***
My lungs were starting to burn like an unquenchable fire inside my chest, screaming for me to stop, but I couldn't. If I did, I was going to die. The trees wooshed by me as I ran possibly faster than I ever had before.
You just had to take the long way home... I thought wearily in my head.
I had known fullwell this was bear country, and had even seen many bears before, including near my house, but never had I seen a bear like the one that was set on killing me in this particular instance. I checked behind me, and adding to my alarm, the hulking mass was still hurtling after me. I hadn't been completely sure before, but now I was certain. It was a grizzly bear.
I had seen it from a ways off at first, but apparently, it had seen me likewise, and it may have been a little upset that I was here because I was about to get killed by it now. My chest burned more than ever, but I couldn't stop, not if I wanted to live.
Then suddenly, there was a bright and quick burst of blue to the right of my peripheral vision. I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was probably just my life flashing before my eyes. Then another, this time to my left, closer too.
I must be passing out or something, I thought fearfully.
I knew that it was only a few more seconds before I would become bear-chow, but didn't know what else to do, so I kept running. Then, as if I was called to heaven early, a final blue burst of light enveloped me, turning my world upside down, literally. My body spun through mid-air like I was free-falling, but I couldn't feel any wind resistance through any of it. As fast as it had happened though, it was over and I came to a hard stop, receiving a face full of... snow, on the way down.
Lying face-down on the ground, I slowly got to my feet, squinting. My face was cold, suddenly covered with ice. I stood up and raised a hand to wipe the cold substance off my face. Snow? I thought incredulously. In June?
I looked around dazed, not able to see very well. There was loud music playing, and... people?
Where am I? I couldn't make things out. My chest still burned, and I was struggling to catch my breath.
People began approaching me. "Hey, you alright bro?" I heard someone say.
"Yeah, you don't look good at all," remarked another.
My vision came into focus and I started to see a little more clearly. "Yeah, I think I'm okay," I began. "Think I just need-" I stopped mid-sentence when I looked up to see not people, but animals standing around me. I looked around, seeing all sorts of mammals, standing on two legs, wearing clothes, and talking.
I must have hit my head really hard...
"Holy heck..." a zebra said as they took a close look at me.
Suddenly my mouth was dry and I was struggling to speak.
Before I could though, there was a loud disturbance from behind and a lot of screams amidst panic. I glanced behind me in horror to see that the same bear was still hot in its pursuit, running toward me and cutting down others that stood in its way.
Oh, frick. I started running and shoving my way through all the panicking, bipedal animals, who began to scatter and flee from the large carnivorous beast so set on having me for its evening appetizer.
I saw and began heading for the forest, hoping I could get out of the open and possibly find safe refuge from the bear. If I can just make it to those trees... I thought desperately.
The feeling in my lungs didn't improve in any way as I kept running for my life. I was almost there, but not having been accustomed to the snowy and icy environment, I slipped and fell, catching myself with my hands. My time was running out as the hurtling beast behind me was gaining significantly. I got back to my feet and sprinted across the plane of white snow, hearing the beast roar in rage. Seconds later, I entered the dark shroud of the forest again. Not by any means discouraged from running to find safety, I persisted in my flight for a minute or two, afraid to look back.
Soon, however, my fatigue overtook me, and I stopped running, placing my hands on my knees to rest. I finally looked around, not seeing the bear or anybody else around. I was alone again.
What just happened? I still could not understand what I had gotten myself into, beginning to wonder if it was all some sort of dream. I pinched myself, hoping that I would somehow wake up, wanting things to go back to normal. No snow, no anthropomorphic animals, no psychotic bears. Just home. Home...
***
[Nick]
The ride had thus far been silent, as Judy and I hadn't said a word. The overall feeling in the van was notably melancholy, and Luke himself didn't seem much inclined to talk either. Judy and I sat on opposite sides of the compartment, and Luke on the floor next to my seat. He sat curled in a ball underneath the wool pad I had given him, resting his chin on his knees. It was strange seeing him so... different. I mean, in a way, he was then more normal and familiar to me than he had been before, and yet, like a complete stranger at the same time. He had undergone a complete physical change. One that I wasn't sure how to react to. Happy, that he could finally blend in? Sad, in the possibility that he would never be the same again? I just didn't know.
"How are we holding up?" I finally broke the long silence.
Luke only turned his head away, ears lying limp at the back of his head, not answering.
It was obvious that he was some species of wolf, but smaller than normal. Not quite fully matured yet, it seemed. He had bright white fur over his entire body, but his eyes were the same blue color he'd had before. It was still him.
"Look," I began sympathetically, "this doesn't change anything. You still have just as much of a chance at getting back home as you did before."
He shot me a glare, ears suddenly perked defensively. "This changes everything. How can you possibly know whether or not I still have a chance?" his brow was furrowed in anger and discontent for a moment, but then he relaxed, looking down at the floor. "I tried so hard to find a way back. To get out of this mess, but now I'm sitting even deeper in it than before."
"Don't worry," said Judy from across the van, receiving Luke's gaze in return. "We're in this together. To the very end."
Luke seemed to retreat into his thoughts a little, until I spoke up as well.
"She's right you know," I affirmed Judy's words, receiving Luke's eyes again too. "Whatever happens, we're right here to help you, kiddo."
His stare slowly drifted back toward the floor. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Nothing to be sorry about, buddy. Just take it easy for now," I assured him.
He nodded and went back to resting his chin on his knees. "And... thanks, for saving me back there."
I smiled. "That? That was nothing. I was just getting even with you," I said light-heartedly, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I saw him smile too. That's more like it.
It seemed we all needed to take it easy for a little bit. A lot had happened over the past day, and though things were a little bit more... complicated now, I was glad that we had been able to get Luke back. I rested my head against the side of the van, not minding the bouncing so much anymore as we drove out of Tundra Town.
***
[Luke]
I probably would have been really cold if my blood hadn't been running hot. I was still having a mild adrenaline rush from the whole ordeal, not having fully comprehended the things that had happened a while earlier. I had been running through this snowy forest for minutes, or even what felt like hours, but had found nothing. I didn't know where home was, or how I had gotten to this strange place, but there had to be something I could do, someone I could call. I stopped running, reaching down into my jacket pocket for my phone, but to my surprise and dread, it was gone. Oh no... I thought.
I knew I had to have dropped it in all of the initial commotion, but there was no debating. I had to go back for that phone.
This is just my luck. I thought grudgingly, turning and following my own tracks back the way I had come. I had to look closely to see the subtle holes in the snow, as it was very dark. On top of that, the prints gradually became fainter and more snowed over as I went. However, it wasn't too long before I could see the dim glow of light where I had originally entered the forest, and to my pleasant surprise, I could also see the faint flashing of red and blue lights. "Is that... The police!" I exclaimed aloud, breaking into a run. I felt relief wash over me. Finally, somebody who could tell me what the heck was going on, and where the heck I was, for that matter. As I approached the blinking lights though, I noticed that something was off. Very off.
One of the officers, stepping out of their car, stood up to be much taller than their vehicle, had big, leathery ears, and a long trunk.
What the..? I stopped in my tracks, frozen still. I quickly gathered that the officer I saw was a large elephant.
"Ah, Francine!"
I ducked and scrambled for cover behind a tree as another voice spoke from somewhere behind me.
"Glad you could finally make it to the scene!"
I peeked around to see that it was a rhinoceros, also dressed in police attire, who had been standing close to my location but luckily hadn't seen me. He walked past my position taking large steps toward the elephant and engaging in some conversation I couldn't hear very well.
I swiftly moved from tree to tree, trying to be as silent, and unnoticeable as possible. Finally, I came to the opening of the forest into a large park. There were police cars and officers- or animals wearing officer uniforms all over the place, searching the area.
Where on great Earth am I? It was like I had been sucked into a Tim Burton movie. A ways away from me, at the edge of the trees, there was a large tent. I was certain it had been placed over the spot right where I had been earlier.
It's gotta be in there... I thought. I went to approach the tent, but stopped and ducked into cover again when two small figures suddenly came out from it. Slowly, I peeked around again and saw that one of them, slightly taller, was a... fox? The other standing beside him was a tad shorter and had long ears. Had to be a rabbit.
And I thought I'd seen everything... disbelief filled my mind. I had to be going crazy. I could feel it. Mental breakdown was imminent.
Keep your cool, keep your cool. I thought to myself. I had to get into that tent. Taking a deep breath, I crept toward the opening, taking extra care to keep quiet and out of sight. As I got close to the tent, I pressed my body up against the fabric, shimmying my way past the bunny and the fox standing directly in front of me. They were talking to each other about something, but none of it registered in my mind. All I could think was, Don't turn around... don't you dare turn around...
My palms were sweating. No telling what would've happened if they had seen me. They were hostile as far as I was concerned. For all I knew, maybe they ate people, but I was determined not to find out. Within seconds, I was at the opening of the tent and slipped in, looking around for my cellular device. I noticed a nearby foldable table with a few various items on it, a wallet, magnifying glass, tan folders filled to the brim with files, and to my satisfaction, my smartphone. I snatched the device off of the table, and as soon as it was in my hand, I was breaking for the tent door again.
Being cautious, I poked my head out from the door, making sure I could still get away unspotted. Luckily, the bunny and fox were still standing there, talking, not having noticed my entrance, and nor were they going to notice my exit. I carefully shimmied my way back out from the tent area, being careful not to make a sound. As soon as I was clear of the tent and out of the open again, I booked it away from Animal Planet back into the woods, hoping I was finally out of danger. After a moment, I stopped, desperate to contact somebody who could tell me what was happening.
I pulled out my phone and quickly navigated to my parents' profiles in the contacts, frantically pressing the dial button, but as I raised the device to my ear, I got nothing but voicemail. I tried again. Nothing.
What? I lowered my phone again to look at the top left corner of the screen, but where I usually would have seen my service provider, there was a despairing message instead. "'No Service?'" I read it aloud.
No... my panic was escalating inside of me.
Adding yet more to my alarm, was the sound of voices growing exponentially louder, and the faint glow of a flashlight getting brighter. They were after me.
I sprinted for my life, keeping a steady, quick pace, but it didn't take me long to realize that they were going to find me no matter what. They were following my tracks.
Thinking fast, I looked to my nearest tree. I grabbed the branch above, putting one foot against the trunk, and the other up and over the branch and hoisted myself up into the higher branches, hoping and praying they wouldn't find me there. Converse All-Stars weren't the best climbing shoes, so it took some effort. As my pursuers approached the foot of my tree, I flattened myself against the bark, trying hard not to stick out. The flashlight beam was searching, casting shadows all throughout the forest. As I peeked around one last time, I was blinded by the beam, shining right at my face.
Crap! I thought in panic as I got up and ran along an outreaching branch, then leapt for another tree, something I never would have tried under normal circumstances, but felt inclined to do so on such an occasion as this one.
"After him!" I heard one of them yell from below.
Snow was falling off of the branches in my wake, leaves and twigs slapping me in the face as I ran, slowing me down. I felt that if I could just make it a little longer, I could lose them, but in this, I was disappointed as I heard the patting of quick, small footsteps from behind. I turned around to see the silhouette of a bunny speeding along the branches of my tree right toward me.
Oh, poop. I thought just before getting tackled off of the branch and onto the snow-covered ground below. A loud "Uph!" escaped my lips as I came to another hard stop, feeling all of the air get knocked out of me. I opened my eyes to see the bunny on top of me, looking just as wide-eyed as I was. I threw the small animal off and sprang to my feet, still not discouraged from trying to escape.
"Stop in the name of the law!" I heard a female voice yell.
I stopped and looked back. "Stay away from me!" I exclaimed back.
"Easy buddy, just let us help you," the fox I had seen earlier, who was standing behind the rabbit stepped closer.
My defenses came down for a moment "What are you?"
His paws fell to his sides, almost... annoyed. "Seriously? You're telling me you've never seen a fox before?"
I just couldn't allow myself to believe what I was seeing. I closed my eyes, trying to shake the images out of my mind. "No, no... I don't believe it. This isn't happening," I turned and ran again, seeing a drop off some twenty meters away. Had I been in my right mind, I probably would have resolved to get taken into custody by Lola Bunny and Fantastic Mr. Fox rather sooner than jump off of that ledge, but I guess I let my instincts get the best of me, because I jumped for it.
***
[Judy]
As the van came to a gentle stop, I stood up to open the doors for Nick as he helped Luke get to his feet and step down from the back end of the vehicle onto the pavement. Luke seemed a little bit down on his pride as he could hardly balance himself on his own. Once they were out, I followed suit, shutting the doors behind me.
Ivan came around the other side, stopping for a second when he saw Luke. He opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him, putting a digit over my lips and subtly shaking my head. He nodded in understanding but obviously was still confused.
I approached him, sighing. "Things have gotten... complicated," I said quietly.
"I can tell," he replied, eyes still fixated on Luke.
We were back in Rainforest District for the moment and had parked the van in a small solitary garage down a ways from Ivan's place of residence. Just outside was a small bus stop guardhouse with a bench where Nick sat Luke down to rest for a minute and take shelter from the still ever-pouring rain.
"Is that really him?" he asked, making sure it was the same guy who'd shown up in the Palm Hotel last week.
I nodded in confirmation.
"What exactly happened..?" Ivan posed a good question.
I lightly shrugged my shoulders. "I honestly... don't know." I answered him hesitantly.
"Well, if there's anything I can do... just let me know," he said, starting to walk away.
"Ivan," I addressed the broad cougar once more.
He turned to look back down at me.
I smiled at him, reaching out a paw for him to shake. "Thanks. For everything."
He put his own paw in mine, giving a firm shake in return.
"We'll find a way to repay you. I promise," I assured him.
He shook his head and shifted his glance to Luke and Nick, then back to me. "By the looks of it, you've each already done quite a bit of paying today. Consider it a favor, and an apology. You know, for last week's shenanigans," he smirked, and let go of my paw. "It was a pleasure working with you, Judy," he finally turned and walked into his garage, clicking a button on the wall and activating the door behind him.
At that moment I really began to admire him. He had completely and utterly proved me wrong that night, and we were most likely forever indebted to him.
I then proceeded to join Nick and Luke at the bench. "Seems we're in the clear," I said in relief. "We'd better get back to the cruiser."
Nick nodded.
There was a small leak in the canopy above us, and Luke's nose twitched as a drop of water splashed on it, making him squint his eyes in discomfort. I pulled off my rain jacket and put it around Luke, trying to slip the hood over his head. "Ears please," I asked politely.
He sighed, letting his pointy ears fall to the back of his head.
Smiling, I slipped it the rest of the way on. "There you go. That should keep you dry. Let's go," I urged them.
The walk wasn't long, but it sure was quiet, aside from the sound of rain. However, it seemed Luke was already getting the hang of walking again, and he wasn't shivering so much anymore. The whole tone of the forest was calm. Not much happening in the area like when we had been there earlier.
Luke, though having seen Rainforest earlier that day, still seemed to marvel at the beauty of the place.
"Pretty, isn't it?" I remarked softly, coming close to Luke, and hoping to drive his mind completely away from his predicament.
He didn't answer right away. "...Yeah. It is."
"I remember the first time I saw it. I was blown away," I reminisced a bit. "This city is one of a kind. A place where you can feel like you belong."
"That's the problem though. I don't belong," Luke protested under his breath.
"Well that's funny, because you sure look like you do," I begged to differ.
That's when he shot me a scowl, but didn't say anything.
I pushed him gently, grinning as we walked. "Lighten up, Luke. You're not going to be stuck here forever, so enjoy yourself a little bit. You've been through a lot. We all have. Just relax and take a second to look around you. Forget about yourself, and things will get easier."
He looked away, back to the trees and green foliage surrounding us. "Maybe..." he drifted into thought.
The cruiser was parked in a small enclosed lot on one of the higher platforms. We climbed a wooden stairway to get up to it. Once the cruiser was in sight, I clicked my keys, hearing the doors unlock. I opened the back door for Luke to climb in and secure himself in his seat.
"This thing is a lot bigger now," he commented, looking around in awe.
I laughed silently. "Yeah? Welcome to my world," I shut the door and proceeded to hop into the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle.
Nick was already in the passenger seat when I entered.
"Ready to go?" I asked, starting the engine.
He grimaced. "Yeah, you know what? I think I'm done with Rainforest District for a while. My last couple of visits... well, they've been a little too exciting for my taste."
"For once, Nick, I'm gonna have to agree with you," I concurred, gassing it out of the parking lot and onto the freeway.
Nick put his paw to his chin, thinking. "Now that the wild animals are contained, at least we won't have to worry about more attacks. Figuring out how to get them and Luke back home is the only problem now."
"Um... guys?" Luke chipped in from the back seat, his fingers poking through the grate. "About that..."
"Oh no," I pinched the bridge of my nose. "What?"
"So the bad government guys? They're practically the reason this whole thing started, and it sounds like they want to do it again. Said they needed some of my blood to replicate the effect. They were able to take a sample before I escaped."
Nick's eyes went wide. "...Well that's not good. That's not good at all."
Luke shook his head. "Nope. That's really, really bad, actually."
I sighed. "This case just keeps getting better and better."
"Trust me, the last thing I want to do is go back to that playhouse, but... I'm not sure we have a choice. We have to go back and stop them. If we don't, we risk another catastrophe happening here in Zootopia, perhaps worse than the last," Luke said solemnly.
"Okay, but how exactly will we do that?" Nick posed. "Now that you've escaped, and they know they were infiltrated, their security will be at an all-time high. New codes, encrypted systems, additional guards. It'll be nothing short of impossible to get in, let alone get out."
"I don't know," replied Luke. "But if we don't do something, bad things are going to happen."
"We'll figure something out," I said in an attempt to calm both of them down. "Right now, we just need to take it easy. One way or another, we're going to have to have another run-in with those guys. If what you've said is true, and they really do have a way to create another wormhole or something, then that means a way back for you, Luke. That could be your chance to finally go home."
There was a pause, then a sigh of consolation. "Okay," said Luke, not sounding quite convinced, but comforted.
"Don't worry. Like I said, we're in this together. Whatever happens, we'll face it together," I cheered his spirits. "This is as much our concern as it is yours, Luke. We're here for you."
I could see through my rearview mirror that his tail was wagging nervously, but it stopped as he sat back and relaxed in his seat, seeming somewhat relieved.
I grinned in quiet amusement, feeling the same. I firmly believed that Luke, and Zootopia, still had a chance. In the end, it would all come down to Luke holding onto his hope. If he gave up, everything would be lost, but as long as he held on, there was always a chance, and that was all that mattered.
The rest of the drive was quite sober, and not much was said. We were all tired, beat up, and one of us had been transformed into another creature, so needless to say, we needed some rest. Soon, we entered the downtown area of the city, and I navigated toward the backroads, where Nick's place was located. It was late at night and traffic was next to non-existent, so we were moving fast. After a few minutes of whizzing around corners, we finally made it to Nick's house, stopping out front.
"Here we are," I announced. "Get plenty of rest. We'll meet up again tomorrow."
"You don't have to tell me twice," muttered Nick as he opened the passenger door, sliding out of his seat.
I turned my head to see Luke still sitting in the back, wearing my rain jacket.
"You want your jacket back?" he asked, looking a little embarrassed.
"Luke, you alright, buddy?" Nick called from outside.
I laughed a little, shaking my head. "Keep it. You can give it back to me later."
Seeming happy that he didn't have to get naked again, he opened his door, hopping out to follow Nick.
"And get some rest, would you?" I hollered after him, seeing a small head-nod as he shut it again behind him.
I watched both of them walk up to the front door, Nick opening it for Luke to enter, then, looking back toward me, he sent me off with a firm salute.
I returned the gesture, driving off into the night. I wanted to go home and get some rest myself, but there were a few things I had to do first. The station was only a couple of miles away, and there were a few things I needed to drop off, as well as things I intended to tell chief Bogo when I got there...
Soon, the ZPD came into view, and I switched on my left blinker, preparing to turn into the parking lot. I slipped into the closest space to the front entrance of the building, switching the cruiser off, and reaching over to open the glove compartment. Inside were the case files I needed to hand in to Bogo. I filled out the last few lines of information on the case and dismounted the vehicle. When I entered the building, Clawhauser was at the front desk, as always.
His jaw dropped as he looked up to see who was coming in at such an early hour. "Oh my- Judy! We were so worried! We tried to contact you over and over and over and-"
"Ben, please. Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine," I calmed him down, as I approached the counter..
"Where's Nick?" he asked, still concerned.
"Resting. Something you don't seem to know how to do," I poked fun at him.
"Ah, well you know. Duty calls," he said, sticking a donut in his mouth.
"Right," I began ending the conversation. "Well I'm just gonna go hand these in to Chief Bogo," I pointed to the case files in-paw.
He nodded, clearly enjoying that donut as I walked past the counter and up the stairs toward Bogo's office. Once I was at the door, I gave a light knock.
"Enter," the large buffalo grunted from inside.
As I opened it and walked in, I saw him look up from his papers, wearing his pair of reading glasses, but as he saw me, he took them off, not saying a word. I must've looked like a mess. I had taken off the jumpsuit and put my uniform back on. It was torn and had dry mud all over it, so I wasn't much surprised at the look Chief Bogo gave me as I approached him.
I dropped my case files on his desk. "Officer Hopps, reporting in. Job's done, Chief."
"Hopps, where have you been?" he began, eyes still wide in disbelief, and yet didn't raise his voice. "Why didn't you answer your radio? For all we knew, you could have been dead. We have officers looking for your bodies in Rainforest District as we speak."
I grabbed my walkie-talkie from my uniform and put it in front of him as well. "Water damage. I'll need a new one."
"And what took you so long? Neutralization was five hours ago. What have you been doing this whole time?"
"That's easy, Chief. Solving this case," I began. "And speaking of neutralization, not only is the ZIA experimenting on mammals, but they're also the ones who started this whole catastrophe in the first place. They caused this, and they're planning on doing the same thing again. We have to call the mayor, do anything we can to stop them," I explained.
"Really? And what proof of this do you have?" he asked.
I looked down grudgingly. "None."
"Witnesses?"
"None."
"Leads?"
"...none, sir" I admitted.
"You know, it's a very good thing they came when they did because five of my officers had already sustained severe wounds by the time they scooped those animals up," he lifted a finger as if he was reminded of something. "Oh, and speaking of which, I received word that one of the ZIA's newly-acquired specimens was, quote, 'stolen.'"
"Stolen?" I asked.
"Yes. By a third party," he confirmed.
"Well, I suppose that's unfortunate," I said, not exactly sympathetic.
"Undoubtedly. But, if anyone asks..." he started, "well, let's just say I knew nothing concerning the matter."
My ears stood up. "What?"
"Not saying I believe you," he continued. "However, if you do find something else, I'll think about looking into it more myself."
"Chief..."
"Readmittance of mammals into Rainforest District will begin later this morning. Thank you for the case files, Officer Hopps. You're dismissed," he concluded.
I was surprised for a moment, then nodded in compliance. As I turned to leave, however, I remembered something and pulled a folded-up timesheet out of my pocket, placing it on the desk in front of him. "Oh, and Officer Wilde requests a day off."
Bogo sighed. "Notify him that his request is granted, BUT, that means extra hours for him next week," he stated.
I smiled. "Deal. I'll let him know," I replied, walking toward the door. I had pulled it open only a little when I was stopped again.
"And Hopps."
I turned to look at him one last time.
"I'm glad you're alive," he smiled for once, putting his glasses back on.
"Me too," I left, pulling the door shut behind me.
***
[Luke]
I was eating my words. I might not have been cold before, but at that moment, I was really, really cold. Sliding down that slope had stuffed my shirt, pants, shoes, and face with snow, and on top of that, it seemed I had been trudging through more knee-deep snow for hours, not having seen any signs of civilization whatsoever, but I kept going. Fear of freezing to death began to set in on me. All feeling in my hands and feet had disappeared long ago, and I was truly beginning to wonder if my life was about to end.
As hope and willpower were at an all-time low, I spotted something in the distance, long, and flat.
A road! I thought in glee and thanksgiving. I broke into a run through the heavy snow, toward the first sign I had seen of possible human life. When I made it close to the road though, I could see there were no cars on it. I stumbled onto the pavement, following it for a little while, doubting anyone had used it in days, but then I spotted something else. The road I was following led to a tunnel, and above it was a large sign. I had to walk closer to read it through the falling snow.
Oh man... I thought in a mixture of hope and fear. I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore.
On the sign read, "Leaving Tundra Town - Welcome to Zootopia."
***