To embrace a maternal star

by Lighting Ace

…And re encounters

They say that no good deed goes unpunished, that no matter how hard you try, how good is your fake smile or how well do you cover your tracks, the truth has its own ways of showing its ugly face. I used to belived that saying like those were only fortune cookies. Nonsense who's only purpose is help others fell better, and remind them of their own moral code, but now…now I might start to pay more attention to those kind of teachings

Dodging the shadow once more I take some steps back toward Celestia and Luna who try to catch a glimpse of the intruder of the castle while Rainbow and Fluttershy were busy chasing it on the celling.

"Ok this is turning ridiculous, were are nine vs one, how is it that thing keep making us look like fouls?" Dash yell complaining yet again when the shadow dodge her.

"Oh he will be so good playing hide and seek" Pinkie say not able to reach it either as it escape throw out a mouse hole

"What I don't get it, is why is he here, we didn't disturbe his habitat, it doesn't seem to be hungry or scare, and its not acting all that hostile" Fluttershy say while looking around with a worry and confused expression "Is like he is simple playing"

"Yeah, playing us as fouls" AJ comments getting annoyed "And its starting to get into my last nerve"

The shadow finally lands in front of me and turn to look directly at my direction. The moment I had a clear view of it, my eyes wide in surprise "Impossible"

Everyone in the room notice my reaction and turn to look at me. "What is it Caeruleo?" Celestia ask "Do you know him?"

Three hours preview

The moment we landed in Canterlot and step down of the chariot we were greeted by a very unusual sight. Scatter throw out the garden lay guards, maids, and even wonder bolts, all on the ground trying to catch their breath and with what appear to be cat paws marks spread all over their bodies.

"What happen?" I ask while approaching them, mom and aunt Luna soon going to check on their servants and see if they were all ok

"Who did this to you?" Luna ask with concern lifting the captain of the wonderbolts heads slightly up. "The fox" The captain manage to say before passing out from exhaustion.

"The fox?" I ask with a raise eyebrow before looking at our surroundings "She can't be serious right? There is no way a single fox can out manoeuvre the entire royal guard"

"Evidence say otherwise nephew" Luna say "Yet its a valid point, this can't possible be the job of a single animal"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Luna" Celestia ask before pointing to a hall at the end of the gardens where we see AJ and Rainbow Dash were chasing what appear to be a shadow in the shape of a fox, jumping from wall to wall.

"Ok that is impossible, there is no way a fox moves that fast" I say in disbelieved.

"Caeruleo is right, whatever that creature is, its far from a regular animal, we need to stop it before it harms itself or anyone else" Luna mentions as she and I give chase.

"Careful you two, unnatural or not that creature is still an animal, probably a scare one too, we need to approach him slow and careful so not to spoke the poor dear, and then release him gently back into the wild" Mom says as she catch up to us, and we soon join the rest of the main six who have manage to corner the fox inside the throne room and close all the exist so to ensure it doesn't escape.

Now

"Her" I answer her while the elements continue to stare at me as I approach the fox cub with 3 tails, white fur with red ends on each tail and ears, chest and center of the face, wearing a piece of cloth around her face, preventing from seeing anything. The moment she hear me approach, she stand on guard ready to pounce once more. "Its a her mom, I know this because I…nurture her back to health once" I say, making all the main six gasp as I kneel down and extend my hand toward her. "Although back then she only had one tail, I know, its you, isn't it? Why are you here? I though you wanted to be free."

The fox simple smell my hand for a couple of seconds before jumping at me and a surprise me in a series of lick attacks follow by a series of low grows "She is saying 'I found you I finally found you'" Fluttershy tells acting as translator. "'Why did you go? I got scare when I didn't find you when you wake up, I though something bad happen to you'"

"Ok times up, would you mind explaining what is going on Caeruleo?" She ask crossing her arms.

"I'm also intrigue son, how did you know this fox?" Celestia ask as she and the rest approach us. Looking at them I just sigh before I start to tell the story.

"It all started when I was still training, back then, I spend most of the time basically preparing for the invasion, and to do so, all my brothers and sister took turns in teaching various things. When it came Chitin time, he often took me to the heart of a forest blindfolded, gave me just enough resource to survive and, left me to my luck. Those were some lonely times"

Back then, in one of the forest of the badlands

It was in one of those occasions when I was jumping from branch to branch, on the top of trees, heading back to my hide out when the screams of an animal caught my attention, and made me stop on my tracks. Looking down I saw a small fox cub with injuries all over her body slowly walking until it falls from exhaustion, soon afterwards, two shadow wolf appear from some near by bushes and started to circle the poor creature like sharks biding their time for their final strike.

Against my better judgment I sprung to action and took down both attackers using my stingers, landing right on top of them, saving the fox in question. Feeling pity for the thing I decided to pick it up and take her with me to my hideout.

Once there I didn't waste time in tending her injuries, I didn't had a lot of medical items back then, but my time surving in the forest, help me learn how to used medicinal plants and other elements to treat wounds, and infection. The little cub keep shaking like a leaf during all that time, most likely do to the traumatic experience she endured. So I made everything in my power, to make her feel safe and confortable, the least thing I wanted was scaring her and making her get violent. Fortunately, it work and the fox soon start to relax and let me do my job.

Her condition was very bad and she couldn't even stand up so for the next three weeks I made my priority to stay by her side, feeding, bathing, tucking her to bed and of course treating her wounds, I didn't want her to make a connection with me, so from the very start I blindfold her using a piece of cloth to cover her eyes, the knot wasn't very firm on purpose and she could removed easily it using any tree branch, at any moment.

Now

By the end of the story the fox was curl up in my lap as everyone listen to it. "The rest pretty much speak for itself, I waited until she was healthy enough, left some food, for her to eat when she wake up, made sure my hideout would keep her safe for the time she needed to rest and afterwards I simple left" I then look at the fox in confusion "I don't understand, why and how did you manage to find me little one?"

The fox start to growls again and Fluttershy acts as a translator. " 'Of course I will track you, I didn't have anywhere else to go, I thank you for offer me my freedom but I much rather be with you than out there alone'" She say before nuzzling my stomach. " 'As for how I did it, I used the smell you left in this blindfold to track your here'"

"What?! No way, there is no way a single fox have manage to being tracking him for that long" Dash say in disbelieve.

"Normal fox, can't, but this one is a ninetails fox Dash, their sense of smell and hearing is five times of a bloodhound, faster, stronger and even be able to cast magic, you can say that they are the equivalent of an alicorn in the animal kingdom" Twilight mention "Maybe you save her when she was in her first stage Caeruleo, ninetails usually grow extra tails as they mature"

She kneel down to inspect her "This is quiet fascinating, this race of foxes is very rare and they usually stay away from civilisation, that one has choose you as a master is incredible and even fitting, since they are mystical inmortal creatures"

"Je like mother, like son I suppose, princess Celestia has her fenix and now you have a nine tails as a pet" AJ say impress.

"Oh! of course that is why she was going all around the place, because she was stumbling with everything, she wasn't being mean, she just didn't knew what was in front of her" Pinkie say.

I just look down at the fox in sadness when I suddenly feel someone put its hand on my shoulder and when I turn I see Celestia looking at me "I know what you are thinking son, and I think you should let her, stay"

"But mom…"

"Its ok, you wish for her to be free, but that also mean to let her make her decision and her actions speak volumes, she didn't want to be anywhere else but with you, please don't ignore her emotions"

I sigh and nod, and took to heart her words, before looking at the fox. "You need to know this, staying with me means give up your life in the wild, there are rules, and you can no longer do all you please, will that be ok with you?"

" 'If it means stay with you then yes'" Fluttershy translate one last time.

"In that case…" I reach behind her head and take off the blindfold "…welcome to the family…Fira" I tell her, naming her in the process while letting her green emerald eyes to adjust to the light. The moment they do she look directly at me before attacking me in licks once more

"She is saying that she loves the name and loves you too" Fluttershy tells

"Je ok, ok, I get it, I love you too" I tell her while trying to pry her off me earning a collecting of 'awws' from everyone in the room.

Comments

[Lighting Ace]

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Yeah my editor is working on it, but well those things take time I post this because I can't help myself, I just really like to write, and often times I do it really fast.