Chapter Text
Best/Worst Reunion Ever
A “Silverscale Arena” Anthology Side-Story
(All art belongs to their respective owners, which are credited beneath, though that's for the version with pictures. All characters in sexual situations are 18 and above)
A forest kinda-sorta near Gossamer, Neo-Earth, Katbox Universe...
Angel Loveridge knew what it felt like to have somebody constantly hovering over her that cared little for her wellbeing and only wanted to look for an excuse to shout at somebody. Her solution was always to take her chances and head for greener pastures.
Now? The rabbit prime had no such luxury. Not while she had somebody to protect. Somebody to cherish and hold close through all the uncertain times. In the past, it was her friends and on-and-off lover.
As she drove her beaten-up car through the lonely forest roads, the full moon shining down on all beneath it, she only had to look in the backseat to see what mattered most to her right now. Actually, it was more 'who' mattered most.
In the backseat, a 5-year old rabbit/otter prime hybrid was drawing some random doodles in a small book. She resembled her mother quite a bit, aside from her otter-like tail and webbed hands. When she looked back up, Angel gave a reassuring, if tired, smile. A smile that her daughter had seen one too many times.
A loud burp got her attention back onto the road. One belonging to the male otter anthro in the passenger seat. "Fucking hell..." He cursed openly. "Remind me again. Did we pack the beers?"
"Pretty sure you've had more than a few, Ron." She replied, her mood souring. "Besides, you promised you'd remain sober through this camping trip...unless you're planning on breaking another promise." She bitterly noted under her breath.
"Fuck off. When I have I ever broken a promise?" Ron replied, causing Angel's ear to twitch.
"You promised you'd pick me up all those times and you never did." The young rabbit/otter prime innocently said in the back.
Her step-dad looked ready to lose it on her, but an angry glance from Angel caused him to back off. "Whatever. We're gonna have a great time. Camping and all that shit."
It was during this drive that Angel started to think really hard about everything that led up to this point. It wouldn't be the first time she became wistful of a much kinder past. Back when she had friends. People that would stick with her, despite her temper and hostility towards others.
Her College years, that is. Back when she got away from her broken home. She wasn't really focused on classes. Just on enjoying the years of freedom and, eventually, wanting to start a body-shop career. One involving her talent for artistry, especially when it came to tattoos.
She never expected to become such good friends with two other women and her ex-boyfriend. What began as her experimenting with the pleasures of the flesh became a sort-of found family that lasted for a good many years. She still fondly remembered those days, often remembering them to help get her through the stress of her current life.
Ann's adorable accent and hard-working attitude. Davin's devil-may-care attitude mixed with some genuine niceness within him. Tiare...just Tiare. The way she was so smart, so insightful, how she offered to help her with her developing business...and how nice her lips were.
How amazing it was whenever they both shared the same bed.
All of it going south when Davin perished at sea. She still remembered how that news shook her and the others to the core, resulting in a domino effect that left all three separating one way or the other. In her case, she and Tiare tried to stay in contact, but, one day, it all dissolved when they both tried to focus on their careers.
One thing led to another and Angel found herself low on funds, low on business...and pregnant. All because of a one-night stand while she was in heat. The crippling loneliness of her apartment may have also contributed to her wanting to keep the child.
Tiffany was, to her, one of the things in her life that she absolutely adored. Sure, being a single mother while still in her early twenties was a never-ending gauntlet of challenges, but she found herself cherishing all those nights of her child cuddled up to her, the moments where she smiled at her, and the support she got from some of those in her apartment.
She never did forget the lessons her time with Davin and the others taught her. That no person was an island. Though that philosophy did make her yearn for the days in which they were together.
Still, she knew she had to support both her daughter and her crumbling business somehow. Thus, enter Ron. Seemed rich and charming. Needing a pillar of support, they were dating very soon...and, after three years, she was regretting that decision immensely.
Granted, the money was nice, but it was quickly running out with how much Ron was wasting it on beers, gambling, and so forth. Tiffany found herself homeschooled with how much money was leaking and, after Ron lost a TON of money in gambling, the man had suddenly proposed the idea of a camping trip to 'get rid of the bad vibes'.
All the while, Angel kept thinking of the word 'divorce', but he still had some money. Money she would need if Tiffany were to have a future. 'My future's already fucked.' Angel thought as she continued driving along the lonely road. 'She deserves a much better one.'
If only she noticed the 'Do Not Enter' sign nearby, the car driving deeper into the woods.
Meanwhile, deep in the woods...
"Is the camera on?! Did you check the batteries?!"
"It's fine. All preparations have been made."
"I know that! I know because I'm always prepared!"
"...I literally spent hours having to quadruple check on your command while you watched television, but fine."
Tiare Mehran's prospects were...less than ideal. The stoic knowledgeable feline prime had so many hopes when she graduated. Her degrees in science and study of ancient history were promising and she even had the time to help her friend/possible girlfriend, Angel.
While the news of Davin's seeming demise broke her heart deep down, she knew she had to be strong. As much as she enjoyed the days in which she and her friends were closely together, she knew that the future awaited her. A future she studied so far for.
So, why did she feel so hollow and isolated?
Perhaps it had to do with her being so swamped with work that she and Angel drifted apart, with both not having contacted each-other in five years for reasons that even Tiare was struggling to think of? Perhaps it had something to do with her finding herself in the company of egocentric peers that kept stealing the credit from her until she found herself pinballing from one place after the other in the hopes of finding SOMETHING that wouldn't result in a headache and not many hopeful prospects?
She knew she had to take into account all factors and twist all of that bad news into a strength. Maybe this would help propel her through the scientific community? Her helping out a famous internet celebrity? It wasn't the start of her career that she wanted, but it was a pragmatic decision, after all
Enter Harold Horner. Self-proclaimed expert in all things dating back before Neo-Earth was even a thing. Always touting that he knew plenty about everything before the cataclysm that happened before the Dragons restored the world. Tiare, however, knew better.
Not that his fanbase and even some other wealthy experts would admit it, but Harold was nothing but a spouter of already debunked conspiracy theories. Still, he was rich enough to keep the bad press off him and, sometimes, even propel the careers of others through simple involvement.
Something that Tiare hoped wouldn't take her long as she followed him into the dense foggy woods. Dressed in her labcoat, she carried the camera close as she turned it on, keeping it on the cowboy hat-wearing tabby prime. "So...tell me about the basis for this trek again?"
"Simple! As noted in various spots across the web, this is where the 're-emergence' will commence! Something that only happens once in every 1000 years." He exclaimed, only to run into a tree during his walk. "Gah! Edit that part out."
"Noted." She replied. "What are we to expect during this 're-emergence'?"
"No spoilers! It'll be all worth it when we get this on camera!" He stated. "I want you to instantly upload it to the web when we catch a glimpse!"
Looking at her phone, Tiare noticed something troubling. "There's no reception here. It's a dead-zone."
"That's an alternative fact! You're just not trying hard enough!" He replied.
"The facts are here and-"
"I decide what are the facts." The tabby prime warned. "Question me again, like you tend to do, and I'll call my lawyers. They're on speed dial, you know."
Hearing that caused Tiare's fur to bristle out of frustration. Many times, she had to hear his threat of the many lawyers he claimed to have. All to silence her and keep her in the background. 'Urge to get my claws out...rising...' She thought before shaking her head. 'No. Rage is unbecoming of me. I must remained focused. I must think of the path ahead.'
As he continued to rant, she still thought of the past, despite what she told herself. She wasn't a big fan of feeling whimsical over what had already transpired, but, even then, the many wondrous nights she had with her friends (especially Angel) was a constant source of comfort.
A sad smile almost formed on her face...before Harold smacked into another tree. "OW! I'll sue this forest if that happens again!"
Somewhere even DEEPER into the woods...
These woods weren't totally abandoned. In fact, there was a time in which they were much more lively. Heck, there was an entire trail leading to a small town that had seen better days.
MUCH better days, as nothing but dust, bats, and small critters were inhabiting it now. Dubbed 'Jason's Grove', this old Western-style town had a few stores, a few houses, and a small jail in it. All made of wood that had long-since rotted. Despite all the years, the years-old town hadn't fallen apart just yet.
A mile or so away from it, there was a single house that still housed life. Not a life to aspire to, mind you, but life all the same.
Noise and hollering emanated from the place, four fox primes dwelled, with one of them wishing things had gone better for them all. MUCH better.
Ann Gustave tried cooking three meals at the same time, hurriedly switching from one to the other while wearing a torn apron. "Land's sake...don't fail me now, stove!" She shouted, the kitchen looking ready to self-destruct as her flapjacks started to feel MUCH more heat than they should have gotten.
"Dammit, bitch! That better not be our food burnin'!" A stringy-red haired fox prime male shouted.
"It's all good, y'all! Just...gimme more time!"
"We ain't got time! Yer probably hoggin' all that to yerself while we dig away!" Another fox prime male exclaimed, being shorter than his brother and having short red hair.
"Yeah, yeah!" A thin-limbed fox prime male with a beefed up torso threw a broken shovel at the kitchen, shattering a window.
Folks, meet Ann's cousins: Stan, Dan, and Mike, respectively. The last remnants of the Gustave family, aside from Ann herself.
As their tirade of insults continued and Ann tried to salvage the destroyed breakfast, she thought to herself of what they meant by 'digging'. All tracing back to the news of her parent's death. Cause? Let's just say it involved a VERY angry Neosaur and some ketchup. The details were kind of horrific, so let's move on.
All happening while she was taking a sabbatical after her failure to get a degree AND Davin's supposed demise when he went on a boating trip with his folks. It had all been too much for her. It made her want to retreat into her old home (this house, that is) and curl up in her bed.
Her parents had such high hopes when she went to the most promising college Ann could find. The many troubles Ann faced due to not being sure WHAT degree she wanted to pursue was already hard on the fox prime, but at least she had her lover by her side. Her supportive hunky lover that even helped her with helping to narrow down what SHE actually wanted.
And what she wanted...was to be not just by his side, but the side of her friends. She thought a polyamorous relationship was impossible, but Davin, Tiare, Angel, and herself made it WORK. Suddenly, trying to live up to the mountainous standards she placed upon herself no longer felt so daunting. She could be herself at that college! With her friends! Her lovers! She could be happy...
...and all the events that followed caused those dreams to come crashing down. But nothing could prepare her for what would happen when she finally returned home.
Her parents were dead and her cousins had taken over the roost. Led by Stan, they pretty much turned every waking moment into a living hell for her. Out of familial obligation and not wanting to feel alone, she tolerated their antics. The many sleepless nights, the insults, and the many meals she wound up ruining due to the kitchen failing and/or her concentration being ruined by her inner pain and ESPECIALLY the antics of the trio.
But then there was the reason they had arrived. Apparently, when Ann's parents died, there began a rumor that, somewhere in this forbidden spot in the woods, there was a massive fortune that they had left behind. An accumulation of the wealth that their ancestors had built up. It was said that Ann's folks had found this before they died, ready to share it with their family before tragedy struck.
The news was certainly exciting for Ann, though she still hurt from the tragedy surrounding this moment. Alas, the digging efforts had been unsuccessful and her cousins were getting increasingly agitated. So many trees had also been uprooted during their efforts, wreaking havoc on the woods during these months.
It was times like this that she would get out a photo from a nearby cabinet in her room. She had it between her breasts during this time, looking to it with comfort. "Davey...if only you were here...you and the gals..." A few tears fell upon that photo, but she quickly put it away when she heard Stan complaining again.
Surely, when they found the treasure, this madness would end and they would all be a happy family with futures ahead of them...right?
Somewhere not quite as deep, but still pretty deep into the woods...
Park Ranger Steve (a parrot prime) sighed when he saw the sorry sight before him. Not many rangers traveled to this part of the woods, but, when he did, he hated what he saw.
A few trees had fallen down, but the holes near them didn't look natural. In fact, they look like a shovel had been taken to them furiously, digging until shards of metal littered the holes.
But that wasn't the worst of it. He also saw trails of deer blood dragged against the leaves until the trails went cold. Footprints surrounded them, indicating this was the work of poaching. Normally, hunting was allowed, but only in season. Right now? This was VERY much out of season.
"Some folks just don't care, do they?" He muttered, readying himself to go looking for whoever had disturbed the peace of these woods.
That's when the woods began to rumble. A violent quake that resulted in him falling flat on his ass. "What the hell?!" He cried out, looking around as the remaining trees shook and several creatures began to flee for their lives.
These woods weren't even located near a fault line and, yet, these quakes were so violent! For a while, he suspected a Neosaur was coming close, causing his blood to freeze, but nothing came. Nothing...except the ground beneath his body starting to feel hollow.
Like there wasn't as much dirt as before. Like something was tunneling through it right beneath him. It would explain why he heard a strange chittering noise. Slowly, he moved his arms, trying to get up...
The end came quick for him when something burst form the dirt, clamping its car-sized jaws around his upper body and crushing it to pulp. The many malformed sharp teeth pierced through his head, ensuring that he felt only the slightest pain when he was dragged under.
As for the rest of his body, it was reduced to a bloody mess. Feathers flew around as his body was ragdolled during its submersion. A few fleshy tendrils ending in bone-like spears flailed around, dragging the dirt back to cover its tracks. It may have been hungry and grouchy from waking up, but it wasn't that sloppy.
The only reminder that Steve had been around was his bloodied hat, now resting atop the first dirt mound of many to come during this chaotic night.
Meanwhile, at he beaches surrounding this forest...
In much more serene news, the oceans remained calm as they gently crashed against the edge of the woods. It was high tide and the full moon was illuminating the gentle waters. Even the fish that swam around weren't disturbing the peace, staying deep within the sea.
But there was one figure that was breaking through the surface, swimming for his life. He didn't look back. He didn't stop closing his eyes. He only knew to keep swimming and not stop until he finally found land.
His impressive muscles ached. It felt like they were going to burst with how much they had been utilized. But he never gave up. For as soon as he saw the trees in the distance during his journey, he knew freedom was close. He was almost home free.
Too many times, the sea nearly claimed him. Sharks, rough waters, general tiredness...they were all against him. His stubbornness would see him through, as just as he was about to give up, his hand touched the edge of the land.
Gripping around it with enough force to possibly bend steel, the red-haired raccoon prime hoisted himself up, gasping for air before flopping onto the sandy border between what remained of the beach and the forest.
His bushy tail flopped with him, his body covered in a few scars. His shorts looked torn up. His stomach burned with hunger and thirst. The seawater still stung his wounds. Despite his sorry state, he was alive...and he was finally resting against the grass instead of sand and wreckage.
"I..." Davin hoarsely began, raising a fist to the sky as happy tears began to leak down his face. "I made it home."