Chapter 9

CW: Suicide

Two months had now passed since the first visit to the hospital. Ashkii and I had gone in a few more times to check on his condition. Each time, it was just as bad, if not worse. The city remained divided, and I was on the receiving end. I often tried to explain my theory, but no one listened. My two cousins still believed that it was a wizard's spell driving the savagery. Due to the division, many concerts and other events planned in the city had been postponed with dates yet to be announced. Nick Wilde checked on me via text daily, and still made visits to our house. He now introduced us to some even heavier music. We now listened to deathcore, death metal, and now many other subgenres thanks to him. I was hearing stories about even more predators committing suicide, being afraid to go savage. There were still no further clues as to why this whole thing might be happening. I still had a little bit of hope left for Emmitt.

Not too long ago, Judy Hopps resigned from the department. The new mayor Bellwether was trying to make her the new face of the ZPD and said that she could "protect against predators" or some shit like that. She definitely started seeming suspicious now, buying into this whole thing. Hopps was back in Bunnyburrow, working back on the carrot farm she grew up on.

The savage attacks were continuing, but now were just starting to broaden. We started seeing mid-sized and smaller predators going savage as well. A Fossa had gone savage a few weeks ago and just the other day a Wolverine had gone savage as well (Besides Emmitt, it was the first case of a mustelid). Today I read that a red fox (it was not Nick) and a Mink had gone savage, the count was now well up into the triple digits.

I was starting to be afraid as well. I wondered if maybe someday, whatever or whoever is causing the attacks will try to turn me savage. We were now staying inside the house more often. I was usually screaming along to the heavy music that now the rest of my family thoroughly enjoyed.

I was also now extremely anti-religious. There was some push by religious extremists trying to say that the whole savage predator thing was a "second coming," a big load of shit! Ashkii and I had both grown up in extremely religious households. I was indoctrinated into it at first, but a few years ago started to realize the flaws. I was a complete atheist starting around age 12 or so. I also realized just what organized religion has done to the world, and was also completely anti-religious (so was the whole household now as well, Emmitt was already an atheist).

It was another day. I was lying down on the couch and listening to Chelsea Grin. Suddenly, Ashkii's phone started to ring.

"Oh fuck!" she said as she looked at the screen, "it's Hopps."

She then picked up the phone to answer.

"Oh you do?" she asked as her ears perked up, "Oh, I'm putting it on speaker mode right now."

She put the phone on speaker mode.

"It's me," Judy Hopps said through the phone, "I have some EXTREMELY important news!"

"Oh wow!" I said as I ran up to the phone.

"I NOW KNOW WHY THE PREDATORS ARE GOING SAVAGE!"
"OH SHIT!" We all said in unison. Piper and Corey came up as well.

"Someone is using these toxic flowers called 'Night Howlers' to make the predators go savage! I was at the farm and learned that the toxic flowers we use to keep bugs away are known as "night howlers". I saw someone steal bulbs for these flowers my second day on the job and didn't know why. I'm on my way back to Zootopia. I'm gonna try to solve this shit! Bye!"

"Oh fuck!" Ashkii said as she hung up the phone.

"Didn't she say a few months ago," I said, "that Emmitt had yelled about 'night howlers' before he went savage?"

"She did!"

"Well of course Emmitt would know about the flowers," I said, "He is a Florist!"

"Yes!" Ashkii said.

"And maybe, if this is all because of a poison, there might be a treatment. We could have our Emmitt back!"

"Oh Alister," Ashkii said as she hugged me harder than ever before, "I love you so much. I know Emmitt will be delighted to have you in this house."

"THE WIZARD WILL BE STOPPED!" Piper squeaked.

"Adios Volsemort," said Corey as he rode around on a broom, pretending to be Harry Otter.

"I mean, maybe not a wizard using the night howlers but could be," I said, trying not to break it to them that magic wasn't real (or so I thought).

"But you really thought that this might be the case," Ashkii said.

"Yes," I said, "Maybe it's from Emmitt's side. I remember he has some royal blood from medieval Scotland, and he says that it always helps him. That also means that I have the royal blood from medieval Scotland. That is always what my grandfather Thomas used to tell me! And now we finally have our chance!"

Not too long later, my phone buzzed.

"Who's there?" I said, as I opened the lock screen.

Nick Wilde had texted me. I opened my messages but then Ashkii's phone buzzed as well.

"Nick Wilde just texted!" I said, "He says that Judy Hopps came back to him."

"And now Judy Hopps just texted me," Ashkii said, "says she found Nick, thought he was never going to forgive her. Told me they both reconciled for a hug and have gotten back together."

"Well Nick just told me that it was because of his first visit at our house that he forgave Judy. He wasn't sure until we told about it."

I looked at Ashkii, knowing that a lot of this was due to her telling about Hopps. She looked back at me with a smile on her face. I had never seen her smile like that in a really long time.

"Told me that they are on their way to find the night howlers," I said, "Told me that they found a particular weasel named Duke Weaselton. Hopps had arrested him for stealing bulbs, and now they will try to see if he can give more info. Said he's half Norwegian and into crime."

"She also arrested a weasel by sticking them in a giant donut when I went into the station," Ashkii said, "Fucking weird."

"I saw him too, on his way in," I said. "Wilde told me that they are getting closer and closer to solving. Also told me that they are listening to "Black John" by Stone Sour because he knows that is my favorite dance song."

Ashkii came in and hugged me hard.

"Alister," she said with a smile, "I think we are really getting there."