All Hallows and Treat-Tricks.
It was the Harvest Season and naturally most mammals looked forward to the celebrations. First up was the Tri-Burrows Fair; it was always held during what was known as False Summer, when the daytime temperatures returned to hot days but nights were cool like Autumn. Next was the only holiday that everyone, including priests and heathens could enjoy, or more like celebrating their version of it. There were three variants, although any two could be confused as being nearly identical.
All Hallows Eve was the version priests observed, they used it as a time to pay respect to your ancestors. This was normally held near a convent, monastery, or other region heavily influenced by the priests; but some towns allowed them to hold it near them. Priests would lead the celebrations first by holding mass at midnight. By noon everyone participating would be decked out in their best costumes, faces and paws painted as if they were skeletons, black around the white that supposed to represent bones. These would ride or dance along the parade route, often throwing candies to kits and cubs gathered along the edge. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to a fair-like event; games, bobbing for apples or other fruit, short-time rides, and many varieties of foods. This was mostly another variant of a fair, only the proceeds went towards orphanages. Sometime after the sun set a ghost story was told by someone gifted with macabre storytelling. Shortly before midnight the priests would hold mass and dedicate the next year to everyone bettering themselves in order to prove their ancestor's efforts weren't in vain.
Samhain was the version observed by those who chose to celebrate nature; it was to prepare themselves for the second half of the year in which the harsh and brutal realities of life would be prominent during the upcoming late autumn and winter months. This celebration was held on the other side of town from the priest's celebrations, mostly to keep a *good neighbor* policy in effect. A large bonfire would be started before dusk on October 29 and kept roaring brightly for three days and nights, ending the morning of November 02. Anyone was allowed to light a personal torch from this bonfire and use it to light symbolic fires around their homes as a protective ward against evil spirits during the holiday. The first night's activities were dedicated to worshipping nature and rituals were conducted accordingly, including welcoming the rising sun in the morning. Afterwards the festivities and games of competition would begin and last through the next three days. Festive dancing was encouraged the entire duration, day and night. Cooking traditional foods against the bonfire or personal cooking fire was encouraged; any mammal that was offended by the choice being cooked was warned this was a right given for everyone not for a select few. Daytime activities included archery and musket shooting competitions; paw-thrown weapons were also a favorite. Marathons and other outdoor games were everywhere. Divination and scrying rituals determining future actions were popular; usually by the young to find their future mate or employment. Each evening a contest was held for several hours; contestants would tell macabre stories of any genre they chose, poetic license was allowed to change traditional stories or licensed works as long as the storyteller acknowledge the original story.
Halloween was the one version most mammals enjoyed celebrating, other than the fair-like atmosphere, it was unique to this time of the year. Decorations of fall which were put up the month before was kept up but scary things added to it. Jack-o-Lanterns and other carved pumpkins were everywhere, corn stalks were standing outside nearly every store and some homes had them as well. Some stores chose to have scary or macabre scenes on posters or video playing for customer enjoyment; macabre music played softly on a certain radio stations, personal requests were allowed at specific times of the day mostly to add variety and to break up the routine. On October 29-November 01 a fair was held in most towns and villages. The typical rides, attractions, and foods were there as was specific ones directed towards the macabre theme of this season. No bonfires or other large fires were allowed, but torches on specifically designed poles were. Most stores chose to change the light bulbs outside their entrances to the colors of this season: orange, green, purple. Trick-or-Treating is a popular tradition with every mammal species, probably because it brings back pleasant memories of their times growing up. Otherwise it's a great way to get free sweets which only requires one to herd several youngsters around town for a few hours. While some towns choose to limit kits and cubs Trick-or-Treating to a singular night, the more prosperous areas allow it for a 3-night span. Recent tradition by church groups has limited it to a large parking lot where the youngsters can get all the sweets they want in a reasonably safe and secure location; this event has been named Trunk-or-Treat.
No matter how one chose to celebrate, this holiday season had something for everyone. To some it may have lost its meaning and perhaps over-commercialized, but it was a personal choice. It was the start of the holiday season; it helped transition Life towards the dreariness of the winter months, not counting Valentine's Day held in the middle of winter.
Judy love this time of the year. Besides Nick's fur matching the color of her favorite vegetable, both of their eyes matched the color of the season. The Hopps Family enjoyed having the fox around; he was always tasked with the storytelling duties for the youngest siblings, although these days it was mostly the grandkits who were in attendance. It was the imaginativeness he put into his version of the classics which made them compelling; teenage rabbits and some of the older ones could be seen in the audience. Bonnie sometimes can be found wistfully looking at these youngsters as Nick holds their attention wrapped around his web of words; wishing she could have just one more litter.
Downtown was awash in the colors of the season. Streamers of fake leaves hung from the eaves of awnings and any other surface the shop owner decided was suitable. Strands of colored lights hung from the same places, also in the colors of the season: orange, green, and purple. Silhouettes of bats and other traditional characters of the season were placed on almost every surface. Witches on broomsticks; these mostly appeared to be feline in appearance; jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, mummies, vampires, and ghouls were in shapes of almost every mammal; both in pictures or plaques and could be found almost everywhere. Free-standing mannequins seemed to be whatever mammal the shop owner decided. Some dressed as ghouls or skeletons or simply in whatever costume desired.
Then there were the leaves; real ones that had been blown from seemingly an unending supply. These could be seen everywhere, including inside the shops. Try as they might, the store owners soon decided to sweep them up only when they became a nuisance. Most customers seemed to tolerate the leaves, even when one tried to blow into their drink. It was these things that heralded the upcoming holiday season. The Public Works Department had gotten a new street machine that drove around regularly collecting these leaves; they even had a smaller version that easily fit on the sidewalks and outside patios, its long hose reaching the furthest crevasses. Most shop owners were appreciative for this machine getting the majority of the leaves, but they insisted on clearing the crevasses themselves.
Wherever Judy walked, wither in Zootopia on duty or here in her hometown, she loved the shops decorated according to the seasons. The window displays were quite creative; each shop owner setting their wares tastefully outlined by the seasonal decorations. Some chose leaf-strung garland, others had figurines among the items being for sale. Small gourds and pumpkins also were popular items used as decorations. She wished she could stay and stare at each window display for as long as possible, but she was on duty and there was in increase in petty theft. Nick would share in staring and comparing the current window to the last one, but he at least prodded her into keeping to their assigned duties, obviously something beyond staring at window displays.
Commander Bugs Knolls, police chief of Bunny Burrow, was aware that this season was ideal for miscreants to walk among the shoppers, seeking opportunity for theft or worse. In the last two months he put his officers through additional training the Police Academy and Camp Billy had developed recently; and so far it was working like a charm. Petty thieves were being caught and now resting semi-comfortably in his jail cells. As much as he was happy at getting them off the streets, it was the organized crime groups he really wanted captured. Or at the very least... deterred from entering his domain. His officers' moral was improving and looking forward to the holidays.
In the Outback Isles, specifically the Longears Territory, celebration of this holiday was practically same as rabbits everywhere, only their mammalian silhouettes were of rabbits, picas, and hares only. Their celebrations were more of a druid nature as well; bonfires burned to symbolically purify their lands of evil and foul spirits. Ashes from the bonfire were smeared across doorways of nearly every home and businesses. Because of the recurring horde from the Lupusdon Empire, this season included the images of wolves and foxes as the main villains and evil ones. Paper-Mache shaped into forms of wolves and foxes, colored appropriately were filled with goodies and hung from tree branches that had enough room underneath for parties and games. Kits were allowed to swing sticks trying to hit these as adults raised and lowered them until one successfully hit and broke the item apart, allowing candy and other things to fall to the ground. The choicest items were given to the lucky kit that broke it.
When they signed their own Charter Agreement with the Zootopians, new images of other mammals found its way into this holiday. Granted mostly where such mammals shopped or were tourists. While wolves and foxes were still used in their traditional roles, these were to be found in the smaller villages or private homes. Old habits die hard, and Zootopians were warned to be tolerant and understanding should they discover these images in non-tourist areas. Because Nick was favored by the Chancellor and Matron of the Burrow, red fox images were stricken from this holiday, and substituted with the grey fox.
Year by year more rabbits from the Tri-Burrows came over and enjoyed participating, some bringing their customs and sharing these. Some from the Outback Isles went to the Tri-Burrows and shared their customs. It took some getting used to seeing the large mammal species enjoying themselves, even the large predator species. Judy and Nick were often sent to walk around in public, normally in their council robes. Their presence was a calming effect, as was their celebrity status. Judy insisted having the Executioner and his wife, Marsha, along; mostly because Francis was a celebrity himself and his presence took away some of the attention off Judy. Chief Bogo sent Officers Quickpaw and Lioness to keep an eye on Nick and as a recruitment opportunity.
In the Svalbear Empire, Autumn was normally the time when bears finished their gorging themselves on berries and salmon and other foodstuffs. While modern bears rarely hibernate yearly, they did succumb to it roughly once every five years. Most modern bears simply slept longer, most seemed according to the number of nighttime hours. So to them this season focused almost entirely on eating. Every family had their version of salmon dishes, berry salads or pies, and pasta.
When they signed their agreement with the Longears Family so many centuries ago, they were introduced to many new vegetables and fruits. It was not unusual to see Longears rabbits working in the fields somewhere in the Svalbear Empire, a bear next to them providing the muscle to do heavy lifting or quickly digging either to harvest or prepare the soil for planting the next crop. Naturally this led to introducing the rabbit customs about this holiday. These rabbits in turn brought home the practice of community gorging; or to be more accurate... placing long tables out in public and loading them with as many foodstuffs as can fit. While fish and other meats were obviously not placed on these, at least not until predators from the Zootopians started participating, fruits and vegetables were.
Marcie Strongpaw, Great Mother of the Svalbear Empire, enjoyed this holiday season mostly because of the frolicking of the many cubs. Magnus Southpaw, attaché to the Great Mother, enjoyed it for the food. Marcie loved the storytelling introduced by the ancestors of the Longears; Magnus loved the fruits and vegetables they brought with them. When the Zootopians established diplomatic relations, they brought their holiday customs. Marcie enjoyed the idea of a county fair along with its games and plays; Magnus enjoyed the food and snacks, especially the new types of honey.
Marcie wasn't too keen on the Zootopians love for telling ghost stories, so she decreed only those who reached age of eighteen would have the right to hear them. She figured by this age most bears would be mature enough and not have nightmares. She wasn't the only one who underestimated the cleverness of certain storytellers, but overall this tradition imported from the Zootopians was greatly enjoyed by most Svalbears.
The usefulness of hiding in plain sight was not lost upon members of the Dark Underground. The 4-nights of celebrations were ideal for being out among the local population; especially letting their own young going door to door seeking free treats. This door-to-door approach also allowed the adult to reconnoiter the homes for possible things to steal. Most homeowners were savvy to this technique, some were not. Citizens of Zootopia in certain areas were more prone than others to these thefts than others, and each had their own counter-methods of dealing with what they called *holiday thieves*. Most citizens never knew about those who lived below their feet in ancient caverns stretching for miles.
It was obvious that these mammals enjoyed the holiday season every bit as those lived in the daylight world. They decorated their homes with similar things and themes, but with more holiday lights in orange-purple with fewer green spread in them. The main path would have its marking lamps turned off and allow the pathway to be completely lit by these lights. Those who were allowed regular trips above ground would be as focused on the decorations as they would on their tasking. When not on their daily tasking, some would bring their families above ground to walk the streets and gaze at the decorations. Granted this was mostly done in the late afternoon hours when the low-lying sun would allow the eyes to take-in the colors without being harsh on them. Some of the underground dwellers wished for the day when they could live among these without fear of rejection.
These underground dwellers enjoyed participating in all three holiday celebrations, some went to all three, others just one. Those who had Zootopian money acquired by various means, some less honorable than others, bought tickets for those who did not. All in all everyone had their chance to play some game or eat food of the Zootopians. Some of their members won in the archery and other games of skill using various non-modern weapons. Some of their members placed high scores in the various athletic games. The Dark Council made sure not too many of their members where in any one place, they assigned certain families to specific celebrations around the Tri-Burrows or Zootopia... and recently the Longears Territory. Every family switched to another celebration on the following days, which allow a decent variety to enjoy the celebrations.
If one paid attention, it could be said that the crowds in the evening and nighttime were composed mostly of the underground dwellers.
Zootopia had its own fair share of criminals that resisted life of normalcy. Most of these lived a life of a hustler, quite similar to how some foxes lived. Hustling tended to be the least dishonorable way to meek out a living; it wasn't entirely a crime, just in how they acquired the items to sell was otherwise the actual selling of the goods was legal. There were many such gangs in Zootopia: the Berserk Kings, Grey Quills, and Red Paws among others. Then there were those who were much more organized, had developed tactics to live and use the institutions of the city to their advantage while being criminals. These had many names, but mafia was the primary one; and the Big Family was the most powerful of these.
The holiday season was the perfect time for criminals to ply their trade, hustling citizens out of their cash with goods mostly stolen or acquired by other means. Pickpocketing or breaking into vehicles to get gifts already purchased was another favored trick to acquire items to resell. Some of these set up booths of their own; their games of skill were rigged to be impossible to win anything more than tiniest of prizes. If they sold food or drink, the portion sizes would be smallest of all booths selling similar things. It was not below their pride to sabotage other booths to ensure theirs were only available during peak hours. Therefore experienced vendors had learned to keep an eye on equipment easily susceptible. Law enforcement was constantly on the watch for vendors in distress or any mammal doing something to a booth that was deemed suspicious.
Nick was having lunch with Finnick; and both were remembering their holiday hustles from years gone by. One memorable was the duo tried making candy corn. They ran out of one ingredient and substituted with what they thought would suffice; and ran short on a second. When all was said and done the finished mess was wrong color and hard as a rock. Naturally both blame the other to this very day. Another time they tried going as Trick-or-Treaters and walked the entirety of a subsection before being stopped by a ZPD officer who was suspicious. The lioness wondered why a small kit-cub was smoking a cigar between houses. Finnick was wearing the elephant costume that day; and it became their go-to hustle shortly afterwards
Judy enjoyed the creativity of some, and tisked-tisked others; but she remembered this was ancient history and none of these could be tried in a court of law. Valarie was interested in how skillful her fiancé was in scratching out a living; she already knew of the elephant calf costume and teased him only when they were alone and only in their bedroom. Both females were learning something new about their chosen males, some things possibly usable to subtly motivate... aka: blackmail... the todds to do something they wanted done but highly resisted by the males.
Soon the females had to tell stories of their past holidays. Nick already knew some of Judy's less-favorable ones, but was genuinely surprised when she told a story when she joined her doe-friends that one time they had gone to a neighbor's farm and played tricks. The group almost succeeded with their trickery but a snare trap caught one of them; before they could free their friend the farmer caught them. Nick decided to keep this for future use. Valarie told a story about a similar friends-doing-prank; only they succeeded. Nick's mother joined them and told stories when he was a young kit and tried to do tricks on their neighbors, most of which failed miserably. But there were a few she was genuinely impressed at his ingenuity, she was proud but had to discipline him. She kissed him warmly as only a mother could do, kissed Judy for good measure, and left the young couples alone.
Petty thieves weren't the only ones using less-than-honest means to make a profit this holiday season. Many merchants and shop owners used tricks of the trade to get buyers to purchase items at prices that was not quite the sale as advertised. Gradual mark-up over several weeks and then listing the original price as the sale-price was a common tactic. But some simply listed items with the hefty increase already, knowing these would be purchased because the average citizen was too busy to research in other means to determine the actual suggested retail price.
The Wilde Family was one merchant that didn't raise prices solely to advertise them as a lower sale price; the general public already had a built-in suspicion of foxes towards deceit, and this was one more thing they didn't need adding to their woes. When Nickolas married into an already well-respected family, it took the public awhile to slowly trust them. Many thought another dumb bunny had been hustled by a fox and it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Even undergoing a trial by elder rabbits failed to persuade many. But these naysayers were ignored; Judy genuinely loved Nick and John and Jackie were hard-pressed waiting for the day when Nick would proclaim he would soon become a father. They already had a few kit-cub clothes purchased and stored in the attic.
Judy spent many weekends and weeks with her In-laws helping run their store; mostly when Nick and her schedules were different, and this always because the White Collar Crimes division had requisitioned Nick for one operation after another. The love-sick bunny would find herself asleep between two warm fox tails each night, Nick's parents enjoying having someone to care for after these many years of an empty nest. 'Course bunnies were known to have large litters, so they secretly hoped for one soon. Nick would come home and pick up his sleeping wife taking her to his cubhood room his parents left empty for him. Of course they had to replace the small bed with one for an adult, but Judy didn't mind; bunnies normally slept close together, and this was making her feel like being back in her parents' burrow.
Bonnie and Stu made many trips in the old pickup truck to deliver vegetables to Judy's apartment. They also began bringing veggies for Nick's parents to sell, and soon had a sizable order placed by many of Judy's fellow officers. Pumpkins and gourds were a favorite around this time of year, while Stu didn't raise these in any decent amount; he nevertheless arranged to have the one family known to grow the best and arranged the sale. Frank Warren would connect a fully-loaded wagon to Stu's truck and both of them would head to Zootopia, talking about anything males talked about. John Wilde arranged to have shipping crates and proper packaging sent to Frank's burrow so these would survive the trip with hardly any bruising or damage. After being treated well by a fox merchant, Frank soon made his own trips to Happy Town and became a secondary supplier for John's general store.
"Hurry up Nick! We're going to be late!"
Her husband sighed and was in the middle of... putting something... together. If one were to venture a guess what it was, one could only conclude the fox started with one costume and then stopped before starting to put on another. By the assembled mess that now clung to his body one could only assume he had changed his mind many times; and by many it meant he obviously forgot to remove the previous one before starting the next. Dr. Frankenstein would be either proud or ashamed at what the fox currently looked like at this moment.
"What pray tell happened? What is this supposed to be?" Judy had by now learned not to allow her exasperation show too much. Nick was famous for attempting to cover up his mistakes with humor and playing them off with acting as if he meant to do whatever it was he did. It was an idiosyncrasy Judy found adorable and one she could easily debunk.
Nick swooshed the cape in front of his muzzle and peered over the top towards his intended victim... towards she who was about to be under his spell. He made several steps in alternating directions as if trying to keep her from guessing his next move; and was stopped cold when the bunny simply sidestepped and grasped his nose when he lunged at her.
"Ouch! Hey... be careful there! That's a world-class tracking unit."
Judy merely *Piffed* at him and shortly afterwards released her paw. "Let me guess... Dracula meets Werewolf meets Frankenstein meets kitchen mess?"
"And what exactly are you supposed to be? Garden gnome impaled by a pumpkin?"
Judy was by this time sitting on his lap and attempting to reapply adhesive to replace a neck-bolt that stubbornly refused to remain in place. "This is a representation of my family's guardian fairy. Since we are farmers it is reasonable that my ancestor chose to befriend one and through the ages as each generation was faithful to give acknowledgement to him, this fairy kept watch over our crops and took only that which was necessary for his own survival."
Nick tried not to look so incredulous. "You're not that religious, Fluff."
Judy gave him a peck on his snout. "I don't have to be. I chose to acknowledge him so the good fortune my family experiences continues on. While I normally rely on science and data to guide my everyday life, there's still room for simple faith. I can't explain every event that kept me from being killed, and you are fully aware of many times that have happened. So... I chalk it up to faith and my family's guardian fairy. Or gnome if you prefer to call it."
"But why the pumpkin?"
She grinned. "I am a full-grown doe with hips that sway. This covers them up so all anyone sees is the gourd. I get enough stares from males every day when we walk down the street. Besides," she leaned close to him, "my husband will enjoy removing it later this evening. I wonder what he will do with the pulp inside."
Now it was he who grinned back. In his mind he was recalling how those hips swayed as she moved and imagining his paws following those curves. His reverie was cut short when Judy's paws moved his snout to a certain position, holding it there as she pressed a neck bolt into its proper position. Once she was satisfied it would stay she released his snout and stepped back, looking him over as if trying to decide if he was presentable.
"Ok. Let's go. No time to remove any of this so you'll just be a multi-personality monster." She now had a wry grin spreading across her face. "Not that everyone didn't already know it. C'mon DracWereFrankenGnome... we're late."
Nick held open the apartment door and swatted his wife's gourd as she went by. Judy pretended to be offended and play-gasped as she held her own paws on the rear part of the costume, walking backwards a few steps before turning around and allowing him to hold her paw as they made their way to the rendezvous point where Chloe and Elliot would pick them up on the way to the ZPD Harvest Festival.
Commissioner Ursus opened the ceremony with a short speech acknowledging the reason for the season and reminding everyone that tomorrow was still a duty day and being intoxicated would result in more assigned duty in lieu of punishment. Each of the precinct commanders gave their own short speech about what this holiday meant to their specific species. Pastor Chester, since he was the ZPD Religious Counselor for all precincts, gave a short but uplifting speech reminding everyone to enjoy themselves and for the bigger mammals to avoid stepping on their smaller comrades.
There were many traditions and each had their fair representation. Bobbing for apples and other fruits was popular such as strawberries, pears, oranges, and lemons. Some of their fellow officers were challenged to see who could get one of each in the shortest amount of time. Each went solo and each took it all in stride as the unruly fruit refused to cooperate. Nick swore it was a rigged game, but Judy consoled him with a fruity rum drink as she sat on his lap and allowed his paws to roam over her body. Her gourd costume not allowed his paws to go where he really wanted. During the talent show she dragged him onstage to dance to their song he had first sung to her all those many months ago. By the end of the evening Nick carried his wife as Chloe and Elliot drove them home; the female tasmanian thylacine and male timber wolf holding open doors for them. Nick properly bid farewell to the mixed-species couple as they headed home themselves. Once the apartment door was closed and secure he remembered what Judy said earlier and went to their bedroom. Judy had a wry smile on her face; it was obvious she wanted something and only her husband could provide it. Once he tore open the gourd he understood what she meant... and they enjoyed each other fully until she was satisfied and he was exhausted.
In the sub-district of Happy Town, the Vulpes and their new Lynx neighbors were preparing their part of Zootopia as best they could. Practically everything was paw-made; from the decorations to the stand-alone mannequins. Obviously any image of foxes was displayed in the most favorable light. The Lynx, recent newcomers from the effects of the Lynxion War, brought with them suppliers who were willing to sell to a fox storeowner now that their usual customers were living and working in Happy Town.
Better quality decorations soon were displayed alongside the paw-made ones, and now for the first time colorful mini-light sets decorated many storefronts. Kits and cubs frolicked around and eagerly pointed at the new decorations, mesmerized at the colors and attractiveness each had. Soon mammals from around Zootopia made their way into Happy Town, most were impressed at the improvements which turned this once considered slum-town into a respectable area. This was attributed to the Lynxions who brought capital that kick-started the renovations; and to Mr. Big who saw an opportunity for profits.
Judy loved walking the streets of Happy Town; it was good to see the big improvements that had occurred over the last few months. She enjoyed seeing the new decorations and the reaction of the citizens at the improved beauty these brought to their town. Nick often walked along with her, stopping at a new coffee shop for a cup of hot chocolate for her and his usual black coffee. His parents often went with them after ensuring their new employees had everything under control, usually under the watchful eyes of his Uncle Marcus and his wife Cindy. Sometimes Audrey and Arnold joined them, which obviously brought back memories to Jackie doing these walks when Nick was a young cub. While Nick enjoyed his relatives around when certain nefarious mammals were around, he really wanted to be alone with his wife.
Mindy Canter was out on the surface enjoying the sunlight and fresh warm air. She was a trained scavenger and earned the respect of the males on her team. Females rarely were allowed to become a team member, the limited availability of does' that were strong and healthy were kept behind in the cavern, bare-paw and pregnant. She earned her place mostly by sheer luck; the latest scam required a female in the major role. The Zootopians had finally caught on to their well-used tactics and now several of their teams were either dead by cyanide pill or in jail being interrogated. Her observations discovered the Achilles' heel in their tactics: their eyes always squinted up here in the Outer World. Her kind lived most of their lives without direct sunlight, thus their eyes didn't develop the same reflexive action Topsiders did. As a result they had to wear sunglasses with darker lenses; this was only the first clue, the second was they were more prone to sunburn.
She proved they could better mimic the Zootopians by sitting in one of their rooms concealed in a hillside; one normally used to deploy and recover teams from missions. Her idea was to place a large tinted window and have a team stay inside it living and keeping occupied for several days; obviously the window itself would be under a covering that protruded out from the hillside, just enough to let sunlight in but still blend-in with the hill itself. Unfortunately to fully get the natural squinting of their eyes down to a more mimicking of the Zootopians required a team to remain in the room for over a month. Her idea paid off when the first team returned back praising her idea. They had been stopped, eyes carefully observed in bright daylight, and released as the Zootopians couldn't be completely convinced they weren't non-residents. Drawback to her method was these mammals couldn't use the stairs to climb down to the caverns, obviously due to changes in their eyes. Therefor after stealing the blueprints they were now building an elevator to transport teams. Meanwhile they had to allow themselves to be lowered via rope and caddy.
Mindy was naturally quite attractive and now because of her success was desired by every available buck. She on the other paw was a contrarian; she wanted to live a life of working outside the caverns, out among the rolling hills and quite possibly playing along the seashore. Elder of her family put an end to those dreams saying a does' place was in her station tending to her kit's needs. Mindy was no stranger to what a buck could do, she had her fair share of enjoying a romp in the sack in her short lifetime. A couple tried to claim her as theirs, which was quickly quashed by the elder of her family; the young buck couldn't afford the dowry demanded by tradition. Buck could ask for a specific does' paw in marriage if he could place before her elders a complete set of items necessary to outfit a home; furniture, clothes, kit's first 5-years of clothing and supplies... everything. A suitable substitute was placing before them a specific amount of currency, proven to purchase the items with a certain buffer amount able to sustain his future kits expenses for no less than fifteen years should he die.
Now that she earned her place on a team, Mindy wanted to put off raising a family. She knew her contributions for their society was just beginning, and should her family allow her to be married this soon, her husband would obviously deny her any further chance of working outside the caverns. She saw her friends cheated out of this; their society still preferred females in the home. While not outlawed and neither was it encouraged husbands had many techniques of getting their wives pregnant. Soon afterwards the nursemaid would proclaim the doe pregnant and thus permanently ending her dreams. The Council of Twelve had laws making forcible impregnation of females a crime punishable by death; but this was more of a lip-service than actually enforced.
Since it was the holidays, the Chancellor granted her permission to go with a group up to the surface. He had a sensitive mission and wanted to test her skills. It was no surprise there were several of her relatives wanted to keep tabs on her. But she had methods of eluding such things, successfully slipping away and into the shadows.
Currently she was walking in downtown Bunny Burrow, thoroughly enjoying the holiday decorations. She knew what Zootopian currency was; females were forbidden to handle it, but that didn't stop some from learning what it could do. She had a decent amount of the currency and spent the afternoon snacking on whatever she liked from several vendors and visited many booths, some more interesting than others. Many things had caught her eye; but the one that kept it was a buck. His fur color and pattern was nearly identical to her own, making them twins of a sort. She felt her heart flutter and the whole world slowed down until only he mattered. Could he be her true love? Would he allow her to continue her dream? Only one way to find out.
These topsiders as they were known were an interesting bunch to her; especially this buck. She had been watching this group; they were a lively bunch and after awhile she determined it was a mixture of siblings and their friends. Everyone in this group was paired with what she deduced was a dating partner; some had settled on an exclusive relationship, most were with a new partner. This buck was alone; she hadn't learned why just yet but was determined to find out. Her only problem was with her tail, it was being unruly and wiggled wildly. This was a clear signal she was attracted to him and pleased he appeared to be unattached. She had no significant other and certainly no buck in her underground world has captured her emotions as this one has. Perhaps this one could be used for her assignment; he could also be used for her personal pleasure.
Now she had a difficult choice: get close to him and see if he would take her home, thus accomplishing the Chancellor's tasking... or stay away and find another rabbit. Both had plus and minuses, both equally pleasing and heartbreaking. Pleasing... because she would have a chance to really get to know how rabbits behaved above ground. Heartbreaking... if she didn't return below ground the Dark Council would send specialists to hunt her down. She had seen what happened to mammals that attempted to leave their society; their mangled bodies displayed for all to see.
She giggled to herself; she was at that age where females normally have their first litter. To be daydreaming about this buck meant she was seriously interested. She shook her head; if she determined to start a new life, this buck seemed the perfect one to start it with. But she had to make sure he was worth throwing her life away. She also had to fulfill her assignment first and foremost, and if she could elude the Trackers whose assignment was to ensure she returned to the caverns... she would start her new life.
Cotton Hopps nudged her sister and littermate Molly. They leaned against each other and talked about the doe that was watching their group for the past hour. Molly agreed to circle around one side while Cotton went the other. The sisters arrived beside the strange doe, both giggled at Mindy's shocked and blushing beet red face. The strange doe failed to be secretive, but her interest in their brother had been clear as day; and obviously blinded her to her own safety. The sisters asked a few questions and once they determined no ill will was to befall their brother, other than a possible romance and other dating activity, they brought her to the group. Mindy was introduced to everyone at the meet-n-greet; the sisters wanted to see how their brother reacted to this doe. They giggled; he was very interested.
The sisters were hard-pressed not to look at how both rabbits were reacting to each other; Ralph's was wiggling as rapidly as Mindy's, obviously these two would have to be kept close to the group. It was not unusual for rabbits displaying this tail-action to hide somewhere so they could better get to know each other without outside interference, and possibly do something more private. Both sisters were enjoying their normally reclusive brother holding the strange doe close. Mindy was busy grooming Ralph's head fur, a very good sign both were compatible. This was not lost on the remainder of the group; now the group was discussing each couple's first date with their current partner.
Mindy was using all the tricks she was taught; strangers guard normally relaxed when certain non-aggressive actions were done, like grooming the opposite sex. Admittedly her tail's actions weren't a lie; she really was interested in this buck. She needed to remain focused; completing the assignment would allow her to return soon for personal business.
Ralph was in heaven; he didn't know what it was about Mindy that had his tail excited but he was not going to jinx it. He noticed her tail was excited every time he held her close, and this pleased him greatly. She wasn't cruel or snide towards him, she didn't mind him putting his paws on her body and seemed to enjoy them resting on her hips. She appeared to ignore his clumsy responses and seemed to know exactly what he meant to say. She simply accepted him as he was and wanted to be wherever he was. He took her on nearly every ride and to most of the booths. The over-sized rabbit doll in a ZPD uniform was not what she wanted, but his willingness to throw hoops at a seemingly impossible target somehow pleased her. The hoop was supposed to fall completely down, which never did until she hopped over the counter and proved the carney was purposely using a slightly smaller hoop, thus making it impossible to win. The carney hushed her up by giving her the doll and hustling them away. It didn't work: two undercover ZPD detectives flashed their badges and closed his booth and then took him into custody.
Mindy was enjoying being held in Ralph's paws as they watched the afternoon parade. This buck would soon be useful for not only her tasking, but her future as well. As she snuggled closer she felt herself relaxing in a way she never did before, her training kicked-in and she realized this was what infatuation felt like. This felt right, this felt... like where she belonged, with this buck and possibly with his family. She wished she could once again talk with her littermates and introduce them to this buck, but fate had other ideas. Damn that horrible year, year of hell as her mother called it. Her family suffered greatly and received little in compensation; perhaps this was the catalyst that caused her remaining family members to feign allegiance and focus on helping other families that were mistreated as hers was.
But the future would have to wait; the present required her to complete her mission. She would need to find someplace private if she wanted this to be more than some physical act; her body was conspiring one way, her mind another. It would take discipline to navigate this time in her life. She wanted to explore a future with Ralph; but she would sacrifice it to ensure the completion of her tasking. Her dream of being a member of a team was first priority in her life. A team in which she could use for her family's purposes.
Soon the group called it a night and Ralph asked Mindy to come home with him; she leapt into his paws and said she had a surprise waiting for him if he carried her. Thankfully his father Stu was waiting in the old truck as the group climbed aboard. He and Frank Warren had finished delivering a wagon-load of gourdes to town and there was plenty of room for them on the wagon. As the truck rambled along the road Ralph was describing each farm they were passing by, the burrow's lights shinning in the evening night.
Grandma Opal was inwardly thrilled but outwardly calm as a cucumber. She was beginning to believe Ralph was doomed to living the rest of his life as a bachelor buck, a fate rare for her family as in her siblings as well. Her sisters Tiffany and Phyllis had been looking for a suitable doe, thus far those introduced to this buck were polite and respectful, but resisted a relationship beyond the second date. How any doe could pass up a buck that was taught how to properly treat a doe was beyond them. And now out of the blue a doe drops into his life; seemingly willing to not only date him but marry and start a family.
Her counterpart, Elizabeth Jumper, who was his other grandmother, was sitting next to her and asking questions to the unknown doe. While it was clear this young female had no formal education in Lapin society, she clearly was taught at the high school level, even a decent schooling in the lower-levels of college. It was also clear this doe needed a bath, so the two elder does stood up and beckoned Mindy to follow them. The sisters that were with this doe were told to come as well.
Bonnie Hopps felt sorry for Mindy, she knew the ulterior reason why the grandmothers wanted the young doe out of the room; her pheromones signaled she was in heat and it was driving Ralph wild. The young couple was displaying a remarkable degree of self-control, other than their tails wiggling madly. Miriam, Clara, and Flowers were in the shower with Mindy helping her to learn how to use the fur shampoo and the anti-lice & flea shampoo. The trio of sisters next took Mindy to their room and gave her underclothes while hers was being cleaned and deloused; they also talked about all kinds of things does' liked. They even gave the strange doe a tube of anti-irritation cream, saying it would only be good manners to properly welcome Ralph's chosen doe into the family.
Later on they went into the smallest kitchen where Bonnie was making a snack for everyone. She snickered as the siblings remarked about the sheer number of parasites that dropped off Mindy, and gave the now-thoroughly embarrassed doe a gentle motherly embrace. Judging by how receptive the young doe was, Bonnie concluded she must have had a tragedy in her own family recently; later this evening she would have to sit down with her someplace quiet and have a mother-daughter talk.
While everyone that could possibly be infected was busy getting showered; Stu had the living room sealed-off and insecticide canisters filling the room with a fog. Parasites were tricky getting rid of, as they naturally burrowed into the furniture and other places. Fogging was the only method that effectively killed them, next to wallowing in the patch of Midnicampus Holicithas.
An hour later Stu was sitting in the downstairs family lounge talking to Ralph, imparting some fatherly advice, which he was happy his son was quite receptive now that a doe was seriously interested in him. Stu snickered when Mindy entered the room and immediately made a beeline to the buck. He wasn't certain if he should be pleased or concerned as the doe burrowed her way into Ralph's shower robe; thankfully her robe helped hide any fur that might be showing as she undid his robe's knot.
Stu heard his father-in-law, Floyd, sigh. It was obvious the elder bucks had their paws full trying to guide these two youngsters over the next few days. Meanwhile his father, Albert, nodded approvingly: this was an excellent way to start the holidays.
Magnus Strongpaw had done this type of recovery many times. He wasn't concerned one bit as the weasel pointed towards several possible camera locations, they would only record his team's presence, not do anything about what was about to happen. He signaled the operation to begin.
Over fifty mammals under the size of wolves broke down the front door of the burrow; the for-hire rhinoceros doing the lion's share of work. Wolves, foxes, hares, rabbits... all males, burst inside and quickly made their way through the burrow, checking every room as they made their way deeper into the burrow. The only sign of activity was the wildly scattered clothing upon the floor, a clear signal the former occupants had rushed out without getting properly dressed.
Magnus smiled; he had a soft spot for bunnies, and without clothes it only made them cuter. He snapped his thoughts back to the mission. Why wasn't he hearing the scampering of paws upon the floor? When he found the electronics room the answer became crystal clear: this burrow was rigged not only with cameras covering every possible corner of the burrow, but it had a system that masked specific frequencies of sound. Such as those made by feet walking or running across the floor. He attempted to access the security logs, only to be greeted with a recording of an elder buck, informing him the burrow was now sealed and the ZPD would soon arrive and remove them. He quickly cycled through the video feeds and verified various doors did indeed shut throughout the burrow.
Magnus grinned. He liked a challenge and this rabbit gave him one. Unfortunately for this lapin burrow, these intruders would not be cornered and taken captive today. Magnus checked his terrain map of all known tunnels and grinned. He also checked the layout map of this burrow; it was not the standard most burrows followed. He found the lowest level and instructed his team us use explosives on every door between them and this location. He also sent a signal the recovery team to retrieve them, and then went down to the lowest level. Several minutes later a machine chewed its way through the floor, a hatch opened up and everyone entered inside. The hatch closed and the machine reversed course. Soon another machine appeared and started retreating; the floor started filling itself as the machine retreated back into the tunnel. The floor was now smooth as freshly cut wood from a table saw, if you looked closely one could tell where the tunnel once opened into the room.
Magnus was not happy his assignment had escaped; but he did manage to retrieve archived data before his thermal grenade destroyed the electronics. Going through this data would tell him how they escaped, and more importantly where they were headed. This would save his hide from the Chancellor's wrath. The weasel... not so much. His team should have done more than sit outside; he should have had someone use stealth and reconnoiter the burrow. He paused for a moment, and then chuckled. The weasel's reputation had preceded him, it was no wonder why Magnus had his team equipped with more than their usual equipment. This weasel was lazy, barely doing more than the minimum to accomplish the mission. His lack of foresight and initiative was directly responsible for the mission's failure. It was to get him killed.
Stu watched the intruders as they moved throughout his burrow. He was impressed as one in particular found the surveillance room and accessed the records and camera system. When it was obvious the wolf discovered no one was remaining inside, he recovered a data chip and put a few canisters on the equipment, and pulled the pins. The blinding white light told him these were thermal grenades and his equipment was destroyed. What really impressed him was the manner in which they made their escape: they used explosives to break through the security doors, and a machine chewed through the lowest floor. The intruders got in and the machine retreated inside the tunnel it just dug. What happened next really surprised the elder rabbit. Another machine appeared and immediately started retreating; as it did the floor repaired itself with seemingly no evidence of the intruders.
Ralph was looking over his fathers' shoulder but not as close as he usually did. Mindy was also looking at the screen; she was holding him close and Ralph's paws were busy elsewhere. Stu smiled; he was happy his son was keeping focused on the security of the burrow, and making his newly chosen doe satisfied and content as well. Obviously the young doe was not happy her personal time with this buck was rudely interrupted, and she was now surrounded by very young bunnies that were asking why Ralph had a strange female wrapped tightly around him. Stu told them this was normal for adults and they were too young for these things to be properly explained. Both grandmothers were busy as was Bonnie and the older female kits of his; these were trying to distract the questions elsewhere.
Albert and Floyd were quite pleased with how this emergency bunker performed as intended. Floyd had arranged for Agent Rodgers to rig-up an alternate security system that used the main system until it was inoperable for whatever reason. She had decided a laptop or notebook computer was the best option, it was small and easily portable. It also had a sub-routine that the scientist, Gary Bevyton, wrote to automatically hide their electronic presence from the main system. Its artificial intelligence had the crowd of rabbits and bunnies *disappear* through a tunnel in the wall just beyond the bunkers' door. His older kits were sitting just inside the door, in case the intruders discovered and tried to enter.
Now Stu and all elder bucks were watching the environmental indicators, waiting for the ventilation system to clear out the contaminated air and seal the surveillance room. Once the air in the whole burrow was deemed safe, the exit doors opened and rabbits poured out as quickly as possible. Most were completely naked as this was normal for bunnies to sleep in, teenage rabbits were most uncomfortable because of the cramped space and some males were now excited by the scent of females.
Bonnie and the grandmothers checked every room, making sure each room had the appropriate rabbits or bunnies. Stu and the grandfathers were checking on the damaged doors; thankfully most were simply blown off their hinges, only a couple needed replaced. Mindy had dragged Ralph back to his room wanting to get back to sleep, there would plenty of things she wanted to do with him on the last day of this holiday.
Stu flopped onto the bed; it had been one hell'va night. Tomorrow would be the last night of celebrations for the holiday season. He had been looking forward to sitting near the bonfire and making S'mores and cooking vegetables on skewers. He spent a few minutes talking with Bonnie about what they should do with Mindy. His wife merely smiled and said their son was well over age eighteen; he now had a doe that was properly interested in him. She figured by the way the young strange doe behaved, it was only a matter of time before the sounds of little feet would be heard from his room.
Stu agreed and decided perhaps it was time to rehabilitate the old burrow he grew up in. It was just over yonder behind the barn, overgrown with weeds but properly sealed and regularly fumigated. All it needed was the ventilation turned on and lots of soap and water. It would take nearly a couple months to get the musty smell out, but by that time the two youngsters would be engaged or married and possibly pregnant.
It was the final evening of the holiday. Mindy was sitting as Ralph wrapped himself around her, covering both of them with a large beach towel. He didn't want to bring her back here; he wanted to take her to the cliff overlooking the town. There they could spend hours doing whatever made them feel close; there he could show everyone in a semi-public way the start of their relationship. Hopps' young would take their chosen partner afterwards to enjoy dessert over at Yak's Sweet Shop. This was a tradition among young rabbits in Zootopia, he wasn't certain what traditions her family practiced; perhaps he would ask her later.
A stirring in his arms snapped Ralph to reality; Mindy was repositioning herself to a more comfortable position, so her own paws could help hold them close. Ralph chuckled; she had draped one ear across his shoulder and the other on his muzzle. Mindy sighed contentedly; not only did she accomplish her tasking, but she had her dream buck. She didn't want to sacrifice her future with Ralph. She genuinely liked his siblings, his elders were surprisingly cordial and his mother treated her as if she were one of her own kits.
She knew she would always have to be on alert. Trackers from the Dark Underground was nothing if not relentless and they proved themselves masters at the waiting game; she would have to make sure they were not to be given a clue of this relationship. Her own allies were equally talented; she would need their help to do what she wanted. She was a trained professional; if circumstances warranted it, she would sacrifice her ties to this family. She had one last thing that needed to be done; hopefully her courier was waiting at the appointed time and place.
She checked her wristwatch, a present Ralph gave her; the message engraved on the back would remind her he would always be there wherever she was. It was now time, so she excused herself and picked up the thermos and walked to the nearest portable outhouse... the one by the baker's booth. There she noticed the one mammal she didn't want to ever see again; Magnus Strongpaw. The wolf had a grin and she knew he had her surrounded. She also knew he wanted what was inside the thermos.
"'bout time you showed up, little one. And here I was going to enjoy having that farm razed to the ground" the wolf muttered as he moved his snout through her cleavage.
Mindy pushed it away; she knew his reputation of having a fetish for rabbits and was trained how to counter this. She placed a long kiss on his lips. "You'll not do that if you don't want the council's newest source destroyed. How do you think they will react?"
The wolf shook off her small paws. "Aww now don't be taking away my fun. The council has given me free reign to do as I please. If that weasel hadn't failed in his reconnaissance of your lover's burrow, I would have retrieved you and a decent supply of rabbits for Hasenpfeffer."
She kissed his muzzle again. "Now don't go doing something rash. I too have permission, and I'd hate to see you on the losing end of this argument. Here... take this and go. You know where."
The wolf either understood the subtle message she was giving him, or he had better things to do with his time. He gave her a mocking salute and went away. Mindy watched him until he turned a specific corner. She listened carefully to the telltale sound of the door sliding open and quickly closing. Good, he was now on his way down to the chancellor. She needed to get to her rendezvous spot before time was up. She started but felt eyes watching her. Turning around she saw what she hoped never to see. Ralph was looking at her, his eyes full of hurt.
"Why? Why did you deceive me?"
"You were not deceived, my love. All he got was a case full of vials filled with useless juices. Doctors won't be able to tell the difference until scanning with computers." She walked over and reached towards his muzzle. He backed away. She sighed but was interrupted by a subtle sound coming from somewhere nearby. Trackers... so that wolf left them behind, it was obvious what they intended to do. She looked into Ralph's eyes again, now knowing the choice she had to make.
"Ralph... I love you, but my first allegiance must be to my family; and to the Dark Council. I do not want to become a stay-at-home doe. Did you ever stop to think why a complete stranger would befriend you? Why such a doe would bed you on the first night?" She leaned close and whispered into his ear. "It's because my tasking was to collect semen. There are many families whose young are sterile; their only chance to continue their bloodline is to get new genes from outside the caverns. This is why I chose you."
Ralph felt his face start to get warmer. He should have known it; fate always sent does' who never wanted him, only what they could get from him.
Mindy noticed his anger and smiled. "I'll tell you one thing that might comfort you; I won't bed another buck for a week or so. I have to make sure you didn't impregnate me. I am not certain if I'll keep this litter if I am, I'll make that decision when I cross that bridge. Good bye, Ralph. You were a really good bed... and thanks for the donation. Many does will be free of the Chancellor's schemes. All thanks to you."
He watched her as she walked over to a nearby street corner, and was promptly joined by a group of mammals. She gave him one last look, blew him a kiss, and departed with the group. He slumped to the ground, not certain if it was worth continuing living. His parents and grandparents surrounded him, trying to encourage him as best they could. They reminded him they were fooled as well, therefore he shouldn't blame himself.
A young doe in an all-black skin-tight suit slid next to Mindy and walked beside her. "That was close, sister. Magnus still suspects you as do these around you. That buck better be worth it, although I recommend hiding your feelings about him quickly as you can. It can get you killed."
Mindy looked at her only surviving sibling, Kimberly. "We should get down below; mother will want to run scans and determine how many eggs were fertilized and how many to set the machine to remove. With luck these and the vials will bring a high price on the fertility market. This should satisfy mother's needs well into retirement. Oh by the way, did you find a suitable buck?"
Kimberly Canter grinned as she rubbed her own belly, letting her older sister feel the abnormal high heat radiating from within. "Another donation from Bunny Burrow. These were paid for by the Dancer family, and their daughter's eggs implanted in me. Soon as they are determined ready the machine will remove them and implant them in their youngest daughter."
"Pearl? I thought she was adamant about becoming a Tracker."
Kimberly nodded in the affirmative. "She was progressing nicely until that last mission. She barely escaped the maws of that wolf but at a cost; it ripped her Achilles heel in right leg. So while that's healing and the rehab continues to restore most functionality, she relented. She always detested males, but loved being around kits. Guess she wanted to avoid the male and go straight to pregnancy."
Mindy shook her head. "Male is only half the fun. She's going to be rudely awakened when the kits push their way out."
Kimberly giggled. "It's not like she never had one before. They simply aren't her cup of tea. Her heart's set on the Dexter family's youngest daughter."
Mindy made a choking emote. "That just isn't right. But who am I to criticize? I'm in love with a Topsider."
Kimberly looked up to her older sister. "Still time to turn around and go back. I'll help cover your tracks and explain why you had to leave."
"No, the die is cast and the Dark Council will order you to hunt and kill me. Mother needs these eggs and vials if her retirement is to be a comfortable one. Besides... he and his family are safe." She took a moment to glance wistfully rearward towards no one in particular.
Both sisters continued the remainder of the trip in silence.