J Shute's Oneshots, Drabbles and Commissions

by J Shute

A collection of my smaller stories and misc oneshots. Includes fluff files done for Cimar's collection, Patreon stories and other random plot bunnies.

41. Fire Instinct Blue concept outline: S1

Fire Instinct Blue: Fic outline. Season 1: Carrot days.

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AN: Hello. First off, I'd like to thank you very much for your feedback last time. Both on this outline idea, and the huge amount of positive reviews for the 'Judy adopts older Nick' oneshot. The popularity and interest in that certainly did take me surprise (as well as the many reviewers who initially thought it was Bonnie doing it, even to the point of Judy being dead, I genuinely never intended that as a misdirect XD). Fortunately for you guys, I've been requested to follow on in that universe, so expect a few follow ups here and there going on.

But, that's for the future. For now, the massive outline I talked about! Combining Guardian Blue (by Alps Sarsis), Fire Triangle (Merc_Marten), some of my stuff, (a few other bits of stuff) and When Instinct/Night Falls (Upplet) into an entire, cohesive narrative. Or at least, a detailed outline of such, similar to 'how I'd fix it' takes you see on youtube channels such as Nando Vs Movies and The Closer Look.

Now, as said before, I will not write this entire thing out as it kind of feels superfluous given that 75-80% of it already exists, and you can look up to get the richer detail. However, for stuff that doesn't exist like that (scenes I made up entirely for this, or say the interactions of a new character inserted into an existing event) I'd be happy to write oneshots of those. (Indeed, I've included a few basic dialogue interactions here and there, breaking up the outline, in areas I really wanted to write).

Sidenote: In the comments last time I actually began musing about an audio adaptation, which I sort of feel more open towards, as again it doesn't feel redundant (though as you'll gather this was imagined very visually, so a fair bit will be lost)... Probably not a straight readthrough like I've done before of some small fics (if you're interested look through my past stuff and you'll find my podfic reading), but not a full audiodrama with a voice cast either (that would be way too complex). It'd probably be me reading with some sound effects, songs in, maybe the occasional second voice actor later on. I don't know. This is still a very speculative what if… And more to the point, it would be a lot of work and I don't think it should happen until I've finished off FFOZ season 2 and wrapped that story up.

Now, this whole thing will be very spoilerish for the fics people haven't read, so I'll be splitting this into the various seasons and, when we get to the actual outline, I'll put in a mark and list out from where/ which chapters the following stuff is taken. So, for instance, if you're half way through Fire Triangle season 1, you should be fine with the first 3 seasons of this outline.

Though note, plenty of stuff will have changes, what will be in here may well not be what happens in the fic of origin (though something very similar likely does), there's also a fair chunk of speculation and set-up on my part through this… Which could spoil or lead you in the wrong way, IDK. There are also honest things I forget about (for instance, the first scene from Thanks for the Fox is actually the first from GB season 1, I got them mixed up, but kept them that way as the 'cut' scene has a place a good way later where it can work even better) and, in that vein, places where things happen in a different order than before. Finally, this was originally written out with a very visual perspective in mind and things will be altered due to that (indeed, this is a kind of bugbear for me with the idea of doing an audiodrama version… Some of these visuals, movements, etc, are so strong in my mind that… well, you get the idea. But I digress, next year who knows where we might be!)

Now, you might still be confused about how this will work and how it'll come about. Here's a brief outline about the concept of this thing:

In the 1 in a million chance that Disney decides to see what the fans can do and adapt a fanfic into canon/tv… The most popular choice would be a direct adaptation of the Guardian Blue series which, up until I started reading Fire Triangle, I would agree with. While I prefer Fire triangle now, if I had executive choice I'd have to go with GB for the fandom, as it's not like you can have both…

Except I think you can, and this is here to let me jot it down once and for all. Note: It has been a long time since I read the early parts of GB, so apologies if some names are wrong/mixed up, some of the dialogue is a bit different, or some small scenes are forgotten (Srs, I've got multiple names from all sorts of fics mixed up in my time). Were this crazy thing to be given the go ahead, all source fics would have a hearty revisit.

Regardless, both series have prequels, then a segment in bunnyburrow, then their ongoing stories. I had the idea of having the prequels, then merging key highlights of the GB BB arc into the longer Fire triangle one (building on some later themes from GB Winter's Hearth to give some more compelling villains, and also pulling in Vivienne for the whole ride to give her more screen time). This would make a nice first series.

Then the rest of series 1 of GB (mixed with some investigation bits from series 3) would be series 2, series 2 of GB would be series 3, then you'd move on with the rest of the FT plot with some of the last bits of GB. The main GB sidestories would be incorporated where you expected them. The more I thought, the more this seemed like a good idea. The two series balanced each other out, some of the backstory in FT could be adapted to give certain GB characters really strong backstories and chemistry, and vice versa.

The extra length could also be used to expand and resolve some weaknesses with both fics. In GB's case, Skye's and Jack's relationship could be shown developing and greatly expanded using some of the stuff from my fics from the FFOZ series. Nick and Judy's story/ developing relationship was 90% of GB's focus, this makes it a much more ensemble story. It also allows the main bad guy in GB series 1 to really be expanded, with his personality, goals and operations being shown far more, and the investigation into him (using stuff from series 3) developed into far more than the original 'main cast being in the right place at the right time'. Likewise, using some things from some of my oneshots (relating the lion king lore into Zootopia) and adding in some bad guys from another series (Reino Del Sol, from 6wingdragons Neverwere moments) can expand the conflict from GB series 2 and tie it back to FT, with a riverboat chase scene added in by myself as it's cool.

In FT's case, Nick's mother gets a mega upgrade to start with. The long time between BB arc and rest of the series gives plenty of time to see its main OC living his life, maybe bringing in the old pre-zoot stories, and showing the bad guy organising his plans, while the GB stuff is happening in the meantime. Thus making it all the more powerful when the FT plot resumes and the hammer falls.

With Jack Savage's GB stuff over, he had a natural path into politics, one that can allow him to kinda take over the role of Claudia Nizhang from FT, making the role a much more invested one in the view of the audience. Finally, given the presence of Skye, a reworking of Nick's (admittedly in places OTT) backstory from FT can be done. The core elements are still there, but done a bit differently, with one central and large twist that has mega implications.

For the challenge, I also thought of how to bring in some of when instinct falls, primarily Vladzotz Fangpyre, Lucy Sang and the nocturnal mob. Fangpyre is brought in as a third mob boss in the city, alongside Mr Big and Rocco Peccari (the red pig) from FT, all playing into the plot from there (and merging into stuff from When Night Falls too). This needed a fair bit of adjustment to the season 2 plan to introduce them in, but I got it working very well. Similarly, lots from the politics plot and Nick's mayor run from WNF can be given to Jack. At the bare minimum, characters like Samantha and Neil, at the maximum the bad guy crew from WNF, acting as a rival bad team fighting the one from FT for influence over Zootopia.

AN: What follows is a number of general notes about larger things in the adaptation as a whole and choices I've made. I've tried to remove spoilerish stuff from it, but you might be able to eek out a few things. As they're more for those who've read these stories and might be confused (e.g. dealing with two characters from each who had the same name) I've broken them up into their respective fics, with a general section first for stuff that shouldn't cause an issue.

General:

Instead of the 'our world' geography of Fire Triangle, it'll use made up geography (to a degree) of Guardian Blue. Thus, instead of Zoo York in Fire Triangle, you'd have a made up city… I like the name Fenholt. (And I was thinking it could be based on a mix of the original DUMBO (from new york), Stockholm, Venice, Newcastle Upon Tyne and Porto. Built on a bunch of mesa like islands in a bay, meaning lots of verticality, the many waterways and quaysides crisscrossed by bridges and navigated by shuttle hovercrafts (including the air-link). Just like how Finneagels was in the DUMBO, here it's like some of the buildings near/ under the (Tyne) bridge. I can very much imagine Danny driving along the quayside, the lights on the many bridges ahead bright against the night but distorted by the pounding rain. Going under a massive bridge, whole buildings underneath it, she/he begins turning right, going up away from the water, back under the bridge again and then taking a sharp left, up a short sharp slope between two rows of buildings. Cresting the hill, there it is.

Zootopia (city) is the capital of the Zootopia Department of the United Mammal Federation. In Prologue one, a different capital of a different Department is shown. The interior is a protectorate of the UMF, various departments having their own relationships with it. If a federal capital is to be specified, maybe mention 'Concordia'.

Reino del Sol is a different nation, one that borders the interior.

It's made clear a few times that Doug Ramses is still on the run. Maybe including him on a ZBI most wanted list, just above Lucy Sang.

Skye originated from two concept art pics, showing a tan/sandy vixen with big ears, the first in a scuba suit and the second in mechanics overalls and with a tool box that seemed to say 'Skye' on it. There could be many species of fox that she is but ironically, one (based on that art) that she could never be is an arctic fox (the fact that other concept art shows arctic foxes rubs it in). She's only labelled as an arctic fox by most artists as Mead chose to make her one in one of her comics. I have her as a swift fox, but she could be any other large sandy fox (corsac, cape, a red fox with a champagne coat), and if we find that she was originally meant to be one of those (or heck, even a jackal), I'm happy to go with that.

Jack Savage from GB and Jack La Peigne from FT having the same first name is an issue. I'd say change LP's (e.g. to John, Luka) first name (he's known as La Peigne/LP in this outline) but also lean into them being bunnies. I've made them brothers, even twin brothers, in this outline, giving tons of space for chemistry and conflict.

Jack Savage's backstory could be that he started acting to raise money to help his brother, (the renamed Jack from Fire Triangle) when the brother had pituitary cancer (causing him to grow so big). A bit of a feelgood media storm, he was invited to star in Robin Hood as Skippy (doing so once his brother was cured and taking the stage name Savage), and acted so well he became a very popular child and then adult actor.

In Fire Triangle, a lot of mantles/ cues are taken from guido fox/ V from V for vendetta (basically anonymous/ million mask march without saying it is). In this story, given the prevalence of Robin Hood in fox culture, that kind of stuff pulls from Robin Hoodthis instead. Bonus points if there's a V for Vendetta style Robin Hood movie out starring a character voiced by Hugo Weaving (H for Honour). And Jack Savage as one of the bad guys (Sutler, Finch, etc).

The running jokes from GB (Nick and Judy ending up in compromising positions/ innuendo's, Judy eating meat, the GOT YOU coin, the fox-nose trumpet and the circle thing with Nick's ears) would be in the background, with more running jokes. Leading up through season 2, the two get closer and closer together, and do confess their love before the final showdown with the big bad.

Potential Fire Triangle spoiler notes:

It's frequently teased and hinted though never confirmed that the major Fire Triangle OC (Conor) is a son that Nick doesn't know he has, from an old flame in his backstory which ended tragically… If it is the case and the (blood) family connection is irreplaceably important, then Aunt Liska from Guardian Blue (noted as having died before and this being responsible for the events of Thanks for the Fox) could be the link… Handwave her as being emotionally unstable/mentally ill and having gone away and come back in that time (abandoning a young Conor in the process and never telling). Maybe she could be grandma Liska or something… It'd just be fun if the much younger Conor turned out to be Nick's uncle.

However, I feel that Conor just being a random fox would simply be better. Moreover, this set up gives the opportunity of some characters (I'm thinking Skye) going over and discovering the truth behind what happened to him, ideally having the same effect. With the extended time period, there's time for him to naturally get close to Vivienne Wilde, a found family connection growing there.

Seth Whitepaugh and Danny Tipperin from FT are gender swapped for reasons that become clear later, given that they are connected to Skye in this version rather than Nick as in Fire Triangle. Given that my Skye is a swift fox, it might be worth altering Danny's species too. I feel that an Aardwolf would be a nice choice (I'm running with it). Alternatively, keeping her as a Swift fox could allow a much closer relationship (beyond mentor/friend) between them be established, Skye at one point seeking comfort from all her trauma in her and sleeping with her.

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AN: Okay, all caught up? Good! Right. Following on is season 1 of 'Fire Instinct Blue'. This pulls from:

Fire Triangle prologue: Escape from Zoo York (Merc_Marten). (FT prequel)

Guardian Blue: Thanks for the Fox (Alps Sarsis). (GB prequel).

Fire Triangle part 1 (Merc_Marten): chapter 9 to chapter 50.

Guardian Blue season 1 (Alps Sarsis): chapter 1 to chapter 8.

Guardian Blue Winters hearth (Alps Sarsis): (minor spoilers, inspiration taken from it for a few scenes).

Now as I said, there'll be some things added from speculation in here, in some cases minor hints will be heavily reinforced, but any main spoilers should be confined to those chapters. I'll also be breaking down/ explaining everything in notes after. Though, for the two prequels, they'll both get their own set of notes. So, anyway… A la Monty Python… I'll GET ON WITH IT!

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Fire Instinct Blue: Season 1, episode 1.

Prologue part one: Last Dance at Finnagles.

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Opens over a new city being blanketed with rain (two airports are visible and established, planes show flying to both). A title reveals it as Fenholt City, one year before Zootopia's Nighthowler Crisis. With a lightning flash it focuses on the face of a female wolverine with a white paw (Sarah Whitepaugh, gender switched from Seth Whitepaugh from FT for reasons that'll become clear) on a phone, outside on a bridge or roof. Just her face and paws are shown as she picks up a phone, the screen splitting to show a picture of the callers eye/ half his face in the dark, grey muzzle and some stripes just visible. Asks if everything's set up, SW says it's getting there, the mammal then asking if she has any favourite quotes from history. Her eyes narrowing with annoyance, she answers no and he says he's been looking at ones from two mammals she may have heard of, Adolf Hirschler and Joseph Stagen (inducing an eye roll), asking if she finds it amusing that the two greatest mass murderers of all time were two deer with funny facial who hated each other. She says she supposes, he then says that Hirschlers quotes are generally boring uninspired rants, but Stagen… "Do you know what my favourite Stagen quote is? 'My greatest pleasure is to choose one's victim, prepare one's plans minutely, slake an implacable vengeance, and then go to bed. There's nothing sweeter in the world.' Sarah is silent, but smiles as he then goes on 'Sarah, I want us to go to bed tonight feeling wonderful...' She nods, and then looks down as a sports car goes past. Inside is a female (hyena, lioness, swift fox, it can vary. I think an Aardwolf would be best, allowing some convo playing off of hyena stuff in the background in later seasons) (Danielle), looking nervous, saying that it's a mistake. Gets out at the Finnagles nightclub, sighing, looking hurt. Retrieving a kits backpack from her car, she walks up and tells a kodiak bear guard not to be slacking off on tonight of all nights. He boasts he can take it, and she says that his species is overrated, there are worse. Small ones that can tear down things bigger than him, and dozens coming here very soon, including one she wishes to never see again. A bird craps on her car, without even looking she whips out a dart gun and tranqs it mid air, before going to clean it. The guard says she should get Dylan to do it, but she says she's getting Dylan out of here… Picking up her tone, he asks why she's nervous… 'This is a mistake'.

Inside, she encounters the son of the Mister (the Don), Jr, a sea mink who's a petulant jerk. With another relative of the Don, Keiran (aka the hacker, the druid), they rebuke him, but he runs for daddy. The Mister refuses to let them speak, saying that with one phonecall he can send them back to prison, only this time they won't be innocent. Jr is pulling faces as he speaks. Jr leaves, and he then asks them nicely if everything is set. Dannielle shows that they have lavender 'Reino' diamonds ready to smuggle in candy, Kieran that they have an armoured PC with all the data on it and they're ready to 'Thunderchild' it out onto the wide web if 'they' try anything. The Mister nods, telling Danielle to get Dylan out early so they can't take him, they'll be sending him back on their terms.

In the bathroom, Danny and the sea mink despair about where their life is right now. About how they could do better, how they were innocent but jailed because of their species, how they shouldn't screw with these mammals and that this is walking into a trap (though at least they're as prepared as they can be). Kieran says that this is revenge for Wex and they know it. When Danielle mentions that that mammal is coming, the one from prison, Kieran practically craps himself in fear… However the worst thing is that they plan to hand Dylan back. They're fond of him, and Keiran says that Danielle doesn't know a fraction of the things they did to him, and will do… They mention trying to tell him to run away, with or without the money, but even with the mention of a new ID program they seem at a loss. They go down to prepare him, knocking on a door and Dylan is revealed to be a silver fox kit, barely in double digits if that, who asks if it's time.

Outside, Sarah is busy, her mammals cutting wires here and a 16-17 year old leopard setting up a drone there. She calls him, asking where it is, and he says there's some issues and a minor delay. She tells him that if he delays this, then his parole might get delayed. Shivering in fear, he picks up the pace.

Putting his guitar down, they began testing Dylan on all his duties and contingencies for the upcoming diamond smuggle (e.g. how to contact Vern Rodenberg), the pair visibly hurt as he recites them as if it were a school report (as he speaks, it's revealed his middle third of teeth (e.g. the premolars) are all golden ones and not natural). He sees this and reassures them. Yes, he's scared, but he knows it'll be okay as he has the best teachers there are.

The drone goes up and face recognising the various members of the mafia as they enter.

Inside, having recited everything, Dylan gets a call from the Mister, who warns that if he messes up he can be sent straight back to Granite Point, the mere mention causing him to tremble with fear. Danny gives him some pills, which he doesn't want to look at, but she insists. One to get out of fights, the other to end it all if they plan to get him. They're cut off as Kieren sees Jr messing with his computers (the centre of a major hacking ring). Jr sneers, saying he can tell his father that they're fibbin while insulting them, but all the screens turn to show a video of the event, Dylan cutting in and saying he has leverage. Infuriated, Jimmy leaves, the pair telling Dylan that they'll be going in a few. Meanwhile, Sarah sees the last mammal go in, announces they have full house, and says it's time to begin. The mysterious eye is shown, smiling.

Inside, various members of the mob are seen… talking about ways to off Jr when the Mister dies. They cut out as he rolls in, announcing his plan to use these guys and their finances to make the company go legitimate! After all, they have the leverage! His proud boasts are cut off as the screens change to the teacher from Pig Floyds the wall ("YOU! YES YOU! STAND STILL LADDY!"). The bear guard runs in, wheezing about the cops being out there. Meanwhile, down in the basement, Kieren tries to send the data (Thunderchild them) but realises the servers are compromised. He relays this to the Mister on speakerphone as those inside are told they have fifteen minutes to get out with paws up. They turn to him for a plan, only to find him dead, taking his own pills.

Down below, Dylan, saying he's not going back to Granite Point, tries just that, Danielle wrestling them away. They realise he can escape via a smuggling hatch, take the diamonds, complete the mission and take the money to the safe house, where he can live with a new ID that can be set up to be delivered there. Realising they plan to go down with the ship, Dylan begs them to run too, Danny saying she's too big and Keiren saying he's got to wipe everything and could still fix it. Dylan says he's already lost a family, and already listened to a McCrodon telling him to leave him, and isn't going to again. The pair promise to try and survive, and he goes along. Giving him the computer, the diamonds, money, and everything, (while he grabs some cardboard and pens, to hail a taxi), they take him to the hatch, telling him to get out and have a good life. Tearfully, he complies, giving Keiran one last fit bump and Danielle one last salute. Getting out amidst a swarm of SWAT officers. Coming up under a van, a police mammal grabs him on the back of his neck without warning, causing a rapid flashback to someone grabbing him (naked bar a muzzle) and slamming him into a concrete wall, a sickening crack coming out. In the present Dylan swipes out and tries to bite the arm out of reflex, the van underside stopping him. He struggles, but stops when the police officer yells at him for being on the wrong side of the line. Having a chance, he slips out.

A press guy is saying that 'after Akker Correctional Corporation won the tender, began running and innovated the Juvenile Correctional Department, they bring the same innovation to SWAT. Rather than each department having their own unit, Akkers' one can be tendered out to wherever they're needed.' Meanwhile, Dylan smells then sees a smug Jr walking over to Sarah, telling him that he did the thing. He boasts that all those lieutenants who want him dead as soon as his father dies will be a thing of the past, and she asks for the picture of the kit. He says that Danny was in the way, Sarah telling him to get in the limo. He does, pausing to ask/ confirm 'daddy will be fine, won't he?' She says yeah, sure, as he goes on confident again, listing how he's a genius, how he helped them so much, they know they owe him. What else did he need? She deadpans: Leverage, before tranq'ing him and sending him off. Calling some other wolverines in, she presents an older picture of 'the escapee'. One is dropped, blowing over, Dylan catching it and seeing a younger version of himself, pawcuffed, cowering, in a prison uniform and tame collar and with a bent/ broken muzzle. He begins backing off, pausing as he hears Sarah mention that she has a scent sample. Bringing a can out, she opens it, the others sniffing. Dylan begins running, looking over his shoulders, but then the wind changes. They sniff, they turn, they see him as he begins trying to hail a taxi, writing on signs (going to an airport). They end up nearly catching him, finding a trick sign asking for the station. They begin the pursuit, as she calls the mystery mammal, eyes still open.

Dylan pays the taxi driver to speed on, losing them and getting to the airport. He then goes to the transfer bus (maybe with the new city location, a hovercraft?) to the other airport. Meanwhile, the wolverines at the station realise they've been duped. Cut to the mystery mammal, eyes still open. Getting off at the other airport, he puts on an unaccompanied minor sign and begins going through security, getting through as the wolverines arrive at an airport (revealed to be the other one). Across the line, finding the flights delayed, he settles down, seeing the news show the nightclub on fire.

Sarah meanwhile plans with her mammals. Scent detected at the first airport, she books her time a flight to get in and search. Small remainder crew drew a blank at the train station, moving it to the second airport as a contingency. Moves to the back, where the drone leopard and a member of the Finnegals kitchen staff are locked up. Pressed on Dylan (much to the shock of the Leopard, who she orders to stay quiet), he says he just cooked there, before saying that he heard the high ups talk a lot about diamond smuggling, Reino del Sol… Sarah remarks that Reino flights only go from the second airport, and takes the leopard to shut them down.

Dylan uses this time to create his new ID: Conor Lewis. As he does so, multiple flights are delayed further, a drone out there blocking the flight path. Conor, getting worried, states that there's a best case and worst case scenario. Best case, they think he's flying from somewhere, and are delaying flights to get mammals through to this side. Worst case, they know what flight he's on. Starting with best case, he begins walking around, spreading his scent (in one place especially), as some of the wolverines get tickets and start going through security. Seeing a shop, he sees something and says worst case, buying something.

Sarah looks over the leopard, forcing him to fly the drone until a flying fox working for the airport strikes it down. The flights are back on and Conor, getting nervous, gets his unaccompanied minor sign on, acts as cute as possible, and tells an attendant that he's nervous in the crowd and if there's anywhere he can stay until it's time. As he does so, the wolverines exit security. The attendant, checking his ticket, remarks that they're first class (hacked by Keiran) and he could go in the lounge, but they're boarding early anyway. He gets on the plane just as the wolverines scan past, sniffing about (wishing they had a wolf nose), remarking he's strong there but it goes on (breaking off when they see a bunch of other foxes, might be from them), the pair ending at the just departing flight to Reino del Sol. Contacting Sarah, she contacts the mystery mammal, explaining it's likely they've lost him, his eyes narrowing. She then says there's still a small chance, but she needs mammals.

Meanwhile, despite an encounter with a rather nasty groundhog (who says he just doesn't like sitting next to kids (he's the one who stuck a muzzle on Nick)), the flight goes well. Conor contacts the rest of the hacker guild about the news, they go into shutdown. He tries to sleep but has some odd, terrifying dreams, and wakes up near the end of the flight, early morning light coming in. Having some breakfast, he opens his laptop and puts on 'This Time Tomorrow' by the Minks, before writing a list of rules that he swears to live by (be an honest fox and never let a mammal be hurt in his name, attend school… somehow, practice his guitar as it's the one thing he's good at) before turning and seeing Zootopia below him as the music plays and gets a tour of it from above, a new day dawning. As he lands, it cuts to the mystery mammal, eyes still open and saying that he's got them in position

Conor, in baggage retrieval, makes for the bathroom and unpacks a face painting kit he saw, quickly dying his exposed lighter fur black, before changing clothes and putting his bag in a new one. Waiting a bit, he finds a family of black wolves and tags along, spotting a pair of suspicious looking mammals. Remembering Danny telling him that acting like he belongs and hiding in plain sight is often the best way of not being discovered, he follows the wolves as they go right past the mammals. He hears one ask why they can't just get the police (too many questions) before saying that the boss was pretty certain he went to Reino, and the only plane coming here came in ages ago. If he was on it, he's either already gone or transferring (we stay here till we're told to go home).

Smiling, Conor passes them and gets to the city-airport shuttle train, wiping off his disguise in the train bathroom before walking to the window to get a city intro tour. Getting out of the station, he passes Nick selling Pawpsicles and makes the swap, retrieving a case full of 100 buck bills (naturally, as these are Benjamins, they'll have a thylacine on the front). He notices something a bit off about the serial numbers (seem a bit too close together), rolling his eyes and groaning, but shakes it off. Dialing his phone to get a recording telling him what to do, he races around the subway to shake anyone off his tail. He encounters Gazelle opening the ZAPA (Zootopia Academy of Performing Arts), with mayor Lionheart, Bellwether, Conor saying there's something to add to his list. To Conor's initial shock, Jack Savage is introduced, taking a break from filming to teach at the theatre school. ON hearing it's Jack Savage he relaxes, he can still add it to his list and chuckles. Hiding in plain sight, He goes off as the press begin asking Gazelle about the times she visited Finneagals and Jack on his thoughts given his 'connections'. Both say that they'll be releasing statements shortly.

Finally, as 'When I get to the border' by Richard and Linda Tomcat plays in the background, the trail ends, Danny's voice tells him that he should be safe, he's one trip away from the safehouse, and the cavalry is on its way. Almost tearfully, Conor says they aren't, they gave their lives for him, but he's free now… He's free… He begins processing it, 'I can do what I want…' -A final quip from Danny says 'hold in there Dylan, you still have a chance.' He shakes his head. 'No. Dylan Yates didn't, but Conor Lewis DOES'. Turning the volume on his ipawd up to the max as the last verse plays, he dances across the platform and jumps for joy into the train as it leaves.

The final cut is the eyes of the mystery mammal once again, still open, broken off as an aid calls for him, saying his ten-o-clock is ready. He thanks her and asks her to see them in.

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Note (no spoilers):

Structure the same but lots of small changes, most done to turn narration into dialogue, to show rather than tell, and help give clues about the backstories and set things up. Reino del Sol introduced as the source of the diamonds, will be expanded on later. Bad guys introduced right at beginning, incorporating the quote that the fic began with, and the chase extended until near the end (originally ended at the taxis). You get a teaser about who the big bad is. Most small changes done to help show more clues about Dylan's backstory, make him more likeable by showing how he cares for Keiran and Danny, and show that he was taught his skills by them (and isn't OP/ Mary Sue). Conversations can allude to Wex McCrodon, and Danny (if an Aardwolf) in her trial being likened to Shenzi Kalani (Keiran might point out she likes Shenzi Kalani, Danny saying she likes the real one who saved her people from and tried to avenge Mufasa 'the greats' genocide. Of course, all those jurors were imagining the character assassination from the lion propoganda cartoon they saw as kits).

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Fire Instinct Blue: Season 1, episode 2.

Prologue part two: Thanks for the Fox.

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After running down and capturing a perp, Nick and Judy are bringing him in as he slurs off anti-fox and anti-bunny things… He's dismayed as Nick jumps for joy after being called a pelt. "The P-word Hopps! That's Bingo!" Judy grumbles, asking the perp why he couldn't have called her burrow trash just once. Nick notes that he wants to be charged with hate speech instead. After all, Antivulpanism isn't fashionable anymore…

Finishing off, they go into the Chief's office, who tells them that there's a meet and greet for mothers day coming up, and that he wants them to go. Judy jumps at the idea, Nick refuses. At first graciously, but then as he's pushed and pushed he finally boils over. He reveals he's had an at times rocky relationship with his mother, who always told him to be honest and good and that his view of others was no excuse for bad behaviour, while Nick felt that society deserved to see him as they treated him. Finally, after one really painful moment which convinced him that no fox, however honest, would be treated well (he says he's not going into it, as it's still painful and put him in the worst place he's ever been) they got into a big row and broke it off… Years later, after finally getting invited into the academy, Nick went to her to make up… Only to find her not in. A neighbour noticed him, and revealed that a few weeks before he'd heard a bang (someone falling?) and not long after a dead fox being wheeled out on a gurney. In the present, Nick says that he doesn't deserve to do the mothers day thing considering how terrible he was to his own.

Bogo is immediately sorry and apologises. Judy presses after, talking about going to the grave and giving her closure, though Nick says he sees no point. Unable to let go and pushing on, Judy asks Clawhauser and finds that her side of the family come from 'New Reynard'. So, she trecks out there on mothers day, finding a fox town, centred around a big statue of robin hood. Looking in a cemetery, she finds Nick's father's grave, and a plot left for her… Confused, she's met by an old fox, who asks why she's there. Despairing at the fact that poor Vivienne's last wish was denied, she wonders what she can do. The old fox pauses, saying he doesn't know, but if there is one mammal that does it's a waitress at a diner… He insists she goes there and she does, getting talking about needing to tell a Vivienne Wilde about Nick…

The waitress cuts her off, tears in her eyes, asking if her little boy is dead… Judy looking up to see a vixen with her partners face, and a nametag saying 'Viv'.

Judy is shocked to learn that the mammal she's talking to is Vivienne Wilde, and Vivienne is shocked to realise that Nick thinks she's dead. In reality, it was Aunt Liska who died, the death spooking her. She couldn't stand the place so she left, thinking her son would call her if he wanted to. Judy keeps Nick's graduation from her, just saying that he's in a good place now and wanted to make amends. Contacting Bogo to keep Nick back at work, the pair race back to Zootopia, fixing him his favourite meal. He comes in, weirded out and asking Judy how he knew he liked this… He then hears a voice he thought he'd never hear again. "Well, she had help…" Shocked, he turns, blinking as he sees her, tears in her eyes. "Nicky, I think there was a terrible…" She can't finish as he races into her arms, holding her tight and crying it out, all semblance of dignity gone…

Things are patched up, she learns he's a cop and all he's done, and, as a sort of get back for going against her son's wishes, she briefly makes Judy think the old fox was a ghost (before dropping the Got You coin).

All things are wrapped up, happy ending.

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Note: (No Spoilers)

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Opening scene pulled in from start of Guardian Blue season 1, maybe the kangaroo scene can be brought in later or repurposed (e.g. if we do Conor going to outback island) (I HC that marsupials care far more about 'marzie's vs plassies' than 'pred vs prey', so rereading this felt a bit odd, but that's just my HC). Makes mention of a very bad event being the split from his mother (setting up a future event), not her bringing his father up (though that could be worked in on top). Otherwise, pretty much entirely Thanks for the Fox.

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Fire Instinct Blue: Season 1, episode 3+.

(Rest of) Season 1: Carrot Days.

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Not long after, Nick, Judy and Vivienne are on the train to Bunnyburrow, staying there for Carrot days. Getting a message from Clawhauser, Judy notes that apparently someone is selling extra large Gazelle T-shirts from the Japanese (Anihonese) tour and asking if someone can pick some up for him. Nick says he'll get them, Judy teasing that it's about the only thing he'll do.

He defends himself, saying he wants to relax, while Judy says he should be more busy. After all, she's in the Bun-A-Thon. Nick then says okay, I'll enter the archery like his mum. Vivienne's ears go back, and she pleads with Judy to let Nick have a pass on that. Judy is confused, but it's broken off as they arrive.

Meeting the Hopps (jokes before and after about Nick's fears of the kerfluffle) they begin unpacking, and a tease-war/ one-upping contest begins between Nick and Judy after an incident with the 'foxes red as the devil' Otto Hopps, and Judy's teenage sister Erin… Who seems to have something against foxes.

On their way there, a busted up pickup with the name of a crop spraying firm races past the other way, kicking up a cloud of dust. Marian comments that it was a bit fast, and all the Hopps begin groaning, saying it's the Blackfoots. Judy explains, the Blackfoots are the real local trouble family. They moved in a few decades before with their crop spraying business and immediately started causing trouble. Stealing, noise, getting into fights. Stu pipes in, saying that after the local farms turned to nighthowlers instead of spraying for pest control, they were entering into this contract with the local government to spray illegal drug farms in the hills. Another farmer found out that the plan was to use harequateline, nasty stuff that works as good on fur as it does on plants, and they protested to stop it being used. The official in charge listened, and publicised it enough that the illegal growers left by themselves. All happy? Not Jerry Blackfoot, who attacked the official at the last Carrot Days! The whole family is banned from it now, good riddance. All the county needs to do now is get back the herbicide they gave them, and they're holding hostage demanding the taxpayer pays for upgrades to their planes or something.

Nick shrugs, saying that they'd probably be a bit bummed out about being cut out of a deal like that, at which point Erin cuts in. 'Of course you'd say that…'

Judy tells her to explain what she meant by that, the young bunny saying that other foxes stand up for the Blackfoots. Case in point, Amanda Grey, Travis Blackfoot's girlfriend. She goes around saying all the bunnies are pred haters for using nighthowlers after they were used to dart preds.

Judy warns Erin about that line of thought, pointing out that Travis is a good Blackfoot.

Erin points out that he bullied her with Gideon Grey, Judy saying that they were kits back then. Besides, both Gideon and Travis now work a bakery that buys Hopps family produce…

Stu comments that Travis is about the nicest one, though he thinks any Blackfoot meanness was taken out of him and put into his nephew, Craig. That teen is a right hooligan, probably was the one in the truck and everything, been busted for robbery and arson and… Stu trails off before saying, 'speaking of which', turning the van sharply and racing towards a nearby plume of rising smoke.

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The truck pulls up outside a small house/ surgery owned by Doctor Tuber, the entire place surrounded by growing grassfires that are crawling up the walls. While the Doctor, his wife and some of the kits are outside, some are stuck inside by the fire, which is reaching up to a propane tank. Taking the initiative, Nick races in, rescuing some of the kits. They get out and recover just as the fire service arrive, to their surprise in a steam powered antique fire engine. Nick makes a jibe at it as they crew start using the hose. It cuts down the fire well, before sputtering once (the large mammal crew bracing themselves) twice quickly, and then blasting out with enough force to push them back, the spray cutting through the fire and digging up the grass and dirt as they deal with the fire.

Meanwhile, Erin is met by a surprising sight. Jock bunny, Max March, covered head to toe in filth and gunk saunters up to her (along with his silverfox rabbit wingmammal Zach March). Trying to act like 'the mammal', he says that he saw the fire and ran across fields and swam through drainage pools to find a phone signal to raise the alarm. Erin manages to cut him off, convincing him that he went through a herb 'that just makes her gag'. He scoots off, promising to do anything for his lady. Erin promptly makes a yuck face behind his back.

The fire getting under control, the lead mammal says that they got the call in while taking the old girl over for the steam fair at Carrot Days. They were the closest unit… Somehow picked up some bunny boys covered in filth off the side of the road on the way, and got here. Judy, having noticed the exchange with Max and Erin pauses, asking if they saw a pickup truck drive past fast the other way. He says he saw one on a nearby road, he guesses that they might have thrown themselves in a ditch to dodge it.

Judy sighs, saying that was a Blackfoot truck. She asks the doctor if he'd seen any Blackfoots previously, and he nods. The bunny asks if anything was done or said… He says he can't say much because of patient client confidentiality, but they were looking over a health issue which he put down to low genetic diversity… At which point that patient accused him of insulting the family, saying they were all inbred, and stormed out refusing to pay their bill. -He was referring to the fact the species as a whole has very little genetic diversity, but he let it slide…

All the Bunnyburrow locals share looks, as Judy peaks over at the ruins of a small produce stand, her nose twitching as she sees a shattered bottle in the middle and the rough imprints of some tire tracks on the other side of the road. The fire chief says he'll notify the sheriff, not that much could be done… Same as always, they give each other alibis.

In case the gas tank is compromised, the Tuber's will be staying with the Hopps' until it gets inspected. As they all fit in, Marian asks why that bunny kit, Max, didn't speak up if he saw the truck come the other way. He'd probably be able to see the driver.

Erin and Nick speak in unison. 'Snitches get Stitches.' Erin is not happy about this, as they drive off…

Back at the Burrow, unpacking, Nick asks Dr Tuber if he has any ideas on how to really get back on a Hopps bunny… Mainly Judy… He laughs and says no, asking why… At which point there's another encounter with 'Foxes are Red as they're made by the Devil' Otto Hopps. Dr Tuber says he thinks he understands.

Nick meanwhile is thinking over what he can do to get back at Judy while meeting Eileen 'Eli' Hopps (Judy's sister, mother to (fav niece) Cotton and a new kit'), asks if they have anything to drink and, after being told he can have anything in the fridge, picks up a glass of milk and begins drinking it. Stu realises his mistake as Judy cringes hard and Eileen clarifies it's her milk… He might as well just put it down the sink now. Nick, eye contact with Judy, begins drinking the rest of it in deep gulps before letting out a satisfied sigh. Then: "Bunneh…" Thoroughly embarrassed and one-upped, Judy decides to up her game, and asks Erin to help her.

Putting down her bass, she goes over to Nick in private. Erin comes in and, acting serious says. 'Okay, the chips are down, we've mislead them enough with this fake hostility.' Nick is confused, at which point Erin begins to get excited. 'Oh my god. You're a real fox. A real Zootopian hustler. How many crimes have you done? How many hustles? What are your, like, trade secrets, I need to know everything.' Things get even more awkward as Bonnie comes in to chastise Nick for giving her tips and tricks… He clocks it, saying it's a good one, but he'll get one even MORE up on Judy. He begins joking about being a super evil fox… which Otto Hopps oversees.

Bonnie, amused, says she might clarify it. While Erin is back to her usual self.

At Carrot days, the group are dropped off. It's worth noting that the mammals doing the security are Akker Security Corporation, including a bunch of Wolverines. Judy shows Nick to the place she did her play at, currently doing a 'history of the burrows' play, showing how prey escaping from slavery settled here (Or prey returning after a long exile, I have an idea for a history of the nation that explains this all but that's not too important to all this), the pred landowners wanting to rule over them, but the prey rebelling, 'sharing the land equally' between mammals and bringing in democracy.

Judy meets with her old friend Sharla, who's happy to see her. Getting talking, the sheep mentions how surprised she is that Gids pie stand is open (seen to the side), given that Travis' family is banned after his father's behaviour the last time. Travis Sr spent some months in the local jail, again, and all of them are just up to their regular bad stuff. Judy asks if Travis got in trouble, after all he's working with Gid (him being banned why Sharla thought Gid wouldn't be there), and she says that he was a suspect in something a while back, held a few days and released. Judy points out that he didn't do anything, but Sharla says that the whole family is bad news and she knows it. She's really annoyed as everyone thought their failing business (declining for years, but the contract cancel torpedoed it) would finally get them evicted, only to find that a bank gave them an extension. As for Gid, she talks about the nightmares she had of him, how her brother had to be homeschooled one year as he was too scared to go to school, and how she hates how she has to act as if that never happened. How Gid could wipe the slate clean, even though the damage is still there, and how his sister Amanda (working the stand with him) slurred her as an anti-vulpite online because of it. She was suspended from her teacher job for a few months, had to block her emails from the hate mail, and treated like she was literally Hirschler… Judy consoles her.

Meanwhile, Nick hears a commotion and smells an old friend. He finds Finnick, two mammals from the city stealing his stuff. They're saying he's a sneaky fox so Nick (the gang not knowing who he is) agrees with them, eventually making a fool of them. The local deputy (Mac Cannon) asks everyone what's in the box, Finnick revealing that it's gazelle T-shirts (the one for Ben). The deputy sends them on their way, angrily telling them that he hates it when his area is stereotyped as speciesist hicks, when 'bossy better-than-thou' city folks are just as bad. He apologises to the foxes, waving them on their way and thanking Nick for his help at the Tuber place. He picked up Craig Blackfoot, but annoyingly there was nothing the hold him on.

Finnick though isn't pleased, given that Nick up and left him, no contact since he became a cop, Finnick asking if it's due to wanting to wipe the slate clean. Nick says no. Finnick says, 'if you're worried about what happened with her' Nick: 'I'm not…' Finnick: 'You had no choice… She was ungrateful…' Nick: 'I could have told her… I was just angry… with everything… After all, I then took it out on my mom.' Fin: 'Yeah, and then if it weren't for me you'd be…' He leaves it unsaid, Nick revealing that he doesn't want to have to arrest Finnick, the fox's features softening ("Hey, don't worry, I'm all this side of the line. Just. Enough.") Nick then reveals that some mammals wanted Fin as a CI, Fin trembling, asking if they knew he lived in the Red Pig's territory and how he'd send packs of razorbacks to ice snitches. Fin apologises, but wants Nick to keep in contact. Nick agrees. He then helps take the goods back, Finn checking that his hustling partner is still there.

It's Conor, practicing guitar in the van, Nick mentions the talent show the next day, Conor racing off to sign up. Finn reveals that he started busking once, attracting the lemmings and saving the jumbo pop hustle. After that, he's phoned here and there with new ideas, such as the T-shirts. Nick asks about his parents and Finn says. "Listen, he seems in a great place right now, and however much you think the world isn't so bad for foxes anyhow, if he goes into the system there's a fair chance his'll get worse. So unless you sign up to take him in, sign up to shut up." Nick agrees.

Meanwhile, after signing up, Conor sees a bunch of loud bunnies (one shouting a slur at him) and veers away, having a slight flashback revealing the mystery mammal torturing/ experimenting on him to be a bunny (just showing his ears, him lecturing Dylan about how his species sees foxes for what they are). He backs away from them, getting picked up by Amanda Grey. At first friendly, the pair talking (Conor mentioning how its the first real time he's been in the country (there was one time before (flashback to being on the bus to granite point) but it didn't count). Amanda nods, smiling, talking about how nice it is but then going on a long rant about speciesist bunnies, mentioning how this land used to be owned by pred families, but the bunnies stole it generations ago and teach it as a great revolution. Descending into a rant about the 'stupid long ears', Conor backs off taking a breather. He decides to find one bunny he likes here and, after hearing Erin playing in a barn, goes to investigate.

He watches her, nodding, tries to compliment her but it's interpreted as him being creepy. "Hey, if you're into pred-prey stuff, a lot of us still think it's creepy!" He gets slapped, recovering and thanking her for 'dealing with that yellowjacket'. Some banter is still done, and they go off, preparing for the talent show the next day. Conor remarks 'not that one' (Erin later mentions this as a 'pro fem' move, but Judy rightly chastises her, making Erin promise to try and calm things down rather than flare them up next time).

Nick, meanwhile, is looking for the archery competition with his mother and bumps into Gid and his sister Amanda at their stand… They sample a bit, Gid complains that Travis' family are banned from the area, him included even though he did nothing. Amanda though is very vocal. 'We all know it's because of their species, right?' She also points to the other big food place competing with them. The sheriff who made that rule? That's his cousins place. We all know he wanted to shut down the competition. Gid apologises, says that Amanda is angry because Travis is her BF, and she's in one of the munch games going on and he can't watch. Their ears rising, Vivienne sneaks off, going to the archery. Nick, after talking to Gid about something, realises he's been left behind.

Judy and Nick watch Vivienne ace the archery competition, but Vivienne cringes as it's Nick's turn. Judy, turning up, asks how bad could it be, given that he actually has a higher marksmammals score than her (Vivienne assures that skills learnt there won't translate) but is cut off as Nick's bow flies backwards. Vivienne, shocked, is then cheering Nick, complimenting him on how much practice he did.

Later on, after leaving (Vivienne winning) Nick is jumping up and down. "I hit one! I actually hit one! I mean, it was someone elses, but I hit it! I'm like Robin Hood!" He then also says that he has to head off. He learnt that the Hopps' were playing a munch match, and (at the behest of the kits) signed up. Judy is mortified when Nick asks, 'what is munch by the way'. In short, (as Nick gets Cotton to describe) it's a game where the two teams have bunnies and a fox. The bunnies score points by grabbing the opponent foxes tail (usually fake) while they're knocked out if the fox grabs them and shouts munch.

Judy cringes, but then sees he's enjoying the game, playing it against another (non bunny) team with a real fox (Amanda, who's in charge) and the 'bunnies' being all her friends (not bunnies, mostly preds). On seeing another fox being the fox, Amanda decides to do so as well, taking the fake tail and playing on. It's close, and Judy's feeling better, only to pause when she learns from Vivienne that Nick has Munch trophies from his school days… Doubled up as she realises Nick and Gid are working together to take bets (she thinks he's husting).

Meanwhile, Amanda's team scrapes a victory and that side yells in applause, including (out of a hiding spot) Travis. However things turn sour when he's ordered to put his paws up by the deputy and mayor, who tell him to get out NOW or they'll press charges. He's furious, he never did anything wrong, and they're gonna put him in jail for nothing, again? They didn't even say sorry last time, rather 'well with your family you can't blame us.' (Something they repeat). Amanda though barges in and calls them speciesiest (insert rude word). This generates some yelling back from other families about all the things that Travis' family put them through, Amanda calling them speciesist back and Travis getting furious about the treatment of his family. How they were jilted out of a contract that would have saved their business, after spending what little money they had left on upgrading their planes to handle the herbicide. 'My father TOLD them that was nasty stuff, there was better things they could use…' How they were screwed by a corrupt mayor on the nip spraying contract, batted between departments, their demand for repayment for expenses locked in the courts and his father jailed for standing up for themselves. He lays out how they're blamed for everything, him getting held for a few days and let out without an apology, and even how earlier that day his nephew Craig was hauled over and questioned about a random house fire. (The Sheriff points out they had witnesses putting one of their trucks near the fire and evidence of arson). Travis just gets more angry, saying there's a conspiracy to bankrupt the family.

At that point Erin comes in, trying to calm things down as advised before, but making a hash of it, and insinuates that if he denounces his criminal family it'll be good, shouldn't be too easy as he got out of the family business anyway, he should be good. That though is the boiling point, he yells at her, Amanda saying that by the same logic she's a speciesist monster as she doesn't denounce evil Otto Hopps. Erin defends him, 'that old idiot has dementia and…' however the argument grows, up until some of the wolverines come and break it up with Nick and Judy. The organiser then says that if he sees Travis here again, it's jail, same for Amanda. She blinks, asks what she did, and she's told she caused a ruckus and is supporting him. She gets angry, and Gid comes in, explaining that he needs her to help with the stand, else he has to close. The organiser says 'well, she should have thought of that,' leading to Amanda accusing him of doing it to help his cousins stall… The organiser though says 'that's that' and off they go.

After consoling Erin for trying her best, Judy notices Nick and Gid going off with none other than Otto Hopps dragged along. Convinced he's trying to hustle them, Judy begins pacing around… Seeking to one-up him and punish him, she sees an advertisement for skydiving and signs them right up…

Others try and enjoy the remainder of the day, Conor sniffing something and going on a little hunt for his favourite food stand, Sharla giving a tour of some old steam powered farm machines and fire engines (including the one that saved the Tuber's place) to some of her students. Trying to be friendly to a fox student, seeing something wrong, he says that 'a big vixen said you hate foxes'. Sharla gets angry, and says there are some bad foxes like her, just like there are bad of any species, and those are the ones that everyone should hate. But she likes good foxes, and he can be one too if he doesn't listen to bad ones like her and stands up to their lies and naughtiness.

Returning back, Judy confronts Nick… Which deeply hurts him. He reveals that he and Gid had been raising money for the Tuber family. And that he and Gid had dropped off Otto, terrified, back at the Hopps Burrow and handed over the money direct to Dr Tuber. Judy is upset, apologises, and they bond a little. Going on roller coasters (Nick remaining 100% stoic throughout), and leaving with Eli and Cotton. While having to dissuade cotton from all the deep fried food (e.g. deep friend carrots, deep fried butter, deep fried icecream).

Meanwhile, Max March is leaving, at which point he gets a terrified call from Zach. Craig is on the hunt for him, thinking he was the one who snitched on him. Max, terrified, has to hide from the ferret, but ends up safe.

Packing up, Nick and Judy decide to pay Gid's family a visit (Vivienne tagging along), the trip taking them under a new rail freight spur that crosses right next to their property. However, his family are furious at Judy too, accusing her and the other local prey of making their lives hell and bullying them, leading to them snapping back (and then they take attention!) (case in point, they voted to deliberately pay more to run the rail line across their land, rather than reopening an old one that touched some Hopps land, and then lectured the Grey foxes that it was due to some flowers and bugs they felt were more important to them. Then, Amanda says that when her cousin tried bringing it up in class, his sheep teacher turned it into a period long humiliation session about why bad foxes like him deserved it, shocking Judy) Vivienne shakes her head and backs off, mentioning that it's just life in these areas and you have to turn the other cheek, but pauses as Nick makes Gid admit that those therapists words he says are just covers… and that it's 'always the foxes fault', and how it makes it eat at your soul…

Judy meanwhile glances to Vivienne, who quips that that explains why he hated those therapists so much. She really tried to get him on the right path… Maybe he just didn't have these words back then.

In the end, Judy feels guilty and apologises too (e.g. for stuff like calling out Gid Grey during her play, age 8) though Gids father says that they still can't run the stall. After all, you need the right certs and stuff. Out of the blue though Vivienne volunteers. After all, she worked in a diner, she has them. Gid promises to pay her and thanks her, while Nick and Judy begin heading back. She says she's got the Bunnathon tomorrow, Erin has her talent show, and she never thought of things like that before, never felt that way about Sharla too. Nick agrees, it felt cathartic, it always did, but… his mother was also right, it got nowhere, they had to turn the other cheek, it was always unfair.

After an awkward pause Judy blurts out that she knows about the Munch and they're going skydiving the day after.

That night, a car with unknown passengers is seen racing along, a pair of molotovs thrown into the organiser's cousins stall.

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The next morning, Gid and Vivienne are working extra hard as a result, though she has an issue with a speciesist health inspector, grilling her over her certs (something shut down angrily by the sheriff). Sharla meanwhile is angry about the arson, 'it's them again.' Judy pauses, not so sure, Sharla then listing all the reasons why. Judy confronts her on her biases, recounting what happened. Sharla counters that there's a whole difference between silly name calling and counter-teasing, and one-sided physical bullying that ruins childhoods, that made her and her brother terrified of going to school, that gave them trauma they still feel today. Judy brings up the rail line, Sharla says the Grey's conveniently forgot to mention that the old rail line passes through three built up areas, much of it is used as a cycle path, large stretches are a nature reserve, and the whole thing was built for small bunny-gauge trains, meaning a ton of work would have to be done to bring it to mainline standards and the cost difference wasn't nearly as much as they claimed. Judy says it was still cheaper, and Sharla says the community voted on it, it's called democracy, and evidently the Grey's don't agree with it as they still think they're better than prey mammals and are still salty that they don't get to act like feudal lords, owning everywhere and living off the rent.

Judy asks if that's what she told the entire class in front of a Grey kit, and Sharla angrily says that, in a session on bullying (where she didn't mention Gideon by name or species once), he said the town bullied foxes, stole their land, and gave that as an example. Sharla then made a fun lesson about democracy and choice, opening up the planning documents, showing the different proposed routes, showing the business cases, the impact statements for things like noise and disruption, going into the history of the old line, and the kinds of rare plants and animals on the route, showing why the route was chosen and how the Grey's were fairly compensated. The kit loved it, said he'd tell his family, and in return Sharla got hit with the accusation by Amanda that nearly destroyed her career.

Judy asks if it had to be public, and Sharla defiantly says she's a teacher, it's her job to counter lies and misinformation. The Greys are angry that they don't always get their way, so they make their own stories about how they're all the victims and everyone is out to get them, spreading it and gaslighting mammals to manipulate them to their side, including Judy (Sharla reminding her of Gids bullying). It was her job to shut down those lies before they spread, and the Greys lashed out on one of their own being told the truth. They're all just bullies.

Any further conversation is cut off though as Judy pauses, seeing someone. Going off, she recognises Uncle Terry. Nick asks if it's the uncle terry, the one who went savage. She confirms it, saying that she looked into it and the La-Peigne family cured him -did he know that Jack Savage was originally a La-Peigne, and another one is a billionaire! (Uncle Terry is the uncle Terry from fire triangle, a giant leech) but all is cut off as the Bunnathon begins.

The Hopps family and Nick relay Judy her drinks and support her on the bunny style endurance race, Judy going well until a yellowjacket stings her paw (making water pickups extra hard). She still manages to come 2nd or 3rd, though those above her see her injury and ask the crowd to give her extra applause.

Meanwhile, Erin's talent show is ruined when her bass fails. She runs into the back, about to smash it when Conor sees her. Desperate to stop it (more for the instruments sake), he does everything he can, eventually offering to buy it for $400. She agrees tearfully, and is distraught when her family find her. Just hearing that he bought it, Nick is mad that she was taken advantage of, racing over to confront Conor. Conor though gives the truth and says that not only will he give it back, but he thinks he knows how to fix it. Everything is cleared up, Erin glomps Conor in thanks (bit awkward for him) though one big issue still remains. Erin can't get another spot. Conor, after some self-debating, offers to share his spot and, while meeting with her friends, signs up for the river rafting the next day. They are cut off though by a vid call from Amanda and Travis, the pair sneering at Erin for besmirching the family honour. They have a vid of her meltdown and plan to put it up, Erin is terrified, but Conor (now firmly siding with Erin) uses his hacking skills to swap it… For one of the pair burning down the stand the night before. Realising the mistake, they argue and try and take it down. Conor and Erin play the heck out of the night (Tie your mother down) and return to the Hopps house for a bonfire, the young fox at first uncertain and unreceptive (given the sheer number of bunnies… some flashbacks still occurring) but then deeply warming to the care and attention (esp from Vivienne, who he feels a strong bond towards (when asked about his mother, lies and said she was abusive, briefly framing his dad for it before full on breaking his muzzle for trying to tell the truth)).

All have a good family time, Judy in particular kinda feeling something towards Nick as she sees him narrating the Robin Hood story to some of the bunny kits (esp Cotton, who, like always, is just raking in the adorable points). There's a 'you know you love me', Judy at first unsure, and Nick realising something may be there. He brushes it aside (like on the sky tram). Coming inside, they joke and argue about which is the best film version (Judy only saw the one where Jack Savage started out his career as a kit, playing Skippy). Doing a nostalgia trip, the pair decide to watch it, Judy laughing a bit as Nick fanboys out. Conor pops in, noting that he's never seen it, and that 'H for Honour' is better anyway. Shocked that a fox hasn't seen this, Nick orders that Conor watches it (slight 'mouth snap' incident from touching the back of his neck), Conor relenting with a promise to watch 'H for Honour' after. Judy notes that Jack Savage is in there too, and they later watch the V for Vendetta style retelling of the story. Sleepily, they all head off to bed after, Conor going back to Finnick (though showing some wary but cathartic affection to Vivienne on the way) and Judy using the ear circle thing to make Nick nod off. (Or, alternative cute moment: earlier Conor and Erin played a really loud bouncy song (e.g. Sally Maclennane) to a bunch of tiny bunny kits, causing them to bounce around to the bouncy music. On returning out, Stu interrupts… They're still bouncy and want a bedtime song, and want Conor to play again, Stu wanting them to calm them down. Conor has an idea and plays something to them, ideally a song that signals that he's happy with life and, though he's had friends, he's finally worked past his barriers to accept family style love…

For the song, maybe there was one introduced that's very close to him/ hits him with the feels. It relates deeply to his current life, he remembered his mother singing, and then that Keiran or Danny liked, and so he associates it with the idea of family, but because of how he loses his ones he doesn't like it despite loving it (and can't help but fluff it up when trying to play). Then after being resistant to opening up to family style love, before finally pushing through and embracing it with Mrs Wilde and the Hopps', he plays that song and manages it, giving a giddy heartwarming smile as he does so (and at the hopps kits cuddling him at the same time). After wrestling over many worthy songs, I think the best thematic one is either Any Road (George Harrison) or 'The Road to Home' by Amy MacDonald … (As a bonus, you could say that Erin, when very young, was pushed to use her ukelele playing (Any Road only) and angelic voice for choir and talent shows… and much of her teenage angsty bass/ grunge phase was about not being their adorable little puppet. And for this song Conor encourages Erin to play/ sing again, which she enjoys greatly (not showing her parents, obviously)).

It ends though as the scene cuts to the mystery mammals face, panning out to reveal a bunny that looks just like Jack, only much bigger (I'll call him La Peigne from now). Speaking into his phone, Sarah says that 'we've got it', and he races off to Bunnyburrow.

.

La Peigne arrives at Travis' families' house (a complete tip), where he's initially mistaken for Jack Savage (Hey, did you know that bunny grew up here. This was his house, though he goes by a stage name now). La Peigne says that he does, he's Jack's identical twin brother. He just had pituitary cancer and grew BIG. He asks to come in, pushing it, and it's shown the house has some modifications for him. He keeps calm and nice until he comes to the messy office, muttering about how his father used to keep it clean… This was where Terry Hopps was treated, and he himself first saw the potential of Nighthowlers… They'd be unlocked now if it wasn't for that wiseacre pelt, Dylan Yates, and those disgusting sea minks. This was where La Peigne first came up with the Fire Triangle… And it's besmirched by a bunch of crooks and thieves… Travis' father then angrily says 'You know I was here all that time!' He smiles. "Yes, yes I did," he says, before unlocking the computer, against Travis Sr's objections (he didn't borrow those things, he stole them, the owners would get them back anyway) and opening a file. Travis Sr is shocked to see the vid of his son and Amanda (though they aren't visible) burning the stand down. He races in to delete it while La Peigne leaves, insulting foxes and his species galore… Travis Sr marches out after him, he's just out the door, and a bunch of his mammals are waiting hidden outside. Sarah is there, a nighthowler gun in paw. Travis Sr stops in the door, sensing something is wrong, and though La Peigne tries to goad him out by presenting him with his eviction notice (his bank owns the place after all), he doesn't, slamming the door. La Peigne is mad. He planned to have Travis Sr darted, he'd kick him back in, let him mince his family and then cure him, and he'd be sent away like the filth he was.

Still, things happened, they could live… But after losing that contract to 'that filthy fox (so and so) in X country he wanted something good… 'Of course the fox succeeded there, corrupt to the core' he takes the howler pellet and decides to enjoy Carrot days.

Travis Sr meanwhile has had enough. He calls a family meeting ('What's this? Peaky Blinkers?). It's time to make the burrows regret all they've done to them.

Meanwhile, Nick and Judy go down to the river, doing a rope swing across a precipice (Nick at first asking Judy if she's so eager to have them fall to their deaths she cant even wait for the skydiving, but then realising that her swinging like this built up the strength for her to carry him during the Manchas escape, saving his life) and then finding a hammock in the trees by the old rail line:

The pair walk out from a woodland into a long, thin flower filled glade, insects humming, birds singing, the pair start walking along.

J: "We used to come along here as kits all the time..."

N: "Beautiful."

J: "This what you imagined the outside would be like?"

N: "No, but I think it's even better."

J: "Yeah," walking over to a pool of water beneath them, some shelters and a hammock laid out. "Used to swim here all the time."

N... Looks around, pausing, realising they're on a bridge, turns and spot an old mile post. "This is that old rail line..."

J... "-Yeah...Back when the Grey's had their talk, I kinda forget that it was this place, but with Sharla and her list..."

N: "-You don't think the others had lists."

J: Huh?

N: (Sitting down on the hammock) All those times us foxes or preds got the short end of the stick, they had their lists. Why it was fair, or why it was just life, or why it was our fault, or why it was due to this or that. And sometimes they'd just shout it, or sometimes they'd present all these reasons they'd researched... It was all the same to me, though. We know you're getting the short end of the stick, but you have no right to complain... And as I said, it eats at your soul.

J: Sorry...

N: Don't be... (lifts her up onto the hammock). After all, do you know what really eats at my soul? More than anything? Seeing this place and admitting that Sharla was right, and the Greys were wrong."

J: looks up, smiling.

N: "I reserve the right not to like it fluff."

J: "Yes you do, big fox. Yes you do..."

N: "That's not even me being the biggest fox I can be!"

J: "Oh, do tell..."

N: "Well, once upon a time, shortly after the howler crisis, the government introduced a new law to try and stop discrimination. All job interviews for them, or anyone who worked for them, had to be species blind. Unless it was important for the job, you wouldn't know the species of your new worker until they started working, so people who might prefer a sheep over a fox would end up with the fox if they were more qualified, and soon learn the fox was just as good. Now I didn't think this would work, as they'd just say so many job were exempt it didn't matter. Then I learnt it was the opposite, there were many jobs I thought you'd have to know the species for which it counted for. Case in point sniffers. Mostly in medicine, but in other stuff, mammals using their noses for detection and stuff. It's actually an industry us foxes lead in, if anything's our industry, it's that. Anyway, turns out you need to be certified first, so the argument was that you can judge on those instead. Now was I convinced? Not quite, it wasn't name blind, and no guesses for what species a Mr Redtail, Mrs Otterton, Dr Whitehart or Miss Ewever are. But still, it could help, allow the odd fox to get past the odd jerk. What could go wrong?"

"Anyway, a few years later and it did have an effect. New sniffer hires? Foxes, down a fifth. Same for boars, the other big species there. Wolves took a hit. Bears, rats and elephants went up a bit. But out of nowhere came felines, who it turns out are actually great at scent work, but were looked over before. Now it's species blind though, their qualifications speak for themselves... And it turns out here us foxes were 'the badduns'. Well... Big fox Nicky Wilde, though annoyed for his home team, knew that if you live by the progressive rulebook, you die by it.

... J: Right... interesting...

N: Not what you imagined by 'biggest fox I could be, right?

J: (blushes), Uhhh

N: Judy... About last night (hears noise, looks over, starts unbalancing hammock)

J: Nick, I'm... (Unbalancing causes compromising hammock incident)

Judy questions if Nick's trying to do this to get out of skydiving, Nick says maybe. She says he didn't seem phased by the coaster, he says he wasn't falling to his death then. Judy encourages him to go on, but she's cut off by Bonnie arriving, leading to an innuendo incident. While flatly denying anything to do with each other, when wandering back, Judy questions… do we, right? Nick isn't sure what to say, especially when Judy tells him he can't brush these things aside forever, and just says they can have that conversation after skydiving. After all, they'll be dead then.

Arriving at carrot days, La Peigne fangasms at the old fire engines and stuff ( especially about how one was used at the Tuber's place) but gets a bit annoyed having to explain that he is not Jack Savage. That's his little brother. Meanwhile, Nick and Judy do the skydiving, skirting over the disgusting irrigation ponds but landing safely. Let out, their conversation is overheard by La Peigne, who sees red thinking that the great Judy Hopps is sleeping with that fox. So he puts the nighthowler in a punnet of blueberries. To his horror he then learns they were skydiving, Nick slowly munching through, until he pauses remarking that they're nowhere near as good as Hopps ones. Judy disagrees, samples some, agrees… At which point they're heading for the bin, all good, until Uncle Terry comes along and asks for them.

He goes savage once more, Nick and Judy rescuing Eileen and Cotton a few times. However, in an attempt to stop him burrowing out of a pen, Nick sees the old fire engines and tells Judy to grab the hose. They can blast him back in… Only as they try to do it it kicks back once, then twice in quick succession, and as Nick realises what's going on it blasts out much stronger. Too strong… He yells for someone to turn it down, but they're rocketed off into the air and, similar to being caught in vines in the film, caught in the hose… heads at Uncle Terry height. (Maybe in her fear Judy shouts 'I Love you', Nick 'I know'). Before they're mauled though, La Peigne comes in with a tranq from one of his wolverines, finishing it. He unties the hose, letting Nick drop and carrying Judy away, receiving applause from everyone for being a real life Jack Savage. He smiles… Nick comes in, asking if she's okay, but Stu angrily cuts in. She's fine, no thanks to you. Judy, embarrassed by what she said, and with LP acting hero, feels too awkward to bring up her confession to Nick.

While all this is going on, Conor goes rafting with Erin. In the end, getting out, he says she's an amazing bass player. She downplays it, but he says she could get into ZAPA. On asking how he knows, he reveals he's in it, showing the recording of him performing in front of Gazelle. He knows her. He introduces his small group of friends, and says he'd never image a bunny joining them… had some bad experience in the past… but he'd love her to join them

At the hospital, Nick's silent treatment continues. A specialist from the city is flown in, Dr Madge Honeybadger. Judy is initially hostile to her, given that 'she got away with what she did… kind of like Lionheart only getting a suspended sentence'. They get into a bit of an argument.

.

.

The Honey Badger froze, seeing a foot drumming bunny standing across from her, paws crossed. "Officer Hopps," she said.

"Dr Madge Badger," the bunny replied, coldly.

"I was contacted here to see to your..."

"Uncle," she said. "Though I'd have preferred it if it were someone else."

"Well," she said. "I am the leading expert on nighthowler. I assure you he's in the best paws possible."

"Like those at Cliffside were?"

Her eyes narrowed. "My antidote did end up curing them."

"Which doesn't remove the fact you worked with Lionheart to kidnap and falsely imprison them. Fourteen innocent mammals Dr Badger. Fourteen, and you got off with less than a week in jail. You should still be there now."

"I was contacted, out of the blue, by the mayor on an issue of national security! A public health emergency that could tear this city apart. What else was I meant to do, as a Doctor?"

"Follow the law."

"I thought I was. Heck your video proved it. I asked Lionheart what Bogo thought, I thought it was legally sanctioned, I didn't know I was breaking the law and that video, and Lionheart vouching for me, is why I'm still out here helping mammals rather than locked in a cell doing nothing for society."

"Even if you thought you weren't breaking the law, you were kidnapping these mammals without telling their families. Poor Mrs Otterton was broken, looking for her husband. So why not tell them, huh?"

"Because we couldn't let the news get out, we couldn't let a panic start."

"Oh, so working for Lionhearts PR machine too, huh?"

"How old are you?"

"Huh?"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty eight..."

"I'm fifty. I'd started my career before you were born..."

"And that makes it okay?"

"It means my first job in the infectious diseases department had me going out to outback island with a bunch of hyenas to look at something truly terrifying. A tasmanian devil had been brought in with a horrible terminal mouth cancer. Nothing too shocking, except there was a second, and a third, and then a fourth. And soon a flood was starting to come in. This cancer was doing something that no cancer should do, that no cancer can do. It was acting like a disease, infecting more and more and more. Our tests proved it was the same cancer, spreading like the flu, laying months dormant before being noticed, at which point it was too late. We knew we were safe, it was from a different mammal and couldn't infect us, our immune system would recognise it as foreign and kill it. But tell that to the public when the news got out. We did, we did as much as we could, not that they listened. All while entire families, from old grandpas to little joeys barely out of the pouch, were being told they all had months to live, we had mobs rising, lashing out at the devils out of fear they'd get it to. Almost all members of the species lost their jobs, they were being shunned, attacked on the street, poverty skyrocketed and they began crowding into fewer houses, which would only let this spread faster. In the end, we realised that as they bite each other the way we shake hands and kiss, this was what was spreading the cancer cells. We were able to halt the spread, but not before twenty percent of the species were infected. We saved half of those... But even now, I've heard that devils still get abuse, claiming they give others cancer. For all I knew, this savage crisis was going to be Devil Facial tumour disease for an entire tenth of the city. So I agreed with Lionheart, it had to be kept a secret, because as the truth showed us, it could tear this city apart. Not helped when you went straight from exposing us to lighting the touch paper."

"Wait, your blaming me for that?"

"It might be due to biology, primitive savage ways.

"That was me quoting you!"

"I was telling Lionheart he'd have to look into biology. All these mammals were predators."

"Exactly, I screwed up, but I was still quoting you."

"I said nothing about primitive savage instincts, did I? Lionheart was hoping it was contaminated food or something. I was trying to get him to realise that if all these mammals were preds, it was probably something pred related. So yeah, biology. Because if me and the hyenas at infectious diseases had ignore the biology of the tasmanian devils on outback island, they'd be extinct now. You made that up, and you proved us right. That information, if released, could cause the same kind or backlash and pain. So yeah, I still believe, to this day, that we were doing the right thing. What about you, and your press conference?"

"... It was a mistake, the worst mistake of my life, a thoughtless slip of my tongue. But I owned up for it, I resigned from the force, and when I realised the truth I came racing back to fix the problem."

"And when I was told it was nighthowlers, I helped create the cure."

"It's different. A slip of the tongue against imprisoning fourteen innocent mammals against their or their families will. You may have thought you were doing the right thing, but you went far beyond that. You belong in a prison cell."

"Fine. We could be cell mates."

"Wait, what?"

"You may have thought you did the right thing hijacking a train, putting hundreds of lives at risk from a train crash on the elevated line, wrecking an entire train station, but you went far beyond that. All you needed was that single briefcase after all. Heck you should have informed the ZPD, rather than take the law into your own hands. You risked hundreds of lives for extra glory, you were reckless, and if I belong in a prison cell then so do you."

"I... If you really believe you're better than me then you have a serious problem."

"No. I think we're the same, Officer Hopps. As good or bad as each other. The only problem I have is you thinking you're better than me."

.

.

Regardless, she deduces that Terry only contacted Nighthowler which induced a reaction based off of his past poisoning (something that Sarah and La Peigne confirm in secret, they recovered the pellet, Sarah berating La Peigne harshly and he admitting that he deserved it. Still, it might be worth it… Him and Dr Honey Badger in the same place… She was one of only two mammals who could complete his work). In private he tries to hire her on the spot but she refuses. She's working in the infectious disease investigation department, and will be for a long time coming.

Outside, Nick's silent treatment continues when Nick finds himself sharing a front seat with Stu driving. Cotton tries to snuggle up to him, Stu ordering her not to and take a different vehicle. Eileen intervenes though and, though she and her father have an argument (Stu explicitly asking if she cares that this mammal nearly killed her sister, Eileen rebukes him.) Eileen, Nick and Cotton (in max hug mode) take a taxi, she explaining that family is everything around here, and grudges run deep (after all, look at the Greys). She knows it's unfair but she doesn't know what to do about it, other than walking away and letting it pass. Nick semi-agrees, maybe it's for the best.

Back at Carrot Days, Erin asks Bonnie if she can apply for Zapa. On looking it up, Bonnie agrees that she can apply if she wants, but it's a lot of work. That night, the big dance begins, to be followed by fireworks. While wooed by LP, Judy breaks off when seeing Nick, apologising for earlier and asking him to share a dance. However, a certain song is playing that causes Nick to have a flashback to a horrible breakup. Judy mistakes this as him being cold, so begins to dance with La Peigne. Conor meanwhile is hauled on by Erin, but reacts in fear when he sees La Peigne, racing out. Inside, Judy (after feeling guilty) looks around, wondering where Nick is, before trying to call him. However, she realises that her phone is gone, she must have left it at the sky diving place. Off she goes, promising to be back soon.

Meanwhile, Nick is on his way back to Gid and his mother when he sniffs something. He finds Conor looking at Travis and Amanda in a pick-up, planning something. Backing down, they meet Gid (Vivienne's at the dance), who realises that they plan to dunk the place with a toxic herbicide (that causes fur loss). Gid tries to race over to stop them, but Conor tells him to stop. He says they're psycho's, he's known that type, they can't be reasoned with. The argument gets more and more heated, but Nick decides to try and talk them down, tasking Gid with phoning Judy (approaching the aerodrome where the planes are being fueled. She finds the phone and message).

Travis and Amanda are initially resistant, telling the foxes that they should be on their side, and it's too late now. Nick (among other things) says he's been exactly where they were, tasked to do something terrible by someone he respected, greatly. But he realised just what it would do, the pups it would harm, land he backed out before it was too late. They can too.

Nick and Gid successfully talk down Travis and Amanda, given that even if they hate this place, they can still leave if they're free. During it, the vixen and ferret do some pure angry anti speciesist/ anti bunny rant, Nick commenting that 'god, that's what I looked like. No wonder she hated me.' He then says how good it feels, but how it keeps digging a hole. Eventually, he talks them down.

Meanwhile, at the aerodrome, Judy tries and fails to talk those there down, including Craig Blackfoot. Judy though manages to get on his plane as it taxies, almost falling back into the prop by managing to disable it (maybe after seeing them taking out the gust locks, she uses stuff on her utility belt to jam up the rear elevator, meaning the plane can't get off the ground… Or she just manages to find a tub of paint, pour it down the engine intake and choke it).

Either way, the plane is grounded and Judy confronts Craig, who is quickly beaten back by the far more skilled bunny. However, before she can restrain him he races off and down, into a narrow drainage pipe, and Judy, knowing the other planes are on their way and what might be about to happen at Carrot Days, leaves him.

Back at Carrot days, Nick and Gid try and warn everyone while Conor goes out back to cut the lights. Erin confronts him, he warns her what's coming, and says he ran because of La Peigne. She's confused, but he makes her promises to keep his existence a secret. They cut the power, confusing the planes and starting to get the crowd out. Meanwhile, the organiser is still disregarding Nick, only to pause as he hears the planes and scream in horror as the spraying starts. Thinking quick, Nick gets the entire fireworks display to fire at once, igniting the herbicide trails and downing the planes in the irrigation ponds… The pair of pilots crawl out, coughing and completely bald, and are arrested.

The next day, Nick and Judy are hailed as heroes, though some are angry that Travis, Amanda and Travis Sr are 'getting away (esp Sharla)'. A prosecutor from the city says that deals have been struck where they'll be given a testimony in return for parole. After all, if they went back on their deal, this sent the message to crooks everywhere that they have nothing to lose.

They also hear that after escaping by truck and train (including accidentally getting one going back to Bunnyburrow before switching to the right one), Craig is on the run somewhere in Zootopia. It remains to be seen how long it'll take to catch him.

Bogo also calls and praises them, saying that after toying with the idea he's now decided to fast track them to detectives. Conor (after hearing the news from Erin and promising to be there at her ZAPA audition) makes Nick promise not to tell anyone of his involvement while Vivienne, super proud of her son, remarks that she might be seeing more of him. She plans to move back to Zootopia, running Gid's first franchise. Conor and Erin say their goodbyes, the fox heading back with Finnick. La Peigne opens up a phone call to Jack Savage, his brother cheerfully praising his big bro on his own 'secret adventure. All the same as mine, only this one was real!' Things are cut off though as they hear that something's happened with Travis' family. The weasels have received a cheque, for a huge amount of money, enough to clear their debts and allow them to move away, living happily ever after (many burrow residents are livid at the news). It is signed by 'Darmaw', with the tagline 'for your services to chaos'.

Finally, Nick and Judy process the news and after processing everything, finally have 'the talk', Judy saying she thinks she does love him, Nick saying he thinks he does too. They confess feelings with each other. Nick says he needs to explain something. He needs to be honest. It's about why he left her at the dance, why he had such a great row with his mother, why he was so mean when they first met and why… a lot of things… And he only truly understood everything when he saw Travis and Amanda ranting out, because looking at them he realised what she saw in him.

Judy asks who she is and Nick shows her a picture of a sandy, slightly scruffy sand furred (swift fox) vixen in denim dungarees, a spanner over her shoulder.

"Her name is Skye… And once, not too long ago, I was an hour away from marrying her."

.

.

Notes:

.

Mainly the carrot days festival from Fire Triangle, with some elements of Guardian Blue (Eileen/ Eli (I got mixed up there) and the milk, Munch) brought in. I'd previously cut out the fire at the Tuber's place, but when in Fire Triangle the character Craig Guildford got unfridged... AND it was shown he'd been causing some arson attacks pre-story, I realised I could combine the two and bring them back in together. Vivienne Wilde also tags along for all of this, giving her much more screen time, very likely warranted after her previous intro, and showing her meeting Gid and agreeing to open a franchise a fair way earlier than in GB proper. The Fire Triangle BB plot had a slight weakness in that the bad guys (a coyote family) were just there to be bad. By turning it into a bunch of characters with not only a previous connection, but with some explored grievances (while the train issue is new (inspired by a different fic (Sandcastles)), the visit at Gid's house comes from a later GB story (Winter's Hearth)) make them and the conflict far more interesting. Being able to talk some down feels like a refreshing twist, while having some still go ahead with the attack is me having my cake and eating it.

Allows reintroducing of Sharla as well. Eileen/Eli from GB allows Nick a nice morale boost when Stu is super mad. Conor gets his own mini arc with trusting bunnies and opening up/ accepting family style love again after his previous losses, and ends with a new outlook on certain mammals that plays in later. Given the increased time period until it happens, Erin is able to have some character development too, shown choosing to apply to ZAPA and changing from just an angst stewing teenager to being an angst stewing teenagers with a dream she's working towards.

Madge Badger not working for La Peigne here allows a future plot line where he tries to pursue and get Doug Ramses later. I also like/ have a soft spot for Madge, she's a good guy here.

Final mention allows introduction to Darmaw, next villain.

(If there's more time, maybe some stuff with Finnick could be introduced. Maybe something like the Fingelica plot from Aunt Sally's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Or sod it, have Nick set up Finn with Gid.)

End notes: so, there it is. Was it what you were expecting? Did it live up to the hype? Do you not like this format? Or love it? Are you intrigued about some of the stories you didn't read that were mentioned here, and want to go and look into them? Are you a fan who's a bit confused by a change, or omission (the genderswapping, Skye, and where any of the WIF stuff is will be covered in season 2). Have you any thoughts or theories about how those changes might play out (c'mon, stick em in the comments if you do. Be a sport and play along). Or are there any scenes from this that you'd like to see fully written out going on. Who knows? You, more than me. So, comments would be appreciated.

Now, as said, this whole thing was imagined by me in a tv/ episodic format… Hence the description of the opening shots of Escape from Zoo York/ Last Dance at Finnegals. And, with a bit of spare time, I even went as far as thinking up names and descriptions for said episode. So, as a last note, after I hope you enjoyed all that, here's a little cherry on the top.

Thanks for reading, commenting, etc. CYA next time.

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Prequel I: Last Dance at Finneagels:

One year before Zootopia's nighthowler case and thousands of miles away, a notorious crime lord aims to make the deal of a lifetime, a ruthless billionaire plans to tie up loose ends, and a young fugitive gets one shot at freedom. Before the night is over, only one can get what they want.

Prequel II: Thanks for the fox:

When Nick suddenly refuses an assignment from Bogo, he's forced to reveal an extremely painful glimpse of his past to both his boss and his partner. Judy wants more than anything to help him, but Nick adamantly does not want her involved. Stubborn as always, she involves herself anyway and discovers something unbelievable that may light the fox's way through his darkest hour.

Hello Bunnyburrow:

Judy, Nick and Vivienne arrive in Bunnyburrow, the bunny eager to show them around her family home and the Carrot Days festival. While Judy is happy to reunite with old friends and family, and try to one-up Nick in a growing prank war, the fox finds an old friend at the festival, with a mysterious new partner in tow.

Munch:

After one too many comments about Nick taking it easy, he decides to join one of the Hopps family's sports teams for a friendly match, mortifying Judy given the bunny sport's questionable nature. Meanwhile, the happy goings on across the festival struggle to mask an ongoing local conflict that's starting to boil over.

Bunnathon:

Judy competes in the gruelling Bunnathon endurance race, her whole family stepping in to support her. Meanwhile, Erin's plans to perform at the talent contest are dashed, with her only hope coming from an unexpected source.

I Feel so Good:

After the end of the talent contest, everyone heads back for a long evening at the Hopps family home. Conor finds many new fans and something else he's been missing for a long time, while Nick and Judy get closer.

Homecoming:

A long lost son of the community returns home, determined to mete out justice to those he believes has wronged him, no matter who they are. Seeds of chaos are sown, and are soon to be reaped.

Judgement:

Nick suffers the fallout from his failed gambit, while Judy meets someone she believes escaped justice.

Barnyard Blitz:

The big barn dance at the end of Carrot days begins. Nick and Conor are haunted by memories of the past, while a group of mammals is preparing to make it a night that nobody will forget.

Tying up loose ends:

The day saved, Nick and Judy deal with the press and fallout, while mammals from the city and country have to give their farewells to each other. Conor has a pitch to give for Erin, while Nick has something weighing on his mind for Judy.