A/N: Chapter title breaks fourth wall, oh well.
Chapter 19: Angels of Death
That was the best night I've ever had and the first time when we were both aware. We showered and got ready for the day. We heard someone knock on the door. A hybrid with a mix of wolf, tiger, and rabbit told us that the Prime wanted to see us. I noticed the primary clothing motif here displayed some sort of hybrid or they wore the image of an animal that they weren't a part of. He led us to a building. Inside there were six necklaces. Two of them had red, two had blue, and two had dark blue crystals. The Prime was waiting for us.
The Prime informs us, "You will choose a necklace that best augments your abilities. The crystals will also serve as a source of desire's embrace if there's none near you." I noticed that he's wearing a dark blue necklace himself. "Come." We pick up the necklaces and follow him. He leads us to a room with a bucket of desire's embrace. "Put on each necklace and see which one suits you the best. Put one on then try to summon an elemental again."
I tried red, which didn't do anything for me. Blue did nothing either. Dark blue made it significantly easier. I chose the dark blue necklace. I noticed Judy trying the same. She ended up picking red. He tells us, "The crystals will also allow me to contact you if I feel you are needed. Watch." I can feel my crystal wiggling a bit enough to subtly feel something but it's not anything significant. "That will be a sign that you should try to find me, if you are able."
He leads us to a building with weapons. He picks out several weapons. The bladed part is all made out of crystals. He leads us to an empty room with just a bucket of desire's embrace in the middle. He says, "See which one feels more comfortable. Try manipulating desire's embrace while holding it." I remember back in Everlight I sparred with two swords. I picked out two swords with blades made from blue crystals. I tried to manipulate desire's embrace with it. I unleashed a wave of frost that sliced to the back of the room leaving an X shaped mark. It also helps that the swords are light and easy to swing.
I told him, "I will take these." Judy opts for a two-handed sword. I don't think she could even swing that thing effectively. Indeed, she doesn't. She simply manipulates desire's embrace with its help. The weapon just made her worse. She tried every sort of weapon but none of them helped. She decided on not using a weapon. He gave me a belt so that I could carry the swords I selected.
He leads us out of the building and into another one. This one had a map. "This is a map of the chasm." I noticed there's a hundred settlements. About twenty of them have x's
He tells us our next task. "You two if you so desire can choose a settlement to spare. We will guide them towards the light when it is the time for our exodus. You are to visit and inform the savages that they cannot take anyone from that settlement anymore. If they are in the process of taking them away, let them keep what they have. You are free to kill anyone in the settlement you choose if you feel they are unsuited for Zootopia. Only engage the savages in combat if they do not leave peacefully after being told. We are here to observe if they actually want peace. We will need the savage's cooperation for the exodus. Avoid confrontations if you can, do not provoke them. Everything marked with an X is claimed by us. If you wish to take part. Pick your own."
Judy picks out a settlement. We are to go there and inform the inhabitants to be ready to leave in three weeks. We left the coven and set out for the chasm. She tells me, "I chose this because this was the settlement I participated in raiding. I'm thankful that the settlement I had friends in was already marked."
We arrived at the edge of the chasm. We leapt into it. I ask her, "What do you think of all this? Three weeks then we get to see Zootopia again."
"I'm terrified. What would everyone else think can we really just go back to our lives and pretend that nothing has happened? How are we even going to leave anyway?"
"Relax. We can take it one day at a time. We're in this together." The scenery here is marvelous, it reminds me of Bunnyburrow. "What's your deepest desire right now?"
She shamefully admits, "It hasn't changed. I still want vengeance against them. I can somewhat reason that it's wrong but it's something that I want nonetheless."
"Right now, mine is to make sure that you are happy."
We landed at the edge of the village. Only bunnies lived here. One of the bunnies say, "Come quickly, they are raiding us again. Save them please!" We ran into the village. Into a school. Predators were picking who to take. I can't believe that she had to choose at one point. Hearing her tell me about it and witnessing it first-hand are completely different things. She recognizes one of them, a tiger. The tiger is wearing a blue shirt and green pants. She says, "Saberclaw, due to the deal. You are no longer allowed to take anyone else here. Leave with everyone you have chosen."
Everyone immediately stops choosing kits to take. Saberclaw says, "You know what you did before, we are still forty short of our quota. Is there a way for you to allow us to take forty more?"
"That is not my concern. I have my orders. You are going to leave with everyone you've taken peacefully."
Upon hearing this exchange one of the bunnies around us ask, "Aren't you going to save us like before?"
I decide to answer this one, "Our goal today here is to observe peace. To make sure the savages comply with the deal. We will not stop them if they leave peacefully."
Saberclaw grudgingly complies and leaves the building. We follow them outside. There's twenty predators here all unarmed with just civilian clothing. We could probably kill them all if we wanted. We see the sixty they have chosen. One of the sixty says, "Judy Hopps, are you here to save me?"
Judy jumps upon hearing the voice. It happened in a flash, fire coalesced into a physical being. I felt her rage, I felt her anger. She was going to attack them. I decided to shock her and leash her. The fire didn't dissipate until she became unconscious. Thankfully, she didn't manage to attack anyone. I could sense that she wanted to save that one. I say, "I'm sorry about my partner here. Is there anyway, we can convince you not to take that one?" I pointed to the one that talked. The voice belonged to a grey bunny with green eyes. I think she's about 6 years old. If it wasn't for her eye color she would be like a miniature Judy. Her attire is something similar to what Judy has worn in the past.
Saberclaw replies, "You want this one?" He points to the grey bunny. "Let us take forty-one others instead." I've felt how much she wanted to save that bunny but is it worth the price? Logically speaking trading one for forty-one is a bad deal. I've been considering this for a while and haven't said anything. "This is the deal. Take it or leave it. We will simply return to Everlight if you don't make a decision. Unless if you try to stop us." I could probably very well take them all in combat but that would be against what the Prime wanted. Their cooperation is essential to the exodus to return to Zootopia.
I made my decision. I hope it's the right one. "Very well, give me her. Take forty-one others." I traded forty-one lives just for hers alone. I hope it was what Judy wanted. The other inhabitants of the village can't believe that I'm doing this as if I've let them down. They give me the kit and go and pick others out of the school.
The kit says, "Thank you for saving me. Judy spared me the last time she was here. My behavior has changed a lot you see. My name is Olivia Jumps. This time they just took kits at random regardless if they were misbehaving or not."
I ask the kit, "How did you meet Judy last time?"
The kit tells me that Judy came here with a bunch of predators. She chose kits to be taken away. She tells me she was chosen because she wasn't behaving in class. She was spared because she cried enough and Judy picked someone else to take her place. Ever since that day she has been trying to act better and to improve. I let the kit go back to class.
I guess that's a harsh penalty for misbehaving in class. Judy's still unconscious. I carry her around. I speak to the leader of the village. I tell him to gather everyone. I suppose it's fitting that even with this one act they still look up to us. A lot of bunnies showed up. I speak to the crowd, "We have decided that we will abandon this place. We have declared a cessation of hostilities between us and the savages." Everyone was terrified as soon as I said those words. "They are going to trouble you no more. We will be helping you leave in three weeks, be ready. We are going to lead you beyond the light to Zootopia. A place where you won't have to worry about being eaten anymore." That reassures everyone.
I ask for a room that we can stay in. I'm given one for free even though I couldn't pay. There's prices and everything here. It's not like the coven or the sanctum where everything was for free. The currency here wouldn't work in Zootopia. I set Judy on the bed and waited for her to wake up.
She wakes up and asks, "Is she safe?" I told her of what I traded so that she is safe. "Don't worry about your decision Nick. I understand. I probably would have done the same. Let's pay her a visit, shall we?"
We visit the Jumps. We go to yet another bunny burrow. Excited kits fuss over my tail again. The parents pry them off me. The parents allow me and Judy to talk to Olivia. Olivia is currently crying in her room. Judy asks Olivia, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
Olivia cries, "A lot of my family was taken because of me just because I asked if you were going to save me. It's all my fault. Just like last time, someone else took my place. I don't deserve to live. Not even my family likes me now." Judy comforts Olivia by petting her.
I tell her, "It's not your fault. It was my choice. Everyone here that wants to is going to go to a better place. None of your family will be taken again. They'll get over it, you'll see. We'll be going now okay? We'll meet again." Olivia feels somewhat better. We still have a job to do. We thanked the Jumps for their time and left.
Poor kit. I don't know how I would feel in that situation. Judy says, "Let's walk around the village and see if there's any problems."
At least, this feels like back in Zootopia again. A sense of being on the police except here anyone that's problematic will likely be killed instead. No arrests. We see a group of bunnies chasing another. We intervene. I ask, "What's going on here?"
The leader of the group replies, "She's not paying money for our protection."
The victim responds, "I just don't have the money this week. I said I would pay you later."
Judy inquires, "What happens if she doesn't pay the money?"
The leader responds, "She has to work for us."
"Okay, here's is how this is going to work. She will work for you right now. I would like to see the location she would be working at."
The victim asks, "Aren't you supposed to be helping us?"
I decide to go along with Judy's decision, "We only care about the savages. Not what happens between yourselves. Now, come along. You have a new job waiting for you."
"No, no, no!" She turns and runs. I stop her.
"Now, are you going to come? Or do I have to force you?" My voice implies violence if she doesn't obey. She reluctantly comes along with us.
They lead us to a brothel. I see the look on their faces, they aren't really enjoying what they're doing. She's pushed into an empty room. The leader says, "Thank you for your help."
I decide to ask, "Are there any more of you by chance? I want to meet the entire organization." They lead us to a room of forty bunnies armed with various weapons. Swords mostly. "is that all of you?"
"Yes, that's all of us. Thank you for your help today. You protectors have been very kind to us." A pity, that we don't share the same sentiment. I calm myself and listen to the voices of water. I let the ones that want to trap everyone manifest. The entire room is now surrounded by ice. I also created a wall of ice to protect me and Judy.
Judy manifests the destructive power of fire to burn bunnies trapped in the room. I drew my blades, I leapt over the wall. I unleash waves of frost towards bunnies trapped in the room with us. It was then, I knew why they never rebelled against the savages. We easily cut them all down without being harmed. We informed all the prostitutes that they were free. We also killed some of the patrons that were unwilling to stop.
The initial victim thanks us. She says, "They have been a problem for this village. Thank you for stopping them."
I ask the victim, "Are there any other problems similar to this one?"
She couldn't think of any. We toured the village again. We found no problems and proceeded to journey back to the cavern. We met the Prime. He says, "Report, were there any problems? Leave nothing significant out."
Judy answers, "I lost control of my desires when I jumped. I nearly attacked the savages when they didn't break any of the rules. Nick had to stop me by shocking me."
I continue, "We informed the inhabitants that they'll be leaving in three weeks. We stopped a criminal organization in that village. We set all their victims free."
The Prime remarks, "Well, normally we have more time for new Savage Hunters to get used to jumping and controlling their desires. That's not an option right now. Time, is rather important. Thus, I'm giving you two this task. Judy is not allowed to jump at all for a week. Any time her wings manifest, you will shock her for five seconds. If I catch you not doing that, we will simply cut her legs off."
I decide to joke, "I didn't realize it was still possible to be grounded when you don't live with your parents anymore."
Judy says, "Nick, this is serious!"
"Are there any more tasks for us to do? Malik." I could tell he wasn't too pleased that I used his name. I took note of it, it will be a way to irritate him.
The Prime responds, "Check with me in a week. For now, do you accept the assignment? Or should I simply cut her legs off right now?" From his tone, I can tell he's completely serious.
"I accept."
On the way, back to the house we were given. She just had to jump. I shock her for five seconds. Judy cries, "A bunny not allowed to jump. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment."
"Well, it was either this or he would have cut your legs off. You've heard him. We need the savage's cooperation for returning to Zootopia. Whatever he's planning for that."
We arrived at the house we were given. We go to the bedroom. Judy just HAD to jump on the bed her wings manifested for just a few moments. I shock her again. Judy says, "Oh, come on. That's not fair at all. How am I going to survive a week without jumping? This shock was even more painful than the last."
I had no answer. Could she survive a week without jumping? How many shocks can she even take?
A/N: Was Nick right in trading forty-one lives for one? Can Judy survive a week without jumping? I wonder if I characterized Olivia well. How would a kit be feeling if the only reason they lived was because a lot took their place? Survivor's guilt? Being rejected by family doesn't help either. Olivia was originally a throwaway name I never intended to use again.
Should they have just killed all the savages and saved everyone like everyone of the order did or tried to do in the past?
