Cherryton was in a bit of an uproar right now.
It was normal when something big happened that had to do with the school or with someone famous in there.
A few months ago, it was Tem's death, a murder and devouring in school grounds that shook the people to their very core as it reminded them of how dangerous their world was.
Now? It was the news that Louis the Red Deer, their school's beastar candidate, had lost an arm in a predation incident in the city.
The rumors had already been abuzz before the first official news were released by the press. And what a story it was.
It all started with the hybrid of Drama Club, the one who played the Spirit of Shadows in the Adler play two or three months previous. Apparently, some lions caught wind of how he was a hybrid and didn't like it. They attacked and kidnapped him, prompting some of the other club members, led by Louis, to go to their friend's rescue.
They tracked them down to the beach, where the lions were trying to kill Legoshi by holding him down in the water, and they managed to save Legoshi and get the lions to leave. However, doing so came with a price.
Louis lost an arm while fighting one of the lions who were trying to kill Legoshi.
That was quite the admirable deed, and it pretty much cemented Louis' image as a hero in the eyes of the entire school, and everyone was now sure that the deer would be nominated beastar. However, that would not be happening on the Meteor Festival since, in order to recover from losing an arm, Louis would be going for summer break earlier and be treated by doctors on his own house. He would not even be taking the finals, as the schoolboard accepted that taking care of his mental and physical health after going through the trauma of losing a limb was more important than taking a few exams.
All in all, it was a great story. It was the one that the press decided to go with, apparently. However, those who were there, and who knew more information by being told by those how actually were, knew that this was not all that the press was saying.
A lot of information was left out of the subject.
Like how the lions who kidnapped Legoshi were a complete gang with more than thirty members, and that they were stopped with the help of another gang, instead of only two or three lions who were chased away by a bunch of high school kids. Ibuki's presence on the local was completely erased as well, with his name only being very briefly mentioned as the father of the kidnapped hybrid.
Of course, there were repercussions to the events.
The fact Louis had suffered a predation crime from a bunch of lions, despite having survived, was enough to make carnivore/herbivore tensions to rise on the school. The lions were receiving a lot of side-eyes from the herbivore students.
Luca, from the Journalism Club, was suspended for a few weeks after coming to the knowledge of the school that he had been following Louis around with his camouflage, what basically meant that he had been running around the school naked. The chameleon would be allowed to take the semester's finals some other occasion, and he just decided to use this as if it was a sabbatical retreat. Also, he could not bring back the photographs of the event, which he witnessed, and got chewed up by the club's president for it, but he could not help but feel proud of himself as he saw that they used a few of the pictures he took in the news. Including the one he managed to snap of the very moment when Louis, with a missing arm, delivered a punch right to the one-eyed lion's face.
As for Legoshi, he came back to school as soon as possible, as he had not been seriously injured during the event, and his parents even encouraged him to come back and finish the last weeks of school before summer break. However, that was not to mean that the hybrid was not in evidence, as he had been victim of an "attempted hate crime" for being a hybrid. A lot of people were looking at him with pity, since they all recognized that he was a victim in this whole story.
Well, most of them.
"...and the latest report released by the police confirmed that the one-eyed lion killed in an altercation with the police last week was, in fact, the same lion responsible for the predation crime that costed the life of Lara the Albino Impala." Said the woman on the news, which Legoshi was watching on his phone as he made his way across the hallways. "This confirms the rumors online which started when Lara's fiancé, upon seeing the picture of said one-eyed lion on the news, proclaimed it to be the same lion who took the life of his fiancé. It has not yet, however, been confirmed that this lion, killed by the police while trying to escape from the crime scene, was also responsible for the other crimes involving white animals."
Legoshi stopped watching at this point, turning off his phone as he focused on walking to his next class.
He would rather forget about that lion.
He could still remember that night perfectly clearly, from beginning to ending.
Those lions dragging him to the Black Market. Being tied to that chair. Being shoved into the water and then rescued by his father. Fighting to save his classmates. Seeing his father get shot. Being taken hostage again. Then the lion threatening him only letting go after being shot
Legoshi turned around right on time to see that red dot right on the middle of the lion's forehead. Then, on the next second, there was no more head.
So much blood...
However, as shocking as the scene was, it was nothing compared to the scene just a few feet away.
His dad was bleeding. He had been shot.
He was bleeding on the ground, and no one was doing anything.
Legoshi rushed to his side before he even knew what he was doing. He was acting based on what he knew from movies, tv series and manga. He put as many hands as he could on the wounds and applied as much pressure as possible, trying to make the bleeding stop, but he only managed to get his hands soaked in lion blood.
He barely noticed Grandpa in there until the Komodo dragon pulled him off his grandfather, saying that he needed to let the paramedics take care of him.
After that everything was a blur. The trip to the hospital and them arriving there were practically not noticed by the wolf, until the moment Gosha stopped him so Legoshi would not go with the doctors into the operation room.
Grandpa got him to sit down and breathe. After a few minutes, Legoshi suddenly realized he needed to pee, so he went to the restroom. As he was coming out of the cubicle, he caught his reflection on the mirror above the sinks.
His bare upper torso. His scaly lower arms.
His four hands covered on his father's blood.
Legoshi washed his hands on the sink until all the blood was out. By this point, his scales felt sore and the fur on his upper hands was coming out due to how hard he was scrubbing them.
Then, with the tap still running water, Legoshi could not take it anymore. He crumpled to his knees, buried his face on his hands and broke into sobs.
He stayed on the ground, curled into a ball until his grandpa came and found him there. From there, he guided Legoshi back to the waiting area outside of the operation room, and they just sat there in silence.
The rest nearly felt like watching a movie from someone else's perspective while his body was on auto pilot. From the news that his father was okay to the horse who was asking them both questions about that night leaving right after his mother came.
They took Legoshi back home after this, where both Sawgan and the girls were waiting, and they received both the father and son warmly.
Being with his family felt nice after everything he went through.
Legoshi nearly didn't wanted to go back to school, but he didn't have much of a choice in that matter. He was soon waving bye to his grandpa as he dropped him in front of the school's gates and drove away after wishing him a good week.
And now, there Legoshi was, walking to his next class while a thousand different thought swirled on his head, causing him to be completely unaware of where he was even going.
He failed to notice that there was someone coming behind him, until the person finally decided to speak:
"Yoh, freak!"
Legoshi stopped and turned around. He was unpleasantly surprised for seeing Maki walking to him, hands on his pockets as he made it to the hybrid.
Legoshi hoped he was not after problem. However, to his chagrin, the wolf was.
"So, you survived, huh?" The wolf said looking at him. "Well, guess those lions were not competent enough to do a proper job."
Legoshi already wanted to walk away. He wanted to leave. However, Maki was not going to let him leave easily.
Proved when he deliberately walked into Legoshi's way to block his path.
Am I really going to do it? Kiira thought to herself as she walked down the hallways.
She was still processing the fact that she would be dancing in front of everyone in the Festival.
That she would be before a whole crowd of animals and dancing for them wearing the same dress that Juno should be wearing.
She should not be doing this.
The thought of being in front of all those people...
What is she slipped? What if she forgot the choreography?
No. Worse than that.
What if her mask somehow slipped free from her face and everyone saw her beak?
Those and more thoughts plagued her mind as, for the next few days, she continued to practice for the upcoming dance. Not even Sheila complimenting her for her amazing skills and for knowing the routine to a T or everyone else telling her how much of an amazing dancer she was were enough to settle the intrusive thoughts on her mind of everything that could happen to her if she stepped into a stage and started to dance in front of everyone.
"You will do okay, Kiira." Juno said to her, as she sat in a chair with her crutches by the side. "It will be great, and everyone will love you."
Will they really?
"Trying to go somewhere, freak? What, you in a hurry?"
Kiira stopped and looked around, for a moment thinking that whoever said that was talking to her. Them, she heard Legoshi-senpai's voice.
"Maki, please, don't do this. I just wanna to go to class."
"Why are you even still here? No one wants you in this school!"
Kiira followed the voices. She was soon finding the two animals who were talking. She saw Legoshi-senpai standing before a smaller animal, a wolf who looked back at him with a hostile expression.
"Why don't you just leave already!?" Maki demanded of him. Kiira listened to this, hiding behind a corner as she watched their interaction. "No one wants you around! Those cats having tried to get rid of you should have been enough to realize it!"
Legoshi flinched as he heard that.
"What, you think people in this school actually want you around? That they like you? Hah! As if! They just tolerate you here because the schoolboard decided you can stay! If they could, they would get rid of you themselves!"
Legoshi looked down, and then he tried to force his way past Maki, only for the wolf to remain on his way.
"What? Are you mad?" Maki continued to press on. "You want to beat me? Go right ahead! I was only distracted back on the Wolf Room, but I am ready for you now! I can take you on if you come at me again!"
Truth was, he could not.
Maki knew that he could not take Legoshi. The hybrid was much to strong for him. He would not be able to take him in a fight if he came to him, and what happened on the Wolf Room was enough to convince him of that.
Instead, he only wanted Legoshi to hit him. He only wanted that freak to punch him as hard as he could, perhaps to make as much damage as last time, or even more.
He wanted to do it because this way he could get him into problem. Because he could say that the hybrid had attacked him out of nowhere for no reason at all. He wanted to get him suspended or, at best case scenario, expelled entirely.
That was why he was trying hard to get the hybrid angry, but the freak was resisting. So, Maki decided to go for the big guns.
"Too bad that those lions were too incompetent to kill you." The wolf said to the hybrid. "If it were me, I would have put an end to you then and there... and then I would go after those pervert parents of yours."
This caused Legoshi to glare at him. His pupils turning into slits as his lips curled into a snarl, his hands clenching into fists. Maki saw it all, and he knew that he had hit a nerve again. He smirked as he continued to press.
He continued to insult Legoshi's parents. Telling him how they were both worthless and how they had no morals or principles since they fucked each other and gave birth to him. How they deserved to be punched and beaten for spawning a thing like him as much as Legosh himself.
Each word made Legoshi the angrier. The muscles on his arm were tensing as he was getting ready to punch Maki so hard it could possibly break his jaw. And this was all the wolf wanted. A broken jaw was a price he was ready to pay if it meant screwing this freak over.
"Oh, you don't like me insulting your disgusting parents?" Maki asked. "Then come at me now!"
Legoshi was about to, when another voice came.
"Leave him alone!"
They both turned to see the female lion in a mask walking to the two of them.
"Kiira-chan?" Legoshi said, his eyes going back to normal as he looked at the coming masked female, who then stood between him and Maki.
"Who are you even?" Kiira asked him, glaring at him. "What right do you have to say any of those things to Legoshi-senpai? To say those things about his family!? You don't know any of them!"
Maki was surprised, but he recovered rather quickly.
"What are you doing protecting this freak!?"
"He is not a freak!" Kiira said to him. "He is a kind and sweet person who helps those in need and who doesn't deserve to be treated like that by people like you!"
"Just look at him!" Maki said, pointing at the hybrid. "See how he looks? See his appearance? It is not natural! Does he even count as an animal at all!?"
"What about him is not natural?"
"Everything!" Maki yelled. "Everything about him is unnatural! Is wrong! His size! His eyes! His mane! Those extra arms he hides under his clothes! Nothing about him is right! That's why he has to vanish!"
"The only one who has to vanish is you!" Kiira said back at him. "You are the one who is bothering others! Legoshi-senpai is a much better person than you!"
"Watch it!" Maki said to her. "You think I won't hit you because you are a girl? Just try me!"
Legoshi tensed behind Kiira as he heard that.
"Why do you even care about this freak anyways!?" Maki said, "Wait, don't tell me you have a crush on him! Are you another pervert who gets her hots for freaks!? Disgusting!"
"I care because he is my senpai!" Kiira said, glaring at Maki, feeling an anger towards him for treating Legoshi the way he did. More anger than she ever did for anyone before, save for the people who talked smack about her mother.
"Because he is a kind person! Because he is my friend!"
And then, much to Legoshi's surprise, she reached for her own mask and started unclasping the straps.
"Kiira!" legoshi said, seeing her do this, but it was too late. Kiira removed her mask.
"And because he is my fellow hybrid!" Kiira said to Maki, while the wolf looked at her in shock, seeing the beak on her face.
"What the hell..." Was all Maki could say as he stared. Kiira, on her end, looked back at him with ferocity.
"Still want to fight me?" She asked, looking at him. "You said you could take on a hybrid. What about two?"
She leaned forward, glaring at Maki straight in the eyes.
"Have you ever had your eyes pecked out?"
Her voice was dangerously low as she asked that question. She had no intention of doing it, but she certainly felt like a threat would help make the wolf back down.
And it did.
"Y-you pair of freaks!" Maki said as he turned around and dashed down the hallway, leaving Kiira and Legoshi alone in there.
After the wolf was gone, Kiira turned to Legoshi, and asked him if he was okay.
"I... I am... thanks..." Legoshi said, but he seemed shook.
What just happened... was a lot like on his old schools.
Some of the things Maki said were much like the things his old bullies said to him.
And then came the pushing, the name-calling, the singing... and soon everyone else on the school joined them on tormenting poor Legoshi.
"Senpai."
That voice brought legoshi out of his dark reminiscence. He looked to see Kiira looking at him, she reached out and placed a hand on his'. The action immediately causing Legoshi to calm down a bit, as his mind recognized that someone who was also half-lion was touching him.
"It's okay." Kiira said to him. "Don't worry, I am by your side. Everyone on Drama Club is. We are all on your side, and we all like you. So, don't listen to what that wolf said, because it is all wrong."
Legoshi looked at her, and he could not help but feel a warm on his heart as he heard those words from Kiira. However...
"He saw your beak, Kiira." Legoshi said to her. "He will tell other people now. They might start picking on you too..."
He could not help but say those things. He was worried. Kiira noticed it. And she knew that he was right. However, she remained firm as she said the next words to Legoshi:
"I don't care. They can pick on me if they want, as long as they don't pick on you. And if they do, then I will stand for you. I will not let you go through this alone. I will be by your side, and I will be strong for you."
She was squeezing his hand as she said that.
"And I will show it on the Festival."
She said the last part to both Legoshi and herself, and the male hybrid could not help but look at her in surprise, as he saw that fire and determination on Kiira's eyes.
That was the look of a beast who had made her mind up.
The Meteor Festival was a big event by nature. However, this year, it seemed to have become bigger than normal. Not only people from all around the town were dropping by, but even some people of the neighbor city were coming to see the place by themselves and take part on the celebration.
It only happened once a year, after all. They had to come and see while they could. And a lot of them stopped to admire the great dinosaur statues, or to buy stuff from the many stands around the place.
Like the one where a small white bunny and a big wolf in a hoodie were giving flowers.
"Thank you for your purchase, don't forget to water them three times a day." Haru said with a smile as the family of buffalos walked away with their new potted plant, the mother pulling her son closer to herself as she looked at the wolf as they made their way out of there.
Legoshi, on his end, could only keel his head low as they passed.
"Feeling anything in your head?" Legoshi asked Haru, for what could be the third time in the last two hours. "Some pain? Dizziness? Lightheadedness?"
"I am fine, Legoshi." Haru said to the hybrid. "The doctors said I am fine and that there is nothing wrong, so you can stop worrying now. I got enough of that worry from my family when they came to see me in the hospital. Mom still wanted me to stay at home for the rest of summer when I came back with my head bandaged."
Legoshi nodded. The bunny seemed worried, but he could not help it. He had been very worried with her.
He had been worried with everyone involved in that night.
"You got any news from Louis?" Legoshi asked, but he regretted it as he saw how her expression soured.
"Been trying to reach him through his phone all week, but all my calls got declined." Haru said, "Earlier today someone finally answer, but it was not Louis. It was some Oguma guy who said he was Louis' dad. Told me that he appreciated that I was worried with his son but told me to stop calling because Louis needed silence to rest. I do have the impression that he wanted to say something like 'don't call my son anymore because I don't want him talking to you, you tramp'."
"You could tell through the phone?" Legoshi sounded impressed as he asked that.
"It is all about the intonation they use." Haru said to the hybrid. "Not the first time a boy's parents tell me something like that."
Legoshi asked no more questions about this. He did notice that Haru was quite upset about this.
She had told him that she and Louis were not really dating, that what they had was just sex. However, it was clear that not having been able to see Louis, not even once, since the hospital had made the rabbit upset. Especially once she heard about him losing an arm.
Legoshi did his best to help her feel better about all of this, but he was not really good at this "comforting an upset girl" business.
"Look, another one." Haru said, pointing at an animal who was recording things with his phone, and he looked like he was recoding himself going around the festival and talking to his phone.
"Oh... is that a famous one?" Legoshi was looking at the streaming animal. Haru shrugged.
"Never seen him before. But, I don't pay attention to most streamers." Haru said, "What is, what? The third one tonight? Man, this year's festival is truly a success, if even some streamers are coming down here to talk about it online... must be the rumors about this 'special attraction' they have planned this year."
"Yeah, must be... what do you think it is?"
"No idea." Haru was very casual as she relaxed on her chair. "But whatever it is, they better make it happen tonight. It is the last night of the Festival, after all. If they don't, then a lot of people will be going back home disappointed."
Legoshi looked at her as she said that. He just... looked at her. What Haru soon noticed.
"Something wrong?" The rabbit asked the hybrid as she looked at him. To that, all Legoshi could say was:
"I am glad you are okay, Haru... I am glad all of you are okay."
He then took her hands on his', taking in just how small her hands were when compared to his own.
"And I want you to know that I will always be here for you if you need me. Even if it is just as a friend. But... I'd be lying if I said I would not like to be more than just a friend to you."
Saying those words was probably the hardest thing Legoshi had to do so far. And Haru looked at him as he said those words, before looking away.
"You should go."
Legoshi blinked as Haru said those words to him.
"What..."
"It is nearly time for your club's presentation." Haru said to him, looking back at the hybrid. "You need to be there to see it, right? Can't leave your club hanging. You can get there if you hurry. Don't worry, I can handle the stand. We sold almost everything already anyways. Thanks for all the help."
Legoshi looked at her, and then he simply said a "oh, okay", and he left.
However, even as he steadied himself and made his way back to where the other members of his club were, the hybrid could not help but feel shaken by what just happened.
To feel... hurt.
So... this is what it feels to be rejected? That was all Legoshi could think as he made his way to the center of the festival where the great stage had been set.
This... is the part where I should walk away and try to move on... but... I don't think I can. I love Haru. I love her very much...
Soon, Legoshi was making his way into the backstage of the great presentation stand, where his friends all were.
"Hey, look who showed up!" Fudge said as Legoshi made his way there. He pulled back his hood as he apologized for taking too long, saying that he had been helping Haru with her stand. They told him it was okay.
"So, Louis is really not coming?" Asked Kibi, to what Sano shook his head.
"I managed to talk to someone from his house, and they told me that Louis is in absolute repose for now, so he can better recover from what happened. Unfortunately, he won't be here to watch the event."
"Well, there is a lot of people recording out there." Moro said, "Maybe we can get a recording of the show and have Louis see it later. That would be good, wouldn't it?"
They agreed it would, and Legoshi, on his end, looked around and then he noticed something that was amiss.
"Wait, where is Kiira-chan?"
"Right here, senpai."
Legoshi turned to look at her, just like everyone else. All of them were stunned.
They had all already saw the dress that Kiira would be wearing. It had, of course, to be reworked to fit her since she would be the one dancing instead of Juno, and they had to enlarge the dress to better fit into the body of a lioness, since it was originally meant for a she-wolf.
However, more than being enlarged, the dress had been given a little more of a "flair" by some working on the details, as well as an increase on the bust-line and on the opening on the side, which went quite up on Kiira's leg now.
"Do you guys like it?" Kiira asked all of them as she made it in there with Juno. "Juno helped me change the dress a little bit. She also helped me adjust my make-up. Is it good? I wanted to highlight my beak."
And everyone liked what they were seeing. Aoba, in particular, could not help but stare at Kiira. At how beautiful her beak was...
Hey, he was an eagle! Of course, he thought a beak could be beautiful!
Legoshi, on his end, seemed to be worried with something else:
"Will you... dance without your mask?"
To that, Kiira could only nod at the male hybrid.
"Yes." She said, her voice not wavering a second. "I have thought about it, and I want to do it. I don't want to dance hiding my face, the mask clashed with the dress."
Legoshi looked at her, and then he nodded.
"Well, I guess it is time for the show, no?" She said, and then she nodded at the other girls. They went with her, and Kiira had time to look at everyone else, especially Juno and Legoshi.
"Wish me luck." She said with a smile on her beak, and then she walked onto the stage, where a crowd was waiting for the performers to show up.
There was a crowd out there.
Of course, there was. She already knew it was going to be a crowd. However, she did not expect the crowd to be so big. She did not expect for so many people to show up.
Did people really come all the way from the neighbor city for this!? That was unbelievable!
She peeked out of the stage and saw that entire crowd of animals out there. All of them waiting. All of them ready to see the show.
To see her.
At that moment, she suddenly got cold feet.
She couldn't do it.
She just couldn't.
She could not go out there and do what she had to in front of so many people.
What if she forgot her lines? What if she lost her voice? What if they just booed her out of the stage as soon as they saw her before she could even produce a note?
Oh, Rex! How could she have thought this was a good idea!?
What was she even thinking!?
She couldn't do it.
She just... couldn't...
Just as she was hugging her own knees against her chest, she heard two of the workers from backstage talking to each other.
"Wow, the crowd really is enjoying the show, no?" One of them said, "That girl surely knows how to dance."
"Yeah, she surely does." The other said back. "The people are loving her moves. No one seems to even mind the fact she is a hybrid."
Wait, what?
This caused her to perk her head. Then, as she listened more, she decided that she needed to look. She needed to see for herself.
So, she walked, dressed as she was, until she was right behind the curtains on the edge of the stage, and she watched as the hybrid they were talking about danced before the audience.
Kiira, on her end, didn't even noticed the extra pair of eyes on her. She just continued to dance.
She delivered herself to the routine she was performing with her body and soul, and she continued to perform and practically forgot there was anyone watching her at all.
Most people of the crowd were, naturally, surprised for seeing a lioness with an eagle beak walking into stage and dancing, a fact made more evident as the camera focused on her and an amplified image of the dancing female was projected on the great screen behind her.
Some of them were shocked, even. Some whispered among themselves. Some among them even looked disgusted.
However, as the female hybrid danced with the same level of skill of a professional dancer, with all her most beautiful physical attributes highlighted by her dress and makeup, they all could very much enjoy the performance.
All eyes were on Kiira as she danced in front of everyone, with the other two girls on the background mimicking her moves. She made the performance without missing a single element, and she even had the chance to add some of her own twists to it, which only made the performance even more memorable.
By the time the performance ended, and she bowed to the audience, they were all cheering and applauding her.
She could hear their applause, and she knew that they had liked her show.
That was the time when she should have made it out of the stage with the other girls. However, before that, she had a few words to say.
She requested someone to bring her a microphone and, with it held before her beak, she spoke to the crowd.
"To all of you here, I'd like to say a few words." She spoke on the mic, her voice resonating across the festival, as everyone had their eyes on her. "As you can see from looking at me, I am not your average lioness. I am half-eagle. I am a hybrid. Make no mistake, I know how society views those like me, and I know that, even among you here, there are some who saw my beak, and probably wanted nothing more than to see me disappear from your sight."
She had a deathly serious expression as she said those words, and some of the people on the crowd even felt intimidated by this.
"A few weeks ago, those people among you would have made me flee. You would have made me run and hide in shame. But not tonight." She said seriously. "Because tonight, I found something... someone, to make me strong. And that... is Legoshi-senpai."
Legoshi, who had been watching to the opposite side, had his eyes widen. Then, much to his surprise, a few members of the club came and started urging him forward, until he saw himself standing by Kiira's side before the crowd, with the spotlight shining down on them.
"I met Legoshi earlier this year, when me and my best friend Juno were being harassed by other students." The lioness/eagle hybrid said. "He bravely stood for us and saved us from those brutes. He did so without any fear, and he stood for us even though he barely knew us. At that moment, I saw how brave, strong and kind he was. Later, on the same week, as I joined Cherryton's Drama Club, he offered me comfort and support as I struggled with my own issues as a hybrid. At that moment, I knew that Legoshi was one of the most amazing people I'd ever met."
"For years, I was told to be ashamed of myself. That there was something wrong with me, and that I would never be able to live a life like those of purebreds. I was told it so many times that, at some point, I started believing those words." Kiira continued. "I was convinced that they were right, and that there was no one who could truly understand my anguish. Until I met Legoshi-senpai."
"Now, some of you might be recognizing him." Kiira said, "That is because, just last week, the newspapers announced how he was victim of a crime by a group of lions, who tried to kill him simply for being a hybrid. He barely escaped with his life. And, even after that, he was harassed on our school by someone who disapproved of his mixed heritage. I was there to witness it, and that was the moment when I decided that, just like he stood for me when I needed them, then I would stand for him as well."
She then reached for Legoshi's hand, holding it on her own. Legoshi looked at her in surprise, but she only continued to speak:
"Every animal in this world needs to struggle with being born as they are. Carnivores and herbivores, males and females, purebreds and hybrids, each one of us must struggle. And, sometimes, this struggle is made all the harder when we look down on each other because of those very same differences. But, one thing I learned is that, before being carnivores or herbivores, before being purebred or hybrid, we are all animals. We all have fears and dreams. We all suffer and struggle. And we all have the same right to be happy."
"That is why I am here tonight before all of you, showing myself as I am even though I know many of you would reject me for this very reason." Kiira said. "I am here to say that I will not lower my head. I will not allow for myself and those like me and Legoshi-senpai to be talked down and made to be ashamed of who we are. For we, just like every single animal in this world, have the right to stand proud and happy. We have the right to stand before all the other animals and be accepted for who we are. We all earn for this world where we will be able to do so. And, until this world exists, I will stand by my senpai's side, so we can both give each other strength and stand proud as we are. Thank you."
There were a few moments of silence. And then, came the applause.
It started as a single pair of hands clapping. Then, more hands joined. By the end of it, the entire crowd was applauding Kiira's words, while the hybrid female stood there, still holding Legoshi's hand, and she cast a glance to the side, smiling at Legoshi, who was able to look at her, and even to smile as well.
And, from the sidelines, that female was seeing this from the shadows.
That girl's words... they resonated with her.
They really did.
The female still looked at them as they made their way out of the stage, still being applauded, and then she turned around and walked back.
She made it deeper into the backstage, into the space reserved for her and her boys, who were still preparing.
"Yoh, Queen!" Said one of them. "We heard the people out there applauding! What, did you go and gave them a little preview before we got the chance to go on stage as well?"
The female didn't answer, she was still reflecting on what the young hybrid said as she stood by Legoshi's side.
"Leano?" One of them said, and this caused the wolf/Komodo dragon hybrid to look up at him. "Is everything okay?"
She looked at the male who asked her that question, and then at the other ones. Then, she smiled.
"Yes, just getting my head on the game." Leano said to the males. "So, boys, what about we go to the stage?"
"Kiira, you were amazing!" Juno said, hugging her friend. "And they all loved you! You truly blew them away!"
"And that was a very inspiring speech, Kiira-chan!" Sano said, as he, Sheila and Dom all came to congratulate the female hybrid. "You truly showed why you are a proud member of Drama Club!"
"Thanks, guys." Kiira said to all of them. Smiling as they all congratulated her. And, by the side, Legoshi was standing there, looking at Kiira, who then looked back at him.
"Senpai..." Kiira said, approaching Legoshi and reaching for his hand once more. "Could... could you come with me to-"
Then, the lights went out.
"What is that!?"
"Another blackout!?"
Panicking was the first reaction of the Drama Club. However, that was when a voice came from the speakers.
"To all of you gathered here tonight, the Culture and Entertainment Committee of our city thanks all of you for taking time to come her and give prestige for this event. We all thank you for taking part on this celebration."
As the voice spoke that, the carnivores of Drama Club, with their night vision, could see a group of animals making it to the dark stage from the other side. And among them, was...
"Mom!?" Legoshi said as she saw his mother make it to the very center of the stage, where she stood while a couple other carnivores set out a microphone on a stand in front of her.
"So, to all of you who have come here, we have a special surprise which we hope all of you can enjoy. So, please, without any further delay, we would like to introduce you to five very special animals who came here tonight."
As the voice said that, beams of light moved across the stage.
"On the drums, we have... Justin!"
A spotlight illuminated a figure holding sticks before a complete set of drums. He smiled as he waved at the crowd, his big ears as high in the air as the pair of horns nestled un between said ears.
Did... did that bunny had horns?
Were they... props maybe?
"On the keys... Chalky!"
Another beam of light illuminated a figure not too far from the horned bunny. This one was a crocodile wearing a sleeveless jacket. His arms were in full display, covered not in scales, but in fur. On his head, was a lion's mane tied in a ponytail.
That... could be a wig. Right?
"On the bass... Warren!"
The next figure played a few cords on his bass as soon as the beam of light illuminated him. He was shirtless, meaning the entire audience could see his orange fur with black stripes as he had his back turned to the audience. Then, as he turned around, he showed them all a canine face as he played a few more accords.
A... a big wolf. Big as a tiger. And with tiger-like fur.
"On the guitar, we now give you... Alec!"
Another beam of light, and this one illuminated an animal wearing beige shorts and a light sleeveless shirt, with a foot on a stool as he played a few accords to his guitar, joining the tiger/wolf hybrid playing the bass. He had white fur, with the only other color in him being the feathers on his head and coming out of his elbows.
That horse had feathers! And chicken legs!
"And, finally!" Said the voice on the speakers. "Leading this band of talented individuals, is she! The one who is known as 'The Queen'. The lead singer... Leano!"
The final beam of light shone on the very center of the stage, right on the female wolf standing before the microphone stand, a cloth draped over her shoulders. Then, she opened her arms, allowing the cloth to fall to the ground. The light of the beam reflected on the scales of her bare arms, making them shine and glisten like jewels.
"To all of you tonight, in this Meteor Festival, we give, for the first ever time on stage... The Urban Beasts!"
Leano opened her eyes. Then, a smile spread on her muzzle.
Then, on cue, the show started.
"Legoshi!" Sano said, in awe "Your mother's voice is amazing!"
Legoshi said nothing in return. He was too busy watched transfixed in shock as his mother, alongside the other hybrids of her band, performed amazing songs of the crowd.
They started with a new one, which Legoshi would later learn was called "Let's Be Free". This was a song that invited who was hearing to join the singer in a chorus and sing their pride aloud for the world to hear. For them to stop lowering their heads and living in fear, and to stand by her side free of anguish, for she would be doing that for them.
It was like a sung version of the speech Kiira-chan made just two minutes ago.
Next, they played a medley of some of their greatest hits.
Like "Bitter Pride", a song about how someone's foolish pride led them to lose their way, and the singer herself tells them to snap out of it and remember what is really important in life. To cherish the truly beautiful things in life and to not allow one's mistaken arrogance and ego to make them lose their way. Basically, it was a "wake up and smell the coffee" to some person who was not an asshole, but who was acting like one and neglecting the truly important things on their life.
Next came "Young Secrets", which spoke of living with the burden of the things you could never share with anyone. About having things you need to hide so you can be approved by others. Of how those secrets weight on you, but you carry on with them because you have no other choice, but it also spoke about letting others in and allowing them to know you, some they can see your beauty and share it with you, as for you not to reach your old age all alone.
Then, it came a song called "I'm Glad I Met You". This, as you probably imagined, was a love song. A song dedicated to someone who came into the singer's life and changed it for the better in the most amazing way. It was kinda cheesy, but it was also so good that it managed to get away with it.
Lastly, they played the song "Years". A ballad for a loved one departed, claiming that they will never be forgotten, and will only be cherished and loved more with the passage of the years. Leano dedicated this last one to "a friend of her son who sadly passed away earlier that year".
With this, they were done.
"Thank you very much for listening to our music." The wolf with scaly arms said on the mic. "I am Leano, and we are the Urban Beasts. Goodnight to all."
And with that, she and her band left the stage, all under a thunderous applause and cheering from the audience.
"That was so cool!"
"I can't believe your mother is a famous singer!"
"Can't believe you were hiding this from us, Legoshi!"
"And you told us you never heard of the Urban Beasts before!"
Legoshi was a bit overwhelmed as everyone in Drama Club was all over him after his mother's show.
"I-I didn't know." Legoshi managed to tell everyone. "I didn't know my mom had a band."
"Oh, you can cut that out, four arms!" Bill said to the male hybrid. "We already know! The jig is up!"
"I'm serious!" Legoshi said, "I didn't know about any of that! I-I didn't even know Mom could sing!"
"Are you serious?" Kai asked. "Did you really didn't know your mother was the lead singer of the country's most famous band? Is that for real?"
"Y-yeah." Legoshi said, looking around the room. "I really had no idea."
The others shared looks.
"How can that be?" Aoba asked. "I mean, I am pretty sure that someone would notice if they lived with a popstar."
"Not if said popstar was careful to keep her private and professional lives separated."
Everyone turned to the source of this new voice, while she just stood there with a smile on her face.
"Mom!"
"Hey there, sweetie." She said, walking forward. "Did you like the show?"
"I... I did." Legoshi said, honestly. "Very much."
He continued to look at his mother, nearly as if he was seeing her for the first time on his life. I mean, can you blame him?
How would you react if you suddenly found out that your mother was a popstar and that you never knew?
And she was not alone in there.
"So, this Legoshi?" said the bunny with horns as he made his way into the room, followed by the other members of the Urban Beast. "The famous Cinnamon Roll? Your mother told us all about you, kid."
He tapped Legoshi on the shoulder while the wolf looked at him, taking in how taller he was than the average bunny.
"She... never told me about you guys." Legoshi said, looking at the four of them as they stood there.
"Well, then I guess now is as good a time as any, no?" Leano said, "Legoshi, I want you to now the members of my band. This one is Justin, he is half-harlequin rabbit, half-greater kudu."
"And all hot sexiness." The bunny with a half-black face and spiraling horns said, a big smile on his face.
"This one is Warren, he is the son of a saltwater crocodile and of a lion." Leano gestured to the biggest animal of the band. So big that he towered even over Legoshi. Still, his voice was quite small as he said:
"Nice to meet you."
He nearly sounded bashful and shy.
"This is Warren. His mother is a female Bengal tiger and his father is a gray wolf. He is the one who helped me compose all our songs" Leano gestured to the stripped one of the group who was now wearing a shirt of white linen.
"Namaste." The wolf/tiger guy said as he bowed to Legoshi with his hands together. Legoshi tried to repeat the gesture, but he was a little awkward, since he never did it before.
"And this one is Alec, he is a horse/Brahma chicken hybrid." Leano gestured to the last member, who was the white horse with a mane composed of bright-red feathers instead of fur. He was still wearing the same shorts and no shoes, what meant that his chicken feet, shaped just like hands, were in full view of however looked down.
He only looked at Legoshi and, with a grumpy expression, said "sup" with a nod.
Legoshi looked at all of them and said that it was a pleasure to meet all of them.
"Oh, I am sure it can be, sweet stuff." Justin said, a smirk on his face as he looked at the younger hybrid.
"Eh?"
The bunny/kudu hybrid was then smacked on the back of the head by Leano.
"Justin, cut that out! He is my son, and he is seventeen!" She then turned to Legoshi. "Sorry about that, this man has trouble controlling his libido when he is around male carnivores."
"Only the hot ones." Justin said casually. This caused Alec to roll his eyes.
"Anyways..." Leano said, looking at her son. "I am glad that you liked the show, Legoshi."
"Yeah, I did… the last one was beautiful, and it was really nice for you to dedicate it to Tem." Legoshi said to his mother. "You are amazing, Mom."
Leano smiled at her son.
"Why, of course she is!" Justin suddenly said. "She is Leano after all! The leader of our band, the one who us all together and helped become what we are today! She is all of that! She is the one, she is all of that and more! She..."
Then, with a practiced synchronicity, the members of the Urban Beasts gathered around Leano, doing Jazz hands as if presenting her.
"Is the Queen!"
"Oh, boys..." Leano said, chuckling in embarrassed amusement, while everyone else stared as three of the four male members of the band did this little scene.
"Yoh, Alec!" Justin said, looking at the horse, who was standing there.
"We talked about that! You are supposed to join us!"
"No, I'm not." Alec said as he looked with crossed arms and an unamused expression.
This all only served to make Leano chuckle a bit harder. All the while her son and the other members of his clan stared.
Leano's band was... something else.
That was when Leano's phone rang, and she checked to see she had just received a message.
"That's Ibuki." Leano said. "He and dad just watched it online like I arranged for them, and they told me it was amazing. The girls loved too. They want to have dinner out in town to celebrate. The whole band is invited."
"Free food?" Justin said, "Count me in!" And the rest of the band had similar reactions.
Leano then looked at her son.
"Say, Legoshi, want to go meet with the rest of the family for dinner?"
Legoshi looked at his mother, and then he nodded. He would like to have dinner with his family.
"Oh, you guys don't mind, do you?" He asked everyone, and they all told him it was okay. They had finished their presentation, anyways. Legoshi could go and enjoy some time with his family if he wanted.
Even Kiira agreed to it.
She had been wanting to invite Legoshi to light a candle with her on the dome, but she understood that having dinner with his family was important.
Then, Leano surprised her by asking if she'd like to come along.
"Tonight, we are celebrating our first official live show." Leano said to her. "You also have something to celebrate after doing one of the best dances I've ever seen. Kiira, ain't it? Would you like to join my family for dinner?"
Kiira looked at her, and then she looked at Juno. Her wolf friend could only nod at her with a smile, silently urging her to take this chance of becoming closer to Legoshi by approaching his mother while she was still on her good graces.
"I'd love to!" Kiira said, "Just let me change! Wait here, please!"
And Kiira rushed to change from her dancing dress into a set of more regular clothes, and Leano and the others were waiting patiently for her.
"May I help you?" Warren asked of Bill, as the tiger had been looking at the Urban Beasts for a while.
"O-oh! I... I was just... I mean..." The tiger was uncharacteristically awkward as he fumbled with his words, and the five musician hybrids looked at him, until Bill reached for his backpack, pulled a notebook, and offered it to them.
"Can I have your autographs, please!?"
As soon as Kiira changed clothes, they were all ready to go. With Warren and Alec carrying their bass and guitar with them on their respective cases. However, as soon as they made it out of the backstage, they were swarmed by people.
Some of them with cameras and microphones.
"Urban Beasts! Please, a word!"
"What moved you to do this show?"
"How did you decided to form a band?"
"What are your favorite gummi flavors?"
"Why did you decided to reveal being hybrids?"
"Aren't you afraid that making this revelation might jeopardize your careers?"
"Please, just a moment of your time!"
Leano and the others, however, were not very interested on talking, they just had to force their way past the reporters.
"So, that is the reason why we never did live shows!" Justin said, as the band and the two kids with them managed to fight their way through the crowd of reporters and fans and, not surprisingly, a couple of haters.
"We decided it was time to show the world who we are." Leano said, as she turned to address the crowd. All of them. "We decided that it was time to let the hybrids of the world know that being of mixed species doesn't means they can't make it far in life. That they can achieve anything if they put their hearts to it and stick with their friends and families, no matter what society tries to tell them. Like we did. So, to all hybrids out there who are told they will never make it big in life, don't let people bring you down. Don't let them convince you that you are not good enough to be happy, because you are. Raise your head, speak loudly, and let them know it. For yourself, and for those you love."
With this, Leano and the rest of the hybrids with her all turned around and left, while many of the reporters continued trying to ask them questions and ask for interviews. To that, Justin decided to give them something to write about.
"Yoh, hoes! Check this out!" Justin said, and then he jumped on Chalky, who was literally double his size, and started making out with him sloppily.
This, of course, shocked the onlookers, while Leano could only cover her eyes with her hand and let out a sigh as those two made fools of themselves.
After the reporters snapped pictures and filmed, Justin and Chalky went along with the group, with the croc/lion hybrid blushing while carrying the bunny/kudu one on his arms while he laughed in amusement.
One thing was for certain, that had been a Meteor Festival the city would never forget.
And, that concludes this stage of the story. For all effects, you can consider this a complete rewrite of Season 1 od Beastars. Next set of chapters will tackle on season two but, before that, I will be taking a break to work on other stories. Meanwhile, be sure to leave reviews letting me know what you thought of the first stage of "Legoshi the Chimera".
Thank you for your loyal following of this story.