Chapter 3 Fighting the Bond
Edited by LapisLucius42 & Starfang's Secrets
Reviewed and approved by Kittah4
It had been two days since Judy had left the Burrow. She knew that her parents were most likely looking everywhere for her, so she opted to not even stop the first day. She kept jogging well into the night, when the moon was far above her, bathing Judy in its ethereal light while crickets chirped their midnight serenades to the stars above. The scene would have been enjoyable...pleasant, even, if her mind wasn't too busy conducting a civil war with her heart.
You should have stayed Judy. When have you ever run away from a problem or a fight?
"Quiet..."
One of your sister's probably has already paid the cost of your foolishness with her life. Jasmine? Becky? Which one do you think was the unfortunate sister who took your place?
"Be quiet..."
Whose blood do you think is on your paws?
"Shut up!" Judy roared into the night sky, silencing the crickets as she slumped to her knees. Tears broke forth as she allowed herself to weep. The weight of her choice fully fell upon her after she had pushed it aside as long as she could. She didn't know how long she had wept, only that she stirred from her slumber as the sun slowly began crawling towards its place in the sky, the first radiant beams of reds and yellows replacing the hues of purple and black.
That had been yesterday.
Judy paused her steady jog long enough to rifle through her pack. Slowly, she pulled a corn biscuit from the pouch and sat down on a nearby rock to eat. The sun was still blazing overhead, and with nary a tree in sight, just endless green rolling hills surrounding her, she knew there would be nowhere to escape the heat.
The doe was surprised at the lack of any mammals in sight, as even the eastern paths away from the watering hole and her family's lands held trade routes that were frequented by distant clans. She'd heard rumors of the wealth found in the east among the sheep clans, and it was that destination she had in mind. She didn't know what exactly she'd do when she reached those distant lands, heard only through stories around campfires, but she had long before decided she couldn't go back home. Her haste and anger had clouded her judgment, and she knew that it had only made things worse for her family.
Shaking her head from such distressing thoughts, Judy produced a few strawberries from her pack and popped them into her mouth. She was glad to have found them earlier that morning in the small bushes next to a small, gurgling stream that floated into an equally small pool before disappearing back into the ground. The pond had been a joyous find, and she had dove straight in while praising Serendipity for the find, drinking up the water while making sure to soak her tunic and skirt as much as possible. She didn't know the next time she'd find water or food along her path, so the doe made sure to make the most of it to keep herself hydrated and cool throughout the day.
Now, as she chewed the soft berries, their tart juices flooding her mouth with their delicious flavor, she couldn't help but let out a contented sigh. With the clouds floating slowly along, and a zephyr breeze gently swaying the long green grass around her, she almost forgot why she was out here.
And just as quickly, the reasons flooded back in. Resigning herself to the flood of painful memories, and the thoughts of what damage she had caused to her tribe, Judy pushed herself up, let out a deep sigh of regret, and pushed forward once more.
Several hours later, long after the sun had reached its zenith in the summer sky, the sounds of shouts and commotion from over a rise ahead of her caught her attention. Ears flicking in that direction, Judy darted to the ground, ears splayed back as she crept forward, one paw hovering over her knife while she slowly crawled up the hill. The long grass hid her well enough, though she knew if any mammal were to crest the rise, her grey fur and brown tunic and skirt would instantly give her position away.
Bad place to be Judith...she chided herself. Reach the crest, observe, then create a plan...and pray that Serendipity either gives you the strength to fight, or escape.
Reaching the top of the rise, a raucous, cackling laughter sounded again while the din itself grew in volume, growing until the noise of what must have been hundreds of mammals reached her ears. As she parted the grass in front of her, what she saw down the slight rise, her jaw dropping in utter shock, was a massive encampment. Tents covered in fur-skins stretched throughout the valley encampment, dwarfing any single tribe's number in Zootopia while a single, massive yurt dominated the center of the camp. Dozens upon dozens of mammals of all sorts wandered about, most holding spears or bows, while others carried deadly looking bronze swords and plated armor.
This is a camp of war...Judy realized. Gazing down to the mammal covered field, she grimaced at how many predators were in the camp, as well as the stench of cooked flesh tickled her nose, causing it to twitch. Near her position, down at the bottom of the hill were several hyenas, laughing riotously as one of them turned a spit over an open flame. The panicked cries of a mammal sounded in her ears, tearing a gasp of horror from her as she realized that the hyenas were roasting a mammal alive below her.
Judy turned to leave, abandoning her idea of heading east and deciding to go south to avoid the camp as much as possible, when the pleadings of the mammal below reached her ears.
"Please...please...let me go. I'll...I'll join you...anything!"
The terror in the voice tore at her heart, the yearning desire to help whoever the mammal in need was overriding the desire and frantic alarms of her brain that were telling her to flee...hide...do anything but go down to the camp.
Curiosity and her desire to help the terrified mammal won, and Judy scampered down the hill, careful to stick to the tallest patches of grass and keeping low to the ground. She reached a large boulder at the bottom of the hill, hiding behind it before slowly glancing around it. The smooth stone provided ample cover for one as small of her, and the slight overhang that brushed her ears as she walked under it, hid her perfectly in the shadow beneath the rock. Her vantage point allowed her a perfect view of what was happening at a safe enough distance where her scent wouldn't give her away.
Though to err on the side of caution, she quickly covered herself in a layer of dirt from under the stone, again grateful for the plunge into the pool of water earlier that would have washed away most of her scent. One of the hyenas moved, jostling one of the others and she was finally able to get a clear view of who was being tortured.
A frown instantly crossed her lips and she offered her thanks to Karma at the fox rotating on the spit.
Of all the mammals to run into...how did he get out here?!
Judy cursed her luck, as well as the celestial Drive, for ever finding this encampment. Though to be honest...
Judy leaned back against the rock, folding her arms against her chest as she watched the fox, tied to the pole, slowly rotating over the fire. Was it cruel of her to be enjoying the sight of a mammal that had killed several of her family members being cooked alive?
Maybe...
Would Karma pay her back in the future for this?
Probably...
Was she enjoying it?
Judy thought she was...until the screams the fox made sounded too much like those her siblings had made several years earlier when part of the burrow had caught fire. The smile died on her lips at the sounds of the whimpering fox as she imagined her siblings in his stead.
She was better than this. No mammal, no matter how cruel they were...or even if they were a fox, deserved to be burned alive like this.
Realizing that she had already made up her mind to help the...fox...she whispered a quick prayer to Fervor for the courage to do what was right and to Fortitude to give her the strength to overcome the three hyenas.
And then prayed to Serendipity that what she was doing wasn't absolutely nuts.
Loading a stone into her sling, she knelt beneath the overhang, giving her enough room to duck down and hide behind the grass if she needed to, as well as to give her sling more room to launch a stone at the hyenas.
Winding up, she again gauged the distance before timing the exact moment to let the stone fly at its target.
It hit with her expected accuracy, nailing the left most hyena turning to spit directly beneath his ear. The solid crunch of bone breaking reached her ears, and the mammal dropped to the ground as blood oozed forth from the wound.
It took several seconds for the other two hyenas to realize what was happening, and when the hyena facing her stood from her makeshift seat, she was greeted with a stone smashing into her face, in between her eyes.
She too, fell to the earth to rise no more. Rustling in the grass behind him startled the third hyena, who picked up an obsidian axe near his feet. Turning towards the sound rushing at him, he only saw a grey blur, leaping down on him from above as he squinted into the glare of the sun. His last sight was that of a bunny and a large dagger descending towards him.
Judy drove her dagger into the mammal's skull, then used her downward momentum to swing forward from the hilt and smash her legs into the mammal's neck. The resounding crack sent a shiver through her body as the hyena stiffened, then collapsed as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Staring at her handiwork, Judy worked at removing her dagger from the dead mammal's skull, working it back and forth until she freed it. Wiping it on the flattened grass around the campfire, she advanced towards the still panicking fox, whose back faced her at the moment.
"Who's there?" he cried between blowing at the fire. Judy replied by jumping at one of the support columns holding the spit above the flames. The fox yelped in dismay as the spit started descending towards the crackling fire, only to feel some weight crunch into the wood near his head. He began spinning madly, catching a glimpse of something small and grey before he landed harshly on the ground.
Nick kept his eyes closed after landing, fearful that if he opened them some new horror would be upon him. Soft pawfalls near him, followed by the sound of ropes being sliced finally gave him enough hope to open one green eye.
He still couldn't see the mammal who had rescued him, but he could see the damage they had done. His three captors lay in the dirt, their blood mixing into it and created a thick, viscous mud coating the earth. He let out a held breath and praised Karma for the good fortune.
"Thank you," Nick cried, struggling against his bonds. "Now please, don't just stand there, get me down before anyone else comes!"
"No," came a voice from beyond the reach of his vision, and Nick could have sworn he had heard it before.
"Ah come on!" he whined. "I can do anything for you if you cut these ropes so-"
A sudden snap, and a moment late the pressure upon him released, the ropes falling limp around him.
"Oh thank you!" Nick said in a sing-song voice. Turning, he bowed himself before the mammal who rescued him, muzzle pointed at the earth with paws splayed in front of him. "Karma bless you for your help and..." Nick looked up, ready to continue his praise of the mammal when he finally saw who they were.
Grey fur...
Black tipped ears...
A bunny doe...
His praise died on his lips as a scowl replaced it.
"You!"
He watched the rabbit took a step back with the dagger in her paw glinting in the sun. Nick may have had his weapons taken from him when he had been captured and beaten by the hyenas, but he didn't need them.
All foxes came equipped with claws after all.
With a snarl, Nick leapt at the bunny, claws out and fangs bared. Judy darted to the side, letting the fox fly past her as she beat a path away from the fire and circle of death, Nick following closely behind. The only issue was that with the direction she had dodged in, led her straight through the camp of the warriors she had just killed.
"Come back here so I can tear you apart rabbit!"
Better than going back...she thought nervously, before nearly being stepped on by a massive polar bear. The bear let out a confused grunt at the fast disappearing grey speck of fur darting away.
Oh sweet cheese and crackers...Judy thought as she blew past dozens of different species of mammals, all predators besides a few of the larger species of prey. The snarls behind her pushed her to run faster, dodging between the legs of several lions before turning to use a flagpole to spin her body, throwing herself at a 90 degree turn down another past as the paws of the clan Wilde fox swiped through the air where her head had just been, nicking her cheek and drawing blood.
Tumbling when she hit the ground, she burst forward, keeping her eyes trained for anything that could help her. The massive tents and haphazard path of the chase made all knowledge of where she had come from disappear. Spotting a hole in the side of a tent that was barely large enough for herself, she changed course, making in the other direction before crossing back across the path, flying directly through the hole before tumbling onto a carpet on the other side. Turning onto her back, she saw a russet toned paw fly through the opening, grasping at her as she pressed herself backwards. The arm disappeared, quickly replaced by the face of the fox.
"You think you can escape, Hopps filth?" Nick spat. Judy was grateful for the entrance being as small as it was as his head withdrew. She managed a soft laugh, one which soon died in her throat as a knife plunged into the fabric of the tent just above the hole, ripping downwards. With her nose twitching, Judy sprung away from the widening hole just as the fox pushed his way through the now much larger opening.
Judy dove beneath a bed covered with a massive covering of furs, hoping the pungent odor of the skins would help drown her already dampened scent. The doe pulled her blade from her belt, waiting anxiously for the appearance of the fox who she could hear silently stalking her within the giant tent.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, filth," Nick said, sniffing the air while looking for his sworn enemy. "Why don't we settle this like grown mammals, hmm? I mean, you've already made an oopsie in coming into a tent thinking you can hide from a fox. Oopsie number two was when you thought you could hide your scent from me..."
Nick sniffed the air, head flicking towards the bed as a cruel smile lit up his muzzle. He padded silently towards the bed, grinning as he licked his lips. "And oopsie number threesie..." he started, before a cold feeling of dread filled every fiber of his being. Feeling a tremor shake his core, Nick dove under the bed as the flap of the tent opened, a massive male hyena marching into the tent, eyes a piercing golden hue sweeping the room.
"Where are we at with the preparation?" the massive spotted hyena growled as he reached a table at the center of the tent. "Are the soldiers prepared for the invasion next week?"
Nick shook at the sound of the voice, trembling under the bed next to the rabbit who was doing the same, her nose twitching endlessly. Their fight forgotten under the feeling of terror that the mammal standing in the center of the tent exuded. Judy could have sworn she felt the fox's tail wrap around her, yet in her fearful state did nothing but move closer to the other mammal.
"What news have our spies brought?" the baritone voice commanded. The shuffling of paws reached both their ears, and both fox and bunny had to do their best to keep from peeking out from under the covering of furs to see what was happening.
"Your exultant one, oh Calamity," they heard the voice began. Nick glanced at Judy, who seemed just as perplexed at the title as he was. They continued to listen as the voice droned on. "The spies of clan Cheetara bring joyous news. The Zootopians are fragmented. Two of their clans, the Hopps and Wildes, are nearing all out war with each accusing the other of kidnapping their eldest child, both of whom have disappeared. Many of the other tribes are starting to turn on the idea of peace between all mammal kind due to them. When our invasion hits, oh most glorious Calamity, our foes will be trodden beneath our paws, their blood filling our goblets and their flesh filling our bellies at the victory you will lead us to."
A deep, huffing laughter filled the room, causing the doe and tod to shrink back further under the bed. "One could say that this is a wonderful opportunity!" he bellowed as a series of cackling laughs met his own. "Inform our soldiers that we'll leave first thing in the morning, but tonight, we'll celebrate the impending destruction of those who wish to subvert the natural order of life, striking true terror into those who believe that predator and prey can live in harmony."
A chorus of cheers arose as both Judy and Nick looked at each other, nervously processing what the voice had said. Both shuffled backwards, further under the bed until they felt the pelts that lined the opposite end hit their hind paws. Judy brought herself around and lifted the fur as the conversation droned on behind her.
"Carrots, what are you doing?"
Judy turned when the fox hissed at her, fear evident in his eyes. His ears nervously flicked as she watched the rabbit with a cautious gaze.
"Getting out of here to warn Zootopia," she whispered right back. Poking her head out from under the bed, she viewed her surroundings to make sure the coast was clear, noticing the edge of the tent a few feet away. The bottom of the fabric fluttered slightly, giving Judy hope that she'd be able to escape from the murderous and terrifying presence of the mammal currently sharing the tent with them.
"And do you think they'll believe you? That a Celestial is coming to slaughter them all?"
"A what?" Judy asked, only to be silenced as the sound of dashing paw-falls reached their ears.
"Calamity! Calamity!"
"What is it?" the voice huffed in annoyance as the sound of the tent flap opening sounded throughout the chambers.
"Sire, three dead...ambushed," the mammal panted.
"What!"
The roar froze both Judy and Nick in place, the rabbit and fox whining in discomfort at the power of the sound. The bellowing voice snarled with a malice that forever would enshrine itself upon both their hearts.
"Find me the subverters and let me crush them myself," he ordered. "Now go and find them and avenge your fellow soldiers of Terror!"
The sound of many paws moving to and fro, as well as the sound of rams' horns trumpeting throughout the camp broke Judy from her fear induced trance. She bolted for the side of the tent, Nick not far behind as he didn't want to be left behind in case the rabbit was seen darting out of the tent. Being alone with the Celestial of terror was the last place he wanted to be stuck in.
Nick snuck out from under the tent, only to see a grey puff of a tail disappearing around the side of a yurt several yards away. Grumbling to himself, he followed suit, dashing across the path, following the scent of bunny until he ground to a halt, nearly stumbling over his quarry as he turned a corner.
A paw grabbed him by the back of his tunic, pulling him backwards as a line of grizzly bear barreled past the two of them.
"What are you doing, Hopps, you're going to get us both killed!" Nick half whispered, half yelped.
"You seem to be doing a good enough job for the both of us, Wilde," Judy retorted.
Nick huffed. "You mean like how you just scampered out of a tent that was occupied by a Celestial's avatar?"
Judy's ears perked up as her eyes narrowed. "You keep mentioning that. What are you talking about?"
Nick looked absolutely flabbergasted, his jaw opening and closing several times before he shook his head and sighed. "Look, I doubt your parents are smart enough to teach you about the Celestials -ow!-"
A swift punch to his arm silenced the fox as she pulled him into the shadows of the yurt when another line of soldiers jogged past. Unfortunately for Judy, the weight of the fox pulled her off balance and she fell against the yurt, pulling the fox atop her. Their bodies pressed against each other and muzzles connected. Two sets of eyes shot open, a fox tail puffing out while rabbit ears shot up in alarm.
Nick quickly pushed himself away from the rabbit doe, though couldn't repress the feelings of her fur against his.
Both mammals sheepishly looked around the small, cramped space between the tents, laughing nervously.
Why am I nervous...why am I laughing? Judy thought.
What just happened? Did I just kiss a rabbit...oh Karma help me...
The uneasy silence settled upon them until Nick coughed, bringing Judy's attention to him. She looked up, gazing into his emerald eyes before spotting the paw he extended towards her.
"What's that for?" she asked, warily glancing at the paw. Nick sighed and tried not to roll his eyes.
"Look Fluff-"
"Judy," the doe commanded. "It's Judy."
"Nice to meet you It's Judy, I'm Nick," the fox retorted, then continued, barreling over the bunny's objection. "Now, if you want to survive to get to your home to save your family as much as I do, I think we need to call a temporary truce where I don't try and kill you, and you don't give up your pathetic attempt to kill me, got it?"
"Excuse me?" she demanded, placing a paw to her hip while thumping her foot loudly. "Did you forget who saved your hide from those hyenas?"
"I was just about to free myself?" the fox retorted, leaning down towards the bunny.
"Right after you finishes screaming in terror?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Or after you wet yourself trying to put out the fire?"
The fox scowled, "I did not wet myself. That was slobber..."
"Uh huh..."
"...from the hyena's..."
"Of course."
"..and you don't want to know how much they drool."
"Just shut it already," Judy growled.
Nick paused mid comment, before noticing that with each snide remark they had made to each other, their muzzles drew closer and closer together. Letting out a heavy sigh, then grinning as Judy pulled away when his breath tickled her nose and she stifled a giggle, he again extended his paw.
"Fine, rabbit. Truce. I won't kill you. You won't kill me, and we both go and save Zootopia together. Okay?"
"Remind me of why I need your help again?" Judy snorted.
Nick smirked. "Because I know the way out of this camp."
Judy scowled, letting her gaze harden over the fox for several moments before she finally extended her paw.
"Fine," she growled, shaking his paw. "I won't kill you. You won't kill me until we get back to Zootopia, deal?"
"Deal!" Nick chimed. He removed his paw from hers, then circled the rabbit three times, confusing the doe immensely.
"What was that?" she huffed. "You're wasting time."
Nick shook his head. "No, I was getting Karma's blessings on our journey."
"I'd rather have Serendipity's luck on our side," Judy replied.
"I thought you bunnies worshiped Fertility," Nick chided with a smirk, only until the rabbit doe punched his arm again.
"Shut up and lead the way, Nick."
"Yes Ma'am!"
AN: Well, at least they aren't wanting to kill each other at the moment, so that's an improvement. XD