A/N: Here is chapter four of Blazin' Trails! This one's the first serious short that we have here, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the first of many.

This story's is about how breaking down barriers and seeing people not for who they are on the outside, but who they are on the inside. It's also going to be a bit longer than it was before due to the pacing of the story. Gosh, I wish this would've been an episode on Ricochet Rabbit...

Disclaimer: I don't own these people, okay?


Story 4: Breaker of Barriers

As a rabbit, the coyote was a natural enemy for Ricochet.

He'd only heard stories of them from his father, and had never really encountered them up close, but he knew that coyotes were dangerous. Conniving, sneaky and charming, they used their wits to lure their prey over to them. And by the time they figured out what was going on, it was too late. So many residents of Ricochet's town had disappeared due to those monsters. His father had a personal grudge against them as one of them had almost attacked his mother when he was a boy.

Growing up, Ricochet had been told that coyotes were to be avoided at all costs, lest he wanted to disappear like so many of his neighbors. And so, that was why he'd never trusted the coyotes; he had to be on his toes whenever he was around them, for those creatures could make a quick meal out of him any moment.

Six years after becoming the town sheriff, he'd gone through three deputies. The first one, a smooth-talking parrot named Pablo, had left his post in order to get married in New Mexico. The second one was a headstrong ox named Arnold, who he'd had to fire because of his unorthodox interrogation methods.

His third deputy was a timid little sheep named Sherman. Ricochet had liked Sherman, but Sherman hadn't liked his job as deputy, in no part due to his fear of blood, and the fact that Ricochet tended to leave him behind often. Eventually, Sherman had quit because the stress was too much for him, leaving Ricochet without a deputy again.

He was told that he'd have to pick a deputy from the nearest town, Shadybrook, as neither Hoop 'n Holler nor Glover Gulch had people eligible for the job. Said nearest town had a heavy population of coyotes. To say that he was not happy about this was an understatement.

"Ricochet, it takes two to take on this town," the mayor said when he'd gone to complain about it. "Besides, I don't think every coyote in the West is a single-minded carnivore."

"I'm pretty sure most of 'em are," Ricochet retorted.

"You don't know that for sure. Who knows, you might meet someone you like over there," the mayor said.

Ricochet still wasn't too happy about it, but he couldn't find a counter for that. He's got a point, he mused. The last thing I need is a deputy that I can't stand.

"Alright," Ricochet relented. "But don't expect me to come back with one of them as my deputy."

The mayor smirked as Ricochet left. "Hmm...I doubt that."


Walking through Shadybrook's town square was torture. Ricochet could feel the prying eyes of the coyotes boring into his soul. Occasionally, he would glare back at them, showing that he was no innocent, frightful rabbit that they could mess with. A few blocks into town, the population started to thin out, and he found himself within the human district, which was mixed with a few other animals. He started to breathe a little easier.

Right when he was about to head to the nearest saloon, someone crashed into him. Being much smaller than most of the people around, he was knocked down flat on his back.

"Shuckins, I'm a might sorry about that," someone said. The voice was a little squeaky and cracked in some places, and carried a slow Western drawl.

"That's alright. But watch where you're goin', will ya?" Ricochet picked himself up and looked up into the eyes of the person who had bumped into him. He got a nasty surprise.

Standing front of him was a pink-pelted coyote. Ricochet couldn't see his eyes because they were covered by his large green cowboy hat that drooped a little in the back. Unlike most of the other coyotes he'd seen today, he was very lanky, having little muscular definition, and appeared to be slouching even though he was leaning on nothing at all. His mouth curled into a small smile.

"So, I reckon you must new here, huh?" he asked. "It's rare to see rabbits 'round these parts."

"Gee, I wonder why," Ricochet replied, keeping his guard up.

"Well, mostly 'cause of all the coyotes around," the coyote said, "'cludin' me."

"If you try to lay a paw on me, I'll fill you with so many holes, you'll be Swiss cheese," Ricochet ground out.

"Hey, I ain't gonna eat'cha!" the coyote said. "I couldn't kill other people to save my life."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ricochet said. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm headin' out to the local saloon."

As he turned around to walk away, the coyote said, "So, you're a sheriff, huh? Is there some kinda trouble in your town?"

"Mind your own business," Ricochet snapped, and walked off.

Since he was farther away, he didn't see the coyote's mouth curl downwards into a sad frown. "Shucks...I was jus' tryin' ta be nice..."

"There's no need to be nice to rabbits, Droop-a-Long." Another coyote, this one with brown fur and wearing black and orange, looked up from his paper. "Especially someone like that."

"Well, I wanted to help him out somehow, seein' as everyone else was givin' him mean glares," Droop-a-Long said.

"When will you get it through your head that not everyone's gonna be nice to ya?" the coyote snapped. "Bein' nice to the wrong people can get ya killed. Now come on. If you don't sweep off the porch of the saloon, the owners are gonna get mad at ya."

"Yes, sir." Droop-a-Long sighed. "I sure wish that wasn't true..."


"I'd like a dry carrot cocktail, please," Ricochet said.

"Comin' up. Kinda rare to see a rabbit in this area," the bartender replied while grabbing the necessary ingredients.

Ricochet remembered what the coyote who'd bumped into him had said. "Yeah, I think I've gotten that."

"What brings you here, sheriff?" the bartender started, eyeing his badge.

"I'm lookin' for a deputy to work with me back in Hoop 'n Holler," Ricochet answered.

"Hoop 'n Holler, huh? That makes sense. That place is a hive for crime," the bartender said, mixing together the ingredients for the carrot cocktail. "There wasn't anybody who could be a deputy back in your town, huh?"

"Nope. The mayor told me to find someone here," he said. "That's gonna be kinda difficult."

The bartender poured the cocktail in its glass and handed it to Ricochet. "'Cause of the coyotes, I reckon?"

"Yeah. I bet you can understand why I'm not lookin' forward to findin' a deputy from here," Ricochet answered. He paused to drink some of his cocktail.

"Well, not every coyote around here is a menace," the bartender said. "There's a fella around here that goes out of his trouble to help people. Everyone calls 'im Droop-a-Long. If ya met him, it wouldn't be hard to see why. He's not the brightest out of the coyote population, but he's definitely the most selfless."

"I find that hard to believe. All my life, I've never heard the words 'coyote' and 'selfless' in the same sentence," Ricochet said, drinking some more of his cocktail.

"Well, you'll find it hard to put 'Droop' and 'selfish' in the same sentence," the bartender said. "However, if you're still set on findin' someone who's not a coyote, there are some rabbits around here. Most of 'em live farther out, though, and they tend to keep to themselves. You'd need a guide to show ya the way."

Ricochet felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards into a smile. Now that was the news he'd been waiting to hear. "Thanks for tellin' me. I was right ready to give up," he said.

"You may not want to head out around nightfall. There's been some crime goin' around that town recently," the bartender replied.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank goodness I brought enough ammo," Ricochet answered. He then pulled out some dollars and paid for his drink. "Thanks again, sir."

"No problem, sheriff. Good luck."

As Ricochet was leaving the saloon, he saw the pink-pelted coyote from earlier sweeping the steps, humming aloud tunelessly. The sound made Ricochet want to cover his ears. Taking a look around, he realized that the only way he could get any answers from these people was to ask them directly. Sighing, he walked towards the coyote he'd bumped into earlier.

He cleared his throat, and then the coyote turned around. He looked surprised to see him.

"Hey, you're that little rabbit from earlier," he said. "I hope you enjoy yer stay in this town."

"Oh, I don't intend on stayin'," Ricochet replied. "I'm lookin' for someone to be my deputy, and the place I've gotta get to is farther out in these parts. I'd like to get there as soon as possible."

"Are...are you talkin' about headin' to Carrot Top Taverns?" The coyote's mouth turned into a small frown. "That's pushin' it a might much, sir. That town's dangerous."

"And how do you know?" Ricochet asked.

"I used to be a guide to that place," he said. "One time, I got chased off by some gang that calls themselves the Dead Eyes. I've never been back since."

"It's that bad?"

"They've gotta replace guards twice a week," the coyote replied. "You're writin' your own will by goin' out there."

"Do you take me for a coward?" Ricochet ordered. "I ain't afraid of any gangs."

"Of course I don't take ya for one. Ya have to be mighty courageous to be a sheriff," Droop-a-Long said. "I'm jus' warnin' ya so you can be safe."

"As much as I...appreciate your concern, I'm more than capable of holdin' my own," he said. "All I need is a set of directions to get there, and I'll be fine."

The coyote didn't look convinced, but one look at Ricochet's eyes made up his mind. "Well, if you say so," he said. "The town's about fifty miles from here. Horse thieves will take your steed lickety split, so be careful if you're takin' a horse with ya. And I recommend ya have a good bit of weapons, too."

"I have everythin' I need, thanks," Ricochet answered. "Thanks, uh..."

"Oh, it's Droop-a-Long," he said. "Droop-a-Long Coyote."

So, he's the Droop-a-Long that the Bartender was talkin' about, Ricochet replied. "Well, I'm much obliged to ya. But I'll make it out there on my own, thank you."

"But you can't," Droop-a-Long said. "If you go out there by yourself, you could get hurt."

"If I take you with me, will you stop your fussin'?" Ricochet snapped.

"Sure thing, Mr. Sheriff, sir," Droop-a-Long said. "I'll escort ya as far as the border of the town."

"And how long's it gonna take you to get ready?"

"Well, I have a couple more hours to go on my shift, so after that, I'll be able to take you there," Droop-a-Long answered.

Ricochet had to suppress a groan at that. He didn't need the concern from anybody, especially from a slowpoke coyote, but it seemed he'd have to trust him for now. He only hoped that what the bartender told him was true.

"Alright. I'll meet you back here in a few hours."


Four hours later, Ricochet was standing outside of the saloon, tapping his foot impatiently. By that time, it was sundown, and the sky was rapidly darkening. The night life started to creep out, and Ricochet had to admit, he was getting a little worried.

"Enjoyin' the view, Mr. Sheriff?"

Ricochet was glad he had looked over first, for he would've shot Droop-a-Long in a heartbeat. The pink-pelted coyote lumbered along in the darkness, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.

"What took ya so long?" he asked.

"Well, work ran a little later than I thought, and then I had to stop by to get a couple more weapons," Droop-a-Long answered. "Sorry that it took so long."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," Ricochet said. Not there would be a next time, because after tonight he was never going to see Droop-a-Long again. "We'd better get goin'. It's gettin' dark out."

"I agree, Mr. Sheriff," he said. As he handed Ricochet some of his extra weapons, he cocked his head at the small rabbit. "You got a name, Mr. Sheriff?"

"That doesn't matter much, does it?"

"Well, I'd like to remember people's names, especially if we get into any trouble."

Ricochet sighed. "It's Ricochet. Ricochet Rabbit," he said.

"Shuck, that's a mighty funny name."

"And I suppose 'Droop-a-Long' is the most creative name of all time."

"Well, people call me Droop-a-Long 'cause I tend to lumber along wherever I go. How come they call you Ricochet, Mr. Ricochet?"

Ricochet smirked slightly. "You'll find out if we get into any trouble."


They didn't get far into their destination before they both picked up trouble. Halfway to the town, Droop-a-Long stopped Ricochet in the middle of the path so abruptly that he was forced to stop.

"What are you doin', Droop-a-Long? We're nowhere near-"

"I smell 'em from here," Droop-a-Long answered. He looked around, shining his lantern around the bleak desert. "They're waitin' for an ambush."

"How can you tell?" Ricochet asked.

"A coyote's nose never fails, Mr. Ricochet."

Ricochet doubted that, but that was when he heard it-the sound of an arrow being pulled taut. Adrenaline taking over, he turned towards the coyote and tackled him to the ground just as an arrow flew overhead. More arrows flew overhead, some of them nearly hitting their marks.

"We've gotta get outta here!" Droop-a-Long shouted, but the rest of his sentence was drowned out by the sound of gunfire. He wanted to scramble to safety, but Ricochet had a strong grip on his upper arms and he couldn't move if he tried.

"Stay down!" Ricochet said. "I'll find an openin' soon enough. And then I'll let 'em have it."

"Be careful, Mr. Ricochet!" Droop-a-Long warned.

"I will be," Ricochet answered, still keeping his head down as bullets and arrows sailed overhead.

When the coast was clear, he turned towards the darkness, and with a twirling of his right foot, he shot off like a bullet, becoming a white and black blur. The force of the winds that followed almost dragged Droop-a-Long with him. The sheriff bounced off of two cacti before slamming into a bulky rabbit who was attempting to take aim at Droop-a-Long, and the outlaw hit the ground with a grunt. Ricochet didn't stop there, and he was soon rebounding off of a rock and into another group of outlaws. Shouts and cries filled the air as the outlaws went down like bowling pins.

"So, that's why he's called Ricochet," Droop-a-Long mused, watching this in awe.

As he was watching, one of the outlaws from earlier took aim at him from the shadows. The gun fired before Droop-a-Long could even move, and the bullet shot off his hat, and sent it pinwheeling through the air. Droop-a-Long's eyes widened.

"Holy moly, they're everywhere!" he gasped. "M-Mr. Ricochet!"

Ricochet screeched to a stop, kicking up dust as he did so. "What is it, Droop-a-Long?! I'm a little busy-"

"MR. RICOCHET, BEHIND YOU!" Droop-a-Long shouted.

As surprising as it was to say, Ricochet Rabbit was too slow. An outlaw grabbed him from behind, and as he was struggling to move, sharp cold steel grazed the right side of his neck, sending white hot pain coursing through him. By the time the outlaw had sent him flying, his vision had already blacked out. He hit the ground with a weak groan and remained still.

"Mr. Ricochet!" Droop-a-Long rushed forwards, jumping on top of the small rabbit in order to shield him from the bullets and knives that continued to fly. He saw the flash of silver in Ricochet's holster, and grabbed the gun. He noticed that the chamber was manufactured differently than most guns, but that became the least of his concerns as the outlaws were ganging up on him fast. Jumping up, he positioned himself in front of the unconscious sheriff. He stood his ground as the outlaws, all of them tough looking rabbits and humans, emerged from the shadows.

"D-Don't y'all come any closer!" he said, weakly raising his gun arm, which was shaking.

"Hey, it's that guide from a couple of months ago!" One of the rabbits, who was covered in black fur and was three feet taller than Ricochet, snickered. "We can take him on!"

"Yeah, he can join his dead pal, too!" a man said, and they all laughed as they started to come closer. Droop-a-Long backed up, and he almost stumbled over Ricochet. He looked down at the small rabbit, who still remained on the ground face first, motionless, his eyes shut tight and the cut in his neck dripping with blood.

Dead. The mere thought that Ricochet was dead because of these people made Droop-a-Long's blood boil with anger. His hand trembled even more, but this time not out of fear. The outlaws laughed even more at this.

"Aw, what's the matter? Are you gonna go home cryin' to Mama?" one man taunted.

"With his pink fur, he looks like a mama's-"

Nobody was prepared for what happened next. With a fast hand, Droop-a-Long took aim and opened fire at each of the men. The bullets that launched from the gun's barrel skidded to a stop in front of the men before opening up to reveal a pair of metal arms with boxing gloves. Before anybody could move, the arms landed deadly blows to their faces, punching them with enough force to send them flying back several feet. To Droop-a-Long's surprise, the bullets gave chase, the mechanical arms cracking their knuckles as they did so. The outlaws took off, holding their bruised faces as they ran into the darkness, screaming in terror.

When he was certain that they were gone, Droop-a-Long turned towards Ricochet and knelt on the ground, turning him over. He pressed his two fingers against the his throat, and could have cried with relief when he felt a pulse. It was weak, though, and he knew he had to hurry if he was going to save his life. Untying his neckerchief, he wrapped it around Ricochet's neck to staunch the bleeding, and then he picked him up and walked back towards town. He was dazed, still not believing what he had just done-or more importantly, what he had just seen.

"What kind of sheriff is he, anyway?" he muttered. He looked down at Ricochet, sighing. "No matter. The sooner I get him to the doc's, the better."


"So, how long do ya reckon...?" For some reason, Droop-a-Long found that he couldn't finish the sentence.

"How long will he be in here?" the doctor finished for him. He looked over at Ricochet, who was lying in bed. Droop-a-Long's neckerchief had been exchanged for bandages that went from the base of his neck to his chin. "A couple of weeks, I bet. He's either the luckiest rabbit alive, or the most stubborn."

Droop-a-Long sighed. "I'd reckon he's lucky. His guns have bullets that have boxin' gloves in 'em. They made short work of them outlaws."

The doctor looked at him quizzically. "Boxing gloves? In bullets?"

"I used the gun myself, Doc. They took off after those bullets punched 'em," Droop-a-Long said. "I've never seen a gun like his before."

"Guess he made it himself. You don't get guns like those anywhere in these parts," the doctor said.

"So...what do I do now?" Droop-a-Long asked.

"Well, I guess the only thing you can do now is wait for him to wake up," the doctor said. "Now, I reckon you'd better get home, Droop-a-Long. You know how your boss-"

"No." Droop-a-Long's reply was firm. "I'm stayin' here 'til he wakes up."

"But...you told me how he treated you." The doctor stared at him in surprise. "And your boss will fire you."

"I know. But I want him to know jus' who saved his life tonight," Droop-a-Long said. "If he doesn't wake up today, I'll come back 'til he does."

The doctor started at him, utterly surprised. He knew Droop-a-Long just as everyone else did in town, and he had never known him to be this adamant about anything. But he saw the fire in that half-lidded gaze, and he knew that there was no point in trying to argue with the coyote.

"Alright, Droop. Take a spare seat over there. You're gonna be in for a long wait."


Pain was the first thing that Ricochet felt when he woke up. Groaning, he pried open his eyelids and almost immediately closed them because of the blinding sunlight that entered his eyes. Through that brief first glimpse, he caught sight of wooden walls, as well as a man in a white suit and who appeared to be wearing a stethoscope around his neck. He blinked, trying to get the burning pain out of his eyes. It took a little under a minute for him to see clearer.

He also felt coolness under him. Looking at his surroundings, he assumed that he was in the town's hospital. The disinfectant that filled his nostrils confirmed it, and he noticed that there were a few other patients in the room as well, also stretched out on beds and being checked up on by a few nurses. The memories of the ambush flooded his mind, and for a split second, his mind was flooded with panic.

How long had it been since he'd been attacked? It could have been two or three days. Hoop 'n Holler must've already found another sheriff by now, he thought. The mayor probably thought somethin' happened to me...

Just then the door opened, and the doctor looked up from one of his patients to address whoever had opened the door. "Oh, Droop-a-Long, you're here early," he said. "I thought you were getting off later tonight."

"I was s'pposed to, but my boss was nice enough to let me leave early so I can check up on the sheriff."

Ricochet was surprised by this news. Droop-a-Long was still around? He had thought that the coyote had been captured by the outlaws, or killed as he almost had been. He had to admit, he was interested in learning how in the world he survived against all of those outlaws.

"Shucks, I told you he'd wake up today!" Droop-a-Long's face filled Ricochet's in a matter of seconds. "Welcome back, Mr. Ricochet. For a moment, I thought you were a goner."

Ricochet couldn't help but smile. "I've been through worse," he croaked out before coughing.

"Oh, ya shouldn't talk while you've still got those bandages on ya," Droop-a-Long said. "It's the doctor's orders, not mine." He sighed, and then took off his hat, revealing a worried pair of green eyes.

"You...you have eyes?!" Ricochet sputtered. "I thought you were blind!"

Droop-a-Long shrugged. "I get that a lot. But I've always had eyes, Mr. Ricochet. This here hat that my ma made for me jus' falls over my eyes. I can see through it well enough, though."

"Oh...sorry, I-I didn't mean to make ya feel bad..."

"Shucks, it's nothin'. Are ya feelin' alright, Mr. Ricochet?"

"No, not really. My neck really hurts," he said. "Then again, that's to be expected, since I got slashed."

"Yeah..." Droop-a-Long's ears folded down slightly. "I feel like I'm responsible for ya bein' in here. If I had warned ya sooner, you would've had your deputy by now and you would've left."

"That's true," Ricochet said. His plans had been compromised after all. "But I don't think it was your fault. You were able to smell 'em out when I couldn't hear any of 'em until it was too late." He managed a weak derisive laugh. "I guess that's what I deserve for rushin' into a situation."

"Not like I can blame ya. I mean, you're a rabbit in a town that's mostly full of coyotes. If I was you, I'd think twice before steppin' foot into this town," Droop-a-Long replied. "To be honest, I'm thinkin' of leavin' this place."

"You are, eh?"

"Yeah. I haven't been anywhere other than Carrot Top Taverns. And you saw how that went. Thing is, I don' know if I can even get another job. I'm jus' too slow ta do things. I've been dreamin' that I could be a real sheriff like you, Mr. Ricochet. But..." Here, Droop-a-Long gave his own derisive chuckle. "I'm silly to think that'll happen, ain't I?"

"That ain't silly. In fact, the only thing that's silly is you thinkin' that won't happen," Ricochet said.

Droop-a-Long stared at him in shock. "S-Sir, I..."

"Look, Droop-a-Long, I've been told all my life that I would never be a sheriff. They told me I was too small, that I would never stand out among the men and other people who were sheriffs," he said. "And ya know what I did?"

"What did ya do, Mr. Ricochet?"

"I proved 'em wrong. My small size means I can run much faster than any man in the West. My wits keep me on top of whatever trick they're plannin'. And my tinkerin' with guns allowed me to do all sorts of darin' captures," Ricochet said. "In time, I did manage to stand out among the other sheriffs."

"Shucks, that's mighty nice to know, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. "But...do you think the same thing will happen to me?"

"I'm sure it will," he said. "If someone like me can be a sheriff, I'm pretty sure you can, too."

"Thanks a bunch, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said, smiling. Then he cocked his head to the side. "How come you've had a change of attitude?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, three days ago, you were sourer than week-old milk. Now, you're givin' me advice. I'm not tryin' to sound rude or nothin'; I jus' wanna know."

"Three days?" Ricochet stared at him in surprise. "Gosh, I'm surprised I'm not gone by now."

"That's because I was changin' your bandages, Mr. Ricochet, and makin' sure the wound was clean," Droop-a-Long said. "That, and I stopped the bleedin' after I chased off them outlaws."

"You mean...you saved my life?" Ricochet asked.

"Yeah. I grabbed your gun and fired at those outlaws after they slit your throat. They got roughed up by 'em real bad," Droop-a-Long answered. "They had boxin' gloves and everythin'! It was like watchin' a live boxin' match!"

"That's my Sock 'Em Revolver," Ricochet answered. "It took me months to modify that thing to make it work right."

"Some people were tryin' to steal it, so I had to bury it under your pillow when the doc wasn't lookin'."

"Guns aren't allowed in a hospital, Droop-a-Long."

Droop-a-Long's mouth curled into a smirk. "I know that."

Ricochet couldn't help but smile. "You're a sneaky one, Droop-a-Long," he said.

"You're one to talk about sneaky, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long said. "Puttin' boxin' gloves in bullets is real clever."

"I've gotta admit, you're pretty observant."

The doctor came over to Droop-a-Long then. "Droop-a-Long, I'll have to examine Ricochet now. After that, he's gotta get some rest if he's gonna recover."

"Oh, right. I plum forgot about visitin' hours endin' soon," Droop-a-Long said. He then turned to Ricochet. "Well, I'll have to leave ya, Mr. Ricochet. Don't need to tire you out with all my ramblin'."

"You weren't tirin' me out at all, Droop-a-Long," Ricochet said. "In fact, I feel so energized that I don't feel like sleepin'."

"Trust me, you'll feel like sleeping in a few hours," the doctor replied.

Droop-a-Long placed his hat on his head, pausing to adjust it slightly. "Well, I'm off, fellers. Have a good evenin'," he said.

"Wait a moment, Droop-a-Long!" Ricochet called out, slightly louder than necessary.

Droop-a-Long came closer. "What is it, Mr. Ricochet?"

Ricochet pulled out his arm from under the covers and extended it to him. "Thanks. Thanks for savin' my life."

Droop-a-Long stared at his hand for a few seconds, as if not believing what he was seeing. Then a smile spread across his face as he looked at Ricochet and grasped his hand and part of his forearm with his large paw.

"You're welcome, Mr. Ricochet," Droop-a-Long answered. "I wouldn't have left ya out there alone."

After letting go of Ricochet's hand, he nodded goodbyes to the sheriff and the doctor, and then left the room. As soon as he closed the door, the doctor turned towards Ricochet.

"I hadn't figured that Droop-a-Long was so...different from the coyotes I've heard about," Ricochet said.

"Heh, I reckon he's grown on ya. He does on everybody, after all," the doctor said. As he pulled out his items to examine Ricochet, he asked, "You're still gonna look for a deputy after you get out, right?"

"Actually," Ricochet answered, "I reckon I know just who would be perfect as my deputy..."


Four weeks later...

"Droop, I can't believe you're finally going to leave town!"

"Yeah! So, you're gonna be a deputy, huh? Sounds excitin'."

"After years of lumberin' around here, you need some excitement."

These words and more were the only things that Droop-a-Long heard after he got the letter in the mail. It had been a week since Ricochet Rabbit, the sheriff of Hoop 'n Holler, had been completely healed of his wounds and had to set back off to town to assure the mayor that he wasn't dead. Despite spending only three weeks in the town, Ricochet and Droop-a-Long had become inseparable friends. Ricochet had taught Droop-a-Long about how to use guns (which was still a work in progress), while Droop-a-Long had taught him how to be more observant of his surroundings. When they weren't helping each other, they spent the day drinking coffee, playing card games, and talking nonstop.

Their friendship was the talk of the town, as it ought to be in a town where such things rarely happened. Some people had thought something seedier was going on, but both Ricochet and Droop-a-Long firmly reassured that their friendship was genuine, and would defend it from naysayers.

Ricochet's departure was the saddest day of Droop-a-Long's life, as Ricochet was the first best friend he'd made in years. And even though he probably would never admit it, Ricochet was just as sad to leave his newfound friend. Here was a coyote who had saved his life when he was at his most stubborn, who had reached out to him in kindness and concern when nobody else would, who had proven him wrong about all coyotes being mindless monsters...and now he had to leave.

But it was then that he remembered that their separation was only temporary. He still promised to keep in touch with letters, and had added, with a little smile, that he would get his first letter from him soon.

A week had passed, and Droop-a-Long was starting to settle back into the routine of town life when his mother had gotten a letter that had sent her screaming for joy. It took a long time for him to get the letter to see what she was so happy about. What he'd read had rendered him speechless. In fact, he'd had to read it five times to make sure he'd understood everything.

The letter that had come in was for him, sent by the mayor of Hoop 'n Holler, and it said that he was going to be appointed as Ricochet's new deputy.

He hadn't known what to think at that. On one hand, he was overjoyed as he would finally leave town and take his first steps of being a real sheriff. He'd also be able to work alongside his new friend and rustle up criminals. But on the other hand, he was worried. He'd never had any experience in being a deputy, and he was extremely clumsy and slow. What if he couldn't keep up with Ricochet? What if he was fired for a mistake, no matter how small?

That was before he had read the back of the letter, which was written in blocky handwriting. It was a letter from Ricochet, who had apparently taken a loop around and attached his letter on the back of the official statement.

Hey, Droop,

I know you're wondering why I didn't use another sheet of paper, or just send you another letter. Well, I'm kinda short on paper, so I decided to just scribble down a note on the back of the official statement. I know you must be bursting with excitement, Droop-a-Long...though to be honest, I don't quite see you doing that. And I bet you're surprised because you told me before that I already had a deputy picked out. I did, and you were the first person that came to mind; I just didn't want to tell you, since you'd probably try to refuse. If you think I'm doing this out of pity, I'm gonna tell you that you're wrong, Droop. I understood how hard you were working, but I also thought about the type of deputy I'd have. To me, a deputy has to be faithful, loyal and never afraid to speak his mind. He should also be just as brave as the sheriff he's working with, and he's kind to everyone he meets, but firm when it comes to the law.

The reason I chose you, Droop, is because you showed all of those qualities during the three weeks I was in Shadybrook. You had every right to leave me for dead after the way I treated you, but you didn't. You had every right to be mean to me, but you didn't. When I was rude, you were kind. When I insisted on going alone, you insisted on going with me. When the enemy came around, you showed your courage by saving us both. When I was hurt, you took me back to town and got a doctor. And when the doctor told you to go home for the night, you said you'd stay to make sure I was alright. You even came back day after day, even after I woke up, to check on me.

Nobody else ever did that for me, and I grew up in a town full of rabbits like me. I realized, sitting in that room, that I was wrong before about coyotes and how they act. You proved that everybody, even natural enemies, can be kind. Which reminds me, I forgot to say sorry for how I treated you before. You didn't deserve to be treated like that. Nobody deserves to.

Oh, and one last thing before I go: no matter what anybody says, you don't have to be perfect to be a deputy. You're gonna make mistakes. I've made mistakes. But the most important thing is we learn from them and we move on, and do better the next time around.

See you in town in a week, Droop. I'll be waiting for ya.

Your pal,

Ricochet

Droop-a-Long had to admit, he'd gotten teary after reading that letter. It was so touching to know that his friend cared, and that he had chosen him of all people to be his deputy. Apparently, Ricochet had seen something in him that had made him choose Droop-a-Long instead of a human or a rabbit.

He couldn't help but chuckle at this. He, a slow moving, clumsy, and forgetful coyote, was going to be a deputy to a fast-paced, prideful, and hot-headed rabbit. By all rights, it was truly an "opposites attract" friendship. By all rights, they should've hated each other. But instead, they'd found good friends in each other, regardless of their outside appearance.

And to be honest, it was much better than the alternative.

The End


Took me forever to write this. I actually had a different version of the ending, in which Ricochet actually tells Droop-a-Long flat out that he was going to be his deputy, but this was what I was led to do. Besides, the letter that Ricochet wrote as a whole was really nice. I would imagine that Ricochet would be pretty wary of coyotes because he's a rabbit, and coyotes prey on them (I hope I got that right...some of H-B's funny animal stars tend to have animals that would be natural enemies in the wild; Snooper and Blabber, Breezly and Sneezly and Ricochet and Droop-a-Long, as seen in the story). And yeah, Droop's a little more observant than he is in the TV show, but I imagined that he would be somewhat like that due to his slowness. I just hope I didn't make Ricochet look like a jerk. ^^"

I got the whole story about Ricochet's deputies from an episode where he says Droop-a-Long's his favorite deputy. That got my head turning about how long Ricochet served as sheriff, as well as who were his previous deputies. Sadly, they don't have an episode on how Ricochet and Droop met, but that's what fanfics are there for!

There really needs to be some friendship prompts on Tumblr. I love the OTP prompts and all, but there's really not much to go off of those when I want to write friendship stories. If anybody wants to write a prompt based on this, I would be honored and humbled, and would highly encourage you to do so!

The next short story will be something a little more humorous in order to lighten up the mood left by this story. It'll also have something to do with romance. I won't spoil, but I'll tell you that it isn't between Ricochet and Droop-a-Long!

Constructive criticism is welcome! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!

God bless, iheartgod175