The yellow pegasus shifted around in her sleep as she felt something tap one of her hind hooves.
What? She thought as she glanced down and saw Kori’s tail swiping between her hoof and the edge of the bed. She saw that he was still deep in his dreams. Little cutie. I’ll let you sleep in today.
Fluttershy lifted her front right leg off the bed to slide it out from under Kori, who muttered something as she did. Kori letting out a quiet moan out as he felt the leg leave, but stayed as he was.
Still asleep? She thought as Kori shifted around under the blanket before resting on his other side. Yup.
Fluttershy walked down her steps, breathing in the warm cottage air as she saw the snow falling outside her window. Her hoofsteps the only sound as she reached the main room. It was a warming sense as she walked into the small kitchen and grabbed two small boxes from a cupboard.
Tea and pancakes, still the best way to start winter, She thought as she pulled out two mugs and started her oven, Boiling a pot of water as soon as the stove was warm enough. Let’s see if Kori likes tea.
A slight clicking noise drew Fluttershy’s gaze to the stairs. She saw Kori slowly making his way down, his claws lazily tapping the wood with each step. Fluttershy debated asking him how he was feeling but held her tongue as Kori turned into the bathroom.
Looks like someones awake. I guess he was going to get up eventually. She thought as she started on the pancakes. Putting some blueberries into the mix as it cooked. Hope he likes blueberries.
“Watashi nikumu daisies,” Kori groaned as he walked out of the bath and laid on the couch.
“What was that?”
“I hate daisies,” he groaned as he pulled a blanket over him.
“Why’s that?”
“They hate me,” he moaned.
“Oh.” Note to self. Kori doesn’t like daisies. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah,” he said as he put his nose up and smelled the air.
“Just some blueberry pancakes and tea,” she said as Kori slid off the couch.
“Tea? I didn’t know that ponies had tea.”
“Do foxes have tea?” Fluttershy asked as she grabbed a mug of the tea and gave it to Kori.
“Yeah,” he replied before he sipped from the mug. “I’ve never really been able to get any though.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s.... good,” He muttered as he took another sip of the tea. “I’d still prefer other stuff, but it’s not bad.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“So... what do we do now?”
“Well, we’re stuck inside until tomorrow. I have some books and boardgames if you want,” she said as she walked back into the kitchen. “Would you like a pancake?”
“Tashika,” Kori said before before he shook his head and repeated. “Sure.”
“Here you go,” Fluttershy said as she brought two plates out to the main room and set them on the table. I hope he likes it.
“Pony tashika tsukuru subarashi shokuhin,” he hummed as he took a few bites out of his small stack of pancakes. “Kansha.”
“Is that good?”
“Mm hm,” Kori muttered as he took another bite from the stack. “About the princesses.”
“What about them?”
“They’re gonna help me, right?” he whimpered, not daring to look up from the plate.
“Of course they will. They always help.”
“Sure. So, boardgames?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve got checkers, chess, battlecloud and a deck of cards.” I wonder if he knows how to play any of those.
“Chess? Are you very good at that?” Kori said as he looked around the room from the table for the black and white pattern of a chess board.
“I’m not the best but I’m not bad,” she answered as she finished her breakfast.
“Great, because I suck at it.”
“You can’t be any worse than me.”
“You sure? I’ve never been any good at it,” he replied grinning at the thought of losing to Fluttershy.
“Let’s find out,” Fluttershy exclaimed as she walked over to a shelf of books and grabbed a box from among them. “What color do you want?”
“I’ll be black. That way you can go first.”
I see what your doing. “Okay,” she said as she set the board on the table. Setting the many pieces in their spots as Kori finished his pancakes and set the plate to the side. “Ready?”
“I guess,” he said as Fluttershy moved one of her pieces forward.
“So how was it yesterday?”
“It was, okay. Just a town,” Kori answered moving one of his pieces to block her advance.
“I guess. It’s still a nice town.”
“True,” came the groaned response as Fluttershy broke some of his defenses. “Told you I suck at this.”
“You haven’t lost. I only got a pawn.” Fluttershy remarked as Kori picked up the pawn and twirled it around with his paw.
“I’ve never won a single game of chess.”
“There’s a first time for everything. See, you got one of my pawns.”
“After you already took one of mine. You’ve got the advantage.”
“You’ve still got a chance,” she added, watching as Kori twirled the pawn around his paw. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just a bit twitchy. It’s nothing,” he muttered, the pawn spinning on its head before he quickly swooped it up and spun it again.
“Alright.”
The two continued with their game as piece after piece was taken from the board until Kori found his king surrounded.
“Checkmate?” he mumbled as Fluttershy moved the last piece into place.
“Looks like,” she halfheartedly confirmed.
“And Kori loses another chess game, no surprises all around.”
“You didn’t lose by that much. You almost had me there.”
“Sure. Like I said, I’ve never won a single game of chess,” Kori muttered as he set the pawn among his pile of pieces to see Fluttershy’s wasn’t half the size of his. “You on the other paw...”
“Twilight and I usually play chess together. I guess that she’s the reason I’m good at it.”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem, down,” Fluttershy said as she picked up some of her pieces and put them in the box.
“What makes you think that?”
“Your tail hasn’t moved an inch since you woke up,” she explained, gesturing towards the tail that laid behind Kori. “You’re usually so curious. Today? Not so much.”
“So? Why would you care?”
“I don’t like seeing anything sad. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“I know that’s not true. Did something happen in town?”
“No. It’s nothing important.”
“Are you hurt?” Maybe his legs are sore.
“No,” he muttered as he walked to the couch. “It’s nothing.”
“How about this? We’ll play one more game, you get to choose and if I win then you tell me what’s wrong?”
“And if I win?”
“I won’t ask about it again,” she said, sitting on her hind legs as she did. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
“What was that?” he asked as Fluttershy finished the silly display.
“That means I promise.” I should’ve just said that.
“Twenty one.”
“Huh?”
“The card game twenty one. That’s what I choose.”
“Oh.” I thought that twenty one was for gambling.... I guess this is like gambling anyways. “O-Okay.”
Kori grabbed the deck of cards and shuffled it on the table with frightening precision. “Do you know how to play?”
“Y-Yeah. Which one of us is the dealer?”
“Well, since you’re the one who made the bet you can be the dealer,” he said, sliding the shuffled deck over to her. “First one to win five times wins?”
“O-Okay,” Fluttershy stammered as she put four cards on the table. Why do I get the feeling that number is going to raise quickly?
“Twenty one!” Kori exclaimed as he saw the cards before him only to see Fluttershy’s top card was an ace. “What’s under yours?”
She turned over her second card to see the face of a king beneath it. “Twenty one.”
“No garakuta a,” Kori groaned as Fluttershy put out the next four cards.
The two of them continued this cycle until a victor was decided. Kori let a out a low groan and put his head on the table as he saw the winning hand.
“Is that five?” Fluttershy asked as she won her fifth round.
“Sukoshi rakki,” he groaned as he tapped the table with his claws.
“So what’s wrong Kori?”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t like the thought of you being sad. I thought the deal was if I won you’d tell me?” she remarked.
“I don’t want to go to see the princesses. Happy?” he snapped.
“Is that all? Why don’t you want to go see them?”
“Why would I want to see them?”
“They’re going to help.”
“Like they’d help me.”
“They’ll help in every way they can. I promise.”
“How do you know?”
--------------氷狐--------------
Rarity stood in her boutique with some bits of cloth floating before her as she heard the door to her store open. “Welcome to Carousel boutique where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique. How can I help you?”
“Hi Rarity,” Twilight exclaimed as she set her scarf on the stand by the door.
“Twilight?! What ever are you doing here? Did you walk through that ghastly blizzard?”
“It wasn’t that bad. I teleported most of the way. I just came by to ask how everything’s going.”
“Other than the fact that I can’t go outside today? Everything going marvelous. It’s not everyday that I get to make something for somepony that’s not a pony,” she said as she pulled the sketch over to her and set some cloth in the sewing machine. “Though I must admit that, without any measurements, I’m stuck making something simple for him. Perhaps a deeper lime would look better.”
“Still going with green?”
“Well it’s hard to find a shade of green that I can use in bulk that still looks good with his fur,” Rarity said as she compared a new cloth to a red sheet that was the closest to Kori’s fur she had. “Maybe I should use blue instead. Do you think that would be insulting though?”
“I’m not sure. He did say that the ‘royals’ were blue and he didn’t seem to like them. Though if there’s no good green I don’t think that there’s much else choice.”
“True. Is there any reason that you came over here?”
“I got a letter from Celestia that I’d like to go over,” the princess said as she pulled a scroll from her bags. “‘Dear my faithful student. I hope that beast isn’t giving you to much trouble down there in Ponyville. I also approve of your decision of bringing it here sooner and I ask that you bring it to the throne room as soon as you arrive. If you would feel a escort necessary then I shall send a group of guards to meet you at the station and keep this ‘Kori’ under check. Your mentor, Celestia.’”
“She sounds like she has no trust in Kori. Though she has been saying this whole time that she’s afraid for the town, not to mention that she told us she had an entire platoon of guards ready to fly down and help if ‘something goes wrong’. It feels like she expects him to try and kill us.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. Kori is going to be put on trial as soon as he arrives at Canterlot and I wanted to ask you what you think about him.”
“What I think about him? I don’t think he’s really a threat. He seems like he is a modest creature, and he’s never shown any signs of wanting to hurt us.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Well I don’t really know what else I would say. I only saw him those two times so I’m not certain what else I could say.”
“That’s plenty,” Twilight said a she walks towards the door. “Thanks Rarity. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye,” Rarity said as Twilight disappeared in a flash of purple. “Perhaps a navy blue.”
--------------氷狐--------------
“Howdy, Twilight. What do I owe the visit for?” Applejack exclaimed as she opened her front door and saw the lavender alicorn.
“Hi, Applejack. I’ve got to ask you something,” she exclaimed as she rushed inside the house and over to the fireplace.
“Woah now. If this is advice for stallions than you’d be better off going to Rarity,” AJ exclaimed as she closed the front door.
“No. I was wondering what you thought of Kori.”
“The red dog thing? To be honest with ya I’m not sure how to feel about him. I mean, I know what Celestia said about him and all and I do see what she’s talking about, but at the same time he seemed so weak when he was here. Why do ya ask?”
“Princess Celestia want’s to know how you feel about him. He’ll be put on trial as soon as he gets to Canterlot to determine whether or not he’s a threat. Your input should help in determining whether or not he’s dangerous.”
“Oh. That’s a lot of pressure. Like I said I don’t know how to feel about him.”
“Neither do I. I still have to go and see Pinkie and Rainbow. Is it okay if I stay here to warm up for a bit?”
“Sure thing sugarcube. It’s a mighty strong blizzard out there.”
Twilight shivered at the thought of the storm outside. “Yeah. The pegasi sure have outdone themselves this year.”
“Yup.”
--------------氷狐--------------
“It’s okay. Just a blizzard,” Pinkie hummed as she spotted the twins starring in fear at the windows. A knock at the door caught her attention and she rushed over to let the shivering pony in. “Hiya Twilight,” she said before looking back to the twins. “See? It’s just snow.”
“H-Hi Pinkie. Oh wow it’s cold out,” Twilight said with a shiver as she sat in the main room and rubbed her hooves together.
“You want some hot chocolate?” Pinkie asked as she sat beside her friend.
“Y-y-yes p-please,” Twilight stammered gratefully accepting a warm mug from the kitchen. “Thanks.”
“No problem. But what are you doing outside? It’s freezing out there.”
“I know. I had to ask you what you thought of Kori.”
“Oh, he’s so cute! He’s got the little paws, his big fluffy fur, the cutest ears that flick if he hears something!”
“Okay, I need to be more specific. Do you think he’s a threat?”
“How could something so fluffy be a threat? I mean, have you seen how fluffy that tail is? It’s almost as big as he is!”
“I guess that makes sense. In some strange way.”
“Of course it makes sense. Fluff always makes sense,” Pinkie exclaimed as she shook a few miscellaneous items from her mane. “Besides, if he lives in Ponyville that means that many more parties!”
“I guess. That just leaves Rainbow,” Twilight muttered as she took a nice warm sip from the mug. “I’ll go there in a bit.”
--------------氷狐--------------
“Coming!” Rainbow exclaimed as she hopped down her stairs and to her door. The cloud floor freezing beneath her hooves as they snowed onto the ground beneath it. “Hey Twilight! Don’t you know there’s a blizzard?”
“Y-y-y-yes,” the shivering alicorn exclaimed as she rushed into the house. “I-I’m sending l-letters next time.”
“What’re you doing here? I thought you would’ve been at home reading, or something like that.”
“I‘ve come to, ask you what you thought about, Kori. Do you have some hot chocolate?”
“Kori?” Rainbow spat as she walked into her kitchen with her friend in tow. “I think that he should go back.”
“Oh? Go on.”
“He made it where he was and if what Celestia says about him is true then I don’t want him here. I know that he looks like he just needs help but I don’t trust him. Looks can be deceiving after all.”
“True.”
“I don’t know what he’s trying to pull with the whole innocent-cute act but I’m not gonna fall for it. He’s dangerous.”
“Thanks Rainbow. I better get home before Spike eats too much ice cream.”
“Later,” the cyan pegasus exclaimed as her friend walked towards the door. “Don’t you think that you should warm up a bit before you head back out?”
“Yeah.” Looks like it’s three for him to stay and one for him to leave with one in the middle, and me. Why can’t I decide? On one hoof he needs help but I can’t just forget about all the things that Celestia says he’s capable of. I guess it comes down to one life or the lives of many.
--------------氷狐--------------
“I have no idea what they’ll do to me,” Kori whimpered as slumped down against the table. “They’ll have me right where they want me, and there’s nothing that I could do if they decided to...”
“They wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I wouldn’t let them.”
“Oh sure.” Like she could ever do anything to change their minds. She’s a simple pawn to them. That’s all we ever are to royalty.
“I’m serious. I’d do everything I could to stop them if they tried to hurt you. They’d never hurt you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“But I do. How could they hurt you? You’re too fluffy to hurt. If anything as soon as they saw you they’d want to hug you.”
Hugs from some royal pricks? I think I’d rather they attacked me. “You don’t know.”
“Hey. How about this? In a week once we go there and you see that they’d never hurt you, we’ll go and eat somewhere nice?”
“It’s tomorrow,” he whimpered, the fear in his voice almost palpable.
“But it was in a few days.”
“They changed it. I’m going there tomorrow. I’ll be right in front of them and there will be nothing I can do about it. They could kill me right there if they felt like it!” he screamed as he slumped to the floor.
“I’ll be there the whole time. I promise that I won’t let them do anything to you. You’ll see that there’s no need to worry.”
“I have no say in this. They could kill me without me saying a thing. They’ll decide my fate... Some royal pricks deciding if I live or die,” he whimpered as he put his paws over his head in a defensive position.
Fluttershy laid beside him as he whimpered. “Hey now. Don’t worry. How about we play another game?” she hummed to no response. “I’ve got some blueberries if you’re hungry.”
“Leave me alone. Why don’t you just leave like everything else?”
“I don’t like seeing anything sad. That includes you mister fox,” she said with a giggle as she tapped Kori’s exposed nose with her hoof. “Come on, let’s play a game so you can enjoy today.”
“I wouldn’t have to enjoy today if I knew I would get tomorrow.”
“You will get tomorrow, and the day after that, and many days after that. Nothings going to happen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Come on now. In a few days you’re going to look back to now and see how silly you’re being,” she said as she draped one of her wings over his back and pulled him closer.
“Meh. Let me go,” he muttered as he tried to wiggle out from the wing only to have it tighten around him.
“I will, once you stop being sad.”
“I’m not sad.” I’m currently pissed off!
“You look sad.”
“Not sad.”
“Than what are you?” Fluttershy said with a giggle as she started to tickle Kori’s side with her hoof. “Huh?”
“Stop it! Stop! I’m not-” Kori exclaimed as he tried to suppress his own laugh. “Just ate! Please!”
“Okay,” she said as she withdrew her hoof from his side. “Since you said the magic word.”
“Please?” he asked to see Fluttershy nod her head. “Please let me go?”
“Okay,” she answered as she folded her wing back. Kori rolling forward and ending up facing her as he laid on his left. “So you can smile.”
“What made you think I couldn’t?”
“I haven’t really seen you smile. I thought that maybe you don’t like smiling.”
“If I’m smiling it means I’ve forgotten. And trust me when I say that there’s a lot that I want to forget,” he said as his paw reached for his eye only to go past and scratch his head.
“I understand. How about another game? And maybe this time you’ll win.”
That’s not helping me feel like I could win. “Sure.”
“You know that they will help you right?”
“You keep saying that. I just... find it hard to believe.”
“You didn’t get much help where you come from did you?”
“Try none,” he moaned. “It was always just me. No one wanted to help a runt like me. Not even my own parents.”
“Well I promise that you’ll get the help you need.”
“Thanks.”