Chapter Text
Childe realized that he was in an extremely difficult situation, when instead of the usual white ceiling of his apartment he found the rich red colors of the forest.
Maybe he shouldn't have gotten drunk then, his mother was right that alcohol could drive him to the state of an animal. But his drunken brain must have taken these lamentations literally, ordering his feet to lead Tartaglia to the natural habitat of his kind.
Groaning with a headache, Childe immediately burst into laughter as an awkward yapping sound came out of his mouth. It was a good thing no one probably heard him.
Making the decision to head home, the young man sprang to his feet abruptly, but failed to keep his balance and tumbled into the lake, which he didn't even pay attention to.
Well, that wasn't a very good attempt. With an irritated twitch of his tail, Tartaglia rolled onto his four paws, holding himself more confidently. Snorting proudly, the young man was about to set off when a realization hit him in the chest.
Wait, what tail?! What paws?!
Turning around, Childe stared at the reflection of the water, not recognizing the young man's former features. Instead of his usual face, he was looking at a real little fox!
But how is that possible!!! He recoiled, accidentally stepping on his own thin tail.
It wasn't true, was it? Was he being pranked? In that case, it's not funny at all!
Is someone watching him? Are there hidden cameras somewhere, and is he being filmed for some show?
Suddenly a thousand pictures of memories flashed before Tartaglia's eyes, sending him into a fever.
He'd been told something bad, he'd gotten drunk, and.... He was stabbed? There's blood everywhere.
Oh, no. Childe died. All alone, in the small bathroom of his small apartment. Someone snuck in and, out of resentment, butchered him like he was a real lamb? No memory at all.
But if so, then what will happen to his family? What will happen to his dear defenseless family that needs him so much?
Tonya, Anton, Teucer, mom, dad... It's not like they all can't live without him, since their oldest son is the only one who has cared for them since he was a little boy.
And now Childe has become a fox! When he should have died!
Does this mean he's gone to one of those worlds his sister liked to read about?
Once the girl caught her older brother, tied him to Anton's chair and almost forcibly, as Tartaglia did not even resist, showed him comic books about the main heroines who had been transported to the fabulous Middle Ages. Did this mean that he had somehow suffered the same fate?
But why couldn't his soul be transferred into a human body? For example, some villain who dreams of conquering the world, or, at the very least, a minor character working in the fields. Then he could go from a simple laborer to a senior manager, and then to the director of the company to grow potatoes not far away.
But fate had it differently, giving him the life of a fox! Not even an adult fox, but a real puppy. How cruel it is!
Looking again into the lake, which glistened unusually, Childe was once again convinced that this was no joke, and he really did look like an animal. An animal that had only recently been born. This body was probably not even a month old.
But then where is his fox family? Is it normal that there's no mother around?
What if he gets hungry?
At the mention of food, Tartaglia realized that he was actually terribly hungry.
Rising to his paws, the newly minted fox was about to set off in search of sustenance, but a new problem arose.
Childe was tangled up in his own limbs.
Sure, he'd only had two legs before, but now he had four. How do you manage them all?
So, Tartaglia is a fighter by his life, Tartaglia has gone through live-in lines with old ladies at the hospital, taken all sorts of courses for young moms to raise his younger siblings while his dad is in a depressive bender and his mom is looking for a second temp job, expecting her husband not to be long after he's laid off. What, compared to that, is just four limbs?
Dividing his paws into primitive two commands called "left" and "right", Childe performed mechanical movements, clumsily moving forward. The design looks unreliable, but it works. Later he will figure out how to walk properly, but for now his main goal is to find something to eat. What do foxes eat?
Tartaglia would be lying if he said he was a diligent student at school, especially in biology class. Who knew that his teacher's words about the necessity of studying all these kingdoms of nature would be true?
On the other hand, how often do people become animals after they die? One in eight billion. Or rather, he's the only one. Who else could be so lucky if not him?
Sighing heavily, the fox bypasses the nest of obscure beetles, preferring not to familiarize himself with the local delicacies, approaching the bush with still green berries.
It was better to suffer the acidity of these charming little circles than the acidity of giant ants.
Those, however, were bitter and tart. Spitting, hoping to get rid of the horrible taste, Childe almost fell into the bushes. After all, it seemed that he was really unlucky.
He spent the next few days mastering walking on four paws and looking for something to eat. Preferably something that wouldn't eat him.
Since the lake was practically the first thing Tartaglia saw when he opened his eyes, it was his landmark so he wouldn't get lost. Even though the water was suspiciously shiny, it was incredibly delicious. Probably the best water Childe had ever drunk. It would be nice to then start a business selling it in plastic bottles. No, it's better to use glass ones, then it'll look more solid.
He'll be the richest fox on earth! If, of course, he can survive, because eating only bitter berries won't last long. If this continues, Tartaglia will definitely go on a diet of giant ants. What will his little ones say then?
You can't brag much at school about a brother who has taken the plunge into the bug variety.
But a brother who's a water king sounds pretty solid.
But first we have to figure out how to leave this place.
Every day the fox went farther and farther away in an attempt to escape, wanting to know the limits of the forest, which turned out to be very large and mysterious.
The interesting thing is that different parts of it have literally different colors. For the first time encountering not emerald greens but sandy hues, Childe recoiled in shock, not understanding how this was even possible.
Though, given that he himself is a perfect example that the impossible is possible, he relaxed, familiarizing himself with the new vistas of his forced temporary home.
After two weeks, the fox not only traveled confidently on four legs, but also ran calmly to catch up with a bird or a mouse. After all, animal instincts are still there, even if there is a human soul behind the pale red, unkept pelt.
If you want to live, you have to know how to spin. And Tartaglia professionally coped with his task, feeling like a kebab on a spit.
Because if he stood still, a creature would appear who would like to eat himself.
Sticking out his tongue, Childe was running away from the strange creature chasing him. Nervously looking around, he tried to remember if he had seen something similar, but how could he forget about such a stinking monster?
The young man had never encountered monsters before, so, unable to find a better solution, he simply ran, hoping not to fall into the clawed clutches of this "beauty".
Abruptly turning the corner, the fox realized his mistake. It's a cliff! A high cliff from which you could easily fall into a potato flatbread!
His pale red fur stood up, and Tartaglia curled up, hoping the creature wouldn't notice him. But it came closer and closer, intent on swallowing the trapped animal.
No one could help him, Childe realized, no one even knew of his existence here and would never know it again, because today he would become lunch for a black monster, the name of which he had never even heard.
The monster prepared to attack. The fox's blue pupils narrowed, turning into thin stripes. Waiting for the creature to jerk sharply, Tartaglia leaped high, watching as it tumbled off this very rock. Landing on his paws, he replayed what had happened in silence for a while longer. But adrenaline still took over, exploding in the animal's head. Running up to the cliff, Childe tried to see what was left of the monster, but it was really a potato flatbread!
Tail in his teeth, what a twist! Was it instinct?! How did he even pull off a scam like that?!
Is that thing so stupid or is Tartaglia Mommy's smart boy?! Unbelievable!
His fur fluffed up and satisfied with his work, the fox was about to head back to the lake, but his attention was caught by the cry of birds. Finally looking at what was going on around him, Childe's jaws dropped as he fully appreciated the picture of nature.
Sandy mountains covered in greenery glistened welcomingly against the blue sky, unimpeded by the purest waters with no end in sight. The light mist covering the wet rocks at the very foot of the rivers added a certain mystery to the overall view, making want to find out what else might be hiding behind its beauty.
"The forest is not endless," Tartaglia stood mesmerized, "There is something so beautiful beyond it..."
A flock of birds swooped down very close to him, startling the fox for a second, but the cranes did not stop to see what little lump had so shamelessly disturbed them with its yapping. They circled the sky, landing on rocks near the rivers that Childe particularly liked.
How he, too, would like to play down there one day without worrying about being eaten.
Hardly able to tear himself away from gazing at nature, Tartaglia moved back toward the lake, which was no less marvelous.
Faced with that view, it seemed to the fox that this lake was completely out of place. It was sparkling, as if the fairy herself had sacrificed a bit of her magic, spilling the purest water.
It was because of her that Childe knew what he looked like in his new body. He was still a puppy, but he had every chance to grow up to be a beautifully cunning animal, capable of surviving any situation. He especially liked his eyes - blue, a little darker than when he was human, but still so dear. They reminded him of the family that needed him so much. Ah, Tonya, Anton, and Teucer must be crying that his older brother died just like that, and Mom and Dad are sad that there's no one to help around the house now.
Tartaglia is so sorry that this happened, sorry that he has absolutely no memory of his killer's face. Childe basically doesn't know who he might have crossed paths with that he was so ruthlessly stabbed to death in his own apartment, but doesn't that at least sound cool?
Embellish it a bit, and the story comes out no worse than what Tonya reads.
Like where Tartaglia was involved in a world-wide scandal, knew things he wasn't supposed to know, and successfully hid until one day a mercenary still got to him, slicing him up like a country potato.
Looking at his body, Childe clicked his teeth. And those incomprehensible faded yellow stripes on his paws were proof of his struggle.
Yes, Tartaglia is a hero! A hero who died tragically in his little bathroom! No killer can break his spirit!
Unless, of course, he looks at his phone or computer.
The beast's fur stood up in a puff as he suddenly realized that the people who would find his corpse would most likely get into his gadgets as well. And there's no hidden search history there!
Mommy would definitely be disappointed in her favorite son.
The fox plunged into the water, whimpering longingly because he hadn't taken into account that one day life might turn to him the other way, and hadn't deleted the most "interesting" Internet searches.
What kind of heroic death can we talk about if he has a lot of anime about wizard girls and office workers dating each other in his computer tabs? And it doesn't have to be a man and a woman!
Twist his tail behind his ears, there's only men in there! A multi-episode drama about pure male friendship!
He's gone!
Floundering in the lake, Childe tried to shake off a burning sense of shame, and also regretted not having a friend who, in the event of such an unflattering event, would have come to his apartment and destroyed any evidence against his reputation as a good older son and brother.
But that's not the worst of it.
How will he know what happened next?! Did the Queen become Empress? And if she did, was she happy with her new husband?
And that crane chick? Was the curse lifted from him, or is he forced to live with it for the rest of his time?
Tartaglia would die once more, but already out of impatience! These were his favorite novellas that came out so rarely that fans were already making up their own endings and marrying half the characters to the other half! And at a time when many readers will still wait for a sequel by old age, he's the loser who died too soon. What an injustice!
Slightly frozen, Childe nevertheless got out of the water, shaking off the excess moisture from his fur.
We've rested, now it's time to go hunting. If you can't feed yourself, no one will. The birds had gotten too attentive and the mice too spry, so before his eyes could look at the peaceful nest of bugs again, he headed a little deeper into the forest, eager to find something else. Maybe nuts or ripe berries would have been a good option, but enough time had passed, this calf had grown older and no longer had enough of such a wonderful snack.
Soon Tartaglia realized that he was quite a talented fox. Not everyone could jump so fast, let alone be flexible and agile.
Smoothing his thin tail, which had been pecked by a bird, Childe snorted, spitting out blue feathers. An eye for an eye, a tail for a tail.
That brute wouldn't fly far with his shabby ass.
He may still be a pup, but you can't hurt him. He'll hit you back.
Elementary school hardened him by making him a warrior, not a princess. Then everyone realized that Childe Tartaglia is not to be trifled with, Childe Tartaglia will let bullies mashed potato without cream. No one would dare harm him for fear of their safety.
At least that's how it was in elementary school. Being already a teenager, Childe had to change the battlefield, moving to a new level with hospitals and a bank.
He swears all the hidden ninjas congregate there.
Old ladies who seem weak and tired on the bus seem to get a second wind on life in these kinds of facilities. They are ready to organize a real war for a seat or priority passage to the doctor.
And if it weren't for Teucer, with the flu, Tartaglia might have relented, but he had an appointment! He's got a ticket! The coupon is a legendary weapon against ninja grandmothers, now they can only hiss helplessly, watching the "rude potato" hiding behind the doors of the right office.
It only now occurred to Fox that his killer could well have been one of those old ladies. Sometimes they can do such a thing, holding in his hand only one pillow, that it is terrible to imagine. That's why we can't rule out an elderly mercenary. Tartaglia is so clever and attentive, always noticing someone's not so good intentions.
Or when, under the guise of an extremely successful contract, Childe is slipped a loan for all the money in the world on the condition that he sells himself into slavery. God knows he'd be sold!
But Tartaglia didn't sit through school for nothing, at least he learned to read, especially the fine print. That's usually where all the insidious schemes of mankind are hidden.
The boy has learned that if you want to pass the exam - pay attention to every little thing, so when paying the bills, he has never been given credit.
Childe may have only just come of age, but his brains had been with him since birth, and fortunately there was no tax on intelligence.
But he doesn't know how his family is coping now, though. They all need him! He was the only one who could help them all without asking for anything in return, but now their eldest son and brother are dead, leaving them to fend for themselves.
And after all, Anton and Teucer are still very young...
The fox shook his head. He was distracted, forgetting about the hunt. He would not last long with this attitude, so he should pack up and go to the uncharted, sandier part of the forest. Unfortunately, the food is learning to survive with Childe, catching it is no longer so easy.
Making his way through the bushes, Tartaglia grumbled unhappily as particularly brazen branches grabbed his unfortunate tail. It's not like people, honestly! Not that he was human now, but that was different.
At least he still has his own brains in his head and not a fox potato. At least, Childe hopes so, because sometimes his instincts take over, making him behave like a real animal.
But only in emergencies!
It's just a pity that he's the only smart fox in the whole forest. Tartaglia does not consider himself someone who is afraid of being alone, after all in the past he has often had to give up friendship in favor of family, but sometimes you want a banal heart-to-heart talk. However, you can't expect that from other animals. The only thing on their minds is to eat, sleep, defend themselves, and reproduce.
Childe snorted, waving those thoughts away. To think he'd wanted to lure them into his business, promising them a excellent fee in bumps and twigs.
But these ignorants not only can't grow potatoes, they can't even pour water into bottles! How terrible, mom was right: - It's not easy to be a genius among fools.
So the fox chose the path of proud solitude, not to be like these wild, ill-mannered animals.
Sneezed, Tartaglia lay down next to the lake, covering his eyes. He hadn't managed to catch anyone today, so there was nothing left but to fall asleep on an empty stomach.
It wasn't the first time, of course, but it still wasn't pleasant. Reminds of the days when his father was fired from his job and they had to save on everything until mother decided to leave Tonya to Childe and get a job as a cleaner at a prestigious company.
It paid enough to feed two adults, one child and one infant, but there were still times when the father had fits of aggression and, instead of being grateful to his wife, he beat her and took all the money, spending it on alcohol.
Fortunately, such times are long over, his mother turned out to be an extremely patient woman, so she coped with all the difficulties, including with her husband, who later stopped drinking and got a job as a store security guard.
Anton and Teucer did not catch this period, but here Tonia, his little darling princess, was unlucky enough to hear all the quarrels of her parents, Tartaglia just hopes that they will not greatly affect the quality of her life.
After all, isn't the world a beautiful place? Even if there are bad events, even if there are more bad people than fair and just people, as long as he has someone to take care of and be helpful, all the effort is worth it.
His brothers and sister are growing up to be wonderful children, his parents are working and getting paid. Everything was perfect until he died. All the stability was held on him, on Childe, and, now that he's gone, who's going to support the family?
It's not like they're gonna make it.
But that's okay, when Tartaglia's strong enough, he'll find his way out of the forest and come home. He'll be sure to start his potato business, as he promised the younger ones, and also organize a supply of that water.
Childe will be the richest fox on earth! And it doesn't matter that he has paws instead of hands!
But once again Tartaglia was convinced that failure pursued him more actively than blessing.
Why was the forest suddenly so empty? He couldn't have eaten absolutely everyone, that would be impossible.
Even in that nest of beetles there was no one else. It all made feel uncomfortable.
Slightly swaying from fatigue, the fox slowly wandered towards the sandy side, hoping to find at least some bitter berries. Right now Childe would be glad of even them.
The road seemed unusually long, and he often had to stop to catch his breath. In addition to the unbearable heat, the two-month-old fox's body was pressed by hunger, which could not be drowned out by the roots.
At this rate, he was doomed to die.
Where has everyone gone? The forest can't be empty... And if it was, why hadn't they taken him with them?
Childe collapsed, rolling over onto his back. Looking up at the blue sky, he noted that nothing much had changed since he'd gotten here.
It was Groundhog Day, no different. Tartaglia would go insane, thinking like a common animal.
It would be a shame to die a second time, but fate must have a problem with him.
Has Childe managed to cross her too? God knows, if life isn't a old lady in the hospital or some bank employee, they haven't even met.
He doesn't have any friends, especially ones he might accidentally offend.
The clouds are so white today, reminiscent of cotton candy. I wonder if they taste the same? Or are they sweeter?
And that flock of geese. Did they ever get to taste the clouds?
Stop. Hang on.
Those aren't geese!
The fox jumped up, staring wide-eyed at the passing humans. Well, that's it, now he's definitely got a boiled potato on his shoulders instead of a head, seeing things that aren't really there.
How can a man just take to the skies? Without an airplane!
It's amazing what technology has come to.
But if this is really a scientist's invention, how long has it been since he died?
Tartaglia's ears pressed against his head.
What if his family was also no longer alive? What if a whole hundred years had passed before he became an animal?
Okay, now was not the time to think about that. Childe rushed after them with all his remaining strength, trying not to lose sight of them. Maybe they could help him get back into society.
However, he didn't expect to have to run for so long. Even though this was still the forest area, it was completely different from that magical beauty of the other sides.
This one was like a dead, abandoned part.
The pale red fur stood up with a bad feeling.
The fox knew, of course, that humans brought destruction, but not to this extent, right?
Suddenly, a terrible roar was heard not far from Childe. Startled, he quietly made his way to the place, noticing the very same flying men who were swinging swords, fighting an incomprehensible black creature.
They're making a movie there? Then it will be an extremely realistic movie. The actors are definitely professionals at their craft, moving so fluidly, perfectly wielding their weapons and... What is it?
Tartaglia ducked, afraid of being seen. Is this magic?! Are these people imitating girl magicians? He'd seen something like this on TV, but was it really possible in real life?
Okay. All right. Okay. Childe's already convinced that anything is possible in these woods, but that doesn't change the fact that there's some damn thing going on!
At least that monster. Didn't it fall off a cliff, turning into a flapjack?
What an injustice! A fox can jump too, but jumping from such a height, he risks becoming completely flat! Like his mother's favorite saucer.
The creature shrieked, pushing its attackers away from it with force. It seemed to be in trouble.
However, without wasting any time, they surrounded it again using some papers and potions.
Are these people witches? Where are their cunning hats and speedy brooms then?
Although, their swords could very well pass for a flying machine.
Tartaglia thought for a moment. He'd heard about this somewhere before.
He had so many different novels in his reading plans that he couldn't count, and even though battle stories had always appealed to him, there was one genre he tended to avoid.
Oh, shit! What was he going to do now? It seemed he had entered a world where self-improvement was practiced after all.
Taking a step back, Childe intended to quietly walk away, but accidentally stepped on a dry branch. Scared that someone had heard it, Tartaglia looked at the people again, but they didn't even pay attention.
With a relieved exhale, the fox continued to back away, already looking under his paws. Just because he didn't get caught the first time didn't mean that the second time would be just as successful.
And, just as the beast was ready to run back, suddenly something dripped on him, burning his back. With a jerk, Childe spun around, coming face to face with the same monster that was now fighting the humans. Only this one was much scarier.
It looked as if the mangled skeleton of some huge dog had been stretched over the black, stinking skin that had been torn from the sharp bones.
The creature had no eyes, but Tartaglia had no doubt that it could sense him.
As he watched the sticky, bloody saliva flow from the rotting, crumbling jaw, the fox realized what had burned his fur.
His head turned treacherously dizzy as the horrible smell of death emanating from the monster hit his nose with renewed vigor.
Realizing that he was the monster's target, Childe darted deeper into the forest, hoping to get lost among the trees.
The problem was that this side was completely unknown to him, so he could only rely on his own paws, which tripped over rocks every now and then.
Tartaglia was tired, very tired, but the creature didn't even think to lag behind, as if it was just playing with its prey. This made the panic overwhelm the little creature even more.
The fox was almost resigned to the fact that he was going to die. If not by the claws of this monster, then by starvation.
It was just a matter of time.
But Childe didn't want to become someone's lunch! Especially this ugly guy's lunch!
Closing his blue eyes, Childe sped up, ignoring the increasing dizziness.
He needed to escape at all costs! Why didn't those people even notice that there was not one, but two dangerous monsters walking nearby?
Tartaglia wanted to whimper desperately at the pain in his paws, but he only managed a low grunt as he crashed into something long and brown. A tree? What was a tree doing here? Ah, it's a forest, that's right, there are trees everywhere.
But there was such a powerful energy from that tree that the hungry and tired Childe just couldn't take it, finally giving up, passing out.
It seems that this was the end of his adventures as a fox.