"I can't wait!" Growth burst out. "The play's just about to start!"

Growth and Drive looked through an astral window to a small barn in the middle of a Bunnyburrow fair. There, a nine-year-old gray bunny was getting ready to perform a play about her dreams for the future.

Karma happened by and gave a half-look into the window, then her gaze fixed. The bunny was her exemplar.

"So, may I ask what you two are doing besides your duties?" Karma asked the two Celestials wryly.

"Watching your exemplar!" Growth said excitedly. "She's about to do a play about what she wants to be when she grows up."

"She has a lot of conviction for one so young," Drive said proudly, smiling. "You should be proud of her." Drive was the Order Celestial of paths and motivation, and she appeared in the form of a golden-brown-furred caracal. She had black markings all over her that made her coat look somewhat like a map, and had a black compass rose marking on her forehead. The tufts of fur on the tips her ears were slightly more pronounced than a mortal caracal.

"Judy wants to be a police officer," Karma noted as the play began. "She wants to make the world better. A noble goal, though somewhat outlandish in her case."

"What, just cause she's a bunny?" Growth turned his head to look at Karma.

"She wants to be a police officer in Zootopia, where there are no bunny police officers," Karma said. Judy received a pretend scratch from one of her feline co-stars. "Oh, don't miss this part, Growth."

Growth turned his head back to look as Judy was being quite over-dramatic in her play, throwing red ribbons everywhere and spurting ketchup all over herself to resemble blood. He laughed in amusement at the "gruesome" scene, and Drive joined in after a little while.

"Judy's sentiments are pure," Karma declared, betraying a note of pride, "however, her goal is improbable. Youth often put forth unrealistic goals."

"Yeah, until the realities of the world weigh down their indomitable spirits," Growth said bitterly. "That's no fun."

"If anything, I'd say because Judy's an exemplar, she should have more conviction to justice than your average mortal," Drive smiled.

"Perhaps so..." Karma agreed, nodding.

After the play ended, circumstances saw Judy boldly stepping in to stop her friend Sharla from being bullied, only to be attacked herself.

Growth gasped. "Oh no! Bullies can really hamper a young one's development!" His face became anxious. "Jh-just like Nick!"

After the incident, though, Judy instead emerged with an even firmer resolution to defy a bunny's expectations.

Drive clicked her teeth, impressed. "She really is a special one, Karma. Fertility told me that Judy means 'she will be praised'. Do you think that name is somehow prophetic in her case?"

"I'm actually afraid of that," Karma admitted with an even expression, looking down at the resolute bunny that was her exemplar.

"Why?" Growth's brow narrowed.

"The current climate of the world means that it is extremely unlikely that Judy will ever be a police officer," Karma noted. "If that is to change, that change would likely be brought about by her."

"And?" Drive cocked her head, her tail flicking. "Maybe her resolution is that the world grow, that it be more accepting of those with different abilities and talents."

"She can do it!" Growth nodded. "I believe in her!"

"Belief will only get us so far," Karma said with a hint of mystery. "I have a feeling only action will cause Judy's dreams to be realized... a very, very unlikely action."

Growth and Drive shot each other a confused look as Karma slowly wandered off.

More than a decade went by.

Serendipity's Parlor was a treat for the eye. In it, piles upon piles of astral-simulated gold and gems sat upon each other, sparkling in the ambient light. Decorations both garish and flashy were all over the place, giving it the feel of a casino.

Karma burst right into the Parlor, and she was in no mood to indulge herself in the gaudy decor.

"Serendipity!" Karma shouted. She could smell that the bunny was about, and she might be in any of the piles of treasure, waiting to surprise her. "Serendipity, get out here!"

"What's up?" Serendipity poked her head out of a pile of golden coins sprinkled with various gemstones. The bunny's colors matched the gold, with her eyes taking on a green and purple gem-tone.

"Serendipity...!" Karma growled at the head of the bunny as she sloughed treasures off of herself. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out about what?" Serendipity asked innocently, starting to float over the pile of treasure.

"The 'Mammal Inclusion Initiative'!" Karma barked, and Serendipity looked momentarily stunned.

"What's that?" Serendipity asked playfully.

Karma growled again. "Oh, I don't know, only the one thing that could perhaps give Judy a shot at being a police officer and achieving her dream! Quite 'serendipitous', wouldn't you say?"

"Ooh, that sounds fun!" Serendipity smiled brightly.

"Don't play cute with me," Karma's face held a reserved fury.

"What, doesn't Judy deserve to achieve her goal?" Serendipity crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she floated there. "Shouldn't her determination and effort yield results? I mean, she's your exemplar; it seems fitting to me."

"It's extremely improbable in the current situation of the world!" Karma shouted, starting to pace around in circles. "Am I to believe Mayor Leodore Lionheart just randomly got it into his head to be more accepting toward mammals working toward non-traditional careers?"

"Oh, I dunno," Serendipity smirked, her voice airy. "Sounds like he's trying to curry the favor with small prey voters to me. Sounds perfectly mayor-y." She wiggled her head as if she head dealt a compelling argument.

"You can deny it, but I know you had a paw in this, Serendipity," Karma said lowly. She opened an astral window in their midst and showed Nick Wilde, Serendipity's exemplar. He was wandering the streets, pulling benign scams to earn money. "I know what game you're playing."

"Am I playing a game?" Serendipity lowered her eyelids, her mouth a broad smirk. "You can't prove I gave Mayor Lionheart that idea." She scoffed. "Why would I help your exemplar, anyway?"

Karma jerked her head toward the window. "Because you want to help your exemplar! Look at him! He roams the streets, wringing money from hapless mammals... hardly a life full of fun and surprises."

"Oh, nonsense!" Serendipity flicked her paw, floating toward the window and indicating the fox with her paws. "He's just fine! It's only his great fortune that's let him survive this long on the streets of Zootopia. He's perfect!"

"You want things to change," Karma narrowed her eyes, pacing around the window. "It's in your nature as a Chaos Celestial. You want to draw Judy closer to Nick. You believe that them drawing closer would be like mixing two catalysts together... two exemplars, in the same area... who knows what sort of surprises could happen!"

"Mmm... sounds like you're projecting, to me," Serendipity said wryly, but then started to fidget, drawing her paws closer to her mouth. "But I mean, it would be pretty cool, right!? Both of our exemplars together in Zootopia, playin' cops and robbers. A bunny cop against a hustler fox! It would be so much fun!"

"Serendipity!" Karma's rage alighted, her long tail arching upward. "This is not a game! This is reality!"

Serendipity's humor vanished and she hung there blankly. "Listen, Karma. I've always known you had a stick up your tailhole, but it seems like Growth might've upgraded it to a tree. You've been so fussy ever since our exemplars graced Earth."

"I've... I've good reason to!" Karma insisted, halting her pacing.

"Right, because 'all actions have consequences'," Serendipity folded her arms, wiggling her ears this way and that as she tossed her head. "Well, duh."

"Serendipity... I..." Karma's rage diffused and was replaced by worry. Her voice became more official. "Allow me to show you something."

"Okay?" Serendipity put her hands to her sides.

Karma closed one astral window and opened another. It was of a small congregation of mammals in a church. The pastor asked the members of the congregation to turn to a particular passage in their holy book. As they did, Karma paused the display and zoomed in on the verse.

"The Book of the Lamb?" Serendipity looked over the page.

"Surrender's exemplar wrote a few of the latter parts of this book," Karma explained. "This inscription is particularly... I find it particularly unsettling. Read it."

"Um, okay," Serendipity peered at the scripture. "'I will make my confession. As I drew toward the predators to offer them peace, I found Calamity within my members. The urge to overwhelm, to crush, to destroy. The advantage was ours, and it was within our grasp to take what was theirs. But I had sworn myself to acceptance, to tranquility. I shunned Calamity and put on the coat of surrender, and prepared myself to speak to them'."

"Do you notice anything about that?" Karma asked in a worried voice.

"That's just..." Serendipity shrugged. "I dunno. I guess there was a call to Chaos right before the exemplar managed to make peace between predator and prey?"

"None of the Chaos Celestials did this," Karma said hesitantly. "At least... not that we know of."

"Are you saying there are..." Serendipity looked around. "Are there Celestials we don't know about?"

"Look at the scripture again, Serendipity," Karma nodded to the window. "Calamity is spoken of like an entity, whereas the patron Celestial, Surrender, is just a concept, as it should be."

"Uh, you're kind of losing me, Karma," Serendipity began to look both confused and bored.

Karma shut the window and opened another one. Inside was a cave with ancient paintings.

"From old times, when the Celestials were young," Karma said. "From right before a clan of deer rose to war with another. The writing says 'We invite Calamity. Let blood be spilled, let his will be done'." Next to the text was a crude drawing of a hyena. "Why would a deer clan paint a depiction of a hyena?"

"Hyenas were... opportunistic predators in prehistoric times?" Serendipity shrugged. "I guess it would make sense that even prey would see them that way. But- but there's no Celestial called 'Calamity'."

Karma opened up several other windows, all with references to a hyena called 'Calamity'. Ancient depictions, even a mural that had several other renaissance paintings of Celestials featured on it.

"Calamity, Calamity, Calamity," Karma repeated. "A Celestial of Chaos. Bringer of war. Purger of populations. Harbinger of disaster."

"But... but he doesn't exist!" Serendipity said. "There's no- there's no 'Calamity'!"

"Exactly right!" Karma shouted in desperation. "And... over the years, I've wondered why. Why is there no Calamity?"

"Easy girl, let's not get too worked up," Serendipity held her paws up. "You know as well as I do that Fertility is in charge of population control, Paradigm is called upon when disasters occur, and Fervor incites feelings of battle."

"Was that always the case, though?" Karma asked. "Do you think that perhaps... those Celestials had to take on additional responsibilities? Fertility is also in control of sexuality, Fervor of feelings of passion, and Paradigm invites drastic change in lifestyles. Perhaps they had to be looked to for those things because Calamity no longer exists."

"He never existed!" Serendipity threw her arms out wide. "Or else we'd know about him!"

"I'm... not so sure about that," Karma said worriedly. "After the time of Surrender's exemplar... there are no more references in mammalian history to Calamity. War for the most part has seen a decrease. Mammal history before that time was much bloodier, much more chaotic."

Serendipity gasped, looking terrified. "You think that... did... did Surrender's exemplar somehow destroy Calamity?"

"I... I don't know," Karma wagged her head. "But... you've heard of Phantasm's tale, right? Of how we all came to be?"

"Right," Serendipity held up a paw. "There's always more Order Celestials than Chaos ones."

"One more Order than Chaos," Karma winced. "Why just one? Why isn't everything in total balance? Can you remember her telling that story before Surrender's exemplar became merely a soul again?"

"Um, not exactly..." Serendipity began to look anxious. "...But- but the physical universe... it had more matter in it than antimatter at its conception, right? That's... that's a perfect parallel-"

"It isn't!" Karma insisted. "The universe exists by design! By rules! Antimatter may be the opposite of matter, but it still abides by the rules... it's only when they meet that Chaos occurs."

"So- so you believe that... Calamity was obliterated?" Serendipity asked cautiously. "And... we can't even remember him? You wouldn't think that a mortal... even if they were an exemplar, would hold such power over us..."

"Maybe, Serendipity..." Karma shook her head. "But I have another theory. We as Celestials have never personally experienced Order and Chaos in their personas... that we know of. Maybe... maybe Calamity went too far. Maybe he tipped the scales beyond what was tolerable and he- he was extinguished. From the minds of mortals... from our minds... from existence. Maybe the peaceful age of mammals that has come about has been due to the removal of Calamity from our midst."

Serendipity cringed. "...So- if- if one of us goes too far..."

"Can you see why I'm worried, Serendipity?" Karma's muzzle scrunched up in distress. "I... I wouldn't want something like that to happen again."

"H-hey," Serendipity shrugged. "I mean, at least if I went away you wouldn't remember it, huh?" She grinned sadly, but her mouth trembled.

"Do you think I'd want that?" Karma asked anxiously. "Please, Serendipity... please be careful."

"C-c'mon," Serendipity struggled to smile more genuinely, "I just- I did something subtle. Just because I helped Lionheart with the idea for the Mammal Inclusion Initiative doesn't mean it will be passed into law. Just because it might become law doesn't mean Judy will become a police officer. And- and Zootopia's a big place. Our exemplars might never even meet."

"One little change, Serendipity," Karma warned. "Chaos theory... it starts a chain reaction. Let's not... let's not invite calamity by provoking it."

"Ah, but Calamity doesn't exist anymore!" Serendipity pointed at Karma as if she had caught her in a trap. The bunny laughed nervously as she floated there. The two exchanged an uncomfortable gaze.

"I..." Karma huffed in amusement. She shook her head. "You know, I could be wrong. Maybe in past times mammals just made up a Celestial that didn't exist, and we just somehow didn't manage to notice it. Maybe I'm concerned over nothing."

"I'll be more careful, Karma," Serendipity smiled faintly. "There- there has to be a reason that all of us know that we aren't supposed to interfere, but we don't know exactly why. Maybe- maybe you're onto something."

"Our actions will always come around to us," Karma said with a tired certainty. "That's the way of things."

"Well, if I made a mistake, that just means you'll come around to scold me, huh?" Serendipity giggled. "Like you have right now. So maybe everything's good now, huh? Huh?" The bunny Celestial seemed to brighten up by shades as she flitted around Karma.

"I hope so, Serendipity," Karma formed a tentative smile. "I really do."