"Nostalgia is the file that removes the rough edges from the good old days." - Doug Larson
*BONUS QUOTE*
"Nostalgia is a dirty liar that insists things were better than they seemed." - Anonymous
Personally, Nick didn't like thinking about the past very much.
To him, he believed that if you were too wrapped up in the past, you were regretful, and that if you were too worried about the future, that you were anxious. The fox was perfectly content living in the present, if it meant that he could just be himself, and live life to the fullest. Besides, thinking too much about the past often brought thoughts of guilt and pain. He hated picking at old wounds. Some stuff was just better buried deep; Where no one could see it, far less worry about it. Especially himself, of all mammals.
Having had a considerably rough childhood and a rather lonely adolescent upbringing, Nick Wilde of all mammals knew just how dangerous memories could be.
Nonetheless, that wasn't to say that all old memories were inherently bad, of course: The fox always cherished whatever moments he experienced with his mate, Judy. Those were worth remembering to the fullest, if any. All his years alongside the rabbit had heralded a wide variety of memorable occurrences, from the first time they locked eyes, to their adventures in the wooded heart of the Deciduous-District. However, of all the experiences that the two tiny officers had chalked up together over the years, there was one that stood out among the others: Nick's progress at the Zootopia Police Academy, where Judy herself had helped him rise through the ranks, and become a true officer.
He remembered it like it was just yesterday.
As much as he and Judy liked to gripe and joke about how grueling the full academy escapade had been - which wasn't inaccurate nor unjustified, in their defense - when the two of them had worked together during Nick's training, it had overall been an incredible and surprisingly humbling learning experience, especially for the fox himself. To go through the same tough trials and tests that his beloved had underwent, he truly realized just how dedicated she must have been, especially given the undoubtedly profound amount of prejudice that she must have dealt with. There were several times where Nick was half-tempted to drop out! Were it not for his Judy's all too sagacious guidance, and consistent pushing, he likely never would have made it to where he was today. Indeed; If Judy had simply left him to his own accords, he would have failed miserably.
Nick wasn't a fighter: He could barely dodge and weave without tripping over his own tail, far less land a decent punch on an approaching enemy mammal.
He wasn't a runner, either: Half a mile in, he'd have to stop to catch his breath; Watching as the other recruits would pass him up and gave him pitiful glances.
Nor a very good leader, for that matter. He didn't have Bogo's hard-as-iron resolve, or Judy's unquenchable thirst for justice and strength of determination.
All that he had was his wit, intelligence, and crafty sense of humor. It was those traits that helped him win the unofficial title of class clown, though unbeknownst to the other recruits, they were also the very same traits that would help propel the fox to the very tip-top of his class. It seemed that in the end, the joke was on them and them alone.
Being a smooth-talker, Nick was easily able to wiggle himself in and out of situations that most other mammals could only dream of getting in and out of in the first place. He overheard conversations about planned activities days in advance, learned and studied the weaknesses of the other recruits, and used trickery and deceit during competitions of strength and endurance to further advance his own agenda. There was one time where Nick recalled being paired up against an antelope during a boxing session, and the fox had managed to convince the unsuspecting grazer that there was a large, hairy spider on his shoulder. By the time his opponent realized that there never was any large hairy spider, it was too late: Nick had the antelope right where he wanted. A few good swings later, and the poor guy never even knew what hit him. It worked like a charm.
Though of course, he wasn't a total trickster, all of the time. He did still care about the well-being and safety of his fellow companions, whether they liked him or not.
He still made good friends and good times, and even made sure to buy that one antelope a chocolate bar from one of the academy's vending machines after the fight as a sort of peace offering. It was the least that he could do. Thankfully for the fox's good conscience, the antelope had willingly accepted the token of trust without any hardships.
Nick used similar tactics throughout the remainder of his endeavors at the academy. With Judy at his side all the while, he felt as unstoppable as a charging rhinoceros!
Eventually, his ZPD training came to an end, though, and all of his hard work at the academy pooled together into one big, final reward: The golden badge of a ZPD officer. It was the very proudest moment in his life. When Judy had first pinned the medal onto his chest, there was never a greater feeling of satisfaction that he could remember. For years, he held on to that very moment in time, along with many other lessons from his experience at the academy. All the memories he made were nothing short of prideful.
They had helped him with his career, and now, they would help him once again. It seemed that this time, however, he would be the one making the experiences.
5:45 A.M
Early was the hour, when Nick and Judy awoke from their peaceful slumber.
Of course, the latter was always the quickest to ready her for the coming day. She was already fully dressed in her regular police outfit consisting of a tight-hugging bodysuit and sturdy chestplate, before her husband had even managed to roll out of bed. With the fur on the left side of his head squished against his skull, the fox grumbled out loud;
"I've gotta get used to this."
From somewhere in the nearby bathroom, the rabbit responded;
"Rise and shine, Nick! The sooner you get up, the sooner we can get started, and take on the day!"
"Duly noted." He muttered in response.
Sparing a lazy glance at the digital clock that rested on the nightstand by the side of the bed, Nick's tired eyes adjusted to the sight of a blaring red 5:45 A.M, shining bright and disorienting, as though it were trying to make getting out of bed as painful as possible. Groaning wearily, the fox rolled to the edge of the mattress before sitting up and wiping at his eye sockets. The bitter taste in his mouth caused his tongue to tremble in disgust, and that pestering blur in his vision still lingered stubbornly. Mornings sucked.
Just another day on the job, it would seem.
After what felt like an eternity, with an extra few thousand years for each time he glanced at the clock, Nick was at last ready to take on the day, as his wife had so heartily put it. Easier said than done, in his mind. Whatever the case, the fox gladly shook himself free from his slothful desires, and steeled himself for what was to come. Now that both he and Judy were prepared, they promptly set out toward the courtyard of the academy, where they intended on rendezvousing with Major Friedkin and all of the new recruits. From there, they would follow the Major's orders; Helping her manage over all of the new subordinates as they went about their first day of training at the academy.
Exiting their private quarters, the two tiny officers made their way down a long hallway deeper into the facility. It wasn't exactly a place fully outfitted for decoration appeal, though there were a few tacky motivational posters strung up here and there, alongside the occasional potted plant. Once they had left the drab hallway, Nick and Judy ventured through several other rooms and lobbies before finally reaching the doors to the inner courtyard. Through the glass, they could see a large crowd of mammals standing in the middle of the field. All of them were dressed in practically identical clothing - standard issue ZPA uniforms - save for one mammal that stood at the edge of the group. Major Friedkin, easily distinguishable as the aforementioned mammal, stood tall and proud, watching over the recruits as they stood idly in the field, chatting amongst one another quietly. Judy realized with a jolt that they must have been waiting for her and Nick! Even as earlier as she had woken up, there was still need for work.
"C'mon Nick, let's go!" The rabbit exclaimed with a rather strong sense of urgency.
Giving her a thumbs up of mutual agreement, the fox proceeded to open the door, and usher the two of them outside. Together, they both jogged alongside one another until they reached the very center of the large courtyard, where all of the other mammals stood waiting patiently. Some of them gave the two officers distrusting glances, though most hadn't even noticed that they had shown up. Even Major Friedkin herself was unaware of their presence until Nick took it upon himself to tug at one of her fingertips.
Glancing down at them, the polar bear smiled wide before leaning closer, so as to better speak with them.
"Glad to see that you two made it on time, more or less." She claimed. "I'd hate to have to report to Bogo that you two were absent on your first day of instructing, here."
"We aim to please." The fox replied nonchalantly, causing the polar bear to grin even wider. She stated;
"Better put that charm to good use, Wilde. These newbies are some of the toughest I've seen. Like I told ya yesterday, they're all fine mammals, willin' to serve with pride."
"Nick and I will be sure to teach them everything we know, ma'am!" Judy said.
Major Friedkin seemed to like that.
"Good. This time, though, I'll lead, but I'll be expecting you two to pick up the slack soon. You need to be tough in order to teach these recruits to be tough. Understand?"
"Affirmative!" Judy agreed strongly.
"Gotcha." Nick added. "Will do, Major."
Nodding her head in approval, the polar bear then gestured towards the crowd of mammals. "Let's get started." She muttered to the two officers before breathing in deeply.
"Attention recruits!" Friedkin bellowed, causing all of the mammals before her to turn and stare her down with respectful curiosity. "Welcome to your first day of training!"
There were a few hoops and hollers from the pack of animals, but they quickly settled down as the polar bear resumed her exclamation;
"Before we get started, I'd like to introduce you to officers Nicholas Wilde, and Judy Hopps, though, I'm sure the lot of you are already at least somewhat familiar with them."
"Hi!" Judy greeted with a simple wave. Nick mimicked the gesture, though didn't add any comments of his own.
Many of the recruits started shuffling around to get a better look at the famous duo. Some smiled and waved, others stood silently, and a few even gasped in amazement. Nick was pretty sure that his ego had gotten a bit fatter, but before he could further revel in the satisfaction of positive public attention, Major Friedkin continued her speech;
"The two of them will be assisting in your training. You are to consider them as your superiors for as long as you share these grounds with them. Do I make myself clear?"
A chorus of "Yes sir!" rang throughout the courtyard, save for one confused recruit that blurted out "Yes ma'am!" a little on the late side, causing it to be super obvious. It was supposed to be common knowledge that all high-ranking officers at the Zootopia Police Department, regardless of gender, were to be refereed to as sir. A few of the other mammals snickered, though no one was able to single out who had made the original comment in the first place. Ignoring it, Major Friedkin proceeded with her speech;
"Alright, new-bloods! The last batch of trainees thought that it'd be mighty funny to shove a baton up an elephant's trunk!" She shouted. "And you know what happened?!"
Nobody in the entire regiment answered. Everyone was as still as a forest of petrified trees.
"They were asked to leave politely..." The major stated in a surprisingly soft voice before following with another crackling exclamation. "And it was awkward for everyone!"
Nick had to resist the urge to snort out in amusement. It took much willpower, but he quickly suppressed his sense of humor, and continued to listen in on Friedkin's speech;
"So, we're gonna get a few things straight, here! I want each and every one of you greenies to understand that there won't be any room for errors! This is no sun-soaked vacation spot! In this course, the strong will be separated from the weak, the motivated will be separated from the unwilling, and the best will be separated from the rest!"
A crooked grin grew across the polar bear's muzzle. "And don't think we don't know how to weed them out." She claimed with volume. "Now everybody line up!"
From there, the conglomeration of recruits began to shuffle around; Jostling one another as they hurriedly attempted to form a decent line. Major Friedkin glared at them all the while. Soon enough, a single, messy line of mammals extended down the width of the grassy courtyard, each individual standing straight and still, with not an out of place movement to be seen. It was a bit surprising to Nick, who himself had half-expected most of the new recruits to fumble around in confusion before straightening out.
Always nice to be surprised every once in a while, he thought to himself.
With all of the recruits now piled up in one large row, Major Friedkin was at least ready to begin her introductions. The polar bear then clasped her meaty paws behind her back and proceeded to slowly waltz down the length of the line. As she edged around the different recruits, eyeing them all over, she would occasional roar out a name, and proceed to berate the corresponding mammal. Typical drill sergeant business. Niether Nick nor Judy were very surprised. They had both undergone the very same procedure.
Many of the recruits were skipped over, but some of the more prominent and/or eye-catching ones were singled out without hesitation; Either for praise or for ridicule.
"Harlan O'Conall," Friedkin announced, gesturing towards a muscular wolf. "Top of the top in your physical examination prerequisite. I expect big things from you!"
The lupine nodded in acknowledgement, but otherwise remained completely still and silent.
Moving along, the polar bear narrowed down her attention towards a small ewe that stood a few paces away. Approaching the little sheep, Friedkin snorted;
"Tiny little thing, aren't ya? I could just eat you up for breakfast!"
Sparing no shortage of bared teeth, the polar bear chuckled to herself as she straightened out and looked down upon the ewe with disapproval.
"And I take it you're from The Meadowlands, eh?"
The sheep did not respond. Instead, she stood there without a sound, slightly shaking in apprehension, no doubt still trying to register the instructor's previous comment.
"Speak when spoken to, recruit, or I'll have you runnin' laps 'till sundown!" Friedkin shouted, causing the sheep to straighten out and administer a crooked salute.
"Y-Yes sir!" She stifled timidly.
"I can't hear you!"
"Yes sir!"
Exhaling out heavily through her nostrils, the polar bear turned tail and walked off without another word, clearly pleased with her work.
"What about you?" Major Friedkin continued, turning towards a portly old mole four paces down from the sheep. "Where are you from?"
The mole swallowed timidly before bringing his right paw up to his forehead in a nervous salute, and announcing his origins;
"The Rainforest-District, sir!"
Friedkin didn't look impressed. Not one bit.
"The Rainforest-District?" She repeated in a shrill tone of voice. "I would have thought a beady-eyed bottom feeder like yourself woulda crawled outta the Nocturnal-District!"
Blinking a single time in apprehension, the mole then decided to respond to the major's statement. Clearly, he had forgotten the polar bear's rules on talking out of turn.
"Well, actually, my mother's side migrated over from-"
"I didn't ask where your mama came from, recruit!" The major shouted so hard that Judy's eyeballs rattled in their sockets. "Talk outta line again, and you'll be sorry!"
"Yes sir!"
Shaking her head in distaste, Friedkin continued on her thorough examination of the new recruits.
As the polar bear continued pacing down the length of the line, calling out different mammals, Judy listened closely from nearby. Major Friedkin listed a dozen more names, each one only adding to the growing height of Judy's anxiety levels. Having to remember all of these new names and faces would be a real hassle. She only hoped that she wouldn't confuse one with another, as there happened to be multiple members of the same species. The bunny officer was still quite taken aback at just how large this new class of ZPD recruits really was. In her original class at the academy, there were no more than ten, yet this time around, there were easily over twenty five different recruits.
Back when she had first run through the police academy, it wasn't very common for smaller mammals to make it as far as Judy had. Being the first rabbit officer to ever pass the ZPA was a huge shocker for the city of Zootopia. Her achievement made front-line news in the papers, and garnered all kinds of attention and praise, alongside some threats and disapproval, as well. Ever since then, Judy had long known that her success in the academy had spawned a surge of new small-mammal applicants over the years, but she had no idea that it would be this sufficient! Back then, she had been the only small-mammal in her own class, yet this new class sported all kinds of recruits. She counted three sheep, two otters, and even several hares, too. It was clear that this new batch of recruits held no shortage of mammalian diversity. That made her proud.
To know that she had had a part in inspiring so many smaller mammals to take a stand for their rights and desires was a great source of satisfaction to Judy.
The polar bear's considerably vocal words shook the rabbit from her thoughts, and forced her to focus on the present. She listened to Friedkin announce the coming schedule;
"To start off our first day of training, we're going to be runnin' the obstacle course!"
"Uh-oh." Nick muttered beneath his breath. "I still have nightmares about that course." He stated, that was, before Judy sternly shushed him, as Friedkin continued talking;
"If you get knocked off the course, you get right back on it and try it again. If you die," The polar bear grumbled. "Walk it off."
"Ever the motivational speaker." Nick whispered to his partner, effectively resulting in his foot getting a good stomping.
"Alright, let's go, you special snowflakes!" Major Friedkin bellowed. "I want you all in tears by lunchtime!"
Hey Everyone!
I'm not dead! Who would have thought?
It's been quite some time since our last chapter update, hasn't it? I apologize for that. I've been quite busy (I say busy, you hear lazy. :P), as of late. It's been effecting my time and motivation to write, least to say, so I'm sorry if this chapter took a bit more time to arrive than you first expected. Anyways, I do still appreciate your continued interest in my work though, of course. There's more to come down the road. I just wanted to release this one sooner rather than later, so I decided to break it up into multiple parts. You all are so darn patient, and it grinds my gears to leave people waiting. Not my thing.
However, I am not so busy nowadays, so I'm sure the coming chapters will come much quicker.
Alongside that, I promise that the next chapter (95) won't take nearly as long to release. In fact, I already have nearly four thousand words chalked up!
Thanks for reading this latest chapter of ours. As always, I had a good deal of fun whipping it up for you all, and I hope that you all enjoyed it as well. Do feel free to leave a review detailing your thoughts, of course! I always appreciate good feedback. Alongside that, if you haven't already, you are most welcome to favorite and/or follow the story, so that you can receive notifications of each new chapter update. It's a really helpful system. Check it out!
Okay, so, the poll on my profile page hasn't had much usage, but I get the general idea of what people want: More bonus chapters after the main plot of 'When Instinct Falls' comes to a close. We're getting there, but I assure you, this story of ours still has plenty of content to come down the road. I certainly hope that you'll all stick with me for the remainder of this gigantic writing project that once started out so minuscule, and insignificant. Until then, thanks!
So, in other words, I'll be closing that poll down. Thank you, everyone, for helping give me a good idea of what you want to see.
Last up for announcements, I just wanted to let you all know that there's a new batch of fan-art over on my tumblr and DA accounts. I know I've stated this a whole lot throughout the past few months, but that's only because I get a whole lot of fan-art. Speaking of which, if you're considering contributing to the story, just let me know beforehand, and I'll be happy to help in any way I can. All new artistic gifts are most appreciated, and very awesome to think about.
Anyhow, that's pretty much all I got to say, for now. Again, thanks for reading, and do stay tuned for the next chapter, comin' your way soon! :)
'Till next time...
Peace!