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The following is a work of fanfiction: there is no intent of this author to violate, transgress, profit from or infringe upon the Copyright and Intellectual Property (IP) rights of the parent Copyright or IP holders of characters, events or locations belonging to the same which may be contained within this work. To reiterate; this is a Derivative Work meant to be used under Fair Use as described in 17 U.S.C. § 101 and § 107.

All language is either through Google Translate, or the site 'Bits'n'Bob-stones'

The Sons of Efrafa

.

Just remember Aurelia, it could have been so much worse.

"…was on patrol there?! Thirty-two people killing each other in a Night Howler induced panic doesn't just get ignored!"

The pups are camping with their father in the Olympic Mountains, and they can stay there, safe for the time being.

"…Wallander, but it looks like he and his partner called in sick during their last hour on the beat."

It could have… for me. Just for me. For everyone else…

"…lander's a malingerer and a blame-thrower of the worst sort. I finally managed to get him suspended for his lazy work ethic and shoddy police work, and he shows up with some lawyer to overturn that decision as, 'Bellwether-esque species profiling'."

For Little Rodentia, the Fallstaff community, the Meadowlands twice now, and the 103 families of the mammals trapped in the Oasis, it was as bad as it could get, or worse!

"…officers of the ZPD falls under the auspices of the Commissioner of police, not CLEAn; I'll deal with Wallander and Dreys! Right now, we need…"

Focus Aurelia; grieve later, act now! "Are the borders locked down?"

"Madam Mayor?"

"Are the borders locked down Sgt. Raibert; yes or no?"

-ahem- "Yes Ma-am: Transit Authority has shut down Savanna Central Station, except for Emergency Aid transport. Oregon Territorial Guard, including Militia units from Monet, Burgess, Monte Cristo, and Briscoe Counties are staging at all land and river crossings. Port Authority has shut down the Aerodrome as well as all commercial piers in the city, while the Pacifican State Revenue Cutter service is interdicting any traffic in or out of the Zootopia Sound. They're not leaving the city, ma'am."

-growl- "Excellent. I am issuing an executive order as interim Mayor, the Director of the OEM, and the Chair of the ZATC; the police are hereby ordered to conduct administrative searches of all vehicles and containers larger than one cubic meter entering or leaving the greater Metropolitan area. Curfew will be in effect from 8:00 PM until 5:00 AM. All current Permits-of-Assembly are on hold, pending review by CLEAn; any further PoA's will come before this commission for review. Gentlemem, I Want These Animals GONE from my city!"

I will be damned before I let it get any worse!

Chapter 25

When Nick Wilde had called Richard Davis Jr. saying Judy had suffered a massive panic attack at a subway terminal that morning, Dickie hadn't hesitated to drop or delegate everything to pick her up; it wasn't as if he had anything to do right now except try and smooth ruffled feathers of trade partners, what with the Port Authority shutting everything down. Dickie had arrived at the hospital and found Judy curled in a ball in Nick's lap in the waiting room. The todd had a pained and haunted look in his eyes. She looked up at Dickie's approach, then rushed over and all but tackled him while repeating, "I want mommy!"

Nick leaned over and stared at the floor. "Her sister had us both put on Admin leave last night, but I've still let the precinct know we're here. She wanted to go home, so I was walking her to the station." Judy shivered in Dickie's arms. "We got to Savvy Central at rush-hour, and they announced the closing of all out-of-polis travel, and the press of mammals, and the doors opened and…"

She let out an inarticulate gasp.

Nick looked up. "She… we ran for the park on Freemont. That's when I called her sister, Jen; she got us here. I wouldn't trust myself on a tricycle right now." Nick looked towards Dickie but seemed unable to focus on the rabbits in front of him.

Dickie slowly petted Judy's ears while humming. "That would still be safer than going on your scooter."

The snark seemed to help Nick focus, as he put on a watery smirk. "Hey now, no hating on the Baby; I only just refilled the tank for the first time last week."

Dickie smiled in relief at his friend's resilience. "I'll make sure she gets home to her family. Are you going to be okay?"

Nick took a ragged breath. "Zib's on her way to get me. We're helping my mom move into her new place in VT Commons, so I, should be okay; at least, I'll be with others."

Once the hospital had released Judy, Dickie loaded her into his car and headed out of town. After passing a ZPD checkpoint on the bridge leading out of the polis, they were again stopped before entering Briscoe County. Dickie looked at the shattered doe in the seat next to him, as an EOD ferret from the Oregon Territorial Guard searched the undercarriage of his car. He still marveled at the hatred some mammals could have for one another; the Thule Society, Bellwether, even the Bullivian government's suppression of Mestizo and Cholo communities, if the mass grave he, his mother and father had stumbled onto fifteen years ago was any indication. All this hatred over non-issues of race, species, and culture.

The coyote Lt. in charge of the checkpoint waved to one of the M-50/A7 Ontos Personnel Carriers, and the roadblock was pulled aside so he could proceed. He may not be the descendant of mighty warriors like Jacob or Judy, but he would do everything in his power to help her through this; even if it meant meeting her parents, sans support.

…

Nick, Zabrina, and Nick's mother Viviane all looked around the new apartment. It was on the second floor of the building the Winters' lived in, though caring for the newborns didn't leave time for either of them to welcome the new tenant. That didn't stop the other residents from greeting their new neighbor and helping her feel welcome. By the time the movers had finished putting the last piece of furniture in, Viviane's Pantry and refrigerator were both full of local foods. Zabrina's aunt, Amanda had even come by and invited them all to dinner that night at the Adame's Queen Anne style residence overlooking Vulpington Commons.

As the Wilde matron basked in the welcoming glow, Nick was looking all around with a growing sense of agitation. "You're sure you can get to the fire escape fine?"

"Yes Nicholas," Viviane chuckled, "…I think I can make it to the window over the couch just fine."

"What about the stairwell, or the elevator?" Nick was grasping his right arm while looking around. "It's not a straight shot from the stairs to the street, and if the elevator gets stuck then you'll…"

Both Zabrina and Viviane looked in alarm as Nick collapsed against a wall, the grip on his arm now drawing blood. "Dragul meu/Nicholas!" They rushed to his side. Zabrina took Nick's paw and eventually got him to let go of his arm, while Viviane stroked his head talking to him softly.

"Zib dear, you said the two of you came from the hospital. Did they give him anything to take home while he was there?"

Zabrina jolted slightly. "Oh! Antietam, Atreyu, AT-AT …something!" The young vixen was nearly in tears.

Viviane nodded her head. "Ativan; Nicholas has been prescribed it before. It's in the bag you brought yes?" Vivian stood when Zabrina nodded in relief. "Stay with my son; keep talking to him. I'll bring the bag and a glass of water."

It was a tense few minutes before the medication finally started to take effect. The todd was seated on the couch between the two vixens. "I just, I kept seeing those mammals trapped. The smaller, faster ones got to the door first, but the bigger ones didn't stop; they didn't' even slow down. Those monsters had blocked all the service and fire entrances and drowned out the sounds inside with a block party out front." Nick shivered as Zib and his mother held him. "They were in there for five hours before we arrived; if there had just been one door, one way out, we could have saved so many of them! Nangi never hurt a soul in her life, and now she's…"

Zabrina clutched Nick to her side while she kissed his head. "Dragul meu, this is a hate from olden times; Satana himself could not birth a purer evil. Do not give them power over you by letting them into your mind, into your soul!"

Nick nestled into Zabrina's grasp. "Never let them see they get to you, huh?"

Viviane petted his ears. "No Nicholas; never let them get to you. You are stronger than them, and better than them, and more beloved then them. Let that goodness shine through and drive their evil out."

Nick barked a laugh. "We're channeling our inner Judy, are we?"

"Sure," Zabrina laughed a little. "Once the light of your greatness has blinded them, we just launch a tactical ballistic lagomorph at them; we have plenty in this town."

Once they all were chuckling, Zabrina turned Nick to face her. "First, though, we have dinner with my aunt; I think it's well past time my family met their future in-law. Tomorrow night, the Zootopia Interfaith Council is holding a vigil. Let us show these monștri we will not let their hate define us!"

…

Capt. Kamel stared at the request in front of him. "They cannot seriously expect this to get approved."

Jacob shrugged. "Four of the nine board members of the Zootopian Interfaith Council are in Foxburough. Abram Square is capable of safely holding up to 5,000 medium and large mammals, and you've all seen how effective the FCDC is at coordinating community defense. Chances are, even if the request is disapproved, VT Commons will turn out anyway. At least this way, we're not tying up resources trying to prosecute mammals for coming together in solidarity against the Thule."

Canidae leaned back in her chair. "Approve it." She sent a cross look to Kamel when he looked about ready to speak. "We've already locked down the borders, established a curfew; we've even made Gazelle reschedule her benefit concert. If we continue denying the citizens their voice, we'll have city-wide riots on our paws, to say nothing about how weak it makes us look. Put Winterhorn on that exclusively and have the LoN aerial assets monitor County Line Road. We get ZNN to report on the event, it shows the Polis and the Thule that Zootopia will not be held hostage to hate.

"Next," she shuffled the sheaf of papers in front of her, "…how are we doing on tracking down these, animals?"

Agent Swayze typed on his terminal and brought a list up on the briefing room monitor. "First, we've confirmed the identities of the driver and passenger in the Cloven Hoof bombing. The driver was a goat street racer; went by the street name 'Zing'. His passenger was one Joseph Doltz; apparently, he was our swimmer from Foxburough. When we raided his house, it had the usual paraphernalia, as well as articles on several attacks on predators in the last couple of years, including one on his wife and son."

"The pendulum swings." McCaffrey lounged in his chair. "It's no different than the fire bombing that radicalized Doug Ramses all those years ago; a sad story doesn't absolve you of your sins."

Capt. Kamel nodded and continued, while Canidae looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Well with CLEAn's support, and the computer contacts in Doltz's files, we've identified another dozen Thule members. Units from the Fourth and Eighth Precincts are moving to make arrests as we speak. Unfortunately," the dromedary hammered a hoof on the table, "… Officer Tyrus Wallander was among those contacts, and he's since gone missing!"

Canidae nodded to the Capt. "I see. Anything else of note?"

"Yes ma'am." McCaffrey sat up. "We looked over the approving signature for the PoA for the Oasis party. It was digitally signed, and the code flagged on an existing case: The Lemming Brothers Bank job. The same office issued the permit, under a Pamela Duff."

Canidae soured slightly at the mention of the coyote administrative officer. "Do we believe she's involved?" She sounded somewhat hopeful, if bitter.

"No ma'am." Swayze shook his head. "She isn't on any of the currently monitored e-accounts; plus, she's not the right kind of predator."

"What, she's not lupine?" Canidae rounded on the mustelid.

Jacob waved her off. "No ma'am, she's just an opportunistic sexual carnivore. If it moves and it's male, she'll go after it. Some of her co-workers remember her coming in with a hyena whose description matched William Laugherty, from the failed Meadowlands raid. They also say she dumped him within a few days, saying he was too creepy."

When Canidae sagged back into her chair, Jacob pressed on. "Something positive to report, Interpol has been able to identify five Thule cells in Europa from some of the cyber-intel we've collected." Jacob then nodded to Agent Swayze.

The agent balked for a moment, but then relented under Jacob's stare. "Yes, CLEAn's been able to do the same: three cells identified in the midwest, and one in New Amsterdam. We think that one's the regional headquarters. We keep up this pace of progress, and the Thule Society may be finished world wide before the end of the year."

The wolf closed her eyes and took a centering breath. "Alright, I'll take what positive news on this matter I can. Anyway, on with business. The Surgeon General has been reporting their staff are starting to become swamped with cases of Acute Stress Syndrome. I'd like to bring in LoN psychologists and psychiatrists from the Johns Hopkins Institute…"

…

The evening light shone over Abram Square, as a few thousand mammals gathered for the Zootopia Interfaith Council's candlelight vigil for those lost in the Thule attacks. The FCDC was out in force, both to keep the peace and to ensure everyone was well fed and had water. Mikhail and Petra Podanski baked dozens of loaves of bread, while the Castormans and Beors prepared hundreds of fish caught by the community. This simple, yet tremendously symbolic repast did much to unify the gathered mammals. Among the those present was the reporting team of Valerie Coneja and her ever faithful armadillo cameramam.

One of the first speakers was Pastor Carl Goreman, the white rhino preacher from the Southern Baptist Convention in Zootopia. "More than 150 years ago, mammals of all kinds who had been brought to the New World from Africanus as slaves, fled the War of Secession. Many of those mammals were our ancestors. They helped found a new Polis, one that was free from the ideologies of the Old World, and the rampant strife that seemed to arise from them. We may have faltered over the years, we may have lost sight of the goal that is Zootopia, but we have always found our way back.

"Today, we are united not by grief or strife, but because we are a communion of mammals who will not let fear, and hatred tear us or this great polis apart. I want all of you, every single mammal here to look around for a mammal you've never seen before and go over and introduce yourself. I'm not kidding; git!" The crowd chuckled and began to mingle.

Another speaker was Michael Samaha, a Zebra from the Universalist Unitarian Church. "Twenty odd years ago I met a mammal, whose greatest desire was to join the Junior Ranger Scouts. I am ashamed to say that I and the other scouts treated him cruelly, and all for the accident of his birth; because he was a fox." There was a murmur throughout the crowd. "The hatred and cruelty I showed that day haunted me. When I grew to adulthood, I cast my hatred to the air and wind. I became a minister and a scout master of the pack I belonged to as a child, teaching moral rectitude to young and old alike.

"Earlier this week, a mammal whose heart knew only hate, tried to attack that very pack as we prepared to go to the annual Jamboree. We were saved by the valiant efforts of the ZPD. I hope you can understand my trepidation when I came up to thank those mammals, only to come muzzle to muzzle with the very same fox I had tormented all those years ago; Officer Nicholas P. Wilde." There was a stir in the crowd as one fox stood erect in the crowd.

"Nicholas, I have owed you an apology for more than twenty years, but I was too afraid to find you myself. More than thirty families now owe you their gratitude, for rushing in without hesitation to save a group of strangers. This city owes you a debt, for rising above our contempt for one of our own, for thinking ourselves better than another. And so, I call upon you citizens of Zootopia; rise above this hatred! Cast aside your fears and doubts and unite as one brotherhood of mammals; for as the Reverend Marten Luther King said, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hatred cannot drive out hatred, only love can do that.' Thankyou." He stepped off the lectern to thunderous applause.

Jacob slowly circulated through the crowd. He was trying his best to emulate the thoughts put forth during the vigil, but his mind was abuzz with emotions. He was eventually shaken from his reverie by a hoof tapping him on the shoulder. He looked up to find himself beside Father Tatapolis. "Presbytera." Jacob bowed his head to the stately goat.

"Now, now, none of that." Niko waved Jacob off. "Come, walk with me; I always think better when on the move."

They slowly made their way through the crowd, taking in the sights and smells and sounds. They were standing in front of a small placard in the ground, commemorating Abram Kokkinos' founding of Foxburough Parish. The priest spoke without looking up. "Something troubles you, and not just the obvious."

Jacob also kept his eyes on the placard. "I find myself, more and more angry. I felt this way as a child, and it brought me nothing but misery. Now, I know why I feel this way; I have an enemy, and my heritage sings to me, to visit wrath upon them. But just as in my childhood, I know it will only bring ruin. I don't know how to let that hate go, Father."

Niko turned to Jacob. "The trite answer is to ask yourself, 'What would the Good Shepherd do?'"

Jacob snorted. "Bullwhips aren't really my thing. Besides, I already wrecked the money changers last month."

Niko bleated a short laugh. "You certainly are a reckoning in motion. My advice to you then, is leave no room in your heart for hate, by filling it with love; love of family," Jacob looked to where his mother was laughing while trying to converse with a smiling, if confused family of Okapi, "…love of friends," Jacob noted Nick standing beside Pastor Samaha, quietly talking while Zib held Nick's paw, "…and love of those closest to you." Jacob's eyes came to rest on Valerie, her fur glinting in the candle light.

Jacob stood taller, then bowed to the Priest. "You're right, as always Presbytera. And so was Pastor Goreman." At that he headed over to Valerie.

The priest quirked an eye at Jacob. "Oh? And how is that?"

Jacob turned and walked backwards for a moment. "I need to meet someone new; Val's worked with that camera mammal for like, five years now and I still don't know his name." He turned back and continued on, giving his fears and anger to the wind, and making room in his heart for what truly belonged there.

…

Bonnie had been ecstatic when Jen had called to tell her Judy was being brought home by Dickie Davis. Then Jen started to detail the things Judy would need while home, and Bonnie started to feel some concern. When the sedan door opened, and Judy stepped out, the family rushed to greet her. Bonnie's heart nearly broke when the grey doe shrieked in alarm and fell back into the car. It took the better part of 20 minutes to coax her out of the safety of Dickie's car.

Stu silently wept as he and Bonnie hugged their daughter. Once she was inside and laying down, Stuart let himself collapse in grief. "This! This is exactly what we were afraid would happen! We never should have let her leave!"

Bonnie could only give a half-hearted rebuttal, until Dickie spoke up. "I was, I think eight when my mother and father took me on a dig with them in Bullivia. We were well within the borders, had all the appropriate papers, and there were no indications that any revolutions were soon to be under way." Dickie sat in the porch swing and let his head hang back.

"It was two-weeks in when I was helping my mom at the dig-site; a 5000-year-old pre-Columbian city near Caral. I found a skull, and showed it to my mom, who promptly freaked out. When our government guide saw it, he left for La Paz. He came back a day later with an Army platoon. We'd stumbled onto a 20-year-old mass grave of a mixed Mestizo and Cholo village the Bullivians had murdered for their land. Evil and hate will find you, no matter who or where you are."

He stood and handed the empty glass to Bonnie. "Your daughter is one of the most driven, exceptional females I have ever met; there are so many people who owe their lives to her standing in the breach against that very evil. Please, don't diminish her efforts or accomplishments by trying to make her less than she is, 'for her safety.' She deserves better." With that, he departed.

Now, Bonnie sat with her kits, and her brothers and sisters and their kits, as a benefit concert played on the television from Gazelle's recording studio. The concert was being performed to raise money for mammals affected by the Thule attacks five days ago. Bonnie eyed Judy with all the love and concern a mother could. Gazelle had just finished her third set, the first with her, 'guest' dancer; a stocky but quite athletic cheetah who seemed to brim with bubbly optimism. Judy had giggled and then laughed without restraint when he first started dancing. It took a few minutes for her to calm down enough to explain to everyone that the cheetah was a friend and coworker, and that performing with Gazelle was a dream come true for him. Her smiles and laughter were often interspersed with crying jags to put Stu to shame; usually when Gazelle or another celebrity or prominent Zootopian would make an appeal to the audience to contribute.

Ever so subtly as the concert went on, Bonnie noticed a light beginning to shine in Judy's eyes. It was a light she had seen since Judy was a little kit, and had only been dimmed twice: once, when Judy had returned home during the Bellwether crisis, and three days ago when she was brought home after the Oasis attack. The past two days had been a trial for the mother. Following her daughter Jen's orders to minimize Judy's stress, and make sure she took her Lorazepam was daunting; ensuring Judy took her prescribed medication had always been a chore. Bonnie knew what that light returning meant, and it filled her with both hope and dread.

At a commercial break, the Hopps matron decided this was the time to talk to her daughter. "Well, while we have a few minutes Judy dear, could you help me in the kitchen to get some refreshments?"

Judy looked startled for a moment, then nodded. "Oh, sure mama."

Bonnie was pulling fruit and nuts out to go on a platter, while Judy was getting a pitcher of sun-tea ready. "You're going back, aren't you." Bonnie said rather than asked, her eyes clouding with tears.

Judy's breath hitched. "Yes mama. I have to."

"No, you don't!" Bonnie's voice was thick with emotion, but not raised. "You aren't the only police mammal in Zootopia; you don't have to do it all! You don't… you don't have to die fighting monsters!" Bonnie collapsed onto the floor, where Judy rushed over to hold her as they both wept. "Please don't make me bury my baby!"

"Mama?" Bonnie looked into her daughter's eyes at the question. "Who do I ask to fight them for me?" The older doe could only stare dumbfounded. "Who do I ask to take a blow, or even a bullet for me, because I'm scared and don't want to? I know there's evil in the world, and injustice and cruelty; and because I know, I have to act one way or another. So, I have to try, because who would I be if I didn't?"

There was a thump and another set of arms surrounded the two does. "You wouldn't be our little trier, that's for sure!" Stu snuggled into the hug while all three cried at the new understanding.

The next morning, Judy called the precinct councilor, Dr. Pauline Dun.

"Dr. Dun's office."

"Pauline, uh Dr. Dun? It's Judy, Judy Hopps."

There was a soft chuckle on the other end. "Pauline is fine, Judy. How are you feeling."

Judy let out a ragged breath. "Like week-old, used cheesecloth, but better than I was."

"It's good that you recognize that, Judy. I'm going to assume you are calling to ask when you can come back to work?"

"How did you know?"

Judy swore she could hear the smirk through the phone. "I've been a police grief counselor and psychiatrist for ten years. I'd like to think I know a thing or two about cops. Let me ask you: what would you like to do, the first day you get back, work wise, that is?"

Judy paused and thought for a moment. "I'd like to help with the support back end. I'll do administrative support, if that's what's needed, but really, if there are officers sidelined because of short maming, then I can free them up to get back in the field. I can't ask anyone else to carry my burden for me, no matter how light it might seem."

"No one here would ever ask you to." There was a motherly warmth to the badger's voice. "I'll make you a deal; you're at your family's farm, correct?"

"Yes ma-am."

"Good; stay there until Sunday. If I see you in the precinct as much as five minutes before roll-call on Monday morning, then I'll extend your mandatory medical leave for two weeks. Do you have a way back into the Polis? I would not recommend the train, even if your meds are working correctly."

Judy assured the doctor that she had what she needed, and that she would be in at 7:00 AM Monday, precisely. Once that call was finished, she called Dickie. He was more than happy to come pick Judy up Sunday but was happily surprised when she suggested he come out Sunday morning and make a day of it.

"Not nearly as altruistic as it sounds, Dickie." Judy smiled into the phone. "If you tell them that you respect and support my life choices, maybe it will help calm them down. If you don't, I'll load you into the Thumperton's award winning Punkin-Chunkin cannon and launch you back to Zootopia."

Dickie laughed over the phone. "Thanks for the warning; I'll be sure to bring my 'Evel Knievel' stunt suit to all the family outings, in case I accidentally offend."

…

A badger and two wolves stood on a raised dais inside a cavernous hall, decorated in red, black, and gold banners, and illuminated by decorative storm-lanterns. The smell of fear, death, and Nighthowler incense was heavy in the air.

"Look at us!" Madeline Lewis raged at the two foreign wolves. "There were hundreds of blooded and aspirants not three months ago, now there are only twenty of us left!" She took up a golden dish and hurled it across the platform, causing it to shatter and expose its bone interior. "What are you two going to do about it?!" She pointed accusingly at the two.

"Be at peace, Fraulein," the scarred wolf simply known as Der Autor placated, "…there is always a winnowing period, where the weak are culled. How else would we have arrived at your ascendancy?" The badger sneered in self-confidence at the praise. "As for what we will do, we shall strike at the one who has betrayed the Society, who betrayed The Truth!"

All three looked to a clipping from the Zootopian Gazette laid out on a concrete alter between them. It showed a short black panther standing next to a statuesque deer. Barely visible in the background, the form of a black hare in ZPD blues could just be made out. Madeline's sneer filled with contempt.

"We're going to kill Isaac Mauser and feast on his beloved!"