A/N: A twisted follow up.

Chapter 14: Embracing Desires

Cuffed to a wall but left alone. How long has it been? All I have for company is endless silence. He said that the rite would begin shortly. What does the rite involve anyway? This is endless waiting. I felt the first pangs of hunger.

I'm suddenly back in Bunnyburrow. Nick and I are going to a pie eating contest. I eagerly ate the pies so did everyone else. Something remained amiss though. I ask Nick, "Why don't you eat anything?"

"You know I can't do that Carrots. You're going to have to let me go."

What does he mean? What's wrong with this? "I don't understand."

"Open your eyes."

Bunnyburrow fades away. I'm surrounded by darkness again. I shout to ask if anyone is there, all I am greeted with is silence. Endless silence. It's as if I was forgotten. No food, no water, no company.

Several hours must have passed but still there's nothing. No one has come ever since I was shackled to a wall. I shout, "Why" into the air and nothing responds. Is this really going to be my fate? Chained to a wall and destined to starve? Unable to escape or do anything.

I'm suddenly in a tent with Nick. We were going camping after all. I brought went back to the car to fetch the stuff we brought for the trip. I ate the food and so does he. I embraced him feeling his soft fur against mine. I ask him, "Want to go explore the surroundings?"

"You know I can't do that Carrots. You're going to have to let me go."

I feel like I've heard this before but where? Why does it feel so familiar? The vivid dream fades away again and I am left in darkness. What does the Prime have to gain by just forgetting that I exist? Why would he just leave me here to starve in silence and forgotten.

My mind keeps delving into fantasies that do not come true. One scenario after another all to fade away to end back here. Eating and drinking within the dreams provide temporary relief until reality takes me away again. Both the hunger and thirst are getting somewhat unbearable now is this really the end? Cuffed to a wall and unable to escape no one here to watch you pass away.

I am naked within the chasm. I recognize this place, it was on the way when I went to find food for Nick. Have dreams finally turned into nightmares? I find that there's a water crystal nearby. I guess I'm supposed to use that to quench my thirst. There's carrots too how perfect, I was hungry as well. There's my golden necklace too. A shirt is on the ground. It's something similar to what Ember would wear. It's depicting a hybrid rabbit and fox. The pants are depicting images of rabbits and foxes kissing.

Why does my mind torment me so? I put on the questionable attire. I know that this will all fade away at some point. I look above. I can see the sky barely. It's as if the golden stalactite above was missing a piece. This is definitely a dream. This isn't Everlight or the Chasm. A simple mix of fantasy and reality.

I feel like I know where I must go. Going back to Everlight. I wonder what I will find. The guards themselves pay me no mind as if I don't exist at all. No one does. I have arrived at where Nick and I lived while I was in Everlight. I open the door, I wonder what I will find.

Ever since the cultists attacked us, there's been no chance for me to search for Judy. Reconstructing Everlight was somewhat problematic, wherever the sun touched, the crystals slowly melted. It was a reminder of what the cultists were capable of. I have tried to focus on the present per Whitebreeze's instructions. I have tried to act normal during the waking hours. Dreams simply wouldn't go away however. I dreamed of Judy sometimes of how she would be there. She simply vanished when I woke up. I longed for her embrace and slowly slept more and more every day.

I have attempted to find comfort by caring for Alim, Minty and Ember. They did provide comfort when I wasn't asleep. Whitebreeze herself has grown to care more about the kits as well. Eating meat has become something normal for me. I no longer held the revulsion I initially did. Seeing the look of despair or resignation on their faces is another matter entirely. I think the initial excitement of eating live prey has worn off. I long to be back in Zootopia again.

Whitebreeze has told me that I need to let go of the past that I can't keep clinging on to false hope, wishing for something that will never happen. I disagree with that entirely. The kits too have become concerned. They too now agree that I should try to move on. It's not fun without me up and about they said. Whitebreeze noted yesterday that I'm getting more and more detached from reality that I must confront my fears and accept that Judy isn't going to come back. She reasons her argument with that since we haven't heard from Judy at all or Quickpaw for that matter, it means they aren't going to come back and that I am just clinging on to false hope.

Whitebreeze left with the kits to teach them more about Everlight. The kits miss me too because I choose to spend most of my time asleep and rejecting reality. This is Everlight, not someplace I want to live or spend time in. I have been separated from Judy and unable to search for her. I seek the pleasant embrace of dreams. I am pretty sure I have not fallen asleep yet. Judy opens the door and walks in and acts rather hysterical. I too now agree that I need to move on. Hallucinations aren't healthy. She speaks in a voice filled with panic, "Tell me, tell me this is real Nick. Tell me"

"You know I can't do that Carrots. We both know how this will end. I have to move on. I can't keep clinging to the past. I'm sorry."

"No, No, No I won't let it end like this. I can't."

She moves towards me. I yell, "STOP!"

She stops right in her tracks, "Why?" She sounds as if heartbroken.

I manage to say between the tears, "You know how this ends. Every time I hug you. You simply disappear. I can't do this anymore. I have to move on."

She says, "I don't want this to end. I don't want to face reality. If I don't surrender to my desires. This won't go away, right? You'll stay here with me?"

This incarnation of her is rather different. It feels rather vivid as if it was real. Oh, how I wish it was so. She as if echoing my own thoughts. I too don't want to face reality. I took note of her attire. Have I really started to mix Ember with Judy? Her attire is strikingly similar to Ember's shirt.

"I'll try Carrots. I'll try. I can't promise anything." I wanted to be with her more than anything but she simply fades away after I embrace her. I wonder what would happen if I rejected her but stayed with her. Would she fade away just as normal? "You don't know what it's like. I keep thinking of you and I couldn't even search for you when you're gone."

"You keep telling me that I have to face reality. I don't want to." Have I really done that in my past dreams? Have I or has she told me?

"Let's simply sit together but no touching and enjoy each other's presence while it lasts." I sit here with her. I hope that it would last forever. When will this dream end? It's been a few hours. She's still here. We simply sat in silence. I'm afraid if I talked to her she would simply disappear like she always does.

I ask her, "When, when are you going to disappear?"

"When are you?"

I don't know how to reply to that. How can my dream ask me when I am going to disappear? It doesn't make sense. We sit here still.

A few hours more of silence. I'm afraid of doing something that causes this to end. Whitebreeze returns and says, "Apparently, the troublesome bunny has found her way back."

The spell is broken. I know that this isn't a dream. Whitebreeze wouldn't share in my delusions and I certainly wouldn't dream of her. I lunged for Judy and embraced her at long last and cried. She pets my head close to her chest and speaks in a sad voice, "I don't want this to end but I'm afraid it will. This is goodbye."

A/N: Going through with the rite would have been too predictable and out of character. What does everyone think of the twist? I tried to foreshadow a twist subtly. Is it believable?

I'm interested in knowing what people felt when reading this chapter.