The Misadventures of a Fox

Geralt the Weregarurumon was cranky. He had a much lower dosage of pain meds for his foot, and got a new cast, and also had been ordered to actually get out of the house to get some movement back into his body. Thankfully, or regrettably, Dustin had offered to accompany him as they wandered the town.

“Fuck my life.” The werewolf growled as he limped down the road.

“Isn’t that Vinyl’s job?” the fox teased.

“Don’t start, mister I have two girlfriends.” Geralt snapped back with a glare.

“Ivy’s more of a friend than a girlfriend,” Dustin noted out loud. “She’s shy and passive. I mostly have to force her out of the house. Granted, I’m an introvert too, but my extrovert friends rubbed off on me.”

“Hmmph.” The wolf snorted. “Kink-”

Suddenly there was a feeling of hands on their shoulders. “You two.” The clearly unhappy voice of Jojo spoke up. “We need to have a chat.”

It was the type of voice that Geralt hadn’t heard in years. Instantly he felt like a kid that had gotten in trouble and his mom was sitting him down for a talk. The wolf actually paled.

“Can we talk while we walk?” Dustin posed. “Big bad wolf needs to get some activity in him or the doctors fear he’ll become a couch potato.”

“That’s just fine.” The cold voice replied as the hands steered the pair as they walked.

“So… What’s this about?” Geralt asked as he limped along.

“Oh nothing… I just had a nice talk with Twilight and Rarity about some previous happenings around town…” Jojo replied innocently enough.

“O...kay…” Dustin trailed off. “Such as?”

“Like your prank wars.” Jojo replied, steering the two into the part. “Geralt, how’s you leg?”

“Well it’s a bit sore, haven’t walked on it a whole lo-”

“Fair enough.” The woman replied. “Sit.” The pushed the two into a bench and took a deep breath, before letting it out with a sigh.

“Bwuh.” Geralt, had to readjust himself on the bench. Now he really did feel like a kid again.

“I assure you that my role was mostly reactionary,” the fox tried to defend himself.

“So,” Jojo focused her eyes on the fox, “Poisoning a mare to basically rape someone who’s supposed to be your friend is reactionary?” Her jaw was set tight. The woman looked quite pissed.

“Oh sure, I’ll admit I went a tad bit too far,” the fox agreed. “But A), I wasn’t the one who did the poisoning, just the complaining about it to Dash. She took care of the rest. And B), why don’t you ask mister big bad here what his idea of teleport training is? Or his idea of how to educate the bitches of the mine?”

“You’re not off the hook, but you have a point there, son.” The woman gave a tilt of the head to Dustin, then turned her wrath on Geralt. “So, let me see if I get this right. You educate the bitch population about harems, sic them on your friend, he teleports and you decide to use that same dick hungry harem of bitches to chase your friend and student through Ponyville?”

The wolf shrank back a bit. “W-well…”

“Geralt Jameson, this is not some adventure, some anime, or some story where you get to play hero.” Jojo took a step forward and leaned in to the werewolf. “As ludicrous as some of the events in the world can be, and as funny as some things may seem at times, this is real life. In real life, you do not coerce a bunch of females to rape someone who trusts you, nor do you lead those same females on a hunting party for that same friend.”

The wolf was pressing his spine into the back of the bench, his eyes wide as he stared at the woman.

“I don’t know your history, I probably should have had a chat with your daughter first, but you’re actions are more like that of a child, rather than a grown man.” Jojo continued. “You could and should have manned the fuck up and talked through things like the adults you are.”

Suddenly her gaze turned back towards the fox. “And I’m not done with you, sonny Jim.” Her jaw popped. “Did you ever think at any point to actually sit and talk with this man instead of avoiding him? You have quite the mouth on you, and you seem to have a decent head on your shoulders for the most part. Hell, you seem to love talking through your issues with the ladies, what’s different about wolf-man over here?”

“Because whenever I complain about the things he does or puts me through in the name of training,” Dustin said, giving Geralt a stink-eye, “He gets ideas about how to make it worse. Honestly this time of him being mandated to rest has been the best time I’ve had in awhile.”

“Geralt, I think we need a more serious chat when you’re fully healed because-”

Both wolf and fox noticed Pinkie rolling her party cannon up behind the woman. The noise seemed to catch the woman’s attention. She paused, and slowly turned.

There was a moment where it seemed that Jojo was frozen stiff.

“Hi-” Pinkie didn’t get a chance to speak as Jojo was right in front of her in an instant. The woman’s fist was inches from the mare’s face. It was shaking as a distortion gripped the woman’s arm tight. The woman’s eyes were wide, her irises pinpricks, and a single tear rolled off her left eyes.

The woman blinked. “Dont- Don’t ever do that again! You h-hear me?!” There was a shake in her voice.

Pinkie wilted immediately and tears formed in her eyes. “I-I…”

“I- don’t want to hear it Suki!” The woman snapped.

“Jojo, what the fu-” Geralt managed to stammer out.

The woman whirled on the wolf. She was visibly shaking. “Jackson, don’t you argue with me, she could have killed somebody!” She thrust a finger at the mare. The breath came in gasps.

Then she blinked, still shaking she shook her head. She blinked again and looked around at the tree. A shaky hand moved into her jacket and she pulled out her flask. She popped the top and took a drag out of it. “I- I’m…” She stammered out. “Thunderstruck. Flash.” Lightning crackled around her and she disappeared in a blast of wind and a rumble of thunder.

“What d-did I do w-wrong?” Pinkie said, teary-eyed.

“I…. I think you just triggered a war vet.” Geralt said with a sick feeling in his gut from both seeing the reaction and the dressing down not even a minute ago.

“Yeah, it’s not your fault,” the fox supplied. “She’s just...very prone to react to things like cannons and explosions. She’d probably do better at a smaller, quieter party. Not everybody is good with loud noises. I know of people who went off to fight and came back not able to enjoy the sound of popcorn anymore.”

“My dad was that way.” Geralt replied, finally able to relax a bit.

Pinkie nodded herself. “I mean… I heard stories.”

“Yeah.” The wolf nodded, he looked at the fox. “Hey Dustin-”

“Dustin!” The rough voice of Dash called out from above.

The three looked up to see Dash racing at them. She was holding a newspaper of all things. “I have been looking everywhere for you!”

“...Dash, I thought you were trying to behave,” the fox frowned.

“What?” The pegasus stopped to hover just in front of the fox. “No. Here. Look at this!” She shoved the paper in his face.

Dustin raised an eyebrow as he read the newspaper.

“No no!” Dash yanked it away, flipped a page and shoved a picture in his face, while tapping a hoof on said picture. “That! Her!”

Oh.

That. Was a problem.

Dustin’s eyes narrowed and flashed red as he read who was debuting this new line of clothes on their magnificent model.

His throat housed a growl as he looked at the fox’s face in the paper.

“Dash,” the fox said far too calmly. “Go tell Flint I’ll be gone for a day or two. I have a mare to murder.”

Suri was going to pay in blood for this.

“Gotcha.” Dash said, made to fly away, then paused. “Oh, should we get anyone else, before you know, we head to Manehatten?”

Dustin hummed. “Post a flyer or something,” he settled on. “Anypony who shows up at the train station before the train does, I’ll take with.”

“Kay.” Dash nodded then shot off.

“I’m sorry I was the only one available.” Rarity apologised as she sat down in her seat on the train.

“Everyone else wished us well, but also, everyone else was busy.” Dash shrugged. “You’re one of the few that can actually drop things if you need to.”

“True.” Rarity sighed before puffing up. “The nerve of that mare!”

“I know,” Dustin grumbled. “I’m trying to decide how best to string her up. My current plan is either by her tail or by her intestines.”

“Now darling, as mad as we are, there are authorities we can contact.” Rarity tried to calm Dustin down.

“I plan to avoid those, they make murdering a mare tricky, what with the whole ‘you’re not allowed to do that’ spiel they have,” Dustin commented, his eyes still flashing red every now and then.

“Dustin.” Dash put a hoof on his arm. “Slow down. I don’t like seeing you this mad.”

“She kidnapped another Renamon, Dash!” Dustin snapped. “Just because she can’t have me, she took another one! She has to be stopped. And I’m going to show her how much stronger I’ve gotten since I left.”

“Dustin. Please.” Dash said calmly, meeting his eyes. “We’ll get her and show all the shit she’s done. Killing her won’t actually help anything.”

“It’ll make me feel better,” the fox grumbled, but his eyes finally became a solid blue.

“For a moment, darling.” Rarity said slowly. “We will get more info when we get to Manehatten.”

“Dustin.” The fox felt a hoof nudge his face. “We’re here.”

The fox jolted himself a little as he awoke from his small nap. “Once we’re done here I’m not coming back,” he muttered. “Long ass train ride to a town that I have horrible memories of.”

“I do hope she hasn’t moved.” Rarity frowned. “That would make finding her more difficult.”

“And I really doubt I’m fast enough to scout an entire city.” Dash grumbled as she got up and headed for the exit.

Rarity sighed. “This city is far too big for my tastes.”

“I’m used to it, but yeah, I’m more used to Ponyville now,” the fox agreed as he followed the pair of mares. “Makes me want my own place a lot more, though.”

“You may be right.” Rarity nodded as the three stepped into the train terminal proper. “Don’t get me wrong, I do love you staying and Sweetie adores you, but, getting your own place would allow you more room and customization of your personal space.”

“I wouldn’t mind if he got a house.” Dash commented.

“I will put a spell on his room Dash.” Rarity warned.

“I’ve been better!” Dash fluffed up a bit.

“Yeah, the three of us have been behaving,” Dustin commented easily. “Right here.”

“I’m aware, I can’t help but be nervous.” Rarity replied as they exited the starion. The roads and walkways were packed. “Goodness, we should find a side-street. Dustin? I believe you know this place a little better? I have been around but...”

“I was rarely allowed outside, Rares,” Dustin rolled his eyes. “I know the route I took to the train station, which was the most populated one so that she couldn’t grab me in the middle of the night again.”

“Right. S-sorry.” Rarity winced. “Well, just follow me then.”

The three forded through the crowds like a ship through rough seas. The unicorn found an alley that looked fine enough and they swiftly found their way, after a few rows of businesses, to a much less populated street. This one seemed more residential. “Marvelous, now, to find someone who can guide us to-”

Rarity was cut off.

“You can’t just do that out here! There are foals who live on this street!” A clearly angry mares voice caught the group’s attention. As one, they looked to the other side of the street. A cream-colored mare, in a clearly poor-fitting dress, with her red mane done up in a bun, was shouting at a very odd couple, and a very exasperated cop mare was facehoofing.

The first was a mare. Her coat was a burnt orange, and her mane was a much lighter ginger color. Her Cutie Mark was some kind of plant root. One eye was closed, while the other was a slightly foggy green. The mare also wore glasses, Of note, was the collar around her neck, which a leash was attached to and a necklace with a red and white rectangular object that Dustin swore was a Digivice.

The leash was held by… a skeleton? He (assuming it was a he) had dark crimson bones. A black orb filled his rib cage, and the center of the rib cage was open to the orb. Said orb had a symbol of a bat-like creature on the front of it. Black tattered wings protruded from his back. The upper half of his skull was all black and he had four bat-wing like ears coming off of his head. Within his eye sockets, were bright points of red light that appeared to function like irises. He wore black pants, as well as metal boots and gauntlets. In one hand he held the leash. In his other was a gnarled red staff. One side ended in a crescent moon and the other side ended with a three fingered claw grasping a gold orb. Lastly, atop the skeleton’s head was a quite fancy black top hat.

The cop was a mare with a white coat and brown mane. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses and she wore a bright blue button down shirt with a bronze badge and a cop’s hat atop her head.

The skeleton’s face was quite expressing, shifting like a humans would had it skin. He looked rather amused to be honest. The mare connected by the leash looked a little embarrassed but more annoyed at the mare.

The ‘karen’ mare was still shouting. “This is disgusting! I demand you arrest them.”

“Ma’am, I can’t arrest a couple based on their kinks.” The cop groaned. “Plus I don’t have the authority, nor the pay grade to try and arrest him.” She pointed a hoof at the skeleton.

“I am visiting my sister and I don’t want my nieces and nephews to be exposed to this kind of behavior!” The mare continued.

“Ma’am, we’re no’ doin’ anythin’ wrong.” The ginger mare’s voice spoke in a slight cockney accent. “We ‘ave out thing. You can go do yours.”

“Good on you, sweetie.” The skeleton spoke up in a voice that seriously reminded Dustin of Skeletor.

“Come on, let’s give her something better to complain about.” Dash started across the street.

“Dash. Don’t just-” Rairty quickly followed after the pegasus.

“You prismatic headache, what are you planning?” Dustin asked, following after the pegasus mare.

“Excuse me!” Dash called grabbing all four’s attention.

“Look, ma’am you’re clearly disturbing the peace.” The cop seemed just about done with today.

“What do you want, you-”

“Dustin. ‘Mere.” Dash turned towards him. The fox raised an eyebrow, but stepped closer to the mare. What did she have plan-

Dash grabbed his face in her forehooves and kissed him. Passionately. The fox blushed, but didn’t pull away. Okay then...if she wanted to express herself to get on the nerves of other ponies...that was kind of the best time to do it.

Dash broke the kiss with a pop and smirked at the mare. Said mare was doing her best impression of a fish. She shook herself. “That is disgusting! How could you do that to-”

“Okay ma’am, how about we go down to the station.” The cop put a hoof on the mare’s back. “I’m sure we can let your family know.”

“Wait, hey! You can’t just-” The ma’am complained the entire time as she was escorted down the sidewalk until they disappeared around the corner.

“Thank you for that.” The ginger mare said with a sigh.

“It wasn’t a problem.” Dash grinned happily.

“Well she was horrid.” Rarity grimaced.

“Yes, you get people like that from time to time, especially from out of town. You wouldn’t believe what Thursday’s are like.” The skeleton replied with a laugh.

“We’re from Ponyville.” Dash said nonchalantly.

“And I stand corrected.” The skeleton gave a small nod. “Wait,” his “eyes” fell on Dustin. “You look familiar.”

“Yeah, hi, lose the pants and I’m pretty sure I ducked under you on my mad dash to the station some months ago in a desperate bid to escape Suri’s gilded cage method of keeping her models,” Dustin said nonchalantly.

“Suri Palomare?” The skeleton asked, noticeably frowning.

“The same.” Rarity stated.

“Mmmm.” The skeleton hummed. “Well, ahem, introductions. This is Ginger Root, my wife.” He gestured to the mare, who gave a small wave and a “Hello.”

“Say, where’d you get the leash and collar?” Dash asked bluntly.

“Specialty shop.” Ginger replied.

“Nice.” Dash grinned, much to Dustin’s discomfort.

“Continuing on.” The skeleton grabbed the Poyville three’s attention again with a light tap of his staff on the ground. “I am Papy, Squad Leader of the Haunt Squad, and Lieutenant of the M.D.G.”

“Dustin, and we don’t exactly have ranks back in Ponyville,” the Renamon replied. “We have the hunters between us and the Everfree, and if something gets past them it’s less of a command structure and more of a ‘holy fuck kill that thing now’ moment.”

“Perhaps that should be remedied.” Papy nodded. “However, the point I’m getting to. There’s a case the Manehatten PD and the M.D.G. have open involving Suri, we just don’t exactly have a way in. Quite literally. We don’t have a warrant. Yet, we have the authority, that, if we can get into her offices or back rooms, it’s fair game. I take it, Dustin, that you’re here about Suri’s new model?”

“Victim,” Dustin corrected. “Captive. Prisoner. But yes.”

“The same,” Papy nodded. He looked down to Ginger, lightly wrapping the leash around her neck. “Sweetie, can you go and give an update to the Guild and the Police?”

“Of course.” Ginger nodded. “Wan’ me ta ‘ave them send backup?”

“Yes please.” Papy nodded. “Everything goes well, we may finally get her.”

Ginger nodded and trotted off.

Papy turned his attention back to Dustin and the mares. “Shall we?”

“Fair warning,” Dustin said. “It is going to take far more restraint than I possess to not kill her if you keep me in the same room as Suri for any great length of time.”

“You’re free to stay outside, or come with me.” Papy offered as he started down the sidewalk.

“And you think she’ll let any of you inside?” Dustin raised a brow. “I’m willing to bet you’re all well known. She’d be stupid to let any sort of law enforcement in. But me? She’ll welcome me with open hooves.”

“And here I was thinking about the two heroes you have with you.” Papy glanced at the mares. Rarity blushed and Dash puffed out her chest in response.

“Dash already chewed out Suri back in Ponyville,” the fox pointed out. “And I’m willing to bet Rarity could pretend for all of a minute before she started critiquing the fashion choices Suri’s making and then giving the game away.”

“Fair.” He nodded. “She will let you and the mares in, and while she’s distracted, I will follow you in.”

“Good,” Dustin nodded. “I’ll rely on you two to keep me in check,” he said to Dash and Rarity. “Otherwise I’m liable to just Diamond Storm her boutique.”

“We did it earlier today.” Dash replied.

“We can, darling.” Rarity nodded.

The three stood outside Suri’s rather large boutique, the street outside only bore a few traveling ponies.

“Ugh… so gaudy.” Rarity muttered.

“Ready to head inside?” Dash asked.

“No,” Dustin muttered, controlling his shaking only just. The whole place brought back horrible memories. “But if I don’t do this it’ll never get done.” He took a breath. “Rarity, you distract her with compliments, I know, sickening idea, I hate it too. Dash, you take off, find the room she’s keeping the other fox in, and get them out the closest window.”

“Of course, if I can pull her off you.” Rarity nodded.

Dash hovered up. “I’ll see what I can find.” She made a loop around the building and came in for a landing. She shook her head. “Nada. No windows besides the front one with the dresses.”

Dustin nodded, shook once, and then stepped towards the Boutique. His paw rose up, hesitated for a moment, and then knocked on the door a few times.

“Dustin… You could just walk in.” Dash muttered.

“Come in~” A familiar voice sang.

The fox shuddered, before pushing the door open and stepping in, willingly. He held it open long enough for the mares to sneak in behind him before shutting it.

“Hello-” Suri called from the front desk before freezing. “Dustin!~” She sang happily trotting around the desk to the front proper. “You’ve come to you senses, and- Oh, the pegasus is here.” The mare deadpanned at Dash. “I haven’t forgotten how hurtful you were.”

“S-sorry.” Dash said through grit teeth.

“Oh-ho-ho and if it isn’t the famous Rarity!” Suri grinned, trotting over to the white mare.

“It’s quite the pleasure.” Rarity said, putting on a convincing performance, and smiling. “You see, Dustin has been helping me-”

“So you’re the one who stole my model.” Suri immediately frowned. “No worries, I found another.”

Dustin stiffened. Dash put a hoof on his paw.

“Oh… You did?” Rarity trotted around so Suri was facing away from the door.

The door opened without a sound and Papy stepped in just as silently. His eyes flicked between everyone. He saw Dustin’s look and just slowly shook his head.

“Yes! And I have a fabulous photographer for all her shoots!” Suri gloated. “Oh she’s such a good girl.”

Papy’s eyes actually glowed brighter. He looked at Dustin, raised a finger, and made a silent striking motion. Dustin raised an eyebrow and a paw, punching the other one before pointing at Suri. He then tilted his head questioningly.

While the silent conversation was happening, Dash trotted around. Suri was too busy gloating to notice Dash set herself.

There was a loud crack as Dash’s hind hooves collided with Suri’s jaw. Said mare dropped like a sack of potatoes.

“That works.” Papy stated.

Suddenly a door to the back of the shop opened and a cream-coated, light blue-maned mare stepped out. She gaped at the scene. Before- “Finally.” She gave out an exasperated groan. “This way.”

“...Well that was simple,” Dustin said, his eyes only flickering to red once as he looked at Suri’s limp form. “Promise me,” he said, before turning to Papy. “She won’t be in a position of power again.”

“Rarity, Rainbow Dash, watch her.” Papy ordered, before looking at Dustin. “She won’t.”

The pair followed the mare into the back. Which was filled with shelves of cloth, and dresses at various stages on hangers and renaquins. “I’m Coco. I’ve been the one leaking info to the M.D.G.”

“So you’re Silk.” Papy replied. “Are we heading up?”

Coco shook her head. ”Upstairs is storage. Offices, the photoshoot room, and her room are down here.” She replied, opening a rather hefty looking metal door.

“I see she upgraded once I escaped,” Dustin commented dryly. Papy tugged the door off its hinges and let it fall with a thud.

“What are you doing, they’ll know you’re coming!” Coco hissed.

“Good.” Papy said coldly.

“I feel like grievously wounding someone today anyways,” Dustin said, his eyes slightly red around the edges.

“I’ll allow it, so long as you don’t kill anyone.” Papy replied as his left eye turned to a crackling blue.

Beyond the door was a set of stairs that spiraled down. There was chuckling from below.

“She won’t do anything.”

“Yeah she won’t fight back.”

“We were told not to touch her, but Suri’s up stairs.”

“But guys… what about that loud clanging noise?”

“The door always sounds like that.”

Papy’s hand, and entire right forearm, burst into blue flames.

As the reached the bottom of the stairs there were three earth pony stallions (a red one, a grey one, and a green one) and one very nervous looking blue pegasus mare all standing around a large table in the center of a room. The room was also ringed by tables of half-finished designs. The tables had some very nervous and/or disgusted mares at them, drawing designs.

“Gentlemen.” Papy announced, making the ponies jump. The skeleton raised his burning hand and the gray stallion was engulfed in a blue light and he shot up to slam into the ceiling.

“What the-” The red earth pony snapped.

“I surrender!” The pegasus dropped to the ground.

“You should be running,” the fox commented as he raised a paw, his eyes burning light blue as cones of blue light came into existence behind him. “But don’t worry, I know how to aim.” The barrage was snapped off at the stallions rather than the mare, the Diamond Storm screeching through the air. The remaining stallions were blasted off their hooves with burn marks on their chests.

“M.D.G! No one leaves!” Papy snapped, letting the stallion fall and slam through the table. All the mares froze.

“Dustin, find her. I’m searching the offices.” Papy turned and stalked over to a door that stated. “Cloud Strike - Photographer” in bold lettering. He proceeded to police-kick the door off its hinges.

Dustin looked around and noticed that most of the rooms had a label to them. But he didn’t need one of them to tell him where to go. His memory was still functional. He traced the old path back to the room she would put him in and wasn’t surprised to find himself exactly where he needed to be.

The Renamon raised a paw and knocked on the door. “It’s not Suri,” he called. “She’s being taken out of the picture, permanently. I promise, you open up, you can walk away from it all.”

The door slowly opened and a yellow paw gripped the door as a white irised, black eye peeked out. “Shh… S-she’s g-gone?” It was little more than a whisper.

“Her associates are being rounded up as we speak,” Dustin said, offering a paw. “Local law enforcement is cracking down on everyone. Take my hand and we can leave this place behind us.”

Slowly the yellow paw took his own, and the door opened fully.

She was thinner and sleeker than he was. Her ears were notably longer as well. Her forearms were covered in long black gloves. Thankfully, her mane-like fluff covered her chest, however she wasn’t wearing pants.

“Th-thank you…” She appeared to still be processing… everything.

As Dustin led her back through to the main room, he could hear the voices of police officers rounding up ponies. Right as they entered the room a unicorn flew out of the photographer’s room. Every pony in the room froze as the unicorn was engulfed in blue light and he was pressed into the ground like gravity had quadrupled.

A blue light lit the darkness of the photographer’s room as Papy slowly stepped out. “Cloud Strike, you are under arrest for the Exploitation of a Non-Native Equestrian Entity.” He was holding a manilla folding in his free hand, as his other hand gripped his staff tightly. He snapped his head to the very same cop mare from earlier. “You, take this.” He held out the folder. “Do not look inside it.” The mare shakily took the folder and raced up the stairs with it.

The skeleton looked at the pair of foxes. “Good. You found her.” He sighed as the blue light in his eye returned to red. “Unfortunately… This next part won’t be easy for either of you…” He shook his head. “Come, let’s head back up.”

The skeleton, the fox, and the now shaking vixen returned to the boutique’s front room, which was filled with cops, as well as Ginger, Rarity, Dash, and what could only be described as a Grim Reaper.

A silver skull was barely visible from within the black hood. Anything else was beneath the black cloak that floated above the ground.

Suri was in hoofcuffs and was conscious. “You can’t do this to me! Do you know who I am-”

Blue light surrounded her as she hit the floor. Bright blue bones erupted from the floor around her, caging her in. “Suri Palomare, I Papy’ans, Lieutenant of the Manehatten Defense Guild, and Herald of the Fallen Angel, arrest you for the crimes of Unlawful Imprisonment, Exploitation of Non-Equestrian Entities, Theft of Intellectual Property, and Plagiarism of Copyrighted Property.” The bones evaporated, leaving no trace. “Take her away.”

Papy turned to the foxes as Suri was dragged kicking and screaming into a police cart. “I’m sorry, both of you, but we will need your statements for the records.”

“O-okay.” The vixen nodded, her voice almost inaudible over the noise in the boutique.

“If it means she gets locked up for as long as she deserves, count me the fuck in,” Dustin growled.

“Very well.” Papy nodded. “It’s going to be a long night.”

And it was indeed a long night. Virtually sleepless for the foxes, while the pair of mares were given a room and some blankets to sleep in.

When the morning came, the mare’s and the pair of foxes exited the police station. Both foxes looked dead on their feet.

“They said they’d contact us if they need anything else.” Dustin blinked slowly, feeling like he could collapse at any moment.

“Natasha dear, do you want something better than that?” Rarity asked the vixen softly.

‘Natasha’s muzzle just barely poked out of the blanket she had wrapped herself in. “M’fine. W-well n-not fine… b-but I’ll manage… sorry.”

“Don’t apologise for anything darling.” Rarity replied, patting the vixen through her safety blanket. “We’ll get you situated somewhere when we get to Ponyville.”

“M’okay… I dun wanna be here anymore…” The vixen replied with a noticeable shiver of the blanket. “And… called me N-Nat.”

“Sure thing Nat.” Dash said, lightly patting the foxes shoulder, with a hoof while the other held a small bag.

“We can’t get out of here fast enough.” Dustin said slowly. “I’m never coming back here.”

“Good.” Dash replied.

“Dash, why do you have a bag?” Rarity asked the pegasus, as said pegasus did her best to hide the small shopping bag.

“It’s not important right now.” Dash blushed. “L-let’s just get out of here.”

“The only souvenir I want is Suri’s mugshot,” Dustin growled.

“Didn’t Papy say that he’d send you one?” Rarity asked as the small group made their way down the street in the rising light of dawn.

“I also plan to pick up the morning paper before we go home,” the fox smirked. “Bound to have it on the front page.”

Dash flew over to a box on the sidewalk and pulled out a newspaper. “Well, you’re in luck.” She flew back over and handed it to the fox.

“Aaaah,” Dustin smiled, holding the paper up so the front page, displaying Suri’s mugshot, was visible to Nat. “My life is complete,” he said with a happy tone of voice.

“And now we can go home.” Rarity said, patting the blanket covered vixen again.

“Home…” Nat murmured with the smallest of smiles.

With that, the group walked through the morning light towards the train station. Two, at least, would never have to come back again. And they’d prefer it that way.