Chapter 20
The White Lion, his disciples, Judy, Nick, Finnick, and a small crowd of people made their way from the house and into the streets. After walking around the area for a short time, they made it to the Gethsemane Gardens. The Gethsemane Gardens were a small grove of olive trees on a hill, located near the outskirts of Zootropolis. It was a rather peaceful area, where many people went it they wanted a calm and serene atmosphere. However, this place would soon be a place of great turmoil for the followers of the White Lion.
The group stopped in front of the gardens, where several small fire pits had been set up for passing travelers.
"Light a fire!" Peter commanded some of the disciples. Simon, Thomas, and Phillip then moved towards one of the fire pits and began to light it.
Meanwhile, the small crowd sat down to rest from all the walking. Also, since it was now passed midnight, most of the crowd was starting to fall asleep. Even Judy and Nick, who had worked long stakeouts that went way past midnight, were starting to feel sleepy.
The White Lion then walked up to Peter and said quietly, "Get John and James and follow me up into the gardens."
Peter nodded in reply, called for John and James, and the four of them began heading up the hill and deeper into the gardens. Judy and Nick, who were both sitting on a park bench and starting to doze off, saw the four heading off.
"Where are they going?" Judy asked drowsily.
Nick, who was sitting opposite of Judy, answered, "The White Lion's probably going off to pray; he does that a lot. Don't worry, he'll be back."
Judy watched as the four disappeared into the trees, and then she leaned against Nick and fell asleep.
…
Meanwhile, Judas, Caiaphas, and Annas were waiting inside the lobby of the temple for the right time to strike. Waiting alongside them was a group of ram soldiers dressed in black armor, all tough-as-nails and awaiting their orders to attack.
Caiaphas closed the pocket watch he was looking at, looked up at the sky, and said, "The hour has come…" he then looked at Judas and asked, "You know what to do, correct?"
"Yes." Judas replied. "I head to the Gethsemane Gardens with your henchmen-" the ram soldiers shot him a dirty look. "I mean, 'temple servants' following behind me. I go to the White Lion while he is praying, give him a kiss on the cheek as a sign of friendship, and then you guys rush in and apprehend him. After that, you do what you want with him; kill him, beat him, do what you wish."
"How do we know you're not lying?" Annas asked, as he sat perched on Caiaphas' shoulder. "Where exactly did you get this information?"
"Oh, I got it from this piece of information from the White Lion himself." Judas replied with a sly grin. "I'm his right-hand man; he trusts me with his life."
"Well, I guess it should be fitting for his most trusted disciple to betray him!" sneered Annas.
"And fitting it shall be…" Caiaphas interjected into the conversation. He then turned to his ram soldiers and said, "All of you will follow Mr. Judas' instructions; Whatever he tells you to do, you do. Got it?"
"Yes sir!" the ram soldiers announced.
"Good." Caiaphas replied. He then pointed to the door and yelled, "Now get moving, and bring that blasphemer to us!"
Judas and the ram soldiers then ran out the main doors of the temple and into the night. They ran through the streets and started heading in the direction of where the Gethsemane Gardens were.
…
After walking through the gardens and through the trees, the group of four arrived at a small clearing where the trees didn't block the sky.
Jesus, who was leading the group, had started to look sorrowful and distressed as they continued walking. When they made it to the clearing, he looked sick. Peter, noticing he didn't look good, went up to him and asked, "Lord, what is wrong?"
The White Lion sighed sadly and said, "My soul has become exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
He then left them and walked a little bit further into the gardens. He then fell upon his knees, his breath shaky and his mind hurting, and prayed out, "Father… please… if there is a way… let this cup pass from me…" After a few seconds, he started to weep bitterly. "Father!" he roared, his voice plagued with sorrow. "Please! Let there be a way! I don't want to go through with this!" He fell face-first to the ground. "But not my will…" he said through gritted teeth. "But your will! Not my will!"
Jesus then felt sweat on his forehead and wiped it with the back of his paw/hand. But when he pulled his hand back, he saw that it was his blood! He had become so stressed that he started sweating blood!
"Father…" he said as he let his hand dropped. He then looked up to the night sky, tears streaming from his eyes. "I'm weak… I'm so weak…"
"Are you really going to allow this to happen to you?" a dark voice asked from out of nowhere. "Do you really believe that you, a single lion, can bear the sins and transgressions of the world?"
The White Lion turned his head and saw the cloaked skeletal lion that had tempted him back when it all began; Satan had come to torment him!
"Shelter me, father…" the White Lion prayed weakly, raising his paw/hand to the sky. "In you, I find refuge."
"You can't go through with it; you can't bear the weight that has been put upon you!" The skeleton continued, leaning down in front of him. "You're going to be saving people who absolutely hate you! And for what?! So that you'll be forever praised?! So they can live on doing what they do while you pay for all they've done?! Why?! Why do you do this?! Why do you choose to suffer for them?!"
"Because it is not my will!" The White Lion roared, lifting his head to face the skeleton. A look of righteous anger was on his face, and trickles of blood had gone down his face and mane, staining his fur. "It is my father's! And I choose to do this, because he tells me too! I will take on their punishment for them, because I love them! I love them to the point that I will die for them, and all that they've done! I will take their place no matter how much it hurts!"
The White Lion then just stared at the skeleton, with the fury in his eyes and panting from his comeback. He then stood up and began walking away from the skeleton, who faded away into nothing. Jesus then stopped and looked back one last time towards the moon in the sky. He wiped his face on his jacket, and a small smile came on his face; he felt that his father was comforting him.
"Thank you, Father…" The White Lion said, his voice sounding peaceful.
He then walked back to where he had left Peter, John, and James. They weren't waiting but were all sitting by a large tree and sleeping.
"Hey, wake up…" the White Lion spoke, shaking Peter awake.
"Wha…?" Peter asked drowsily.
"How can you three not keep watch with me, even for one hour?" the White Lion replied with a question. "Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. For even though the spirit is willing, the body is weak."
The White Lion left them and then went back to pray again. But when he came back, he found that they were asleep again. So, hoping they would wake up when they found him gone, he left again for a third time.
When he came back, they were still asleep! Finally having enough of this, he said aloud, "Are you still sleeping? The hour has come for the Son of God to be handed to the power of sinners!"
When he said this, the gorilla and two otters awoke with a start. When they got up, they heard somebody coming through the woods. They all turned and saw Judas standing there.
"Hey guys…" Judas spoke quietly, giving a little wave.
"Judas?" Peter asked. "What are you doing here?"
Judas, not answering the question, walked forward and went up to the White Lion. "Peace be with you, teacher…" He said slowly, like he was doing something he knew he shouldn't. He then leaned forward and kissed the White Lion on the cheek, as a gesture of friendship.
"Judas, you betray the Son of God with a kiss?" Jesus asked.
Judas then backed up, turned away from the White Lion, and walked away. Suddenly, from out of the bushes, several ram soldiers jumped out, armed to the teeth with batons.
"No!" Peter yelled, drawing a machete that he had brought with him. He raced forward, intent on attacking the ram soldiers. He hit one of the younger soldiers, a private who was still learning the ropes. Peter sliced right through the soldier's horn and ear, causing the soldier to fall to the ground, clutching the spot where his ear used to be and yelling in pain.
"Peter! Stop this!" Jesus yelled, causing Peter to stop from finishing off the wounded soldier. "He who lives by the sword, will die by the sword!"
Peter then slowly, without taking his eyes off any of the soldiers, put the machete down on the ground. Jesus turned to the wounded ram soldier, who was whimpering in pain and still clutching the spot. The White Lion then knelt down beside the soldier and moved his hand/paw away from the spot, which was bleeding profusely. He then picked up the soldier's cut off ear and placed it back where it belonged, and it healed instantly!
The White Lion then stood up, with the once wounded soldier looking on in shock. Jesus then said to the other ram soldiers, "Did you all come with weapons, as if I was a criminal? I was in the temple every day, and none of you laid a finger on me. But this is the hour to act, the hour of the powers of darkness!" The White Lion then presented his wrists. "Do what you must!"
After he said this, the ram soldiers swarmed the White Lion, attacking him and beating him like a criminal. They then put handcuffs on him, a chain tied around his body, and a muzzle on his snout. They then began leading him away, planning on taking him out through an alternate route in the Gethsemane Gardens. Peter, James, and John were powerless to do anything, as they were surrounded by ram soldiers.
The once wounded ram soldier, still missing his horn, continued to kneel in shock at what had happened.
"Hey, Keegan!" one of the ram soldiers yelled at the once wounded soldier. "Come on! We gotta get moving!"
"Forget him!" said another soldier, who was pushing the White Lion. "We gotta get this blasphemer to the temple!"
The ram soldiers then left, with the disciples staring in shock. As for Judas, he had bolted off through the woods; his job was done.
"We gotta tell the others!" Peter yelled, snapping the two otters out of their silence. "Come on!"
Peter and James then ran down through the trees. John was about to follow, when he noticed Keegan, the once wounded ram soldier, still kneeling on the ground. He then walked up to Keegan and placed his hand/paw on his arm, snapping him out of his shock.
Keegan turned his head to look at John, who said, "Come with us…"
"Okay…" Keegan replied, standing up. He then followed John as they both made their way down the mountain, leaving a broken ram's horn and the scene of the capture.
Author's Notes: Oh dear... I think we all know what's coming next! Anyway, I am sorry that I didn't post a new chapter in a while! But with work and all other things going on, its hard to get to writing! But don't worry; I'm gonna be trying my best to get a new chapter up, so don't worry!
R&R,
Heroboy005
