Wrong Turn? (Peony and Will)

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony carefully trudged outside of her Elementary School building. She sighed, sniffing the air as she walked down to the steps. The Tibetan Wolf slowly made her way to the Subway. She didn't like school. It was boring, and she had to do work outside of it, too. 

One paw after another, she'd finally made it to the Subway. Tired and ready for a good nap, the pup paid no attention to which train she was boarding. She slowly got onto to the nearest train to her, the one that usually led to her neighborhood, which was almost thirty minutes away. She showed the man her card and found a seat.


She sat down, her little paws tired out as she pulled her worn up bag beside her. Carefully, she pulled out half of her lunch. Why half? Because some of the other kids thought that it'd be funny to throw the other half on the floor while she wasn't looking. Sighing, she grabbed a carrot and began to gnaw on it as she began to fall deep into thought.


What if... One day, I came to school, and I had all the superpowers in the world? She thought, closing her eyes to imagine it as the Subway began to move. 


I would ban school forever. And hypnotize the bad guys into thinking they're grass. And then they'd be stomped on! She thought triumphantly, as the baby carrot smashed into tiny pieces inside her mouth. 


And then, once they'd learned their lesson, I'd turn them back, but for every time they're mean to someone, they'd turn into... a tree for two hours! She thought, even more, smiling to herself.


The more and more Peony found herself daydreaming about the superpowers, the more and more she began to drift off into sleep. Eventually, Pony found herself out cold.

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The sudden jerk of the train stopping awoke her. Jumping up, the now rested Tibetan Pup trotted out of the train, her bag in one paw. Almost immediately after she left the train, Peony was greeted with an unpleasant smack of cold in the face. Quickly, she looked around. 


Oh. Oh no...  Was all she could think as she heard the subway depart. This... Isn't home... She thought, looking at the snow-packed place. The train was gone, and it seemed that the next train to anywhere wasn't going to be back in at least an hour. Dread filled inside Peony's belly as instinct set in. 


Shelter. I need shelter. She thought, looking around as she began to move forwards. Soon, a few bright lights came into view. A city? She thought, trudging forwards, her pace fastening. 


Eventually, she arrived. Everyone seemed to be moving so quickly. It made the Pup uncomfortable. It was almost as if...


A sudden crash sounded behind her. Peony let out a terrified yip as she jolted forwards, her ears falling back as she scurried into an ally, beside an abandoned looking building. Minutes passed as she just sat there, curled up in the cold. 


Peony pulled her legs close to her. It was freezing. She was tired, hungry and now lost, too. Sighing, she closed her eyes, trembling sadly inside the cold.

---

Words: 536

[Will Tagg]

It was a cold day in Tundratown--which is to say, it was a perfectly typical day in Tundratown. The late afternoon sun was still shining, tinging the edges of the sky a creamy orange that contrasted beautifully with the icy blue of the frigid district. For once, Will was actually out enjoying it; he had the day off, so instead of spending his daylight hours cooped up in the hospital, he was running errands about town. In one arm, he clutched a pair of packages wrapped in brown paper and twine--birthday gifts he was going to send to his sister back in Hoofentry. He'd also been to the Rainforest District earlier in the day, so in his free hoof he held an umbrella that seemed curiously out of place in Tundratown.

Now, he was headed home for a soothing cup of tea and a good book. He'd finished Jane Mare only two days before, so it was time to crack into a new novel; he'd been putting off Doctor Zhivagoat for some time, perhaps he'd finally pick that up. He'd heard it was a rather somber story, but he could always make up for it by reading something lighter afterward. Perhaps he'd reread Harry Otter? It wouldn't take him more than a few days, and some stories were always fun to revisit.

Literary thoughts were wiped from his mind at the sound of a very loud crash! The reindeer yelped, accidentally dropping his packages into the snow in his shock. He turned to see a pair of beavers arguing next to a moving truck; lying on the street were the remains of an ornate cabinet that had evidently fallen from the van. Will winced in sympathy as he went to collect his fallen packages, thankful that he wasn't the one who would have to tell their clients about the broken furniture. The very thought of such a tense conversation made his stomach turn.

As Will resumed his journey home, he thankfully glanced into an alleyway as he passed. It took him a moment to stop and realize what he'd seen, and he had to backtrack and peer around the corner to confirm it: there was a small, very young wolf huddled alone against the wall. The poor thing, she looks absolutely petrified, the reindeer thought to himself. Though he had some trepidation going into such an unknown situation, he couldn't bring himself to just leave her here, and so he stepped hesitantly into the alley.

"E-excuse me, but, um...a-are you quite alright?" Will asked, brows creased in concern. "Do your mum and dad know you're here?"

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony jumped as a new voice suddenly began to speak. Was someone talking to her? Gulping, the lost pup looked to the side, seeing a reindeer standing outside the alleyway. Peony's eyes widened. What if he's gonna hurt me? Was the first thought that popped into her mind as she stared up at him quietly.

"I... umm..." Her tiny voice squeaked. Should she tell this kind of information to this stranger? Maybe. Peony had no idea, and all her little mind could focus on was the harsh cold nipping at her nose. The tiny wolf pup continued to stare at him, rubbing her nose as she shook her head to answer the Reindeer's second question. 

Her heart began to beat faster as she pondered on whether or not she should ask for help. "I... I'm l-lost..." She stuttered, her small body trembling even harder as the harsh cold seemed to almost freeze her small paws off. 

Her ears fell forwards as she let her paws fall onto the soft, bitter cold of the snow.

[Will Tagg]

The poor little wolf looked even more terrified now that Will had showed up. He didn't move any closer; training and common sense both told him that he shouldn't do anything to alarm her unnecessarily. She might get spooked and run away, and if she didn't hurt herself in the process, there was a good chance she'd run into someone a lot less friendly than the reindeer.

"I... umm.."

Will couldn't blame the pup for being uncertain about trusting him. He was rather larger than her, and a total stranger. Sure, he was a doctor and had taken a solemn vow never to harm another mammal, but she had no way of knowing that. It was to his great relief that she finally seemed to relent, though; he could tell she wasn't doing well in the cold, and not being able to help just yet was killing him.

"I.. I'm l-lost.."

Slowly moving closer, Will crouched to get closer to eye level with the wolf. "Alright then, I'll try and help you get home," he said gently. He set his parcels aside and began unwrapping his scarf, continuing to talk as he did in the hopes of reassuring her. "Maybe we can call your parents up and tell them where you are. My name's Will. What's yours?" he asked in his best soothing tone; just because he hadn't specialized in pediatrics didn't mean he hadn't ever learned how to interact with young patients. With a friendly smile, he held out the scarf to Peony. "Here, you need to get warmed up again."

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony looked up at the reindeer. Her tiny paws still trembling, she took the scarf. Will. It was a nice name. She observed him even further, now that he was closer. If Sherlock Howles had taught her anything, it was that anyone could be evil. Peony stared into his eyes as she deciphered whether or not she should tell him her name.

"M-my name's Peony. P-Peony Rìluò." She stuttered, her ears still perked forwards. Not nearly shivering as bad as she was before - thanks to the scarf that was now around her neck - Peony recalled what Will had said earlier. Her parents' phones? Looking down, the wolf pup thought hard about phone numbers. She cringed as she remembered how she only knew her mother's.  Learning her father's was still taking a while, and she could only recite the first three numbers and nothing else.

"I..I don't know my dad's number... Am I gonna be stuck here forever?" She said aloud, looking back up at the Reindeer with fear shining brightly in her eyes.

[Will Tagg]

Will smiled in relief as the wolf pup accepted his scarf. He was concerned that she might go into hypothermia if she stayed out without proper clothes; were it not far too soon to expect trust from her, he would ask if he could feel her pulse. Shivering and confusion were both symptoms of hypothermia, but they were also symptoms of simply being a cold, lost little child. Either way, Will was determined to help--he just needed to know how best to do so.

"M-my name's Peony. P-Peony Rìluò."

"That's a lovely name, Peony," Will replied kindly as he continued to monitor her condition. To his relief, her shivering seemed to have greatly reduced in intensity. Severe cold was a surefire way to distract anyone from thinking clearly, so with any luck, warming her up a bit would help poor little Peony collect her thoughts and give Will what he needed to assist her.

"I..I don't know my dad's number.. Am I gonna be stuck here forever?"

"Forever? Certainly not," Will chided gently. It was typical of a young child to catastrophize in a situation like this; it fell to the doctor, then, to keep things in a more rational perspective. "If we can't ring your dad, then perhaps I can just help you get back home. Where were you trying to go before you got lost?" he asked, maintaining a calm, reassuring smile as he did. With any luck, all he'd have to do would be to buy the two of them subway tickets back to her part of town, escort her there to make sure she didn't get lost again, and present her to her anxious father.

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony's ears fell forwards as Will comforted her. She stayed quiet, though, pulling the scarf up over her muzzle. What was her dad going to do to her once she got home? If he even was home, for that matter. The hard working father spent almost all of his day at his job in order to keep the bills at bay, leaving little bonding time for the two.

It was then that she realized he was talking to her.

"Oh! I.. I was going to..." Peony stopped herself as she almost allowed the words Meadowlands to escape her jaws. "...I was going to City Central." She said, moving the scarf from her mouth so she could speak clearly.

"But I accidentally got on the wrong subway and now I'm stuck here! And the next subway to there isn't coming for hours!" The tiny wolf pup could feel her whine edging at the tip of her voice as tears began to form in her eyes. Today was just the worst day, it had seemed. She sniffled and did her best to recollect herself.

No being a baby in front of the stranger. She told herself firmly, rubbing her nose and eyes again as she stared up at Will. Suddenly, without thinking, she could only listen, horrified as she stuttered, "S-sorry for being a baby.."

Well.. So much for not being a baby. She thought, disappointment plaguing her mood.

[Will Tagg]

"Oh! I.. I was going to...I was going to City Central."

City Central. Of course she had to be headed downtown; it wasn't the most inconvenient part of the city to reach, but it also wasn't exactly around the block. If he had a car, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, but since he lived so close to work, it hadn't been that high on his list of priorities. Somehow, he hadn't expected he'd ever have to get a random child back to her home on the other side of the city. Suppressing a sigh, Will took out his phone and began looking up train times.

"But I accidentally got on the wrong subway and now I'm stuck here! And the next subway to there isn't coming for hours!"

While Peony was exaggerating, it wasn't by nearly as much as Will hoped; the next train wasn't coming for another 93 minutes, which meant unless he dropped her off at a police station, he was going to have to take care of her for at least two hours. The very idea made Will anxious, as he'd never felt that confident around children. They were too rambunctious, too energetic for the timid reindeer. Though Will wasn't quite sure that "sad and scared" was at all preferable, if only because he felt terrible for Peony.

"S-sorry for being a baby.."

Will frowned lightly. "A baby? That's nonsense, you've been quite brave. Now, it will be an hour and a half before the next train comes--would you like to stay with me until then, or shall we find a police officer to help you get home?"

[Peony Rìluò]

The tiny pup sniffed and fell into some thought about the reindeer's offer. Without speaking, she let the tear-dotted scarf fall from her muzzle as she tilted her muzzle towards the sky. It didn't smell like any of the cops she knew were in the area. Her ears fell down as she thought about being in a room full of strange officers, with no Clawhauser or Bogo to talk to and mess with (even if it were only for a few seconds with Bogo).

Peony looked up at Will, her head tilting as she sniffled. Was he okay? He had given her the scarf... But what would he do to her at his house? She gulped as more and more possibilities flooded into her mind.

"I only know the City Central Police Officers.." She mumbled. "Like Chief Bogo and Ivan."

"Can I just stay with you maybe?" She asked,pulling the damp scarf back up to her mouth as she waited for a response timidly. 

[Will Tagg]

Will was rather more anxious than he'd expected to be. After all, he wasn't the one lost and cold on the far side of town from home; he was, however, the one who had unexpectedly been forced to play caretaker to an unknown child. Part of him feared being mistaken for a kidnapper, which--though he acknowledged was unlikely--seemed like the sort of thing his luck would allow. Fortunately, his sense of duty and compassion outweighed his anxiety.

"I only know the City Central Police Officers...Like Chief Bogo and Ivan."

The names meant nothing to the reindeer, but he nodded distractedly as the gears turned in his head. If she knew these officers by name, perhaps they could go to the local ZPD station and have one of them contacted? Then the responsibility would transfer to them, Will would be politely thanked for helping, and Peony would be home safe within an hour.

"Can I just stay with you maybe?"

Well, there went that arrangement.

Will nodded, forcing a comforting smile. "Of course you can," he said kindly, already considering what to do with Peony. He couldn't take her to his apartment; removing her from public would likely just unnerve her. But even with his scarf, the wolf couldn't stay outdoors much longer or she'd catch her death of cold. "Peony, do you like tea?" he asked. "There's a shop just nearby, we can get you warmed up before we have to catch your train."

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony's ears fell forwards as she tilted her head. Did she like tea? Heck yeah. Her favorite was Oolong, the kind her dad made for her and often inside his flower store. She had yet to try teas aside from Oolong and Green Tea, but she was eager to try different kinds.

"I-I like tea." The pup nodded and stood up, the little bits of snow that had settled on top of her falling off  as she did so. "What k-kind of tea is it?" She shakily asked, holding the scarf as she stumbled forwards to the reindeer, looking up at him with curiosity shining brightly in her eyes. 

She felt one ear fall to the side as the other stayed perked up. It was a weird thing she did without thinking whenever she was curious or interested in something. She glanced behind Will and watched as life moved on. Turning her attention back to him, she yawned softly, flicking her tail, still somewhat tired from the day's events.

[Will Tagg]

"I-I like tea."

Will let out a small breath of relief. This was perfect. They could easily spend a while in a tea house, and the reindeer found few things more comforting than a pot of tea and some shortbread. With any luck, Peony would feel the same way, but even if she didn't, it was still a decent distraction. Not to mention, it was a convenient excuse for Will to go; he hadn't had a proper tea since he'd left home, and not having many friends in Zootopia, he hadn't had anyone to go with. And the last thing the reindeer was going to do was to call attention to himself by going alone.

"What k-kind of tea is it?"

Once Peony was on her paws, Will began to slowly lead her out of the alleyway. "They have all kinds," he replied eagerly. "Black teas, green teas, oolongs...almost anything you could imagine." The reindeer glanced down at his new companion, who happened to be yawning. He furrowed his brow in concern; aside from the exhaustion that she no doubt felt from a trying day, he worried that the little wolf's apparent lack of energy may also have stemmed from the severe cold.

As if he needed any more motivation to get her indoors.

"Peony, can I ask you a question?" Will said hesitantly as they made their way out onto the sidewalk. "Why were you taking the train by yourself? You seem a bit...young to be out alone."

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony's eyes lit up when she heard Oolong and Green Tea in the reindeer's reply. Her tail began to wag as she followed him outside of the alley, her mind immediately going to a memory of her and her father staying up late, sipping at some Oolong while they binge-watched Sherlock Howles. A small, tired smile was on the cold pup's face as they began to walk on the sidewalk.

"Peony, can I ask you a question?"

The little pup tilted her head as she focused on listening.

"Why were you taking the train by yourself? You seem a bit...young to be out alone."

She fell into thought as Will asked the question. Was it irregular for an almost 11-year-old to ride a train? Okay, maybe not almost 11, but still.

"I have to take the train because my daddy has to work, and we live a long way away from my school." She said quietly, her tone obviously giving away to the fact that she was deep in thought. 

"I like the train. It's kind of quiet in there." She continued softly, her thoughts falling towards the peacefulness of the train ride. Looking back up at the reindeer, she tilted her head, getting back on track.

"Is it bad for me to ride it alone?" She asked as the two continued to walk towards the shop.

[Will Tagg]

"I have to take the train because my daddy has to work, and we live a long way away from my school."

Will glanced down in concern at his young companion. She'd briefly seemed heartened by the thought of oolong tea, but his question had apparently sent her right back into a darker place. Well done, Will, you managed to muck it up already, he thought guiltily. "Oh, I--I see..." was all he could manage for a reply; besides, if he said anything more than that, he'd probably just upset Peony even more. Perhaps he should have just taken her to the police station and been done with it, it would likely have been easier on her in the long run.

"I like the train. It's kind of quiet in there. Is it bad for me to ride it alone?"

"Not...not bad, no," Will replied, already feeling some stuttering coming on. "I-it just...you...y-you're so young, and this..." The reindeer sighed, knowing that if he kept going without stopping to formulate an actual sentence, he'd be sputtering disjointed phrases for the next hour. "My family was already uneasy that I had to move here alone when I was already grown up. It's just strange to think that you could be running around unattended in a city as big as Zootopia."

Glancing down at Peony again, Will hastily added, "B-but as I said, it's not bad. It's just...unexpected?"

[Peony Rìluò]

Peony tilted her head as Will had begun to explain further about the whole train situation. She felt her tail drop to the floor as she thought even more. Was there a reason why his family was scared? Maybe a huge monster had scared one of them into believing that it was bad to go places alone.

Peony could feel her back straighten as she realized that she might have done more than an adult has done. Somewhat off topic from what Will was currently talking about, Peony looked up at him with bright curious eyes.

"So... You never got to explore your city where you grew up? Were your parents scared of a monster coming and getting you?" She asked as stars could almost be seen flying around in her now round light blue eyes. Like any animal who was close with their imagination, Peony's mind had begun working like a madman once the word monster had crossed her mind.

A tall, hunched back animal came into mind at first, with huge long horns and long claws. The monster was a he, with long fangs and with random dark colors tossed all over his body. Peony's eyes were huge and awe-filled as she turned back towards Will, her arms up as she seemingly attempted to explain it all at once.

"Was it like... Like a huge goat with a huge back and two heads and reallllllyyy long horns and fangs and beady eyes? Oh, and with long fur and splotches of color all around its body? Was that it? Was that the monster?!" She asked, excitedly waving her arms around as gestures for the horns and fangs.