“How long have I been out?” Kori muttered as he awoke to a hum. He lifted his head slightly and found that he was still laying on the couch. “And why do I feel so warm?”
“You’re awake. Are you feeling okay?” Fluttershy asked as she walked around the room, feeding the many animals within.
“No. Feel funny.” Kori moaned, as he felt his body resisting him from standing. “How long?”
“About a day... y-you cry in your sleep. Kept saying ‘sorry’ and other stuff.” Fluttershy whispered, not sure how her guest would react.
“It some dreams. Nothing to worry. One week one day?”
“What?”
“I hear you before sleep. Something about ‘princesses meeting me’.”
“Oh yeah. They just wanna see what you are and make sure you’re not a threat. That shouldn’t be a problem though, should it?”
“If they know about my kind, could be problem. How make me look good?” Kori asked trying to sit up and look at her.
“What? Oh, you want us to make you look good? Well, Applejack is really liked, I’m sure that she would like to help you.”Fluttershy said with a nod, looking Kori over. “You look starving. Wait here while I get you something to eat.” Fluttershy instructed, curiously looking back at Kori before she went to the kitchen.
“Sure.” Kori groaned, looking around the room.
The birdhouses hanging from the ceiling showed where the quiet hum was coming from, and as he watched a few birds poked out of their homes to investigate the new presence who watched with equal curiosity. He looked down the blanket that still covered most of him just in time to see a flash of grey run up it.
“Crap!” Kori exclaimed as it came towards his face only to be a bold squirrel looking curiously at the new figure. “What kinda hello was that? You scared me, I almost bit you in half!”
“Are you okay in there?” Fluttershy asked, looking back into the room to find Kori staring down at the squirrel .
“Who this?” Kori whispered, gesturing his nose towards the squirrel.
“He doesn’t have a name. I don’t give them names so if they get an owner they can name them. He’s a little cutie isn’t he?” She answered as she searched her kitchen.
“Cute, yes. Smart, not really. Lets say the last to touch my nose didn’t walk away.” Kori stated the image of the assailant rushing through his mind, before Fluttershy brought him out of the trance by bumping his nose.
“Boop.” She giggled as she pulled her hoof back from his nose resulting in him sneezing at the touch.
“Don’t do that. I don’t like being touched.” Kori muttered, not noticing he had again gone back to his own language.
“So Kori. Are you hungry?”
“No.” Kori uttered to have his stomach betray him with a loud growl. “Maybe...”
“Well I guess its a good thing that I have some soup ready, i-if you want some that is.” Fluttershy offered, looking around her cottage to avoid looking at Kori.
“Anything do. It been awhile since I ate.” Kori muttered.
“Its nothing much, just some vegetable soup.” Fluttershy hummed as she walked into her kitchen and returned with a bowl on her wing. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Kori muttered as he hesitantly sipped the contents. Fluttershy sat uncomfortably close to him as he ate. “What?”
“I’m just making sure that you’re okay.” Fluttershy whispered almost to herself as she Leaned closer looking Kori right in the eyes, never blinking.
“What are you-” Kori began but froze in terror as Fluttershy rested the side of her hoof on Kori’s head.“S-Sorry.” Fluttershy squeaked as she backed away, seeing Kori was wearing a look of pure shock. “I-I had to check your temperature.... Thanks for not clawing me.”
“Why would I claw you? You haven’t done anything to hurt me. At least nothing that didn’t help me more than hurt me.” Kori groaned, pulling on one of the stained bandages binding his chest.
“Careful now. You have to keep those on if you want to get better.” Fluttershy warned as she saw Kori fighting with his bandages.
“Oh, come on. Looks like I’m gonna be stuck with these for a while. What owe you?”
“Owe me? Why would you owe me anything?”
“The help.” I don’t know how I would pay her but I don’t want her knowing that.
“Oh no. You don’t owe me anything. I’m just glad that I was able to help.”
This can’t be good. She has me right here and she doesn’t want anything? “Nothing?”
“Nothing. Well-” Fluttershy stammered.
“Well what?”
“Well, there’s a few ponies around town who would like to meet you.”
“I’m gonna look like a pet if I go walking around town with her.” Kori breathed, taking another look around the cottage. “Doesn’t look like that’s very far off from how I probably am right now.”
“Plus you might even make a few friends.” Fluttershy beamed ,walking to her bags.
“Why would I make friends?”
“So that you can have somepony in case you ever feel lonely.” Fluttershy giggled.
“Lonely? Think I lonely?”
“I-I never said you were lonely. I was just saying that if you ever felt lonely-”
“I no need friends. I don’t need a pony breathing down my back every second either, but I don’t have much choice there.” Kori muttered under his breath, sliding onto the floor with a thump.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel alone.”
“No matter. Soon as ‘princesses’ see me, I’ll be forced to leave.” Kori spat, pushing from the couch with his hind legs.
“I don’t think that Celestia would do something like that. She would do everything she could to keep all her subjects happy.”
“I am no subject. I die before serve royal.” Kori spat, lifting himself off the ground to walk to the chair across the room.
“You don’t serve her. Its just to say that she is the princess and she loves us.” Fluttershy explained, standing to walk over to Kori who was now in the chair.
“The day I submit to royals, is the day that all I have is lost.” Kori groaned rolling in the chair to keep his back to the pegasus as she approached him. “I’ve lost enough,”
“I’m sorry Kori. How about I this? I know that Applejack would like to meet you, and I’m sure that once you have a few more friends that you’ll cheer up.” Fluttershy reassured the angry fox, resting her hoof on Kori’s back.
“This should be fun.” Came the sigh as Kori flicked Fluttershy’s hoof away and looked over at her. “When?”
“Y-You actually want to go? Oh, well whenever you feel better. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’ve fought with worse stuff than I have right now. I’m fine. Can we get this done?” Kori moaned as he turned to slide off the chair only to see Fluttershy in his way.
“Now before you rush off, you really must have some more to eat. It’s not healthy being as skinny as you are.” Fluttershy stated, laying a blanket across Kori before he got a chance to stand. “Oh, by the way, the squirrel is still on your back.”
--------------氷狐--------------
“I can’t believe that a Timberwolf went into town! And that Fluttershy is takin’ care of it!” Applebloom blustered, a loud thump of hooves on wood being the only sound as she passed her sister.
“It wasn’t a Timberwolf. I’m not sure what it was, but it wasn’t a Timberwolf.” Applejack repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Now are you gonna help so we can get this done before winter?”
“How do you know? Fluttershy is in her cottage with that, thing!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, ignoring her sisters question. She instead found herself looking down the path to town only to see the pegasus in question walking towards them.
“Timberwolf!” Came the shriek, as Applebloom ran off into the trees.
“Well howdy there! Whatcha up to?” Applejack called out to her friend. “Oh.”
“What?” Kori muttered noticing the shock in the mare’s face as she spotted him. “Do I look scary?”
“Not at all. Applejack, this is Kori. Kori this is my friend, Applejack.” Fluttershy stated, nudging Kori towards her friend.
“Well, howdy Kori. Nice to meet ya.” Applejack exclaimed hesitantly, extending her hoof towards Kori.
“Hi.” Came the response as Kori dropped his head, draping his tail over his face as he did.
“Why’s your head down?”
“Umm. It kinda, stuck. I’ll just crick it back, and..... Bad idea.”
“Oh my. Do you need help?” Fluttershy exclaimed, walking to Kori’s side.
“No. I just-” Kori groaned trying to twist his neck in any way he could. “Umm.”
“Are you sure you don’t need help? It’s really no trouble at all.”
“Oh this is gonna hurt.” Came the muffled response as Kori quickly took his paw and cranked his neck to the side resulting in a loud pop. “That could have been worse.”
“Oh my. What happened to your neck? Did you hurt it somehow?” Fluttershy said, moving to look at his neck.
“No. I will be fine.” Came the quiet response as Kori looked back up to Applejack. “Anyways.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fine!” Kori barked, then retreated behind his tail at the hostile glare from Applejack.
“So what can I help you two with?” Applejack offered looking to her friend past Kori.
“Well, Kori here has been feeling kinda lonely. I thought that if he got a few more friends he wouldn’t feel so lonely.”
“No privacy of how I feel here?” Kori whispered to himself as Applejack looked over at him. “I guess not.”
“That makes sense. We’re about to have some lunch. Would you two like to join?” Applejack offered after some time.
“That sounds nice. How does that sound to you, Kori?”
“Not hungry.” Kori growled only to have his stomach let out a low growl of its own. “You little.... Sound ok.”
“Than it looks like we have guests. And knowing Rainbow she’ll probably come over.” Applejack exclaimed turning to walk to the house. “Ya’ll coming?”
“Kori? Are you coming?” Fluttershy giggled, bumping Kori on the nose grabbing his attention.
“Hmm? Oh. Yeah. I thought that I saw something over there.” Kori whispered knowing they couldn’t understand him as he followed.
“So Kori. Sorry about knocking you down when you first got here. I didn’t know what ya were doin.” Came the apology as Applejack walked with them to the house, never letting Kori from her sight as she did.
“Hmm? You knocked me down? When?” Kori groaned, one of his legs twitching with each step.
“When ya came into town. Ya don’t remember? It was only two days ago.”
“I don’t remember the last week. I was, walking. That all I know.”
“Well you were walking right to a place that I didn’t trust you at. I tried ta bump so you would walk past and ya just fell over.” Applejack explained putting a bit of space between her and Kori.
“You had reason. No harm.”
“Why do ya keep twitching yer leg? No offence but it’s a bit, uh, distracting.” Applejack asked, looking back at Kori’s leg that yet again twitched as it moved.
“It itches. The... What that called?” Kori said gesturing to the wooden splint on his leg.
“A splint?” Fluttershy answered looking at the object in question.
“Yes. It rubbing leg each step.”
“I’m sorry. But you have to keep them both on if you want your legs to heal properly.”
“Fine.... What was that?” Kori exclaimed looking over at the trees to their right.
“What was what? I don’t see anything. The only thing different here is, well, you.” Applejack muttered to herself not realizing that Kori could hear her.
“I keep seeing something. Don’t know what is though.”
“Ya sure that you’re seeing somethin’? No offence, but how do ya see through all that fur anyway?”
“I know I saw something. Something moving in the trees.” Kori groaned, swiping some of his fur from his face. watching the trees for any sign of movement.
“What was that? I couldn’t understand that last one.... So Fluttershy, how are things going for you?”
“Things are good. Mr. Beverton caused a little trouble a few days ago but nothing much.” Fluttershy responded, watching Kori as he stared towards the trees. “Are you okay Kori?”
“It’s a Timberwolf!” Came the scream as an old green mare lunged at Kori a frying pan in mouth. “Get back to the forest ya monster!”
“Wait!” Kori exclaimed stepping back to dodge a swing from the pan. I can’t fight back. I can’t afford to make myself look any worse.
“Woah, Nelly. Hold on now Granny.” Applejack bellowed stopping the old mare from swinging again.
“Do I look like a Timberwolf?” Kori exclaimed keeping himself as far from the old mare as he could.
“Yes.” Applejack answered bluntly. “Now Granny, this is Kori. He is coming over for lunch.” Applejack explained gesturing at the fox behind her. “Kori this is Granny Smith. Do treat her with some respect.”
“Of course. I always treat someone who attacks me out of nowhere with respect.” Kori groaned looking back to the trees to catch a glimpse of a red mane going behind a tree.
Granny Smith looked up at the tan pony, a fire in her eyes. “I’m not gonna trust to have a... a... Timberwolf in my home! It’s a danger to us all and you know it!”
“You could have just said you don’t want me around.” Kori muttered under his breath.
“It’s chanting! The beast is chanting! It is not coming near my home with its crazy moon language! Be gone!”
“What? I’m not chanting.”
“You’re not coming into my house either! And that is that.” Granny Smith bellowed as best she could, stomping her hoof down as she did.
“Granny. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Applejack whispered to the old mare walking to the side with her.
“Well there goes ‘making friends’. I guess that I’ve just got to wait out a week.... What?” Kori whispered to himself noticing that Fluttershy was looking at his neck.
“H-How does it feel?”
“It feels fine.”
“Are you sure? I mean, no offence, but that didn’t sound good when you turned it. Does it hurt if I touch your neck?” Fluttershy asked quickly resting her hoof on the back of Kori’s neck.
“Hey! Two things. One. Don’t touch me. No offence meant, just, don’t.” Kori began hopping back from the hoof. “Two. Slow down. Can’t understand when you talk fast.”
“S-Sorry. Did that hurt? When I touched your neck?”
“No.”
“Oh, that’s good. If you are in a lot of pain, tell me. Okay?”
“If in pain tell you? Really?”
“I want to make sure that you are as happy as you can be. That’s not easy if you are hurt all the time.”
“Sure.” Kori replied looking over at the two mares who were talking about something he couldn’t hear. “So. Applejack and Granny Smith?”
“What about them?”
“That is their names right?”
“Oh. Yes.”
“Is there anyone else that I should know about?” Kori asked looking towards the trees to catch a glimpse of something white leaping behind a tree.
“Well Rainbow Dash will be here. And with her you’ll probably see Scootaloo... Oh and there is Big Mac and Applebloom living here with Applejack.” Fluttershy whispered to Kori, following his gaze to the trees.
“Look out below!” Kori heard moments before a blue pegasus crashed through the trees landing in front of him.
“What in the? A rainbow colored pony just fell from the sky. I must be sick or this is Rainbow.”
“Hey Fluttershy. What are you doing here?” The pegasus exclaimed joyously, but her face fell upon seeing Kori. “What is it doing here?!”
“Great to see that no one is gonna give me a nice greeting. I guess I also shouldn’t expect anyone to like me right away, or ever.”
“What’s that? I can’t understand you. Did it get hit on the head or something?” She joked looking at Kori.
“I’m just not talking like you.” Kori groaned, returning the look from the pegasus.
“Name’s Rainbow Dash.” She said extending a hoof to Kori, much to his surprise. “What’s your name?”
“Kori Kitsune. What’s with your... I don’t know the word.” Kori asked gesturing to the still extended hoof.
“My hoof?”
“Sure. Why it pointed at me?”
“It’s a hoof shake.” Rainbow explained shaking her still extended hoof.
“I will pass. I don’t, touch.” Kori muttered walking past the mare towards the tree line. “I know that I saw something. Now what was it?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re talking funny.” Rainbow asked, walking to stand by Kori following his gaze.
“Are you sure that I talk funny? You talk funny to me. Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“I keep seeing-” Kori began only to have an apple hit him on the nose. “Who threw that?! Oh that smarts. Right on the nose too!”
“Are you okay Kori? Does it hurt?” Fluttershy asked, holding Kori’s snout in her hooves.
“Fluttershy? Touching?”
“O-Oh. Sorry.” Fluttershy whispered, gently letting go of Kori’s nose as soon as she was sure it wasn’t hurt.
“It was just an apple. But who threw it?” Kori groaned focusing his attention back on the trees.
“Is it there?”
“Nope. Still blank.”
“Girls. Now is not the time to be checking for cutie marks. We gotta protect the farm from.... where’d it go?”
“Where’d what go?” Kori whispered, approaching from behind the tree beside the three fillies.
“The... Timberwolf!” The yellow filly screamed as she and the others ran to the path.
“I’m not a Timberwolf.” Kori moaned as he followed them. “This should be interesting.”
“Woah now. What’s got you three scared?” Applejack exclaimed grabbing the fillies as they ran past.
“The Timberwolf!” Came the bellow from the three as they pointed back at Kori.
“I don’t look like a Timberwolf. Why is that the first thing that every last one of these ponies is gonna say when they see me?” Kori muttered as he walked back to the path.
“All I understood was ponies. Are you saying stuff about us that we can’t understand?” Rainbow Dash accused, jabbing her hoof at Kori.
“Yeah. Your language is hard.” Kori replied sitting on the edge of the path as the ponies stood around him.
“What’s that supposed to mean? What is it too ‘hard’ for you to talk like us? I bet that your language is so much easier than ours is.” Rainbow exclaimed, hovering towards Kori.
“Yeah.” Kori replied only to have Rainbow Dash continue heading towards him. “Oh what did I say wrong?”
“Why are you here? Don’t you have some family back where you come from to help?” Granny Smith exclaimed taking her chance to get rid of Kori.
“No. Just me” Came the quiet reply.
“Y-You’re all alone? I’m sorry.” Fluttershy whispered beside Kori.
“Why would you be sorry?” Kori muttered. “I’m fine as ever.”
“I have no idea what he’s saying. Anypony know what he’s saying?” Rainbow Dash said in a joking tone.
“No idea. Why are we trusting it to be around us again?” Scootaloo whimpered from behind Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, don’t worry about him. He won’t be able to do anything bad as long as I’m here.” Rainbow stated confidently, looking back at the scared filly. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Scootaloo replied cheerfully, looking past her ‘big sister’.
“Looks like evrapony is here. How about we go and eat?”
--------------氷狐--------------
“Alrighty. Ya’ll go ahead and sit down and I’ll get the food.” Applejack said, as she walked into her house with the group. “Should I be concerned about him?” She whispered to Fluttershy, pointing a hoof at Kori who was busy looking around.
“I’m sure that Kori won’t do anything bad.” Fluttershy answered with a giggle as Kori looked at some of the many family photos on on the wall.
“Alright. Just remember what Celestia said. He’s still dangerous. Even in this condition.”
“I will.” Fluttershy said, walking over to Kori who was looking at a picture of the Apple family’s reunion.
“Lot of ponies.” Kori muttered glancing around the picture at all the ponies. ”Don’t think I could remember that many.”
“It’s different when it’s your family.” Fluttershy said, sitting at the table with the others.
“Sure.” Kori muttered, sitting with the others.
“So.... How’d you break your arm?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh, um. Well. I fell. From a tree.” Kori giggled, planting his paw on his tail to keep it from covering his face.
The group of ponies went quiet at this, their faces twitching as they withheld their laughs.
“Should have seen it. Was asleep when I fell. Almost landed on my face.” Kori giggled, looking up as he pressed another paw on his tail.
“Alright then.” Applejack exclaimed, walking in with some food for the group. “Who’s hungry?”
“Eeyup.” Came the call from behind Kori as a door closed.
Kori glanced back to see the source of the voice and his entire body shook at the sight of the new pony. Its fur was a deep red and was sporting a split green apple on his flank. The wheat mane and tail were in a shaggy state suggesting that the stallion had been busy working. Yet what held Kori in fear was the size of the stallion. It stood at such a height that it looked to be twice Kori’s size and with enough muscle to throw Kori through a wall.
The stallion looked down at the group and froze at the sight of the bandaged fox. He was in awe at what could put something in a condition that it was covered in bandages and had splints on two of its legs. Yet that was nothing in comparison to the thought of what was strong enough to be conscious in that condition.
“Hi.” Kori whimpered, his tail and ears drooping down submittingly.
“Howdy there. Looks like you came back just in time for some grub.” Applejack called out, setting a few tins on the table. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Nope.” He muttered, sitting at the table next to Kori.
“Big Macintosh, this is Kori. Kori this is my brother, Big Macintosh.” Applejack explained gesturing to the two in turn. “Kori here is going to have lunch with us.”
“Speaking of. What is it?” Kori asked, looking to the tins across the table.
“Apple pie.” Granny Smith called out proudly, walking in with a tin of pie on her own back.
“Pie?” Kori muttered, pondering over the new word. “Never had that.”
“R-Really?” Fluttershy stammered.
“Don’t think so. Didn’t eat much though.”
“Well it’s good that your first slice is going to be from the Apple family themselves.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You don’t get any better than that.”
“Well I ain't much for bragging, but they are some of the best pies in Equestria.” Applejack said, sliding a slice of pie over to Kori.
Well I guess there’s no point in sitting here without trying the food. Kori thought as he half heartedly nibbled on the pie.
“What do ya think?” Applejack asked, drawing Kori’s attention from the pie.
Kori looked up at the mare with a wide grin on his face before taking another bite of the pie. “How did I make it without this?”
“I take it that’s a good thing?” Applejack chuckled, glancing over to Rainbow Dash who tossed a coin to the grinning mare. “Even foxes like apple pie.”
“What you mean by that?” Kori quizzed, taking another bite of the slice as he did.
“Nothin.” Applejack exclaimed quickly. “I’ve really got to get to work.”
“What kind of work?” Kori said, refusing to let her get off that easily.
“I’ve got to harvest the rest of the apples before winter.”
“Do you need any help?”
“Well, some help would be appreciated.”
“Could I help?”
“I-I don’t think that you’re in any condition to be working. You could hurt yourself.” Fluttershy stammered, looking over the many white clothes she had wrapped around Kori just a couple days ago.
“I’ll be fine. I can’t stand just sitting around. I feel lazy.” Kori stated, finishing the pie as he did.
“I don’t like the idea of watching a hurt creature work. It doesn’t feel right.”
“I’m not your problem.” Kori muttered, glancing back to the door. “My choice. I want to help.”
“I don’t mind if he helps. We need all the help we can get if we’re gonna get all the apples before winter.” Applejack said.
Win! I don’t know how long I’ve been out but I don’t like sitting around for so- Kori thought before a shudder ran down his back and he rushed upstairs.
“What do ya think that was about?” Applejack giggled, waiting before the fox was out of hearing. “You do know why I want him ta help right?”
“I know. I don’t have to like it though.” Fluttershy replied.
“We have to see if he’s a threat or not. I figure that this is a perfect chance to see how strong he is.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is. He doesn’t seem like much of a threat to me.” Rainbow remarked, swallowing the last of her pie.
“Celestia said that he could be dangerous. I can’t tell if he is or not so I had to think of someway to find out. He did offer after all.”
“I know. But he’s still hurt.” Fluttershy whispered, listening for any signs of what Kori could be doing.
“What is he doing up there?” Rainbow muttered, flying up the stairs to only hover back down.
“What’s he doing?” Granny Smith asked, her mind racing with what the dangerous creature could be doing to her house.
“He’s in the bathroom.” Rainbow giggled, sitting back at the table.
“Makes sense.” Fluttershy began, listening to the flow of water in the sink above them. “He hasn’t gone since he got here.”
“I don’t care what he’s doing! I don’t want him hurting anypony! I say we just bring him to Celestia right now and let her deal with him!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Twilight said that he had a week. We’re giving him a week.” Fluttershy exclaimed.
“Fine.” Rainbow groaned as she heard the water turn off above them. “Let’s get this over with.”
--------------氷狐--------------
Note to self. Don’t get kicked by a pony. Kori noted, as he watched Applejack use the pure force of her legs to knock all the apples out of yet another tree. All the while Applebloom caught any stray apples in her basket. I don’t think that I could do that.
“Still want to help?” Rainbow joked as she kicked the tree Kori was under, knocking several apples into the baskets around him.
“Yeah.” Kori replied, grabbing one of the baskets and bringing it to the rest of them. “Why?”
“Because it doesn’t look like you’re doing much other than bringing a few baskets over.”
“Not like I can do much else.” Kori sneered to himself, as he brought a few empty baskets to the next tree. “Can’t kick tree.”
“That’s not stopping Fluttershy.” Rainbow remarked, pointing to the pegasus who was shaking the apples out of a nearby tree.
“So?”
“Nothing. I just thought that a fox would be able to harvest a few apples.” Rainbow cracked, kicking the apples from the tree. “But, looks like I was wrong.”
“Okay. I’ll get next tree.” Kori exclaimed, walking to the tree in question.
“And how do you plan on doing that? It’s not like you can fly up there-” Rainbow began, as Kori sunk his claws into the tree and flung himself up the tree. “Awesome.”
“Told you!” Kori proclaimed, kicking the nearby branches of the tree.
“Don’t break your legs, again.”
“Don’t plan on it.” Kori giggled, as he hopped down and saw that he had filled the baskets. “Next?”
“It looks like he healed quicker than we expected.” Applejack muttered as she stood beneath a tree beside Fluttershy, watching Kori literally run up a tree.
“He really shouldn’t be climbing trees. He could hurt himself.” Fluttershy whispered, cringing as Kori leapt down from his current tree.
“Let him. If he hurts himself it means he’s less of a threat to everypony else.” Applejack moaned, turning to get back to work. “I know that he looks innocent but if what Celestia says is true. He can’t stay.”
“I know that. That doesn’t mean I’m willing to watch him hurt himself.” Fluttershy whimpered, watching Kori as he climbed another tree.
“Hey Rainbow!” Came the ear ringing cry as Scootaloo ran past the two to her ‘sister’.
“What’s up Scoots?” Rainbow giggled, as the orange filly came to a halt before her.
“I was just coming over here to see if you needed any help.” The filly explained, her voice full of energy.
“I don’t know. You could help carry the baskets back.”
“You got it!” Came the ecstatic response, as Scootaloo grabbed one of the filled baskets and dragged it to the others.
Rainbow looked over to see Kori hop down from the tree and fall to his side.
“Are you alright?” She asked, Kori leaping up to his paws in response.
“Yeah. Just a bit tired."
“Alright. Just a few more trees and we’re done.”
“Sounds good-” Kori breathed before falling to the ground, landing beside Scootaloo.
“What happened? He just fell down.” Scootaloo yelped, watching the fox’s chest as he breathed.
“This is why I didn’t want him to work.” Fluttershy bellowed, resting her hoof on Kori’s head. “His body has only had a day to heal. He just passed out.”
“We know that he has limits. I’m going to tell Twilight.” Rainbow stated, ready to fly off to her friend. “Better make sure that he’s okay.”
“I’m going to take him back home.” Fluttershy asserted, lifting Kori onto her back.
“Why don’t you leave him here?” Applejack offered, walking over to grab Kori.
“I don’t mind taking care of him. Besides, what if he needed my help and I wasn’t here to help him?”
“I guess I can’t argue with that. Twilight will be heading over some time tonight to see how everything is going”
“Okay. Bye.”
“Bye now.” Applejack called back, watching as she walked away before turning to Rainbow Dash. “I hope she knows what she’s doing.”
--------------氷狐--------------
The cottage was full of life as Fluttershy walked in and was greeted by the many critters that called it home. The birds were chirping above her while the mice ran around her, a single white bunny hopping towards her.
“Hi Angel.” Fluttershy beamed, walking towards the stairs.
The bunny hopped between her and the stairs, his foot thumping on the floor.
“What is it?”
Angel simply pointed to the fox on her back and back to the door.
“Now Angel. I can’t just leave him outside.”
Angel glared back up at his owner his paw pointing back to the door, stomping his foot at her answer.
“Kori needs some help. I’m just helping him until he can get back on his paws.” Fluttershy said, stepping past the bunny.
“How do you trust them?” The whisper of a question came as Kori lifted his head off her side.
“T-Trust who?”
“The others. How can you trust them?”
“Why wouldn’t I trust them? They’re like family.” Fluttershy answered, spreading her wings to hold Kori in place as she walked up the stairs.
“Pft. Don’t see what that has to do with it.”
“You’re supposed to trust your family. It helps if you don’t lie to them.”
“When did I- oh.”
“You told me that you broke your legs getting hit by a pipe.” Fluttershy remarked reaching the top of the stairs. “But you told them you fell out of a tree.”
“They don’t need to know that. They would just see me as a killer if they did.” Kori moaned, his mind slipping to sleep. “They don’t trust me, do they?”
“I don’t know. You should really go to sleep.” Fluttershy said, rolling Kori onto the end of the bed.
“I can sleep down there.” Kori muttered, making a move to stand just to fall back onto the bed.
“You’re fine.” Fluttershy whispered, draping a blanket over him as he lost his battle against sleep.
“Fluttershy? Are you here?” The familiar call came from downstairs. “I was wondering if Kori was awake so I could talk to him.”
“He’s asleep.” Fluttershy replied, walking downstairs to see that Twilight was standing in her doorway. “I just put him upstairs.”
“Rainbow already told me how he was at the farm. I know that he’s in bad condition but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to give him this much time to heal.” Twilight explained, looking up the stairs.
“He was hardly able to work before he passed out. I’d be surprised if he can do much of anything tomorrow.”
“Alright. If we are going to give him time to heal we might as well teach him a thing or two about ponies.” Twilight began, her mind racing with the stories Celestia had told of the foxes. “I’m sure that Pinkie would love to show him around town.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll make sure we’re ready-”
“Listen. You should stay while he goes into town. You’ve been taking care of him, and I’m sure that can’t be easy.” Twilight cut in, her mind thinking of the worst that could come of her friend being around the ‘threat’.
“It’s not that-”
“Besides. You could have tea with some of the other critters while he’s in town.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll see you later. Okay?” Twilight said, walking towards the door.
“Okay.” Fluttershy whispered, walking up the stairs to her bed.
--------------氷狐--------------
A grunt escaped the form of the fox in the corner as it stirred. It didn’t know where it was or how it had gotten there but it knew that the room around it was not a place he wanted to be.
The walls were a mixture of wooden supports with paper walls draped between them with one sliding door on the other side of the room. Between him and the door was a stone table that must of had some metal atop it that was now rusted to a copper tone. Above that was a rusted chandelier with broken lights at the bottom also covered in rust.
He threw his head back in an attempt to break through the paper wall but found that it must have been many inches thick as a solid thud resided through the room. The wall had been painted an aged yellow and bore illustrations of a large feast being held by blue foxes while a war raged outside the feast. The lower parts of the wall had been stained a deep red that became a sea of blood at the floor.
A hook was across the room from him and from it was a rope connected to the ceiling that suspended the chandelier in the center of the table. He couldn’t imagine how such a large ornament had been put that high above the ground but he knew that it wasn’t by free souls.
Looking down at himself the fox found that his body had been beaten to a point that only a fox could survive as blood rushed from a cut across his chest. The red of the blood indistinguishable in the rest of his fur. His paws had been cut with such precision that his claws were gone. As he tried to stand he felt his bones bend and fell to the floor in a cry of pain.
“Well it looks like someone’s little ‘experiment’ has failed.” Came the piercing voice as two royals walked in.
“It hasn’t failed. Just because we don’t know where he is doesn’t mean anything.” The second said in a growl of a voice looking over to the hurt fox in the corner. “But he knows.”
“Well then. Lets find out where he is then.” The first exclaimed, her voice full of want as she leapt onto the table and into the little light the room had.
It had the always present three tails and blue fur of a royal fox yet its fur was patterned with a mixture of skulls and thorns that gave a sense of dread.
“So then. What will it be?” The first taunted as the second lept onto the red. It’s fur was patterned with orbs of life flowing down its body. “The forelegs or the hindlegs?”
“I-I don’t understand.” Came the whimper of a reply.
“Then I’ll choose. How about..... the foreleg?”
“Sounds good to me.” The second growled reaching for a plate on the table, breaking it on the edge and plunging the shard into the reds leg. “Now where is he?”
“Who?!” The red screamed, trying to break free from the adamantite grasp.
“The lost one you bastard!” The second bellowed, plunging another shard into the reds arm a few inches above the first. “Where did he go?!”
“I don’t know. He was heading north last I saw him.” Came the whimper as the red attempted to pull the shards from its arm only to have the second push his head against the wall.
“Be more specific. Or Kiga over there is going to be having your leg for a snack.” The second warned tugging on the foreleg of the captive red.
“Don’t mess with Kami. Unless you want to find out why he is feared as much as he is.” Kiga added gesturing to the royal atop the red.
“He was walking north from the northernmost city! I don’t know where he was going, I just saw him leaving town.”
“Looks like your experiment has left you Kami. Such a shame to. He really was looking to be a great fighter.” Kiga taunted hopping from the table.
“He is still alive.” Kami exclaimed throwing the red onto the table. “Stay!”
“Really? Well in that case, I guess that you either go and get him or wait for him to come back.” Kiga added walking to the wall where a rope was tied. “I don’t care as long as I get to eat.”
The royal clipped the rope in one felt swing, dropping the chandelier onto the table. The many spikes of it drove into the red as he screamed, pinning him to the table but missing anything precious.
“Now if you don’t mind brother.” Kiga declared. “I’m hungry. Go and find your failed experiment.”
“Kori has not failed me yet.” Kami barked, slamming the door to the room closed as the cries of the trapped fox escaped the room.