Kindled Spirits
Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams, encourage your ideas,
support your ambitions, and bring out the best in you."
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
It was drizzly outside. The kind of day in late fall that brought about a dreary mugginess to the atmosphere while somehow bringing it to full life with glints and glimmers of orange sunshine. Puddles of water greeted new drops each second while forming a calm, subtle ambiance with the roll of thunder above.
On days like this, many would seek shelter inside from the elements; getting one's fur wet was a hassle. The humidity alone would send some mammals into a frenzy while they avidly shook themselves dry. But yet... there were a few who enjoyed - or were forced to endure- the simple things such as a fall rain.
Hurried footfalls stamped in newly forming puddles as the skulk of foxes made their way to their 'usual' spot. Paws full of their varying gains, each of them bore smiles on their muzzles. The roll of thunder caused their ears to perk up just as an old bridge came into view, the first few drops of rain promising an even greater torrent in its wake.
"Hurry up, Nicky!" shouted the vixen of their group, awkwardly teetering with a mass of stuff blocking her view. Despite her clumsy sprint, she was still somehow ahead of the other two.
"Yeah Nick, move it!" followed the voice of a fox hidden under a small moving container. Though it was bigger than him - and surprisingly heavier, which tended to impress many mammals - the fennec fox managed to high tail it to the bridge just as the skies opened.
Mumbling as he was 'forced' to carry most of their stuff, the taller todd trudged his way to the tunnel, sticking to even strides as he felt the ground crumble underneath his footpads. He grit his teeth and stared at the other two safely comforted under the shelter that the bridge had to offer.
Fresh drops of rain stung his eyes and he tried to shake it off. "You guys could help, you know!" He had been annoyed as of late, and the help would be much appreciated.
Peering ahead as he started to become soaked, Nick watched the two give him awkward stares. Of the two, the small one, Finnick, would likely not help to any degree. It wasn't that they didn't get along - they were all good friends - but he was more so the kind that always wanted a favour in return for his service.
The little fox smiled, ruffling his small red striped black shirt. "For yo' share, I'd help." He added to his idea of 'help' by pointing at the box and licking his chops; Nick grunted.
Not a moment later, he thought of the other, his best friend since forever. Maybe she'll help? He wondered, now only meters away; passing by a budding purple flower as his exhaustion claimed him. But then, in his mind, he knew she wouldn't. For the vixen was always, always-
She smirked, swishing her tail. "Well, I would. But only if you pay me in two pawpsicles."
-ALWAYS had her mind on food, period. It was a miracle that she was still skinny from all the food she voraciously ate.
Nick's muzzle pinched. She's not getting my share this time. We don't have that many left, and she ate three on the way here.
Finally getting out of the sudden downpour, Nick made it under the bridge as a curtain of rain fell on both sides of the bridge. He set the bag down to the side of the tunnel and started shaking himself off. The other two foxes shielded themselves from his faux attack and laughed.
"Yo' watch the waterworks, Nick!" Finnick shouted, shaking his ears as he hated getting them wet to any degree. Being smaller and mostly ears, they were his pride and joy.
Skye only giggled. She knew full well that her mother wouldn't approve of her getting her dress dirty or dingy, but she loved playing in the rain so it didn't do anything to deter her. Besides, water was just warm ice, the same kind of ice she had been waiting for since her last pawpsicle.
Finished, Nick wiped off as much water as he could from his small Pawaiian shirt, the one his mom got him recently. He sighed in relief and looked around. It wasn't much: a drafty old tunnel that used to be part of a ravine in the old wharf. Its faded stone was etched with graffiti, and the grass outside on the hill was littered with old forgotten relics and garbage that made it look unsavory.
To many, it may have seemed like a dump, a heap of a lost world doomed to rot until the city decided to renovate it. However, to three young foxes, it was a home away from home; their safe haven not too far from their residences, but away from the eyes of their parents and strangers alike. Here, they could be free, talk about anything they wanted outside of school and home where few understood them. No mammal went there for anything as the place was a part of the abandoned section of the city.
The patter of rain bringing soft ambiance with the claps of distant thunder lulled them into a passive silence. But not for long, they all came here to enjoy their time together.
It was Skye who moved first. Striding over to the stuff she set down, she pulled out a small radio that she had fixed months ago. It wasn't anything large or fancy, just some old paw sized AM/FM thing she proudly refurbished with some spare parts. Clicking it on and adjusting it to one of their favourite stations, she set it down and they all listened in and relaxed.
'~and you're listening to 'All Things Considered' on FPR. Coming up next: The Trans Siberian Orchestra~'
Finnick went to open the box he carried with him: a small styrofoam cooler that they had acquired recently. Not more than the second he placed his paws on it did he hear - and also feel - the vixen standing behind him eagerly. Rolling his eyes, he stared up at her.
"You ain't do nothin' but eat our profit today, y'know?" he informed, popping open the lid and watching Skye's paw reach in to grab her frozen treat first. He knew he couldn't stop her no matter what he did. If she wanted food, then she would get it.
"I did all the acting, so I get more." said the vixen with an already reddish tint to her muzzle. She was on the verge of reaching for another one when Fin hopped up to grab his and Nick's.
While he was fumbling with the bag he set down, Nick watched the two others. When he saw Finnick rear up to throw his share his way, Nick stopped and stood up. Ambling to see where it was going to land, the tod nearly tripped on a raised patch of ground but managed to catch the thing in his paws. He smirked as the flustered vixen narrowed her icy blue eyes at him. "Thanks, Skye. Sharing is caring, you know," said Nick, sarcasm somehow woven in just a few words.
Already finished with her fourth one (first one since they got there) the arctic fox grimaced. "Fin, are there any more?" she asked, sifting through the ice and hoping to find at least one last stick before their day ended.
Taking his time to shrug and enjoy his part, Finnick grunted, "No." He didn't really care too much, the day was over and this was his time to chill.
Distraught, Skye looked around, desperate for her fix of sugar and ice. Her eyes landed on the only remaining two: Nick's and Finnick's. Taking that into account, if she wanted one more, it'd have to be one of them, and Fin wasn't one to give up so easily. There was only one option.
An air of silence fell upon them as the vixen pinned down her ears, looked right at Nick('s pawpsicle), and gave a low, pleading whine. Her lip quivered. "Nicky... there aren't any left."
The tod in question raised a brow at her, he knew all of her tricks by now. She somehow managed to outsmart him on an almost daily basis, and he never won any bets against her; not a single one. There was the one where she somehow figured out jellybeans in a jar and she bet she'd get it right against him, then there was the one where she bet that he couldn't climb a tree faster, a ton of math tests, races and other petty contests galore. In fact, he only managed to beat her scores in anything she didn't bet, which were her weak points.
And this vixen had a few massive weak points that he could exploit. Her flaws etched in his mind made her seem like puddy in his paws, he could easily turn this around. "Well, Skye," he began, drawling his words while flicking his wrist, a single red drop flying away. "I'll give you this one for your share next time and if you promise to do my math homework."
Nick watched Skye's face drop along with her arms and tail, yet his expression brightened; math was her strongest point, and his was literature. "So, what'll it be?"
She paused for a moment, eyes still pleading and lips pursed to say anything to help. "But Nicky, you owe me," she said, sniffling and shuffling closer, something that Nick saw all too late.
The vixen pounced at him knowing all too well that Nick wouldn't fall for it this time as he had done so before. Even in their lunch times at school, she managed to nab his food with little or no effort due to her 'sad fox' act. And it wasn't like she didn't have food or money to buy food, but she just liked having more where it was convenient.
So here she was, wrestling her best friend to the ground over his share of pawpsicles while the fennec fox laughed so hard he fell off the cooler he sat on. Had you told Nick that this would be how his day went in the end... he'd believe you. His friends were just like that.
Amidst the haste and flurry of the scuffle, Nick soon found himself flat on his back and empty pawed while a heavy force rested on his chest. It didn't take a scholar to see that Skye had won both the match and her prize.
Mockingly, she held the raspberry flavoured plunder aloft and looked down at Nick. "HA! Pinned ya'!" she shouted victoriously, maw wide and licking her chops.
Nick wouldn't have any of this. "Skye, let me up," he requested, struggling to roll to the side to get her off of him. He managed to shove her off surprisingly quickly, finding strength from out of nowhere. He stood up, feeling no pressure on him until he realized the stance she took.
Wide eyed and horrified as he was met with a crouching red-stained white fox, Nick tried to gasp, but instead felt her tackle him again. Falling and rolling with her to the ground, Nick had little leeway to say anything without getting a mouth full of dirt and stray pebbles.
When Nick could no longer feel momentum this time, he blinked and felt an immeasurable number or rocks threaten to poke at his lungs. With the pressure now on his back, he only sighed.
"Pinned ya' again!" the vixen boasted triumphantly, enjoying her new throne as she waved at the only member of the crowd.
Cackling at the spectacle as he was, Finnick somehow managed to stand and wipe a tear from his eye. "What's wrong, Nick? Can't beat your girlfriend?!" he bellowed, nearly toppling over again from how Nick never really could beat the Skye, she was too energetic despite being slightly smaller than him.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Nick wheezed, attempting to push off the ground to no avail. "Skye, can you get off now?"
She hummed. "Nu-uh."
He huffed. "Skye!"
Just as he called to her again, he felt her lift her weight off of him. Relieved, he started to get up until she came crashing down.
"Say uncle!" the arctic fox commanded with a gleeful smile.
Nick couldn't fathom why she did this but didn't want to stay there too long. So, in order to retaliate, he gave her a piece of his mind. "I don't-oof," His point of view failed, he didn't stand a chance. "I don't have an unc-AH!"
"Oh," Halting her bouncing on his back, she mulled over this. Though she only wanted him to say the word, it didn't seem right to attack him if he didn't have an uncle. "Then say, auntie!"
Immediately, she resumed.
Through pained breaths, Nick explained, "I don-ueh! Have an aunt-EEH!"
Moments passed as the vixen got bored and stood to assist Nick back to his feet. Helping him dust off, she hoped that he learned some weird, unknowable lesson from the exchange.
Now with them all calmed down and the hiss of the radio playing a steady stream of classical music and news, they had a moment to simply talk. They'd share stories, their points of view from experiences, happenings in their lives, all the good natured things of their friendships.
And this time, it was Finnick's turn to share.
"I tell ya' that ol' goat didn't know what to think," Finnick recalled, gesticulating his best with what was left of the pawpsicle in his paw as the other two sat and giggled at their finest work. "She was all: 'Young man, you need to watch out for your family and raise your son to be a good citizen and the ZPD is always lookin' out for folks and bla, bla, bla-" he mocked, though his deep voice didn't match up with the elderly ewe at all.
He, of course, was talking about the little after school activity they had been doing as of late: their game, their lot in life.
It didn't take them long to figure out the rules of the city and all three of them being so close in age - Nick and Skye at the young age of eleven while Finnick was just a few years older - they came up with a plan. Using their unique looks and respective roles in society, they forged a quick scheme to get what they wanted from unknowing mammals.
Most citizens couldn't differentiate the age of foxes their size, most prey anyway; their growth spurts helped. So, to take advantage of the more, as Finnick put it, 'sentimental' folks, they used their wit and prowess that their species was renown for. Ever the sly foxes, they had started hustling.
Fin looked out to the drizzling rain and continued with a huff, "What's funny 'bout her was she thought we was family,"
Neither Skye nor Nick could stop laughing as they remembered it all easily: their 'family' hustle. However, they didn't see the somber expression on Finnick's muzzle.
What they did was have Skye and Fin go up to unsuspecting prey with panicked expressions in their eyes. She'd tell them that Fin's father just left them and they were trying to find him. Dressed in his elephant pajamas, Fin would coo and make noises that sounded like he was worried about his 'papa'.
With Nick somewhere nearby and waiting, Skye would wander around strategically until she spotted him. Then whatever mammal joined them would talk to Nick. He'd explain that he lost his job and can't support a whole family on one income. Sometimes they scolded him for leaving, but many times they were surprisingly compassionate. Either way, they'd hand him something for his troubles and leave him with advice about staying together as a family.
Their most recent patsy was some meter-maid that they had found. While a little old for her position, she had been all too sweet in her approach. Never once did she yell at any of them about mistakes and what not, rather, she sympathized with them and said that this was her lot in life and she actually enjoyed it; sans Sahara Square in the summer. All in all, she said that she was happy to see such mammals make it this far, and she even gave all three of them complimentary ZPD stickers before telling them that anyone can be anything. Oddly enough, they all kept them when she bid them farewell and safe travels.
After, they split up their earnings and bought a few things with it. While not always much, it was enough to get them a cooler, some new stuff and definitely pawpsicles; if Skye didn't eat them all.
"Yeah," the vixen added, catching her breath. "And this family sticks together like layers of a cake."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Is cake all you ever think about?"
Not waiting to breathe, Skye nodded. She stood proudly and tutted, "Only if it's made by the renown chef-"
Nick and Finnick grumbled. "Chef, Gordon Ramsay. We get it!"
Though she looked surprised, the two tod's shook their heads. She spoke of the goat quite often and how her mom let her watch his tv shows. Always making something interesting whether it was cake or not, the guy cussed like a sailor - though it was censored for the viewing of a younger audience - and made incredible dishes. What she liked most was that he primarily lived in Zootopia, and it was her fervent dream to meet him.
"Yep! And I'm gonna marry him," she added.
Fin raised a brow at this. "You know he's in his thirties, right?"
While true, it wouldn't deter her. "Well, when I'm older, he'll marry me, and make me lots of cake and we'll own our own restaurant."
It was Nick's turn to try and dismantle her nonsense. "He's married, and he owns restaurants."
Again true, the vixen was left with what should have been a situation that she shouldn't touch. However, Skye wasn't one to give up so easily. "Well then, he'll have to get married again!" she shouted, adamant that he'd be her personal chef at least.
Not trying to argue, Nick rolled his eyes and listened to the music change. That's not how that works, Skye...
Her rant over, they came to a lull in waiting. Fin hopped down to rummage through the bags while the others thought of something to do out of boredom and in the shelter. Placing his paw on the goods he acquired, he chuckled and presented them. "YO! Kiddies!" he shouted, watching them turn to him with fascination. "Look what I got!"
Nick tilted his head. "Uh... what is it?"
Fin hastily tore open the packet, taking a small green stick in one and flicking the lighter with the other.
"Smokes," the little fox answered, holding a shiny, silver box in one paw and a small carton in the other. "Got 'em off my Pops!"
He lit up one of the sticks, watching it burn a deep ashen orange colour. Taking one puff, a deep breath of the intoxicating thing, Fin started coughing. Ears flopping and lungs burning, he tried to speak but wheezed instead; he'd try again in a second.
"My tutor and her husband moved to Bunnyburrow today,"
Broken from his thoughts by the mention of Skye's tutor, Nick listened a little more. As long as he had known her, he had never met the mammal unfortunate enough to train this monster of a vixen. Yet, from what Nick heard from her constant teachings, they were very diligent in helping. She told him about her tutor's mate, a wolf, but... she wasn't one? She never did say what she was, or figure it out even from the constant reminders.
"Mom says that's where she and Gramma used to live," Nick looked on, she swished her tail and smiled. "He was really nice, he helped us when we moved before, and he got me a bike for my birthday," her tone took a bit of a dive and her tail halted altogether. Nick remembered that birthday well, she bragged on and on about her shiny new blue bike and how some cop gave it to her. He got to see her (attempt to) ride it only to fall off half a dozen times in front of her panicked father. "I wish they could stay, they just... said it wasn't safe here anymore," she added, drawing a little in the dirt.
Nick hummed. Things were getting somewhat out of paw as they heard over the news: predators attacking prey for no reason, climate wall issues, poverty on the rise. It was a lot for them to take in, but they were glad to have each other in the midst of all this mess. And, of course, everything that they wanted was just over the horizon. Not just metaphorically as Skye wanted to go around and build random things when she got older, but Nick was looking forward to high school. He really wanted to follow in the pawprints of his-
"Dad-" Nick whispered, shuddering when the sole word slipped from his lips.
"Huh?" Nick blinked, Skye was practically in his face; blue eyes curiously glimmering with mischief. "What did you say you got?"
"I... mom said I can go see dad soon. In a few months."
Both of the foxes with him halted - Finnick more so trying to catch his breath after another puff.
Skye's jaw hung on hinges. "You can?!" While she hadn't known his father at all, she had heard of him from time to time when her parents and Marian spoke of him here and there. Stories about the tod turned tailor always had her wondering, "What's he look like?"
Thankful that they didn't notice the streak falling from his cheek, Nick shrugged. "I don't know. Mom said he might be getting better, but she doesn't know yet."
He swished his tail along side her as they watched the autumn rain pass them by. The sky grew a little darker with each passing moment, but they were happy to spend every second together.
Judy idly kicked her feet from the low hanging branch of the tree she sat on. Ruffling her plaid shirt tipping her straw hat, she looked out over the field under the late afternoon sun and sighed in relief, basking in all the glory nature had to offer. Clear skies, glistening grass after a fall drizzle that made everything seem brighter as it was a promise itself, it was beautiful; she couldn't be happier.
"So, what do you want to do now, Jack?" she asked, never looking down at the other bunny who smiled warmly at the pair of mammals sitting at one of the benches. Though quiet as he was, the buck was just as adventurous as Judy.
He fiddled around with the small knife he examined thoroughly. Sheathing and unsheathing it, balancing it, and smoothing his paw over the finished surface of the handle before he answered, "I don't know. You?"
A quick shrug and an "I dunno," was Judy's response. They had both been brought out here by Jack's father, James, as he said he urgently needed to speak to his friend, the owner of the range itself, Sunny. Of course, Jack wanted to be practically everywhere his father was, but Judy only really wanted to go explore because it was a lazy day at home, and her chores were done.
So here they were, trying to keep from boredom. James told them to stay out of trouble while he spoke to the coyote in somewhat open privacy; the outlet being closed for the day somewhat hastily so they could converse. Neither of them could hear what was being said, but the elder buck seemed quite animated in his conversation. With just them and various things littering the table space between them - a cup of water for James, some spare weapons that needed cleaning and a small silver flask - the coyote glanced at them every now and again between sips and stray words with either a confused look or a forced smirk.
They couldn't understand what it was about, but it was so long a conversation that they had already exhausted every possible form of entertainment. From acrobatics, tree climbing, running, I spy, and tons of other things that they did in the nearly two hours since they had been there; it had all been done.
Judy hummed a tune. "Wanna play cops and robbers again?"
Happy as she was, bored bunnies were generally destructive. They were both high energy creatures and it was high time that they tried something to end this tedious trip. Besides, she was going to be a cop one day, even if her parents told her that it was impossible for a bunny to be such a thing. She would go for her dream no matter what, chasing an invisible bad guy was fun.
Though he really wanted to be part of the adult conversation, he had to sit this one out. He loved mimicking the things his father did, and even always wore a suit like him. Granted that he was given the little knife as a gift from his father - a smaller version of James' own as he was deemed responsible enough from even from his begging - he had other things in mind than some silly game. "I've got a better idea."
The glint of adventure shimmering in his eyes, he stood and pointed out to the gun-range itself. Jack nodded towards it and waved Judy to follow. "I wanna try something," he informed, already starting to sprint. "Maybe dad will let us join him and Ms. Sunny after this."
Not arguing, but simply smiling, Judy leapt down from the branches. A good eight feet or so up, she held onto her hat and stuck the landing. Chuckling to herself as that's what cops did on a daily basis, she made mental notes about every little thing she did to train herself in order to become one of Zootopia's finest when she finally got there. Everything from her longer sprinting sessions, to climbing everything in sight, she would be ready.
When she got down and saw Jack already halfway there, she giggled and followed. The lull in their stay and the conversation between the two adults becoming more animated, they were practically invisible in the empty range. When Judy caught up to him, Jack was standing at one of the booths, the one his father had occupied just before he went to speak to Sunny. A vastly familiar sight, Judy could have sworn that it was James himself standing there, albeit a little smaller.
The second she heard a click and watched Jack's paws smooth over a shiny metal object, she froze. "What are you doing?!" she asked, panicked as Jack held a gun, inspecting it while his brightened yellow eyes looked out at the targets at a distance.
"I'm gonna shoot one."
Logically, it didn't make sense to Judy. "You're gonna get in trouble," she argued, recalling every cop show that she had ever seen; it never ended well for anyone with weapons.
He glanced over to the doe. "I've seen dad do this a thousand times already. If I can get one target, then maybe he'd let us join him and Ms. Sunny."
Judy had to think. Well... Mr. James does come here a lot with Jack. And if I can learn a lot of cop stuff from watching them and the Sherrif, then maybe he can hit one? Adjusting her straw hat and tipping it in approval, Judy stood back. If there was one thing that she had learned from being around bunnies and guns, it was that you should stay away from one firing one.
Thankful that Judy was on board, Jack continued his inspection of the weapon: his father's gun. It was bigger than he had imagined as he never held a gun in his life, but only seen James wield the thing with precision and expertise. Roughly the length of his arm, the burnished black weapon shimmered and glinted under sunlight; he could practically see his reflection in the engraving on either side. He had admired it since the first time he was allowed to see it in action, taking down targets at a distance with sheer force and a loud crack. And though he asked his father what was scribbled on the side, he was never told what it meant.
Taking a deep breath, Jack went over the things his father told him, those little life lessons he had deemed 'nevers' since long ago.
There were several 'nevers' that the young buck was taught in the course of his short time. Never hit a girl because you'll find a wife to love one day. Never stop trying because you can always find a way. Never go to bed angry because you'll stay awake and frustrate yourself. Never let hatred consume you because life is short. And, most importantly, never stop dreaming.
All of these he took to heart. However, there were even more 'nevers' about weapon use. They were much shorter and to the point than any others. Never aim a weapon at anyone unless it's to protect those that you love, never harm someone that's innocent, never use a weapon that's unfamiliar to you, never forget to keep whatever weapon you have somewhere safe, never forget to use the safety features of a weapon, never hold a weapon the wrong way, never try to use a weapon in one paw that's meant for two paws...
And the thing about those 'nevers' is that they were meant for the knives that his dad had. He had told him to specifically never, ever use a gun until he was much older; at least 16 in fact.
But he had to prove to his dad that he was ready.
He had seen him at the range countless times before, constantly watching him, scrutinizingly eyeing each and every minute detail.
So while James idly chatted with Sunny about this and that, Jack knew he could prove that he - being an eleven year old at the top of his class, and being called 'practically an adult' by so many - could at least shoot one of the many targets in the distance. That's what the range was for, right?
He looked at the weapon in his paw, smoothing over its surface as if it were a precious stone, he was ready.
If dad can shoot one of them, then so can I, he prepared himself mentally, taking the stance that James did so many times. And with the weapon in his capable paws, he went over his checklist.
Stance, He planted his feet firmly, anchoring himself to the ground. Check.
Target,
Peering ahead, he narrowed his eyes on the row of water jugs sitting on a fence line. Check.
Draw weapon,
He did just that, remembering to hold it with two paws like his father did. Check.
Aim,
He took a deep breath, trying to still his paw. Check.
...Fire
, Jack pulled the trigger, bracing himself in excitement for the target to be eliminated... but nothing happened. Believing it to be a fluke or that he didn't pull the trigger far enough, Jack tried again... yielding the same result twice, three times, four-
Okay, something's wrong. Immediately, he scratched his head with his free paw and tried to figure it out. Maybe it's stuck? Thinking that it was one of the only options, he started to flip the weapon around, but a voice in his mind stopped him.
NEVER, EVER LOOK DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN, EVER! CHECK. THE. CHAMBER!
It was as if his father was standing over him, shouting instructions, and James rarely yelled anything; certainly not at him. He couldn't suppress the shudder, his ears stood on end. So taking the voice's advice, he did just that and checked the chamber of the gun. There was a bullet there.
Sighing and shaking his head as he avoided something potentially deadly, he tried to figure out what may have been wrong with his father's weapon that was in perfect working order just a while ago. And when he went over the list again, he nearly face pawed.
Check the safety...
Doing so, he found it to be on; he switched it off.
Flustered that he didn't remember that, he went through his previous motions of his stance, his target, and drawing the now 'unsafe' weapon. Jack stilled himself and aimed at the soon to be obliterated water jug and smiled. Dad's gonna be so proud.
This time, when he pulled the trigger, several things happened. The loud boom of the weapon stung his sensitive bunny ears, the force of the weapon's kickback caused his arms to fly up as he couldn't counterbalance, and the world spun until he was facing the sky.
Through the ringing of his ears and dizziness, he blinked to see a pair of yellow eyes staring at him. While clearly furious, they were also full of fatherly concern. And at first, he tilted his head to understand what the bunny was saying, it soon came to him that his father was speaking.
"Jackson Percival Leaper!" James shouted again, cradling his son completely disregarding the haphazardly discarded weapon. "What on earth do you think you're doing?! Didn't I tell you to never-"
"D-did I get one?" asked Jack, rubbing his ears as the ringing dissipated. He didn't really understand what the big deal was, but if he could make his father proud, then it was all worth it.
James stopped. He looked over to the row of targets and found that one of them had literally exploded; a container that once held a gallon of water was reduced to nothing. He sighed, Just let him have this one while he can. "That you did, Jackson."
Through his headache, Jack smiled and turned to the rather sheepish looking doe. "Judy! Did you see that? I got one"
James mumbled something, picking Jack off the ground and carried him over to the table. "Judith, I want you and Jack to stay here with Sunny for a moment," he informed before walking back to the range to retrieve his weapon. Never before had he been so lax in his judgment that Jack was able to procure his weapons. You can't make mistakes like this, not when it's about Jack. Remember, what you came out here for, you have to be ready for everything. It's for his safety, he can't go with you this time.
Gritting his teeth in response to his own thoughts, he picked up his weapon and smoothed over its engraving, sighing in remembrance taking its words to heart.
'Vive quasi cras et non morieris in manibus eius'
Emptying the clip and putting the safety back on, he then stood to go retrieve the two bunnies to take back home. Being charged with watching over Judy, James was happy to do so. She was an orderly kit, much different from her littermates with the exception of Juniper. And though the youngest - born several minutes after the rest of her litter - she was the most promising of them. James was glad that Jack had a friend like her, he'd need such a bond soon.
He closed his eyes. It's for the best.
When he looked over to the mammals at the table, one little detail had his hackles raised all over again from Jack's gun fiasco. He was wobbling while his coyote caretaker laughed and the other bunny looked nearly as furious as he did. The little silver container was in Jack's paws.
"SUNNY!" he shouted, sprinting over to assess the damage that an unsupervised kit could do with an equally irresponsible mess of a tipsy canid. "What in the HE-" He stopped, carefully looking at Judy who stared back at him with a near matching rage. He had to be mindful of his words around such impressionable youth. Composing himself to what little degree he could, he stomped up to her, she was in heaps of trouble. "What do you think you're giving my son?"
Sunny smiled, adjusting her grey tank top and smoothing out her sweatpants."Is alright. See?" She pat Jack on the back and grinned. "No more headache."
James saw, alright. He saw his son giddily swaying, paws clasped on the flask and blinking every few seconds. In the literal seconds that he left him in Sunny's (less than) capable paws, she gave him alcohol. He rushed over and took it away, angrily sealing it and setting it down. He was about to scold his friend when Judy stepped in.
"You're under arrest!" the doe shouted, taking a firm stance and placing her paws on her hips. This stance was one that she took straight from an episode of 'Paw and Order' when they had one mammal cornered.
James and Sunny raised their brows. "Charges, malen'kiy priyatel'?" asked the coyote, her Prussian accent thick as she lauged; Judy tipped her hat.
The doe never understood what she was saying, but went with it anyway. "Under Bunnyburrow law, you are prohibited from the creation, consumption, and distribution of alcohol for minors under any circumstances," she informed, going over the law as much as she remembered. Reading was her favourite thing to do aside from exercise, and with the study that they had at home as well as their school library, she knew as much law as some adults. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be held against you in the court of law."
James couldn't help but smile. She will make a fine cop one day. Her parents should let her at least try, she's more mature than some of her siblings... He cut his eyes to the coyote now clapping.And definitely Sunny.
Taking no heed to the crowd, Judy seized the coyote's paw and grunted; she didn't even resist her arrest. "Um... do I call the Sherrif?"
Feigning her would be 'arrest' Sunny's lip quivered. "Oh no, olen' will take me away," she mocked with a wink and swish of her tail. "Maybe lock me in room with him?"
All James could do was rub his sore temples. It was no secret that Sunny was a bit of a flirt, especially when inebriated. In fact, twice in their short conversation, she played off crude jokes in an attempt to fluster the bunny. While it would take far more than that to get under his fur, he felt sorry for the poor Sherrif when he had to show up.
"No, Judith. Leave her be for now."
Bewildered by her caretaker, Judy stammered, "But I.. she just-"
"Trust me, Judy, he'll be busy with his new recruit," James inclined, already gathering their things and carefully lifting his half sleep son. He shuddered to think of the wolf he had met earlier that day and how... overtly adoring he was of his wife; a very polite thylacine. He even showed him hundreds (if not thousands)of photos of them together in awkward places; an arctic fox kit showed up every now and again. "And Sunny," James continued, watching her shrug the incident off nonchalantly. "I'll take care of it, Judy."
In the clear, the canid stood, nearly stumbling as she asked, "Need ride?"
Not bothering to turn back as he waved Judy along, James smirked and responded, "No, but you might."
He and the two bunnies disappeared down the road long before the coyote realized that he had taken her keys.
It was clear outside. The kind of day in early spring that brought about the crisp, clean feeling of everything being birthed anew. Flowers danced and basked in the late afternoon sunlight. Not a single puddle was in sight despite the age old adage of spring showers.
The sound of well-paced footfalls made their way to the bridge become safe haven to the trio of foxes. Each one bearing both somber looks and baggage of some kind. They were much slower today than they had been in a while despite the clear, unmuddied terrain; each of them had reasons of why.
When they finally sat down to set up their temporary encampment, it was far quieter than any of them realized. Their usual raucous was replaced by the monotonous work of unpacking.
Skye pulled out her radio, fumbling with a piece that had to be taped back together. It had certainly seen better days, but now wasn't one of them. It hissed as it whistled to life.
'~and you're listening to 'All Things Considered' on FPR. Coming up next: Issues around the city with our newly appointed Chief of Police, Aonghus Bogo~'
Nick went to busy himself by helping a rather tired looking Finnick by opening the cooler. And while their normal was for the arctic fox to rush in and grab her share, she patiently waited for Nick to hand her one of the three pawpsicles that they bought minutes ago.
They sat in silence. Their skulk didn't make nearly as much that day; spare change in comparison to the previous months. Even in the winter time, they had something that they could glean off of whenever they hustled. Today, it was bare bones for all of them; the hustle didn't go by nearly as well as before. Nick was scolded by some prey, and Skye was berated for having a kit at such a young age. They didn't know that Finnick was older than her.
By the time they had finished with their little snack and were reared to talk, their enthusiasm died. It was that kind of day; that kind of week.
Their radio spoke for them.
'~Thank you, Fabian. It's been the priority of the ZPD to keep the city safe from all manner of crime and danger no matter what.~'
Nick was only passively listening. Last night for him was exhausting and he just wanted a reprieve. Yet, he was more so worried about the vixen among them. She hadn't been to school that day and barely spoke during their act. It came as a surprise to Nick when he looked for her in the classroom and saw no sign of the fox at all. Finnick didn't go to the same school as them - he barely mentioned a school at all actually - so he never really worried about him.
And even though he was gripped with his own troubles, he had to cheer her up. "Skye?" He pat her shoulder, breaking her out of her stupor, her icy blue eyes far duller than they should be. That's not a good sign. "What's wrong?"
It had been the question on both of the tod's minds since their hustle. She seemed so... distant. Not only that but rather than the dress that her mom tried to get her to wear usually, she was fitted with her favourite Cosmos Corsac shirt. The same one she had begged and pleaded for from their beloved tv show.
She pursed her lips to speak, huffing and tugging on her shirt to compose herself. "W-we're moving... to Tundra Town."
'~With the recent attacks and outbreaks, we can only assume that it's some sort of virus that's plaguing our city.~'
If Nick wasn't already shocked by her mannerism's earlier - no taking his pawpsicle, tackling him, trying to eat some unfortunate bug - then he was now. "Again?! But... why? Why do-"
She stood up and yelled, "They took my bike!"
It all fell silent for a moment, save for the background hiss of the talk show.
'~We don't know why it's only affecting predators, but rest assured, we're doing the best that we can as quickly as we're able.~'
Breathing heavily, Skye tried to calm down... but she couldn't stand to look at them. "Why do people just do that?" Her arms clasped around her involuntarily, her tail had a mind of its own to do the same thing. "We didn't do anything. We've never taken anything from anyone."
Nick stayed silent, he remembered it all too well. It wasn't the first time that their family had been through this sort of heinous act before, and he wasn't too sure it would be the last with the way Zootopias predator neighbourhoods were crumbling; he was thankful that it wasn't his family.
She began to shudder. "I... I don't wanna go, Nicky," she sniffled, looking everywhere but at them. "I don't want to leave. You're family to me, both of you."
As she said this, Nick's mind began to reel at the word 'family'. His paw jittered. "I know what it's like, Skye. I... I didn't want to leave either, but I had to."
This had the vixen somewhat more upset. "But how could you?! You've been in the same house since forever!" she bared her teeth on the verge of tears.
It took more than just his sheer willpower for Nick not to tremble. He made a promise to himself, one that Fin told him long ago. Never let them see that they get to you.
"It wasn't there that I had to leave from," He took a deep breath, distrusting himself to lock eyes with any of his friends. "I... saw dad last night,"
The second his muzzle closed, he regretted the words it had spewn out. Knowing full well what the others would ask, he took the simplest option to ease his pain: show them. Before a single peep was said, Nick slowly - morosely even - took his paw and reached into his shirt pocket. Pulling out a simple folded picture, he sighed. One glance at it had him re-thinking his own visit, but he didn't care.
Smoothing it out and handing it over to Skye and Finnick, Nick turned to the open tunnel again and watched as a gentle breeze swayed a little purple flower in the distance.
With his ears focused on them, he wasn't surprised to hear one of them - he didn't really seem to notice which one - asked him what he had dreaded since that morning, "What's that?"
He didn't want to look back at it, he had it engraved in his mind all day. Though the picture was somewhat grainy and out of focus, it was easy to tell what it was. There was Nick standing in front of a glass pane, eyes wide and terrified while he tried to stay focused on the camera, but failed. It wasn't hard to see why he looked that way as a near creature like fox stood behind him, in tattered clothes, fervently scratching at the glass wall that separated them. It bore its teeth hungrily and its slit-like eyes reflected from the flash of light.
Not hearing a response from their friend, the two foxes stood on either side of Nick. Wordlessly, they all huddled together at the mouth of the tunnel. So short were the days, and so long were their troubles that all they could do was enjoy each others company in small moments and share their memories as boundless as their dreams. Whether in Zootopia, or anywhere else.
'~These are trying times indeed. We don't have many details on what's been happening, and even with some of the older cases, we have no full answer. So I encourage each and every citizen not to jump to conclusions and panic. And with a tenth of our police force being made of predatory mammals, I know it draws worry, but until we're able to figure out something, we're relying on everyone to inform us of incidents. Whether officers of the ZPD or citizens, it's everyone's duty to help one another. It takes all of us to make a difference in this city.~'
Judy trotted down the hallway of the Warren as quietly as possible; practically tip-toeing to not make any noise. She had become really good at it over the past few months leading up to her and Jack turning twelve. With the heavy spring rains, the buck and doe were forced to spend the remainder of their day inside; Bonnie and Stu didn't like their kits playing out in the rain too much. "Ounce of prevention," they said.
While she didn't like it much, she was more so worried that this gloomy day may just have been the even more heartbreaking for her friend. Since the sun didn't shine on what should have been a bitter-sweet day, it seemed to have affected him even more.
Nary a bunny was in sight save for the few scampering here and there in and out of this door and down that hall. None took notice of Judy as she hopped, padded and slunk her way to the end of the hall and to the entrance of a communal burrow. While it was far different from hers - the barracks for now until she became a little older and could get something of a dorm or a low chance at her own personal room - the communal's had always interested her. Instead of one large space that they shared everything in, they had a living room to share and their own personal bedrooms.
It was still nearly impossible to get your own bathroom save for her parents, visiting guests, and the elderly, but it was nice not to be suffocated in the sea of fluff every now and again. Yet... even then, it was nice to be around others.
He may have wanted to be alone, but he needs a friend now. she reassured herself, bracing for any sort of emotions her friend could have the second she opened the door. She even came prepared with snacks for the two of them hidden away under her hat: a carrot for her, and a parsnip for him.
When Judy opened the door, the warmth of the inner hall greeted her first. Not that the hallways were drafty, but it was a lot warmer in closed spaces than long halls.
Almost nervously, Judy jolted her head in every direction hoping to see the downtrodden rabbit. She was met with the local ambiance of the room and plush decor. Soft bristled carpet lined the floor and was occupied by a few recliners and couches. A small, wireless stereo system sat on a vanity in the corner while FPR played in the background. An empty game table sat in the back and gleamed with dim light. And though there was a single wall mounted tv, it didn't usually bother a lot of bunnies when it came to entertainment.
Still, even with all the room practically full, there was no bunny around. Worriedly, she called, "Jack? Jack are you here?"
Stepping in and closing the door, Judy honed her ears in for something, anything that would alert her to her best friend since birth. It took a moment for her to hear just that anything she was hoping for, and it was coming from James' old room.
Swallowing the lump in her throat as she knew the sound all too well, Judy padded her way over and cautiously opened the door to a completely darkened space. It didn't deter her, she heard sniffling.
"Jack is that you?!" she questioned, already searching for the light switch. When her nimble paws found purchase on it, she enveloped the room in light and saw a pair of black tipped ears sticking up on the other side of the bed. There was no doubt that it was him.
Both relieved and saddened that he'd just put himself away from others like that, Judy made her way over. She hadn't been in Mr. James' room too much other than to say hello to accompany Jack when they were going somewhere, but to see it this much was heartbreaking. There were only three pictures on his veranda; nothing else dared occupy the space. A single briefcase sat on his desk and no more than a few books took up space on the small bookshelf. Truly James was a remarkably tidy mammal, but his tidiness wasn't why she was here.
Rounding the corner of the bed, she found Jack set on the floor; staring blankly ahead with his knees brought up to his chest and wiping under his eyes with his sleeve. Though she looked on him with pity, her eyes were drawn to the leaf Laurel crowning his head. A garland adorned with the blue flowers he so carefully, somberly chose: Myosotis Scorpioides, Forget Me Nots.
Judy slowly sat next to him, scooting over to be right by his side. She didn't really know what to do more than stay there, her little gift of a snack seemed irrelevant.
"He's gone..."
Startled by his sudden voice, Judy sat still. She wasn't going to feign ignorance and ask him what was wrong; she knew full well what was wrong, she was there for the whole thing. Dropping the food to her side, she wrapped her arm around him.
"He-" Jack trembled at her sudden touch. "He just left."
Judy felt her own tears start to fall.
"He never even said goodbye, or... told me about mom or..."
He took a deep breath, barely able to see Judy at all. "Why would he just leave?"
Mind completely hazed, Jack thought over the past few months. The sudden 'trip' his Stu said he had to make to the city while giving him a worried, reassuring smile. The days that passed without his guidance and constant presence. The hope of finding him talking to Sunny who gave him no clear answer. The days without answer, call, or clue... and then, today.
It came as no surprise, really; when he didn't truly have a family to call his own, but only caretakers that his father had set up in case of emergencies. In the course of just a few short months, the mammal that had been present in all of his life since the day he had been born had simply... vanished. There was no trace of him. All Jack had to go off of was Judy's (now his root) father saying that he had to leave for the city.
Since that day, Jack had waited and waited. He had grown tired and wearied since: lower appetite, evading others, fervid nightmares. His separation was devastating. So, in order to try and solve the issue, Bonnie and Stu came to an ultimatum: earlier this morning Jackson Percival Leaper-Hopps had been grafted into the family.
And here sat the bunny, missing his father and not knowing what the future held for him.
The only one that truly knew him this much was Judy. She was there for the whole thing, and was his closest friend; he hugged her back.
Wordlessly, they huddled together staring at the pictures that brightened an otherwise desolate room. So few were their answers, and so many were their questions that all they could do was enjoy each others company in small moments and share their hopes as boundless as their dreams. Whether in Bunnyburrow, or anywhere else.
Hold fast to those you dream with
[A/N]
[FF Review Responses]
TheUnaccomplishedWriter: Thank you. And indeed, that's what I was trying to accomplish. With their traumas and everything, high school will be... well, it's happening very soon ^^
Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps: I'm glad you noticed this. I'm working towards each of them achieving their own goals with different personalities; especially Skye, she's got some stuff to work out. And fret not, the emblem they wear in the cover means a whole lot more than what's seen. XD
the Red Omega: YES! Someone caught that! But remember, the teachers didn't allow them to write in addresses for the program. Parents can be paranoid.
TheAssassin2: You and a few others were SO close! But the term is: Grafting. ^_^
OceRydia: Their messages were a lot of fun to write. I had a hard time and a blast writing Skyes. Trying to spell things like that was tedious...
[Translations]
"Charges, malen'kiy priyatel'?" [Russian/English] "Charges, little buddy?" [Russian/English]
"Oh no, olen' will take me away," [Russian/English] "Oh no, deer will take me away,"
[Trivia]
Alrighty, A bit of a headcanon here, so I'll explain. Bunnies (burrow bunnies really) do NOT do 'Adoptions'. With the huge amount of family that they generally have, someone's bound to take care of the less fortunate. So, in order for those who don't have such means and have essentially 'no family tree' they go through a grafting ceremony to become part of their new family.
Taken from the tree term, they are essentially a part of the family, period. However, since they are not genealogically there (genetically), they have all of the benifits of family: name, family accounts, wills, inheritance, etc, but they are not considered directly related. You'll hear the terms: Grafting, Graftee, Root (mother/father) and Scion often.
Anywho, expect another chapter fairly soon. I hope you all got a chance to see some of the easter eggs and a ton of foreshadowing. That, plus this story will have voting. TONS of voting! Class president, favourite character, favourite ship, etc, etc, etc. Lastly! Share a dream is coming soon! You have an idea or scenario? Let me know and I'll try a chapter with it. ^^
A couple of things. About Jack, the guns and alcohol, and Finnick. This is a bit of a lesson in gun safety. Sad truth is that a lot of unsupervised children get their hands on weapons and it causes devastating results. James didn't think that Jack would try it, but I urge anyone and everyone to think about the best possible options to secure a weapon if they have one.
The part with Sunny and her giving Jack alcohol is a bit of a throwback to when it was believed to alleviate headaches and toothaches. So no, I'm not saying that it's okay to give alcohol to minors (or irresponsible adults). What I'm saying is that such things should be monitored and parents should be aware of the things their kids get into.
Also! Finnick... kinda stole his stuff? I'm still working out his details.
Okay, question for... just about anyone that's ever seen the anime. Is it sad... that every time I envision guns, it's Alucard's 'Causll' and 'Jackal' from Hellsing? Either that or Dante's Ebony and Ivory. I'm honestly contemplating a Zootopia crossover with the (possibly abridged) series... Can you imagine Nick as Alucard? And would Judy be Ceres? Skye as Integra? Jack Walter? *writes away*
[Other Sites]
fanfiction:
~dancinglunarwolves
deviantart: [snippet exclusive]
dancinglunarwolves
archiveofourown:
users/DancingLunarWolves/works
If you liked this story and have time please post a review, and if you would like to keep up with the story please fav or follow. Questions, comments, concerns, feel free to message me about anything. If you'd like updates, please check the profile page and or message me.
Till Next Time
-DLW