A/N: Welp, I've got a cold, so it looks like I'm working on the next chapter while in bed! Two chapters in a week!
Chapter 37: Bringing the House Down
LEAVING ZOOTOPIA HOSPITAL (7:00 - 1 HOUR 'TIL THE CONCERT)
"Okay! Everyone buckled up?" Kairi asked.
"Yep!" Nick and Judy answered in unison.
"Good! Let's go!"
"And Kairi…" Judy rested a paw on her shoulder. "I need you to go fast. As in, I need you to go past the speed limit."
"Really?" Kairi gasped.
"Police officer's orders, now go!"
Kairi started up the cart and stepped on the gas, sending the car practically flying out of the parking lot and down the highway toward the ampitheater. At this point, it was like playing a racing game, dodging cars and pedestrians, and flying through traffic lights as long as they weren't red. Even then, Kairi had a couple of close calls and was sure she blew through at least one red light. Lucky for her, there wasn't a cop around when that occurred.
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Jack, being the conniving genius he was, slipped into a set of bouncer clothes that matched the bouncers at the theater. While Doug drove the van down, Jack remained in the back and on his computer, creating a fake ID for backstage security. He everything all set up from loading up his sniper rifles with the new dark serum bullets, to having his radio and bluetooth earpiece all charged up. Doug parked the van in an abandoned parking lot in an attempt to be conspicuous. He was dressed in all blacks, ready to blend in with his surroundings and his own rifle loaded. Jack hopped out of the van and brushed his shoulder, the signal that he was going in.
As Jack approached the back of the theater where crew members were shuffling back and forth, keeping everything running smoothly. Nobody seemed to look an inch in his direction thanks to his convincing disguise. The head bouncer was a large wolf and definitely in charge. He huffed as he looked down at Jack, who approached him with confidence. He extended paw, requesting for a form of ID.
"Backstage security." Jack said in a calm tone as he flashed his fake security ID.
The bouncer observed Jack's fake ID, but not carefully enough and did not catch that it was a fake. He waved his paw, giving Jack access to the backstage areas. He swiftly travelled through the halls, passing by Rootada's dressing room. His goal was to get up high and out of sight. Jack found the door that led up to the balcony and the catwalks. He scanned the ID, giving him access. Once he got up to the top, Jack gave the stage tech a relief. With him commanding his side of the balcony, Jack set down the briefcase and double checked his loaded sniper before positioning himself. He made sure the VIP balcony was within his full view while crouching down. Concert attendees were beginning to fill the seats, the minutes until Jack would execute his plan ticking.
"As soon as the concert starts...nobody will see this coming." Jack murmured.
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SAVANNA CENTRAL - SHOLLYWOOD WAY (7:30PM - 30 MINUTES UNTIL CONCERT)
"Oh come on! Stupid traffic!" Kairi yelled as she honked on the horn. "Come on! We have an emergency!"
The traffic was bad. There was no sugar coating it. It was bumper to bumper traffic. Everyone and their mother was heading in the exact same direction to the same event, the Rootada concert. Had Kairi been on her way to the concert, she would've been hyped thanks to all of the banners, posters, and billboards all advertising Rootada's concert. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, thus leaving her short-tempered. Not to mention, Kairi wasn't used to dealing with this kind of traffic thanks to living in a small town. The worst she's dealt with is occasional backups on a residential area during morning and afternoons when school was either starting or ending. The traffic made her want to never live in a city and made her miss her island.
"I guess everyone else had the same idea of going this route tonight…" Nick mumbled.
Judy groaned. "At this point, we won't make it in time."
The sports car slowly but surely inched forward, following the rest of the cars. Judy sighed as she stared out the window, glaring at the empty sidewalk. A thought suddenly popped into her mind. She remembered there was a day when she was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and a cop who was in a hurry put on their lights and drove on the sidewalk. Normally, Judy would be one to not disobey the law, but this was a worst case scenario where she was going to use her officer privileges.
"Okay Kairi, drive on the sidewalk!" Judy demanded.
"What? Are you nuts? That's illegal! I could lose my license and I've only had it for a day! My parents would kill me!" Kairi shook her head.
"Kairi! This is an emergency situation! Now do it!"
"Oh, but...UGH!"
Obeying Judy's demands, Kairi suddenly turned off the street and onto the sidewalk. This theoretically should've been an easy drive, but the various locals yelling and screaming at her, not to mention, the stress of watching out for pedestrians, made it more difficult than sitting in traffic. Kairi whimpered as she drove only 5 miles per hour, narrowly avoiding the pedestrians. Some were all dressed up for the concert. One was obviously an older woman who had a walker and could barely walk herself.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Emergency here!" Kairi apologized profusely.
"Please disperse!" Judy yelled out as she flashed her badge. "This is an emergency! Please move out of the way!"
As if Kairi wasn't stressed out enough, her heart rate spiked as she looked in the rearview mirror and saw the red and blue lights of a cop car flash. The cruiser turned onto the sidewalk and began to follow her. She gasped loudly, her hands shaking on the wheel. Her fingers tapped as she began to contemplate what to do at this point.
"Cops! Okay! Now what?" Kairi asked.
"Well...normally if this were me a couple years ago, I would've just skedaddled, but...eh…" Nick peeked back and saw the cop car getting closer. "Carrots? You got any ideas?"
Judy sighed. "I'm gonna be so fired for this…" She mumbled. "Kairi, ignore the cop and keep going!"
"Okay, do you want me to go to prison?" Kairi nearly yelled as her panic increased.
"You're not gonna go to prison! I'll handle the situation! Just keep going!"
"Oh farkleburgers!" Kairi cried out before continuing to drive on, ignoring the cop.
Honking the horn constantly to get any pedestrians out of the way, Kairi pressed harder on the gas pedal, picking up the speed and avoiding all traffic. As soon as she reached the first opportunity for a turn, Kairi turned the wheel sharply and hurried down the much emptier road now. There were parking attendants that tried to get her to stop, but it didn't do much good. She ignored each of them and drove past. The cop that was following her, got on his intercom and ordered her to pull over.
Judy encouraged Kairi to just follow the valet parking lanes directly up to the ampitheater. The goal was to get her inside as soon as possible and away from the cops. Following the lights and dodging other cars, Kairi was able to park right at the doors and take off running toward the theater. She knew better than to try and go in through the front, so she took off for the back of the theater, the same way Jack got in.
"Okay! Go! Go! Go!" Nick encouraged her to run. He looked back and saw the cops begin to surround the car. "Carrots...we are so fired…"
"Tell me something I don't know…" Judy rolled her eyes.
One officer hurried out of the car and held out their gun. "Freeze!" He shouted as Judy and Nick held their arms up.
"Judy Hopps?" The other officer asked.
"Hey Jake…Justin..." Judy muttered.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing getting involved in a car chase?" Justin asked.
Nick smirked and stepped forward. "You know what, now that you ask, allow me to explain in the most specific way possible."
"Nick! We don't have time to buy it!" Judy scolded. "Guys, listen to me, we need to get into that concert! Mayor Lionhart is in danger!"
"What?" Jake furrowed his eyebrows.
"It's Jack Savage, he's not who everyone thinks he is! He's planning to turn on the predators, starting with the mayor! He was the one responsible for the serum this whole time!"
Jake and Justin looked at each other. They didn't know what to believe at this point. It had been a crazy couple days when it came to Judy's behavior on the job. At this point, they had the options of either taking Judy and Nick to the station and chasing down Kairi, or they could listen to their warning and go check out the concert.
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Kairi, on the other hand, was on a move. She hurried past the crew members, who would've tried to stop her if she wasn't so fast. She felt like she was on a countdown and had very limited time to try and stop Jack. Kair wouldn't get very far, however. The same bouncer that managed to let Jack into the back with his fake ID was still on duty. Unlike the other crew members. This guy was huge compared to her. She knew if she tried to fight past him, she wouldn't stand a chance. It'd be like sneaking into the palace in Agrabah all over again. Speaking of which, it gave her an idea.
"Where's Naminé and her 'female charm' when I need her?" Kairi mumbled.
Without any of her friends with her, it was up to Kairi to come up with her own diversion. She looked over and noticed the bouncer was a wolf just like her. Letting out a sigh, she took a look at her tail that was flipping back and forth. Am I really about to do this? Kairi thought to herself and rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath, remaining hidden around the corner, before inching her butt and tail out so it was the only thing in the guard's sight. After Kairi let out a loud feminine giggle to get his attention, the guard arched an eyebrow as he caught sight of Kairi's tail. He chuckled with a wide smirk across the canine face before rubbing his paws together. After taking a look back and forth to make sure nobody was approaching the back of the theater, he began making his way toward Kairi's location.
"Oooh, don't you move, sweet cheeks, I'm comin' for ya!" The security guard chuckled.
"STOP!" Kairi cast her spell just as the guard reached her. He froze in place, nothing moving but his eyes. "Sorry, security, but I have an emergency situation!"
Despite the guard's attempts to free himself, Kairi's magic was no match for him. She burst through the door that took her backstage. She was astounded by the fact that nobody noticed she was back there without permission, but with the concert starting in just a few minutes, the crew was in a hurry to make sure everything was ready for Rootada and Quillex. Kairi checked everywhere. She checked the bathrooms, peeked into the dressing rooms, the green room. She even managed to check the stage and the wings. Jack was nowhere in sight. Kairi did manage to catch a glimpse of Rootada on the stage getting ready to start. She was much prettier in person than on the billboards.
"Okay...where are you, Jack?" Kairi muttered. She looked up and noticed Jack on the catwalk, crouching down. "I should've known…"
Kairi hurried over to the door to the catwalks. Unfortunately, the door was locked and she didn't have an ID card to access it. She jiggled the door handle frantically until she noticed there was a tiny keyhole in the front. Ah! Perfect! Kairi thought as she summoned her Keyblade. She pointed her blade to the hole until a beam shot out of it and unlocked the door for her. Was this an abuse of power? Maybe? At this point, Kairi didn't care. It was for someone else's safety, especially after noticing Mayor Lionhart sitting in the balcony that was at a perfect angle for Jack to fire.
While Kairi was sneaking backstage, Judy and Nick managed to get into the theater through the main entrance doors thanks to Jake and Justin's help. The two pairs split off with Jake and Justin handling the lobby while Judy and Nick handled the house. The lights hadn't gone out yet, giving them a chance to try and find Jack. There were thousands of fans, young and old, in the seats chatting among themselves, hyped up for the event that was about to occur. Judy and Nick checked the different rows, unsuccessful in their search. The two met up near the pit, hoping for good news from the other.
Instead, the house lights went out following Rootada's announcement. It was pitch black for a moment, until the fogged up stage started to glow in blue lights. Quillex had a spotlight shone on him as he began to play his and Rootada's new song. The crowd's excitement grew as they saw a silhouette of Rootada appear in center stage on a platform. As the music built, she began singing softly. The fans all started applauding, their cheers echoing in the theater as they knew this was their idol's newest song.
"Breath, should I take a deep?" Rootada sang. "Faith, should I take a leap?"
"Oh no! It's starting!" Judy yelled in distress. Normally she'd be joining in with the fans, but now was not a good time.
As the concert began, Kairi had made it to the top, albeit on the other side of the catwalk. She slowly approached it, eyes on her enemy. Naturally, Jack would use the concert as a way to distract the crowd and the mayor from noticing him crouching and aiming his sniper rifle at Lionhart. At first, Kairi was concerned that Jack would hear her and her entire cover would be blown, but thanks to the loud music bouncing off the walls that accompanied Rootada's beautiful vocals, she knew she would have no problem sneaking closer.
"Taste, what a bittersweet…" Rootada continued to sing, completely unaware of what was about to happen above her. "All my, all my life."
"He's not gonna hear me…" Kairi muttered.
"Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears." Rootada began to sing the chorus, garnering a large applause from the audience.
While the chorus was beginning, Kairi stepped onto the catwalk and began bouncing on it, causing Jack's side to shake. He nearly lost his footing and dropped his weapon. Realizing he had been exposed, Jack caught Kairi in his eyesight. She stood right in the middle of the catwalk, Keyblade drawn and shooting a cold glare toward him. Jack didn't even bother to care that she wasn't his target anymore. He pulled out his pistol and began shooting at her. Thanks to her agile movement, she could bounce off the catwalk railings and use her Keyblade to block any bullets coming her way.
Everyone in the audience, as well as Rootada and Quillex, seemed to catch wind of the pop that came from Jack firing his pistol. Judy and Nick watched as the crowds all started rushing as they all screamed in a panic. Lucky for them, Jake and Justin were in the lobby, able to handle the crowd and get them outside to safety from the brawl. It still didn't help Nick and Judy's case in trying to locate Kairi, who could've been anywhere in the theater at this point. Although the catwalk had eventually snapped on one side thanks to the impact of Kairi's constant jumping onto the railings, the sounds of the panicked crowd drowned out the chaos that was Jack and Kairi's airborne showdown. Rootada hurried off with Quillex once security came onto the stage and escorted them off.
"Come on, Nick! We have to find Kairi!" Judy urged. "Excuse us! Coming through! We have a situation!" She apologized as the two of them shoved through various audience members.
Nick browsed the audience until he looked up and saw the broken catwalk right above Rootada and Quillex. "Uh...Carrots?" He pointed up. "I think we found her."
"Oh my gosh!"
Feeling confident that Kairi was okay for now, Judy and Nick hurried over toward House Right where Mayor Lionhart's seating was. Their first priority was getting the mayor out of harm's way. Luckily, he at least had enough sense to get out of his VIP balcony and get down to the first floor of the house where Nick and Judy were.
"Mayor Lionhart!"
"Judy Hopps, what is going on here?" Lionhart asked, agitated.
"No time to explain! We need to get you out of here! You're in danger!"
Nick nodded in agreement. "Carrots is right. You get him out of here, I'll help Kairi take care of 'bunny boy' over there."
Judy nodded in agreement, remembering Jake and Justin were out in the lobby and could look after Lionhart and the concert attendees. "Be careful." She said with sincerity, earning a soft nod right back from Nick.
Back up on the stage, Kairi and Jack were continuing to try and throw each other off, both physically and mentally. They ended up chasing each other onto the stage light stands, being careful not to fall through the holes that weren't taken up by the iron bars that made up the stage lights' support beam, one of many. Kairi gripped her Keyblade, deciding that enough was enough with Jack. She began firing light orbs at him, only for him to hop out of the way and avoid them. He fired his pistol once he came back around from doing a backflip only for Kairi to emulate his moves and backflip out of the way.
Unfortunately, Kairi wasn't as lucky and accidentally slipped backwards, falling off the light beam. She managed to grab onto a rope that normally controlled the curtain, catching her breath. Jack smirked before holding up a device on his arm that shot shurikens out and toward her. Kairi gasped as she swung her body to the side, avoiding the shurikens, but causing the rope to be cut. Now with the rope sliced, she came swinging down back toward Jack. She managed to swing right into him, knocking him off the light beam.
Jack desperately grabbed onto the bars, not taking his eyes off of her. He clenched his jaw as Kairi swung around him. This time, he aimed his shurikens above her and shot them, cutting the rope above her and sending her plummeting down to the ground. Nick gasped and hurried forward, ready to catch her. As Kairi fell, it seemed like time had slowed down, and her heart was pounding against her chest. She thought back to the time she and Sora teamed up against Xehanort together, and then it hit her. It started to come back to her, the technique that Merlin had taught her during her training that was advanced for Keyblade wielders, and she had a hard time getting it town, but it managed to get her out of a tough spot once before.
Without any hesitation, Kairi bent herself into a backflip, gripped tightly onto her Keyblade, and locked her eyes onto Jack with great intensity. As if time didn't slow down enough already, now, it felt even slower. She felt great energy building up inside of her like a volcano. Once she felt ready, Kairi released, sending her flying right back up to the top in a flash of light. She levitated in the air and sent a meteor shower of orbs of light raining down on top of Jack. The impact of the shower caused Jack to lose his grip and went plummeting down to the ground. Satisfied with herself for remembering her shotlock, Kairi floated back down to the ground, cautious as she watched him slowly get back up.
"Guess you've never heard of the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'." Jack taunted, as if he were shaking off what had just occurred.
Kairi smirked as she held on. "As a matter of fact, I know exactly what happened in the story! Nobody believed him!"
Right on cue, Nick climbed onto the stage, cracking his knuckles. He had never felt so satisfied to apprehend somebody in his entire career.
"Heh...we've gotcha now, Savage." Nick growled.
"Out of my way, fox! I've already taken down two wolves and I can surely take down one lousy fox!" Jack threatened.
"I don't think so!" Kairi pointed her Keyblade toward him. "You're outnumbered and you've lost your weapon! Besides, I'd hate to rain on your parade again."
"What do you know? You're just a naive kid!"
Kairi glared and put down her Keyblade. "You're right. I am still a kid, and I have a lot to learn, but it doesn't take a genius to know where you belong!"
"Suit yourself…" Jack chuckled as Doug entered from offstage with another sniper.
"Really?" Nick asked as he rolled his eyes. "Come on, Savage, that's poor form. We only have one weapon with us right now."
Jack smirked as he pointed down to his seized sniper. "So do we."
Nick and Kairi both sighed of frustration as they found themselves now evenly matched. One false move, and they were both in trouble. Kairi could only wish that Naminé and Xion weren't both still in their savage state right now. Despite the tension rising from both sides, the light thumping of quickened footsteps, got everyone's attention. Judy had finished getting Lionhart to safety and hurried back to the stage to not only aid Kairi and Nick, but to also try and get to the bottom of the situation with Jack. Even though she was hurt and betrayed, he was still an important part of her life and wanted answers.
"Judy!" Kairi and Nick called out.
Jack folded his arms and snickered. "Look who broke out of the bunny cage."
"Jack! What are you doing? You're blowing this out of proportion!" Judy asked.
"You don't seem to get it, Judy." Jack shook his head. "Don't you remember what it was like? Being beaten around by predators? Being told you're not good enough?" He yelled. "Just because you're smaller, you're worthless?"
Judy's ears drooped as she looked at Jack's face, whose eyes began to flood with tears. "Jack...I do remember…I understand." She stepped forward.
"No, you don't understand." He growled. "Your parents are still alive…"
Nick tilted his head to the side. "Uh...am I missing something here?"
"When I was young, my parents went out for the night." Jack began to explain as he turned his back to them. "It was their ten-year wedding anniversary. I couldn't have been more proud of them as a young kid. Later that night, they never came home. The police came by that night and explained to all twenty-five of us that Mom and Dad were killed that night. Try being a young kid and having to hear that you'd never see your parents again, and you'd never have another chance to say good-bye to them."
Kairi held her head low. "That's awful…"
"A week later, the police caught my parents' murderer." Jack murmured. He turned back around and shot a deadly glare at Nick. "He was a fox. From that day forward, I vowed to take down every single predator until we prey could live in a world safe from these vicious creatures! And that's just what you predators are going to get!" Jack threatened.
"Stop!" Kairi yelled. "You can't base your judgement on a species just because one member did something horrible to you? If everyone was like that, the world would be at constant war with each other!" She stepped closer toward Jack. "I may be a kid, but I've seen and experienced plenty! I've seen enough that if I were to think the same as you, I'd be no better than them."
"Jack, you can't blame what happened to your family on all predators." Judy said in a solemn tone. "I never knew this happened, and I'm sure you're in a lot of pain, but it's like Kairi said, you're no better than the predators who look down upon us for being bunnies."
Jack smirked. "Tough talk coming from someone who chose the fox."
"Listen to yourself! You don't want to live like this! Let me help you, Jack. Do you want to live like this?"
Jack kept a harsh glare on all three of them, Nick, Judy, and Kairi. Did he want to live like this? Of course he didn't. Nobody wants to live in constant fear of being exposed, but nobody wanted to live in a world where they were looked down upon by others for uncontrollable reasons either. Jack breathed heavily, gripping his pistol. He wanted it to be as simple as killing off all predators to ensure the safety of him and all prey, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized Kairi was right. This time, he'd be the predator, he'd be the killer. He'd be the exact thing that destroyed his life.
Judy could see the pain through Jack's glassy eyes. Even if they weren't a couple anymore, she had gotten to know him well enough in their youth that she could tell when he was in pain. He could deny it all he wanted, but his eyes couldn't lie. Jack didn't want this at heart. Life was so much simpler for him when he wasn't focused so much on getting revenge on the predators. He sighed heavily before setting his pistol to the side.
"Jack! Enough of this bull! Get her!" Doug encouraged his partner.
"No, Doug…" Jack said in a soft tone. He dropped his pistol. "Judy's right. Enough is enough. I can't live in fear anymore. No matter what I do, it won't bring back my parents."
Kairi smiled and held out her paw. "See? And you've got friends to help you, like us."
Jack chuckled and shook his head. "No need to be a total sap about it though."
Kairi couldn't help but laugh. Through it all, she couldn't help but see Riku and remember how he came to terms with himself and his darkness. While everyone else seemed to be distracted with helping Jack out, Doug wasn't having any of it. He curled his hooves into a fist before aiming the sniper toward Kairi. Nick happened to catch it out of the corner of his eye and rushed over, struggling to grab the sniper out of Doug's hooves. As the two fought over the weapon, it was fired, but not that the intended target. Instead, it hit Jack right in the chest, sending him collapsing down to the ground in pain.
"AUGH!" Jack cried out in pain.
"Jack!" Judy fell to her knees right by him.
Jack squirmed his body around, holding his chest and continuing to moan and groan in pain. Much like Naminé and Xion, his cries started to become muffled, becoming growls and snarls instead. He got himself onto all fours as pupils in his eyes disappeared and started glowing yellow. Instead of just becoming a savage beast, Jack's body began changing. He began growing much bigger, his paws now suddenly had large claws coming out, his fangs were comparable to that of a wolf's, his fur was now disarray, ears were pointy, and was now more of a creature that looked like a mix between a werewolf and a rabbit. Doug fled the scene and out to the lobby, where Jake and Justin would finally arrest him and take him down to the station.
"The serum...it's getting to him…" Judy murmured.
Nick's eyes widened. "Uh...Carrots, it looks a lot worse…"
"Judy! The dark matter is swallowing his heart! He's turning into a Heartless!" Kairi cried out. "Everybody! Get out of here and get to safety!" She demanded as she gripped her Keyblade tightly.
"What can we do?" Judy asked.
Kairi sighed and shook her head. "The only thing we can do."
Judy and Nick stood by Kairi and watched as Jack completed the final stages of his transformation. The Heartless emblem now took place on his chest. They had lost him, but now they had a new threat. Kairi charged forward while Nick and Judy each grabbed Jack's old devices to use with Nick using the pistol and Judy using the shurikens. Now with Jack being as large as he was, he was even more threatening than he once was, having the ability to sand on all fours and his hind legs. He hopped up and bounced onto the stage, cracking it and making it shake for his opponents. Kairi nearly lost her footing, giving Jack the advantage to sweep kick her down.
Kairi bounced back up, not even close to giving up. Nick and Judy rushed around Jack's body, attempting to attack different points. Judy shot the shurikens onto the ground, points up. As soon as Jack stepped on them, he leapt in pain while Nick went for his shoulder, aiming the pistol and getting a solid shot on him. Kairi decided to try the technique she went for before. She cast a Watera spell on him, but unlike the previous attempt, Jack was a much bigger Heartless and it wasn't as effective.
Instead, Kairi noticed Jack's pointy ears and decided to try something else. She rushed over and decided to hop on up to the top. She wall kicked herself high and gripped onto Jack's arm. He attempted to throw her off, but was unsuccessful. As she climbed up to the top, Jack clenched his paw, causing what looked like atomic carrots to sprout from the ground, getting Nick and Judy rather good. Kairi noticed and jumped on down to their aid, especially when the same atomic carrots started shooting seeds out of their tops like a BB gun. They shot up and showered over all three of them. She huddled close to Nick and Judy and held her Keyblade up, casting a Reflect shield on top of all three. Lucky for them, some of the seeds were deflected right back toward Jack.
After casting Cure on her party, Kairi got an idea. She did another wall kick, but then shotlocked herself back up to the top of the light beam. She cast Watera on the lights, creating an intense static among the entire row. Kairi had to time this perfectly if it was going to work. She started shouting out Jack's name, getting his attention. It seemed that when Jack lost his heart, he lost his brain too. Not even considering the fact that there were a bunch of lights, he began rushing for Kairi, snarling and growling. She timed it very carefully.
Just as Jack's head was about to collide with the light beam, Kairi backflipped into the air. The Heartless made impact with the light beam, and was electrocuted by thousands of volts. Once the voltage had calmed down, Jack had collapsed onto the ground, weaker, but not ready to quit. He went on a rampage and began rushing about on all ours. As soon as Kairi landed and was within his eyesight, Jack smacked her up with his claws and also got her again with consecutive swipes before sending her flying into the wall. Kairi moaned in pain as she slowly got up from the ground. Jack was beginning to look toward Nick and Judy for his next target. She took a moment to catch her breath before casting Cure on herself and jumping right back into the battle.
As Jack drew close to Nick and Judy, Kairi was able to catch up. She managed to send her Keyblade spiraling at Jack before suddenly vanishing and reappearing at the same spot her weapon was, ready to unleash a flurry of slashes and strikes on Jack. It was definitely a spectacle in Nick and Judy's eyes. Kairi released all of this energy built up within her before finishing Jack off with a Pearl spell. Having nothing left within him, the Heartless collapsed onto the ground, this time, for good. He faded away, leaving nothing behind but a memory and legacy he wouldn't want to be remembered by.
"Jack…" Judy softly murmured his name.
Kairi rested a paw on her shoulder. "Jack's heart battled the darkness, and it lost. You did what you could."
"Well, we got that out of the way." Nick said as he tapped his foot.
"Whoa! Hey, you're not gonna cut the party too soon now, are ya?"
It turned out that defeating Jack wasn't the only thing on the night's agenda. Kairi looked back as she heard the familiar obnoxious voice and just as she expected, Aros and Kaguya showed up from the dark portal that formed behind her. While they were definitely familiar faces, there was something different about them. They had not just one, but two more allies with them. They were two wolves to be exact, on a savage rampage, restrained by collars and chains that kept them under control.
"Aros! Kaguya!" Kairi growled. "What are you doing with Xion and Naminé?"
Kaguya smirked as she stepped forward. "You thought we'd just sit idly by while you play with all the cute little animals?"
"I don't care what you do, just let my friends go!"
"Sorry, no can do. You see, we've seemed to run into a pattern of you being way too stubborn to do as you're told by us." Aros sighed and shook his head.
"And that surprises you, why?" Kairi spat back.
"It doesn't." Kaguya said as she folded her arms. "In illustrating your stubbornness, we've had to think outside the box."
Aros chuckled. "It was so cute watching how protective you were of your friends that...well...I just had to see what would happen if something happened to 'em."
Kairi growled as she got ready to charge at them. "I am sick of games! Now, release them before I force you to let them go!"
"Okay, sure!" Aros scoffed.
Just as Aros promised, he released his grip on the chains, giving Xion and Naminé free range of movement. The two of them ran toward Kairi, as if they were starving and eager to chase down their next prey. The last thing she wanted to do was fight off her own friends. Kairi knew they were gone at the moment, but for whatever reason, something was holding them back from actually attacking her. Instead, the two circled her like they were a bunch of buzzards circling a dead carcass.
"Xion, Naminé, please…" Kairi softly pleaded. "Please, come back." Xion and Naminé simply surrounded her, growling and snarling. "Why can't you just leave my friends alone and fight your own battles?"
Kaguya chuckled. "You wanna cry about it, Kairi? Go ahead, cry. Be a pathetic little princess and cry about it."
"No...I won't…" She said while eyes started to fill with tears.
"Oh? Not sad enough? Surely, you must be angry about it then, huh?" Aros taunted her. "Go ahead...yell, scream, show us how really angry you can get."
Kairi shook her head. "No, you're not worth getting angry over! And do you know why? Because you are a pathetic, heartless jerk who can barely hold himself in battle!" She held her Keyblade up. "Nick! Judy! Let's get 'em!"
Judy dashed around from behind. "I'm on it!" She jumped up, ready to drop kick Kaguya, only for Kaguya to cast a freeze spell, stopping her.
Nick made an attempt to physically attack Aros and jumped onto his back. Unfortunately, he underestimated how strong Aros could be. Nick was knocked off of his back, but what not ready to quit. As he got up, ready to attack again, Aros summoned his Keyblade and stabbed Nick in the side. He froze in place, taking a flash of a second to realize that he had been stabbed before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.
"Nick!" Kairi cried out as she reached for him.
Judy hopped up and ran over to Nick, supporting him in her arms. "No! Nick!" She took out a handkerchief and pressed against his wound, preventing anymore blood from seeping out.
Kairi's heart sank, and yet it raced at the same time. Between her friends being lost to the serum and Nick being severely hurt, she felt like all of the blood was rushing from her body. She fell to her knees and screamed, which was music to Aros and Kaguya's ears. It was exactly what they wanted. Kairi dug her claws into the ground and found herself losing her state of mental consciousness. Soon she found herself on all fours, snarling and growling. Judy gasped as she saw Kairi in the same savage state as Xion and Naminé. This time, all three of them were head to head with each other.
Xion and Naminé lunged at Kairi, only for her to struggle and knock them both off of her. Instead of wasting her time with them, Kairi looked ahead and glared at her prime target. Ignoring whatever else was in sight, she sprinted toward Aros and tackled him to the ground. She didn't even bother using the Keyblade and instead attacked with her bare hands, working off of complete primal instinct. The only thing she cared about at the moment was making sure Aros suffered as much pain as he could.
Kaguya gasped, shocked at what was happening. Seeing Kairi like this was new to her and it was also new to Aros. In fact, neither of them could've predicted just how brutal Kairi was in this state. Even though she was an animal in this world, what would've this been like if she were in her normal human form? Aros grunted as he struggled to get Kairi off of him. Instead, she continued to scratch and try to bite him. If it weren't for his helmet, his face would've been mangled by her with how savage she had gone. It was as if she weren't herself anymore.
Despite everything, and this being what they wanted out of Kairi, Kaguya couldn't stand sitting idly by and watching Aros get beaten up by Kairi. She smashed her paw against his helmet, causing a number of cracks. Hearing Aros struggle against Kairi, Kaguya rushed forward and shoved her off of him. Kairi grunted as she hit the ground, and thankfully, a smack to the noggin was all it took to snap her out of her savage state. She sat up slowly and watched as Kaguya helped Aros up. Kairi gasped as she saw the cracks and scratches and scuff marks on his helmet and armor. Just a few minutes ago, he looked unscathed. Nick couldn't have done that, and neither could've Judy. Xion and Naminé probably wouldn't have done that either.
"Did...I...do that?" Kairi muttered as she stared down at her paws, not even realizing that Aros and Kaguya had fled the scene once again, and leaving Xion and Naminé behind. They were still in a savage state, but Judy was able to use another tranquilizer to put them to sleep until they could get to the hospital again.
"Kairi? Are you okay?" Judy asked.
Kairi nodded slowly. "Yeah, I am. What about Nick?"
"I...I don't know…" She answered, her ears drooping. "We have to get him to the hospital, and quick! Your friends too!"
"Right!"
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Everybody hurried off to the hospital, hoping that Nick could get treated or his stab wound and so Xion and Naminé could finally be cured. They were in the hospital overnight, but the next morning, everything seemed to be returning back to normal. The antidote for the serum had worked on Naminé and Xion and the two now just slept the rest of their recovery time away. Kairi was absolutely relieved that they were okay. She chose to let them sleep and decided to wait for them and Nick to wake up on their own.
Nick was able to get his wound treated and patched up. He also slept through the night thanks to the amount of pain medicine they gave him for his wound. Judy stayed out of his room and in the waiting room. She wanted to see him, more than anything, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, Kairi would check on him for her. When she noticed Nick starting to wake up, she sat on the edge of his bed.
"Hey, you're coming around." Kairi chuckled.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "All in a hard day's work, I guess."
"Glad to see you're okay. We were all worried." She sighed in relief.
"Hey, how are your friends?" He asked as he sat up.
"Naminé and Xion were treated last night and are resting. They'll be okay."
"Where's Judy?" Nick darted his head around the room.
Kairi sighed as she walked over to the door. "Judy's afraid to even look at you. She feels like it's her fault that this happened."
"What? She's crazy for thinking that. Tell me I'm wrong."
"You're wrong." She nodded with her arms folded.
"Oh...you weren't supposed to say that." Nick rolled his eyes.
"Nick, you have to understand that there's a lot of layers when it comes to guilt. I know from experience. If you believe this isn't her fault, then she needs to hear you say it." Kairi said with seriousness in her voice.
Nick sighed heavily before finally taking Kairi's advice. He asked her to go get his partner in crime and send her in. Judy stepped into the room slowly, ears drooped low, with Kairi right behind her. She knew this wasn't easy for Judy, but knew from experience that she had to do this, otherwise she'd live with it for the rest of her life.
"Hi Nick." Judy softly greeted him.
"I'll leave you two alone." Kairi smiled as she shut the door behind her.
Nick smile slyly. "Hey, Carrots. It's okay, you can come in. I'm not a zombie or anything."
"I know, I just…" She sat on the side of his bed and faced him. "I'm...so sorry. I feel like all of this is my fault." Judy's sniffled as tears fell down her face.
"Judy...why are you crying?"
"Because, I feel like all I've done is hurt you! If...if you don't want to be partners anymore, I understand." She softly cried.
Nick sighed before a warm smile formed on his face. "Hey, if I acted like a big jerk before, it's because I want to be your partner." He laughed playfully as Judy smiled warmly. He had a weird way of expressing his feelings, but it was effective. Her heart melted as Nick pulled her into a hug. "There, there, always so sensitive." He said while patting her on the head.
"I'm sorry." Judy wiped her tears.
"Nothing to apologize for. Besides, you haven't forgotten our little talk we had at the warehouse, did you? You still owe me a date."
"You really mean that?" She asked, an eyebrow tilting up.
Nick shrugged as he leaned closer to her. "Let's be real, we're stuck together for the rest of our lives."
"Rest of our lives, eh? You care about me that much, huh?"
"Eh...maybe?" He answered with a shrug.
"Come on, Nick. You know you love me." Judy snickered.
"Do I?" Nick asked before leaning forward and resting his hand on top of hers. "Yes, yes I do." He same before holding a tender smile, one that he had rarely shown to her since they met. Yet, here he was, a changed fox, and gazing into the eyes of what was once an unlikely comrade and now, possibly something more than a friend.
"Aww, how sweet. I could cry." Kairi sighed as she rested her paw against her chest, having been watching the entire tender moment from outside.
Deciding to give Judy and Nick more privacy, Kairi meandered down the hall to check on Naminé and Xion. She had hoped the two of them would be waking up soon since Nick had already woken up. As she approached their room, Kairi smiled as the two of them slept soundly in their beds. Even if they weren't awake, she at least knew that the antidote had cured them, just as Judy and the doctors had promised. Soon enough, they'd be a team again. That time would be right this moment as Xion and Naminé both stirred, each of them cracking their eyes open to the morning sun.
"Naminé! Xion!" Kairi hurried into their room.
"K-Kairi?" Naminé murmured.
Xion stretched and yawned. "Wow...talk about a crazy dream. I had this dream that I turned into this wild and savage wolf and tried to kill you."
"Me too…" Naminé said with a nod.
Kairi sighed as she revealed her cheek's scar. "It...wasn't a dream…"
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry…" Xion shook her head.
"No, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault. You and Naminé both got shot by Doug and the serum affected you."
"Did you guys catch him?" Naminé asked as she sat up.
"Yeah, but…" Kairi took a deep breath. "You're not gonna believe this. Jack was behind this whole scheme the whole time!"
"It was Jack?" Xion asked. She threw her head back after Kairi nodded her head. "I always miss the twists in these crime shows!"
"Yeah, it was a complicated mess. But, I'm just glad you two are okay."
Naminé looked around for a moment. "Wait, where are Nick and Judy?"
"Nick had a run-in with Aros, so he's in the room next door. Judy's with him." Kairi chuckled.
"Spilling each other's guts?" Xion smirked.
"You know it!"
"That's so cute!" Naminé sighed. She looked down at her paws, thinking deeply. "You know, maybe a replica like me could have a chance at love, like a bunny and a fox could have a chance at love together, right?"
"Of course." Kairi said with a confident nod. "You may have a replica's body, same with you, Xion, but your hearts are no less human than mine is."
Kairi was silent for a moment. She thought back to the moment when she went completely savage on Aros, and that was without the serum. She stared down at the ground, hoping her face was as neutral as possible.
Should've I told them what happened? I didn't want them to worry. Then again, a part of me feels like that wasn't normal, especially for someone like me, whose heart is supposed to be made of pure light. Naminé, Xion, and I aren't even real wolves and yet, all three of us gave into those savage instincts. Maybe...I'm not as safe as I thought I was...from anything.
Naminé and Xion did manage to snap Kairi out of her daze, taking notice that she was spacing out. Like usual, they asked her if she was okay, to which she denied any strange thoughts she was having. Xion, who was ready to get out of bed and walk around, suggested the three of them head over to Nick's room to check on him, to which Naminé and Kairi agreed.
"Nick, how are you feeling?" Naminé asked as the trio walked into his room.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, just a scar at this point."
"Does this technically prove that you can't do all of this without our help?" Xion asked as she placed her paws on her hips.
"Uh...I never said anything about that."
Judy folded her arms. "No, but you were thinking about it."
"No I wasn't!" Nick argued.
A nurse came in and asked if Nick was available for visitors. He didn't know of any visitors who would be visiting him in the hospital, but figured a visitor would be nice. A few minutes later, the nurse escorted somebody neither of them knew into the room. He was a tall panther, was wearing a suit, and appeared to have an earpiece and a briefcase with him. Nick didn't recognize him, neither did Judy, and the girls definitely had no idea who he was.
"Excuse me? You're Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde?" The panther asked.
Judy furrowed her eyebrows. "Y-Yes?"
"Got something for you, on behalf of Miss Rootada herself."
The panther pulled a sheet of paper out of a manilla envelope and handed it over to Judy. Nick leaned over and the girls crowded around her as she started to read it to herself. She expected the worst, but it managed to be the complete opposite judging by the wide smile that began spreading across her face.
"Oh my gosh!" Judy gasped.
"What is it?" Kairi asked, bouncing with anticipation.
Judy nearly bounced on the bed. "Rootada is eternally grateful for our bravery and courage for saving everybody at the concert and has asked us to personally join her for her next concert at the ampitheater!"
"Oh my gosh! VIP guests?" Naminé asked.
"With a famous pop star?" Xion began rubbing her paws together.
"This is amazing!" Kairi jumped up and down.
Nick chuckled. "Well, I guess once we get discharged from the hospital, looks like we're going to the concert after all."
Thanks to the crew at the ampitheater, it only took a day for everything to get restored and fixed up for Rootada's big concert. Naturally, Nick and Judy accepted her invite to personally join her and the panther, who turned out to be Rootada's agent, also allowed Kairi, Naminé, and Xion to join them backstage as well. It was an unexpected surprise and it gave the girls an excuse to wear their 'nightclub' clothes again before turning back into humans. Plus, when was the last time they had just a night of fun since beginning this journey?
Rootada's limo picked everyone up for the concert and brought them down to the back of the ampitheater. Despite them coming to the back of the building for exclusive backstage access, Kairi couldn't help but feel salty. After all, Naminé and Xion didn't have to sneak their way past a perverted security guard in order to stop a potential killer. Once the limo was parked, the driver let them out. There was extra security backstage after the incident that occurred before, but thanks to Rootada's agent escorting them, security didn't give them any trouble. Although the one guard outside did a double take on Kairi.
"Wow, I've never been backstage at a concert before!" Naminé gazed around.
Kairi rolled her eyes. "I have...and not for fun…"
"This is so cool!" Judy nearly bounced up and down.
"Well, never thought I'd see myself being invited backstage. In the past, they've had to chase me out of concerts." Nick chuckled.
Of course the backstage crew was cool and watching them set up everything was a treat, but the real surprise lay in the lounge in Rootada's dressing room. It was always the one that bands and singers used for meet 'n greets with fans who had backstage passes. It was a nice lounge with bright lights, clean carpets, very comfortable sofas, and a bunch of free food and beverages. The packaged snacks and canned beverages were nice, but the fact that there were homemade appetizers set up was a whole new level of awesome.
"Wow! What a lounge!" Xion gazed. "Free food!" She hurried over and immediately began devouring the appetizers. "I need to go backstage at more concerts!"
"Hey, everybody!" Rootada greeted the crew as she emerged from another door without any warning.
"Whoa! She's real!" Nick said with his eyes widened.
"Wow, Rootada!" Judy moved forward and shook Rootada's paw. "It's such a pleasure to meet you. I'm such a big fan of your work."
"That's so sweet of you to say. The pleasure is all mine. It's not every day you get to personally thank your heroes."
"All in a day's work." Nick said with a confident nod. He looked to the side and remembered the other girls were with them too. "Oh, by the way, these three are Kairi, Naminé, and Xion."
Kairi smiled widely and held her paw out. "So nice to meet you! I'm...kind of a new fan, but I've heard great things about you!"
"Good to meet you too, Kairi!" Rootada giggled. "Can I say you have an excellent taste in hair? It's so pretty!"
"Oh thank you! Not as pretty as yours, of course!"
Xion chuckled and shook her head. "Kairi is such a fangirl."
"And you weren't during our whole crime scene investigation?" Naminé asked.
"Touche."
Rootada had everyone sit in the lounge with her. "Well, I'm glad to have you all here tonight. Each of you saved my life the other night. Inviting you all here was the least I could do."
"Oh, it was no trouble." Kairi chuckled.
Naminé nodded. "Besides, now we all get to watch the concert. Nick and Judy were supposed to attend the concert, but then...well...everything happened."
"Well, lucky for you, they were able to fix the theater so Quillex and I could redo our concert." Rootada noted. "By the way, you three girls, your voices are so pretty. I could use some backup singers tonight during my final number. You think you might be interested in taking part?"
Kairi gasped before nodding frantically. "Yes! We'd love to!"
"Oh my gosh!" Naminé nearly squealed.
"The boys are missing out on this!" Xion laughed.
Right on time, the concert began. Everybody was invited to the exclusive VIP seating, a private box, to watch the concert from there, to which they did. The fans, including Judy and Nick, all began screaming as Quillex and Rootada emerged from the stage to begin their second go at their concert, and to finally debut their new song that she had begun singing the other night, but never got to finish. Kairi, Naminé, and Xion found themselves dancing along and jamming to the first song, as well as the rest of the songs in her lineup. They didn't know most of them, but Nick and Judy did and there was nothing more satisfying than seeing the two of them have such a great time jamming out together after such a rough week.
When it came time for Kairi, Naminé, and Xion to take the stage with Rootada, it just so happened to take place during her final number. The techs got the girls all microphoned up and ready to go a couple songs prior. They were excited, but there was a bit of nerves circulating through Kairi's stomach. It's been a long time she sang for anybody and she's never performed in front of a crowd, unless singing karaoke with Sora, Riku, and Selphie counted, which she didn't.
Rootada's final song was one that every one of her fans knew. Even Kairi, Naminé, and Xion knew the words to it. It was her most famous song and the one that gave her an extra kick in Zootopia. In act, Judy had hooked up Kairi's phone to her computer and downloaded all of her Rootada music, setting this particular song as Kairi's new ringtone. Once the song began, the nerves started kicking Kairi in the gut a little more. How Naminé and Xion were so calm, she'll never know. Luckily, they were just joining her for the chorus.
"When you walk away, you don't hear me say: Pleeeeaaassseeee! Oh baby, don't go! Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let it go." The girls all sang with Rootada. It truly was a jam and had become one of Kairi's favorite songs.
"Okay Kairi, you're up!" Rootada pulled her out to center stage as she was about to sing the second verse.
"Wh-wha…?" Kairi's stomach nearly shot up through her throat.
"You can do it! You know the words!"
Kairi swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. It was too late to turn back now. She recalled the words from listening to them on her phone and began to jam out to the music. Rootada rested her hands on her hips and bopped her head along with Kairi's singing. The crowd even began cheering for her. As Kairi became more comfortable, she started dancing while singing, really putting on a show. She even brought out Naminé and Xion to back her up before Rootada joined back in for the big finale.
Like any good pop concert, it concluded with fireworks shooting out from the stage and a great pose from all four girls. Kairi smiled widely as she caught her breath. She felt like she had been flying in thin air. It was a rush that matched that of flying in a gummi ship. If there was one thing that awakened her confidence, it was performing in front of thousands of strangers. Naminé and Xion knew of how nervous she was to perform, and they couldn't have been prouder.
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The next day, it was finally time for everyone to part ways and say goodbye. Despite everything that went down with the investigation, Kairi enjoyed her time in Zootopia. She wouldn't mind coming back for another visit, especially since there were a lot more districts that she never got to see. Xion and Naminé had also enjoyed the place, but were also looking forward to being back in their own skin and not being covered from head to toe in fur. Judy and Nick saw them off in the morning. They gifted the girls some fresh carrots from Judy's parents' farm as well as a few freshly baked pies for the road.
"You guys sure you really wanna take off?" Judy asked. "Zootopia is the place for opportunity, after all."
Kairi nodded. "Yeah. We've still got a long journey ahead of us, but we'll be sure to drop in for a visit sometime."
"Yep! Especially if this Rootada girl is doing another concert!" Xion nodded in agreement.
"Y'know, you really are gonna make a great cop one day, Xion." Nick noted before giving Xion what looked like a police officer badge, only it was plastic, and one that kids usually wore.
"Sorry it's not real, but it's something to give you a little motivation for when you're ready to work towards your dreams." Judy said in a tender tone.
"Thanks guys." Xion said before hugging both of them.
"Kairi, stay strong out there, okay?" Judy said with a nod after breaking the hug.
"I will, especially with these two with me!" Kairi said with a wide smile. "Take it easy out there, Nick?"
"Eh...I don't know how long that'll last, but I'll give it a shot." Nick shrugged his shoulders.
"Make sure you two lovebirds behave yourselves while you're at work." Naminé said while smiling mischievously.
"Uh…" Nick and Judy shared a bashful look with each other while their faces flushed red.
Kairi laughed before guiding her friends back toward the ship. "Come on, you two."
"Bye! Thanks for your help!" Judy waved.
As the morning sun rose up, the day continued, as did Kairi and her friends on their journey. They had left Zootopia with improved confidence, thanks to the support of their new friends, Nick and Judy. Naminé no longer felt like a replica didn't have a chance at finding love, Xion had a dream she wanted to follow thanks to everything she learned on the job, and Kairi felt like she could face her fears and overcome anything. Except for one thing continued to linger on her mind, but that would be something she'd think about another time.
A/N: Aaaaaand that's a wrap! So, like I said before, with ReMind coming out in just a few days, this fic is going on a temporary hiatus just in case ReMInd gives me new material to work with from here on out. That being said, there is the potential for spoilers for the DLC from here on out, so proceed with caution if you choose to read the rest of the fic before finishing ReMind! That being said, hope you guys all have fun and enjoy the DLC! It looks great!
AND PLAYABLE KAIRI!