Brighter Days

"It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence,

we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream."

― Edgar Allan Poe

A calm, confident smile ran across Nick's muzzle as he stared out the frosted glass to the falling snow of Tundra Town. Silver moonlight illuminated each flake brilliantly as they made their descent into small piles here and there about the road. Plentiful as they were, even in the summer, the glistening banks of ice were a welcome reprieve of a view compared to the rush he experienced minutes ago. And while the bitter cold nipped lightly at his fur, he was thankful to have his pelt and peace of mind.

Even the sound of metal screeching and twisting did much to ease his shot nerves. Not palpable silence, but ambient and soothing none the less.

"I told you I had a backup plan." he chuckled, twirling the remnants of a well-earned pawpsicle in his paw. Though his words were an octave or two higher than they should have been, it was better than having no voice at all.

There was a gruff huff next to him; a far deeper tone than his ever could be. "And I told you it was a bad idea," Finnick shot back, angrily shifting himself on the pile of books he sat on. The little fox didn't bother looking at Nick, opting instead to stare at the opened hood blocking his view of the street ahead of them. "I knew we shouldn't have messed with that shrew."

Nick shrugged and tried to play it cool. "It's not my fault that our getaway didn't have enough 'get' in its 'away' for our own good," he stated, tapping a claw against the dashboard. "In fact, the only thing in this rust bucket that went the speed limit was your high-pitched barking, bud."

No sooner than he said that, Nick felt a hard tap hit his nose that forced him to flinch. With the clatter of a small piece of wood falling to the seat, Nick turned to the rather flustered fox with a nervous smile; Fin was unamused.

"You kiddin' me, Wilde?" he shouted, lividly standing on his stack of books to make him only half an inch taller. "I ain't scream, and 'Ol Betsy ain't on her last tire yet." Tearing his eyes away from the annoying tod, Finnick reached over and gently pat the steering wheel. "That's alright, baby. He ain't mean it."

Nick chuckled. Ever since the day Fin had inherited his van, he had always seen it as more personable than any other mammal. He'd polish it, clean it, tell him it was singing along whenever his favourite song came on the radio. Nick kind of felt sorry for him in that regard, that he pretty much clung to the vehicle. Still, though, despite him being so attached, it did have its flaws. Namely that the thing was too big for him and he had been pulled over a few times because the police thought that a toddler was driving. He'd been there once or twice when the 'fully grown' mammal had to prove he was not only older than his passenger but old enough to drive.

It was still a step up for him, his independence and all. Nick recalled how he never talked about his family and, whenever asked, he'd brush it off. Opting instead to shrug and speak about what kind of hustle they could do, the duo silently agreed never to bring it up again.

The slam of the hood caught their attention. In seconds the image of a smiling, oil and snow-covered vixen filled their view; her bristling bushy fur doing its level best to keep the elements off of her.

Rubbing her paws together and exhaling the frost that came with the coldest region of Zootopia, she moved to the side of the vehicle and popped open the passenger door. "It's driveable, but you're gonna need a new timing belt and the radiator's leaking," said Skye, already hopping into the slightly warmer van while the other two felt the brisk chill roll over them.

She scrambled over Nick, swatting him with her tail in the process, and made her way to the back. It wasn't exactly spacious, so she pushed a few glass jars and hanging rugs out of the way before she made herself a decent spot to sit.

Watching her shake herself off and pat down her much longer fur, Finnick sighed, "So, you can fix 'er?"

It was a moment before Skye finished shaking herself free of debris; her once white jacket and red pants all but stained as deep as tar. "Well... if we can get to the junkyard in time then yeah," Finished removing what stains she could, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her cellphone. "Old Mr. Jenkins just lets me grab parts, so let's head there. Maybe he'll let me use his welding tool."

She put down the phone when the two other foxes gave her awkward stares. Not that it wasn't unusual, but this had an air of 'you're allowed to do things?' kind of look. Taking a glance around, she returned the gesture. "What did yall do, anyway? To get Fin's van busted?"

She received a call about half an hour ago stating that they needed to stop by for an emergency and she needed to bring her toolkit. While she was expecting for them to show up and go somewhere like the arcade - because she could either school them there or stomp other mammals online, she was too good at Fur Fighter or any number of games she played - or the diner, Skye was thrilled that Fin's van was what their emergency was; he never let her try to fix it before, she was too excitable and the vehicle was too precious. And now here she sat surrounded by various stuff that the two tods hadn't had in the vehicle last week. The red liquid in one jar caught her attention more with a slightly familiar aroma to it.

Nick pursed his lips to speak, but Finnick chuckled first. "Yeah, Nick. What did you do?" his voice was laced with knowing sarcasm. Despite his small stature, Nick seemed to be the one that was barely a foot tall.

Darting his eyes back and forth from the jars and 'rugs' he cautiously grinned. "Nothing?"

There was a cold silence in the vehicle as neither of his two friends gave him the acknowledgment he was looking for. So, opting for the high road, he sighed. "What Fin and I were trying to do was sell these fantastic, fancy rugs and make pawpsicles."

Fin cut him a glare. "They ain't fancy! You just tricked Le P-"

"This is full of pawpsicles?!"

Both foxes in the front halted the one-sided argument to see the vixen already uncapping the jar, their ears fell with the grimacing look on their faces. Skye's motions were a blur as she hastily drained the red liquid from the glass in record pace.

Nick huffed. There goes our profit...

Setting impromptu treat down and licking her chops, Skye shifted her eyes around. "Got any more?" she asked, swishing her tail in utter glee.

Frustrated that he would not only buy another jumbo pop, but also melt the thing down, Nick hastily answered. "No, Skye, we don't have any more. And those weren't cheap, you know." He should have known she would do this even before they had the chance to freeze it.

Seemingly upset and knowing where Nick was going, Skye grinned and held up the jar. "Well, consider this a mechanics payment, Nicky," The colour on Nick's face drained. "Maybe you can use one as a tip jar. Fixing cars isn't cheap, you know, Fin." Fin's eyes twitched.

Hearing the giggling of the vixen behind them (she seemed giddier now) the two tods turned to face the silent, chilly road. They wouldn't admit it, but Skye was right. Fin had gone to a licensed mechanic before, and it cost him big to have even the simplest thing done. So giving up a small part of their profit was understandable, if annoying.

Taking a deep breath, Fin shook his head and started the engine. It whirred to life, sputtering and jolting as it practically screamed in agony. And though the fennec fox was happy that his van was at least operational, he never liked hearing those wretched sounds.

Pulling away from the curb and almost snowbank he parked in, Fin eased onto the road and immediately halted. His eyes fixated on the road blinked in absolute horror and confusion. Every which way he looked, they were surrounded by miniature figures, staring blankly at them, all within reach.

Nick's jaw hung. "What the-" He peered out the window, taking in all the scene with Fin. While he had tried to stay calm, cool, and collected, he was wondering if and when someone would show up for their mishap with the rugs or worse. Thinking this may have been it, he held his breath, but nothing happened.

Taking a closer look just beyond, Nick saw a terrible, perplexing sight. The sidewalk and part of the street were literally littered with dozens of snow-mammals in terrifying displays. One, what looked to be some kind of equine, was attempting to pick up its fallen arm with its hoof. Another, a bear, had the nearby lamp post running through its body.

Both tods blinking in confusion raised their brow, but Skye simply sat back, licking the remnants of the jar clean.

"Uh, Skye... what is that?!" It was Nick to ask, knowing full well that only she would attempt something like that.

"Snow mammals." she deadpanned.

Fin shook his head and slowly peddled away. Where did she find the time to come up with this? His thoughts were a bit unnerved. He had watched her make a snow-mammal before and it was practically nightmare fuel. But to make this many when they were watching?

With an air of uncomfortable silence sweeping by as Nick looked on the last of the icy figurines - a hippo eating a laughing hyena - he cleared his throat and asked, "You wanna chill with us next week, Skye?" Despite his penchant for puns and general jokes, he really did like to include the vixen in all of their activities. She was a dear friend, and they couldn't see each other as often as they used to. "We're going up to the bridge for a little R&R before winter sets in."

While Nick and Finnick lived closer to the bridge and could always go, it wasn't the same without Skye there. Whether rain or snow, it was always more fun when they were all skulking about.

The exasperated sigh from the back made Nick's ears twitch. "Can't." He thought he heard wrong until he looked back to see her staring out the tinted window. Aside from the fact that her tail was swishing at a mile a minute and she looked like her fur was about to literally fly away, she sounded... sad? "Exams at my new school."

Nick froze from complete shock, he even caught a glimpse of Fin's reaction; that little flop of his ears when he was upset. It had been known for a few years that since Skye and her family moved, she had been from school to school just about every semester or so, or they had moved to some different part of the town entirely. Nick didn't get what was going on with them, but it seemed like they were being constantly chased around. What didn't help was the constant protests and tensions between predators and prey as of late

He was about to reply but instead found her cheek to cheek with him. "This is the last one, Nicky!" Okay, never give her sugar, he thought as she pushed her way to the passenger seat to enjoy the view. "The Meadowlands were so close that we didn't have to move!"

Her tone was a bit more excitable than earlier, and though Nick knew she could be infuriating, he was glad she was back to her usual sugar-crazed self.

As Fin continued forward, picking up speed to get to the old junkyard in time, he hit a small icy patch. Common in Tundratown as they were, the vehicle swerved a little, straight into Skye's last little set of snow mammals: a bunny and fox running in circles.

Fin grit his teeth as the grill impacted the figurines, his van rolling over it in a bump that jostled things around inside that weren't secure: the three foxes not wearing seatbelts.

With all three toppling over and Fin falling the farthest, the uncontrolled vehicle slowly rolled into a freshly made pile of snow. It softly impacted and sat, waiting for the trio to get themselves together and out of the mess. All eyes inside glared at the vixen who was the cause of it all, but she simply laughed; this was the most fun any of them had had in weeks.

Soon, the entire interior of the vehicle was filled with bouts of laughter from the skulk of foxes trapped in the ice. For just like every bank of snow in Tundratown, the three friends had always drifted - unique in their own ways like every snowflake - but they never faded away.

Judy tip-toed her way down the hall to the study-lounge, cautiously attempting to avoid any other bunny; her sister Jasmine especially. It wasn't that she had any secret to keep or wanted to sneak up on anyone, but she really needed to remind a certain bunny that he was, in fact, again, missing out on the dinner rush upstairs.

Not that it was too difficult to grab and go, but when you had upwards of seven hundred hungry mouths all clamouring for food (not to mention newborns and their mothers and also neighbours) you tend to want to get food while you can and not have to resort to fighting off hordes of others for a single biscuit. It happened once or twice, it was a bunny house, after all. And for it to be just after Thanksgiving, the leftovers were practically a treasure of a meal for anyone. Bonnie's carrot casserole was one of the best-kept secrets in the tri-burrows.

Being the ever compassionate doe, Judy opted to wait until her closest friend and scion of the family was there to eat dinner with her. He had often seemed lonely despite being literally surrounded by hundreds of friends and family. But around her, he tended to open up a little more, he was more of the bunny she knew him as.

Finally reaching the sole door in the hall labeled 'study', Judy hastily pried it open; it didn't squeak thanks to all the maintenance in their warren. A gust of warm, welcoming air ruffled her fur. Being late fall, it was common to have the heat turned on, it was surprisingly cold underground otherwise.

"Jack," Judy whispered, her amethyst eyes peering around for any sign of the bunny amidst the sea of books. While it was a study for bunnies of all ages, it was more so of a small library without any need for late fees.

Shutting the door quietly behind her, Judy padded her way inside without a sound. The sufficient lighting allowed her to see no other bunny there, but she knew that Jack was here, he was always here when not taking part in some extracurricular activity, or at the range with Sunny. His schedule was largely predictable, so to Judy, his absence at the dinner table meant his presence in the study.

Now here, she didn't have to carefully tip-toe anymore. The plush carpeting installed helped wonders to ease the minds of ailing high schoolers and curious toddlers alike.

"Jack-Jack..." she called, using an oddly given name as he generally carried his appropriately named knife with him. She understood why he cherished it, but he was a bit obsessive about lending it to anyone; it never so much as strayed a few feet away from him at all times.

It wasn't until her ears perked up from the light tapping of keys that she could confirm exactly where he was. Judy sighed as she knew what he was currently doing. Padding her way towards the small section of the study that was reserved specifically for old articles.

Making her way past dozens of desks and aisles of books, Judy finally found the missing buck. Clad in more business-like attire than he needed and with his stripes covered - to this day, she never understood why - he sat amidst a small pile of papers and his laptop, completely oblivious to the world around him. A small briefcase sat neatly to one side while he rummaged through page after page of newspapers. He would often do this and Judy would come to find that he preferred to use the space on the floor as tables tended to run out of room rather quickly.

Folding her arms behind her and walking up to him, she cleared her throat to garner his attention. His immediate reaction was one she expected from him: a calm smile.

"Hey, Judy," he answered, never once lifting his head up as he knew only she would be here. He continued to sift through the papers as if he would find gold soon.

That little smile made her glad she came here. She may have wanted to drag him back so they could both eat, but all the paper caught her attention. Neat little scribbles adorned once blank sheets, his laptop was open to a writing document, and his paws held a newspaper that, from the upside down timestamp, was from just a few short years back.

Curious, she knelt to the floor, glancing over all the material. It wasn't cryptic, but still, she had to ask, "What's all... this?"

He scribbled something on a new sheet of paper. "Notes."

Jack wasn't always open for long conversations, he preferred to keep it short and simple; the way that he had seen many detectives do on his favourite tv shows.

Judy knew all of this, but there was something more. As of late, he had been somewhat... anxious. "Notes for..."

Halting, he placed the pen down and looked up at her. His keen amber eyes telling more than he ever would. "Since we'll be working for the Sherrif's department in spring, even part-time, he may allow us access to the archives." He folded the newspaper and drummed his digits on the briefcase. "I was just cataloging a few things to be ready just in case."

Humming at his response, Judy looked at the pile and reflected on her life. She was soon to be legally able to get part-time work at the sheriff's department, and that excited her to no end. Having to meet the minimum age requirement of 16, she still had to wait a few more months until that part of her dream became reality. And not only that, but Jack, as well as her sister Juniper and a few fellow classmates wanted to explore that option. Whether for course credit, experience, or just plain work, they all had something to look forward to; such was their dream.

But still, something bothered Judy. Wait, he wants to get into the archives? Weren't we just there to do back-end process work?

It was then that it hit her. Tilting her head towards him with avid curiosity, she needed to know. "Jack is this about-"

She dared not go any further, not from the somber look in his eyes. He reclined himself, looking at the close shelf of books, but staring into a distant nothingness.

"It's been almost five years, Judy," he lamented, his ears folding down and falling to his side. There was a tense quiet that they could feel. If not for the hum of the vents, it would have been nothing but their quieted breaths. "If I can find something out about why he left, then... maybe I can find him."

Judy understood. Since the day that James disappeared, Jack had changed. He was more astute, uptight, and no-nonsense. Most of his classmates had either stayed away from him or were cautious of him. Only those that knew him for years knew what he was like before he was grafted, his scoutmaster, and a few others actually spoke to him.

Within the lingering stillness of their conversation, Judy thought of what she could do. She wanted to help him; this was part of her dream, and their worlds were intertwined. A slow smile curled on her muzzle, her amethyst eyes stayed forward.

"Not alone, you're not," the second she said this, Jack raised a brow at her. Genuinely puzzled at where she was going with this, he pursed his mouth to speak, but quickly found the doe sitting right next to him. "We'll find him, together."

His once dumbfounded expression softened to one of untold gratitude. Even his ears perked up from the simple gesture of Judy being Judy.

She went on, grabbing the newspaper nearest her. "But first, let's sort this out. You've got all the dates jumbled together." With no more than a nod and a hum, Jack complied, looking for the date stamps in perfect order.

The two bunnies sat in the middle of an ocean of papers, their paws diving in for buried treasure and hidden secrets. Both happy to have each other and the bright future they could look forward too, dinner was all but forgotten.

Deep jittery huffs left the fox as he stared out of the frosted window of the van and onto the silent streets of Happytown. His wearied eyes flitted to the dim, flickering streetlight just a few feet away from the stoop of his apartment complex. While the road was surprisingly clear - city ordinance required that contractors made their way into the decrepit place to plow during the winter months - the walkways were now a hazard with dirty snow and ruined snow-mammals.

Blinking and wincing, Nick huffed and caught sight of the warm mist that crackled through the air. Woulda' been nice if this thing was a little warmer.

His thought was interrupted by the agonizing, continuous sound of scraping metal and muttered curses beside him. Tearing his sight away from the little twinkle of stars and snow, he looked over to the driver's seat, now clear of books, to see Fin still trying to light his most current cigarette.

The tiny fox's paws trembled as he sat there in the little blanket he kept around him for warmth; his trusted baseball bat resting from its tiresome work beside him. Despite him being content with the cold, he was shivering and failing to keep his cool. He attempted, again, to ignite his lighter and it only sparked. And with every further failure to light the stick, he felt more desperate.

Nick watched in brooding frustration. What try is this? Twenty? he counted, seeing Fin flick the flint wheel again.

"Come on," huffed the fox, his eyes red and paws unable to control themselves any longer. His ears all but lost their will to stay up as he fought for his drive to go on and against the tears forming in his eyes.

When the spark died again, he growled and placed a paw on the bridge of his nose; the lighter still there and not working anymore.

Nick couldn't stand this anymore, he hated seeing his friend on the verge of a breakdown after all that they just went through. Reaching over, and tensing up from the pain in his arm, he grabbed the lighter; no protest came from defeated fennec fox.

The busted tool in his paw, he tried to do the same thing. Once, twice... thrice.

Now on the verge of tossing it out the window - if it could be rolled down - Nick knew how his friend felt: completely powerless. But unlike Finnick, Nick tried to fight back even more. He kept flicking the flint, watching the sparks fly and die. He was at about a hundred tries when he finally paused, the air was thick with anger.

Taking a deep breath and giving the silver square a light squeeze, Nick tried one last time. Flicking the flint again, a little flame appeared and he leaned over to the distraught fox as quickly as he could before the fire died. Igniting the cigarette without Finnick looking, Nick capped the lighter and leaned back in the chair.

The moment Finnick opened his eyes to see the dark orange and smell the burn of the cigarette, he took a deep puff, inhaling all that he could from the stick, and sighed. The smoke that he exhumed calmed him and his nerves despite all that he knew that the substance was capable of. With a few shallow breaths, and rubbing his temples, he finally relaxed back in his chair.

His once frayed nerves starting to ease themselves from the tension as he looked out into the endless sea of stars above, Finnick curled his blanket around himself. It may not have been the best way to keep warm or even to sleep, but it was all he could think to do to be even the slightest bit comfortable.

After a long moment, he held the ashen stick away from him. "Thanks," he mumbled, never taking his eyes off the heavens.

He didn't get any response, didn't need to with the way things were going. He was just glad that they both made it out before things got too out of paw.

Taking another puff to further calm his nerve, he asked, "You aight, Nick?"

The fox in question shifted uncomfortably in his seat; various little bruises being brushed while he tried to find a more suited position to answer. Finally, after curling his tail up towards him and folding his arms, he could feel a little bit of the stress relieved. "I'll be fine, Fin." he begrudgingly answered, feeling the sting to his cheeks flare up. "How you hodlin' up, bud?"

Nick didn't turn to face him but he could hear the crackle of ash burn on the cigarette. "We can't go back to that part of town, you know."

I wouldn't dream of that. Nick mused, thinking of their narrow escape from Shara Square just a short while ago. A hustle gone wrong with anti pred protesters on the loose? It was a disaster, they were lucky to make it out with minor bruises and damage to their vehicle. Others, however, weren't so fortunate.

Mulling over his new options and feeling his wrist writhe, Nick wiggled his toes to ensure he was good for the short walk up the stairs and back home. Satisfied, he leaned forward, he instantly regretted it. "We'll-ugh... think of something. Rent's due soon and you some repairs."

Taking some effort in popping open the door, Nick eased himself onto the small sheet of now on the street. It crunched under his paw pads as he reached into the pocket of his hoodie and drew out his sunglasses. Donning them, he started to close the door, only to stop when it was barely a crack. Concerned, he turned to Fin one last time. "You gonna be okay to-"

"Yeah," was his short reply.

Huffing and closing the door to the small fox's abode, Nick slowly trudged his way to his home. Passing the front of the van, he nearly snagged his elbow on the jagged remains of one of the headlights. Disgusted, he pressed on, barely able to see, but still resigning himself to the conversation he'd having in a few minutes.

Maybe she won't notice? he thought, now at the front door, his small walk of a few meters taking a few minutes. The icy chill helped alleviate some of the pain, but it came with a severe cost: potential frostbite. He fetched his keys and entered, already swallowing the lump of dread he'd have to endure.

Maybe she's asleep? he pondered, ambling his way up to the third floor of the Olive Branch apartment complex. He fumbled the keys when he reached his residence, aching when he picked up the wretched things again. With his paw firmly on the door handle, he sighed and twisted the key to enter.

The first thing he noticed when he entered the room was the small lit lamp set on the coffee table... and his mother sitting on the couch next to it.

Yep, I'm dead.

He feigned a smile. "Hey ma-"

He never got to finish the sentence. "Nicholas Piberius Wilde!"

Nick could have sworn that there was some spectral force behind him, the door closed by itself while he stood still.

His mother, Marian, stood up, brushing off her floral dress and pacing towards him at incredible speed. When she was finally a foot away, she placed her paws on her hips. "Where have you been? I've tried calling you for hours after the-"

Her words simply vanished when she saw the attire he had on. Blue hoodie and sunglasses? What are you hiding this time?

Taking a deep breath and knowing that something was amiss - she could practically smell mischief - she took a different route than simply scolding him. Her foot tapped itself. "Take that ridiculous hoodie off, this instant."

Grumbling, Nick peeled back the hood and shrugged. He hoped he had nothing left to show on his muzzle from the escape, but he certainly, under no circumstances would even think to-

"And the glasses."

-do just that. Great! Now she's gonna know. Unless...

He complied to what his mother requested, slowly taking off the glasses, but also pulling the hood back over his head. Glasses off, he replied, "Glasses are off, I'm heading to my room and-"

From the stare she gave him, he didn't even attempt to move.

He's definitely hiding something. Please don't let this be like what happened with Skye. Tightening her paw, she steeled herself to get to the bottom of this. "Take the hoodie off, Nicholas," she demanded again, watching him huff and start to put the glasses back on. She stopped him. "Don't. You. DARE!"

Knowing that this was a battle that he couldn't win, Nick grimaced. He let loose a defeated huff and stuffed the glasses in his pocket and removed the hoodie. Attempting to avert her gaze to his partially swollen eye, he turned to the side, hoping, praying that she wouldn't make a big deal of it.

When he heard her gasp, his hope all but vanished. Marian closed the gap, turning his head to face him and inspect his eye. He tried feebly to remove her paws but didn't really care at that moment. His mom was always like that, always looking out for her 'Little Nicky'.

The softened expression in her glossy eyes said it all about her motherly compassion. "Who did this?"

He could barely speak, her paws grazing over the bruise gently.

He tensed. "It doesn't matter, mom. I'm fine."

She carefully took her paws away, seeing no more signs of bleeding and no serious cuts or any such thing. Despite this, it was more than she could handle, she didn't want anything to happen to her only child, especially when John was still ill.

How did this happen? she asked herself just before her face lit up in terror. "Was this from that riot earlier?" Her breath, ragged, she drew closer, Nick took a step back. "Were you with Finnick again?"

There was a lot that Nick could say here and now. He had lied often to swindle prey and predators alike, but he hadn't once lied to his mother; he wouldn't do so now.

"Yes," he admitted. "But it's not like we were-

Marian placed a paw up, silencing him. She shook her head and walked over to her phone. "That's it, I'm calling Glen."

Nick flinched at this. "Why?" He could already hear a dial tone from the old landline. She said a quick hello before turning to him. "They have an old house in Bunnyburrow that they want to fix up and move back into. It's in the same county as a good school. You're going there."

His jaw fell, a squeak left him. "Wha-" He became animated, shuffling over and gesticulating his retort as the vixen began to chat with the others. "I can't just go. What about Skye?"

She eyed him before whispering into the receiver, "Could you hold on for just a moment," With a paw covering the device, she answered him. "Once they overturn her case, they'll be on the way too." When she looked at him, completely concerned for his safety as he stared dumbfounded, she walked over to him and hugged him. "Nick, I know you want to stay, but the city's dangerous. It's not bad out in the country. Besides, Serenity has family out there; her mother she told me. She's been meaning to visit her."

Again, this was an argument he couldn't win. He slowly blinked, thinking of what to say or do. But then it hit him. "And where will you be?"

Marian paused, the little phone still crackling with sound. "Once they build the house back, I'll be here for a few weeks while I close the lease and terminate my position at the hospital. I need to look for another job, Nicky, but I promise I'll be there soon."

With that, the vixen drew her son into a tight, heartfelt hug. He tensed from the pain that coursed through him, but he returned the gesture all the same. Times were changing for the city, for worse, not better. But there were still few that clung to a dim hope of a future.

Judy hummed along to the imaginary tune of her light-hearted foot taps. Today was a good day. She had just gotten off work - minimum wage and only three hours - and was beyond elated. Being the week after her birthday, and her celebratory first week of work, she was thrilled to be able to hang out with her friends.

Reading her law book while she walked and chatted, she felt like she was finally getting a taste of what it would be like to be a beat cop at the end of a day. The warm spring breeze comforted her, and it felt incredible to bask in the aromas of flowers in bloom.

Rapt with the various differences of enforcement between the burrows and Zootopia, Judy read each line carefully; practically mending the words to her heart. So much was she engrossed with her studies, that she barely heard the conversation that was going on... until that one point.

"Did you hear that they're fixing up the old ghost house?"

Judy was torn from her law book instantly to see Sharla idly playing with her cell phone during their short walk to the town square. While not too keen on text-walking, Judy couldn't say anything due to how many times she ran into something or someone while going over the current laws in Zootopia.

Before she could answer, a curt laugh came from behind her. "Sharla, dear, everyone's heard about that," said the sow among them. "My sisters and I have known about that for weeks." Judy raised her brow at this. What does she mean? I only heard that this week from the sheriff himself. She decided to listen closer, but she had to dig a little deeper at the same time.

While the sheep sighed, Judy rolled her eyes. "Delilah, the burrows aren't a rumor mill, you know."

Though the pig was silent for a moment, Judy knew all too well about it. There were plenty of rumors and hearsay in the small town. It was always who was dating who, what was going on, which bunny had a thousand kits... and counting.

"Oh I know, Judith. But don't you think it odd that someone would want to move there? And so quickly?" The doe knew she liked saying her full name only as a courtesy, she was running for their class office after all. she even looked the part, always going into town with their school uniform donned. If she was going to show that she could make a difference, then she had to prove she was on their side.

True. Judy mused. I don't know the full details, but I'm sure Jack would be interested in checking in on it with me. We'll probably be greeting them with the sheriff after all.

"Well I think it's nice," Sharla chimed in, her book bag swaying heavily as she had just gotten back from the county library. "We've gotten so many new folks around here that this town has grown in reputation."

Judy smiled. She knew what Sharla was talking about: their new classmate - a shy white sheep and apparent cousin to Sharla - that they had welcomed in the winter months. Sad what she went through in the city, though. But I'm sure whoever's moving in the old house will love it here as much as Dawn does. Judy pondered, recalling the pitiable state that she came in when she had moved in. Scratches, bruises, and said to be caused by some uproar. Still, that was behind them; every new season brought forth a renewal to the old country town.

The pig hummed, drawing the attention of the other two as she was deep in thought. "I'm still curious, though. Why is it even called the 'ghost house'? It's been around for ages and nobody seems to know anything about it. It's a dreadful, drafty old place."

Judy couldn't disagree. Being on the outskirts of town and in a creepy wooded area, it was out of place, and out of its time. However, her smile increased as she came up with an idea. "Well, I'm not sure, Delilah, but there may be one bunny that might know something."

Through her beaming smile, she caught a glance of disbelief and soon remorse from the swine. "You simply can't mean Jackson. Can you?" the sow asked, hoping against her hope that she was wrong.

"Indeed I do," Judy smirked. "I just need to get him from his fencing practice and-"

"UGH! Again with this guy!" yelled the sheep, silencing the two others in their tracks. Her hooves tapping her phone and frustratingly shutting it off. Noticing the stares she was getting from not only her friends but the other mammals around her, she sheepishly smiled.

It was a moment before one of them actually guessed what it was.

Delilah chuckled. "Was it that 'Raspberry' player again?"

Sharla nodded. "Raspberry Legend 27. I don't know who they are, but they play everything I do and are better at it!"

Judy shrugged. Long had Sharla battled with this mysterious mammal. Always seeing them fight her online in any game she had. It was one of the sheep's goals to beat them in battle one day. And even though she said it was only for fun, Judy knew that even Sharla could be a little competitive.

With them attempting to figure out what to do with the little money they could send, a shrill gasp filled the mouth of the pig; the others turning to see what danger or adventure she had witnessed. Tracing her gaze across the street to the new 'ZoFro' shop, the rabbit and sheep clearly saw what gears were turning in the sow's head.

Behind the minty blue glass of the store, a grey wolf stood in line, idly talking to the others waiting with him. Much like the pig, he too wore his school-issued uniform and constantly smiled.

Luproc? Judy noted, gauging Delila's actions. It was common knowledge that the pig and wolf were friends for a very long time. And it was even more common knowledge that the two were... oblivious of each other's feelings? Something that their resident matchmaker had clearly been trying to resolve.

In an instant, the pig started walking towards him. "Would you ladies like to get some ice cream?"

The honk of a car halted her motion while the other two mammals raced to hold her back. A nervous smile and apology she gave were clearly underwhelming, even to her. And without even a validation from her friends, she took off, after ensuring the coast was clear.

The two followed her at their own pace, each with their own thoughts about her perceived relationship. But it was Judy that smiled brighter. It'll be fun to see who moves into the ghost house. It's always nice to meet a new friend.

When we see ourselves in our dreams, we see what is, what is not, and what we hope for the most

[A/N]

[FF Review Responses]

J Shute Norway: It goes a lot deeper than that. To see how deep this rabbit-and-fox hole goes will be a roller coaster of emotion. ^_^

Shynite: I'm really thinking about an anime and game crossover thing: Zootopia Bayonetta/ Devil May Cry, Gurren Lagan, (definitely Hellsing), League of Legends (Judy is Vi, Nick is TF and it's just them gaming and such)... Monster Hunter...

Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps: Agreed. The thing with Skye was based on my bike being stolen once. It upset me, sure (and I think I knew where it went) but it wasn't too much of a loss on my part. Next chapter is where it all truly starts ^_^ (fixing the Alma Mater)

InTheLionsDenOnDA: Thanks. No character here will be seen only once. Eliot and Chloe will definitely return XD

[Trivia and Notes]

And you've reached this part of the fic again! There's a few Easter Eggs, let's see who can find the most of them. Also, coming up for the next few chapters, there will be opportunities to vote and see the changes of the stories outcome. Nothing too major, but who will be class president, what activities will be available, and other such awesome things.

[Other Sites]

fanfiction:
~dancinglunarwolves

deviantart: [snippet exclusive]
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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