Witch hunt
"Pueblo chico, infierno grande"
An Argentinean proverb.
Author's note: Don't own anything, don't sue.
….
Ashley Ray Weaselhoff ran for her life through the corn crops, the crescent moon barely illuminated the landscape. Her tormentors were closing in, she could hear their hateful voices humming behind her and their words brought even more fear inside her soul.
-"We'll get that bitch and pelt her when we're done"- A sharp female voice hollered
-"I call dibs on her tail"- The younger one said.
-"Shut up idiots! We'll burn her alive, there's no point on using her pelt"- The leader of the lynching party barked.
-"No we're not! We have to make it look like an accident"- The older one says
They are too many, and too fast. Those bunnies look cute and she thinks of how disgusting it is that fluffy little mammals like them are usually considered cuddly, while weasels like her are seemed as unworthy scoundrels. She isn't the one thirsty for blood, she isn't even the predator right now, it is those sweet looking bunnies that are hunting over her like she was their meal. Yet she pains in knowing that if they actually catch her, not only will they kill her, but they will get away with it too. After all who would think such adorable fluffballs would be capable of such cruelty?
She thinks of her lover and the life that awaits them both as soon as they leave this god damn town, that thought alone gives her enough strength to run faster in the hope of making it out of this alive.
"I'm coming for you baby, and when we get outta here all this will look like a bad dream" She thinks as a smile creeps on her muzzle, everything will be alright, she will outrun these jerks and reach her love because love conquers all right?
…. Right?
….
Nick and Judy sat in a bench over the Savannah central station, Chief Bogo had given them the week off after their last case had gone awry, it was a hostage situation that ended with a crazed elephant dead and several traumatized citizens. If it weren't for the duo's quick thinking things would have gotten a lot worse.
Judy had taken the opportunity to give a long due visit to her family at the burrows, at first she thought to bring Nick along. But while her parents had been changing their views around foxes, she didn't dare bring her friend to her home until she could make sure he would be treated with the respect he deserved.
The police officer was very careful in that particular subject because her partner had always been sensitive about the speciest mindset of the countryside, considering the press conference fiasco she starred almost a year ago she didn't blame him, he always acted like the stereotypes around his species didn't bother him but Judy knew first hand of how deeply he suffered because of that.
Her parents were opening their minds about foxes and their business deal with Gideon Grey was a clear proof of it, but that doesn't mean they would become completely speciesm free in a blink of an eye. It was the city that had taught her actual change takes time, that ingrained beliefs were very hard to get rid of. But slow as it might seem change does happen eventually, so if everything went well on this visit she would make sure to bring him along on her next trip.
-"So what are you gonna do in your vacations slick?"- She asked in her usually cheerful way.
-"Well my ass has a very important date with my couch, they've been together for a while now but lately my job as been keeping them apart, if things go as planned my Pawflix account will pay them a visit too"- The red fox answered casually sashaying his tail as to make a point.
Her lovely purple eyes saw him with a little pity and her soft paw reached his. The fox could not understand what was wrong with that rabbit, why did they have to be so emotional? One moment she was beaming with energy and the next she was eyeing him with so much heartfelt sympathy he wondered what he said to cause that reaction.
-"You'll be alone the whole week?"- She said with that ultra cute expression she got when her ears were droopy, the one she uses to melt every heart on sight.
Nick rolled her eyes –"Judy why is it so hard to understand some mammals actually like spending time alone? Not everyone is a cuddle machine made of rainbows and fluff you know?"-
She was about to respond when she got a call from her sister
-"Hey Dude! You're coming home right?"- The other doe on the line asked in forced cheerfulness.
-"Dude?"- Nick said puzzled from behind his partner.
-"It's a nickname I had when I was little"- she said giving an annoyed glance at her sister, her ears were erect once more but they twitched in frustration.
-"We used to call her Jude the Dude, she was such a tomboy there was a rumor in the town that she had actually been born a buck who liked to wear pink"- The other doe answered smugly from the device. –"Hey is that the fox you keep babbling about?"- She said eyeing the vulpine snickering behind her sister.
Nick gave the doe on the screen a casual wave; he would have introduced himself if he weren't laughing his tail off –"Jude the dude? That one's priceless, wait until Clawhouser finds out!"-
The only way Judy could manage her embarrassment was to punch him in the shoulder, hard.
-"What is it that you want Addie?"- The doe said not hiding her mirth, of all her brothers and sisters Adaline was the most emotionally distant from her, it's not that they disliked each other is just that they were too different. While Judy was the oddball career-driven outcast, Adaline was the picture-perfect pretty girl that everyone loved.
-"I actually wanted to talk to you about something when you got here, it's important"- The doe said dropping her fake smile and giving her a serious glare.
-"Sure I haven't boarded yet but I'll be there by noon. See ya"- Judy answered all too eager to finish the call before more embarrassing secrets from her childhood were spilled out.
Nick stopped laughing, the pain in his arm soured his mood a little bit. He had made a living out of his ability to read other mammals and he could tell the doe on the phone seemed genuinely upset -"What do you think it's the problem? She sounded kinda miserable"-
Rolling her eyes Judy told him –"Knowing her, she probably ran out of dresses to wear or nobody has been courting her for more than fifteen minutes"- Judy grumbled, if there was something serious going on her mother would have been calling her instead of her drama queen of a sister.
Nick smirked at the subtle hint of annoyance in her voice, could it be jealousy? If that were the case he was already salivating at the ammunition that would give him over her the next time they bantered -"So she's the girly type. Unlike you, "Jude the dude"-
Pulling her droopy ears over her face she groaned –"You are never gonna let that go, won't you?"-
-"No. No I won't" – Nick said with his smug smile, unable to help himself from ruffling the fur at the top of her head, she looked so adorable when frustrated.
Judy sighed and tried to explain her point of view –"Adaline is not just girly, she's pretty vane too. To be honest I can't blame her for it, if you are the most beautiful doe in the try burrows area that is bound to get to your head sooner or later"-
Nick was shocked -"Wait your sister is the most beautiful bunny in the whole area? Can I see a picture of her?"-from the glimpse he saw of her through the screen he hadn't noticed anything special about the other doe, aside from the stereotypical cuteness.
She flipped through her phone for several minutes until she found one of Adaline, and then showed it to him.
The fox scoffed, for such a pretentious title he expected that bunny to have rainbow eyes or perfect curves or something, instead all he saw was the plainest doe he had ever laid eyes on. -She's just like you but brown!"- He said exasperated, even her hazel eyes looked average; at least Judy's were of a deep violet, something quite rare in the mammal kingdom.
-"It's not brown Nick it's golden, especially in the sunlight"- She chuckled
-"So? All fur shines in the sun, mine by example is of a dashing copper"- He said petulant while placing a paw over his chest, then booped her nose with one gentle claw –"And yours is like silver, but no one makes a big deal about it. What's the fuss about her anyway?"-
Judy shook her head, as a predator he couldn't possibly comprehend the beauty standards of a species so different from his own. Maybe she could explain him sometime, even if that would cause her great embarrassment. –"It's a bunny thing Nick, you wouldn't understand"-
The fox merely shrugged casually while staring at the approaching train –"Whatever Carrots, but if you ask me, I think you're way prettier than her"-
The doe gave him a perplexed stare, he had been literally the first mammal to ever say that. The strangest part is that he actually said it like he believed it, there was no sarcasm involved, he said it like it was the most obvious and natural fact. The situation was so alien to her all she could say was a shy –"Bye Nick, I'll see you next week"-
-"Sure carrots, we'll talk over the phone though"- The fox said puzzled at her numb demeanor, damn emotional bunnies, what was up with her now? And more important, since when did he care so much about every flicker of emotion in that cute little face of hers? "You're her friend Nick, you're supposed to care" the voice of his long dead mother sang in his skull, he had blocked out that part of his memory for decades now, but ever since he started opening up to that cursed sweet little bunny he could swear he heard her more often than ever.
….
A kerfuffle of bunnies flooded Judy as soon as she put a paw on the Bunnyburrow station, she loved living in the city but this was her home, and it always will be.
A huge dinner was made in her honor, and her mom made her favorite cake for desert, it was an orange and carrot cobbler that smelled like heaven and joy. At the sight of so many friendly faces and open displays of affection she felt like an idiot for not visiting sooner, it's just that the fast pace of the city and her demanding job have leached most of her time and energy, after more than a year ever since she left she never had time for more than a weekend long visit.
She wondered why she had craved so hard her entire childhood to leave such a lovely place in the first time.
The lunch was long and big so with a full belly she went to her old room for a quick nap, as soon as she closed her eyes she heard a soft tapping on her door, dragging her paws she grumpily opened it and found Adaline's worried face as soon as she opened it.
-"Hey Judy"- The pretty doe told her sadly
-"Hey Addie"- She said nonplussed, only then remembering they were supposed to have a talk as soon as she got home. Maybe it was better to get their conversation now and be done with it as soon as possible, because all she really wanted was to return to her nap –"What is it?"-
-"I really need to talk to you, it is very important"- The glistening of unshed tears in her hazel eyes told Judy there was a lot of drama coming her way.
-"Well I'm all ears"- She said bracing herself for whatever trouble she was going to get dragged into.
Glancing around suspiciously her sister responded –"Not here, our brothers and sisters might hear us, meet me at the Sherwood Forest in ten minutes"-
"Well so much for my nap" the doe thought groaning, she had like a hundred and fifty sisters, why was she the one that had to handle an issue regarding that drama queen? –"Addie can't it wait till later?"- The tired officer pleaded
-"its important Judy, please we can't afford to lose more time"- Adaline said drooping her ears and twitching her nose, the adorable expression worked for bunnies as well because the city cop felt guilty for disregarding the feelings of her own sibling.
The cruelties she had been exposed to while working in Zootopia made most of the rifts and struggles of their countryside family seem paltry in comparison, but she realized that while small in the grand scheme of things, their problems mattered just as much as the crime victims in the city she swore to protect.
-"All right Addie, I'll meet you there in ten"- Judy told her wondering exactly what had she gotten herself into.
The Sherwood Forest was a small copse of trees right at the edge of the Hopps property, it was named by the first colonizers in honor of the most famous forest located in Animalia, their motherland. Originally much larger and fertile than its Animalian counterpart in the seventeen century, it has been reduced to a few trees surrounding a nearby creek, for centuries the large oaks and pines were chopped down in order to make room for crops.
Judy walked into its dark shade, eyeing the soft meadows that surround it; a wave of nostalgia hit her like a brick. This place had been her favorite playground when she was little; it was the perfect place to hide from her overbearing family and loud siblings. Speaking of which, one of them was eagerly awaiting for her next to an old oak.
Crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her head, Judy lifted an eyebrow signaling her sibling to start talking.
The brown furred bunny bowed her head while holding herself –"I fell in love sis"- she lamented.
A bunny falling in love is as rare as a drop of water in the ocean, but since this is the most coveted doe in the entire area that was big news. Hundreds of bucks were constantly fighting for the right to court her, Judy felt sorry for the poor sap her vane sister had chosen, for that guy would be fending off aggressive rejected suitors for several months until they tied the knot.
-"Okay, I'm glad for you"- She said honestly, vane or not Adaline deserved to be loved and happy just like anyone else. –"So who's the lucky buck?"-
- "Ashley Ray Weaselhoff, she works…. Uh… worked in the library"- The doe stuttered and her voice broke.
-"You're kidding right? Is this a joke or something?"- Judy knew who that girl was; she was the sister of one of Gideon's posse members when they were little. While Jim Weaselhoff was still a well known jerk, Ashley Ray had always seemed to live an honest life. The news of her beautiful sister dating a female weasel was pretty hard to process though.
The solemn way Addie shook her head made clear it was not a joke; her sister was not only gay but interspecies as well, with a predator of all beings. Wow, that was a lot to digest.
If Addie finding a suitor would cause chaos, that suitor being a female weasel would bring a debacle the size this little town had never experienced, the gossip alone would be uncontrollable. But Zootopia taught her not to judge other mammal's decisions, and that species is not something that should matter, especially in the issues of the heart. She even found funny that the picture perfect Addie would be the first one to break dating stereotypes and boundaries, she was relieved to not be the only oddball in her conservative family.
In Zootopia you can be anything, even a gay inter, but why should Bunnyburrow be any different?
-"Well, you know what? I'm glad that you found the one, if that's who you want then nothing should stop you. Is that why you wanted to talk to me? Do you want me to help you tell mom and dad?"- She could almost see the stroke her father would have when he found out. But who knows, maybe they are not as conservative as they look and maybe they can be open minded enough to let their daughter be happy, even when Judy herself was a bit weird out at the news.
-"I wanted to talk to you because you are a detective, and my girlfriend was found hanged from this very own tree this morning"- Her face was a mask of grief, but she didn't cry, the supposed drama queen wasn't as frail as everyone thought her to be.
Looking up at the branch above them Judy saw the scars a rope had caused on the rugged surface
-"What happened?"- She asked softly holding the brown furred doe, offering as much comfort as she could.
Feeling accepted by a family member for the first time since she fell in love with Ashley Ray, Adaline felt the dam of her suppressed emotions break and she cried her eyes out, tears spilling over Judy's flannel shirt –"They said it was a suicide but they didn't even bother to investigate! That's impossible she was happy! WE were happy! We were planning to leave this town and move to Zootopia, her cousin has a vegetable stand in there and we were going to elope and get married, and we wouldn't come back until they accepted us for who we are"- With every word her voice grew more rushed and sharper until only pained wailings came out from her muzzle.
-"Why are you the first one to tell me that someone died right behind our property?"- Judy growled outraged.
Between sobs Addie responded –"Mom didn't want you to know she made all of us promise not to tell you, we know what happened in the city with that hostage situation and she wanted you to relax while you were here"-
All the overwhelming information she just received aside, her police training told her most suicide victims choose familiar locations to perform the act, the fact that she went all the way up here was suspicious already. Looking up at the tall branch she wondered if it was even possible for a weasel to hang herself by her own without any help from someone else.
-"Are you sure the sheriff's investigation is pointing to a suicide?"- Judy asked while still cradling her sister in her arms.
-"He closed the case already"- Adaline's voice was raspy from all the crying.
Now THAT was a red flag, all suicides no matter how obvious are considered accidents or murders until proven otherwise; it is not uncommon for murderers to stage a suicide to cover their tracks. If the corpse was found this morning having it ruled as a suicide by that very afternoon means no one made a proper investigation, a half day to close an investigation means there wasn't even time for an autopsy.
While the guilt of being both interspecies and gay in such a conservative town might have caused the weasel to kill herself, Judy could list by the hundreds the mammals that might want her dead, from bigoted prays or predators to scorned suitors for Adaline's hand.
And then Judith Laverne Hopps remembered why she had always been so eager to leave this town and move to Zootopia when she was younger. Bunnyburrow might look like a quaint paradise from the outside, and technically it IS a lovely place to live. But the small town mentality is overly rigid, in here you either fit in or you are shunned out, there is no place for free thinkers and eccentrics in this country town.
She couldn't do anything to soothe her sister's grief, all she could do was bow to her that she would get to the bottom of this, even if she died trying.