The Fire Triangle -- Part II, Oxidizer

The Fire Triangle: Book II - Chapter 21

And it was HERS!

"Ms. Hopps," Gazelle was still holding the certificate on high and looking out over the crowd. "Ms. Hopps, if you're still here, please come down and claim your scholarship."

Erin heard, but she didn't move, remaining frozen in her seat. This couldn't be real. Any second now, she'd wake up in her bed, back in Bunnyburrow.

Then Violet nudged her on the shoulder.

"Erin, what are you waiting for? Go....go!"

That did it; she stood up and waved her paw, "I'm here; I'm here!"

All the way to the stage door, the young, white furred bunny was once again feted with praise. And if the crowd had somewhat thinned out by now, they more than made up for it with their enthusiasm. It was heady stuff for a thirteen year-old girl bunny...so heady that when she got to the stage door, she was unaware of the squad of ZPD officers, approaching at a distance.

Inside, she found Conor's three friends still hanging in the stage wings. When she came through the door, they gave her still another round of applause.

"Whoa, what the heck, you're back already?" Dana Alchesay asked her, raising a mischievous eyebrow and opening her arms...and it was only in the wake of their embrace that Erin realized something; she had just shared a hug with a coyote. It was only mildly disconcerting, though. After all, it hadn't been that long ago when she'd had equally negative feelings about foxes.

Foxes...

She looked out towards the stage, but not at Gazelle. Her eyes fell instead on the prompter's box. From here it was impossible to see inside of it, but she knew it was empty just the same.

Even so, she couldn't keep from thinking, "YOU made this happen, Conor Lewis; I only won that scholarship because..."

"Erin, what the...? Get out there," a voice from behind her hissed. It was Dana again.

And once again, the spell was broken.

Hurrying out onstage, the white-furred young bunny had no idea of what to say to Gazelle. Happily, it wasn't necessary; the popstar had it covered.

"Ms. Hopps...on behalf of the Zootopia Academy of the Performing Arts, it is my honor and privilege to bestow upon you, this year's Gazelle Scholarship. Congratulations."

To the cheers of the remaining audience, she dropped down on her knee and held out the certificate to the young doe-bunny.

Erin took it with a pair of trembling paws...and that was when her voice cracked.

"Awwww, I promised myself I wouldn't cry." She snuffled, and then jumped up and threw her arms around Gazelle's neck, hugging her tight. For just a hint of a second the popstar was taken aback, and then she returned it.

And then the young doe-bunny heard her whispering, in a voice so soft that only she could hear, "Please...don't disappoint me."

"...like the LAST kid to win this scholarship." She heard these words in her head, rather than her ears.

Ohhhh, what would Gazelle say if she knew...?

Meanwhile the young doe-bunny's posse had taken up the chant again.

"Er-IN! Er-IN! Er-IN! Er-IN! Er-IN!"

The three young animals standing in the wings might have joined the chorus, had not the stage door swung open right then and a troop of police officers come marching into the wings. In police parlance, it was what was known as a strongarm squad, a female pig and a trio of heavyweights; a lion, a bear, and rhinoceros. Backing them up was the cheetah security-guard from earlier.