It was a bright and beautiful morning the sun was shinning the birds singing and the sound of foal laughter filled the air near Fluttershy’s cottage, Rainbow dash and lightning where enjoying them selves with a new temporary guest that was staying with them until the royal sisters returned from a meeting of the kingdoms, though at first Luna had thought to bring both her little ones Celestia had talked her into leaving Sly with Fluttershy to ensure that he didn’t happen to get into any trouble, or mistaken for a griffin meal at the meeting. Sly though upset for the first hour after Luna had dropped him off got over his sadness as Rainbow Dash and lighting came to play with him. “Oh here swy.” Rainbow yelled as she held a ball out as she flew over head.
“BARK!”
“Nope you know the wules you got to catch me first if you want the baww.” Dash said as she smirked but then watched as Sly ran towards her then under her up a little on a tree she had been hovering by before he jumped off and snatched the ball out of her hooves. “THAT WAS SO AWSOME!!” Rainbow yelled, as she landed next to Sly who was smiling proudly. “Come on do it again.” Sly took the ball in his mouth and started to run away with it getting Rainbow to give chase and smile. “You can’t beat me in a race Swy I’m the fastest fiwwy awive.” As the two ran around Fluttershy looked over at lightning who was playing with her hoof paints.
“Lightning why don’t you invite Sly to play with you, he might like to make Luna a picture.” Lightning looked down at her painting and then at Sly and smiled as she waved him over. “You three have fun I’m going to go and get lunch ready.” As the three got together Fluttershy smiled listened as they giggled. After a few minutes Fluttershy returned with a small plate of food an a bottle, as she walked up and looked at her two fillies smiling she looked at Sly who was facing them. “Well my little ones I think it’s time for a little snack.” with that Flutter she reached over and picked up Sly and picked up the bottle before looking down and seeing the face of a little temberwolf looking up at her, getting her to jump in fright.
“YELP!” as Sly hit the ground he looked at Fluttershy with a quivering lower lip.
“Mommy we decorated Swy.” Lightning said, as she walked up and petted Sly a few times. “He’s not a reaw temberwolf.”
“Yeah his face just wooks wike one.” Rainbow said, as she started to pet Sly as well.
“Oh my, you two did a very good job, I couldn’t even tell the deference. I’m sorry for dropping you Sly.” As Fluttershy reached down for the little fox, Sly backed up a little getting Fluttershy to stop. “Oh I’m really sorry Sly, can’t we still be friends?” As Fluttershy leaned down she gave Sly a hopeful look, which got him to slowly move close to her before licking her on the nose. “Oh thank you Sly.” As Fluttershy picked him up once more Sly seem to cling to her to make sure he wasn’t dropped again but soon stopped as he spotted the bottle filled with special fox formula, Sly might have been young, and might of enjoyed attention but the one thing he didn’t like was being fed like a baby, as he started to struggle and push the bottle away Fluttershy realized this and then smirked slightly. “Now Sly we both know that you’re still a messy eater, and we’re going some where right after launch, so you can ether take the bottle or take a bath right after launch.” Sly looked at Fluttershy and then the bottle, he pouted but gave into the demand, but as soon as he started to taste the formula his pout vanished and he started to hold onto the bottle drinking happily.
“Oh he so adorabwe.” Rainbow said, as she looked at Sly drinking from the bottle but then cleared her throat. “I mean he’s so uh,… furry.” this only got Fluttershy to smiled as she looked at Rainbow Dash, then looked at Lightning who was still watching Sly feed.
“Oh I think he wooks adorabwe, no wonder Nightmare Moon wanted him as her little brother.” Lightning said, as she looked at Rainbow then looked back as she heard a little hiccup come from Sly.
“Oh my looks like some one drank to fast.” Fluttershy explained as she lifted Sly up and started to pat him on the back.
“I don’t know, I mean he’s really coow and stuff but I’m not to sure the other snobs in Canterlot wike the fact that Princess Luna adopted him.” Rainbow said, as she flew behind Fluttershy and started to pet Sly slightly. “I mean sure she’s a princess and everything, and sure Swy is kind of coow, but Nightmare Moon told me that some of the nobwes haven’t been very nice to this wittwe (*BURP!*) guy” Fluttershy smiled, as she lifted Sly off her shoulder and looked at him smiling back at her as his tail wagged slightly.
“Oh my that was a big one.” Fluttershy’s smile, as she started to clean Sly’s face off.
“Bet I can beat it.”
“Now, now Rainbow it’s not a compatition besides it’s time for you two to have lunch then we’re all going over to Applejacks, that way you two can play with Granny Smith and Apple Bloom while Sly can play with Winona, I’m sure they’ll both have a lot of fun.” it was a little while later as Fluttershy came walking up the path to the farm house with the three youths sleeping peacefully on her back.
“Well howdy Fluttershy.”
“Sssshhhh!”
“Oh pardon, I didn’t notice them asleep on your back.” Fluttershy only smiled at her friends, while else where Winona raised her head up from where she was napping next to the sleeping granny smith with the smell of a new scent in the area, a scent she didn’t like, a scent she hated because of all her hard work on the farm she knew this scent all to well, she knew that it belong to a blood thirsty monster, a horrible beast, that was out for nothing but to slaughter the innocent creatures on the farm. As she leapt into action she looked back to make sure that Granny Smith was still asleep and then covered her with a blanket before going through the doggy door to track down this monster. As she followed her nose she found her self drawn to her master.
“Na’h if master would have seen the varmit she would have ran it off, but the varmit is clever perhaps it has found away to get past ma’h master.” Winona walked up to both Applejack and Fluttershy and looked at both of them talking back and forth in soft whispers before her attention was drawn to something hanging down off Fluttershy’s side. “Ya’ll might have some tricky varmit but no tricky can trick this dog.” in one quick action Winona lunged and grabbed Sly’s tail pulling him off Fluttershy’s back with a welp as she drug him yelping several feet before she was stopped by Applejack jumping in front of her.
“What in tarnation has gotten into you Winona.” Applejack scolded as she reached down and picked Sly up who was still yelping and crying, scared and confused by what had just happened. “Young lady you get back to the house this instant.”
“B-but master.” This only came out as a whimper to Applejack as Winona seemed to be confused, and hurt that she was being scolded for doing her job.
“Don’t give me that whimper you get back to the house.”
“But the critter.” Another whimper, that was only cut off as Applejack gave her a light bop on the head with her hat.
“I SAID GET!” As Winona ran back for the house with her tail between her legs Applejack sat with Sly in her forearms trying to calm him down.
“Now, now it’s alright nothing going to hurt you now.” As Sly started to calm down Applejack placed him on her back and started to walk back for Fluttershy who was comforting both Rainbow and Lighting who had gotten knocked off her back as Winona pulled Sly off her back.
“Oh my Applejack is everything alright.”
“I’m going to have to give Winona a stern talking to about this, and I hope Sly is alright.”
“I think he’ll be fine, but don’t be to hard on Winona, after all Sly is a fox, she just didn’t know any better.” Applejack nodded a few times then smiled.
“You’re right Fluttershy, how about we deal with that first, get Winona to understand that Sly is a good fox that doesn’t mean any harm.”
“I think that would be wonderful.” Several minutes later Applejack walked into her room to find Winona sitting in her doggy bed with her head hung low. “Winona.” As she looked up Applejack could see the sadness in her eyes and couldn’t bring herself to remain angry with her as she laid down in front of her life long friend. “Now Winona I know why you did what you did.”
“Then why did ya’ll scold me master.” this only came out as an assortment of whimpers as she looked at Applejack.
“But the reason I scolded you was because the little one you attacked in actually a good fox, and a friend.”
“A varmit that is a friend, but master that don’t make a lick of since.” Winona whimpered then turned stern as she looking Applejack in the eyes. “He’s tricked ya‘h, the clever critter has managed to trick ya’h master.”
“I know it might sound crazy with all the years you’ve chassed off foxes but this one is a good fox, and I’m going to expect you to treat him civil, no more dragging him away by the tail.”
“He’s done tricked ya’h master, but don’t worry I’ll find away to prove him the no good varmit he is and then you’ll see that the varmit must be taken from the land.”
“No be a good girl and give Sly a chance,… Alright Fluttershy you can come in now.” As Winona looked at the door Fluttershy walked in with Sly on her back with his squeaky toy. “Alright now I want you two to play nice.”
“And Sly, Winona is a very good dog, she didn’t mean to hurt you before, she just thought you might be a bad doggy.” in response Sly squeaked his toy and jumped down on the floor looking at Winona unsure of what he should do next. “Go on Sly, Winona wants to be your friend.” Fluttershy encouraged, getting Sly to wag his tail and look at Winona before he walked up and placed his squeaky toy in front of her. “Oh that’s so sweet he wants to share.” Sly nodded with a smile then nudged the toy closer to Winona.
“Now you two play nice, and Winona remember he’s a friend, he’s also still a pup so maybe you could teach him a few things.” Applejack said, as her and Fluttershy started to leave, once they walked out of the room Winona turned her attention to Sly.
“Ah’m not sure what kind of trickery you’ve pulled on ma’ah master and her friend but I’ll will show them you’re not to be trusted.” Sly looked at Winona confused for a few moments and then smiled and jumped to his feet wagging his tail.
“Are we playing castle, I like that game.” Winona blinked a few times in confusion before shaking her head and leaning forward.
“Ah ain’t playing no game, you’ve done put a spell upon ma’ah master, you have tricked her some how and ah’ll make sure that you are revealed to be the no good varmit you are.”
“Oh,… uh wait,… oh I know. Ha ha you’ll never beat me I shall rule the land for the rest of time, with my accomplice general squeaker.” with that Sly took the squeaky toy and ran out of the room. Leaving a very shocked and confused Winona.
“Hey ya’ll get back here.” As Winona gave chase the two ran down to the ground floor around the living room under Big Mac’s legs and out into the front yard where Applejack and Fluttershy sat with the foals, getting Winona to stop chasing him, not wanting to get another scolding from Applejack, while keeping a very close eye on Sly, as he ran up to Granny Smith and came to a stop with his tail wagging, and squeaked his toy a few times.
“Well now aren’t you just the most energetic little thing.” Once Granny smith started to pet Sly on the head getting him to drop his squeaky toy and started to nuzzel Granny Smith before he started to lick her face getting her to laugh as she rolled backwards. “O.K., o.k. little one I like you also.”
“Stay away from the elder.” Sly turned his attention to Winona who didn’t look very happy. In a flash he grabbed his squeaky and wagged his tail before taking off towards some tall grass be for sliding to a halt and ducking as Winona jumped at him. As she flew over head Sly looked up and squeaked his toy once with a smile on his face. Once she flew through the tall grass everyone turned towards the sound of a splash and saw Sly sticking his head in the tall grass, with his tail wagging wildly. on the other side Winona was sitting in a small duck pond with a little duckling sitting on her head both confused at what had just happened until Winona heard a squeak behind her, as she turned she saw Sly looking at her with a smile on his face just before he took off running once more. “Get back here you no good varmit.” As Winona gave chase, the other laughed at the sight, but Granny Smith sat up and looked rather concerneds.
“Oh dear ah’m not sure Winona knows that Sly is a good fox.” Both Rainbow and Lightning looked at each other then at Granny smith. “We better go and make sure that she doesn’t hurt the little guy.” with that the three foals started off looking for their two canine friends, while Rainbow and lightning took to the air Granny Smith started to look in all the areas that she knew Winona used to run to when she was a young puppy. Else where Sly oblivious to the fact that Winona wasn’t playing kept teasing her by running her ragged, it wasn’t until Winona stopped chasing him that he stopped running away from her and walked back to her with his tail wagging, as he set his squeaky toy back on the ground.
“Want to play another game?” Winona glared at Sly for a moment but as she looked at the innocent smile and his little fox tail wagging back and forth, her anger slowly seem to fade. As she walked up to Sly she realized how she was twice the young foxes size and smiled as she started to walk around him.
“How old are ya?”
“Oh I’m, uh,… I don’t know.”
“How many cold seasons have ya seen?”
“Cold seasons? You mean when the white wet stuff comes?” Winona smiled at Sly’s questioned and sat down in front of him.
“Yes when the white wet stuff comes.”
“Oh I’ve only seen one of those, it was fun Princess Nightmare Moon, and Prince blueblood, and the other larger princessess in the big castle up there all made this snow castle and me and Princess Nightmare Moon got to play in it, and then we started to those the white stuff around, well mostly she threw it I just dug it up.” Sly was stopped as Winona placed her paw on his mouth.
“How many cold seasons have ya been through?”
“Uh, one and it was lots of fun like I said.”
“That means ya might only be one cycle old.”
“Cycle?”
“Master and the others of her kind have a different term for it, they call it a year. So tell me ya mentioned ya stay in the large white building on the rocks?”
“Yeah I’ve been adopted by Princess Luna, she’s my mommy now.”
“Your mum? What happened to your real mum.” with that Sly just shrugged his shoulders. “Ya don’t remember? Or ya don’t know?”
“I don’t know, I only remember waking up in the garden and then meeting Princess Nightmare Moon, and we became really good friends, she’s nice and I like that.”
“Ah see, well maybe we can play later but for now Ah think it’s time for a nap.”
“A nap? You take naps?”
“Oh Ah didn’t mean a nap for me, Ah was talking about you.” (*YELP!*) in a flash Sly ran off but then slid to a halt as he realized that he forgot his squeaky toy, but as he turned he saw Winona with the squeaky in her mouth and a smirk on her face.
“Do I got to?” Winona nodded getting Sly to walk up to her and then follow her back into the barn house where a group of foals laid on the floor sleeping after having a hard day trying to locate them. As Winona walked Sly over to her own dog bed she placed the Squeaky toy down and smiled as Sly quickly tackled it.
“Now enough of that it’s for ya’ll’s nap time.”
“But I’m not sleepy.” Winona thought back to when she was a young pup and smiled as she remembered the good times when her master was young with her, as she laid down next to sleep he looked at her slightly confused, but then smiled and laid down also.
“Now when ya wake up we can have some more fun, ah’ll even teach you a few of the things ah do here on the farm, won’t that be fun?”
“I guess, but I still don’t like naps.” with that Winona smiled and watched as Sly closed his eyes.
“Just get some sleep and when you wake up we’ll have more fun.”
“I hope so.”
“Ah know so.” As Winona closed her eyes she felt Sly curl up closer to her and smiled as she thought about how silly she had been before about thinking Sly was a threat.
“Ms. Winona.”
“Yes Sly?”
“Are you going to jump into the pond again?” Sly asked, just before he started to dose off to sleep, leaving Winona slightly embarrassed about the incident
“No.”
“Ms. Winona?”
“Yes Sly?”
“I like you.” As Sly closed his eyes and fell asleep Winona smiled and laid her head down a few minutes later Fluttershy and Applejack walked into the farm house finding the foals still asleep but then spotted Winona and Sly curled up.
“Well I’ll be, Winona’s taken pretty good to the little guy.”
“I’ll say, she certainly has a good motherly nature.”
“Well when ya get raised in a house like ours it’s no wonder she would be so kind and warm hearted to the little guy once we explained he wasn’t a threat.