"Sorry," Maxi apologized, "But I have to stay here, it's my repon-za-bill-itty!" As Maxi said those words, a pretty hard cord was herd, and the word 'responsibility' in baby fur scribbles practically floated above her head. Or maybe Sammy imagined that part.
"It's okay, we understand," Jessy said.
This made Sammy wonder, he hoped all his friends back Frankie town were doing okay without him playing music for them. That was his respon-za-bill-itty too! But they'd come all this way to Jackie Ville, so they'd better meet the tiger and their gym.
Maxi wrote them down an address.
To a Not-Friend, they looked like nonsense scribbles of a toddler and the picture of a tiger and others, to Sammy, they were as clear as day.
They gave Maxi a goodbye hug and the pair left the airport. Deciding to walk the way there.
They were surprised when they they passed a theater. They saw a coati baby fur with a blue diaper being handed a film reel that turned into a plastic container. The word 'Zootopia' on it also became the baby fur scribbles in crayon.
But what got their attention who handed the film reel.
It was a Not-Friend, but in a completely black body suit, like a space suit almost, no part of them visible, they couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl. the head had little red lens', and they had on a pair of muffers that looked like part of the suit. And they were wearing a little key pad on the wrist.
Most of the baby furs weren't paying attention, meaning the not-friend in the suit was a regular visitor.
"Excuse me." Jessy skipped over the not-friend in the big black space suit. "Are you a not-friend under there?"
The suited not-friend nodded.
"What are you doing here?" Sammy asked.
The Not-Friend typed out a message on his keypad. "My bosses got a call on the phone that if we didn't deliver to the theaters on the list, they'd cancel our distribution rights. And I drew the short straw . . . "
"But we all trade in promises and play money," Sammy said.
"A contract is a contract. You all seem like nice kids, so I'll let you in on a secret... this suit is just a prototype. The next model they're working on comes with a loud speaker for playing lullabies and had a built-in paddle."
The two shuddered at this reveal.
Jessy asked causually. "Does that suit come with a diaper like astronauts?"
"... Yes." He typed.
Jessy giggled and clapped. "So you're like us already!"
"Don't push it. My insurance company says being turned into a baby animal isn't covered in my insurance plan. And I'm pretty sure they've got some nasty surprises built into this thing if it detects my mass decreasing. No name's kids, I'm under strict instruction not to make friends. Last person who did, well, there's Josie." He point at a leopard girl in a sparkling pink diaper singing on stage with a toy microphone on a public stage. "I've got a ride waiting." Was the message he typed.
The Not-Friend left. Jessy and Sammy wanted to follow, but decided that seeing the two and meeting the baby fur at the gym who knew where the first fur was important. They'd also have to see that movie later.
"Jessy, does it bother you at all you weren't ask to be a friend?" Sammy asked.
"I didn't ask to be born a Not-Friend either." Jessy said simply.
Sammy had to admit... she hadn't... he hadn't asked to be born a girl either, or... or...
Sammy realized something funny... he couldn't be giggle.
"What's so funny Sammy?" The baby raccoon asked.
The baby fox responded. "I can't tell what skin color everyfur here was when they were not-friends!"
Jessy looked at him for a moment, then broke out in giggles too. "That is funny!"
All those centuries not-friends had spent fixating on what color skin they were, and now it was gone with the wind! Heheh!
"But I bet I can top it!" Jessy grinned.
"Oh?" Sammy asked excited.
"Can you tell who was poor and homeless when they were not-friends?"
Sammy scanned the crowd of baby furs coming and going, laughing, playing, painting, making something or other, other lazing about, running, jumping, flying... He laughed. "You're right! I can!" They both laughed.
Sammy managed to remember there had been lots of rocket-ship stories about bad guys who made everybody like them: and everybody was the same and obviously totally unhappy or were just zombies, or so happy they didn't do anything. Maybe the difference was, baby-furs were actually still doing things and it was obvious every baby fur was special.
Sammy and Jessy skipped along, paw in paw, looking at the pretty palm trees. And the football (plush of course) stadium.
"Do you think the Dolphins are all dolphins and the Gators are all gators?" Jessy whispered.
Sammy giggled. "Maybe we can find out later!" They a laughed. They picked up a tourist brochure that was filled with crayon drawings, and scribbles that Sammy's mind had no problem interpreting. While he was pretty sure he still remembered his ABCs and 123s, they felt rather alien to him in comparison.
Sammy wondered what the The Jackie-Ville Zoo and Gardens was like now. And Adventure Landing, and Shipwreck Island, there were lots of place to visit and see. And there were lots of baby furs swimming and splashing each other the river took.
There were also stores 'selling' ribbons and different colored self cleaning diapers, powered by the same magic as the ones they wore.
Sammy and Jessy came to the gym, it looked to a not-friend like a toy store front, with a happy tiger face making up the store front, and large (to them) spinning doors were in the giant toy tiger's mouth.
Inside, they saw a jungle gym, a boxing ring, and some exercise equipment, all scared to their size, with everything padded and baby proofed. There was a ball on a rod. There were openings for tails and wings on all the exercise stuff.
There were widely grinning brightly primary colored plastic statues of baby fur monkeys and various cats around the room, the monkeys of course doing the 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil' poses.
There were wild kids everything, some wearing sweet bands along with their diapers. A ox caff. A beaver. a sheep. A lemur. A tapir. And others.
There was also a pair of baby fur tigers shouting slogans. "You can do it!" "You can do it faster!" "Don't give up!"
"Hiii!" Waved Jessy.
The two turned to the new arrivals and pounced towards them doing summersault and cartwheels that would have gotten them into the Olympics.
"Hi, I'm Trini!" "Hi, I'm Tony!" "Welcome to our gym!" "And you are?"
"I'm Jessy!" "I'm Sammy. And... Tony the tiger?" Sammy grinned.
"Yep!" Tony grinned back.
"Maxi said you knew where the first fur was? I really want to meet her." Explained Sammy. "I think I can help her figure out way to help not-friends become friends faster." When Sammy said that out loud, he actually felt a bit at awe at himself, at the idea of helping her, HER, the first fur, he reason that was a baby fur at all, the reason everyone here and so many other places was happy. Why shouldn't he do everything he could to help her?
"WOW! Really?" Said Tony. "That's so cool! I met the first fur in My-yam-me! When I heard her giggle, I couldn't help but giggle too, because I knew hearing that she just wanted to be friends and have fun."
My-yam. That was where the first fur was? Sammy was so exited. Maybe long the way, they could go to Disney Land, or see a space shuttle launch! Or go to the movies! Or so many other fun things!
Then Trini said, "Wanna play?"
Sammy and Jessy didn't even need to think about it. "Sure!" The idea of declining not even flickering in Sammy's brain.