From the Outside In

by DarkParable

Chapter fourteen: Paw Prints on Ponyville

It was a wonderful afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, ponies were bustling about and chatting as only a close community can, and Twilight Sparkle was annoyed beyond belief. Despite the beautiful scene before her, despite the way Ponyville was wonderful in most every way, there was something on her mind...

And on her head....

Tap dancing...

And singing at the top of its lungs.

Hello my baby, hello my honey

Hello my ragtime gal!

Send me a kiss by wire, baby my heart's on fire

If ya refuse me, baby you'll lose me and you'll be left alone

Oh darling telephone and tell me I'm your own!

"Would you get OFF!" Screamed Twilight, tossing her head to dislodge the... whatever it was. Her actions availed her now however, as the little headache on paws clung to her like a fly on a glue trap. "UGH! I swear when Spike gets back I'm going to have him torch those tails of your's..." she muttered darkly. Her mood went further south as the thing atop her head curled one of those tails loosely under her chin, tickling her slightly.

"Aww, is the ickle pony-kinz all annoyed with little ole me?" asked the petulant voice of the thing atop her head. Laughed followed quickly on the heels of its words, laughter that was surprisingly good natured and musical in quality. Using her horn as a spring board the thing jumped off her head, turning a neat little flip, and landed lightly on four paws facing her.

It resembled a fox, though it was the size of a squirrel at the moment, though comparing it to your common vulpine would have probably made for the easiest 'spot the difference' game ever. For one its fur was a brilliant snowy white, and Twilight knew from close contact that it was as silky as it was white. Secondly it was adorned with some rather odd markings of a brilliant scarlet on its shoulders and forehead. Finally it had nine tails, each one tipped in the same brilliant red as its odd markings. The eyes of this little thing were bright, intelligent, and the color of old jade. As Twilight looked on with an expression that screamed 'I'm going to trample you' the little creature get to something the size of a foal, simply increasing in size for a few moments until it was its proper size once again.

"Well... I hope you've enjoyed our time together, my little redecorating job on the library, and the paw prints in awkward places... But I've got more fun things to do I bet." said the creature with a wink, a wink that brought a bit of a blush to the mare's face coupled with his words and the black ink all over her flank. Laughing in a manic fashion it spun smartly on a hind paw and vanished in a flare of azure flames.

Twilight's scream of complete and utter frustration echoed out over Ponyville, drawing the attention of everypony from there to Tin-bucked-ewe. One pony in particular happened to have been flying over head, and in true cartoon logic, was startled into crash landing on the balcony of Twilight's library.

Red groaned softly, picking himself up and shaking himself neatly to clear off a few twigs embedded in his mane. Spitting leaves he turned his attention to the fuming mare who was giving him a look somewhere between confused, amused, and pissed off. "Umm... Hi." he said lamely, fidgeting from hoof to hoof.

They'd not spoken much since that accidental smooch, despite the fact that she'd been right there with her friends after he'd saved Rarity. Be that as it may, Red hadn't seen much of her at all and he wasn't quite sure how to approach her anyways. Now however, it seemed her was going to be tip-hoofing on egg shells so as not to set off that particular landmine.

Twilight sighed slowly, visibly shaking as she reigned in her emotions for a few minutes. "Hello Red... Now isn't a good time... I've got a library to clean, a shower to take, and a whole lot of research to do about strange nine tailed fox things." she said, turning to go do just that and giving Red a great view of the paw printed plot.

"Wait... Nine tailed foxes? You've got a kitsune in town? COOL!" he exclaimed, his wings snapping to attention and a look of open wonder on his face.

"Kits soon?! Ponies don't have kits... What in the world are you talking about?" came Twi's reply as she rounded on him, mouth hanging open and a confused look on her face.

"No no no, Kitsune, as in me." came a third voice as the fox critter popped into being atop Red's back, looking rather smug. "And its nice to see someone knows my kind around this place... Makes things more fun for me when I turn things upside down." With those words the kitsune slowly turned upside down, apparently free of such little things as gravity. It padded across empty air, walking normally enough, to hover between the two of them, that smug little expression still on its face.

Twilight and Red could only stare, one in annoyance, the other in wonder, at the apparently not so mythical being before them.

"You there, yes you, the one what has wings... Have yourself a moustashe for knowing what I am." said the kitsune with a flick of one of its tails. A rather large and impressive bit of lip fuzz burst forth from Red's face, much to his amusement. "And you, grape colored one... You can have one too, we'll make it a foo man chu." another flick and yet another instance of folicalular manipulation and twilight was further annoyed and apparently some form of wise old master.

"My work here is done... Back to lurking in mail boxes with a mouse trap!" exclaimed the fur ball as it vanished once more, this time in a shower of cherry blossoms.

Red and Twilight exchanged a look, sighed, and nodded in agreement. It was going to be a long afternoon... And there was much shaving to be done.

Author's Note:

There will be some rather funny things in the next chapter, so look forward to that. For now enjoy the image of twilight being terrorized by something that's as mischievous as a kitsune and sporting a nice bit of facial hair.

Comments

[Scipio Smith]

Is that a real song? It sounds like a vaudeville number from the thirties or something.

The kitsune was very well played: you hit the balance between funny and annoying without straying into obnoxious jerk territory. I liked...it even as it was getting on Twilight's last nerve.

[DarkParable]

2771006 Looney Toons, Michigan J Frog. Top hat, cane... One of my favorite cartoons.

Glad you enjoyed the kitsune, expect bigger and better things from the little fella, not big mac big, but big none the less.

[Scipio Smith]

2771024

*searches Youtube*

Oh my god that is fucking hilarious!

[DarkParable]

2771628 And wonderfully fitting, no? I've got something in store that'll top that though.