Eve sits on the throne, dressed up like "Magic Fairy Princess Eve", or whatever it is she's supposed to be, holding a heart-tipped wand in one paw, and petting a fuff'nar in her lap with the other – when she's not stuffing treats into the plump creature's mouth.

Standing at opposite ends of the stage/arena are two combatants. One is a heavily-muscled human with a pronounced chin, pale complexion and dark hair, dressed in attire befitting a Sylvanian count, complete with a black cape with red velvet lining. Opposite him is Gnarr, Eve's Titanian butler, crammed into an ill-fitting butler's attire.

The audience looks as if they're here for an opera, really, complete with spy-glasses to watch from the balconies. A particularly large balcony overlooking the stage is currently occupied by a rather mixed group. To one side sit two vampish-looking human women. To the other is a large Titanian female dressed up like a maid, and three Titanian pups sit next to her, bouncing up and down and cheering for "Daddy".

And then, there's also a chair for a black Khatta up there, too.

Jynx takes a look around the once opera house, and shakes his head. "An arena? She's bonkers," he mutters to himself, taking in a good look at the crowd. He then looks to the combatants. Gnarr's a tough puppy, but Vlad's a downright mean fighter. This fight could go either way.

The three Titanian pups hop up and down. "Go Daddy go!" "RAWR!" "WHEEE!"

The Titanian maid shushes them. "Quiet, or I bonk you head."

A gong rings down below. Eve stands up imperiously … imperiously, that is, except that she's smiling that sickeningly-sweet cute smile of hers. "Let the contest begin!" As she sweeps her wand, a musician in the band pit plays the xylophone, and someone sprinkles coolect glitter over the stage for sparkly magical special effects.

"You mash 'im!" "RAWR!" "WHEEEE!" bark the Titanian pups.

The Titanian maid calmly digs through her large purse, and pulls out a wooden mallet. BONK. BONK. BONK. As the pups stagger about, she puts the mallet back in her purse, then returns to watching the contest, folding her hands demurely.

The black Khatta smacks himself in the head with the palm of his paw at the sight. "For Dagh's sake, just fight! Hey, when did Gnarr get kids?"

The eldest of the cubs (not by much), recovers, while his two younger brothers appear to be just hamming it up, sticking their tongues out, crossing their eyes and staggering around as if rendered senseless. "I'm Oops!" the Titanian cub proclaims, proudly tapping his thumb to his chest.

Oops points at the two other cubs. "That one's Uh-oh … and little baby Shaddap."

"Umm, interesting names. Glad to meet you," replies Jynx. He turns back to watch the fight, still somewhat wondering what this tournament business is all about.

The two opponents circle around on the stage, as if sizing each other up. No punches have been thrown yet. Eve just bounces her legs in her throne, elevated high enough that her feet aren't even close to touching the floor.

Oops tugs on Jynx's sleeve. "I know a better place to watch! I built it myself! You wanna see?"

The black Khatta tears his gaze from the bout, and looks down at the pup. "How about later? I'm trying to watch!" He tries to hide the irritation in his voice so as not to sound mean.

Oops barks, "But it's the best view in the house!"

On the stage, the Titanian throws a heavy punch that could probably knock through a wall … but it's slow, and Vlad easily ducks it. Vlad follows up by delivering a punch to the Titanian's stomach … but it has no noticeable effect. Both combatants seem surprised and impressed with each other.

Jynx sighs, and holds out his paw to the pup. "Okay, but real quickly. I don't want to miss the action!" He keeps his eyes set on the ring, letting the lupine lead him.

Oops looks to be quite happy now, as his tail wags quickly enough that one might expect it to create a breeze. He is amazingly strong for his size, and tugs Jynx along, out of the balcony, and leads him to a side-passage. "Not far!" he barks.

"Hey – oof!" The black Khatta is taken off guard as he is tugged along by the youngster. "Not so rough! Now hurry, we're missing the fight!" He peers around, trying to see the spot Oops is leading him to.

It's another balcony, it turns out, though one that is in need of a little more refurbishing than the rest, and, actually, is a bit out of the way. The view doesn't look all that great from here. However, there's a very interesting – nay, just plain weird – chair that has been erected here. It's an amalgam of chitin, wood and iron that would have been impossible to afford building before the days of the "iron flood". "Here!" barks the Titanian, pointing at the chair. "You just sit up on this, and … " He digs around, and pulls out a set of spy-glasses. "Here!"

Quickly, Jynx walks over to the chair and sits down, taking the spyglass from the cub and placing it to his eyes. "I hope I didn't miss any of the good stuff!" He peers downwards, not giving the old balcony much thought as he tries to regain a view of the battle.

The cub digs around some more and produces what looks like a helmet. "Here!" he says, thrusting the helmet into Jynx's paws.

The Khatta gives a bit of a startle as he is roughly handed the helmet. "Huh? What's this for? I'm not the one fighting!"

Instead of answering, the cub flashes a sign to … another balcony across the room. One of his brother cubs waves back. Funny. It looks like there's another chair contraption over there. Before Jynx has a chance to get a good look, though, Oops pulls a big lever. Jynx goes airborne!

"Aiiiiiieeee!!" protests Jynx as he is flung through the air! Quickly and clumsily, he scrabbles to put the helmet on, and bristles as he tries to see where he is going to land!

It looks like Jynx is headed for the other chair. The other cub cranks on something, and the chair spreads out, stretching out a heavy tarp that looks vaguely like a trampoline. Meanwhile, as Jynx sails past, he catches just a glimpse of the two fighters going at it. Gnarr is dusting off Vlad's sleeve. "So sorry I smash you so hard." "Oh, tink noting of it!" *SMACK* *THUD* *WHOMP* *SMASH*

Only momentarily does the Khatta bother to watch the fight, more concerned with his own skin at the moment. Being feline, he tries his best to orient himself for a landing that hurts the least. His tail trashes wildly, trailing behind him.

Incoming… and then the cat impacts with the tarp … it stretches … then it rebounds … and something gives Jynx an extra push, sending him flying back the other way across the stage!

Below, Vlad bows to Gnarr. "A very goot blow!" "Ah, you so kind! Watch this!" *POW* "Ah, but you coult do much better vit your strengt if you do like so." *WHOMP* "Oh! That very good!"

Jynx hisses as he rebounds, now visibly irritated as he sails back towards the old balcony! Words come out in a garbled feline mish-mash that sounds a lot like cursing, and something about thick headed dog-types!

Oops waves cheerily at the incoming feline. "Fun, huh? GREAT VIEW!" And then it's another impact with another "trampoline-catapult", and Jynx is going back the other way!

Vlad staggers a bit. "Ah. You are qvite strong, you know tat? But … " *THUD* *POW* *SOCK* *WHAM* *SMACK*

The cat claws wildly as he sails through the air! "Let me DOWN NOW!!" he hisses loudly. As he nears the other tarp, he readies himself to take a grab at it, and sink his claws in to stop his little "trip".

Oops barks, "Uh oh!" Across the room, the other cub barks, "What?!" Jynx almost manages to get a good grip on the tarp … but he is still thrown free. However, the arc of his path is noticeably lower. It doesn't look like he's going to make it over to the other chair…

Vlad and Gnarr are both staggering about, looking quite wobbly. "I tink it is your turn next." "No, no, Gnarr insist! You next!" "Oh, please, you shoult go next." "Aw, no, no, Gnarr say your turn next!"

If possible, Jynx bristles even more! Out come his claws one more time, and he makes an attempt to claw into the side of the wall. "Please don't let me hit hard, please don't let me hit hard, please don't let… "

*CRASH*

Jynx smashes through the wall!

Fortunately, it's not brick. It's not wood, either. It's drywall. It must be part of the renovations…

Jynx crashes into what looks like some sort of dressing room, and smashes into a wardrobe. Several screams echo from about him, and he can't see a thing, being suddenly buried in cloth and broken wood.

"OOF!" suggests the cat as he sails through the barrier. The feline just lies there for several minutes, dazed and confused as the tries to catch his breath and his bearings. Why is everything black? "Oh no, I've gone blind!!"

At least he's not deaf. "EEK!" "EEEEEE!" "Peeping tom-Khatta!"

Jynx finally realizes what's wrong with him, and stands up, trying to pull the debris from on top of him. "No! I-I'm not, honestly!" He stumbles about, trying to free himself from the various clothing articles.

Jynx somehow has ended up in an odd combination of ballerina tutu, jester hat, one pink Lapi slipper, a pair of fake fairy wings (upside down), and one boot.

The other occupants of the room, meanwhile, have retreated behind folding screens. Only a few puffed out tails hint at the assorted species – Golden vixen, Khatta, Jupani – present.

Blinking at the weird combination, the Khatta plops to the floor and starts to try and remove the various articles. "Uh… uh… I'll be gone in a minute, ladies! Promise! Dagh, those rabbits have big feet!" He struggles with the costume implements.

It takes a bit of struggling … and just then, a white kitten pops in the door. "JYNX! Jynx, are you all – " Her eyes go wide at the sight of her big brother's present attire.

Jynx looks up at his sister, his heart sinking. "I'm fine, just help me get these things off!" he hisses, tossing off the hat and struggling with the slipper.

Eve covers her mouth, going into a giggling fit … then rushes over to help her brother extract himself from the costume pieces.

"Grab that boot and pull," Jynx instructs his sister, "and help me get out of this tutu! Why do you have all this stuff anyways?"

Eve mews, "It's in case I need them!" At last, Jynx looks a bit more presentable. Through the hole in the wall, golden light shines into the dressing room.

Eve bounces. "Oh! Oh! Something's happening!" She rushes over to the hole to peer outside.

Jynx tosses off the fairy wings, and trips his way over to the hole. "What? What is it?! Did someone win?"

On the stage, both Vlad and Gnarr are lying down, quite unconscious. A ghostly, disembodied, golden snake's head hovers over the stage. "… are both declared out of the competition. Double elimination." And then the image fades away.

Eve's lower lip trembles. She has that "I'm about to bawl my head off" look in her eyes. She looks sadly at Jynx. "He … he … "

The Khatta does a double take. "What the… They knocked each other out?" He stares in amazement. "You have got to be kidding me!" He looks down at Eve and offers her a paw. "Don't cry, I'm sure they're fine, just exhausted. Let's go check them out."

Eve's eyes let loose with tears like floodgates burst open, as she buries her face in Jynx's chest. "WAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Jynx sighs, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, and picks the kitten up. "Now c'mon, you don't need to do that, you're a duchess after all." He walks out of the dressing room and makes his way back to the stage, carrying the sobbing furball sibling. "You should be happy. Gnarr could have been killed in this nutty tournament."

As Jynx gets back to the stage, Gnarr and Vlad stir. The Titanian maid tries bonking Gnarr on the head to wake him up, while the two vampish ladies hold smelling salts under Vlad's nose and try waving fans at him.

Putting his sister back down on the floor, Jynx grins at the two combatants. "Well well well, looks like this is the end of the road for both of you!" He crosses his arms, and lets his tail twitch.

Eve bawls again! "Gnarr was gonna WINNNNN!"

The audience applauds. "Encore! Encore!" cries out a poodle.

"Such passion!" a collie dressed in black says, nodding to a fellow. "The flying Khatta was fabulous. Such powerful symbolism!"

"Not this time he didn't," replies Jynx as he makes his way over to the Titanian. "Hey big guy, how ya feeling?" At the sound of the poodle, he looks back at the crowd, trying to find the poodle so he can glare at it.

Alas, there are plenty of poodles to pick from. The crowd seems to be filing out now, since it's obvious that the show is over.

Gnarr grunts, his eyes wobbling around. "Duh … Gnarr win?"

Since he can't glare at one, the Khatta glares at them all. "'Fraid not, shaggy," he says as he turns back to the wolf. "You both got disqualified."

Gnarr whines. Vlad just moans.

Oops, Uh-Oh and Shaddap trundle onto the stage. "That was FUN, huh? You did GREAT!" Oops gives Jynx the thumbs-up sign.

Jynx scowls at the wolf pups. "Oh yeah, you need to have a little talk with your kids about flinging others." He offers to help the Titanian up, and looks over his shoulder at the Count. "Looks like you gave Vlad a good smacking though."

Gnarr stumbles to his feet, while the maid – Basheba – berates him. "You loser! You goof up big time! Bah! You big dumb stupid-head!"

Eve wipes her eyes. "Oh well … at least … at least we're all home back in Rephidim again. Nice and happy!" She tries to smile.

Jynx shakes his head, and starts to make his way off stage. "If this is 'nice and happy', then I'd hate to see what 'mean and angry' looks like." He makes it a few feet, and then trips over something, falling flat. "Oof!" He looks down to his feet and sees … a Lapi slipper? How did that get there?