Chapter 2
2 weeks and 5 days later.
Thomas: “ ok everybody let's go through that one more time.”
Thomas was sitting in the school's Theatre looking at his actors rehearsing a moment from the play.
Timothy started the countdown: “ 1,2,3 and action!”
Gordon took a deep breath and began his part.
Gordon looked towards the audience while having a script in his hands: “Ah sorry I didn't see you there. you are probably wondering what I am doing? Well, I am a collector of stories from far and wide. stories about great villains being defeated by great Heroes and many more but this is my favourite story (pretends to hold out a book) this book has quite an interesting story that proves there's more to somebody than meets the eye. How about I tell you guys about it? Our story starts a long time ago in a far off land where there were great diamonds that would grant incredible power. But only if the Diamonds were brought together. but some of them had been stolen by an evil demon Fox. The demon Fox was rumored to want the diamonds to control the entirety of the land. Nobody Dared to try and fight her with her demon generals at her side. but there was one brave warrior that was passing by a local Village and this is where our story begins.”
Everybody looked over towards Percy, Edward and Tara who were playing the Village People.
Edward: “Please help us Mam! The demon fox came and took our diamond!”
Percy: “ We need that diamond to help grow Our crops. please help us!”
Daisy nonchalantly delivers her lines: “ ok I will bring back the diamond for you guys. I am already on a quest To gather them all. I will just drop off yours on my way back. and maybe you can give me something in return?”
tara: “ but we are just simple former folk. we don't have much gold to spare.”
Daisy: “ You may be able to give me something else in return for my services.”
Tara: “ And what would that be?”
Daisy: “ Just wait and see. After all, I am one of the greatest Warriors of this land. you should be grateful I'm even giving you my attention.”
Thomas standing up with his tails waving behind him: “Ok stop everyone. Daisy, what in the name of godred are you doing?”
Daisy: “delivering my lines. Is there something wrong?”
Thomas: “ yes there is something wrong! Everybody else is giving it their all even if this is just rehearsal. yet you are the only one that isn't giving it 100%. did you even study your lines?”
Daisy: “No, just enchanted them into my mind.”
Timothy was shocked to hear this: “So you haven't actually been learning your lines!?”
Daisy waves Timothy’s Concerns away: “ I still know my lines, I just won't remember them when I don't need to.”
Thomas let out a deep sigh: “ Daisy you are barely putting any effort and you order lead in the play. You have to put in the effort to make sure you're doing your best.”
Daisy just flipped her hair and let out a small huf: “Well at least I will be a better lead than lady. She is so ugly that she can't play anything other than the villain. oh wait she can also play a piece of mud!”
Daisy began laughing loudly. Meanwhile lady who was sitting in the audience seats just looked down to her lap and didn't say anything. With her ears flat on her skull and her tails limply laying on the seats. Thomas did notice this and wasn't happy about it. but decided not to say anything yet.
Thomas took a deep breath to calm himself: “ everyone that will be all for today. so go home and study your lines for tomorrow's rehearsal. lady I have something to discuss with you so will you please stay here for a while longer?”
Lady had already stood up to go home but decided to stay behind because she had nothing else to do tonight.
as the rest of them are leaving Daisy grabbed lady’s arm and whispered into her ear: “ don't get any ideas in your head. He. is. mine!”
Lady just nodded and Daisy went off with the rest of her classmates to go home. Now it was just Thomas and Lady in the theatre room alone.
Thomas picked up a broom and began sweeping the floor of the stage.
lady just took a seat in one of the seats of the theatre and just looked at him sweeping.
After a few minutes Thomas spoke up: “ lady why are you letting Daisy walk all over you?”
Lady in a quiet voice: “ I don't let her walk all over me…”
Thomas stopped sweeping the stage and leaned on to the Broom: “ you actually do. She has been whispering Words in your head for as long as I can remember. even all the way back in kindergarten and Primary School. Why don't you stand up to her?”
Lady: “ because she is my friend…”
Thomas drops the Broom: “ she is not a friend! she is a bully! and you need to understand that.”
lady grabbed the bottom of her dress with her hands: “ it's ok Thomas… I deserve to be treated like this… I am just a ugly piece of scrap metal that doesn't deserve to be noticed and adored.”
Thomas crossed his arms: “ and is this Daisy talking or is this you talking?”
lady looked confused but Thomas continued.
Thomas: “ it is true that Daisy does have a beautiful body but that's it! she doesn't have anything else that's beautiful about her! and I think she is jealous of you!”
Lady: “ Why do you think that?”
Thomas jumped off the stage and gently took her glasses off: “because I always knew what your true face looked like… I was never able to see the illusion that the glasses were creating.”
lady immediately tried to hide her face: “ don't look, I am ugly! I am… I am… I… am.”
Thomas gently moved lady’s head to look at him and the small mirror he had with him.
Thomas: “ I don't see an ugly beast or anything like that. I see a beautiful, smart, talented, hard-working little fox that is just afraid of What other people have told her that isn't even True.”
as lady looked in the mirror she began crying.
Thomas noticed and gently gave her a hug.
Thomas: “ hey I understand that Daisy can be quite manipulative. but you can't let her run your life forever. you have to be able to stand up for yourself. and I am going to help you do it.”
lady looked at him with tear filled eyes: “ how are you going to do that?”
Thomas with a cheeky smile: “ I am going to slowly bring out the you I know you can be. That is if you want my help?”
Lady began considering Thomas's offer. Her friends have been telling her for the longest time that she needs to get more confidence and finally stand up to Daisy or she will treat her like a doormat for the rest of Her Life. And For her a chance to hang out with Thomas alone was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Lady: “ ok let's do it!”
Thomas gave her a smile: “ ok. This is my plan to help you get more confidence. I will help you practise your lines for the play and in our off time will just hang out together so I can help you build up your confidence.”
Lady: “ OK shall we begin rehearsing my lines?”
Thomas just began laughing: “ not right now. I think the two of us Should just go to the mall and get you some better clothes and to help you relax.”
lady looked a bit surprised at this: “ But what about the play?”
Thomas: “ we still have six months to practise. and all work and no play is no way to work. and I definitely think you need to relax. so see how we go?”
lady wasn't certain about going to the mall. but she had nothing to lose by at least following him there.
The two of them got their stuff from their lockers and went to the mall.
luckily the mall wasn't as busy today so the two of them would be able to enjoy their time together.
Both of them were in their Fox forms with Thomas leading lady towards a shop that had that many beautiful clothes inside of it.
Lady looked at the name of the shop: “ the Indian Nilgiri Mountain treasure? Why did we pick this shop?”
Thomas: “ because my parents are secret partners of this establishment and I can get a discount. Plus I have a good relationship with the daughter of the owner.”
The two of them entered the shop and were immediately greeted by a peacock girl. Her name tag Said: ashima.
Ashima had a big smile when she Noticed it was Thomas: “ Thomas it's good to see you again my friend!”
Thomas transforms into his human form: “ it's also good to see you again ashima.”
The two of them gave each other a hug which gave lady the idea that they were more than friends but she didn't want to say anything.
ashima broke away from the hug: “ so what are we in here for today? new clothes? repairs to old ones? it doesn't matter because we can do everything.”
Thomas: “ Actually I wanted to ask you for help for two things. First of all my story has won the competition that I entered and is being turned into a play! so I was wondering if you could make some of the costumes for me?”
ashima gave him a big smile: “ of course anything for my friends. just give me the designs and I will get started.”
Thomas: “good and the second thing is that my friend here needs some new clothes that make her look less like a nerd and more like a casual person.”
lady at this moment has also transformed back into her human form and Ashima was giving her a once over.
Ashima: “ I think I might have something for her. but I want her to come and look with me and it might take some time.”
Thomas: “That's oké with me. I have a few things To do around the mall anyway. the two of you have fun and put everything on my tab.”
Thomas immediately began racing out of the store towards his next stop leaving lady and ashima Alone with each other.
lady was originally a bit uncomfortable around her. especially with the way she was acting towards Thomas. and she was curious about what their relationship was like. and like the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.
So when the two of them were looking for some clothes for her lady spoke up.
Lady: “ You and Thomas seem to be pretty close…”
ashima didn't even look up from her browsing: “ I guess we do.”
Lady: “ ever think of… him as more than just a friend?”
Ashima still didn't look at her: “ maybe ones but that was a long time ago when we first met. overtime I just realised he wasn't my type.”
Lady: “Do you mean a kitsune?”
Ashima with a slight blush on her face: “ no, male. I am more interested in the female sex. I even have a girlfriend that works across from the shop at the Italian restaurant there. Her name is Gina and she is just an ordinary human. but she is really sweet. And it was actually Thomas that brought us together.”
Lady: “ really! How?”
ashima chuckles: “ thanks to one of his little jokes he likes to pull. He had told both that he had something important to show the both of us. but it ended up with him basically Dragging us towards our first date. It was a little awkward at first but we soon realised there was something between us… love… we are taking things nice and slow and talk to each other when we have problems with each other. but we did end up thanking Thomas for bringing us together… after dumping a metric ton of water balloons on him.”
Both girls burst out laughing.
Lady: “ That is definitely Thomas for you. always willing to help people.”
Ashima: “ like you.”
Lady: “ yes… like me.”
Ashima turned towards lady with some clothes in her hands: “ and what is he helping you with?”
Lady: “ let's just say I have a bully back in our High School that is constantly picking on me but I don't have the backbone to stand up to her. And we are both in a play that our school is putting on and I am the villainess of the story… but the play is not what bothers me… it's my bully being the lead heroine. she is just going to rub it in my face when she is showered with praise when we are finally putting on the play. At least Thomas is willing to help me start to stand up for myself… but still… I don't know if I'm able to do it even with his help…”
Ashima gave lady a stern look: “ Listen To Me Lady I don't know who your bully is but standing up to them shouldn't be difficult. it may seem so and it may seem like they hold all the power but in reality those who bully anybody are the weakest people and hold no power they just make you think that. At the end of the day you are the one who holds the power to stop them! don't let them talk you down and if they laugh with you? begin laughing right back at them. you may look crazy but you are not Because you're not laughing with them but at them. because they are pathetic. but whatever you do do not stoop down to their level. because at the end of the day only you decide who you are.”
Lady looked amazed at Ashima's speech. Although there was some doubt in her head still her words did give her some comfort and a lot to think about.
The two girls eventually began trying out the clothing they had picked for lady.
Eventually they ended up choosing a dress in the same colours she Likes. they weren't something that would immediately attract attention to her but were still quite fashionable.
Lady thanked ashima as she left the store teleporting all of the clothing items into her pocket dimension to take home with her later. for now she had to track down Thomas. and it didn't take her long because she found him in the arcade having some fun.
Thomas did immediately notice her: “ lady how did the clothes shopping go?”
Lady: “ pretty good… but I thought you had some errands to run?”
Thomas with a cheeky smile: “ I did. but now I am finished with them so I'm taking some time to relax. You know what they say: all work and no play Makes for a Boring life. so how about we just relax here for a while and then we can go home?”
lady wasn't certain if this was a good idea. but she couldn't see the harm in having some fun either.
So the two of them began playing some of the games in the arcade together. Shooters, basketball, skee balls, Air hockey and so on and so forth. until they came to the last game of the day, railway Dance Revolution!
Thomas with stars in his eyes: “ This is my favourite game!”
Lady just crossed her arms in curiosity: “ really? I have never played it before.”
Thomas looked at her in surprise: “ you have never played railway Dance Revolution!? How?!!”
lady Shrugged: “ I spent most of my time in the library… I don't really go out that much. in fact this is my very first time I've been to this arcade.”
Thomas: “ Well then let's end your first visit to the arcade with the best game they got here! and it's really easy to play. All you have to do is hit the arrows on the ground. It's like dancing! and the better you dance the faster your engine will go!”
lady still wasn't sure: “ I… don't really know if I'm a good dancer…”
Thomas with a big smile: “ don't worry you're talking to the person who has the highest score on this thing. you just have to follow the beat of the music and your heart will do the rest.”
Lady still wasn't sure but she decided to put her trust in Thomas’s words and stepped onto the plate.
Thomas started the game up and the two of them began moving to the rhythm.
lady was nervous at first… but soon she was getting it And began dancing like a maniac! she just didn't match the rhythm of the arrows she was in perfect sync with them and with Thomas.
Everybody in the arcade began looking at the two of them as they were dancing Their Hearts out.
As Thomas looked over towards lady he didn't see the nervous girl who had entered the mall with him. All he could see was a girl having fun and not worrying about anything in the world.
but that moment ended up costing him a few points and at the end of the game lady had won the game!
Lady in an excited tone: “ That was awesome! I haven't felt so alive in years!”
She then noticed the crowd that had gathered around them and began looking nervous until all of them began cheering for her.
Thomas was also cheering: “ it was awesome lady! Nobody has bested me in this game before besides Timothy. you should really be proud of yourself.”
Lady knew she should be feeling nervous but instead she felt incredible and it was all thanks to Thomas.
The two of them eventually went to exchange their tickets and we're both able to get plushies of their beast forms which looked absolutely adorable together.
After that Thomas escorted her home and went back to his own home afterwards. but not before he had promised that he would help lady learn her Lines for the play as well as help her build her confidence Again.
As lady went up to her room she placed her plushie on her nightstand alongside a picture of her family. a picture that had some mysterious extra figures on it but the heads were ripped off so you couldn't tell who they were. but two of them have 9 green tails.