Foxes and Dragons

“Can I offer you something to eat?” Twilight asked

“That would be nice…” Nick answered.

“Ooooohh That would be great!” Pinkie pie squeed “ I got cupcakes, I got donuts, I got fairy floss….”

Pinkie Pie’s eye’s widened.“I’ve got enough to throw a “Welcome to Equestria Party! EEEEEEEEEEE!”

“Pinkie! I don’t think he…”

With that Pinkie Pie disappeared out the door.

“…Would want a party right now…”

Rarity dashed after Pinkie Pie.

Nick looked at the empty space where the pink pony had been and began to chuckle.

“That’s okay, Princess. I know a cheetah back home with the same kind of naught-to-sixty kind of personality. Although… can’t say the same for him physically.”

Spike came back with two scrolls. One significantly bigger than the other.

“I got two replies already. Starswirls currently visiting Yakyakistan and Luna has is just a response that she wouldn’t be disturbed when she’s sleeping.”

Twilight sighed “Oh. Well, I thought that with the sunset being so close she would be willing to come.”

Twilight shrugged and turned to Nick. Twilight opened the scroll from Starswirl.

“He’s written a lot of questions to ask you…”Twilight said. “and so do I! Perhaps we can talk about things.”

“Sure.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment

“Starlight?”

Nick nodded.

“I can only assume that the wolverine that they pulled out of the puddle was Starlight. “ Nick replied. “I don’t know why they took her, but I know that they didn’t hurt her.”

“Whoever did this must have planned this somehow. There isn’t anypony in Zootopia that knows about magic?”

“I can honestly tell you that no-mammal I know could perform the things I saw in that warehouse.”

Twilight glanced at Starwhirl’s scroll then placed it on the table.

“We can work on restoring the mirror properly when Starswirl and the other princess arrive, but in the meantime perhaps you’d like to rest?”

***********************************************************

Princess Twilight walked through the darkened hallways of her castle. It was a small affair as the crystals illuminated the passageways well.

Coming to the library, she busily started looking through the books that lined the shelf about ancient Equestrian rulers. She had this idea nagging her at the back of her mind where she might have seen the book.

There were annals about the seasons within the period before Luna’s banishment. Starswirls ingenuity of ridding Equestria of the sirens lead to further research into creating links into other worlds.

The creation of the mirror was the result of numerous unicorns into the matter. There were even accounts chronicling the journeys that ponies undertook to different worlds. The cities they had seen. The strange and fascinating creatures they had met.
Such things were abandoned with the rise of King Sombra and later attempts by other magical creatures to overthrow the princesses.

Twilight found several faded copies of the books of stories from that period. She browsed through the pages about what the inter-dimensional explorers used to summon portals. She was sure that there were details about creating a link, but…

“Oh…” she whispered.

Lord Tirek.

When her library was destroyed, a great many of her collection was burned in the battle. That copy of the Equestrian Annals was gone.

She had to go back to the library in Canterlot. There had to be some copy for such an essential time period…

“Find anything?”

“WAAHH!”

Twilight spun around with a light on the tip of her horn Nick shut his eye’s and threw his arm over his face. “Ow!”

“How did you? But you… What were you doing out here?!”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Nick shrugged. “But… when we were talking before I saw that look in your eye like you were thinking of something important. I was out for a late night stroll and then saw you moving down the hallway.” Nick frowned “If you did find something, I would be pretty anxious to hear it.”

Twilight frowned. She could believe she couldn’t hear him up the hallways.

“There is an account in the pre-classical period that made me think of what you went through coming to Equestria. Unfortunately, I think the copy is in Canterlot right now.”

“Right.”

“I’m just glad Rarity stopped Pinkie before she got to the whole town coming to my doorstep.” Twilight smiled.“Well… I’ll try going to sleep again. Got a lot to do tomorrow.”

Nick nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning then.”

Nick nodded and walked down the hallway.

Twilight watched him go.

She was feeling a little unsettled by this newcomer.

Nick finally did fall asleep.

When he did he dreamed.

He dreamt of himself strolling down Savanna Central with a coffee in hand. No other mammal paid him much attention, as usual. A goat with a black and tan coat colour and wearing a satin dress glanced at him for a second and then continued down the sidewalk. Before he knew it, he was in Tundra Town, his favourite halibut restaurant was on the corner and he took in its mouth-watering scent.

When he crossed the road at the walk signal, he quickly noticed that every mammal was looking at him.

He open his mouth to say something, but then he realised that he was walking on all fours.

He looked down and saw two hooves.

“Wha…?”

The mammals in the crowd looked at him with fear and suspicion.

His worst fears became reality when they swarmed him as an angry crowd.

“Argh!”

He found himself flying as he instinctively flapped his wings.

He saw the crowd beneath him. Including that goat from Savannah Central.

He glanced over the city and saw a small rabbit jumping out of a cruiser with flashing lights strutting towards the crowd.

“Carrots!”

He dived forward. Then everything went black as he hurtled towards the streets below.

Nick found himself in an unfamiliar room made of dark crystal with a window, desk and several posters with “Wonderbots” emblazoned on them.

He glanced back up at the roof and pressed his eye’s shut together. He put his head down towards his chest.

He opened his eyes and saw a blue horse’s tail.

“That hardly compensates…” He sighed. “Well, hopefully I might get home today…”

He tried roll over onto his hooves, but as he raised his head part of his mane fell over his face.

He grunted and tried to toss it back and raised his left hoof.

He crawled towards the edge of the bed.

He heard the dull sound of his hooves connecting with the floor as he made his way to the door. He passed by a mirror set up next to a wardrobe. He saw a Pegasus with a sour expression and unkempt hair. He tried to press his hair down with his hoof to make it a bit more dignifying.

He tossed his head back. That seemed to help. His mane still looked like a frazzled blue mop.

He stretched his arms and flexed his shoulders. His wings rose from his sides. He stopped at the sight of his wings spread out. He relaxed them and they fell to his sides.

He raised an eyebrow. He flexed his wings again. He stretched them out as far as they could go. He grinned. A set of flat equine teeth grined back at him.

He flared his wings out suddenly then dropped them. He flared them again and he hissed at the pony in the mirror.

“Ya think you’re leaving Jurrassic Park pal?” he chuckled.

He dropped his wings and tried to fold them again.

“Well, hippy hop off we trot…” Nick murmured

He pushed the door open and made his way down the hallways to the front door. He needed some coffee.

“Hey Nick!”

Nick turned.

He saw the small purple dragon walking down the stairs.

“Spike… right?”

“Yep!” he smiled.

Nick glanced at the small dragon.

“Did you sleep well?” Spike asked

“Well you know… this palace does have some plush beds. I’m a little hoarse though…”

“Oh. Well, it’s spring so you might get a bit of hayfever. I know it doesn’t affect me that much since I’m a dragon, but…” he trailed off when he saw the look on Nick’s face.

A small smile and a raised eyebrow.

“Oh…”

Spike burst out laughing.

“Oh horse!” Spike laughed. “Hee hee hee…” he trailed off at Nicks deadpan look.

“…I guess it takes a bit of getting used to.” He shrugged

“That it does, buddy. That it does.”

“So… what kind of animal were you before you came here?”

“I AM a fox and I think I would very much like to get back ASAP.” He turned to Spike. “As much as it is an interesting experience having hooves and a set of wings, I really miss the comforts of home.”

“That’s understandable. I actually went through with Twilight for the first time through the portal to the human world and I ended up becoming a dog. I think I got a bit of a taste for those biscuits now.”

“A dog, huh?”

If I were even a squirrel. Why a pony?

“What’s a human?” Nick asked

“Oh… it’s a …two-legged creature with long limbs and lots of fingers on each hand. They don’t have any fur other than the small part on their head.”

“Hmmm…” Nick frowned. “They sound pretty weird…”

“We got on with them pretty well.” Spike laughed

“Know any places that serve coffee around here?”

“Sure um… pretty sure they have some at the market place.” Spike tapped his chin “I think the arabica stall would be the best place to go.”

“Mind if we go out and stretch my legs?”

“Uhh… I don’t see why not… Twilight’s still sleeping and it might be a while before she get’s up.”

“Morning!” Said a lime coloured filly as they walked past.

“Morning…” Nick replied.

“Morning!” said an amethyst coloured Stallion

“Morning…” Said Nick

He looked down the main street. It was actually quite refreshing. Most mammals in Zootopia wouldn’t give him a second glance.

A shadow moved overhead. Nick looked up and saw two Pegasus circling the skies. He followed their flight and saw the castle and the large school beside it with its waterfalls and fountains. He had to admit, it was pretty.

“Quite a nice town…” Nick observed. “I’m not really the country type, but I reckon it seems pretty slow around here…”

The small dragon snickered.

“What?” Nick raised an eyebrow

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Spike answered “Wait long enough in Ponyville, things can happ…”

Whump!

Nick felt a displacement of air as an orange and maroon blur whipped by him.He turned and saw that Spike was no longer beside him.

Turning around he saw Spike groaning on the ground as an orange filly with a helmet on struggled to her hooves. There was a scooter on the ground just next to her.

“Hey!” Nick yelled and ran towards the pair. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m sorry” stammered the filly “I didn’t mean…”

“Just how fast were you going?!”

“I…I…I”

“Does this look like BMX track to you?!”

“I… what?”

“It’s okay Nick.” Spike cried “This happens all the time. I’m fine!”

“That’s still no excuse!”

The filly looked a little shocked by Nick’s barrage.

Nick sighed and dropped his tone.

“You need to think about who’s walking down the street when you’re in town, girl.” He said evenly. “Otherwise you’re gonna be hurting other pedestrians.”

“I’m sorry!” the filly stammered. “I was just so excited! Rainbow Dash said I could be her assistant for her class and I just… forgot.”

“Well, try to get there in one piece now. ‘K?”

“Okay.” Said the filly “I’m sorry Spike.”

“That’s okay, Scootaloo.”

Nick turned.

“Hey! You don’t have a cutie mark!” Scootaloo exclaimed

“A what-what?”

“A cutie mark! How come you haven’t got one? You’re a stallion! You mean you haven’t found your special talent yet?”

“I have a variety of talents for your information…” Nick replied “Is getting coffee one of them?”

Scootaloo frowned. “But… you’re a blank flank…”

Nick considered the mark on the filly’s flank. The mark on her flanks seemed like a family emblem.

“I need a bit of caffeine before I start talking about skin art…” he sighed. “I’ve got to keep going, sorry girl.”

Spike looked at Scootaloo and shrugged and then followed the stallion.

Scootaloo watched the stallion go with a curious look on her face.

“One Saddle Arabica Brusha! Enjoy!” The smiling attendant extended a cup of the aromatic brown brew in his hoof.

Nick reached out and extended his hoof. He held it upright and the pony placed his cup in the centre of his hoof. Nick shifted his other front leg and began to move.

I hope the princess get’s that mirror up and running. I don’t know how much more I can take of this.

He put the cup to his lips and drank. He swirled the rich brew in this mouth and gratefully swallowed. He sighed in satisfaction. He turned and saw Spike pick up a cup of tea.

“I’ll pay you back Spike, buddy. This is one good cup.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I mean you can’t really pay me back if you aren’t making money right?”

Don’t you worry about me Spike, my boy.

“We should probably get back. Twilight might have already woken up and getting ready for the school day.”

“Right. Let’s go then.”

“Oh My!”

Nick nearly lost his balance on his coffee.

He turned and saw a familiar pearl coated, heavily-perfumed, purple maned mare.

“I’m so glad you came out to see Ponyville! I dare say you would have had a fantastic tour with Spike!”

“Oh.” Nick replied “It was more of a coffee run than a tour. Spike had a bit of a run in with some crazy filly on a scooter.”

“Well, is there anything that I can do to make you feel more comfortable?” Rarity exclaimed “I know this must be simply dreadful being in a place you know nothing about.”

Rarity pulled out the packages she was carrying.

“I was getting some fabric with some tartan patterns for my new line. I think there would be more variety of fabrics available next week though”

Nick frowned.

“You make clothes?” he asked.

“Why yes I…” Rarity stopped. “Oh. You mentioned you lost come clothes coming to Equestria, maybe we could find something that would suit you.”

Nick thought for a moment.

“You know actually that would be really good…” Nick answered. “Not sure if we should stay long. The princess might be a little worried with me going AWOL…”

45 minutes later

“I dunno… I found those dress uniforms really tight around the neck… maybe the collars too much.”

Nick was standing in the middle of several mirrors with a leather- brown jacket being adjusted over his shoulders. Standing in front of the mirrors he had to admit, he did make a pretty good stallion in the right outfit.

Rarity loosened the collar and started pulling pins out of the collar.

“Hmmm… something that’s practical, but not too casual…”

“That’s better.”

He had a navy blue jacket over his shoulders with a tie and a light grey shirt underneath with a satin black tie. A brown pair of pants with large pocket flaps on the sides.

“That jacket does accentuate your mane.” Rarity murmured.

Nick turned in front of the mirrors again with a smug smile.

“I think that should be fine.”

Nick saw a rack with some sunglasses arranged on them.

“Oh wait… one more thing.”

He plucked some aviators from the stand and placed them on his muzzle over his eye’s.

“Perfect.”

Nick brushed at his mane with his hoof.

“I need to do something about this hair…”

15 minutes later

“…And then I’m like… ‘Hey Rainbow why don’t you show me your expertise on cloud clearing?’ and she’s like … ‘Nope get off your flank and start pushing clouds’ and I say ‘What about stretching? I mean this obviously requires a lot of strain on your wings and upper body’ and she’s like ‘ It’s clouds, there’s nothing too it! I’ll show ya’ and she starts moving a cloud and I’m like ‘Good to know, maybe I should let the experts do their job. The sky looks so much better with you in it.’ And you know what she does?”

Nick sat back in the wide chair of the hairdressing saloon as strands of his mane fell on the tiled floor.

“Nah buddy. What’d she do?”

“She zaps me with a storm cloud! I mean obviously I’m giving her a compliment! I mean, What girl doesn’t like a little ‘affirmation’”?

“Some girls don’t recognise appreciation.”

“I know right!” He bent over. “So just part that mane on the right side?”

“Yeah, that’ll be fine.”

“Fine? I take pride in my work! Obviously, this topknot declares somepony with sophis-tica-tion when it comes to hair stylin’.”

“I think she should be flattered that you’re interested in her…”

“Exactly!” The pegasus stallion exclaimed. “Well, you’re done. Just a trim, but you sure you don’t want any of ma signature touches? Beads? Colours?”

“No thanks…”

“Okay! The light green pegasus stallion put down his scissors. “Well… Nick. Thanks for coming in.”

“No problems Zephyr. Anytime.”

Rarity got up from her chair in the front of the shop and put down the magazine she was reading.There was the sound of stomach rumbles.

Spike blushed and patted his belly.

“Haven’t you had breakfast yet?” Rarity exclaimed.

“I dunno…. Maybe we should be getting back to that castle.”

30 minutes later

“Then these two stags ended up with their antlers tangled up in the alley!” Nick sniggered. “I mean. They both tried to run through the alley at the same time.”

Spike laughed.

“I mean if you’re going to steal a bike in the middle of the night, leave it to the nocturnals!” Nick smiled.

“Doesn’t sound boring being a police officer!” Rarity chuckled.

Nick shrugged. “Paper work aside, things never really go according to plan.”

Nick took another slice of toast with his hoof. The movement was starting to get easier

“Hmmm… So what kind of foods do foxes eat in your world?” Rarity asked.

“Oh a lot of different things. I’ve got a weakness for berries. My mom’s witchetty-grub casserole is always a favourite of mine.”

“I beg your pardon. Did you say grubs?”

“Yeah, a lot of predators eat fish or bugs for protein or in rare occasions chicken or birds.”

Spike and Rarity looked at each other with an expression of disgust.

Nick tapped his chin.

“So uhhh… just out of interest… are there anything here that eats well… ponies?”

“Oh you needn’t worry about that darling!” Rarity exclaimed. “All the monsters stay in the Everfree forest far across the fields there.”

“There’s Roc’s, they’re enormous eagles, there’s manticores and hydras, timberwolves are pretty nasty.” Spike counted off his fingers.

Nick raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know about a creature with a goats head and mismatched horns, snake tail, lions paw and a talon?” Nick asked

“Oh that’s a draconequss!” Spike exclaimed.

Spike’s face suddenly fell, and he turned.

“Discord doesn’t come to town all that often…” he said warily.

He saw Discord hovering above the crowd and saw a familiar yellow Pegasus beside him.

At that moment caught a flash of blue in the corner of his eye. Spike turned. A small blue jay landed on the table. Nick looked at it for a moment.

“That’s a bird…”

“Yeah…” said Spike

“I’ve never seen one before…”

“They don’t have birds in Zootopia?”

“Not recently. They got scarce around Zootopia when animals started trying other food sources then eating other mammals.”

Nicked nudged some crumbs off his plate to the bird.

The blue jay considered the pony for a moment, then hopped over and started pecking at the crumbs on the table.

“Well, Discord…” Rarity said as a shadow passed over the table. “How are you doing today?”

Hovering in the air Discord looked at her with a sour expression.
“Disappointed. Actually…” he murmured.

He looked up. “Everything is painfully and pathetically normal! No warped reality! No endless wormholes! I definitely felt a rift in the space time continuum around here!”

He sniffed.

“Honestly, I’m starting to get a little bored…”

He turned to look back up the main street and hovered higher to get a better look around.

Spike swallowed.

A yellow Pegasus with a pink mane trotted to the groups table .

“Alardo!” she cried

The blue jay looked up and gave the yellow Pegasus a look.

Nick chuckled. “Is that what “Pips” here is called?”

“Oh… yes. I thought he would like to see the town and he got a little excited.”

Spike stood up. “This is Fluttershy!”

“Oh yeah… hello!” she quietly answered.

Nick pushed his aviators down his muzzle showing his eye’s. “I’m Nick.” He smiled.

“Nice to meet you…” Fluttershy answered

“There you are!”

The group turned and saw a slightly annoyed Sunset Shimmer towards them.

“Nick just wanted to step out for some coffee…” Spike murmured

“It took me almost an hour to find you!” Sunset exclaimed. “Seriously! Twilight must be waiting at the school wondering where you got to!”

“Yeah… you’re right, we should probably be getting back.” Nick shrugged “Thanks for the tour around Ponyville Spike.”

“No problem.”

“And thanks for all the trouble you went to Rarity. I’ll pay you back when I get the chance.”

“You’re welcome darling!”

“AND SCOOTALOO WILL YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME?!”

There was a small squeak of surprise behind the hedgerow near the tables and chairs. An orange head emerged.

“How… how did you?”

“In my line of work it’s a good skill to notice yourself being followed. Didn’t your Mom tell you not to follow strangers?”

“My mom’s uh…”

“Just go with your friends Scoot, I won’t be here long enough for you to worry about.”

Scootaloo frowned and looked up.

“Why are you here?”

“Very thoughtful question, but I am here because I took a wrong stop at the train. As soon as it’s fixed I’ll be on my way.”

Scootaloo looked at Nick with narrow eye’s and then galloped down the street.

Nick sighed and looked at the others.

“Come on, let’s go…”

Rarity, Spike and Sunset all made their way up the street. Nick started walking when he felt something land on his back. He turned to see the blue jay sitting just behind his whithers.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “What? I got no more crumbs.”

The bird nestled itself on his back. Nick rolled his eyes.

“Fine. But this is a brand-new jacket, so you only things I want to see you leave just feathers…”