There were a few murmurs scattered across crowd as the lights went up again, revealing Ash stood centre stage right in front of the microphone while the reddish spotlight shone down on her.

Not being entirely used to performing solo, the porcupine could feel sticky patches of sweat slowly forming on her forehead and armpits, though her red jacket at least helped cover up the latter. She had to squint a little as she surveyed the audience, having left her cracked glasses backstage, though while she wasn't quite able to make out any familiar faces from either her school of family, she could faintly make out both her parents and Katy cheering some support.

The near-silence lasted for just around thirty-seconds, but Ash was just saved from suffocation when the synth backing track finally started up. She slowly strummed her electric guitar, her head bopping in rhythm with the music, before she leaned right into the microphone and began to sing.

I can't fight this feeling any longer
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow

What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show

At least a hundred different thoughts were racing through Ash's head as she sang, most of them revolving around Kendall's attack, and the thought of Lance abandoning her when she needed him most. But yet, as much as she tried not to think about it, her mind kept racing back to when she found herself in Johnny's arms, which suddenly gave way to a whole other sea of memories that she suddenly began to see in a whole new light.

I tell myself that I can't hold out forever
I say there is no reason for my fear

Cause I feel so secure
When we're together

You give my life direction
You make everything so clear

All their good times together - from the first time they met that Halloween night, to all their rehearsals, even when he and Mary had supported her during the defence class - seemed to be playing on loop in her mind, and Ash couldn't help letting her voice falter just a little as her eyes slowly widened with her new realisation.

And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight

You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night

And I'm getting closer
Than I ever thought I might

Suddenly feeling a surge of determination, Ash finally gave her guitar a powerful riff as the stage lit up with full, vibrant colours, and she began to sang out the lyrics with all the confidence, passion and pride that these newly renewed feelings could allow her to muster.

And I can't fight this feeling anymore!
I've forgotten what I started fighting for!

It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for

And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crashing through your door

Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore!


Ash's voice echoed still slightly faintly through the backstage room, though the rest of the cast were too focused on their current predicament to listen. Stephanie let her breath lie still in her throat while she slowly tuned on the spot, raising her arms in a gesture of surrender as she now directly faced the barrel of the silver-plated handgun.

"To think ya used to be so beautiful..." Jimmy clicked his tongue and shook his head as he studied his ex-wife's figure. "Ya really let yourself go, Steph..."

"Hmm... could say the same to you..." Stephanie snarked back, managing to force a smirk onto her face despite the utter terror she was feeling. "Guess all that crappy prison food's not to your liking, huh?"

"Grrrr..." A familiar look of visceral rage briefly flashed across Jimmy's face, his piercing blue eyes turning bloodshot as he bared his teeth, though after a moment he managed to regain his cool as he kept the gun pointed right between her eyes. "Well, no worries... I'm gonna be puttin' ya outta your misery anyway..."

"No!" Rosita finally spoke up, standing right between the two wolves as Jimmy glanced down at her. "If you wanna hurt Stephanie, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure she'll cherish those three seconds, tubby..." Jimmy scoffed, before sending the mother pig to the floor with a swift but forceful kick.

"Ro!" Stephanie gasped, only just stopping herself from rushing to her friend's side when Jimmy pointed the gun at her temple again. She briefly let out a small sigh of relief when Rosita pulled herself back to her feet, only looking a little dizzy as she stood with Johnny and his parents. "Jimmy, please, they... they ain't got nothin' to do with this, I swear!"

"Oh, I think they do..." Jimmy gestured with his free hand towards the other side of the room, where Kendall and the rest of his group were still piled up, then looked over to the rest of the Moon Theatre's staff. "Real sorry she had to drag all of ya into this. I'm afraid that's just what she always does."

"Don't you try playing that game with us, mate, we know the kind of bloke you are!" Mary snapped, giving Marcus a reassuring smile when he tried to hold her back.

"Hmm..." Jimmy looked over to the door as the rest of his thugs entered and stood behind them, glancing down towards the small, tubby cat that had led them in. "Well, what do you think, Jerry? Should we let Steph watch them die, or the other way around?"

"Oh... w-well, uh..." Jerry stammered. "I, um... I-I-I think you should decide, Mr. Crystal. Whatever makes you happy, sir."

"Stop it!" Porsha finally spoke up as she yanked herself away from Meena, only to freeze up when the white wolf snapped his head over to face her directly. "Oh... I, uh... I-I-I mean... please...?"

"Huh..." Jimmy lowered the gun slightly as he studied her for another moment or two, the others being too terrified to say anything, until it finally clicked where he recognised this young wolf from. "Hmm... Porsha..."

"Y-y-yeah, it... it's me..." Porsha bit her bottom lip, trying her best not to gag as she tried to finish her sentence. "...Daddy."

What seemed to be a genuine smile briefly crossed the white wolf's face, though it quickly turned to a sneer of disgust when he got a better look at what his daughter has grown into over the last decade.

"God, look what she's turned ya into..." He scoffed bitterly. "Fat, frumpy, dressed like some podunk little -"

"Hey, don't talk to her like -!" Buster cut himself off, freezing on the spot when Jimmy sent a glare his way. The koala wasn't entirely certain if the wolf knew who he was - either in regards to Stephanie or the theatre - but after a few brief seconds of eye contact he quickly stepped back beside Meena.

"Hmm... thought not." Jimmy then turned his attention back to the two other wolves in the room, keeping his weapon pointed at Stephanie while looking over to their daughter. "But don't you worry about none of that, baby. We'll get y'all fixed up when we're back home."

"She's not goin' anywhere!" Stephanie snapped, almost forgetting for just a moment that she had a gun pointed to her forehead.

"Hey, she's gotta go somewhere once you're in the ground!" Jimmy let out a hoarse, hollow laugh, then looked back to his rather timid looking daughter. "So whaddaya say, Porsha? You wanna get away from all this, finally get back to where ya really belong?"

"I... I, uh..."

Porsha quickly glanced over to her mother and the rest of the Moon Theatre staff, most of whom were silently shaking their heads, practically begging her not to agree. As her eyes trailed back to her father, they were suddenly drawn for a brief moment to something on her floor, right by Jimmy's feet, which prompted the young wolf to stand up straighter with a more confident, defiant tone.

"No."

"No...? Whaddaya mean no?!" Jimmy snapped, though after a quick look at Jerry - who seemed to be silently telling him that aggression wouldn't be the best approach here - he shook his head with an unconcerned, almost dismissive chortle. "Yeah, alright… I figured you'd be a little backwards after she brainwashed ya, but... it ain't your fault she stole ya, kid."

"Stole me...?!"

"Porsha!" Stephanie, Buster, Meena and some of the others all cried out when the young wolf suddenly threw herself right in front of the gun, standing right between it and her mother as she glared at her father. Though thankfully, even with the angry expression on his face, Jimmy slowly lowered the weapon while his daughter went on her rant.

"Leavin' Redshore was the best thing that happened to me! And to Mom!" Porsha said, tears welling up in her eyes but refusing to fall. "What, ya really thought we were happy there with you? I barely had no friends, she was starvin' and drinkin' herself to death, and you were too busy puttin' on your big, fancy shows to even care! Aunt Suki was the only good thing Mom ever had over there, and cause of you, she's six feet under the ground too!"

Stephanie reached for her daughter's shoulder. "Alright, sunshine, that's -"

"Just take a look around here, Dad! Look what we've done, look what we've built!" Porsha stretched her arms out, gesturing towards the theatre they were standing in, then keeping one arm raised as she pointed to the rest of the group. "We've had the most wonderful times, with the most wonderful folks in the world! They'd do anything for us, and we'd do anything for them! And that's more of a family than I'd have ever gotten stayin' with you!"

"Ugh..." Jimmy scoffed, trying his best to quell his fuming rage. "Porsha Elizabeth Crystal, you better shut your mouth before -"

"My name is Frangipane!" Porsha shrieked in his face, now feeling brave enough to prod him in the chest with her finger. "It's my mother's name, and I'm proud to have it! Cause she didn't steal me, ya racist asshole, she saved me!"

Having spent most of her energy on this passionate venting, Porsha jolted a little when she felt two arms suddenly reaching around her shoulders. Though she quickly relaxed when she realised Stephanie had simply pulled her into a hug, which she gladly returned as her tearful mother gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Hmm..." Despite the rage smouldering in his eyes, Jimmy remained eerily calm. "Then, I'm guessing that means you're not comin' back with us, huh?"

"No, Dad, I'm not..." Porsha gently pried herself from her mother's embrace, once again standing tall and proud right between her parents. "I'd rather die!"

CLICK-CLICK!

Porsha's eyes - and just about everyone else's, including Jerry and the thugs' - bulged wide when Jimmy raised the gun again, this time pointing it directly at her head with Stephanie right behind her.

"Really didn't think you'd be stupid enough to do that..." Jimmy snarked. "Now if ya both hold still, I can do this in one... GAH!"

Jimmy suddenly jerked his leg up when something ran up his pants, stumbling back to the floor with as the gun fell from his hands and landed right at Johnny's feet. Once the younger gorilla grabbed the weapon - doing so with the sleeves of his shirt - his parents, Stan and Barry immediately sprang into action dispatching the remaining henchmen.

"Jerry! Ugh, get it off! Get it off, get it off, get it off!" Jimmy almost whined as he continued writhing and contorting on the floor, trying his best to either crush or grab the smaller animal that was moving around under his clothes. Finally, he sat up and reached his hand under his shirt, pulling a furious scowl as he yanked the tiny mouse out of it. "Grrr..."

"Oh, uh... h-hey there... Stephanie's told us a lot about ya..." Mike chucked nervously, tipping his fedora to the white wolf, only for Jimmy to flick him away and send him flying halfway across the room. "I REGRET NOTHING!"

"Mike!" Stephanie called, wincing a little when the mouse hit the wall with an audible SMACK!, before holding Porsha close as Jimmy got back to his feet. "Jimmy... Jimmy, please, ya just gotta -"

"NO!" Jimmy roared, which gave way to a more savage hiss as he slowly approached them. "I've given you your chances, both of you! And now it's time to finish this!"

"I couldn't agree more!" Porsha shouted, making Jimmy freeze up on the spot, right where she wanted him to be. "NOW!"

"Huh...? WHOA!" Jimmy called out when the floor suddenly gave way beneath him, landing with another hard THUD! on the bottom. He swivelled around onto his back as he looked around the fenced, cage-like structure he'd fallen into, before looking up at the koala who had just pulled the switch. "You!"

"Ms. Crawly put some cushions and snacks down there, so… you should be comfortable 'til the show's over."

"You little -!" Jimmy was cut off when Buster closed the trap door on his face, though the banging of his fists was still audible on the other side.

"You girls okay...?" Buster rushed over to the other two wolves, though they were too breathless to answer as Stephanie pulled Buster and Porsha into a hug. "Yeah... yeah, you're okay..."

"We're all sorted here, too!" Mary said, gesturing over to the now much bigger pile of defeated henchmen that Meena and Rosita were helping to tie up - including Jerry, who it seemed from his lack of injuries had simply surrendered - before gently taking the gun out of Johnny's hands. "Right, go get your phone and ring the police, love. There's a good lad."

"On it!" Johnny took off with Ms. Crawly while the sound of applause emanated from the stage.

"Oh hey, you got more of them! Great!" Ash said, the porcupine still short of breath after finishing her number. "Where's Crystal, did you get him too?"

"Yep, he's right under there!" Buster pointed to the trap door, before reaching for his clipboard and looking at the schedule. "Alright, time to get things back on track. Mike, we need you up next!"

"I um... I don't think that's gonna happen, Mr. Moon..." Rosita suddenly spoke up.

Everyone looked over to the mother pig as she came back over from the corner, all of their eyes widening when they saw the bruised, barely conscious mouse in her hands.

"Oh my gosh!" Porsha stayed knelt down, not noticing Stephanie standing up and going over to the mixing desk. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"Well, nothing's broken or anything, so he's fine there..." Rosita said, before looking over to Buster again. "He's not in any shape to go on stage, though."

"But it's the finale!" Buster tried his best not to panic. "We can't just cut the show off like this!"

"Well yeah, but who's gonna sing instead?" Mary asked. "Unless you want to do it, Meena."

"Me...?!" Meena froze up as everyone looked over to her. "N-no, that's crazy! I've never even been on stage before!"

"Aw, come on, Meena, ya got a great voice!" Porsha said, letting the others murmur in agreement. "You go out there, you'd blow that audience away no problem! Right, Mom?"

Porsha suddenly straightened up when her mother didn't answer, before she and the rest of the group looked around and realised that Stephanie had completely disappeared.

"Mom...?"


The stage lights slowly began to rise again, casting their warm glow upon the audience. Though what started out as murmured anticipation suddenly turned to a confused silence, as all eyes both backstage and in the crowd were drawn to the lone figure that was now standing centre-stage.

It wasn't the small, Sinatra-singing mouse they had been expecting, but a wolf. And not just any wolf... it was Stephanie Frangipane herself!

"Mom...?!" Porsha covered her mouth after blurting this out loud, letting it echo slightly across the entire auditorium, though the rest of the cast were just as taken aback as they observed from the corner of the stage.

Stephanie took a few deep breaths, gripping the microphone with both her trembling hands as she surveyed the awed but unsure looks among the crowd, particularly the gazes of both the Lane and Noodleman families as they watched from the royal box. The wolf gave a final glance over to the others at the side of the stage, seeing all their excited, encouraging faces. Buster was stood at the front, pulling a small smile before quietly uttering a single word...

"Sing..."

Letting out a final exhale, Stephanie looked over to Ms. Crawly on the sound desk, giving the old lizard a small nod and prompting her to start the music. Having switched out Mike's copy of "My Way" before coming on stage, a soft piano motif began to play instead, and Stephanie slowly closed her eyes before she sang along.

Well, you almost had me fooled

Told me that I was
Nothing without you

Oh, but after everything you've done

I can thank you for
How strong I have become

Stephanie could feel herself getting choked up a bit as she moved onto the first bridge, but she managed to hold her tone despite it.

Cause you brought the flames
And you put me through hell

I had to learn
How to fight for myself

And we both know
All the truths I could tell

I'll just say this is
I wish you farewell

Even she could tell that her voice was slightly huskier and more strained than it was in her youth - as to be expected from a near fifteen year hiatus - but from what she could tell it was hardly an issue, as the entire Moon Theatre - but especially Porsha - seemed to be utterly mesmerised by her singing.

I hope you're somewhere praying
Praying

I hope your soul is changing
Changing

I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees

Praying

While everyone both onstage and off was spellbound by the wolf's performance onstage, the Moon Troupe paid no attention to Jerry as the cat carefully pried himself from the ropes that had bound him, and managed to free himself from the ropes that had bound him. He stealthily made his way down the stairs under the stage. "Mr. Crystal? Sir, are you in -"

"Yeah, obviously I'm down here, Jerry, I got trapped!" Jimmy snapped impatiently. "Don't just stand there like an idiot, get me outta here!"

I'm proud of who I am

No more monsters
I can breathe again

And you said that I was done

Well, you were wrong and now
The best is yet to come

"Okay... I got it..." Jerry quickly ran over with a long pair of pliers he'd found on the floor, clumsily trying to latch them onto the lock. "Watch your fingers... ooh!"

The lock was barely cut when Jimmy suddenly gave the door a swift, forceful kick, sending the cat flying before he bolted back up the stairs.

Cause I can make it on my own

And I don't need you
I found a strength I've never known

I'll bring thunder, I'll bring rain

When I'm finished
They won't even know your name

Jimmy kept his head lowered as he reached the top of the stairs and re-entered the main backstage area, making sure he wasn't caught by the cast members or their gorilla bodyguards. He felt himself burning with rage when he looked over to see his ex-wife singing on stage, quickly piecing together who her song was mainly being directed towards, before pulling a small, devious smile when the fuse box in the corner caught his eye.

You brought the flames
And you put me through hell

I had to learn
How to fight for myself

And we both know
All the truth I could tell

I'll just say this is
I wish you farewell

Back on the stage, Stephanie continued to pour her heart and soul into the song. As she closed her eyes, all her worst memories played on loop in her head - her foster father's abuse, her marriage to Jimmy, Mary's jump, Suki's murder - but it only fuelled her passion more as she belted out the chorus.

I hope you're somewhere praying
Praying

I hope your soul is changing
Changing

I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees

Praying

As the final verse arrived, Stephanie stomped her foot in rhythm with the music, which now had a swelling orchestra in tandem with the piano, and the audience all clapped along to the same beat.

Sometimes
I pray for you at night

Someday
Maybe you'll see the light

Some say, in life
You're gonna get what you give

But some things
Only God can forgive

The music stopped as Stephanie held the high note for a good five seconds - this being a signature she'd developed during her performances in years past - before starting again the entire stage lit up with sparks and strobe lights, lighting up the entire Theatre as the crowd hollered with awe and wonder.

I hope you're somewhere praying!
Praying!

I hope your soul is changing!
Changing!

Stephanie's energy was so spent by both her singing and her experiences backstage that she could barely keep standing, but she managed to bring the song to a softer diminuendo as her tears glistened under the stage lights.

I hope you find your peace
Falling on your knees

Praying


The audience's cheers and applause were still echoing behind Stephanie when the still-breathless wolf made her way backstage again. Though the reception of her friends and cast mates was just as enthusiastic, especially from the younger wolf that bolted over to tackle her to the floor.

"EEEK! Ya did it, ya did it, ya did it!" Porsha shrieked with excitement, nearly crushing the life out of her mother as they both let tears of joy flood down their faces.

"Steph, that was incredible!" Rosita said as she took the wolf's hand, while everyone else murmured and gushed in agreement. "I mean, I knew you said you were a performer, but I didn't think you had pipes like that..."

"Yeah, well..." Stephanie chuckled, giving Porsha another quick kiss on the forehead. "I've been holdin' that in for a long, long time."

"WHOO-HOO, YEAH!" Buster hollered with joy, getting a glance at the still very enthusiastic audience as he looked over to his cast. "Well, what are you guys waitin' for? Get out there!"

KA-BOOM!

Almost everyone was sent flying back when the fuse box suddenly erupted, vomiting a violent flurry of sparks that went all over the walls and set one of the red curtains ablaze. Johnny tackled Ash out of the way of the flaming cloth as it fell down, and the audience all began to scream and panic while the fire quickly spread to the rest of the stage and beyond.

"Oh my God!" Mary gasped as she - and most of the others - looked up at the wires on the ceiling, which had already begun to spark and rain more fire down onto the wooden beams. She then began untying Kendall and the rest of the thugs from their ropes, prompting some of the others to do the same, allowing them to move while the fire continued to spread. "We've got to get out of here! NOW!"

"It's this way!" Porsha pointed to the backstage door, which was still accessible despite the flames forming on either side, and began to run towards it as the others did the same. "Hurry, follow me! UGH!"

"PORSHA!"

Nearly everyone on the Moon staff shouted in-sync - though Stephanie's shriek was by far the loudest - when Porsha was suddenly sent off her feet, and they all froze up in horror as the young head wolf's head collided against the wall with a hard, painful THWACK!

"NO!" Stephanie skidded down onto her knees, barely feeling the pain of the broken splinters and glass on the hot floor, as she tried to prop her barely-conscious daughter's body upright, and Buster and Rosita quickly ran to their side. Stephanie's eyes widened when she felt something hot and sticky running down onto her hand, going ghost-white when she saw the blood that was oozing from the cut on the younger wolf's head. "Oh no... no-no-no-no-no!"

A loud metallic CLANG! suddenly made everyone tense up as they looked over to the ravenous sea of fire emanating from where the fuse box had exploded, as a tall, almost demonic looking silhouette slowly emerged from it. Jimmy's black suit and white fur were singed and covered in dirty grey cinders, though it barely bothered him anymore as he sent a fierce, hateful glare towards his ex-wife.

"Like I told ya before, Steph..." He let out a fierce, almost bestial snarl, holding up the prop sword that he'd used to cut the fuse box while the flames cast a hellish red glow onto his face. "I'm burnin' it all to the ground!"