Chapter 1 Arrival & Trappers
Chapter 1
Is this cliché by now?
Really. That’s an honest question. Ah, whatever. You know how it goes, right? A brony in a coffee shop, looking up pony things, when suddenly some weirdo comes along and chats them up about ponies, and then it all goes Alice in Wonderland on him.
Well... no, actually. Yeah, I’m a brony, but I’ve never been near a café before. I don’t drink coffee.
Come to that, I didn’t really leave my house much to start with, so it figures that the one time I decide to break routine and go out someplace...
Getting ahead of myself, methinks. Right. Okay, so I wasn’t surfing the web on my laptop at a café. I was surfing the web on my Nook in Barnes & Noble, when--what? Yes, I know they have a Starbucks. Shut up.
Anyway, if I can finish, there I was, looking up pony stuff on my Nook. I’d found a relatively secluded place to sit, and I’d leaned back to see some of the fanfics that had updated, because summer is boring. Eventually I got that tingly feeling you get when someone is staring at you, but when I looked up, all I saw was this little old Asian man with a cane searching the shelves.
Huh. Weird. I shrugged it off and got back to reading.
Eventually I became aware of groaning. I looked up and saw the old man struggling to reach a book on the top shelf, about six inches too high. Guy was short.
I sighed and walked over. “Need a hand, sir?” I grabbed the book and gave it to him, some doorstopper about Asian mythology.
He gave me a toothless smile. “Many thanks, child.” I smiled back and turned back to my stories.
I got that weird feeling again, and when I looked up the old man was looking at the screen over my shoulder.
He was grinning. “A bit old for ponies, aren’t we son?”
I took it in stride. “Meh. ‘s good reading.”
He settled down into the chair next to mine. “Of course, I suppose I’m not one to talk...”
He pulled an iPhone out of his pocket, and lo and behold it had a Twilight Sparkle skin design.
I stared for a second before laughing. “No way. Ha! Who’s your favorite?”
“Twilight. A thirst for knowledge is always respectable. You?”
“Um... Fluttershy, actually.” I was a bit sheepish on this. I know, it doesn’t matter, but I still felt embarrassed. Just one of the ways in which I related to her, I suppose.
And things went on from there. I won’t bore you with details, and frankly I don’t remember them anyway. I do remember that we had just finished talking about whether or not Equestria was the name of the planet or just a country, when suddenly he started talking about the different species.
“So, what do you think of the diamond dogs or the griffins, eh?”
“Not enough information. Only griffin I’ve seen is Gilda, and an upstanding citizen she is not. As for the dogs? Meh. I can only hope they’re not representative of their species. They don’t look much like dogs, either. The leader looked more like a cat than anything.”
He raised an eyebrow at that. “Which would you rather be?”
“Based on current information? Neither. Wouldn’t want to be a pony either, though, I like having fingers too much.” It was at around this point that my gaze started to wander towards the front windows, and I started at what I saw. It looked like there was a fox staring at me through the window. “Whoa, is that--”
“Well then, good news, my boy! I’ve got just the thing for you!”
I turned back towards him and noticed a couple things. He didn’t have much hair, but what he did have stuck straight up in the back and looked almost like... ears...
My pondering stopped rather suddenly when the world dropped away and we were suddenly sitting in a bunch of nothing. There was a circle of light around us, and everywhere else was dark as pitch. And so I eloquently summed up my situation as such:
“...huh. Ain’t that a thing.”
“Indeed it is,” he said, beaming. “My name... well, nevermind that. You can call me Keaton. And after such a lovely conversation, I’ve decided to name you as the successor to my power!”
Okay, sure. Come again?
“Yes, I’m afraid I’m a bit on in years, and I’m fast approaching my final journey. But I have too much power to simply allow it to vanish with me! So I’m going to pass it on to you. Questions?” That fox from the window padded into the light from God-knows-where and sat down at his feet.
“Yeah, I’ve got a question. Umm... what?” That fox is weird looking...
He just laughed. “Oh, don’t bother. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“Okaaaay... why me?” Is it... smiling at me? Odd. Odd? I think we’ve moved past odd, me.
“Well, if I want to spend my final hour screwing someone over, that’s my business, I should think.”
Hold on, what. “Okay, now I’m getting annoyed. Just what do you intend to--Ah.” That fox was suddenly in my face. It grinned and winked at me.
Then it said, “Good luck!”
And that’s about where I blacked out.
I want to make it clear that I am not an early riser. If I’m allowed to, I will sleep until noon, every day. So when I woke up and was suddenly completely alert and ready to go, it was rather disorienting.
I was in a cave. The only cave I’d ever been in before now had been one of those tourist attractions with the guard rails everywhere to keep you from actually, y’know, doing anything, so you wanna know the first thing I did?
If you chose ‘proceeded to freak out over waking up in a completely alien environment,’ then congratulations! You are completely wrong. Panic isn’t something I can do. Where normal people would flip out, I just become very calm and methodical.
So yeah, I just sat down and took stock of the situation. Don’t get me wrong, I could feel the worry bubbling under the surface, I was just saving it for when it wouldn’t impede me. The following is a rough estimate of my thought process over the next thirty seconds:
1) I’m not wearing anything. Find clothes.
2) This is a pretty small cave. I should find some elbow room.
3) That old man was totally grape-nuts! And what was up with that fox?
4) This rock is doing a number on my paws, I really should get out of here...
5)...working...
6)...paws?
At that point, a couple neurons came back from their coffee break and proceeded to OH MY GOD WHAT THE HECK?!
Yeah, now’s a good time for a freakout.
Okay, systems check; hands are functional but have pads. Also they are paws and missing a ring finger each, and are paws. Paws. I was covered in gold fur, though the exact shade was hard to make out in the gloom. And a quick check behind me... yup. Tail. Sss. Tails. Wait, what?
One, two, three, four... jeez, what would a creature need nine tails for?
I need a mirror, stat.
I ran outside, stopping only once briefly when I realized I was sprinting on all fours. Annoying to realize, but the height of the tunnel didn’t allow for much otherwise. Anyway, let’s see where I am. Outside... huh. Okay, trees. Creepy forest.
Also, something to note: that cave wasn’t small. I am very large. It’s the only explanation for why I can reach over the canopy if I stand on my hind legs.
Where was I? Oh yeah, creepy forest. Eerily familiar too...
Wait. Could that old geezer have... Well, only one way to find out.
I chose a likely-looking direction and started walking. Let me tell you, I thought I would get in trouble almost immediately, and that’s very nearly what happened. After thirty minutes of walking, I came into a clearing with just what I wanted: a lake. Unfortunately, there were other creatures there too. Large, lupine monsters made of wood and leaves.
Timberwolves. That clinches it. I’m in Equestria, and this is the Everfree Forest. I started giggling like a maniac when I remembered, Wait, Timberwolves are dangerous.
Or I thought so. I figured, hey, I’m way bigger than them, maybe I can scare them off. In hindsight it was probably stupid to antagonize a major predator, but whatever. I stared the biggest one down and felt my lips curl as I growled.
And it worked. After a moment the leader backed off and left, the pack running after him.
I blinked. Huh. Okay, I’ll take it. I looked into the pond. Reflection wasn’t great, but I saw what I needed to.
I had a muzzle, for one. My eyes were big and brown, amber even, and I had the pointy ears up top.
I’m a nine-tailed fox. If I knew anything about Naruto I’d probably have made a joke to myself, but ah, well...
So, it took me a while to calm down. Rather, I was already calm, I just couldn’t think straight because I couldn’t find anything else to think about except for HOLY CRAP I’M A FOX.
Wow, that sounded weird.
Ahem. Right. Well, I spent a good few minutes completely dumbfounded.
Heh. ‘Dumbfounded.’ I love that word.
But I’m not known for my attention span. While the problem of what to do next was indeed one deserving of further deliberation, I got bored rather quickly. I got up and walked off. Not in any particular direction, mind you, but I was straining my ears for anything that might clue me into where to go next.
I was just thinking I was hopelessly lost when I heard something. It was... uhh... humming? Oh, and hoofsteps... headed this way?!
Ah. Oh, um. I’m round about thirty feet tall. There’s no way I can hide at this size!
And no sooner had I thought that then the world shot up around me. Shrinking?!
Heck, I’m not gonna argue. I stopped until I was maybe a little smaller than a normal fox, and then I jumped into the bushes.
The humming falter for about a minute, then resumed with a wary undertone. I peeked out and I nearly squealed.
Zecora! Hooded cloak and all! Judging by the saddlebags she was just coming back from hunting for herbs or whatever they were. I decided I would just follow her to her shack and then work my way out of the woods from there.
I love having paw pads. They make moving silently so much easier. Also it helps that I’m on dirt. Nothing ruins a good skulk like wood floors creaking under your weight.
Y’know, I have to wonder. Do all zebras have cutie marks like Zecora? I mean, obviously they have them, but are they runic like hers? With the spiral sun and everything? What does that mean, anyway? If her symbol is unique in its shape, then perhaps it symbolizes cultural pride. Or something.
Sorry, my mind tends to wander. I go on tangents like that all the time. For instance, why do they say ‘wander’ in terms of the mind? It’s not like it goes anywhere. And that’s when the net landed on me.
...wait...
Okay, what? I get distracted for one second and I’m in a net. Really? Really. Where’d it come from, anyway?
Oop, monologue over. I got lifted up as something picked the net up. Take note: Diamond Dogs are far uglier in person. Person? ...Dog...son...? Whatever.
He looks over his shoulder and barks. “Hey boss? Why this fox look weird?”
Well, I never.
Another one wandered over. “Got me. Never mind. More tails means more fur.”
...Oh right, foxes are hunted for that, aren’t they OH GOD they tossed me into a sack. An actual sack.
“Put it in with the Zebra,” the boss says. Zebra? Oh right, her. Then they toss me into something soft, which grunts. Oh there she is!
“What we do now?”
“One pony and some game is nothing. There’s a village nearby, and that’s where we’re going.”
“...”
“What?”
“Boss, I don’t think that’s a good plan.”
“Yeah? Well guess what Rover, you’re not in charge! Now get going!”
When I woke up I was rather confused. Wasn’t I... in a sack? And I felt... what’s the opposite of top heavy? Bottom-light? I turned around.
Where’d my other five tails go? Why am I in bush and not it a sack? Who am I asking these questions, and why do I actually seem to expect answers?
I poked my head out of the shrub and found myself in a clearing containing Zecora with all of her hooves tied together and a gag, struggling against her bonds. Next to her on the ground was a burlap sack. It was moving.
It’s funny, I was in a sack... just... like that. Um.
...I’ve seen stranger things. I used to watch Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo. Only one way to find out if I’m right. Right?
I naturally ran to the bag, ignoring Zecora’s stare, and was immediately besieged by a problem. The sack was tied off with a knot, and I lacked fingernails. Ever tried to untie a knot without them? Bloody hard to do.
I used my claws instead. I was rather surprised when they cut right through the rope. For a second I could have sworn they were glowing. Probably just a trick of the light.
At any rate, the bag fell open and--
--I rescued myself? No, I’m serious, the bag just fell away and there’s another multi-tailed fox right there staring at me.
The Dogs just left me here with what I assume is Zecora and now suddenly another one of my kind comes along and goes: Vulpix used Slash! It’s super effective!
Anyway, he stood there slackjawed for another second before he shook himself and cut the net open as well. We started talking at the same time.
“Who are you? I asked you first! ...Jinx! Darn.”
I decided to let him go first. It seems he had the same idea, because for another minute we just stood there.
Zecora grunting snapped us out of it. How’d I forget about her? I was standing right there next to her!
He cut her legs free while I untied her gag.
“Are you alright, Z-- ma’am?”
“I’ve been better, I’m afraid. How did you know to come to our aid?” she said, directing the last part to my double.
He shrugged. “I dunno. One second I was in the bag, next I’m waking up in a bush. Y’know, I thought it was odd that such a light blow would knock me out like that...”
“Wait, what? I never went under, I was in that sack the whole time!”
I think I only just now noticed that he only had four tails. A neuron sparked, and it occurred to me to check my own. I only had five. ...Wait a minute...
“I knew it!” he declared.
“Knew what?”
“You and I are one and the same!”
“What.”
“We’re just like... like... uh, who’s a superhero with the power to do that?”
“Billy Numerous?”
“No, he’s a villain.”
“Yeah. Um...”
“*ahem*”
“What? Oh, Miss Ze...bra lady, my apologies. You’ll have to excuse me... us, We’re going through a rather frightening existential dilemma right now.”
“We are?”
“Stop talking to yourself, people’ll think you’re crazy.”
“I’m crazy? You realize there’s no difference between me and you?”
“Yes there is. One tail. I’m going to call you ‘Fours.’”
He glared at me. “We need to fix this. It turns out I’m very annoying.”
We paused for a moment, then looked at Zecora.
“Miss Zebra? Do you think you could help us?”
Chapter 2: The Best is Always the Original
Author's Note
Hello my name is Badwolf231 the new author of Clever Like a Fox and before reading. I will like you to know that this was all made possible by Multiversity and his first chapter that we all fell in love with. Now of course I just resumed Chapter 2 and is primarily Multiversity's work but I would like to thank a group of people who has helped me get the story back on it's feet and that is all you fans that wait for years just to read another chapter. I will also like to have special thanks to nameless_person for making me believe that I could do this fanfic Justice and being able to contune it is quite a treat and yes I know that this chapter was a little bit short but this was more of a trial run for me so I decided against making it longer. now lets get to read the never before seen Chapter of Clever Like a Fox.
Chapter 2: The Best is Always the Original
And so I wound up walking through the woods, just me, myself, and a cartoon zebra with penchant for rhyme.
Hmm. I have a rather bothersome feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg. An iceberg made of frozen Kool-Aid. God, I hate Kool-Aid.
Freaky. No, not the zebra, that’s cool. The fact that there were currently two of me? Not sure if want. I’m the four-tailed one, by the way.
And how does that work, anyw--actually no, that kind of makes sense. Maybe it’s like that Ring of Nine Dragons from that show with the ridiculously hard-to-spell name. Except I’m fairly certain that was China, and kitsune are from Japan. Predominantly, at least.
Kitsune, or whatever I/we am/are, are usually magical creatures. And since I’m not piloting a custom-built jet in an attempt to keep up with a ludicrously fast hedgehog, I have to assume that I’m of the magical variety. The size-changing and splitting in two support this theory.
Kitsune. Hm. Doesn’t really roll of the tongue too well in a sentence, what with weird emphasis. Kit-SOON. Kind of awkward, methinks. What did the old guy call himself? Keaton? I’m fairly certain that wasn’t his real name, but was it just a clever pseudonym or was he telling me what he was? Hrm...
I turned to myself. “What do you think?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I don’t like kitsune either. We’ll call myselves a keaton.”
That’s another thing. We have exactly the same thought process. It’d be creepy if it weren’t so convenient. Really, I hate talking to people. I always know what I mean, but I have a lot of trouble putting thoughts into words. Talking with someone who already knows what I’m thinking is almost a relief. Oh hey, we’re here.
Let me tell you, Zecora’s place is creepy as all get-out in person. It was awesome. I could almost hear tribal drums playing in the background.
Wait... That's not just in my head, is it?
Apparently not. Zecora looked at me strangely, so I turned around. My tails were glowing. The other me’s were pulsing to the drums, while mine were just shining softly.
“Okay, that’s kind of cool. But distracting. How do I turn it off--oh, nevermind.” The song cut out on its own.
Other-me scowled, a rather frightening expression with a muzzle full of sharp teeth. “Great. So now I can play music. But how do I control it?”
Zecora opened her door. “Step into my home with me, and perhaps we soon shall see...”
Her house looked a bit different from the show. Not by much, but noticeably. The potions were understandably more detailed in person, as opposed to the palette-swapped jugs on the show. Aside from the front room with the cauldron, there was one other room with her bed (with leopard-print sheets). It was in this latter room that a large-ish bookshelf stood, and it was from this shelf she pulled a much-worn book.
“This is a guide that I have been writing,” she said, “of all of the creatures this forest is hiding. Manticores, hydras, dragons, here, look. All written down in this one little book.”
“So you’ve got something about magic foxes in there?”
“Perhaps, but not much I fear. Your kind is not native to here.” She opened the book seemingly at random and put her hoof on a rather dismally small couple of paragraphs next to a rather stylized sketch of another fox.
“This isn’t a lot.”
“It’s all that I’ve got,” she said, apologetic.
I huffed and sat down with the book in my lap--wait. I was on all fours the whole way over here, now suddenly I’m sitting cross-legged. How am I not breaking bones?!
Whatever. The book didn’t say much, but what it did have was useful. It listed me simply as “Kitsune,”, and said that we were rare, long-lived tricksters from across the sea. We were known to be shapeshifters--Ooh, can’t wait to try that--and on the rare occasion we appeared we were causing trouble. Okay, don’t like that. It went on to say that kitsune were powerful, with the oldest of their kind capable of throwing down with the likes of Celestia!
I found that dubious.
Aside from shapeshifting, it wasn’t very clear on powers, though. I finished the little excerpt quickly, when my double reading over my shoulder piped up and pointed to the adjacent page.
“What’s that?”
Good question. The thing was actually listed as “???” and had barely any information at all. Just a picture of some nondescript shadow. I asked Zecora, and she said she didn’t know, it was just something she’d seen on occasion. She said she tried to avoid it when she saw it, because every animal in the forest was terrified of it. Even the plants shied away from it...
Well, mystery for another day. I still need to figure out how to join back together--
--!
!?!
----------...
Ow.
Okay, let me gather myself.
Breathe in... breathe out...
Okay. Calm? Yes. Good. Yes.
…
That was messed up, man.
The good news is, I’m back in one piece now. Bad news? It hurt. Not physically, because otherwise the pain would’ve knocked me out. No, the physical part was rather nice. The only way I can describe it is like that relief you get after that pin-and-needles feeling you get when you try to move a numb foot goes away. Sort of.
Anyway, no, it was the mental feeling of having two sets of memories trying to occupy the same neurons. Unpleasant. Wires crossing. Bad.
At any rate, back in one piece. How long was I out? Looking outside doesn’t help, it was dark already under those trees.
I must have been out a decent while, since Zecora was kind enough to put a pillow under me and a blanket over me and a dog bowl filled with water next to me.
What.
A dog bowl?
Why a dog bowl, I am a human.
Well I was a human.
You know I starting to get the since that Kitsune’s are treated just like dogs, wait a minute ponies don’t eat meat which means I can’t eat meat. Aw man I really loved meat, I mean what I don’t understand is why I am a magical fox but yet I still can’t eat a normal human/fox diet. I mean what is this My little pony oh wait that's right I am in Equestria. Well I guess I should ask Zecora about going to Twilights for any knowledgeable books on the Kitsune race but right now I guess I should get some water I am thirsty.
I was drinking my water when I heard a knock at the door, so I naturally decided to get up and walk over to the door to see who it was and what I saw surprised me.
Chapter 3 The Unexpected Friend
It was a wolf and no I am not talking about a timber wolf or a dog but a real wolf with rugged fur and silver pelt.
I must have had my brain fried during that process of getting rid of that other Keaton. I mean there's no way a real physical wolf is standing at the door. Could there be a real wolf, I mean I guess it could be just another thing that surprise me but I didn’t know theirs different races that were not shown in the show.
Well to be honest I should've probably guessed this world wouldn’t be like the show but still I was not expecting a wolf but hey I just dropped into a world full of ponies I should probably start to expect the unexpected.
Well I guess I should let this wolf in but how do I reach the door handle wait if I can shrink then I bet I can grow alright all I have to do is think grow right well let’s try okay first picture a pony. “Their we go now let’s try to grow wait I am growing” and so I grew but what I didn’t know was I would soon regret it.
I have started growing wait what “Ow” ok I can’t focus what is happening to me. I can barely see and feel like I am about to faint wait take that back I am going to faint.
Wolf’s point of view
Well I guess that prayer has been answered and so I can rest and have some time to myself. Ugh and I have help Keaton today because today is when he first comes to Equestria . Why do I have to be so honest, well I have a old promise to keep I guess I have to go to Zecora’s to see a old friend.
While approaching the door I could see my old friend in the corner drinking out of a dog bowl. Mhm I remember Keaton use to tell me that he hated to be treat like a dog but then again that was after he stopped calling himself chance and started calling himself Keaton. He probably has already started calling himself Keaton.
I was about to knock on the door but then it came to me I have meet him before but he’s has not meant me yet so this is what Keaton meant by “when you see me it won’t be the same person you know”. Hmph I miss Keaton but I can’t worry about that now so I guess I should knock.
I knocked but I can’t see Zecora but I saw Keaton jump up on a table that was near the door. He of course just look at me as if he thought I was the strangest thing he has seen all day.
Well I know that isn’t true, I mean I have heard his stories of how he came to Equestria before and I have to admit that his story sounds like a joke compared to how I ended up here.
When I found myself in Equestria as a wolf and not human I learned how wild Equestria can get and how dangerous it is if you don’t know what your doing and I should know because the first time I land here i was attacked by timberwolves and almost died.
I was just lucky that Keaton was nearby to save me but to be fair I was handling the timberwolves just fine but to tell you the truth I wasn’t expecting a giant timberwolf to form from the other timberwolves and when I used my powers at its peak while wound well it left me critically wounded but Keaton found and saved me by a healing spell that he said he learned from an old friend but since I was transported to Equestria in 2018 and since Keaton transported into Equestria in 2011 I figured that he would know more about what was happening with the god like powers then me and was I ever right.
I snapped out of my memories when I heard a yell followed by Keaton fainting and that’s when I opened the door and found out that he grew of course he had not gotten used to his new powers yet I mean really Keaton why couldn’t you tell me that your younger self hadn’t learned how to use his powers yet.
I check his pulse but he had a very small pulse but he spent himself by using his powers while he was weak which put a strain on his Kitsune form and with that also put a strain on the anchor that keeps him in Equestria and if that anchor gets strained to a point of non existence the god will die and go into a comatose state but I think I know away to save him.
“Oh my what in unexpected person who has come to visit me today how are you doing dear and what my I ask has happened to the newer version of your older friend?” inquired Zecora.
He’s hurt bad and the only way I can save him is by transferring some of my magic energy to him which I hope will stabilize the anchor and will save him but if I am not careful it could kill me in the process. At that point I really couldn’t tell if I was talking to zecora or myself but this had to be it the spell that he saved me with was taught to him by me but if I am wrong it will kill me.
I can’t just let him die like I did before no, I will save him even if it kills me okay cross my paws over one another that's it and now the moment of truth. I call upon the Azura god and the Selene goddess give me your strength tonight and allow me to serve you in this plane of existence and allow me to transfer some of my power to the god Keaton.
The moon shined brightly with understands and a bright light engulfs the room and when the flash is gone I knew it had worked but I seemed to pay a bit of a toll for using that spell and my body and mind was not gonna let me forget it and while I stood their my head was dizzy and my legs gave out from under me and I could only swear I fainted from pure exhaustion.
Keaton’s point of view
As I woke up I could smell tea and I could really go for some tea but as I got up I looked into the corner and saw the wolf that was at the door on the floor with a tiger blanket over him and so I looked at Zecora’s bed only to find that the blanket was gone and so I came to the conclusion of Zecora putting the blanket on him.
I walked over to the table noticing that I was at ponies height and length but I decided to dismiss it for now I mean this is just the tip of the frozen kool aid ice brig and as I previously stated I hate kool aid and so I am just going to ignore it for know as I walked in the kitchen I am greet by a zebra that start speaking in rhyme.
“I see the younger novice is awake even before thee master is?” inquired Zecora as she poured a second cup of tea.
I wanted to ask her what she meant by that but I think she knew what I was think even before I said anything. As she started to talk to me about the wolf that was resting on the floor while she gave me the tea cup.
“You see younger one your are no mere mortal and so the older one of your kind must teach you the ways of your kind.” explained Zecora
“May I ask you a question Zecora” I asked as she nodded her head in approval.
Well you keep calling him the older one but can you tell me his exact name and please don’t say you don’t know who he is because I know you wouldn’t give up your blanket for just an acquaintance?
“Well you see the older one is named Silver and is a friend of mine from way back and so I think he will be a great mentor for you.” answered Zecora as she stopped rhyming.
Why did you say your kind and that I am not a mortal?
“Such trivial is not for me to reveal to you but to trust in your new mentor.” answered Zecora flatly.
I noticed that Zecora wasn’t gonna say anymore then that so we just talked until it was time for bed I decided to sleep on the window and Zecora used a spare blanket for herself and so I fell asleep.
