Continued from "Paper" and "RE: Paper"
"Yuck, what a mess," Judy said in a low voice as she and Nick entered the large temple. There was graffiti everywhere and splotches of paint dotted the floor, walls, and columns of the temple. "What kind of lowlife desecrates a temple, anyway?" The two began to survey the vandalism.
"Probably some edgy teenagers," Nick shrugged. "You know the type, right? Those that think they're so cool because they have the guts to stick it to an organization that's been around for centuries. Betcha we find some stray fur samples."
"No offense to the Celestials," Judy smirked wryly, "but isn't Destiny kind of an 'edgy' Celestial to worship? Oooh, the Celestial of Death...!" She wiggled her hands mockingly with her eyes rolled to the ceiling, where natural light shone through the top of the temple.
"One of the Celestials of Death, anyway," Nick chuckled, holding up a finger, then placing it on a finger of his other hand. "There's another one. A bear. What was it... Calamity? Or something like... Paradigm, I think. Either way, I don't think all of Destiny's worshipers are obsessed with death, Carrots. There's more to Destiny than just that."
"Mmm..." Judy walked forward and looked up at the central figure of the temple, the statue of Destiny. It easily towered over both of them and bore a great resemblance to a giraffe skeleton, only quadruped. The statue itself was a fair bit taller than a normal, bipedal giraffe. The various bones of the great stone statue seemed to have been painted various pastel colors. "Wow, they really did a number on the statue too, huh? I wonder how they even got all the way up to the top of it to paint it. Maybe we're looking at some giraffe vandals?"
"Oh no, the statue is actually untouched," Nick joined Judy in looking up at it. "It's supposed to look like that."
"Really? Huh!" Judy marveled, scratching her chin as she took in the sight of the various colors on the statue. "Now that you mention, it I guess there is some rhyme and reason to the arrangement..."
"From what I remember from my theology class, it's supposed to represent how Destiny holds sway over all kinds of mammals, over all 'colors' of souls," Nick looked up with a hand placed near his forehead.
"What about her neck?" Judy made a curving motion with her paw and then placed that paw on her own neck. "It's got a weird sort of curve to it... it doesn't look like a normal spine. It looks almost like a... sword's edge?" Judy seemed confused for a second and her eyes slightly widened, then she looked at Nick. The fox seemed to consider the tall statue seriously.
"Yeah, that's supposed to be like that, too," Nick shrugged. "Her neck is her 'reaping' tool, I guess." Nick thoughtfully scrunched his muzzle, then tilted his head briefly as he took in the statue. "It's something like... ancient giraffes used to duel with their necks, of all things. Maybe that's where it came from?"
"Trying to find the logic in all this malarkey, huh?" Judy rolled her eyes with a big grin. She continued looking for more clues to the vandalism, turning away from the statue.
"Oof, take it easy on the blasphemy," Nick remarked jokingly, grinning with half-lidded eyes. "I mean, I'm pretty sure a Celestial like Nightmare wouldn't mind, but I don't think I'd take my chances with Destiny." Nick whistled and clicked his tongue.
"C'mon, Nick," Judy started in a chiding voice. "You don't actually believe in Destiny, do you?"
"You mean like, the concept, or the Celestial?" Nick returned in a jovial tone.
Judy was quiet for a moment and she half-turned her head to look at the statue. "Uh, either, I guess."
"Well to be perfectly honest," Nick looked up skeptically at the statue, "do I believe that there's a skeletal giraffe roaming the afterlife, reaping souls? No, that's ridiculous." Judy nodded and Nick waited a beat before growing an obnoxious smile. "I always thought Destiny would be more like a whale shark."
Despite trying to stifle it, Judy burst out laughing. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and nearly folded over as she laughed uproariously. She rubbed an eye with one paw as she regained control over herself, her ears flopping back into place as she straightened up. "A wha- a what!? A whale shark? You mean the world's biggest fish?"
"Right!" Nick held his arms out wide vertically and slapped them down. "Biggest fish, biggest mouth. She could gobble you right up!"
"Pffft, I can just imagine that," Judy rolled her eyes and started to speak in a dramatic, exaggerated voice that sounded like she was yawning. She held her arms out and swayed them as if they were fins. "Your time is uuuup, mortallll! I will eeeeat you!"
"Probably a lot scarier than ol' sword-neck up there," Nick jerked his head to the statue, somehow managing to keep a straight face.
Judy let out a long sigh of pleasurable relaxation at her mirth. "Whale shark... ...mm. So what about the concept then? Do you believe we were... y'know, fated to be doing this?" Judy gestured between herself and Nick. The fox's blithe expression seemed to take a hit, but it quickly recovered.
"The first bunny and fox on the force, huh?" Nick muttered, then his voice lightened, as if he was yawning. "Well, I'll tell you one thing, Carrots. If it wasn't fate, it was sure darned lucky I ran into you that day."
"So, Serendipity," Judy smirked.
"Or, maybe I was just owed a visit from some perky weirdo to get me out of the rut I'd been digging myself for twenty years," Nick remained carefree as he shrugged.
"Right, after I risked putting you into a hole permanently," Judy mumbled sheepishly, rubbing her ear. "That must be Karma, then."
"God, there's a Celestial for everything..." Nick sucked at his teeth and shook his head. He pointed at the ceiling. "Big animals upstairs or no, what's it matter, huh? I'm grateful for what I've been given. And... s'long as I keep that thought here." Nick thumped himself on the chest. "I don't feel like I have to especially pray for anything else."
"Aww, Nick!" Judy smiled broadly. There was a moment of silence.
"Okay, waiting for the riff," Nick gestured with one hand. "No way you're going to let something that corny go."
"Keep waiting, then, 'cause I'm letting it go," Judy said devilishly, poking him in the chest. She briefly adopted a country twang. "I'll take that corn, plant it, 'n reap a fine harvest."
Nick appeared puzzled. "O...kay?" The two laughed at each other awkwardly and continued working.
"Bagged and tagged all these samples," Nick said, holding up a small handful of bags. "Guess we should 'hurry it' up and go back to the lab to have Hurriet look at these fur samples. You know how long she can take."
"Yeah, I think we're done here," Judy agreed, but started to lag behind and looked back at the statue of Destiny. She mouthed something that Nick didn't quite catch, then heard her mutter: "'Keep waiting'... keep waiting...? Wait- Nick!" Judy held out her hand toward him.
"What do I look like, a waiter?" Nick joked, turning to look at her.
Judy looked around and stood as close to the center of the temple's main foyer as she could. She rubbed her paws together gently and looked around. Her eyes became more earnest. Nick was suddenly struck by how lovely her gray fur looked in the soft, mid-day light, surrounded by the shadows of the temple.
"Before you take your leave of me," Judy said in a voice affected with refinement, "I must have you tell me... am I the moon?" As Judy's voice echoed through the temple, she held her paws out plaintively toward Nick. "Was I summoned forth to shine light into the darkness? Pray tell, are you the earth? The one upon which my light must shine? Or are you the sun, the one that supplies me with such light?" Judy brought her hands closed into fists and drew them towards her chest. "Do not leave, not without a reply to me. I will not have Destiny's Blade soaked in your blood before I know if I am yours." Judy managed a small, trembling smile.
Nick's eyes were as wide as Judy had ever seen them. He flinched and shook his head, as if in a trance.
"Ah, that's- um, that's very nice," Nick said in a voice of muted amazement, slowly beginning to clap. "The famous scene from the play Inevitable. The one where the princess appeals to the knave, right?" Nick chuckled nervously. "As I recall, that's a tragedy." He chirped out a tiny laugh. "Doesn't end well for either of them."
Judy tried very hard to keep a calm face, but she let a small burst of a whine out. "Nick..."
Nick turned his head away. "Took you longer than I thought to find it..."
"Oh, I've had it for awhile," Judy said softly. "I actually... I read it almost every night. I just- y'know, wondered when would be the right time..."
Nick set the fur samples down near a pillar. "That doesn't really sound like you, Judy." Nick's voice was completely even. "When you want something, you go for it without any hesitation. No matter how ill-advised or half-brained that idea is. Nothing'll stop you."
"Th-that's right, Nick," Judy said softly, drawing closer to him. Nick wore an uneven expression that almost spoke of weariness. Judy took both of his hands with hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. "But you're not something I want. You're someone."
Nick's eyes widened and his jaw dropped just a few degrees. "Judy...?"
"Hnh..." a smile exploded from Judy's face and her eyes began to look glassy. "Y'know... it is nice when you say my name."
"I'm not sure what to say..." Nick mumbled.
"Well, you better start talking," Judy teased with authority, "'cause I have your word that 'Destiny's Blade' would make you open up."
"Y'see now, you used it again, so the offer is no longer valid-" Nick flinched as Judy lightly smacked him in the upper arm. "Ow. Fine."
"Nick, stop acting like a child and tell me if you love me or not," Judy tried to sound confident, but it came out with a tinge of uncertainty.
"This is a little embarrassing, but I actually don't know the lines," Nick tried to wrestle his mouth into a smirk, but it just came out as a genuine smile. Judy tilted her head with a worried expression, her ears bobbing. "You know, the knaves lines to the princess. Doesn't he say something like 'if I must be the sun and the earth for you, so be it?' yadda yadda yadda, then rides off into the distance with the princess looking at him wistfully?"
"Hehe... something like that," Judy squeaked out. Slowly, she morphed their hand-holding into a hug; her arms sliding across his until they were around his back and the bunny was as close as she could be to the fox.
"Well, I'm not about to ride off into the distance, Judy," Nick said. "That 'distance' is what you've helped me cross. I'm here, where I want to be." He softly squeezed Judy.
"Mm..." Judy let out an earnest groan of happiness, squeezing him back firmly. Nick let out a small groan of discomfort. "Really...?"
"Well, hugging a beautiful bunny, being glared at by a multicolored skeleton statue, what's not to love?" Nick returned, slipping back into his usual tone.
"Ugh, typical," Judy rolled her eyes with a fond smirk. "You joke about everything." She nuzzled her forehead into his chest then dramatically launched away from him, grabbing the samples. "Let's go, dummy."
Nick gave a terse exhale and nodded, following her to the entrance of the temple. He stopped for a moment. Judy grinned as she felt his tail curl around her ankles.
"Judy... you are my destiny," Nick said, patting her on the back, letting his paw linger to rub it a little.
"I'm your giraffe skeleton?" Judy's right eyebrow perked up.
"No, you're my whale shark," Nick said with faux tenderness as he "bashfully" rolled his eyes away from her.
"And youuuu're a huuuge dooooork," Judy replied in a drawn-out voice.
"You love me anyway," Nick said airily as he opened Judy's cruiser door for her.
"Why, of course," Judy chirped, hopping into the van. "But only as much as you love me."
"Eh..." Nick narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn't bet on it. I'm pretty sure I love you way more."
"For fox's sake, Nick," Judy smirked, getting the cruiser started up. "Are we really doing this?"
Nick was quiet for a moment. He leaned over and licked Judy tenderly on the cheek.
"This thing between us?" Nick motioned between the two of them. "Yeah, I think we can try it."
Judy felt her ears flush as she unsuccessfully tried to swallow a huge smile.
"I love you, Nick," she nearly whispered.
"Love you too, Judy," Nick replied, the words escaping him and carrying his tension with them. In that moment, he'd never felt so content and relaxed.
That is, until Judy hit a speed bump.
"Oops, sorry! Sorry!" Judy winced, grinning. "I really didn't mean to hit it that fast..." She giggled in embarrassment.
"Rabbit drivers," Nick grumbled and shook his head. Then, he broke down and started laughing long and hard, and Judy had to join him.