Trixi Bigfoot had been five years old,her brother,Buddy,eleven,when their mother,a fickle,disturbed creature,suddenly left.She had not known her father,though Buddy had.He refused to talk about him,and Trixi learned to stop asking.She never wanted to bother him,for fear he might leave her as well.But Buddy was strong,with a fierce love for his sister,and somehow managed to support Trixi and himself,with a bit of help from some of the other Starbrook townscreatures.He had gone to work for the town mine,sometimes coming home crying from exhaustion.But he'd pick himself up and even volunteer to do household chores for other creatures after he came home from the mine.The townscreatures grew to adore Buddy,and many neighbors would offer to take care of young Trixi,but only for Buddy's sake.Trixi hadn't proved herself to them by their standards,but then,she was only a child.Nevertheless,ten long and hard years,and they were still doing well.

Trixi was fifteen.She was pretty,but not stunning,though her deep blue eyes did occasionally attract one's eye.Like most lop rabbits,she had long whiskers and even longer ears,which she was most self-conscious of,tying them together at their tips with a purple ribbon so they would not dance around.Her hair-fur was curly,a slightly lighter gray than the rest of her,except her fluffy tail,which was constantly fuzzed and frizzed.She hid her slightly plump legs under long skirts and sarongs,usually worn together with a midriff or modest bikini (most of the Starbrook creatures didn't usually wear clothes,but there were some exceptions).She looked forward to mornings,when she and Buddy had breakfast together and talked,for during the rest of the day he was at school or at training for the Starbrook Army,and this morning was no exception.

"Hey,Sis,"grinned Buddy when she came down to the kitchen in her favorite purple bikini top and flowered sarong,which matched perfectly with the lavender sandals she never left the house without,the ones that had been her mother's.She grinned at him.He was a slightly darker gray than her,rather charcoal.He was huskily built,had light blue eyes,and was considered very handsome by many of the town's young females,rabbits and others.Trixi usually had to put up with swarms of giggly featherbrains who barged into their house and fought to sit in his lap.Buddy,luckily,was never interested,being rather quiet,like his sister.

"I can't wait until vacation,when classes are out and I won't have to look at this horrid thing again!"Trixi glared at the ninth-level lesson book she read in school,which was sitting its heavy bulk on the kitchen table.Buddy laughed in his deep voice.

"Yeah,Scamp,just wait until you're in the university.Now those are big books!"He tossed an apple to her."Hey,maybe this vacation we can leave town and actually go somewhere."Trixi's eyes became bright,and she nodded her head vigorously.

"We could go to Arrow Lake!"she cried.

"Or Seafront!"Buddy suggested.

"Or Starlight City!"The two rabbits chatted exuberantly about their ideas,until both had to leave for classes.Trixi headed out towards the intermediate school,and Buddy towards the Starbrook University.The town was already bustling at an early hour,with creatures all in a hurry to get where they were going.Such was the usual at Starbrook.

It wasn't long before Trixi heard a high-pitched yell and felt a blow to her back.She fell flat on her face in the dirt,and looked up to see her eight-year old friend,Caddie Rushtail,bouncing up and down in front of her,his long ears flopping about his face.

"Hahaha Trixi!I really got you that time,I mean I really,really got you!You didn't even see me coming,huh?Didja didja didja?"chattered the little albino rabbit.The Rushtails were the only other lop rabbits in town,and Trixi and Caddie had become great friends,despite the age difference.They had been forced to,for they were lops,not "true" rabbits,and any creature in Starbrook that was not a "true" species was treated with tolerance,nothing else.Strange,though,any creature considered to be different in an "exotic" way was respected.It was for this reason that Lyshau Darkmane,a black-coated lioness,was the mayor of the town.Trixi felt angered by the way it was,but did not complain openly,for the town was kind to Buddy,as he had "proved himself".Trixi knew that if her mother had still been around,it would have been a different story.

"Well,well.If it isn't two dograbbits on their way to school together.How cute..."Trixi did not have to turn around to know who the sarcastic voice belonged to.Mirage Whitecat and her clique were constantly harassing those different from them,and that meant Trixi and Caddie.The little albino lop was too young to understand why he was considered different,and Trixi was too soft-spoken to try and stand up to the white tiger and her friends,so she kept her face straight ahead,and held on to Caddie's paw,trying to walk away.

"Where are you going,Lagomutts?"sneered an elephant named Grace Trunkfair.

"Probably to get themselves a flea dip!"howled Scarlett Brightiris,a stoat.

"Now,now.Let's not hurt their feelings.If they have rabies and they bite us,we could get sick!"cooed Mirage,her ice-blue eyes gleaming.Scarlett,Grace,and Diamond Backplume the bluebird howled with laughter.Tears burning in her eyes,Trixi held tight to Caddie and kept walking.Suddenly,she was pushed from behind into a mudpuddle.Coughing and sputtering,she lifted her head as a wall of laughter surrounded her.

"See you at classes,dirty muttrabbit!"The four creatures sniggered and ran off.The pink skin that showed through Caddie Rushtail's sparsely furred ears burned red with anger.

"You meanies!You can't do that to Trixi and get away with it!Wait till I come after you!I'll beat your hides so awful you'll look like humans!"The little ball of white fluff bounced up and down,shouting threats too big for his puny size.Trixi lifted herself up.Her favorite sarong and top were mussed horribly.And her mother's sandals!They were caked!Wiping a tear from her dirty face,she nudged Caddie.

"Come on,Cad.We're not going to classes today.Let's go to the lake so I can wash up..."The little rabbit sensed the sadness in his friend's voice and obeyed.He reached a snowy paw to fill hers,and they trudged out of town.

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

Tet Solfire stood at the edge of Ivy Wood,waiting for his friends to return from Vixenberry.He sighed,hoping they talked sense into the creatures at the town meeting.Maybe after that,they wouldn't be outcasts any longer.Tet looked down at his long,thin paws."My name,Tet,is supposed to mean Luck.Why was I born like this?"he thought.He was not an ugly creature,not by any chance.He was rather handsome.His fur was a light golden-brown,and gleamed in the sun.His tailtip was the color of cream,as were his eartips.And his eyes were a breathtaking hazel-gold,so light,they reminded one of the sun.But Tet was a vulptod,a creature born from a fox and wolf.There was no room for hybrids in this world.That was why he was forced to live in the woods like a hermit.He had not been able to take the cruelty of the Vixenberry townscreatures,and was even almost killed at one point.But,unlike a hermit,he was not alone.He lived with his friends,the Outcasts,some hybrids or misfits like himself,others lobbying for rights that seemed absurd to the other creatures.

"Cree!Crrreeee!"Tet looked skyward towards the noise and smiled at his faithful companion,the brown hawk,Sniper.The little bird of prey did a majestic dive and came to rest on the vulptod's shoulder.

"Hi,Sniper!Did the meeting go well?"asked Tet.The hawk covered his face in his wing.Tet groaned.

"Great.Just great.Now Cat will be in a bad mood for the rest of the day!"As if on cue,Cat Prideflower,the leader of The Outcasts,came storming up the hill,her ears flattened and her tail lashing.

"Those ignorant beasts!They wouldn't know 'liberal' if it hit them on the noggin!!"The caracal kicked at a rock in front of her.Tet winced for her as Cat's foot banged against it,causing a cracking sound to be audible.Sniper squawked and flapped behind a bush.Tet put on a sheepish smile and tried to reason with Cat before she went into tantrum-mode.

"Cat...Kitty?"Good.Use the nickname."Look...do you want to,um,settle down...have a drink of water,and,er,talk?"Cat whirled around to face him.Tet gulped.

"Look!There's no need to talk!!We lost again and that's it!"She stormed away towards the Outcasts' makeshift cottage."And don't call me Kitty!!"

Tet shook his golden head as Sniper landed by his side and chirped in question.Tet shrugged at the little hawk and went to meet the other Outcasts.

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

In the cottage,Cat Prideflower padded over towards a small crib-bed and peered inside.

"Hi,Larke,my little boy.You don't know all the trouble you've caused,do you?Don't worry,though.Someday these harsh ways will change.I promise you,and I'll make sure you have the best life you can get..."Cat smiled gently as she picked her foster son up.

The human baby smiled back at her...

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

Nick Whiskers,the lanky black weasel,ran up to meet Tet and Sniper.

"Hello,hello!Guess ya heard how the meetin' went?"he chirped."All this ruckus for a little ol' human!"

"Well,most creatures consider them to be vicious and cruel.Most are,but perhaps if Larke is raised properly,he won't be like the other humans,"Tet said.He flicked his tail thoughtfully."And maybe we won't be considered rogues and scallywags."

"Rogues and scallywags!I'll give 'em rogues and scallywags.Those creatures of Vixenberry will come to fear the name Nick Whiskers!I will terrorize them in their dreams!Ha!When they hear the wind on a stormy night,they'll swear it says,'Beeewwwaaarrree ooofff Niiccckk!!'"The rambunctious weasel played on this notion,drawing out the "voice of the wind" dramatically.Tet laughed at his wily friend's antics.Even Sniper had to stifle a squeak.

"Ha!Nick,you couldn't scare a blind pig!As for that "rogues and scallywags" bit,well,look at us!We're either freaks or hybrids or radicals!It's no wonder we have to hide up here in Ivy Wood!"Keely Skypack,the young wolf,stood in her defiant,fiery manner,glaring at the three friends as they struggled to contain their laughter and face her.Tet cleared his throat and looked Keely in the eye,trying hard not to sound angered.

"If you have an attitude like that,Keely,then what you just said is true,"he said softly,keeping his gaze on the wolf's lovely violet eyes.Nick placed an elbow on Tet's shoulder.

"Yeah!Yer a stingy pessimist,Missy,and yer always looking on the down side 'a things,too,"Keely rolled her eyes at him."Ya think you've got it so bad,'cuz yer mangy boyfriend left ya with a bun in the oven!"As usual,Nick was overdoing it.Tet pulled Sniper out of the way quickly.It wouldn't take a wise owl to figure out what was to happen next.As predicted,Keely flew into a rage at Nick's mention of her cruel boyfriend and her pregnancy,and she lashed out at him,her fist making contact with the dark weasel's gut.He howled and doubled over,clutching his abdomen with both paws.

"Auch!!!"he grunted,staggering in a circle until he collapsed in a moaning heap.Sniper gulped and hid behind Tet.The vulptod was rooted to the ground,his mouth agape and his ears deaf to Nick's wails,as he watched the female wolf nudge Nick with her foot and deal him a final hard press to his already throbbing gut.

"How's that for a 'bun in the oven',ugly smart-alec!"she snorted,and stormed off,muzzle in air,a petite fireball.

"'Ey!!Tetty!Snipes!Unnhh!I could use a hand.Oh!I coulda used some backup,too!Oww!What friends you are,letting that demon-dog punch me in the Southern region!Oooff!"Nick grumbled,getting to his feet.Tet didn't bother to answer;he was staring in the direction in which Keely had left.Nick glared at him and dusted himself off.The black-furred weasel followed Tet's gaze towards the route of Keely's departure.

"Females!!"he snorted.

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

"Hey!No fair!I hate girls!"cried Caddie Rushtail as Trixi poked out from behind a tree and tagged him.She laughed and bounded towards the lake's edge,close to where her clothes were drying.Exhausted,Caddie tumbled into a snowy heap beside her as she sat and admired her surroundings.The fresh,clear water of Arrow Lake bobbed in a lazy dance,disrupted only by the occasional passing fish,a quick glitter of silver.All around the lake,willows swayed in a gentle tribute to the wind,which blew their drooping green branches until they waved towards the lake,some dipping into the water.Silence,except for a few twitters from conversing birds.What a break from the chaotic,bustling,uneasy town!Trixi had never felt such peace in her life.Here was the world her ancestors had lived in,before they had evolved from the simplistic,primitive,Beta-morph forms to the advanced and intelligent Alpha-morphs,those who walked with but two feet.The two forms,as legend told,came to despise each other with such a vengeance that they vowed never to speak to the opposite form again.And,to this day,they still won't.Trixi couldn't help thinking that she would love to be able to talk to the Beta-morphs,any kind whatsoever,just to hear what tales of Nature they had to tell.Caddie nudged her.

"Look over there,Trixi.Beta rabbits!"The two lops gazed in wonder at the small,tan grazers.

"Hello,friends,"Trixi said.She slowly reached out a paw.One of the three rabbits perked up from its meal,ears straight,muscles tense,staring at Trixi and Caddie.Its nose rose and fell in a rapid manner as the Beta creature wondered what to make of these intruders to the lake.Then,slowly,it began to move forward.Caddie's bright pink eyes widened in suspense.Trixi stood stiff with paw outstretched.The rabbit loped forward in a slow careful manner.Its nose touched her finger.Trixi smiled,then tried to swallow it lest she frighten the creature.The tan rabbit stood upon strong back legs,arching a long neck out to her.Suddenly,there was a thumping beat as the rabbit tensed,drummed a hind leg,and dashed off.Trixi looked up,disappointed.The other two rabbits had fled as well.She wondered why...

"So,a couple of truants,eh?"The two lops gasped,stood up,and spun around to face an old and cranky possum with matted fur.Fisherman Leek.

"We were just washing some clothes..."stammered Caddie,pointing to the wet bundle.Old Leek snorted.

"A likely story,heh!You probably just decided to wash them so's you didn't have to go to classes!"

"No,sir.It wasn't like that!You see..."But Fisherman Leek was not listening to Trixi.He was staring at the land across Arrow Lake,fear in his eyes.He spun around and ran,heading for his cottage in the woods away from Starbrook,where he lived a solitary life.Caddie grinned.

"We sure showed him,huh?"Trixi didn't answer him,but looked across the lake,puzzled.She went to retrieve her clothes.

"I don't know why old Leek Opossum ran,but I think we should leave too."Caddie's eyes were wide,so the gray lop plastered on a grin and pointed to the woods,in the opposite direction Fisherman Leek had gone.

"Race you into the woods!Ready,set,go!"The two friends set off,giggling like mad.The lake became silent again,except for the rustling of leaves on the other side as the hidden creatures came out of hiding...

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

Keely groaned and leaned against a tree,her stomach lurching.It happened every day,the nausea and sickness.She had even worked it down to a schedule.Wake up at six.Sick at six-o-two.Was finished being sick at six-fifteen,ate breakfast,and was sick again.And so on.Keely slid down,back to tree,into a seated position.She started to bring her knees to her chest,but decided against it,just in case.Then she frowned.

"Why should I be worried about you?"she told her belly,rather,the thing inside it."All you do is make my life miserable."Deep down inside she knew it wasn't the fault of the embryo inside her,but hers.If only she hadn't been so insolent.If only she had not fallen in love.Love,ha!It was a myth.Keely had believed in it,as a sixteen-year-old child,but now,as a sixteen-year-old adult,she knew better.And now she had to carry a punishment for all her stupidity.A life sentence.Keely dragged her feet towards her body in the sand and pressed her legs to her belly."So there!"she thought,allowing a smirk to brush her muzzle.She felt a little better now,and stood up to head towards the cottage.

Tet lay with another Outcast,a young vixen named Skylre,breathing in the fresh beauty of Ivy Wood,when he noticed Keely's petite form storming towards the cottage.

"Wonder what she's up to,"he murmured.Skylre sat up beside him.

"What was that?"she peeped in her child-like falsetto.She sounded more like five than twelve.

"I was wondering about Keely,"said Tet.The golden eyes flashed interest as the female wolf closed the cottage door behind her.Skylre nodded,black eartips twitching with comprehension.

"Yeah.Why is she always so mean?"Skylre was not ignorant,but young,not fully understanding such matters.She was pretty much new to the Outcasts,having just arrived from a town across the country because her flying caravan had crashed,leaving but one survivor.Digoby Mole,the Outcast resident doctor-healer,had nursed her to health.They had become inseperable friends,Skylre placing Digoby in her mind and heart where her late foster mother had reigned.He was,in essence,her adopted father,which suited the middle-aged mole just fine.

"You know,Skylre,Keely has had it kind of rough."Tet told her.

"Why?"

"Well,she was outcast."Skylre understood this,but prejudice as a whole confused her."And she is going to have a baby,be a mother."

"Well,"said the little fox."What's so bad about that?Babies are so cute!"Tet was patient.

"They're a lot of work,and usually only adults can handle them."

"Why can't Keely?"asked Skylre.

"She's young,and to handle a baby well,you have to want one."

"Keely doesn't want a baby?I'll take it for her!"Tet laughed,then stopped.It was no laughing matter.As he began to explain a little more to Skylre,he wondered.Did anyone else have as many problems as this little group of Outcasts?

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

Evening in the woods.It had come so fast.The two lop rabbits had lost track of time,and now decided to head for Starbrook.

"Do you think we'll get into trouble?"asked Caddie.

"We probably will.Remember,we're freaks,and it's always our fault!"muttered Trixi sarcastically.Caddie ignored her,not fully aware of the truth in the words.At least Buddy would understand.Trixi pulled on her still damp sarong."Maybe I have to 'prove myself' like he did and I wouldn't be forced to skip classes!"she thought,and for one time in her life felt a slight jealousy towards her older brother.Good ol' perfect Buddy could do no wrong.

"Trixi?"Caddie's nervous voice brought her back to the ground,and she blinked aghast at the sight that greeted them.Starbrook looked like a war-ground.Where there was once a bustling town now lay as a silent ghost.The town had gone from populated and chaotic to destroyed and chaotic.

"What...what happened?"Trixi squeaked when she found her voice.

"It looks deserted!"Caddie gasped.He started to cry."I want my Mama!"Trixi picked him up and ran towards her house.She had to make sure Buddy was alright without leaving Caddie alone.Her heart pounding,Trixi burst into her home.

"Buddy?"she called,setting Caddie down."Buddy?"Running towards the dinner table,she saw a sparkling gold object on a chain.Buddy's watch.Why wasn't he wearing it around his neck?She put it on."Oh,Buddy.Please be O.K."Caddie stumbled over to her,his pink eyes turned red from crying.

"I want to go home!"he cried,eyes wide.

"Not before you go to jail,traitorous freaks!"The two hysterical lops barely had time to turn around before they were thrown in chains by four gruff canine officers and dragged to Town Hall.

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

Buddy rushed to his sister and Caddie as they were lugged into the courthouse.

"Trixi!"

"Buddy!What's happening?Why are they doing this?"Buddy looked at her with an expression of fear.

"The humans came..."

Lyshau Darkmane,the Starbrook mayor,was seated in the judge's booth as the lops were hoisted in front of her.She lifted her beautiful face and smirked at them.

"So,traitors,"she hissed.Trixi gasped.

"Traitors?What did we do?We only cut classes,and we had a good reason!We didn't mean to..."

"Silence!"growled the lioness."Fisherman Leek,tell us again what you saw."Trixi looked around.Almost everyone of Starbrook had gathered in the courthouse.Most were glaring.Caddie's parents were nowhere to be seen.Old Leek spoke.

"I saw these two beasts by the lake before the humans came.It was where I saw the humans as well.These two were no doubt helping them attack Starbrook!Why else would they be there?"The rabbits gasped.

"We didn't see any humans!We were washing some clothes!"Caddie cried.

"A poor excuse!"snorted Lyshau Darkmane."If good Leek hadn't come to warn us,there would have been lives lost and more injured."The possum lifted his wrinkled head in pride."Your little plan failed"

"They always hated us.They couldn't accept being different.They wanted to kill us all!"cried the stoat,Scarlett Brightiris,standing up.Cheers and agreement erupted.Buddy had been quiet up to now.

"No!How could you think of Trixi or Caddie Rushtail doing a thing like that?You all are just looking for someone to put the blame on!"His eyes were flashing with hate.Trixi had never seen this side of him,and she was frightened.Lyshau Darkmane sneered at him.

"What a trick you pulled!Trying to gain the respect of the town to hide your misdoings.You're nothing but an evil dog-rabbit.You were in this plan with them!"

"Plan?What plan?How can you be so incompetent?You have no evidence or anything to prove Trixi and Caddie led the humans to us,which they did not!"

"The words of a guilty party!"the mayor cried.She pointed a finger at them.

"I hereby banish Silverbud Bigfoot,Tricity Bigfoot,and Cadbury Rushtail from Starbrook.Show your ugly faces around here again and you will be killed!"She barely had time to finish her sentence before the courthouse was attacked again by the humans.

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

Buddy ran with Trixi and Caddie over his shoulders.He still did not know how they had escaped the marauding humans.He jumped into a trench and held his sister and her friend close.There were horrid cries,and the three lops knew that the humans were chasing other escapees out of the courthouse and into the streets.Trixi heard a shot and a scream as a poor creature fell to the mercy of the cruel race.She dug her head deeper into her brother's chest.He pulled her away and looked her in the eye.

"Listen to me,Scamp.I want you to lay low in this ditch with Caddie.If anything happens to me,I want you to run.Don't try to save me,just save yourselves!"Trixi gasped at his words.

"You're not going up there to fight them!You'll be killed!You can't!"She started to sob hysterically.He grabbed her wrists.

"Listen to me,damn it!You have to get into the woods with Caddie.I don't want you to be killed by these animals!"He held her tight."I love you,Trixi.Always remember that."

"No!Don't leave us!"

"I have to fight them.I wish it wasn't like this,but we hate those we don't understand..."He gave her one last loving look,kissed her on the brow,ruffled Caddie's hair-fur,and was up over the ditch,a large club-like stick in paw.As soon as she saw him go,she took Caddie's paw and ran like the wind.She tried to outrun it,but as she reached the woods she heard that heart-wrenching death cry that could have only belonged to Buddy...

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