06

long drive & beethoven

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The Tundratown Limousine Services was leaving for Polar Mountains around four o'clock that Friday. Judy had to work a couple hours after her morning classes to make up for the shifts that she was going to miss that weekend, and her replacement, Samantha, an otter, was late.

Which meant the bunny had to sprint the ten blocks from the The Big Donut to meet up with everybody. And when she rounded the corner and saw Priscilla, Flash, Nicholas, and Beatrix waiting for her, she realized her cheeks were flushed and she was nearly out of breath.

Beatrix tapped her watch impatiently and looked horrified when she spotted Judy. "You have got to be kidding," the lynx rolled her eyes.

Judy stopped dead in her tracks. Despite the fact that the feline and the vulpine in the group ignored her all week in class, she was 'positive' her coming with them couldn't have been a surprise. The doe approached them cautiously as both Priscilla and Flash looked happy to see her.

"You're. . .here!" Priscilla exclaimed. "Are you. . . okay?"

"Yeah." The lapin tried to control her ragged breathing. "Sam was a little late for her shift, so I had to run here."

"What in Mafdet is on your face?" Beatrix asked disgustedly.

"Huh?" Judy started wiping her sweaty face with a twitching nose. Nicholas was studying her, with the same weird expression he had the night they met, but with the corners of his lips slightly upturned and his eyes filled with mirth.

Priscilla giggled. "Oh Judy. . . I think you have. . . some blueberry. . ."

"What?" The doe continued to blindly wipe her face.

"Here let. . .me help." Priscilla took out her compact from her purse and Judy was astonished, not to mention a little embarrassed, to see a line of 'blueberry jam' on her red and blotchy cheekbone. She was a complete mess as the sloth gently wiped her face with a tissue and did her best to improve matters.

The fox let out a little laugh - Judy was sure he was loving this moment, and she enjoyed his presence even less because of it. He went over to the limousine and opened the door. "After you..." He gestured with his paw. And the bunny could have sworn she heard the word 'Fluff' leaving from his mouth but decided to ignore it as she maneuvered into the farthest window seat at the back and took out her economics notebook instead.

Priscilla and Flash sat near the front with their back against the driver seat, while Beatrix cozied up to Nicholas in the middle seats facing the door. Judy was hoping she could get through her assignments during the entire drive. And since Beatrix spent the entire time between whispering disparaging comments about most mammals at the academy and shamelessly flirting with a certain fox, the bunny was pretty much left alone. Every once in a while, both sloths tried to bring her into the conversation, and she would politely answer their questions. Nicholas kept glancing at her and her notebook as though she needed help with her assignment to which she responded by shifting it out of his view.

Just as the car begun to slowly twist and turn through the snowy road, Judy finished most of her homework and couldn't help but gaze in awe as they passed a row of huge log cabins and grand winter lodges. Cold and dim light encapsulated the car making her shiver and feel so helpless - a feeling that she had gotten used to entire stay in the city.

The Slothmore's Tundratown 'rest house' was a large, three-story birch structure with panoramic picture windows overlooking the entire district. Then by a block or so they could see the ski park from afar - with massive and deathly looking ski trails. There was no way Judy was even thinking of attempting to ski or frolic near the snow this weekend. She had embarrassed herself enough already.

After the quintet grabbed their bags from the car, Flash gave them the grand tour of the house. But there was only one room Judy was at all interested in: the living room which contained a beautiful Steinway grand piano. With such a beauty, any hesitation and remorse that the bunny had about the weekend quickly went away. Let everyone do what they wish - she would have music.

The sloth continued to guide them upstairs. The family room and the two guest rooms (Nicholas in one, and Priscilla and Judy in the other) were on the next floor, with his room and Beatrix's on the third floor sandwiching the master suite. The group disperse as the lynx excused herself to freshen up while the others went downstairs to relax - that is, except for Judy who started unpacking with way more time than was necessary. She was examining the list of term papers she wanted to have a head start on when there was a knock at the door.

"Hi. . .Judy," Flash stuck his head in. "I'm so glad. . .you decided to come. . .and spend your. . .weekend with us." His smile was very welcoming. "Supper's almost ready. . .and I was hoping. . .that you'd come down. . .and join us."

The bunny looked at the nightstand clock and realized how much she was dawdling. "Oh, rotten rutabagas! I made y'all wait again, didn't I? I'm ter'bly sorry, Flash!" Her country accent slipping for a brief moment.

He waved his paw good naturedly. "It's alright. . .I understand. . .I was a little. . .beat myself." Judy could only nod as she remembers how long the drive was and how that could make any mammal tired - not to mention starving. As they headed downstairs, the sloth looked up at her. "I also heard. . .that you're quite an. . .accomplished pianist. . .do you think. . .you could play. . .for us tonight?"

"Uh-well, I don't know..."

They arrived in the living room where Beatrix, Nicholas, and Priscilla were sitting on the couch. The feline nestled herself well into the vulpine's side, while the other folivoran seemed oblivious to their flirtation. Judy went over to the piano and started running her paw pads over the keys.

Some mammals dreamed of owning jewelries or sports cars. Meanwhile, Judy had always dreamed of one day having a Steinway of her own. Back home they only had a standard upright that was always in desperate of tuning. When she played on that piano, it was like trying to use colored pencils to paint the Meowna Lisa. With a Steinway, it was as though she had all the materials that Lionardo da Vinci used back then. The rest was up to her. A challenge on an even playing field that even if she had money or not wouldn't matter (it was all about talent).

"Who plays?" the bunny asked, almost to herself.

"My stepmom used. . .to take lessons," Flash said to which she just let out a frustrated sigh as it killed her to see such beautiful instruments not put to use more than a mere decoration. "Anyway," he continued, "Gerald has made. . .his famous soup du jour. . .with quesadilla. . . and arctic spritz. . .you must be starving."

Judy couldn't look away from the shining ivory keys and just absentmindedly nodded.

"Who's Gerald?"

"He oversees this. . .house when we're away. . .and he's one of. . .the finest cooks. . .in all Zootopia."

A slightly older pig entered from the kitchen and started putting food down on the adjacent dining room table. Judy wasn't particularly surprised that the Slothmores' parents would know better than leave their cubs unattended for the weekend. And she was somewhat grateful to have someone in the house she could sort of relate to.

"Everything should be 'here' in just a few more minutes," Gerald announced before retiring back to the kitchen.

Flash tapped on the piano. "Judy. . .why don't you. . .play something for us. . . before we eat?" He pulled out a slightly higher bench for the doe. "It would be. . .nice to have some. . .music in the house."

"Oh. . .yes! She's really. . .amazing!" Priscilla encouraged her friend.

Judy hesitated - she was hungry to play, to do the one thing she always felt comfortable doing, to feel alive and limitless. She sat down and kept running her pads lightly over the keys. She tried out a few chords and they rang gloriously all throughout the large room. And before she could stop herself, she erupted into the second part of Beethooven's Piano Sonata no.29. Her paws began flying gracefully but with urgency as the music unspooled from within her. She instantly eased up from the tension of the drive, letting all her frustrations at the keys. For whole three minutes, she was alone - it was just her, the Steinway, and the music. She swayed back and forth on the bench as she tried to keep with the challenge Beethooven had laid down. At the end of the Scherzo: Assai Vivace, she gently placed her paws in her lap before finishing with a contented sigh. Her cheeks may be a little flushed from the adrenaline of performing, but her mind was blessedly clear.

"Bravo!" Priscilla cheered.

"That was...incredible!" Flash's eyes were wider than it had already been. He kept looking from the bunny to the piano.

"That was...loud," A bored looking Beatrix replied from the couch.

Flash came over and placed his paw on the doe's shoulder. "Judy. . .I don't think our. . .piano could stand to be. . .played by anyone else. . .even after that short. . .performance."

Beatrix got up from the couch. "Ugh, is it time for dinner, or do we have to listen to more 'pounding'? I'm already nursing a headache from the drive as it is."

Nicholas chuckled. "Guess Beethooven hit bullseye in naming it 'Hammerklavier' then."

"You knew that was Beethooven?" To say Judy was surprised was an understatement - not only did he pronounced the musician's name with an accent but was also able to identify the piece.

The fox merely shrugged. "I happen to pay attention in music class, 'sweetheart'."

"Oh. . .please," Flash began to say, "it's. . .'more' like-"

Nicholas gave the sloth a look which made it clear he didn't want him to continue as he followed the lynx to the table.

Beatrix pulled a chair and sat down. "I 'guess' now we know that all it takes for some mammal to get a 'scholarship' at the academy is to have the ability to make a lot of noise."

Priscilla came up to the bunny and whispered, "Don't listen. . .to her. . .she's just jealous. . .I don't think she. . .likes the way Nick. . .was 'looking' at you."

"You mean she wants to be looked at with 'absolute' contempt too?" Judy whispered back.

"Judy. . .that's bad!" the sloth playfully reprimanded her.

"What? I'm just stating facts of the case, and I-" the bunny tried to counter before dissolving into fits of giggles with her friend until she sensed a peeping todd from the corner of her eye. Confused by the sudden (albeit unwanted) 'attention' he's giving her, Judy led Priscilla towards the dining table and tried her best to ignore the glare as well as the passive aggressive comments from the feline across the table. As they began to dig into Gerald's 'scrumptious' meal, Flash also turned his focus towards the bunny.

"Are you sure. . . we can't convince you. . .to join us tomorrow?" he asked her. "I'm sure Nick. . .wouldn't mind giving. . . you some pointers. . .right buddy?"

"Yeah sure, 'one hundred percent'." Nicholas, whose gaze was now back on the food, said with sarcasm oozing from his voice.

"Uh-yeah thanks. But I have this thing against bodily harm."

Both sloths laughed.

"Oh. . .Judy"

"I'm sure. . .you'd be fine."

"I appreciate your confidence in me, guys. Unfortunately, I'm more comfortable at a piano than in the snow."

"We. . .completely. . .understand."

"Yes. . .I'll make sure Gerald will. . .take good care of you. . .so make yourself. . .at home."

Judy ignored Beatrix's snort. Flash was so genuinely kind, and Priscilla had such a positive attitude that she wished more mammals were like 'them'. Zootopia would be a better place with more Flash Slothmores and Priscilla Tripletoes than Beatrix Swifts...or even Nicholas Wildes.

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All major or minor characters and settings (even brand names) are owned and trademarked by Disney, and I do not claim ownership over them and the world of Zootopia (aside, of course, from my original characters and some fictional places that I added) - though I would like to thank Byron Howard and Richard Moore for giving us these anthropomorphic mammals that we love to hate (oh you bet I would include Jack and Skye) or hate to love (sorry not sorry for being a Nick and Judy shipper) because without them, this retelling would not have existed.

I'd put an IMPORTANT NOTICE sign here (look at that, I just did) but turns out there are some of you out there who takes their time reading my silly quips here...which let me just say, I really appreciate (and yes, I do read your reviews/feedback). And since you seem to enjoy my rambling, I have prepared a little (unofficial) geography lesson about the city of Zootopia- at least the version of it in this story:

The Academy (not the ZPD one) is located 'somewhere' at the 'southwest' portion of Savannah Central while the Slothmore's cabin is situated at the 'northeast' portion of Tundratown. So, for our gang to get there, they have to pass by Vole Garden, Little Rodentia (hence, why Judy works at The Big Donut), The Savannah Central Proper, Downtown Zootopia, Canyon Lands, The Tundratown Proper, then finally Polar Mountains.

With how captivating (yet short) the montage was in the film, I'm sure most of us thought that the districts were so close to each other (I know I did), but they're not. Which was why I set off on a quest - whilst I was deciding on the title for this chapter and the logistics for the car ride - and I found two Zootopia maps [one from Reddit, another from WDWMagic]... that I'd (now) use as the backbone for the plotline and worldbuilding for this one and my future works. Here is a link if you want to see the map for yourself: https*/imgur*com/Wartn0S (just replace the asterisks).