A/N. Its been a super long time since i've dabbled in writing. But I've had this idea for awhile and had to get it out. I hope you enjoy the first chapter and remember to like, favorite and comment!
Judy sat comfortably in her seat on a train heading to the big city of Zootopia. Ever since she was a kit, she dreamed of leaving behind her podunk town, Bunnyburrow, to pursue a career as a police officer in the big city.
Judy's phone was near dead. She had spent the last two hours listening to music, looking at every social media from Furbook, to Instaclaw, she even read news articles, the absolute last resort when it came to entertainment. Judy rested her head on the window and watched the scenery pass by in a blur. The window was caked with dirt, sand and mud from when they passed the Rainforest District, Sahara Square, and Tundratown districts.
In the distance, even through the dirt and sand-covered window, Judy could see Zootopia's skyline. Her heart raced with excitement as she would soon be in the city of her dreams.
Now approaching Zootown central train station. ETA, 15 minutes. Thank you for riding on the Zootown express." An announcer said over the speaker.
Judy could barely sit still in her seat. She shook with excitement and anxiety. Suddenly, her phone vibrated, forcing her attention.
Judy unlocked her phone and saw a notification from an app she had no memory of downloading. Its symbol was that of a black pawprint with an orange and green background. Judy clicked on the notification and the app opened.
"Please insert User's name." A white box popped up with a field to insert a name.
"Judy Hopps." Judy typed.
"Thank you!" Another message popped up then disappeared, revealing a map of Zootopia.
Across the city map, orange dots blinked in one spot then blinked again in another. Judy cocked her head in confusion and tapped on one of the dots near the train station she was about to stop at.
As soon as Judy's thumb made contact with the screen the world around her slowed to a crawl, then stopped completely. Judy looked around in confusion, every mammal was stuck in place and the train cabin turned eerily quiet. A blue butterfly fluttered past Judy, making small shimmers with each flap of its wings. Judy's head followed the butterfly as flew out the window and outside the train.
The window of the train that was once cloudy was crystal clear and Judy saw a vast forest where Zootopia once was. A blue beam of light shot out from above the treeline. Judy looked down at her phone again and saw the orange dot was no longer blinking, but pulsating in place, the location looked to be exactly the same as where the blue beam of light was eminating from.
After a few seconds, reality returned to normal. Time moved as it once did, and the vast forest and blue beam were replaced by the city of Zootopia. Judy looked around, confused, but decided to brush it off as just being tired from the long trip.
She turned off her phone and set it in her pocket and sat patiently for the last stop.
After 15 minutes the train stopped at its final destination. Zootopia central train station. Judy grabbed her bag from the overhead compartment and waited patiently at the train door intended for smaller mammals such as herself.
The train doors opened and Judy walked out into the station. She was still shaken by the weird experience in the train, but her excitement still somewhat remainded as she walked through the station taking in the sights.
There were systems of tubes for rodents to walk across so they wouldn't be trampled by much bigger mammals. Juice stands used hydraulic tubes to move drinks up to larger mammals like Giraffes, and pools of water for hippos to rehydrate their skin.
Judy manuvered her way past the crowd of mammals in front of her. Her police training made her less wary of larger mammals so she had no problem bypassing the routes intended for smaller mammals and made a beeline for the escalators. When she finally reached the top floor she rushed out of the train station and into the city centre.
She had always seen articles online and pictures from pamphlets and books, but they paled in comparison to being there in person, among the crowds of mammals of all shapes and sizes.
A billboard on one of the buildings portrayed the pop singer, Gazelle, playing a pre- recorded message over and over again.
"Im Gazelle and welcome to Zootopia!"
Judy pulled out her phone once again to open the maps app. When Judy unlocked her phone the strange app from earlier opened up automatically, a green light pulsated around the edges of the screen and a shrill beeping sound played. Judy saw a red arrow and near it an orange dot, the same one from earlier. Judy turned to face the dot and noticed the red arrow followed suit.
Judy breathed deeply. "Should i tap on the dot again?" She asked herself. "Maybe it'll be different this time."
After a few seconds Judy tapped on the dot and just like last time, reality warped and stopped again. The city around her transformed, from tall buildings and concrete. to grass and tall trees. Around her Black featureless shadows walked past her, unaware of her presence.
Judy cautiously walked forward, towards the pulsating Orange dot. There was a beam of light in the sky, the same one from earlier. Judy approached near where the orange dot was. Judy peeked around a tree and saw a bright blue shadow that stuck out from the pitch black shadows. It eminated a strange aura, almost like electricity. The blue shadow turned its head and Judy turned away and stood stiff against the tree, hoping it didn't see her.
She could hear the shadow getting closer and feel its threatening Aura getting stronger and stronger.
"What's she doing here!?" A voice yelled out to the left of Judy.
"Forget about her. Just complete the mission!" Another voice said.
Judy turned to the source of the voices. Two medium sized mammals with black suits and helmets holding guns with a blue serum in a clear, glass container on the bottom stood.
"There it is!" One mammal pointed his gun and shot at Judy.
Judy tensed up as the shot rang out. Only to notice the projectile zoomed behind her and hit the blue shadow which was directly behind her. The shadow fell to the ground and convulsed violently. Its blue color started to turn orange and its electricity like Aura swirled around it.
"Wrong time, wrong place, little bunny!" The black suited mammal said.
"The shadow will take care of her. Lets just report back." The other black suited mammal said.
In the blink of an eye, both mammals disappeared from Judys view.
Behind her, Judy could feel the intense aura of the blue shadow. Judy turned back and saw the blue shadow was now fully orange, its previously featureless face was now in the shape of a wolf's. The shadow roared and pounced on Judy.
Judy tried to protect her face with her arms, but the Orange shadow effortlessly swiped her hands away, knocking her phone out of her hand and into a tree where it shattered. The orange wolf shadow screeched in Judys face and went to swiping at her, leaving cuts and bruises all over her arms, torso and face.
As Judy began to accept her fate, she saw the blue butterfly again. Its wings still producing the same shimmering with every flap.
"This is truly hopeless. The shadows despise a mammal who hasn't embraced her wild side." An etherial female voice said.
"What?" Judy thought.
"You're a mammal, civilized as you are you still have a wild side. Tap into it if you want to stand a chance." The same voice said.
"Fursona!" A high pitched voice called out. "Get him, Augustus!"
The orange shadow was knocked down by a gust of fire. Judy felt like she had been cooked in an oven from the heat, but she was unscathed by the fire itself.
A small Fennic fox, corporeal like her, ran up to Judy.
"You're not a shadow, or one of the black suits!" The Fennic said.
"I don't even know why im here!" Judy exclaimed as she got back to her feet.
"Regardless, you have to get out of here!" The Fennic exclaimed.
"How?" Judy asked.
"Same way you came in!" The Fennic bounced up and down in frustration.
"My phone is broken!" Judy exclaimed.
"Your phone? You mean you're not a-" The Fennec stopped his sentence short when he saw the orange shadow had gotten back up and was making a beeline towards him and Judy. "Whatever, just follow me before we get caught!"
The Fennick and Judy sprinted through the dense forest, doding trees and the wild swipes of the orange shadow.
"Quick, up here!" The Fennic leapt up and onto a thick tree branch. Judy quickly followed behind.
The Fennic raised his hands above his head. "Fursona!" He yelled out. The apparition of a mammal dressed in red armor, with a corona wreath around its head and spear appeared behind the Fenneck. "Destroy them, Augustus!"
The armored apparition pointed his spear forward and a gout of flames shot out from its tip. The flames hit the orange shadow and it hit the ground, it then got up and scurried away into the forest.
"Pretty neat, huh?" The Fennic crossed his arms. "Not bad for a little-" The Fennick was picked up by Judy.
"What in the world is going on!" Judy yelled in a mix of shock, anger and fear.
The Fennic squirmed and struggled against Judy's grasp. "Down, down, put me down!" He demanded.
"Not until you tell me whats going on!" Judy yelled.
"I will, i swear, just put me down!" The Fennic yelled.
Judy rolled her eyes and set the Fennec back down.
"Thank you." The Fennec said. "So, how to explain this to someone who doesn't know." The Fennec thought for a second. "Ok, in short this isn't the real world like where you're from. This is kinda like a dimension where every mammals wild, savage side resides. That one shadow was made savage by those guys in the black suits. In the real world that mammal is going savage and harming other mammals." He said quickly.
Judy tried to process what he just said. "What!?" she yelled.
"Can't you say anything else but what?" The Fennec crossed his arms.
"Wh- How else am i supposed to understand all this!?" Judy said. "This has to be a dream, it has to be." She paced in fear.
"Hey, calm down. Listen to me." The Fennec grabbed Judy's arm. "I'll help you get home. Just follow me. I have a little outpost nearby." The Fennec urged Judy to follow him.
Judy took a deep breath. "Whats your name?" She asked.
"People call me Pembo, or just Pem." Pembo said.
"I'm Judy." Judy introduced.
"Nice to meet ya. I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances." Pembo said sincerely. "Now, lets go, daylights burning!'
The trek to Pembo's outpost was uneventful. There were many black shadows along the way, but they never paid the pair any mind. Judy had so many questions, but was too shaken to ask til they were safe.
"Ok, just right here." Pembo pointed ahead to a cave barely visible through the dense forestry.
Judy and Pembo sat down in the mouth of the cave. The sound of shadows walking around outside put Judy on edge.
"Don't be afraid, the shadows dont know we're here. Not even the savage ones." Pembo said.
"So, you said earlier i wasn't something." Judy said.
"Huh?" Pembo cocked his head to the side. "Ohhh, right. You weren't a Fursona user!"
"Fursona?" Judy asked.
"Its kinda like a reflection of yourself." Pembo explained. "Every mammal has a savage side, but some can harness it into a power known as Fursona." Pembo could just feel the confusion on Judy's face.
Judy remembered the blue butterfly's words "The shadows despise a mammal who hasn't embraced her wild side."
"I know it doesn't make sense. But if you're lucky it won't have to." Pembo said.
"So, how do i get back?" Judy asked.
"You said you used a phone to get here. But since it's broken, we'll just have to wait for more of those mammals in the black suits to show up and steal theirs." Pembo explained.
"That could take ages!" Judy pulled on her ears.
"No, not really. I see a few of them a day. One will show up again, and I'll be able to sniff them out." Pembo explained. "You look pretty bad, so rest up and I'll do all the hard work."
"Thank you. Pem." Judy laid down on her back and rested her eyes.
Due to her fatigue and injuries Judy fell asleep quickly. As she drifted off she felt as if was falling down a pit, and when she landed her eyes flew back open. The area she was in was nothing like where she fell asleep. She was on a cold, metal floor with bars surrounding her. She got to her feet and placed her paws on the iron bars.
"You're finally awake." A deep male voice said.
Just in front of Judy's cage was a desk with a tall, leather chair behind it. In the chair was an Anteater with his hands folded together. below the desk was a purple rug with golden frills going around it.
"Welcome to the velvet room. Only those bound by a contract may enter here." The anteater said. "My name is Igor, and is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. This room lies between Mind and Matter, dreams and reality."
Judy didn't say a word.
"I understand your reluctance. This is very new to you i imagine. But i assure you, your appearance here was no accident, you were destined to be here." Igor said.
"What do you mean destined? What is all this?" Judy asked.
"All will be revealed in due time. There's quite the journey ahead and i'd be more than happy to be your guide."
"Why did you put me in a cage?" Judy asked.
"I did nothing." Igor chuckled. "If escape is what you desire then you must unleash your wild side and break the cage yourself."
"How do i do that!?" Judy asked as she gripped the bars tightly.
"Its not something i can explain, or teach. You must find it in yourself and unleash it. Til then you will always be caged." Igor said. "But for right now you should return to where you came from. Your friend Pembo requires your attention."
Judy laid back down on the cold, metal floor and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes back up Judy immediately scanned her surroundings and was disheartened to see she was back in Pembo's cave.
"Judy!" Pembo greeted. "I tried waking you up earlier but you must've been super exausted."
"I was." Judy yawned.
"Anyway. I got a present for you!" Pembo lifted his left paw, inside it was a black smartphone. "Ta Daaaa!"
Judy took the phone. "You got this from one of those guys?"
"Sure did! snatched it right from his stupid little paws when he was least expecting it. Now hurry up and use it!" Pembo urged.
Judy looked down at the smartphone, it had the same app with the same map open. There was a red button below the map that said "Return." Judy quickly clicked it and felt her reality warp around her.
"Bye, Judy!" Pembo waved.
Before Judy could reciprocate, she found herself back in the city of Zootopia. Late at night by herself. She still had the smartphone in her hand.
"Ill get a new one tomorrow." Judy set the phone on a nearby trash can and walked down the street.
4/9 20xx. Late night. ZIA office.
A rabbit with white fur and black stripes stood in front of a map with eighteen black pins stabbed in it, on each pin was a picture of a mammal going berserk, covered in blood and tattered clothing.
"Eighteen cases in a week and a half." The rabbit said to himself.
The door behind him was opened and in walked a Zebra in a black suit and shades with a manilla folder under his arm. "Mr.Savage." He said in a professional voice.
"Agent." Savage said without even taking his eyes off the board. "Lemme guess, number #19?"
The zebra took the folder and placed it on Jacks desk. "A wolf, near the train station."
"Dammit." Jack said. "Anything else?"
"Agent winters wants you at your earliest convenience." The Zebra added.
"A 19th mammal and a meeting with Skye. Could this night get anymore interesting." Savage said in a cold, sarcastic voice.
"I'll let you be to read the details of the case." The Zebra walked out, leaving Savage alone.
Savage jumped onto his chair and opened the folder. Inside was a picture of a wolf going savage. Inside was also pictures of two mammals in black suits and helmets, an orange shadow, and a terrified looking bunny.
"A civilian? But how?" Savage asked himself. "This could be trouble."
4/9 Late night. Grand Pangolin arms apartment building.
Judy had taken a taxi to her new apartment building. Luckily she remembered the adress from when she signed up for it. An elderly Armadillo led Judy through the halls and to her room.
"Delousing is once a week and DON'T lose your key" The Armadillo said as she dropped Judy's keys into her paws.
"Thanks." Judy's voice was low and she could barely stand up anymore from exaustion.
Judy entered her apartment. It was tiny, cramped, and covered in dust, but at that point she didn't care. She used the last of her energy to climb into bed and passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Inside her head Igors voice echoed.
"You must unleash your wild side!"