Written as Moon, but Red as Light

(The next morning, Moon's perspective)

As the sun rose, the rain stopped pouring. The many inhabitants of the Everfree came out of their homes and started to scavenge for food. The sun shine through the window of Zecora's hut and onto Moon's sleeping eyes. His eyes moved and slowly opened as he raised his hand to cover it a bit from the bright light. He then slowly got up and stretched.

"Man, what a night." Moon yawned and took off his coat. "Time for some morning exercises." He said getting on the ground and started doing push-ups. Although this seems to be an odd matter, but Moon somewhat remember of a routine when waking up in the morning. After 50 push-ups, he then did some aerobic stretches and also 50 sit-ups. He sweated as he did the sit-ups and grunt and pant when he did 30. As Moon continued, Zecora awaken from her slumber.

She yawn and lazily opened her eyes. She looked around a bit and noticed Moon in the corner of her home doing some sort of an odd activity. Zecora turned her gaze to the sleeping timber pup on her bed. He was still sound asleep so Zecora decided not to wake him up. Lastly, she then turned her gazed to the injured timberwolf.

She still seem to breathe normally. Her injuries are slowly healing and her body is starting to stir a bit with a light moan. Zecora was relief about this that the mother is recovering and due to Moon's enhanced hearing, he was able to hear to her breathing as well.

Moon finished his exercise routine and walked to Zecora. "Will she be waking up anytime soon?" Moon asked.

"Yes and not long till dawn." Zecora reply

"That's good", said Moon

The room was filled with silence for the next 5 minutes until Moon spoke.

"So..." Moon trailed

"So..." Zecora began

"Do you want to... talk about last night?" Moon said

Zecora looked away for a bit, trying to come up with an answer. Her face was showing a small blush while she was pondering about Moon's actions last night.

'What is this feeling that I do not know? Why is this coming from some being who seems to be bestowed?'

Moon waited for Zecora's response and wander about what to say to her as way.

'Why did I kiss her last night? I was just thinking it as a compliment and suddenly its now turned serious. What to do...'

Zecora then turned around with her cheeks blushed.

"Moon... I'm sorry to protrude, but I don't want to further include." Zecora said gently.

"It's fine if you're not ready. I can wait." Moon reply

Just then, the timberpup awoke from his slumber. He yawned, got up and stretched.

"Good morning, what's going on?" The timberpup said as he yawned again

"Good news, you're mother is getting better. Zecora said it won't be long till she's away." Moon said to the timberpup.

"Really!?" The timberpup respond and went to his mother's unconscious body. "Yes, yes! Mother is going to be better!" He said as he nuzzle his mother's face.

Moon and Zecora smiled warmly at this moment. The child is finally going to be with his mother again. The body started to stir and the timberwolf let out a moan. The timberpup noticed this and he was excited.

"Mother! Mother! Please be awake, please!" The timberpup cried out.

The body then started to shook more violently and her moans soon started to turn into a growl.

"Mother..." The sentence of the timber pup was interrupted as the timberwolf's eyes popped open and she launched into the air and landed on the bed, breaking it and flinging all three of the others onto the floor. She got up and was quite terrify and confused.

"What?! What's happening?! Where am I!?" The timberwolf mother yelled as she look around frantically. She saw Moon and gasp. "You!!!" The timberwolf mother yelled as she tried to lunged at Moon.

'Oh boy, not again.' Moon thought as he prepared for the mother's incoming assault.

(Analysis Mode)

'Here we go again. Alright let's see what we got here. Awaken, confused, and full of anger. Subject obviously remembered our previous encounter and now about to lunged at me. A good way to counter this is the same thing with the momentum and use it against her. Objective is to neutralize and not kill like last time, so the nanosecond she's down, pin her on the floor.'

(Analysis Mode Off)

As the timberwolf lunged at Moon, he did exactly what he did during their first encounter. Moon leaned backward as the timberwolf mother was about to pounce him and threw her off before she landed on him. The mother crashed onto a table, but before she could get up, Moon quickly jumped and pinned her down as she tries to break out of the position.

"Let me up! Let me up so I can kill you!!!" The timberwolf screamed in rage.

"Please calm down. I'm truly sorry for the state you are in, but please don't do anything stupid." Moon said calmly as he kept her pin down.

"Sorry!? I'll show you sorry by sinking my teeth in you, whatever you are!" The timberwolf screamed.

"Think of your child, don't you have to take care of him and protect him from the dangerous creatures?" Moon reasoned.

"What!? How do you know about my child!? I swear on my entire life, if you did anything to my precious child, I'll kill you! I'll break you! And I'll shatter you!"

"Mother, please! I'm okay, just stop... please." The timberpup pleaded.

The timberwolf mother stopped cold in her tracks as she heard her child's voice. She looked up a bit and saw her child with her good eye.

"Achilles? Is that you?" The mother spoke softly.

'Achilles?' Moon thought.

"Yes, it's me. Moon didn't do anything to me. In fact, he and a friend helped me save your life from the wounds you've received." The Achilles said as he gestured at Moon and Zecora.

"Yes, he is right. I greatly apologize for your injuries and the fact that I almost... kill you. If by any chance, I would like to make it up for you and your child. If you let me." Moon said still pinning the mother down.

The moment of silence filled the hut of Zecora for a while as the mother thought long and hard about her next course of action.

'I was almost killed? No wonder I woken up like this. What should I do? My son wouldn't lie and if this creature kill me, I wouldn't be here right now.' At that moment, she was shocked as she realized something. 'My child would be dead as well. Maybe if I... just go along with this for now and see where it goes, my child may be safe.'

"Alright" The mother said.

"Did you said... alright?" Achilles respond.

"Yes my son, it has seemed that... if this creature..."

"Moon" Achilles intercepted.

"If Moon... had killed me. He might have just killed you too. So for now on, I decided that I will let Moon help us out for the time being." The mother said calmly.

Achilles was happy of his mother's decision and gesture Moon to let her go. Moon slowly get off of the mother, knelt down and help her up a bit. Achilles then ran and hug his mother with her having to hug back.

"Thank you mother, for giving my friend a chance." Achilles said as he nuzzled his mother.

"I'm doing this for you Achilles. If what you said is true about your... friend, we will be fine and I'm quite tired of the constant surviving in the Everfree." The mother said.

The two broke the hug and Moon spoke.

"I'm glad we can work things out. I really want to apologize for the incident in any way I can." Moon said to the mother.

The mother's expression then turned grim as she looked into Moon's eyes. "Just so we're clear, I don't trust you at all. And I don't give a crap if you die or whatever bad happens to you. If you try to do anything that will get my child hurt or killed, I will kill you in the worst possible way imaginable." She said darkly.

The feeling that the mother is giving off with her words send chills down Moon's spine. But he kept his composure. In situations like this, keep a clear head and stay strong.

"I do not mean any trouble, I was confuse when I first appear and now I would like a chance to redeem myself." Moon proclaimed.

The mother looked into Moon's eyes with her one good eye and couldn't find any sense of trickery. But, she must remained alert if anything happens that will regret her decisions because of her faith in her son. Throughout her life she endured countless hardships and tragedies. Her family taken from her one by one and the endless monsters in the Everfree trying to kill her. Manticores, Cockatrices, Hydras, other timberwolves and many more that she lost track. In such a world, she was very heartbroken and scared. But over time it healed but in a crooked way. Her heart became harden, her mind became bitter, and she fight to survive in any way possible and I mean anything.

That was until that faithful day when she found Achilles. A timberpup who was lost and had nowhere to go. Even with her bitter attitude, she did had a soft side. As she look at the small timberpup, she saw herself when she was young. She didn't want to let the timberpup go through the same life she had and took him in. Throughout time, the two became quite close, as a mother and son. She even gave him a name and then vowed to never let anything happened to her child and she would protect him in any way possible.

As she thought of all those memories of her life, she decided to give Moon a chance to proved himself. But, only for her son, only for her Achilles. "Whatever, but don't you pull nothing you creature, I seen wise ones before. You won't get away with anything, got it?"

"Of course", Moon said in a calm manner.

Zecora continued to watched as Moon talked to the timberwolf family. She still ponder on what they were saying, but it is clear that the mother seemed calm enough not to attack anymore. Zecora decide to question Moon about his ability to understand the verbal communication of animals and Equestrialism in time. But for now, she needed to clean up the mess that was caused by the outburst.

"Moon, if I may interrupt. Will you care to help me with this mess that was abrupt?" Zecora said

Moon looked around his feet and took notice of the mess caused by the mother.

"You're right Zecora, I'll help with this mess since I kinda partially caused this." Moon obeyed as he started to picked up the broken pieces.

"I'll help too." Achilles said.

Achilles, Moon, and Zecora spent almost 20 minutes cleaning the hut. The mother just went back and rest for a while to recover her injuries. She started to wonder how some creature was able to caused so much damage to a strong timberwolf like her. His built was similar to a minotaur, but much more thinner. His claw-like appendages also match as well. But his overall appearance is closely related to a monkey, since she dealt with some that were bullying her son a while back. The mother wonder if all species like Moon could have the same physical abilities as him. Maybe she'll asked that about him in the future, but for now, she must be weary of him.

As Moon, Achilles, and Zecora finished they head back to the mother. Zecora needed to check on her again to see the current results and Achilles let his mother know its okay. While Zecora check the mother, Moon decided to talk to Achilles on an interesting matter.

"So you're name is Achilles huh.?" Moon said to him.

"Yes, why? Does it seemed familiar to you?" Achilles asked.

"Well, Achilles was the name of a demigod in Greek mythology. He was known for his talents and skills in warfare and no living mortal can best him in combat."

"Really? He was that strong?"

"Yes, he can't even die to his immortality."

"He couldn't die?" Moon nodded. "So nothing can kill him?"

"Well, yes and no. It was true Achilles couldn't die, but you want to know why?" Achilles nodded eagerly. "Okay, Achilles was the son of Nereid Thetis and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. His mother tried to make him immortal by dipping his entire body in the river Styx as a baby. But it was interrupted by the father and his leg was the only part that wasn't immortal. During a battle while he was an adult, Achilles was shot in the mortal heel by a stray arrow and immediately died." Moon explained.

Achilles was amazed. A being that couldn't die by any other means, but only if something happened to the leg? This is quite the surprise.

"Don't be so amazed Achilles. Even the Strongest One There Is, can have a weakness and that will mean big trouble for him or her." Moon said

"Whoa..." Achilles said as he was astonished.

Moon rolled his eyes and Zecora have finished her check up on the mother.

"Good news, her injuries in the face have already been healed. But her right eye seems have resealed." Zecora said to the two.

"Hmm... it's obviously that her healing factor doesn't regenerate organs. Wait, Achilles do you have any eyeballs?"

"Well, kinda. But I don't really know about this so much." Achilles shrug.

A splash of guilt overcame Moon and he sigh deeply.

"Great, I partially blinded someone and now I don't know what to do next." Moon said

"There is one solution..." Zecora said. Hearing this, Moon quickly perked up.

"Really?! What is it Zecora?" Moon questioned

Zecora cleared her throat. "What lies in the Everfree is a rare exotic plant that is known to healed anything from cuts and bruises to limbs and organs. If you can get this plant, I can whipped up a brew that can heal her portion."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Achilles said anxiously as he headed to the door.

"Alright, but before we go. Zecora, what does this plant looks like?" Moon asked.

"It displays a slight green with yellow stripes. But you must pluck it before it swipes." Zecora warned.

"Alright, I got it. Let's go Achilles." Moon says as he grabbed his messenger bag, knife and coat, and put it on.

"Wait just a moment! I'll be coming as well. Like I said, I don't trust you at all. So I'm not letting my only son get himself in trouble if you make a mistake." The mother said as she walked up to the two. "Besides, losing a limb or an organ, or two won't stop me." She said with a smirk.

Knowing that the mother will always be with her child and the fact that she's having bad blood with him. Moon has no other option but to let her come along despite her disability.

"As you wish, lets go." But before they open the door. Voices was heard by both Moon and the mother outside.

Moon went to the window and focus his hearing towards the pathway into the thick bushes. Voices were being overlapped, but he can tell there is more than one.

"Crap, there's some beings that are coming this way and fast. We can't go out the front." Moon said.

"We could try the back door." Achilles said.

"There's a back door?" Moon said.

"Yeah, while you and mother were talking. I saw something over by the selves and it was another entrance." Achilles explained.

A knock was then heard at the door.

"Zecora! Are you home! We have some serious business to talked about!" The voice said.

"Time to go!" The mother said quietly as she and her son went through the back entrance.

"Alright, oh and Zecora..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything. It is very... generous and kind of you." Moon said softly with a soft smile.

Zecora turned and blush a bit from Moon's comment. A smile then slowly formed o her muzzle until the knocking was harder and the voice was getting louder.

"Zecora! Please respond!"

Zecora broke out of her trance and Moon started heading for the back entrance.

"Quickly Moon! You must go!" Zecora said quietly.

"Did you just not speak in a rhyme?" Moon questioned as he stopped at the back door.

"I guess so... but you must go!" Zecora replied.

"There she is..." Moon said shaking his head and left the hut.

As Moon left, Zecora opened the door. There it revealed Twilight Sparkle and four of her friends.

"Why Twilight, what brings you to my home." Zecora said casually.

"We need help, and you're the only one who seems to know about a plant that can healed Rainbow Dash's injuries!" Twilight said urgently.

That request has now dropped an anchor on Zecora's mind.