I'm not good at intros or talking to people. I had a prologue written for this but meh- For anyone who is looking for a short fluffy story, this aint it. At some point there will be graphic content. I'll give heads ups and warnings. It is actually taking me more time to edit and correct format than it did to write this stuff. No wonder there aren't a lot of betas out there who actually beta. I guess I have one thing a lot of people don't, and that is time.
As readers we tend to press our own emotions into what we are reading and make a lot of assumptions. Someone who is being blunt and direct may come off as being rude and hateful. Someone who makes a lot of typing or grammar errors may come off as being unintelligent or lazy, someone who is writing dark or cryptic stories may come off as sinister and disturbed, when the exact opposite may be the case in the point they are trying to make and who they are. Everything we read or write is crap. Let me define that so no one gets offended- it's crap because the reader/writer gets to decide what kind of crap it is. Good crap, great crap, mediocre crap, novel crap, Godly crap, dog crap, you get to decide.
That being said, I am aware of some of my own flaws when writing. Run on sentences, typing, punctuation- repetitive wording… yeah. Point out a mistake and I'll research and figure out how to fix it. If you're taking the time to read or review my crap- NOD to you- you're already a God in my book. You've heard the saying I write tragedy not sins? Uhm, that's not the case here. I write tragic truths, which includes sins but I do try to include lots of affection and make relationships for characters feel real while showing how they formed bonds. Already 60+ chapters complete so if you're impatient this isn't going to work for you. I've asked for help, but I think its gonna be something I gotta figure out on my own.
Zootopia- This is how a fox becomes a fox and why Nick Wilde is who he is and why he thinks the way he does in my world. You might think this is a crossover- It. Is. Not. I'll be throwing the first few chapters up after I edit them. First 30 are complete and in sequence. This is journey, not a vacation. Assume nothing, and if you're in for the long haul- Think like a fox. ;)
Disclaimer; I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters.
The Broken Mould
Chapter 1; Tales We Tell and Truths We Live
Ruelle; Bad dream
"OK kitto, up to bed." The little red tod jumped into his covers giggling as his father began pulling his covers over him. "What story tonight? Al in wonderland, Robin Hood or…." The black furred fox looked to see his son's face giving him a scowl with his lip upturned as he sat in the bed with his arms crossed.
"That's baby stuff. I know Mom changed the story so it's a boy and not a girl like in the book. Can't you read me something different Dad?"
The older tod chuckled before he sat on the bed. "What exactly did you have in mind son?" The younger tod furrowed his brows for a moment in thought before his face brightened up.
"The God of Mischief!"
His father gave him a look that made him sink back a little into the bed. "You sure you're old enough for that?"
The little tod nodded his head eagerly. "Mom's been telling me the stories about his names. She already told me about the moon and the masks."
"Did she tell you about his real name?" the younger tod scrunched his nose up and shook his head again. "OK, tell me what you know about the God of Mischief son."
"You mean I gotta tell you a story?"
His father chuckled at the look he was getting. "No, just give me a general idea so I know where to start."
"Oh, OK. Mom said that his fur was red because his mom took some fire from the moon to help make him and she said he could change his face and that he was like the blood moon because he could make mammals do or think what he wanted by out Foxing them."
His father nodded his head. "Yes, he could. But it wasn't just his face he could change, he could change his whole body into any other creature he wanted to become. He was the father of all foxes and invented Foxing. But he was cursed by his father and that curse fell to all foxes when he was cast out of Asgard for killing his brother, which is why we never say his real name."
"Why not? It's just a name. Is it a bad word or something?"
His father shook his head again. "No, I don't think so. But every time someone says his name it's like his trouble follows it. Names have more power than most mammals think they do Son."
"Was he bad if he killed his brother?"
His father stood and pulled a thick book from the shelf before he sat back on the bed flipping through the pages for a minute before finding what he was searching for and turned it towards his son showing him the picture that took the whole page.
"Whoa neat! How many tails did he have?"
His father chuckled again. "He is also known as the God of Ten Tails, but he had nine." His son gave him a look again before he pointed out the picture again. "His tenth tail was his brother, because they were always together and he followed him around all the time trying to make sure he didn't get into any trouble."
The young fox scrunched his nose up. "How could they be brothers? He's a rabbit Dad. That don't make no sense."
His father flipped through another page and showed him another picture. "These are the original nine types of Gods. Odin is the father of all the Gods, and he created his wife because he was lonely, then they created all the others. Odin was a lion. His wife Freya was a wolf. They created Thor, Frigg, Tyr, Baldur, Idun, Vale and Heimdall. The God of Mischief was the tenth God created and the first sub species to branch from the original nine."
The young tod tilted his head "What's a sub….species?"
His father shook his head again. "Full of questions tonight aren't you kitto?" The young tod nodded his head as he looked at the picture again. "OK, I'll try to explain this as simple as I can since you're so curious. Odin was a Lion, the Allfather of the Gods and Wisdom, and Death. Freya was a wolf, the Mother of the Gods, Life and Love. They both had the power to heal, but Freya also had a great deal of magical knowledge . Heimdall was a hare not a rabbit. He was the Guardian of Asgards gates and its Treasures and could see things no others could and he could hear so well that he knew when the grass was growing. Balder was a brown bear and the most loved of all the gods because he had such a good heart. He has the power to love unconditionally and the strength to forgive. He was the God of light and love. Frigg was a kangaroo and known as the Goddess of Marriage and Motherhood. She formed the bonds that linked mammals together. Thor was a great bull with massive horns known as the God of Thunder and Lighting and the Protector of the Realms. He had the power to control the weather. Tyr was a horse and the God of War, Justice and Peace. His power was strategy and the wisdom of all fighting styles."
"I thought Bragi was one of the originals because he taught everybody how to write," He asked his father as he looked at the book again.
"No, Bragi was another lion, Odin made him after The God of Mischief. He was the God of Poetry and elegance and taught both."
"So he taught mammals how to write?"
"No son, he taught poetry. Odin was the one who gave us the gift of reading and writing. He hung himself on the great tree of life for nine days and when he fell he threw his knowledge to our world for us to learn. If you keep interrupting me we aren't going to have time for the story kitto."
"Oh."
"Alright- where was I?"
"The Gods Dad! And what is a fox?"
"Oh Right, subspecies. Let's see, Odin made nine original species of Gods. They were either canine, feline, equine, bovine, marsupial, rodent, bear, aquatic or furless. Idun was the Goddess of Immortality and the first born in Asgard to help keep everyone else immortal and manage their power. She was an elephant. The last one of the original nine species created right before Heimdall and the God of Mischief was Vale. He is the God of Strength and Water, he is a seal. So all the other species came from those nine. When Heimdall asked for a brother to keep him company Freya made the God of Mischief for him. Since she was a wolf, she made him to be similar to her and created the first fox." The older tod smirked at his son as he watched his face contort several times. "Kitto, I can see the smoke coming from your ears, what's on your mind?"
"There's more than nine kinds of mammals Dad. How did they make them all different if they came from the same things. It don't make no sense."
The older tod ruffled his sons head making him giggle before he let out a sigh. "I'm not a scientist or a scholar kitto. Odin and Freya used their power to create each new God. But Wolves are the largest form of canine and all others came from them. Same thing with bears and other mammals like that. Some are put in a class because they are similar like elephants, hippos, rhino's and pigs because they don't really have fur. Aquatics have flippers or webbed feet or live in water some or all of the time and don't get around to well or at all on land. Equines have hooves, but anything classified as Bovine also has horns. Marsupials carry their young in pouches. Rodents can be identified by having two long teeth that constantly grow in the front or sometimes by their smaller size. Most bears are easily identified but not many of them have much of a tail. And then there are of course the felines that are any kind of cat." The older tod shook his head and smiled when he saw his son giving him that same perplexed look again. "Alright kitto, one more question and that's it for tonight. Deal?"
He nodded his head vigorously at his father before he looked off in thought for a second "What's a bat or a platia-playta-them funny looking mammals that look like they're part beaver and duck?"
"Oh such a clever little fox, so many questions!" The older tod tickled his son making him squeal before he leaned back and scratched his chin a few times. "That's called a platypus kitto, and if I had to guess I would say that they are marsupials because they're young aren't developed enough to live outside and need to be in an egg. It is in some ways like a pouch. But a lot of them are hard to put in place because they will look and live like they fit into at least two different places. Platypus' also live in water, so I could be wrong. As for bats- I have no idea. Most mammals avoid them because they have something in their blood that can make the rest of us sick. They could be rodents because some of them are small, but their teeth aren't right for that. Part of their bodies are furless, but I don't really know what they are son."
The younger tods ears tucked back and he gave his farther a disbelieving look. His father chuckled at him as he sat up straighter. "I'm just a simple fox kitto and I don't know everything, but that is one of the great things about being a fox, we are always curious and never stop learning. That's how we get so good at Foxing." The little tod tilted his head and perked his ears towards his father. "Not yet kitto, still a little too young to start learning how to Fox, but you're getting there."
"Dad! I'm not a little kit anymore! I'm eight and a half!"
The older tod nodded his head and grinned at his son, "Yes, and in a few years you'll understand a little more than you do now and I'll start teaching you how we get along in the world. But there are other things you need to learn first."
"Like about the God of Mischief?"
"Exactly, now- where were we anyway?" he asked as he flipped through the pages of the book.
"You was saying that Heidel-
"Heimdall son," his father corrected.
"Oh, you was saying Heimdall wanted a brother, how come if he already had other brothers and sisters?"
"That little male is another question," the young tod dipped his ears back and hung his head before his father chuckled at him again. "It's alright kitto. Just remember that a fox never lies and we never go back on our word." He ruffled his son's head again as his ears perked back up and he looked at his father with curious eyes. "Heimdall didn't sleep very much because he could see and hear everything. He wanted someone to keep him company and distract him from all the sights and sounds of the worlds so he could relax and have some fun. The trouble was that the little brother he got caused so many problems that he couldn't take his eyes off him for very long. He was always getting into trouble or causing problems for others. Heimdall and him were best friends and almost always together, but he finally got to the point that he got tired and fell asleep. Each time he fell asleep his brother would sneak through the Bifrost Bridge and went off and got himself involved with something that made Odin very angry, and led the brothers into a fight that ended with him killing Heimdall."
The little fox scrunched up his nose in disdain and his father could see the burning questions but knew he wouldn't ask again. "Alright. I'll tell you what, just for tonight you can ask all you want about this story if you want me to tell it like it really happened."The young tod sat up in his bed nodding his head as his tail curled around the front of his body, and his eyes grew wide as his father flipped through the pages and began to read the story.
"Swords clanked together in a ferocious cycle of fevered thrashes. Two brothers fought until they were winded and sought refuge for air as they glared at each other. "You do not know what you are doing brother. This is futile at best, no good will come at this end."
"You speak as if you have seen my future Heimdall," the red foxed smirked as he huffed, poised for another strike. "When I know you have not for I have not let you view it."
The buck lowered his sword and extended a paw towards the fox. "Then let me now, and I will tell you if there is any hope in what you endeavor for."
The red fox gave a cursory glance to the hare's paw. "What assurance have I you will not slay me in that state of reprieve you seek to view?"
The hare openly scoffed at the fox. "It is not I who is the one choosing to battle. Show me a cause you deem worthy of dying for and I may join it with you and seek glory in Valhalla."
The red fox shook his head at the hare."Valhalla is no more, nor is the underworld brother. Father has taken back all the life force and stowed the knowledge and wisdom of the other Gods in the Ozaruki. Our time comes to an end soon."
The hare shook his head at the fox again. "You would have us all die for this? You would die for that creature? Father can restore them all when it is finally dead."
The fox extended a paw towards the hare. "If you wish to know all I know about 'that creature' then look and see all the possible futures I cannot see, and understand the past I have kept hidden from your view."
The fox and the hare extended their arms and grasped each other at the elbow, leaned in and touched their foreheads together and a flash blinded the fox as the hare jolted upright. "What you seek is… You will suffer as no other ever has, and the chance of your success is infinitesimal."
"Is she not worth it brother?"
"Someone has finally reached your jaded soul Loki, and I pity that creature for it may suffer a fate worse than even all you will endure. Is it also willing to die for you? Have you not thought of what will happen if you have chosen the wrong path?" the hare asked as they stood away from each other again.
"Is that his real name Dad?" the little tod asked as he looked at the book again.
"Yes. His name is Loki, but he is also known as the God of Mischief, the God of Masks, the God of Misdirection, the God of the Moon, the God of Mystery, the God of Misunderstandings, the God of Misfortune, the God of Ten Tails, and the Father of Chaos."
"Why did they call him so many things Dad?"
"Ah," the older tod nodded his head at his son "That is where Foxing came from kitto. You see we foxes never lie, but that doesn't mean we will give our secrets away so easily if they are asked for. He had a way of making others think one thing or confusing them to avoid answering questions. It was always a Misunderstanding because they didn't get the riddle or puzzle he was giving them or didn't understand what he was doing. That always left a Mystery to the truth even if it was eventually found out. But it also left him open to others thinking he was always up to no good and got him into a lot of trouble which led him through suffering a lot of Misfortune."
"Then why was he called the father of…..?"
"Chaos kitto," the older tod scratched his chin a few times. "That's a little hard to explain to someone your age. He was called the God of Masks because there were a lot of times no one could really see him. He looked like someone else and kept himself and his intentions hidden pretty well most of the time. He was a shape shifter and could turn into other animals. He actually became a girl a few times and had babies as their mother and then had others as a father."
"EWWW! Why would he want to be a girl Dad they're gross?!"
His father chuckled and heaved a breath of relief that he wouldn't have to go into detail and explain all that just yet. "Well, he is a strange character kitto. I guess he just wanted to see what it was like. Odin was pretty mad at him for most of those because Loki actually gave them physical form and they weren't created like the other Gods, until he helped distract a horse from building a wall and gave his father his son as a gift. Loki's children were not like other animals. The son he gave Odin was an eight legged horse named Sleipnir. He was one of Odin's most precious possessions." He flipped a few pages and showed his son a picture of the grey steed with eight legs and the great lion riding his back.
"WOW! I bet he was really fast with all those legs."
"Yes, it is said he could run twice as fast as any other horse there had ever been." The little tod tilted his head as he looked at the picture again.
"How come he only has one eye Dad?"
"Oh, Odin, he traded it for wisdom," he chuckled as his son grimaced. "Everything costs something son, and wisdom is the one thing we can never get enough of. There is more power in wisdom and knowledge than anything else in the world. The more we learn, the better off we are. That's why it's OK for you to ask so many questions." The older tod smiled as he poked his son's nose.
A large toothed grin was returned after the kit wriggled his nose. "Did all the Gods have names like that Dad?"
He nodded his head at his son. "Yes. They all had many names." Heimdall was also known as the God of Three Horizons. The God of Minds Eye, and the God of Lonely Hearts. Some were even thought to be other Gods because they were so similar. Loki was the same, but that is his true name and we don't say his name unless we are telling his story. Any other time and saying his name will cause problems, so don't say his name OK?" The young tod nodded his head as he looked back at the book. "Ready?" another nod from his son had him flipping back to the page he had left.
"Loki stood fast and raised his sword again. "I will fight for her, I will suffer any hardship to keep her safe and would die a thousand deaths for her to live but once. I will defy all the Gods to stay true to her and stay this path."
The buck took a step forward and shook his head. "I weep for all the tears you will shed in this, the only gift I can give you on your journey will be the one that may destroy you. But answer me this first brother," the fox furrowed his brow in confusion and tilted his head curiously before the buck continued. "Was that creature the reason you finally shed a tear for Balder and he was brought back?"
The fox shifted on his feet as his ears tipped back and tinted a brighter shade of red as his eyes flicked to the floor. The buck gave him a tilted head in return and an overly pleased smirk as he chuckled. The fox looked back at the buck with a shameful look on his face. "I have no reservations then on your true intent here brother. But I had to ask knowing how tricky you are. I wish you to succeed in this quest and only wish further to lessen your suffering, though I know it will not be so." Loki gasped with wide eyes as his brother stepped into him grasping his neck with one paw and Heimdall dropped his own sword as he grasped his brother's sword handle with the other. "They approach, make my death swift brother. This is the only way to the path we both hope you will end." Loki grasped his brother by the neck and pressed his head to the hare's.
"She is more beautiful than all the stars Heimdall, do not go into the light. Give her this message for me when you meet her. Tell her to run to me. Tell her to run." He thrust his sword into the hare and pierced his heart. "Forgive me brother," Loki said as tears rolled down his muzzle staining his fur and the buck crumpled into his shoulder in a final embrace as he smiled at the fox. A sharp pain ran through the fox's chest as his brother died in his arms and Loki screamed out in anguish.
"He let his brother kill him? How come? That don't make no sense either Dad," the little tod asked as he shook his head. "Why would somebody let somebody else kill them. That's stupid. That's not how foxes do things is it Dad? No foxes kill each other or other mammals do they?"
The older tod rubbed his sons head. "No, not usually. It is against everything we believe in. But there are bad foxes just like there are bad mammals of other kinds too. Are you sure you are big enough for this story kitto?" The little fox nodded his head before returning his attention to the book again. Just as he was about to start reading again another question popped up.
"Was Loki a bad fox Dad?"
His father sighed as his son sat closer to him and looked at him with big pleading eyes. "Sometimes it's not as easy as saying yes or no to a question like that kitto. No one really knows why or who or what Loki was fighting for. They called him the Trickster sometimes because he was always fooling everyone around him. His riddles and puzzles sent them in a different direction and on the wrong path a lot of times. But I think that whatever it was must have been important to him if he was willing to die for it, and his brother let him kill him for it. So you have to decide for yourself."
The younger tod's eyes went wide again. "Loki died for it- or was it a girl?"
"I don't know son. All the other Gods referred to it as a creature even though he called it a girl. So I guess you can decide what it was too. But no he didn't die. Maybe we should finish this another time. It's getting late and we have to pick up your Mom and Bradley at the airport tomorrow night."
The little fox whined as he rolled his eyes. "Daaaaad- It's Friday. I don't have school tomorrow and it's half over already. I'll die if I have to wait till next week for a long story!"
The older fox scoffed at his son. "A little bit of an over exaggeration there isn't it son?"
"Pleeeeeeaase Dad?!"
The older tod shook his head as he looked at his son. "Gods, your mother was right. Could those eyes get any bigger? Alright alright, don't get your bushel in a twist kitto." The little tod scooted closer to his father as he began to read again.
"Loki fell to his knees with his brother in his arms as the massive doors to his hidden hall burst open. "NO!" Thor and Tyr screamed as they entered the room and saw the sight of their slain brother. Thor thrust his fist into Loki's jaw knocking him away from the fallen Hare and tossing his body into the wall as Tyr checked on the bloodied body of Heimdall. The dark horse shook his head and the massive bull picked up the fox slamming him into the wall. "Loki," Thor said as he held his brother high, "Allfather will kill you for this."
The fox glared through tear filled eyes at the brother holding him by the throat and then looked back to the brother he had slain. "I don't think he shall have enough time brother."
Thor drug Loki to the great hall of Odin as Tyr carried the body of Heimdall to their father. The hare was laid at the feet of the Gods and their mother and siblings wept as Loki was tossed to the feet of the great Allfather. Odin sent his wife and daughters away to spare them further heartbreak before he stood before the red fox at his paw feet. "What have you done?!"Odin screamed in fury at the tod in front of him. Loki's body sank as his head fell.
"Only what I must have Father."
The great maned lion shook in rage as he viewed the body of his slain son. "You have cut off your finest tail! And you do not deserve to bear the number of them you have for such treachery! It will be your shame to bear only one!" Odin motioned to Thor and Bragi to restrain the red fox as the dark horse Tyr cut off eight of his nine tails causing the fox to scream in agony as each one was hacked off separately and tossed to his father's paw feet."
"They c-cut off his tails?"
The older tod looked to see his son had curled up his tail around his body and was grasping it with both paws, wide eyes stared at the page in the book where a picture showed a seal and horned bull holding a fox with a black stallion brandishing a long sword in front of the great lion. He quirked an eyebrow up at his son, "They cut off eight of his tails; Odin left him one as a reminder of the brother he had killed because each tail represented a first sibling or a realm he would also lose. Too scary for you? We can finish this another time." The young tod gulped as he stared up at his father and shook his head, "You sure kitto?" A nod and he gave his son a reassuring squeeze as he scooted closer to his father.
"Odin and his sons bound Loki to great stones and pillars with giant serpents when their brother the great brown bear Balder burst back into the great hall exclaiming that the Ozaruki were missing."
"Dad what's a serpent and a Oza.." the little fox scrunched up his face trying to pronounce the word.
"A serpent is a giant snake, and the Ozaruki are the nine pieces of mythical armor Odin put all the wisdom and knowledge of the gods in until he could bring them back."
"Giant s-snakes? But Loki was just a little fox" his son exclaimed.
"Oh no son, all the Gods were giants compared to us. They were so big that when one of the snakes squeezed him or dripped its venom onto Loki it would make him writhe in pain and cause earth quakes."
The small tod frowned at his father. "His Dad was pretty mean wasn't he Dad?"
His father shook his head. "I think mammals do some crazy things when they are upset. Odin was very angry at Loki and gave him the chance to fix things but he refused to return the armor. After some time Odin got angrier because he was tired of Loki denying he had it and not telling him where he hid the Ozaruki at. That's when he cast him out of Asgard."
"Why did he want it back so bad or why did Loki not give it back, why did he keep it if it wasn't his?"
"Odin wanted it back because it had all the knowledge and wisdom of the Gods who had been put to sleep during a battle to keep their minds alive until he could bring them back. The Gods were dying and he was trying to save them. But Loki didn't believe they could be saved. He had already lost his wife and children and blamed Odin for their deaths. Because his children were different they weren't kept in the Ozaruki."
"Why were they dying?"
His father hummed, "I'm not really sure. Idun grew fruit that she fed the gods and made wine from to keep them immortal, but whatever it was that she used to grow them stopped coming, so they were all getting weaker. Odin took the energy from all the lesser gods to keep the others alive until he could fix things and whatever the creature was that Loki was trying to fight for was the cause of that loss. Do you want me to finish this part of the book or just tell the story?" The young tod looked at the book and pointed at the pictures. "Ok. Let me see if I can find about where we should be now. Let me see, Ah, Odin and Loki were arguing."
"Odin roared load enough that it echoed through all of Asgard. "I offer you life and retribution and yet you still refuse me! Why?! Or do you care not for all the gifts I have bestowed upon you and the forgiveness I offer when you have committed such a heinous crime?"
Loki looked to his father with great sorrow, "There is nothing you could offer that would replace what I have lost or forgive what I have done .I will lose no more for this farce. Our time is at an end and your pride keeps your wisdom from seeing the truth behind what will come."
Odin roared again as he lashed out at Loki, striking him and causing the serpents to coil tighter around him as he jolted from the impact. "That creature has tainted you! It fills your head with lies! When it is dead I will restore all that has been lost and take the place that beast had no regard to hold!"
"Are you fool enough to believe you can hold the power she has contained?! It nearly destroyed her! You are not meant to take her stead!"
The great lion scoffed at his son. "I will not be so careless as that creature was. I will make things the way they should have always been."
"SHE MADE A MISTAKE! ONE SHE ONLY TRIES TO RECTIFY THROUGH PURITY!" Loki screamed.
"PURITY!?" the lion roared again. "A mistake it made more times than there are stars in all the heavens!"
"SHE DID NOT KNOW! SHE IS INNOCENT OF THE CRIME YOU ACCUSE HER OF!" Loki screamed as best he could through the pain he was suffering, struggling to hold fast against his father.
"Ignorance is no excuse for guilt. I will not be ended by the likes of that beast in this fashion, with no glory and no honor. Or have you forgotten that it attempting to fix this mistake is what takes our lives now?" he asked the tod in front of him as he curled his lips and bore his teeth.
Loki grimaced as he held his head higher. "Have you forgotten how you came to be? How all the gods were born?"
The lion stood tall and arched his back."That is not likely something one could forget and is exactly why it is unworthy of the life it has. I will find that creature, and I will destroy it."
"You cannot kill her! I BEG OF YOU FATHER- have some semblance of sanity and see that your pride has blinded your wisdom."
"YOU DARE TO BEG FOR THE LIFE OF THAT CREATURE!" Odin curled his paw around the fox's throat and the serpents slithered away, leaving him hanging in the grasp of the lion. "For the insolence and insult you have proffered upon your brethren I will take back the powers you have gained. I will remove the immortality that I so foolishly allowed you. For your foolishness in caring for a creature unworthy the life you care not for I will cast you out among the mortals. You will never know true happiness. Even your name shall be cursed to spea! It will be so until the day I am dead you worthless ungrateful pelt! You will never know who you are or remember another lifetime through each veil, you will never find peace, you will carry the pain of each lifetime within you, and for your arrogance I curse all foxes to live in shame beside your mistakes, never to be trusted, never to be thought of as anything more than miscreants and worthless thieves! You will live and be reborn to die each lifetime alone. Each time you find happiness it will be ripped from you once you realize what it truly is and you will be miserable for the rest of that lifetime, only to be born again and repeat the same through all eternity! You will watch the ones you care for the most suffer and die in agony before you face it yourself!"
"NO! I CAN NOT LEAVE HER ALONE!" Loki screa-
"Dad," the little tod interrupted, "Do other mammals think all foxes are bad?" he asked as he stared back up at his father.
The older tod huffed a breath before he looked at his son and smiled. "Unfortunately a lot of them do son. That's why it's harder for us to get by than some others, and easier to get by than some. It doesn't make us bad or better than any other mammals, we are just different. Everyone is. All you have to do to be a good mammal is be yourself. Anyone who really cares for you will see past everything else."The older tod smiled as his son grinned at him again.
"What happened to Loki?"
"Oh well, his father took his powers and made his soul mortal. He threw his soul to the earth to be reborn and live among the rest of us."
"Whoa! He's here somewhere? What would he be like Dad?"
His father chuckled at the bouncing kit in front of him. "Well he would be just like all the other foxes. You wouldn't even know if you met him, he wouldn't even know that he was once a God. He'd be just like the rest of us."
"Is that the end of his story?"
"Not quite kitto. When Odin threw Loki to the earth he was angry and not paying attention. He didn't realize that Loki had hidden the Ozaruki inside his own soul, and when he cast him to the world the Ozaruki split from him and came to earth too. So Odin sent some sacred scrolls to the world so that someday someone would find them for him. When all the Gods were put to sleep he lost his birds that used to circle the earth and watch the world, so he couldn't see here anymore. There is a legend that says that someday a great prophecy will be fulfilled, but no one knows what it is about because no one has ever found the scrolls Odin sent."
"He had birds that watched the world?" the little tod asked as if he couldn't fathom the idea.
His father flipped through a few pages until he found another picture of the great lion with a large bird perched on each shoulder. "They were named Huginn, that means thought, and Muninn, which means memory. They were supposed to watch the world and take important information back to Odin to let him know if there were problems or information he needed to know about anything happening here. Without his eyes he has no one to tell him what happens on Earth anymore."
"How come they just don't use the rainbow bridge anymore?"
His father rubbed his head, "If I had to guess I would say it is because Heimdall isn't there to open it anymore, or they don't have the power to open it very often. After Loki was cast away the creature he was fighting for came looking for him. Odin cast Loki's tails at it and it was heartbroken. That's the last part of Loki's story, and why Odin sent the scrolls to find the other Gods memories and wisdom. The creature was so upset that it cast its powers to Odin and was lost when it turned to ash that blew away. So Odin thought he could have the mortals find Loki and get the Ozaruki back to restore the other Gods after he got all that creatures powers. That's the end of his story and….. it is way past your bedtime kitto. Do you want a drink of water or need to use the bathroom first?" he asked his son as he started to climb back under the covers.
"Does it have my honey in it?" the little tod asked as he looked at the water sitting on the table next to his bed.
"No, it's bottled water. I Thought you would have outgrown that by now, but I guess the water here does taste funny compared to where we moved from running through all the copper pipes." He handed the water to his son and let him get a drink before tucking him under the covers and rubbing a paw over his head. "Good night kitto."
"Night Dad," he said. The older tod turned his sons light off and made his way to his own room, shucking off his own clothes and trading them for a pair of loose pajama bottoms before he crawled into his own bed letting sleep consume him after a long day. It hadn't been a few hours that had passed when he was woke by the feeling of small paws on his shoulder. Sleep addled eyes cracked open to find a young tod standing beside his bed, his tail curled around his front clasping it with both his small paws. "What is it kitto?" he asked through a yawn.
"I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you tonight?" he asked through bashful eyes and a shaky voice.
His father chuckled through another yawn as he lifted the covers. "Sure kitto, climb up here." The little tod jumped into the bed and curled into his fathers' chest as he covered the two back up and curled around his son, both quickly falling into slumber again.
When he woke again his eyes were stinging, his nostrils filled with an assault of foreign scents he recognized as he jolted from the bed with his son in his arms. The house was filled with smoke as he rushed down the stairs and through the front door. Dark air floated through the whole neighborhood as he searched to locate where the offending scent was coming from and finally found the flames licking high enough in the air that he could see them from two blocks over. The sound of sirens finally filled the background as other mammals began to pour out of their homes into the street.
"Dad?" the little tod asked and he readjusted his son in his arms to rest on his hip. He looked to his neighbor standing on her front stoop before he looked back and watched the fire trucks finally rounding the corner.
"Mrs. Hayward?" he asked as he approached the older badger. "Could you watch him for a few minutes? I need to go check on something."
The older badger looked worriedly at the smoke and gave him an understanding glance before she turned her attention to the smaller tod on his hip. "Hi Nicky. Would you like to have some breakfast with me this morning? I have some fresh blueberries from the garden I picked yesterday." The little tod perked his ears up at his father as he let him down and mouthed the words 'Thank you' to her as she took his paw and led him into her house.
He began to jog up the street making his way through the familiar neighborhood. The air grew thicker as he approached the familiar house he was looking for. He froze when he saw the fire trucks and police mammals surrounding the residence trying to keep the others away from the flames as they fought to keep them from reaching surrounding structures. He searched through the crowd of faces that had been evacuated from their homes hoping to find the foxes he couldn't locate and finally settled on their neighbor, a rather grumpy older meerkat. For once the older mammal seemed subdued as he approached him. "Mr. Melgic? Have you seen or heard anything about the Zerda family?" he asked as he looked back to the house and tape that had been set to create a perimeter. The older meerkat looked up at him and gave him a heartbreaking shake of his head as he turned his attention back to the inferno raging a few hundred feet from his own home. His ears tucked back as he returned his attention towards the fox again.
"It took em more than half hour to get here. I heard them little ones screamin' an I …" The extra silver fox saw the old meerkat shuffle as he raised his paws. Bloodied, blistered, cut and burnt from where he had tried to break into the house to get to them somehow. His heart sank seeing the old male nearly break down after knowing he was as rock solid as any old codger could get. "Ain't nobody gives two shits about us in Happy Town. Specially not no foxes." The fox grabbed the older male as his tears finally started falling, pulling him into an embrace he didn't try to escape from as his own tears left him. "I tried. I tried but I couldn't get to em!"
"Oh Gods…." Nicholas mumbled.
It took the fire department an hour to get the flames completely out, and after another hour he watched as they brought out dark bags he knew the contents of. The old meerkat had slipped back to his own home at some point and he picked up his own heavy feet and dragged himself back to Mrs. Hayward's home. As she opened the door to let him in he gave her a soft shake of his head as he tried to cover the fact that he had been crying from his son. The older badger's ears tucked back as she fought her own tears and the little kit watching cartoons jumped from the couch and ran to his father.
"What happened Dad?"
The older fox sighed. "We'll talk about it later son, right now we have a big day ahead of us and we need to get ready to go pick up your mother and Bradley from the airport tonight." Mrs. Hayward gave him a worried look and he shook his head and smiled at her before they said their goodbyes and headed home. "Common kitto, we need to get cleaned up and straighten up the place before your mom gets back. Don't want to get her upset now do we?" he asked and the little tod shook his head before he ran to his room.
Disney Note; Oh-"could those eyes get any bigger?" (Disney's Treasure Planet).
On a personal note I need to say that the music I have chosen for each chapter is significant- that does not mean I like every song or the genres it comes from. I have read a lot of stories that are based off music as inspiration, that is not the case in this story. These songs were chosen after the chapter was written, though some may have minor adjustments for the music. I am disparaged to say there are a few that I loathe. It is unlikely you will see music I really like as the songs are chosen for their lyrics, representation of mood and possible clues to other chapters in the future or past. I'm not a fan of female artist or pop music and am getting some significant help from someone who is a Guru of knowledge on the subject. There is a point to each piece that is in the lyrics, listen or don't, up to you. Yes I am basing a great deal of the story on actual Norse mythology here. Though some will be changed to fit the story- the history is not going to change much as far as Loki goes, (and if you know your history in this regard you will see the pattern). No, these are not based on any Marvel concoction of the characters, but the actual Norse mythology. Though they may have some, if very few modern inflections. For those of you who may be unhappy about the future of the story, I need to make it clear that I will not change the path of its direction due to requests or complaints, and yes there is a method to my madness. All shall be revealed if you have the stomach to stick with it. I think…..