"It looks abandoned..." Tod began, looking at the old cabin.

"Door's locked." Vixey said as she tried to open it. Then she looked closer. "No, wait. Not locked, the lock's broken. Nothing short of busting down the door is getting us in there."

"We could try unlocking the windows. We just need someone to get in there." He looked at the lock on the door. "It's an older style lock. One that a small creature can get through. Maybe we can get Olivia to-" Vixey promptly wacked him sharply on the head. "Ow! Vix!"

"We talked about this Tod! You can't just put the kids in danger like that!"

"How are we putting her in danger!? This place looks abandoned!"

"And what if it isn't, Tod. What if someone IS in there and they catch her!?"

"She's small. If she keeps low and hidden she can scope the-"

"Tod!" He jumped at her sharp tone, his ears flattening.

"Vix, I understand you're concerned. I am too. But this is the first place we've found since we left Zootopia. We may be able to shelter here for a while. We're all tired Vixey." Vixey huffed.

"Alright, fine. But get this into your head Tod." She stepped closer, her tone serious. "I love you Tod, but if either of those kids get hurt or even killed because of a decision YOU made, I. Will. Not. Forgive you."

"I'll... Keep that in mind..." Tod whimpered. With that he and Vixey walked over to where Bambi and Olivia were waiting.

"Olivia, I need you for something." Tod said, picking up the mouse gently and moving her to the house.

"...Vixey, why were you yelling at Tod?" Bambi asked worriedly. Vixey paused.

"Oh... Er... You heard that?"

"I have sensitive hearing."

"Oh... Uh... It's just..."

"You don't hate him, do you?"

"No dear. I could never hate him. His heart's in the right place, but he tends to do things without thinking them through." She shook her head. "It's nothing to worry about Bambi. It's just something that's between me and him."

"Ok..."

Olivia squeazed through the lock and into the cabin, the small mouse looking around cautiously. The place looked utterly abandoned, with dust and cobwebs all over the place. Shaking, she darted over to the nearest window, grabbing onto the old lock and lifting. It gave off a loud squeak that echoed through the house. Olivia froze, tense as she waited to see whether or not she hafmd alerted someone that may have been inside. After a few moments of silence, she timidly grabbed the lock and resumed lifting. Unaware of the small set of eyes peering at her from a rafter overhead. The eyes stared at her for a few moments, analyzing her as she struggled to lift the lock. After a few moments, the tiny figure spying on Olivia nodded, deeming the child mouse to not be a threat. The figure darted silently across the rafter and into a small whole that led to the attic. Meanwhile, Olivia had managed to lift the lock completely, allowing Tod to shove the window open from the outside. The fox moved back so he and Bambi could help Vixey through the window as Olivia sat back to gather her nerves.

Elsewhere, a figure ran through a dead forest, human in nature, but her features obscured by the purple cloak she wore. She stopped to get her bearings. The sound of rapid paws reached her ears as a ghastly white, demonic looking canine phased through a tree in an effort to lunge at her. She moved to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast as it managed to tear her bag. The creature skid across the ground as it snarled at the girl, preparing to lunge again, only to be stopped dead as the girl pointed her wand at the beast. In a flash, the beast was frozen in ice, letting out a pathetic, muffled whimper. The girl bent down to inspect her torn bag. There was a thud as Zero landed near her.

"Do I know you?" the girl asked nonchalantly.

"A Ghost Hound..." Zero pondered. "The Order only send those to track and kill. They wouldn't have sent one after a child without good reason."

"I'm thirteen. Not a child."

"You're close enough to a child, and they sent a Ghost Hound after you. A logical conclusion is that you habe something they want. And if your hiding your face, then they would consider you a high profile target otherwise. So, what do you have?"

"That's none of your business." The girl stood up, only for a large book to fall through the tear in her bag. Before she could react, Zero had snatched up the book and was looking at it in surprise.

"...You have a storybook... Kid, the Order will KILL you for this!" The girl snatched the book out of Zero's hand, stuffing it back into her bag before using her wand to repair it. "There's another thing. You're using magic, even though the magic that permeates the air is dying. That tells me that you have a powerful magical artifact in your possesion. Yet another thing the Order will have your head for."

"Yeah, well the artifact belonged to me long before they took over, so no way they're getting it."

"You have a deathwish kid." Zero murmured. "The artifact and the book will be safe with me if you just." Zero stumbled back as their hand was frozen to a tree with an ice blast.

"I can take care of myself." The girl said.

"...It's yours, isn't it? The storybook?" Zero asked, causing the girl to pause. "You're not with the Order, and anyone with enough power can erase what's in the books. But to actually write in them, you have to be the man who created all the storybooks, or the main character of the book. And that seems like the only reason someone like you would be willing to risk keeping the storybook." Zero narrowed their eyes, pulling themself free of the ice. "If that's so, then we have a lot to talk about, Princess Sofia."

"...No...We don't." Zero reached forward to grab her her arm, but Sofia recoiled, as if in fear. "No! DON'T TOUCH ME!" She pointed her wand at Zero, and they were sent flying into a tree. Sofia then pointed her wand at the ground, dissapearing in a burst of magic as Zero pushed themself up.

"Princess Sofia... Her storybook ended when she was eleven years old, but she just said she was thirteen." Zero's gaze wandered to the frozen Ghost Hound. "So what happened in those two years to make her act like she has nothing left to lose. And..." Zero turned to leave. "She didn't look like she was afraid of me touching so much as she was afraid of being touched period." A burst of static reached Zero's ears.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Zero sighed, pulling out a radio.

"Hello Webbigail. How's Dewey?"

"Stable. So what happened?"

"What always happens since the Order took over. She wouldn't trust me. What's worse, she's going around with her own storybook."

"What!? How'd she get her hands on her own storybook!?"

"That's the question, isn't it." With that, Zero turned off the radio before vanishing, leaving the small clearing empty, save for the frozen Ghost Hound.