she looked around at the big room. I laughed a little at the way her tone changed from frightened to reassured so easily. "Okay, Michelle, my names Hazel. Could you tell me what's going on outside?"

Michelle looked back at me with incredulous look on her face before she realized I wasn't joking. "They're all getting things ready for the annual feast of the Scarbora. Every year, Alexander and his best hunters go out into the desert to find the biggest, strongest Scarbora there is, kill it, and bring it back here to feast upon." She explained in a matter-of-fact voice. I must've frozen up because Michelle was calling my name in a worried voice before I finally registered what she said. "But there are no Scarbora left. I saw the last one die infront of me. I shared his dying thoughts; he was the last of his kind. Unless...." I trailed off as realization struck me like a gunshot. The only way for there to be a Scarbora feast is if they have a Scarbora to kill. The bull Scarbora I'd killed had shown me his nestmate being taken away by my race, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was killed. She could be trapped somewhere or if the hunters that had captured her had a change of heart and let her go, she's probably still roaming this planet in search for her mate. I didn't want to think of what was going to happen, but the effect it was having on my mind was a very disturbing thing. It felt as if I were going to lose a love when she died, a true love that was going to be missed for the rest of your life.

"Hazel, please talk to me." Michelle begged as she stared into my blank eyes. She grabbed my shoulder to shake it when the door was opened and Alexander walked in, closely followed by his advisor, the perverted panther. He eyed us sitting in the corner like we were talking about something and opened his mouth to say something, when the sound of a familiar engine ripped through the air. I recognized the sound instantly as Bella's buggy and was snapped out of my daze by the roar. I looked to the window as the sound got closer and smiled inwardly as a plan began to form in my head. Tonight was the night I'd make my escape and Michelle was coming with me. I looked over my shoulder to see Alexander still standing there, but his advisor was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your perverted advisor, Alexander?" I asked innocently as I ignored the pull to please him. He glowered in my direction and slammed the door behind him as he stormed off. I heard Michelle gasp as if she hadn't been breathing throughout the entire twenty seconds he was in the room and turned to see her panting heavily. She had a paw underneath her robes and she was playing with herself furiously. I stared in shock as to what she was doing and realized that he did have a hold over her body, or rather the want to feel pleasure. I grabbed her arm to stop her, but she growled at me and took a swipe at my face with her other paw. I caught it easily and glared back at her as her breathing kept coming out in pants. Her eyes were dull compared to how bright they had been earlier and her personality had changed severely. I didn't know what to make of it, but she continued to struggle against me until I let her go and went back to pleasuring herself until she came all over the floor with a loud moan, her sweet scent filling the room. I stared at her until she was finished and the luster had returned to her eyes before hugging her close to me. She tried to push back, but her arms were weak against me and she just let me hug her. I let go of her and glowered at the wall above her head before getting off my knees and moving to the bed.

"What's wrong Hazel?" Michelle asked in the same worried tone she'd used when I'd zoned out, but I ignored the question and just pointed at the puddle of her fluids underneath her. I lay back down on the bed and closed my eyes so that I could block out all other noise but my breathing, desperately needing to relax and calm down before I did something I'd regret. I heard Michelle climb up on the bed with me and curl up beside me, the smell of her orgasm still pungent and clung to her like a second fur. I opened my eyes slightly to see her eyes staring expectantly into mine.

"What is it, Michelle, don't like being a slave to your desires? Trust me, it only gets worse before it ever gets better." I muttered darkly as I remembered the past few days and what Alexander had me do for him and his friends. I heard her breath catch in her throat as the door opened again, but it wasn't Alexander who was standing there, or anyone from as far as I could see. "Man, wrong again. I'm never gonna find the bathroom in this stupid place." A high-pitched croak complained as whoever it was stared into the room. I sat up to get a better look and saw Slippy Toad standing there with his legs crossed and a pained expression on his face. He was wearing his red baseball cap and a flight vest colored in blue and white along with some jeans. We stared at each other for a second before recognition flashed across his face and a big grin split his face in half. "Hazel... is that you?"

I nodded once and leapt off the bed to give the frog a big hug, happiness at seeing one of my old friends again blooming in my chest. He hugged me back with his weird, croaking laugh that got me laughing as well. I hugged him tightly a little while longer before remembering who else was in the room with me. I let go of him and turned to see Michelle sitting at the foot of the bed, eyeing Slippy curiously while her paws were folded in her lap. "So, Slippy, what are you and the rest of the team doing here? There has to be something better to do with your time than attend feasts." I asked jokingly, happy to have met a friend in a place like this. Slippy was about answer when the panther showed up as if out of nowhere, his bright yellow eyes glowering with malice. I heard Michelle whimper in fear behind me, but I stared him in the face with a glare of my own. It took me a second to register what was going to happen if I got into a fight with him and I backed down from the challenge with a defeated look in my eyes before giving a wink to Slippy.

"I see you've found the pet's chamber, mercenary. I am sorry if they are not to your liking, but they will be disciplined if they do not learn to behave." The panther said in a barely controlled voice. I bowed my head in apology and was given a swat on the back of my head, making me grimace a little when I heard Michelle gasp in protest. Slippy realized what was going on and kept his mouth shut for the time being, winking back at me so as to convey that he'd tell the others I was here. I heard the panther chuckle and let him push me down onto my knees infront of him without any resistance, knowing that he could have me killed if he chose to. He beckoned for Michelle to come over as well, a grin showing on his smug face. I heard her tentative footsteps against the floor as she did what she was told and took her place near me, her eyes betraying her terror as she wondered what he was going to do.

"As punishment for your outrageous behavior, pet, you are going have sex with this leopard until I say otherwise." The panther said in a deep voice that reminded me of Alexander's, but not as compelling. I resisted the urge to carry out his order, making my breathing strained in the process, but I stayed where I was. He seemed to anticipate that, so he gave the same order to Michelle, who I knew couldn't resist his deep, rich voice. She stiffened for a second and turned her head in my direction, her eyes back to the dull color of a choppy sea. She pounced on me before I had a chance to stop her and crushed her lips against mine, her tongue pushing against my closed mouth so she could wrestle with mine. I tried to push her off me, but her ferocity had caught me off guard and her paws were keeping mine at my side. I had to resist the urge not to shock her off of me and let her do what she wanted with me, my lips parting so that she could wrestle with my tongue. She got off of me, panting for breath as she undid the little tie on the back of my robe to open it, leaving my breasts exposed to the open air. She immediately started sucking on my nipples, lapping at them with her tongue and kneading them in rough circles that made me groan. I kept my eyes closed through the entire thing, not wanting to see the look on Slippy's face or the way Michelle's eyes were dulled into submission by the panther. I felt her fingers rubbing into my slit and kept my mouth clamped shut to keep from moaning when a fanfare sounded somewhere far off. I heard the panther tell Michelle enough and the sound of a door slamming. I opened my eyes hesitantly and saw her staring confusedly at me, her eyes bright again as she looked down at where her paws were.

"I'm so sorry, Hazel. I don't know what came over me." She apologized as she hastily let go of my body, her fingers making me moan slightly when she dragged them away from my wet lower lips. I waved off her apology with a nod and looked over to where Slippy had been standing to find that he was gone as well. I got up gingerly and made my way back to the bed, needing sleep more than anything. As soon as I hit the bed, I was asleep, feeling drained from resisting his hypnotic voice. I felt Michelle lay down next to me, her slow even breaths meaning that she was asleep as well, but I didn't acknowledge her. I was too busy coming up with a plan to escape this nightmarish hellhole and I need all the time I could get.

The next time I woke up, there were anthros filling into my room carrying dresses of different sizes, fabrics, and of increasing reveality. I looked next to me and saw Michelle curled up next to me the bed, her thumb in her mouth while her arm was over my chest. I nudged her till she awoke as well and gave her a smile as I pointed at her thumb. "You suck your thumb?"

Michelle looked at me through sleepy eyes until she realized where she was. She pulled her thumb out of her mouth and wiped on the front of her robe with a shocked expression on her face. I laughed, only to be cut short when a rabbit in a dark blue robe came up to the bed and grabbed my lead with a forceful yank. I jumped off of the bed and nearly tackled him until I saw the guards posted at the doors. The other servants stripped me down out of my robe and started fitting me into different dresses until they chose a black satin two piece gown made of translucent silk that barely left anything to the imagination with a wide, overly ornate collar that rested just above my breast while a soft, cream white belt kept the translucent skirt from falling and kept anyone from seeing my womanhood. I almost protested my dress until I saw the one they put Michelle in. It was the same color as her eyes, but it was barely there, the dress revealing most of her body as well as a good view of her lower lips. She stared at the male guards warily and then brought her gaze to my gown. She looked down at the ground and shuffled nervously out the door, me closely following behind. The rabbit shoved past us and held both our leads in his paws to keep us from running off. He walked us down the hall until we reached a massive door with ornamental swirls embossed in solid gold and gemstones. He pushed open the door and led us into a beautifully decorated dining hall with a ceiling that was too high above us to see if it to was decorated. There were tables everywhere, but the main table had a gilded throne chair built for Alexander no doubt, while the esteemed guest got high backed chairs that were burnished in sterling silver. I had never seen anything more beautiful or distracting. And that's where we come in. Eye candy for all the less fortunate guests. I thought bitterly as our leads changed hands to the panther, who had traded up from his usual robe to a more elegant vest and silk pants that had the colors that Alexander wore on him. He waved off the guards so that they could take up positions on every door and returned his attention to us as he looked over our attire.

"I must say ladies that you look ravishing." He noted as he led us to the head table. I sneered behind him and balled my paw into a fist; tiny sparks flying off of my fur as I bit back the cussing I wanted to give him. He held onto our leads as he took his seat on the right hand side of the golden throne and made us stand on either side of him; me on his left, Michelle on the right. I thought my plan over again and again as more guests started arriving, more than a fair share of them looking at us with lust in their eyes. When Alexander and Starfox came in, I noticed that he and Fox weren't speaking as freely as the occasion required. I kept my mouth sealed when Fox passed me by, suppressing the wave that I wanted to give him by holding my paws together behind my back. Alexander took his seat to my left, fully garbed in gleaming white battle armor with his broadsword by his side, and looked over at me from the corner of his eye.

"I see someone decided to dress up for our little party, Rapturian. I must admit I am impressed. I might just take you for my wife when alls said and done with, but lets not be hasty. We still have a little show to get through." He said with a grin as he looked up at me. I didn't answer or even move an inch, because if I had, I would've killed him on the spot. I looked past him to see Fox looking anxiously at me, trying not to take in the dress but to see if it really was me underneath the black fur. He was wearing a black long sleeved jerkin and matching greaves while his blaster was adorned on his hip, never any farther away from his paw than his little finger. Falco was there as well, but he was busy talking to a passing servant girl to notice me. Slippy wasn't here, which worried me, but knowing Fox, he had him doing something that would hopefully help get me out of here. I jumped slightly when I felt the panther run his hand down the curve of my ass and I reigned in the reflex to punch him in the face, trying to keep what little composure I could till the end of the feast. As soon as the last person took their place, I looked around to see that a lot of them were staring at me. I looked away from their staring eyes and looked up at one of the windows to see a silhouette against one of the torches that were lit outside. I blinked again to make sure I wasn't seeing things and the silhouette was gone.

"Friends, welcome to the sacred feast of the Scarbora." Alexander called out in a booming voice to everyone in attendance after he had stood up. He waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "Every year for as far back as our history goes; we have had the pleasure of feasting on the meat of the biggest, strongest, most dangerous Scarbora that we could slay. It has been the duty of the current ruler of our city to do such a feat with only a sword and shield, to prove their worth of the title of king. I have done so for many a year, I shall continue to do so until I am dead and buried with the bones of our ancestors. But, I made a shocking discovery not but four days ago. A discovery that may help escalate our city to one of the greatest on this planet. I have in my possession one of the last known beings of the Rapturian race."

A loud murmur ran through the crowd as they started looking around for the said Rapturian, but really they only had to look as far as to his right. He waited for the uproar to die down again before resuming his speech. "Legend tells us of this race as beings that could control the elements, beings that created some of the most revered technology in the entire universe. But they also tell us of their undying wrath, a sickness that drives those who contract it insane with uncontrollable rage and unimaginable power. I never believed in such legends because I thought it was just stuff of make believe. I thought them to be stories that were told to young children who would not obey their parents. But I have seen the truth of such legends and she stands beside me now, proof that such legends exist." Alexander gestured to me with a gloved paw and I cringed when the crowd gasped in either excitement or horror, I couldn't tell which reaction was more appropriate for the moment. The people gathered in the dining hall looked at my right arm and gasped even louder before some began saying prayers in their native tongue. I felt insulted that they would do something like that, but that was nowhere near as strong a feeling I felt like the fury that was bubbling inside me now. He was showing me off like a prized pet or a rarity that no one would ever see again. I didn't know how long I was going to hold out for my plan to work, but I never got a chance to do it when all of the candles that were lighting the hall were blown out at the same time, plunging the entire hall into pitch darkness. I let a dark smile grace my lips as I saw the panther drop my lead onto the ground in shock. I took the his head into my paws and snapped his neck with a simple twist, paying him back for what he'd forced me to do. I reached for Michelle and found her paw in the darkness, my improved night vision making everything as clear as day. Everyone was panicking except Alexander and Fox, but that was to be expected when they were both used to surprises. I rushed over to Fox and gave him Michelle's paw before running out towards one of the side doors, weaving through the panicked crowd with relative ease. I rushed through the open door and ran out into the night air, ignoring the calls from inside that were directed at me. Someone's gloved paw grabbed my shoulder to stop me from continuing and spun me around so that I was facing them. The guard was wearing the black and white colors of Alexander's family crest while a sword was held in his other paw.

"Where do you think you're going, Rapturian?" The Doberman asked as he took in my gown. I sighed exasperatedly and shrugged his paw off my shoulder before slamming my palm into his face, a satisfying crunch reaching my ears as he fell backwards onto the ground. I turned back to see Bella beckoning me from out in the garden down below me and smiled wryly as I leapt over the railing to the soft grass below. I landed in a tight crouch and took off after her, running through the trees and bushes as if they weren't there.

"Told you I'd get you out of there before the worst of it could happen." Bella said; her eyes alight with excitement underneath the black hooded jacket she was wearing. I just rolled my eyes and smirked at her as we ended up back at the entrance to Alexander's palace. As soon as we stopped to look around for her buggy, a javelin hit the ground just infront of my feet, the shaft gilded in reflective silver. I picked up the still quivering staff out of the ground and barely brought it up to block the sword slice that was aimed at my head. The blade easily sliced through the shaft and missed my nose by an inch, sparking as it hit the ground. Alexander brought his braced arm up in a sweeping strike and slammed into the side of my head, making me see stars as I stumbled backwards.

"I'm surprised, Bella. You don't usually take these kind of risks for an ordinary pet." Alexander growled as he pulled his sword free of the concrete. Bella growled back as she pulled out her staff from off of her back, the weapon extending till it was as tall as her and was tipped with two black blades that were inscribed with silver runes. She stepped infront of me and brandished her weapon in a protective stance, keeping herself between him and me. I heard the stomping of many feet and saw at least twelve of the blue robed anthros swarm around me from out from behind a wall, holding thin single edged long swords that had crimson blades. I whirled around to find a weak point in the circle, but couldn't find one that I could exploit easily.

"Well then, if you want to take me for what this arm has to offer, then come and rip it from my body." I challenged as a bright red glow started forming around the smooth metal. The glow illuminated everyone in the circle and I felt the warm pulse start to strengthen until it grew to a constant hum that cut through the deadly silence like a whistle. I got into a defensive crouch and waited for the first attacker to come at me, my paws up in anticipation for whatever they had to throw at me. The first one was a jackal with gray and black fur, but his attack was clumsy as he lunged towards me and it was easy to dodge. I moved slightly to the left and let my right paw skate across the metal in a shower of sparks before gripping the blade and yanking it from his paws. I shoved my left paw into his face and shocked him enough to knock him unconscious. He crumpled to the ground soundlessly, his ears flat against his head as he slept. I flipped the sword until my paw was on its handle and stabbed the blade into the ground before looking at the rest of the circle with a smile.

"Come on guys, don't be shy. I know at least four of you raped me during my stay and I'd hate to have to weed you out until I found the lucky ones. Trust me, the longer you prolong your wait, the worse the punishment you'll get." I called out as I let the energy flow through me and out my claws, the sparks spinning around my paw until it was covered in black flame. Two more hooded figures rushed me from the circle, their attacks more disciplined, but not to the point that I couldn't get through the defenses easily. I danced around the blades with boundless energy and skirted the edges of the circle until one of the cloaked anthros made the mistake of getting to close. My paw lashed out and struck his neck, easily tearing through the muscle and flesh before I ripped his jugular vein out of his throat. He sank to his knees clutching at his throat with blood gushing from his neck while the other anthro picked up the abandoned sword and rushed towards me, swords flashing in the moonlight. I danced away from the husky and narrowly avoided another sword from behind as I dove into a tight roll and popped up next to the nearly dead cat, the smell of blood bring about a wave of nausea that made me stop. I doubled over, gasping against the smell and put my burning paw to the wound to seal it shut, staunching the blood flow with the searing heat. The cat slumped his shoulders and fell over onto his side, eyes closed as he died. I breathed through my mouth and brought my infected arm up to block the sword strikes that would've beheaded me, the sound ringing deafeningly through the clearing. I swung my arm in a wide arc and made the attackers stumble long enough for me to slam their heads into each other's with a loud crack, knocking them out cold. I let their bodies fall where they lay and turned to see the rest of the circle close in tighter around me, their blades on the ground and paws raised in different fighting stances. I let my paws stay at my side in the relaxed pose that I'd learned in my CQC training with Fox and Krystal and grinned darkly at the eight anthros standing between me and freedom.

"I'm going to enjoy this. I've been waiting to teach you a thing or two about respect." One of the cloaked anthros sneered confidently as he ran at me, his hood falling to reveal one of the unfortunate few who'd raped me these past few weeks. He threw a punch at me, but the form was pitiful enough to make me laugh. I caught his punch in my infected paw and flipped him onto his back before snapping his neck with a quick stomp of my foot. I let his arm fall limply to the ground as another punch whistled past my head. I dodged the next one and spun around to intercept the next flurry when he lashed out with his foot and caught me in the ribs. I gasped in mock pain and grabbed his leg before he could yank it back and tripped him with a sweep of my foot before slamming his face into the ground, his skull shattering underneath the force I'd just exerted onto his head. I felt a buzz of adrenaline shoot through my veins and stood to face the other six, reveling in their worried murmurs as they took in the six bodies of their comrades, lying on the ground in bad shape. I faintly heard the crashing of weapons as Bella and Alexander fought and mentally wished her good luck before returning my focus to the only robbed figure left standing infront of me, the others on their knees in a submissive way. The last robbed figure pulled their hood down and I gasped in surprise that it was Faith who was standing infront of me, her silver scaled face torn between hurt and determination. She raised her paws hesitantly into her fighting stance and stood ready for me, her eyes glistening with tears. I let paws fall to my sides and shook my head in disbelief, not wanting to fight the only one here that treated me with any kind of decency.

"I'm not going to fight you, Faith." I said in a whisper as I looked at the ground, trying not to meet her teary gaze. Every ounce of excitement I'd felt towards getting my revenge left my body in a rush, leaving in its absence a gaping hole. I heard the rustle of her robes as she launched herself at me and I put my paws up to defend myself, but I couldn't bring myself to lay a finger on her in retaliation. She hammered against my paws as hard as she could, each punch making my legs waver as I backed away from her onslaught. I grabbed her paws in mine and twisted her arms around her back to hold her at bay while I blinked tears out of my eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Faith? You don't have to listen to him; don't have to follow his orders. You can just walk away." I pleaded as she struggled against the hold until she kicked my leg out from under me, making me let go to catch myself before I fell. She darted away from me and spun around to face me, a distressed look in her eyes as if she were trying to wrestle with a dilemma. I looked into her eyes for the first time and saw that they were a dull, inky dark blue that made it clear to me as to why she couldn't stop fighting me even if she wanted to. Alexander had probably commanded all of them before the feast to incapacitate me if I tried to get away, but making her do this was low, even for him. I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to break her out of his influence, when she lunged at me again and barely missed my head. I dodged her blows easily and continued to think until an idea struck, making me stop in mid-dodge and almost get sent sprawling to the ground when she hit me. I stumbled and spit out some blood from my mouth before ducking below another one of her punches, moving out of her reach as I worked out what my plan was. If this works, I am definitely going to kill Alexander if Bella doesn't do it. I thought as I waited for Faith to come back at me. I didn't have to wait long for her to sprint forward and start throwing punches at me. I ducked beneath each one of them and leapt at her when I saw an opening, my arms lacing around her neck as I crushed my lips against hers. She froze for a second, shock locking up her limbs while her brain took in what I had done, before wrapping her arms around me and kissing me back heavily. I felt her hot breath pour into my mouth as she wrestled eagerly with my tongue and her paws grab a hold of my ass to pull me up deeper into our kiss. I didn't try and resist the kiss, not because I wanted desperately for someone to do this with, but because it was helping a friend and if I had to, I would kill to save a friend. I heard some of the cloaked figures say sappy awwwwwwwww's when we broke from our kiss, a strand of saliva still connecting our mouths together, and I rolled my eyes at the way it sounded. I looked up at Faith's eyes and saw that they were a brilliant shade of cerulean, the way they should be.

"Thank you, Hazel." She said as she hugged me tightly around the waist and gave me another long, passionate kiss before letting me breathe again. "No... problem... Faith. Just... give me... some warning before you do that." I complained as she put me back down. She smiled sheepishly at me and got a laugh out of me before I remembered what was going on. I turned to the semi circle of anthros on their knees and saw two of them trembling slightly when they caught me staring at me. I walked over to them and pulled their hood back before sneering at the two frightened squirrels. I cracked my knuckles theatrically and let my paw blaze to life as I stared them down. They cringed when they saw the look in my eye and scrambled over each other before running off down the drive, trying to keep from being behind the other for more than a few seconds.

"Wow, didn't even have to do anything to make them run." I mused with a grin before looking back to Bella and Alexander's fight, wondering how it was going. I heard a loud clang and leapt to the side as her staff spun past, the weapon spinning end over end before getting embedded in the ground next to me. I pulled the staff out of the ground and twirled it around my fingers before leveling a deadly glare at the wolf, the blades whistling through the air as they spun in a lazy circle. Alexander had Bella on the ground with his sword at her throat; his armor filled with rips and tears where her bladed staff had gone through. She stared up at him with hatred burning in her eyes as he stood over her, ready to deliver the killing blow with an evil glint in his eyes. I stopped the staff in my paw and rushed towards him silently, keeping myself out of his line of sight while my jaw was clenched against my fury.

"You still think that you can fight me, Rapturian, or should I call you by your name, Hazel? I must admit, it does have a certain ring to it that would sound excellent next to mine." Alexander said calmly, his voice deep and heavy with power as I reached him. I felt his power try to control my body into submission, but I had my rage fueling me this time and I wasn't going to let him take control of me ever again. I spun the staff over my head and sliced it in a diagonal arc towards his head, my paws igniting the blade in black flames as I let the power flow through me and out the staff as an extension of my body. He blocked the blade with his bracer and knocked the blade aside before following through with the sweep to bring his sword up in a rising slash. I jumped back before his blade could hit me and shook my paw to get rid of the sting in it from the hit. He took advantage of the distraction and attacked me savagely, making me quickly turn to the defensive to keep from letting him gain the upper hand in the fight. He battered against the staff relentlessly as he forced me backwards before he flipped his sword so that the flat side slid against the shaft and sliced into my side, blood staining the blade as it cut closely to my ribcage. I winced at the burning pain that the slice had sent up to my brain, but I ignored it and knocked the sword away from me with the palm of my paw. He backed off for a second, his eyes looking eager for an easy kill as he took a few steps back.

"You're going to lose, Hazel, can't you see that? Just give up and I might be able to keep the punishment for your attempt at escape to a minimum." Alexander stated smugly as he let the edge of the blade rest on his shoulder while a dark smile graced his lips. I snarled in defiance at him and held my ground, ripping the lead from around my neck and throwing it onto the ground. He sighed and shook his head before returning to his fighting stance, his shoulders and legs relaxed in complete confidence that I'd be under his control again by the end of this fight. I held the staff across my body and waited for him to come at me, my teeth grinding against the amount of effort I had to keep my self-control together. He ran forward, letting the tip of the sword drag across the ground in a shower of sparks before lifting it up to slice across my chest. I avoided the slice altogether and grabbed his sword paw as he tried to bring the sword back around, my fingers enclosing around his wrist. He stared in wide-eyed disbelief at how fast I'd just moved and cringed in pain as I stabbed the point of the staff through his already weakened breastplate, the blade easily skewering his heart as it continued on through his back. I felt his blood drip onto my head as he coughed up some from his injury and heard his sword clatter to the ground as his paw went limp. I wrenched the bloody staff from his chest and stepped away from him as he stumbled a little, blood gushing from both the wound and his mouth, before falling to his knees.

"I- I guess I underestimated you... have a good life... Hazel." Alexander said with a bloody smile before falling forward onto his face, blood pooling underneath his still body. I gave him a grim smile and touched the still burning end of the staff to his armor, making it shimmer and glow as the holes and tears were mended by the heat. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Faith and the other blue robes lining their fallen comrades in a row, the ones I'd knocked out back on their feet already. I caught their hateful stares and gave them an emotionless mask to look at as I forced myself to calm down; quelling the unimaginable amount of anger welled up inside of me. I stepped quietly away from the dead ruler and knelt next to Bella, taking in the various gashes in her arms and legs before giving her back her staff. She took it graciously and struggled to sit up as she took in what I was wearing for the first time, a smirk cracking the mask of pain.

"Seems your taste in clothing hasn't changed, Hazel." She noted with a small laugh. I rolled my eyes and helped her to her feet before putting her arm around my shoulders to help her walk. She protested against it, but she let me carry her to where she told me her buggy was parked. I gently slid her into the passenger seat and took the driver's seat before starting up the engine with a spark of electricity, hot-wiring it to save time.

"Leaving without saying goodbye, Hazel?" Fox's voice asked from nearby. I turned with a smirk and saw him standing with a warm smile on his face and his arms crossed loosely over his chest, the friendly twinkle in his eyes that made me become his friend all those years ago. I shook my head and got out of the buggy before giving him an affectionate hug that I'd wanted to give him the first time he and I parted ways. He hugged me back with just as much affection and let go with a sigh as he held me at arms length. I smiled as I saw his eyes stray to the revealing fabric of my gown and held his head in between my paws to make him look back up at me.

"I'm up here, Fox. Besides, I wasn't planning on leaving. In fact, I was going to ask if I could stay with you guys for a while. I need to get my life back in order and I think some time with my friends will do me a lot of good." I said as I looked back over at Bella, who was looking back at me wonderingly. Fox stared over my shoulder and saw Bella and me share a look before sighing again. "I guess Slippy won't mind moving his equipment out of the spare room on the Great Fox to accommodate a couple of extra guests." Fox answered with a grin as I hugged him tightly, happy that I could spend some time with my friends again.

"Okay, Hazel... I'm suffocating now... please let go." Fox wheezed as he tried to push away from me playfully. I let go of him with an apologetic look on my face and took a step back as I released my hold on him. He laughed happily and ran off to tell the others I was coming along for the ride. I turned back to the buggy to see that Bella was sitting in the driver's seat with a grin on her face, as she looked me. I grinned back and ran around the side to sit in the passenger's seat before punching her lightly in the arm.

"That's for using me as a pet in the first place." I said with a laugh as I settled into the seat. She laughed with me and patted me on the shoulder softly as her expression turned to a somber one. "I'm sorry Hazel, I shouldn't've used you like that. I'd understand if you didn't trust me again because of this and to be quite honest, I don't even trust myself anymore. All these years of killing, thieving, doing whatever it takes to stay alive, has made the line between right and wrong incredibly blurry. I don't know how to repay you for doing this for me, but I'll find a way, I promise." Bella swore in a quiet voice, her paw on my cheek as she moved closer to me. I didn't know whether or not to stop her, but I thought against it and moved the last couple of inches myself, kissing her softly while I caressed her matted cheek. I pulled away after a few seconds and gave her a smile when I heard a horn sound from far off, signaling that Fox and the others were ready to go. Bella shoved her foot on the gas rocketed us after the other buggy, our paws clasped together while she drove one-pawed. I thought back over what my life had been like for the past month and realized that if this was what my race had left me; mysteries to unravel and vendettas to calm while avoiding those who would want me for the powers that my race has, then I was willing to do just that. I was a Rapturian and I was proud of what I was, finally embracing the legacy that the dragon had bestowed upon me by infecting my arm with whatever this metallic substance was. Life was finally looking up for me and I was happy for some time for relaxation.

Starfox is the trademarked product of Nintendo while Hazel, Bella, Faith, Alexander, Michelle and all the other anthros in this story are mine. No O.C. ripping and no idea lynching.