Hello everyone, I just wanted to say that I am happy to write up my first Zootopia fic and hope that you all will enjoy it and it's forthcoming chapters.
I wanted to give a shout out to Selaxes for helping me out with the proof reading and inspiring me with his story, Sounds of the Heart, which I recommend if your an avid Zootopia fan such as I.
If you do enjoy my work, do leave a comment or two. Thanks! and enjoy the story.
The morning air was brimming with activity within the Tri Burrows as animals were setting up their tents and booths for the annual Carrot Days Festival. Before the sun had even rose to shine its cascading grace upon the new morning, animals were already working away at setting up their booths and tents for the fair.
Over at the Hopps' booth, older rabbits from the large family had just finished setting everything in place and flicked their ears when they heard the first customers coming over to purchase their goods.
"That would be twenty seven dollars thank you very much," Gwendolyn Hopps, a cream colored bunny with dark blue irises announced to one of the hares that was purchasing a bundle of vegetable from her family's booth.
Accepting the bills that were handed to her and providing the correct amount of change in return, Gwendolyn gently wrapped the vegetables up in newspaper before placing them in a bag for the hare.
"Ya'll selling stuff already huh?" a familiar voice whistled, causing the bunny to turn her head and smile kindly at the other animal.
"Good morning Gideon, you set up your booth yet?" Gwen asked as she took a moment to talk with their parent's good business partner and family friend, Gideon Grey.
"Jus'about. With Elliot and a few of your younger siblins a'helpin me, I'd get situated in no time to start selling my breakfast goods," Gideon responded with a smile before waving a paw at the many younger Hopps whom were running about the booth.
"We'll I'm glad good ol' Elliot and my other brothers and sisters are helping you out there Gideon. Do be sure to stop by our booth is you need anything alright?" the doe replied.
"Much obliged Miss Gwendolyn," Gideon tipped his head at the cream colored doe before noticing the Kettus making their way on over towards his booth.
"Gideon, please, we're all friends here. Just call me Gwendolyn or Gwen," the bunny assured the stout red fox baker who smiled in return.
"Ah'll keep that in mind Gwendolyn," Gideon voiced in kind with a big smile on his face.
After Gideon had bid his farewell to the Hopps, he turned and made his way back on over towards his booth so that he may speak with the Kettus. As she watched Gideon leave, Gwen then turned her attention to stare at four figures that were approaching towards the Hopps' booth. Surprisingly enough, it was the two siblings whom were mated with two predators and both to be foxes no less. The two mated pairs seemed to be having a round of affectionate banter with one another, especially the rabbits as Gwendolyn noticed Bailey sticking his tongue out at Judy who merely smirked in response.
"Aw, isn't that sweet? Both Judy and little Bailey having such loving times with their foxes," a voice spoke out from behind Gwen, causing the doe to turn around and face the bunny who spoke aloud.
The one who had spoken aloud was none other than a buck sibling with a fur coat of white and brown, accented with brown speckled spots in the lighter fur. The bored looking rabbit was none other than Dustin, a rabbit born from the same litter as both Gwendolyn and Judy. Although the buck had spoken aloud one might have been mistaken him to be a specie-ist prey and predator hater. Gwendolyn however new better, knowing that her brother, Dustin was merely just teasing as he was a very strong advocate for all mammals to love whomever they liked and was one of the very first siblings to fully accept and congratulate both Judy and Nick's relationship.
"You jealous Dustin?" Gwen quipped with a knowing smile as she straightened up the vegetables and fruits on display.
"Me? Nah. I have my beautiful Seleena and wonderful six kits to go back to," Dustin responded, shuddering with glee before he had let his big, grape colored eyes stare off into space.
"Dusty, your family is here at the festival. I don't know why you're speaking as if they're all on the other side of the country?" the doe chuckled quietly.
"You don't understand Gwen. It feels as if a whole continent is between us every second we're separated from each other. I just can't stand being away from my beloved and beautiful children," the brown and white buck lamented dramatically placed his paws over his chest and lolled around before stopping abruptly. "I miss my family," he finished in a quiet voice with tragic expression.
"Dusty, Seleena and the kits are just going to grab a little bit of breakfeast which is just a booth or two away. They're coming back," Gwen retorted, her brother's antics already wearing thin.
"I suppose…" Dustin said as he turned to face his sister with a smile forming on his lips. With his penchant for drama and taking even the smallest occurrences overboard it was no wonder he and Nick got along so well.
Before long, and just as Gwen had stated, a white furred doe along with six small kits scampered all around her as they returned bearing small containers of food for their aunts and uncles who were busy tending the booth. Upon seeing his family, Dustin shot up immediately and quickly ran on over towards his mate, picking her up and spun her around.
"Seleena, my love! Oh how I have missed you!" Dustin announced loudly, causing the white furred doe to let out a chortle of laughter before he turned his attention to the six kits that bounded around both himself and his wife. "And don't think I could forget my little ones!" the buck said just as loudly as he picked up all of his children in a great big hug and spun them all around as well, making a spectacle of it all.
Seeing her brother so happy with his family, caused both Gwendolyn and the rest of the Hopps sibling to smile. Gwen, however, felt a aching pang within her chest as a realization slowly dawned on her. Even though she was from the same litter of siblings as Dustin and Judy, she was the only one who hadn't found a mate yet. Or any mammal for that matter. Just like her brother Bailey while growing up, she hadn't felt nor had the need for a mate. Well, until he met his Riina, that is. But after noticing that she was indeed the last of the litter to have actually find a mate, or even feel interested in another caused a sad twinge deep within her and she didn't know why these feeling were coming up now. That thought was only momentary before it was banished to the back of her mind as another customer walked up towards the Hopps' booth. Putting on a smile, Gwendolyn turned to greet them.
…
It was getting much later into the afternoon. While the festival was still ongoing as more animals started to attend the late night activities and the smaller ones were soon taken back home, Gwendolyn sat idly by the Hopps stand along with several of the elder siblings. Placing a paw over her yawning mouth, Gwendolyn watched as animals of all shapes and sizes ordered from their booth and she had taken it upon herself to do some inventory in case they were running low on anything.
"Hey Gwen, you can go home. The rest of the family can take care of the stuff from here on out," one of her younger brothers told her.
"You all sure?" Gwendolyn asked as she directed her attention to the rest of her family in the small space.
"Yeah, we're good. We know you live out a bit and don't know if you were going to stay at Ma and Pa's. Anyways, if you decided to freshen up at your own home you should probably leave now before it gets too dark. That and you've already been helping out since before dawn. We'll take care of the rest," her varied siblings reassured her.
Thankful that all her family was so thoughtful, Gwen stood up and bid them all a good night before taking her leave for the rest of the evening.
On her way back home, Gwen decided to listen to the news radio and furrowed her brows when the radio announcer mentioned high winds at the outskirts of the Tri-Burrows region and a possibility of a thunderstorm. Rolling her dark blue eyes at the mentioned possibility of a storm, Gwendolyn felt her fur ruffle up slightly. This was one of the times the doe wished that she didn't live in the far outskirts. The only reason she'd moved so far out was because it was affordable and peacefully quiet out there, away from the everyday activities of Bunnyburrow.
That, and as much as she loved her family, Gwendolyn had always preferred peace and quiet, away from the farm. She treasured her quiet moments, not to mention that having a bathroom all to herself without having to share it with a dozen bunnies at any given time was extremely appealing. That is why she had decided to move to one of the outskirts of the Tri-Burrows where the countryside was separated from the ocean by a dense forest spanning nearly a hundred miles. The isolation was sheer bliss, though it was probably why she herself hadn't found somebody suitable as a partner yet. Letting out a sigh, Gwen drove on, trying to not lament on such an unimportant thing that she felt that she wanted.
It wasn't until much later until Gwen reached her little cottage home that sat at the edge of the deep countryside forest. As she got out of her vehicle, the bunny had to hold onto her purse and dress tightly when the winds suddenly whipped up around her, causing the forests to eerily wave in the distance like a sea of writhing darkness. Glancing up at the night sky, Gwendolyn couldn't even see the moon and wondered if these winds would make it back towards Bunnyburrow. Hopefully not as it would be most inconvenient for the Carrot Day Festival, and some of the tents that many of the vendors used to shelter their stands and goods.
While standing there lost in thought, Gwen was reminded of the brewing nightly storm once more as another sudden gust blew around her, almost pushing her off of her feet. Quickly making her way towards her small little home, Gwendolyn opened up the front door and eased herself inside before shutting it behind her before the wind could pick up again. Letting out a relieved sigh, she slowly set her things on a side table before she decided to clean herself up and retire for the rest of the evening.
It was nearly an hour later when Gwen finally came out of her bathroom wrapped snuggly in a purple bathrobe with a white towel neatly bound around her head and ears. Taking a seat at the foot of her bedside and looked at herself in the mirror, Gwen let out a sigh as she pulled off the towel around her head and started to brush down the fur on her ears. While tending to her grooming, Gwendolyn half closed her deep sea colored eyes and started to hum quietly to herself finding the moment rather relaxing.
While staring absently at her own reflection, Gwendolyn couldn't help but let a small frown form on her face. She had wished that she wasn't so plain of a rabbit like the one that stared back at her from within the mirror. In all of her life she felt unsatisfied with how she looked and had wished that she could be something more just like some of her other successful sisters. She wished she could be a wonderful actor like that of her sister Isabelle, an amazing cook like that of Claire, or be successful, strong and brave like Judy. Instead she turned out to be a plain bunny who worked solely on the farm from time to time with her family.
Gwendolyn's head and ears perked up when she heard her windows rattle as the strong winds blew against them and shook the panes. Setting her brush down, the doe made her way towards the windowsill to ensure it was tightly secured before making a bee line back to her bed and flopping on top of it. After a moment or two of self contemplation, and admittedly maudlin thoughts, she had decided that it was about time for her to get some shut eye and slipped a nightie on then reached over to flick off the light near her bedside while flicking the covers back. Tucking herself within her blankets, Gwen stared up at the dark ceiling of her bedroom before letting her eyes close slowly and letting sleep embrace her.
Just as she was on the verge of drifting off the sound of several banging noises caused Gwen to sit up suddenly in her bed, the blankets clutched to her throat in tight paws. Letting out small, heaving breaths, she stayed completely still within the darkness, wondering if she had imagined she'd heard the noises. After several more seconds her ears shot up once more as she heard the rapping sounds, albeit slightly weaker than before. Quickly jumping out of her bed and pulling on her robe, Gwendolyn opened her bedroom door and let herself out into the living room.
Taking a glance outside the cream colored doe could still see that the night's storm was still raging outside with intermittent flashes of summer lightning. Her ears swiveled behind her when she heard knocking coming from her front door again, which seemed weaker than before. Looking around, Gwen found a small umbrella and held it at the ready as she made her way towards the front door.
"W-who… who is it?" the doe called out from behind the safety of her door that separated her from whoever it was outside.
Taking a look though the peephole of her door, Gwen saw that there was no one standing at her front porch; the stoop completely empty save for a few windblown leaves. Curious as to why she couldn't see anyone, Gwen lowered her ears and posture, assuming that it was just some teenage kits from the farm down the road playing tricks on her during this stormy night. Just as she turned around, Gwen stopped in her tracks as she heard the knocks again. Letting out a flustered growl the cream colored doe marched up towards her door, unlocked it and flung it open.
"If you all don't leave me alone I'm going to have to call the poli-" Gwendolyn started out angrily before letting out a small yelp as something big and furry fell out from the side and right towards her.
Jumping back as the other creature fell towards her, Gwendolyn watched as the other mammal landed with a soft thud onto the wooden floors of her small home. Letting out a gasp, Gwendolyn knelt down besides the other animal and checked it over. As she was turning the supine figure over to take a good look at it, she noticed something thick and warm sticking to her paws. At the strange sensation, Gwendolyn pulled back her paw to look at it, Gwendolyn's eyes growing as large as saucers when she noticed the dark red coloration of blood in the dim yellow light staining her fingers and pads.
Jumping up quickly in shocked fright, the doe pressed her back into the wall as she stared down at the body that laid before her. Distracted for a moment by the wind that suddenly blew into the house reminded her that front door was still wide open. Making her way on over towards it Gwendolyn quickly shut the front door before turning her attention back to whatever animal had suddenly fell into her home.
Shaking with fear, Gwendolyn lightly tip toed her way on over to where the other animal laid and softly placed her hand over the other creature's neck. After a quiet moment, Gwendolyn felt a weak and thready pulse from the mammal, causing her to let out a relieved breath she didn't know that she was holding in. Gwen thanked the brothers and sisters whom were in the medical field for teaching her on how to find and read a pulse. Once assured the strange mammal was still alive, Gwendolyn turned on the rest of the lights in the living room before directing her attention to whomever was lying on her floor. With a sense of urgency overriding her trepidation, the doe leapt into action.
Opening up her closet, Gwendolyn grabbed a clean linen sheet and threw it over her couch before making her way back towards the figure that lay on her floor. Reaching down, Gwen took a hold of the animal's jacket and let out a heave as she tried to move the heavy beast on over to where the couch was. It took her nearly fifteen minutes to lug the big mammal nearly five feet and up onto the linen covered sofa. Panting deeply with her exertions, Gwen huffed as she slipped to the floor in front of the couch and wiped at her brow momentarily before she got up.
The clanking of metal sounded within the kitchen area as Gwendolyn pulled out a small pot and made some hot water then gathered other supplies and quickly brought it back to her wounded guest. Taking a pair of scissors, Gwendolyn hesitated a moment before she carefully cut open the other animals undershirt and peered down. She noticed some major cuts that were spread over the mammal's upper body causing her to let out a small hiss at the sight. Whoever this was must have gone through the gutter to have come to her doorstep looking like this.
Gwen then quickly drenched a clean rag with hot water and started to clean the injuries followed by another dipped in rubbing alcohol. It wasn't the best solution, but it wouldn't do to let bacteria fester in the cuts.
As the doe made contact with the creature's open flesh a pained grunt caused her to finally look up at the other mammal's face. What she saw was like no other creature she'd seen before. This other mammal that lay on her sofa with such nasty wounds had five fingers on each paw, olive to dark brown colored speckled fur, a giant, powerful looking chest, with equally large muscular arms, a crescent furred head. The strangest thing of all was a brightly colored snout accented with blues and reds being the focus of colors. As the mammal breathed though it's mouth, Gwendolyn took notice of the large fangs as well.
"What are you?" Gwendolyn whispered quietly as she continued cleaning the mammal before her, taking notice of the creature's furrowed brows and pained grunts when she ran the alcohol laced rag over the open wounds. Whatever it was it wore clothes so it wasn't some feral monster like in a movie. Once done with most of the cleaning the stranger settled into an exhausted sleep, the injuries taking their toll and didn't stir as she finished dressing them as best she could. This certainly wasn't how the doe planned her night on going in the slightest.