Chapter 1: A Twist of Fate (Darkness)
Nick had walked aimlessly through the morning streets of Zootopia with a tearful look on his face. It has been an hour since he not only failed to reconcile with Judy but also made things worst between them as the doe he loved no longer wants anything to do with him now.
Nick felt angry at himself for being such an idiot for leaving her at such a crucial moment of her life. He should've been there by her side giving her comfort during her darkest time; but no, he decided to stay away until it was already too late.
"If only I had a second chance." he whispered.
Nick soon noticed where his wandering had brought him. An abandoned warehouse area, the same place where he and Judy shared their first heartfelt hug after their little fight at the Night Howler Press Conference years ago and where he first realized that he had developed feelings for her. He smiled and reminisced about the good times he and Judy had shared before their break up when he suddenly heard someone lurking in the shadows.
"Who's there?!" he said as he started to look around and saw a pair of glowing eyes a few feet away from him. He couldn't tell what type of mammal was staring at him because it was still a little dark and foggy to see clearly, but one thing is for sure it didn't look friendly.
Nick's old police training kicked in and instinctively went into a defensive stance. "Whoever you are. Don't think I can't defend myself." he warned. "I've faced mammals twice my size during my time in the ZPD."
Nick heard a chuckle before a feminine voice spoke. "I don't doubt your abilities little fox, but I think you haven't faced anyone like me before."
Nick was beginning to worry and started planning on how he'd escape if things don't go well, but for now he mustn't show any signs of fear. "Then, why don't you come closer so I can see you." he taunted.
"See me?" the voice spoke again before Nick heard footsteps heading towards him and with each step a figure slowly became visible.
Nick stared blankly when he finally saw the voice's owner. A dragon-like creature with four black feathered wings protruding from her back and side of her arms whose fur was whiter than freshly fallen snow. "Who are you?" he asked, not moving his eyes off the creature. "What are you?"
The creature giggled a bit. "I've been called by many names throughout history, but I prefer to be called Diantha, mister Wilde." she said.
Nick stared at her, surprised that she knows him.
"As for your second question, I can't answer it for your own safety." she continued. "But, I can tell you that I'm someone who has the ability to grant you your wish."
Nick took a step back. "Grant my wish?" he was confused.
"You wish to have a second chance with someone, correct?" Diantha asked with a grin forming on her face. "I can make it happen if that's what you truly desire."
Nick was speechless. Does she really have the power to give him a second chance with Judy? If so, would he accept her offer? He pondered for a while until he finally reached a conclusion. His life was already meaningless after he lost Judy so what else does he have to lose?
"Can you really gave me a second chance?" he asked, wanting confirmation from Diantha.
She nodded. "Yes I can, but there's one thing I forgot to mention." she replied, making Nick a little nervous to what she had failed to tell him. "When I said a second chance, It meant that I would give you a second life as a different mammal."
Nick stared at her again. "So, you mean if I go through with this I will no longer be myself?" he inquired.
"I'm afraid so." she answered.
Nick sighed. "Then, so be it." he declared without hesitation. "If it means I get to be with the one I love again."
With Nick's consent, Diantha's four wings flared out before a pitch black aura began engulfing Nick's body. Nick, at first, was terrified of what's happening to him, but after a while he managed to calmed himself. "This is for Judy." he chanted in his head.
Right before the aura completely engulfed him. Nick could hear Diantha saying one last thing.
"Good luck, Nicholas and don't you dare waste what I gave you."
Nick's eyes opened and was surprise to see that he was no longer in the warehouse area where he met Diantha. He was now lying on a bed in some medium size apartment. He slowly sat up and began looking at his surrounding noticing that the apartment was filled with a lot of mechanic themed posters and tools.
"Where the heck am I..." he paused as he realized that his voice was different and sounded feminine.
Nick quickly jumped out of bed and grabbed a mirror on a nearby table to gaze on his or rather her reflection which was now a beautiful vixen whose fur was a slightly lighter shade of red and had tufts of longer fur on the back of her head.
"Oh sweet cheese and crackers I'm... I'm a vixen." Nick gaped as the mirror slipped through 'her' paws and shattered after hitting the floor. "I think I need to sit down." 'she' walked back and sat down on the bed trying to make sense of what's going on. 'She' remembered what Diantha told 'her' about being another mammal after going through her offer guess this is what she meant, but why a vixen though?
Moments later, the calendar on the wall caught 'her' eye. 'She' stared at it as 'she' couldn't believe what date was on it.
"No way... I've traveled back a few months as well?" Nick said in disbelief before 'she' heard a buzzing sound. 'She' turned to where it was coming from and saw it was a cellphone on 'her' bedside cabinet. 'She' hesitantly picked it up and answered.
"He... Hello?" 'she' spoke and soon after a familiar commanding voice answered. "Chief... Chief Bogo?"
"Who do you think?!" the voice angrily responded. "You better get your tail here right now or else your fired, Shannon!"
Another AU story based on Borba's Born to be Alive (since I just can't wait how the trilogy ends). Diantha is an upcoming character set to appear in one of my future stories called "Advent of Light and Darkness".