Disclaimer: All properties, plots, characters, and settings created by Walt Disney Animation Studios, belong to Disney. All original plots, characters, and settings created by myself, belong to me.

Notes: Woo, boy. This is my first fanfiction, so it might start out a little rough. I've read quite a bit of "Zistopia" type plotlines online that use the original plot for Zootopia, and also a variety of fanfictions that involve our main characters meeting in high school. I got the idea to merge the two concepts quite a while back, and the idea has been nagging me for quite some time. Anyway, enjoy.

Prologue 1: Rethinking

5:47 pm, June 14, 2006
2774 Brook Street, Unit 17, Savanna Central, Zootopia, ZT.

The polluted rainwater drenched the sidewalk. Cars splashed rifts of water upon unsuspecting mammals. Umbrellas were unfolded almost as quickly as they were ripped apart by the relentless wind. Some animals sprinted as quick as they could to shelter. Some opted to wait in the awnings of buildings, for buses or taxis. Others had no interest in keeping dry.

None of their behavior was missed by the spectating green eyes, perched behind a windowsill on the fourth story of an aging apartment building. Sighing, the figure fogged up the window, watching the condensation evaporate off the surface each time he exhaled.

His eyes traced the droplets as they dribbled down the glass, almost in a meditative state. The warmth of the cozy bedroom and the droning sound of pouring rain between the honks of automobiles would convince any outsider that what remained would only be peace.

But there was no peace.

The figure gazed upon the street, tragically wishing he could be literally any other being he saw, except for himself. Someone who didn't have to worry about where they stepped, or what they said. Someone who had hope in the world. Someone with a future. Someone who didn't spend life running from their problems or running from the police. Someone who wasn't at a strangely high risk of electrocution.

The ruminating figure recounted those past seven months of defiance, hopelessness, and eventually...guilt. He thought he deserved the pain. But at the same time, he knew he didn't.

Nick Wilde had spent most of his life running. Each day would move so quick, and so differently from the last, that he lost track of when he last felt stable. Now he was stuck at home, waiting for salvation to come to him, but he knew it wouldn't.

He recalled his last days in Juvenile Detention. His mother cast anxious blue eyes at his figure in visitation, as he was cuffed to a chair, bound with a bulky collar to his neck. She pleaded with him to obey her, to listen, to try. Nick had no energy to retort. And so, when he was released from the slammer, his mother dragged him back home by his tail. She lovingly shoved him into his new bedroom, made lunch, and told him to study. She emphasized that he would need to catch up in education if he was to re-enrolled in school.

This was how Nick was going to spend his summer. Mentally locked in an apartment, waiting. Waiting for when his Mom would come home for work, usually after 12 hour shifts. Waiting for the weather to change. Waiting to receive the epiphany that he knew would never come.

He stumbled from his thoughts as he heard an agile key slide into the door. He angled his large ears to the entryway, but silently waited at the window. She was home early.

His mom opened the door swiftly, and placed a few bags of groceries on the counter. She hung her soaked parka on a coat hanger, and shook out her fur, spattering a few water droplets on the wall. She wiped her glasses dry with a handkerchief. She glanced in the doorway of her son's bedroom.

"Hey honey. Have a good day?"

"Sure, if you call waiting for nothing to happen, then I had a great day," the red fox responded sarcastically, never taking his eyes off the window.

"Oh, for the love of cranberries! I told you to read a book. You can learn a thing or two just from taking a glance at your father's library."

"I've already read half the stuff there anyway." Nick nonchalantly waved a paw through the air, finally glancing over at the open door. "Why're you home so early anyway?"

"I- er, I'll tell you at dinner." She hastily switched her focus onto the fridge. "Help me with these groceries, here."

Nick didn't press her further. Relentlessness was a trick that never worked against his mother. He moped over to the refrigerator and started sorting through the bags of food.

"I hope you've been getting the hang of your precalculus," his Mom inquiried.

"Dad's textbook does just fine. Besides, the teacher at juvy was pretty good anyway."

"Hm," She sighed and adjusted her glasses. "I hope you're not that fond of the counselors there. REAL high school teachers are a lot different when they don't teach criminals." She said this with an underlying tone of disapproval not uncommon among mothers.

"Does the peanut butter go in the fridge, or in the cabinet?" Nick rapidly changed the subject.

"The cabinet." She let the subject of school drop. Nick hadn't attended a proper public school once in nearly two years, and she was eager for him to catch up this summer so he could resume with other kids his age. Nick was sharp, she knew that, but transitioning back to civilian-not criminal-life was going to be tough for him.

Nick folded up the grocery bag and tossed it on the table. He snatched the pile of mail that his mother had brought in from the lobby. He sifted through the paper:

Junk...Junk...Bills...Junk...Scam...Junk...Official Government Documents…

Official Government Documents?

He took a double take on the cream colored envelope. "Mom, what's this?"

"Oh, thank goodness. It finally came!" She gave an exasperated sigh. She filled a pot with water on the stove, and started boiling their dinner.

"What came?"

"The release formalities."

Nick gave his Mom a questioning look. Something was up.

She glanced back at him with an emotionless expression, and said plainly, "We're moving."

"No kidding," Nick lazily glanced over at his Mom. The Wildes had a tendency to move every few months or so, as soon as rents were ramped up by intolerating, specist landlords. "Where to? Tundratown, the Rainforest District, the canals?"

"Out of the city…" his mother's voice wandered.

"Oh, okay. Out of the cit-, WHAT?!" The thought of leaving Zootopia, even once, had barely ever crossed Nick's mind. He thought anything he could ever want was already in Zootopia. "You- You want to move out of town?"

"Yes. I think a change of setting might be good for you. Less…gangs to associate with."

Nick filtered this comment out and shifted his focus back on the mail. Why would the government need to send a formal document for leaving town? Then he remembered: the guidelines and laws concerning TAME Collars deviated drastically between counties. Depending on whichever county they moved to, some restrictions could be lifted…

"So which county are we moving to?" Nick questioned, letting a little bit of optimism show. "Pawsylvania, Foxboro, Wolfton, West Clawville-"

"-Bunnyburrow," his mother interrupted.

This tidbit of information waited a moment before it slammed full speed into Nick's face with the force of a rock.

"WHAT?!" he said for the second time that day. "Are you crazy!? A town full of RABBITS!? Why the heck would you do that?" His collar beeped in apprehension, threatening to give a warning jolt.

His mother gave him a look that was partially scolding, and partially sympathetic somehow at the same time.

"Are you joking?" Nick pleaded. "Please say that was a joke!"

She sighed. "We're moving to Bunnyburrow for three reasons." She pointed up a claw for emphasis. "One, housing is dirt cheap."

"Of COURSE it's dirt cheap," Nick retorted. "They're rabbits after all. They all live in holes anyway."

She glared at him. "Two, there were easy job openings at a new hotel there."

Nick didn't say anything. His mother's specialty, garment repairs and stitchery, had failed to pay bills. She had been working as sanitation in different businesses for years now.

"And three, I think the town's culture might have a positive affect on you."

"A POSITIVE effect? Mom, as far as I'm concerned, Bunnyburrow is 90 percent full of bunnies. Do you know how discriminatory they'll be against other species, let alone predators, in that town?"

Mrs. Wilde pretended not to hear him. "Bunnyburrow is ranked as one of the safest communities in the country. Also one of the happiest. I'm sure the population is reasonable and accepting of other animals. Besides, it might be a challenge for once." She smirked slyly. "It'll get you out of your comfort zone."

Nick's mouth gaped. Momentarily speechless. At a loss for words. No, his Mom was not joking. She had thought about this. She had made up her mind. And when his Mom made up her mind, that was that. Regardless, he made desperate attempts to sway her decision.

"Please Mom. Don't make me leave the city. It's my home, It's YOUR home."

"We just need to leave for a while Nick, we'll be back one day." In all truthfulness, she was not completely comfortable leaving either. She had only left the city limits a handful of times herself.

"Please, I'll do anything," he stammered. "I'll get top grades. I- I'll get a real job. I won't get involved in any crime ever again. I, I-"

She looked at him softly. "No. We're going for YOUR own good. YOU need a break from all the hustle and bustle of city life, and YOU need to be in a setting where you don't have so many distractions."

They sat there quietly for a few minutes, not saying a word to each other. Just thinking. Thinking…

Alright, that was a prologue. Mostly spent in dialogue, no action, but that's to be expected I suppose. If you have any comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to make a reply. I also don't mind any nitpicky grammar comments. Believe me, I want this to be as precise as possible, so I don't mind comments about commas and em- dashes and whatnot. Feel free to be as specific as you want with suggestions.

Anyway, about this story, I plan on making one more prologue sequence, but from the Hopps' perspective instead. Then, the story will transition and become more paced. There's going to be some drama, maybe a few drabbles, and eventually there'll be some action as we learn a lot about the characters.

I'm all about world-building, and I strive for consistency. If you feel like one of the characters feels off, feel free to PM me. Sometimes I might just need a third person to get me to notice something out of character. This writing is also an experiment. I can't recall ever reading a fanfiction that used both the TAME collars concept and the High School concept, so this idea, as far as I know, is entirely new.

I won't use any dirty language or sexual themes within this work. If you wanted that, I'm afraid this writing is not for you. I don't plan on writing anything too graphic either, though there may be some more mature chapters later on.

Also, let me just mention that I've hardly written anything that doesn't necessitate a works cited page, so writing fiction is an entirely new experience for me.

I won't work with a specific upload schedule, but you can expect chapters to come out at a weekly basis typically, though we'll see how things continue to change in the coming months. I can't guarantee a specific date for the next chapter at this time.

Anyway, I wish you all the best, and have a great day!

-Wonks

Character Profiles:

Nicolas Piberius "Nick" Wilde:

Male, Vulpes vulpes, born April 28 1989 (17 years old), 83320-042087
A red fox, who is extremely clever and crafty, something he learned after years of life in the streets of Zootopia. He's quick-thinking, swift, and sly. Though he doesn't like to admit it, he's a fairly talented handyman and mechanic, something he learned from his mother. He speaks with clarity and articulately, is cool-headed, and is also social, though he doesn't usually act like it. He's been suppressed his entire life, and has trouble trusting other mammals sometimes. He also lacks a firm foundation, having undergone a variety of traumatic experiences. He often believes that he has no future, or any hope of being stable, much to his mother's disagreement.

Marian Rose Redmond Wilde:

Female, Vulpes vulpes, born January 17, 1961 (45 years old), 83320-710147
A red fox, who is always confident and persistent. She is sure-footed and has staggering self-control. She is capable of reading others emotions at ease, and is capable of playing a variety of roles in order to please those around her. She is stubborn and unequivocal. She persistently drives her son to be the best mammal he can become, though she gives him almost full independence of his actions, for better or for worse. She has faced a lot of grief in the past, and has learned not to get too clung onto emotions. She is an extremely talented mechanic and fabric worker, which she learned while serving for the military at a young age.

This chapter was originally published on June 30, 2020

Edited on July 7, 2020 (Word choice, punctuation, and formatting)