Author's Note:
This is a sequel to "Zootopia That Was", a crossover that places Zootopia characters in a Firefly universe. But where "Zootopia That Was" followed the plot of the Firefly episode "Serenity" fairly closely, this story uses the Firefly episode "The Train Job" more as inspiration, and deviates significantly from the original plot.
A few spears of light pierced gaps in the window shutters, stabbing through the darkness of the crowded room. Mammals of every kind sat hunched over at the bar, or in small groups around tables. Waitresses slipped deftly between the tables, delivering drinks (and occasionally food) to the customers. Some customers played games at their tables, but most just talked quietly, leaning close to each other to keep their conversations private.
Soft, gentle music drifted from the front corner as a trio of camels played. One camel sat on a large boxy drum while tapping complex rhythms. Another played a stringed instrument, some kind of long zither with a sound box that rested on his shoulder. The third played a small wooden flute. A fourth camel, dressed in a flowing gown decorated with shiny brass ornaments, danced around the room in time to the music. Like the musicians, she was largely ignored by the establishment's customers.
As the dancer circulated, she passed a group of mammals sitting in the back corner: a red fox, a tigress, and an enormous cape buffalo. A board game rested on the small table between them. The tigress sat quietly with her eyes closed. The fox looked to the side, his ear cocked. The cape buffalo stared at the fox and said, "Your move."
The fox remained immobile. M'bogo, the cape buffalo, spoke a little louder. "Captain Wilde, it's your move."
Nick Wilde, the fox, quickly glanced at the board, moved a piece, and returned his attention to the mammals across the room. M'bogo snorted and scowled, drawing the attention of Sherani Fangmeyer-Clawhauser, the tigress. She looked at the board, shook her head, and said, "Sir, you clearly aren't paying attention to the game, and I've had enough for today. Can we head back to the ship?"
Nick didn't move. Sherani said, "Sir? Can we leave? You made contact, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, made contact half an hour ago. Check out the oryx." He nodded towards the bar.
The trio in the back watched a large antelope with a scar across his face stand on a chair. He tapped a glass with a knife.
"Quiet! Quiet, everyone!" the scarred oryx shouted. "This is a great day, a glorious day, a day of... glory for everyone in the Union of Allied Planets. Six years ago, today, the Alliance defeated the Independents, and put an end to their 'Browncoat Rebellion'! Today is Unification Day! Everyone, a toast to the Alliance!"
Sherani leaned down towards Nick and hissed, "Sir, my stitches don't come out for another week, and I'm in no shape for a bar fight. Did you really drag me to an Alliance-friendly bar on U-Day?"
Nick shook his head and whispered back, "No. I swear I didn't. And U-Day isn't 'til next month, Fangmeyer. You weren't out of it that long. Something's not-"
A hoof slapped the fox's back. Another large antelope, an eland, stood behind him. Half a dozen mammals had gathered around them, and more were making their way toward their corner.
"You didn't drink to the Alliance."
Nick smiled up at the eland and shrugged. "My glass was empty."
"Your coat is brown."
"Is it? Did you know that a lot of foxes are colorblind?"
A dozen mammals had gathered. The eland continued, "You look like Independent scum."
"You look like decent fellows. The war ended years ago. We don't want any trouble."
The oryx with the scar stepped forward and spoke. "That's funny, coming from the Devil Fox. Ain't that right, Sergeant Wilde?"
M'bogo's eyes narrowed as he stared at the fox. Nick held up his paws and said, "Whoa, guys, you must have me confused with someone else."
"And this must be Corporal Fangmeyer," the oryx said, looking at the tigress.
M'bogo stood, throwing the table to the side, scattering game pieces across the floor. He snorted and bellowed, "The Devil Fox?! You're the Devil Fox?!" He crouched down and slowly circled Nick and Sherani, snorting and shouting. "All this time... You let me think that you... that both of you..."
The enormous cape buffalo suddenly charged, roaring as he did. Several mammals in the crowd cheered as he planted his right hoof in the middle of the fox's chest, grabbing him by his long brown coat. With his left arm, he quickly but gently lifted the tigress. The fox screamed as the cape buffalo waved him in the air. As they approached an open side door, M'bogo lowered Nick to his shoulder. The cheers faded as the trio disappeared through the door and down the alley.
In the hills outside town, a small Firefly-class transport rested in a secluded glade. Its airlock was open and its loading ramp was down. At the base of the loading ramp, an assortment of folding chairs and empty crates were arranged in a circle. A chubby cheetah wearing a tropical shirt sat opposite a beautiful gazelle wearing an elegant gown. A light gray bunny wearing grease-stained coveralls sat in a wheelchair, holding a rainbow-colored parasol over her head and twirling it. Two dark gray bunnies approached.
"Oh... Em... Goodness!" Benjamin, the cheetah exclaimed. "You two look like twins or something!"
Jack, the approaching buck bunny, wore leg braces and walked slowly and stiffly. He shrugged. "Well, the captain's right. My stripes are too recognizable. I mean, being recognizable was probably good for my medical career." He looked at the doe bunny walking alongside him. "But now that Brooke and I are fugitives from the Alliance..."
"Do not forget," Gazelle said, "I will need to reapply the dye every few weeks. And more often when you are shedding. Otherwise it will not look natural, which defeats the whole purpose."
"I won't forget," Jack said. "And thanks again."
"Judy, you haven't said anything!" Benjamin, the cheetah, exclaimed. He jumped up and turned her wheelchair to face Jack directly. "What do you think of the doctor's new look?"
"Well, I mean, I..." The light gray bunny smiled awkwardly. "I guess I kinda liked his stripes. But this looks good too. Right?"
Brooke sat on an empty crate, then patted the space next to her. "Johnny, come sit down."
Jack sat next to his sister, then asked, "So, where are the others?"
"Shepherd Woolrich is making the lemonade," Benjamin said, his words tripping over each other almost before Jack had asked the question.
Jack waited a moment, then asked, "And the captain? And Sherani? And M'bogo?"
"They're... you know... they... they, um," Benjamin stammered. "They went into town... just to get a drink..."
The doctor shook his head. "A drink? Really?"
"But not Sherani," the cheetah quickly clarified. "She knows that her pain meds and alcohol don't mix."
The doctor sighed and shook his head. The large ram with graying black wool appeared at the top of the loading ramp, carrying a tray with a pitcher and an assortment of different size glasses. Smiling, he asked, "Who wants lemonade?"
The lemonade was served, and the conversation shifted towards lighter topics: a prank that had been played on Jack during medical school, a similar prank that Benjamin had played on a flight instructor, and a similar prank that Shepherd Woolrich witnessed at the monastery. Through it all, Brooke remained silent and stared at her nearly full glass of lemonade. There was a lull in the others' conversation, and then she finally spoke.
"There's no lavender. Mother always had them put lavender in the lemonade."
"I'm sorry, Brooke," the shepherd said, exchanging a glance with Jack. "I wasn't able to find any lavender. But I'll keep looking, and next time-"
"I want to go home," she said.
"We can't go home," Jack said. "Remember? It isn't safe for us there. They'll send you back to the academy."
"No!" she shouted, clamping her eyes shut.
He hugged his sister. "We're safe here, remember?"
She nodded.
Suddenly, she pulled away and announced, "Time to go." She folded an empty chair and carried it up the loading ramp into the ship.
"Well, it was nice while it lasted," Jack said with a sad smile. "Thank you all for trying."
"Son," the shepherd said quietly, "how is your sister doing?"
"Actually, this has been one of her better days. I still don't know what they did to her at the academy. She won't talk about it. But she has dreams; nightmares really. And now that we're on the run, hiding from the Alliance-"
"Time to go!" Brooke shouted from the ship. The others looked at her, then looked at each other.
The captain's voice squawked from the cheetah's portable radio. "Comin' in hot, Big Guy! Get ready to shake a tail!"
"Oh... Em... Goodness! I guess it really is time to go!"
Author's Note:
Thanks to Steefwaterbutter for beta-reading this story (as well as my original "Zootopia That Was" story). I appreciate all you've done to improve the quality of my writing.
All the chapters of this story have been written, beta-read, and revised, so I'll be publishing them fairly quickly. I'm not sure what's next though. I might continue "Nebula Nine", or I might write another "Zootopia That Was" installment.