Puss in Boots, Nick Wilde, Rocket Raccoon, and Gabriel, were all sitting around back at Puss' big apartment. Nick came over because his house was destroyed last night in their assault. Most of them were drinking some water, while Puss was drinking his usual favorite: leche. Everybody was judging their thoughts, thinking about the White Devil's group of criminals, but they were also worried about Judy and Dulcinea. They haven't heard from them, and Jose ever since Gabriel gave Puss, Rocket, and Nick the news.
"This is taking too long. I am going to find them," says Puss, as his so desperate to hear something from Jose and Dulcinea that he doesn't want to wait till they all get home.
"I'm right with you," says Nick as he agrees with Puss, while he also is worried sick for his best friend Judy.
"We need to wait. Trust me, my brother never lets anyone down, and he never breaks a promise," Gabriel said with such confidence that it made both Nick and Puss slow their brakes and believed in Gabriel's every word.
"Gabriel's right. I don't fully know him, but Jose seems to be one tough son of a bitch. If anyone has a chance to make it in time and rescue your best friends, it's him," says a very trustful Rocket, believing in Jose while the others simply smiled at his enthusiasm and believed in him.
Moments later, someone was knocking the front door, as the group of friends all got up so fast, desperate for knowing if the ones knocking the door are Jose, Judy Hopps, and Dulcinea.
"Puss, Rocket, Gabriel. Open the door."
"Nick. It's me, Judy. Open up."
Two cheerful Judy Hopps and Jose Arroyo said as their voices calmed everyone down. All except Puss, who noticed that he didn't hear Dulcinea's beautiful voice, and he feared that something happened to her.
"Puss. Open up," The sweet and soft voice of Dulcinea was enough for Puss to be relieved and also very protective as he noticed that she felt hurt trying to talk to him. He opens the door and everyone were cautious and stunned at Judy and Dulcinea, who were both damaged in which Dulcinea suffer worst than her rabbit friend, who was standing on two feet walking while Jose carried Dulcinea.
"What the hell happened to you guys? Especially you girls?" says a worried Gabriel as Jose moves around them and puts Dulcinea on a couch to rest, and Judy sat on another couch. Puss and Nick went to their respective best friends and used their paws to soften them and make them comfortable, while Jose just went to the refrigerator and grabbed a glass of soda and drinks it slowly.
"Well, Gaby. A bounty hunter called the Black Fury who was pretty close to the White Devil tried to kill Judy and Dulcinea. They fought and held their own against the black Fix. Eventually, I came on time and managed to help them beat this monster," Jose says while explaining it in an enthusiastic way, which made everyone in the room confuser that he doesn't see the bad side of what he just went through.
"And the bounty hunter? Where is he?" said Wilde, taking precautions to protect Judy if he comes back.
"Dead. Judy shot him while he was about to throw some knives at Dulcinea and me," Jose answers as Nick and Puss were surprised by what they heard, while Rocket and Gabriel walked by Jose and clapped his back for being true to his word about he was going to save his friends.
"Wow, really?" says Nick, as his voice showed that his feelings were mixed into congratulating Judy for protecting them and shocked that she had to go through there in order to stop the Black Fury. Eventually, Nick gives Judy, whose ears were dropped down as se wasn't in a happy mood, a hug that made her heart filled with a bit of joy after everything she went through. Puss puts his paws on her paws as a token of gratitude for saving his mate.
"Gracias, sweet rabbit of good." Puss in Boots says.
"You're welcome," Judy responds as both of them shared their gratitude towards one another, while Dulcinea moves her head and once she saw them being happy, it made her bruises look like something she can ignore as long as she sees her friends happy.
"Not being a buzzkill here, but did you found anything that can help us learn more about this mission, or you two did nothing but wasting your time fighting some random hunter jackass till the death," Rocket said, ruining the happy moment everyone was starting to get, which made hem instantly get down to business. Gabriel and Jose rolled their eyes in embarrassment that Rocket really went there to spoil the fun.
"Um, yeah," a calmed Judy said. She takes out the flyer the Black Fury gave her during their fight out of her back pocket, while everyone, with Puss helping Dulcinea slowly, got around to read the letters on the flyer.
"Grand gala talent show. Filled with music, activities, and so much fun. It will. all be for charity. See you there. love: Mayor Piglette." Judy Hopps reads the flyer while everyone was unimpressed by this activity.
"It's rigged. This stupidity crap will be crawled with guards, and if we dare to compete in this thing, you can expect they will screw us into making us sing our worst preference of song," Jose felt unconvinced by this as Gabriel and Rocket agreed.
"But, what choice do we have? Capturing her could be our only shot at finding the White Devil and stop this once and for all. Nick, Rocket, I saw the video, and we can all agree on she is the trusty sidekick of the White Devil," says Puss. Everyone was convinced by Puss' perspective of this activity and they all wanted to have the best course of action possible. But Jose didn't say a word. He looked at Puss very strangely, like his emotions are eating his heart up to an extent that it could very much kill Puss than himself.
"Puss is right, guys. This may be our only shot, even if the odds aren't in our favor. So, I believe in Puss. I think we should all go," says Dulcinea as she slowly started to get up from her couch, which made them sense a spark in her, that no-quit attitude that she has, that immediately were inspired by it, especially Nick and Judy.
"So, are we all in?" Jose asks. All of them looked at each other and they all said yes.
"Okay, then. We need some clothes to get in, some invitation cards, and a plan."
"I'm going to head back to the ZPD and tell Bogo of our plan, Jose. We need everyone to be on deck and aware of our status."
"Right, Judy."
"I am going with her. In there, I can make a call to the Mayor and gives the invites. She trusts in me, which helps us our chances to get these invites."
"Okay, Nick. Just be careful."
"And brother, Rocket and I are going to get some clothes for the event, while you, Dulcinea, and Puss go out and work on a plan or go out and talked about it while eating something."
"Will do, Gabriel. Okay then, good luck."
Everyone talked about their plans as they were excited to go out and do all their respective assignments. Especially Puss, who was beyond excited to once again have an adventure with Jose and Dulcinea, but Jose looked at Puss very sad but he did his best to hide his emotions towards him, in which Dulcinea noticed.
As everyone walked by the door and leave, Pus was drinking his last glass of leche and grab his hat as he's ready to go.
"Well, mis amigos. It is time to make a plan," says Puss, with so much joy and excitement in his eyes as he walked towards the door. Suddenly, Jose closes the door with his eyes closed, full of regret, as if he doesn't want to do it but deep inside his heart, he has too.
"Jose, what is wrong? Why are you feeling so sad and not letting me walk through the door?" a very mysterious Puss asked his friend.
"Puss, I want to talk to you about something very important. Can we talk alone on the couch?" Jose deeply said while Puss grew more and more suspicious about this. He thought to himself why alone, and why Dulcinea is not in the discussion according to Jose.
"Jose, should we not have Dulcinea in our conversation?" he says.
"Puss. It would be better for me if I was the one saying this to you, instead of her. I... She knows about it, but I told her I want to tell you this. So, please, I beg you, don't blame what I'm about to say to her. Blame it on me," Jose answers. Puss, despite growing even more concerned about this than he normally is, decided to agree on Jose's terms as both friends walked and sit on the couch.
Dulcinea without them knowing them, hide on her room and used her ears to listen to the whole conversation. Her heart was feeling sad, and it's because she wanted to tell Puss about the truth, but Jose told her back at their road back home that he wanted him to tell him because it was his fault that he saw those, and he should be the one to say it. Dulcinea, despite not agreeing with him, knows deep down that he's right and he should talk to Puss like a true friend that he is.
"Jose, tell me what is wrong with you?" says Puss, wanting to help Jose to cure whatever is inside his head. Jose took a deep breath as he wants to tell his thoughts to Puss as much control his emotions he can have as possible.
"Puss, do you remember the time you told me... about your adventure with those kittens that were used to be bad and later became some royal guards and they looked at you as heir adoptive father? What was their name, um?" Jose started to tell Puss his story as controlled as he could. Puss was very odd about Jose's question but instead of laughing like his ego normally does, he decided to play this out as humble as possible in order to understand Jose's problem.
"Si, Jose. Their names are Perla, Gonzalo, and Sir Timoteo Montenegro III, or Timmy for short, hehe. Why do their names are important to you all of a sudden?" says Puss, very cautious of what an emotional Jose is going to say next.
"On my parking duty assignment, I pursuit a group of thugs to an old and abandoned house, even though it looked like a basement to me. They attacked me from behind but wasn't enough to beat me. Once I took down the thugs and their leader, I saw some pictures, and..." Jose explains, but he started to hesitate his words as his fears of breaking Puss' heart were starting to eat his mind.
"Yes, Jose?" Puss said as his worries for his friend are starting to hit his emotional side.
"I saw some pictures of some kingdom and the queen, along with her people and guards, were killed. They all had blood everywhere, and claw marks."
"Jose? You don't mean?"
"Puss... I think the White Devil killed them, along with the bounty hunter we've encountered. But..." Jose said as Puss suddenly changed emotions. He started to lay some tears, and those were out of fear for his adoptive kittens.
"Please, Jose... tell me that you are lying," said Puss, not believing a word Jose is saying as his heart was being broken piece by piece. Jose closed his eyes, blocking any attempt of crying but his heart was like a beast trying to get out of its cage.
"Puss, your kittens... they died too," Jose somehow found the strength to tell this sad revelation, which instantly broke Puss', big heart. His tears were being shown, his mind and heart don't want to believe him as he refuses to accept this shocking truth.
"No... This is not true. Lies! This is all the White Devil and her plans to trick your mind, Jose. There is no way in this world and universe that those beautiful kittens were apart of this monstrosity and heartless incident."
Puss' words were broken down as his mind and thoughts were filled with so much denial and devastated that he couldn't finish some of his words. Puss' mental state made Jose immediately regret he ever wanted to say this to him early and to his face, but he knew it was for both their sakes.
As evidence to back up his words, he gives his phone to Puss. Puss takes a look at it and it shows the photos Jose saw. With each picture he saw, his eyes were devastated, his heart pounded as fast as a train because he could not take any of these. Once the picture saw his kittens, lying on the ground, blood everywhere, and the killer's claw marks and sword wounds made Puss' spirit completely broken.
"No. No, no, no, no! This is not true! Why! Why!" Puss emotions took a very low blow as he was crying so much. He got up and punch a very forgiving Jose in the chest multiple times, which Jose did not feel a thing and didn't care for Puss punching him because he wanted Puss to take his frustration, his pain, and his suffering on him.
Puss did not wanted to say a word to his friend, so he decided to push him and run towards the door, and he closed the door as he slammed it hard, further showing the despair and sadness he is feeling right now. He ran away from the house, making everyone hear his loud cries but they did not do anything or were bothered by it.
Jose finally drops some tears after closing his emotions after a long period of time. Dulcinea, finally leaving her room after she heard the whole thing, was devastated by both friend's hardest moments that she went to Jose and gives him a hug.
"What have I done?" he said, deeply feeling guilty for Puss' suffering as Dulcinea took Jose by his head as she wiped some of his tears. She can totally see Jose made a mistake, as his body language was proof of that, and Jose was feeling that way too and continues to cry over what happened.
"A true and honest friend," she said proudly as Jose opened his eyes and hugged her, making his heart a little bit better.
"When mistakes are made by you, admitting is what to do," Dulcinea quotes him with her rhymes she easily can memorize from her book, as he was deeply grateful to receive it. He then thinks about his friend Puss, and how much help he needs right now.
Jose looked behind him and his intentions were to talk to Puss. Dulcinea notices it and touches Jose's right shoulder as he looks at her.
"I'll go," she said, offering her to talk to Puss. Jose, knowing that Puss would listen to her than to him, decides to let her go and see him.
"Thank you," Dulcinea says.
She goes and opens the door, while she takes one last look at a thoughtful Jose, who was putting his head down with both his hands tied together to think and reflect on what happened. Dulcinea closes the door to leave Jose alone, while she breathes to prepare to talk and help Puss get through the pain he is suffering now.
Puss was sitting at the edge of the balcony and he was in pain, both mentally and emotionally. He was crying at the loss of his adoptive kittens. He still cannot believe something this heartless could have happened to them. Puss emotions were full of pain, suffering, sadness, and he also felt anger and a sense of vengeance, as if he wants to make the White Devil pay for what she did to him, confirming it that he knows who is this mysterious villain.
Puss continued crying as Dulcinea sees him just sitting there still suffering by the news Jose gave him. She felt his pain by just seeing him, while her heartfelt a whole lot of sadness with the love of her life is like this, this devastated.
"Puss?" she says, while she takes small steps on her way to see Puss. Puss sees her but doesn't say a word like he wants to be kept alone, but his heart tells him that she will stay with him as if his heart is connected to him. She eventually sits beside her devastated friend but he doesn't want to see her this broken. He thought that she would never understand him right now.
"Puss? Do you want to say a word with me? Anything? We don't need to talk about what happened, just... just want to have to talk with you, that's all," She says, while Puss sniffs and wipes a couple of his tears off. Hearing Dulcinea's soft and worry voice made Puss open his eyes a little bit and sees a friend like Dulcinea only wants to help fill that void and emptiness his heart is at these terribly sad times for him.
"Dulcinea... I do not know what to do! All my life, my sworn duty was to help the orphans, as well as helping out a lady like you and always seek adventures. F... Finding those kittens back then, and teaching them what I have known and more, it made life before meeting the beautiful cat sitting next to me a little bit easier because how tough it was to live the life of a nomad."
"And, losing the children I so deeply adopted and help them construct a better life for those beautiful cats of angels... I feel like my life cannot go on. I feel like I want to take out all my emotions and kill the White Devil, no... I want to kill Darth Dulcinea for what she did to them! But at the same time, it is breaking me apart! My thirst for vengeance and my morals are messing with my head so much, that I do not know what to do. Dulcinea, I am dying inside! I do not deserve this pain, and neither are my kittens!"
Puss confesses his emotions, his sudden quest for vengeance, his feelings to those sweet kittens she will never get to see them, but she knows that they played a huge role in Puss' good side of his life, and his struggles to maintain his hero traits and killing this White Devil, Darth Dulcinea, whatever name she's using.
Puss' voice breaks and crying made Dulcinea feel bad for him, as she holds her heart with her paws, thinking her way on how to help someone who has lost a huge piece of himself. Puss the uses his hat to cry and scream, letting all his emotions out. Dulcinea then hugs him as she cries with him.
Watching Dulcinea cry because his mental breakdowns and pain for the Three Diablos, made Puss realize that she deeply cares for him, even if she doesn't know them. It did not matter for her, because she doesn't want to see her friend suffering because of this, which made Puss' heart feel suddenly lifted, like her emotions and token of love was enough to start his cure.
"Puss... You didn't do anything wrong to these kittens. You did all you could to raise them, change them, and you took them on a better path, and most importantly, they showed you the meanings of a true parent. It wasn't your fault this happened. And killing my evil twin won't bring them back or help you feel better. Trust me I know," she says, as her words were breaking cause of her emotions were so high she needed to breathe, while she looks at Puss with a sad look on her face. Puss was wondering why she meant about that she has been there before.
" What do you know about this, Dulcinea?" Puss asked generously, while still feeling a bit of pain inside, which she understands his difficulty to speak so freely.
"Well, when Jose died back in my birthplace, I wanted to kill her the next time I laid eyes on her. Puss, you were the reason why I stopped thinking about it. If it wasn't for your words and how you look at me as an inspiration to your life, I would have likely killed her without motives, without reason, and it would have not made me better." She says
"But, learning about what happened, made me realize that is my fault..." Dulcinea started to feel emotional inside her heart, while Puss looks at her with so much confusion.
"Why is my kitten's death your fault, Dulcinea?"
"Because... Because I spared her in our fight! I didn't had the guts to kill her wh I had the chance, and it almost cost me... it almost cost us saving Jose! And now that I saw and heard about their deaths, I feel like I should have killed her more so than ever! Puss please, don't blame Jose for what he just did, he is a great friend that cares for you. Blame me, because if I knew she would escape prison and come after your loved ones, I would have done things differently!"
Dulcinea's explanation of her actions, her voice breaking at her sentences, and emotionally as broken as Puss trying to take the bullet for Jose if he ever was going to take all his frustrations and suffering on him, made Puss stop crying. He still felt the pain of his kittens but watching his best friend taking the blame for something she didn't saw it coming made he get out of his emotional state, and be a hero she knows, and the kittens knew, he is.
He wipes Dulcinea's tears off, as well as touching her cheeks, while he adds a soft smile as Dulcinea looked at him like she doesn't understand.
"Dulcinea, it was not your fault. You would never kill someone as vile as your evil twin like that because you are the purest of heart, and it was in your right not to kill her when you had the chance. And I know you feel this way to take some of my pain, but do not do this. I would want to see the Dulcinea that is always happy and full of joy. I deeply thank you for caring so much for me in my darkest of moments. And I would not want to take all my pain and suffering on you, and Jose. I am sorry that you two have to share this burden with me, I... I would never be the same if something happens to either of you."
"Dulcinea, I do not know how to be free from this pain! But I also want to save Zootopia. And that is why I will control my emotions and be the best Puss in Boots I will ever be. For myself, for you, and... and for them."
Puss' words were like a damaged hero still finding ways to get back up from a beating as he explains and helps Dulcinea take away her guilt. His words and promise to everyone he loves including his kittens made Dulcinea's heart fill with so much pride and love that she took her guilt away, and Puss' pride and determination in honor of Perla, Gonzalo, and Timmy, made his heart restore back to his old and happily thrilled with adventure self.
They both looked at each other and softly kissed each other in their lips, while each remembering the moments of pain, suffering, and challenges what made them themselves and who they will always be. Noble heroes who deeply care for one another and nothing, not even the deaths of three very important kittens, will ever take that away from Puss in Boots and Dulcinea.
Jose walks by the balcony and sits beside Puss with something bothering in his mind that he wants to express his feelings to Puss. Puss sees and notices Jose was very thoughtful about what happened between the two friends.
"Puss, I... I..." he says as the young man couldn't find the words. He was still feeling guilty for what he did to Puss. Puss hugs his friend very hard as Jose was stunned and confused, while Dulcinea takes her tears off and appreciates Puss' big heart being restored on full display.
"Jose, you did nothing wrong. A lot of my friends, like Humpty, Jack, and many many more, they have always kept secrets from me, which often leads me to be angry at them because we have been together for so much and doing all these wrongdoings behind my back is like a stab on my heart."
"But you are different from them. You are always honest and you are the first to tell me the truth. You and Dulcinea are the trustiest friends I can ever depend upon. I am not angry at you. You did what your heart thought it was right, and I feel sad that my actions and my response to your discovering made you feel sad and guilty about all of this. You were just being honest and did not wanted to wait until someone else tells me that, and that my friend, is what a true hero is. I am proud of what you did, I am sorry for what I did to you, and I am proud to call you my brother."
Puss' words tell the whole story, as he, Dulcinea, and Jose gave each other a group hug. All of them, despite their differences and beliefs on what happened to the kittens and the rest of the kingdom, turned this dreadful, painful, and dark night into one night of meditation, of confessing, and of resolution that their bond was stronger than ever.
"Wants some cookies and leche?" Jose offers, as he was carrying three leches and chocolate cookies all along. He just put it on a table while he talked to Puss. Puss and Dulcinea laughed at his offering, as well as he did.
"Sure, mi amigo." Puss in Boots says.
"Yes, Jose. One leche y cookie for me, please." Dulcinea said.
"You know what, Puss, Dulcinea. There no better feeling than seeing this town at night, with all the lights everywhere with the two best friends in the whole world," Jose proudly says, while Puss in Boots and Dulcinea agree. She holds Puss' left shoulder and sleeps on it as Puss puts his head around hers, while the two lovers and Jose see the beautiful sight of Zootopia from the balcony while eating the cookies with their milk, with open smiles from everyone.
"Though over the wide world you roam, wherever you get stuck is home."