"Have a good day sweetheart. Don't forget to make friends!" Judy said as she dropped off Pandora for her first day of Kindergarten.
"No promises! But I will try!" Pandora said as she entered the school. Inside were the normal things in a Kindergarten class, plastic tables of various sizes for the different sized children, easels for painting, and some toys in plastic containers. And of course, Kindergarten age children. Pandora quickly made her way to a table sized for children about her size.
"Hi! My name is Joshua, who are you?" Joshua the otter said friendly.
"Pandora," Pandora said, feeling anxious, but putting on a happy face regardless.
"I like Monty and the Penguin Pals, do you?" Joshua asked.
"Yes, in fact, my uncle made Monty and the Penguin Pals," Pandora said, already figuring that Joshua wouldn't believe her.
"What? But he's a bunny, and you're... some kind of badger?" Joshua asked.
"Well my mom is one of Davies sisters, and my dad's a fox," Pandora said smugly.
"Wow, that sounds really cool!" Joshua said in amazement.
Then, an elderly dear doe wearing a dress and beaded glasses entered the classroom. "Good morning class." The dear said with a formal accent.
"Good morning Miss Antlerby." The class said in unison.
"Now, there is a new student here today. Is Pandora Wilde-Hopps here?" Ms. Antlerby said as she sat down by her desk.
"That's my name, don't wear it out!" Pandora said as she walked towards the teacher's desk.
"Now... what on earth are you child?" Ms. Antlerby said, looking her over. "Near as I can imagine is some manner of a fennec fox."
"No, I'm actually... well we haven't really figured out what my siblings and I are. Boxes, funnies, some other third thing? Point is, my dad's a fox, and my mom's a bunny." Pandora said Ms. Antlerby looked unimpressed while the other kids actually looked impressed by her claim.
"I see... so which are you, predator or prey?" Ms. Antlerby asked.
"Well... both I suppose-"
"Nonsense girl! Your either predator or prey, there's no in between." Ms. Antlerby snapped, catching Pandora off guard.
"L-Look, I'm an omnivore if that's what-"
"Being able to eat plants and meat without complications does not change what a mammal is. So until you can come to a decision, I'm afraid I must assign you to your own private table." Ms. Antlerby said as she pointed to a table in a corner.
Reluctantly, Pandora obeyed without comment, sulking alone at her table as she tried to do something to occupy her time. She noticed in turn that Ms. Antlerby had kids divided between predator and prey. It wasn't until lunchtime when she was also barred from playing outside. She found an opportunity to figure out why this deer seemed to have it out for her. Thankfully for her, Ms. Antlerby was outside overlooking the other children.
"Now if I were an old lady... where would I keep compromising information?" Pandora asked herself as she snuck around Ms. Antlerby's desk. Opening up desk drawers, and finding posters of Bellwethers short-lived reign of terror over Zootopia tapped to the bottom. "Oh... wouldn't surprise me if she were at some of the anti-pred protests back then, or goes to some now," Pandora said to herself with contempt. She used her claws, relatively blunt though they were enough to remove them from the bottom, and working her way through every drawer, and found more and more anti-predator propaganda.
Some of them were from Bellwethers administration. Other's referring to an organization called the 'Purity Coalition', apparently a hate group that targeted hybrid mammals. From mules and ligers to more unconventional and rare ones like herself. "Well... you have some red in your ledger, don't you Ms. Antlerby?" Pandora said with a smirk on her face as she shoved the posters into her backpack.
Several hours later, Nick arrived to pick up Pandora. "So, how was your first day Pancake?" Nick said as Pandora got into the back seat.
"Long story short, my teacher had us segregated by predator and prey, and had me sit by myself when I couldn't give an answer about which one I am," Pandora said bitterly and looking downcast.
"Really... I don't think I got that kind of impression from her when your mother and I met." Nick said, a bolt of anger going through his head.
"There's more... but I think it'd be better explained when we get home. Where's mom anyway?" Pandora asked.
"She's working late... let me tell you, that stuff with the International Defense League is kind of a handful." Nick said, referring to the organization that had been created after the Battle of Zootopia, specifically to prevent such large-scale aggression from criminal organizations and other forces.
"It's something that mom needs to see anyway," Pandora said.
The following night, Nick and Judy met with Ms. Antlerby.
"Ms. Antlerby. My husband and I would like to have a word with you." Judy asked as she and her husband put on happy faces.
"This is not a scheduled appointment-"
"Ah, well you see. You're basically a school-marm, and we've got connections that you wouldn't believe. So please, just sit down and let us have our say." Nick said, cutting off Ms. Antlerby.
"...what would you like to talk about?" Ms. Antlerby said reluctantly.
"Well, my husband and I have heard some interesting things from our little Pandora... you segregate your students by predator and prey. Kept her alone at her own table, AND barred her from playing outside with the other children." Judy said.
"I am certain this seems harsh. But-"
"She found these in your desk drawers. Some old Bellwether posters, and some stuff related to the Purity Coalition." Nick said as he produced the posters that Pandora had swiped. "So, on behalf of the ZPD, we'd like to ask some questions," Nick said with his trademark smarmy grin.
Ms. Antlerby looked like... well, a deer looking into the headlights. "I don't know what you're talking about?" Ms. Antlerby said glancing away.
"Oh do you now?... cause I think you're lying through your teeth," Judy said as she took some manner of powder out of a small patch on her belt, and blew it into her face. "Now, our question still stands. What do you know about the Purity Coalition?" Judy said, glaring with her good eye.
"I... I am a member." Ms. Antlerby said, coughing from the powder. "They... they advocate for species purity. No... no hybrids! No... No evolutionary dead ends!" She explained as she coughed.
"And do you know what that 'advocating' looks like from what we've seen? Lynch mobs, mammals so traumatized that they couldn't say a word without sobbing, the elderly, and CHILDREN alike." Judy said sternly.
"So... so there are more... more violent elements?" Ms. Antlerby said dismissively.
"So that includes our daughter... and the rest of our children. Even if you're a minor member of the PC, you're as much a threat to her as anyone else." Nick said, concealing his rage behind a veneer of condescending politeness.
"And... and what proof do you have?" Ms. Antlerby asked.
"Well, to put it into perspective. Nick has been wearing a body-cam this whole time. We got an arrest warrant for you specifically this morning, and to top it off. You've been breathing in some Truth Dust. Don't ask where it came from, it's top secret what it even is. So... if you'll just come with us." Judy said in a matter of fact tone as she drew a tranq-gun.
"WHAT?! I can't be arrested for-"
"Freedom of speech, of course not... you can, however, be arrested for being a member of a hate group. One that has a death count on it, so at this point we do it the easy way or the-" Nick was cut off as Ms. Antlerby tried to throw the desk at them. But for whatever reason, the sixty-year-old, spindly-limbed deer could not pick up the desk. "Well... you opted for the easy way," Nick said nonchalantly as Judy shot her with a tranquilizer dart.
"And her background check made her look clean. It shouldn't take a five-year-old to figure something like this out... or an ENTIRE day before we knew about this!" Judy said in frustration as Ms. Antlerby fell to the floor.
"Nobody's perfect Carrots. But your right, we should have known about this sort of thing before Pan. I mean, I'm pretty sure that segregating students like this is illegal. And I thought you didn't use any of Josephus's alchemy." Nick said.
"I wouldn't have... but if it means protecting Pandora, and getting some dirt on the PC. Then it's worth it. Even if he is charging me an arm and a leg for this stuff... we're practically family to that mad bat, I should at least get some sort of discount." Judy said.
Later on, Nick and Judy returned home. "Good news Pancake! We arrested Ms. Antlerby." Nick said.
"Good... that's good." Pandora said looking downcast.
"Hey, what's wrong? I thought that you'd be happy." Judy said in concern.
"... I didn't do anything wrong to her. I did nothing that would have warranted disliking me right out of the gate." Pandora said.
"Oh, sweety... some mammals are just like that. She was set in her ways, and didn't even give you a chance over silly things." Judy said as she knelt down to her.
"But... well what am I? Predator or prey?" Pandora asked.
"Pancake... you can be whatever you want to be," Nick said as he and Judy hugged her.
"But what am I right NOW? I mean we haven't even settled on a species name for us!" Pandora said.
"What you are doesn't define who you can become," Judy said encouragingly.
"Ms. Antlerby certainly didn't think that way... I don't even care WHY she was like that in the first place. I just hope that, if there is a new teacher, they're not a bigot." Pandora thought to herself bitterly.
The following Monday, Pandora was back in class, sitting down with Joshua, and a young adult tigress up at the classes' whiteboard. "There, my name is Mrs. Clawson. And I'll be your teacher until further notice. Now, we got a new student who got a rough start last week. Can I get some claps for Pandora Wilde-Hopps? Come on up, and tell us about yourself." Mrs. Clawson said Pandora took a deep breath.
"Wish me luck," Pandora said nervously to Joshua, afraid of this new teacher.
"Relax kiddo, my husbands a lion, and we have a cub." Mrs. Clawson said reassuringly to Pandora.
"Hi... I'm Pandora. My parents are Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde." Pandora said nervously.
"Oh, the first rabbit and fox in the Zootopia Police!" Mrs. Clawson said excitedly.
"And... well I... I'm really smart. I actually made a robot a few weeks ago to help with my siblings." Pandora said.
"Really? Well, you should bring it to show and tell. How many siblings do you have?" Mrs. Clawson.
"Well, my mom recently had a litter. So about... fourteen brothers and sisters altogether I think." Pandora said.
"I see, and what about your litter?" Mrs. Clawson asked.
"Well... that's the thing. I don't have a litter; I was an only child... I don't know why and whenever I ask mom or dad. They avoid the question and look awkward." Pandora said unaware that she was, in fact, a clone of Nick and Judy, created by a mad scientist named Dr. Mulerson a little over five years ago. With Pandora herself, being the only surviving hybrid of his initial experiments.
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." Mrs. Clawson said sympathetically.
"And... I didn't have a name until I was a year old... I'm not kidding. Mom and dad argued for an entire year on what to call me. I mean... how many mammals get a name as a birthday present?" Pandora said a number of the other children laughed. Mrs. Clawson shot a disapproving look, and most of the children stopped.
"Well, why don't sit down with the friend you made. Joshua Otterton?" Ms. Clawson said. The day went by much better than before. Pandora actually made friends among the other children as time went on, evening getting invited to a sleepover or a playdate.
But she never forgot Ms. Antlerby and resented the entire situation that had happened. That someone judged her as less the mammal just because of her parentage straight out of the starting gate, and what's worse. She apparently was part of a group that thought the same of hybrids like her. Dead ends and wastes of space, probably not even thinking hybrids to be evolutionary dead ends as far as she had overheard from her parents. But fools that were more concerned about jobs, then the lives of there fellow mammals.
But for now, she was content with how her life was going, she had friends, and that was all that mattered to the young fox/rabbit hybrid.