//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: A New World, a New Lifestyle // by Omega_code //------------------------------// Xerox sat down on the edge of a chair he pulled over next to the couch, whom Grace  was laying, waving a foldable fan over the mare. He’d heard that it helped people who had fainted, but he didn’t really know if it would work on ponies. A few minutes passed by before the mare finally stirred as a small groan left her lips and her eyes open up in a confused look in them. “What... just happen?” she asked slowly, her eyes darting back and forth as she got her bearings down. “You fainted,” the Zoroark replied, still waving the fan in his paw. “I picked you up off the floor and set you on the couch... I hope you don’t mind.” His mind reminded him of something and he put the fan down and reached over to the side table to grab a glass of water he’d prepared earlier. “Here, drink this. It should help,” he said as he offer the glass to the unicorn. Grace’s horn light up with it soft teal color and the glass was soon enwrapped in the same glow as it was lifted out of the Zoroark’s hold. It hovered over near her mouth where she wrapped her lips around the edge of the glass and took a large sip of water. She let out a long sigh. “Thanks...” she said said before taking another sip. “You’re welcome,” Xerox said with a small bow of his head. “I know what it feels like to faint... actually I never really faint, but I come close... so I know it’s not a pleasant feeling blacking out, losing control of your body and-” “Do you talk like this to everypony who’s fainted?” Grace asked, interrupting the rambling he was doing. Xerox’s eyes widen a bit in embarrassment and he rubbed a paw on the back of his head as he glanced away. “Sorry... I’m not very good at... small talk... as it were. Not really good at being social as it is.” The mare gave him a rather large questioning look as she took another small sip from her glass. “It’s a long story... just, how are you feeling?” he asked, getting back to the topic on hand. Grace let out another small sigh. “Well... after hearing some sort of ‘creator’ speak in my head out of nowhere and still dealing about the loss of friend who was killed by a pony that I used to consider as a friend too... I’m rather questioning a lot about what’s happening to me right now.”  She finished up the last of her water. “So to answer your question... I feel like everything I know is being turn upside down and getting stomped upon.” The Zoroark’s ears flatten. “Yeah... I kinda know the same feeling.” She simply gave him a questioning glance before shaking her head. “Still... thank you for taking care of me,” she said quietly, taking another sip. “It was no problem,” Xerox replied with a small smile. “I just couldn’t just let you lie on the floor... it would have been improper.”   “Not to mention uncomfortable and undignified,” she agreed, shaking her head as she set the glass down on the table and attempted to roll onto her hooves, missing at first before standing. “Well then... what were we discussing before your ‘creator’ announced himself?” The Zoroark frowned for a moment as he tried to remember, though before he could even recall the conversation they were having knocks sprang from the door. Both the pony and the Pokemon turned to the door and Grace was the first to move towards it, her horn glowing once more as she turn the handle and open it slightly. “Ah, hello Ms. Grace,” Scarlet said, the front half of her body resting on the small steps beneath the door. “Is Xerox awake yet?” Grace looked up at the rather large snake and swallowed down some instinctive terror before giving her a smile. “Yes, yes he is, right through the door and on the left,” she said, stepping out of Scarlet’s way. The Serperior slithered herself in and turned her head left to see the Zoroark standing before her, his ears perked upon hear her voice and his name. “Ah, Xerox, I need your nose.” Xerox blinked blankly upon hearing the bizarre request. “To make a long story short, we got coiled up into a missing child case and it happen just a few minutes ago. If we act quickly you can probably use that nose of yours to sniff where the child has gone.” Xerox blinked a few more times and he slowly nodded his head. “Okay... I’ll try my best,” he replied. Scarlet nodded her head. “Good, let’s head to Guard station, I think that’s where the mother was taken and maybe she has something of her son’s that we can get a base scent off of.” She turned her body around and slithered back out the door. Xerox followed but stopped at the doorway and turned to Grace, waving a paw at her. “I’ll guess we’ll see you later... bye,” he said, reaching to grab the door and shutting it behind him softly. “Bye then,” Grace said with a small shake of her head. “Poor nervous thing.” “So you got into trouble of being accused of eating her son?” Xerox said with a small frown after Scarlet had explained what had happened in the park. “Not really being accused of it, but the mother sure thinks I did, so that’s what we have to disprove,” Scarlet replied as the two made their way down the streets to the guard station. “I’m sure with the two of us working together it shouldn’t be too hard to do. If you can find the scent or some sort of trail with that nose of yours, I can probably track where this kid is.” “That’s assuming the kid is actually missing... he could have just wandered off and probably went back home after realizing he wasn’t with his mother anymore,” Xerox commented. “I mean, sometimes it happens.” “That it does, but it’s our job to see if that’s true or not,” Scarlet stated as they reached the front doors of the guard station. Xerox pushed the door open and held it for Scarlet to pass through before entering himself. They headed to the center of the lobby where Ruby was sitting behind her round desk. The red unicorn glanced up at the two of them and pointed a hoof at one of the doors on the side of the wall. “Meadow is in room 3 with the mother,” she informed them before turning to face Xerox. “I would advise that only you enter, she is still rather... upset with the snake for ‘eating’ her son.” Scarlet simply closed her eyes, resisting the urge to face palm from the remarks against herself. She opened her eyes and glanced over at Xerox. “Go ahead, just remember your training about this and remember to ask if she has something we can use to track her son’s scent.” Xerox nodded his head and walked towards the room Ruby pointed out to them. He grabbed the door handle and let out a long exhale. His heart was racing a bit, knowing the mother was going to be in state of dismay of some sort. This would be his first time handling something like this, and he didn’t want to make it worst for the mare. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. In a split second decision the jewel on his mane glowed and he transformed to his human appearance before he opened the door and walked through. Meadow was sitting next to a table, by her side was an azul colored unicorn whose eyes were red from tears and a tissue rubbing. On the table was a large purse and spread open in front of her was a photo album of a green unicorn colt with big curious eyes. “And t-th-this was when he was four and he was the-the light of m-my life and- and-then the sna-snake ate him and I-I-I don’t know what to do!” the mare wailed. “No-no one believes me!” “It’s okay Ms. Azalea, we will find out what happened to your son,” Meadow said comfortingly, though Xerox could hear more than a hint of insincerity in her voice. The brown unicorn’s eyes glanced towards the doors and almost did a double take upon seeing Xerox but she motioned her head for him to come closer. “In fact, we have someone who can help in that.” The mare, Azalea turned and saw Xerox, her eyes widening in fear. “Hairless monkey monster!” she screamed and then her purse hit Xerox in the face. “It must have eaten my baby!” Meadow’s horn glowed as she yanked the bag out of Azalea’s magical hold. “Ms. Azalea, please, get a hold of yourself,” she said in a firm tone. “He’s... a new recruit of sorts.” Xerox rubbed his cheek slightly. It stung a bit, but being a Pokemon meant that he could roll with the hits. “Yes... my name is Xerox, I’m a detective. Sorry for frightening you ma’am,” he said as he walked closer but only so he was in front of them instead of behind. “I was asked to help you look for your son and I’d like to ask a few questions if I may.”   “What did you do to my son you abomination of Tartarus!?” the mare exclaimed angrily. “Ever since you beasts showed up things have been utterly awful!” “Ms. Azalea,” Meadow said, her voice getting a bit stricter. “Xerox was nowhere near the park when your son went missing, he is here to help. Now, if you want to us to find your colt you need to cooperate and stop accusing everyone you see. You hear?” “But my son is MISSING!” she wailed in reply, the waterworks starting up again. Meadow let out a long sigh. “In one ear out the other...” she muttered to herself. Xerox closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and let it out. “We know Ms. Azalea, and that’s why we want to find him. In order to do that, we need to ask you if you had something that your son used or touches a lot. We have... a guard dog who can track him by his scent.” The mare cried for a moment longer before tearfully looking up at him and her horn glowed, pulling a leash out of her purse. “I use this to keep him close to me-I-I-I thought I’d let him off and play with the other colts but-but-but I shouldn’t have!” Xerox nodded his head and walked close  enough to grab the leash and examined it. It was just an ordinary green leash, the type he see some humans used on small Pokemon to walk around the park. “He is still wearing the harness?” he asked, glancing back at the azul mare. “YES! He was last time-I-I- I let him go!” she cried, burying her face in Meadow’s shoulder, crying heavily again. “I’m-such-an-awful-mother!” Meadow patted the back of the mare’s back. “No you’re not ma’am,” she said, her face looking as if she’d had enough of her antics but continued bearing through them anyways. “One final question, where was the last place you saw your son?” Xerox asked as he was about to put the leash in his coat pocket but stopped himself, remembering it was only an illusion. “He-he was on the swing-s-swing set pre-pretending to FLY!” the mare wailed. “He-he always wanted t-to-to be a pegasus like-like his father!” Xerox nodded his head before doing a small bow. “Thank for your time, Ms. Azalea. We’ll let you know on any progress we make on finding your son,” he told her before heading back for the door. Azalea just went back to weeping. Meadow let out a small sigh as she turned towards Xerox. “I’ll have deputy Maxim sent towards you soon, and I’ll even tried to join, but for now do your best on finding a lead. The sooner we can solve this the better.” “Understood,” the Zoroark said as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He let out a sigh and walked back to the center of the lobby, where Scarlet was still waiting in. “So, any luck in there?” she asked as she straightened herself and uncoil her body a bit. Xerox lifted up the leashed. “Yeah, I can already smell something on this... let’s head to the park. She said she last saw him near the swings so it’s a place to start.” The Serperior nodded her head. “Very well, let me show you the way then,” she said as she turned and started to slithered her way out of the station. Xerox followed, still holding onto the leash and staying in his human formed.