Chapter 21
The White Lion was dragged through the darkened streets like a common criminal. As they walked, the ram soldiers would often beat on him and mock him. It got so bad that the White Lion began bleeding, and his clothing became covered in both scuff marks and blood. Yet, he did nothing; he didn't fight back, but let the beating and mocking continue.
What the ram soldiers didn't know, was that Judas was actually following from a distance. He was a little unnerved at how bad Jesus was getting beaten, and was starting to wonder if he did the right thing. At one point, Jesus fell to the ground and was subjected to being kicked and beaten, before being dragged back onto his feet and continued on, now looking bruised and a little bit bloody, and his clothing somewhat torn and scuffed looking.
"Have I done what was right?" Judas asked himself, looking at the money. "Did I really do the right thing?"
One of the ram soldiers looked around, and Judas quickly ran off, not wanting to be seen. The ram soldier then shrugged and continued onward, joining in with his fellow soldiers and beating the White Lion.
…
Meanwhile, Peter, James, John, now followed by Keegan came running down the hill, to where the rest of disciples, Judy, Nick, Finnick, and the small crowd of people were now fast asleep.
"Everybody up!" Peter yelled, his voice panicked. "Everyone get up! They've got the White Lion!"
"What?!" Judy asked, now fully awake after hearing that. She turned and shook Nick, who was sleeping by her side. "Nick, wake up!"
"What?" Nick asked drowsily.
"They've got Jesus!" Judy replied, her tone now as worried as Peter's.
"What?!" Nick asked, now awake. "They've taken the White Lion?!"
"Yes! Wake Finnick up; we have to rescue Jesus!"
Nick began waking Finnick up, while James and John were talking with Keegan about where the White Lion was being taken. When Keegan told them that they were taking Jesus to the temple to be interrogated, the disciples decided to head there to rescue him.
"Phillip, Simon, go and get Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus!" Andrew ordered. "Tell them what happened and bring them to the temple!"
"Yes sir!" Simon replied, before he and Phillip ran off to do what they were told. As for Andrew, he joined the other disciples, Judy, Nick, Finnick, and the rest of the crowd into going to the temple.
…
The White Lion was now in the lobby of the temple, where he was told to stand and wait for Caiaphas, Annas, and the rest of the Pharisees to come. After having been escorted to the temple, Jesus now looked like he had been in a fight; his eye was black, his nose was bleeding, the left sleeve of his jacket was somewhat torn, and his tail looked like it had been stomped on. They had removed the muzzle from his face, but he still had the chain wrapped around his body, and the handcuffs still on his wrists.
Caiaphas entered, with Annas perched on his shoulder. The rest of the religious leaders also entered, along with a crowd that had been ordered to attend. Not only that, but several members of the crowd had also been bribed to lead the people and get them to join in.
"We have brought for you Jesus of Nazareth, the White Lion!" A ram soldier spoke, before smacking the White Lion over the head with his baton, which caused him to move forward a small bit.
"You're the White Lion?" asked Caiaphas, examining Jesus with a grimace.
"The people say that you are a king…" Annas spoke, his tone mocking. "Where is this kingdom that you speak of?"
When the White Lion didn't respond, Caiaphas barked, "Speak up! Say something!"
"You've been brought here under the charges of a blasphemer." said Annas. "What do you say to that?"
The White Lion was quiet for a few more seconds, and then spoke in a weakened tone, "I have spoken openly before. I taught in this temple, so ask those who have heard what I said…"
"You arrogant fool!" yelled the ram soldier guarding him, before he clobbered the White Lion in the face with his baton. "Is that you speak to the high priest?"
The force knocked the White Lion to the ground, and he hit his face onto the marble floors of the temple. He then stood up slowly, and asked, "Why do hit me as if I have said something evil?"
"Okay then…" Caiaphas replied. "Let's hear what the people have to say…"
Several citizens who were watching the interrogation came up, all saying horrible things about the White Lion, like that he worked with demons and was a spell-caster. Others mentioned his teachings, but blew it out of proportion and made it look like he was telling lies. Others claimed that he said he was the 'Son of God', which he did. It got so bad that the crowd look like they were about to break out into a rabid scurry!
"Hey!" Asa, the wolf in the red suit, called out and quieted the crowds. "What are all of you doing?! Haven't you seen this White Lion before?! He's done nothing wrong; he's a good and honest animal! He heals and preaches truth! And you're all trying to get him killed?!"
"Are you in league with this foolish man?!" Caiaphas asked, a look of anger on his face.
"Yes I am!" Asa replied, coming forward to face him. "And proud of it!"
"Get him out of here!" Annas ordered, causing two ram soldiers to grab Asa and drag him out of the temple lobby. "Anyone else care to add something?"
"Yeah… me…" Joash, the snow leopard in the black suit, replied. "You're all going to pay for what you're doing to this lion…"
"Get him out, too!" Annas yelled, and the same thing happened to Joash. "Anyone else?"
A temple assistant and a religious leader, one a turtle and the other an elephant, were also removed. But they were removed because they were against the whole trial, as they believed it was unjust and unfair.
"Have you no answer to the accusations?" Caiaphas asked, walking around the White Lion. "Tell me… Jesus of Nazareth… Great White Lion… are you the messiah, the chosen one the people speak of… the son of God?"
Jesus was quiet for a few seconds, but then he smiled, and said in a calm and kind tone, "I am… and you will see the son of God seated at the right hand of power… and coming in on the clouds of heaven…"
At that moment, the rabid scurry started up again, and Caiaphas torn his suit jacket and yelled out, "Blasphemy! There's no need for proof! He admits it himself! What does he deserve?!"
"Death!" The crowd roared and yelled.
Caiaphas then clawed the White Lion in the face, before spitting on him. Other members of Caiaphas' group did the same; they smacked, punched, clawed, and spat on the White Lion's face, all showing that they only had ill intentions for him.
"Take him to prison!" Caiaphas ordered. "He will receive his sentence there!"
The ram soldiers obeyed, and began dragging the White Lion away, beating him and clubbing him with their batons. Even people in the crowd attacked Jesus, clawing at him and hitting him.
Judas, who had snuck in to witness what was going on, was hiding behind a temple pillar, an expression of guilt and shame on his face. Jesus was innocent, he had done no wrong, and yet they were beating him like he had committed a crime! And, to make matters worse, it was all his fault! Guilt stricken and saddened by what he was seeing, Judas ran out of the temple lobby, trying his hardest not to cry.
…
Outside the temple, in the courtyard, Judy, Nick, Finnick, and the disciples were trying to get in. However, the two Zootropolis police officers that were guarding the entrance to the temple, a tiger and a lionesses, weren't letting them in. At the moment, Judy and Nick were trying to convince them they were ZPD officers, but it was kind of hard to tell them that, considering that the two of them were wearing their civilians clothing.
"Look, I'm telling you that we're from the Zootopia Police Department!" Judy spoke up. "And there's an innocent animal in there who's being beaten for nothing! You have to let us in!"
"That 'innocent animal' you're referring to has committed a crime!" The tiger officer replied, his tone rude. "And as far as I can tell, you're no police officers! So why don't you just crawl down whatever hole you came out of?!"
The lionesses officer, who was a little more kinder than her counterpart, then said, "Don't pay any attention to him; he likes fights. Anyway, I understand that your friends with the accused, but we can't do anything about it; we're only here to guard the doors and make sure nobody gets in. And if we try to do anything about it, our lives will be made miserable."
"But we're really with the Zootopia Police!" Nick spoke up. "Let us in, and you can call our chief up to prove it!"
"I wouldn't believe a word you say; you're a fox, and foxes are nothing but liars!" The tiger officer growled, before the lionesses swatted him, which caused him to quiet.
"You're not helping…" said the lionesses officer. "All the other officers on my force, and I end up partnered with this guy. Look, even if you are on the ZPD, you can't come in; it's out of your jurisdiction. I'm really sorry, but that's just the way it is."
"Okay… thanks anyway, and I'm sorry that you have to be partnered with this guy." Nick replied.
The tiger police officer fired off an expletive at Nick, which earned him another swat from his lionesses counterpart. Judy and Nick then went back to Finnick and the other disciples.
"Anything?" Finnick asked.
"No. They can't let us in; they're only there to guard the door." Nick replied. "And even if they could let us in, we can't do anything; it's out of our jurisdiction."
"Rats…" said Finnick, crossing his arms.
Meanwhile, Peter was by a fire pit, trying to keep warm. However, as he was standing by the fire, a camel took notice of him and said, "Hey, I know you! You're with the White Lion!"
"What?" Peter asked, his tone defensive.
"Yeah! You're his gorilla friend!" The camel replied.
"You're crazy; I don't know the White Lion…"
"Yes you do!" A hippo spoke up. "I saw you with him a couple of times!"
"I swear to you I don't know him!" Peter replied, backing away from the fire pit.
"Yes you do, you liar!" A gorilla spoke up, shoving him. "Your name is Peter, and you know the White Lion!"
"Look, I swear to you, as God is my witness, I don't know the White Lion!" Peter yelled, shoving the gorilla back.
At that moment, a rooster crowed, and Peter was instantly reminded of what Jesus had told him. His expression turned to one of shock, and he turned to look at the disciples, Nick, Judy, and Finnick, all who were looking at him in shock at what he had done.
The doors to the temple opened, and Jesus was led out by the ram soldiers, still chained and handcuffed. He looked at his disciples and his friends, looking them in the eyes, and then looked at Peter. They locked eyes for a few seconds, and Peter instantly felt shame and regret for what he had done. It was so bad for him that he couldn't contain his emotions, and he ran out of the temple courtyard, crying bitterly.
Simon, Phillip, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus came into the courtyard, and watched as Peter ran by them, still crying. Simon then walked up to Andrew and asked, "What's with your brother?"
"He denied knowing Jesus…" Andrew replied. "Three times… just as Jesus had said he would…"
Simon then looked and saw Jesus being taken away. His locked with his for a few seconds, and then same happened with Phillip and Mary Magdalene. But with Mary, his own mother, the locking of eyes seem to last for a long time. Mary watched in horror and sadness as her son, her own son, was being taken away as if he had done something wrong…
At the temple gate, an armored van was waiting to take the White Lion away to prison. The ram soldiers loaded Jesus in, two of them got in to keep an eye on him, and the doors closed with a loud SLAM!
"Take him away…" One of the ram soldiers commanded.
The van drove then off, its destination: the Zootropolis Prison. The end was just beginning…
Author's Notes: Surprise, Surprise! Sorry I haven't posted a chapter in so long, it's just that I've been busy with other Fanfictions, other writings, work, and stuff like that! However, I will try every now and then to work on and finish this story! You've all been so awesome and nice with your reviews, so I definitely need to be working on this!
R&R,
Heroboy005