Authors Note: The following fanfiction uses characters from someone else's fanfiction series. Specifically 'Water Under the Bridge', by WriterAnon. I asked for his permission, and he gave it. Also, this story arc will be a very loose adaptation of 'Water Under the Bridge', which I'm sure the chapter title gave away.
But enough about that... enjoy the story.
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Previously, on Zootopia Files. Please imagine this text is the voice of you're favorite narrator.
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"Does it ever feel weird when a show or story veers away from focusing on its main characters, and instead focuses on side characters?" Nick asked his wife.
"...I'm not even going to ask what prompted that question," Judy said candidly. "But I think it can be fun to get to know other characters in depth beyond just whatever surface details they've displayed beforehand." She then had a thought. "You're upset that Harry and Sawa have gotten so much screen time, aren't you?"
"I'm only going to dignify that question with the following." He then rubbed some blueberry jam on Judy's nose. Nick licked it off, and wild passion ignited.
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Anna Blackpaw was indulging herself on a veritable feast. Disturbing both her fiance Davies Hopps, and her Vampire fruit bat butler, Josephus.
"Speaking as someone whose eaten blood for centuries... I've never seen her make a mess like this," Josephus said candidly.
"Anna... could you at least use a napkin please?" Davies held out a paper napkin, which Anna absent-mindedly ate. "I'm telling her she ate that when she comes to her senses."
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Pandora Wilde-Hopps was traveling through a strange portal. Not sure of why she was going down this portal, or even where this would end. But eventually, she did emerge. Finding herself in a strange marble room, and an astronaut. "Do you know where the bathroom is?"
Pandora looked deeply confused by this astronaut. "I... just got here. So I don't know any better than you do."
"Shoot." The astronaut went off doing the pee-pee dance.
"I really hope I didn't stumble on another Citadel Out of Time," Pandora muttered to herself.
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"Bring forth, the Initiates." The First Among Equals said as he and the rest of the Cabal of the Unseen Eyes higher leadership stood in an ornate chamber. In entered two small mammals in robes. "You have both faced the trials we placed before you. You have endured the Scourging of the Tail and only complained of its usage. You have devoured the blood of the feared Kraken, and only momentarily chocked on the ancient beast's blood. You stared into a Lament Configuration, and endured the malevolent spirits within."
The two Initiates removed their hoods, showing that they were Harry Carrotson, and Sawa Otocyon. "For real though, how much of this was necessary?" Harry asked.
"Honestly, it's just ceremonial. Pretty much the only people who ever failed were the ones that quit at any point before it ended." The First Among Equals said. "Vampires can't experience pain from blunt trauma like that unless it's with some sort of sacred wood or metal. Kraken's blood only negatively affects mortals. And under normal circumstances, mortals can't even see ghosts without special equipment." He explained.
"You can't be serious," Sawa said.
"Yeah... and believe it or not, this used to just be an elaborate hazing ritual." The First Among Equals said as he took off his hood. "But after Anna Blackpaw became Master of Coin for the Cabal, she introduced some reforms the made the initiation revolve around paperwork... honestly worse than drinking Kraken blood, to be honest."
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"So you're weirded out that OC's are getting more attention than characters actually related to the movie?" Judy asked her husband.
"Jack and Skye we're the OG main characters for the movie when it was pitched as a spy thriller! I don't think they were even mentioned since that story arc that was an ill-conceived parody of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'." Nick complained.
"Yeah... I mean it was cool meeting Ester. I mean a magical lawyer, how often do you meet one of those?... and didn't feel terror at the concept?" Judy said.
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Anna Blackpaw was soothing overstuffed belly. "Okay... I warned you, not just because I worry about you." Her fiance Davies Hopps said. "But mostly because I didn't want to sound like my parents while lecturing you about overeating."
"Uh... I forgot... what this felt like." Anna moaned.
"Don't worry mistress!" Josephus then pulled out a hack saw.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Davies screamed as he wrenched the hack saw out of Josephus's hands. "SHE NEEDS MEDICINE NOT AN ALLEYWAY SURGEON!"
Josephus looked genuinely confused. "What's a surgeon?"
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Ester A. Foxgerald was looking through a book of spells. "Ah, here's one I haven't tried yet." She then conjured a purple orb of magic and summoned a slice of pie on a nearby table. "Now for the taste test." Ester then took a bite of the pie... and immediately spat out the pie, and threw the rest into the trash. She then dashed to a bathroom to wash the taste off of her tongue.
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Special Agents, Jack Savage and Skye Winter were in the midst of a firefight in a casino. "Do you think we'll get a part in this story?" Jack asked his arctic fox partner.
"I wouldn't bet on it... oh sweat glory does I hate those kinds of jokes!" Skye said in irritation.
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And now, the continuation of our story.
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In a hospital room, Richard Richardson the dik-dik was stirring from unconsiousness. At his side were Nick, and Judy. As well as Special Agents Jack Savage, and Sky Winter.
"Mr. Richardson... can you hear me?" Judy asked as the dik-dik's eyes struggled to stay open.
"Yes... Master." Richard said, doing his best, Darth Vader impression.
"Ah, good. His sense of humor is intact." The jackrabbit agent said. "Always a good sign... even if the jokes are terrible."
"Give the kid some slack Jack, you saw what he looked like when he was brought in." Nick admonished.
"How... how bad a job to Finn do to me?" Richard asked.
The four law enforcement officers looked at each other with cringing looks. "Well... how to put this gently?" Skye mused. "You... needed a LOT of bandages. And this... Finn took something more than just skin."
Richard's eyes bulged in surprise. "W-What did he take?"
"Before we show you," Judy said motherly to Richard. "We need you to stay calm. Because... well to put it bluntly. It's one of the worst messes we've ever seen between the four of us."
"A mirror..." Richard demanded. "GIVE ME A MIRROR!"
Nick handed his wife a mirror. "Well... brace yourself." Judy then showed Richard his reflection.
The dik-dik was horrified beyond words by what he saw. He was covered from head to back hooves in bloodied bandages, one of his left eyes was missing, as was his left eye. He had known his friend Finnegan to be especially brutal in torturing... but this was new, even to Richard.
"You know... I'm not even going to joke about this." Richard admitted.
"You were really brave calling in you're friends like this lad." Jack complimented. "And you're a lucky Mammal that Detectives Carrotson and Otocyon rescued you, and arrested them."
"Well I certainly don't- wait back up. There... there arrested?!" Richard said in disbelief.
"All we're at liberty to say is that Harry and Sawa went out to meet you. Saw you weren't there. Found the apartment they were staying in, bust in and knocked all of them out, and got you to the hospital." Nick said.
Nick looked suspicious. "Where are they now?"
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At the front desk of the hospital, Harry and Sawa arrived. "Excuse me, but we're here to see a Richard Richardson," Sawa said politely to the receptionist.
The receptionist then did something unexpected. "You're the new guys, right? You were hereafter you got Changed?"
"What?... you with the Unseen Eye?" Harry replied telepathically.
"Yep, and I would let you see the little guy... but as I'm sure you remember of his injuries. He's in no shape to be seen by our kind." The receptionist explained.
"I... I know that he was bleeding heavily," Sawa pleaded. "But we promised-"
"And I'm sorry, but in his state. He can't have Vampires near him, lest we get overcome by the smell of blood coming off of him. And speaking as someone who was a nurse at the Battle of Gettysburg, his is the worst I've seen in years!" The receptionist said.
"Well, nuts to you! We're going in anyway!" Harry and Sawa as they went past the reception desk... and bonked their faces on some sort of invisible barrier. "What in tarnation?" Harry said in bewilderment as he put a paw to this unseen wall.
"Yeah about that. See Vampires can only enter an area if they've been invited inside by a person of comparative authority in that place. I'm one such person, ergo, you can't leave the lobby to go into the hospital to meet Mr. Richardson. I wouldn't do this, but I've seen what a Blood Frenzy can to even the mildest mannered Vampires, and NOBODY, wants that to happen in a public place with security like this." The receptionist explained telepathically.
Sawa quickly called Judy. "Judy, we're at the hospital but the receptionist won't let us go in to see Richard... and there's some kind of invisible barrier that's literally baring us from going in anyway!"
"Okay... I'll let Richard know," Judy said apologetically. "Richard, I'm sorry but Harry and Sawa have run into some... complications-"
"By Raynard's teeth! Just put us on MuzzleTime!" Sawa said in aggravation.
Judy quickly activated the app. "Sorry about this Richard... that we didn't get there in time to keep you safe.", Sawa said regretfully.
"Hey... I should've known that Finn was tailing me. And... well I've been dealt a bad hand for so long. I'm more surprised that Finn went this far for my sake." Richard said.
"Look... we gotta get back to work," Harry said. "Just tell Nick and Judy everything you know about what you're cohorts we're doin'. There bein' interrogated as we speak, so you can fill in any blanks that they-"
"Okay... before you say anything else. First of all, I can see that you're in a hospital. The receptionist is waving right behind you." Richard noted. "Second, everyone in here is being cagey about what exactly is going on. Because there's no way two cops managed to cast Elim, Grigori, or Finn off-guard. We've been assaulted by professional TUSK teams, and we didn't even need to escape from them!"
"Patience Mr. Richardson. We'll let you know as soon as this... ordeal is put behind us." Agent Savage said. "We'd just tell you upfront, but as it is we'd be stepping on quite a few sets of toes in the process."
"Richard, I promise to explain everything. But while this threat is looming over Zootopia, we can't just spill the beans." Judy pleaded.
Richard thought this over. "Okay... I understand. I don't like this in the slightest, but I understand."
"Thank you for putting so much faith in... in us.", Nick said earnestly. "Well, Harry, Sawa, and WildeHopps."
"You are brave- wait a moment." Jack began. "WildeHopps?... sounds like some kind of old-timey dance. The sort they would've done in the 1920s."
"That just the nickname for our... relationship before we got married. Sort of an unofficial team name." Judy explained. "And everyone, and I mean everyone who heard it made a similar comment to that. My parents, Nick's parents, co-workers, Cheif Bogo, suspects, friends, family."
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Several long, long days passed, but the day of the big trial came. And by the time we actually see in on the trial. Things are not going well for the defendants. "Wow... I just.. WOW." Ester, the District Attorney for Zootopia said, flabbergasted by the antics of Elim, Grigori, and Finn. "Mr. Boayke, you just insulted the entire jury just by implying that there sub-intelligent just because there Prey... and their rabbits! All of them!" Ester gestured to the jury, and indeed there were all rabbits in various states of anger and distress. "Mr. Yevgenyevich, you mauled the bailiff as he brought you in, AND insulted my sainted mother! And Mr. McNulty... surprisingly enough, you're actually behaving yourself! Which after reading you're file, is incredibly suspicious."
Finn smiled smugly from his restraints.
"And on top of everything else... you're defense attorney was so flabbergasted by you're behavior. That he tore out his hair screaming, and jumped out the window!" Ester said, gesturing to the broken window in question. "Thankfully we're on the first floor, so he can properly run around like he's lost his mind."
The kangaroo judge shook his head. "I've seen many characters brought into my court over the last fifty years... but never once have I seen a defense attorney defenestrate themselves as a result of the antics of their clients. Plenty of Prosecutors, but never the defense."
Ester then started laughing. "Yeah... I mean even I didn't do that when I was still a lawyer. And I once took a case for the Howard brothers."
"Yeah... those guys were funny, but could easily get on your nerves." The judge said. "Speaking of three stooges. Without a defense attorney, this trial is pretty much as good as over. The evidence stacked against you is as high as a giraffes... weird little horn-nub things. You're wanted by pretty much every major law enforcement agency on Earth for every crime imaginable, and probably by every relatively minor law enforcement body for petty crimes! Put simply, this is the SHORTEST trial I've ever been a judge over. Probably the shortest trial in history that didn't involve a gun battle breaking out in the courtroom!"
"Does this happen often?" Grigori asked.
"Shut up you bloody-handed drongo's!" The judge picked up his gavel.
"Wait... before you render judgment," Ester said. "I propose that we let the witness on the stand."
Elim, Grigori, and Finnegan's eyes bulged, as a familiar dik-dik approached the witness stand. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Elim said in disbelief.
"Please state you're full legal name, sir," Elisa said.
"Richard Richardson... though my friends typically call me Dick-Dick... you know, because I'm a dik-dik," Richard said nervously.
"And what was you're relations with the defendants?" Ester asked.
"We... we used to be friends," Richard admitted. "We were the most feared criminals on Earth. 'The Four Faces of Death', they called us. We did jobs all over the world, thefts, murder, assassination. If there was a crime that could be committed, we did it."
"How long have you all been doing this?" Ester said.
"About... twenty or so years," Richard said.
"Why did you decide to turn against your friends?" Ester asked.
"Well... I'm scum, I'm not going to lie on that point. I've done my share of awful things... but I won't destroy this city for any amount of money. And when Elim didn't listen to me... I only saw one option. And you know something really, really funny about this?" Richard said, he then took off his coat and his eye patch. "Totally worth it. Not just for getting these sweat cybernetics. But... well it's good to do actual good for once."
"I WILL SNAP YOU'RE NECK YOU, FILTHY TRAITOR!" Grigori shouted.
"I suppose you've had a long time of experience with breaking necks, monster." Said the voice of Anna Blackpaw. Who entered the courtroom, catching everyone by surprise.
"Crickey! Ms. Blackpaw what are you doing here?!" The Judge said in surprise.
"I've come to collect on an old debt... one these soulless aberrations owe, to me," Anna said as she went up to the witness stand. "May I? Mr. Richardson."
"You... you can just call me Dick-Dick," Richard said as he got out of the witness stand.
"Normally I'd acquiesce, but in you're case. No." Anna took her place on the witness stand. "In the early 2000s. A freak forest fire took out the Traurnyy family estate, killing the entire Traurnyy family, all one-hundred and seventeen members. Including staff and... and children." She took out a bottle of wine, proper wine, and a wine glass from her purse. "At least that was the 'official' story. The unofficial story... the truth of the matters is that these... abominations attempted to break into the house to steal from them. But when they were caught in the act, they set off a fire to cover their tracks."
The three defendants looked at each other. "Yes, but in our defense, it was beginner's luck that we even got out of there alive," Elim said.
Anna's eye twitched with rage. "Beginners... luck. At any rate. I was visiting them, as they were family." Richard gulped. "Distant family I'll grant you, but they were still my kin... and in the middle of the night, when I was coming home from an errand into Keiv. Do you want to know what I found when the Traurnyy home came into view? Want to guess? Do you, THREE, SOCIAPATHS WANT TO GUESS WHAT I SAW?!" She yelled, seething with rage.
"Oh, I know this one!" Finn said excitedly. "You saw a bonfire right? A great, big, beautiful bonfire!"
Anna took a deep breath through her nose and breathed out her mouth. "Yes... I saw it up in flames. And I ran inside, and rescued every kit inside, every child... but there wasn't enough time to save the rest of them. Everyone else died in pain... screaming... and I swore to them. That I would find whoever was responsible for this heinous crime and bring them to task for bringing the family Traurnyy so low." Anna ranted.
The defendants were flabbergasted. "That is impossible! You can't be more than twenty years old! You would have been kitten yourself when that happened!" Grigori blurted out.
Anna chuckled. "Tell me something Mr. Boayke... don't you think it a little strange that two police officers. Working alone with no backup plans, not only managed to find you're base of operations using only vague clues around the payphone that Mr. Richardson made his call one. But subdued all three of you, with only hand-to-hand combat, and in one of you a comical amount of tranq-darts?" She said as she poured her wine into the glass. "Come on... think. Think long and hard how any of that makes any logical sense."
Elim looked to think, but this quickly turned to a look of confusion. "I... I... NOTHING ABOUT IT MAKES SENSE! HOW! HOW COULD THEY HAVE- I MEAN ONE OF THEM IS PREY!" Elim then screamed with an animalistic bellow and fell off of his seat.
"Okay... now I'm scared... and I don't like it," Finn admitted candidly.
"Da, Elim is seldom stumped. Didn't even know he could shout that loud." Grigori noted.
"Your Honor... I believe it's time that these dregs understand fully what they've found themselves involved with." Anna said with a smug grin on her face.
"With pleasure Anna! I was getting tired of maintaining this chared anyway!" The Judge struck his gavel. And in an instant, the entire courtroom turned from the typical architecture. To a black and red horror that seemed to either be made of flesh, or some manner of tar. The Judge then transformed into his full Vampiric form, along with the jury and everyone else in attendance aside from Ester, Richard, and Anna.
"You... y-y-your utyr!" Grigori said, using the Russian word for a Vampire.
"You ain't the wrong mate! I am up here!" The Judge said, making a pun on 'utyr'. "Point is. You done incur the ire of a respected member of our community... technically an ex-member of our community, but everyone in the Cabal promised to help her regarding avenging the deaths of the Traurnyy family."
"Yes... I've waited over twenty years for this." Anna said somberly. "Twenty years to avenge a family that survived centuries of hardship, including war, plague, famine, and even the purgers of Joseph Staglin... only to nearly be culled to the babes in their cribs by thieves. Theives that set their home ablaze because they were too stupid to think of a less destructive form of escape." She then took a long sip from her wine glass, sipping it entirely.
"Okay! That wasn't our fault!" Elim protested. "Finn jumped the gun, and set fire when I wanted-"
"SILENCE YOU FILTHY SACKS OF BLOOD AND MEAT!" The Judge bellowed. "Whether you intended it or not. People died because of your willful carelessness. And that's just counting crimes you've committed against Ms. Blackpaw. What you've done against mortals... oh you're pieces of work I haven't seen since the last Mortal Dark Age. For your unwillingness to recant your sins, and for conspiring to commit genocide against the city of Zootopia. I hereby sentence the three of you to-" The Judge was interrupted as a gunshot rang out, catching the ancient kangaroo off-guard as something hit him in the shoulder. "CRICKEY!" He shouted in pain.
"I object." The shooter took off her hood. Revealing that she was Delphine, the Vampire fox that stumbled upon the Ancient One. In addition to her hooded robes, she also had what looked like extremely sophisticated combat armor beneath, as well as high-tech sunglasses.
"Delphine?!" Anna said in surprise.
"Is it really that surprising mon amour? I would love to stay and chat... but I'm here for the business, not the pleasure." She then threw an ornate grenade-like device. "Au revoir." She then covered herself with her robes, as a blinding light ignited from the grenade.
"Son of a-! That weird French lady had a flashbang!" Richard shouted.
When the flashbangs flash subsided. Every Vampire in the courtroom looked like charred corpses and the defendants were missing. "Oh... oh that Sheila's gonna pay for this affront." The Judge said. "I'll speak with the First Among EqEqualsbout this. Court adjourned
Richard looked bewildered by everything that just happened, as up until the Judge ceased the illusion. He thought he was just in a very strange courtroom. "Ester... Anna. Was this the thing that everyone wanted to tell me in the hospital?"
"That Vampires exist?... not specifically. Only that Officers Carrotson and Otocyon were Vampires. Though before you react, that was forced on them by another Vampire... one that I'm now certain Delphine serves." Anna said ominously.
Richard processed everything he just heard, from the moment the Judge revealed that they were in a Vampiric court of law. "You know... I was wondering why everyone in court was acting weird."
"Well, they are immortal undead besties. They don't quite work on the same wavelength as us mortals... no offense Ester said.
"None taken." One of the Vampire rabbit jurors said.
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Richard Richardson started his first day at the ZPD Cyber Warfare Division. By lunchtime, he met up with Harry and Sawa at their apartment. "So... you're Vampires."
"Yeah... didn't get a real choice in the matter," Sawa said. "It still haunts me though..."
"We would've said something sooner. But how would that conversation have gone?" Harry asked.
"I'll be honest, I don't like that I was kept in the dark like that. But... well I understand." Richard said. "Most people would probably react badly to learning that not only are Vampires real but that they've been guiding civilization since basically the dawn of history."
"Yeah, that one would break most people's minds," Sawa said.
"No kidding," Richard said as he pulled out a brown bag. "I take it you won't actually be eating?"
"We haven't had reason to buy food since the Change. But... we do find our sources." Harry said with a mischievous grin.
"He drinks from our neighbor's next door. They're extremely loud, so they've been bothering him ever since we moved in." Sawa explained. "Me, I buy expired blood bags... it's gross I'm not going to lie, I get stomach aches from those. But I don't feel guilty from draining blood."
"That's actually pretty interesting," Richard admitted as he took out a sandwich. "Gross all around, but not enough to ruin my appetite. Seriously, after you've worked with Finn as long as I have, there's almost nothing that'll make me lose my lunch."
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Special Agents Jack Savage and Skye Winter met with the Future Nick and Judy. "-and that's our report in a nutshell." Skye finished.
"Unfortunately, this Vampire Delphine has covered her tracks too well for even us to follow," Jack said apologetically.
"Of course she did... what about Richardson?" Nick asked.
"He's alive, and he's starting his new life," Skye said. "The security of the Cabal of the Unseen Eye has been maintained. But... we still don't know why the Ancient One has returned."
"I know why." Future Judy said ominously.
"We both do... in our timeline, about ten years from now. An alien warlord named Demiurg will come to Earth." Future Nick explained. "A lot of people died when he came... and now, he seems to be coming back sooner than we believed."
"And before either of you question our memory of the future, again, agents." Future Judy said sternly. "We were there when his ill-conceived war was there. I killed Demiurg myself with one of his own weapons. We lost... too many lives that day. I won't allow history to repeat itself, especially not like this."
"What is our next assignment?" Jack asked, seemingly ignoring Judy's monologue.
"This is." Future Judy then gave the two agents a tablet. "This is a list, of people I want to be brought into the IDL. They can help us drive back Demiurg and his armies. If they won't come on their own, bring them to us by any means necessary... alive."
"All we asked was that you talk to a salesman about refunding a toaster oven. How did you two turn Budapest into a warzone for something so simple?" Future Nick said in bewilderment.
"I'll be honest, I'm just as confused as you are," Skye admitted. "Not helped by a certain jackrabbit being silent about what he was doing when we were split up."
Jack just rolled his eyes. "We will find these individuals before any aliens can invade the Earth. And if anyone associated with the Ancient One tries to stymie us?... we'll make good use of the anti-Vampire armory you gave us to use."
"I'm glad to hear it. Now go get some rest... you've earned it. Maybe, go out to dinner, see a movie." Future Judy suggested.
"Yes... do things that young people often do for dates." Future Nick suggested, less subtly than his wife.
"What are you implying exactly?" Jack asked.
Skye just dragged her partner by the collar. "Just... Raynard's Teeth but you can be dense."
"Before you say anything, Nick, I'm bored and want to see if they can get into a romantic relationship," Judy said.
"I know, but come on. Jack's wetter behind the ears than you were about dating. And you regularly had Davies stand in for you." Nick pointed out.
Judy chuckled. "True... I was just so driven to become a police officer, that I thought that dating would just be a waste of time. I've always been glad that you proved me wrong."
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Davies was having dinner with his fiance. "So... you have a history with these guys?" He asked Anna anxiously.
"It's more that I've been looking for them for decades... point is, they wronged the Blackpaw family in a way that I couldn't ignore." Anna clarified.
"And the survivors of that fire... are they okay?" Davies asked.
"They survived... mostly. The eldest of the Traurnyy children, a doe of about nineteen was the most seriously burnt. She would have died... if I didn't change her." Anna said regretfully. "I only did that a few times throughout my life. Turning one of my brother's descendants into a Vampire... but she was so kind, so generous. I couldn't allow someone, so much like Jonathan to die without living a full life." She explained.
"Three-hundred and thirty-four. Including Scrouge McBlackpaw." Josephus said candidly.
Davies just rolled his eyes. "Was she as you say?" Davies asked.
"Oh she was... but she resented that I turned her into a Vampire. Went to join the Cabal of the Ice Revenants. We've still kept in contact for the last twenty years." Anna explained. Then another rabbit entered the dining room. She had much of the left side of her body burnt, and her left ear was ravaged. "Radost?! What on earth are you doing here?"
"I heard that, among other things. You've achieved mortality, and found the men responsible for ruining my life." Radost said as she looked over a knife with a stoic look on her face.
"Well, you seem cheerful," Josephus said, his quip was followed by the previously mentioned knife being thrown into his eye. "You always did have a lousy sense of humor."
"Then that makes two of us," Radost said as she went over to her aunt and future uncle. "Well, at the very least you have a good eye for men-"
"I'm spoken for." Davies interrupted, showing the engagement ring that Anna gave him on New Year's Eve.
"As am I, actually... it's more boyfriend and girlfriend, but you understand the concept. I imagine." Radost said. "It long story, he's a Vampire Hunter from rogue order. I'm a Vampire... it's a balancing act, but we've managed to make it work."
"And... is he here?" Anna asked.
"Da, he's looking for a motel for us to stay at. I imagined that you wouldn't want us to stay in you're manor." Radost said.
"And how long do you and Polnoch plan to stay here?" Anna asked warily.
"That depends, are the men responsible caught, and detained?" Radost asked.
"If I give you an honest answer," Anna then found a ceremonial knife and a piece of parchment paper. "Do you swear, by the blood of you're ancestor, Jonathan Inle to not do anything regarding them without my express verbal permission?"
Radost took the knife, cut her hand, and let the blood drip on the parchment. Causing a red and black rune to take shape on the magical paper. "I swear and obey these conditions on pain of torment. Those of the Blackpaw blood are of their word, tetya, you know this. However, if you wish to wait to share this information. Then I shall ask more of this in the morning." Radost then left the dining room.
"...so is Richardson safe from her?" Davies asked in concern.
"As far as I'm concerned, and the Blood Court. So long as he's seeking penance for his misdeeds, he gets to live." Anna said. "But I agree, if Radost learns about him, she might find a loophole through that Blood Oath I had her make. Most likely through that brute of a hare, she has ensnared... we'll cross that bridge when we cross it." She then took a fork full of pasta. "This is really good by the way. There's a taste I can't quite recognize."
"That would probably be the garlic salt and pepper," Davies said. "That is assuming that a certain fruit bat hasn't been spiking our food with his dead skin, again." Josephus just rolled his eyes at the comment.
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In the sewers beneath Zootopia. Delphine had brought Elim, Grigori, and Finneghain to the Ancient One's Sanctuary. Elim was still in shock at the revelation that Vampires and the supernatural were real. Grigori was unsettled at seeing that most of the stories his mother told him as a cub were real. Finn... was just curious about all of this.
"My lord... our plan has failed," Delphine said as she knelt to the primordial Vampire.
"For the record, it wasn't our fault," Finn spoke up. "We didn't figure that the ZPD on their payroll."
"Be quiet!" Grigori whispered through clenched teeth. "We don't want to anger the utyr!"
"Do not fear my reprisal, Grigori Yevgenyevich. This... was my failing. For it was I who remade the officers that captured you, into Vampires. I intended to make them my Thralls, mindless slaves to my will. Caring only to serve me, to create more minions to serve and to bring me a feast of blood... but then, in a freak twist of fate. The WildeHopps intervened, knocking them both unconscious so hard as to sever my control of them, and what's worse... injure me." The Ancient One presented his wounds from the night he changed Harry and Sawa into Vampires. "They were armed with silver bullets and holy water. Perhaps further armed with other implements of the Vampire Hunter."
"W-W-WildeHopps?" Elim stuttered.
"Oui, the husband and wife team that has been enforcing the law in this city for a few years now. Judy, the rabbit who solved the Night Howler crisis... and caused it to flair up unintentionally. And Nick, ex-con artist... and one of my ex-boyfriends." Delphine said. "And before anyone asks. Everyone reacts in much the same way you do. Coming up with some... thing that sounds more closer to where a name like WildeHopps would be attached to."
"Saint's alive! He dumped a beauty like you?!" Finn said in disbelief.
"Apparently he... didn't care for interests," Delphine admitted bashfully.
"Then more fool him!... I should send him a fruit basket if I have the time for allowing such a beauty as you to be single. If only for my sake." Finn said.
Delphine looked flustered. "I-I-I'm flattered... but there are more important things at stake than my love life."
"What was in that poison anyway?" Elim asked, finding his courage.
"It was a sample of a potion, very potent. It can turn any mortal who drinks it into my Thrall... think of it. Millions of souls enthralled to my will. All ready to give up their blood to my hunger... and ready to be the bulwark against the coming storm." The Ancient One said.
"What kind of storm?" Grigori asked.
"The kind that would see all life, living and undead scoured from this Earth. The kind, that the Cabal's are not strong enough to face, even with their combined might. The kind that requires sacrifices that nobler hearts cannot bring themselves to commit. The kind that I faced once before... suffice it to say. It's big, and if we... the Star Watchers Cabal do nothing. Then death is the only future anyone will have... including yours." The Ancient One explained grimly.