Okay, so I'm sure some of you are wondering why I took off the Gazelle and Ashe pairing, yeah? Wellllll… I thought long and hard about it, and I realized that the Gazelle and Ashe thing didn't feel right? Like, there is potential for Ashe to find someone that could really click with him, and so far, all we really have going is that Ashe saved Gazelle and Gazelle saved him in return... I have someone in mind I'd been accidentally thinking back on for a while now, lol. Since we don't really have any buildup with Gazelle when it comes to the relationship, I finally came to the decision to drop the pairing- that's kinda why I took so long, hehe…

I don't think you'll be too disappointed though!

Hope you'll stick with me for this!

It took a lot of paper-pushing and favor-calling, but in the end, Ashe was given free-reign citizenship within the walls of Zootopia. Judy herself had managed to get Ashe a phone with hers, Nick's, and Chief Bogo's numbers in them in case of emergencies, along with all the latest map apps and gadgets needed to navigate the metropolis of Zootopia, before sending him off with the address he needed to arrive at punched into the Maps app. The bright sun and dusty vegetation of the Desert-Savanna Habitual Zone made him relax, the warm rays of the inner wall heating his scales comfortably. In the bullet train, Ashe's tailfins twitched nervously as he watched the scenery change from the diversity of the central region to the Rainforest Habitual Zone, to the Polar Habitual Zone, and finally the sandy, grassy, and sunny Desert-Savanna Habitual Zone.

Stepping off the train, Ashe hesitated as the animals around him whispered amongst themselves, instantly singling him out. 'I've got to walk to the designated rendezvous amongst these animals?' he thought with indignation, knowing with a curl in his gut how it was going to play out. The Relic scowled, pulling up his hood before stuffing his clawed hands into his shirt pockets self-consciously. Stalking for a shady path under the arches in the station, ice-blue eyes swept the area for any signs that could get him to where he needed to go.

Grasslands Boulevard Entryway, one sign read.

"Mamma, what animal is that?"

"Don't point, honey, it's rude!"

Ashe rolled his eyes and flicked his wings irritably before pulling up his hood to hide his horns. The last thing he needed was to draw more unwanted attention. Quickly picking the tunnel stairs and climbing them, Ashe took the time to see the differences between the Central City of Zootopia and the outer branches- everything was made from sandstone or limestone here, it seemed. There was a constant hum in the air made by the climate heaters in the distant walls of the Zone, and the dry air felt familiar in a way his very bones seemed to relax, even minutely.

Stepping outside, Ashe squinted, his tail curling, before the skin on his face was caressed by the warmed wind. Blinking against the sun, the Relic looked out and sucked in a shaky breath.

For one, dusty green and orange was everywhere, smatterings of red, gold, white, and blues decorating the overhanging cloths and doorways in exotic patterns. An African Wild Dog trotted past, their tail wagging as they spoke with someone on their phone, and Ashe watched as a lioness ran through the crowd, whining about being late for a meeting.

Ashe stepped back quickly as a small group of tiny kangaroo rats hopped by, and the Relic worried momentarily about stepping on one before bumped into a giraffe.

"Watch it, bub!" the mammal said with a leer, and Ashe bristled before turning and quickly vacating the corner.

Screw it, he'd work on it himself.

The crowd gasped as Ashe spread his wings for stability and leapt for a building wall, flapping clumsily, and gaining a little altitude before listing to one side just as he made it. Digging his claws into the stone, the Relic scaled the building with ease. Pausing at the top to get his bearings, Ashe looked around; everything was more widely spaced than in the Central city, so gliding would be easier. Ashe had to get to 421 East Raffe-Patter Avenue, next to a Sahara Skypark… looking down at his phone, Ashe let out a groan.

"The stupid rendezvous is at the other end of the Oasis," he grunted, tail lashing in irritation.

With a low growl that had fire licking in his belly, Ashe took several steps back and made a running start, leaping off the side of the building and snapping his wings open.

Gliding shakily to the next building, Ashe stumbled before looking back at where he started- it was a descent distance, and he cracked a small smile, his lips quirking upwards. He hadn't really gotten that far before now- maybe having actual food in his system helped? Who knew.

"Alright, then," he muttered, rolling his shoulders and wings experimentally. "Let's do this."

As Ashe quickly made his way across the desert-like zone, on the other end next to the Oasis Lake, another mammal hurried to the very meeting spot Ashe was trying to get to.

Amber eyes were wide with worry and anxiety as she ducked and wove through the crowds, her speed picking up as she fretted. "Oh, I'm so late," the African cheetah, a rather petite female at that named Hallelujah, whined, her paws wringing her wrists as she hopped over a gaggle of shrews. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have spent so much time listening to Gazelle's track! Honestly, the choreography could have waited-!"

Hallelujah ran whisker-first into a large bull elephant, and the male turned to glare down at her in disdain. "Watch it, predator!" he rumbled. "S-sorry!" the female said, her ears going back in alarm. Scrambling to her feet, Hallelujah gave a tail flick in apology before continuing. Her live-in studio wasn't too far away, so why was she having such a hard time getting to the meeting point?!

Back with Ashe, the creature leapt over another gap, his wings snapping out a bit easier now- more so with instinct rather than having to think to do it. As he cleared another ga[, he bent over to take a breath and happened to look up at one of the many giant jumbotrons that lined the many zones of Zootopia. His face was, predictably, plastered onto the screen as the latest headline.

"The recent excavation into the ruins of Humanity have revealed a still-alive creature of their creation," the snow leopard anchor said factually. "There have not been any records of their specie ever being seen, so until we have further information, he is to be known as a specie referring to the time of Humans… at his request, he has given us permission to name him, specie-wise, as a Relic."

Ashe curled his tail at that.

Relic.

It was meant to be a moniker, according to the Cape Buffalo chief when asked about it, but, in a way, it fit what exactly Ashe was when he thought about it. Everyone was saying he was something out of time, brought back from when Humans were the apex predators of the world. They may have something to do with his missing memories, even… but until he could find the resources and 'mammalpower' to find out, he was on square one for now.

Ashe's scales shimmered under the sun as he shifted his feet, the grey talons scratching on the stone under them as he got his bearing after a few more leaps. Allegedly, he was close, and the giant lake bordering the Oasis seemed to be a good clue as to where to go. With a flick of his wings, Ashe glided to the ground easily, circling clumsily until he rolled into the sand. Popping back up, the Relic shook the sand and gravel from his clothes before ruffling the grains from his hair.

Glancing around the Oasis, the Relic hummed. It was a good enough place to head off from, so with a sweep of his tail in the sands, Ashe set off.