Chapter 2: The Date From Hell (or Wherever)

Room 1035 of the Blue Surf Suites had a picturesque view of the ocean around midday.

Unfortunately, the sole occupant of this room wasn't planning on sightseeing.

Angora huddled in a corner; an eerie purple mist forming between his white paws. He gazed into it, communicating with his accomplices.

"I have found our queen, Cephil."

Cephil grinned. "Thank you, highness. When can we expect fertilization?"

"It is only a matter of days, my friend." Angora spoke in a low, foreboding tone. "First, I will have to earn her trust. Right now, she seems…hesitant."

Cephil scratched his wrinkly chin. "Take your time, my lord. We trust you."

In room 1031, however, a happy couple was eagerly anticipating joining the scenic view of the beach.

"Fox, are you sure this swimsuit isn't too revealing?" A voice shouted from the bathroom.

Fox chuckled while lying on the bed. "Krys, considering your last outfit, this one's conservative!"

"I agree, but…" The scintillating cerulean vixen emerged, showing off her white swimsuit. "I have this feeling everyone will be looking at me." The alluring one-piece suit had a large oval cut from the side so that much of the midriff and back was revealed. A triangular hole near the top of the chest was added to entice a more sensual effect.

Fox stood up smiling. "You say that like it's a bad thing." He approached and rested his paws on her delicate shoulders.

"But Fox, I'm blue! Blue is not a normal color here…"

"Don't sweat it, Krys." Fox assured her. "Besides, you'll blend in with the ocean anyway!"

Krystal playfully punched Fox in the chest as he laughed. He strolled to the large window that overlooked the ocean. "Boy, it sure is wonderful to get away for a while. I remember the last time I came here was about four years ago…"

"Fox! Come here and look at this!" Krystal's apprehensive voice turned the fox around and led him to where she was standing. She was staring at her staff sitting in the couple's suitcase. It possessed a strange, faint yellow aura.

"What is it, Krys? What's wrong?"

Krystal warily picked up the staff and examined it. "I…don't remember." She rubbed her forehead trying to recall the reason her staff acted the way it did. "I know it's a response to a certain kind of evil, but to what I can't recall. It's been such a long time." All of a sudden the glowing ceased.

Fox took the staff and placed it in a duffel bag. "Well, let's take it just in case, but let's not try to think about it. We're here to relax, and that's what we're going to do."

Krystal sighed as she picked up the towels and duffel bag. "Right. Let's go."

As Krystal stepped out the door, she dropped one of the towels. Picking the towel up, her arm briefly brushed against another, its owner winced in reaction.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." Krystal covered her mouth, hoping not to have injured the stranger. "Did I hurt you?" The stranger turned around, his blue eyes and white fur shone in the light of the hallway. The eyes had a threatening feel to them.

The stranger clutched his arm. "No. No, I'm fine." He said as he waved her off and walked away.

Fox appeared immediately thereafter. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Krystal was about to answer when took a glimpse at her staff. It had that yellow glow again, and it was stronger this time. "No, nothing's wrong."

"I don't have to go." Katt stared at her hairbrush. "But I guess I do need to forget about Falco, at least for a while." Katt then looked in her mirror. Her red dress told everyone that tonight was no ordinary date. Her face all trimmed and dressed up, Katt took one deep breath and closed her eyes. It was now or never.

Katt parked her neon pink sports car across the street from the resort hotel. The Lylatian sun painted deep oranges, pinks and yellows across the sky while Katt glanced at a clock on a nearby bank. It was 6:50, ten minutes early. She rushed across the street and into the tall building, her red heels clacking against the marble floor as she approached the receptionist desk.

"Room 1035, please."

The sophisticated Doberman behind the desk picked up a phone and dialed the room number. As she waited, Katt felt a deep sense of longing in her chest for Falco. "I wonder what Falco's doing right now." But after what she caught him doing, she couldn't possibly reconsider accepting a humble apology from him. Could she?

"Ma'am!" Katt jerked back to reality, clumsily trying to straighten out her dress. "You can go now. Just take the elevators straight ahead."

Katt thanked the receptionist and walked toward the elevator. Each step felt like taking a step back, as if she didn't want to continue. Yet, each step continued to take her forward, despite her mixed feelings. While in the elevator, each breath seemed to grow shorter and shorter as she ascended higher and higher – not from the altitude, of course, but from what she thought she was getting herself into.

At last the door opened, but Katt had to hold it open as she still debated whether or not to continue. She followed the signs on the wall – slowly but surely, as if time was slowing down – until she reached room 1035.

"Katt, I don't know how you ever managed to get this far, but you haven't come this far just to turn back now." She told herself. She raised a paw to knock on the mahogany door, and paused. A nervous chill ran through her body; she could almost feel Angora standing on the other side of the door waiting for her to knock.

"Something doesn't feel right about this." Katt blinked apprehensively. "But what do I have to lose?" She knocked.

Almost immediately, Angora opened the door, taking Katt by surprise. "Ah, there you are, Katherine!" He said with a disarming smile. "And you're early too, I see!" He waved her in and soaked up the image of Katt's red dress. "Well, I wasn't expecting anything this formal but you still look fabulous."

"Katt! Quit fiddling around and act normal, girl!" Katt took a deep breath as she took in all the glamorous visual aesthetics of the room before going into flirt mode. She kicked off her heels and lay on one of the beds. She rested her head on a paw and pulled the lower end of her dress down over the edge of the bed, showing off much of her long, sexy legs to her albino host.

"So tell me, babe," Katt tossed her white hair back, "what'd you wanna see little ol' me for, hmm?"

Angora sat down on the other bed, almost salivating from what he was looking at. "Isn't it obvious? I couldn't stop looking at you the moment you walked into the bar last night." Katt raised her brows and smiled in appreciation. "You're gorgeous!"

Katt daintily snorted. "Baby, gorgeous ain't the half of me! You're gonna have to do a lot better than that."

Angora smirked. "I see. If that's the case then, how would you describe yourself?"

Katt laughed. "Honey, I could go on for days!"

Angora sat silent for a moment. "Hmm, this appears to be an easier task than I thought. Her trust will be easy for me to earn." Angora kneeled beside Katt's bed and gently grasped a paw. "So tell me, Katherine. How many suitors have had the magnificent luxury of holding your lovely hand?"

Katt smirked and cocked a brow, blushing a bit. She had Falco's name on her lips but held her tongue. "Who wants to know?"

Angora rose and sat next to Katt on her bed. "I am simply curious. You are a sensual young woman and I would like to know the lucky boy's name." Angora then placed a hefty paw on Katt's bare leg.

Katt didn't expect that. Her heart raced as she thought of a way to get Angora's paw off. "Dammit, Katt. Hurry up and think of something!" In a flash, she lashed out with a paw and neatly, but sharply, slapped the large paw. Angora drew his paw back in pain as he looked back at Katt in shock. She stared back at Angora alluringly, waving a finger while slowly shaking her head.

"Uh-uh. Look but don't touch, sugar."

Angora slowly smiled and stood up, still rubbing the paw. "Ah, yes. You're the independent type, I see."

"Honey, unless I say otherwise, this work of art is off limits."

Angora continued to smile. "Would you like to get something to eat?"

Katt stood up, holding her arm out. "Lead the way."

Angora escorted Katt out of the room and into the elevator. Katt breathed a long sigh of relief, almost smiling at the fact she had no suspicions of Angora whatsoever. Had she really forgotten about Falco?

Perhaps she did. However, the same couldn't be said for Falco.

Falco lay face down on his messy bed, bloodshot eyes blended in with the red plumage around them. He tried going to sleep the previous night, but couldn't get Katt off his mind.

"Aw, shit. I really fucked myself this time." He scratched his blue headfeathers and stared at the floor. His cell phone sat within arm's reach, but hesitated picking it up.

"I don't know if apologizing would help me any. I've probably already fucked myself too much to get a another chance, but I gotta try." Groggily, Falco picked the phone up off the floor and dialed Katt's mobile number.

"So is this Falco really as bad as you say he is?" Angora took a sip of wine at an outdoor café, admiring Katt's fair features.

Katt showed a faint smile, looking attentively at her fingers as they played across her vinyl handbag. "His morals are in the right place much of the time, but…" she quickly wiped away a tear forming in one of her eyes, "he just makes the most childish mistakes sometimes."

Angora's expression looked concerned. "Katherine, are you crying?"

Katt looked up, quickly wiping away another tear. "Huh? Oh, no, not at all." She smiled meekly and sniffed; a halfhearted giggle passed her tongue. "It's the food. Spicy."

"But…you haven't touched it yet."

Katt nervously fumbled for an excuse. Truth was, she already missed Falco, but she couldn't stop her heart from telling her otherwise. "Um, uh, it's the wind, y'know, blowing that spicy smell this way." She smiled timidly. "Katt, who do you think you're kidding? You miss Falco and you know it!"

Angora hid his suspicion under a blank face. "You look cold, my dear. Would you like my coat?"

Katt waved a paw casually. "No, thanks, babe. I'm fine…EEP!" Katt almost jumped out of her seat; the muffled ringing emanating from within her handbag startled her.

"What? What is it?" Angora asked with concern.

"Aw geez, I'm terribly sorry! I forgot to turn my cell phone off." Katt fumbled for the phone but managed it out and flipped it open. "Just a sec while I…" She trailed off, her vacant stare concentrated on the caller ID on the LCD screen. It was Falco. Katt's entranced stare was concentrated on the phone as it kept ringing monotonously. Her thumb slowly hovered over the 'answer' button but she let the phone ring until finally the ringing stopped.

"Katherine," Angora whispered, "is everything all right?"

Katt stared at the phone blankly. The message '1 missed call' blinked on the screen. "Yes, everything's fine."

Falco lay limp on his bed. His phone clattered on the floor, and his hopes of being forgiven faded away with two words.

'Call Failed.'

Room 1035 was dark. Even the light of Corneria's moon failed to penetrate the evil blackness.

"Master, have you earned the queen's trust yet?"

Angora gazed into the purple mist his mighty paws formed. "I am getting closer, Lord Cephil. Have patience."

Cephil beat his wings. "Yes, master."

"Cephil…"

"Yes?"

Angora lowered his voice to a slight rumble. "Find the one named Falco, and tell me where he lives."

"As you wish, master. May I ask why?"

A sly, wicked smile creased Angora's face. "I would like to meet him."

Ooh, scary! More comes in Chapter 3!