Noah spent a week indoors learning his lessons of making magic, pulling treasures of Fury's pockets and making him proud on almost every attempt. Noah seemed to earning a lot of respect from the other foxes and they applauded him and praised him, for his cunning style. However, they encouraged him with the bottle and cigarette occasionally just to get a laugh of his failures.
"Still stronger than Alex!" marvelled the Shopper.
"He will always be a wimpy pup," sneered the Manipulator. "Too angelic!"
The Snatcher, the Snooper and the Speaker stood up, paws together and started at Alex with a heavenly chorus sung out to him as he walked out the door.
"Why do you hate him?" asked Noah.
"We don't," said the Hunter. "We're just trying to toughen him up. Your grades are higher, Sly'o."
"To be sure," said Fury. "And your loyalty shall now be put to the test, my dear."
He was holding some very old scroll. Noah looked at the words but he didn't understand any of them.
"Italian!" chuckled Fury. "Allow me to translate, my dear."
He read out loud for Noah to hear;
"By reading and agreeing to this anima contract, I *Insert Name* shall swear on my own anima to speak nothing of the lordly Seignior Magnifico Giovanni Furia if any consequence should occur with the law or any authority. Shall I *Insert Name* go against it, I face the consequences of selling my soul to Mr. Big."
"I will sign, sir!" said Noah willingly. "I shall swear not to tell anyone on you after the kindness you've shown!"
"That's a good boy, my dear! Sign up."
Soon it was done, the name was printed and the parchment was scrolled away, Noah now feeling truly like a part of the gang after what he did.
Morning came and Noah remembered that immediately that today was the day he would be making magic. He got out of his bed and went to breakfast. Soon it was finished and he joined Alex.
"Where's Skips?" Noah asked.
"Getting ready," Alex explained.
Noah then realised that Alex was wearing the exact same clothes as him.
"Why are you dressed like me?" he asked the bigger fox.
"My own type of magic," explained Alex. "I aim to earn myself the title of the Swapper."
"Swapper? What does the Swapper do?"
"You'll see," said Alex. "Don't say anything to Skips though. It'll spoil the surprise for what he will see. He would have to mention me to Fury then."
Skips appeared from a doorway and greeted the two foxes, almost not recognising their clothes.
"Why are you dressed the same?"
"Coincidence," said Alex.
Skips looked suspicious but replied "Okay."
So the two foxes and the bunny set off into the filthy, dodgy streets into the busy city of Zootopia. Zebras would play Soccer, pigs were selling groceries, giraffes were cutting trees, a monkey was holding up a stop sign to allow a group of possums to cross the road, hares were jogging on the pavements and a verity of animals wandered here and there, Noah almost bumping into each and everyone, Alex and Skips having to rescue him every now and then.
"You gotta watch where you're walking Fluff Tail," explained Skips. "There's a darkness within everyone and everything."
Noah was walking through a street with them and noticed that a dollar bill had blown out of the pocket of a rabbit.
"Excuse me sir!" Noah called as he grabbed and handed back to the rabbit. He was wearing a green T-shirt and blue shorts. He was also carrying a carrot-shaped sports bag.
''This blew out of your pocket," Noah explained.
"Why thank you, kid," he said gratefully as he put the dollar bill back into his pocket. "We seriously need more kids like you in this world."
Noah smiled and rejoined the duo.
"That could have been your chance to make magic," Alex scolded.
"It blew out of his pocket though," said Noah. "He might be wondering where it was. And what do you mean that could have been my chance when that was his?"
Alex seemed to be thinking.
"Forget what I said okay," he replied.
Noah turned to Skips.
"How do you make magic with Fury anyway?" asked Noah. "These animals aren't like him."
"Magicians don't reveal secrets, Fluff Tail," responded Skips.
They walked down an alley and stopped by a shop, reading; Trunkworth's Books: Fiction, Fact, History and Advice - Even Cooking.
"What are we doing?" asked Noah.
"Waiting for a ripe target," explained Skips. "Their bags create the sort of magic you saw Fury conjure up."
"Really?" asked Noah excited. "We're going to make magic like Mr. Fury any minute?"
"Why do you think we showed the game?" replied Alex. "There! That Dalmatian!"
There was a very snobby-looking Dalmatian wearing a pink dress and carrying a huge, red shopping bag. As she was about to enter the shop she saw a young wolf pup with ten dollar in his paw. she laughed at the note and remarked that he was of the wrong class to enter such a shop, making the pup walk of upset.
"We'll give her something new to think about when we leave her penniless," smirked Skips as the arrogant canine entered the shop.
"What do you mean?" asked Noah.
"Too many questions spoil the fun, Noah," replied Skips.
"Sorry," Noah apologised.
"Easy to forgive as you are new to this business," Skips forgave. "Let's deflate her head."
They entered the bookshop which had a marvellous surround; shelves upon shelves of books. Noah had never read in his life but there was something about this shop that made him feel the want to be more than just an uneducated fox and the smell was perfect too.
"Well hello there, lads,"
They turned to see a huge elephant at the counter wearing a white top with a red heart in the middle and an open book inside it.
"And what can I do for you?"
"Just a browse," lied Alex.
"Making magic," said Noah but Skips covered up.
"He is interested in reading those Harry Otter books, so we're taking him to them."
"Need a trunk?" Mr. Trunkworth chuckled.
"We know where it is, thanks," replied Alex.
"Call me if you need help," offered Mr. Trunkworth.
The boys wandered through various sections until they found they prey at the home improvement section. She pulled a book from a row and began to read. While she did so, they witnessed her placing a purse she had left on the shelf into her shopping bag on the ground.
Noah looked at Skips who winked at him.
"Let the game begin, Fluff Tail."
Alex went down a row a short distance where the Dalmatian was standing reading the book as Skips crept up to her carefully and looked into the neglected shopping bag. Looking right and left, he dipped his paw into it, brought and out the very purse she had placed into it.
Noah watched in horror as the rabbit winked at him and tossed the purse landing into Alex's paws. His very words 'Magicians don't reveal secrets' became very clear to the cub; all those cards, iPods, phones, wallets and purses were nothing to do with magic; they stole all those treasures!
"HEY! YOU!"
Noah recognised that voice.
Skips had instantly vanished from the scene.
The robbed Dalmatian turned right and saw Alex with her purse and he charged for it making Noah fall to the ground, also vanishing out of sight. Noah was getting up and running away as the Dalmatian turned in his direction.
"GIVE ME MY PURSE!" she shrieked at Noah who just so happened to be wearing the same clothes as the robber. "THIEF!"
Frightened and confused, Noah ran out of the shop, chased by the robbed Dalmatian alongside three other customers.
"THIEF!" the Dalmatian screamed. "MY PURSE!"
This caught the attention of some bypasses sitting with some ice cream or playing football. They neglected their plans and they began to charge after the fleeing fox cub, screeching and roaring which eventually expanded as some Junior Scouts, young teenage-lion footballers, park keepers and customers for groceries or coffee joined in the chase. There was no sign of Skips or Alex and the angry noise of the mob ascending to Noah encouraging to keep on running.
"STOP THIEF! FOLLOW THAT FOX! HE STOLE A PURSE! POLICE! CATCH HIM! STOP THAT FOX! STOP THIEF!"
Noah ran on and on and suddenly he found himself the path of two policemen, a wolf and rhinoceros. Hearing the cry of the mob, they pieced the idea together and ran after Noah who made off again. While they were, the rhino, brought out his radio and spoke "Hopps, this is Officer McHorn! We have a pickpocket fox aiming for Eden Avenue!"
Noah charged on as the mob charged ferociously to him. He dashed round the corner and on and on, the mob still caring toward him when - PWACK!
Noah found himself on the ground looking up to the sunny, blue sky all confused and tasting blood.
"Got ya!" said a fat scout beaver kissing the fist he struck at Noah.
"Foxes don't stand a chance at Junior Ranger Scouts!" sneered a scout giraffe.
The crowd finally caught up, looking over the fox cub angrily, yelling at him in anger and excitement, disorientating Noah even more than he was now. Hwver he could make out some comments though the vagueness of it all:
He's in for Juvey!
He's bleeding!
He needs a tissue! Give him some air!
Fat chance! He don't deserve it!
How like a fox, eh?
The rhino and wolf finally reached the dazed, half-unconscious fox cub.
"Get up, you little rapscallion!" snapped the police wolf.
"It wasn't me," murmured Noah.
"That's what they all say!" said the rhino. "Now get up before muzzle you!"
"Let me through! Excuse me please! Excuse me!"
A small police rabbit pushed her way to the crime scene and looked at Noah lying on the ground.
"What happened?"
"I stopped him!" said the beaver proudly. "I gave him one bark up the nose."
"I ought to report you for violence, kid," scolded the rabbit.
The wolf grabbed Noah by the shirt and held him there.
"Who's the robbed victim?" the wolf called out to the mob.
"That will be me!" said the Dalmatian appearing from the crowd. "This filthy little mongrel just pushed to the ground, slapped me and ran off with my purse."
Noah tried to protest.
"I didn't! I -"
"Shut up, punk!" snapped the police rhino. "We were asking the culprit."
"You're under arrest," announced the wolf to Noah. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."
He revealed a pair of handcuffs and incarcerated Noah, bringing the cuffs to his size.
"Wolford? McHorn?" said the rabbit. "Do you really think it's necessary to handcuff a kid? He looks about four for Pete's sake!"
"A criminal is a criminal, Hopps," insisted McHorn. "Thieving as a fox."
"But wait a min-"
"Criminal to take away, Hopps!" snapped McHorn. "We'll talk later."
The crowd cheered and sneered at Noah, the Scouts pulling faces and the jocks giving him rude paw gestures until the police cleared them away.
Officer Hopps was outraged at this arrest. They hadn't even the patience to question the cub who was badly hurt and only a moron would believe a baby fox would assault a fully-grown Dalmatian.
Skips and Alex watched behind some garbage bins as Noah was placed into a squad car.
"Not so sly after all," shrugged Alex smugly.
"Shut up, Alex!" snapped Skips. "What are we gonna tell Fury?"