Chapter 9

Nick ran away from Mr. Big's mansion and into the cold streets of Tundra Town. His head was swirling with thoughts of what had been happening. Inwardly, he was troubled by what the religious leaders were saying. What the ram in the blue suit had said was still fresh in his mind: 'Anybody who follows the White Lion is an enemy of Zootopia and God himself!'

He wanted Judy to be healed, but he didn't want to be declared an enemy of God and Zootopia. God, he hadn't thought much about, but Zootopia he did. They had forgiven him for being a con-man and swindling them out of money, but what if he starts following this White Lion? Then they would turn their backs on him! Or what if what they said about him being the Son of God was true? Was he already forgiven for what he had done? Would the White Lion accept him and heal Judy? He didn't know! He knew he saw him hanging out with tax collectors and criminals, but what if the sin he did was too great?!

Nick smacked himself in the side of his head; his thoughts were getting out control.

"Nick!" he heard a familiar deep voice call. He turned and saw Finnick driving up to him in his van. "What in the world were you running from?!"

"I can't Finnick! I just can't!" Nick yelled his reply.

"Can't what?" Finnick asked, parking the van and jumping out. "What can't you do?"

"I can't go to the White Lion! I just can't!"

"Why? He can save Judy! He can heal her!"

I don't want to be declared an enemy!" Nick shouted.

"An enemy of what?! An enemy of God?!" Finnick asked.

"Yes! An enemy of God! What if what they say about the White Lion is true?! What if he is evil!"

"Does he look evil? Does he look like the devil?! No! The devil wouldn't do all these good things that he is doing!"

"Exactly! The devil might do good to appease the people! Then he would take over the whole city!"

"Nick! Listen to me! Listen to my voice!" said Finnick. He was trying to stay calm, but was losing it. "The white lion isn't evil! Those religious leaders are crooked! They've been swindling people from the beginning of the city! You must go to him! The White Lion is the only way!"

Nick and Finnick stood there, both panting from the brief shouting match they had which probably the whole neighborhood could hear.

"Nick…" Finnick quieted his voice. "If you love Judy, you must do this for her. You must ask him. Only he can save her."

"I don't know…" Nick spoke, then sighed. "Look, just take me back to Judy's apartment. I don't know what to do anymore."

Finnick and Nick both climbed in the van and drove on to Judy's apartment.

4 Days Later…

….

A camel by the name of Simon had invited Jesus for a coffee at Snarlbucks. The White Lion accepted, and they both were sitting at a table drinking coffee. They weren't having any discussions, but just having a friendly chat.

However, their chatting was interrupted by a loud commotion from the proprietor of the café, who was trying to keep a certain lioness out.

"You can't be in here! You tore up the place last time you were here!" yelled the proprietor, a moose.

"I must see him!" yelled Mary Magdalene, who was trying to get past the moose.

She ran past him and the moose shoved her, causing her to fall at the feet of the White Lion.

She had changed her appearance; Her fur was now cleanly groomed and she no longer wore the torn clothing she was usually wore. She now wore a dark orange jacket, tie-dye t-shirt, and black jeans.

Mary looked up at Jesus with tears in her eyes. Not from the physical pain, but from the spiritual and emotional pain she was feeling.

She began crying silently and rested her head-on Jesus' paws/feet. Her tears fell on his paws/feet, and she began wiping them with the fur on her head. She then kissed his paws/feet and poured a fragrant oil she had brought with her on them. The other patrons at the café were looking at this odd spectacle with unusual looks on their faces.

'The white lion, if he were godly, would know who and in what manner this lioness is touching him.' thought Simon.

Jesus then spoke. "Simon, I have something to tell you… There was a creditor who had two animals that owed him money. One owed him $5000, while the other only $50. When they couldn't repay him, he freely forgave them both. Which do you think will love him more?"

Simon shrugged and answered, "I guess the one who was forgiven the most."

"Correct." The white lion replied. He then turned to Mary and spoke to Simon, "You know Mary Magdalene, don't you?"

Simon nodded.

Jesus continued. "When I came here, you gave me no greeting. Yet this lioness has not ceased kissing my feet since she found me. Not only that, but she has cleaned my feet with her tears and the fur from her head, and anointed them with fragrant oil. And she has done this in front of everybody, not caring what they think of her."

Jesus bent down on his knees and help Mary up. "Mary," he spoke. "Your faith has saved you. Your sins are forgiven. Go in peace."

Mary smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. She then slowly walked out; not one of the patrons touched her or bothered her.

….

At the Grand Pangolin Arms apartment building, Judy Hopps lied in bed, surrounded by her parents and her two fox friends. The sickness was slowly spreading throughout her body and it had weakened her severely. Not only that, but she had been coughing up blood and her eyes had become bloodshot. So, there she was, lying in bed, coughing and hacking away.

Nick was looking at the floor and slowly pacing back and forth. Her parents sat beside her bed and Finnick sat in a chair near the wall, his head in his hands.

"We have to do something… Anything." said Stu Hopps, Judy's carrot-farming father who normally would have quit at the drop of a hat.

"Since when have you been one for not giving up?" Finnick asked sarcastically.

"Since my daughter is dying!" Stu Hopps replied in anger.

"Stu…" said his wife, Bonnie, who placed a paw/hand on his shoulder. "No need for anger here."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Stu apologized.

Finnick nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I made that remark towards you." he looked over at Nick. "You got to do something!"

"Why me?!" Nick asked angrily. "Why do I have to be the one to ask the White Lion?!"

"Because you can." replied Bonnie. She looked at Nick with pleading eyes. "Please, Nicholas…"

Nick turned his head away, his mind filling with the thoughts of what the ram had said at the party. He started thinking of all the things that could happen to him, Judy, her parents, and Finnick if he went to the White Lion. He started feeling scared and-

"Nick…" Judy's voice broke through his thoughts. He turned around to see reaching up her hand/paw to him. He moved forward and grasped it slowly.

"Please…" she said quietly. "Please… Go to him… He can heal me…"

Nick gently let go of her hand/paw and walked over to the door of the apartment. The words of the ram were still stuck in his mind, along with all the other things the leaders had said, but then Nick felt something new growing in him. A fire unlike any other was in him. Something clicked, and he was no longer afraid.

"No…" he said angrily. He turned around to face the others. Bonnie was crying, Stu was trying to comfort her, Finnick had a shocked look on his face, and Judy sank back onto the bed in defeat.

"I WILL NOT LISTEN TO THEM…" Nick said loudly this time, causing Bonnie to stop crying and all of them look at Nick hopefully.

Nick pointed at Judy and said, "I will find him! And you will be healed!"

With that said, he raced out of the door and out of the apartment, In search of the White Lion.

Finnick scratched his head, looked over at Bonnie and Stu, and said, "Maybe I should have given him the keys to the van."