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Darkness.
All consuming.
A complete void.
That’s all he could see as he looked around.
He tried to raise a paw in front of his face but nothing.
Not even the outline.
He was pretty sure he placed it around where he felt his nose should be.
He began to feel frustrated.
And then.
“-ick…”
A sound.
That’s rude. We just met, after all.
He said sarcastically.
At least he thinks he did.
The intention was there, but the feeling of his lips actually moving?
Not so much.
“-o sorry”
That’s right, you hurt my feelings Mr ominous voice
Or was it Miss?
It did sound distinctly female.
It sounded muted, blurry.
Is blurry a word to describe a sound?
What did he know?
It sounded like it was underwater, that’s for sure.
“-my fault”
Well, yes but don’t beat yourself too much. ‘S all forgiven.
He expected the voice to keep talking, but after… a while.
It’s hard to keep time in a dark void, sue me.
The voice didn’t return.
He decided to continue exploring his home?
That’s what this was?
He definitely needed to hire some decorators.
Spruce the place a little bit.
Maybe a potted cactus, right there in that corner.
Was it a corner?
And why a cactus?
I don’t know, I think someone joked once that a cactus was the only thing I could keep alive
Is that so?
Iunno. Maybe? Can’t really remember how I even got here
Fair enough, I guess.
Well, enough chit chat.
What do you say we explore the place a little bit?
Sure, anything to pass the time
Is time even passing?
Look man, I just work here. The fewer questions means less existential dread for us.
Fair enough
He stretched his legs.
Did he even have legs?
I couldn't see them.
And walked around the place.
Maybe.
Well, that was pointless
I thought.
Therefore you were
Har har, you feeling funny?
Beats being stuck here
Look, we
Us?
I?
Whatever, we are stuck here
Here as in?
Place?
The void?
Yes
“Hi Nick”
Nick?
Is that my name?
Our name?
“-to leave you alone. Had to step out to-”
Is she staying or is she going?
Who is she?
Why did she stay?
Why did she go?
Guys, one question at a time, please
“-a week since-”
“Tomorrow I have to go-”
“-but I don’t want, need another partn-”
She sounds sad
And intermittent. They should really work on the signal in this place.
Why is she sad?
Why does it make us sad?
I want to hold her
Do you even know where she is?
No, We do not know.
“-but I know you can make it. I… I miss my sly fox”
Aww.
Dude.
Really?
She’s having a sweet moment with a fox?
Aren’t we a fox?
Weren’t we a Nick?
A fox named Nick, you dumdums
We are you, remember?
Or are you we?
Yes, yes. We we monsieur. Whatever
Someone’s cranky
Well, somebody
We.
Us.
You.
Is being annoying… And for some reason hearing her sad makes me… I don’t know
Angry?
Hungry?
Happy?
Sad! Okay, it makes me sad. And I don’t even know her
Don’t we?
We don’t know.
Maybe we do?
Really? What do we know besides vaguely what her voice sounds like?
Well, we know that she knows me.
Or another fox named Nick.
And she sounds sad.
I don’t like when she sounds sad
So we probably.
Do know her.
What is her name? Her species?
What are we to her?
Has anyone noticed we are by ourselves again?
I wondered why it was suddenly so silent
Is it?
Are we not talking?
You know what I mean
We do.
We don’t.
“-ry. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t focus without you by my side. Bogo told me to come back when I felt better or you wa-”
Who’s Bogo?
And why do we feel like making a joke about them?
“I miss you so much, Nick. I don’t even remember how to be myself without you by my side”
I miss you too, Judy
Who’s Judy?
Is she Judy?
I don’t know, but I thought it fitted her
It does.
Judy the vixen.
Is she a vixen?
Well, she is not a tod. I thought we agreed on that.
Sigh, I’m saying that maybe she is not a fox
We’re so done with myself
It’s not my fault, I’m you, too. You know… me know?
But if not a fox?
What is she?
What kind of animal would be dumb enough to associate with a fox?
Ouch
I know, right?
No, I mean ouch. It hurts
Where?
The void.
My head
We have a head!?
And my shoulder, I think
We have a-
Yes, we know. A shoulder, woah.
Does that mean we are not dead?
I would hope so.
Why would we be dead?
I don’t know, guys. Maybe the unending void we’ve been stuck in for… what? Between 10 minutes and 10 decades?
“Hey, Nick”
Hi, Judy
We missed you.
She can’t hear you.
How do you know?
Did she ever respond?
Maybe if we try hard enough.
Yeah, sure.
Guys, please? I can’t hear her with all my voices
“The doctors told me there’s still no change. On the bright side, no change means you are still hanging in there… Right?”
She sounds desperate.
Aren’t we?
“... Your smell started fading from home… I’m scared, Nick. I’m terrified one morning I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone… I-”
What is that?
Is that-
My paw? It feels-
Warm.
“I don’t know how… I can’t live without you, Nick”
Judy, please. Don’t cry. I’m right here
There must be something we can do.
I’m telling you guys, we aren’t trying hard enough.
“Please, you have to wake up. I just-”
Please, just once. I want to-
Gasp “Nick!?”
Did I just?
Did we just?
We are so proud of us.
“Doctor, Nurse. Anyone! His paw just twit-”
And, she’s gone.
We miss the warmth in our paw.
So do I buddy, so do I
We still don’t know who she really is, though.
Well, at the very least we live together.
So, a roommate?
Or a girlfriend.
Like I would be so lucky
She does seem to care about us an awful lot.
She has spent quite a bit of time by our side, I think.
I swear, the first thing I’m getting for this place is a damn clock
I hope she comes back soon.
“Hi Nick!”
Ask and you shall receive.
She sounds chipper.
Maybe she got some good news.
…
What? Why are you looking at… are you even looking at me?
I would slap you if I could
Aww, I would slap you too.
It was not a co mpli… you know what, don’t care enough right now
Were we always this annoying?
“-and I told her she didn’t have to come. But, you know how mom is, always worrying about us. I hope you don’t mind more company”
As long as you’re here, never
Getting attached, huh?
It’s either her or us.
And we feel we already love myself a little too much.
That’s what she said.
That’s low hanging fruit.
No, I think she, Judy, said that before
Oh, makes more sense.
“Oh, I can’t wait for you to-”
The warmth is back!
Is it spreading?
I think she’s hugging my arm
Should we do our magic?
It’d be rude not to.
“You know, your mom’s been asking me why I’m the only one you squeeze her hand. I think she may be feeling a little jealous”
Our mom’s been here?
We have a mom?
Oh boy, the joys of not having a functioning memory
I’m not the only one that finds it weird, right?
That we have a mom?
That I can only hear Judy.
She does spend the most time here
Does she?
Maybe there’s someone else and we don’t know.
We feel we would probably notice.
Or hear if Judy and this hypothetical animal were in the room at the same time.
Fair, it is still weird how she is the only one
Well, we do seem to have a very special connection.
That’s true.
There is this sort of pull towards her
You know what they say about opposites.
What are ‘oppo’ sites?
…
Fine, it was a bad joke. I’ll admit that one.
…
Guys?
…
Judy would have probably laughed.
No, she would have not
She would have probably punched us.
“Hi Nick!”
We have summoned her again.
It’s a good skill to have
“I hope you don’t mind, mom wanted to see you too”
Hi Judy’s mom!
“Oh Nicholas, my poor little tod”
“It looks worse than it is, mom. The doctor said they’ll remove the stitches soon and his fur should cover most of the scars once it grows back”
“...I still can’t believe it”
“Me neither, It was just a routine patrol. I saw a robbery, and we pursued. We already had him cornered, it was just a matter of cuffing him and taking him away. And then Nick screamed my name… Before I knew it, w-we were on the floor. A-and he… I, I was scared, mom. I-”
“Shh, shh. It’s okay. It’s okay, Bunbun. You are safe and Nick is recovering”
“But it’s all my fault, I should have known better. I should have-”
“Judith Laverne Hopps, if it’s somebody’s fault, it's the monster that toyed with the lives of my children’s”
You mom is right, Judy.
We are not the only dumdums.
We are awesome!
I’d do it as many times as it took to keep you safe
“He’s my hero, you know… And I don't just mean saving my life. He’s always been there whenever I needed him… At first I was so scared, giving someone so much power over my life. Now I don’t know how I’d continue living without him”
“It’s always frightening when we find that one mammal to share our lives with. Now come on, I think you deserve a little treat to wash away the sorrow”
“Mom, I’m not 5, I don’t need something to-”
“Honey, We are bunnies. We always feel better after a few carrots”
Carrots.
That’s a funny name.
For a dumb bun-
The darkness of the void receded, before him a white screen began counting down from three.
At zero, his life began playing like a movie.
The happy moments with his family, the parting of a father and struggles of his mother.
The Ranger Scouts meeting that shaped the next decades of his life.
The years of solitude while living on the street, conning mammals out of their hard earned money.
The first time he met a naive meter maid eager to stand up for a faux father.
The adventures that followed the pair as they uncovered multiple city-wide secrets and conspiracies.
The trepidation he felt the first time he asked her out on a date and the exhilaration when she asked him about moving together.
Her radiant visage as she walked towards him, dolled in her white dress and the cheers that followed their I-do’s
And then, the movie changed to first person.
The adrenalin after the chase that still permeated his body.
The glint of gunmetal in the paws of an unseen threat.
The scream that escaped his lungs as he jumped towards his mate.
The searing pain from his hip and shoulder, the ringing sensation and warm trickle of liquid once his head hit the concrete floor.
The terrified face of the doe as she dove for his tranquilizer and pointed it towards the unknown assailant.
And then, the darkness returned once more.
Present or memory, he didn’t know.
What a story, huh.
Guys?
Other me’s?
“Fine, and you know I’m a Wilde now”
“Change your name all you want but you are still my little kit”
No, I don’t want to be alone anymore
Judy, don’t go. I missed you! I want to hold you!
I want to feel your heat and know this is not a dream!
Please, Carro”ts… Judy!”
The void brightened up, giving way to a world of blurry colors.
She turned, tears already beginning their descent as she stared at him.
“Nick” She whispered, unbelieving, moments before sailing the air directly into the hospital bed.
Bonnie looked at them with her paws covering her mouth. A soft gasp and some tears were her only contribution to the reunion.
Her muzzle buried deep in his neck as she rubbed her chin all over him.
“Easy there, I just woke up and I can barely move my body”
“Nick, Nick, Nick” She repeated like a mantra.
“I’m here, Sweetheart. Thank you for staying by my side. I could hear you sometimes, you are the only thing that kept me sane” He said, his voice rough with disuse, as he rubbed his cheeks between her ears and cheeks. Renewing his faded scent on the doe, in the same way the bunny was doing to him.
He heard a deep inhale followed by a broken sob.
“I was so scared. I was afraid you wouldn’t-”
He didn’t let her finish the thought, his lips stealing the words right out of her mouth.
“I know” He said as they parted, “I was too, but I’m here now. Nothing can keep me apart from my bunny for long”