"Are you excited, honey?"

"More than I could ever be!" Nick cried back, bobbing up and down on the car seat. He meant what he said, with all his heart. He looked over at his best friend, Judy Hopps, who was also accompanying him to the Junior Ranger Scout Initiation, and he wouldn't have any other friend with him on this special night.

She grinned back at the excited fox kit, and looked up at Nick's mother, who was just pulling up in the driveway of the building. It looked just like the other houses around, but to Nick it was glorious. After all, his family was quite poor, and any normal house looked like a castle to him, so it was nothing new.

But it wasn't just the fact it was neat and big, it was what was going to happen inside that made him tremble in excitement.

"Alright, kitsie, we're here,"

"Mum, I told you not to call me that when Judy is around!" Nick whined, slightly agitated as Judy giggled slightly at the cute little nickname.

"Alright, my big boy scout! Here we are," Nick's mother chuckled, hopping out of the car along with the two of them. Nick more like pounced out in happiness, and Judy giggled again at his enthusiasm. Nick looked back at her, crossed his eyes and poked his tongue out, just to make her laugh more, which he successfully managed.

"Alright, Nicky. Do you want us to go up with you or do you want us to stay here?"

"I can go up myself, thanks ma. And when I come out, I'm gonna be a Junior Ranger Scout!" he twisted on the spot and punched the air, as Judy beamed at him.

"You're gonna have to act more serious than that Nick!" she laughed at him again. Nick looked back at her, his ears folding back in embarrassment. He coughed into his fist, and put his hands behind his back in an attempt to look more grown up about the situation, but only resulted in Judy rolling on the floor with yet another fit of giggles, as Nick looked on in dismay.

"Alright, I'm gonna go in now! Wish me luck!" he said to his mother, then turned to the laughing bunny he called his friend.

"You too, Carrots,"

"Good luck, Nick!"

"Bye!" Nick cried, happily waving his paw over his shoulder as he sprinted up the stairs, nearly tripping over his tail when he raced inside the house. Judy smiled after him, then looked up at Nick's mum who seemed to be just as happy as her son.

"He's gonna be the best Scout alive!" she cried, bobbing on her heels. Nick's mother looked down at her, and smiled even broader.

"You're right about that, little bunny, you're right about that,"

The air was tingling with the excitement that radiated off of the young fox kit, as he made his way down the stairs to the basement. He finally reached the last three stairs, when the voice of the beaver leading the operation reached Nick's ears.

"Hey Nick, are ya ready?"

"Yeah! I was pretty much born ready," he cried at the group, jumping down the remaining stairs, and jogging over to the all-prey group. When he got there he hi-pawed a nearby zebra, then turned in front of the group and stood tall and rigid.

The group quickly switched the lights off, and then clicked on a torch, shining it in Nick's face. The kit blinked once, then twice, just to get used to the new burst of light, and looked at all of the members of the group. He grinned even wider when he finally felt part of a pack.

"Ok, now deliver the oath," the beaver who was holding the torch said, and Nick quickly raised his left paw.

"I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be," he paused, trying to remember the rest, "brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy," he finished proudly, waiting for the group's response. The beaver looked up at the others and nodded, which Nick hoped was a nod of confirmation, although the fox cub felt a twinge of unease as the beaver looked back down at him.

"Even though you're a fox!"

"What?" Nick asked, voice shaking. Before he knew it, the torch light had been switched off, and he was shoved on the ground. The kit's eyes flew open as he felt hands and arms holding him onto the ground. However, the thing that terrified him most was that it was his own group that were holding him into place, and wouldn't let him go.

"No, you guys, what did I do wrong, what did I do?!" he screamed, squirming around and trying to find a way to get back up. His ears flattened against his head as he listened to a clinking sound.

Suddenly he felt something cold ad metallic on his snout, and when he glanced down he saw it was a muzzle.

A muzzle.

His heart started to race.

An illegal item was on him! He tried to get it off h=with his paws, but they were pinned to his side, taking away his freedom.

"Do you think we would ever trust a fox without a muzzle?" the beaver taunted, as Nick gave one last squirm. His tail curled up between his legs as stayed down on the ground, helpless. Nicks gave another muffled mph as he tried to drag them muzzle of his nose.

It proved fruitless.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of the group laughing at Nick's struggles, they let him go. As soon as he felt the paws and hooves off of him, he shot up, and sprinted up the stairs, back from where he had come.

But he wasn't a Junior Ranger Scout.

"Aww, is he gonna cry?" he heard someone taunt, followed by more laughing as he exited the house.

Nick flew down the stairs of the entrance, and quickly turned right where he hid behind the stair wall.

I can't let ma see me like this. She will be so upset that this outfit was for nothing! The young fox kit thought, as he sat down, leaning against the auburn wall. He looked back down at the muzzle, and struggles to get it off by pulling at the cage-like front, but that only smacked between his eyes, where it already hurt bad. He tugged again, and his paws found their way up the straps, and tugged the straps over his head, pulling the whole muzzle off of Nick's face.

He was finally free.

But somehow, that wasn't what he felt. All the cub felt was the confining atmosphere of the world's judgement, about what he could or couldn't be, what he would and wouldn't be. All he felt were all those words, all the taunting, suffocating him, like an iron rope around his neck. All Nick felt was the criticism and judgement of Zootopia, and that wasn't a nice feeling.

So that was where the kit finally broke down, as a strangled cry escaped his muzzle. The first tear fell, as Nick slid down the side of the wall, all the way to the bottom, where he curled up, tail around feet, trying to make himself as small as possible, where the world and its words couldn't reach him.

More sobs came, followed by a steady stream of tears.

Why am I so judged? Why can't anyone be less judging? Why why why?!

Nick looked at the muzzle lying in front of him, which brought more tears and sniffles. He started to cry even more, as the thoughts of before came back to him. All he wanted was for all this to end, all he wanted was some comfort, some love, not judgement or hate. All he wanted was-

"Nick? What's wrong?!"

All he wanted was that.

To Judy it had felt like the night was dragging on, and Mrs Wilde probably felt it too, as she had fallen asleep in the driver's seat of the car. Thankfully, Judy promised to wake her up if something was wrong or if Nick came back out.

So the little bunny had waited patiently, sitting in the back as she silently hummed to her favourite song.

It had been a while until she heard the sound of running footsteps, and her ears pricked up at the sound. She smiled happily, as she saw a snout appear peek out from behind the wall, but the smile quickly vanished as she saw it had a cage on it. She squeaked in surprise as she saw Nick run down the stairs and turn to the right, making her worry. Maybe he was hiding from them as a joke?

That didn't seem right, and what was that box thing on his snout?

Judy glanced at the sleeping Mrs Wilde, and decided to go and see what had happened to her friend. So she quietly opened the car door and hopped out, looking back. She debated whether to close it, but decided it would make too much noise, so just left it open. She would be back soon anyway.

The young bunny walked over to where she saw Nick's tail disappear, and was just about to turn the corner when a sniffling sound caught her ears.

They twitched up at the sound, and Judy immediately went into an alert stance.

More sniffling, and then a sob.

What happened?

Judy slowly walked around the bend, and there before her was a whimpering fox kit.

It was Nick.

And the only thought that the young rabbit could say out loud was;

"Nick? What's wrong?!"

The fox kit looked up at a freaked out little bunny, all hairs on end, looking down at him in alarm.

"Judy?" he whimpered.

"Yeah?"

"Wha-what are you do-doing here?" he asked curling into an even tighter ball as his ears flattened back even further.

"Waiting for you, silly," the doe replied teasingly, but softly. She didn't want to hurt him. All Nick did, however, was tuck his muzzle into his knees, making Judy's playful smile fade.

"What happened, Scout?"

"Don't call me that!" the sharpness in Nick's voice made Judy flinch back in alarm, and Nick whimpered again.

"Don't call me that…"

"Why? What happened Nick?" she asked again, stepping towards him. Nick just flinched back. He had had enough of prey touching and tormenting him. Judy's eyes widened in alarm at the gesture and reaction.

"Please tell me, I have to know so I can help you!" Nick sighed in defeat, as he looked back up at his best friend who was now right beside him. His tail twitched at the fresh memories, but he gulped down another round of tears, and opened his muzzle bravely.

But all came out was a small sob, as all the events flashed before him. Nick's head sunk down to look at the ground, as he began to tell his friend about what the Junior Ranger Scouts had done to him just then. Another tear went down his cheek, as Judy sat down next to him.

"Well, I went inside, a-as you kn-know," he started, as Judy nodded for him to go on, "and I-I went down to th-the basement where the in-initiation was being he-held, and when I got there they surrounded me, and I started t-to say the oath. I s-said it, b-but then they turned the lights off and sh-shoved me to the ground, and started ranting in my face how they would never trust a f-fox!" Nick burst out crying again, even if it wasn't full on hollering. Judy's face hardened in anger. How dare they do that to her best friend? That was speciest!

"But that i-isn't the worst part! Th-they pu-put a mu-muz" Nick couldn't say it, so he ended up pointing to the discarded item on the ground a few feet in front of him. Judy followed his pointing paw, as Nick's ears went even further back, face scrunching as he cried. Judy gasped when she saw the muzzle.

The young doe looked back and forth between the muzzle, and when she finally put the pieces together, her blood started to boil.

"They muzzled you," she said. It was a statement, not a question, and it got Nick's nod, as he started to control his crying and sniffling.

"How could they dare?!"

Nick started at the harshness in Judy's voice, and stared up at the bunny. Her face was hardened, and she was staring at the ground as if she wanted to murder it for the Junior Scout's deeds. Nick gulped nervously, as he knew what that look meant, after being Judy's friend for quite a while.

"Judy…"

"I'll walk right up to the and kick the crab out of them! I'll tear at their faces so they can't see! I'll kick their butt so hard they won't be able to sit for a week! I'll- I'll!"

"Judy!" Nick cried, bringing the doe to her senses. Judy looked up with a start, staring into Nick's eyes which were full of fear.

"You're scaring me,"

"Sorry,"

"You can't do that to them! One, there is too many of them, and two, you would get in trouble! I don't want you to get into trouble because of what they did to me!" Nick cried, his ears twitching against his head, as yet another whimper escaped his snout. The kit looked up at his friends with big, pleading eyes, making Judy wince in guilt.

He was right, she couldn't barge in like that. She would get into trouble, and the others would go on unaccounted for, and that wasn't good justice.

"A good cop doesn't run into danger without a plan," Nick said in a whisper, a small smile lighting up his muzzle. This brought an idea to Judy's mind, as her ears perked up at a sudden thought.

"You're absolutely right. And a good cop has their resources, too. And I have good resources," she said, standing up, then lending a paw to her friend. He looked at it, as if debating to trust her, but then started as he realized what a stupid thought that was. Of course he trusted her, and never had he trusted her more.

Nick tentatively took it, and Judy hauled him to his paws.

"Please tell me it doesn't involve spilling any blood, or else I will be doomed,"

"Nope, it involves getting your mother involved,"

"Ma?" Nick asked, ear twitching yet again in nervousness. He didn't like the sound of this, and he didn't want his ma knowing. She would feel so upset, and all the money for the uniform would have gone to waste because he hadn't used it properly.

"Yes, your ma. Don't worry, Nick, she will understand. She's your mother for crying out loud, and looking out for you is what she is meant to do!" Judy cried, when she saw the look Nick was giving her. But as soon as she said that, his gaze turned thoughtful, then convinced.

"Well, when you put it that way-"

"Trust me, it won't fail," she said, nodding her head at her best friend. He nodded back bravely, and wiped the last tear from his whiskers.

"Alright, I trust you,"

Well, what they did didn't concern any blood or bashing up, no matter how hard it was for Judy to control herself from doing so when the bullies were forced to apologies to Nick. The doe stood there, beside her friend, as the young mammals each walked up and said sorry. Judy had to admit, it was satisfying to see how guilty they looked.

"Sorry," mumbled a young giraffe, and Judy nodded her head in dismissal, as if she was Nick's body guard. Nick just smiled grimy at him, ear twitching it irritation, but that was all he showed of his feeling.

Finally, a beaver walked up, and he didn't look happy at being busted. He kept giving Nick hard glares, and it made Judy's blood boil. So naturally, she mustered the hardest, coldest blood glare she could, and next to her, she felt Nick follow her lead. The two friends managed to make the beaver uncomfortable, and after a minute of silence he apologized, then turned away.

"For you being alive,"

"What was that?" Judy seethed, when her radar ears picked up the muttered end. She stomped right up to the beaver, staring him down, as he seemed to shrink back into his fur.

"Nothing…"

"Oh really? Because I could have sworn I heard you say something, so would you care to say it to our faces?!"

"Alright, I'm sorry! Ok? Please let me go…" the beaver whimpered, paws up in surrender. Judy gave a satisfied nod, and the beaver immediately scampered away. Nick then walked up to her, placing a paw on her shoulder, making Judy look up. The young kit smiled down at her.

"Thanks a heap, Carrots,"

"No problem, Nick. I will never let anyone hurt you, I swear on my tail and whiskers!" Judy said back up at him, making the two smile. Suddenly, without warning, she launched herself at him, hugging him to death. She nuzzled into his chest, tail twitching in the air. Nick sighed dramatically, then grinning, returned the hug. They stayed on the floor like that forever, just two friends in a tight embrace, not a care in the world.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad nightmare for the fox kit, because as long as he had Judy, not even the world with all its criticism could bring him down.

And all because of two worlds who collided with each other that one faithful day.

Hey guys, wussup? Ok, so here is the last chapter of this two shot, and boy was this a heartfelt piece to write. I nearly leaked a tear, but shh, don't tell anyone.

So yeah, thanks for reading this, I really appreciate ever view I get, and every review I get, phew, double that feeling with a bowl of bluberries to spare!

Ok, and one last thing... 23 FAVOURITES HOLY MOTHER OF CHEESE CRACKERS! THANK YOU! LIKE IN ONE CHAPTER! That was amazing when I realized, and yeah, because of that, I might even write little stories of them growing up together, like one-shots, nothing big, so yeah.

Again thank you so much for reading this, and I shall see you in the next story. Until next time this is the hybrid possum signing out. Carrots!