Trials of Endearment
A/N: Hello everyone, Ones-and-Z3ros here. To start things off, I wanted to tell you all that this story is a collaboration between Akanomie1, Davebo1007, Tron1997, and myself. We had been talking about developing a story that we could simultaneously work on for a while, and a certain plot appeared. I hope you all like it, and follow for more chapters.
P.S. Tron1997 here. This will be on my page, at least for now. If you are an avid reader of any of our other works as individuals, then welcome. We love you and want you to enjoy this collaboration. If you are new, tell everyone else to come here and check this out, check us out, and enjoy. What that? I am taking to long? Sorry. Enjoy.
Nick
"So how do I look, mom?" My mom looked down at me, eyes gleaming with pride and a smile on her face. "You look like a definite Ranger Scout, Nicky." I stifled a giggle, then turned back to the mirror and puffed out my chest, looking macho. That act didn't last long, however, because my mother started tickling me. I lost my composure and fell into a fit of giggles from her constant tickle attack. She finished with me and we fell into a heap on the floor. I got up, brushed myself off, and I looked at her. She was looking me up and down, and I was proud to be so impressive in her eyes. It had taken my mother two months and three jobs to save enough money for this uniform, and I was determined to fill the responsibilities that came with it.
I headed to the kitchen to grab a quick snack before heading out. I give my mom a hug and a kiss then left the house, walking right into the cool night air. It was early autumn, so the temperature wasn't that bad. I was jogging to the Junior Ranger Scouts Headquarters because I was so excited to become an official Ranger Scout. Once I got to the building they held their meetings at, I took the stairs two at a time, running up and through the building, until I reached the back, where the stairs to the basement were hidden. After as I descended the stairs, I saw the troop leader.
I saluted the Ranger Scout Leader he saluted me back then he said "Are you ready for your initiation into the Ranger Scouts?" I said "I was born ready." Then he told me to close my eyes, which I did with excitement. The lights flickered off as the pack of prey mammals turned on a flashlight and shined it in my face. They then asked that I deliver the oath, so I began. I recited the oath perfectly, having only minor trouble remembering the end. However, as soon as I was done the groundhog said to me, " Even though, you're a fox?" Three of them then grabbed me and pinned me to the ground so I couldn't move. When I opened my mouth to try protesting by shouting, "No guys. What did I do wrong?" I felt something cold and metal against my muzzle. I could barely see the others even with my night vision. The groundhog chuckled as I squirmed. "If you thought we would ever trust a fox without a muzzle, you're even dumber than you look." I struggled to get the muzzle off, but failed horribly. I decided to run, since it seemed to be the only other option. As I left the building, I heard the leader say "Aww, is he gonna cry?" I hid behind the side of the building struggling to remove the muzzle on my face, till finally pulling it up and over the back of my head, flinging it a few feet away while breaking down and crying.
'How could they?!' I thought, looking over at the horrid device thrown from my face not a moment prior. 'I was supposed to be one of them. I was supposed to join the pack!' I thought, over and over until the words sounded crazy to me, so I leaned down and closed my eyes, curling myself as small as I could, hoping to fade away.
After a few minutes of trying to calm myself down, I slowly started walking home in the cool air after being brutally humiliated in front of the pack of prey mammals. I walked solemnly, taking deep, ragged breaths as my tail dragged in the sidewalk behind me. I felt as if all friends had gone from the world, and for the first time in my young life, I felt truly alone. That is, until I started hearing it. A female voice suddenly but quietly, in my head.
"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
The words seemed to echo softly, momentarily into that sweet sultry voice up in my head for what felt like hours. I listened, almost leaning into the voice, begging it to continue. I had stopped crying now while feeling slightly better, but a little confused. I started to look around, trying to see who it was that had spoken to me. When I saw nobody, I shrugged my shoulders and started back on my way towards home, my head going back to the events of the night.
As night drew even darker, the streets were covered in random puddles from some rain earlier and I took great pleasure hopping into them making big splashes each time I had jumped into one. However, as I came up to one that was near my house, the sweet female voice came out of the puddle just as I readied myself to jump into it. "No, not this one." As the voice faded a silhouette of a bunny shone on the water then disappeared just as quickly.
The suddenness of it all stopped me dead in my tracks. I watched, gazing deep into the puddle, willing the beautiful bunny girl to come back. When she didn't, I thought back to what I had just seen. "Did I really just hear that? Did I just see?" I said out loud, looking around the street again, seeing it void of any other mammal within shouting range, even with my night vision. Instead, I walked around the puddle and while my curiosity seemed to be getting the better of me, I opted to lean on the adjacent building while watching the puddle for any sign of life.
At first I felt silly, I didn't even know what I was waiting for. Was there some kind of sewer mammal following me trying to cheer me up or what. Then, as if to answer the swirling questions that plagued me a midsized sedan came barrelling down the street.
KA CLUNK!
While the car came by it rolled into the puddle driving the first tire deep into the unknown wetness causing sparks to rain out as the bottom of the car scrapped the giant pothole, eliciting all manner of improper language from the moose driver. I watch helplessly, as the water comes flying at me, but I step back far enough to avoid it, staying dry.
KA CLUNK!
The moose's back tire ran into the same problem bottoming out as the rest of the car's momentum continued forward. I looked back at the puddle, which had emptied most of its water due to the car. I looked left, to where the car had gone, then I turned back to the puddle. I then pat down my outfit, remembering the work my mother had gone through just to get this brand new outfit. I then think back remembering the voice warning me. 'Somehow she knew. She knew how deep the puddle was. She just...knew.' I thought. I then turned and ran towards my house.
I stayed close to the buildings while making my way, home not allowing myself to wander any longer while some unknown force had its way with me. After all I was no junior ranger scout, that's for sure. I got home later than I would've been if things went well, and as I walked in, I was immediately enveloped into a tight hug. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick." I struggled to escape her tight grasp, my mother practically squeezing the life out of me, but as weak as I was, it seemed impossible. I sighed, and finally told her what happened.
After that agonizing conversation, I finally bade my mom a goodnight and went to bed. I went up the stairs, while my mom sat on her knees, her eyes still full of tears after hearing what happened to her little boy. I was in my room getting ready for bed still thinking, 'What is going on with me?' I thought back to the memory of the girl in the puddle, and the voice before that. I thought of all of it as I climbed under the sheets of my bed. The long day had worn me out, but as I felt sleep take hold of me, I remembered her, one last time. An angel sent to protect me, my guardian bunny.
The next morning, I awoke to the morning sun on my face, and the sound of birds chirping their elegant mating calls. I knew it was Saturday, so I didn't have to get up early. I laid in bed, smiling to myself at this memory, until another, darker thought filled my mind. The misery I had felt the night before, after my Ranger Scouts adventure. A nagging sensation washed over me, ringing all throughout my head, "Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest of acts, this is the secret of success."
I instantly sit up, looking left and right, trying to locate the female who had just been talking in my room of all places. However, nothing could be found and as quickly as it had come, the voice was gone, leaving me wide awake and rather perplexed. I took one last look around my room, before resolving that I was just a crazy kid. I then got up to go find something to eat. As my paws hit the hardwood floor, I jumped slightly from how cold it was. I started to lower my paws to the ground again, this time slower, to allow for gradual adaption to the cold. Eventually, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. I wasn't old enough to use the stove, so I decided to have toast with jam and a bowl of Mighty Paws cereal.
I walked over to the counter to grab two slices of bread and put them in the toaster. Then, I went to the refrigerator to grab the milk for the cereal. Once I retrieved the milk and set it on the counter, I went to the pantry and pulled out the box of Mighty Paws. On the way back to the counter, I heard that little voice saying "Your milk's gone bad." It still unnerved me to hear it, but a forewarning about what I was about to eat scared me. I looked around, but then shrugged, knowing my mother had just purchased milk and she never let it go bad. So, I made the cereal and went to grab the toast and the jam from the fridge.
With breakfast finally made, I sat down to eat. I started eating the cereal, but something tasted off. I sniffed, then started drinking the milk. The taste was revolting. I run to the sink to spit it out, then went back to grab the bowl of ruined cereal. As I got to the table, I saw a bunny sitting in my mom's seat. She was about my age, with silver fur and a tone under her neck. She had on a purple sundress that went to her knees, and a pair of flat, purple sandals. Her eyes were the same color as her dress, and they were full of mischief and danger that I saw whenever I looked in the mirror. "I told you." She giggled, but the only thing I could do was stare at her in confusion. I finally snapped out of it, and as I looked around for how she got in, I spoke to her. "Uh, how did you get in here? Who are you?"
The rabbit giggled again and said, "I'm Judy, your new neighbor." I didn't remember having any rabbit neighbor's or seeing any rabbits move in anywhere near us. We lived in the Canidae neighborhood, as small subdivision that rented exclusively to canine predators. My mother had told me that people never trusted wolves, because they are only fair to their pack, and they don't trust foxes because they are shifty. So they push us together, do what they can to keep us to poor to move, and that is where we stay, away from all other mammals. I remember asking why, and all my mother said was "That's just the way it is, Nicky. But don't worry. I have you and you have me, and that is all we need." Remembering that, I knew their was no way that she was telling the truth. Judy then said "Your name is Nick right?" I answered "Yes, but you're lying about being my neighbor. I never saw any rabbit's moving in, and you can't even live in Canidae." Then it hit me, I said "You're the voice I heard last night and this morning. What do you want from me? Why are you following me?!"
Judy replied "I don't want anything, I'm just here to help you." I closed my eyes, shaking my head and trying to clear any fog from it. I started looking around, seeing if their was anything I could use to knock this bunny out and get rid of her, but when I turned my eyes back to her, she was gone.
"Okay, that was weird." I said to nobody, though I doubted that. I quickly grabbed my toast before going back upstairs, running as fast as I could. Upon entering my room, I saw the same bunny sitting in my bed swinging her legs back and forth. Now I was really scared, so I edged my way into my room, heading for my baseball bat in the far corner. "What do you want from me?" I asked her, hoping to get an answer, or at least keep her distracted. She looked around, then looked me in the eyes. She finally said "Okay fine, I'll come clean. My name is Judy, but I'm not really your neighbor, which you solved impressively quick, considering that I am part of your mind. I don't want to hurt you. Actually, I want to help you. Well, your brain does, but I guess the only way you can help yourself is by getting help from a beautiful, imaginary, bunny girl." I was shocked. When anything bad happened before, all that I got was a talking to from my mother or sometimes a slap on the wrist and some hurt feelings. What changed? Why did my mind have to kick in now, after it was just too late?
Judy then responded, as if reading my mind, she said "It's never too late. You just had a bump in your road." I was about to say something when Judy continued, "Nick, don't worry so much about what happened."
I just resolved to stare at her, eyes wide as saucers. I then finally said "Did you just read my thoughts?" Judy nodded and replied "I'm apart of your mind. Of course I can hear your thoughts." Judy giggled. I looked at the baseball bat, then back at her. After a moment of thinking that I am sure she heard, despite her looking at me with a constant, calming smile, I decided to trust her. I then started moving towards my bed to sit next to her.
Something still bugged me though. I looked at her, expecting her to answer without me asking, but when she didn't I decided to vocalize my thought. "So, why did my brain conjure up a bunny?" I asked her, because bunnies and foxes were natural enemies, and if she's some sort of 'guardian mammal', why was she a bunny? Judy giggled, and said "I have no clue why your brain made me a bunny, but let me be clear about something: I will not hurt you." I nodded slowly, then laid my head down on the bed looking at the ceiling. "Then I guess we have some things to discuss." I said, as I looked at her.
After a long, enjoyable day of talking to Judy, I decided to go hang out at the corner park while it was still light out. My mother wouldn't be back home for at least half an hour, and most other kits my age would be busy with their families, so the place would be all mine.
I grabbed my sweatshirt and locked up the house before bolting quickly down the sidewalk. Few mammals ever bothered a glance towards a fox, let alone a fox kit, so I didn't have to worry about any distractions between here and the park. After about five minutes of running, I came to the entrance of the park. It was rather large, and I enjoyed playing under the bridge most of the time. Walking over to the little stone bridge, with the dirt path underneath it, I felt an urge to start jumping, like most kits and their childish urges. So I started jumping from stone to stone on a path that led up to the stone bridge. Once I reached the top, I swung my legs over the edge, and looked out over the park, enjoying the sun and wind in my fur. As I was focused on a breeze coming by, with my eyes closed, a couple of larger kits walked up to me.
I hear them coming, so I turned their way and waved. "Hey guys, wanna play with me?" The group consisted of three boys. The leader was a deer, with a red sleeveless shirt on and some blue jeans, then their was the ram, with a black baseball cap on, a black shirt, and faded jean shorts. Finally, there was a zebra kit, with a blue t shirt on and brown shorts.
The deer fawn in the group snorted, "Us? play with a fox? As if. This bridge is our turf, so if you don't like it then we can always see if foxes can fly." I reel back with my tail bumping into the edge of the bridge. Then, I hear Judy call to me from under the bridge. Her voice doesn't seem to attract the prey mammals attention at all. I looked over the edge, and I saw Judy, standing on the path and looking at me. "Do you trust me?" She asked. I smiled and nodded. She smiled back at me.
I smiled bigger, readying myself for whatever she had planned when suddenly, Judy shouted in my ears, "DUCK!" Without hesitating, I ducked low as the ram in the prey group snuck up behind me while trying to push me over the edge. My quick reflexes made him lose his balance and he almost went over the edge himself. I quickly grabbed his shirt and pulled him back onto the bridge safely, all while taking a few steps away from the group. Feeling very confident now, I look back at the group and say "Foxes don't fly, but rams might." The other kits then rush to the side of the ram who was shaken up badly from his near miss with death.
I then look around, finding a sturdy stick and a few rocks, I turn back to them and offer the items in my paws. "Wanna play, fellas?" I asked. They looked between each other, then the zebra kit walked up and took the stick. For a minute, I prepared to be hit with it, but then he took a rock out of my paw and tossed it straight up. As it came down, he swung the stick, nailing it perfectly and sending the stick flying over the edge.
I smiled, and so did he, offering me the stick back. I took one rock and set the others on the side of the bridge. I then tossed mine straight up, and as I came down, I swung. I felt the rock connect and it went sailing, past where the zebra's rock was. The deer then gasped, and I heard the ram say "Cool." Suddenly Judy's voice rang in my head, "Don't worry, I made sure you won." Unknown to the kids on top of the bridge, a gust of wind had sent his rock flying further than any others.
"Yippy!" I shout as none of the other kits are able to hit their rocks quite as far as mine. As it gets dark, they all turn to leave and I call out to them. "Hey," I shout, "if you want a rematch come back tomorrow."
The kids all wave back at me and shout, "You're on, fox." With that, I watched them leave the park. I then look at my Mighty Morphin Power Zords watch and I gasp, seeing my half hour was spent already. Judy walked up behind me, balancing on the edge of the bridge with her paws out to either side. She spoke up when she heard my gasp, saying "You had better head home before your mother beats you." At that I left as quickly as I could run. I wanted to get home so I could tell my mother about my day.
A/N: Well, that is gonna do it for chapter 1. I want to thank the aforementioned writers for their help with the story in general. Whoever has this story, I want to thank you for hosting this. Now, please be aware that this is a collaborative story and that all of us write other stories (exception of Tron1997 who just finished Life as a First), so each chapter will not have a release schedule. Anyways, have a great day everyone.
~1's-n-0's
~Davebo1007
~Akanomie1
~Tron1997