FSE

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Lily grimly surveyed the freezer-burned mice. Her once brimming freezer of prey had been reduced to only a dozen of the pathetic rodents over the past 3 months. The bobcat glanced behind her at the family of tabbies she'd taken in at the start of the preys' raid, the two adults and three kittens still sleeping in their well-used bedrolls. She'd never imagined the siege on their bunker would last so long. Surely, the King's army should have crushed the prey rebellion by now. Did they forget us? Lily could have blamed the tabbies for her predicament--the freezer of food would have lasted her much longer--but she knew she'd done the right thing dragging them into her shelter when she had. If she hadn't the prey would have captured them, and Lily didn't even want to imagine what those savages had done to the predators unfortunate enough to fall into their claws.

As if on cue, the doorbell buzzed, causing the tabbies to start awake. Lily regretted ever installing the callbox; she was sure the prey called down just to taunt them. Still, she tromped across the room and hit the button to answer the obnoxious buzzer.

"What?" she growled.

The distorted image of a rabbit's grinning visage appeared on the grainy screen from the door camera. "Good morning!" they piped cheerfully. "How are all of you kitties this morning? It's a lovely day! Why don't you-all come out and see? We have food for you if you do."

"Fuck off!" Lily growled. "We don't eat your fucking leaves!"

"It's not leaves. It's good food for carnivores like you kitties. Don't be afraid. I promise we won't hurt you."

"Yeah right," Lily scoffed. "Go away. We aren't coming out today or ever."

"You can't stay down there forever," the rabbit replied matter-of-factly. "Are you sure you won't come out today? You must be getting hungry."

"We have plenty of prey," Lily lied. "If you're so worried about us, kill yourself, and we'll make use of you."

The rabbit frowned, "I see you're not ready to come out yet. Don't worry; we'll be here when you decide to."

The rabbit hopped away, and Lily hung up the call with a scoff of disgust. Did the prey really think they were stupid? Why wouldn't they just leave them alone?

"Do you think they really have food?" one of the kittens mewed hopefully.

"Hush, Oliver," his mother shushed him. "They just say that to get us to come out."

Lily glanced at the tabbies uncomfortably. Whether or not the prey were telling the truth might not matter much longer. They had food for a few more days at most; then they would have to choose between eating and giving themselves up to their enemies. Where's that blasted army?

"We still have food here," Lily stated as cheerfully as she could.

She returned to the freezer and took out 4 of the mice, taking one for herself and giving the other 3 to the tabbies to share. They were obliged to let them thaw and eat them raw; the gas for her portable stove had run out over a month ago. Fortunately, they solar panels running the rest of the appliances as well as the fan that provided them with fresh air were still working. Lily wasn't sure why the prey hadn't destroyed them to drive them out sooner. This bunker was meant more as a tornado shelter than a siege-resistant fort. Still, the prey had contented themselves with their daily taunting.

There was unfortunately little to do in the bunker, but Lily was glad to have company. They chatted and shared stories; it was a way to pass the time even if Lily was sure she'd heard all of the tabbies' stories five times by now. It would have been difficult to tell the time of day without the clock, but late that evening when it must have been getting dark, the doorbell buzzed again.

Lily snarled as she hit the button to answer, "What?!" The prey didn't usually bother them twice in one day!

"H-hi!" came the nervous meow over the speakers. "I, um, I'm here from the resistance. Can I come in?"

"'The resistance,'" Lily repeated skeptically. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Th-the predator resistance, resisting the prey, you know, after they, um, they took over." Lily could only see the dark outlines of the cat's pointed ears in the door camera video, but he sounded nervous, suspicious.

"Go away," she growled. "There's nothing here for you."

"I-I have prey! Er, I mean, dead prey, food! You can have it if you let me in. Please? I, um, the prey might find me if I wait out here longer."

"Show us the food," Lily demanded.

The cat held up something limp in front of the camera. Lily guessed it could be a rabbit. It was hard to tell.

"Where did you get that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I, um, I got it from one of the houses the prey haven't cleared out yet."

"You didn't kill one of them then," Lily replied, unimpressed. "Some resistance."

"I-I'm just a scout! I'm here to find you, er, predators like you. We're gathering those who escaped. We have guns. Once there are enough of us, we'll take our country back!"

"Does your 'resistance' have food?"

"Yes, of course."

"I guess you can come in. That had better really be food though, or," she paused dangerously. "We might just eat you instead."

The cat laughed nervously, "Heheheh, it's prey, I swear. A dead bunny. I, um, i-it should still be good."

The cat was obviously nervous, and that made Lily uneasy. But maybe she'd be nervous too if she was standing outside not sure whether prey would spring out and capture her at any moment. This cat might even know what horrible things the prey did to predators they captured.

"I'll be up in a minute," Lily stated.

Lily climbed the concrete tunnel to the heavy metal door and cranked open the sturdy lock. She pushed it out, and the cat stumbled back. He was a brown mackerel tabby, but what Lily really noticed was the plump rabbit he was carrying: it must have been nearly as big as him! She gaped at the prey, and quickly ushered him inside before hastily locking the door behind them.

"I'm Lily," she greeted him. She couldn't take her eyes off of the prey. Her stomach growled.

"J-Jason," the cat replied.

"We're down here," she meowed perfunctorily.

She led him down the tunnel to the main room. As they entered, the tabbies goggled at the prey, more than they'd seen in weeks. Lily took the rabbit and began to divide it into portions, placing most in the freezer. With proper rationing, it could last them weeks. Of course, they now had another mouth to feed.

Lily glanced at the tom. "I assume you have some plan to get us out of here if we're supposed to be joining your 'resistance'."

"Uh, right! They'll be here in a few days, a week at most. They'll hold off they prey, so you-all can escape and join us."

"What's he talking about, Lily?" the female tabby, Elsbeth, asked.

"Supposedly he's from some 'predator resistance' that's fighting back against the prey," Lily drawled. "I don't know why they can't just get the King's army here and sort this out unless there were uprisings all over the country."

The tom blinked at her, "Erm, there really isn't a kingdom anymore or an army. There's the resistance like I said, but the preys' takeover was pretty complete. In other countries too. Basically, they control everything now."

Lily eyed him disconcertedly, "How do you know that?"

"Er, there have been reports, on the radio. Only the prey are broadcasting now, but that's what they said."

"They could be lying," Lily pointed out. "I knew I should have packed a shortwave radio in here though."

"If the prey have taken over, then what's the point of it all?!" Elsbeth cried. "We really should just, just give ourselves up! Th-they keep saying they won't hurt us. Maybe we should trust them!"

Lily glared at her, "You're just going to believe that! Who knows what they're actually doing to predators?!" She turned toward Jason, "Do you know?"

"Erm, well, I know they shrink them," he answered uncomfortably.

"Then what?" Lily demanded.

"We, uh, we don't really know, but we've seen some of them, er, out for walks and things."

Lily stared at him in confusion, "'Out for walks?'"

"Yeah, like, on a leash or whatever. They, um, they like to keep us as their pets."

"'As their pets,'" Lily repeated in disgust. The thought turned her stomach. How could predators be reduced to playthings for prey?! Would this be their fate too? Maybe starving to death was preferable.

"What's it like being a pet?" one of the kittens asked.

"I don't know, Sweetie," Elsbeth soothed. "But maybe it's not so bad. I'm sure they'd treat us kindly, so you don't need to be afraid."

Lily knew Elsbeth was just trying to keep her kittens calm, but she wanted to object anyway. How could it be anything but horrible to be owned by prey?! She turned to Jason, "And you really think your resistance can do something to change all of this?" she demanded.

"W-we're going to try. If we can just get some of the shrink rays, we can turn other predators back to increase out numbers."

"You mean you don't even have any yet?!" Lily rebuked.

The cat looked away nervously, "We're doing our best."

Lily sighed, "It sounds half-baked, but I guess it might be our only option. At least they have food." She distributed raw chunks of the rabbit to the tabbies and offered one to the tom, "We don't have a way to cook it, but it's not bad raw."

"I, er, had some before I came here. You keep it. You need it more than me," he replied uncomfortably.

Lily snorted at the tom's squeamishness, "You'll have to try it eventually," she stated. She put the rest in the freezer and sat on the floor to eat her own piece.

After a minute, the tom sat down as well. He looked around then glanced at Lily.

"I know it isn't much," Lily grumbled. "It's kept us from becoming 'pets' these past three months though."

The tom nodded.

"Where are you from?" the male tabby, Matt, asked the tom conversationally.

"A village not far from here," Jason answered.

"How did you get away?"

"I ran. I was just lucky, I guess."

"Do you think you can really help us?" Elsbeth asked anxiously.

Jason nodded, "I know I can. We have lots of food, and we take care of each other. It's not a bad life."

"How do you avoid being captured?" Lily inquired.

"We, um, we're just always moving. We have scouts, and we avoid prey patrols. There, uh, aren't too many of those now. They think they got about all of us."

"From what you've said, it sounds like they have," Lily observed dryly.

Jason nodded in acknowledgement, "The resistance isn't big, but it' what we've got."

They finished eating and groomed themselves. Lily showed the new tom where the toilet was hidden behind a curtain, actually a sheet stuck to the ceiling with duck tape.

"I'm afraid I don't have another bedroll for you," she stated. "There's some cardboard over there, so you don't have to lie on the floor."

The tom nodded, "Alright."

Lily crawled into her own bedroll. "Turn off the light when you're ready."

"Do, uh, does anyone keep watch?"

"No need. The prey can't get in here. That's one advantage we have over your resistance. We're secure here. If we just had enough food, we could never leave."

"How much do you have?"

"A lot more with what you brought us," Lily answered evasively. "It should be plenty to last until your resistance arrives, assuming they come."

"They'll come," the tom replied.

"We'll see," Lily allowed.

The tom laid out the cardboard and turned off the lights. In the red glow of the clock, Lily could see him trying to get comfortable on the hard floor. She wasn't sure how this tom had managed to survive in the wild; he didn't seem the type. In fact, he looked rather soft and well fed. Maybe they really do have lots of food. She closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

* * *

Lily was jolted awake by a kitten's cry of fear. She barely had time to sit up herself, blinking in the lights that someone had turned back on, when an enormous pair of hands pinned her arms to her sides and lifted her into the air.

"Good morning, kitty!"

Lily recognized the giant, white and black-splotched rabbit from the door camera feed. Glancing toward the other cats, she saw half a dozen more rabbits holding the now shrunken tabbies. How had this happened?! Did I- Her eyes fell on the new tom, awkwardly standing by the entrance to the tunnel, his striped tail swishing uncomfortably: he was still full size.

"You did this!" she yowled in horror. "I, I never should have let you inside! I should have known you-"

"Sh-sh-shh," the rabbit holding her shushed. "It's okay. I promised we wouldn't hurt you, remember? Jason did help us, but he only wanted to help you kitties. You're safe now; we'll take good care of you."

The rabbit's promises meant nothing to Lily. She didn't know what would happen to them, but she was too angry to think about that now. She turned her head away from the rabbit to berate the tom some more, "What did they promise you?! What are they giving you that was worth selling us out?! More food?! You look like you get enough! Is that why you're so well fed? You sell out other predators to these prey?!"

The tom kept his eyes averted, "I did what I thought was right," he murmured uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but this is for the best. You'll have plenty of food now, and they won't hurt you. You'll be pets like I said, but it's not a bad life."

Lily opened her mouth to scream at him more, but she paused as another rabbit bounded down the tunnel. This wasn't so surprising as the tom's reaction. His face lit up and he let out a trill of joy.

"Ellie!"

The rabbit opened her arms, "Come here, kitty!"

The tom stepped into the much smaller rabbit's arms and they hugged like long-separated lovers. Lily almost expected them to kiss.

"You did a good job, Jason. I knew you would," the rabbit murmured tenderly. "I'm so glad to see everything went okay and you're still safe."

"What is this?!" Lily demanded in shock. "Is this why you betrayed us?! You're fucking a rabbit?!"

The tom glanced at her awkwardly before turning back to the rabbit, "I, um, think you should turn me back now, Ellie."

"If that's what you want, kitty," the rabbit replied.

They broke apart, and she stepped back, drawing one of the silver shrink-ray guns. The golden beam shot out, and the tom began to shrink. When he was the size of the shrunken tabbies, it cut out, and he wobbled before toppling over onto his rear. The rabbit quickly scooped him up.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart?" she asked worriedly.

The tom nodded, "I'm fine."

The rabbit cradled him next to her chest and stroked him, "I love you, kitty," she crooned softly.

Lily's attention was drawn away from the pair when the rabbit holding her lifted her and nuzzled her between the ears. Lily looked up at her uncomfortably.

"You know, you're a lot prettier than I thought you would be," the rabbit stated. "Why don't you tell me your name, kitty? I'm Zeta."

"Lily," Lily grumbled.

"You don't need to worry, Lily. My partner and I will take good care of you, and your friends will be well taken care of too. Alex and Jill are a lovely couple, and they have their own sweet kits. They'll make your friends feel at home, and we can visit them sometimes."

Lily glanced across the room to where the larger group of rabbits was fussing over the tabbies, in particular the kittens. The cats looked a little nervous, but they were interacting with the rabbits in a friendly manner, evidently hopeful that the prey were telling the truth. Lily had to admit she had no real reason to doubt them: they'd been gentle so far, and there was nothing to stop them from doing whatever they wanted to the cats now.

"I'll still be a 'pet'," Lily growled. "If you think I'm going to enjoy being your toy, you've lost it."

The rabbit lifted her to nuzzle her head again. "It won't be so bad," she murmured. "You'll see it's better this way."

Lily turned her head to glare at the tom, "Is that what he thinks?" she growled loudly enough for him to hear. "It's better now that predators are your toys?"

Still cradled in the other rabbit's arm, the tom turned his head to regard her uncomfortably, "I've been with Ellie and her sister a long time," he stated. "They caught me years before the revolution. I'm happy with this life, and I agreed to help because I know it's a good one. Things really are better now. No one has to be killed, and the prey treat us well. We live in peace. I know it can be hard to get used to the idea, but Ellie and her sister love me. And I love them. It's not bad being a pet; I know I don't have to hurt anyone anymore."

"Is there any resistance at all, or was that all a lie?" Lily demanded.

"As far as I know there isn't one," the tom replied. "Except for a few predators like you, they were all captured months ago."

"It's a brand new world, Lily," the rabbit holding her piped cheerfully. "We live in peace just like Jason said. We have all kinds of tasty bugs for you to eat, so you'll stay strong and healthy."

Lily grimaced, "Bugs? That's what you meant by 'lots of food'?" she accused the tom.

He blinked at her, "You get used to them," he replied placidly.

"Let's get you out of this stuffy hole," the rabbit holding her remarked. "The sun will be coming up soon. I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing the outside after months down here. And Petunia will want to meet you. We're going to have a wonderful life together, Lily; just wait and see."

With that, the rabbit hopped toward the exit, following the rabbit with the tom up the tunnel. The sun's glow was just beginning to illuminate the Eastern horizon as they carried the cats outside. A cool breeze ruffled Lily's fur. Her rabbit watched as the others went their separate ways, some with felines in hand. Then she looked down at Lily.

"Let's go home, kitty," she said with a smile.

To Lily's surprise and consternation the rabbit carried her not to some underground burrow but into the very same village she'd lived in before the attack! The village was swarming with prey, many of them construction crews renovating the houses the predators no longer lived in (or perhaps lived in as pets) to accommodate their new prey owners. Lily was a bit relieved that the rabbit didn't carry her to her own former home; she didn't want to see what had happened to it. The teal-painted brick abode they entered seemed to have belonged to some some type of mustelid, maybe a weasel or pine marten, and Lily could still detect a faint trace of the former owners' potent musk.

"Petunia!" the rabbit called as she pushed the door shut with one long foot. "I have someone for you to meet!"

A few seconds later, a light brown, lop-eared doe hopped in from the other room. Her large hazel eyes fell on Lily, and she let out an excited gasp. "Is that-?"

"This is her. The kitty who's been hiding down the hole, well, one of them, the talkative one," the white and black-splotched rabbit confirmed.

The lop bounded across the room and lifted Lily out of the other rabbit's arms with a squeal of delight. Her hands under Lily's arms, she held her up in front of her face, beaming with joy. "She's such a pretty kitty," she crooned. "Look at her fluffy cheeks and her tufty ears! Is she really going to be ours, Zeta?"

"She is. I didn't volunteer for the morning patrol for three months for nothing. She's our very own bobcat kitty."

The lop shifted Lily down to her shoulder, holding her with one hand under her rear and the other on her back. She stroked her from head to tail. "What's her name?"

"Lily," the other rabbit answered.

"Our little Lily," the lop cooed. She continued to stroke her. "I'm going to take good care of you, Lily, and I know we'll be the best of friends," she murmured tenderly.

The absurdity of it all was almost too much, but Lily held her tongue. She realized she might have scratched and bitten the doe to let her know what she thought of her "care", but it didn't seem like a wise course of action. If she could even escape this house, some other prey would most likely capture her. If she hadn't believed that prey had taken over before, seeing them renovating the predator village would have alleviated the last of her doubts. The only life she had to look forward to was as some prey's plaything. It could have made her angry, but instead she felt defeated. She was defeated, in fact; all predators were. Prey had won without condition, and they were reaping the spoils of that absolute victory. Perhaps she should be grateful she wasn't roasting alive on a spit.

The lop carried her back into the other room, which turned out to be the living room, and plopped down on a pale pink sofa before setting Lily in her lap. Wrapping her arms across Lily's torso, she gently squeezed her against her soft, plump belly. The lop was quite a bit larger than her partner as well as more than a little plump. Compared to the other rabbit, who wasn't skinny by any means, she was soft and voluptuous with an ample dewlap and round, protruding belly. Seated on her soft thighs, Lily could tell her lower half was similarly well padded. She wondered if prey had been gaining weight since defeating the predators; she would have killed to get her claws on a piece of prey like this before everything had been turned upside-down. Just as tempting as the doe's juicy-looking body was her tantalizing aroma. Lily could imagine sinking her teeth into the doe's flesh to taste her sweet meat and savory juices flow over her tongue. Her stomach growled in protest, and Lily tried to push the images of the doe's decadent flesh from her mind. She would never be able to satisfy those cravings or taste any prey ever again. She wished she'd eaten more of the rabbit the tom had brought when she'd had the chance. For the remainder of her life, she'd only have the insects her owners fed her. It didn't seem fair, but again, perhaps she ought to be grateful it wasn't her on the menu instead. Rabbits might be strict herbivores, but not all prey were.

The lop lifted one of her arms to caress Lily's left ear and cheek with a finger. The blunt-clawed finger gently traced Lily's nose and petted her forehead before curling around her ear again. Carefully, the doe massaged Lily's cheek, eliciting a feeling of warm contentment. Lily started to purr but caught herself. She wouldn't become the rabbits' toy that easily! The doe lifted her other hand and her fingers began to massage both of Lily's cheeks, the lop's thumbs massaging her brows. Lily tried to resist, but between the soothing massage and the doe's wonderful scent, Lily couldn't hold back for long. A deep, chest-rumbling purr burst forth and spilled out of her inexorably. Serene contentment and warmth overwhelmed her more cautious feelings as Lily gave in to the doe's tender ministrations.

"It seems like she likes that," she other rabbit's voice sounded amusedly.

The lop paused the massaging, and Lily opened her eyes to see the white and black-splotched rabbit gazing down at her with a smirk. Embarrassment and shame washed over Lily as she looked up into the rabbit's amused expression. Was she really going to become these rabbits' obedient toy for a few caresses and kind words?! She had to resist! Yes, it could be worse, but this was still degrading. She wouldn't give in and become a kitty sycophant like the tom!

"She's a good kitty," the lop sighed happily. "I know she's going to love living with us. Thank you for getting her for us, Sweetie Pie."

"I knew you'd like her," the other doe replied tenderly. She leaned in over Lily, and the rabbit's nuzzled noses. When she stood back up she spoke again, "I'm sure Lily wants breakfast, but first we need to take care of her claws. Can you help me, Honey Bun?"

Lily eyed the rabbit nervously. What did she mean "take care of her claws"?

"Do we have to?" the lop pleaded. "Her claws are so pretty."

"When we know we can trust her, we'll let them grow," the other doe countered.

"We can trust her!" the lop protested. "She's been very good so far!" She stroked Lily's head, "You want to be a good kitty, don't you, Lily? You wouldn't use your claws to scratch us."

"I, uh, as long as you don't try to hurt me, I won't hurt you," Lily answered nervously. She didn't want her primary mode of defense denuded!

"I want to give her a bath later," the black and white doe rejoined. "I don't want to get torn up trying to get her clean just because no one's ever made her take a bath before."

"A-a bath?" Lily mewed anxiously.

"See!" the black and white rabbit exclaimed. "Her pupils are already getting big! She's going to need to get used to living by our rules before we can trust her with her claws."

"Alright," the lop replied with a pout. "But once she gets used to it, I want to let her grow them out. Her claws are too pretty to keep cut."

"Of course, once she's used to being ours and we can trust her."

Wrapping one arm back across Lily's chest, the lop lifted Lily's right arm with her other hand, holding her forearm out with fingers curled around Lily's elbow, "Sorry, kitty," she murmured. "Zeta will be careful. Just be a good kitty and hold still for us, okay?"

Lily swallowed nervously. The other doe crouched in front of them and reached out with a pair of scissor-like nail clippers in one hand. Taking Lily's hand in her other hand, she gently squeezed the end of Lily's index finger to extend her claw. Lily could feel her heart pounding, and she had to force herself not to try to struggle to get away. The rabbits' hold on her felt oppressive, and they were crowding her in. The scissors reached around her claw, there was brief pressure, and then with a click the sharp tip snipped off. It all felt wrong and intrusive. Lily sucked a breath trying to steel herself for the second claw, but at the pressure and click she let out a little whine of distress. She didn't like this! Not waiting, the rabbit snipped off a third claw. Lily tried to pull her paw away, but the lop held her elbow tightly.

"It's okay, just a few more. You're being so good, kitty. Just hold still a little longer," the lop soothed.

Lily held her breath and managed to make it through the last finger and her thumb, but then the lop wrapped the other arm around her and lifted her left arm. The other doe's hand squeezed hers. Click! Lily let out a little mewl of protest and tried to pull her arm away. "P-please stop! No more!"

"You're okay," the black and white doe soothed. "Be a good kitty." She snipped off a second and third claw in rapid succession.

Lily moaned but tried not to struggle. The doe took her pinky and thumb claws.

"Now your feet," the black and white doe stated.

The lop lifted her left foot, holding it by the ankle.

"N-no! I can be good!" Lily cried, struggling in vain to pull her foot away. "You can give me a bath! I won't scratch!"

"You're making it hard to believe that right now," the black and white rabbit scolded. "Hold still! You aren't a little kitten."

Lily tried to restrain herself, and the doe clipped her four left claws in rapid succession.

"Last set," she stated as the lop lifted Lily's right foot.

Lily squeezed her eyes shut, praying for it to all be over. Pressure, click! Pressure, click! Pressure, click! Pressure, click!

"Done!"

Lily opened her eyes, and the lop stroked her head.

"Good kitty," the lop praised. "That wasn't too hard, was it?"

Lily felt her heart slow as the lop stroked her. She didn't want to go through that again! But I will unless I can prove they can trust me! "I-it wasn't so bad," Lily agreed weakly. "I, um, I'll do what you say. I'll prove you can trust me. I know I'm going to be your pet, so I'll learn to obey your rules"

The lop continued to stroke her, "I know you will. You're a good kitty," she soothed. "I'm glad you're our kitty, Lily. It'll be easier the next time."

Lily didn't want there to be a next time, but she nodded helplessly. She really did belong to these rabbits. It was true they didn't intend to be cruel, but they could do whatever they wanted with her. She had no choice but to comply, and it would be that way for the rest of her life. She was at their mercy. They seemed kindhearted, but it was still a lot to accept, especially from prey. She was supposed to hunt and kill rabbits as food, but that was all over now. Now, she was their toy, a pampered toy perhaps, but a toy nonetheless. The lop laid her on her lap and stroked her from head to tail. Lily let the sensation soothe her, and it did to some extent. But she couldn't shake the feeling of complete helplessness. She was in their clutches. Maybe, in the end, it wouldn't be a bad life like the tom had said, but Lily realized now that meant accepting her new place in the world. The world of predators and prey was gone; this was the world of prey and their pets.

Lily lay listlessly in the lop's lap until the other doe called from the other room, "Honey Bun! Lily's breakfast is ready!"

The lop scooped her up and carried her to the kitchen. On the table was a baking dish of what appeared to be some type of beetle. The black and white rabbit scooped some onto a plate with a spoon, and Lily saw that, while the top layer was beetles, the middle layer was whole wheat pasta with a bottom layer of grubs.

"I hope you like it. I got the recipe from one of my friends," the doe informed her. "She says it's her predator's favorite. We can try to figure out other recipes you like later."

Seated on the lop's lap, Lily stared at the gruesome looking dish. She did her best to lift the too large spoon and scoop up some of the repulsive casserole. She closed her eyes as she took a bite from the spoon. The crunch of the beetles almost made her spit it out, but after weeks of rationed food, she found the taste was actually pleasant. She managed to swallow, and peeking open her eyes took another bite. She cleaned her plate and glanced up at the black-splotched doe.

"May I have more?"

The doe grinned happily, "Eat as much as you want, kitty!"

Lily ate until her belly was full. It was a luxurious feeling she hadn't experienced in some time. He was right; there's plenty of food.

The black-splotched doe put the rest of the casserole in the fridge with foil over the top. "You're easy to feed at your size," she remarked. "So eat as much as you want. We won't put you on a diet unless you get fatter than Petunia."

"Hey!" Petunia protested. "I'm not that fat!"

The other doe gave her a lewd wink, "I didn't say I didn't like it."

Petunia looked down at Lily, "Do you think I'm fat, Lily?"

Lily blinked up at her embarrassedly, "Erm, well, I, uh-"

"Hah!" Zeta crowed.

Petunia scowled.

"I-I didn't say you were!" Lily protested.

Petunia squeezed her a bit too tightly against her plump belly, "If you think I'm fat, I might just sit on you and see what you think then!"

"I don't!" Lily cried.

"What do you think then?" Petunia demanded.

"I think you look nice!" Lily replied.

"Nice and fat!" Zeta quipped.

Petunia glared down at her dangerously.

"That's not what I meant! I think you look nice!"

"Nice how?!"

"N-nice and, and big, er, I mean, juicy! I mean, um," she trailed off at the rabbit's shocked expression.

"You think I look juicy?!" Petunia replied in high dudgeon. From the other side of the table, Zeta was caught in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"I think you look good if, you know, I, um, I am a predator," Lily replied weakly.

"You think I look good as in you'd like to eat me," Petunia stated offendedly.

"I, I'm not going to," Lily whined.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Across the table, Zeta wiped tears from her eyes, "Heeheehee, don't be angry, Petunia. We just gave her a nice fat rabbit to eat yesterday. I'm sure she, snrk, means it as a compliment. Hahaha!"

Petunia rolled her eyes then looked down at Lily with a wry smirk, "You think I look tasty, huh?"

Lily nodded embarrassedly.

"How do I smell?"

"R-really good."

"Delicious, you might say?"

Lily nodded again.

Petunia sighed and petted her head, "I guess you are a predator after all. As long as you don't try to bite any chunks out of me, I forgive you."

"Thank you," Lily mumbled bashfully.

"How about me, Lily?" Zeta teased. "Do you want to eat me?"

Lily glared at the rabbit who had instigated this whole situation. "I believe I told you so yesterday," she replied testily.

"I guess you did," Zeta returned amusedly. "It seems like I got you outside after all though, eh, kitty? You could have just come out at any time and saved us the trouble of the ruse. I told you we wouldn't hurt you."

"I was just supposed to believe that?!" Lily rejoined annoyedly.

Zeta shrugged, "It was true. What else should I have said?"

"Nothing! We were under enough stress without you taunting us! If you went away, we might have assumed the King had crushed your rebellion and come out on our own."

"I hear your royal family is doing just fine with the mice who caught them for what it's worth," Zeta remarked. "They live in the palace walls."

Lily frowned, "At least you two aren't mice."

Zeta grinned, "Why? You don't like mice, kitty?"

"I just wouldn't want to be that small!" Lily protested. "What would I even eat then?"

"Ants maybe? I'm sure they get by."

"I'm still glad I'm with you and not mice," Lily returned grumpily.

Zeta smiled, "We're glad too, even if you do want to eat us."

"I don't really, I mean, I wouldn't," Lily muttered awkwardly.

"Oh?" Zeta replied amusedly. "Are you saying we already converted you? You'd rather be our pet?"

Lily looked down at her lap and the legs of the rabbit whose lap she as nestled in, "I, um, I don't know."

"We don't expect you to be sold at this point, kitty," Zeta piped cheerfully. "We know if we made you big right now, you'd probably eat us. We don't expect a few hours to change a lifetime of experience and instinct. We haven't even been that nice to you. We trimmed your claws and threatened you with a bath, which you're still getting by the way. Eventually, you'll be happy as our pet or at least like us enough that you wouldn't eat us, but we don't expect you to be there yet. You're a predator who has to do what we say because we're bigger than you. We'll do our best to make you happy, but the foundation of our relationship is that you can't hurt us anymore. If we believed we could convince you in a few hours not to eat us, then the entire revolution wouldn't have been necessary."

"I guess that's true," Lily murmured self-consciously.

"Don't worry about that, kitty," Petunia soothed, stroking Lily's head. "We don't hate you for being a predator. We know you did what you had to. We just want everyone to be able to live in peace, and that's why you had to become our pets. Now that we're in charge, no one has to get killed." She paused and booped Lily's nose. "Besides, we get to have our cute little kitty. It's worked out pretty well for us being kind to predators. It's not like we don't get anything out of it; we get you."

Lily craned her neck back to blink up at the lop, and she smiled down at her. Lily leaned back into the rabbit's soft fur, her warmth and wonderful scent all around her. Maybe she could get used to this. She'd have to accept that these rabbits could do with her as they pleased, but if she could trust them, then maybe that would be okay.

"Now what?" Petunia asked Zeta.

"Now, I might as well give Lily her bath sooner rather than later. She's kind of smelly."

Lily shifted nervously. She wasn't looking forward to getting wet.

"Can I give it to her?" Petunia asked.

"You've been holding her all this time. It's my turn," Zeta replied.

"Alright, but I get to wash her next time," Petunia rejoined.

Zeta smiled, "Sure. We'll have to take turns with our kitty." She hopped around the table and lifted Lily out of Petunia's lap, "Are you ready for your bath, kitty?"

Lily nodded uncomfortably. She didn't want a bath, but she wanted the rabbits to trust her and continue to treat her kindly. After the nail trim, she realized that they could restrict her freedom however they pleased, so if she wanted more freedom, she needed to cooperate.

Zeta carried her upstairs and into the bathroom. Setting Lily beside the sink, she filled it with warm water and tested the temperature with her finger.

"Alright, in you go!"

Without waiting for her to get in herself, Zeta lifted her and placed her in the warm pool. Lily winced as the water soaked her fur. Zeta scooped up water with her hands and poured it over Lily's head until she was thoroughly soaked. Lily endured it as best she could.

"Wait here a second," Zeta instructed.

She stepped into the shower and retrieved a bottle of shampoo. Zeta let the water drain out of the sink while she squeezed some shampoo into her palm then began to lather Lily, starting with her head. Lily stood uneasily as the rabbit's blunt-clawed fingers massaged her body, working down her torso and out her arms and legs. She sucked a breath as a pair of Zeta's fingers passed between her thighs and held her breath as the rabbit washed her private parts. When she was finally done, Lily let out a sigh of relief. Zeta adjusted the water then refilled the sink to rinse Lily off, repeating the dousing of her head. Finally, she let the water out of the sink and scooped Lily up in a lavender towel.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Zeta piped.

Lily shook her head.

Zeta gave Lily's head a few wipes with the towel then hugged the bundle and touched her nose between Lily's ears. "I bet you never imagined anything like this all the times you told me to 'fuck off' while you were hiding down your hole, huh?" Zeta teased softly.

She set Lily on the floor and got a blow dryer out of the cabinet with the towels. After she dried Lily the rest of the way, she scooped her up and carried her back down to the living room where Petunia was stretched out on the couch with a book.

"Here she is, all nice and clean!" Zeta declared. She sat next to Petunia's feet and lifted Lily to touch her nose between her ears. "Now she even smells like our sweet little kitty," she stated teasingly. She sat Lily sideways on one of her thighs and stoked her head, "It's so nice to have our own little kitty. You don't know how lucky we are, Lily. Most prey didn't get to have a predator. There are so many more of us than you."

Lily found it a bit strange to think that she was coveted by her prey, but with the world turned upside down as it was, she didn't give it much thought. Zeta continued to pet her, and Lily rested her head against the doe's chest.

After a few minutes, Zeta spoke again, "You're being a very good kitty, Lily. I hope you aren't afraid. I keep thinking about all of those days you told me to go away, those months you spent hiding from us with your friends. I'm glad you weren't alone then, but I know you must have been scared. No matter how tough you tried to sound, I know what it's like to be afraid that someone might catch you and of what they might do, so I hope you believe us that you're safe here. I know it will take some time to get used to being our pet, and it's alright if you're sad about what you lost. But we want you to feel safe, and eventually, we want you to be happy."

Lily blinked up at the rabbit slowly, "I'm not afraid," she murmured. "I believe I can trust you. You've been kind to me. I believe you're a good person."

Zeta smiled softly, "That's nice to hear, Lily. I know this is a lot to take in. How about we go for a walk, so you can enjoy the outdoors. You've been cooped up for too long."

Lily smiled slightly, "Alright."

"Can you get Lily's collar and leash, Honey Bun?" Zeta requested.

Petunia set aside her book and hopped up from the couch, "I can't wait to show her off!" she piped. "She's such a pretty kitty."

Lily shifted uncomfortably in Zeta's lap. She wasn't sure she wanted to be shown off, and she really didn't know how to feel about being put on a leash. It sounded degrading. She supposed she was the rabbits' pet, but she still didn't want to be humiliated. "Do I have to wear a leash? I promise I won't run away. I don't even have a place to go."

Zeta gave her a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry, Lily, but it's the law. Predators aren't allowed outside without a leash. After all, you're still a lot bigger than a mouse."

Lily didn't feel much bigger than a mouse, but she supposed she saw the point: she was still a dangerous predator to any prey who might be small enough. Prey were in charge now, and they weren't taking any risks.

Petunia returned with the pink collar and leash. Lily held still as the enormous rabbit wrapped the nylon band around her neck, but it made her quite uncomfortable. When Petunia was done, she flicked the front of the collar, jingling a bell.

"Do you like it, Lily?" Petunia asked cheerfully. "We got it before we knew your name, of course, but we'll get you a name tag with our address in case you're ever lost. The bell is so we can hear where you are when we let you roam the house, so we'd like you to keep your collar on, okay?"

Lily nodded uncomfortably, glancing at the lop's long ears. She didn't know how keen Petunia's hearing was with her floppy ears, but with the bell, Zeta would easily be able to monitor her movements. Of course, she could have simply removed the collar, but she had no intention of disobeying these rabbits who held her life in their paws. She wanted them to trust her and would do as they asked, but it was unnerving to think they would always know where she was. Their control over her was complete. Whatever freedom they might allow her would forever be within the confines of the rules they dictated. Petunia clipped the leash onto the collar and lifted Lily off of Zeta's lap to set her on the floor.

"Let's go, kitty!" she piped cheerfully.

Zeta hopped up as well, and Lily couldn't help but gaze up anxiously at the towering rabbits. Lily barely stood as tall as their knees, ears included, and wouldn't have come close if their long feet had been digitigrade instead of plantigrade. Somehow, it was less unnerving to be in their arms than to stand next to them.

Uneasily, Lily began to make her way to the door. It was strange to walk through a house so large for her, and the enormous rabbits following close behind didn't decrease the surreal effect. Lily felt self-conscious by how long it took her to make it to the door, but she didn't want to feel the leash pull against her neck. It took a good deal of willpower to keep walking at all. She would have rather stopped and allowed on of the rabbits to pick her up so that she could bury her face in their soft fur and forget all about her predicament. However, they eventually reached the door, and Zeta opened it to allow Lily to continue outside.

Lily stopped on the front step to survey her surroundings: everything was much too big, of course, but she thought she recognized the part of town they were in. If she wanted to, she could have led them to her old home to find out who lived there now, but she didn't really want to know.

"Where should I go?" Lily asked.

"Just head out to the street and go right. We can turn back whenever you feel like it," Petunia answered.

Lily felt like turning back already, but she knew Petunia would be disappointed if she didn't get to "show her off." Lily made her way through the tall grass to the brick road and started down it to the right. The cracks that had been no concern for her the last time she'd walked down the street not threatened to trip her. Enormous prey hurried to and fro, few paying her any heed. Some glanced down at her as she passed, and Lily noticed that the mice and other tiny prey gave her a wide berth. She was relieved to see that she was indeed still several times the size of these smallest prey. The walk proceeded uneventfully, until a black squirrel scurried up to them.

"Zeta! Petunia!" they chirped cheerfully. "How's it going?" They crouched down on their haunches, their bushy tail curled up behind them, to give Lily a friendly smile, "Who's this cutie? I heard you finally caught the cats in the bunker. I assume this is one of them."

"This is Lily!" Petunia piped happily. "Zeta got her for us. This is Flint, Lily. Don't be worried; he's nice."

Lily tried to return the squirrel a nervous smile. While he was much smaller than the rabbits, he was still twice her size, and squirrels, unlike rabbits, weren't strict herbivores. Lily knew that Zeta and Petunia wouldn't let him hurt her, nor did he seem to have any intention to do so. But she couldn't help feeling nervous.

The squirrel stood and looked up at the rabbits, "May I pet her?"

Zeta nodded, "She's been a very good kitty so far, and she needs to get used to more prey than just us. Go ahead."

The squirrel's big, though far smaller than the rabbits', hand reached out and petted Lily between the ears. His hand traced around behind her ear, and then he brought up the other to massage her cheeks with both hands.

"She's very fluffy," he commented. "And I like her spotty coat." He lowered his second arm and brought the other back up to pet her head, smiling down at her kindly, "This must be strange for you, huh, Cutie? We've had a few months to get used to the weirdness, but it's day one for you, huh?"

Lily nodded embarrassedly, her eyes on the ground. She felt strange having her prey all treat her so kindly. She would have killed and eaten any one of them without a second thought only yesterday. She'd thought perhaps it was just Zeta and Petunia who were kind, but this squirrel also seemed to care. "I-it's not so bad," she mumbled. "Zeta and Petunia have been very kind to me."

"I wouldn't expect anything else," the squirrel replied reassuringly. "I'm glad to hear this isn't too hard on you. I know it can take a few days to get used to the idea."

Lily nodded shyly again, her ears getting warm as she blushed. Every prey they might meet knew she was Zeta and Petunia's pet, and they could tell she was a "good kitty" who obeyed her bunny owners.

The squirrel put a hand under her chin to lift her head, so their eyes could meet. He smiled softly, "I'll see you around, Cutie. Be good for Zeta and Petunia, okay?"

Lily almost replied that she would but stopped herself from issuing the embarrassing reply.

The squirrel waved to the rabbits, "See you gals around!" He scurried past them the way they'd come.

"Flint's very nice," Petunia reiterated. "I'm sure you'll see him again soon."

"Does he have a predator?" Lily asked shyly.

"He wasn't able to get one, unfortunately," Zeta replied. "We have other friends who have them though, so you'll still get to see other predators when we visit them."

Lily tried to imagine visiting other prey as the rabbits' pet and interacting with their pet predators. She wasn't sure she liked the idea. She had been a bit of a loner before the raid, and while she had gotten used to living with the tabbies, she didn't really want to commiserate with other predators over their predicament. Listening to other predators whinging would be a far greater annoyance than being a pet herself.

However, it wasn't long before Lily heard someone yelp her name and turned, with a sinking stomach, to see a raccoon she'd known (Lance) pulling against a leash held by a surprised-looking gopher as he hurried toward her.

"Lily! It is you!" Lance squawked. "I thought, I mean, people said you got away! What happened?!"

"Who's your friend, Lily?" Petunia squeaked happily. "He's pretty cute!"

"It's Lance, but we're not exactly friends," Lily replied grumpily. She would have liked to just keep walking, but the raccoon seemed desperate to talk to her.

"What happened?!" he repeated.

"They caught me," Lily stated dryly. "Obviously."

"She managed to stay out of our claws for a little while," Zeta teased. "We only caught her this morning. Not that you would be able to tell since she's such a good kitty."

Lance's ears drooped sadly, "I guess that's it then. There's no one left."

Lily eyed the raccoon uncomfortably, "You weren't holding out for me to save you, were you?" she asked a bit scathingly to hide her discomfort.

Lance shook his head sadly, "It was just nice to think there might be a few predators out there, still free."

Lily eyed the gopher holding Lance's leash, wondering how they treated him. "It hasn't been so bad. Zeta and Petunia have been very kind to me."

Lance blinked in surprise, "Oh! I mean, yeah, Gilbert is a great guy. He makes sure I have everything I need. I just liked to think that you might be out there somewhere." He gestured with his arms. "You know?"

"I was hiding down a hole for three months. It wasn't exactly a picnic," Lily returned dryly.

Lance frowned, "Oh. That kind of does sound worse actually. Are you settling in okay?"

Lily nodded perfunctorily.

"Alright, see you around, Lily."

"See ya."

Lance and the gopher ambled away; the gopher gave the rabbits and embarrassed nod as he passed.

"Are you sure that wasn't a friend of yours?" Petunia inquired. "He seemed worried about you."

"Lance is an idiot," Lily answered grumpily.

"Let's keep going," Petunia suggested. "Maybe we'll meet one of your friends after all."

Lily didn't feel like admitting that, aside from the tabbies who she hadn't known before the raid, she didn't have any. They continued onward.

Lily wasn't really interested in looking for other predators after meeting the annoying raccoon. She kept her eyes on the cracks in the bricks that threatened to trip her instead, so she was surprised when she saw a particularly familiar set of newer red bricks patching a hole in the road and looked up to she her house. She'd led them home after all. Lily stared at the too-big two-story home with its sandy wood siding. Who lives there now?

"Is something wrong, Lily?" Petunia asked worriedly.

"That, that's my house," Lily murmured.

"Is it really?" Petunia asked curiously. "We could knock and see if whoever's living there would let us see inside if you want."

Lily shook her head. She didn't want to see what had become of her home. However, it then occurred to her that some of her things might still be inside. She hoped her photo albums hadn't been thrown away. "Can we ask if they have any of my stuff?"

"Sure we can, kitty," Petunia replied.

Petunia crouched down to scoop Lily up, and they proceeded to the front door of the abode. Holding Lily on her shoulder with one hand supporting her rear, Petunia knocked. Lily heard some scuffling inside, and after a minute, a gigantic turkey hen opened the door and peered out at them suspiciously.

"What do you want?" she squawked.

"Hello," Zeta greeted the turkey. "I'm Zeta, and this is my partner Petunia and our kitty Lily. Lily noticed that this is the house where she used to live, and we were wondering whether you had any of her things."

The turkey eyed Lily with one eye, her expression unreadable, "It belongs to us now."

"We understand that," Zeta returned diplomatically. "But if there was anything you didn't want, maybe Lily could have it." She glanced at Lily, "Is there anything specific you were thinking of, Lily?"

"M-my photos," Lily mewled shyly. "I had a pair of albums."

Zeta smiled at the turkey pleasantly, "I assume you don't have any use for a bobcat's family photos. Do you still have them? We'd appreciate it if we could have them."

The turkey regraded them enigmatically for a few second then bobbed her head once, "I'll get them." She shut the door, and after several minutes, she reappeared and unceremoniously dropped two dusty tomes (They were quite large for the rabbit.) into Zeta's arms. "That it?"

"Unless you can think of anything else you'd like to part with," Zeta answered.

The turkey shook her head. She eyed the albums once more before closing the door.

"Birds can be a bit odd," Petunia remarked.

"Let's get home," Zeta stated. "These are really heavy."

"I can let Lily walk again and carry one for you," Petunia suggested.

"I've got them. Let's just hurry."

With Petunia carrying her, they quickly returned to the rabbits' home. Zeta dropped the albums onto the dining table with a whump and a breath of relief.

"Should we look through them?" Petunia asked excitedly. "I hope there are kitten pictures. Are there, Lily?"

Lily nodded embarrassedly. Petunia sat at the table with Lily on her lap and pulled one of the albums in front of them. Lily stood on the rabbit's thighs with her hands on the table to steady herself. Zeta sat in the chair to their right. Petunia opened the album, which turned out to be the earlier of the two, beginning with photos of Lily and her littermates as newborn kittens.

"Aww, look how adorable they are, Sweetie Pie," Petunia crooned.

Zeta smiled, "They are. Their mom's pretty too."

Lily looked at the picture of her mother curled around them in the nursing bed and felt a knot in her stomach. She hoped her parents were alright. They flipped through the album while the rabbits fussed over Lily and her siblings. However, the light atmosphere seemed to suddenly become heavier when they flipped a page and the rabbits' eyes fell on a picture of Lily at a few years old holding a bedraggled mouse between her teeth. More of the photos on the pages showed the kittens "playing" with the unfortunate rodent; although, by the time the picture with the mouse in Lily's teeth had been taken, it had clearly been dead.

"Oh dear," Petunia murmured.

She flipped the page to more cute pictures. The rabbits' mood lightened again as they examined the photos of Lily getting ready for school and playing with her friends. They quietly ignored a photo of the bobcats grilling prey for a Summer Solstice celebration. However, when they reached the photo of Lily cleaning her first squirrel, bloody knife in hand and squirrel intestines spilling out onto the butchering block, discomfort overshadowed them again. Petunia quickly flipped the page, but the next page displayed the half skinned body of a rabbit with Lily's father instructing her in how to remove the valuable pet. Petunia sucked a sharp breath, and Zeta flipped the page for her.

They finished the first album, but the atmosphere never regained its prior cheerful nature. The rabbits commented on Lily's other photos, but there were more pictures with dead prey that the rabbits quickly skipped by. Lily felt anxiety rising inside her at the rabbits' obvious discomfort, and she partially wished she hadn't asked for the albums back. At the same time, it was good to look at the photos of her parents and siblings. Lily hoped she would be able to see them again soon.

Finally, Zeta closed the album. Petunia eyed the next one but didn't move to open it. She lifted Lily under the arms and sat her back on her lap. Wrapping her arms around her, she hugged Lily gently.

"I'm sorry," Lily murmured worriedly. "I should have warned you before you looked through them."

Petunia hugged her again, "It's okay, Lily. We know you're a predator. I'm just glad you're our sweet little kitty now. You don't have to hurt anyone ever again."

Zeta petted Lily's head, "Petunia's right, Lily. Seeing those pictures just confirmed that we were right to do this. This is better for everyone. I know that predators had to give up their freedom, but now no one has to be killed or be the one to kill anyone."

Lily turned her head to regard the white and black-splotched rabbit, who offered her a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't want to hurt you, Zeta, or you, Petunia," Lily murmured.

Zeta smiled softly, "We know that, Lily. You're a good kitty. You aren't cruel; you were just living like predators did. This are better now. We hope you'll come to agree if you don't already."

"I guess I do," Lily replied. "I wouldn't want either of you to be killed. I never really thought about how it must have been for prey. It must have been horrible living in fear of us. I don't think I would be able to forgive like you have."

Zeta reached over to lift Lily out of Petunia's lap and sat her in her own. "It's true we went through a lot, but we promised from the start that we wouldn't become monsters. As soon as we knew we might finally be free one day from predation, we promised that we'd take care of predators once they were under our control."

Lily looked up at the doe, "I'm glad you and Petunia are the prey who are going to take care of me."

Zeta smiled softly, "We are too."

They had lunch, and then Petunia went out to do a shift at the local communal garden. Zeta stayed home, and Lily spent the afternoon curled in the doe's lap while she read. Lily was able to doze peacefully on Zeta's warm thighs. Lily listened to the doe's soft breaths, gurglely gut sounds, and occasional munching of hay from the rack behind the couch as she drifted in and out wakefulness. At some point, Lily opened her eyes to find Zeta also napping, her chin resting on her soft dewlap. She watched the gentle rise and fall of the doe's chest for a few seconds before resting her head again and tucking her nose close into the does belly fur, breathing her warm, herbal scent. She was this rabbit's pet now, but there was no reason to resist. Trying to escape or hide would have gained her nothing in the end, but she didn't even want to get away now. She could trust them to be good to her. Even if she would always be under their control, she didn't need to be afraid to give in. Her life would be very different living by preys' rules, but she didn't think it would be a bad life. She could give herself to them, and they would treat her fairly. They wanted her to be happy.

Sometime later, Lily was awoken by the feeling of Zeta's enormous hand gently stroking her. Lily blinked open her eyes and stretched her back and arms in the rabbit's lap with a yawn.

"Were you comfy, kitty?" Zeta asked softly.

Lily blinked up at the doe with a smile, "Mmhm."

With one hand, Zeta gently rolled Lily from her side to her back, aligning her down the gap between the doe's soft thighs. She stroked Lily's soft belly with a teasing smile. "Do you feel safe now? You don't mind if I feel your fluffy belly, do you?" She gently pushed her blunt-clawed fingers backward through Lily's belly fur.

It did feel a little funny having the rabbit touch her vulnerable abdomen. Lily was aware that she might have swatted or kicked the rabbit's hand. She suspected that mere hours ago she would have even tried to bite a larger animal who touched her in this way, but it was amusing to consider that now. It was like remembering another person. She was ready to be Zeta's, to give herself to the doe completely. Maybe a small part of her thought it was crazy to put absolute trust in someone she'd only met this morning, a prey even, who had every reason to want to dispose of her. But she could feel Zeta's benevolence, not only in her gentle touch, but in her warm smile and kind eyes; it practically radiated out of her as far as Lily could tell. Thus, while the rabbit could harm her horribly in a mere instant, Lily was completely at ease with her touch and in her control.

"I feel safe," Lily meowed. "I want this. I," she paused embarrassedly. "I want to be yours," she finished shyly.

Zeta grinned amusedly, "Oh? So we did convert you in one day then. I didn't think you'd be so quick with how angry you were this morning."

Lily blushed embarrassedly as she remembered yelling at the tom who had betrayed them.

"It's not so unusual though," Zeta went on. "We were quite surprised at the beginning, but most predators take to being pets within a few days. We've decided it's because you aren't naturally afraid of us, so once you get used to being small, being cared for by your prey doesn't seem so bad."

She lifted her hand from Lily's belly and brought a finger up to massage Lily's cheek. Lily rubbed her muzzle against Zeta's hand with a purr of pleasure.

"Such a sweet little kitty!" Zeta teased good-humoredly. "You'll get what you want, Lily. You'll always belong to us, and we'll take good care of you. I hope you like belonging to Petunia too and not just me."

Lily smiled amusedly, "I do. She smells nice."

"Not implying that I stink, I hope!" Zeta returned with mock concern.

Lily shook her head then rubbed her cheek against the doe's hand again, "You smell nice too."

"Nice and tasty?" Zeta joked.

"A little," Lily returned mischievously.

Zeta ran her hand down from Lily's neck to her belly and out her leg. She finished by tweaking one of Lily's toe pads. "I kind of hope we always make you a little hungry. That way you won't forget it's your prey who you belong to."

Lily shifted a little uncomfortably on the rabbit's thighs. She could feel her heart racing at Zeta's teasing words. Would the natural order that had been overturned always taunt her? It was both agitating and arousing.

Zeta evidently noticed her agitation and grinned mischievously, running her fingers up through Lily's belly fur, "You're all ours now, kitty. It'll be nice to belong to your prey; it's how things should be."

Lily nodded, her heart pounding with anxious excitement. It felt wrong, but it also felt so right! Prey should be in control, and predators should be subdued! They should be the toys of the species they'd devoured! Part of her struggled viscerally against it, but a larger part longed to give in, to submit to her prey and their desires. "I-it's how it should be," she mewed breathlessly. "I-I want to be yours; I want to be a good pet."

Her right hand still on Lily's belly, Zeta lifted her left hand to pet Lily's head, "You will be," she reassured. "It won't be hard. It's easier than being a predator, I'm sure."

Zeta continued to pet her, gazing down at her with a warm smile. As Lily held her brown eyes with her own, she felt tenderness filling her chest. She didn't just want to belong to Zeta; she wanted to care for her and to be cared for in return. The doe seemed to care about her, but could she care for her on a deeper level? Not to merely do right by Lily out of a sense of ethical obligation but to have an emotional connection, friendship or even love.

Lily heard the front door open and shut, and both she and Zeta pricked their ears toward the sound. Petunia tromped into the room a few seconds later.

"How was work?" Zeta inquired.

"Exhausting!" Petunia groused. "I wished they hadn't increased the shift length just because 'there's no risk anymore'. An hour or two is all I've got in me!"

"People have been eating more since we took care of the predators," Zeta remarked. "Sit down; you can hold our kitty for a while. I'll make dinner."

Petunia plopped onto the couch heavily, causing Lily to bounce in Zeta's lap. Zeta gently transferred her to the lop's soft, light brown thighs and hopped up, making her way to the kitchen. Petunia looked down at Lily, and her haggard expression melted into a delighted smile.

"How's our sweet little kitty?" she cooed. "Did you have a nice afternoon with Zeta?"

Lily nodded.

Petunia ran a finger over Lily's left whiskers and cheek, "I guess maybe it's worth working longer when you get to come home to such a cute little kitty. You know, before, they couldn't work us long because we might get eaten on the way home if we were too tired."

Lily felt uncomfortable to think how much prey's lives must have been structured around avoiding predators like her. Petunia smelled different after the afternoon in the garden, like the plants and soil she'd worked with, different but still tantalizing to Lily's predator senses. Lily could remember stalking prey who smelled like this, creeping up and pouncing, sinking in her claws and teeth. She swallowed saliva, trying to push the memory from her mind. She was Petunia's pet now; she wanted to be. But if she'd been her normal size, could she have stopped herself? The thought settled uncomfortably in her stomach. Even if she accepted this life, if she wanted to be a good pet, was she still a monster deep down? A savage predator who would rip apart this kind rabbit because, to her, she was merely food?

"What's wrong, Lily?" Petunia asked worriedly. "Are you feeling sad? Your lunch didn't give you a tummy ache, did it?"

Lily slowly shook her head. She gazed up at Petunia worriedly, "I want to be your pet," she mewed.

Petunia blinked and smiled bemusedly, "You are our pet. You don't need to be worried about that. We're very pleased with you."

Lily shook her head again, "I want to be, but I'm still a predator. If I were big, I would eat you. You smell so good, I couldn't resist."

Petunia scrunched up her nose, "I think I need a bath," she remarked. "You like me even more now that I'm dirty? That's kind of weird, kitty."

Lily blushed, "I, um, I mean, you just smell like, um, a lot of prey I've, uh."

Petunia grinned amusedly and petted Lily's head, "Did you like to hunt stinky prey? Is that it?" she teased.

"I, um," Lily was too embarrassed to know how to respond.

"Don't worry about it, kitty," Petunia soothed. "We don't expect your instincts to disappear in one day, or maybe ever. You don't have to worry about hurting us. We know you'll be a good little kitty. You don't really have much of a choice, do you?"

"I-I guess not," Lily replied awkwardly.

"If anyone should worry about getting eaten, it's you," Petunia went on. "There's not much you could do to stop us."

Lily's heart fluttered nervously at the rabbit's suggestion, "B-but you're a herbivore," she rejoined. "I don't have to worry about you eating me."

Petunia grinned mischievously, "Probably not, but it doesn't mean we couldn't. We could even shrink you teeny-tiny and swallow you in one gulp! How would you like to be in a bunny's belly, kitty?"

Lily eyed Petunia's plump belly. What would it be like to be trapped inside? Would the doe digest her, or would her herbivorous stomach not be up to the task? Either way, it had to be dark and hot and confined and slimy." Lily shuddered at the thought of being coated in mucus and gastric juices.

"Doesn't it sound fun to you, kitty? That's alright. Rabbits can't throw up, so we'd never swallow you, even as a joke. It wouldn't be funny if you got digested."

"D-do prey usually swallow predators if they can throw up?" Lily asked anxiously. She'd thought prey only wanted to treat predators well, but if they did something so frightening to them, she needed to reexamine that belief.

"Of course not, I was just trying to tease you. It would be horrible to do that to someone unless they really wanted it."

"Wh-who would want that?!"

"You'd be surprised," Petunia replied coyly. "Sometimes people do, both predators and prey."

"I want to be your pet. I don't want to be a snack!" Lily returned anxiously.

"Like I said, we couldn't do it even if you did, and we certainly won't make you do it with anyone else. Don't worry. You're our precious little kitty, and you're safe. We won't let anything happen to you."

Lily was relieved to know the rabbits wouldn't make her go through anything like that even if she was still disturbed to think that it happened at all. Maybe Petunia had just been teasing her since Lily had talked about eating her again. She sat up in Petunia's lap and gazed up at the doe. "I'm glad that I'm going to be your pet. I told Zeta, but I should tell you too. I want to be yours. I trust you, Petunia."

Grinning happily, Petunia picked her up under the arms and rubbed her chin on Lily's head, "I'm glad you're going to be our kitty too! We'll have lots of fun together, Lily."

Tucking Lily's head under her chin, Petunia held her against her chest, supporting her rear with one hand and stroking her back with the other. Lily wrapped her arms as far around the doe's neck as her ample dewlap would allow and rubbed her cheek against her. She purred contentedly as Petunia stroked her. She really did feel safe cradled in the rabbit's arms. Petunia propped Lily on her shoulder to hold her more easily and continued to stroke her. Lily snuggled close to the rabbit's neck, purring more than she had in many years. It felt so good to be cared for and stroked with tender affection like her parents had used to stroke her with their tongues when she was small.

Most of her life she'd been in conflict with prey; it was either kill them or starve. The last few months she'd come to view them as a deadly threat. But now, in her prey's control, there was no need for conflict. Prey were magnanimous in their victory, treating their former predators with delicate care. It wasn't degrading like she'd thought it would be. She could understand now the joy the tom had felt when he'd seen his own bunny owner.

"Thank you for being so kind to me," Lily murmured. "Maybe I don't deserve it, but-"

"Don't think like that!" Petunia cut her off. She held Lily out in front of her and gave her a stern look, "You deserve kindness, just like anyone. You deserve to be happy. You wouldn't pretend to be happy because you think you need to be punished, would you?! It's not fair to you or us if you're faking! We want you to be happy."

"I-I am! I mean, I'm not, er, I'm not faking, I mean; I'm happy!" Lily stammered.

"Really?!" Petunia demanded.

Lily nodded anxiously, "I-I love being your pet! You've been so kind to me! I wouldn't lie to you! When you hold me and pet me I feel like, like I'm loved, like this is where I belong. I want to be safe in your arms forever, Petunia!"

"Good!" Petunia declared satisfiedly. She tucked Lily back onto her shoulder and began to stroke her again, and momentarily she seemed to calm. "I do love you, Lily," she crooned. "Maybe it's weird to say since we just met this morning, but I know that we belong together. And we always will be: you, me, and Zeta. We'll be happy, and we'll always be together."

Relaxing under the doe's firm stroking, Lily began to purr again. Even if she didn't deserve this, who was she to go against Petunia's wishes? She was blessed to have such a kind and wonderful rabbit to take care of her for the rest of her life.

Lily felt Petunia stand up, but with her eyes closed and her nose nuzzled against the doe's neck, she didn't bother to look where they went, purring contentedly.

"She seems happy!" Zeta's voice piped. "Any special reason?"

"Lily just loves being our kitty," Petunia returned joyfully.

Lily felt Zeta's hand stroke her head and cracked open her eyes to smile at the white and black-splotched rabbit. Zeta smiled back warmly, standing behind Petunia.

"It's almost hard to believe you're the same cat who was growling at me over the speaker," Zeta remarked amusedly.

Lily stopped purring to blink at the rabbit embarrassedly, "I'm sorry about that," she mewed.

Zeta petted her head again, "Don't be. You were afraid then; now you're not. We're glad to see you so happy." She punctuated her reply with another warm smile.

Lily couldn't help but smile back, feeling warm and tingly all over from the rabbit's tender affection.

They had dinner, and then they went through Lily's second album. This one was of her high school years then various holidays and visits with her family after she'd moved out. There were a few gruesome pictures the rabbits skipped over but not as many. One in particular showed Lily next to an enormous beaver she'd slain.

"I'm actually a little impressed by that one," Zeta remarked. Petunia gave her partner a disturbed look but didn't comment.

The album was only about 60% full. When they came to the end, Petunia flipped through the empty pages then looked down at Lily. "Was there another album, Lily?" She inquired. "I didn't see any pictures with your friends."

Lily shifted embarrassedly where she was sitting on the table edge, crossing one leg over the other. "Erm, no, there wasn't another. That was it."

Petunia and Zeta exchanged a glance. "Didn't you have any friends, Lily?" Petunia asked concernedly.

Looking down, Lily shook her head uncomfortably.

Petunia's hand petted her head, "That's alright, kitty," she soothed. "You have friends now."

Lily initially thought she meant the tabbies, who she did indeed feel were friends, even if she didn't have any pictures with them for obvious reasons, but Zeta added cheerfully, "That's right! We'll be your friends, Lily! We'll have lots of fun together, and we'll fill up the rest of your album and more! It might be quite a surprising transition in the middle of this one but a happy one."

Lily looked up at the rabbit a bit uncertainly but then smiled and nodded. Why wouldn't they be friends? They were very kind to her, and Lily already liked them. Maybe it would be weird for her best friends to also be her owners, but this was a strange new world. Lily felt like she could embrace the weirdness.

"I want us to be friends too," she meowed. "I feel like." She paused. "Like I can be more open with you," she decided. "I feel like I can be myself."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Zeta replied. "I'm sure there's a lot of pressure for predators to try to seem tough. I'm glad being our sweet little kitty feels more natural to you."

Lily nodded, "I thought it would feel wrong, but I love being your pet. I know you'll take good care of me, and I wouldn't feel right if I had to go back to killing prey."

Zeta scooped her off of the table and sat Lily in her lap. Wrapping her arms in front of her, she hugged Lily gently. "We love having you as our pet too. We've been pleasantly surprised with how well you've taken to it, honestly. It's good to hear your perspective and know that we're not really forcing this on you. I mean, we are, but it's nice that you find it preferable. It would be interesting if any predators had ever volunteered to be pets, but I suppose they'd have needed to put more trust in their prey than one could reasonably expect."

Lily nodded. She'd assumed the prey would kill her (or worse) had she willingly given herself up. She didn't know any predators who had assumed otherwise.

"We should do something fun together now," Petunia declared. "What would you like to do, Lily? We have games, and the previous owners left some too."

"Playing a game sounds fun if you want to," Lily replied. She hadn't been much for games before the attack but had gotten used to playing simple games with the tabbies. There hadn't been much else to do.

Petunia hopped up and bounded out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with a sizable box. "This one's called Betrayal," she told Lily. "Have you ever played?"

Lily shook her head.

"It's a little complicated, but you'll get the hang of it," the lop returned.

Petunia went over the rather lengthy rules, and then they started. Lily began to get the hang of it as they played. However, the change in game-play at the beginning of the haunt threw her for a loop. She and Petunia tried to thwart Zeta, but Lily didn't strategize well, and Zeta won.

"Let's play again," Zeta suggested. "It will be easier now that you have an idea of what to do."

They played again, and this time Lily was the traitor. She collected powerful weapons and soon finished off the rabbits' characters.

Lily read her ending blurb amusedly then grinned at the rabbits. "Seems like you weren't much of a match for me this time," she teased.

Zeta picked Lily up off of the table and held her in front of her face with a smile. "I guess not. Did you have fun?"

Lily nodded.

"Good. We'll have more fun tomorrow. Let's get ready for bed."

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Lily asked. It occurred to her that the rabbits might have gotten her a cage to sleep in, and she didn't find the idea a comforting one. She didn't think she'd like being in a cage.

"You'll sleep with us unless you'd rather we find somewhere else for you to sleep," Zeta replied.

"Er, no that's fine," Lily replied embarrassedly. She hadn't considered sharing the couple's bed.

"It'll be nice and cozy!" Petunia declared. "We can cuddle. I'd like to hold you!"

Lily smiled at the lop shyly, "That sounds nice."

"First, I need a shower though. Dibs on the first turn!" Petunia interjected.

Zeta eyed her slyly, "Does that mean I can't join you?"

"I don't want Lily to be lonely," Petunia stated worriedly.

"We won't be that long," Zeta returned lewdly.

Lily and Petunia both blushed, but Petunia recovered quickly, "Well, I guess if you're that desperate," she sallied.

Zeta didn't miss a beat, "Maybe I am." She smiled at Lily teasingly, "You'll be fine on your own, won't you, kitty?"

"Erm, yeah," Lily answered embarrassedly.

They proceeded up the stairs, and Petunia headed to the bathroom. Zeta took Lily into the bedroom across the hall and set her on the bed before extracting a sizable translucent pink dildo from the bedside stand. The mottled black and white rabbit winked at Lily as she left the room causing Lily to blush again. Before long, Lily could hear squeaks and moans over the streaming shower. Not knowing what to do with herself, she sat where Zeta had left her, listening to the rabbits' shower sex. It embarrassed Lily to be so intimately aware of what the rabbits were doing. She wondered why they hadn't been more discreet about it until she realized that perhaps they didn't feel they needed to be embarrassed by what their pet might know or see. This thought caused Lily's ears to warm once more. Zeta and Petunia were kind and seemed to respect her as a person, but at the same time, she was theirs, completely and unequivocally. You didn't concern yourself about what your toys witnessed.

After a while, Lily heard the shower turn off and then the blow dryer running. The rabbits, their fur fluffed up from the blower, soon filed into the bedroom. Zeta replaced the toy, and Petunia scooped Lily up, nuzzling her head as if nothing embarrassing had occurred. And perhaps nothing had. Lily relaxed in the lop's arms and breathed her warm, sweet scent. This was where she belonged. She didn't mind being a toy.

The rabbits read in bed for a while. Petunia held her book so that Lily could also read it from her lap. Lily read for a while but didn't find the story interesting and curled up on the rabbit's soft thighs instead.

When they were done reading, the rabbits turned off their reading lights and slid down under the blankets. Petunia turned onto her side and lifted Lily up to her chest, tucking Lily's head under her jaw. She gently held Lily close with one hand on Lily's chest. Lily wrapped her arms around the rabbit's enormous hand and hugged it to her. The blankets pulled up to Petunia's head, Lily was washed in the rabbit's warmth and scent though she had plenty of fresh air from the open end of the blankets. Zeta wriggled close and nuzzled her nose with Petunia's. Her arm pushed up the covers as she lifted a hand to stroke Petunia's face.

"I love you, Honey Bun," Zeta murmured. "I'm so glad you're happy with our kitty."

Petunia gave Lily a little squeeze, "She's a good kitty. I love you too, Sweetie Pie."

Zeta petted Lily's head, "She is. I know we'll all be happy together. I'm glad we could live to see a world like this where everyone can live in peace. I think our kitty and the other predators see this is better too."

"Mmhm," Petunia agreed sleepily. "She's a good kitty."

"And you're a wonderful kitty-owner," Zeta whispered. "I know you've helped her feel safe and comfortable being ours."

Petunia didn't reply; Lily could hear her breathing gently. Zeta sighed happily, and soon she was also asleep. Lily listened to the rabbits sleeping peacefully for a little while before closing her eyes. She never would have imagined a life like this, but Zeta was right: she felt safe and comfortable, and she was glad that kind souls like her new owners didn't have to live in fear anymore. It was a strange new world, but Lily had much more hope than she'd had since this whole thing had begun. They really could live in peace. She hadn't thought it was possible before, but now she saw that prey had compassion for their former predators. Even if she and people like her had to be pets, they would be cared for, maybe even loved. Snuggled close with her bunny owners and wrapped in their wonderful scent, Lily soon drifted into contented slumber.

* * *

After breakfast the next day, Zeta brought a laptop to the table. "What's your last name, Lily?" she inquired.

"Schulz, why?" Lily returned curiously.

"Can you spell that?"

"S-C-H-U-L-Z."

Zeta typed on the laptop. "Is your first name with a double L?"

"No."

Zeta continued typing.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked.

"I'm just registering you as our pet," Zeta answered. "We know we have pretty much everyone now, but it also lets other people find you, like the prey who have your family. You have family, don't you?"

Lily nodded, "My parents and two littermates."

"Why don't we look them up?" Zeta suggested cheerfully. "What are your littermates' names?"

"Elsbeth and Jacob."

Zeta typed and clicked. "It looks like Elsbeth is with a chipmunk family in a town not far from here." She typed and clicked again. "Huh, it looks like your brother in with some rats in France."

"I think he did say something about going on vacation, actually," Lily replied awkwardly. "I hope he's okay."

"I'm sure he's fine," Zeta soothed. "It might be hard to visit him though."

"What about my parents?" Lily asked anxiously.

"What are their names?"

"James and Marie."

Zeta typed and clicked. She smiled, "They're together. With a, um, hang on." She clicked. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong?!" Lily yelped. "Are they okay?!"

"Erm, well, they're probably okay. It's just that, um, it says they're with a mouse, but that's their third owner since the raid. It's not usual for predators to change owners so many times. There could be trouble. Do you think they're having trouble adjusting?"

"They might be," Lily replied worriedly. Were her parents not able to get along with the prey who had captured them? Were they being treated cruelly?! What can I do?!

"We should look into it," Zeta decided. "I have to work this morning, but when I get back this afternoon, we'll go visit this mouse and check in on them."

"W-we can do that?" Lily asked in surprise.

Zeta smiled, "Sure we can. They're your parents after all. We would have taken you to see them eventually."

Lily nodded, feeling a bit relieved but still worried. "I hope they're okay."

Petunia, whose lap she was sitting on, petted her head, "We'll make sure they are, Lily."

Zeta left to work in the communal garden, and Petunia and Lily spent some time cleaning the house. Rather, Petunia started cleaning and only gave Lily a microfiber cloth to dust the baseboards when Lily requested to help. Lily felt like she ought to help out how she could. These rabbits were taking care of her, and even if she was small and easy to feed as Zeta had said, Lily didn't want to be a burden to the kind rabbits.

"I could help out in the garden too," Lily offered as they worked. "I'm bigger than some prey; there must be something I could do."

Petunia glanced at her from across the room, "I don't think that would be appropriate, kitty. Thank you for the offer though."

"Why not?" Lily asked confusedly.

"Well, just think how it would look. You working while I held you on a leash? How would anyone know I wasn't forcing you to work?"

"I'd tell them if they asked," Lily answered, not understanding the issue. She couldn't help out just because someone might have a misunderstanding?

Petunia shook her head, "You belong to us, Lily, but you're meant to be our pet, someone we take care of. If you belonged to us and worked for our benefit, you'd be more like a slave. We don't want predators to be slaves. I wouldn't want to normalize something that might lead to that. I get that you want to help out, but I don't want you to feel obligated to."

"I get what you mean. I don't want us to be slaves either, but you've been so kind to me, I feel like I ought to help somehow."

"The only repayment we ask for is for you to keep being our sweet little kitty. You don't need to do anything else. Even dusting." She looked at Lily, who was still wiping down the baseboards.

"I want to," Lily replied. "I get what you're saying, but I still want to help. I don't feel like a slave. You said we could be friends; I want to help my friends out, even if I'm also their pet."

Petunia smiled softly, "Alright then, Lily, just so we're clear that you're helping out around the house as a friend and not because you owe use for taking care of you. That's our responsibility, or we shouldn't have a pet at all. And you still can't help in public."

"Alright," Lily agreed. She went back to dusting, but after a couple minutes she added, "I really am grateful for how kind you've been to me. I hope my parents aren't having trouble because their prey aren't as kind."

"If they're being mistreated we'll take them home with us," Petunia soothed.

"Can we?" Lily asked.

"Of course. No one who mistreats their predator should be allowed to keep them. I don't suspect that's the case though. We'll find out why they've changed owners twice already."

At last, Zeta returned. Petunia clipped Lily's leash to her pink collar, and they began the walk across town. Lily was glad they didn't see anyone she knew on the way; she didn't want to be delayed. She tried not to worry too much, but she couldn't shake the idea of her parents being abused by their prey owners. It was a long walk at her size, and Petunia picked Lily up to carry her before they got there. The mouse, it turned out, still lived in a burrow in the forest. Lily supposed none of the predator homes were small enough for the tiny rodent. She wondered how small her parents were.

When they arrived, Zeta crouched on all fours to call softly into the burrow, "Hello? Are you home in there?"

After a minute, the mouse furtively poked their head out, "Yes?" They eyed Lily nervously though Petunia and she were standing back from the burrow so as not to startle them.

"Hi," Zeta greeted cheerfully. "I'm Zeta and this is my partner Petunia and our kitty Lily. I understand you're keeping Lily's parents, James and Marie? She'd like to visit them if that's alright."

"I, um, I suppose she can," the mouse replied hesitantly. She gazed up at Lily anxiously for a moment.

"We'll make her smaller, of course," Zeta added.

Lily started in surprise, "Huh? You didn't say that!" she meowed worriedly. "I-I don't think I want to be smaller! I like this size!"

"It's reversible," Zeta calmed her. "Actually, we could make you our size or even your old size anytime we wanted."

"Oh, right, I remember," Lily replied in relief. That was right; the tom had said he'd been a pet for years, but when they'd met, he'd been normal size.

"M-my name is Cynthia, by the way," the mouse squeaked. "Do, um, do you think you could talk to them, Lily? Your parents, I mean. It seems like you're used to being Petunia and, um, sorry, what was your name?"

"Zeta," Zeta answered.

"Right, you seem like you're okay being Petunia and Zeta's pet, Lily."

"They've been very kind to me," Lily replied matter-of-factly. She tried to gauge the mouse's response.

The mouse smiled nervously, "I-I'm sure they have. I, um, I've tried my best too, with your parents, I mean. I've tried to make them comfortable, but, well, you'll see. Nothing I've done has worked."

Lily's belly churned with worry. It sounded like her parents were indeed having trouble. This mouse seemed worried; was that because she'd mistreated them or for some other reason? "I'll talk to them," Lily replied.

Zeta removed her shrink ray gun from the satchel she was carrying, adjusted the settings, and pointed it at Lily. "We'll be right outside," she reassured.

Lily nodded. She kind of wished the rabbits were coming in with her, but she knew they wouldn't fit at their size. They could have shrunk one of them too, but Lily didn't suggest it. The beam hit her, and she felt herself slowly falling. She stopped, and toppled onto her butt. The mouse, now as large as the rabbits had been scooped her up. Lily glanced at her nervously and then at the mountainous rabbits. If anything happens, they'll get me out, Lily reassured herself. Then the mouse carried her into the dark tunnel.

Lily was surprised to find that the door at the end of the tunnel led to a fully furnished room with floors, walls, and ceiling made of beech bark. The mouse carried her to another door off the main room.

"I have to keep them in here," she explained apologetically. "They, um, well, you'll see."

The door opened out, and in the doorframe, just on the other side, was a gate like Lily had seen used for kittens. A streak of tan and black-spotted fur rushed the gate, and Lily's mother swiped at the mouse with a snarl of rage. The mouse leapt back.

"Mom!" Lily cried in distress. She'd never seen her mother like this; she looked like a rabid beast! "It's me, Lily! I came to see you!"

Her mother started and looked up at Lily in disbelief, "Lily?" Her face became a mask of horror, "Oh Zeus! They got you too!" she cried.

"I'm alright, Mom!" Lily mewed. She looked up at the mouse. "Put me in with them. I'll talk to them."

The mouse nodded, quickly dropped Lily over the gate, and hopped back. Lily landed on all fours, stood up and fixed her fur, then looked around the room. "Where's Dad?" she asked her mother.

"James! Come out! They caught Lily!" her mother cried. "Your daughter needs you!"

A lump of blankets in a sideways cardboard box stirred. Slowly, Lily's father emerged. He looked at her for a minute then trudged across the room sadly. Lily was shocked by his appearance. He was disheveled; he looked defeated. He was nothing like to fierce father she'd remembered! Lily ran and hugged him tightly.

"I'm here, Dad! Are you okay? They haven't hurt you have they?" she whispered furtively.

"We're alright, Sweetie," he murmured sadly. "For what it's worth. What's it like outside? The, they tell us it's all prey now. Predators are all like us. I'd hoped you'd escaped at least, Lily." He petted her head sadly, "My poor girl."

"I'm alright, Dad. My, um, the rabbits I'm with have been very kind to me. We saw in your records that this is the third prey you've been with. Is something the matter? They haven't hurt you?"

Lily's father slowly shook his head, but her mother spat in disgust, "They all think we're going to be obedient little toys for them!" she hissed. "Well, we showed them what we thought of that! I gave that stupid squirrel a bite he'll remember, and the groundhog probably still has a patch of fur missing!"

Lily frowned, "Did they do anything to hurt you?"

"Aside from trying to soak us and take off our claws? I wasn't going to let them do more!" her mother returned stridently.

"Your mother's been trying," her father murmured despondently. "But it's pointless. This is it. It's over."

"It's not so bad," Lily soothed. "Actually, you, um, you should try cooperating instead of fighting. It doesn't sound like any of your prey wanted to hurt you. If you cooperate, they'll treat you kindly. It isn't bad. My rabbits are very kind to me. I let them give me a bath and trim my claws. They haven't hurt me. They like predators. They want us to be happy too."

Her father looked at her in disbelief, "What do you mean, Lily? Your claws?"

Lily showed him the blunt nubs on her fingers, "It didn't hurt. It made me a little anxious, but I know now that I can trust them."

"You've been brainwashed!" her mother yowled in horror. "What did they do to you, Lily?! How long have they had you?"

"They haven't done anything but show me kindness," Lily replied calmly. "And, um, they actually only caught me yesterday. I was down my bunker before then, but, um, I ran out of food."

"Were you that hungry?" her mother yowled. "How could you trust them?! They're prey, our enemies!"

"They aren't our enemies," Lily rejoined. "I remember what you taught me, but it wasn't right. You said prey would kill us like we killed them if they had the upper hand, but they're completely in control now, and none of us are dead. I've seen lots of predators; none of them looked scared or injured. I know it's strange, but it's not that hard to get used to."

"You want us to roll over! To be a mouse's plaything!" her mother accused furiously.

"I-I'm sure Cynthia will treat you well," Lily stammered, unprepared for her mother's anger to be directed at her. "I know it's strange, and it, um, it can sound demeaning. But it isn't really. My rabbits treat me like a person. They want us all to live in peace, and this is just how it has to be."

Lily's mother shook her head, "You're a fool, Lily. I don't know how they've gotten to you so quickly. Maybe you really were starving. Prey are our enemies. They enjoy tormenting us by making us be their toys. They don't care anything about peace. There can never be peace!"

"Listen to you mother, Sweetie," her father murmured. "We don't have much, but we at least have to hold onto our dignity."

Lily turned away and marched back toward the gate with purpose. "Pick me up!" she demanded.

The mouse eyed her nervously, cracked open the gate so that Lily could slip out, and quickly closed it. Uncertainly, she picked Lily up.

"Pet me!"

The mouse looked at her questioningly for a moment, then supported her on one shoulder with a hand under her rear and began to stroke her back. She seemed hesitant at first, but gradually, she became more comfortable, stroking Lily from head to tail. Lily also relaxed, enjoying the soothing sensation. She began to purr contentedly.

"Aww, what a cutie pie," the mouse cooed. "That's a good kitty. You like that, don't you?"

Lily purred more loudly in reply.

The mouse nuzzled her ear, "I wish I could keep you, but I guess I'll have to return you to your owners. Thank you for trying, Lily."

"I'm not done. You can put me back in with my parents," Lily told her.

The mouse opened the gate and gently set Lily inside.

Lily sauntered over to her parents and grinned, "See? It's easy. They want to take care of us. All you have to do is cooperate and let them hold you. It's actually pretty nice."

Her mother scoffed, "That was the most demeaning thing I've ever witnessed! Letting that rodent handle you! Disgraceful!"

However, her father looked at her uncertainly, "You're sure it's safe, Lily?"

"I'm sure it is, and I'll be back to check on you again soon. You don't have to be afraid, Dad. Let Cynthia take care of you. I'm sure she'll do her best."

The mouse smiled hopefully.

Her father gazed into Lily's eyes for a moment, "If you say it's safe, Lily, then I'll trust you."

Lily took his hand, "Why don't we go meet Cynthia properly then, without any teeth or claws."

He nodded, and Lily led him over to the gate. Cynthia opened it to let them out. Lily's mother stayed back, watching suspiciously.

The mouse crouched down on her haunches, "Hello, James, I'm Cynthia. I promise to take good care of you if you'll let me. I'm sorry it's been so hard for you up to now. May I pick you up?"

Lily's father eyed the enormous mouse nervously but nodded. Cynthia lifted him under the arms and propped him on her shoulder. She stood and began to stroke him as she had Lily. Gradually, Lily could see him relax under the mouse's gentle ministrations.

"Try rubbing his cheek," Lily suggested.

The mouse did so, and soon, Lily's father began to purr.

"I think he likes it!" the mouse whispered in an excited squeak.

Lily smiled, "I think he'll see everything's alright now, and Mom will probably come over sooner or later."

"Thank you for your help, Lily! Let me take you back to your owners."

"If you open the door I can get there. Give Dad some attention for a while. He needs it."

The mouse nodded. The stepped back out into the main room, and the mouse turned to shut the door.

"Wait!" Lily's mother cried. "Don't take him! I'll do anything!"

"I'm not going to hurt him," Cynthia soothed. "But if you'll be a good kitty, you can come out too so that you won't be alone."

Lily's mother hesitated for a few seconds and then nodded, "I'll behave, just don't take James from me."

"He's not going anywhere. Come on," the mouse replied gently, opening the gate.

Lily's mother hurried through and followed them into the main room. She kept an anxious eye on her husband. The mouse let Lily out the door to the outside.

"Come by anytime you like, Lily! It was nice to meet you!"

"It was nice to meet you too! See you!" Lily called back. She bounded up the tunnel and back out to the rabbits, who were waiting anxiously.

"Lily! You're alright!" Petunia cried in relief.

"How did it go?" Zeta asked.

"Everything is going to be fine now," Lily replied. "They were afraid, but they'll see there's nothing to be afraid of."

Zeta grinned, "I knew you could help, kitty. Let's make you bigger again so that we don't accidentally squish you."

She pointed the shrink ray at Lily and the golden beam shot out. The colossal rabbits got smaller but remained giants.

Zeta scooped Lily up. "Let's go home, kitty!"

Lily rubbed her cheek against Zeta's neck and purred.