The final day of the festival was fairly anticlimactic after the proceeding events. The little hate group tried to show up again while the band and I were singing on the last day. They were promptly run off by a ticked off group of dancers who did not enjoyed having their festivities interrupted by loud, drunken shouting. You should really know that you don't interrupt the band, even one with a human singer, when the dance floor is full. Even I know better than that and I'm just a silly male. Towards the end of the day the band and I were fairly exhausted. We didn't sing ALL day, there were other bands, but we were requested in several pavilions by other groups. There was even an impromptu 'band off'. I know that doesn't even sound like a thing really, but 4 of the roving band groups all got together, to include our group, and we had a bit of a 'Oh you can do that? Well can you do this?' kind of thing. If anyone knows music people, you'll understand. We had garnered quite a crowd towards the end and a couple of drum offs and battling guitars solos, the four bands conversed and decided on one final large end all song for the end of the day. After going through several ideas and making the decision, all four bands took a place on stage and hooked in their gear. There were a couple of sound checks and then the quiet murmurs of the crowd were broken by a guitar. The lead singer of the all-female band "Fem Finale", a coal grey feline morph named Hazel and I leaned against each other with a grin to the crowd and pulled out something very old and yet with a modern twist.

Hazel: In sleep he sang to me

In dreams he came

That voice which calls to me

And speaks my name

And do I dream again

For now I find

The Phantom of the opera is there

Inside my mind

Max: Sing once again with me

Our strange duet

My power over you

Grows stronger yet

And though you turn from me

To glance behind

The Phantom of the opera is there

Inside your mind

Hazel: Those who have seen your face

Draw back in fear

I am the mask you wear

Max: It's me they hear

Together: My/your spirit and your/my voice

In one combined

The phantom of the opera is there

Inside your/my mind

He's there the Phantom of the opera

Beware the Phantom of the opera

Max: In all your fantasies

You always knew

That man and mystery

Hazel: Were both in you

Together: And in this labyrinth

Where night is blind

The phantom of the opera is there

Inside your/my mind

Sing my angel of music

("Phantom of the Opera" By: Nightwish)

When the final echo of the song faded, the crowd erupted in cheers and whistles and four very tired bands bowed to the crowd and even the non-empathic ones in the group could feel everyone's happiness. All in all, it was one heck of a night. All of us found an open area and managed to liberate a few stout libations. There was much toasting and joking and just good old fun had by all involved. It was a very large group actually when you count family and friends and mates of everyone there. We probably could have started our own colony on another planet with this many people. I met so many different morphs and not a single one treated me any differently than they would anyone else. It was kinda nice to forget for a while that I was the only human around. We were all just music lovers and family and loved ones; there were no outsiders here tonight. I THINK I made a lot of friends that night. I can't honestly recall most of it; I may have had a tad too much to drink. I vaguely remember being carried in the house by Swytch, I think... I didn't realize how strong skunktaurs were, and I'm sure our workouts together didn't hurt any either.

I woke up with someone's paw in my nose and someone else's hand on my crotch and fur everywhere. It seems the whole family crashed in the communal room. I managed to dislodge myself from Swytch and Jackie and Riot who seemed to have managed to tangle hir tail around my right elbow. I checked my chrono and noted that we still had several hours before Swytch and I needed to be at the transporter pad to get back to the ARCS station so I busied myself in the kitchen making coffee. While it was brewing I showered and changed clothes into my usual minus the boots. I felt like going barefoot for a bit. No reason to clunk around the house while everyone else was sleeping. I slipped on an old t-shirt, grabbed my coffee mug, and as had become my habit, went to greet the rising sun on the porch. I queued up a piece of music in my mind and started to hum as I sipped coffee, then I started to sing in another language. Now I don't actually know the other language, but I had memorized the words.

Sharona re michina, charera no'ha

Latenta no mevina, sanela santo tere

Ano teri nara, shento mea'aha me'eari

Ste namari, shelete narata noshari

Sa nate, te narato

Shatyoha re mevina, chareya no'ha

Latenta no mevina, sanela santo tere

Ano tere nara, shento mea'aha teriardi

Ste namari, shelete narata toshchari

Sa nate, te narato

("Son and Moon" By: Two Steps From Hell)

By the time I was finished, Swytch and Jackie were on the porch with their own cups of coffee listening. Swytch had an advantage, hy could hear the actual music in my head, Jackie could only hear the words.

"What language is that?" Jackie said.

"I don't actually know; I just memorized the words from years of listening to them. I probably should have at least looked them up, but it never seemed important. Just the feelings behind them really gets me down deep inside, you know?" I tried to explain.

Then Jackie started to sing the same song, she sang it much better than I did.

Max looked thoughtful for a moment. "That was beautiful Jackie, you do it more justice than I do."

Jackie smiled, "No charge, you more than paid for it last night," she winked.

Max just shook his head. "Why in the world are you hanging around a human, Jackie? I wouldn't think you'd have problems finding a nice buck and starting a family. I mean Swytch is stuck with me," Max said fondly while Swytch stuck hys tongue out at him. "But why me?" Max asked genuinely curious.

Jackie looked thoughtful for a moment or two. "When a person sings, they kind of bare their heart and soul. Some people sing for fame, some for fortune, but you sing because the music seems to lift you up to a higher place. You don't just sing the music, you ARE the music, while you're singing it."

Swytch pointed to Jackie and nodded. "What she said. When you sing to me at work, I can actually hear the music in your head and it's almost like being in a concert meant only for me. You wrap me in the music and not only can I hear it, I can feel it as well. That ability comes from a true love of music, I think."

Jackie nodded in agreement with Swytch's words. "Exactly. I've always loved music, but when you sing it, I can almost feel it too and I'm not even empathic. I knew anyone who felt that way about music was the kind of person I wanted to be with. Even if it's only as a friend and sometime lover," she said looking down at her coffee mug.

That's when I got a mental slap in the back of the head from Swytch, 'Ask her you idiot.'

I blinked, 'Ask her what?'

'Oh, for the Maker's sake Max, LOOK at her. Feel her! She is putting herself out there hoping for more than just friends from you. I forget how new all of this is to you, but still, she wants more than friendship with you, and me. If you're not sure about it though, ask her if she'll be our companion, see how she fits in with us. She has feelings for you Max and if you have any in return now is the time to make them heard,' Swytch sent with mental exasperation.

Max blinked and then LOOKED at Jackie who was still staring down at her coffee mug and then opened himself to feel her. He blinked again. There was hope there and a yearning and a touch of sadness of a hope slowing dying. "Jackie... Ummm..." Max sighed and tried again. "I'm new at all of this. I'm literally being taught how to love and accept love by a nosy skunktaur who has ulterior motives, so if I miss social queues at times, I apologize. Jacqueline Lapigne, would you do us the honor of being our Companion... ACK!"

Max found himself on the floor of the deck with Jackie hugging him tight and Swytch laughing hys fuzzy butt off. Somehow hy had managed to catch Max's mug before it hit the floor.

"So I'm guessing that's a yes?" Max asked with a chuckle.

Jackie lifted her head and then proceeded to give Max a very long and very firm kiss. When she finished Max caught his breath and asked, "You still haven't answered my question." He grinned impishly at her eye roll.

Jackie laughed, "Silly human, DUH!" With that she got off Max and went over to Swytch giving hym a big hug and kiss as well. Hearing a laugh, Max looked up from the ground and saw Riot with a cup of coffee looking down at him.

"Finally asked her, did you?" shi grinned

Max snorted. "Jokes on you! You have to find a bigger house!" and with that Max pulled his PADD out of his back pocket and thumbed it open and handed it to Riot. "I meant to give you this earlier, but certain people decided I needed to socialize more."

Riot took the PADD and read the screen then blinked and looked down at Max. "What the heck? Where did all of this come from Max?"

"Oh, inheritance, the Star Corps, as well as my other jobs. I never really spent anything other than on food, music, and books. Come to think of it, this is the closest I've come to a vacation in ten years, I think," Max said thoughtfully

"Max, there is enough here to buy your own house," Riot said.

"Then if you add yours and Jynxy's money, we should be able to find a nice piece of land someplace with a big enough house for everyone, don't you think? It's not like I'm rich, I just never spent any money, it tends to build up if you get paid well and then never use it. Why not use it on something worthwhile?"

Swytch looked curiously over hys sire's arm and blinked and then looked at Max who was still lying on the porch. "Dang Max, are you sure? That's a sizable chunk of creds. You could do a lot with that much."

Max looked up at his mate. "There are only two things that matter now; you and our child. Plus... I've never had a real home before, so why not make it count now that I have a reason to have one?" Max sat up and got to his knees to stand but was quickly engulfed in warm, white fur as Swytch hugged him tightly.

"We should start getting ready hon, we have to be at the transporter pad in a few hours to get back to work," Max murmured as he hugged hym back.

Swytch released the hug and nodded. "I'm sure we have plenty of time, but it's definitely better to play it safe." Then hy trotted back inside.

Riot gave me a lift up with hir tail and then a nice hug and a nuzzle. "You better get yourself and Swytch back here in time for this one's birthing," shi said as she rubbed hir swollen belly.

For some reason Max was feeling impish and gave a very formal bow to Riot. "As Shir wishes, so Shir shall receive," he said grinning, to which Riot just rolled hir eyes, grinned and waddled back inside.

Max managed to recover his coffee mug and it still had coffee in it so he took a sip and sat on the railing on the porch. Jackie hopped up beside him and leaned against him. "Thank you, I was beginning to wonder if you were interested or not. I think I would have been quite sad if you had left without asking."

Max took one of her hands and held it in his. "This is all still so new to me, I'm still learning what it means to live and love really. I was a loner even by human standards before I came here. So there is a bit of a learning curve and I apologize if I worried you. I'm also sorry that we both have to run off so quickly after meeting. We still have several weeks left on our contract. But we will be back for Jynxy and Riot's birthing ceremony; for a week actually. Swytch and I haven't taken any of our normal leave yet so we could come to it. So, you won't be without us for too long. If you really get bored, you could always help Riot and Jynxy house hunt. If you want, it will be your house too unless you prefer to keep your own space. I figure being our Companion will give you a chance to test the waters to see if you want anything further."

Jackie nodded as she listened, "I understand and we did kind of rush into all of this, so I will definitely work on getting to know both of you to see if there is a possibility of more. I do know that no matter what, I would like to be a part of yours and Swytch's lives. You two are almost like one person sometimes."

Max snorted at that comment but said, "We may be like one person, but we both have more than enough room in our hearts for you if you want to be there."

Jackie sighed happily, "I'd like that very much."

"Oh, you do know that Swytch is pregnant, right?" Max asked curiously.

Jackie nodded, "Yes, hy told me. Hy didn't explain HOW exactly, just that it was a welcome miracle."

Max nodded, "There are other outlying factors but I'd prefer to wait to share, if that's OK? There are a few things in my past I'd prefer to keep secret until we get to know each other better, if that's OK?"

Jackie patted the back of Max's hand with her other one. "I understand, and while I don't plan on going anywhere, I'll be patient until you want to share. We have nothing but time. Oh, you do plan on staying with the band, don't you?" she asked.

"I honestly hadn't thought about it," Max replied thoughtfully. "I just figured it was a one time happy thing and you'd guys go back to your regular band standards instead of having the token human along," he grinned.

Jackie punched him in the shoulder. "We actually all talked about it last night while you were a bit out of it. It was a unanimous vote actually. We'd all rather have our 'token human' stick around. If for no other reason, you have a habit of making the females swoon when you sing," she giggled. "Even Hotlicks said shi might follow you around like a puppy and shi favors hir male side."

Max groaned. "Am I going to have to make everyone in the band Companions??" he asked plaintively.

Jackie giggled again, "Nah, I think you're fairly safe. Most everyone has a significant other or two. Although Rose said if you croon Frank Sinatra again she might drag you to a dark room someplace."

Max pinched the bridge of his nose and grinned, "Well at least my life isn't boring here on Chakona."

It wasn't too much longer before Max and Swytch were heading to the transporter pad with friends and family in tow. There were many hugs and nuzzles and kisses passed around and a very bemused human and a happy skunktaur stepped onto the transporter pad, and with a whir of energy, were back to work.

The next several weeks passed like they normally would. Breakfast, gym workout, work, lunch, work, dinner and nights snuggled together making love or just holding each other tight. Life was fairly good.

The only addition was Trypp started showing up twice a week to give Max lessons in controlling his new abilities. He even brought a Blackpaw named Kylee along to assess Max as an anchor.

"OK, Max, what I want you to do is to close your eyes and relax," Kylee said.

Max nodded and sat back on the couch with his eyes closed and tried to quiet his mind as he'd been taught. Eventually everything settled into place and calmness overcame him.

"Very good, Max," Trypp said monitoring the proceedings.

"OK, now, I want you to picture the core of your mind; that bright shiny place that is your center. Now, picture a tether coming off your core, something someone can touch and hold onto," murmured Kylee.

Max did as he was asked and pictured his core, that bright opalescent place that was the core of Swytch and him. He then pictured a tether of light floating on the warm breeze he imaged came off that core. He then felt someone gently take hold of that tether and he could now 'feel' Kylee as another presence there in his mind. Not as a part of it, but more like the shaking of hands rather than a tight hug.

Kylee grunted slightly as hy took the tether and linked hymself to it. Max definitely had a bit of a pull to him. Then Kylee astral projected hymself from hys body and stood in the room astrally. Hy looked around and nodded, he could still see the link from Max as a bright line to an even brighter core. Hy kept a firm link with his own body and started to let his astral form drift further and further away checking the range of the tether. He went as far as he could without breaking the link to his own body and Max's link was still as bright and as strong as when he had first grasped it. Technically, hy could use the link to tie his astral form to his body to go further distances, but Max was untrained and it would be too risky to do so without extensive training but if his link was this strong, this far away, he would make an astounding anchor. Although it would take a very stable environment and someone with more experience to actually test the limit of his ability but it wasn't going to be hym! Kylee concentrated on the link and sent, "OK, Max, now I want you to concentrate on 'reeling' me back to you, just like you would if something happened and my astral self got separated from my body, concentrate on bringing me home."

Max pictured what he imagined fishing might be like and 'reeled' Kylee in.

Before Kylee could really prep hymself for being pulled back, with a dizzying blur, hy was back in the ARCS station. Hy wobbled a bit blinking and then re-entered hys own body and quickly sat down with a groan.

Max opened his eyes and looked worriedly at Kylee. "Did I do something wrong?"

Kylee shook hys head and took a deep breath, "No... Not at all... You just pulled a lot harder and faster than I was ready for, made me slightly dizzy. With some testing and some intensive training, I'd like to at least recommend you as an emergency anchor to the higher ups."

"What's an emergency anchor?" Max asked curiously.

"Well, sometimes when a Blackpaw is astral walking, something could happen to break the connection to hys body although it rarely happens. You would be an emergency life raft, so to speak. Your mental core is quite bright and easy to see, they would then use you as a point of reference for getting back to their body. Worst case scenario, they could find you and you could take them back to their body. As a last idea, I'd like to add your mental signature to the 'last resort' anchor list. Those are the ones that aren't trained yet, or don't plan on being trained but have agreed to be a last-ditch resort in case of extreme emergencies. At least until you decide if you want to be trained," Kylee explained.