Hello everyone,
This here is a story that I had an idea from remembering a veery old game Magic Carpet. Wanted to post it as a crossover, but it's so old that it doesn't exist as a category. XD
Anyway, this'll be an adventure with wizards, magic, monsters and fun times between Judy and Nick.
Hopy you enjoy.
Short explanation: Judy's telepathy is written in bold italics, while Nick's is just bold.
Oh! And I blame Fox in The Hen House for this ;P
Netherworlds are a very hostile place.
The land of the demons, where very few mortals dwelled, dwarfed by the hordes of hideous demons. A world beyond that of the blissfully unaware mammals that lived their normal lives. But that peaceful existence was abruptly brought to an end when one day the curtain between the worlds was suddenly torn apart and a certain demon stepped through to the land of mortals.
Demon Lord Vissuluth.
Feasting on the souls of the damned for centuries, he finally had the strength to break the boundaries between the two worlds and invade the defenseless kingdoms of mortal mammals. But, when all seemed lost and the extinction of mammalkind inevitable, one stepped up to stop the onslaught and ventured into the Netherworlds to challenge the demons and the Demon Lord himself in their own realm. Now all hope rides on the shoulders of one brave soul that decided to put everything on the line to save the world from destruction.
This is her tale.
.
.
Castle was always the priority. It was the first thing she had learned from master Otterton.
Its towers were made for storing up gathered mana, helping to increase the potential of the wizard that summoned the castle. The connection was very simple: the stronger the castle, the stronger its master was. However, if one's castle were to be completely destroyed, then the wizard would be banished from the realm and if hadn't prepared another castle in a different realm, then their soul would be lost forever.
Now, with her summoned castle finally succumbing to the fireballs cast by the demonic worm, the bunny wizard, dressed in a blue tube top with sewn in short sleeves that left her white furred stomach visible, along with matching harem pants, had no other choice but to temporarily withdraw. She managed to deal with the zombie archers, but throwing a worm to the mix was too much for her. The grey doe clenched her teeth when she cast her own fireball at the monster. The burning projectile made a direct hit, but it only seemed to anger the worm. It turned in her direction, moving it's disgusting segmented body on the dusty ground.
Judy quickly steadied her carpet and flew backwards to make some distance between her and the demonic worm that lumbered towards her. Sudden angry screech made by the creature assaulted her sensitive ears and she clasped her paws over them instinctively. At the same time, she felt heat brushing past her cheek.
She almost got hit by a fireball square in the face.
Cursing under her breath, she shifted her hindpaws, changing her center of gravity, making the carpet fly to the side in a backward arc, while new fireballs sent by the worm were swishing around her.
"Come on, come on, come on!" she muttered to herself and glanced over her shoulder. There she saw her goal, the vast water. Her carpet finally left the dirty, rocky ground area and hovered above the blue sea, the salty air smothering her face. She flew like that for a while, the aggressive monster turning into a faraway point on the coast of the island. While capable of ranged attacks, this demon couldn't follow her into the water with his massive body. Water was its weakness, as she has learned from her master.
Judy finally stopped the carpet a few feet above the surface of the sea, her heart still pounding hard from the encounter. The doe dropped to her knees, no longer able to stand on the shaky legs. It was the second day since she entered the Netherworlds. Moving around the first realm wasn't difficult for her. Practicing riding her carpet as well as basics of spellcasting under the guide of her master, Judy Hopps always dreamed to become a true wizard. To gain strength to protect everyone with her magic. When her teacher died while using whatever magic power remaining in his body to protect their home town during the demon invasion, Judy promised herself that she will protect everyone and avenge his death.
"Damn it!" she slammed her fist into the woven fabric of her magic mount. I can't achieve anything if I'm this pathetic! She scolded herself in an angry manner. The bunny felt that her eyes started gathering tears and immediately shook her head, not allowing herself to cry. Tears won't stop Vissuluth or his evil servants from destroying her home world. Therefore, she needs to grow stronger and be able to defeat any monster that stands in her way. For that she'll need to-
"So, this is the buzzing fly I've been hearing about?" said a voice right beside her. It was calm, confident, but also carried a hint of disappointment.
The bunny sprung up with a fireball spell ready in her paw and looked to the side, only to see empty air. Her eyes darted left and right, trying to find the source of the voice she just heard. Finding nothing, she began thinking that it was a mere delusion, created by her tormented mind. She lowered her arm, the fiery orb fading away,
"You sure are a jumpy one. Then again, that's to be expected from a bunny," she heard it again, this time right behind her. "You're all so emotional."
Judy spun her carpet around and shifted her body to fly back several feet, again seeing nothing but air. No monster, no mammal, no demon, nothing.
I wasn't imagining things! Then who-
"Right behind you, sweet cakes," this time there was obvious amusement in this statement. For the second time Judy spun around to finally see the speaker.
Right in front of her hovered another magic carpet with a mammal seated in the middle.
It was a red fox, dressed in an obsidian colored vest, leaving his arms bare and quite a lot of his creamy chest visible. Rather well toned arms and chest. His legs were clad in white harem pants caught in at ankles. He was sitting cross-legged, with an elbow on one of his knees and resting his muzzle on a paw. Thanks to that she also saw a gold, forearm bracelet on his arm, in a shape of an entangled snake. The other golden ornament on his body was a small, round earring. He was staring at her with shining, green eyes that almost twinkled from playfulness. But the most characteristic feature of this fox was his smile. A smug smirk that spoke volumes about his character and confidence.
She knew of this mammal. Her late master taught her about him and the others. One of the powerful wizards that ruled the realms of Netherworld in the name of their demonic master.
One of the Seven Servants of Vissuluth.
Nicholas Wilde.
"You're… The Trickster!" she exclaimed, using the nickname she had learned about, internally cursing her bad luck. To run into one of the wizards of the Demon Lord in the outskirts of the Outer Realms… Judy swallowed with difficulty. Damn it! The way I am right now I have no chance against this guy! Just as she thought that, her nose started twitching nervously, betraying her anxiety. The bunny could only hope that he didn't notice it. Direct battle was out of the question, the difference in power was far too great for her to win. To even hope to survive this meeting she'd have to stay cool and try to sneak away somehow. "You were sent here to hunt me down?" she asked him, doing her best to sound calm, while very slowly backing her carpet away from the fox.
He chuckled hearing her words, maintaining a laid-back posture. "Hunt? I'm not into squashing bugs," even in this dire situation Judy's eye twitched with irritation. "You're far too weak right now to be considered an interesting prey for me," he said while waving his free paw.
Judy's carpet kept slowly floating back while his stayed in place. "I'm not weak," she shot back, her cool temporarily lost in response to his mockery. She knew it was a mistake the moment the words left her mouth. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hold down the last bit of pride that dwelled within and forced her to speak those words.
The fox let out a sigh and aimed his paw at her, magic energy forming in his palm. The mana spiraling around in a glittering vortex, visible only to wizards, as their eyes were trained to be able to trace signs of magic in the air.
Judy's eyed shot wide open and she quickly raised her own arms to form a Shield spell. It was the first spell she has ever learned from her master, a tool of protection, meant to save defenseless mammals from various threats. The doe was very diligent in her practice of using this spell, starting with one of her siblings throwing rocks at her. At first, some of the projectiles passed through her barrier, but she was persistent and even with a collection of painful bruiser she kept training, until she was capable of withstanding dozens of young rabbits attacking her at once. Still, now its true effectiveness would be put to a real test and the result largely depending on the spell he wanted to use.
'The Trickster' cast his own magic, the released mana forming a fiery rock the size of the bunny herself and it shot towards the doe.
The Meteor spell?! She grit her teeth, bracing herself for the impact, but when it hit she knew that her protection won't be enough. Her shield shattered upon contact and she was propelled backwards with a painful yelp. The flame that accompanied this attacked licked her arms, burning fur and flesh alike, sending pangs of excruciating pain up her shoulders. Thankfully, she didn't fall off her mount, but the burns on her arms from the fox's attack were stinging like hell and she almost passed out from the sensation. The force of the strike left her sprawled on the carpet, slight ringing in her ears making her dizzy.
"See?" the voice of Nicholas Wilde got through the haze and was noticeably closer now. She lifted her head just in time to see him jump off his carpet onto hers. Before she could react in any way, the fox swiftly leaned over her, pinning her smaller paws to the fabric. His touch elicited a strangled groan from the bunny as the wounds ached under his large paws. He lowered his body, almost laying flat on top of her. "You're weak!" he grinned down on the defeated bunny.
"Curse you!" she hissed through her teeth, unable to muster enough strength to break free of his grip. Though she had nothing to throw back at him, as he was right. She was far too weak and she now paid the price for it, being completely overwhelmed and crushed with just one spell. The doe hated herself for failing her mission and allowing herself to be killed so easily.
However, the fox still wasn't delivering the finishing blow. Instead, he tilted his head to the side and eyed her curiously. She could almost feel his eyes roaming around her body, but for what purpose, she had no idea. Maybe he wants to torture me beforehand? He even lowered his nose to her fur and traced it over the line of her neck, making Judy let out a surprised gasp.
"What are you-"
"Say," he retreated enough to look her in the eyes. "You're rather cute. Mind if I kiss you?" he asked her with a smirk, a playful glint dancing in his eyes.
A…a k-kiss?!
Judy's first reaction was shock, but that melted away quickly in the face of burning anger and irritation. "Mind if I kick you?!" she snarled back at him, with his face just inches above hers. "Just kill me already!"
This guy is just… infuriating!
He raised his brows, making puppy eyes. "Whaat? Not even a small peck? Come on, what do you have to lose if you're going to die anyway?"
She spat right into his face. "I'd rather die right now than kiss a fox!" Judy stated with disgust. "Kill me!"
He stared at her for a moment in silence, the spit slowly dripping from his facial fur. Then he simply smiled and shook his head. "Don't wanna'," he stated in calm manner and stood up, releasing her arms. Then he leapt gracefully back to his own carpet and spun around to sit down in the same manner as before.
Judy propped herself on elbows and stared at him with confusion in her amethyst eyes. "What?! Why?" was the only thing she could think of right now and that's what she asked him out loud.
"Why?" he repeated her question before showing a toothy grin. "Because I want you to succeed, Fluff!"
For the second time during their meeting Judy's eyes widened. "You what?!" she voiced her disbelief, ignoring the nickname he gave her. What trick is this? Judy couldn't comprehend his actions in the slightest. They were enemies, bound to face each other during her mission to destroy Vissuluth, as the fox was one of his servants. Yet, here they were, the vulpine having her on a silver platter, not only refusing to end her life, but suggesting that he wanted the death of his master. It was pure insanity.
"Yup, sounds crazy, right?" he nodded with another playful spark in his green eyes. Then, before she could get up to a sitting position, the fox floated closer to her on his carpet and held up his paw, open palm facing up. Magical energy twirled around his fingers and blue mist gathered in his palm, quickly forming a striped urn with a red lid. "My gift for you. You're going to need it," he placed the urn on her carpet, right next to her legs.
She focused her gaze on it, as she instantly recognized this object. It was a spell urn. Wizards used them to store spell formulas and it was the only way to learn magic without having a master to teach you spellcasting. Even with her limited knowledge, Judy knew that these things were very valuable and rare. Some wizards would even spend decades to find a single urn.
Why would he give one to me?
A sudden movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she snapped her head towards the fox again, only to see him leaning to her and pressing his lips to her forehead. She froze, her ears hanging loose behind her head. After a second of contact he withdrew, smiling at the stupefied bunny.
"There. With this we'll be able to talk even between realms, so I'll be able to keep an eye on you."
She frantically brushed the fur on her forehead, now feeling slight pulsing of mana in the spot he kissed.
He… he… he… She swallowed mentally. He kissed me!
"What did you do to me?!" the doe demanded in a raised voice, cursing her weakened state and that she couldn't fight back or just even slap him for good measure.
Just a little spell to help us communicate, Fluff. The fox didn't move his lips, but she heard his voice loud and clear in her mind. Her first reaction was mild panic and she grasped her head with both paws, shutting her eyes tight.
"Get… get out of my head!" she yelled.
Not going to happen.
Judy cursed under her breath while opening her eyes again and snapped her head towards the infuriating fox.
Who was now gone.
Bastard! He must've used the Invisibility spell! She clenched her paws into fists and sat up on her carpet. "Damn you, fox!" she screamed her frustration to the world in general. After that she fell on her back again and stared at the endless blue sky above her.
"What the heck just happened?" she asked herself out loud, the carpet slowly drifting above the water. While happy to be alive, the bunny couldn't comprehend the actions of that weird fox. He had the upper paw the whole time, he could've killed her on the spot… But he didn't. What's his goal in this? She raised her head to glance at the spell urn. It was still there, not vanishing into thin air like the annoying vulpine.
Pulling herself up and ignoring the pain still radiating in her wounded arms, Judy cautiously reached for the red lid. She didn't sense any sort of magical energy surrounding the urn, possibly meaning that it wasn't some kind of trap. Still, he wasn't given the nickname 'Trickster' for nothing. Judy struggled with a decision for a while, before she made up her mind and grabbed the lid. Deciding to take the risk, the doe lifted it in one, quick motion.
Magical energy instantly flowed from inside the clay container and surrounded her in a flash. Her eyes widened briefly when knowledge about a new spell wormed its way into the depths of her mind, engraving itself there forever. The doe gasped and leaned slightly forward, her body instinctively relaxing after this novel experience.
Heal.
Judy just learned how to use the healing spell. And that meant… She glanced down at her arms. The doe focused her inner mana to flow through her wounded limbs, exactly like she just has learned to do. The magic circulated in the flesh and made the burns slowly fade, replacing it with fresh skin. In a matter of seconds her newly healed arms regrew the fur she had lost and when she finished they looked like they've never been hurt at all.
Judy examined her limbs with slight amazement while a weak smile appeared on her face and stuttered laugh escaped her mouth. "Ha… haha… I'm healed. He gave me a healing spell."
He gave her a real spell.
Why would he do this?
Nick to Fluff, are you there?
A scowl immediately formed on her face when she heard the voice in her mind. "Stop that!" she snarled.
Ah, you're probably just talking normally. If you want to speak with me then use my image as a focal point and let your inner mana flow through the words you want to say.
The doe groaned, the idea of imagining the fox's face again wasn't a pleasant perspective, but she didn't have any choice if she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. She breathed out, calming her thoughts and recalled the image of the vulpine wizard, at the same time forming the words she wanted to convey to him. With that done, Judy focused her mana to flow into her mind.
How do I get you out of my head?!
There was a second of silence before she could hear his chuckle.
Bravo! You've just started your first telepathic conversation!
I don't want any conversations! I don't want to have anything to do with you!
A sigh preceded his next words.
You wound me, Fluff. Is that a way to talk to your teacher?
T-teacher?! Is he mad?! Judy grit her teeth before responding.
You're NOT my teacher! I have only one master and will always follow his teachings!
Well, seems to me that he didn't do a good job.
Judy could feel the fur bristling on her back from rising anger at his disrespect for her late master. The mammal that she respected the most and grieved over his loss.
How dare yo-
You are weak, carrot girl.
His sudden statement cut her off and caused her to freeze. With what happened with the fox and the fight she had earlier, the doe couldn't argue with that statement. She hated herself for being in a situation like this.
Then she heard his voice again, now confident and warm, and what he said was a beginning of the biggest change in her life.
But it doesn't mean that you have to stay that way. I will make you strong.