My name is Anna Blackpaw. You may already know me, but for those that don't. I am a rabbit, who is a Vampire. Officially, I run my own personal media empire, including literature, and in more recent years, television, video games, and other forms of entertainment that I may not have kept track of.
Unofficially, I'm the Master of Coin for the Kabal of the Unseen Eye. Our organization is dedicated to safeguarding the mortals of Earth from threats both within, and without... though to be honest we've only really succeeded in the latter than the former. But that isn't important right now.
In recent years, we've learned of a secretive Cabal called the Night Dragons. Led by a Vampire I had thought was dead for the last thousand years... Draco Long-Fang. Some fool turned him into a Vampire, and over the last thousand years, he had been plotting his revenge against me personally. He tried and failed to kill me in the chaos of the Battle of Zootopia that he instigated. We turned him over to the Council of Night... and quickly learned that they were in league with the Night Dragon, accepting their money in exchange for covering their hides.
Since then, we'd been engaged in a Shadow War with the Night Dragons... a secretive conflict made even harder. By the fact that the one place we knew he was. He hasn't been at his mansion since the Battle of Zootopia was won. Our only breaks have been when the Night Dragons got careless, an attack at a wedding here, an assassin sent after my lover Davies... Davies Hopps.
The rabbit who not only saved my companies reputation from humiliation but the man who captured my undead heart- "-are you even paying attention, Anna?" I was snapped out of my stupor by the leader of the Cabal, the First Among Equals.
"Sorry... I was just inside of my head." I said as I looked around the conference table. "How... how much did you hear?" I asked.
"I heard everything." Umbra, the leader of our Cabals Shadow Corps. said over a live stream while she was undercover as Catharsis's Roadie. "Of course it was a jumbled mess so I couldn't make out who was thinking what."
"Right... so can someone get me back up to speed?" I asked nervously.
"We're talking about leads on Night Dragon locations." The First Among Equals said. "Honestly, you called this meeting in the first place. You should at least keep your focus on the topic."
"Right... so, how has the search been going?" I asked sheepishly.
Then a bear in a military uniform stood up. "Better zhen expected mademoiselle Blackpaw." Warmaster Guerrier said with his usual ridiculous accent... honestly, I know for a fact that this bear has never even left the New World. So why does he talk like a French waiter with his mouth full of golf balls? Anyway, the monotony of the situation was broken when my phone vibrated, I checked it, and found a text and photo from Judy.
"Well, it's official gentlemen. Officer Judy Wilde-Hopps has met, the Count Von Count." I said as I showed the text.
It read. 'Is this a Vampire?' And the picture itself had the Count, along with every reflective surface that he was in. I quickly replied that he wasn't, and his reflections.
There was then an unexpected bolt of lightning in the direction of Sesame Street. No doubt that purple weirdo finished counting something, as I text Judy again. "At any rate." Guerrier continued. "We know for a fact zhat Draco, and zhe arch-villain Dr. Mullerson. Are currently hold up in Forestvale. Vhere no doubt, zhey are working on building a new army in a bid to take over the world. Or worse, pursue zhere petty vengeance against you Anna, and Officer Wilde-Hopps... and anyone else zhey may blame for zhere failures zhe year before."
"Is there a reason you didn't just start there?" I asked.
"Vell my scouts went to all zhe trouble! I'd hate to have zhere hard work go unappreciated and unused." Guerrier said.
"She has a point, we already knew that Draco and his... partners are in Forestvale." The First Among Equals said. "While I appreciate keeping an eye on the Night Dragons elsewhere. Our first priority MUST be to deal with Draco Long-Fang. He falls, the rest of the Night Dragons go down. THEN we can pick apart their empire like vultures."
"I find your metaphor distasteful sire... but fair point." Guerrier conceded. He then showed a map of Forrestvale. "I am having men stationed across zhis town, zhere official story iz zhat zhey are nature-loving tourists. But in reality zhey are-"
"Warmaster! What have we discussed about discussing specific individuals out loud?" Umbra said. "We can't risk that the Night Dragons are eavesdropping on our meeting!"
"Right... sorry. Anyway, we've also got help from... let me see here." Guerrier picked up some papers. "Zhere's zhe Bone Singers Cabal. Zhe Cabal of the Ebon Phoenix. Even our old rivals of zhe Unseen Hands have offered zhere support of our Shadow War."
"Only three Cabals?..." The First Among Equals asked Guerrier nodded. "It'll have to do. Our time table is currently measured in weeks at this point, if not less time!"
"Zhere not at Forestvale, only at zhe other Night Dragon facilities across zhe globe," Guerrier said. "Personally I think it's for the best... you remember zhe last time we brought zhe Bone Singers to an event. It took the better part of a month to cover up zhat disaster. And zhe ozthers are only slightly better, in zhat zhey don't raize zhe dead for funsies."
"I'd be angry if that explanation didn't make sense." The First Among Equals said. There are at least forty-eight Vampire Cabals... well officially, unofficially there might be even more. Some that actively try to help Mammalkind, some that are indifferent to mortal plights, and others that profit from there suffering.
"Do we at least have an actual plan here?" I asked impatiently.
"To put it simply... we wait. We wait until Long-Fang makes any moves, zhen, and only zhen do we move our forces." Guerrier said.
"Excuse me?... your just going to have our warriors just sit on their laurels while they wait for Draco to actually move whatever project he's working in Forestvale?" I said, irate that our great Warmasters' best idea was to have our men sit on their hands.
"If your concern is civilian casualties... zhen I will order zhe soldiers to keep zhem safe from anything zhat could be construed as related to Long-Fang's scheming. Which should be vague enough for zhem to interpret as taking up vigilantism in order to protect zhe innocent folk of Forestvale." Guerrier said. This calms me a little. Only, a little.
"Very well... is there any other business we should discuss?" I asked, and there was... normally I would be interested in this. But frankly next to Draco Long-Fang still running amok, my focus is on finally... FINALLY putting that monster out of my misery.
At the end of the meeting, I stayed at Umbra's request. "Senorita Blackpaw, it's taken a bit of sifting. But I've figured whose been thinking what." Of course, you did.
"The main point is that there's a Night Dragon assassin outside the window, whose been there through the whole meeting." I made a quick motion and thankfully grabbed the assassin on the first try. She only got the chance to beg for her unlife once before I turned the cheetah into ash with my bare paws. "But, I also couldn't help but notice that you were distracted during the meeting."
"I wasn't distracted... I was just focused on something else." Of course, your not buying that excuse in the least.
"Okay, can we at least try to keep to either verbal communication or telepathic? Because you know I don't like doing both at the same time." Umbra said.
"Sorry... but after a thousand years believing that monster died. Then learning he survived, and has been plotting revenge against me personally, and not only laid siege to a major city, but got away with it because he had the Tribunal of Night in his pocket. Has understandably been putting me at edge ever since that Christmas party attack at Town Hall." I fumed. "So please Umbra, excuse me if Draco Long-Fang is at the forefront of my mind... I could have ended it that night you know."
"But you thought that the Tribunal would execute him for his misdeeds, I know. That's what everyone thought when you turned him over. That's what should happen when a Vampire does something like what Long-Fang did, but they didn't. Their betrayal caught everyone off guard." Umbra said, trying to reassure me. "Look... just don't beat yourself up. You made a mistake that nobody saw coming. Now I need to get back to my 'job' here."
XXXX
I returned home to Blackpaw Manor, just in time to catch the telltale scent of Davies cooking. So I quickly donned my gas mask as I went inside. "Davies! I'm home!"
"I'm in the kitchen!" Naturally, so I went... and found that Davies somehow got an elephant-sized pot on the stove. "Davies... why is that pot on my stove?"
"Well, my mom said that she'd be coming to visit this weekend." Davies said, and indeed his parents and a handful of his siblings were coming to visit Blackpaw Manor... despite my insistence that they stay at Nick and Judy's house. As thanks in no small part to my history with his father, Stu Hopps. I fully expect the first evening to end in unmitigated disaster... no doubt involving Davies's famous macaroni and cheese.
"Yes... but why are you making so much of it?" I said as I got a better look, the pot was indeed almost filled to the brim with boiling water and macaroni. "And how do you intend to pour out the water when it's ready?" My question was quickly answered as Josephus, my loyal butler, and Master Alchemist of the Cabal of the Unseen Eye... dressed as a clown. Used his undead strength to drain the pot. (As for why he wasn't at the meeting... there was an incident a century ago. We don't talk about it, and he's no longer permitted to directly participate in meetings. No, not even live feeds like Umbra.)
"Davies... did you buy enough rabbit-sized macaroni to fill that pot? AND enough milk, and cheese?... and garlic power?" I asked, suddenly realizing the implication of this entire endeavor.
Davies looked like a deer in headlights. "If I answer honestly, will you be-"
"Davies, I could never be angry with you," I said sincerely.
"I was actually going to say annoyed that I've spent money on impractical things that I might only use once for overly elaborate displays of hospitality... again," Davies said frankly.
"Yeah... yeah, I am a little annoyed that you went overboard like this again," I said honestly. "But... I respect your heart as always. Maybe we can give some of the neighbors the leftovers."
"We could... if they return the Tupperware that we lent them. Honestly, just because we can afford to replace it doesn't give them the right to just keep stuff we expect returned!" Davies groused, can't say as I blame him for that mindset.
"Uh... Mr. Hopps... the pasta will burn." Josephus said.
"Josephus you know perfectly well I can talk and act at the same time." Davies said as indeed while losing a ladder to reach the pot. He was putting in the ingredients for the cheese sauce. "I'm just happy that I can enjoy stuff like this again."
"Yeah... that stomach flu you caught baffled even me. And I've seen more illnesses then most doctors know exist." Josephus said in a rare moment of lucidity. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll race for a gas mask before the smell of the garlic powder knocks me out." Then Josephus fell flat on his back with a thud.
(Also for the previous month Davies somehow contracted a stomach virus that robbed him of his appetite. And... well let's just say that it doesn't make for polite conversation.)
XXXX
Thankfully, when the Hopps did come over. Stewert actually tried to be civil at dinner. Nothing worse than a few snide comments that baffled his wife, Bonnie... mostly about how I was avoiding his sons cooking and only drinking 'wine' with visible air quotes.
When everyone agreed to go to bed, Stu confronted me. "If this is about how Night Dragons attempted to crash Judy's wedding. Nobody was killed that wasn't a Night Dragon, and nobody was injured who didn't expect the possibility." I said in annoyance.
"No, I gave you enough grief about you planning my little Jude's wedding," Stu said. "What I'm worried about... is your relationship with Davies."
I just grunted. "We love each other. He has aided me in ways that even some of my oldest friends haven't bothered or been able to. And he loves me in kind."
"Funny, I remember when YOU told me something similar," Stu said bitterly.
And now... for something I haven't told anyone, most specifically, Nick, Judy, or even Davies. Many years ago, Stu's father, was a wealthy rabbit named Leon. We crossed paths as he'd do some manner of daring adventure across the world. Usually with one of his sons in tow. In particular Stu, as in his youth, he was timid and overly cautious... even for the generalization of rabbits at the time.
But he intrigued me, and as he grew into a man he made his feelings for me known... with all the subtlety of an elephant trying to sneak over broken pottery. Suffice to say, Leon was against the entire union. Not just because we were technically rivals and he didn't want any of his children marrying anyone he was in direct competition with. But also because of the elephant in the room... my undeath.
"Are you sure love would be enough? You'll live forever, and Davies will die someday... hopefully not before me. But do you really want to change that you can't have at least a somewhat normal life?" Stu said, paraphrasing what his own father said to me.
I sighed. "I know Leon's words, Stewart. So do us both the honor of NOT throwing them back in the face." I said if I could cry I would have. "I loved you once Stewert Aurelian Hopps. I love your son... and yes. I know that the circumstances are all kinds of wrong. Believe me, if it were possible, I'd undo my undeath in order to be with him in earnest. But I can't... and believe it or not. I actually have bigger problems, then being in love with someone I can't marry because of my bloody condition!"
"Just keep your fangs where I can see them," Stewart said no doubt he's still bitter that I followed with his father's request. "Because if one of my special little guys turns into a Vampire-"
I then turned into my more monstrous Vampiric form. "THAT DAY WILL NEVER COME!" I roared. I calmed myself, turning back into a proper rabbit. "I suggest you get to bed. And at some point, YOU should tell Bonnie the truth. She has as much a right to know, like Davies, Judy... and you."
XXXX
The following week was relatively uneventful, even as tense as that meeting was with Stewert. Though... I did slip Bonnie a key that unlocked a chest in the Hopps farm attic that contains keepsakes of Stewart's youth that will raise quite a few questions. One, in particular, being something along the lines of. 'Why does Ms. Blackpaw look so young if she knew your dad and you when you were a kitt?' I'd expect.
It was then that a raven landed in my study window. Smoke was emanating from its body, this could only mean a messenger raven... and from its red eyes. I knew it was dire.
"Lady Blackpaw... the Night Dragons have begun to move out of Forrestvale." It then turned into smoke, and I quickly shot off a text to Judy. I then canceled every appointment I had for the following week. And got ready to move out... that was when I found him.
"Clancy?" I said in surprise, seeing that Pandora's strange time-traveling watch was on a nearby wall.
"I have a vaccine for Vampirism," Clancy said plainly.
I blinked in surprise as he took out a futuristic needle. "Excuse... how does this even exist?!"
"It was developed by Wilde-Hopps Chimera Industries," Clancy said, referring to the corporation that... I think Pandora is supposed to create when she comes of age?
"You mean... this little liquid could turn back undeath itself?" I asked with trepidation, not out of doubt for the young time traveler... I just was confused as to how this was possible.
"Well in our time traveling adventures, we learned how the first Vampire came to be... it turns out it was an alien disease." Excuse me? "Yes, in fact, it was meant to be the first stage of an invasion by an alien warlord known as Demiurge the Tyrant. Which the First Vampire drove back with his followers."
I just rolled my eyes. "And why have I never heard of this 'First Vampire'?" I scoffed.
"He's extremely secretive, and prefers solitude," Clancy said. "Regardless, we've tested that vaccine thoroughly, and it's guaranteed to turn a Vampire back into a living breathing mortal."
"I see... mortality in such a small thing... such a little thing." I am gratefully at the opportunity... but this could not have come at a worse time. I need my Vampiric powers for whats ahead.
"You don't need to decide what away. You look like a busy Vampire, and I'm sorry to have interrupted your business." Clancy then jumped through a time portal, disappearing without another word.
I swear, I've seen a lot of weird things since I was taken in by Sir Scaith. I've been raised by a Vampire Knight, I've been watching over my twin brothers bloodline undaunted since, I've started and ended at least a dozen wars, and I've had at least one-hundred or more lovers both mortal and immortal in one form or another, I even once tried pineapple pizza... it was actually worse then I had heard it was. But a vaccine for undeath... this is something nobody in the long history of Mammalkind ever thought possible.
That isn't important right now, I made my way to my motorcycle, and proceeded to Forestvale. I didn't say any goodbyes, not only because I hate long awkward goodbyes... but because I fully intend to return from this. Either with Draco's head... or some other fate I can inflict on him.
And after this... we'll see about that.