This one has been a long time coming. Per the "norm" for this story, it went many different ways than I originally thought it would.

The wedding of Judith and Nicholas is on. Bogo proclaims that the world is DOOMED. A certain maker of music receives an unexpected gift. And a despairing female finds out that her dream can happen after all.



Fox Out of Place, Rabbit Out of Time


Chapter 23: Wedding, “DOOMED!!”, and Claim


Stopping her slow pacing, the bridesmaid looks out of the livingroom picture window. The sun has already set, the last of its rays fading even as she watches. Towards the upper middle of that great pane of glass was a moon in the cloudless sky that she knows is just three days from being full. Stars are already showing themselves as a frame for that moon.

“A night for lovers and their activities,” she murmurs aloud.

The young fem had fantasies about those activities, ones specific to her species. Passionate dreams of a strong masterful male dominating her, taking her and making her his for the rest of their lives. A quiver of carnal delight ran through her form at the ghost sensations those desire visions stirred up in her, ones she had experienced many times over the last two years.

“And that is all they will ever be,” she thought, forlornly.


* * * * * * * * * * * *


“I’ll be ready in about a minute!” called the hidden Judy.

“I’m waiting with bated breath!” Sharla replied.

The ewe’s curiosity was high as Judith had kept the appearance of her wedding gown at a level of secrecy that befitted the bunny’s security clearance level. A moment later, there was a rustle of fabric and the doe came out from behind the concealing screen to stop in front of her friend. There, Judy did one slow 360 degree turn around. Though mostly of traditional design, there was something that wasn’t.

“Interesting…coloration,” Sharla commented.

“You were expecting ’White for the purity of the bride and her virginity’,” Judy quoted with a wicked expression on her face. “I don’t know about my ‘purity’ but the virginity part definitely sailed, along with all its escorts, out of port a year and a half ago!”

Sharla checked the gown over and made a couple of minor adjustments on it. Judy glanced at the clock.

“Almost time,” she said. “Help me get the cloak on and arranged.”

By the time a knock sounded on the door, all was ready.


* * * * * * * * * * *


“I wonder what’s with the groom being cloaked up?” asked more than a few of the attendees.

The aforementioned cloak, black as a lightless night sky, left only the head of the tod visible. Nick’s best male, a mountain lion named Roy McBride, stood close by. The parson, a 46-year-old rabbit buck, Stanly Hopps, stood on a platform that brought him almost eye level with the vulpine. Another, empty, platform of similar height stood on the side opposite of Nick. There were five steps that led up to it.

“This isn’t exactly a traditional wedding,” observed others.

“A formal joining of a fox and rabbit in matehood being held in a nature preserve that takes three divine miracles to get just the permits approved. You bet your fur it’s not traditional!” some answered. “Even the music isn’t what one would expect for such an occasion.”

The equipment playing the tunes was hidden behind a line of screens. The music that played as things readied had a soothing tone, but, in a few places, that changed to one that those hearing it had them looking about for something like an approaching storm.

“Warnings that life does not run smooth all the time,” a few old, and not so, mammals thought.

Then, the music changed, notes and tempo of something approaching sounded and seconds later persons rounded the end of a screen. First, came a six-year-old rabbit girl in a pretty dress. She held a woven wicker basket in one paw and dipped her other paw into it to get the flower and clover petals out and toss them onto the path in front of her.

“Oh, what a waste of perfectly tasty nibbles!” lamented many of the herbivore attendees.

One she wolf eyed the bunny flower girl for a few seconds, then a humorous expression crossed her face.

“A flower scented entrée?” she whispered sideways.

Which earned her an elbowing from her mate!

Next, came three more mammals. One was a bunny sized figure that was more cloaked than the groom. The only thing really showing was about half of the bridal bouquet sticking out through the front edges of that cloak. At her left side walked Judy’s matron of honor, Sharla. On her right walked a male that dwarfed them both. Bogo, looking surprisingly dashing in his fitted tux, had agreed to be the one to give away the bride. Upon reaching the alter, the flower doe tossed out one more pawful of petals then went to sit down on a place waiting for her. Judy and her escorts arrived and stopped seconds later. Bogo’s hands on her shoulders to steady her, Judy stepped up onto the platform. The music stopped.

“To all assembled here, I bid you welcome and ask that you be witness to the formal joining of Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hobson,” Stanly said.

He looked to Bogo.

“Who gives this female to her mate-to-be?” he asked.

“I and her family do!” stated the buffalo.

The buck nodded in assent but, instead of departing and sitting down, Bogo remained close by.

“Nicholas P. Wilde, do you take this woman to be your formal mate? To cherish her and be by her for all life?”

“That I do!”

The hearty statement got a mix of gasps, giggles, and chuckles.

“And, do you, Judith L. Hobson, take this male to be your formal mate? To cherish and be with for all life?”

“That I do!” she said with a fervor to match Nick’s.

That was a cue; Roy and Bogo reached out, took hold of the shoulder sections of the groom and bride’s cloaks and pulled them away. A collective sound of surprise came from the audience. Nick wore a tux, one that left the upper parts of his shoulders exposed. Most of the rabbits and hares in attendance realized why and for a lot of them their respect for the fox rose.

“He knows,” many said to themselves and to those beside them.

There was one other thing different about that tux. Instead of the usual black color it was a mix of grays, browns, and whites; Judy’s fur colors and patterning.

Judy’s dress was almost painfully simple in its construction. A long slip like length of silk ending barely an inch above the platform’s surface. Thin straps left her shoulders mostly bare and she wore long gloves that ended at her upper arms. An ear garland of tiny flowers encircled the base of her left ear and a two-foot-long filmy green colored veil trailed down from it. As Sharla had noted, the dress was not the traditional white color, nor were the gloves. Instead, it was a mix of russets, light and dark, reds, browns, with a light orange tinted cream color down the front. The gloves started out being a brownish russet color at her paws then became lighter as they went up her arms.

“Yup, those two have got it BAD for each other!” some thought/commented.

“Rather than exchange rings or collars, Nicholas and Judith have chosen the more basic method to seal their matehood,” the buck said.

With that, Nick stepped up to Judy, who was almost at his eye level, then scent marked her on her right shoulder and lower neck with his chin. Then he did the same on her left shoulder. Judy tipped her head up and back and Nick tipped his head sideways and took her neck in his jaws (more than a few lapines gasped at the action). He held her for several seconds then let go to stand very close before her. Judy’s turn, she lent forward to chin the tod on his right shoulder then on his left one. He went to one knee and then she chinned the top of his head as well. The fox stood and the pair, easy smiles on both of their faces, looked at one another, then turned to Stanly.

“As you have, in front of this assemblage of witnesses, laid the old claims upon one another, I declare you formally sealed, mates for life!” the priest stated.

With a triumphal “shout”, the music began again and, after assisting Judy down to the ground, Nick and his bunny mate walked down the aisle that ran down the middle of the assemblage. Applause, whistles, hooraas, and other happy sounds came from all directions as they headed to the area of the reception. A few noted that the flower girl following in their wake, was munching on some of the nibbles that were still in her basket.


After the usual photos of the bride and groom, with and without members of their wedding party, were taken, the reception truly got under way. The large open area filled with couples dancing to the upbeat music coming from the speakers surrounding the reception area. A line of mammals formed who, singly, in pairs, and a few trios, stepped up to congratulate the couple and wish them well. Stanly Hopps was the lead mammal in the line, and completely unaware that he had just officiated sealing his great aunt to her vulpine mate. Some time passed and then someone stepped out from behind the screens that concealed the music gear. The formally dressed badger merged into the crowd and it was several minutes before someone recognized him.

“You…you’re…Cordell Madis!” the buck gasped.

“Guilty as charged!” the musician replied.

It wasn’t long before a few dozen mammals surrounded the badger.

“Ho…How did you come to be here?!” asked an amazed fan.

“I was going through some fan mail a few weeks ago and read a letter asking if I would consider attending a wedding, one involving a fox and a rabbit,” Cordell said. “I’ve played for some functions but never a wedding. So, what the hay, contacted the mammals and set things up, composed some music themes for it, and here I am.”

Some of those there managed to come up with paper and requested autographs and Cordell spent several minutes signing them. After that he begged off.

“Well, I’m going to go mix and enjoy the reception,” the badger said.

The assemblage of fans groaned.

“Hey, I’d be a poor guest if I didn’t pay my respects to the mates,” he said as he broke away.


“Thanks for coming,” Judy said as she extended her paw to Cordell.

Rather than shake that paw, Madis held it so the back of her hand was upwards, bowed forward, and planted a long lingering kiss on the back of Judy’s wrist. This was followed by a leisurely lick at the same spot. He came back upright again to see an amused expression on Judy’s face and a wary one on Nick’s.

“Don’t get any ideas, badger boy!” the tod said in a mock warning tone.

“Greedy fox, you just want this tasty bunny all to yourself!” Cordell replied.

“Is that all you two think of? Food?” Judith, eyebrow raised, questioned.

“Hey! We’re guys! Food is very important to us!” Nick chimed in.

They, and those close enough to hear the exchange, had a good chuckle. Stopping at the food and drinks table, Cordell snagged a fruit juice and then looked around. Off to one side, he spotted Bogo sitting by himself, eyeing the drink he held in one hand. The expression on his face was anything but cheery.

“Why the gloom, oh Great Chiefy Wiefy?” Madis asked as he stopped beside the big buff.

Bogo did not answer right away. Then he sighed.

“We’re doomed,” he said. “Doomed to a lifelong era of chaos, uncertainty, and snarkiness.”

“Oh, thinking that Judy’s kits are all going to take after their sire in temperament?”

That comment earned him a hard assessing look from the Chief.

“Judy or Nick told you?” Bogo asked.

“Nope.”

Another look.

“Your ‘song’,” the Chief said.

“Judy’s part of it had three small notes added to it about 14 weeks ago.”

Bogo continued to look at the newest full member of the Complex Watch team. He felt smug amusement at the memory of the state of astonishment on the President’s face when he proposed adding the musician to the team. Madis saw the Chief reach into a pocket from which he extracted a data memory chip and handed it to the badger.

“A gift,” Bogo said. “I owe Wilde a big favor for getting it before the wedding.”

“What’s on it?” Cordell asked as he looked it over.

“A recording of your ‘song’.”

The mustelid, startled expression on his face, looked to the Chief.

“I thought electronics didn’t work down in the ‘Plex,” he said.

“They don’t.”

Pause.

“Then how…”

“What were some of the earliest sound recordings done with?” the buff asked.

“Well, the first really successful ones were done by placing a steel needle, at the narrow end of a kind of megaphone horn, against a cylinder coated with wax. You got the cylinder turning and yelled or sang whatever you wanted into the horn. The sound waves vibrate the needle and inscribe wave patterns into the wax as a screw mechanism moved the horn down along the cylinder. When you’re done, run the horn back to the beginning, place the needle in the groove, and start the cylinder turning again. The inscribed patterns in the groove vibrate the needle and play the recording out through the horn. The quality wasn’t great, but when it is all that you have…”

A metaphysical light “pinged” on in Cordell’s head.

“You did a high tech version of the wax cylinder and recording device!”

Bogo nodded.

“Our sound tech mammals put it together to get as highly accurate a sound recording as possible in order to assess the sounds and tones. Don’t know that we’ll learn much of anything from them but, who knows. I talked Wilde into going down to level 38 where the ‘music’ is most prevalent and do a series of recordings.”

“Keep it to myself?” Madis asked.

“That, or use it in your other music’s. Your choice.”

The badger threw a surprised look at Bogo. After all of the security briefs he had received about not revealing ANYTHING about what was going on in the “Plex watchers’ work, the latter part of the Chief’s last statement was unexpected. Then…

“Because anyone hearing it will think it’s just another piece I’ve composed,” he said.

Bogo nodded.

Just then, there was a great cry at the reception area and both males looked to it just in time to see the bridal bouquet go flying.


Epilogue:


Sheela, still dressed in her bridesmaid gown, slow paced to the livingroom window to look outside. The sun had set below the horizon, throwing fading red, orange, and yellow rays upwards into the sky. A bright and cheery scene and it lifted her spirits a little. She had known it was going to happen; if two mammals were fated to be together it was Judy and Nick. That became plain during their few weeks of stay at Sharla’s home. Still, there was a hopelessly romantic part of her that…. She looked down at the object she held in her hands. Its presence mocked her. Sheela had been drawn by a couple of friends into the crowd of fems that were trying to catch the bridal bouquet.

“Why would I want to catch...” she thought miserably.

“Here it comes!” someone yelled.

“Sheela!” someone else hollered.

She looked up to see something coming right at her face. Instinctively, the ewe grabbed to catch it to keep from being hit. The next thing she knew, Sheela held Judy’s bridal bouquet in her hands. While those around her expressed delight or envy at her catch, all she could see was a colorful reminder of the mate she would not have.

“I’m not sure why I still have it,” Sheela murmured to herself as she looked the arrangement of flowers over.

Tempting as it was, she could not bring herself to put it aside.

“Good, you’re here.”

Head coming up then turning towards that voice, Sheela’s heartbeat jumped up at seeing the fox of her life. Beside him stood Judy, and both walked towards her. Their clothing caught her attention. They should have been dressed casually to depart on their honeymoon. Instead, Nick wore a full tux while Judy had on a gown similar to one the bridesmaids wore. Both sets of clothing were black.

“Black as my own fleece,” she thought.

Even the small bouquet of flowers that Judy held in her paws was black colored. A part of Sheela’s mind noted that the bunny walked a couple of steps behind and to one side of Nick. And that her demeanor was…demure.

In contrast, Nick projected confidence and determination as he marched up to her. When he came to a stop barely a foot away, the young ewe trembled at the unseen wave of assertion that radiated from the vulpine. Though he was the same height as herself, he seemed to tower over her. A basic instinct deep within Sheela reacted to all of this, one that wanted this fox to…

Suddenly, Nick bent forward to lay the chin of his muzzle on the sheep’s right shoulder at the side of her neck. There, he rubbed that chin back and forth several times. Then, he repeated the procedure on her left shoulder and neck base. Withdrawing, he looked into her blue eyes for a few seconds. Somewhere in her head, Sheela’s mind was tripping over itself as she understood the meaning of what was happening.

“YEEEK!” she bleated when jaws clamp around her neck.

Sharp teeth dig in to the point that they pierce her skin and draw blood. The young ewe made no move to pull back or fend the fox off. A low growl emanated from the tod’s throat. Sheela closed her eyes at the feel of her desired one’s hot breath wafting over the fleeceless front of her throat. Everything that happened sent feelings of satisfaction and contentment through her, soothing and washing away the aching want and disappointment within her. When Nicholas released her, she experienced a pang of disappointment at losing that intimate contact with the male she so desired. When the ewe opened her eyes, she saw the tod looking at her with a neutral expression on his face.

“Sheela Woolverson, do you accept my claim upon you?” he asked.

“Maker of ALL, he knows!” she thought. “Knows that it is the ewe’s option to accept or reject…”

Both Nick and Judy saw Sheela nod.

“I, Sheela Woolverson, accept, without reserve, the claim of Nicholas Wilde upon me,” she said.

With those words, Nick brought up his paws and fitted a snow white collar around the ewe’s neck and locked it into place. The color symbolized that the wearer’s life was now in the paws of another. That said wearer surrendered themselves to their dominant claimant. Sheela brought up one hand to touch her fingertips to the collar. The feel of it, along with everything else that happened over the last couple of minutes had wiped her previous sense of gloomy loss to….

Judy stepped up to Sheela and looked up to her.

“Welcome to the family, comate,” she said.