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Rebirth

By Theo Winters

Written for Balladaheart

In Ballad's opinion, costume parties were something he had grown out of with high school. Since then it seemed like the only costumes were from kids movies and 'sexy' versions of what would otherwise be reasonable; he was honestly surprised he hadn't seen a 'sexy harlot' costume. Every time he saw a woman walking past in one of those ridiculously slinky outfits he found himself rolling his eyes, doubly so when he caught a woman dressed in a sexy version of a male character from a children's show.

He just moved past them, happy that he had been invited to a costume-free Halloween party. He wasn't sure who had invited him but it was an improvement on some of the other parties he could attend. The only thing he'd done other then breaking out a nice suit was to re-dye his hair to be the bright shade of blue he preferred over his natural blond.

The instructions on the invitation lead him down a narrow side street to a small tree-lined quad between a number of century-old brick buildings. It was a small bit of tranquility in the middle of the city with the sounds of people and traffic being muffled by the buildings and trees. He took a moment to take in the serenity of it all, allowing it to wash over him. If the club was anything like this quad it would make for a pleasant night.

The entrance to the club nearly blended into the rest of the buildings. It was a simple wooden door with a large handle in the center and a knocker at eye level framed by bright red bricks. The only sign that it wasn't someone's front door was the small brass plaque on the wall, with the building number and the name of club, "Face in the Crowd".

Ballad tried to open the door but found that it was locked tight. With a minor shrug he grabbed the heavy wrought iron knocker and rapped it a couple of times. The resulting thump echoed through the door and the walls around him. As it rang silence fell over the small area, leaving it deathly quiet.

A few seconds later the door opened wide, revealing a woman in a long bright red evening gown that sparkled with every move she made. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over Ballad before she offered out her hand, each nail a few inches long and painted a red to match her dress. "Do you have an invitation?" she asked.

With a nod he reached into his jacket and pulled the invitation out, offering it to her. Taking it from his hand she looked closely at it then back up at him, a smile pulling over her made up lips. "Welcome then, please come inside," she said as she took a step to the side and motioned for him to enter.

"Thank you," he said, reaching to take back the invitation, but it had vanished somewhere into the woman's dress... somehow. Inside was a small entry way filled with light from the windows around the door. That made him do a double take as he didn't remember seeing any from the outside. He was about to comment on it when the woman spoke again.

"I am Madam Redclaw. I am your host for the night," she said as she walked through the entryway, her heals clicking with each step she took. She stepped through an arched doorway, pushing open a curtain as she went.

Following after he was surprised when he stepped into the main room of the club. It was larger than he expected, maybe a hundred feet long and twice that wide. The walls were covered in wood paneling with pictures every few feet and along the distant wall was a massive bar that had a trio of bartenders working to serve the crowd. The crowd was made up of sixty or seventy people scattered throughout the room in small groups. A number of tables were placed around the outside of the room as well as a few couches, most of which were occupied. A long set of tables lined one wall, a number of covered items laid out on them.

The most surprising thing was the height of the room. There was a second floor balcony lining the each wall but above that was a huge arched ceiling that was five or six stories at the peak. It was made up of thick steel beams bolted together with wide panes of glass supported between them. A half dozen crystal chandlers hug along the length of it, casting light onto the club below. It was like something out of a Victorian painting.

"Wow," was all he could muster as he looked around the huge room. This brought a deep chuckle from his host, a sound that seemed out of place on her thin frame.

She turned to look at him and smiled. "You may mingle for now, I am waiting for my last three guests and then the festivities will begin."

"Thank you," he said.

"You may partake of the bar, it is open to all members of the club," she added.

Ballad blinked and looked back at the woman as she started to walk away. "Wait, I'm a member?"

She gave him another smile, one that had a predatory glint behind it. "You would not have been invited if I had no expectations of your joining," with that slightly odd note she walked out of the massive room, her heels clicking all the way.

It took a few more moments to take it all in. It was nothing like he had expected. From the invitation he had assumed it would be the normal sort of club, lots of booze, lots of drinking and way too loud music so people didn't have to talk. Instead everyone was well dressed in suits and dresses (as well as one gentleman in a kilt) and while there was music it was low and stayed in the background. He was reminded of a gentleman's club of old, but far more inclusive considering the fact that half the crowd were female.

Adjusting his suit jacket he walked across the long room, glancing at each person as he went past. It seemed like most everyone already knew each other but he had a few greetings as he walked past. Everyone seemed friendly and welcoming, also a nice change from the typical club.

He walked up to the bar and before he could even ask the bartender handed him a bottle of beer. It was a microbrew brand he had never heard of before, but the taste was rather nice and not very bitter. As he turned to look back at the club he was surprised to find a woman standing behind him.

"Hello," he said, offering out his hand. She was of Asian descent, though it only showed in the shape of her face. She stood a couple inches shorter them him but not so much to seem short. She had a pretty smile and a pair of small glasses that rested on her nose in such a way to make her look cute.

"Hello yourself, I like your hair," she said, taking his hand and shaking it for a moment.

Blushing a bit he reached up to run his fingers through it. No one else in the club had such bright colored hair, though there were a few dresses that stood out. "Thanks, though I guess it doesn't work here," he said.

"Oh no, it works fine. No one really cares about that sort of thing here," she said, brushing her hands down over his short cut orange-red dress. It was an interesting color, not quite either one yet till containing both. It reminded him of looking into a camp fire.

"Then why so fancy?"

That made her smile. "It's Halloween, so we have a fancy dress party," she said with a laugh.

Ballad nodded and took another sip of his beer. That made a certain amount of sense and seemed far classier then skimpy 'sexy' costumes. "How long have you been a member?"

She rocked her weight on to her left foot as she thought about it for a second. "Four years now. My first one is kind of hazy as it was at the New Year's party."

That made him laugh. "They will do that. I'm Ballad by the way."

"Josephine, but most people have the good graces to call me Jo," she replied.

"Well Jo, it's nice to meet you," he said. "I would offer to buy you a drink but they seem to be free," he added a moment later.

They fell into silence for a few moments as he took another drink of his beer. It gave her a moment to turn to the bar and pick up her own beer, taking a long drink of it. Unlike his, this one was in a pint glass and had a thick head of foam. She had enough skill that none of it ended up on her lips or nose, a talent he envied.

As comfortable as the silence between them was, he decided he needed to break it. "How did you become a member of the club?"

"Oh, Redclaw invited me personally, you?"

Ballad shrugged slightly. "I just got an invitation in the mail," he said, reaching into his jacket for it only to realize that he had given it to the Madam when he had entered. "I didn't even know what sort of club it was until I came inside."

She cocked an eyebrow at this and tilted her head slightly. "Really? You didn't know anything?"

"No..." he asked, a little bothered by the soft laugh that she was trying to hide with another drink of her beer. "Why, what am I missing?"

"Oh, you'll see," was her only reply, her eyes scanning up and down his body for a few seconds. The attention made him blush and turn away to look at the rest of the crowd. He was just in time to watch as Madam Redclaw walked towards the front of the room, her sound of her heels on the hard wood carrying over all the sounds of the party.

"It must be time," Jo said, throwing her glass back and drinking he rest of the beer in a couple of quick gulps. It was at least half a glass worth and she drank it without a second thought. With a smile she set her glass back down on the bar and took his arm into hers. "Come on," she said then pulled him forward.

All the conversations had come to a stop as Redclaw came to the center of the room and then turned to look at everyone. They all looked back with a feeling on anticipation... and something else, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"Welcome all my friends to tonight's festivities. It is such a pleasure to see all of you again, both the old familiar faces and a few new members. This Halloween I hope you all have a wonderful time, and no eating the rabbits this time, unless they ask for it!" she said with a slight wink. That brought a laugh across the crowd, attention quickly turning to a couple in the corner.

She continued to speak. "At this moment I would like all of the new members to make themselves known to us. Please step forward and raise your hands."

Ballad felt a blush cross over his face as he slowly lifted his hand, watching five others rise up around the room.

"Now, I am sure every one of you remember your first visit to my club. So please, go easy on our new members, at least until they are comfortable with the entertainment."

That sounded ominous to his ears, like something out of a low rent horror film. He turned to say as much to Jo, but she quickly shushed him before he could say anything and motioning for him to keep listening.

Redclaw spread her arms out, like she was embarrassing the whole club. "Our dinners will here soon, so now we should all claim our masks," she made a grand gesture towards the covered tables on the side of the room. As she did the cover fluttered and slid backwards to reveal a number of well crafted masks lining the length of them.

"I thought this wasn't a costume party," he said, taking anther drink of his beer.

Jo smiled. "Oh, these aren't costumes," she said still holding him arm and pulling him across the room. "Let's go find ours," she added as they joined in the crowd as they all moved to the tables. There was quite the menagerie of masks: horses, rabbits, some sort of eagle and even some that looked like they might have been foxes. At one end of the table was a massive red dragon head that stood in vigil over the others.

He watched this all, feeling more than a little bit confused about the whole situation. Most of the club members seemed to be picking out masks without any thought, like they already knew which one they should have.

"There's mine, and I bet that one is yours," she said and pulled him towards the end of the table. There were a pair of fox-like masks sitting side by side, they both had at oriental look to them, but he couldn't say why that was. One with the more traditional orange and black coloring, with a thin muzzle and a streak of white running up the nose. The other one was primarily white with blue highlights all around. Unlike the other mask this one had its lips pulled back to show a number of large teeth and a rather impressive set of fangs. It looked like it was staring directly into him, making him shiver slightly.

In front of the blue mask was a hand written card with his name on it.

"See, it matches your hair," she said, picking up the orange mask and holding it gently in her hands.

Ballad licked his lips as he looked down at the mask, slowly reaching out to pick it up. He almost expected to feel a shock as he touched it, but there was nothing of the sort. It just felt warm, the molded plastic flexing easily in his hands as the thick hair running down the back swayed slightly.

He looked around, almost everyone had picked their masks but no one was wearing them yet. Madam Redclaw had taken up the dragon mask, no surprise as it was the same shade of red as her dress. Oddly it seemed to be affecting her composure as she kept looking down at it and fidgeting from foot to foot. In fact there was a strange feeling filling the large room, it reminded him of the feeling of an oncoming thunderstorm.

Turning the mask around he looked inside of it. There wasn't anything special about it, only the negative of the front in the same uniform white plastic. It looked odd without the blue highlights but it wasn't out of the ordinary.

Jo gave him a smile as her fidgeting grew even stronger. She had started to bounce on the balls of her feet, holding the mask in her hands ready to put in on.

"Why are you waiting?" he asked her.

"You'll see," she whispered back.

He looked back at his mask, lifting it up until it was level with his face. He looked into the cut out eye holes, each one marked with... he guessed it was eye shadow, giving the fox head the look of having blue eyebrows. It seemed almost lifelike yet at the same time wasn't, in fact there was something just odd about it. Maybe it was the way the empty eyes seemed to be looking at him, or the almost sneer on the wide muzzle. It was like the mask was about to lick its chops, no matter how impossible that was. It gave him a chill.

Madam Redclaw spoke again, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. "My friends, the time has come for us all. You may dawn your true faces," she said, then lifting up the large dragon mask she pulled it down over her head. Much the rest of the club following suit a moment later as the thunderstorm finally arrived.

The whole roomed seemed to vibrate in a strange fashion, the air itself wavering against the walls. A long sigh seemed to escape everyone who had put on their masks and joined in the strange feeling, making it even stronger.

Ballad looked around the room, his own mask still held in his hands. There was a pause as the air grew still around them before there was a blast of air from the ceiling, pushing down against everyone and bringing in a number of strange scents.

When he turned his attention back to Redclaw he let out his own gasp, she was bigger. Not like she had gotten fatter but larger in every respect, growing taller even as he watched her dress pulling tight across her body. Even as she was growing her mask was growing even faster, stretching out by the moment as the plastic look starting to take on the dull shine of real scales.

"You should put yours on," Jo said from his side, her voice taking on a rumble from the mask. He turned to look at her. The mask looked natural on her head, pulling around the shape of her face and neck. She even had her glasses resting on the bridge of the mask's nose.

"Why?" he asked, the words croaking out as he spoke.

She smiled, the corners of her muzzle pulling up and showing off the small yet sharp teeth. "Because it's what the club is all about."

Ballad stared at her, watching her mouth move as she spoke. The way the lips flexed against the teeth and her eyes wrinkled as she smiled. There was no sign of skin around the eye holes, in fact there was no sign of any hole. Nor could he see where the mask ended and her neck began as fur was growing over the skin.

He snapped his head around to look at Redclaw, his eyes almost bulging out. She had grown ever larger, her dress having grown with her to fit her larger body. Not that it mattered as much of her skin was covered in dark red scales. She had fallen down to all fours, her long neck stretching out as she looked over the crowed. He could see fur and feathers appearing on everyone in the club. Even as he watched a women in a horse mask arched her back as wings started to grow from her shoulders.

Jo reached up and gently took his chin in her face, black fur growing over her fingers as her nails becoming short cut claws. She turned his head to look at her, a smile on her muzzle. "It's your turn," she said, her other hand grabbing his wrist and gently lifting his mask up. "Claim your true face."

HIs eyes flicked down to the mask for a second then back up to her face. A quick scan of the room told him that he was the only one still human. He glanced back at Jo then lifted up the mask, taking in a deep breath as he pulled it over his head. A jolt of power ran through him as it settled around his face, making him gasp out and take a step back. In a moment he felt it pull tight around his face, pulling tight against the skin.

With shaking hands he reached up and touched the side of the mask, feeling the plastic growing softer under his fingers as fur started to grow. A few moments later he could feel his hand against his face, but it wasn't his face was it? It was a muzzle and he could feel the warmth of it. Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth, the large jaws parting as the air ran over his tongue. "Wow," he managed to say, the feeling of the words odd in his new mouth.

There were so many feelings running through his body as the feeling of the changes starting running down his neck, his skin starting to prickle as fur began to grow, rushing down his chest and pushing out against his shirt. He found himself flicking his ears as he reached back to run his fingers through the thick hair that hung down over his back, feeling it tug at his scalp.

The changes kept going, filling it over his chest and down his arm. He lifted his hands up as the changed reached them, covering them with blue and white fur. The blue fur had taken on a swirling pattern across the back of his palms with thin lines running down his fingers to the small black claws that tipped each one. Turning them over he saw black pads on across the palms, flexing as he wiggled his fingers.

Of all the feelings running through his body, the one he hadn't expected was just how good the change felt. The fur kept growing down his chest and over his belly, tickling against his shirt and bringing a chuckle to his lips. It was deeper than before, rumbling from low in his chest.

He stretched out his new arms and arched his back, feeling the fur running down it. At the same time he started to feel a growing pressure right over his tailbone. Reaching down he ran his fingers over where the pressure was, feeling something growing out and against the hem of his pants.

Ballad was about to say something when the back of his pants opened up. They didn't tear apart, instead the fabric seemed to flow against his fingers. It reshaped itself, along with his boxers, to allow the growth out of his pants.

As soon as it was free it seemed to burst outwards, fur rushing out under his hand and along his arm as he felt his body expand it the most unexpected way. It pushed his hand back even as he felt something firm in the soft fur. Twisting his head around he looked behind himself and while the angle didn't allow him to see the small of his back it did let him see the five tails swaying behind him. The fur was primarily white with streaking of blue spiraling up from the base to the tip. The pattern was different for each tail, almost like they were spelling something in a language he didn't understand.

Without more than a thought he flicked one of his tails to his side and grabbed it in his hands, running his fingers through the thick fur. It was softer then he had ever expected it to be, and warm against his fingers.

The changes hadn't ended with the tails, the fur was still growing down his legs even as he felt the muscles and bones starting to reshape. Letting the tail go he looked down at his legs even as he found himself stepping out of his shoes. The reason was easy to see as his feet were stretching out while at the same time getting thinner. The dress socks shifted around his feet, the toes opening up to reveal his new paws, the fabric rolling upwards a few inches. The tops of the socks here growing as well, following the growing shape of his feet. The material itself didn't even look like socks anymore, but something softer.

He shifted from foot to foot, finding himself standing on his toes. It felt perfectly natural to him, his swaying tales keeping his balance. The feeling of the change started to fade as he took in a deep breath, catching a familiar yet unfamiliar smell.

Turning he looked to Jo, finding an attractive vixen standing in her place. She was watching him with her hands on her hips and her own trio of tails swaying behind her back. Her legs were the same as his though her outfit had changed completely, she was now in a long silky dress that was just a shade or two darker then her fur. He gave her a smile and took in another deep breath, taking in what had to be her scent.

His head spun for a moment as he felt the changes come again, this time washing over his mind instead of his body. He closed his eyes and pressed his right hand against his temple as the power grew stronger, pressing into his mind and... not changing it but unlocking parts of it he had never known before. He could feel his mind expanding as his new yet familiar memories came to him. So many memories, more then he could sort through at the moment yet one stood out like a beacon in the night.

Opening his eyes he looked at Jo and smiled. "Misuto," he said, almost whispering was her true name. The name that had been locked away so long ago as she lived a mortal life.

"Fukitsu, I'm so glad you've returned," she said, falling into his arms as they shared a tight embrace. He couldn't remember when he had last seen his fellow kitsune, but he knew that it had been far too long.

Taking in the familiar scent of his sometimes lover he pulled away and smiled, his large teeth appearing under his lips. "I'm glad to see you as well," he said, his tails flicking slowly from side to side as he rocked with joy on his feet.

The moment couldn't last however as the deep sound of someone clearing their throat filled the massive room. Everyone, kitsune, gryphons, unicorns, mintaurs, pegauses, nagas and even a medusa turned to look at the massive red dragon that towered over the room. She looked down at all of them with a smile that showed far too many teeth on a jaw that could snap up any one of them in a single bite. She was still wearing the red dress but it had been recut for her large quadruped form, hanging gracefully around her body.

"My friends, it is so good to see you all again," Redclaw said, her voice still feminine yet with deep base note that rumbled through the floor. "And now that we are all properly attired, this party shall begin in earnest!" A loud cheer echoed through the crowed and a moment later music started to play, not the low key background music but something that you could actually dance to.

"How often are these parties?" Fukitsu asked.

"Every other month and some holidays."

The blue kitsune nodded to himself, making a note to free up time so he could attend more of them. With he reached out and offered a hand to the vixen. "Would you care to dance?"

Misuto smiled and took his hand in hers. "After two hundred years, you better believe it!" she said, then pulled him close to her. They moved out onto the dance floor, tails swaying to the music, enjoying the night while it was still young.

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This story was written and copyright 2014 by Theo Winters, reposting and archiving are allowed as long as this copyright notice and the author's name are not removed. This story cannot be published without permission of the author. Violators will be introduced to an angry dragoness.