Prince stepped out of the store, the cool night air brushing against his face as he pulled his hood down. The city lights flickered around him, and he made his way toward a nearby park, settling onto a bench. His gaze drifted ahead, landing on a large building illuminated by streetlights—Department of Mammal Vehicles.
A strange sense of familiarity washed over him. He furrowed his brows. Why does this place feel like I've been here before? His mind searched for an answer, but before he could piece together his thoughts, a noise to his right caught his attention.
He turned his head and saw three bears walking along the sidewalk, chatting amongst themselves. A brown bear, lively and energetic, was speaking animatedly, while a panda bear, more reserved but expressive, listened intently. The third, a white bear, walked silently, occasionally grunting in response.
"I'm telling you, Pan Pan, the Rising Star Show is getting bigger! We should totally sign up next season!" the brown bear, Grizz, declared excitedly.
"Grizz, come on. Do you really think we have what it takes?" Panda asked, shifting his phone between his paws. "Besides, performing in front of a live audience? That's so nerve-wracking."
"Panda, you got the cutest voice ever! You'd be a hit!" Grizz reassured him.
"Ice Bear… agrees," the white bear, Ice Bear, said in his usual monotone, giving a small nod.
As they passed Prince, Ice Bear suddenly stopped, tapping both Grizz and Panda. Without any hesitation, he pointed directly at Prince and said in his signature flat voice, "Prince."
Grizz and Panda blinked, following Ice Bear's gaze.
"Wait, Prince? As in Prince! The contestant from the Rising Star Show!?" Panda gasped, clutching his phone.
"No way! Dude, we're huge fans!" Grizz added enthusiastically.
Prince chuckled at their excitement and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."
Without hesitation, Panda held up his phone. "C-Can we get an autograph? Maybe a selfie?"
"Of course," Prince said, taking their notepad and signing for them.
Grizz beamed. "Man, you're so cool! That last performance was sick! You totally deserve to be in the finals."
Panda, still in awe, quickly positioned himself beside Prince while Grizz did the same. "Okay, selfie time!"
As the three posed, Prince smiled at the camera, the flash briefly illuminating the dark surroundings.
But just as they finished taking the picture, Prince's eyes caught movement near the Department of Mammal Vehicles. Two figures were stepping out of the building—a fox and a bunny, engaged in conversation. The streetlamp cast a glow over them, making their features unmistakable.
His eyes widened.
"Judy and… Nick?!" he muttered, his voice laced with suspicion.
The fox's ear twitched, and the bunny's head turned slightly at the sound of their names. For a split second, Nick's green eyes locked onto Prince's. A smirk tugged at the corner of the fox's mouth.
Nick instantly raised a paw, waving casually.
"Well, well, look who it is!" Nick called out with that familiar smug grin.
Prince, though surprised, offered a slight smile and raised his hand in return, waving back.
Judy Hopps, standing beside Nick, blinked and turned to follow his line of sight. Her eyes landed on the hoodless figure seated on the bench.
"Wait a second… isn't that—" she started.
Nick leaned in slightly, still grinning. "That's my friend, a superstar."
Judy's ears perked up as she studied Prince for a moment longer. "Huh… didn't expect to see him here."
Meanwhile, Prince had just finished signing Grizz's notepad.
"There you go," he said politely, handing the notepad back.
"Thanks, man! You're awesome!" Grizz beamed.
"Yeah, good luck in the next round!" Panda added as the bears started walking off, still buzzing with excitement.
As soon as they left, a translucent blue interface flickered into view in front of Prince—a system notification:
[Congratulations, host! You have succeeded in the side mission: Sign an autograph. All your stats have now been upgraded. Your current stats are:
Singing level: Basic Grade 10
Instrumental Mastery
Guitar- Basic Grade 6]
Prince blinked and smile seeing his singing level went up.
He then dismissed the screen with a casual swipe and stood up, heading toward the fox and bunny. He stopped a few steps from them and offered a relaxed smile.
"Hey, Nick. Judy."
Judy turned and smiled back politely. "Hi there. Didn't expect to see you out here at night."
"Neither did I," Prince replied, then shifted his attention to Nick. "What brings you two here?"
Nick immediately puffed up with mock pride and tapped the little plastic badge sticker on his chest with two fingers.
"Oh, you know... just doing my duty as a full-fledged police officer." He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically. "—you know I've gone legit."
Prince raised a brow, half-amused. "With a sticker badge?"
"It's vintage," Nick said with mock-seriousness. "Limited edition. Very exclusive."
Judy rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Yeah right."
Then, in one swift motion, she grabbed Nick by the scruff of his collar. "Anyway, we've got a thing to do. Official business. Real police work."
She glanced at Prince. "It was great seeing you, really. But we have to go now. Bye-bye!"
Nick was half-dragged backward by Judy, but he turned his head to look back at Prince. With a grin, he made a dramatic throat-slashing gesture with his paw—clearly a joke, though laced with his usual sarcasm.
Prince blinked at the strange farewell, raising a hand in an awkward wave.
"Uh… goodbye?" he muttered.
As Nick was tugged further down the street, his voice echoed faintly in the distance: "I'm being oppressed!"
Judy's firm, "Keep walking!" followed immediately after.
Prince let out a small chuckle under his breath, then sat back on the bench, staring up at the sky.
That was weird. Entertaining, but weird.
________
Prince didn't get a wink of sleep that night. He returned to the hotel around midnight, and yet his mind refused to rest.
He spent hours tweaking his song's lyrics, ultimately deciding to keep most of the original version from his past life—just with a few personal adjustments.
His alarm buzzed.
He groaned, turning over in bed. He didn't feel like getting up.
A hand patted his shoulder. "Time to get up."
Prince cracked one eye open to see Bryce smiling down at him.
With a deep sigh, Prince sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I know, I know…" he muttered.
Dragging himself out of bed, he grabbed his things and went to the bathroom to freshen up. After a quick wash, he quietly left the room.
---
"Good morning, brother!" CJ greeted loudly as he wrapped an arm around Prince's neck in a headlock.
Prince yawned. "Morning…"
CJ grinned. "You definitely stayed out late last night."
"Yeah," Prince admitted, adjusting his hoodie. "By the way, the thing you two wanted last night it's on the desk."
"Oh, sweet! Thanks, man," CJ said before clapping his hands. "Alright, let's warm up and get to work!"
The room filled with the sounds of light vocal exercises. Bryce led them through scales, making sure their voices were properly warmed up. Rocky ran through harmonization drills while CJ and Prince practiced their rap flows.
As they moved to choreography, the group's dynamic kicked in. They rehearsed their routine over and over, fine-tuning each move, adjusting their spacing, making sure their timing was tight.
Sweat dripped from their brows as they pushed through the routine. Bryce called for a break, and the members collapsed onto the floor, catching their breath.
Prince wiped his forehead, glancing at Rocky. "You still struggling with that transition?"
Rocky groaned. "Man, this footwork is killing me."
Cj smirked. "Alright, let's slow it down." He got up, motioning for Rocky to follow. "Try it step by step."
Prince watched as Rocky repeated the movements under Cj's guidance, gradually improving. Seeing this, he nodded in approval.
Before they could continue, the door suddenly burst open.
A staff member rushed inside, panting.
"The mentors are here!" they announced.
Silence filled the room.
CJ blinked. "Wait. Now?!"
The staff member nodded frantically.
Rocky exhaled sharply. "No pressure, huh?"
Prince rolled his shoulders and smirked. "Well, guess it's showtime."