RaBunzel - Chapter Two
Written by Chatears
Edited by DrekkDeina
"I can't believe I'm doing this. Oh mother is going to be so furious!" Judith giggled as she hopped around Nicholas, who stood with his arms crossed and muzzle into a frown as he waited impatiently for the pair to get going.
The doe was oblivious to this as she kept bouncing in excitement before the realization of what she was doing, hit her about as hard as the frying pan did to Nicholas' snout.
"Oh my goodness, Mother is going to be so furious! What have I done? She took me in and raised me and asked only one thing of me, and I break that rule. All because I want to see a bunch of dumb floating lights.." The bunny mumbles to herself, grabbing her hair and yanking it between her paws as she paces. Nicholas watches from his spot by a tree in pity, before a smirk suddenly makes way onto his face.
Judy sat on a tree stump, her head down and ears droopy, her hair falling over her amethyst eyes as she mentally chastises herself, of her selfish desires. A clearing of the throat, interrupts her eternal beating up of herself and the doe looks up only to jerk back in surprise at the sudden and close proximity of the fox. His muzzle is mere inches away from hers, ears flattened and mouth in a thin line as he looks her over.
"You know fluff, you don't look so well. Maybe I should take you home," The fox suddenly leapt up as if discovering something, as he pointed one clawed digit in the air. "Tell you what? I'll take you home, make sure your sheep mother never finds out you left, you give me my satchel back, and your life is back to normal and you won't have to deal with anymore guilt." Nicholas smiled, clasping his paws together as he grinned at Judith.
The bunny upon hearing what the fox had to say, stood up paws on her hips, her hair falling behind her ears as she looked up at the tod.
"No. I am going to that festival, whether you like it or not. And besides I still have a recording of you, so don't think you can get out of the deal, that easy slick." She smirked, the tod grumbled, talking something about 'dumb bunnies and their stubborn ways' before the two were once again off, heading towards the festival that was a little while away.
"So Nicholas Wilde, tell me a bit about yourself." Judith hummed as she glanced at the tod from the corner of her eye, the fox's ears twitched at the question, his tail slowly swaying behind him as he turned his eyes towards the bunny a smirk replacing the indifferent expression he held before.
"Sorry carrots, but I'm not a big fan of telling cute little podunk bunnies my life story." Nicholas stated grin widening when the doe gave an annoyed huff.
"Fine, then I'll tell you my life story." Judith claimed opening her mouth to do as she promised, only to be cut off by a soot dipped paw , that rose in front of her face to halt her explanations.
"No need, carrots. I already know your life story. Little bunny who grew up in a tower, pressed and pampered, with gifts and love, with big dreams of making it out into the real world only to find whoopsie she doesn't know how to do anything since she was spoiled rotten, whoopsie number two no one cares about her or her unrealistic dreams, and whoopsie number three, she'll soon learn not everything will be pawed to her, on a silver platter, and run back home with her cute little tail between her legs, to have a life of luxury once again." The fox spoke, a smug smirk spread across his muzzle.
The doe stopped in her tracks and the fox smiled thinking she was hurt at his rather blunt speech. Judith having heard his unkind words, whirled around on her two hind paws and glared. Her arms clenched at her sides as she spoke up in fury.
"Listen here fox! You don't know me, you don't know my life or what I've been through, so don't you dare come and tell me my life and how it is and how it's going to be when you are the one who's currently an on the run thief. You got that!"
The rabbit nodded with a huff of breath, as she moved forward, not at all knowing where she was going but too angry to speak with Nicholas, who had been nothing but rude to her, even after she was kind and promised to not sell him out to the police.
A few minutes later after mindlessly wandering around, a pair of light pawsteps followed behind her, a sigh escaping the mammal who moved to be beside her.
"I'm sorry." The apology was unexpected and barely a whisper, but the ears of the rabbit were able to pick it up and the doe was surprised at the sincerity in the words spoken. The doe nodded, quite taken aback but quick to accept the apology. With a nod, the two walked in silence before Judith's stomach rumbled loudly, causing the tod to look at her with an amused smile.
Judith blushed in embarrassment, smiling sheepishly at the fox when he asked if she was hungry. When she admitted that she was in fact hungry, maybe even enough to eat like a horse, the fox grew a grin.
"I know just the place, Fluff. Follow me." The fox took off down the trail they were on, the doe following him.
Judith failing to notice the sneaky grin on the reynard's face.
"And…. We're here." Nicholas stated. Judith, who had been catching her breath by a nearby tree due to all the walking, perked up at the news and hurried to be by the fox's side. She followed the fox's gaze to see a rather old and frail brick building with a measly sign hanging from the door by a thread, the words The Chicken Pen marked in blood red font on the sign.
The doe titled her head curiously but followed after the fox, making sure to keep hold of her hair, in order to keep it from being stepped on.
As soon as the door to the building was opened, a wave of copper tainted air hit Judy in the face, causing her nose to twitch in discomfort. She held her hair up to her nose as she did her best to block the smell, her nerves on edge. She looked up at Nicholas, expecting to see the same results only to be met with a grinning fox giving waves to the mammals he passed.
It was then that Judith really took in the place as she looked around with amethyst eyes gleaming and pink nose slightly twitching, the doe noticed that most of the occupants in the bar and eatery were predators and, by the sharp teeth and the intense glances the pair sent her way, she knew they were most likely curious as to why a bunny, of all things, was here.
Feeling movement in her pocket from where the bunny had put her friend Curie, Judith looked down to see the lizard nuzzling her paw, in hopes of calming her. The doe smiled at the consideration giving the reptile a pat on the head before, turning to look at the large polar bear that greeted Nicholas.
"What is your ugly pelt doing here." Okay so maybe greeted wasn't the right word the doe was looking for.
"Koslov, it's good to see you, old friend." The fox ignored the glare sent his way by the rather large polar bear, instead taking a seat at the bar and asking for two glasses of Mojito. The bear did so, without question, accepting the cash the fox pawed out, but still making sure to show he'd rather be doing anything other than serve the vulpine.
Judith having snapped out of her trance, quickly climbed the stool to sit beside Nicholas, her nose twitching in fear as she felt each and every predator studying her intently. She was, after all, the only prey mammal present in the room.
"Whoa, Carrots... You okay?" the fox drawled in a honey sweet voice. "You don't look so well. Why, you haven't even touched your drink." Nicholas lowered his ears feigning concern. The doe nervously looked around once more before picking up the drink, taking a large sip of it. Although the bunny had never even been exposed to such drinks before, from her time in the tower, she couldn't deny the excitement she had at trying something new.
As soon as the drink touched her taste buds, Judith gasped. The liquid was sour yet sweet and almost tasted like one of the hard candies her mother had given to her on her last birthday. The doe's face scrunched up a bit at the taste, her taste buds still deciding on how she felt about it, before she felt herself taking another sip.
She was distracted by the sound of metal scratching wood and looked up to see a plate of pecan glazed carrots being passed her way. She didn't waste any time eating her meal, now ignoring the gazes of the predators all around her.
As she was eating her meal in small bites, the sound of the door to the pub bursting open and sending it ricocheting off the wall had Judith's ears perking up in concern.
"Where is he?! Where's that fox?!" an unfamiliar voice shouted as a couple of guards, all grizzly bears, searched the area. Judith felt a paw grab her arm and looked to see Nicholas frantically trying to find a hiding place. As the guards grew closer, the fox quickly pushed Judith under the table hidden to the side of the wall and followed after the doe.
As Nicholas listened attentively, a paw tapped Judith causing her to look up. She saw a cheetah smiling at her as he tilted his head to the right, revealing a hidden doorway. The doe was curious as to why this cheetah was helping her but accepted it nonetheless as she turned and tugged at the fox's tail, causing him to yelp quietly as he turned to face the rabbit.
Judith shushed him and then pointed to the entrance. Crawling forward, the doe kept pace behind the friendly and rather portly cheetah.
"Thank you so much for your help." Judith whispered once the pair had reached the secret opening the cheetah holding the door open for them. The cheetah merely smiled, giggling softly with a light blush once the doe has leant over to give his cheek a small peck.
"You're welcome." The two were then off, running down the secret entryway, failing to notice a certain buffalo had been watching them closely, now trailing them.
"So how close are we to the festival, Nicholas?" Judith asked softly as the pair slowly and finally reached the end of the tunnel they'd went into.
The pair now reached a long stretch of forest that seemed to cover every surface of the earth.
"Well, we will surely reach the festival by morning. That's for sure." The tod answered, causing the doe to huff in impatience. She took the hint to drop the subject and settled for following after the fox, admiring the view she was given, thanks to the shady trees, and sunset.
"So, do you have a dream?" Judith asked after a few minutes of silence. Nicholas who was walking in front of her, turned to look at the rabbit before offering a joking response.
"Every night when I go to sleep."
Judith however knew there was more than what the fox was offering, and pressed on.
"Oh c'mon! You've had to have dreamed of something. Something you wanted so bad, you'd do anything for, even if no one else seemed to believe you could reach that dream?" Judith spoke.
Nicholas grimaced at the flashbacks that now plagued his mind, as he thought about the dream he'd wanted as a kid, to be part of a pack. And how quickly that dream was smashed, and destroyed all because he was born a fox.
"No. I didn't have a dream, and I most certainly do not have one now." Judith jumped a bit at the ill will in his tone, and drooped her ears in guilt, as she had been the one to unintentionally bring up past scars. With a terse nod, the two continued on, now seeming to reach a small village that lay before the kingdom that held the yearly festivals.
Bristling in excitement, the doe urged the fox on, causing him to hold an amused smile as the bunny rushed past him and into the village, smiling and waving at everyone who continued on with their daily lives.
Seeing that the sun was to be setting soon, Judith turned to her companion with curious eyes.
"Are we going to sleep here?" She questioned. The fox did not answer, merely walking a bit more before stopping, pointing a single digit up, at a sign that hung above his head.
Wandering Folk's Trading Post Judith read to herself, oh and it's also an inn She added to herself, as the two walked in. Nicholas allowed Judith to enter the warm room first. She did so, adding a small curtsy, before letting her fur be warmed by the heated room.
She spotted a large grizzly bear at the counter, who smiled widely at her as he gestured to some products he held at his register. When the doe shook her head with a 'no thanks' the bear clasped his paws together to ask nicely.
"Well what can I do for the two of you?" Judith noticed the bear had some sort of accent, and she smiled as the large mammal began to converse with Nicholas who'd asked for a two bed, one bathroom, room.
The bear handed over a key with no question, as the fox had produced the right amount of money. With a wave, the bear dismissed the fox and bunny duo as they headed to accommodate their rooms, a sneaky grin on his face all the while.
The first thing Judith noticed was the beds, or lack of bed(s) as in plural. There was only a single bed, and if things weren't already awkward enough, the bed was about the size to accommodate one mammal. So either someone would end up on the floor, or the two would be forced to share body space on a singular twin bed.
It seemed Nicholas understood the situation too. His first solution was to make a complaint towards the mammal who owned the little inn, only to find that the bear had left, leaving nothing but a sign that merely said "Out of town, won't be back until the day after tomorrow." Along with a poorly drawn smiley face.
Both had admitted defeat, and with a few awkward coughs and wave of paws, there was a compromise that Judith would sleep beneath the covers on the bed, and Nicholas would sleep on top of the covers (of course keeping a good distance between himself and the rabbit) with that they settled on it, with a shake of paws, and soon the two were dozing off in their respected places, neither noticing their sleepy-stated selves were drifting closer and closer with each toss and turn.
Judith awoke to the sun shining through the blinds, the rays touching the doe's face and causing her to awaken with the rub of her paws on her sensitive eyes. When the rabbit made a move to stretch her limbs, it was then she realized her body was being held down by a rather hefty source, of which she was still unsure of. With sleepy filled amethyst eyes, the doe looked down to spot a ruffled ball of red and cream colored fur.
With a yelp, the now startled mammal leapt back, forgetting her place on the bed, the doe toppled straight off the bed and onto the hard floor. In turn her actions woke the fox, who lept up onto all fours, looking around wildly for the source of the rather abrupt and panicked awakening. The fox then spotted the doe on the floor, and red in the face bursting out with laughter as Judith merely explained in an 'articulate' manner that the two had ended up snuggling during their sleep.
And just as Nicholas felt his cheeks heating up, tail twitching in embarrassment, there was a shout down the hall, before a pair of thunderous stomps followed, getting closer and closer to where the pair currently found themselves.
Both held their breath as they readied themselves for a fight. Before the two could come up with a plan, the door burst down revealing a familiar cape buffalo on all fours with a police badge hanging from a necklace around the mammal's neck and chest.
Nicholas smirked, taking the time to lean against the bed, and deliver a quick witty remark.
"Hey Buffalo Butt, took you long enough to find me. I hope you're here to apologize."
He didn't get the chance to finish reveling in his own smugness, when the buffalo charged, heading straight for the fox who now looked about ready to wet himself. Judith, who had been nervously standing by, jumped in between the two, to hold a paw out, stopping the bull in his tracks.
"Hey, hey! Shhh, calm down. Take a deep breath." The doe spoke to the buffalo, who merely grunted and huffed, still trying to reach the obnoxious fox. The doe noticed this and did her best to take the buffalo's attention from the vulpine, using her paw to scratch the buffalo's chin. What happened next was quite unexpected, as the large hooved mammal suddenly stiffened before sitting down and thumping his back leg, tongue lolling out to the side as the mammal panted with excitement from the attention he was receiving. His tail swung happily side to side, as the doe praised him, giving him scratches.
"Hmmm, Maximus Bogo, is it?" Judith asked upon taking the buffalo's badge in her paws. The ox, nodded offering a huff in turn to his name, as the doe momentarily paused her scratching.
"Well, Bogo. I'm sure you're just so tired, chasing that bad fox all over the place. And not receiving one ounce of respect, am I right?" The doe continued. The large ox huffed again, nodding his head sadly as he agreed with the hard truth. The rabbit gasped, hugging the ox as his tail resumed it's wagging.
"Well don't you worry you won't have to chase the bad fox anymore, alright? Tell you what, you let him guide me to the festival for just 48 more hours, and once the two days are over, you chase the fox to your heart's content. Deal?" The doe offered, clasping her paws together and batting her eyelashes.
The buffalo snorted at the exchange, before he spotted the doe's eyes, and pleading face. The ox sighed, then grunted in approval, holding up a hoof to the rabbit. Judith shook it, ignoring the scoffing that came from the fox behind her, as she jumped in place smiling happily.
"Alright then, it's a deal. Now I'm going to go see if that nice mammal at the desk, has some carrot shampoo. You boys behave." She then skipped out of the room, closing the door behind her softly.
As soon as she was gone, the fox grunted as his ribs were assaulted, a large hoof having knocked into them.
The buffalo snorted in amusement, as the fox fell to the floor with a yelp of pain.
It would seem that the punch would have to do, until those 48 hours were over.
After all a deal was a deal.