On the vast, ethereal expanse of the realm of the Celestials, one canid goddess in particular was off by herself, binding together the consequences of the affairs of mortal mammals. Her name was Karma. Her visual presence, to those she wished to show it to, was that of a regal-looking proto-canid, tall at the shoulder and proper. Her fur was of a soft magenta, a color that didn't actually "exist", but served to tie together the visible light spectrum in a way that mortals could understand. She never could shake the habit of chewing on her long tail, though, and sometimes got annoyed when the mortals picked up on that in their representations of her. Even though mortal mammals in those days stood up on two legs to walk, she preferred to prowl around through the celestial realm on all fours, like the mammals of old.
Karma's duties were rather complex and subtle. She served one of the oldest truths of the world: "you reap what you sow". Or, more accurately, "for every action, there is a reaction". She would cause those who practiced vile things to pay dearly for what they did, if not in that life, in another she moved their spirit into. Those who did good deeds and worked hard, she would reward. Again, if not in their current life, in another. Karma was rather fickle and didn't take blasphemy very well, but those days on the Earth no one tended to praise or even notice the Celestials very much anymore; rather, their lives were focused on their own mortal matters.
She needed no praise to do her job though, so she reclined across the celestial expanse, bringing her tail into her muzzle as was her habit. That day she was looking at Bunnyburrow. Though a goddess of predators, she found interest in looking at prey farmers, for they embodied her principles, living their lives by one of the simplest forms of cause and effect. Chewing on her tail a little, she found peace in the affairs of the mortal farmers.
As usual though, her solitude and peace was not to last.
"Tada!" A floating bunny blinked into existence in front of Karma, and Karma flinched and bit down on her tail.
"Ow! Serendipity!" Karma bared her teeth and her tail whipped about behind her in annoyance.
"Gotcha!" Serendipity floated through the air and giggled rapidly. Karma rolled her piercing magenta eyes. Serendipity was a whimsical goddess, nearly a trickster. She loved chance and the sheer possibilities of every action, no matter how small, blossoming forth into a complicated array of results. Capricious, it was hard to actually curry favor with her; she just did whatever she felt like. Speaking of, about the only thing solid about her form was that she looked like a bunny. Her colors would often change, even as she was talking, because she could never settle on anything and liked mixing things around.
"One of these days I'm going to get you back for your continuing to spook me," Karma grumbled, settling back down to a reclining position.
"Oh, I hope so! I love surprises!" Serendipity giggled rapidly again and floated circles around Karma. She never much liked to behave like a normal mammal; she was always flying around everywhere.
"I know, that's why I haven't done it yet," Karma's ears flattened and she sighed. "So, what are you doing here? Don't you have your vast vault of ethereal treasures to bathe in?"
"Got bored!" Serendipity said plainly, holding her paws behind her head and kicking through the expanse with her feet.
"Yes, as is your nature," Karma huffed. "Well, how about doing your job?"
"Something random?" Serendipity perked up, looking at Karma's display of the Earth. "I'd love to! What are you doing?"
"Looking at Bunnyburrow," Karma replied. "Bunnies are often fun to watch."
"Can't argue there!" Serendipity giggled again.
"Often," Karma clarified.
"Aw, grumpy gal," Serendipity shook her head rapidly, changing colors each time. "Anyone in particular you wanna mess with?"
"Take a look at this bunny," Karma nodded forward; the display zoomed in and settled on the Hopps Compound. "Her name is Judy Hopps in this life. She wishes to be a police officer, and is working with dedication and drive toward this goal."
"Whoa, a police officer bunny!" Serendipity looked pleased. "That's kind of cool! Could it happen?"
"I'm not sure at this point," Karma's tail flipped around as if she was uneasy. "But if she does become a police officer as her reward for her hard work, I must punish her as well for her trespasses, as is my way."
"What'd she do wrong?" Serendipity floated closer to the display, pouting at the projection of Judy.
"She harbors fear and resentment of foxes for occurrences that happened when she was young," Karma said solidly. "Worse yet, she tries to hide this under a tolerant guise. And as foxes are under my charge, she must pay for this."
"Aw, what?" Serendipity waved her arms rapidly, 'rewinding' the view of Judy's life to see the moment in question. "C'mon, you're punishing her because she got attacked at random by some mean ol' fox? That's not fun."
"I thought you'd appreciate the whimsy," Karma said, smirking. "It's not the encounter, but how she chose to react to it."
"Okay, okay, okay," Serendipity snapped her fingers, causing the display to snap back to the modern day. "So let's do something wild then!" She pawed at the display rapidly and it swung to a view of Zootopia. She zoomed in. "Check out this sweet fox!"
"A fox?" Karma seemed interested, walking closer to the display.
"Yeah, he's had some troubles in his past too, just because of him being a fox," Serendipity pouted. "Fortune hasn't been with the poor guy. But look at him now! Anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with him gets scammed out of a handful of cash in a benign way!" Serendipity rolled around in midair and had a fit of giggling.
"Wow, that's so... you," Karma rolled her eyes.
"I know!" Serendipity smiled broadly. "Wouldn't it be totally random if your bunny and my fox were to meet up?"
"What would that accomplish?" Karma's eyes half closed, getting annoyed with the perky bunny goddess.
"No clue!" Serendipity exclaimed in glee. "That's what's exciting! Look at all of the possibilities though!" Serendipity scrunched herself up then stretched way out, causing more displays of possible futures to appear.
"Wait a minute," Karma looked curiously at them, tilting her head and holding one paw off the "ground". "In all of these possible futures... they are together? As friends, workmates, or even lovers..." A look of realization and worry flashed over Karma's face.
"Yeah, isn't it cool?" Serendipity nodded, holding her paws to her mouth. "I think they might be soul-bound."
"Serendipity, it's not our place to meddle in the affairs of those that are soul-bound, you know that!" Karma scolded. "That's Destiny's job."
"Eh!" Serendipity shrugged, shaking her head. "Destiny's been pouty lately. Now that faith in the Celestials is getting much lower, she doesn't want to predetermine anyone anymore. She's always whining that the mortals like self-determination nowadays. Maybe getting a soul-bound couple together might cheer her up!"
"We'll get in trouble with Order if we step out of line of our duties..." Karma made an unsure face, wincing.
"Chaos will smooth it over," Serendipity made a flippant gesture and kicked back with her paws behind her head.
"...I do kind of want to bring them together," Karma admitted, looking at her display which now showed Judy and Nick. "Judy will reap trouble from her aversion to foxes, as she deserves, and this... this Nicholas Wilde." She blinked at him. "He took an oath, and though it wasn't accepted, he desires to live by its tenants. The consequences of bringing them together could give him that chance."
"See? It'll be fun!" Serendipity landed on Karma's back.
"Okay, get off," Karma shook herself to dislodge Serendipity, to the latter's giggling. "What do we do though? We must be subtle, and that's not one of your strong points."
"Nonsense!" Serendipity floated back in front of her and snapped her fingers. "All it takes it one little random idea to cause a chaotic, unpredictable chain of events that will land totally where I predict!" She looked very smug.
"And what would that be?" Karma's patience seemed to be wearing thin.
"I call it the Mammal Inclusion Initiative!" Serendipity gestured grandiosely, then pawed at the display to show the mayor of Zootopia. "This guy! Leodore Lionheart; he wants to curry favor with more voters. So, we just slip the idea to let more mammals get into jobs that aren't traditionally their lot... and..."
"Judy would have the opportunity to go into Zootopia and become a police officer, putting her closer to Nick..." Karma nodded. "What will become of Lionheart for doing such a randomly noble act? I see he deserves to be punished for treating his assistant with disrespect. But his... his assistant." Karma gasped. "What... what a vile creature...!"
"Yeah!" Serendipity said. "By getting Judy a job at the police department in Zootopia, we'll entangle the fates of all these wacky animals."
Karma held her tail in her mouth thoughtfully. "Just by one chance meeting, they will all get what they deserve."
"Both of us win! I love winning!" Serendipity giggled. She gestured grandiosely again, and three displays rapidly started changing randomly until they all landed on a picture of Judy and Nick having a chance encounter. Serendipity thrust her paw at this dramatically. "That's what's gotta happen! Our jackpot!"
"Yes..." Karma smiled, now completely on board with this plan. "Though, you think we can get away with just implanting the idea of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative in the mayor's head and nothing else? If the chance meeting doesn't occur..."
"I know, I know!" Serendipity giggled. "But haven't you ever heard the expression 'leave luck to the Celestials'?"
"Isn't that just the name of a video game company?" Karma raised one of her eyebrows.
"Whatever! Just have some faith!" Serendipity shook her head. She started to sway musically. "They'll get together, yeah yeah yeah!"
"And if they do..." Karma cautiously prowled toward her display. "They will all reap their bounties."
"And if they don't, none of us will be happy! I love it!" Serendipity giggled one last time, then rapidly spun around in midair and vanished.
"I swear to Order... that bunny..." Karma huffed, curling up on the "ground" and chewing her tail.