A/N: Enough chapters dealing with food. Onwards! To adventure...

Chapter 9: Confession and Separation


Why would Judy stop me from running away? She promised, she wouldn't use the collar when she initially put it on me. I can feel the kits moving on top of me. I open my eyes. I see Judy and Whitebreeze waiting patiently next to the bed. Judy's wearing an entirely red outfit. Judy says, "Nick, is everything okay?"

"Of course not. I let you put that collar on me so that you could stop me from trying to eat you. You instead prevented me from running away. Why did you do that? You betrayed my trust."

I can see Judy on the verge of crying. "Because I love you. That's why I did all those horrible things for you. That's why I didn't let you run away."

I feel angry. I feel betrayed. How can this be a way to show love? "First you shock me, preventing me from leaving. Then, you tell me you love me? You have a pretty strange way of showing love. I need some time away from you." I feel if I'm alone I can understand my own feelings better.

Whitebreeze says, "Now, that you've eaten sheep twice, it should be easier for you." As soon as she said those words, food arrives here. A wolf carrying lettuce and guiding two sheep opens the door. He drops everything off then leaves. "I'm going to show you how to properly eat sheep." She picks up the sheep still moving and bites into it she doesn't even care about it crying. She slowly eats the sheep alive clearly uncaring about its suffering. This is different from her eating rabbits, she's able to eat those in two bites. She finishes the sheep. She says, "The more it cries, the more flavor it adds to the food. You should try it. Regardless, I won't tolerate another feeding session with Judy's assistance this time. You will eat on your own."

Judy says, "Why won't you let me help him?"

Whitebreeze says, "He has to face the reality. You might not always be there to guide him through it. I can also see how hard it is for you to support him. It's time he eats on his own. This will be his third meal."

Alim says, "Don't be scared mister fox, it's only natural to eat."

Minty says, "What's so scary about eating?"

I never considered how difficult it must be for Judy to watch me eat. With encouraging words from the kits. I move to kill the sheep. Whitebreeze says, "No, eat it alive like I just did. You must do this to become a true predator."

Judy says, "I don't care about you being a true predator Nick."

I decide to ignore Whitebreeze. I kill the sheep then eat it. It almost feels normal now.

Ember says, "I never saw the vixen I lived with eat at all."

Whitebreeze says, "Since, you want time alone Nick to work out trivial feelings. I'll show Judy more of the wonders within Everlight. Kits, go to school on your own. Judy wear your golden necklace."

They all leave the house, leaving me alone.

I know I regarded her as a friend but do I love her? I don't think I know the answer to that question. I think of the moments we've been together. We first met when she decided to hustle me back then. I felt rage at being bested at my own craft. Towards the end of it all. I said, "You know, you love me." as a joke.

She replied, "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

Was she actually serious back then? I'm alone. I can work out my feelings.


I wonder what Whitebreeze has planned. Nick didn't reject my confession, he didn't react favorably either. Have I damaged our friendship? Time away from me gives him time to work out his feelings. Can I handle Nick's response? She talks to a guard at Lightbringer's palace then guides me to the edge of the chasm. We were walking for six hours! Is there no faster way to travel? We finally arrive at the edge of the chasm.

We are greeted by a white male wolf with blue eyes next to a floating sheet of ice with a staff embedded into it. The wolf is clad in blue crystal armor. He has two swords on his belt. The wolf says, "My name is Quickpaw. I'm going to be teaching you how to ride upon this sheet of ice. It's quite useful in navigating the chasm. What you do is simple. Step on the sheet of ice, then hold the staff and wish for a place to go." I notice the staff has a purple and blue crystal fused together.

I say, "You mean there was a faster way to travel and I never knew about it? This would have been very useful if I knew about it earlier."

I wonder what happens if I wish to go home. I jump on top of the sheet of ice. Quickpaw is here beside me, guiding me. I grip the staff, I wish to go home. The sheet of ice takes off at magnificent speed. I can feel the wind. Quickpaw says, "Judy what did you do? These things are extremely sensitive. That's why they aren't allowed in Everlight. It won't stop until it reaches the destination."

I say, "I just wished that I would go home. Where's it taking us?"

It goes higher and higher looking like it will smash into the ceiling. Quickpaw says, "JUMP! We won't live otherwise."

I jump, he does as well. The floating sheet of ice we were on smashes into the ceiling. We are falling from extreme heights, we are certain to die. I close my eyes and think about everything that I have done. This is the end, isn't it? We have fallen into the chasm. I can feel rain on my skin. Quickpaw is creating blocks of snow to try to smoothen our impact. A tree branch clips my necklace and I lose it.

We land on the bottom of the chasm. Alive, and lost. We're in a forest apparently. We land in a pile of snow, shivering. We move out of it. Quickpaw says, "I should have been clearer, the crystal is really sensitive to where you want to go and there's no way to stop it."

I reply, "Gee, that would have been really nice to know beforehand, where are we?"

"I've never been down here before without a way to get back towards the sky."

"Let's get out of this forest, maybe we can find something."

We go forwards in a direction. A band of wolves with worn out clothing stumble upon us. They do not look friendly. One of them says, "Kill that wolf and take the rabbit." We try to run, they surround us. I can see Quickpaw trying to fight, he is outmatched. I try to fight, I'm easily restrained. I don't even have weapons. This fight has gone on for five minutes. I'm cornered by two wolves unable to do anything. Quickpaw is tiring. This is just about over. Quickpaw is about to die. A bunch of cultists descend from the sky and dispatch the wolves with brutal efficiency, killing them all. One of them says, "Blindfold them. Take them, I believe we've found new members."


I stay on the edge watching them. The sheet of ice soars out of sight. I stand here waiting they still aren't back. I wonder what could have happened. Oh well, just another casualty. I guess Nick should be happy, there's tons of time away from Judy now. I return to our residence. I open the door. Nick is there greeting me. He says, "Where is Judy?"

I go into the house first. I notice our house has received two rabbit kits even though I was away for most of the day. I eat them whole. I say, "There's been an accident, she won't be coming back. You can have all the time away from her as long as you need, isn't that wonderful?"

"What was she doing and where is her body? I won't believe it until I see it."

Ember says, "You'll find someone else I'm sure. I've been in three families."

Alim says, "Animals that disappear can always come back."

Minty interjects, "Don't give up on her. She wouldn't want that."

Nick is in denial yet again. Why won't he accept the truth that Judy is gone? The comments from the kits clearly aren't helping. Deaths are normal, plenty of animals die every year. Nick grabs me and says, "What was she doing?" His voice was filled with rage.

I tell him, "I decided to teach Judy how to drive within the chasm. I've gotten an instructor for her. He was going to teach her how to navigate the chasm across a sheet of ice. Judy stepped on the sheet of ice. It soared out of sight and never came back. I waited for quite some time. Accept it, she's gone. You've wanted time alone. Now, she won't be back to bother you anymore. Shouldn't you be happy?" Emotions always complicate things. It's better not to get too attached to anyone.


Well, I wanted some time alone. Now, she's gone. I should have been there for her. It's my fault. I let go of Whitebreeze. I ask, "Is there a chance she might be alive?"

Whitebreeze says, "Doubtful, they would have come back of their own free will. It's pretty safe to assume they're dead."

"But, you've never found the body?"

"Why would I care about the existence of a body? It's pretty evident that they're gone."

Whitebreeze doesn't seem to care at all that Judy is gone. I wonder why, is she hiding something? Did she do something to cause it herself? I don't feel like she's lying though. I ask, "Can I search for her myself?"

The displeasure in her voice is clear, "Foolish fox, fine, I will provide you with a sheet of ice tomorrow. And have someone teach you how to use it. You will see the futility of it yourself."

"Can't it be sooner?"

"Take it or leave it. Be glad that I'm entertaining your foolish request at all. You can always search the chasm on foot and have an even lesser chance of success."

As much as I hated to admit it. I do need Whitebreeze. I would not be able to find Judy without her assistance. I accept Whitebreeze's deal. I will look for her as soon as I am able to. I hope she's okay. I was unsure of my feelings of if I loved her or not before. The prospect of her being gone hurts too much. I think this must mean that I do love her. If she's gone, so is the only animal know from Zootopia.

I lay on the bed waiting for morning to come. The kits movements on top of me provide some comfort. I think of all the things me and Judy never got to do, what we could have been. How long has she felt this way about me?

I refuse to give into despair. Lost in a place without her would be too much. I focus on what can happen now that I've realize my own feelings. Yes, I did love her return. I just have to find her tomorrow. Whitebreeze is wrong, she must be.

I fall sleep focusing on the positives.


A/N: Judy gets to have her adventures with the cult. Will she become a member? What are the membership requirements? Nick just realized his feelings too. Will he find Judy or give into despair?