(Continued for those who can't download Word Doc)

Each one was just as unique and deranged as the next.

The first up was Rengi, a world famous brawler turned gambler, dressed in a dapper pinstriped outfit. He was a black wolf with blue hair and a blue tipped tail and hand paws. He grinned with a Joker like grin, filled with a mouthful of sharp teeth as he called a raise.

The second was an otter/weasel hybrid named Raziel, whose fur was a deep shade of ocean blue, and deeper blue wave stripes. His eyes emitted a green glowing aura that seemed to slightly feed off of every living soul in the room. Only a brown, mysterious scarf covered him mouth. He then checked his cards and folded his hand.

The third card player was Nova, a mysterious female half angel dragon/Cheshire cat hybrid with black, lavender and neon green patterns, who made parts of her body invisible, like the famous cat in “Alice Through The Looking Glass.” She had used her gift of invisibility to successfully escape from her Freak Show Cage to join one of Rengi’s famous poker games. With a twisted look in her eyes, she called Rengi’s raise.

The fourth card player was the lovely Luna, a white feral wolf with grey wrists, blue eyes, a pink scar along her right side face, a grey tipped tail and strip on her back and a brown feather behind her left ear. Wearing a purple scarf with gold stars and silver moons around her neck, she was the Freak Show’s resident psychic. With her telekinetic powers, she used the power of her mind to hold her cards in front of her. To the others, she appeared to be arguing with nothing next to her, but in Luna’s mind’s eye, she saw a little chipmunk named Margaret. “Okay Margret, I’ll raise, but only to prove how wrong you really are!” While Luna was powerful, she was also prone to fits of rage, insanity, and crazy laughter due to her hallucinations.

The fifth card player was Striker, a legendary Lunatic Diviner magician. He was a dapperly clad blue and white fox with a yellow lightning bolt pattern on his wrists and foxtail. Tilting his hat forward, he called Rengi’s raise, with lightning pulsing from his fingertips and yellow eyes.

The sixth and final card player was ironically enough the speedy Vulken, who Luna contacted via telepathy to see if he was interested in playing a quick round. With a rush he darted in, looked at his cards, check to see who raised, folded his hand, waved to Tobias and Freaka and then ran right back out the room to continue practicing.

Rengi then checked his hand and laid his cards right out on the table.

“Full House Gang! Gimmie those chips!”

As Rengi reached out to grab his chips, Raziel stood up and slammed his fist on the table, almost breaking it. He then pointed his finger to Rengi.

“I know you cheated somehow Rengi!”

Rengi twisted his muzzle.

“Oh come on Razzy. Why would I cheat the guy who could punch me right out this tent, lasso me back, suck up my soul and torture it for all eternity? Now that’s just crazy…even for me!” and laughed a familiar, Joker-like laugh.

“That’s just not fair Raziel” piped up Nova. “Even if he did cheat, how could you prove it?”

“I’m with Raziel on this one Nova” shouted Striker. “He’s been having too much good luck this game.”

Zipping in from the tent flap again was the speedy Vulken. “I don’t think he cheated. Rengi’s a stand-up guy. He even let me borrow his lucky coin one time. It helped me to get through that one act with Leon. Man that guy can be scary. He can throw knives like the devil when he’s angry. Oh hi again Freaka and my Brother in Legs!” And with that, he returned to the other tent to continue practicing.

“He cheated” spoke Luna calmly.

Everyone looked at her and exclaimed “WHAT!?”

Luna then spoke again, but sounded a tad crazier this time.

“I knew it the very moment when he dealt the first hand. He’s been cheating the whole time with that special deck of cards he’s been using since the start and making us all look like fools. Or maybe he’s the greatest genius the world has ever known and made us all look stupid. What do you think Carrie?” as Luna turned to look at a squirrel that no one else could see, laughing.

Raziel then tackled Rengi, with the others getting in on the action. But being the best brawler in the world gave Rengi a unique advantage as he laughed and punched his way through with a fury of fisticuffs. As the battle ensued, Nova became partly invisible, stealing the poker chips and grinning. As Striker was readying an electric charge attack and Raziel began to unwrap his scarf to begin sucking Regni’s soul, the great and powerful Freaka then let out a mighty blaze of blue flame from her muzzle, almost torching the entire group.

“YO!!!” she exclaimed with furious anger, but then calmly spoke like as if nothing had happened several seconds ago.

“I want you all to meet Tobias, our newest member to out Freaky Family.”

Without a second thought, the group stopped dead in their tracks and gave Tobias a hardy round of handshakes and salutations all around.

Freaka then turned to Tobias.

“I think we’ve had enough fun for one night Tobias. You need some rest. We got a LOT of training ahead of us in the morning.”

With a nod and a wave goodbye, Freaka escorted Tobias further back into The Housing Tent, where the various beds were located.

“Our newest recruits usually sleep in hammocks until they prove themselves to be worthy of joining our Freak Show performance. I…might make an exception with you since you’re a foxtaur.”

Tobias then chimed in.

“You don’t have to go through the trouble. I don’t want any special treatment. I’ve slept in tighter spots myself. I might even like a hammock actually, as long as it’s big enough.”

Freaka then hugged Tobias.

“That’s the spirit my freaky little freak! I knew I found the right recruit!”

With a bit of effort and adjustment between two bedposts, Tobias and Freaka managed to get the hammock up and running. Tobias placed his saddle bags at the foot of the bedpost, then carefully positioned himself into the hammock. With motherly eyes, Freaka then kissed Tobias on the forehead, giving him a blanket with strawberries on it.

“Nighty night my freaky little freak. We have a…BIG DAY tomorrow, so rest up.”

And with that, Freaka then left the tent. As she did, the speedy fox Vulken then entered the room, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“OH WOW! You’re right next to my bed. I guess were bunk buddies then my Brother in Legs!”

Vulken then gave Tobias a big hug, almost tipping the hammock.

“Thank you Vulken. I really appreciate you and everyone going out of their way to make me feel welcomed.”

Vulken smiled.

“Think nothing of it Tobias. You’re my brother now. And brothers stick together! You’re part of The Greatest Freaky Family on Earth! You’ll love it here in no time flat!”

And with those words, the speedy Vulken quickly tucked Tobias in with the blanket Freaka provided, hugged him, gave him a stuffed red fox plush from Vulken’s own bed and then curled up into a little fox ball and began to sleep. With that cue, Tobias snuggled into his new ‘bed’ and hugged the red fox plush, slowly closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.


Act III

“Wake up my freaky little freak! It’s morning! Time to discover your new act!!!” exclaimed Freaka as she literally was in Tobias’s face, scaring him out of his hammock and tumbling out of it with her.

As Tobias picked himself up and shook himself off, Freaka was jumping around like a jumping bean.

“Come on lazy taur! I can feel your act flowing out of you! Follow me!”

And with that, Freaka picked up her parked scooter and wheeled off, with Tobias quickly running after her.

They eventually came into The Practice Tent from earlier last night. In one of the corners, there was an enormous, old, leathery brown steamer trunk, with various stickers that covered it from the freak show’s worldly travels.

“Let me see what I can find!” said Freaka excitedly as she went through the enormous steamer truck. Bowling pins, metal rings, hula hoops and all matter of circus props flew through the air as Freaka feverously sought to find the perfect act for her new recruit.

“A-HA!” exclaimed the harlequin fox as she pulled out a beautiful red unicycle. She eagerly pointed at it.

“This…will be your act.”

She then threw the unicycle to Tobias, who then quickly caught it with his paws. The young foxtaur looked confused as he talked to Freaka.

“But…I’ve never ridden on a unicycle before. Plus…I’m a foxtaur. How on Earth can a tauric creature like myself ride of unicycle?”

Freaka began to laugh like a mad woman and then flashed a twisted grin across her muzzle.

“Don’t you see? This was meant for you! Why let a biped have all the fun? A taur as big and strong and handsome as you should have no problem riding this little beauty.”

Tobias looked at the shiny red metallic paint job as it gleamed in the light. His face reflected in it…and something more. He began to imagine himself in front of an entire crowd, using his forepaws to ride on it. His legs sticking up behind him, dangling, his ‘brisket’ pressed against the bike seat, and his arms spread out. With his paws in the air, he saw himself playfully winking to the audience, smiling a smile greater than he had ever done with his tongue hanging out.

Tobias realized that this was his calling.

“I’ll do it Freaka. Teach me everything about how to ride and what to do, and I will practice every day until I master my new act.”

Freaka came over and hugged the young foxtaur.

“I knew you would see the potential for this act my freaky little freak. I will work hard with you every day until I am ready to reveal your new act for all the world to see!”

Tobias hugged her back in return, feeling a breath of new confidence flow within him. It empowered him and made him realize that he could accomplish anything he put his mind to.

With that sentiment firmly in place, Tobias began to practice on the unicycle. First using his front fore paws, and then eventually working his way up to using his hind paws. He stumbled and fell several times, but Freaka was there to help him up each time.

After a bit of practice, Tobias could easily ride it with his fore and hind paws on his own. It soon became second nature to him. He felt accomplished.

Over the next several weeks, Tobias practiced with discipline and diligence under Freaka’s watchful Strawberry eye. He learned a great deal about showmanship, performance, tricks of the trade, tricks he could perform and how to drum up the crowd. Every freak he had encountered the first night helped him in some way, shape or form to develop his new act. Some even offering to be there to assist him during his first night’s performance.

Freaka soon ordered the circus’s tailor to come out to do measurements for Tobias’s outfit. Tobias was given several choices, but in the end, none of them worked for his taurric body or his unicycle act. But then Tobias looked at Freaka’s outfit over carefully. He really loved how she and her harlequin outfit brought out so much happiness to so many in the Freak Show.

He then asked if he could have his outfit similar to the harlequin blue fox’s. After a bit of work, Tobias finally saw himself in the mirror. He had a beautiful blue & red diamond patterned jester’s hat, with three golden bells attached to each peak. His hat had a gold trim that adorned his brow, with his red hair sticking out perfectly. His neck was adorned with a red and blue frilled collar with small gold circles at the end. His arm wrists, fore legs (lower wrists) and hind legs (hocks) were wrapped with red and blue tassels with small gold circles at the end of each one.

And for the first time in a long time, Tobias really began to smile. He smiled a great, big foxy smile as he let his tongue hang out, which seemed longer than usual and his teeth looking more…toothy.

As he did, the lovely Freaka also returned with a big grin.

“You smile so beautifully my freaky little freak. You should keep that up. The crowd is going to love you!”

Tobias nodded to Freaka and turned to her.

“I will Freaka. You can count on it” he said to her with a playful wink.




Four months quickly passed as Tobias rigorously trained everyday with Freaka and her Freaky Family. The time had finally come. The first night of Tobias’s Freak Show Act was upon him. Tobias had traveled to several places with them during the Summer Season, but returned to the same village where he had once been chased out by that dumb rabbit bully and his arrogant father the mayor.

The chill of the October air filled Tobias’s lungs as he looked upon his audience from the curtain in The Main Tent, fully dressed in his wonderful jester outfit.

Tobias was beyond nervous. Butterflies were parading in his large taur stomach as he looked upon the expecting crowd.

In a hesitant voice, he spoke to his mentor Freaka.

“I’m…not sure if I can do this Freaka. What if I trip? What if I fall on my face? What if I…” and with that Freaka grabbed Tobias by the arms and pulled him toward her uncomfortably close, placing a finger on the young foxtaur’s muzzle.

“You’re gonna be great my freaky little freak. The crowd will love you by the end of your performance. I have full faith in you. You are a foxtaur among foxtaurs! Always be proud of that! Now go out there and show them what kind of foxtaur freak you really are!”

Freaka’s words of inspiration spurred the young foxtaur onward and filled his being with full confidence as he then grabbed his unicycle and rolled onto the stage using his fore paws as the Emcee Momo began his introduction to Tobias.

Momo stirred the crowd with An-Tici-Pation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to have a brand new act for all of you to enjoy. He was a sad, lonely little foxtaur who had no one left in the world. But thanks to the lovely Freaka, he is ready to join our Freaky Little Family with a performance unlike anything you have ever seen in your lives. We at Freaka’s Furry Freak Show at The Berry Meat Carnival proudly present to you…the one…the only…TOBIAS FOXTAIL!!!”

And with that the young foxtaur opened his arms and greeted his audience as he rode around a few circles in the center stage, with cheers and amazement as he then spun in place for a moment before stopping to see the audience…his audience.

They were stunned. Most had never seen a taurric creature before in the flesh.

“Are you ready to have your minds blown tonight!? Are you ready for a show!?” cried out Tobias as he pointed toward the crowd.

The crowd shouted with a resounding “YEAH!”

But Tobias was not impressed. He then stepped off his unicycle, coming down on all fours and grabbing it with his right hand paw.

“Come on now. I know you really want a show! I mean look at me” as he pressed his other hand paw into his chest before extended his arms outward “I’m already half the act!” he exclaimed as he winked and smiled at a cute little orange Krattcat feline in the front row. The crowd laughed with Tobias. He could feel them laugh with him instead of at him. Something he never had in his previous life.

Tobias then used his unicycle like a stage microphone.

“Now let me ask again folks. ARE YOU READY FOR A SHOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!”

The crowd rallied with a resounding and even louder “YEAH!”

And with that, Tobias pointed to Galak Songster to cue up the music.

Like magic, the speakers fired up and Tobias was beginning his 1st Act. He got back onto the unicycle with his hind paws, carefully balancing himself on top of it. He looked down at his audience who he now towered over.

They were agape with pure wonder.

The lovely Freaka, riding around on her scooter, assisted her foxtaur friend by tossing 5 metal rings to him. Three he caught in his hand paws, one on his right fore paw and one on his left hind paw. With his right hind paw on the pedal for balance, he then began juggling the three rings, with the two on his legs spinning.

The crowd cheered and applauded.

With the 1st Act done and the 2nd Act to begin, he tossed the rings back to Freaka, who then tossed him three juggling pins lit on fire. The light from the flames illuminated the stage and the crowd as he juggled them with his hand paws, keeping both hind paws on the pedals. As he juggled, he then saw his friend Styphior Wilde making some snow cones for a family of otters. He called out to him.

“Hey Styph. I think my act needs something to keep things from heating up too much. Can you toss me some of your famous snowballs?!”

The Sorcerer of Snow and Ice nodded, forming 3 snow balls of solid ice using his paws and tossing each one carefully to Tobias as he continued to juggle the flaming pins.

“Here you are my fox brother!”

One by one the snow balls were perfectly in sync with the juggling act as Tobias’s hand paws included each one. Now he was juggling 6 items of fire and ice, creating a beautiful effect of reds, oranges, blues and whites. The crowd cheered and applauded.

Eventually, Tobias then threw up all of the flaming juggling pins and snow balls. And right on cue, Styphior then took his magical ice staff hanging from his back and banged it on the bleachers. He then held it into the air. And like magic, the staff glowed and shot out a bright blue beam of snow and ice, which hit all of the tossed items, causing a huge fireworks explosion of snow and fire to parade down around the crowd, dancing in the air as they formed fire breathing red dragons and howling white wolves.

“Now THAT’S what I call a Song of Ice & Fire!” exclaimed Tobias. “Because dear friends, Winter Is Coming!”

The crowd applauded wildly at such a beautiful display.

Tobias then motioned his right hand paw to Styphior, thanking him for an excellent job. The blue and white fox Ice Sorcerer then took a bow as the crowd applauded for him.

With his 2nd Act complete, he was ready for his 3rd. He had Freaka toss him a very long rope. Carefully positioning himself, he then used the jump rope to jump in place as he turned, delighting the crowd as he did so.

As Tobias did his jump rope act, a familiar blue and white husky was calling out to the crowd.

“POPCORN! GET YOUR HOT AND BUTTERY POPCORN HERE! AND HOT DOGS! FRESH AND JUICY HOT DOGS! AND DON’T FORGET OUR FAMOUS POP-TATOES! BEST IN ALL THE COUNTY! HOT AND DELICIOUS!”

The husky vendor Wes had been with Freaka’s show as long as he could remember, helping her sell snacks and to be a part of the experience of her show. Due to his booming voice, he was shunned by others. But in Freaka’s eyes, he was the snack vendor she was looking for.

“AND FRESH SQUEEZED STRAWBERRY LEMONDA! THE BEST REFRESMENT IN ALL THE WORLD! AND FREAKA’S PERSONAL DRINK OF CHOICE!”

As Tobias finished with his jump rope act, he spoke to Wes playfully.

“How about you toss up one of those Strawberry Lemonda’s to me Wes!”

“SURE THING TOBIAS!” shouted Wes as he threw up a can of the precious Strawberry Lemonda.

The taur chugged the drink completely before he continued, tossing the can to Vulken as he sped by.

As Tobias was preparing for his 4th Act, he noticed a young dark brown and smoky grey furred wolf/kangaroo hybrid male with an orange bandanna with black paw prints around his neck. He also sported wolf-like ears that were slightly longer due to his roo heritage. In his grey hoodie with dark brown pants with dark knee patches, he was chilling with a classic black and silver boom box partly sticking out of his pouch.

It looked like Tobias had an idea across his muzzle.

“Hey you!” he called to the wolf-roo. “That’s a nice boom box you got there! Can I use it for a little bit!”

The wolf-roo was at first confused, but then he realized what was going on.

“Sure dude! I’ll lend it to you! Just don’t trash it on that crazy thing you’re riding!”

The crowd laughed.

“What’s your name kid?”

“My friends call me Mocha.”

Tobias then motioned the crowd.

“Lets give it up for Mocha ladies and gentlemen!” he said as he winked to the crowd, who applauded.

Tobias then spoke proudly to his wolf-roo friend.

“Hey Mocha, give me a beat that’s gonna fire up this crowd. I think we need to get their FREAK ON!”

“You got it you freaky foxtaur!” explained Mocha before he took out a mix tape, placed it in the cassette slot, hit play and tossed the boom box with a high roo jump to Tobias, who successfully caught it.

Tobias then began to balance the boom box on top of his nose, perfectly keeping it balanced and in-sync with the music as he motioned Freaka to toss him 3 regular jugging pins. With grace and precision, he juggled the pins in tune with the rhythm of the song. For you see, unknown to the audience, Mocha was already in on the act, having been selected weeks prior to the show by Tobias himself to help him out. An old, but good carney trick.

As the music played, he kept motioning Freaka to keep adding more pins. Soon 4, 5, and 6 pins were all being juggled as the foxtaur balanced the boom box on top of his black nose perfectly.

The crowd just went wild as he continued his act.

He then tossed the pins to Vulken, who caught each and every one of them as he threw them into the crowd, who were terrified, yet in awe at this reckless stunt.

“Thanks for the jam Mocha! I think our crowd is finally awake!”

Tobias then threw the boom box high into the air as it too was caught by Vulken and given back to Mocha safe and sound.

For his 5th and final Act, Tobias then asked for a volunteer from the audience. Eyeing the cute little orange and white Krattcat feline with black strips and black spots from earlier, he then pointed to her and asked her to come to the stage. She happily did.

The Krattcat was dressed in long black skinny jeans with an orange T-Shirt of a cute little pumpkin on it winking as she walked to Tobias, who was climbing off his unicycle.

“Thank you very much for volunteering, Ms.?”

“Christina.”

With a playful smile, Tobias spoke.

“That’s a lovely name Christina.”

Tobias then turned to the crowd.

“Let’s give it up for Christina ladies and gentlemen!”

The audience applauded and shouted with glee. As the crowd died down, Tobias then spoke.

“Now Christina. I need you to do one very special thing for me” as he turned to her.

“Sure Tobias. What is it?”

“I need you to be very still when I do this finishing performance. So can you please not squirm, okay?”

Christina took a moment before committing to her answer.

“OKAY!”

“Splendid!” exclaimed Tobias as he then cued his speedy little brother Vulken, who tied up a steel tight rope wire that hung 30 feet in the air from the two tent poles.

Tobias then turned to his lovely volunteer.

“I hope you’re not afraid of heights Christina?” winked the foxtaur with a playfully foxy smile to her and the audience, who laughed with him.

Christina gulped hard, as she was feeling a little nervous, but she gathered her courage.

“As long as you don’t drop me, I’ll be okay.”

Tobias then playfully answered her back.

“As long as you don’t squirm, you won’t fall” winked the foxtaur to the audience as they laughed once more.

And with that, he asked Vulken to bring him and Christina up. In a flash of orange and cyan, Tobias was on his unicycle, using his hind paws to power it and holding a long balancing pole in his hand paws. And resting on his fore legs and paws like a fluffy cushion was Christina. She was beyond terrified, but also excited as she saw the crowd below them.

Tobias then talked to her in a calm whisper.

“Just keep your eyes looking at me and don’t move. We’re going to peddle forward now. Are you ready?”

Christina breathed and calmed her mind.

“I’m ready Tobias!”

And with those words, Tobias then began to peddle forward, carefully balancing on the wire as he used the balancing pole to steady himself. The crowd could only gasp as they saw the foxtaur literally carrying someone on his extra set of legs above them.

As they approached the middle, Tobias then began peddling backwards, causing the crowd to cheer. He then moved forward again after the crowd’s cheer died down, moving forward and finally making it to the other side. Once again, the crowd when mad with applause. After crossing over to the other side, Tobias turned his body to once again to go over to the center of the wire, where he turned his body to face the crowd. And the audience almost lost it as Tobias with Christina in tow were literally in the center of the entire Freak Show crowd. Tobias had never experienced such a rush before in his life, but he savored every second of it.

He then turned back and carefully peddled to the other end of the pole, where Vulken took his balancing pole and then proceeded to carry Tobias, Christina and the unicycle down via his incredible speed.

Tobias then peddled to the center of the ring, where he and Christina were met with a standing ovation!

Tobias took a bow from his upper body, and Christina just looking dumbfounded at what had just happened. But she enjoyed the experience regardless and waved to the crowd.

With a careful stretch, he helped Christina down off of his fore legs.

“Let’s give it up for Christina ladies and gentlemen!” exclaimed the fantastic foxtaur as the audience continued to applaud and whistle wildly for his final performance.

The jovial jester foxtaur then wowed audiences once more when he stood on top of his unicycle with only his one hind paw, towering over them with his long taur body.

Some even say that the applause was so loud, that even people in the next two town’s over could hear them cheer.

The foxtaur then hopped onto the stage with all four paws, giving a proper bow to his audience.

As the crowd’s applause continued wildly, a fat, stupid, arrogant white rabbit kid busted in from the tent’s exit, yelling “IT’S HIM DADDY! IT’S THAT FOUR-LEGGED FREAK WE’RE LOOKING FOR!”

No sooner than he yelled those words that an overweight rabbit in a mayor’s outfit and 40 villagers with pitch forks, shovels and torches trailed behind him. The crowd was now confused and scared.

“Was this part of the act?” They thought.

The fat mayor approached a startled Tobias, who was ready to run off like he would sadly do. But then his harlequin jester friend and mentor Freaka rode up like a rocket and stood in front of him on her scooter.

“Stop right there you tub of bunny blubber! That’s my freaky little friend you’re talking to. And no one calls him a four-legged freak other than me!” she exclaimed, pointing to herself.

The mayor was stunned and disgusted by the arctic blue fox jester that stood before him. In a dignified, but disgusted tone, he spoke.

“Look, Miss…”

“Freaka. Owner and Ringmaster of Freaka’s Furry Freak Show at The Berry Meat Carnival.”

“Yes…Freaka. I can see that you’re the owner of this…establishment. So I’ll make you an offer.”

The mayor then reached into his blazer, and took out a solid gold pen and a document. For you see, like his stupid spoiled son, his daddy believed that everything had a price.

“I will buy that…foxtaur from you legally. You get a nice profit and I get my revenge for that…thing…fighting my poor, sweet little boy.”

The little rabbit sneered at them, hoping to gain pity from the crowd, which failed.

Freaka just looked at the mayor with her Strawberry eye for a solid minute, then she started to laugh. Slowly at first, but soon roared into uncontrollable laughter.

The mayor was not impressed.

“What’s so funny?” he said in a confused and annoyed tone.

Freaka then stopped laughing suddenly, looking at the hare, acting snarky.

“Oh nothing. I just wanted to see you looking stupid at me with your stupid fat face for a whole minute!” she grinned and continued laughing like a mad woman.

The mayor was beyond furious.

“Stop that DAMNED LAUGHTER! I am trying to make you an offer! Now either sign it or don’t!”

Freaka then stopped and looked coldly at him.

“My freaky little foxtaur friend is not for sale. None of my freaky friends are for sale. And I will now ask you to leave now and never return.”

The mayor had never been told no before in such a manner. And those who told him no usually wound up dead. He knew he could never reason with a mad woman like Freaka. Now he was ready to take her on with his men.

“If that’s how you want to play, then fine. Say goodbye to that four-legged freak you call a friend! Charge men!”

And with his command, the villagers attacked, the crowd panicked and began running away in terror.

As one of the villagers with a shovel was about to knock Tobias’s block off, a familiar speedy orange fox punched the villager square in the jaw and sent him flying across the ring. He then turned to his foxtaur friend.

“Don’t worry my Brother in Legs. Your little bro is here to help you out the best he can!”

Another villager tried to attack the two, but was enveloped by a green aura that stopped him dead in his tracks. Raziel was here.

“Don’t worry Tobias. We got your back. Family always comes first here.”

Raziel coldly stared into the villager’s eyes.

“You shouldn’t have come here friend. Now it’s my time to feed ON YOUR SOUL!”

And with that, he uncovered his scarfed mouth and began to suck the very life essence from him, before he dropped him to the ground, now aged into a 90-year-old grey muzzle.

The Sorcerer of Snow and Ice Styphior Wilde’s eyes began to glow a deep, menacing shade of blue. In a demonic voice he looked upon a group of 8 villagers.

“NO ONE WILL EVER HURT MY FOX BROTHER AS LONG AS I DRAW BREATH! NOW ENJOY YOUR ICY TOMB!”

And with that, he used his ice staff to slam against the ground, sending a towering pillar of ice toward the villagers, completely encasing them in a solid block of ice that then began to resemble a family mausoleum.

As another villager was about to strike with his pitchfork, a shining blade hit his paw, forcing the dog to drop it. No sooner did it drop that a flurry of knives whizzed past the dog as parts of his own clothing became caught on them, literally hurling him back onto a wooden post behind where he became stuck.

The great knife thrower Leon growled with a chuckle.

“Never mess with a REAL professional mate.”

Luna was preoccupied with several villagers that she was keeping in the air using her psychic abilities, but was struggling with her hallucinations of a chipmunk named Margaret, a squirrel named Carrie, a bat named Abby, a black cat named Irena, a red wolf dog named Ginger, a silver fox named Annie and a rabbit named Pamela as she argued with them all on how to dispose of the meddlesome party crashers.

“I know Margret! I want to throw him into the cotton candy maker too, but we need to dunk him into the caramel maker like Carrie suggested. Alright Pamela! I’m throw him into the lake, but I’m not drowning him! That’s just being mean. No Abby, I’m not going to bite this guy’s head off. I’m a wolf, but I’m not a weirdo. Yes Irena! I’ll roar in his face and frighten him like a scared little puppy. Yes, yes Annie. I know you want me to tell me how much I love his cute little face. He’ll be told that. Okay, okay Ginger! I’ll nibble on his ear and lick his face! Boy you’re a weird one!”

As Luna was being driven with madness as she determined their bizarre fates, the other freaks came to Tobias’s aid, each using their special talents and abilities to send the villagers running in the other direction.

With the help of his fellow freaks, Skype Tyranno, the Strongman of the Freak Show, then used his immense strength to tie up the remaining villagers with a massive steel beam, towering over them. He then looked at them with a sad, but gentle smile as he spoke.

“That’s what happens when you try and hurt our family. We’ll deal with you all soon enough.”

Another villager tried to slip away from the chaos, realizing that he couldn’t win this fight. So he ran, only to be stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a wooden booth before him. A familiar red curtain within the booth drew back to show the Beagle in Red. The villager had no idea what he was looking at. But soon an inner madness seized him. And no matter where he turned, the booth reappeared before him. Getting closer to him. Closer…and closer…and closer…AND CLOSER STILL! He then stood right in front of the Beagle in Red’s wooden puppet face. The Beagle’s wooden mouth opened and DING! a Fortune Card popped out in the front slot of his booth.

The villager’s paw trembled as he reached for it. As he read his fortune, he began to scream in pure terror like a mad man before collapsing to the ground, whimpering like a scared little puppy, fulling and mentally broken.

The Beagle in Red then returned to his regular position as the curtain closed upon him.

Only the arrogant mayor and his spoiled son were left. All of his men were properly dealt with and they had nowhere to run.

Trembling on the ground like cowards, they looked up at Freaka, being surrounded by all of her freaky little friends.

“I think it’s time for you to leave…permanently” said Freaka before she drew two large hammers from behind her back.

Each hammer was colored and patterned like her outfit. Each flat surface had a big smiley face. On the handles of each hammer read in an ironic twist “This is a Hammer.” She then cued up her swing.

“FOUR!” she exclaimed as she teed up and whacked both white rabbit’s into the sky with each hammer. In the distance, they looked like two shooting stars, just as the Beagle in Red had foretold several months earlier.

As the two disappeared into the distance, Tobias remained speechless.

For the first time in his life, someone not only stood up for him, but saved his life as well. But more than that, he finally felt like he was part of a real family again.

Freaka turned to Tobias, smiling.

“I don’t think those two will be bothering you ever again my freaky little freak. We’re a family who stands by our own, you know?” she said as she playfully winked at him.

Tobias then ran over and gave Freaka the biggest, fluffiest foxtaur hug he had ever given to another soul, tearing up as he spoke.

“Thank you Freaka, for everything. You’ve saved my life and given me new hope. You’ve given me so much in such a short amount of time. A new home, a new purpose, but importantly, a new family.”

The harlequin fox then grinned a twisted grin.

“Think nothing of it my freaky little freak. You belong with us!” she exclaimed as she turned and extended her arm out to showcase all those who helped the foxtaur stand his ground.

“You belong here with all of us!”


Epilogue

As 5 years quickly passed by, Tobias’s act only continued to improve and became even grander, taking on new elements. Elements such as juggling with both his hand and fore paws, telling stories and jokes during his performance, breathing fire, stretching his long foxtaur body into new freaky positions as he rode on his unicycle and balancing audience members on top of him as he did his now famous high wire act. He even began combining his acts with the other freaks, including Leon, Vulken, Styphior and even a special once a year performance with Freaka herself.

His face also changed as well. It became more twisted, happy and jovial, a reminder from his mentor that it was always important to put a smile on another’s face, even if he had to force it on them.

And every night, he would sleep with his fellow freaks in The Housing Tent. He slept in the same extra-large hammock that hung from the two bedposts where his buddy Vulken slept. Some would think that a taurric creature would need an extra-large traditional bed, and you would be right, but not Tobias. In fact, he actually preferred the hammock, for it allowed him to be more nimble in his balancing acts.

As Freaka’s Furry Freak Show eventually traveled to lands in the far North, Tobias then met the love of his life when his troop encountered a most enormous attraction.

At over 1,000 pounds, the lovely and overly obese arctic foxtaur Erurainon Eveningfall was quite the sight to behold. Also known as Rain, her fur was a beautiful shade of arctic white. Her long hair was also a shade of arctic white, with her hair tips being a beautiful shade of sea green teal. A shade of pink colored her cute little nose and paw pads. Her fat digits were a teal-gray, with a pair of light gray-blue colored eyes that could make even the coldest heart warm up.

She had been worshipped as a goddess by a small fishing village when she happened to stumble upon them a few years ago via a camping trip up North. Believing that she was their great goddess reincarnated, the villagers delighted in feeding her, believing that the larger she became, the more wealthy and prosperous their village would become.

But when a sudden and massive blizzard hit, it sadly froze the villagers to death, with only Rain remaining as the sole survivor due to her blubbery taur belly and body keeping her warm. She would have literally starved to death without the aid of Freaka’s Furry Freak Show.

Thankfully for her, they had braved the storm, hearing rumors of a creature that was truly titanic in size. Tobias was immediately interested to see another of his kind. Freaka needed a Fat Lady for her show, feeling that it would make her Freak Show more robust. Together, they made a deal with the fat foxtaur, who knew that she could never go back to a normal life, and Rain became the newest member of their Freaky Family.

Over the years that followed, Tobias and Rain became very close friends. Since both were foxtaurs, they had much in common and shared their various stories with one another. And as one might suspect, they even began to fall in love and started dating.

Tobias even went out of his way to find ways of incorporating Rain into his act, like riding on top of her fat foxtaur body with his unicycle and having her lift him up on his unicycle with her flabby fore paws.

Soon another date night was upon Tobias. As the 31 year old foxtaur strapped on two giant barrels of vanilla milkshakes to his taurric sides, courtesy of his Ice Sorcerer friend Styphior, he began to make his trek to his big, blubbery and beautiful Rain.

Why vanilla milkshakes you ask?

For you see, Tobias discovered during one of his date nights that Rain loved sweets. And the one thing she had always loved as a little foxtaur kit that made her go wild was a great vanilla milkshake. With that knowledge, Tobias asked for the aid of Styphior, who was looking for a unique challenge in creating something different to sell to the customers at The Freak Show. With his help, Styphior made the greatest vanilla milkshakes on Earth.

Vulken then sped up to his friend, helping him to finish securing the straps to his sides and continuing to walk alongside him, speeding around to keep from being bored.

“Anything else I can do you my Brother in Legs? You just say the word. I’ll get you a whole tanker truck full of vanilla milkshakes to make you and your big, beautiful gal pal happy.”

Tobias just smiled as he continued to lug the barrels.

“That’s okay Vulken, but I’ll let you know when that will happen” he said, playfully winking and chuckling to his speedy friend. “Some things you just need to develop over time. And this is one of them.”

As Tobias walked down The Magical Midway, he encountered Styphior and the Beagle in Red, sharing a conversation between each other.

Styphior turned to his foxtaur brother and smiled.

“I hope those milkshakes are to your girlfriend’s liking my brother. I’ve been working on that recipe for a while now. I really think I perfected it now. Those are the best damned vanilla milkshakes in the entire world. I hope your large and lovely lady taur enjoys them as much as I did making them.”

Tobias smiled and thanked his ice fox brother.

“I know she will absolutely love them Styphior. She couldn’t thank you enough for that last batch. And thank you again for everything you have done to help us become closer together.”

Styphior then laughed a creepy laugh as he spoke.

“At the rate you’re feeding her those milkshakes, she’ll be a lot closer to you. Now if you excuse me, I’d like to get to know my friend Beagle a little better” he said with a sly wink as he came closer to his booth, playfully placing his paw on top of the booth’s glass top as it began form a frost pattern that caused Styphior to jump slightly and frantically clear it off.

As Tobias continued to Rain’s trailer, three familiar faces could be seen in the distance talking to each other. Raziel, Leon and Spyke were talking with one another, with Raziel being the first to speak up.

“Tobias my brother, looking spiffy tonight! You got another date with that big cutie down the way?”

“You know it Razzy. She’s the most beautiful foxtaur in the whole world, isn’t she?”

“She certainly is. And a gamer to boot. We were talking about the idea of doing a game stream next week on the classic PlayStation title Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. We’d love for you to join us.”

“That sounds like a plan Razzy. Count me it!” exclaimed Tobias enthusiastically, giving a big thumbs up with his right paw.

Spyke then gave Tobias a massive hug, easily picking him and the barrels that he was carrying with ease before setting him down gently. In a kind and gentle voice, he spoke.

“I’m very happy for you my foxtaur friend. Treasure every moment that you’re with her.”

Tobias looked at Spyke with admiration.

“I will my Drakkal friend.”

Leon then chimed in, eager to impart his wisdom on the young lover.

“You are very lucky to have the girl of your dreams mate. Make sure you both treat each other well. And may your sharped arrows of love strike her so quick and fast that she cannot resist you and your foxy charm. Now go get ‘em foxtaur!”

Tobias nodded to Leon and thanked all three of his friends, waving goodbye as he continued to walk down The Magical Midway, walking past the famous carousel.

Eventually, Tobias came to Rain’s trailer, which was extra-large to accommodate the enormous arctic foxtaur that resided within. With an extra wide door in the back of the trailer that opened up completely, the foxtaur stepped through with his precious cargo.

On the floor of Rain’s trailer were plush burgundy floor pillows and teal blue body pillows around her as she rested, reading one of her favorite books. A silver bucket of Bon-Bon’s was placed next to her as she ate one by one after each paragraph. With a playful wink, she beckoned Tobias into her bedroom, motioning him in with a wag of her fat, chubby paw digit.

“Oh, hello Tobias. Did you get those two big barrels of milkshakes for lil’ old me?”

Tobias nodded with a big, boyish grin and blushed across his muzzle.

“All for you my big, beautiful, blubbery goddess” he said with a playful wink.

Rain just laughed and chuckled at his comment.

“Oh Tobias, that part of my life is done with. I’m just a 1,500 pound foxtaur working a Freak Show act with you and our Freaky Family.”

Tobias would not be swayed from his previous statement.

“That doesn’t matter to me. In my crazy orangey-gold and amber eyes, you are the most beautiful goddess to me. You have made me so happy ever since you joined our Freaky Family several years ago. And I truly do love you.”

Rain was touched by Tobias’s words, blushing a deep shade of red and feeling loved by the jovial jester that stood before her.

And with those words, Tobias readied the milkshakes and attached a long plastic tube to be given to her. Rain quickly went to work consuming the precious vanilla shakes within the barrels, as Tobias made himself comfy on Rain’s enormously soft foxtaur belly.

As he laid next to Rain, she grabbed him in her massive arms. Smiling before she removed the tube from her muzzle with her free paw, she kissed him on his fluffy cheek. She then began cuddling and snuggling with him, like he was a big plush toy. Tobias returned the kiss in turn, nuzzling her plump, beautiful face. They soon hugged each other back sweetly, each one smiling back at one another and feeling loved.

Outside of the trailer, Freaka peered into the window and smiled as the foxtaur lovers continued their cuddle session, happy to see her freaky little freak finally having a home, a family and someone to love.

She then hopped onto her scooter and rode off into the night, looking for new and potential up-and-coming acts for her freak show.

So if you notice a scent of strawberries in the air and see pitched up tents in the distance with a beautiful shimmering light, be sure to head to The Greatest Freak Show on Earth: Freaka’s Furry Freak Show at The Berry Meat Carnival!