Author's Note:
Time to look at the world outside of Zootopia. There are plenty of risks in leaving the city and all that's familiar, but worry not. They have Jack Savage with them now. They will be absolutely fine!
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first timeyou will want to check out Season 1 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^
This story is written for fun and for the enjoyment of the fans. It's for my enjoyment of the fans specifically. I'm enjoying all of you. Anyway, I don't own Disney, Zootopia, or any character herein. Enjoy the story!
Also! A HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 2! I injured my left hand stick-fighting back in the day (longer ago than I care to mention) and as a result it occasionally lags a little. The word that is affected most is "to". It gets written as "ot" a LOT. It's Squire's mission to search and destroy those. You guys can always tell if I release before he gets a chance to do a full edit because those are still in there.
Guardian Blue: Season Two
Episode 10: Away
Judy kept telling herself that the plane would be safer than and not nearly as chaotic as the Roar-a-Coaster, but that did not calm her heart down as the small jet taxied out onto the runway. She was ridged and tense in her greatly over-sized aisle seat as the red fox beside her looked casually out the window. The engines were so loud and the thrum of that noise shook the whole cabin. Did it have to be that powerful? What if the engines were only a tiny bit less powerful, would they just fall? Was the pilot happy today, or was he having a 'crashie into the side of a mountain' sort of day? Why even buckled into a seat that she could slide side to side a good two feet in? Despite the bunny's logical brain immediately swatting down all of these thoughts as they blew through her mind, she could not make her brain stop with the parade of doom as the plane held position while the pilot waited for clearance to take off.
"You okay?" Nick asked as he looked over to his partner. Judy looked down and found she was gripping his paw tightly. She let it go, but he flipped his paw and took hers kindly. She didn't have to let go. Judy took a deep breath. Nick could easily tell she was anxious.
"I've never been on a plane before." She admitted.
"Neither have I. But, I promise it's safer than fighting bears." He grinned warmly. Judy gave a shaky sigh and tensed again as the plane began moving onto the runway.
"I know it's not like me. I just… I feel the whole thing shaking and I don't know if I'm supposed to," she murmured.
Nick nodded forward a bit to indicate Judy should look ahead. He half-whispered, "Well, Pembe there, near the front, he comes to Zootopia a lot, remember?" Judy nodded at that, looking up at the rhino who took up two seats on his side of the plane. His hyena attendants, one male and one female, were on his left in the opposite two seats. "I can't really see him from my seat, but you probably can. If he starts acting anxious, then you can wonder if something's wrong. He flies all the time." Judy leaned into the aisle a bit and watched the rhino. He appeared to be reading a book that was comically tiny in his huge paws. That was an unconcerned rhino. She leaned back again.
"Okay, that's a little comforting at least, thanks Niiiii-" She gritted her teeth as the engines suddenly roared to life and the plane began accelerating down the runway. The fox leaned a little and pulled her head up to his chest, covering her slicked-back ears with his gentle paw. The whole while the bunny could only hold her breath and repeat to herself that none of that was normal. Mammals should not move this way. Flying was crazy. She could feel how fast the plane was moving and it seemed so dangerous. The bunny's stomach turned as she felt the plane pitch up and the rumbling lessened as wheels left the ground.
"It's okay. Just breathe deep, Judy." Nick said. She did so and got a world full of fox-musk since she was tucked tight to his chest. She felt a sudden shameful level of euphoria. This was not the public image she should be presenting, she knew. She eventually forced herself to sit back, but her partner kept her paw in his. The plane continued to climb and pitched right a bit, startling her so she squeezed his paw a little harder. Eventually things calmed down and less motion was immediately noticeable. It let the bunny calm down a bit and she finally released Nick's paw. Her partner smiled at her, and said nothing. Judy felt silly for how upset the takeoff had made her, but it was over at least.
Self-consciously she looked around to see if anyone else had noticed that shameful display. Most around her were concerned with whatever was on their headphones or in books or magazines. It was a long flight. However, one face was turned to her and looked a little taken aback. A slightly older lady pig, nicely dressed and very tidy, stared at her with a little bit of surprise.
Judy put her ears back and chuckled nervously, "First time flying. It feels really unnatural for a bunny." She wanted to dismiss the notion that she was in any way easily frightened.
"I can see that," the pig said in a kind tone, smiling and nodding. "Officer Judy Hopps, right?" she asked. The bunny nodded. It was not a surprise that folks knew her. She'd been on the news so much that she'd just gotten used to the idea that a lot of mammals would recognize her, especially in uniform. The pig continued talking as Judy, whose stomach was beginning to settle, offered no immediate conversation. "I'm Aggie Porcintia. I work for Council-mammal Swinton." Judy perked up at that information. She knew that Swinton was seeking support from The Interior, so it was interesting to run into one of her employees on this flight.
"Nice to meet you." Judy said, putting her little paw out. The lady pig nodded but did not take it. Judy put her ears up curiously. Maybe she was a germ-a-phobe or something. She did seem really tidy and well put together. The bunny awkwardly withdrew her unshaken paw.
"Are you two on official ZPD business?" asked Aggie.
"We are, yes. If you see us in uniform, it's always official," Judy explained. She looked back at her partner who was fixated on the window. Nick did not appear to be afraid of flying, and was very interested in the view. She just knew he was leaving nose-smudges on the window. She looked back at the pig who seemed suddenly unamused.
"Needed to check with him?" she asked with a condescending tone. Judy lifted her ears curiously. What was that about?
"Not really, no. I just-" Judy started, unsure why she even needed to answer for looking at her partner.
Aggie rolled her eyes a bit and cut Judy off. "I know. You just answer to a predator driven department," the pig stated. "Hey, I understand. It's not fair, but I understand." Judy looked blankly at the pig. That wasn't it at all.
"I'm not sure what you are getting at exactly, but you do know that the chief of police isn't a predator, don't you?" she asked.
"But he was appointed by one, wasn't he?" Aggie inquired. Judy furrowed her brow and laid her ears back. She was starting to get a little offended. "I know you are just doing the job you wished your whole life for. I know all about you, dearie… but don't blind yourself to the politics of it all. Swinton's intended role is to restore the balance."
"Uh…" Judy wanted her to stop right there. Nick was right beside her and she was not going to sour his enjoyment of his first plane trip with that kind of garbage.
The pig continued. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't like predators, I do just fine." Judy watched the pig's eyes dart down then back up. She was lying. Of course she was, she wouldn't shake Judy's paw because she had been holding Nick's. Now the bunny was quietly seething. "But… they are over-represented in the current political system due to appointments under Lionheart who was obviously incredibly biased."
"You do realize that Lionheart's policies were why I was allowed to become an officer in the first place, right?" she asked.
Aggie chuckled haughtily. "Oh sweetie, you were definitely not the intended target of that policy. Lionheart couldn't have dreamed a bunny would even bother try out, let alone succeed in the academy. Even with the academy being dumbed down for the influx of wolves, you were a shot out of left field for him." Judy was a little alarmed at the sudden desire to bite Aggie. Maybe the fox really was rubbing off on her. "Anyway, all I'm saying is that there's no need for predators to hold 48 percent of the ruling body as representatives of 90 percent of the population who are not predators. Swinton speaks for all mammals, and predators will still have appropriate representation. For the past year they have been adding unnecessary protections because of the whole Bellwether fiasco and those need to be rolled back. All mammals are understood to already have the same general protections predators are demanding."
Judy narrowed her eyes at that before slowly saying, "Perhaps you didn't read the legislation yourself then, so I should point out that all of the additional protection legislation that went through and was nearly unanimously approved by the council did not use the word predator even once. The writers of those protections were very specific in the verbiage they used to include all mammals, so that we might all enjoy the promise that we would never be maligned because of what we are." The pig scowled at that, before waving a split hoof at the bunny.
"You must be real popular at family gatherings, yeesh." She stated bluntly. Judy bristled and felt a ping of rage, but exhaled slowly. No. She was not going to smear the department she was representing while wearing the uniform with taking the bait from this lady. She suddenly feared, however, that Nick might be defensive and snap at Aggie. He wouldn't protect himself, Judy knew, but he had a history of interjecting when it was Judy being attacked. She looked briefly back at him, but found he was still mashed against the window. He might have needed to so that he could hide his expression, Judy thought. Nick avoiding arguments like these because he felt they were always pointless. She looked back at the pig who seemed genuinely irritated suddenly. Aggie huffed, "Are you so starved for approval in that messed up system of the Zootopia Predator Department that you feel you need the approval of a fox?"
Judy blazed inside, but calmly answered. "I don't need to defend myself from your opinion, nor do I need him to defend me, but I do value my partner. I would risk my life for him any minute of the day and I know he'd do the same for me. He nearly died saving a child, so whatever opinion you have by virtue of him being a predator, it's immediately void to me." Judy felt that this was level-headed and safe to say. It was supportive, but not antagonizing. That was the way. Nick was probably proud of her for saying it.
The pig absolutely sneered. She seemed to really hate being contradicted at all. "He only saved that wolf pup because it was a predator, dearie. Had it been a bunny, I promise your report would have been very different that day." Judy was instantly at her breaking point. She wanted to give this pig the bear-treatment so bad her teeth literally itched from it. Her heart was hammering in her chest as if she'd just finished a five mile run.
Before she could say anything, however, her mind spinning for the right thing to say, a large black shape emerged over the seat ahead of the pig. Aggie looked up and found herself nose to nose with one of the largest wolves Judy had ever seen. Aggie froze, a horrified expression on her face as gleaming white teeth bared a long, horrible snarl spilled from the wolf.
The black-furred female wolf wore an outfit that had a simple tribal flare to it and boasted bright colors, yellow and red primarily, making it appear she was likely from the Interior. Judy's heart raced for a different reason suddenly. She did not want to have to arrest someone for defending her.
Judy stated with a tight chest, "It's alright, her words are inconsequential to me."
The lady wolf murmured darkly, her yellow eyes tracking over to the bunny, "You are a credit… to your family and your species, bunny. I am not so patient and forgiving. Apologize to the officer." she growled.
"Are you threatening me?" the pig asked smugly. "You are really gonna force this cop to arrest you when we land while you think you are standing up for her? She won't enjoy that."
The wolf loomed over her with a cold expression, and then said in a lower tone, "You are wrong, I only demand you show respect. I cannot inflict a wound greater than the one you've already delivered upon yourself."
The pig sat up a little, showing that she was over that initial fear. "Mind your business. Your attitude suffers from the unusual level of autonomy your lawless tribes have lived under for so long. Those days will soon be over. Anyone will be able to live out here without having to worry about panting, drooling, self-important nosey bullies. So sit down." Judy's clenched her fists. She was going to have to pull a wolf off a pig at ten kilometers in the air.
The wolf, however, only smiled wickedly. "You're right, of course." She crossed her arms over the back of her seat, resting her chin on them, her tail wagging against the back of the seat it bumped up against. "Our lives are all changing, but only because the heart of the world beats ever closer to our own. Those wisest among us have seen it. We will join the world. You just do not realize…. It is not your world which waits for us all." She then turned and sat down again. Aggie looked as if she was fuming as she stared at the seat ahead of her impotently.
She then turned to Judy and indicated the seat. "This is why we need balance." She then turned and scooted into the seat by the window and looked outside, obviously tired of talking to mammals who did not agree with her. Judy rolled her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm down. She scooted closer to Nick and put a little bunny paw on his back as he watched quietly out his own window.
"I'm so sorry you had to hear that…" the bunny said softly. She always felt personally hurt when he was attacked for such a dumb, contrived reason.
Nick turned around suddenly, a grin on his face. "This is just so amazing! I had a friend when I was really little who had this great big train set he and his uncle made in their basement. Everything was miniature and it looked just like this! You really should take a peek if you feel up to it, it's crazy!" Judy looked blankly at Nick. He hadn't heard any of it. Her blank expression puzzled him, so he asked softly, "You don't have to of course, if you don't want to. You okay?" he asked. Judy's heart melted a bit. She was actually glad her partner had, in his excitement, been so oblivious. She turned and looked at the pig, who was not paying attention anymore. As the fasten seatbelts sign had already been turned off, she climbed forward onto her knees over Nick's legs and joined him, looking out the window. It was perhaps not the most elegant portrayal in uniform but she suddenly had absolutely no room for shame in the presence of that pig, and just enjoyed her first plane flight with Nick.
The four hour flight out of Zootopia had fortunately gone on without any additional problems. The pig seemed to realize that there was not a drop of kindred spirit in the bunny. Judy could not be too surprised that Aggie thought there might be. After all, the awful press conference made the suggestion that Judy was not so different. She was glad to have put a brick wall in front of that notion, at least with the lady pig. The bunny had gotten bored of the scenery long before Nick did. He was still enraptured by it nearly the entire flight. Judy listened to music on her MP3 player, interrupted only once when they flew by what looked like a rainstorm not far away. The view of the entire storm from so high up excited the fox a great deal. The pig had glanced over as Judy sat back down from it and mouthed what was probably the word 'simple'. But, Judy didn't care. If Nick loved the clouds, that was beautiful to Judy, not simple.
The plane began descending, and that involved more pitching and turning which made the bunny uncomfortable again. Fortunately the landing was pretty smooth and seemed to take less time than the takeoff did. Perhaps it only felt like that because she was not dreading departing the plane as much as she had been the flight itself. They far more quietly taxied into place at their point of arrival. Nick seemed satisfied and happy, his eyes bright and curious. Judy dismissed the pig's opinion as she lovingly looked up at her fox. She liked seeing this side of him. She decided to not leave their seats until the pig was gone in case she had any intention of making any dumb remarks on the way out. She wanted to preserve happy, enthralled Nick if she could.
Fortunately, without comment, the pig took her carry-on and left. Nick took the small carry-on which contained Ukweli out from under the seat in front of him and once the plane seemed to have cleared out, Judy stepped into the aisle. The lady wolf stepped out into the aisle as well. She had been waiting. Judy smiled at her and tried to avoid saying anything that would reveal to Nick what had happened. He really didn't need to know that.
"It was nice meeting you…?" the bunny offered, trying to get a name.
"Danni Canus." She gladly offered a large paw to be shaken. Judy took it. "That pig… she is just the ugly last struggle of the world that is fading away. Do not listen to her."
"Listen to what?" Nick asked. Judy's heart sank.
"A pretty closed-minded lady beside us had some unflattering things to say about politics. The usual stuff." Judy said, trying to dismiss it.
The large lady wolf got her carry-on from the overhead bin since she was tall enough to effectively use it. She said with a grunt, "It breaks my heart that… oof… that this is so common-place to you two that you do not even find it intolerable anymore. That lady represented an actual representative party in Zootopia. How can it be that it is so easily dismissed after everything that's happened in your city?" Nick seemed a little distressed suddenly, perhaps because he realized that he hadn't been paying attention at all while Judy was going through that.
"It's okay Nick, just one of Swinton's lackeys representing the reason why that candidate is polling worse than fleas right now." Nick and the wolf both laughed at rare political humor from Judy and it seemed to immediately dispel the tension. They all walked out together into the much smaller if still perfectly modern airport terminal. Skye and Jack were standing out in the seating area. They were patiently waiting. Judy felt bad to have made them wait but she really didn't want to deal with that pig.
Danni held her arms out as she turned to the fox and bunny as they entered the terminal proper. She grinned and said in a flaring, deep voice, "Allow me to extend my welcome, officers, to the city of Makali. It's the last modern city of the civilized east. Dark secrets and hidden magic abound! Eyes and ears open, and you will see things never before seen, and hear stories older than your family lines. Be safe." She bowed to them and padded off. Jack walked up to them with Skye walking alertly behind him. She was, it seemed, still playing the part of a body guard.
"Friendly lady!" the buck chuckled. "I'm looking forward to some of that hidden magic myself. Some of the legends and sayings and history here are so spooky."
"You two realize that we won't be doing much exploring, right?" Judy asked. "We do have a purpose here."
Jack chimed brightly, "…Which we will have taken care of in no time, leaving a little time to experience this place in full. Be positive!"
Skye laughed at that and shook her head. "I expect some interesting stories and a lot of old, interesting places, but you don't really expect magic in this place, do you?"
"I've always wanted to see the real deal." Jack stated.
"You… You're serious, you believe that stuff?" Skye asked, taken aback.
"You don't? Not ever?" Jack asked. Judy looked back and forth between them as they walked ahead of them to the baggage carrousel to get their larger bags.
Skye laughed a bit louder. "Goodness, no. You've seen my book shelves. Science and Engineering is my territory. Not a lot of room to just… blame magic for how things work."
Jack seemed undaunted. "That sounds kinda boring, only looking for the things you understand and trying to understand everything you don't. Don't you ever just look at something at let yourself be in awe? I will certainly point out anything magical and amazing when I see it."
"If you point at my butt I'm gonna punt you." Skye said over her shoulder with a grin. Jack put his paw down and Nick and Judy laughed. Maybe it would be better to have them around, even if it made the case a little more complicated. They retrieved their luggage and wandered outside. There were mammals waiting to be picked up by various vehicles, but the one that Judy and Nick needed was already there, waiting. A simple small white van with somewhat over-sized tired that looked like they were made for driving through mud had a little sign in the windshield that simply said "Siri Shamba - ZPD". It was sunny and very hot outside so Judy and Nick moved toward the vehicle in hopes it would be air-conditioned, but there was a sudden call from Jack.
"Aggie, you decided to get some fresh air?" Judy gritted her teeth, not realizing that Jack might have known or even been friends with that awful lady. Judy wanted to flag the buck down and tell him that they didn't have time, their ride was waiting, but he was already walking up to her with Skye at his side. The next words out of Jack's mouth Judy did not expect. "While you are here, might I recommend drinking a lot of unfiltered water and sampling without hesitation many of the beautiful toxic plants so that you may suffer the vacation you've always deserved."
"That's the lady that was sitting beside us?" Nick asked.
"This is bad," Judy stated flatly.
Aggie sneered at the male bunny, looking down at him and predictably ignoring his fox companion. "Nice to see you too, Jack. I hope that you take it easy and enjoy a relaxing full-body trampling by the lawless savages you have been trying to exploit to sell more movie tickets." Judy gritted her teeth, not sure if it would help matters by making it apparent that Jack was travelling with the ZPD when there was obviously already some bad blood between them.
"Good luck on selling your fearless leader's 'Outside Tribal Council' proposal. I suspect they will welcome you with song and dance in their eagerness to surrender the pristine lands and way of life to Swinton's unending desire for more of everything. Tah!" The buck then very flamboyantly turned and literally sashayed away, heading for the van. Skye, looking a bit dumbfounded at that, simply followed Jack silently, her tail swaying gleefully at the obviously teasing manner in which her lapine lover was walking away. Aggie sneered darkly and went back to waiting by the curb for her ride.
"Not a friend, I take it?" Nick asked as he buckled in beside Judy and Jack did the same by the vixen.
The striped bunny answered casually, "As you know, it was never my intention to run for office. I did so mostly to suck up Swinton's spotlight and then redirect it back onto her when she started becoming desperate and pandering to folks who were openly still in Bellwether's corner. Swinton is too blind to understand her unbalanced and ridiculous policies or notice the overwhelming presence of bigots in her party. So of course her numbers dropped like parking availability before a Gazelle concert. But they blame my interference and cried foul when I made it clear I wasn't actually running for any public office." Nick nodded at that in understanding as the van pulled out of the parking lot and began heading down what was a surprisingly rural road. Judy was shocked at the sheer size of the trees out here. The Rainforest District had huge trees but those had only been growing, even with direct and continuous special care, for about sixty years or so. These had likely been here longer than Zootopia itself had existed.
"She took her time to insult Judy, it seems." Nick stated.
"I should have antagonized her worse then." Jack stated bluntly.
Judy deflected the topic. "We have more important things to attend to. When we get to Siri Shamba, you two will get everyone checked in at the inn there." From what Judy understood, the 'Inn' was just a four bedroom home that was rented out temporarily to travelers and scientists pretty routinely, not an actual inn by any stretch, but it was still listed as that when Nick asked about accommodations. Judy continued, "Nick and I can head out to take care of our duty there." She referred to, of course, giving Ukweli's remains back to his family and village.
Skye murmured softly as the vehicle lurched a bit on uneven roads, "Yeah, I don't really want to be involved in all that. It's gotta be one of the worst things you two have to do as officers."
"Certainly, yes." Judy answered. "We don't have to do it much, though. The ZPD has officers who are better trained for this specific task, but we were better for this one." Judy did not, in fact, feel she and Nick were better for this one. She knew it was more the case that they would cause too much distraction taking back to the streets again and Bogo was enjoying the peace and quiet that he'd been given without them causing media attention on his department. They did this pretty relentlessly.
"You have work in Siri Shamba?" asked the driver, a somewhat portly-looking impala. He had a very slight accent which made him pronounce things more carefully than he needed to.
"Just a bit. A thing that needs taken care of." Judy answered with a non-answer.
The driver responded, "It is a small place. Very close knit. If you are going to arrest someone, they know you are coming, probably. You will never find who you are there to take. Not ever."
"It's not anything like that, it's alright. This is a service call, not a legal matter." Judy would be happy to not talk about the case to anyone. This part of it she was not even allowed to investigate or talk about.
Jack volunteered only a little bit more, causing Judy to tense up. "ZPD officers do not handle arrests out here anyway, that's all ZBI stuff."
The driver grinned after that, seeming more relaxed and cheerful suddenly. "Ah, I see. Well, the town you go to, it is small, but the mammals there are friendly. They will be happy to meet you. I am pretty sure they have never seen a bunny. The kids will be so excited." Judy smiled and nodded, holding hope that it would go well despite how unhappy the news they were bringing was. She remembered the fox kits that she encountered during her visit to New Reynard. They had never seen a bunny either and the excitement and curiosity in their eyes was heart-warming to Judy. She was sad they would not be able to do much outreach and public relations. There was a real opportunity here to let the mammals who lived so far from Zootopia hear what life was like there.
Most of the conversation that followed was about the natural splendor that they all saw. They failed to see a single unnatural structure for over two hours of driving. Jack and Nick seemed the most deeply enthusiastic about it. Skye was equally fascinated that her phone had no signal which she'd never experienced since first getting her phone. It had really dawned on her how out of the way they really were. The driver talked a bit about how long the road they were on had been there, and how it was one of the oldest still-used roads in the entire world.
They eventually arrived at a small gravel parking area which probably only fit about six mid-size cars and two large. It was not what Judy would label a parking lot, really. The driver parked and they got out. Nick paid him and tipped him well, something Judy was fond of about the fox. He was generous when it came to gratitude. The driver was enthusiastic about this and Nick shrugged off the counter-gratitude.
A path lead into the dense forest which looked to be the only way other than the road back in the direction they'd just come. The place they found themselves at that point was likely quite a bit higher elevation as it didn't seem to be nearly as hot. It was also very shady, which helped, and the cool breeze felt good as they approached the clearly marked dirt path.
Judy turned and smiled at the driver as he got back into the van, saying to him, "So, it's just a little way up this path to get to the village?" The slightly rotund impala burst into a fit of laughter and quickly pulled out of the parking lot. The bunny looked back at the departing mammal with a bit of confusion then back at her partner. Nick's ears were folded back in stunned silence. "…then, maybe it's not such a short distance. Well, good thing we're back in shape," the doe sighed.
"I love hiking." Skye said cheerily, taking Jack's paw in hers and their bag pulled up with the other over her shoulder before heading up the path. Jack appeared to have no problem letting the fox carry their bags and Skye seemed perfectly happy to do it. Judy looked around at the empty lot, the quiet road, and the lush ancient forest around them. She then smiled and held out her paw to Nick.
The red fox smiled and took it, tail hooking a bit behind Judy's legs as they began walking together. He said wryly, "It's not improper if there's not a witness." He rolled the suitcase behind him over the dirt path and Judy held the pack that contained Ukweli slung over her opposite shoulder.
One of the most immediate revelations as the group of four began their hike was that it was pretty much entirely uphill. This was not a problem for Nick or Judy, and Skye was honest in her love for hiking, so she was enjoying the lush vegetation and beautiful flowers she saw along the way. Jack, however, was less enthusiastic about the uphill climb. His legs were shorter than Skye's, and he was not trained for endurance like Judy. He was not a weak bunny. His body was strong enough; he just wasn't used to that specific kind of exercise. This resulted in him lagging behind.
While the trees around the airport had been larger than these, this forest was more dense, and seemed much darker around the path. At times it was impossible to tell if it was still even day time, and Judy had to hold closer to Nick and rely on his better night vision. The smell of wildflowers was carried on the wind and that was actually comforting to Judy because it reminded her of the fox she was walking with. The scent of the damp forest floor and the slight acrid scent of rotting wood was there too. The walk was peaceful with the predominant sound being a myriad of unseen birds and the heavy occasional whooshing of wind over the top of the still massive trees.
They reached a little opening on some slightly more level ground which featured a rather crude picnic table with a single attached bench. It was intended for mid-sized mammals and was a welcomed rest stop. Jack hopped up on the table itself, sitting on it and Judy and Skye sat down on the bench. Nick said if he sat down he'd regret getting back up. This caused Judy to worry a bit about his leg, but he didn't complain beyond that. As it was healing Judy made Nick promise that he would stop and rest if he was overdoing it, so she trusted him to keep that promise and opted not to mother him.
Nick saw a sign that was somewhat obscured by a low-hanging branch so he lifted it to look. The language was not familiar but the symbol was certainly familiar.
Nick looked back at the others and said, "Might want to check around you to be on the safe side." Judy looked at the symbol and slowly moved to stand away from the table, regarding her bench cautiously. Skye was a lot faster in motion, immediately standing on top of it and looking a bit distressed.
"Jaaaaaack, what's that sign say?" the white vixen asked.
"Hatari. Buibui," he read casually, slowly pulling his legs up onto the table the rest of the way, ears falling back.
The vixen spoke in a slow and measured tone. "Am I… to understand by the picture on the sign… that this means 'spiders?'. Not a fan of spiders, gonna be real open about that right now."
"Spider Danger is pretty much what it says," Jack clarified needlessly. Nick finished looking under the table and around.
"All clear here," he stated. "I assume if a sign is needed, we will want to try to avoid anything with more legs than us." He nodded at that.
"I vote we resume our hike." Judy said bluntly.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Jack grunted, hopping down from the table.
"You know about The Interior from all the studying you've done, Squeaker, you better tell me about this spider." Skye demanded, walking closer to him. Judy's ears perked at that, but it seemed that Nick's ears managed to perk more.
Her partner's response was immediate. "Squeaker?"
"Crap." Skye huffed.
"Thank you so much Skye, I am sure Nick will never remember that," the buck said, slowly turning to look at his foxy girlfriend with wide blue eyes. She looked back at him meekly.
"I was stressed?" she offered.
"I'm gonna have to change my color to 'intrigued' on my ID when I get it renewed," Nick said mirthfully. "Why Squeaker?"
"Uhh…" Skye drawled out, ears back.
"Judy," Jack called back to her as she took Nick's paw again, "If Nick asks where that nickname came from or abuses it in public, you are to drop an embarrassing personal fact about him on the spot each time he does it. This is only fair."
Judy rolled her eyes. "That won't work, Jack. To embarrass Nick he'd have to have, somewhere in his smug self, an ounce of shame."
Nick nodded at Jack with his grin spread stereotypically wide. "That's right, sorry Squeaker."
Skye spoke immediately in a pleasant voice. "Nick once attempted to get into modeling like… four years ago." Judy regarded a sudden look of panic on her partner's face. "They only called him in for one shoot and it resulted in a billboard directly across the street from our apartments with a pouty Nick face and an advertisement for fast acting laxative." Judy and Jack both burst into heavy laughter and Nick tilted his head back, grimacing. Skye grinned. "I've got more."
"Oh please." Judy laughed.
"I concede!" Nick cried, shaking his head. Judy laughed again. Her partner glanced over at Jack and attempted, predictably, to change the subject. "So, Jack, do tell Skye all about buibui. Please."
"It's not that important." Jack said, immediately trying to deflect.
"Oh no, I need to be educated," Skye replied, suddenly much more serious. "Come on. Are they big?" Jack inhaled deeply and sighed. Skye whimpered softly, "Not instilling confidence Jack. How big are they? Seriously."
"I mean…" Jack started, looking away, obviously anxious, "I don't think I could pick one up, but you or Nick I think could definitely lift one." Skye gave a sinking whine and said absolutely nothing else.
Judy slowed down as well, suddenly more worried about the spiders than she'd initially been. Surely Jack was joking. He had to be joking. Still, no one said anything after that, and Judy was left furtively scanning the undergrowth for something with eight legs too heavy for her to lift. Nick was walking a little slower and Judy was sure his leg was fatigued. The bone was fine but not using it for so long had made it a bit uneven for exercise. Nick didn't complain, but Judy knew he was hiding it. She found that the others did not mind a slower pace, however.
"Look, there's the village." Nick said, pointing up ahead as they crested another hill. Judy looked up and slowed her walking, having to be pulled along behind Nick a little bit. When they were told they would be going to an outer village to bring Ukweli's remains home, she had pushed out stereotypical thoughts. She did not want to assume that it would be thatched huts and crude cabins arranged in a circle around a large fire pit, but as they topped the hill, there it was. And it was exactly that. There seemed to be more dwellings up the hill from the flatter point, and another path to the left of the largest hut which suggested there was more to the village. It was still the most primitive thing Judy had ever seen.
Skye spoke a bit breathlessly. "Oh wow. This… I am going to remember this for the rest of my life. Thank you so much for bringing me here, Jack." As they came under a wooden arch with a sign that Judy assumed was the name of the village, she noticed two lycaons sitting on a couple of stumps, facing one another. They were dressed in colorful fabric tunics and darker colored trousers similar to what the lady wolf on the plane had been wearing. They both stood up, eyes filled with concern more than cheer at the sudden visitors.
Jack went with Skye and spoke slowly to the pair. They seemed to relax a little at whatever he was saying, and pointed to one of the larger huts one tier up the hill and well to the left of the village center. It was no more than a five or ten minute walk away. Judy marveled at how small and close-knit the little settlement actually was, and suddenly dreaded why she was here. It was such a peaceful place and they were there to inflict a great harm upon that peace. Jack spoke a bit more, and got much more concerned glances, but another location was pointed out, one in the opposite direction. It was a much smaller hut a bit down the hill to the right of where they stood.
Finally, the two lycaons sat back down, facing one another. They did not seem to want to engage with Jack anymore. The buck stood there by the stumps where they sat and said a few more things, but they didn't respond. His ears went back, making Judy feel like they were not responding favorably to him at that point. Jack turned and he and Skye walked back to where Nick and Judy had remained.
He said in a hushed tone, "The hut we're staying is up the hill there. Looks like the nicest place in the village, so they like getting visitors. Buuuut, they clammed up when I asked where Ukweli lived. All I got from them was that I would not be needed for translation there. Either his family is not popular, or those two just don't want anything to do with what's happened. Understandable for how quiet it looks here."
Judy nodded in agreement as Skye took their suitcase from Nick. She was fine even after that hike uphill to carry it. Jack helped by taking the smaller one Skye had been carrying, at least.
The vixen said softly, "I know this part really sucks, Judy. Take care of that, and we will do something more pleasant when you get back, okay? It'll be fine." The doe nodded again and looked at Nick. He wore a somber expression and tipped his muzzle in the direction of the smaller, suddenly lonely-looking hut. Judy followed him down the hill on the path toward it as Jack and Skye headed for their over-night residence. The two Lycaons closed their eyes, facing one another again and not speaking or looking, shutting out the bearers of bad news entirely. This visit was probably not going to be very social.
After a few minutes of quiet walking Judy stood at the light wooden door of the hut, looking up at it. It certainly looked cozy enough, but the windows were shuttered which made it seem a bit ominous. Nick tapped on the door gently. There was a pause, and then the door opened. Standing in the doorway unexpectedly was a rather large female hyena. She was nearly larger than the already very big wolf they met on the plane. She was wearing drab colors, grey-woven wool it looked like. It was a simple tunic and something that appeared to be half skirt, half loincloth in design. She looked down at the uniformed officers and her curious expression melted to one of despair. She turned and walked into the hut, leaving the door open. Judy looked curiously at Nick, who shrugged and walked in after her.
"We weren't invited." Judy hissed lightly.
"Good afternoon." Nick said, ignoring that. "I'm Officer Nick Wilde, and this is Officer Judy Hopps, we work for the Zootopia Police Department," he explained. This was a pretty definitively memorized greeting when they would show up to question someone. Judy's ears were more sensitive than Nick's, so she was keyed in better to sudden changes in breathing if a mammal they were talking to was hiding something. Because of this, Nick greeting first had become pretty standard.
The hyena sat down and put her paws between her knees, closing her eyes and keeping her head down.
"Did Interior Affairs contact you yet about our visit?" Nick asked. She shook her head. The fox gave a nervous glance at Judy. Perhaps it was just because the place was so out of the way. Skye didn't have cell signal, it was likely no one here did.
Judy took a turn to speak. "Are you acquainted with a lycaon by the name of Ukweli?"
She answered in a heavy tone, "I am only one who is being his acquaintance." Nick perked his ears at that, giving Judy another anxious glance. It did not sound like Ukweli left a very welcoming place.
Judy was not sure how to tell her the next part, so Nick stepped in. "I am very sorry to bring you this news…"
The hyena interrupted, "He is dead. If he were not it would be him here and not you."
"I'm really sorry." Judy offered, sympathy rising in her voice. The attachment was likely a lot stronger if this was his only friend.
"How did it happen?" she asked bluntly.
Judy really was not looking forward to that question, but she was glad to get it out of the way. She inhaled deeply and sighed before stating softly, "We are not sure of all the details yet but…"
Nick decided to finish for her as the bunny was struggling with the wording. "It appears he got into a fight with someone in his hotel room. He was killed in the fight. We do not know more than that, as we only found him some time later."
Her next words were slow, barely above a whisper. "Will you… capture who did this, or is he to be another kitu?" she asked.
"Kitu?" Judy asked.
The hyena sighed. "It is meaning something that one does not miss… a lost thing that does not… matter." Sorrow was heavy in her voice. Judy instinctively reached out and took one of the larger female's paws. She looked up, seeming a bit surprised at Judy's contact.
The bunny spoke softly. "He matters. Our department will do what we can, but the Interior would be the one really heading that investigation. We are not the ones who are searching for his killer."
The hyena took her paw away suddenly. "If you are not looking, then I assure you, no one is looking. He is kitu. He should never have gone."
"Do you know why he went?" Nick asked. Judy gritted her teeth. He was not allowed to ask questions about Ukweli.
The hyena responded, "To correct a mistake he made. He was close with an outsider. A wolf. I do not know his name."
That was something they were allowed to ask about. Judy spoke up, "Was this an older wolf?" she asked.
"Yes, he was old, but he was grey anyway, like wolves can be. I do not know how old. I told Ukweli to stay away." Her voice rose in pitch at the end. She was getting upset.
"What's your name?" Nick asked kindly. Asking a simple and unrelated question was a normal tactic to calming someone down.
"Motti." She said, beginning to breathe heavier.
Judy explained softly, "Motti, the case of your friend-"
"Brother." Motti interrupted anxiously. Judy paused. Adoption maybe? A pact? She couldn't pretend to understand, but she continued.
"…Brother… His case is not ours to look into, but the case of the outsider… That one is something Nick and I can investigate. This wolf… he was also killed, separately at an earlier time. If we can find out what happened to him, we might be able to find justice for Ukweli too." The hyena regarded the pair skeptically for a moment, still breathing a bit heavily. She was clearly upset by all of this and Judy certainly understood.
"I… I thank you for whatever you can do. But understand… I suspect Justice to be denied for him. It is the way of this place… for us. Maybe it does not make sense in the city you are from… But here, unless you own land or have followers… you are kitu." Judy ached for how hopeless Motti sounded. She really wished that she and Nick were in charge of the investigation so she really could tell her everything possible was being done to find his killer.
Nick took out the mirror-polished canister and offered it to the hyena, who curiously took it. She turned it over a few times, clearly baffled by it. She looked at Nick expectantly. He explained, "These are your brother's remains. We brought them so that he may be put to rest in his home. That is the main reason we were sent." Motti's eyes widened and she opened the canister, which Judy had not expected. She looked inside, seeing only light grey dust. She looked back to Nick, a pained expression on her face.
"How are you supposed to know this is even him?!" she asked, raising her voice.
"He was not like this when he was found. He was cremated, per instruction of Interior Affairs, after he was found.
"You burned Ukweli… in the city?" Motti asked in a high pitched tone.
"We did not-" Judy asked.
"Wahalifu! You will not be able to find justice for Ukweli," Motti growled as she slowly and carefully closed the canister.
"I promise, we will do all we can." Nick said softly, trying to calm her.
Motti growled darkly, standing slowly and dropping the canister onto the wooden floor with a clunk. "You can do nothing. You will not get the chance… because I am going to kill you."