Chapter 1: A New World

I felt weird. I woke up in a pile of snow shivering for the life of me and not knowing what to do. Is this what death feels like?
    “Hey there, don’t move or i’ll shoot.” I hear a masculine voice tell me. “Put your paws up please.”
    I put both my hands up while still shivering from the cold snow. A white furred hare walked in front of me with a questioned expression and an arrow pulled back on his bow. He put the bow back on his back and the arrow in his stash on his hip as he got closer to my face.
    “Are you, by any chance, a… what is it again?” He asked.
    “Human?” I recommended.
    “Yes, is that what you are? You don’t look like you’re from around here.”
    “Yes to both of those. I am a human and not from here. How are you talking and walking?” I asked in return.
    “Everyone on this planet is a walking and talking animal. It’s not weird. You’re the weird one.” He told me.
    “I’m sorry. Can we please go somewhere warm? I am shivering from the cold.” I asked him again.
    “Oh, yes. Take this.” He told me while handing me his scarf. “I will take you to the king.”
    The bunny thing started walking on his hind legs while I followed. The tiny village began to get larger as we walked closer to it. Every animal walking around would just stare at me in the dead of silence. I felt totally out of place as I questioned everything going on. Soon, a silver bricked castle was in front of my eyes. It was so big and beautiful. It looked like something taken out of an imaginary world.
    “Your majesty, we have found a human who was left in the snow. What do you want us to do with him?” The bunny asked.
    “Umm… Leave him here. I got this.” A voice atop of high stairs demanded. “J.J., come see me. I have been waiting for this my whole life. I didn’t think you were real.”
    “How do you know who I am?” I asked as I started climbing up the steep stairs while staring at the white figure.
    “I created you. My persona is real!” The voice started saying all excited.
    “You created me?” I asked the figure that I soon started thinking was some god.
    “Walk faster. I want to see you as soon as possible.” The voice demanded.
    I began to walk faster and I made out the figure. It was an arctic fox standing on top of a golden chair with a pink dress and golden cape on. “Software? Is that you?”
    “Yes, J.J. it is me. I created you. I made so many drawings of you.
    “But… I created you…” I replied with. “You’re my fursona.”
    “And you’re my persona. Sit down beside me.” He demanded.
    I sat down next to my fursona in a tiny chair as he eyeballed me and then started to pet me.
    “You are so cute and adorable. Just like I created in my art and stories of you.” He explained. “Here, look at these drawings I made of you.”
    He handed me a stack of around 50 papers. Each one contained a cartoon version of myself in different outfits and situations. There were drawings of me in superhero onesies, dresses, and suits. One of the drawings had me in a prince’s outfit that included a nice red and gold design along with matching pants. A paw touched my hair and began stroking it like how someone would pet a dog. I looked up to see Software looking down on me with sparkles in his eyes.
    “You’re perfect J.J.” He said while still petting me. I began to blush at the comments. “You’re everything I could have imagined and I want to keep you for the rest of my life as my pet.”
    “As a pet? I’m human.” I told him.
    “Yeah and humans are pets. Every other animal are living. Fun fact, humans have been extinct for ages at this time. Animals have developed themselves to a level past humans to rule the world. As my pet, I will make sure to give you all the love that a pet deserves in this world along with the most time spent with me as your caretaker. Here’s a collar I made you.” He told me while handling a collar that was gold and surrounded in diamonds.
It had a diamond encrusted name tag with my name written on it. I looked back at the small arctic fox in his big dress as he signaled me to put it on. I put the collar around my neck and fastened it in the back. I looked back at Software and grinned.
“I knew that would look perfect on you. I also got some clothes for you. Either this golden dress, or this red and golden suit with those fancy looking shoulder pads and armour put under it as a whole with sparkling gold cape. Your choice.” He asked me while looking right into my eyes.
“I will choose the suit outfit.” I told him as he handed it to me.
“Perfect, it matches you my little prince.” Software said while blushing.
Never have I thought meeting my fursona would lead me to this. Him blushing and treating me like a domestic animal. A guard lead me to a room with an empty name tag that was located across from Software’s room. The guard handed me the keys to the room as well as a paper made name tag which said “J.J.’s room” in big letters and then “Temporary nametag” at the bottom.
“Thank you!” I told the guard dog with a smile on my face as he walked away.
I slid the paper name tag over the gold slab that held place in the current slot. The room had yellow striped walls and a big long window across the door to show off the snowfall happening. I closed the door and locked myself in for the moment. The clothes were made of a soft but fancy type of fabric that had another layer of cushion when slipping it on. The shoulder pads were gold with a dark royal red under it. They both were more in a ball shape than flat. The red sleeves grew in width as it went down my arm and looked like it was apart of a gown. I grabbed the collar and pulled it up as I attached the cape together at it’s clasp followed by my collar being pulled down to cover the top of the cape around my neck. The outfit had the usual buttons to pull each side together and a golden lining to complete the top. The pants had the same deep royal red and shiny gold along with black boots and gloves.
I exited the room, after locking the door, in my new outfit as I began walking down the hallway with a collar on and some outfit made for a prince. Half of me was excited to finally meet Software in person but the other half of me felt bad that he just automatically began to treat me like a pet and put a collar and outfit on me for his liking. I would say something but I don’t want to risk breaking his heart and making him cry at the thought of me not liking his outfit. At the end of the hall were the stairs that I climbed up and that I would begin to climb up again. Each foot went up and up until I saw the fluffy fox again.
“J.J.! You look so adorable my little prince. Come here.” He told me while standing up on his throne and signaling me with his paws.
My head tilted up to look at the grinning arctic fox. I smiled at him.
“I never thought I would see the day. My persona standing in front of me in my former prince outfit. I have to say, you look stunning and ready to save a princess. Your cape is sparkly and you have the Wintergreen emblem already on your chest.” He told me while petting me and throwing his arms up in joy. “Sit.”
I sat in the smaller throne beside him and gave him a smile to pretend I was happy.
“Can I ask you something, J.J.?” The pink dress arctic fox asked.
“Yeah, of course.” I responded with.
“If you created me,... Why’d you chose an arctic fox? It’s like a very specific subcategory of a species. I was just wondering why.” He asked.
“Well…. I like learning about arctic foxes and I love how fluffy they are. I asked myself, ‘If I were to suddenly turn into an animal, what animal will I be happy being?’ and the arctic fox was my answer. With fluffy fur and tail, cute face, and small body, I totally wouldn’t mind being an arctic fox.” I responded to Software with.
“Hmm…. Do you think if you were to just turn into an animal based on your personality, you would be something other than an arctic fox?” He asked.
“I’ve thought about it and I think I would. I don’t really see you as me Software, I see you as a friend.” I replied with two fluffy arms and a head wrapped around my head.
Software grabbed me and pulled himself closer to me while rocking his head up and down and petting me. “We will be best friends forever J.J.. Just you and me hanging out and having the most fun ever together. I will never let you out of my sight.”
I closed my eyes and allowed myself to feel relaxed from Software’s pets and his fur across my face to sooth me. I felt calm for the first time since arriving here and I was happy to reach that peak. Me and Software had a bond that reached for infinity at that single moment in time… until something clicked. He attached a leash to my collar while tying it to one of the legs of his throne. I looked at him with a questioning expression on my face.
“Sorry, I just want to make sure I know where you are at all times.” Software told me.
His right paw started petting me again like it always has while his blue eyes stared at me lovingly.