Just a little Christmas treat! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

After walking away from the strange fox, Judy was lost on thought of the events surrounding him. She began analyzing everything she knew about him. Starting with when they first met. Why would everyone get off the wagon? She hadn't realized it before but the explanation he gave her didn't really fit. She had been in the city for less than a week but in that short time she had seen how people treat foxes as well as a couple other species. Most people would just harass a fox instead of trying to avoid them completely.

At the house, he wasn't randomly digging out the scrolls, he knew exactly where to find the ones she saw him pull out. How did he get them in the first place? Nothing was really adding up. It could be that he found them after moving into the old mage's property. Judy was still pondering this idea when she suddenly bumped into something. Or rather someone. She stepped back to see a ram wearing a large chest plate.

"Oh, I beg your pardon sir." And she tried to step to the side and out of the ram's way. He in turn stepped in front of her blocking her path. "Sir kindly let me pass." Judy now becoming annoyed at the apparent citizen. When another ram walked up beside him, she took a step back and was about to speak when a noise behind her caught her attention. She turned to find another ram blocking the path she had just come down.

Before anything else could happen she heard the distinctive sound of a sword exiting it's scabbard. She faced the source of the noise to find a blade swinging towards her. It's highly polished black glinting in the light. Her training took over and she leapt into the air allowing the blade to pass beneath her. Once on the ground she shot forward ramming her shoulder into the larger animal and knocking him off balance. She drew her sword just in time to parry off an attack from the second sheep.

Using her speed and agility to dodge and deflect attacks from the two larger mammals she was holding her own. But even with her superior speed she was on the defensive against the two sheep. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long and there was the third ram who hadn't joined the fray yet. Finally, an opening in the two ram's attacks. She slid past a thrust of one of the rams to move in close side stepping and coming along his side. She raked her sharp blade against his leg, slicing through wool and flesh. Causing a loud cry from the now injured sheep.

Turning to take the advantage of only facing possibly one opponent now, she was met with a powering strike. She raised her sword in time to stop the blade from striking her directly, but it sent her sliding back away from him. She prepared to counter attack when she was struck in the side by the third ram charging horns first into her. The force of the blow knocking the wind out of her sending her sailing through the air.

She knew she had stopped, but she didn't feel anything. She felt herself fall to the ground and land face down, head turned to the right. She couldn't see anything, nothing but stars. Her hearing still seemed to work though. And for some reason the next sound she heard surprised her. Not because of the suddenness of it but because she knew she should have been afraid. An ancient primal instinct whispering in her ear. Death is coming, beware! But despite her instincts the sound brought a sense of safety and comfort.

For a moment, the stars cleared from her eyes and she could see the source of the sound. At the end of the alley stood the fox, Nick. He was different somehow; his eyes were no longer the brilliant green but solid red with a slight glow to them.

His clothes were changed. Wearing an older fashion of uniform used by the mages of the ZPD, but with far less metal armor attached. Her vision again blacked out but her hearing remained acute. She could hear the rams curse under their breath and what sounded like metal sliding against metal and clicking together.

"You take care of him. I'll finish the bunny." One of the ram's spoke.

Hearing the threat Judy forced her eyes open again and up towards her would be killer. He approached her sword in hoof, raising it above his head for a finishing blow. Judy tried to move but no matter what she did her limbs would not respond. Watching as her impending doom approached, only to see it halted by the sound of bone breaking and the scream of over whelming pain.

Judy managed to look at the source of the scream to see the third ram that had head butted her kneeling before the fox holding his head blood oozing between his fingers. In the fox's paws were both his horns. Apparently ripped from the now bleeding head. He then turned the horns over in his hands and brought them together point first into the side of the kneeling rams head. The body went limp and fell to the ground.

Now Judy noticed the source of the metallic sound she heard earlier. The fox's arms were now covered in army. From his shoulders to his fingertips which extended out into sharp claws. He quickly extended one paw towards her. No not towards her but in front of her. She rolled her eyes up to see the ram that was to kill her holding his blade above her head. He was frozen in place. She could hear him grunting attempting to move but he seemed unable to.

When he finally did move he was turning his sword on himself pointing it towards his abdomen. She glanced back at the fox. His outstretched paw rotating in place and then suddenly slicing to the side. The sound of metal bending and scratching against itself and then the sickening sound of flesh and organs being pierced brought her gaze back to the ram. He had pulled his sword into himself through his own armor. He stumbled backwards and fell to his side, unable to do anything more than bleed to death.

Judy was still unable to move her limbs or feel anything. This began to worry her greatly as she saw the third ram just on the edge of her peripheral vision. The fox slowly approached him.

"No please! I'll do anything!" he begged. "Don't kill me! I'll do anything I swear!"

The ram, seated on his rump, nearly eye level with the fox stared into the red pools before him. The fox pressed his armored paw against the armored plate the ram wore and spoke a warning in a voice that belong to the fox but also different. A deeper echoed voice.

"Tell your master to return the stone. Or face the consequences."

With this warning, the fox clinched onto the armored plate, leaving imprints in the metal and then shoving the injured sheep into the wall behind him. Leaving him unconscious. Still unable to move, Judy tried to speak but it only came out as a whimper. This apparently caught the attention of the fox. He began walking towards her. The closer he got the calmer she became, as if his presence was enough to sedate her.

Once by her side he knelt on both knees, facing her turned head. She looked into the blood red eyes and watched them close for a moment. When they opened again they were a soothing blue with the same glow as before. He then leaned forward and placed a paw on her back. She immediately breathed in a sharp and painful breath. Just now realizing that she hadn't been able to breath this whole time. At that moment, she could feel the pain of the blow she had received. The bent armor pressing against her broken ribs, the broken arm on the side that had been struck. The worse pain was the one in her back. She couldn't be sure but it felt broken.

She wailed in agony as he held his paw firm on her back. Her body registering everything at once as if for the first time. Her eyes shot wide as her cries escaped her. When she could stop screaming she closed her eyes and bit her lower lip with such force, blood began to fill her mouth. Finally, he spoke to her, in the same deep echoed voice as before but much softer.

"I will take your pain." Judy felt a surge of energy racing through her nervous system. First a cool rush over her taking away the pain, then a warmth that washed over her that felt so familiar. Like cuddling with her horde of siblings back home. It all left once he removed his paw from her.

She opened her eyes again so see him still kneeling beside her. Blue eyes staring down as if waiting for something. Judy tried her limbs and was surprised to find she could move them. Lifting herself up onto her own knees she looked up at the fox once more. Before she could even thank him, he closed his eyes again. Opening them again revealing green emerald pupils once more.

Judy was surprised by the sudden change again, and opened her mouth to speak before being cut off. His face becoming contorted with anger.

"What have you…. done…." was all he was able to speak before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed beside her.