The fox hunt

Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction.  It depicts scenes of muscle, muscle worship, and feats of strength.  There are also suggestive elements of homosexuality.  There are no explicit sexual acts. If, after knowing all this, you still feel like you want to read this work of fiction, please enjoy.  Constructive suggestions and feedback are welcome.
Demian J. Darkfox is copyright to his player Tobias Richter
Chester Equus  and all other characters are copyright to me

The Fox Hunt
A growing crowd of spectators huddled nearby.  At the centre of attention was a young, well-built arctic fox.  He was pumping out reps of biceps curls.  The onlookers all stood with the same expression on their muzzles.  They were plainly awe-struck by the detail and size of this young foxes' muscles.  The confident bodybuilder looked up at the crowd after he set down the dumbbell.  He surveyed their expressions and grinned back warmly.  One face in particular caught his attention.  It was a horse.  The stallion stood more than a head taller than the other furs in the crowd.  He was a very large stud, but still had that almost stunned look of awe on his face when he watched the fox.
DJ gripped the dumbbell with his other hand and focused his attention once again.  He slowly curled the weight up, contracting the muscle tightly at the top of the movement.  A thick forked vein bulged on the top of the muscle as it etched deeply, showing the clear split between the two heads of the muscle.   The crowd gasped in unison as the fox pumped out more reps, filling his muscles full of blood, making it bulge thicker and more stunning.   The horse himself hurrrrred deeply.  It was out of respect for the amount of weight the fox was lifting.
At the end of the set, the young fox set the weight back down on the rubber-matted floor, stood back up and looked in the mirrors lining the wall.  He noticed the throngs of furs behind him as he looked in the mirror, and smiled that winning smile once again.  Quickly, his mind focused more deeply on his own body in the mirror.  He wiped his forehead with the back of his right paw and felt the heaviness of his arm after it was so pumped from the dumbbell curls.  His grin widened, lips parted slightly showing some of his sharp vulpine teeth, then held his arms straight out at the side.  The crowd once again gasped softly as they watched DJ's biceps stand firmly outlined on top of his arms.  His triceps already bunched underneath, and very striated.  He looked as though he was ready to compete in a bodybuilding contest.  Slowly, the playful fox curled his arms inward, squeezing the pumped muscles hard.   Thick veins surfaced and stretched the super tight skin under his snow-white fur.  The biceps bunched very thick.  The split between the twin heads of muscle grew deeper and more pronounced, even visible beneath the soft fur.  DJ's smile grew wider as he flexed his biceps fully, and spread his lats to their widest point, tightening his abs to complete the impressive pose.  The stallion is the crowd behind DJ actually started to clap gently.  DJ looked in the mirror and that horse was lightly tossing his head, making his long mane toss softly.  The first clapping started several other furs to begin applauding the muscle display.   DJ turned and smiled warmly, taking a little bow to acknowledge the audience.  With that, the fox bent down and picked up his workout towel.  He lifted the dumbbell and placed it back where he got it off the weight rack, then he waved to the audience.  Slowly, they started to disperse and return to their own workouts.
DJ watched as the stallion walked back to the bench press station he was working at before he was distracted.  The stallion focused intently on his task.  The bar was loaded heavily.  Even DJ was shocked with how much weight there was on the bar.  He knew vaguely that horses tended to be very powerful, but he had no idea that they were that powerful.  The horse laid back on the bench, and slid his large frame under the bar.  He placed his large hands around the bar, and adjusted his grip.  Then with a soft grunt the horse pressed the bar up off the stand.  Instantly the bar started to bend from the weight.  DJ's muzzle widened as he watched the intense stallion lift the weight, then lower it slowly.  The huge weight was completely under the horse's control as he pressed it back to the top, not locking out his elbows, keeping  his muscles under the weight influence at all times through the movement.  After 12 reps, the horse replaced the bar to the stands with a soft clang.  He sat up and then looked over, seeing DJ still staring at him.  The horse blushed as his ears folded.  DJ thought that was a cute reaction from such a powerful creature.  Nothing about the horse's body showed clearly because he was wearing a very large, bulky sweat shirt, and very baggy workout pants.  He looked almost fat in the clothes because they were 3 sizes too big for him.  The horse seemed so shy that someone was watching him.  DJ felt that shyness and tried to quickly turn away to spare the stallion from his apparent embarrassment.  He gathered the rest of his things, and headed back to the showers to get cleaned up.
In the shower, DJ felt the warm water wash through his fur, as he cleaned the sweat from his workout.  Carefully drying his fur took a little bit of time.  He was trying to be very careful and trim his fur perfectly.  Brushing any tangles out, he tried out a few more poses in the mirror of the change room.  There were no other furs in the change room at the time, so DJ went through his routine smoothly, checking out all the transitions.  He could hear the music in the back of his mind, and knew the routine perfectly.  He'd been practicing for months, getting ready for the bodybuilding contest the next day.  He tightened his abs slowly, showing off spectacularly ripped muscles, framed by the most chiseled oblique muscles which angled downward to emphasize just how narrow the fox's waist was.  He growled softly to himself and smiled at the result of his hard work.
Just then, he heard the heavy clip-clopping sound of hooves approaching.  He continued his posing routine.  The horse came into the change room, and looked shocked to see DJ posing in the mirror.  The horse's ears perked, and he blushed again.  
"Oh !  I'm sorry.  I …. didn't mean to intrude.  Please forgive me."  He lowered his muzzle in the standard apologetic posture, ears folded to the side.
"Please, please, my dear horsey.   You have nothing to apologize for.  I saw you watching my workout.  You seem to be interested in muscle and bodybuilding.  Maybe you could watch my routine and give me some feedback about where I might do something better."
"You really want me to give you some ideas?"  The horse looked stunned at the suggestion.
"Well, only if you do one thing, my young friend."  DJ made his eyebrow raise as his lips parted in a smile.
"Wh- what's that?"
"Tell me your name, big fella"
"Oh, heh," the horse uttered nervously.  "My name is Chester, but most everyone calls me Chet."
"Well, Chet. It's nice to meet you.  I would very much like to get your feedback about my posing routine.  I'm getting ready for my contest tomorrow.  I want everything to be absolutely perfect.  Any and all help is appreciated."  DJ was sincere and waited for Chet's answer.
"It would be an honor to try and help you out."  The young stallion reached out and offered his huge hand for a handshake.  DJ took his hand and they shook firmly, testing each others strength.  The horse looked down and nickered almost in awe at the fox's strong handshake.  The fox grinning back playfully, knowing that Chet was impressed.  
"Well, let me show you the routine, and you can give me some ideas."  Chet nodded and sat down to watch the muscular fox go through his routine.
DJ started with his back turned to his audience.  His tail hung straight down as he tightened his rump muscles.  The muscles formed thick mounds, with even a little bit striation across the hard muscle. He shifted his weight slightly to the left making his hips tilt showing a little bit of an artistic quality Then he lifted the heel of his foot off the ground, pressing down firmly on his clawed toes.  Instantly his thick calf muscle bulged larger, starting to show a deep separation between the heads of the muscle.  Thin veins stretched the tight skin even tighter.  He then tightened his hamstring muscles, bringing out the thick, chiseled cords of muscle rising up to just beneath his still ripped glutes.
Hearing the posing music still in his head, the young arctic fox then thrust his hands powerfully up over his head.  Instantly the triceps rippled and shredded, showing impressive definition and thickness.  His back flared wider and shoulders appeared to simply leap out in incredible detail at his audience.  Slowly, he brought his arms downward, flexing every inch of muscle on his back and arms.  His lat muscles writhed and bunched with amazing detail as his arms lowered into a rear double biceps pose.  The fox's arms were easily his most incredible feature.  From the rear, his biceps peaked hugely.  That thick vein snaked across the top of the peak in almost perfect form.  His forearms showed through thick cables of steely muscles with veins stretching the tight skin under his soft fur.  Clearly his delts were shredded in this pose.  
He heard a soft nicker from behind and quickly looked.  The stallion was almost drooling at the muscular display already.  He sat there watching the routine, and his mouth was open, his tongue slightly hanging out to the side of his muzzle.  His ears perked completely forward.  DJ quickly snapped back into his routine form, holding the pose until he heard the next cue from his posing soundtrack still playing in his head.
When the beat hit, DJ released the clench of his hands.  His muscles relaxed, although his legs remained in the same flexed pose.  He smoothly brought his hands down to his narrow waist.  Then he slowly flared his lats.  Amazingly, the thick bulges and mounds of his back still showed through while he was spreading his wide back into a lat spread. He held that pose for another moment, until he heard the music in his head change.
The beat hit and DJ began to spin around slowly on the ball of his foot and the heel of his other foot, until he had turned around, now facing the audience in that same lat spread, now showing the front of his body.  When he had turned himself around, he showed the same wide, thick lat muscles behind, but his abs were very tightly formed, and his pecs showed out very thick.  Of course his biceps bulged thickly, with that same impressive vein showing through over the peak of his muscle.  DJ then put his right thigh forward, flexing the muscle tightly.  He bent his knee slightly and showed off that granite-like calf muscle, then flexed his solid quad muscle again showing the deeply etched detail throughout the entire muscle.  He held that pose for another few beats before transitioning to the next pose.
He lifted his arms from his waist up over his head and tucked them in behind.  His biceps once again bulged hugely against his head.  His lats showed their detail and width, but it was his abs that completely stole the show.  DJ sucked in his stomach in the traditional vacuum pose.  His abs still showing outlines, but then the crafty fox flexed his abs.  They once again appeared as he crunched down firmly on this pose.  The muscles formed a flat wall of cobbled mounds, brick-like in their hardness.  They were perfectly framed by tightly etched fingers of muscles angling down to his thin waist.  DJ smiled when the pose was finished and held it for another few moments.
From there, DJ's smile turned more feral as he showed some of his vulpine fangs.  Then he pulled his arms out from their tucked position behind his head, bringing his arms forcefully down in front of his body.  This move caused every inch of his thick massive chest to shred with awesome muscular definition.  His biceps once again pumped thick, a few more tiny veins snaked their way up to the surface of his skin joining the thick vein that fed that incredible muscle. His delts ripped deeply showing their full rounded beauty with deeply etched detail at the same time.  As he finished the pose, he held the most muscular display for another couple of seconds.  
Chester whinnied softly as he watched this pose.  It must have been one of the stallion's favourite poses, DJ thought.
DJ relaxed the muscles, but kept his abs very tight in between poses.  It was incredible how much control he had over these muscles at such a young age.  He brought his left arm back to his thin waist and spread his lats on one side.  At that same time, DJ's smile seemed to show a coy, playful mood.  His lip curled upward at the back of his mouth.  While he was changing his facial expression, he lifted his right arm up to the side, and held it straight out.  The thick biceps muscle stood up firmly on top of his arm, just like it did earlier during his workout.  He clenched his fist slowly, relishing the feeling of his forearms tightening into thick, strong cables of ripped muscle.  Thick veins lined the forearm muscles as his biceps also responded to the clenched fist.  The muscle heads became clearly visible on his huge biceps.  Then slowly, the fox toyed with his audience and curled his arm inward, making the mountainous biceps rise into a shredded thick peak of muscle topped by that thick vein.  
At that point, he looked back at the young stallion and saw that Chet was indeed drooling at this image.  DJ held the pose for a few more seconds, then stopped and took a bow.
Chet snapped out of his daydream quickly and blushed as he wiped the little bit of drool from his muzzle.  He looked back at the muscular white fox and nickered.
"DJ, that was awesome!  I wish I was able to hear the music you are going to use for your posing routine."
DJ smiled warmly again.  "Well, why don't you come to the show?  I can get you a front row seat.  They gave the contestants two complimentary seats for family or friends.  I have no one else who has said they wanted to go.  I'd be honored to have you come."
Chet murrred softly and thought for a second to see if there was anything else on his agenda for the next day.  Unable to think of anything pressing, he accepted the invitation.  "The pleasure would be mine.  I'd love to go.  Where and when should I meet you?"
"Well, I have to be there pretty much all day for pre-judging and mandatory pose rounds.  The evening show starts at 7 pm.  Come to the theatre and just tell the usher that you have a ticket set aside from DJ Darkfox.  They'll take you right to your seat."
"Sounds great.  I can't wait.   Now as far as your posing goes, I have a couple of suggestions."
"You do?  What did you notice?"
"Well, first of all, it was great and you have incredible control over your body!  Just a couple of small things that could help you improve the routine.  When you're holding a pose, you might want to gently turn from one side to the other.  Remember that there are people on the edges of the stadium in the audience, and they want to see your body too.  So when you're hitting the lat and biceps pose … I LOOOOVE that pose, by the way! … turn just slightly to show everyone in the audience what your body looks like.
"Hmm, that's a good idea.  I hadn't thought of that before.  I'll try to remember that"
"Another thing is that when you're bringing your arms slowly down into the rear double biceps pose, why not bring them just a little bit lower, to emphasize the detail in your back?  Then you can bring them back up into the finalized double biceps pose, and then turn gently there.  It seems to make the lats look like they get wider when they're in that pose."
"Sounds like another really great observation, Chet.  Anything else?"
"Just one more thing.  In your rear lat spread, if you turn your head to one side, it will bring out your traps muscles more.  Just something I've noticed other professional bodybuilders do to show how much development they have"
"There's always so much to think about in the posing rounds.  I'll do my best to practice those suggestions and make my posing better.  Thanks for watching and helping me out Chet."  DJ smiled again and reached out to shake the stallion's hand again.  Chet reached out and they both shook.  Once again, the two new friends tested each other's strength playfully, until they both released their grip.
"Well, I have some farm chores to do all day tomorrow, so I'll see you tomorrow night in town.  Good luck with the other rounds DJ.  With that body, I don't think you'll need luck.  You should have the contest in the bag!"
"Perhaps.  I've worked hard for my body, but there are a lot of others who have more size and height.  It's never a given that I'm going to win.  I've been lucky so far with my placings.  Of course, I've worked hard for them, but I won't take anything for granted.  I'll still take your wish for good luck."  With that, the two new friends parted.  Chet trotted off toward the door.
"Chet, aren't you going to shower?  You just finished your workout."  DJ called to the big horse.
"I don't like to have a shower where people can see."  Chet said while blushing deeply.
DJ looked again at the huge clothes that the stallion was wearing and wondered if maybe he was out of condition.  His strength was definitely there, but perhaps he wasn't a bodybuilder.  "There's nothing to be ashamed of big guy.  But if that's what you feel like, then I'll respect your feelings.  Until tomorrow, Chet."  The big horse waved and trotted off to his truck.  DJ went to his locker and got dressed, leaving shortly after.
* * * * *

After a good night's sleep, DJ woke gradually, and slipped out from under his covers, then walked to the bathroom.  He combed his hair and brushed down his soft fur a little bit before putting on a tee-shirt and heading to the kitchen to prepare his breakfast and pack his lunch and supper and supplements for the long day at the contest.  He sat quietly and ate his breakfast, then cleaned up after himself, then went back and packed a light duffle bag to take to the show.  
Before sunrise, Chet had already risen and was outside feeding the chickens and collecting the daily batch of eggs.  He then went back to the machine shed and did some routine maintenance on his farm equipment.  By lunch time he had finished milking the cows and all that was left for the afternoon was some yard work.  Supper time came and Chet made his trademark apples and oatmeal.  Sitting alone at the table, he sighed softly and thought about his encounter with DJ.  He wondered if the fox could ever be interested in him, but then his thoughts quickly shifted back to just dealing with things as they came.  He got dressed in some of his large clothing that hid his body very well.
Throughout the prejudging, DJ surveyed his competition.  He was in the Heavyweight class.  It was virtually unheard of for a fox to be in that class, and it meant that he'd be up against such fierce competition as lions, tigers, horses, bulls and other naturally muscular creatures.  This particular contest featured a tiger that outsized DJ by a good foot in height and perhaps 40 pounds in muscle.  DJ had no idea what the judges would be looking for in the contest.  They all pumped up their muscles in timely form and started to line up to go out to the stage for the mandatory pose round.  
Right behind DJ in line stood the huge tiger.  His name apparently was Ben Ghali.  He looked intimidating, but DJ tried to pay no attention to him.  Ben, however, was intent on getting into DJ's mind and trying to intimidate what he felt was his main competition.  The tiger bumped DJ's back deliberately and firmly with his arm.  He put his strong hand on DJ's shoulder and tried pressing.  DJ's muscles, however, proved to be very hard, and this annoyed the big cat.  He tried pressing harder.  
"Would you mind keeping your paws to yourself?  Thanks," DJ tried to be diplomatic about this annoyance.
The feline pulled his hand away but then swatted the muscular fox with his rather stiff tail.  DJ yelped, and spun around to face the big menace.  Ben, however, was still standing too close to the fox.  When DJ spun around so quickly, his momentum was so strong that Ben was knocked back to the side about 10 feet before finally losing his balance and falling down to the floor.  Some of the other contestants watched the big tiger fall down.  They figured that it would be the only chance they would have to rub his nose in something.  DJ looked at the big tiger with some feeling of apology, but then turned around to face forward when he heard the announcer's instructions for silence.  The huge cat got back in line, but promised himself that DJ would definitely not beat him in the contest.
During the call-outs, DJ was repeatedly put up against the massive tiger.  Apparently the judges didn't quite know how to choose between the two bodybuilders.  DJ was in peak physical condition, with incredible definition through his muscles.  He had the size and the shape, and seemed to be a skilled poser.  Ben, on the other hand, was not in the same condition as DJ, but his mass easily topped DJ's.  Ben was also surprisingly graceful in his posing.  He knew exactly how to show his strengths, and hide his weaknesses.
At the end of the prejudging rounds, the competitors returned to their own areas.  Some of the out-of-town bodybuilders returned to their rooms at the hotel across the street.  They all spent the last few hours before the evening show getting ready, and putting the last minute preparations on their physiques.
DJ finished his supper that he had packed earlier.  He made his way back into the pump up room when the heavyweights were allowed to start pumping up.  Of course, the menacing tiger was there.  His eyes were glued on the well-built fox the whole time in the pump room.  A black panther who had been included in several of the early call-outs was also pumping up near DJ.  They exchanged glances and smiled to each other in a friendly manner.  DJ tried to ignore the tiger's stare.  Finally, Ben sauntered over to the muscular fox and towered over DJ as he finished pumping his biceps.
"There's no way in hell that a fox is going to beat me in this contest.  I don't care what the judges think.  You can't even stand on the same stage as I am on, wimp!"
DJ's hackles stood on end, but he managed to remain calm.  He was ready to fight back in self-defense, if the tiger tried anything.  Fortunately, no one moved.  Ben just stood and stared at DJ, trying desperately to intimidate him.  DJ wouldn't back down.  He just continued pumping his other arm as he was nearly ready to go out on stage and perform his routine for the evening show.  
Ben was one of the first heavyweights to get called out on stage.  He strutted out there with a lot of confidence.  Flashbulbs were going off throughout the audience during the whole performance, and the crowd erupted into a roar of applause after a fluid routine.  The tiger thrust his fist triumphantly into the air and let out a roar of his own, then accentuated the finish of his routine by thrusting both arms downward into a magnificent most muscular pose.  Then he turned and walked off stage.
In the audience, Chet watched the tiger's routine attentively.  He was highly impressed, and thought that DJ might actually have some competition after all.  He still believed that DJ had the more complete package.  Hopefully, he thought, his posing suggestions earlier would help DJ win over the crowd and the judges.  
A few contestants later, DJ was introduced.  A moderate cheer rose from the audience as they really didn't know much about the young bodybuilder from another country.  DJ walked out to the centre of the stage and stood with his back facing the crowd.  He waited for the music to cue and then launched into his energetic routine.  He vaguely heard a horse whinnying from the crowd, but was virtually lost in the routine, thinking only about the next pose and how to show perfectly.
At the end of the routine, he heard the crowd respond in exuberant applause.  DJ bowed and then thrust both his hands into the air triumphantly.  He then flashed a toothy grin, finally looking down and seeing his new friend, Chet, in the front row.  He walked off stage to await the final placings at the end of the show.
A few more contestants hit the stage and then finally the final top 5 placings for the heavyweight division were called out to the stage again.
"In Fifth place, Tristan Thorne"  The announcer held a suspenseful breath before finally announcing the contestant's name.  Tristan, a new-comer, happily ran to the front of the line to accept his medal.  The other four contestants clapped for him, and the audience applauded enthusiastically.
"In fourth place … Roan Winston!"  Again, the polite applause echoed through the auditorium.  Roan appeared to be somewhat disheartened.  He'd been in the contest for a number of years.  The tall horse just didn't seem to be able to put enough size on his frame to crack the top three placings.
"In third place … Nero Talman!"  Nero smiled a big toothy grin and roared happily for his gracious placing.  He was not an experienced poser, but his body was quite outstanding. He took a bow and then held his paw triumphantly in the air, accepting his medal and the bronze trophy
"And now there are two.  In one of the closest decisions in this contest's history, the first place trophy and prize will be awarded to ..."
In the audience, a cacaphony of cheers erupted chanting Ben, Ben, Ben, while the contingent who finally discovered the new prodigy, DJ Darkfox, tried to outchant the Ben cheer.  
" … DJ Darkfox wins the heavyweight division!"  DJ's eyes widened and he leapt a few feet into the air.  The tiger's eyes became small slits as his rage continued to build.  He growled deeply to himself and watched DJ's celebration.  He was awarded his trophy and medal. Everyone filed off stage and to the back of the theatre.  DJ had completely forgotten about the rivalry with Ben.  Actually, he didn't have anything against the big tiger at all, but knew that Ben didn't like him much.  All he could think of now was that his friend, Chet, was waiting for him out in the front of the theatre.  He changed, and gathered his things, then headed out the back door.
The alley was quiet and fairly dark.  He heard a number of footsteps approaching from behind him as he made his way toward the front of the theatre.  Suddenly, a large, hulking shadow jumped in front of the arctic fox.  The figure pulled his hood back and revealed those glowing slits of yellow eyes.  It was Ben.  He was clearly angry.  Truthfully, he was furious.  DJ backed up a step, but bumped into the two cronies that Ben had managed to recruit; no doubt from intimidation.  They both grabbed one of DJ's arms and pulled back, trying to hold the muscular fox back.  DJ, however managed to pull his arms forward and break their hold.  Ben roared angrily and lunged at DJ, knocking the fox to the ground.
"Hey tiger!  It would appear that you're quite a sore loser.  Get off him now, or you'll have two of us to deal with!" It was Nero, the black panther.  Ben looked back over his shoulder and growled at the intruder.
"Mind your own business rookie.  There is no way in hell that this runt should have beaten me.  I'm bigger than him, and a better poser."  At that, DJ had enough time, and more than enough strength to throw the big tiger off him and then get up.  DJ looked at the big panther and smiled.  

"Thanks for the help.  I'm not really looking for a fight, but this is more self-defense anyway."  DJ clenched his fists and glared back at the adversaries.  Ben's cronies looked at the two muscular bodybuilders and then at each other.  They quickly ran out of the alley and down the street.  Leaving Ben alone, Ben realized that this fight would have to be saved for another day.  He ran off out of the alley too.  DJ and Nero shook hands and smiled as they walked out of the alley.  Chet was waiting in the front of the theatre anxiously.  Then when he saw DJ walking out with another bodybuilder fur, he blushed a bit.
"Chet!  Sorry to keep you waiting big fella.  The tiger was a bit upset at placing second.  He jumped me back there in the alley, but Nero here helped me out of that little spot.  Do you mind if he tags along?"
Chet looked at the black panther and then smiled.  "I don't think that'd be a problem, DJ.  I don't know what you feel like doing, but you two must be starving after weeks of dieting for the contest.  Do you want to grab something to eat?"
Chet looked at the two carnivores and wondered if that was a good idea that he join them for something to eat.  
"Well, maybe you two want to grab something to eat together.  We can hook up at my place tomorrow if you'd rather."  Chet suggested sheepishly.
"Nonsense!  It sounds like fun.  Let's get something to eat"  Nero exclaimed enthusiastically.  He looked the large equine over, noticing how big he looked in his clothes.  He extended his large hand in a friendly gesture.  Chet looked at the gesture and nickered softly, reaching out and gripping in a firm hand shake.  Nero looked down in surprise at the horse's firm handshake, trying to meet the firmness.  Chet noticed the test and released.  He folded his ears shyly, "Sorry about that.  I didn't mean to grip too hard."  Nero smiled again in a trademark warm gesture.  "No problem, big guy"
DJ smiled at his new friends getting along.  "Well, boys, let's find some food.  Do you feel like chicken wings, pizza, or burgers?"
"I'm up for a darn good steak!"  Nero licked his lips almost ravenously at the thought of the thick, juicy slab of meat.
DJ also licked his lips thinking of a nice juicy steak.  They both looked over at Chet, thinking the big stallion would also be ready to go along with it.  Chet, however, was blushing a bit.
"What's wrong Chester?"  DJ asked earnestly.
"Well, to tell the truth, I'm a vegetarian.  I can't eat meat.  But I am up for a good salad or something of a good oatmeal."
Both Nero and DJ looked at each other, completely stunned that someone as big as Chet was a vegetarian.  But then they looked at their shy friend and smiled together.  
"OK big guy.  I'm sure that we can find somewhere that we can all be happy.  That is, if you don't mind watching us enjoy eating meat.  If that bothers you, then we can figure something else out."
"No, that's fine.  I can deal with it.  Let's go"  
From around the corner, a large figure waited in the shadows, listening to the conversation between the three friends.  Ben snarled as he watched them walk together towards the parking lot.  He wouldn't be happy until DJ got what was coming to him.  Punishment!
The three new friends decided to meet up at a local steakhouse.  Chet was fortunate, and pleasantly surprised that the restaurant offered an equine-friendly platter.  Good portions and all the right foods for his species.  The meals came promptly and the two contestants dove into their big, thick, juicy steaks.  They both showed that they thought the meat was extremely delicious.  Most likely it was from the fact that they'd both been dieting for a few months before the night's contest.  
Chet, however, hadn't been dieting especially for anything.  He looked down at his platter and nickered happily seeing a large helping of carrots, apples, leafy vegetables and even a side of rolled oats.  He ate steadily, but slowly.  He looked from Nero to DJ and then back again to both of them.  They were both very muscular but he wanted to find out more about them.  
"So, DJ; we met at the gym yesterday.  How long have you been going there?  I haven't seen you around before."  Chet enquired earnestly.
Finishing his bite of steak, DJ smiled and nodded slightly.  "I actually just moved to the next city last month.  I'm from overseas, but the bodybuilding lifestyle is much better around this location.  I joined the gym and started really training for this contest.
"What other things are you interested in?"  
DJ thought for a few minutes and then started to explain.  "Well, I guess it's obvious that I'm very interested in bodybuilding.  I love working out and getting more in shape.  I love lifting weights though.  Outside of bodybuilding and working out, I love working on cars and motorcycles.  Anything mechanical is really interesting to me.  It is very gratifying to take something that isn't working, and making it work."  With that, DJ looked back at Chet, who appeared to be thinking about the information and smiling as he was learning more about his new friend.
"What about you, Nero.  We both just met you today.  You took your placing at the show very gracefully, if I might say.  That shows remarkable character, as opposed to some other cat we know."  DJ grinned at Nero and Nero returned the playful grin.  Chet looked curiously between the two.  They hadn't yet filled him in completely on what happened in the alley.
"Well, what can I tell you guys?  I'm from a different state.   I'm only here for the contest, but I can hang around for a few more days.  Then maybe we can all keep in touch after that.  But as for me, I'm still in college, studying architecture.  It's really challenging, but I love designing and creating spaces for different purposes.  Outside of school, I was a reject for the high school football team.  They said that I wasn't fast enough, and too light to be used in any other position on the field.  I decided to hit the weights.  My body actually started to develop very quickly once I had someone to direct me.  I guess I have the condition, but the posing is really hard for me to get done well.  I really want to learn how to show really well at a contest, especially at this level.  At the lower contests, they don't really expect you to know how to pose well.  But anywho, bodybuilding is now a pretty big part of my life.  I don't want to go professional, but I really want to stay in shape.  Maybe even help other guys get in shape.  I also love music.  I play guitar in a band back home.  We're just in it for fun, but we do play sometimes in bars.  But I'm rambling.  What about you, Chet.  Tell us some things about you."
Chet almost instantly blushed at the new attention on himself.  Sheepishly, he began to think of what to tell them about his uneventful life.   "Well, I don't know really what to tell you.  I met DJ yesterday at the gym, and he offered to show me a preview of his posing routine.  I was honored, and I think I gave him some useful tips on how to get some more effect out of his poses...."
DJ softly interjected "You helped me a lot big fella.  Those tips were really good, and it helped me feel a lot more confident on stage there."
Chet blushed again and nodded his thanks at the compliment.  "So I guess you could say that I enjoy lifting weights too.  I try not to draw too much attention to myself.  I'm a very shy horse, if you haven't noticed already.  When I'm not there at the gym, I'm back at my farm, tending to the fields and chickens and other things that need to get done.  I help out when I can at a local wrecking yard too.  It's more for fun than it is hard work, but I guess it would depend on who you talk to."
"It sounds as if we have a pretty diverse group of furs here at the table.  The one thing we share mainly is our love of working out, whether it's for bodybuilding, or whether it's for strength training and getting in shape."  Nero claimed enthusiastically.  "Say, Chet!  Is your farm pretty close by?  Maybe we could come by tomorrow for a visit.  You could show us around.  Heck, we might even be able to give you a hand with things that might be too much for one horse to take care of."
Chet looked at both of the bodybuilders and smiled.  "That sounds like a neat idea.  Why not come by after lunch tomorrow.  Most of the little things ought to be taken care of by noon.  I have a pretty big property.  There's a little forest out in the back, and it's got a big pond.  We could even have a picnic or something.  You guys could go for a swim!  So bring your trunks with you.  I've got enough big towels for us."
Both DJ and Nero smiled back at the horse's hospitality.  Nero began to purrr softly and deeply. Chet instantly folded his ears and started to blush a bit.  His tail nervously twitched in behind him.  Both bodybuilders noticed Chet's change, and asked what was wrong.
"It's just that I find purrring to be a very sexy sound.  It, uhhm … affects me pretty quickly."  Chet was highly embarrassed by his admission, but Nero stopped purring out of sympathy for his new, shy friend.  He was truly a playful feline, but didn't want to push Chester away.  
"Sorry for making you nervous, Chet.   I didn't mean to.  Now that I know, I will try to control myself more, until the time is right."  Nero winked at the big horse playfully, which made Chet's blush a little deeper, but he was hopeful at the same time.
"Well, it was a great dinner!  That steak was amazing.  It looks like your dinner was very much to your liking too, Chet.  I think we should get some rest after such a long, tiring day.  Then we can head out to Chet's farm tomorrow and have some more fun.   Maybe even help the big guy out."  DJ exclaimed enthusiastically.  The other two friends nodded their agreement and they all went their separate ways.  DJ went back to his home, and prepared himself for a good night's sleep.  Nero went back to his hotel room to get some shut-eye, and Chet returned to his farm.  He laid for a little while, restlessly, thinking back on the day's events.  Finally, he fell asleep.
* * * *
The key slid into the door lock and the door opened, letting the hallway lights flood into the dark apartment.  The muscular tiger walked through the door and closed it, locking it once again.  He was still fuming with anger and thoughts of revenge for losing a bodybuilding contest to a fox.  
"A FOX!  How could a FOX possibly beat a TIGER in a bodybuilding show?"  He growled angrily.  He flexed his muscles and felt them thicken, actually ripping along the shirt seams up the back.
"It's impossible.  He's going to pay for making me lose!"                                                                   
The tiger sat alone in the darkness.  Only the moonlight created soft shadows.   After hours of stewing and plotting his revenge, the sun began to rise.   The tiger had been sitting through the entire night.  Finally, a plan formed.  Suddenly, a deep, soft rumbling purrr emanated through the room.  Then a dark smile spread the tiger's lips in an evil flash of fangs and sharp teeth, lit by the pale moonlight.
The tiger went to his computer and typed out a letter, then printed it, and put it in some stationary envelope he had liberated from the gym he belonged to.  Then he left the apartment silently, only the sound of the key rattling in the door lock again.

Early in the morning, Chet rose, put on his huge sweat shirt and baggy gym pants and tended once again to the chickens.  He collected the day's bounty of eggs, and cleaned up the coop.  After all, he had guests coming.  The farm had sort of fallen into slight disrepair.  He had really never had guests come out, so there was really no reason to keep up the appearances.  After collecting the eggs, Chet set up the tractor and started to mow the large lawn around the farmhouse.  Stepping up onto the tractor, he started to make the cutting patterns and cutting the grass efficiently.  In an hour, Chet was finished cutting the lawn.  The sun was getting high in the morning sky.  He looked around and then drove the tractor into the barn to put it away until he needed it again.  
He thought about driving his camper trailer into the area near the pond at the back of his property.  He knew it was very muddy, but had faith in his truck's towing ability.  Whistling happily to himself, Chet trotted over to the truck and hooked up his large trailer to the hitch.  He drove off towards the back woods.  It was very muddy indeed.  In the end, the truck sank deep into the mud, nearly up to its hub.  The trailer bottom was completely flat against the mud bog.  Its wheels buried ¾ up.  Chet got out of the truck and sank his hooves deep in the mud too.  He looked back disgustedly at his misfortune.  
"Damn it!  All the best intentions too.  Maybe I can get it out..."  Before he could try, he saw a car drive up the long farm lane up towards his house.  
"Uh oh, my guests are early!"  He snorted and slogged out of the mud, stomping his hooves to work some of the mud loose.  He trotted back to the house to meet his friends.
Driving up to the large, old farmhouse, DJ and Nero chatted in DJ's car.  They talked playfully about going for a swim.  Then the conversation switched to being about Chet.
"Why do you think he wears such big clothes?  Do you think he's ashamed of his body?"  Nero asked.
"I honestly don't know.  That would be my first thought.  I have never seen him wear anything other than huge clothes.  Maybe he just wants to keep unnoticed.  I've seen him lift.  He's very strong.  But then, most horses are strong, aren't they?  That's a nice, peaceful house.  Hey look, Chet's coming over!"  DJ smiled seeing his new friend trotting towards them.  
"CHET!" They both called out of the windows of the car as DJ pulled up alongside the house, and parked.  They got out and Chet greeted both with a soft, warm nickering sound, followed by a handshake.  
"Why are you hooves muddy, Chet?" Nero noticed the condition they were in.  "Did we show up too early?"
"Naw, I was taking my trailer back to the pond so you guys had somewhere to change into your swim trunks in private.  I guess I discounted how mucky it was back there.  The truck and trailer are stuck deep in the mud.  Sorry guys, but maybe you're not too shy and you can just strip down behind some trees."  Chet looked disheartened, as though he had let his new friends down.  They both looked back sympathetically to their equine friend, and smiled warmly.
"Chet, Nero and I both just took part in a contest where we basically showed off 99% of our bodies in front 10,000 strangers.  I don't think we're too afraid of showing our bodies in front of each other and you.  If it makes you uncomfortable, of course, we can change into our swim trunks behind a few trees.   I do hope you're not too shy to come in for a swim with us, big guy."  
"We'll see.  It's a very warm day."  Chet shuffled his muddy hoof shyly.
"Maybe DJ and I can help you work the truck and trailer out of the mud.  I think this fox is pretty strong, and I hear you're very strong"  Nero smiled playfully, but was sure that they would need some of the powerful farm equipment that Chet had for his farm.
"Well, why don't I show you guys around the farm first.  I have some big equipment in the barn.  Come on in and I'll show you."
DJ's eyes lit up excitedly.  "I always wanted to see what some farm equipment was like.  I can't wait to see it, Chet!"  He followed the big equine to the barn, and Nero tagged along too.
They walked into the large, airy barn and saw an assortment of heavy machines.  Chet still had the large mower attached to the tractor.  DJ wanted to see it working, so Chet started up the tractor and then started to explain how everything worked.  DJ, being an avid mechanic, happily took in all the information.  Then Chet asked Nero to put the mower in gear.  Nero engaged the lever and the drive-shaft began to spin quickly.  Chet's large sleeve was, however, too close to the elbow of the drive-shaft.  It caught some of the loose fabric of Chet's sleeve, and quickly ripped it off after Chet reacted and jumped back from the machine.  Nero quickly shut off the drive-shaft and DJ and Nero jumped over to check to see whether Chet was ok.  The big horse looked up at his two highly concerned friends and nodded.  
"Yes, I'm ok.  It just caught my sleeve."  Chet's ears folded now that some of his clothes were ripped, revealing something he didn't really want to show.  He stood up slowly, trying to keep the side of his uncovered body hidden.  DJ and Nero looked at Chet's arm and both their mouth's opened slightly.  DJ rawrrrrred soft and deep, while Nero mewed softly.  Chet shuffled his hoof shyly now knowing that they both realized what was underneath his huge oversized clothes.  
The ripped off sleeve revealed an arm that was thick, extremely muscular, and shredded with amazing detail.  A thick vein ran over the unflexed biceps, while flowing down into more rivers of thick and thin veins snaking over his muscular, cable-like forearms.
Chet looked back at the two bodybuilder friends.  Their arms were still very ripped from being in the contest the day before.  Chet's rivaled their condition.  Both DJ and Nero looked at Chet and both almost simultaneously asked.  "Chet, … that arm is incredible.  Why do you keep your body hidden?  If the rest of your physique looks that good, you have nothing to be embarrassed about!"
Chet once again shuffled his hoof.  "Well, to tell the truth, I don't want people to get the impression that I think I'm better than they are.  I don't compete mostly because I'm shy.  I guess once I get to know someone, I can feel more comfortable showing what my body looks like and what I can do."  He looked back at the two friends who were still awe-struck by the revelation.  Neither of them really expected Chet's arm to look so awesome.  Now, they both really wanted to see what else the oversized clothes were hiding.  Chet could see the look in their eyes that they wanted to know what else his clothes were hiding.  He thought about it, and nickered shyly.   "Well, I guess I've seen your bodies almost completely, so I owe you the same display"
Chet stood back and lifted his huge sweatshirt over his head.  His long mane flopped back down over his back as he pulled his other arm out of the sleeve, and tossed his shirt over to the side of the barn.  He stood there in front of his friends.  Again, DJ rawrrred softly and Nero mewed playfully.  Chet stood without actually flexing.  His chest hung thick and actually showed some striations between the upper and lower pec muscles.  The outer part of the muscle showed just how thick it was.  His shoulders stood out from the thick trapezius muscles on either side of his neck.  Rippled, thick heads of deltoid muscle were still relaxed, but a thick vein surfaced on the front head, then snaked down the front of Chet's thickly muscled arms.  Lats, clearly defined, flared his shoulders wide out to the side, as the line of his upper body tapered down to a very narrow waist.  Chet's unflexed abs were as flat as a wall.  Defined muscles were clearly outlined, showing an asymmetrical pattern, but certainly very muscular.  Chet's condition was equal to his two bodybuilder friends who had just competed after months of dieting, and this is what Chet looked like normally.  He nickered again and blushed as both his friends were looking fairly wide-eyed at his body.
"Hardly anyone has seen me without a shirt on.  You guys flatter me with such a long look."
Shaking their heads from an almost dream state, Nero and DJ smiled back at Chet and came over to the big horse, putting their hands on his shoulder in a friendly gesture.  "Chet, you have an amazing body.  I can see why you're quite strong." DJ professed in a friendly manner.
"Thanks DJ.  I saw that you were very strong too.  The gym is mostly for conditioning.  I don't get much of a test from the weights they have there."
"Well, my fine equine friend, lets take a look at the truck and trailer stuck in the mud.  You wanna bring the tractor?"  
Chet looked at DJ and grinned playfully.  "I think I owe you guys the other piece of the puzzle.  I'm sure DJ can help out too.  I'm not sure whether we'll need the tractor.  But maybe we'll bring it out there, just in case we do need it.  At least we won't need to make another trip back up to the barn to get it, if we do.  Does anyone want to drive the tractor?  You guys both look like city boys."  Chet chuckled happily.  He was starting to feel less shy, now that he was accepted as an equal, and not put on any kind of pedestal for admiration and awe.
DJ hopped up in the tractor seat and Chet directed him on how to drive the tractor.  DJ picked up on the task quickly and started off.  Chet trotted out in front of the tractor, now shirtless, but still wearing his oversized gym pants. Nero hopped on the back of the tractor as they followed the horse back to where the truck and trailer were stuck in the mud.  Chet slowed up and came alongside the tractor, telling DJ how to stop the tractor, which the fox aptly followed.
Turning the tractor off, the diesel clatter settled down, as the three looked over the situation, trying to come up with a strategy for getting the mess cleaned up.  Nero focused on using the tractor.  He tried to figure out where to tie the tow-chain and find an area of solid ground.  DJ quietly surveyed the scene and grinned playfully to himself.  Chet hadn't noticed.   He simply went over to the trailer hitch and disconnected the truck and trailer.  Then he stepped out of the bog of mud and stroked his mane slightly, looking at his new friends.  
"Well, you've managed to see one of my secrets when the accident with my clothes happened.  I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with you guys because you didn't put me up on any kind of throne to make me seem so superior.  You see me as an equal.  I like that feeling.  I do want to show you one of my other secrets though, and this will give you a peek at that.  Yes, horses are very powerful, but because of my breed mix, I kinda got a bonus.  I guess I'll just show you, instead of talking about it."
Chet stepped over to the trailer hitch and gripped the metal firmly.  DJ and Nero watched the stallion's forearms writhe thickly with cabled muscle and veins.  His lats unfolded fully, wrapping around forward as the horse started to pull slowly.  His hooves sinking deep, almost up to the calf which were still covered by his pants  The stallion repositioned his hooves and snorted angrily at the mud.  His back muscles contracted showing deeply etched valleys of thick muscle.  His arms bulged hugely, more veins surfacing over the thickening mass of hard muscle.  The trailer lurched suddenly, followed by a deep grunt from the muscular stallion.  He snorted again and ruffled his mane, taking another step back.  The stallion was literally hauling the trailer out of the mud bog.  He showed more power than his Hemi-powered Dodge Ram truck.  Five more steps backward gave the young horse some firm footing.  He finished hauling the massive trailer out of the thick mud and then set the hitch down gently on the ground, then stood back up, almost not even winded by the exertion of strength.  His muscles were considerably more pumped.  Veins pressed against the hard surfaces all over his body, with a slight coating of sweat, but certainly nothing like what would be expected given the feat of strength just shown.  His ears perked to Nero's almost lustful mewing.  Chet tried not to blush, but it was his nature.  He did force a smile.  Then he looked at DJ.  The muscular fox was just smiling happily.  He looked at the truck.
"My turn to help out."