All things are beautiful seen through the eyes of love. - Sathya Sai Baba
Love is when you look in someone's eyes and you see their heart. - Unknown
A/N: Wow...two long chapters in two days? Just my way of saying thank you to all who patiently waited. Again, thank you to my editor, NightWolf0179, who helped me with the story. Seriously people, go look at his work! I just edited his most recent chapter and all I can say is be prepared to have tissues ready.
A/N#2: I have edited the chapter in light of a comment saying it could be interpreted that I was encouraging spousal abuse in the original version. Having sanitized it so as not to offend, I would like to categorically state that I have never been in favour of any form of violence but I do have it in my stories as it is a reality that we all have to deal with. I thank the person who made the comment but would advise that preaching before knowing the whole story doesn't build bridges.
A/N#3: Here are some links to tropes mentioned in the chapter:
SING: youtube at ZNJwxJXr2jc
Ear Flip: youtube at VA3_lf2Tfzk
Tasmanian Devil Whirlwind: youtube at c54SvkgQ04A
Disclaimer: All characters are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The OCs, Larry and The Celestials, were created by kittah4 and are used with their permission. Again, I apologize to authors whose ideas I have used here but may have not acknowledged. Some adult romance is contained in this story. You are about to enter cliché city. Cheesiness factor still in play. You have been warned…again!
After breakfast, Nick and Judy started out on their walk to the First Mammal village. Sniffing the air about him, the fox could still smell the tantalizing scent of his mate embedded in his fur. "Judy, is it okay if I marked you? If I recall rabbit mating habits, the fact that you marked me means that you claimed me as yours. I'd like to return the favour," Nick said with a grin, "We foxes are also very territorial and I wouldn't want any young buck trying to hit on you."
Judy giggled at his request and willingly gave her consent. Nick picked her up and cradled Judy under her hind legs, slowly caressing each of her cheeks with the side of his jaw. He continued the motion between her ears and on her neck.
Judy was overwhelmed by the overpowering scent of Nick's musk. She couldn't get enough of it and wanted to drown in it if she could! "Now, anyone who comes within three meters of you will know that you are mine," his eye twinkling with desire and contentedness.
She pulled his muzzle to hers and they engaged in a very long and passionate kiss.
"So," Judy asked breathlessly, "what do we have to do at your adopted families place?"
"I'll be asking the Shaman in the village to get our spiritual deities' blessings for the union."
Judy asked with a puzzled look on her face, "Spiritual deities' blessings?"
Nick laughed again. "Sorry to keep pulling rabbits out of the hat, Carrots," he said, effectively earning him a smack on the chest for the pun, "but it's my First Mammal family's tribal tradition that those who seek to become mates must see the Shaman who will consult each mammal's spiritual deity in order to get blessing for the union. There's a little ceremony involved where we sit in the ceremonial Purification Lodge while she calls on our spiritual deities to visit us. Once we have their blessing, we are to consummate the union in their presence."
"Nick! What kind of rabbit do you think I am?" Judy said shocked. "If you think I'm going to do it in front of an audience, you have another think coming. I'm getting off this crazy train right now!" she angrily remarked as she attempted to jump down from Nick's arms.
"Slow down, little bunny! Hear me out before you tear out my ears!" Nick chuckled nervously. "The Shaman leaves the teepee and it will only be us inside with our spiritual deities. From what I've heard from my adopted brothers and sisters, it's an out-of-this-world experience and it fully bonds the couple as one. And I never heard anyone complaining afterwards," Nick said with a suggestive smirk.
Judy huffed. "Fine but if I even see one non-spiritual being in that teepee, the union is off and I'm serving your tail to you!" Judy mockingly threatened. Nick only laughed at this as he set her down as they entered the First Mammal reservation.
Judy didn't know what to expect as she entered the reservation. She thought that there would be numerous teepees pitched outside just like the old John Mayne Westerns she had watched when she was young doe. The reservation, however, looked like any other town and was composed of modern buildings built to code. The only difference was the large ceremonial teepee that dominated the centre of the town. Nick advised her that they would go there right after he introduced her to his adopted family.
As she and Nick walked to his family's house, she noticed that the other mammals that they passed paid little attention to a predator-prey couple who smelled of each other's scents. Nick noticed her ears drooping and stopped in order to kneel down on one knee. He held her by her shoulders and asked, "What's wrong, Judy? Is something bothering you?"
Judy morosely sighed. "It's just I can't believe how tolerant mammals here are of inter-species couples. Back in Zootopia, we'd have gotten a least a couple of dozen stares by now."
Nick nodded his head, unsure as to why she found that disconcerting. "And, your point is…?"
Judy looked distraughtly at her fox. "It's almost like Paradise here! How can I ask you to leave all this behind? I assumed you would come with me if I went back but if you did, you'd be treated like a criminal just because you're a fox. And I know I could live here with you but what about my job with the ZPD? And I don't know if my father would even accept you as part of the family. He still blames you for hurting his little girl! And we still need to make sure you get a fair trial in Zootopia but if Jack is still here hunting for you…" she went on, her body beginning to tremble with anxiety and stress.
Nick pulled her into his arms, pressing her gently into him as he caressed her softly. "Shhh…breath…breath…don't go there. You're overthinking things again. You only need to concern yourself with the present, not a future that you have no control of. What's important," he said as he pulled back a little so that they were looking into each other's eyes, "is that we're together now and we'll handle those issues when the time comes…together as mates."
Judy gazed into her fox's eyes, green emeralds reflecting her amethyst ones. The love for her that she saw in them reinforced her resolve that she would go wherever he was, as she knew he would do the same for her. She nodded her head. "Sorry. Us bunnies, right? So emotional." she said, as she cast her eyes down in apology.
Nick lifted her chin up, gave her a soft kiss on the mouth and gently nuzzled his her cheek with his jaw, marking her again as he chuckled, "As long as you're my bunny, I don't mind."
Judy smiled at this as Nick got up and they continued on their way. They crossed several streets till they came to a fairly modest looking bungalow. "This is where my adopted family lives. All forty of them," said Nick.
Judy's eyes widened. "Forty? In this small house? That's a pretty tight fit for foxes," commented Judy.
Nick burst out laughing. "Sorry Fluff, I should also have mentioned that my adopted family are from the Sciurus carolinensis family or grey squirrels. This is practically a mansion to them. And look over there!" as Nick pointed towards the top of the house. "That's the eldest of the family on the roof. Hey, elder brother, Larry!" Nick excitedly called as he waved.
Judy looked up as she saw a grey squirrel peering down from his perch to see who was calling his name. "Why if it isn't the runt, here for a visit," he grinned down at Nick. "I'll be right down, squirt!" he yelled as he quickly took off, scurrying down the drainpipe from the roof where he had been sunbathing.
Nick stood there, grinning with both paws behind his back as he watched the grey ball of fur come at him like a bat out of hell. Nick stood his ground as Larry scurried about him, using him as a climbing pole till he finally reached the top of Nick's head.
Judy looked on in amazement as the squirrel busied himself by grooming Nick from where he sat on top of him. "Tch, tch…" she heard the squirrel say, "you've let yourself go, runt. This isn't what we taught you back when you were living with us. Why I can see places that haven't been touched for at least a year!" scolded the squirrel.
Judy couldn't help but laugh at the sight of a creature one-tenth the size of the fox berating the fox while Nick meekly accepted the dressing-down.
"So, who's the laughing hyena, Squirt?" grinned Larry as he continued busying himself grooming Nick's head and ears.
"Elder brother Larry, this is my mate, Judy Hopps. Judy, elder brother Larry of the Curlyque family," Nick said respectfully, as he looked up at the squirrel.
"Mate? So she's the one I smell on you! Well, congratulations are in order then!" said Larry from the top of Nick. "So, does this mean you're here to see the Shaman for the Binding Ceremony?" asked Larry as he giddily bent over to look at Nick upside-down while holding onto his ears.
Nick grinned at the squirrel's conduct. "Yes, we are. And I was wondering if mom, dad and the rest of the family would be joining us? I'd like Judy to meet them as well."
"Tell you what, runt," smirked Larry as he jerked upright, "get yourself bound and then we'll talk afterwards. Don't make your mate wait around for us fuddy-duddies. Introductions can come later once she's become part of the family," he grinned as he scooted off Nick's head, dashed to the ground and took off towards the forest. "I'll go gather them around. May take some time but I'm sure she'll find the ceremony more interesting than meeting a bunch of crazy squirrels!" he yelled back to them.
Nick laughed at his adopted brother's remark and turned to face Judy. She looked dazed from her interaction with Larry. Nick shrugged his shoulders and chuckled at her.
"Takes some getting used to but then I've had to deal with forty of them over the years. Squirrels are naturally hyperactive and can't sit still for very long. If you try to keep up with them, you'll end up being exhausted in the first five minutes. You just let their enthusiasm flow over you and try not to get caught in the riptide," he smirked.
Judy could only weakly nod her head as she watched the grey ball of energy disappear into the woods.
Judy and Nick walked to the centre of the town where the ceremonial tepee was. It basically was a cone-shaped tent, where the frame consisted of thirteen poles from fifteen to eighteen feet in length, which, after being tied together at the small ends, were raised upright with a twist so as to cross the poles above the fastening. The poles were then drawn apart at the large ends and adjusted upon the ground forming the rim of a circle that was about ten feet in diameter. The whole structure was then wrapped in beige cloth that was then decorated by the Shaman. Judy saw paw-drawn images of various spiritual animals such as a bear, wolf, beaver, deer, raccoon, fox, rabbit, weasel, and many others. However, she saw several large creatures that she did not recognize and turned to Nick to see if he could shed any light on their names.
Nick thoughtfully scratched his chin as he looked at the cloth canvas. "If my memory serves me correctly, these totems or spirit animals represent the best in each mammal. The mythology goes that Mother Nature or Gaia created all creatures equally and assigned unique powers to each of them. As time passed, some creatures became envious of what the others could do and wanted their powers for their own. In order for that to happen, the spiritual creature had to devour the other in order to gain the loser's talents or powers. When Gaia became aware of this, she became miserable and ashamed of their actions. Unfortunately, she had to take action by assigning certain animals as guardians. One such guardian is The Great White Stag who watches over the creatures of the forest and is very active during spring in regenerating life. His totem is that of the buck with a twenty-one-point rack of horns. Then there is the mythical beast called The Unicorn who watches over the pure of heart, the innocent, the gentle, and is called upon when healing is necessary. His totem is that of a horse with a horn growing from its forehead. The other mythical Guardian beast is The Dragon. He is sometimes called The Father Beast as he dispenses justice when necessary. He is the fiercest and wisest of all the mythical creatures. His totem is that of a large, scaled serpent with four legs, a large head and fire coming from its mouth. The last is Gaia herself as she took on the form of a creature known as The Turtle. She embodies the qualities of motherhood - protecting, patient, loving and nurturing. Many of the females go to her asking for guidance when it comes to raising their young." Nick recounted.
Judy listened in wonder. She reflected that as a computer programmer, she would always deal with hard facts and data. Her daily bread consisted of bytes and code. This was her first time to encounter mammal-lore and she found it fascinating. She tried to keep an open mind, as she knew there were many things that could not be explained by ones and zeroes. Even the scientific community was starting to accept that behind such exaggerated tales, there might have been a grain of truth, which needed to be brought to the light. After all, some storytellers would have naturally embellished their tales in order to capture the imagination of their audience. One just needed to sift through what was real and what was fiction.
She and Nick reached the entrance to the tepee as he finished his story about the various mythical beasts found in the mammal-lore of the tribe. Nick called out while standing in front of the tepee opening, "Greetings, Shaman! We are two humble mammals seeking the blessing of our animal spirits for our upcoming union as mates. We bring you our offering of tobacco and beseech you to heed our request!" Nick then fake-whispered to Judy, "You'd think our spiritual animals would know by now that tobacco would be anathema to their constitution. Plus I don't know how they could even smoke it since they're spirits."
Judy couldn't help herself and let out a small giggle.
"Nicholas Wilde!" came a loud roar from within the tent; "did I just hear you blaspheme the spirits?" demanded a large brown female Kodiak flecked with grey in her fur as she forcefully threw open the flap of the tepee and swiftly exited. "Tell me why I shouldn't slay you right where you stand?" growled the large mammal. The bear towered above the both of them and she was looking down at Nick with her teeth and claws bared, hackles raised and standing with paws akimbo.
Judy went wide-eyed at the sight of the huge predator standing over them. She was easily over ten feet tall and a swipe of her paw would easily turn her insides into jelly. She gritted her teeth and attempted to face down the growling behemoth in order to protect her mate except that Nick had instinctively curled his tail around her, pushed her behind him and bared his teeth as well, snarling at the bear. All of a sudden, she and Nick heard the bear start snickering and all of a sudden, she was roaring at the both of them with laughter.
The old bear wheezed a bit from her sudden exertion and laughing fit as she sat cross-legged in front of the tent. "My apologies, young miss, but when you get to my age, you try to squeeze in as much fun as you can in a day," saying with a twinkle in her eye as her faced softened and retracted her claws. "Besides, I told Nicholas back when he was still a tod that I would get him back for all the pranks he played on me."
Judy stared at the bear, her mouth agape, then at Nick, then back at the bear. Finally looking back at Nick, she stated in a forced voice, "You tormented this poor female with your pranks? And because of that she almost gives me a heart attack as her way of getting back at you?"
Nick shamefully grinned while shrugging his shoulders with his paws held up. "What can I say, Fluff? I had too much energy and was bored out of my mind before they shipped me off to the CAF."
Judy glared at him, then with a sly smile said, "I guess then I'll have to SING you."
Nick scrunched his forehead, wondering what she meant when suddenly her elbow shot out to hit Nick in the gut. "Solar plexus!" she declared. Nick doubled over gasping for air. "Instep!" as she trampled Nick's hind paw, making him hop around in pain. "Nose!" she announced as her paw caught and twisted his snout. "Groin!" she announced and her paw shot out towards her announced target. Nick, caught off guard by her maneuvers, looked on in horror and attempted to cover up with his paws, knowing that with her speed and power, he would be falsetto for sometime if ever her paw fully connected. Just as it reached him, it halted centimeters away. Judy then reached over and softly patted his paws, smugly smiling and whispering as she waggled her eyebrows, "It's a hustle, sweetheart."
Nick fainted.
Nick awoke to find his head resting in Judy's lap. She was also sitting cross-legged and was chatting with the Shaman.
"Oh, he's awake!" Judy giggled. "How are you feeling, Nick?" Judy smiled sweetly at him as she looked down at him.
"A little foolish, in retrospect. I didn't think Ursula remembered my shenanigans but then I guess I had it coming to me." Nick sighed as he looked up at her face. "Will you accept my apologies?" he entreated as he gazed into her eyes.
Judy answered him by cupping his muzzle in her paws as they exchanged an upside down kiss as they nuzzled one another. "Apology accepted, lover," she whispered. "Now," she asked demurely, "can you be the bigger mammal and apologize to her as well?"
"For you," Nick replied, heart swelling with love, "I'd do anything."
He got up to approach the old bear, who sat stone-faced in front of the tepee. "Shaman Ursula," he began, bowing his head and tucking his tail beneath him, "I humbly apologize for my youthful indiscretions and will accept your punishment for all the pranks I played on you."
Ursula began to chuckle and then guffaw. This soon turned into a roar of laughter. "Karma's a bitch, isn't she, Nicholas," the bear declared as she slapped her knee and wiped a tear from her eye. "I accept your apology and I've gotten you back so we're even," she chortled. "But by Gaia, never have I seen a pair like the two of you. You certainly are the oddest couple ever to come before me," she grinned. "However, these old eyes of mine still see the love that you both have for one another. And my sense of smell hasn't failed me yet despite my advanced years," the old bear continued while smiling. "I will be honoured to perform the ceremony just as soon as Nicholas completes the next task…chopping enough wood for the fire pit in the Purification Lodge."
Nick groaned in resignation as he raised his paws to wipe his face in frustration. "I forgot all about that part!" he grumbled.
"I can help you, Nick," offered Judy as she came up to stand by Nick's side.
"You have your own task, Judy," Shaman Ursula announced. "You will need to fetch water from the nearby spring to fill the ceremonial jar inside the tent as this will be used in the ceremony. Both of you must complete these tasks to prove to the spirits that you have humbled yourselves with the toil of hard, honest labour when you go before them. These are not easy tasks which is why the sooner you start, the faster we can begin." With that, the old bear unsteadily stood up and went back into her tent.
Nick managed to finish cutting and splitting about a one-third cord of wood in roughly three hours. The old bear had assured him that would be more than enough for the ceremony. Judy, on the other paw, found her task to be just as daunting as the ceremonial jar was almost twice her height and three times as wide. Fortunately, the bear had provided her with two rabbit-sized buckets tied together by a pole that she could then carry across her shoulders. She had also placed steps so that Judy would be able to access the top of the jar easily. Although not as strenuous as Nick's task, it was time consuming, as she had to make many trips in order to fill up the container. She managed to finish before Nick did and sat by the Shaman's tepee watching him finish splitting the wood. Nick had taken off his shirt so as not to soil it with his sweat. She noted how wide his chest seemed from the back; how the muscles in his arms rippled as they swung the axe down to split the wood and when he turned around carrying the cut wood in his arms, she swore she could see his taut six-pack beckoning to her. She wasn't sure if the warmth she was feeling was from her exertions or from watching Nick work. Either way, she needed to cool down lest she overheat prior to the ceremony. She still had water in her buckets and she immediately poured the content of one over her head, allowing the cool fresh spring water to wash over her.
As Nick stepped over to the Purification Lodge with his last batch of wood, he noticed that Judy, who had been sitting near the tepee and had been watching him chop the wood, suddenly grab one of her buckets of water and pour the contents over herself. What she failed to realize was that her wet shirt was now sticking like a second skin and left very little to the imagination. Nick halted in his tracks and was mesmerized by the view. Then, time seemed to slow down as Judy, with her ears covering her eyes, dipped her head and sensually whipped her head back so that her ears arced to the back of her head and no longer covered her face, not unlike the movie he had seen of a female rabbit doing the same thing. What was her name again? Oh, yeah…Lola from Space Dam. He had found the ear flip a sexy move back then but when Judy did it…his heart had almost stopped.
Judy looked up and saw Nick frozen in his tracks staring at her. He wasn't moving except for his tail which was spinning wildly just like the Tasmanian Devil in the Saturday morning cartoons she remembered watching as a kit. She covered her mouth with her paw, holding back her laughter and walked over to Nick. "Watcha doing?" she coyly asked, paws behind her as she lightly rocked back and forth on her hind paws.
Nick broke from the spell he was under. "Uh, did you do something with your fur this morning?" he gulped. "There's something different about you and I just couldn't help but stare." You also forgot to wear your bra this morning and your wet shirt, sticking to you, makes it hard to focus, Nick wryly thought.
Judy merely giggled and softly rubbed her paw across his taut stomach muscles. "I like what I'm seeing here as well, Slick. Hurry up and put the wood away so we can start the ceremony already. The day's not getting any younger." Judy coquettishly beamed.
Nick grinned. "You're wish is my command, Carrots," as he hurried to the woodpile where he quickly tossed the last of the cut material needed for the fire pit. "Let's go find Shaman Ursula."
As he was still sweating, Nick chose not to wear his shirt yet. He did, however, point out to Judy that she might want to use his shirt first instead of her wet one for modesty's sake.
"Eep!" Judy squeaked as she grabbed Nick's shirt from him, turning away from him in order to put it on. Nick averted his eyes and looked at a passing fluffy cloud until he heard Judy angrily stomping towards him. She had rolled up the sleeves as much as she could, wrapped the tails of the shirt around her and tied them off underneath her bosom. The glare she gave him would have made larger animals cringe. Except he found her sexy as hell and his tail was not helping things by the way it was thrashing about.
"Not. A. Word." Judy hissed as she stabbed a finger in his direction. Nick merely lifted his paws and mimed a zipper moving from left to right across his muzzle. As she began to calm down, she started to notice several things. One, she was wearing Nick's shirt which smelled wonderfully of his musky scent. Two, she had an unfettered view of Nick's bare chest fur and ripped abs. Three, by the looks of Nick's tail and scent, she was definitely turning him on.
Nick, on the hand, noticed the increased sexual scents Judy was putting out which, he was sure, was in turn fueling his own. If last night was an indicator of anything, she's definitely up for another 'Wilde' ride, Nick thought as he inwardly sniggered at his own bad pun. He softly smiled as he extended his paw out to her. Giggling, Judy took it in hers as they trekked back to Ursula's tent.
They came upon the old grizzly at the entrance of her tepee, sitting cross-legged, apparently dozing. Nick cleared his throat, which made the bear open her eyes. "Ah, I see you are both covered in the fruits of your hard labour. Good! The spirits will be pleased. Let us go to the Purification Lodge where my assistants are waiting." She took her ceremonial staff and used it to get up slowly from her sitting position. She shuffled towards the rear of the tepee where a low circular structure made of branches and cloth had been built. It had only one opening large enough for the bear to crawl through. "We have already started the ceremonial fire using previously sanctified wood and the heated rocks have been placed in the fire pit. We will start with a Smudging Ceremony prior to entering the lodge to cleanse you of any negative energy. We will then crawl belly down into the lodge, symbolically signifying that we are reentering Gaia's womb. You will exit the same way. Once inside, I will start the incantations and I will place several powdered herbs into the fire that will help close the gap between our world and the spiritual world. You will then take several tokes from the ceremonial pipe that contains the tobacco you brought me mixed in with the crushed peyote seeds that I've added. The peyote acts as mild hallucinogenic so that you will be able to communicate and connect with your spiritual deities. Listen to them, heed their advice and, most of all, enjoy your time with them," said the old bear with a twinkle in her eyes. "I remember my time with my own and it still brings back warm memories," she reminisced. "Once I have added the herbs to the fire," she continued, "I will leave you alone in the Purification Lodge. I will be outside the tent with my assistants continuing the incantation."
Judy and Nick listened attentively to the bear. As they approached the structure, they noticed two sloths in ceremonial garb sitting cross-legged on opposite sides of the structure, each one with a small drum in front of them. Nick recognized the two. "Isn't that Flash and his mate, Priscilla?"
"Yes," acknowledged Shaman Ursula.
"Why sloths?" asked Judy curiously.
Ursula chuckled. "Who better to set a pace that is both hypnotic and soporific than sloths? Even at their fastest, they still manage a calming rhythm on the drums."
"Why do you need two, then?" asked Nick.
Ursula looked at Nick askance. "Were you raised by savages, Wilde? Stereo, of course!"
Nick and Judy were sitting cross-legged in the Purification Lodge, both free of clothing as per the last minute instruction of the bear prior to her exit. As the Shaman had left, Nick noticed that the entrance had been made smaller to accommodate their size, possibly by the adjustment of the drawstrings that he had noticed when he crawled through the entrance. Prior to their entering the structure, the old bear held a smoldering branch of sage in a bowl and they were both required to gather the smoke over themselves as if washing away the negative energy that surrounded them. Once they had crawled inside, the bear stood up, took a wooden ladle filled with water and poured the liquid over the hot stones in the fire pit. This caused the heat inside the Lodge to increase and steam to fill the enclosed space. She did it several times more until Nick swore he could feel his fur start to wilt because of the excess moisture. The Shaman then began her incantations. The first thing she threw into the fire was more sage in order to cleanse the small room of negative energy. She next threw on sweet grass that was meant to attract the spirits to them. The third item thrown in was cedar, which as the Shaman explained to them, was meant for purification. "It sets up an atmosphere for the spirits to work. It's a sweetness they like and it's attractive to the energies of the invisible world[1]," explained the bear. She took out the ceremonial pipe filled with the tobacco-peyote mixture that she then placed on a small table between them. "When you feel you are ready, light the pipe using the fire from the pit. You will each take three tokes and no more than that. Your spirit animals should come to you soon after." As she started to crawl out, she called over her shoulder, "I would suggest you remove your clothes in order to feel more comfortable as the temperature can get quite stifling. Also, I would not take too long in here. I don't think you'd want me to come in to rescue you from heat exhaustion considering you'd both be naked!" she laughed.
The only light in the small enclosure came from the fire, which had considerably died down. Nick knew that, if the fire went out, he could see Judy better than she could see him thanks to his exemplary night vision, so he made sure to reach across the table and to join his paw with hers. He looked at her and she at him. His emotions were running at a high and he realized Judy might be feeling the same given the way her nose was twitching, her ears were down and at the same time her fear scent had slowly filled the room. He gave her paw a squeeze as if to say, Hey, I'm here. We're doing okay. He saw her swallow and then she squeezed back as if to say, I'm nervous but you're here with me so I'm okay too.
Nick cleared his throat. "Are you ready, Judy?" he asked with concern.
She only nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Nick released Judy's paws, reached for the ceremonial pipe with one paw and a long thin piece of kindling with the other. He lit the kindling by reaching over to the ceremonial pit and placed one end of the stick into the fire. Once the end of the kindling had burst into flame, he brought it to the pipe and slowly nurtured the tobacco-peyote mixture in the bowl to a reddish glow without breathing in any of the fumes. Once he was satisfied that it would not die, he motioned Judy to sit in his lap. She crawled over and once she was settled in his lap with his tail wrapped around her, Nick breathed in the three tokes required of him and passed the pipe to Judy. She hesitated slightly but then she took it from him and did the same. She put the pipe on the table and settled into her mate's embrace waiting for the effects of the peyote to kick in.
The first thing they saw was a mist filling the room. It was not the steam as that had long dissipated. This mist didn't curl around but rather it seemed to dance, moving along with the beat of the drums that the sloths outside were playing.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Nick?" Judy asked in quiet awe.
Nick nodded. "It's not a dream if we're seeing the same thing. This is not your regular type of mist."
Slowly, the mist coalesced into two distinct shapes. One looked like a rabbit while the other took on the shape of a fox. The beings never held their shapes for long, as they tended to flow in and out with the mist. "Who are you, good spirits, so that my mate and I may know how to address you?" Nick called out to the two spirits.
"You may call me Serendipity," laughed the smaller animal spirit, "while the sourpuss behind me is Karma."
"Serendipity! Hold your tongue! We are here for the purpose of blessing their union. We are not supposed to stray from our assignment. You remember what Mother did to us the last time we failed to follow her orders?" scolded the fox spirit animal.
Serendipity shuddered at the memory but then grinned and did a binky, which caused the rabbit being to crash into Karma.
"Now, why did you do that?" groaned Karma as the spirit fox shook the spirit rabbit off.
"I'm happy! That's what we do when we're overjoyed. Besides you take things too seriously. Mother isn't here. C'mon! We haven't finished playing yet! It's your turn to chase me," said the spirit rabbit as it shook its fluffy spiritual tail in anticipation.
"Serendipity! Focus! Not till we've finished here," admonished Karma. "Now," as Karma turned to face Nick and Judy, "do the soul-bound have any questions for the two of us?" Karma ignored Serendipity who continued to cavort behind the fox spirit's back.
Nick and Judy looked at one another, bewildered by what Karma had just called them. "Yes," Judy spoke up, finally gathering her courage, "Why did you just call us that? Why are we considered soul-bound?"
Karma merely shrugged. "Our sister, Destiny, is who you should be asking that question. We are merely following our Mother's orders to guide you. Know, however, that your fates are tied to one another and you are together because it has been pre-ordained."
Nick asked, "Do we have the approval of the spiritual world for a prey and predator to become mates despite the fact that we may not be able to have offspring? We are concerned because our union will go against Gaia's purpose for all mammals to procreate in order to carry on the circle of life."
Karma slowly smiled. "There is a way and if done properly, you will be able to channel your inner primal animals. You will also be visited by one of the Guardians, The Great White Stag during the act of consummation. His is the power of regeneration and procreation. Our Mother, Gaia, has certainly blessed the union but not all in the Spirit World are happy with the decision. Be on the lookout for Loki as he does not support the union."
Serendipity suddenly bounced up in Karma's face and shouted, "C'mon! Chase me already!"
Karma, smiling with half-lidded eyes, said mockingly, "Run away, little bunny!" As Serendipity took off, Karma turned to Nick and Judy and said, "Watch and learn," and immediately took off after the spirit rabbit. The pair ran in a clockwise direction in the enclosed space until Karma pounced and caught Serendipity. The spirit fox held the spirit rabbit face down with its paws. "Now, Serendipity, be a dear and lift your rear please?" Karma smirked. Serendipity grinned and said, "Okay, but next time it's my turn to be on top!"
Nick and Judy watched as the previously sexless spirit fox generated a male appendage. Serendipity grinned from underneath Karma. "Isn't it neat? We can switch whenever we want to and…oooohhhh!" Whatever the spirit rabbit was going to say was cut off as Karma thrust from the rear and at the same time leaned over the spirit rabbit's back and clamped jaws onto Serendipity's neck. Suddenly, both spirits disappeared before their eyes. However, they could hear Serendipity playfully calling out to Karma, "Hahahaha…can't catch me. C'mon Karma, let's play!" They also heard Karma's voice say to them, "The Great White Stag will be here soon. May your union be blessed with interesting times!"
Nick and Judy held one another tightly, still reeling from the visual and information overload.
"That was…unusual? Not what my brothers and sisters told me had happened to them." Nick stated.
"Well, we are an unusual couple after all, Nick," Judy declared. "But, the potential of having kits of our own? Are you okay with that?" asked Judy as she turned to face him while still in his lap. "Are we even ready to have kits? We've only been reunited these last three days."
Nick chuckled as he nuzzled Judy. "I can't say I'm averse to the idea. If you think about it, I've been alone most of my life so having you as my mate and a family to boot? I'd love it!" he said grinning. Then he sobered up. "What about you, Judy? You just started a career in law enforcement. I can't ask you to give up your dream job in order to have kits. That wouldn't be fair to you."
Judy beamed as she gave her fox a kiss on the cheek. "Now I know why I love you so much!" she spoke with unbridled joy. Judy, however, frowned as she reflected over what Nick had said. "But I can't be selfish and ask you to give up your dream for mine. That wouldn't be fair to you as well." She then brightened as she proposed, "Who's to say that both dreams are exclusive? Other couples have managed to work out having a family and career," she interjected cheerfully.
"Other families don't have a father who can't visit his in-laws because he's a wanted criminal in their country," Nick pointed out. "If we manage to have kits, they should have a set of grandparents and with mine gone, the only ones left are your dad and stepmom."
"Nick, I've been thinking." Judy said. "We should contact Chief Bogo directly so that you can surrender to him. He's a fair mammal and I can testify at your hearing that you acted in self-defense. That will get the charge thrown out and then you won't be a criminal anymore," proposed Judy, her eyes beaming at the idea.
Nick thought about it. He was tired of hiding and he also wanted to go back to Zootopia if only to find out what had happened to his father. He needed closure. "All right, Judy," Nick said, "but only to Bogo. I don't trust Jack."
Judy squealed with joy, stood on Nick's lap, pulled his head down and excitedly began chinning him on his forehead, his ears, all over his muzzle and ended with his nose. "Oh, Nick!" she squealed in utter happiness. "You've made me very proud! I always knew you'd do the right thing. I can't wait for us to go back to Zootopia where I can show off my mate!" Judy exclaimed, her ears quivering with elation.
"Ooofff! It seems that I have a very excitable bunny in my arms," Nick leered, "what should I ever do with her?" as he waggled his eyebrows, growling playfully and snapping his jaws near her ear. Her scent on his nose was driving him wild and he was slowly losing control considering they were still both naked.
Judy suddenly realized what Nick was proposing and her arousal spiked as well. "Well, I'm all alone with my mate who happens to be a fox with sharp teeth and claws." Judy simpered. "I'm just a poor, helpless, defenseless bunny in the fox's den. Oh, no! Whatever should I do?" Judy said as she dramatically put her arm to her forehead.
"Run, little bunny!" Nick snickered as he lightly dug his claws into her rear to spur her on.
Judy yelped in surprise at his groping and took off with a grin. Nick immediately gave chase and they ran several times clockwise around the enclosure until Judy slowed down to allow him to catch her. Nick pounced on her as he had seen Karma do and he held Judy face down with his claws over her paws. Nick proceeded to lavish attention all over Judy's body. He started by carefully grasping one of her ears in his mouth and slowly dragging his teeth over it. He knew that her ears were very sensitive so he took great pains not to break the skin. Next he began to place little love bites, nipping her on her shoulders and neck. By this time, Judy was shaking and her arousal had begun to fill the enclosed room, spurring Nick further. He continued using his teeth to nip her down her back until he reached her posterior where he filled his mouth with one of her rear cheeks and slowly bit down, again making sure not to break skin.
"Uurgghh…stop…" Judy whimpered.
Nick's brain sent a 'Freeze!' message to the rest of his body. Did I go too far? Nick worriedly thought. That is until he heard her continue.
"…teasing me…and get it in there!" Judy demanded.
Nick chuckled. "Not yet, sweetheart. I promise you though. It'll be worth the wait," as he continued his foreplay. He wanted to make sure that she would be moist enough to handle his knot. "Now, derrière up in the air and spread your legs please." Nick ordered. Judy did as she was told and was rewarded by Nick grasping both her rear cheeks with his paws, claws extended and his tongue finding her very moist entrance. He eagerly licked and nipped her moist flesh as she reached back with both paws to hold onto Nick's. The combination of Nick's claws digging into her fur without tearing her skin and his expert tongue brought her to her first orgasm.
Nick spread her legs more, opened his mouth wider, extended his long tongue so that it entered her moist hole and then clamped down with his teeth around her vaginal area, careful again not to break skin. He forced his tongue down her vaginal canal, joyfully tasting her juices as they drenched his mouth. She froze at the new sensation of feeling like she was literally being eaten. She could feel Nick's teeth pricking her on her lower belly and backside. She swore his tongue was so deep inside her that she could feel it in her womb. She almost bucked him off her when her orgasm hit her, unable to say anything except to gasp for air. Nick drew back after that, laughingly licking her nether lips several more times, unable to stop himself from tasting her.
"Nick! Ho..ho..hold on. Let me…catch my…breath."
Nick rose above her to lean over her so that his head was on her shoulder as he covered her with his body. He nuzzled her cheek with his own, marking her with his scent. "You're my mate, Judy," he whispered. "I love you so very much. We'll take the next step slowly. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Judy smelled Nick's mark on her. His musk further stimulated her arousal so her only answer was for her to flick her tail at his hardness that was knocking at her entrance.
Nick giddily groaned as he hissed in pleasure, "Sly bunny…you'll be the death of me yet!"
"Nick," Judy sternly warned him, "if you don't stick it in now, I'm going to flip you over, and ride you until you beg for mercy! Now, get going!"
Nick laughed at her urgency as he grasped her hips with both paws and slowly entered her. He was glad that he had taken the time to make sure that she was well lubricated as this was going to be a first for both of them. He wanted to take it slow so she wouldn't be injured when he inserted his knot. Judy's primal bunny urges, however, had their own plans. The moment he had entered, she immediately pushed back to make sure that he was going to go all the way this time. Nick pulled back each time his knot hit her vaginal entrance, which was getting Judy very frustrated. So, the next time, when Nick thrust into her, she hooked her paws behind his knees preventing him from pulling back as she gave one last final push from her end. There was a sudden pressure and it felt as if she was being torn open. She almost screamed because of the pain but then it went away and was replaced with a feeling of complete fullness, eliciting a moan of desire from her instead. She heard Nick gasp above her and heard him growling with pleasure. The sound made the bunny shake in anticipation.
Nick had been fighting from losing all control, as he didn't want to hurt Judy inadvertently during their intercourse. But when Judy had forced his knot all the way into her, his control slipped and his primal fox took over as he began growling his need for her. The beast within relished the tightness of Judy's vagina and he instinctively bent down to lovingly hold onto his mate's neck with his jaws as he held her down while continuing to plunge into her. He managed to retain enough control not to break her skin but it took all of his remaining willpower.
The moment Judy felt Nick's teeth around her neck, she squeaked out in surprise and arousal. Part of her wanted to run away but that was only a small part. The other part recognized that her mate was ravishing her, loving her in the ultimate sensual dance and was confident that he was not going to hurt her. As Nick continued to push into her, she turned her palms up to grasp Nick's paws that were covering hers as he reflexively clasped hers back. With his bulbis glandis pressing relentlessly onto her G-Spot, a few more thrusts triggered her third orgasm that also set Nick's off as her vagina clamped down on his knot as she screamed in pleasure. She felt his seed completely filling her up as Nick continued pumping into her. As he came, he let go of her neck and began to howl in happiness.
[1] From the article, "The Purification Ceremony" at the url /native-american-sweat-lodge