With his head ringing in irritating pain, Spike wearily opened his eyes to find himself, sprawled on the cavern floor.

“Where…where am I?” Spike asked, gingerly getting up on his legs, blinking his eyes, until his vision was cleared.

Once he got a better look at his surroundings, he looked around him to see he was in a nightmare.

The young man found himself in what appeared to be a gladiator ring. The floor is littered with bones, likely belonging to all the past unfortunate souls who were thrown into the ring. Some of them appeared to be humans, if the obvious and familiar skulls of men, or a women, are any indication.

The only source of lights are the burning torches that lined up, along the wall of the ring, behind a large fence of sharp sticks and bones, and a large opening in the ceiling, from which the night sky can be seen.

High up along the walls, Spike looked in horror to see an entire audience of Beast-Men, hooting, hollering, and beating their fists with excitement.

“SILENCE!!!” A loud screech bellowed, to which Spike and the Beast-Men turned their attention to see Cozy Glow, perched atop of a balcony.

“My friends!” Cozy Glow began, with an evil grin. “By the power vested within me, I, Empress Cozy Glow, hereby announce tonight’s gladiator battle TO BEGIN!!!”

With that, all the Beast-Men bellowed out in an uproar of an applause.

“Oh no!” Spike moaned. “Oh no, no! I…I can’t do this! I can’t fight! I’m not a fighter! I can’t even beat my grandma in a thumb wrestling match!”

But his words went unheard, as Cozy Glow continued to play up the drama.

“In this corner, is a green-haired twig man!” Cozy Glow insulted Spike, “And in the other corner, is his opponent!”

With that, the gate, in the opposite direction of Spike’s, opened up, and a large ravenous beast burst from the darkness.

The creature stepped out into the ring, practically basking in the spotlight, to reveal it is a manticore, much like the one that nearly attacked him and Leggy Lamb, some time ago.

Once it set its eyes on Spike, the beast let out a deep rumbling growl.

Spike tried his best to be intimidating, by buffing up his chest and screamed as loudly as he could at the beast. But in response, the beast fired back with a dreadful roar that made Spike’s hairs stand on end, shook his entire body, and nearly wetting his pants.

“Nuh uh!” Spike whimpered, as he took off running for his life.

This, in turn, triggers the chimerical beast’s hunting instincts, automatically registering Spike as a prey, and it gave chase.

Knowing that the beast is after him, Spike did his best to outrun the beast, by making several sharp turns to throw it off.

His only hope was to keep running, to the point that eventually, the beast would tire out, and he might be able to figure out a plan to escape.

Up on her ledge, Cozy Glow announced, “Enjoy the show my friends!” Spike briefly looked up, to see Cozy taking her leave. “I gotta go and check up on a little naughty dog of mine.”

Meanwhile, with Loona, the wolf-dog had been taken away to another part of the cave, by Cozy Glow’s Ape-Men.

“Let me go!” Loona barked angrily, as she continued to struggle to break free.

Eventually, they arrived in a large room, that seemed to be built and decorated as a throne room of sort.

And there, sitting on a throne that was carved from the walls, is the dreadful being who made Loona’s blood freeze in horror.

“Oh golly!” Cozy Glow cooed. “My beautiful doggy! Looney is back!”

“My name is Loona!” Loona barked, only to be silenced with a crack of the whip.

“Bad dog! No talking back to your master!” Cozy Glow shrieked angrily, before she resumed her sweet, bubbly, high-pitch tone. “You were a naughty dog for running away. You nearly gave your poor mommy Cozy Glow a heart attack!”

“And I’d like for it to stay that way…” Loona grumbled.

Cozy Glow then proceeded to cuddle with Loona, as she continued, “But now, mommy Cozy will keep you safe and she will never, ever, ever, EVER, let you go!”

Loona felt the air, and her bones, crushing out of her, from Cozy Glow’s fearsome assert of never “ever” letting the dog go.

Loona felt a rush of air pulling her hair. She quick realized that Cozy Glow was sniffing her, which creeped her out.

“Yuck! You’re a stinky puppy!” Cozy Glow gagged. “You need a bath time!”

“No! No way!” Loona tried to escape, but the Ape-Men had already restrained her.

With a crack of her whip, Cozy Glow ordered, “Take her away! And have her washed and cleaned!”

And the big apes did just that. They took Loona to another part of the cavern, where a large pool of water was running from a huge waterfall cascading from an opening at the top.

It would’ve been a sight to behold for Loona, if she weren’t being dragged to the water, stripped of her clothes against her will, and being forcibly brushed from top to bottom.

Loona instinctively would’ve covered up her shameful, self-hating human body, or scratch the Ape-Men for uncovering her shame, with her claws, if they weren’t restrained. She couldn’t even bite them either, since they had a strong firm grip around her jaws.

With her face burning in rage at the loss of her pride and dignity, Loona was forced to bear and endure the humiliation. The Ape-Men washing her used a brushing tool to scrub her arms, legs, and to her discomfort, her chest, and her nether region.

The harsh reality of such barbaric creatures touching her most personal and sensitive area was so unnerving, that Loona wanted to cry with her shattered spirit. She wanted to let out a high pitch-whine. The kind of sound normal dogs make when they’re in utter distress — be it pain, or fright.

As an added insult to injury, the Ape-Men grabbed her by the tail and proceeded to brush it, sending jolts of electricity throughout her body. Furthermore, they scratched and brushed behind her ears, which she shamefully enjoyed in spite of the pain she’s in.

It was all too much for Loona that the sting in her eyes was immense and she couldn’t help but cry.

After they were done forcing Loona to have a bath, the dog was wrapped in a towel, and was soon presented before Cozy Glow.

“Now that my pretty doggy is pretty and cleaned again,” Cozy Glow giggled. “Now we get to play our favorite game: DRESS UP PARTY!!!”

“Argh, fucking dammit,” Loona moaned.

“And I have a pwetty dress for you to wear!” She said, presenting the said dress.

Loona, however, was appalled at the very sight of it.

“I will not wear that thing!” Loona snarled. “Where are my old clothes?”

“Your old clothes were ruined and dirty,” Cozy Glow answered. “I threw them away. Now Looney must wear the pwetty new dress, and wear it now!”

“No!” Loona barked.

“Don’t talk back to me!” Cozy spatted, more angrily. “Put on the dress, now!”

“I said no!” Loona was startled by the crack of a whip, frightening her into silence.

“Put on the dress now!” Cozy Glow screeched, raising her tone even higher.

Unwilling to be deterred, or to show her fear of the whip, Loona stood her ground, “I-I-I-I’d rather be naked!”

The appalled and angry look on Cozy Glow’s face was as clear as day.

“Doggy is going to bad talk, huh?” Cozy frowned. “Fine! You heard her gents!”

With a crack of the whip, the Ape-Men ripped the towel off of Loona, who was then shoved out, naked, and was presented before an entire packed of Beast-Men, that all stared at the wolf-dog’s vulnerability.

She couldn’t cover her humanized body, for the Ape-Men have held her arms, legs, even her tail in place.

Out of impulse, Loona strained to bark at the Beast-Folks present, trying to intimidate, and salvage what was left of her pride. But her barks went unheard, as her bites were far out of reach. With each passing seconds, Loona’s barks were dulled into whimpers, until she finally relented in defeat.

“Fine. I’ll wear the dress,” Loona whimpered. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll like it!”

“Yay!” Cozy Glow clapped her claws cheerfully. “I knew my pretty doggy will see things my way!”

Once again, against her will, Loona was forced to wear the dress. Cozy Glow’s two Ape-Men butlers draped it over Loona’s head, before they proceeded to fasten the cords, around her waist and back, causing the corset to nearly squeeze the air out of her.

Before she had time to react, Loona was lift up into the air, by the scruff of her back, and the skirt of her dress was being hiked up.

Loona let out a yelp, when she felt a strange texture of something soft and silky riding up her legs, until it stopped, right between her thighs, below the base of her tail.

Then she was dropped back down onto the floor.

“Ooh, golly!” Cozy Glowed cooed in a voice that sounded like nails on chalkboard, in Loona’s ears. “You’re so beautiful! You look an angel!”

Loona wanted so badly to lunge at Cozy Glow and rip the pony-bird-human hybrid of a Berserker to ribbons. But she was exhausted and bruised from the recent assault she had endured. And any sudden movements from her, the Ape-Men looked ready to spring into action, before she could even lay a claw on Cozy.

“Ugh. This dress!” Loona strained to get up, tracing her fingers across waist, up to her chest. “It’s so…tight! I can barely breathe.”

The wolf-dog took a step and immediately tripped on her own skirt, causing her to fall on her nose.

“Ow! I can’t even walk properly,” Loona moaned. “How can you humans move in this thing?”

“Oh, you silly dog,” Cozy chuckled, before she walked over to Loona and lifted up the tip of her skirt. “It’s very simple! Whenever you’re walking, you have to lift the front of your skirt up, to keep you from falling!”

“…Yeah. Why didn’t I thought of that?” Loona scowled.

“Now that my big beautiful dog, Loona, is cleaned and is wearing a pretty dress,” Cozy cooed. “It’s time to play…”

With that, Cozy brandished her whip, giving it a firm slap in the palm of her claws.

Loona felt every ounce of her colors drained out of her, with her ears flattened, her heart freezing upon realizing.

“Oh no,” Loona shook her head, pleading, and begging. “Please, not that! Anything but that! Do you want me to beg? I can beg! I’m begging! Anything else, but that—“

“HOW’D I GET MYSELF INTO THIS?!” For the love of his life, Spike just kept on running for his dear life, as the giant beast continued to to chase him.

It was hardly showing any signs of fatigue.

The manticore relentlessly pursued after Spike, trying to stab him with its large scorpion tail, or at the most terrifying possibility, tear him to shreds with its shark-like teeth and sharp claws.

Spike picked up some of the bones littered and tossed them at the beast, attempting to slow it down. But to no avail.

Spike, at this point, was reconsidering his career choices. His love of animals has landed him nowhere, but trouble.

He now knows what it means to be hunted by a large ravenous predator. How every creatures that is a prey must constantly be on high alert and be ready to escape.

Never getting a moment of rest.

His fascination of animals has become more of a hazard to him. What’s the point of studying animals if they will sooner or later attack you? Maim and disfigure you beyond recognize? Or eat you?

“I hope Loona’s having it better than me,” Spike muttered in his predicament.

“I hope that human is having it worse than me!” Loona muttered in her predicament.

The wolf-dog growled angrily, which Cozy Glow turned a blind eye, as she continued to force Loona to play a game called “House” with her.

In this game of House, Cozy Glow has self-proclaimed herself as master of a household, with Loona assigned as her “slave.”

“Oh Looney~” Cozy Glow sang, before she cracked her whip. “Be a good dog and sit.”

Loona, scared into obedience, did as she was told.

“Lie down.”

Loona squatted flat on her stomach, blushing a shade of pink as she felt her chest pressing onto the ground.

“Roll over.”

With that, Loona rolled onto her back.

“Hike up!”

Loona growled in irritation, but did as she was forced to do. She pulled up her skirt, showing off the lacy panty she’s been forced to wear.

‘What is the point for female humans to wearing these ridiculous attires if they don’t offer full coverage of your privacy?’ Loona thought to herself in outrage.

“Aw, what a good slave, Looney~!” Cozy Glow giggled, before she smacked Loona across the rear, inciting a shameful yelp from the dog. “And what a naughty bitch you are. But at least you can take orders. Now be an even more obedient servant and give your mistress, Cozy, a kiss.”

Loona can feel her face burning. She felt so hot, she was certain she was burning a beet shade of angry red. At this point, she has had just about enough.

“Forget it. I’m not giving you a kiss,” Loona huffed.

“I want a kiss!” Cozy Glow whined.

“You’ll get one when I feel like it.”

“I WANT NOW!” Cozy Glow screeched.

“CAN IT YOU NIT!” Loona barked.

But seeing the stern and furious look in Cozy’s eyes, it’s clear the brat of a berserker wasn’t taking no for an answer. Her lips were quivering from the shock, until they steeled themselves into a sneer.

“Well if you won’t…then I will!” With that, Cozy Glow lunged at Loona.

“NO! UGH! Stop! Get down! Get off of me!” Loona grunted, struggling to get the pony-bird-human hybrid off of her. “I said NO!!!”

Out of impulse, Loona snapped her jaws at Cozy Glow’s arm. With a startled and painful yelp, Cozy let out a yelp, as she was forced to let go.

Loona quickly kicked her feet into a run, but tripped over the dress she was forced in. Before she could recover, the Ape-Men butlers had arrived, upon hearing Cozy Glow’s cry.

Loona turned to look back and she felt her renewed triumphant dwindled when she saw the furious look on Cozy’s face. So furious, so intense, she looked as if she’s been turned into a devil.

Soon, Loona was more scared than angry, which she struggled not to show.

“So…you want to be a bad dog?” Cozy Glow snarled. “Fine. You’re a bad dog. And bad dogs need to be punished!”

“No, no, wait please! It was an accident! I didn’t mean—“

“HOLD HER DOWN!” Cozy Glow barked, ordering the Ape-Men to hold Loona down, by the arms and legs.

One of the Ape-Men undid the sashes on the back of Loona’s corset, exposing her back fully towards Cozy Glow.

Loona’s muffled whimper and screaming intensified as she cries in fright, anticipating for the stinging pain she knew was coming.

*CRACK

A crack of Cozy’s whip screamed the air, with a searing pain that slashed across Loona’s back.

It was so quick, so hard, and so sharp, it felt like a fiery knife was cut across her back. Loona wanted to cry, but the Ape-Men had forced her face down and forced her mouth in the dirt.

*CRACK

Another crack of the whip struck Loona again, and another, and another.

This continued for an agonizing and brutal long time. Loona pleaded mentally for the pain to stop, until finally, it did. But by then, her will to live and her resolve was all but shattered. She could barely stand on her feet.

“Come on, you lazy dog!” Cozy Glow marched, walking towards the wolf-dog and repeatedly kicked her in the ribs. “Get up! On your feet!”

*CRACK

But Loona was unresponsive. She was too tired, too hungry, and too sore to move.

“Fine! Then you’re on a big time out!” Cozy Glow stomped her foot, beckoning the Ape-Men to pick Loona up.

Together, they dragged the wolf-dog away to a deeper and darker part of the caverns. Loona strained to look up, just in time to find herself being thrown into a giant kennel.

Without warning, Loona’s memories flashed before her eyes. She finds herself being thrown into a smaller cage, surrounded by bigger and louder dogs, all barking and growling in protests.

Everywhere she looked, a lot of the dogs would stare her down, growling at her, threatening to tear her to pieces.

It all made her feel helpless, like a puppy she was. All she could do was whimper and huddle up into a corner and cry herself to sleep. Dreaming and wishing for a way to escape these nightmares.

But behind the protesting barks and the ravenous growls, were the screaming and the howls of dogs that were taking “the long walk” through “the one-way door.” A dreadful door where dogs go in, but they never come out.

Scared beyond her wits, Loona whimpered as she sprang to life, pleading to a higher power that she doesn’t enter the door.

Snapping back to the present, Loona woke up just in time to be thrown into the kennel. The Ape-Men immediately slammed the barred doors shut before she could get out.

“Maybe some alone time in here will teach naughty dogs like you to behave!” Cozy Glow huffed, locking the doors, with the keys in her wings, for added measure. "I think I'll go and see how that weird little man is doing."

After Cozy Glow left with her Ape-Men butlers, the wolf-dog relieved herself of the bravado facade she had been putting on in the faces of her captors.

She had never been so embarrassed nor frighten in her entire life. Curdling herself up into a corner, Loona lets go of all the pent up sadness, anger, frustration, hurt, and suffering she had bottled up.

She cried and whimpered, as the pipes break and her eyes were flooded by a waterfall that burned hotter than the stinging of the whips on her back.

“Ow!” Loona howled, as she wept a puddle of tears on the floor of her cage. “Why? WHY?”

How did it all go wrong? What has she done to deserve this? Why was she treated so poorly, like this?

When she was just a puppy, she was left alone to starve, to freeze, in the pouring rain. She tried to be a good puppy, looking for a family. But nobody wanted a stray dog, like her. No human, or any other dogs would accept her, into their packs.

Thus, as the years go by, she took in all the negative feelings she’s endured to become a hateful and angry dog herself. She took, bite, and fight for every scraps of foods she can get.

But in the end, it was never enough to fill the emptiness of the void, in her heart.

By the time she was adopted and taken from the street, she was less than thrilled to have a family.

Her former owner treated her like a puppy, when she is clearly a grown dog. As much as she hated him for treating her as such, at least he was more tolerable than Cozy Glow, who instantly took her away from the home she once knew, and put her through hell and back.

And then came Dr. Grogar, who subjected Loona through countless of pains, so horrendous, that she actually pleaded to be killed. To be put out of her misery.

And when it was over, she felt death would be far more merciful for her. She was becoming the very being she hated. The creatures who made her life horrible. The humans who broke her and made her forget a dog’s one true purpose.

She is neither human nor a dog. But an abomination. And now, she’s broken.

“Why does everyone hate me?” Loona sobbed. “Why can’t I be like other dogs? Why can’t I just be a normal dog? Why? WHY?” Her crying turned to anger as she ranted and raved, “I hate humans! I hate them! I hate them for abandoning me! I hate them for hurting me! I hate them for…ruining me! And now…I hate myself!”

Once again, Loona’s laid her head to the ground and cried herself in defeat. She opened her eyes and saw a familiar lighter, discarded and lying on the floor of her prison. Loona frantically picked up the lighter, held it close to her chest, and continued to cry herself to sleep.

S-O-S….
Please, someone help me…
It’s not healthy for me to feel this way…

Her shaking and battered fingers quivered, as she tries to find the switch on her lighter. For once in her awful life, she needed someone to hold her for comfort. She needed some warmth, more than ever. But she was too bruised and hurt to get a spark.

Y-O-U are making this hard…
I can’t help but don’t feel right…
This time, please, someone come and rescue me…

She whimpered and pleaded for her misery to be over already.

Shortly, after she fell asleep, Loona found herself trapped in a nightmare. The wolf-dog reverse hybrid found herself, as a regular dog, behind bars, in the pound. The same pound during her last days as a normal dog.

”Oh, her? That's just Loona. What a nightmare. Serious attitude problems. She'll be out of our hair next month when she ages out. Good riddance, if you ask me. She'll never amount to anything much.”

”I WANT THAT DOGGY! I WANT NOW!”

“Subject appears to be in a state of distress. Perhaps a repercussion from the process.”

In the darkest depths of her dreams, Loona hugged herself and sheds tears. All the traumas and suffered she had endured came rushing back to her, like tidal waves.

The whipping she got from Cozy Glow burned on her back. Still fresh as the day they were made.

Her bones cracking and hurting her with every steps she took. Reminders of her torturous experience at the hands of the mad doctor, Grogar.

Together, they made the bite she received from the other dogs, back in the pound.

It was all too much for Loona to bear. To rub salts into her wounds, she was horribly disfigured and made into a man-made abomination.

She stood au natural. It hurts her to even look at herself.

She hugged her arms across her chest to cover her shame, with her tail wrapped around her for warmth, like a blanket.

She whimpered and cried to herself, wanting it all to go away.

Loona kept on weeping, pleading for a way to escape this torturous existence. She remembers a time when life was so much kinder to her, when it was all so simple, when she was so happy.

Back when, she was a normal puppy, born in a litter of puppies like her. She had a loving mom, with playful brothers and sisters.

At first, Loona and her siblings would receive visits from humans, who would all come to pet, play, or take them away to live as family members of their families.

Loona would see all of her siblings being taken out of her life, one by one, until it was only herself with her mother.

“Mom,” Loona sobbed.

After enduring all the suffering and humiliation from Cozy for one night, Loona felt herself becoming a puppy all over again.

She wasn’t as small as she used to be, but she was just as scared. Whenever she got hurt, or even feared of getting hurt, her mom was there to comfort her. But now, her mom isn’t here anymore to console her.

Because her mother had walked through the door, but never came out.

And yet, Loona could never forget her mother’s words, to be a good dog and be a proud strong dog. Except, now, Loona has nothing to be proud, nor be strong for. Because she hasn’t been a good dog.

“I’m sorry, mom!” Loona apologized tearfully. “I’m sorry!”

“I…can’t…keep…this up…any…longer,” Spike panted heavily.

His feet were sore from all the running, he was covered in sweat and grimes, and he could hardly breathe.

Worst still, the manticore was as hungry and poised to kill Spike, like it did before. Then, as his life was flashing before his eyes, he suddenly remembered how he and Leggy nearly escaped the previous manticore attack.

The manticore has a bizarre fascination with lights. With quick thinking, Spike looked up to see the nearby torches hanging on the wall. Picking up a bone on the floor – which barely resembles a person's femur – Spike quickly tore off an entire sleeve on the right of his shirt, wrapping the fabric at one end of the bone. He then used it to reach through the boney fences, until the fabric was alit by one of the torches.

With his bone club alit, Spike turned and used the flame to momentarily stop the manticore in its tracks.

As expected, the manticore eyes were transfixed on the flame, and it turned its head, following wherever the flame goes, like a moth to the flame, or a pieces of metals to a magnet. Slowly moving the flames to the side, Spike was able to calm the manticore, almost as if he has hypnotized it, under his control.

With the manticore distracted, the beast-men in the audience, around the gladiator ring were all hollering and screeching in outrage, as if demanding for the show to resume. Getting an idea, Spike threw his torch into the audience, which the manticore followed. Spike watched as the manticore climbed its way, out of the ring, and into the audience stands of all the frighten beast-men. The sight was a massacre, as the beast tears apart every hybrids in sight.

"What is going on out there?" Cozy Glow shouted, from the tunnel, alerting Spike of her return.

“Looks like that’s my cue to get out of here,” Spike said to himself.

With that, the man followed the path of destruction, left by the manticore. Climbing out of the gladiator ring, Spike looked in an empty cavern tunnel and darted in, without being noticed by the manticore.

Behind him, he can hear Cozy Glow screaming, "STOP THAT CAT!!"

Spike kept on running down the tunnel, which was thankfully alit by small lightbulbs hanging on the wall. The kind of lights installed by maintenance workers, to work in dark places. Almost like the ones from some sci-fi, action, or even horror movies, Spike once watched before, with his friends on the mainland.

Spike kept on running, until he found a cave opening, where the starry night sky can be seen.

“I’m home free!”

Spike instantly made a made dash towards the exit, but stopped when he remembered Loona. Spike looked up at the exit, before he turned back into the tunnels, knowing that somewhere, Loona is being held captive.

He just can’t leave a poor helpless dog like Loona behind, no matter how angry, or tough she may be.

Knowing he may regret it, but going against his survival instinct, Spike turned and went back into the caves, searching for Loona. Just then, he heard some voices. Spike quickly hid inside a small cavity, behind some stalactites and stalagmites.

Spike held his breath as he watched Cozy Glow coming into view, with some Ape-Men accompanying her.

“That horrible old lion!" Cozy Glow muttered. "After tonight, no more meals for him for a week! Not that it matters anyway, now that he's eaten almost half of my friends, and that skinny man. So, I guess he'll make it through the week. Golly, daddy wasn't kidding when he tells me about the lion's share of the diet."

Cozy Glow then turned to her ape-men and scowled, "Well, what are you waiting for? GO FIND ME SOME NEW FRIENDS!!"

With a crack of her whip, Cozy Glow scared her servants into a scamper as they leave the cave. No doubt, Cozy Glow had been kidnapping innocent creatures, just to force them to be her friends.

“Now then, I guess I’m gonna have to pay my little doggy a visit to see if she’s learned to behave.”

Cozy Glow turned to a cave and walked in, disappearing into the darkness.

‘That’s it,’ Spike mentally deduced, to himself. ‘She took Loona somewhere in there. I have to follow her, find Loona, so we can get the hell out of here.’

Very quietly, Spike followed Cozy Glow, determined to find Loona. But the darkness of the cave and the narrow claustrophobic interior proved difficult.

Had it not been for the dim lightings of the lights that hang along the cavern walls, Spike would’ve been lost, stumbling in the pitch black darkness of the cave.

All the same, Spike wondered how Cozy Glow had come to be in possession of electricity. Could it be that there is a generator nearby? How long did it take to set up an entire system of electricity throughout the caves?

Could Grogar have been the one who oversaw the development of this complex cavern system? If so, why? But then again, could it be these systems originally belonged to someone else? Someone who owned the island before Grogar? If so, then who?

So many questions, and hardly any time for answers. Deciding not to ponder too much at the pressing questions on his mind, Spike stayed focus at the task at present time.

The question is: where are they keeping Loona? How long do this cavern tunnels go?

Spike kept on following Cozy Glow, until he arrived at a large room.

The room was lit up by four spotlights, with a cage built into the wall. Standing in front of the open cage, with her whip at the ready, is none other than Cozy Glow.

Kneeling at her feet, with her legs and hands bound in ropes is none other but Loona.

Spike’s jaws nearly broke off, hitting the floor, as he gawked at the sight he never, in a million years, would see.

Practically basking in the spotlight, Loona was wearing a dress that closely resembles a wedding gown.

The dress’s corset hugged her curves tightly. So tight, in fact, that from the congested sound and short breaths Loona was making, she was finding it hard to breathe. A hole was torn open in the midsection of the corset, allowing her to breathe easier, but it exposed her midriff. Her entire lower half were completely covered by a large oversized skirt, with large flower-like pedals around the waist. Around her neck, where a spiked collar was meant to be, instead was a normal collar with a dog tag at the center.

“So, is my Looney going to be a good girl from now on?” Cozy Glow asked, cracking her whip in the air.

“Yes…yes…whatever,” Loona whimpered, displaying a rare show of fragility. “Just please…stop cracking that whip! It hurts my ear!”

But Cozy Glow still cracked the whip anyway.

“Golly! Be a good girl and maybe I won’t have to give you a whippin,” Cozy Glow smiled deviously.

“I’ll…I’ll be a good girl,” Loona whimpered, her voice cracking, as if she was on the verge of tears.

“Hey…hey…” Spike called out, stepping out from his hiding. “Hey…you…pint-sized…brat.”

Spike was still light headed and feeling rather unbalanced with himself. He couldn’t think straight, but he simply can’t stand watching Loona get beaten anymore.

“Oh, it’s you…human…” Loona grumbled. “What is he doing here?” She asked Cozy curiously.

“Like I would know?” Cozy snarled, with just as much venom.

“I’m…here…for…doggy,” Spike stammered on his words, struggling to keep his head straight. “You…parakeet…stop…bullying…”

“Oh! You want to take my doggy away, huh?” Cozy asked, sounding as if she’s ready for a challenge. “You want my dog? Is that what all you ugly men want?”

“No…I just don’t like you whipping that poor puppy,” Spike said, still dizzy from his lack of oxygen. “Put your whip down or…I’ll give you a spanking.”

“Spank me?” Cozy scoffed at his threat. “Seriously, how do I look?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Spike muttered, caught off guard by the sudden question.

“Golly, tell me, how old do you think I look, please,” Cozy requested.

Spike thought long and hard on the question.

“Uhhhhhh…8?” Spike answered, much to Cozy’s annoyance. “9? 10, maybe? Give or take.”

“15…” Cozy Glow grumbled. “I’m actually hitting puberty! Oh golly!”

“Really? You’re hitting puberty?” Spike asked, skeptical. “You don’t look like it. You’re way too cute, like a little chick.”

In the corner of his eyes, Spike thought he saw Loona laughing and wheezing, while Cozy looked beyond furious.

“AW! You think I’m cute?” Cozy Glow laughed hysterically, like a crazed maniac. “Golly! Do you know how FUCKING tired I am of men finding me cute? I. WANT. TO BE. HOT!!!”

The young and little berserker screamed at the top of her lungs that it blew Spike off his feet. It was amazing that this creature of a little girl hasn’t run out of air.

“Look at me,” Cozy continued to rant, throwing down her whips and lunging at Spike, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

“Who cares about a little pony with cute fluffy wings and feathers, except little girls and pedophiles?! FUUUUUUUCK!!!!”

Cozy Glow then proceeds to hike up her own skirt, kept on ranting.

“I want my ASS to make men horny! I want to get drugged and get FUCKED RIGHT IN THE PUSSY! I WANT THE D!”

“Hey, little lady,” Spike said. “No way to speak to your elders.”

“You see?” Cozy Glow hissed.

“Uhhhhhh,” Spike droned. “I think I heard everything. But just in case, can you repeat it all again? I wasn’t listening…at all.”

“UGGGGH!!!” Cozy Glow screamed, in frustration. “FUCK OOOOOOOOFFFFFF!!!”

But Spike caught Cozy Glow and proceeded to spank her on the butt.

“OW! STOP THAT! It hurts!” Cozy Glow screamed.

Spike kept on spanking Cozy, when he felt a sudden hit to the groin.

“OH!” Spike yelled, groaning in pain, releasing Cozy Glow, and clutching his smartened region.

“Not so tough with your — what do you call them — family jewels, now, are ya?” Cozy sneered.

Whatever common sense he still had left, Spike braced himself for another hit. He looked up in time to see Loona grabbing Cozy Glow from behind, by the whip, and proceeded to thrash the small Berserker around the cave.

“What a dog~!” Spike moaned in arousal.

During the struggle between Spike, and the Berserker, Cozy Glow, Loona had been watching from the sideline.

She was hungry, she was hurt, and she was tired. She just wanted to die, then and there.

She looked up and watched Spike fighting with Cozy. She wondered, why…why did he even bother fighting for her, after she had rejected him time and time again. He seems just as irritating than her owner.

At that moment, Loona’s life flashed before her eyes, to the moment when she was taken.

In the past, when she was still a dog, and when humans were taller than her, she remember looking up to see her owner, arguing with Cozy Glow, who was just a kid. No taller than the knees of a full grown human.

Golly, can I take her, Mr. Blitzo?” Cozy Glow asked. “I’d be more than happy to adopt little Looney from you! And I can give her all the attention she needs!”

Loona looked up to her owner, growling and arching her back when he walked closer to her, with a leash out.

“Yeah…maybe you should…adopt…”

Loona was hardly surprised. She hadn’t exactly been an obedient dog to her wannabe master, thus she had given him plenty of reasons to disown her.

In fact, back when, she’s more than content with going back out on the streets, than being imprisoned in some human’s household.

”No…no, no, no…” Loona’s owner said, with a look of dread frozen on his face. ”You can’t have her! She’s mine and I love her!”

As he said this, Loona’s owner wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Too close for her comfort.

Sadly, Cozy wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“But Mr. Blitzo!” Cozy continued to pester in the past. “You just got to let me have the puppy! You gotta!”

“DON’T YOU TOUCH HER you little anal fissure!”

And very soon, it was all a blur of colors that Loona couldn’t see, flashes of lights, and loud gunshots that rang in her ears.

”You can’t have my baby, bitch! I’LL NEVER GET RID OF HER!!!”

But in the end, Loona was taken from her owner. The last time she saw of him was after the office was on fire, and he was trapped under a burning wreckage. He was helpless and held his hand out as Loona was taken from him.

“LOONA!”

And from there, the memories flashed forward to when Cozy Glow took Loona to Dr. Grogar. The evil doctor subjected Loona to all kinds of torturous experiments that hurt her, inside and out.

It still brought terror to Loona’s mind, remembering how much her bones broke themselves apart, before they were mended and put themselves back together. How her eyes were sore and blurry from the colorful floods that nearly blinded her. All to make her human. Or close, at the very least.

Returning to the present, Loona looked up at Spike, still fighting Cozy. But Loona’s eyes were transfixed on the brat-turned-berserker. The very creature who inflicted so much pain onto her.

In that moment, Loona felt something build up inside of her. Something so hot and strong, it threatened to burn her up, from the inside.

This was her chance to finally get revenge on the little pint-sized berserker who made her life an even bigger living hell.

Loona grunted and bites at the ropes, tearing them apart, until she was at last, freed from her restraints. Soon, Loona was back up on all four, acting on instincts, growling, viciously setting her sights on Cozy.

With a loud bark, Loona lurched forward to grab Cozy by the tail. And with a loud bloodcurdling howl that hurts Loona’s throat, her ears, even shaking the entire cavern, Loona thrashed Cozy Glow around, as if she were a doll.

As if that wasn’t enough to quench her rage, Loona grabbed Cozy by the throat, proceeding to throttle and strangle the little berserker.

“HOW DO YOU LIKE IT? HUH?” Loona laughed. “NOT SO TOUGH NOW ARE YA? Do you like this dress? DO YOU STILL LIKE SEEING ME IN THIS DRESS, HUH? HUH?”

Then, Loona clamped her jaws down, hard on one of Cozy Glow’s legs, causing the little berserker to let out a loud ear splitting scream.

But Loona wouldn’t stop. She was at last getting back at the little brat who ruined her, and hurt her so much.

With Cozy Glow still in her jaws, Loona violently shook her head, spilling Cozy’s blood from her mouth, all over the dress the berserker forced her to wear, mixing in with the bloods from Loona’s recent wounds.

Loona kept on throttling Cozy violently, until a sudden jolt of sharp pain from her back forced her to stop.

“AH!” Loona grunted, dropping Cozy Glow.

With Cozy Glow disposed of for the time being, Loona got down to pick Spike up off the floor.

“Come on you,” Loona grunted. “Get up…some rescue you are.”

“Follow me,” Spike moaned dizzily.

“GIVE. ME. BACK. MY. DOG!!!!!” Cozy Glow howled from behind.

Without looking back, Spike and Loona kept on running through the caverns. It was thankful that Loona can still smell the air, as well as having a good sense of hearing that lets her and Spike navigate through the caves, and avoid Cozy Glow's beast-men.

Both Spike and Loona kept on running, until they were able to race outside, nearly running off a cliffside of a tall steep mountainside.

"Whoa!" Spike quickly backed up agains the wall, panting heavily at nearly dropping to what could've been his death. "One more step, and we'd be goners!"

"C'mon! Let's...go..." Loona winced, upon stepping one of her sore pads onto the sharp rocky ledges.

With the cold wind blowing across the mountainside, Spike and Loona both gingerly climbed along the rocky ledges, safely making their way down.

"Don't look down, Spike..." Spike said to himself, trying to calm his frighten nerves. "We're gonna be okay...Just don't look down...one foot at a time...you're gonna be okay!"

"Are you always this chatty?" Loona asked the man. "I'm not the one climbing a mountain, wearing a dress..."

"I...I can't help it..." Spike hyperventilated, having flashbacks of when Newt Chimera attacked him at Grogar's manor, and when he and Sunset were escaping Shade Stalker. "I...Last time I was up this high, I...I fell and nearly drowned!"

"C'mon! Pull yourself together, human!" Loona barked. "We gotta climb... You gotta climb, like our lives depended on it! Because they do! Also, goats!"

Spike turned his head to look up, and his eyes widened in fright at what he was seeing. Braying, carrying axes in their hands, appeared to be a whole herd of satyrs, or goat-men. They all have the appearances of humanoid goats, with long curved horns, sharp claws, cloven hooves that helped them climbed along the mountainside.

The goat-men all let out long bloodcurdling shrieks that sounded almost human, as they surrounded and closed in on Spike and Loona.

"They're closing in on us!" Spike shouted.

"Then climb down faster!" Loona barked.

All was going well, until a rocky ledge broke, beneath Loona's foot, and she suddenly fell down.

"AAHHH!!!" Loona screamed.

"LOONA!" Reacting fast, Spike reached out to grab Loona by the hand. "I GOTCHA!!!"

Loona looked down and was scared out of her mind at the terrifying height.

"Don't drop me! DON'T DROP ME!!!" Loona whimpered, barking, and scrambling to climb up Spike's arm.

"Loona! Stop!" Spike tried to calm the panicking wolf-dog. "Stop squirming! I'm losing my grip!"

But it was no use. Loona was too scared to listen, and Spike ended up losing his grip on the ledge, causing both him and the wolf-dog to fall, screaming towards the ground. Miraculously, their drop was slightly haltered when they both crashed on one of the goat-man on the way down. The goat-man screamed as he fell towards the trees, disappearing beneath the leaves, towards his death.

Meanwhile, Loona frantically gripped the rocky walls with her claws, with Spike wrapping his arms around her waist out of desperation, until they both came to a stop. The two collectively gasped, catching their breaths, pausing to process the adrenaline of how they cheated death, somehow, by dumb luck.

"Oh thank God," Spike sighed.

Suddenly, a goat-man appeared next to them. It let out a loud bloodcurdling scream, rearing its ax-wielding arm up, preparing to chop either Spike, or Loona, in half.

"WHOA!" Spike screamed.

"HI-YAAAH!!!" Loona grunted, kicking the goat-man between his legs, knocking him off the mountain to join his other dead friend. "Ow! My leg..."

In the moonlight, Spike caught a glimpse of blood gushing from Loona's wounded leg. An evidence of Cozy Glow's cruelty. The two kept on climbing down the mountain, until they were able to touch to treetops.

Spike was the first to climb onto a tree branch, before he beckoned for Loona, "C'mon, Loona! Jump on! I'll catch you!"

Without wasting a second, Loona leapt off the mountain ledge and into Spike's arms. They both staggered for a moment, not helped by the tree branch wobbling, until it was settled. From there, Spike Loona proceeded to climb down the tree, until they were back on solid ground.

"Okay. Back to the village!" Spike panted heavily. "You lead the way, Loona!"

Without any argument, not that she was in the mood for it, Loona sniffed the air, before she pointed in the direction she and Spike needed to go.

The foliage brushed across their bruised bodies, covered in scratches. The tree branches and twigs scratched and snapped against them. Pieces of Loona’s dress was tugged and torn away by whatever sharp, thorny branches she had snagged on. But the wolf-dog could care less about the dress she was forced to wear.

She was happy that she could escape from Cozy Glow. All thanks to this human male, Spike.

They hadn’t gotten very far, however, when Spike was suddenly hoisted into the air, with his foot caught in a rope trap, attached to a tree branch, with a ringing bell.

“Human?!” Loona barked in alarm.

“Loona!” Spike screamed dizzily. “Help! Get me down from here! Whoa!”

Loona hopped up on her feet, but she stumbled and fell. Her feet were still sore and hurt from all the whipping from Cozy Glow.

“Loona? You okay?”

“I’m fine…” Loona confirmed, before rubbing her sore feet. “My feet still hurt.”

“Hey! Th-Th-That stick! Over there!” Spike pointed, which Loona followed to see the said stick on the ground. “Can you fetch it for me?”

“Oh! Sure!” Driven by instincts, Loona lunged forward and picked up the stick in her mouth, before she brought it to Spike. “Here!”

“Kay, kay,” Spike stretched his arms out, reaching for the stick in Loona’s mouth, but to no avail. “Uh…can you hold the stick out a little more? In your…arms?”

“Huh? Oh!” Loona took the stick out of her mouth and held it in her hands, before holding it up. “Like this?”

“Yeah!” Spike reached out and grabbed ahold of the stick, taking it from Loona. “Got it! Okay…”

Loona stood back and watch Spike arching his back, reaching upward for the knot, with his stick, attempting to cut himself loose. Unfortunately, his attempt only resulted in him bouncing down and hitting his head against the ground, like a ball.

“Oh! That’s smarts!” Spike moaned in pain, while Loona couldn’t help but snicker at his expense.

Suddenly, Loona’s ears perked to the sound of approaching footsteps that brushed the foliage aside and crushing the underbrush, from the left, judging from where she was standing.

Worried that it may be Cozy Glow, or one of her Beast-Folks, Loona sniffed the air. Her nose cringed when she caught the scent of something familiar and terrifying.

“Oh no!” Loona whimpered. “Someone is coming!”

“Quick! Get me down from here!” Spike pleaded frantically.

“Okay, okay,” Loona looked, until she spotted a peg on the ground, with a rope tied to it.

With no other options and without wasting a second, Loona quickly dug up the peg, causing Spike to drop down from the branch.

Acting fast, Loona grabbed Spike and they both hid in a nearby bush.

“Loona, what’s wrong-?” Spike asked but the wolfdog clamped his mouth shut.

“Shut up!” She hissed, “Someone’s close by. So keep your mouth zipped.”

Boba Fett Theme

Soon enough, they hear footsteps approaching and it is revealed to be none-other than Shade Stalker.

Both Loona and Spike instantly covered each other’s mouths in fear of the Hunter hearing them.

As Shade began looking around, he heard someone shout at him, “HEY YOU!!!” He turns to see that it was Cozy Glow backed by several of her gorilla-men.

“WHERE’S MY DOG, YOU FUCKING EDGELORD!!!” Cozy practically screamed.

While she doesn’t appear to be afraid of the Hunter, the same can’t be said for her henchmen who were trembling at the sight of him.

Shade just looks at the young Berserker with an annoyed expression. He then brings out a canteen from his jacket, pops the top and starts drinking from it.

“Hey?! Didn’t you hear what I just said?!” Cozy screamed as she marched up to him, “I said: WHERE’S MY D-?!?!” She didn't finish her question when Shade spat coconut water in her face.

Both Spike and Loona fought a very strong urge to laugh out loud due to this.

“GYAAA!!! YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!!” Cozy screamed as she spat out the coconut water and wiped her face. She then turned to the Hunter with pure rage in her eyes, “You're gonna pay for that!!!” She yelled as she brought out her whip.

As she cracks her whip at him however, Shade manages to catch it midair much to Cozy’s, Spike and Loona’s, and the ape-men’s shock.

Before Cozy knew it, Shade used the whip to pull her towards him which made Cozy fly towards him while screaming and her face suddenly made contact with Shade’s fist which caused her to fall to the ground.

Shade then got on top of the little brat and proceeded to wail on her. Her ape-men didn’t do anything to save their mistress as they remember what the Hunter did to several of their brothers in the past.

After he was done with his beatdown on Cozy, he then got up and kicked her towards her ape-men to which one of them managed to catch her.

Bloodied and bruised, Cozy looked at Shade with pure hate in her eyes, “You… son of a… bitch!! Tell that bastard Grogar that we haven’t forgotten what he did to us and that we’ll be coming for him sooner than he thinks! YOU HEAR ME?!? TELL HIM WE’RE COMING FOR HIM!!!” She screamed as her ape-men carried her away.

But Shade couldn’t care less. Instead, he rolled his eyes and walked in the opposite direction, most likely to resume the hunt for Spike.

Soon, at least half a hour has passed and there was nothing but silence.

“Is the coast clear?” Spike whispered.

Loona checked, sniffing the air, and listening the ambience sounds of the jungle, while keeping an ear for any distinctive sounds of footsteps.

“He’s gone…we can come out now…” Loona muttered, as both she and Spike emerge from their hiding spots.

“LOONA! LOOK OUT!” Spike screamed.

Before Loona could react, Spike had shoved her to the ground.

“HEY! WHAT's...your...problem?” Loona’s anger dwindles to a whisper, when she saw Spike’s expression twisting to show a look of agonizing pain.

Spike tried to reach something behind his back, but stumbled, until he became still. He had to lean against a tree to keep himself standing. But barely.

“Hey human? You alright?” Loona asked.

Loona doesn’t know why, but her ears picked up the beating sounds of irregular heartbeat. Upon closer inspection, she could hear Spike’s breathing’s have become shallow, and raspy even.

Her nose twitched to the stinging scent of poison in the air. The hot air from Spike that indicates a fever.

A few seconds later, Spike collapsed onto the ground, much to Loona’s alarm. Her hairs stood on end and she yelped in fright, out of impulse.

“Human?! Spike?!” Loona barked frantically, checking the young man.

Loona sniffed the man from the head to his neck, when she was frightened by a horrible sight.

Emerging from the neckline of his shirt, was a tiny brown ugly spider. It held the first two pairs of legs, into the air, revealing a conspicuous black/light-banded pattern on the underside of the legs. Furthermore, the spider swayed from side to side with the hind legs in a cocked position.

Not too far away, are two small puncture holes, on the back of Spike’s neck. The spider had bitten Spike!

Loona felt herself turning cold. She frantically panicked at what to do. She couldn’t decide whether to run, or bark and call for help. But she couldn’t leave Spike behind.

She doesn’t understand why she didn’t want to leave him behind.

She looked at the spider again to see that it was still facing her and holding its legs up. It looked as if it was trying to scare her off.

Loona didn’t want to admit it, to the spider, but it was working. The spider was scaring her. Not become it would actually bite her, but because it has already bitten Spike. And she was helpless to prevent it.

Out of impulse, Loona got down on all four and barked loudly at the spider, scaring it away.

With the spider gone, Loona looked down at Spike, proceeding to lick him in hopes of waking him up.

But it was too late. The spider’s bite has already taken effect. Spike was losing consciousness and the boiling touch of his skin at the top of her tongue alarmed Loona to realize that his fever is getting worse.

“Human…Spike…” Loona got down, carefully picking Spike up, in her arms.

“Spike?” Loona barked anxiously, holding onto his hand. “Hold on… Please, hold on…”

Meanwhile, back in the village, Rainbow Dash had just returned from a long flight.

She approached a worried Sunset Shimmer, with Applejack next to her. All three of them share a look of concern and worry, evident by their frowns and their arched eyebrows.

Though, Applejack’s was more pronounced by her flattened ears.

“Did you find them yet?” Sunset Shimmer asked.

“I couldn’t find hair, nor tail of Spike, or Loona,” Rainbow sighed. “What about Twilight and the others? Are they back yet?”

“They haven’t come back yet,” Applejack shook her head, while tipping her hat. “It’s been almost an hour already.”

Before they can discuss their next course of action, Pinkie Pie sounded the alarm, by playing a drumbeat.

“SPIKE AHOY!!!” Pinkie Pie was heard screeching.

The three She-Beasts looked up to see Pinkie Pie, hanging by her tail, at the top of a tower — most likely a watch tower — looking though a telescope.

Rainbow Dash turned her attention at Pinkie above, while noticing that the remaining occupants of the village were coming out.

“What’s going on, Pinkie?” Sunset asked.

“It’s Spike! He and Loona are approaching the main gate off the starboard!!”

“What?!” Everyone exclaimed.

“That means right,” Pinkie clarified.

Rainbow Dash quickly flapped her wings and flew up to the tower, perching next to Pinkie Pie.

Sure enough, courtesy of her enhanced farsighted vision, Rainbow Dash sighted both Spike and Loona approaching the main gate. Just as Pinkie said.

Everyone all came out of the village gate, crowding around Loona as she carried an unconscious Spike in her arms.

“Loona! What happened?” Applejack asked. “What’s wrong with Spike?”

“And why are you wearing a dress?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Never mind this,” Loona barked, as she handed Spike to the others. “He was bitten by a spider! Is he going to be okay?”

Sunset was the first to press her ears against Spike’s chest, before she can confirm.

“He’s alive,” Sunset confirmed. “But barely. He needs medical attention now.”

With that, everyone in the village got together and carried Spike to the medical hut.

On the way, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but notice the way Loona was staring intently at Spike.

It wasn’t out of hate, but of concern. Almost like the sort of look a person would make when their loved one is in a hospital bed, with their life hanging on a very thin line.

Once inside the medical hut, all the hybrids gathered around Spike, with Starlight Glimmer applying the first aid kit to his wound.

Close by, Loona was having her blistered and scarred back washed and treated by Applejack.

“Ah! Ow! That hurts!” Loona hissed.

“I’m sorry, Sugarcube,” Applejack apologized before advising, “But ya gotta keep absolutely still. “This’ll only sting a little.”

Loona winced, clenching her mouth hard, to bite down on her own scream. Her back was still sore and searing with the burning stings from Cozy’s whip. And whatever Applejack is using to wipe and clean the cuts, to Loona, felt more as if it was only reopening the wounds.

Loona tried her best to do as Applejack advised her to. But in truth, she doesn’t understand how keeping still could help make the pain less hurtful.

All the same, Loona looked over to where Spike was resting. The young man, who has been bitten by a spider, seemed so peaceful just lying there.

He was nearly lifeless. It almost looked as if he’s in a long deep sleep. But this way, he didn’t respond, as if he doesn’t feel any pain.

“Is the human…Spike, going to be okay?” Loona asked.

“Ah sure hope so, Sugarcube,” Applejack answered, as she continued away Loona’s cuts. “We’re doing everything we can to help him, and you.”

“I…I don’t care what happens to me,” Loona muttered. “I just need to know if Spike’s going to be okay.”

“He will be,” Applejack then did a double-take. “Hold it there. Am I hearing ya right? Or did ya just called Spike by his real name?”

“Well, after what we’ve been through, it’s only fair, I guess.”

In truth, Loona herself wasn’t too sure why she started referring to Spike by his real name. Is it the mere fact that he saved her, even if his attempts were weird and unorthodox? Or is it because he had treated her with such kindness, compared to Cozy Glow, even if she doesn’t deserve them?

She’s so confused. She still hated all humans, yet this strange one, Spike, has her feeling different. Why is she like this?

“If it bothers you, I can go back to referring to him as human,” Loona offered.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Applejack reassured. “In fact, this is great news! I’m glad to see ya finally warming up to Spike.”

“I’m not warming up to him!” Loona barked. “I…just…worried about him. That’s all.”

“Sure ya are,” Applejack said with an audible tease in her voice.

Loona could already, if possible, feel a smile on the wolf-woman’s face. For some reason, it just makes the cheeks on her face burn hot.

“Whatever. Is he going to survive, or not?” Loona barked, wanting to change the subject.

“He’ll live,” Applejack reassured, while still cleaning up Loona’s wounds. “I’d be more worried about these cuts if I were you. Some of these looked infected! How long have you had these?”

“How long have we been gone?” Loona asked.

“You and Spike were almost gone for a spell of a night,” Applejack revealed. “Shortly after we were done celebrating our victory over Blueblood, the two of you suddenly disappeared. And we’ve been looking for y’all ever since.”

This news seemed to have a resounding impact on the wolf-dog. This was the first time she’s ever heard of someone else, besides a human, searching for her. Before she was even a hybrid, or a man made abomination, hardly any human or creatures have ever looked for her.

But then why would they?

“Why do you even bother?” Loona asked. “It’s not like we were friends, or anything. We don’t know each other for that long anyway.”

“Well, because we just couldn’t leave y’all to die,” Applejack answered. “That’s not how I roll.”

“How you roll?”

“Yeah. We’re like a family. We look out for each other. We take care of each other and learn to work together to build a better life and solve problems. That’s what families do.”

“Oh yeah? Family?” Loona scoffed at the very notion of such word. “I wish I have a family.”

“You…you don’t have a family?” Applejack asked, in a broken voice.

“I mean, I had an owner, before I was stolen by Cozy Glow. But that’s about it.”

“Oh, Sugarcube. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. I mean, why should you be sorry? It’s not like you’re my mom or anything. And besides, I’m a big girl now.”

“Maybe not. But no dogs should ever go through with what you’ve had to endure.”

Soon after Applejack finished cleaning Loona’s wounds, the orange wolf-woman proceeded to grab a roll of bandages.

“I…I know it’s gonna sound weird, but…I need ya to…undress a little.”

Reluctant, but complying, Loona allowed Applejack to pull down the top of her dress, allowing the She-Beast to wrap the bandages around her torso.

Out of impulse, Loona wrapped her arms across her chest.

“Hey now, it’s alright,” Applejack comforted. “We’re all gals here.”

“It’s not my body!” Loona growled. “Just…don’t look…”

“Okay, I’ll try not to,” Applejack said as she tries to work on wrapping the bandages around Loona. “But if it makes ya feel any better…this ain’t how I normally look either. I’m not a wolf to begin with.”

“How is it that any better? I was just a dog. I like the way I was until one of your kinds ruined me! Now I’m neither dog, nor human. I don’t know what I am anymore.”

After holding in so much frustration, to finally let it all out, was such a relief to Loona. So much that all she could do was cry.

“I know how you’re feeling, Loona,” Applejack consoled, while wrapping the last bandage on Loona.

“Believe me. I’m just as much a victim of Grogar than you are. All of us are.”

“But why?” Loona wept tearfully. “Why did it have to be me? What did I do wrong? Why did I have to be whipped? Or…why must I be…be this…thing?”

Loona’s voice croaked, which she didn’t understand why. Her heart felt as if it was breaking, if that explains for the heaviness on her chest.

“Life’s never fair to us, Loona,” Applejack sighed. “If it was, then I shouldn’t be here. I’d be back on my family’s farm, right now, harvesting apples, with my Granny Smith, my big brother, Big Mac, and little sister, Apple Bloom.”

“…That sounded like…a beautiful family,” Loona whimpered.

“It is…and I’m sure you’d get along with our family dog, Winona. She’s a good dog.”

The very mention of the phrase, “good dog,” was a sting. It felt as if she had been shot through the chest, by a bullet.

Could all these traumas and nightmares been avoided if she was a “good dog?” Or would she still suffer regardless?

What does it mean to be a good dog? Does she have to be an obedient slave, like she was forced to be, with Cozy Glow? Was that all it took to save her from so much humiliation and agony?

Whatever the answer may be, Loona just doesn’t care. She’s so broken it hurts inside and out.

“Oh I…all I ever wanted was to be a good dog!” Loona sobbed in a soft voice that has lost the sharp edges of her tones.

By the end of her statement, Loona let her fragility be heard, whimpering and crying that sounded like barking hiccups.

A rare display that deep down, something she’s ashamed of showing, that at her core, dogs are capable of emotions and are as much afraid than children.

As Loona cried, she felt the strong arms, accompanied by the scent of Applejack’s aroma, wrapping around her for a hug. A wet tongue washed across her teary cheeks.

The sun was barely rising over the horizon. But the sky was colored in a blue-pinkish hue. The moon was disappearing, with the stars. A lone dog sat at the edge of a cliff, casting her solemn gaze across the ocean.

Loona had wept so much, she cried so long, her cheeks felt burn then wet from the salty tears that are as bitter as the ocean’s air.

So much has happened for Loona that it was hard for her to comprehend it all.

She was shaken from the experience of having been captured by Cozy Glow again, to be whipped, stripped, and forced to wear a ridiculous dress that made it harder for her to breathe.

However, what truly rattled her was the action of the man, Spike Draco. Why would a human, such as he, risk his own life to save her, when it was easier to simply abandon her, to save himself? Why did he rescue her from Cozy, after all the resentments she had shown towards him?

And why is she so worried about him? She hated him. Or at least, she thought she was supposed to hate him.

There was just a lot for a lone dog to understand. To try and cope with her stress, Loona took out a single roll of cigarette, then reached into the top of her corset, holding out her lighter.

The lighter is a man-made tool to create fire. But it was also her only remnant left of her owner. She was thankful to have found it, back in the mountain of Cozy Glow. For some reasons she couldn't explain, she has become rather attached to the small tool, and didn't want to lose it. She clicked her lighter, which was aglow even brighter than before.

How can this be? What could it mean? She doesn’t know how. But without an answer, she feels more lost and afraid.

Author's Note

Loona’s dress is based on these: