And here's the next chapter! Once more, dear readers, please enjoy!

 

 

 

 

The Fox's Path (Chapter 5)

by

Elite Shade

 

 

"Uuuuuuhhhhhhh... w-well Lily," Taylor scrambled for an excuse to get out of this impromptu obligation to get even more in touch with "his" feminine side than "he" already had in the last day, "I'm actually kinda beat and I--"

"Oh no you don't!" Lily said, firmly taking hold of Taylor's paw and walking her towards her room.

"Lily! I mean it!" Taylor said as she desperately tried to dig in her heels, to no avail.

"Nope! I will not stand for my little sister to start acting like a tomboy!" Lily said in an unusually authoritative tone, sounding eerily similar to Laura.

"Uh... little sister?" Taylor asked as Lily shut her bedroom door behind them.

"Uh-huh!" Lily said, her tail starting to wag. "Since you're the newest addition to the family, that easily makes you the youngest. And since you'll be living here, that makes you my younger sister. A.k.a. My little sister! Or you can be my baby sister, if you'd like!"

"Uhm... I guess little sister is okay..." Taylor was unsure of what to say to that. She took a seat at the foot of Lily's bed, trying to come up with a reason for her to not have to participate in any girly activities. She looked up to see Lily staring at her analytically, with a mild smirk. Taylor immediately started to blush.

"What?" she said to the wolf, whose tail was now slowly wagging.

"I'm thinking of the best attack strategy," Lily said simply to the confused vixen.

"Huh?"

"Well, to put it simply, I'm trying to come up with the best way to teach you all of my beauty wisdom," Lily said sagely as she sat next to Taylor and gave her a hug.

"I've also been thinking that you really don't act like most girls I know. I mean the way you were just strutting around earlier after you had flipped your skirt up to show off your panties and all."

Taylor blushed bright red. "Lily! That was an honest accident!"

"I know, I just like messing with you!" Lily said smiling. "You're just as much fun as Shaun is when I mess with him!"

"Lily..." Taylor started.

"Oh hush! It's true! Now, let's get down to some serious girl time!" Lily said as she got up and walked over to a shelf above her desk and started to take down bottles and a few small boxes. She carried everything back over to the bed and started to lay it all down on a small towel she had laid out as well, almost like a surgeon laying out their various surgical tools. Once everything was organized, Taylor quickly spotted the bottle of nail polish that Lily had made just for her.

I gotta think of a way outta this and fast! she thought.

"Look Lily--" she started before being cut off again.

"No Taylor!" Lily said in the tone again that was so much like Laura's. "I get that this might make you feel uncomfortable, what with how you were probably raised while growing up. But, you don't have to live like that anymore! Now you have a whole new world to explore, and all new experiences to... uh... experience!" Lily said excitedly.

Taylor silently blushed, and thought how right Lily was on the whole new world to explore part. Taylor was startled out of this brief reflection as she found Lily pulling her to her feet and making direct eye contact.

"I know that I can never fully understand the awful things that you were subjected to, or how hard it might be to go against what you were told for your whole life. I'm just asking you to try something new. I'm just asking you to trust me," Lily said gently.

Taylor was at a loss for words. In the short time that she had known Lily, she had never seen nor heard her do or say anything that wasn't a joke or otherwise mischievous. But, as she looked into her eyes, Taylor saw her sincerity, and knew that she was honestly trying to help in her own way.

"I... I guess that I could try that polish you made," Taylor said, defeated, looking down. Lily's mood brightened and her tail started to wag again.

"Alright! Then let's get started!"

Oh here we go, Taylor thought a little ruefully.

Taylor had thought that painting her claws would have been just that, painting them. But Lily insisted on clipping and filing them, soaking them in water, wiping nail polish remover on the claws themselves before putting on the polish, wiping the remover off afterwards, and pushing back the cuticles! Then it was time to start painting.

"Do girls really do all this work just to paint their nails?" Taylor mumbled.

"Just to paint nails?" Lily asked incredulously. "Taylor, painting our nails is very important! We do it so that they can match our outfits, our moods, or even as just a form of free expression!" Lily said with only semi-mock conviction.

"Case in point, this color will totally match your little red panties right now." Taylor let out a yelp and crossed her legs.

This stupid thing is waaaaaaay too short! she thought as she started to wish that the nightshirt was longer. Lily jut sat there and chuckled before getting down to showing Taylor how to start applying the polish. Taylor, at Lily's urging, slowly started to paint one extended claw slowly with the red polish. Oh crap. It actually does match my panties... THE PANTIES! T-H-E! Taylor's quick panic caused her to smear the brush on her knuckle.

Lily giggled. "You gotta go slower Taylor, and of course, pay attention to what you're doing." Taylor blushed, and then sighed as she resigned herself to finishing painting her nails. After a few more mistakes, that Lily made her wipe off with some more nail polish remover and then redo, Taylor had finished painting the nails on her left hand. She found that it was a little harder to paint her nails with her left hand. Taylor thought that they were done, until Lily then started to instruct her on the fine points of painting her toenails. Eventually though, Taylor mastered that art to Lily's satisfaction as well.

"Well that was... interesting Lily," Taylor said as she stretched while standing up. She then started to head towards the door.

"Oh come on!" Taylor turned to look at Lily, who was looking at her with mix of frustration and disappointment.

"You were just starting to come out of your shell! C'mon, let me show you how to put on some lipstick! Or let me show you how to use mascara! C'mon! Don't wuss out on me now!"

"Lily please!" Taylor said, something in her voice cracking a little, just enough to get Lily's attention.

"Th-thank you for teaching me how to do my nails, but... I really think that this is as much as I can do in one sitting," Taylor said, all of the embarrassment of today mixing with the sensation that none of this was right was finally starting to sink in. Lily's ears laid flat, and her tail tucked between her legs.

"Sorry Taylor... I guess that I can be a little pushy."

Taylor started to feel tears prick the back of her eyes.

"It's okay," she said, doing everything she could to keep her voice even.

"Goodnight," Taylor said as she opened the door.

"Goodnight," Lily responded a little sullenly.

Taylor swiftly walked back to "her" room, and closed the door. She looked at her nails, and then saw her reflection in the mirror, and quickly crawled under the sheet of her bed. She couldn't hold back anymore, and started to cry. She sobbed while hugging herself. She just couldn't help it. She laid there, curled up, sobbing silently. Or so she thought. Her door opened with a slight creak that she didn't notice as Lily walked in. It wasn't until she felt the wolf's arms around her, hugging her tightly that she started to calm down. She looked up to see Lily's tearstained face.

"I'm sorry Taylor!" Lily cried while hugging her. "I honestly was trying to do something nice, but I just ended up putting you in a very uncomfortable position, huh?" Lily asked sounding as miserable as she looked.

"It's okay Lily, really," Taylor said, gently hugging back. "It was just a little much right now. So much has changed for me today alone." They hugged each other for a while, their tears both subsiding.

"Well, I promise that I'll try to take it easy on you," Lily said as she wiped her eyes. Taylor did the same.

"Thanks," Taylor said, smiling, which in turn made Lily smile. "And I promise that I'll try not to be overly sensitive."

They both started to giggle. The crying had been a real emotional release for Taylor, as she and Lily sat in her room, and chatted. Happily talking about the gifts that they had received, about magic, and what school was like. Lily even made a joke about Taylor walking to school with Shaun, holding his paw so that the rest of the girls in their class would know that he was all hers, which made Taylor laugh.

Shaun had been quietly watching from the doorway. He had first stopped as he was walking by on his way back downstairs, when he heard them both crying. Not intending to eavesdrop, he couldn't help but go into 'big-brother mode' and try to see if there was a way he could help. But then they started laughing, and Shaun was confused. Eventually, as they were chatting and Lily was cracking some jokes, Shaun just decided that it was a good time to leave, shaking his head as he walked away.

Girls, he thought to himself.

 

The Next Day...

 

Taylor yawned as she stretched. She opened her eyes to see that she was still indeed a fox, and that she was still indeed a she. She sighed before climbing out from the strewn covers and walked to the closet. She pulled her nightshirt off and placed it on a hanger inside the closet. She then grabbed the light green T-shirt that read Proud Zualto Girl!. Still uncomprehending the letters, she looked at it curiously before she started to pull it over her head, when she stopped. She thought about what she and Lily had talked about last night.

She sighed once more, and took off the shirt. She walked over to the dresser, and opened the top one. She rifled through it until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a simple red cotton bra, that matched her panties. She just looked at it in her hands for a few moments before she started to try and put it on. It took her a few moments, but eventually Taylor was able to get it on. She adjusted her bra a little, and then stared at herself in the mirror. There she was, standing there in her red bra and panties. Taylor blushed as she reached for the shirt again. Before she touched it though, Shaun walked in.

"Oh hey Taylor, would yo-- SORRY... AGAIN!!!!" he blushed like crazy before running out of the room.

Taylor stood there, stunned once more.

Really?

Blushing, she pulled her shirt over her head, and then retrieved her butterfly bedazzled jeans and pulled those on. After that, she made quick work of brushing her hair and fur. Once she had finished, she started to head downstairs for what smelled like a very delicious breakfast. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Shaun still blushing, causing her to blush as well. He looked up at her, and she smiled to let him know that she wasn't angry, before taking her seat, and having a large plate of waffles set down before her.

"Thanks Laura," Taylor said as she picked up a fork and knife and got to work on her breakfast. She received a quick peck on the cheek from the older wolf.

"It's my pleasure sweetie," Laura said before she set another plate down in front of the twins, kissing them both on their cheeks as well. Taylor saw this, and said nothing. Laura set down three more stacks of waffles, all dripping with syrup, before sitting down herself. Taylor was happily digging in, her tail wagging slightly unbeknownst to her, when suddenly her hair was being ruffled.

"Glad to see that you're settling in Taylor!" rumbled a deep voice. She looked up to see the smiling face of Abe.

"Uh... thanks Abe," Taylor said. Abe chuckled and ruffled her hair once more before going over to the coffee pot and pouring himself a mug. He set his mug down and said good morning to the twins, affectionately ruffling their hair as well.

"HEY!" they both exclaimed in unison, quickly fixing their hair while Abe chuckled before sipping from his mug and sitting down to his stack. Just as he started to eat his breakfast, Ben stumbled bleary eyed into the kitchen, waved to the family, and then poured himself a mug of coffee as well. It wasn't until after he had finished off that mug and drank half of a second that he started to wake up fully. They were all enjoying breakfast after that, happily chatting with each other. Taylor blushed a bit as Lily went to explain that they had some girl time last night, and that she had taught her how to paint her nails.

"That's wonderful Lily!" Laura said while smiling before turning to look at Taylor, "and Taylor, your nails do look very lovely!"

"Thank you Laura," Taylor said politely, continuing to blush a little. She noticed that Shaun kept looking at her and quickly looking away, his face reddening a little as well. Taylor caught his eye and smiled reassuringly once more. He smiled back again, and Taylor saw his tail start to wag. She giggled, her own tail wagging a little faster. Lily eyed them curiously, and started to make kissing noises at them. They both tucked their tails as their faces both became slightly darker shades of red. This went unnoticed by the adults however, as they were more concerned with Ben's box.

"So, did you two manage to Seal it successfully last night?" Laura asked while looking across the table at Abe and Ben.

"Oh yeah," Ben said after swallowing a mouthful of waffle and syrup. "It almost got away from us, but Abe was able to get everything under control while I got the scrolls all ready."

"Well, a pair of enchanted scimitars can be quite handy when it comes to dealing with ancient elementals." The large bear chuckled. Taylor's ears perked at hearing this. She looked to Lily and Shaun, but they were too busy debating something that Taylor wasn't following.
I guess magic and elementals and stuff like that is just plain and ordinary here. she thought quizzically.

"So, now that it's good and Sealed up nice and tight, I can finally have someone take a look at it. I was thinking about stopping by the guild with it today. Hopefully there wont be too long of a line," Ben said as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Oh, if your going to the guild, could you drop this off for me?" Laura asked as she grabbed her purse from the nearby counter and pulled out an envelope with a wax imprint on the back. Taylor could just make out a coat of arms of a sword crossed with what looked like a pickaxe. Ben then took the letter and nodded.

"Yes big sister, I would love to," he said with a smirk. Laura just rolled her eyes at that. Abe announced that he had to head into work today, apparently there had been another monster attack and many people were injured.

"It's all hands on deck at the E.R," he said after finishing off both his coffee and his waffles.

"Oh dear! How are they still getting in?" Laura wondered, wide eyed.

"I actually have a couple of theories about it myself, but I won't say anything until I've completed my own investigation," Ben said as he too finished off his breakfast. He and Abe both cleared off their dirty dishes and rinsed them in the sink. Taylor and the twins all found their heads ruffled again as the two walked back upstairs, chatting amicably about magical constructs.

"Don't be fooled sweetie." Taylor looked back to see Laura smiling at her. "He may be pretty cavalier about this, but Benjamin is actually very concerned about these attacks. But if anyone can get to the bottom of all this, it'll be him." she squeezed Taylor's paw reassuringly before picking up her own empty plate and heading to the sink. Taylor and the twins continued to finish off their own waffles shortly after. Laura took their plates and began to wash them, while the three headed for the living room.

"So Lily, did you finish your project for Mrs. Lightspear?" Shaun asked with a slightly accusing tone.

"Hey I finished it alright! The ingredients Uncle Ben gave me really came in handy there! Now, if you don't mind, I have to get ready to take Taylor back to the mall."

"What?" Taylor and Shaun said bewildered.

"Well yeah. While we were there yesterday we got her the uniforms and clothes she needed, but today she and I are gonna get her some proper bras and panties to finish off her wardrobe."

Taylor blushed while Shaun just stared openmouthed.

"The ones you totally peeped at her in yesterday and today both are hand-me-downs! Every girl deserves her own clothes," Lily said matter-of-factly as she hurried upstairs while Shaun and Taylor stood where they were, mouths both agape. Shaun recovered first and turned to Taylor.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so used to just walking in when it was Molly and I--"

"It's okay, Shaun," Taylor said, her face once more turning rosy. "I know that it was an accident."

They briefly smiled at one another before Lily came back down. "And before you even ask Shaun, yes I did ask Mom about this and yes she did give me the credit card today as well. And no you can't come to perv out over your new baby sister some more because Mom needs you here today to help with a little project."

Shaun and Taylor were blushing furiously. Shaun opened his mouth to say something when they all heard Laura call him from the kitchen. He looked at the kitchen, then back at Lily, who had taken Taylor's paw and was leading her towards the door, before heading to see what his Mom needed help with.

Girls, he thought once more, shaking his head.