Chapter 2 - Xenophobia

Erroria shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her wings fluttering as they try to find a comfortable resting place. She hated having those flightless stumps on her back sometimes; they did nothing but get in the way. Sure she eventually would be able to fly at least like Fluttershy, but that felt pretty insignificant compared to how they got in the way of everything. Even just sleeping could sometimes be a problem with how uncomfortable they could be to lay on.

Of course this was all pretty trivial compared to how long the school day was about to be, what with how both Applebloom and Scootaloo had both come down with the ponypox. Luckily Sweetie Belle had already caught it and Twilight believed that Erroria had too with how she was one of like seven students that wasn't sick. What a shame though, she really would have loved to take a few days off to stay at home and just play video games.

Her train of thought paused when she noticed Diamond Tiara glancing back at her with a wicked grin. Well hay, she knew that Sweetie and she were going to be pretty much alone for the week and there was no doubt that Diamond and Silver Spoon were going to take full advantage of that. Normally it was four versus two, but with the playing field evened out she was sure to strike.

"Alright class, I'm sorry I'm a little late, I was just caught up with a little something before class," The cheerful voice of their teacher broke the uncomfortable gaze that the preppy pink filly had.

Diamond mouthed something to Erroria and pointing a hoof at her before facing their teacher who trotted in front of the chalk board before speaking again. "We actually have a new student today, all of the way from Prance!"

A transfer student? So soon? Erroria's eyes lit up hopefully. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were always looking to recruit, and with Erroria as proof, looking for new students was the best route for that. That being especially true because of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's ability to rope ponies into helping them with their plans. Of course Erroria normally wouldn't list any names, but Snips and Snails definitely deserved a mention with that whole pudding fiasco.

“Alright Ryx, you can come in now,” Cheerilee continued with a smile on her lips and a wave of her hoof to pull the pony... well, not really pony... inside.

Almost everyone in the class stared at the new student, unsure of what to really say about the strange creature that had timidly walked in with its fluffy tail tucked between its legs and its pointed ears drawn back. It was a fox. Plain and simple as that; there was a fox that had just walked into the classroom. Erroria simply stared at the red furred vulpine with a hint of excitement still looming, while the rest of the class seemed to just be stuck in confusion.

“Go ahead Ryx, introduce yourself,” Cheerilee offered kindly to the fox that was apparently named Ryx.

It wasn't an Equestrian name, that's for sure, and it didn't sound too Prench either. Maybe it was a Vulpine name? That's the only explanation that Erroria could come up with anyway. Was she really from Prance anyway? She thought foxes came from Wolfenstein with the Wolves.

No, she was definitely Prench with that thick accent she used when she spoke, “'i-'i everyfo- Everypony, my name is Ryx Nyte and it is very nice to meet you all.”

A colt raised his hand in the back of the room, which Cheerilee gave him the okay to speak, “Why do you talk like that?”

Ryx visibly shied away from the colt's question, to which Erroria took note of the reaction. Was she nervous? Well, I suppose she could sympathize to a point. Everyone had treated her different too on account of her status as an alicorn. This was different though, Ryx wasn't even a pony at all! She was... what were they called? A carnival? Oh right! A carnivore.

“Snips! Don't be rude,” Cheerilee scolded the unicorn for the insensitive question, but soon after there were at four more raised hooves.

Just like that, the barrage of questions began.

~~~

The questions took up a large portion of the morning, all of the way to lunch to be precise, before Cheerilee managed to calm the entire class down. Diamond Tiara seemed to have the most questions though, ones that were both offensive and others that simply seemed like legitimately curious questions. No, Erroria knew she was planning something though. That's just how she was, she always had some kind of plan to assert her dominance over others.

“I didn't think they really talked like that,” A voice cracked behind the alicorn, “I mean, Rarity said they did, but hearing it in person is so different.”

“Yeah,” Erroria nodded towards Sweetie Belle, “Hey, we should go talk to her though. She had a pretty rough morning with some of those questions I think.”

“Yeah, I mean who asks 'Do all Prench ponies have that freaky accent?'” Sweetie rolled her eyes and spoke in her best impression of Snails.

Erroria paused in thought. She had to be careful with Ryx, she seemed pretty sensitive about the fact she was a foreigner. Maybe she should just treat her like any other pony? Then again, avoiding the subject might not work all too well either. What if-

“Who eats a fish?!” Diamond Tiara's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, “That's just disgusting! Even in Prance, I doubt ponies could be that freaky.”

Sure enough, she was already giving the new student a hard time. No, rather she was making fun of her diet? When Erroria had read about the other sentient species in the world, she remembered that foxes tended to eat fish and chicken in addition to nuts and berries. As nasty as eating another living creature seemed, it wasn't really her place to judge was nature had dealt Ryx.

“Well, I just...” Ryx's voice was timid, reminding Erroria of Fluttershy almost.

“Just what? If you're going to live here in Equestria, you need to get used to eating what Equestrians do,” Diamond rolled her eyes, “After all, who wants to be a freak? Well, unless you're one of those blank flanks I guess.”

“Hey, leave her alone!” Sweetie Belle was already next to the table, almost yelling at the earth pony in anger, “You have no right to control what somepony wants to eat!”

“Hey, I'm just suggesting ways to not be a weirdo like you blank flanks,” Diamond growled back, to which she then looked at the... flank?... of the fox, “Well, I suppose hers is pretty blank too.”

“Th-that's because foxes don't really have c-cutie marks,” Erroria chimed in now, standing next to her friend.

Diamond scoffed, “A-And n-now t-the s-stuttering f-freak is here to lecture me on something only a bookworm would know?”

“I-It's actually pretty common knowledge, r-right Sweetie?” Erroria grinned smugly at Diamond, choosing to ignore her stab at the alicorn.

She knew that it really wasn't, but Sweetie picked up on what she was trying to do, “Seriously, almost everypony knows about something like that!”

That was something she had picked up from Twilight, the ability to insult someone's intelligence without directly calling them an idiot. Of course she was told that she should try the peaceful route with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, but Twilight had taught her how to defend herself if need be. Well, defend a certain fox in this case.

“I.. Of course I knew that!” Diamond spoke uncertainly, trying not to let the tables be turned on her like that.

“G-g-g-good, because that'd be really embarrassing if you didn't,” Erroria added on, trying to hide her victorious smile.

“Of course it would be!” She rolled her eyes and huffed, “Fine, it you want to be a friend with this freak, then you can.”

With that, Diamond Tiara stormed off. Lucky for Sweetie and Erroria, Silver Spoon had come down with the cutiepox too and couldn't come to school, so it was still two crusaders per one of them.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sweetie was sitting across the table from the new student, wearing a sweet smile, “I'm sorry about everything she said...”

Ryx shook her head, wiping her eyes with her foreleg before speaking, “N-No, I understand why she said what she said... I am a bit of a freak.”

“H-H-Hey, don't say that! I-I mean sure, foxes aren't too common in Equesrtia, but still...” Erroria shook her head and sat beside the fox, “Don't let what Diamond Tiara said g-get to you; she's just a bully.”

Ryx shyly smiled with her ears folding back, “Dz-Dzank you both, I don't know what I would 'ave done widzout you coming...”

Erroria giggled softly, her stutter calming down a little, “Hey, us new kids have to stick t-together. Speaking of which, are you doing anything later?”

Sweetie nodded in agreement, “Yeah, me and Erroria were wanting to go to Sugarcube Corner after school, and if you wanted to come...”

Ryx's eyes widened slightly, obviously unsure of what to say for a moment before nodding excitedly, “I would like dzat very much!”

The fox was already acquainted with Sugarcube Corner, with that amazing welcoming committee that she and her mother had found upon arriving in Ponyville. Well, as amazing as it was, Ryx had found herself a little too shy to indulge in the party, but she knew it would have been fun if she did. After all, her mother seemed to really enjoy it, which is what really mattered in the end.

~~~

Twilight sighed as she looked across the several books on magitechnology in front of her, somehow reading over seven different books all in one go. Everything that Princess Luna had told her seemed so impossible, especially considering the time it had happened in. Magitechnology was barely able to create automated transports and televisions, let alone something of this magnitude. Sure, there were several science fiction books on the topic, but that's just it; they were fiction.

“How is this even possible?!” Twilight pushed her hooves against her face before shouting into them.

Maybe the Elements of Harmony could have done something like this, but according to Luna, it had occurred before her and Celestia even knew the elements existed. With another exasperated sigh, Twilight fell onto her back and stared up at the ceiling of the library. Why was she so upset over this? Was she just hoping that it was all a lie? It was something that painted her teacher in a different light, but it didn't really change how she felt about her. After all, everyone makes mistakes in their youth, to which Twilight admitted that her lack of friends was hers.

“Twilight!” A cheerful voice called as the library door was practically kicked open, “Twilight, you'll never guess what happened at school today!”

The lavender mare looked over at Erroria, who wore a smile wide enough to match even Pinkie Pie's. Someone apparently had a great day, “What happened?”

“Okay, so, so, so,” She started, practically hopping in place, “So we got this new student from Prance, which I assumed would be a Prench mare. However, she ended up being a fox that was from Prance, and she's really shy but awesome! Her name is Ryx and I was wondering if I could have some bits so me, her, and Sweetie Belle could all go to Sugarcube Corner and get some snacks and hang out and maybe go to Rarity's house and maybe play video games and maybe spend the night!”

Twilight blinked at Erroria's excited rambling, feeling the corners of her lips point upwards. No, there was no way that what Luna had said could be true. She was just a regular little filly that was making friends and enjoying her foalhood. Sure, she had her share of enemies, but even Twilight had a few bullies in her school too.

“Well, I don't know,” Twilight started with a teasing tone in her voice, “Have you asked Rarity or Ryx's mother yet?”

Erroria nodded happily, “That's what they're off doing right now!”

“Hm, I seem to recall that last night you were supposed to do the dishes though,” Twilight couldn't help but form a grin on her lips, “Maybe if some filly did her chores...”

“Please Twilight? Pretty please? Pretty please with one of those cherries you like so much on top?” Erroria clasped her hooves together with wide eyes and a pouting lip.

“Hm... I might be persuaded with a hug,” Twilight added thoughtfully, almost immediately feeling two small legs wrap around her stomach.

About as predictable as ever. Twilight smiled and wrapped her forelegs around the filly in a hug. No, she definitely was a normal filly, no matter where her roots were. What mattered now was the present, and she definitely deserved to stay in the present. After a moment Twilight made true to her word.

“Go upstairs and get the games you want to take to Rarity's and bring me my saddlebags so I can give you a few bits.”

“Thank you Twilight!” Erroria shouted happily before practically breaking into a full gallop up the stairs to her bedroom.

No matter what Luna and Celestia had done in the past, Erroria was her daughter here and n-

“Daughter...” Twilight began for a moment, dwelling on the idea without realizing it, “Maybe...”

~~~

Oh Celestia, she actually was invited to somebody's house already! She had only been in Equestria for two days and she was already making friends! Well, at least she hoped they were her friends. They certainly seemed a lot friendlier than that Diamond Tiara filly at least, and certainly more friendly than those Prench mares.

“Maman, je suis a la maison!” Ryx called out through her new house, hoping that the halls carried her voice to her mother's ears.

“Welcome back, sweetie! 'ow was your first day of school?” A Prench accent called from the kitchen, “Also, I told you to speak Equestrian!”

“But momma, it's so annoying!” The fox fussed as she walked into the kitchen.

“Yes, but what did I tell you?” The dark blue unicorn mare turned to her daughter and pointed her wooden spoon threateningly at her.

Ryx shied into her seat and nodded, “Practice makes perfect?”

“Good, but now then, 'ow was your day?” She planted a soft kiss on the head of her daughter before returning to her cooking.

“Well, it was fun! Kind of, I got bullied,” Ryx started, visibly seeing her mother's ears droop at her daughter's words, urging her to continue, “But I got saved by these two fillies and they were really nice! One's dzis unicorn named Sweetie Belle and the other is... I'm not sure what she is, but she's the same thing as the Princesses and she's also nice and stood up for me. But, but, but momma, I haven't told you dze best part! Dzey want to spend time widz me here in an hour and go to dzat one place, Sugarcube Corner, and maybe have me stay over at Sweetie Belle's for a sleepover!”

Her mother stared in shock at the wall, almost amazed at what her daughter had just told her. She never made friends, and yet after one single day in Equestria she already had two? It was almost too good to be true. Etoile Nyte shook off her shock before turning to her daughter.

“So you're already making friends?”

Ryx nodded enthusiastically, her smile wide, “So can I go, please momma? Please? Like a whole sugar lump of please?”

Etoile paused for a moment in thought before smiling, “To Sugarcube Corner yes, but I want to talk to Sweetie Belle's parents about you staying dze night.”

The fox almost leaped out of her chair to hug her mother, “Dzank you, dzank you, dzank you Momma! I'm so excited dzat I... What am I going to wear? Should I brush my fur? Maybe bring some games? No, I don't know if dzey play video games...”

With that, the fox left the kitchen excitedly as she contemplated what she was doing with her new found friends. In the end though, she decided to try and like whatever they liked; after all, she couldn't afford to lose her first two and only friends. Well, if they considered her their friend that is.