The evening of the Thrushian Ballet had finally come. Various animals were arriving and heading inside the Zootopia Opera House, all dressed up in formal clothing.
Nick and Finnick, also dressed up in bedazzling black tuxedos and top hats, were out on the steps waiting for Judy, Fru Fru, and Gazelle to arrive.
Finnick was pacing nervously on the steps, holding his hat.
Nick, who was sitting on the steps, was not as worried at his co-partner was. Shaking his head, he decided to tell him who Judy really was. "We don't have anything to be nervous about, Fin," he said, with a sad sigh. "She's the princess."
"I know, I know," Finnick nodded anxiously. He sat down on the steps next to him. "But-"
But Nick knew that Finnick did not understand what he was talking about. "No, no," he interrupted, standing up. "No, you don't know." He paused for a moment. "I was the fox boy. in the palace. The one who opened the wall. She's the real thing, Fin."
The fennec fox became shocked by what his partner had just told him. Carefully putting the pieces altogether, Finnick's jaw dropped open. "That means," he grinned in realization, "our Judy... has found her family. We have found the heir to the Thrushian throne! And you..."
"Will walk out of her life forever," Nick responded, melancholy.
Finnick's smile vanished, once he understood what Nick was saying. "But, Nick..."
The red fox shook his head. "Princesses don't marry kitchen boys. Especially if they're rabbits and foxes."
"I know!" said Finnick. He tugged at Nick's tuxedo tail. "But..."
"We're gonna go through with this as if nothing's changed."
"You've got to tell her."
"Tell me what?" A familiar voice gently asked.
The foxes turned around to see Judy, and both became stunned by her appearance. The female rabbit was all groomed up; her ears were combed up like silk. She had on a drop-shaped forehead silver-chained headpiece, matching with her dazzling diamond earrings. Her purple eyes glimmered as if they were real amethysts, and she had on makeup very professionally done. She also wore a light blue coat lined with white fur over her evening wear.
Fru Fru was riding on her shoulder. She, too, looked beautiful for her appearance. Her hair was tied up in a high bun by a red ribbon. She had on tiny gold hooped earrings, along with her own makeup done professionally. She had on a sparkling green fur coat over her own evening wear.
"Um..." Nick stammered, removing his top hat. "Uh, how... how beautiful you look," he answered.
"Well, thank you," Judy smiled sweetly, looking down to hide her blushing face.
"You too, Fru Fru," Nick added.
"Aw, thank you," replied Fru Fru, looking touched. "That's a first from you, Nicky."
Nick regaining his composure, before extending his arm out to Judy. The bunny took it, and the two went up the stairs into the opera house.
Finnick watched the fox and rabbit walk up together, until another familiar voice cleared her throat from behind him. He turned around, and looked up to see Gazelle.
"Ah, Gazelle!" The little fennec fox greeted. He gave a bow, and took the gazelle by the hoof to escort her inside.
Inside the opera house, Nick had just finished checking their coats with the beaver man who was in charge of the coats. When he looked up at Judy, who stood halfway up the grand staircase, he stared up in awe at the sight of her entranced by her beauty completely; The bunny was wearing a glittering dark blue strapless evening dress with a transparent train on her back. She had a silver choker around her neck that matched perfectly with her earrings and headpiece, and white opera gloves.
Fru Fru, still riding on Judy's shoulder, had her coat off, as well. She was wearing a shiny red strapless knee-length dress with a red bow on the front. She also had on a matching bolero jacket, and nude-colored stockings with red high heels.
Judy looked down at a bedazzled Nick, and nodded for him to join her.
Nick shook out of his trance, and rushed up to her side. He took Judy by the arm like a gentleman, and continued up the stairs with her.
The group took their seats in the opera box. Fru Fru sat on the top of one of the seats to get a good look at the stage. Finnick groaned a little in dismay, as he was too short in his own seat, He had to rise up on his knees like a toddler, so that he could get a better look.
Other animals around them whispered to each other, taken with Judy.
Nick looked through opera glasses, and gestured towards the box seats on the left. "Look," he whispered to Judy. "There he is."
He gave Judy the opera glasses so she could see for herself.
In front of her view, was Otto, sitting beside Gazelle on the balcony.
Judy began to feel nervous as she looked at the elderly rabbit. "Please let him remember me," she prayed quietly.
Just then, the lights went down as the ballet of Chinchillderella began to start.
Everyone watched the performance in wonder. The only one who didn't pay any attention to it was Judy. She continued to watch the Emperor, as the ballet continued.
As time went by, Judy tore her program up into little pieces.
Nick rolled his eyes to her, and could tell she was very nervous from her nose twitching. He reached over, and took her paw to comfort her. "Everything's gonna be fine," he assured her.
Judy gave a small nod and smiled a bit, hoping the fox would be right.
Not too much later, the First Act of the ballet had come to an end. The curtains dropped down, and the lights came back on for Intermission.
Nick turned to Judy. "Come on," he said. "I guess it's time."
"Good luck, Judy!" Fru Fru whispered, with a wink. "You can do this!"
The fox and the rabbit left the opera box, and walked down the hall together to the Emperor's box room, preparing to announce Judy to him.
But Judy was extremely nervous, now that the time has come.
"Relax," Nick told her. "You're gonna do great."
But Judy couldn't help herself, and hastily turned to go away.
"Hey," Nick stopped her, and tried to calm her down. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine."
A few minutes later, the two finally arrived at Otto's box room.
"Wait here for just a moment. I'll go in and announce you properly," Nick told her.
Judy stopped him, before he could go to the door. "Nick?"
"Yes?" Nick turned to her.
She swallowed. "Look," she started, "we've been through a lot together."
Nick's green eyes widened, getting excited at what she was about to say. "Uh-huh?"
"And I just wanted to..."
"Yes?" beamed Nick.
"Well..." Judy could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She lost her courage on what she was about to tell Nick, and instead said, "...thank you, I guess. Yes, thank you for everything."
Nick seemed disappointed for a moment. He turned to head for the door, while Judy turned the other way. But then, he stopped. "Judy, I..."
Judy turned back to him. "Yes?"
But Nick took his turn to feel nervous. "I'm... I... uh..." he stammered.
"Ye-es?" Judy asked, getting really excited herself with a big grin.
Unfortunately, Nick also lost his courage, and instead said, "I want to wish you good luck, I guess."
"Oh," Judy moaned, disappointed.
"Uh..." Nick extended his paw, and they shook. "Good luck. Well, here goes."
Without another thought, Nick opened the door, and went inside the Dowager's box while Judy waited outside. He gently closed the door behind him. But Nick failed to noticed that the door did not close all the way, leaving a tiny crack.
"Please inform his majesty, the Dowager Emperor, that I have found his granddaughter..." Nick said to Gazelle, approaching her. "The Grand Duchess Judistasia."
Gazelle stammered with a nervous grin on her face. She took a glance at Otto, who was listening and gave a glare at Nick.
"She's waiting to see him just outside the door," said Nick.
"I'm very sorry, young man," Gazelle apologized. "But the Dowager Emperor, he will see no one."
"You may tell that impertinent fox, that I have seen enough Grand Duchess Judistasias to last me a lifetime," Otto sternly replied.
Having second thoughts on this, Gazelle turned back to Nick. "You'd better go," she softly warned him.
But Nick wouldn't listen. "Please, let me just-"
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Otto cut him off. "I wish to live out the remainder of my lonely life in peace."
"Oh!" Giving a nervous chuckle, Gazelle drew the drapes shut to avoid Nick accessing Otto's private space. "I'll see you to the door," she tried to lead Nick back to the door. "Come, come now, come to the door."
While the gazelle was distracted, Nick turned back and ducked through the curtains. "Your Majesty, I intend you no harm." He approached Otto, and sat down in another chair next to him. "My name is Nick Wilde. I used to work at the palace."
But Otto frowned sarcastically. "Well, that's one I haven't heard, I must say!" He got up from his seat, and started to walk away.
"Wait!" Nick followed him. "Don't go, please!" He stepped in the elderly rabbit's way to stop him. "If you'll just hear me out-"
"I know what you're after!" snapped Otto. "I've seen it before; men who train young rabbit women in the royal ways." He stepped out from behind the curtains, and pulled on a nearby rope, ringing a bell to summon the guards.
"But if Your Highness will just listen-"
"Haven't you been listening?" Otto began to raise his voice. "I've had enough!"
Judy came closer to the door, listening closely to the conversation.
"I don't care how much you have fashioned this girl to look like her, sound like her, or act like her. In the end, it never is her."
"This time it is her!" Nick protested.
"Nick Wilde..." Otto suddenly said in recognition. He turned back to Nick, glaring harder than before. "I've heard of you. You're that conman fox from St. Crittersburg, who was holding auditions to find a Judistasia look-alike!"
Judy gasped upon hearing this, and covered her mouth in horror.
Nick's eyes widened in shock. How did he know about that? He thought. But he quickly shook it off. "But, your Grace, we've come all the way from Thrushia just to see-"
"And others have come from Tigontu," Otto replied, sitting down on a red loveseat.
"No, it's not-it's not that, it's not what you think," Nick knelt down, and tried to take Otto's paws in compassion. Only for the rabbit to angrily yank them back, and rise back up on his feet.
"How much pain will you inflict an old rabbit man for money?!" He scowled.
Judy couldn't believe what she was hearing, and drooped her ears. The fox who had taught her so much, who she had begun very close to. In fact, she had even begun to develop feelings for him. But now, she was in shock and horror upon discovering who Nick Wilde really was.
Two wolf guards named Gary and Larry had arrived upon hearing Otto's call for them.
"Remove him at once!" Otto demanded, pointing at Nick.
Gary and Larry grabbed Nick by each arm, forcing him out of the box.
Gazelle stood aside, sitting down in the loveseat, watching in slight terror as Nick struggled with the guards.
"But she is Judistasia, I'm telling you!" He complained. "She's the Grand Duchess! If you only speak with her, and you'll SEE!"
But Otto simply turned away, ignoring him completely as the wolf guards kicked the fox out of the Dowager's box, and shut the door behind him.
Nick landed right at Judy's feet. He looked up to see Judy staring down at him, looking devastated with agonizing realization; She had heard everything.
"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" She asked, before slowly turning away.
"No, no," Nick got back up on his feet, and tried to reason with her.
"You used me?" Judy turned back to him, sounding more hurt. "I was just part of your con to get his money?"
"No!" Nick blurted out. "No, no, no!"
The rabbit sadly began to walk away.
"Look," Nick followed her, trying to compose himself and explain everything to Judy. "It may have started out that way, but everything's different now. Because you really are Judistasia. You are!"
But Judy refused to listen. "Stop it!" She snapped, shoving him back. "From the very beginning, you LIED!" She shoved him again. "And I not only believed you, I actually- UGH!" She grunted in disbelief, before continuing to walk away.
"Judy, please!" Nick stepped in her way to stop her. "When you spoke of the hidden door in the wall opening, and the little fox boy... Listen to me. That was-"
"NO!" Judy shouted, now angry with him. "I don't wanna hear about anything that I said or remembered. YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She furiously tried to walk away again, only for Nick to grab her by the arm.
Glaring back at Nick, Judy angrily slapped him across the face. Hard.
With the fox in a daze, the bunny stormed off.
Regaining composure, Nick tried to chase after her. Only to get caught up in a crowd. "JUDY, PLEASE! YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH!" He cried.
But Judy shook her head, with tears now forming in her eyes. "You deserve that mark on your arm, you... YOU SCAMMING JERK!" She called back, before running off.
Nick was taken aback by Judy's harsh words. He did not continue to follow her, and looked down at his arm where his scar laid. He placed his paw on top of it, now embarrassed and ashamed for what he had done to the innocent bunny in the beginning.