Wilderness

by Shadowflash237

Rating: teen
Tags: Scootaloo, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Main 6, Original Character, Rainbow Dash
Length: 10679

This story is about Shadow Flash, a pegasus who has lived with wolves her entire life. After her pack gets destroyed, she travels to Ponyville to find out a solution.

EDIT: The past chapters of this story were deleted 11/8/2014. If you wish to read them, PM me and I will send them to you.
The Everfree Forest. You've heard the stories. Ponies that go in...never come out.
Shadowflash, abandoned as a filly, has grown up with wolves her entire life. Well, as long as she can remember. Now, the forces of nature destroy what little faith in the forest Shadowflash has, and she is determined to save her pack. In order to, she travels to Ponyville, the one place she never thought she would see again.
As she gets accustomed to pony life, the dark secrets of her abandoning haunt her dreams, and familiar faces start to show up everywhere. And then she is pressed to make the decision of her life:
Pack Life?
Or Pony Life?

Published 2013-11-17 01:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-11-09 19:34:23 UTC

Older Chapters

Author's Note

PLEASE READ!!!!!!
These were the old chapters from what I had before. They were deleted 11/9/2014, and this is only meant for the people who want to read the old ones. This plot-line will not be continued.
For those who are confused, before the story that I have now, these were what I posted. I decided to completely redo the story, and these are the chapters from before. It will not be continued, and the new story is what I am writing now.
Enjoy!

Older Chapters

The dark blue filly gazes at the beautifully dressed dancers, spinning, twisting, leaping. She moves her head side to side, up and down, trying to find her mother in the crowd. There she is, dressed in pink, balancing perfectly on two legs-thanks to her light blue wings that are fluttering behind her-while the others fall hysterically. Her white mane flows in a circle around her as she spins slowly. The filly's father leans closer to her ear. "You're mother sure is a beauty, isn't she?"

The filly nods, still looking at her lovely mother. The filly's older brother, Lightning Night, looks as bored as ever, keeping himself entertained by drawing his flank on a piece of paper, then putting a cutie mark that he thinks he's going to get. The filly laughs silently as she remembers her mother scolding him for drawing a cutie mark on his actual flank with semi-permanent marker. A little of it is still showing, and when he had walked into the studio, his face was as red as an apple.

The dancers finish with their scene, and the audience stamps their hooves against the ground. The rumbling nearly knocks the little filly off her feet, which she quite enjoys. The instructor of the routine silences the crowd with a wave of her hoof. She puts on a pair of official-looking glasses, the kind that has the strings coming down from either side, and looks at the clipboard she's carrying. "Yes, that was very good." she has that Canterlot fanciness in her voice. "Now, let me speak the actors backstage while you keep yourselves entertained by these dancers all the way from the Crystal Empire!"

The crew slips into the curtains while two mares covered in crystals come on stage, and the audience cheers. Once their silent again, they start moving in elegant circles, slow, boring music in the background. Even the high-class ponies look bored. And then, the music suddenly drops and goes into a far-from-elegant track. It's so sudden that the filly even jumps a little. Lightning Night looks up from his drawings with his mouth wide open as he realizes that it's his favorite kind of music. Dubstep.

"Ahh yeah!" He yells, punching the air with his hoof. He looks at the filly with excitement. "This is my dance, sis. Watch closely." Lightning Night leaps-literally leaps-onto the stage and starts dancing with the two mares, matching their moves exactly. Lightning Night has always been very passionate about Dubstep. He even makes his own, which aren't half bad. He was so desperate to get the equipment to make the awesome sounding music, he even begged Princess Luna for it-he said that Princess Celestia was too girly to make it, and though the filly was surprised, she had to agree.

Her father leans over her shoulder. "You should look up to him, Shadow Flash. Dancing to Dubstep in front of Canterlot ponies takes guts."

Shadow Flash watches her brother in amazement as "his solo" comes up. A large grin spreads across his face a second before the solo, and then he's being truly awesome. The Crystal Ponies-who's crystals just vanished, probably because of the light-point to him with their hooves. He flips upside down and spins on his head with perfect balance, and then after doing that for a little bit, he back flips upwards, hitting the ceiling, which is high above us. He lets out a battle cry and falls to the ground with one hoof placed for. Flapping his wings, he pushes himself forward with such force that when he lands, his hoof makes a dent in the floor.

Shadow Flash's jaw drops as the amazing song ends, and a cutie mark appears on his flank. It's rainbow-colored waveforms that's highest in the middle surrounded by epic-looking headphones. Lightning Night looks at it and punches the air again. "AHH YEAH!" he shrieks. It looks really cool on his dark gray body, Shadow Flash has to admit. The crowd cheers, not for the song, of course, but for Shadow Flash's brother. Shadow Flash's mother steps out of the curtains and nuzzles Lightning Night while her father races towards the stage.

The filly decides that she would congratulate him later, since the crowd is too thick. After the family has loved on him and her mother wipes the tears from her eyes, Lightning Night and Dad trot happily back to where Shadow Flash is sitting. But before she can compliment his awesomeness, the instructor steps out of the curtains with the rest of her crew. The dancers line up and the instructor indicates the ponies on the stage.

"Now, I'm happy to introduce you to-" she gets cut off as a gust of wind blows through the doors that suddenly open. A stallion bathed in shadow is standing there, his pupils tiny and the whites of his eyes seeming to glow.

He grins like a maniac and lets out an evil cackle. "-your death!" he throws a black pellet at the stage and another at the crowd, laughing. The instructor looks at the pellet, realizes what it is, and races off of the stage. The pellet beeps and explodes, making the filly's ears ring. A second afterwards, the second one goes off, and her face gets covered in smoke.

"Mom!" Shadow Flash yells through the haze. If she responded, Shadow Flash would never know, for the building was filled with screeches of terror and screeches of pain. Something grabs her hoof and pulls her away from the smoke and death. And then the building comes alive with fire. The red flames lick at her wings, savoring the taste of burning and bleeding feathers.

Through the smoke, Shadow Flash can barely see what's happening, but she can make out the stallion holding up a red knife in front of bodies of innocent ponies. "Who's next?" he says. Shadow Flash's stomach flips over as a mare races towards the exit, only to be cruelly slaughtered. The stallion slits her neck with such speed and pressure she's dead in a second. Bile rises in Shadow Flash's throat, but she pushes it back down and pulls away from the thing pulling her.

It turns around and she recognizes the face of her brother. "Come on! We'll die here!" He grabs her hoof again but Shadow Flash tugs back.

"I have to find Mom and Dad!" Shadow Flash protests and races back into the flames, trying but failing to ignore the burning on her sides. "Mom! Dad!" she calls, still running. The filly trips over a body and gasps as she finds the dark orange of her father. "Dad! Come on, let's get out of here!"

The stallion doesn't lift his head, and as Shadow Flash gets a closer look at him, she gasps in horror as she sees his face, burnt all the way to the bone. Tears slide down her cheeks and she grabs his hoof, pressing it against her burnt cheeks. Her wings suddenly get pulled painfully, and she shrieks. Lightning Night is standing behind her, his eyes red with tears.

"We have to go!" he screams above the flame crackles. He doesn't even notice the burnt shape lying on the ground. Shadow Flash drops her father's hoof and follows without hesitation, only because she's dazed with pain, fear, and terror. The colt flaps his wings to help him go faster, and he passes by the deadly stallion with lightning speed. The stallion turns and starts racing towards them, but quickly finds another kill.

Outside of the studio, the town is unaffected, and ponies are just starting to notice the smoke and flames. All her instincts tell her to keep running, but Shadow Flash stops and screeches, "HELP!" as loud as she can. The ponies around the deathtrap jump and gasp as they see through their blindness the bleeding colt and filly. The two siblings start speeding away as the ponies grab water from stores and the ponds nearby.

Something behind her grips her legs and jolts her back. "Lightning!" she cries. Her brother whips around and yells at her. And then the world goes black, leaving everything behind. The pain. The noise. The memories.

Where am I?

Shadow Flash lies motionless on the bright green grass, or, what's left of it. The blood seeping from her wings has turned the patch of grass to a scarlet red. Groaning, she tries to move her hoof, but pulls it back right away. The little filly slowly and painfully opens one of her eyes. Her hoof is stained with something black. The scent of it is horrible, acrid and unsatisfying. The scent is all over her body, burning like a head of corn on the surface of the sun. And another smell, which is also unpleasant, mixes with it. Then she realizes for the first time she can remember. She's not alone.

Get up! she yells at herself. Opening both eyes, she takes a deep breath and starts getting to her hooves. Her legs scream in protest, but somehow she manages to do what seems impossible at the time. She raises her head as high as she can, which is only a couple inches, and sniffs. The scent has started to fade, and she lets out the breath she was holding Where am I? Shadow Flash repeats in her head. She looks around, getting her bearings.

Thick black forest surrounds her entirely, holding nothing but death and other mysterious scents. She's in a clearing where the only patch of grass is beneath her. The rest is stone that stops abruptly at the edge of the clearing and gives way to grass. Somewhere something makes a noise, and Shadow Flash's breath catches in her throat. Nothing happens, again. What is this place? She sits down and rubs her arm, wincing at the horrible pain. Her head is foggy and she can't remember anything. But for her, that was fine. Just as long as she didn't die.

Shadow Flash tried to swallow, but her throat rejects it. The little instinct that had stayed with her kicked in, and she swivels her head, looking for water. A small patch was splattered on the stone, but it was tiny and seemed like nothing. As she looked for more, a twig snaps behind her and the bushes rustle. She jumps and whips around. "Who's there?" she tries to say. It comes out as a small, scratchy peep.

At first, nothing happens....again. But then the bushes rustle again and a huge furry creature steps out, and little Shadow Flash could all but imagine it's horrific gaping jaws enclosed around her head. Two other things follow it, and though their only a little smaller than the first one, they frighten Shadow Flash more than the first one.

The first (which is black) comes closer to her and sniffs. It's nose wrinkles in disgust and it backs away. "It's a pony." It says. It's voice sounds like a girl, not that girly high-pitched voice but low and determined. Something in Shadow Flash's head stirred, like a lost memory she couldn't get back but was remembering at the back of her head.

The second one (light brown) steps forward and peeks at her back. "Pegasus filly by the looks of it, and through some severe damage. Do you think we should take it back to the leader, Jet?" the light brown one asks the black one.

Jet glares at him-it's voice sounded like a male's-and then lowers her head towards Shadow Flash with her teeth bared. "No, I think we can take care of it here." she makes a weird sound from her throat and licks her lips for emphasis.

The third (silvery gray) pads over and nudges Jet. "Jet, what are you doing? You look stupid." he says. I beg to differ! Shadow Flash thinks alarmingly.

"What do you think I'm doing, Titanium?" Jet says without looking at the silvery gray thing. "If I make myself seem scary, it'll get more frightened than it already is and run off, leaving us to our hunt. It's not rocket science."

"Logic!" the light brown one pipes in.

Jet raises her head and screams at the top of her lungs, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!" and Shadow Flash could swear the ground shook underneath her. A bird raises an alarm call, which scares an entire flock, scattering across the sky. It takes everything the little filly has to stand her ground.

Titanium looks at Jet in fear. "Do you think it can understand us?" he asks, his voice giving away his pure hatred.

Jet laughs. "Pfft, no. Of course not."

My turn. Shadow Flash thinks. "Of course I can't understand you. It's just when you're yelling at my face that I get the slightest hint that you want to kill me. Don't worry about it. It's no big D." Shadow mentally gives herself a hoofbump as all three of them turn and look at her in horror.

"J-Jet, I..I think she can understand us." the light brown one says. Well, more like shakes out of his mouth.

"Really? Thanks, Captain Obvious. I didn't notice." Jet responds with another strange noise from her throat and swipes at him.

"I really think we should take her to the leader now." Titanium says.

"Yeah, you're coming with us." Jet says deeply. She grabs the filly by her wings, ignoring her screech of pain. And as they pad away, the smoke rising in the distance is never seen by the forgetful little filly to remind her of the terrible danger she had faced only an hour ago.

Ponyville
The little cyan Pegasus watched the building burst into flame. No one had gone in except for this stallion. She didn't know what he was doing, but she knew to stay clear of him. Now he stood at the door, a knife in his mouth, slicing the throats of everyone who tried to get out. Her eyes tear up as she spots the dark blue coat of the little filly and her brother, but her vision is blocked by another pony racing towards the building, carrying water. When she can see again, she's gone and the stallion is trotting back to kill. The tears spill over her eyes and she whispers, "Shadow Flash, can you hear me? It's Rainbow Dash, you're best friend. I'll avenge you, and I will see you again." and with that, she turned and raced towards the chariot, already planning her sweet revenge.

The thick forest encloses Shadow Flash and the strange creatures. It's much darker here than she expected. And yet the creatures went through like it was clear as day, leaping over every log and dodging every tree. They passed animals that Shadow would find in her nightmares. One of them had the head of a chicken and the body of a serpent. The creatures that carried her seemed to be scared of it, avoiding it's gaze. Another animal sped past them, it's huge feet shaking the ground. Shadow didn't get a chance to see it clearly, but Titanium shrank back in fear.

"Manticore." he says.

Jet looks back at the light brown one, who's following at the rear. "Anything to report?" she asks, Shadow Flash still in her mouth.

He looks around. "Amoux reports...nothing. All clear."

"Nice name..." Shadow Flash says shyly.

"Shut up." Jet growls, biting harder on her wings. Shadow winces in pain, looking at Amoux for a response. He's shouldering through a large bush, getting covered in thorns as a result. Gazing back at the forest, the trees seem to glow with an unnatural red color. Jet steps on a large branch, sending a trickle of water that's more like sludge. To Shadow Flash, it's a miracle they can navigate through this dense blindness at all. But she can also see, just a little, but enough to know where they were going. Titanium swerves closer to Jet and whispers something in her ear. She nods, jerking Shadow painfully.

Underneath them, Shadow Flash realizes, the ground changes from grass to stone again, and they emerge into a huge clearing surrounded by thorn bushes. The scents that wafted out from the clearing would send anything running to the hills, but the creatures push through the bushes without a care. Inside the clearing, there are more of the strange creatures than Shadow Flash can count.

Jet walks towards a huge one with a coat of gray. She drops Shadow on the ground and the little filly rubs her soar wings. "I found this, Lord Blazeclaw." she nudged Shadow Flash with her paw.

The gray thing leans forward and sniffs Shadow Flash. She flinches away as his cold nose touches her wing. "Well, why did you bring this to me, Jet? It's a pony."

"Yes, I know it's a pony . But you said bring anything you can find out in the forest back to camp." Jet argues.

"It's true." Amoux supports her.

Lord Blazeclaw cuffs him on the ear, and a small bead of blood wells up from the wound. "What are you doing here, Omega? You should be taking care of the Alphas nests!" he cuffs him on the other ear, and Amoux backs away whimpering. "Go!" Lord Blazeclaw yells. Amoux turns tail and races towards a large cave where several other things sit, taunting him and laughing at his beaded ears. Lord Blazeclaw shoves his face into Shadow's. "As for you, you can help Amoux clean out the nests."

"But-" Shadow Flash starts to object, but he raises up his paw, and she winces. Shadow Flash walks slowly to the den while Lord Blazeclaw, Jet, and Titanium head towards another den, whispering quietly to each other.

The creatures around the den look at her in confusion, muttering things like, "What's that thing doing here?" and "What was Jet thinking, bringing it here?" and "Is the Alpha going to kill it?"

She ignored them and stuck her nose in the air, trying her best to look proud instead of frightened out of her wits. As she entered the den, the stink of the creatures was overwhelming. She backed out, only to bump into a huge creature whose teeth shone in the sunlight. Shadow gasp-screeched and sped into the den again. In her panic, she fell over Amoux, who was moving the dirty bedding and replacing it with fresh ones. Her hooves stirred and ripped up the moss, and he sighed in annoyance.

She immediately got up and tried her best to fix it. "I'm so sorry!" she says. She moved the moss to where they were, but it looked nowhere near to what he had before. "There, fixed!"

Amoux pushes her away. "You can stay over there." he moved the moss around in certain patterns, folded some corners, tucked some things in, and soon there was a comfortable nest of moss and twigs to hold it together. He moved on to another nest. "Blazeclaw sent you in, didn't he?"

Shadow Flash nodded. "Yeah. But, I don't think you should call him by his actual name. He seems high on authority."

Amoux laughs. "You might not be as dumb as I thought." he looked at her, and they locked gazes for a second. Shadow Flash was the first to break the trance.

"So, he called you Omega, but he said to clean the Alpha's den. What's that all about?" she asked, scooting closer to him.

"Well, you see, in the pack, there are different ranks. Blazeclaw is Alpha Male, which means he's the male leader of the pack. Dovefrost, or, properly named Queen Dovefrost, is Alpha Female, the female leader of the pack. Then there are the Betas, which will take roll as Alpha Male and Female once Blazeclaw and Dovefrost die. After them are the Alphas. They're kinda like the Alpha Male and Female, but not. Pretty much, they're the fighters and hunters of the pack. And then, there's the Omegas. We're the lowest rank. We just help with things. Nothing important."

"But, how come you got to go on the patrol? I mean, Jet and Titanium are Alphas, right?" Shadow Flash tilted her head and scooted a little closer to him.

Amoux started building a new nest, not moving away from the young pegasus. "Yeah, they're Alphas. But, for some reason Blazeclaw made me go. Probably 'cause they're my siblings."

Shadow Flash's eyes widened. "Really? How are they Alphas and you're an Omega? Don't siblings get the same ranks?"

"Most of the time, but, I guess I wasn't 'Alpha Quality' as Blazeclaw says." Amoux finished the nest and moved on to the next one. "You have to be strong and smart to be an Alpha, and I'm neither of those things, according to Blazeclaw."

Shadow Flash was a few feet away from him now. "You're plenty smart, and I'm sure you're strong too. It doesn't matter what those idiots say. They can go eat...uh...uh..a rotten bird, I guess."

Amoux laughed and looked her in the eyes again. "You know what kid? You might be right."

Shadow Flash and Amoux walked out of the Alpha's den, their mouths full of old moss. Shadow Flash had thought stupid of the idea of having to carry this dirty moss all the way across the territory to throw it in a pit, but Amoux was kidding, of course. She had come to realize he was quite nice and kind to her, and extremely funny. Whenever she had messed up on placing the twigs wrong on the nests, he also corrected her with a heartwarming look and soft words. He had shown her where to place each nest and how each wolf (he also had told her what kind of animal they were) liked his or her nest to be made.

The other wolves looked at them in scorn, and some laughed, but Amoux didn't seem to mind. He's probably used to this kind of thing. Shadow Flash thought. After all, he was born to this pack. She sighed silently. And I'm just the dumb pony who nobody wants.

"Hey you! Pony! Over here!"

Shadow Flash swiveled her head to see who called her. It was Jet.

"Here, I'll take these." Amoux said, grabbing the rest of the moss. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Shadow Flash said nervously. Swallowing her fear, she stalked up to the Alpha. "I have been summoned." she said, trying her best to look humble and proud.

Jet's paw hit the side of her face painfully, and a low growl came from her throat. "Shut it, pony. You're coming with me." she whipped around and led Shadow Flash towards the den she had disappeared into earlier.

"Jeez, you're almost as bad as Blazeclaw." Shadow Flash muttered under her breath. She had become like Amoux, hating the leaders, even though she wasn't a proper member of the pack. Something about Blazeclaw angered her, like an itch she couldn't reach. Probably his authority and how he treats the Omegas. She thought.

Jet entered the den and kicked Shadow Flash in front of her. Lord Blazeclaw sat in front of her, next to him an elegant-looking crystal-white female wolf. She raised her chin and tried to avoid the little filly's pleading gaze. "Oh please, don't kill me! I've done nothing!"

Titanium, who was sitting in the far corner of the den tried to keep himself from laughing at Shadow Flash's mocking tone.

"Some would consider your acting skills superb, but we've no time to be giving out compliments." The white wolf said. "I am Queen Dovefrost, the Alpha female of this pack. But, I'm pretty sure you've figured that out already, yes?"

"Why, yes your majesty. I respect your wishes, and will follow your commands with a smile on my face." Shadow Flash bowed her head and smirked.

Dovefrost's eyes slanted and her claws dug into the ground, and Shadow Flash half expected her to slice her throat out. But it only lasted for a moment. "I've no time to deal with this sarcasm, pony. While you were cleaning out the Alpha's den, Lord Blazeclaw and I were discussing what we should do to you."

Shadow Flash raised her head. "And you've come to a solution?"

"Indeed we have." Though her tone was harsh, a small smile spread across Dovefrost's face. This can't be good. Shadow Flash thought.

"Since you've been wounded badly, we'll keep you here until you're healed up." Blazeclaw said. "If you prove you're worthy of staying with the pack, you will remain here and live with us."

"What? If you haven't noticed, I'm a pony. Not a wolf." Shadow Flash protested.

"Yes, we have noticed. But the pack is short of Omegas, and you seem to be fine working as a nest-cleaner. And, besides, you can't remember where you come from, can you?" Dovefrost asked, obviously knowing the answer.

"Nope, not a clue. But, I'll join your pack if you really want me to." Shadow Flash stirred the dust on the ground with her hoof.

Queen Dovefrost chuckled quietly. "Remember, if you want to be part of this pack you must remain loyal and do the proper initiation."

"Initiation, huh?" Shadow Flash said thoughtfully, raising her hoof to her chin.

"But, Queen Dovefrost! She's a pony! Wolves and ponies don't mix!" Jet blurted out, her eyes sparkling with fury.

"Yes, I'm very aware of that, Jet. But you yourself were complaining the other day about not having enough Omegas to clean out your nest. And what are we supposed to do with a pony who can't remember where she used to live? Put her out in the forest and leave her to die? You may think otherwise, but that's not how this pack works." Dovefrost said calmly.

Shadow Flash marveled at how different she was from Blazeclaw. Already she was starting to respect her and her ways.

"If you want to be part of this pack, you'll have to work hard and constantly show us your loyalty to the pack. That includes bringing back food instead of eating it out of camp, fighting next to us in battles, and above all, know that, while things get tough, you'll always have the pack by your side." Blazeclaw advised, yet there was a warning in there too.

"But, I thought you said I would be an Omega like Amoux." Shadow Flash said.

"Well, after the initiation we have to test your skills. If you're strong and fast, you have a good chance of becoming an Alpha. If you're weak and submissive, you will most certainly become an Omega." Queen Dovefrost looked at Lord Blazeclaw. "You seem troubled."

"Having a pony in the pack just doesn't feel right. They don't eat meat, they're weak, and they're scared of everything." He replied, swiping at a seed that had rolled into the den.

"We'll get used to it." Queen Dovefrost assured, licking his shoulder comfortingly. "Before you were born, there was a pony in the pack. He was amazing. Quite the charmer, in fact. But, while he was hunting, he accidentally nudged a lose rock, and was buried in seconds. I won't let that happen to this poor pony." She turned to Shadow Flash. "What's your name? I don't believe you've told us yet."

"Shadow Flash."

Dovefrost looked her over. "Hmm, it suits you." She looked at her arms and legs, studying her elbows and hooves. "We'll need a little work on the muscles, and have to do something with these." she lifted one of her wings with a paw. "You must a flying type. Your wings will have no use in the pack, but we can't just simply remove them. That would be too risky. I think were going to leave them, just as long as they don't get in the way." Queen Dovefrost backed away from her and looked at her like a mother at her succeeding child. "Well, Shadow Flash. I think you're ready to join the pack."

Nervousness pricked Shadow Flash's stomach as she sat in the healer's den, waiting for Queen Dovefrost to step on top of the large rock that stood in the middle of the clearing and announce the beginning of the ceremony. Then she would talk about how rare it was for them to welcome someone into the pack, and after a few more words she would then call for Shadow Flash to come out of the den and be brought into the pack. She had been run through the ceremony several times the past hour by Gemstone, the small silver-gray healer.

She stood by Shadow Flash now, her tail smoothing her now-clean wings, which had been rid of their horrible stench and burn marks by serious scrubbing with Gemstone's paw and water. The healer's tongue licked Shadow Flash's injury from earlier, remarking as she realized the wound went several inches deep, but not that surprised. "After all, Jet is a really strong Alpha." She had said in between laps. "The Beta Female, even!"

"I feel bad for Amoux, having a brother and sister as Alphas while he's an Omega." Said Shadow Flash sympathetically, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "He should have become an Alpha. He's really smart. And nice too."

"Well, that's just it. Alphas aren't supposed to be nice. The Alpha Male expects all Alphas to be made of hard stone and tough as steel." Gemstone bit off a half-burnt feather from Shadow's wings.

"Ow!" Shadow Flash squealed, looking back at her in anger. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry! I just want to make your wings look nice and pretty for your initiation. It's extremely rare for someone to join the pack, even rarer for a pony." Gemstone dropped the feather on the ground next to her and plucked out the next one, gentler this time. "I can't even remember the last time we had a pony in the pack. I wasn't born during the rein of Lightning Zap, but I'm glad. It must have been horrible..." she trailed off in thought, looking at a corner for a second, then shook her head and continued preening the filly's wings.

"But, I thought he was good. Queen Dovefrost spoke of him like he was." Shadow Flash said with a hint of confusion.

Gemstone laughed and shook her head. "No, no, no, not at all. He almost destroyed the entire pack when he was in control."

"Then why did Queen Dovefrost speak that way?" Shadow asked, looking back at the healer to make sure she didn't pull too many feathers at once.

"Well, don't tell anyone I know this, but..." she leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Queen Dovefrost was about to be his mate!"

Shadow Flash gasped. "Really?"

"Yep, but then he died during a rockfall, and, well, yeah. No more destruction, death, or blood. No more Lightning Zap." Gemstone lifted her head back and pulled one more feather out of her wings. "There you go! Good as new!" she looked at the patches of missing skin that dotted the filly's skin and tilted her head back. "Well, almost."

Shadow Flash opened her mouth to ask about Lightning Zap, but didn't get the chance when a gray-black wolf stepped in, his voice shaky with age. "You two best be ready. The ceremony's about to start."

Gemstone nodded and he stepped back out, walking towards a group of elderly wolves with a wobble or two. "My dad, the unsteady one of the family." Gemstone said to Shadow Flash.

Shadow Flash laughed a little and sat down, waiting patiently for Queen Dovefrost to appear. Actually, she didn't care if she showed up at all. She had been nervous talking to Queen Dovefrost and Lord Blazeclaw, but the thought of being in front of the entire pack just made her feel sick. And when she did step on the rock, Shadow Flash felt as if she were going to hurl.

"Now, you're all probably wondering why you're here." She began, waving her tail for silence. "As you know, we had a pony in the camp earlier. Jet and Titanium found her near the town of Ponyville, burned and dying..." Shadow Flash didn't listen to the rest. She noticed Queen Dovefrost left out Amoux and frowned, silently protesting. Just because he was an Omega didn't mean he didn't count as part of the group. He had done his equal share of keeping watch and making sure the group was protected.

Gemstone nudged her and she broke out of her thoughts. "You're up." she whispered. Queen Dovefrost was looking at her from her perch on the rock. Taking a deep breath, Shadow Flash puffed out her chest and started towards the rock.

Ponyville

Rainbow Dash kicked a small stone down the path, her heart about to burst. The stone wobbled on the edge of the bridge ahead of her, and after a few seconds fell into the pool of water beneath it. Shadow Flash, are you okay? It's Rainbow Dash here. Please, are you okay? There was no response in her head, and Rainbow Dash stamped the ground angrily with her hoof. Answer me! Again, no answer.

What's the use, Rainbow? She's dead. You saw it yourself. Just forget about it. But Rainbow Dash couldn't forget about it. The urge to get sweet, sweet revenge on her one and only friend was too strong to resist. She had made the plan a few days ago, even written it on paper so she wouldn't forget it. But, how would she find a stallion in all of Equestria? The witnesses of the destruction of the building hadn't gotten time to get a good look at him. And there weren't any fliers with him or his name on it.

Rainbow Dash pulled the paper out of her saddlebag and looked it over again. It cheered her up, thinking about how this plan would work when she finally found him. And she would find him. Dedicate her life to it, in fact. Her frown switched to a grin. No one messed with Rainbow Dash's only friend. You hear that, best friend killer? I'm coming for you. And trust me, you'll regret ever hurting her. I'll make you.

Shadow Flash's heart pumped wildly as she went forward to meet the alpha female. Lord Blazeclaw had joined her, his eyes glittering with disapproval. Shadow Flash hadn't spotted Amoux, but he probably wasn't allowed to join because he was an Omega. Stupid system, Shadow Flash thought, hitting the ground a little harder when she stepped. Jet and Titanium were sitting next to the large rock. When Jet caught her gaze, she bared her teeth and growled. Shadow Flash instantly looked away. Don't look at them! They're trying to make you trip-up and run away!

After what felt like years, Shadow Flash finally made it to the rock. She sighed in quiet relief. "Shadow Flash, since you have nowhere else to go and the pack is in desperate need of Omegas, Lord Blazeclaw and I have come to agree that you must join the pack. Is that your wish?" Queen Dovefrost leaned forward a little, the high authority sound in her voice echoing in Shadow Flash's mind.

Shadow Flash gulped and took a deep breath. "Yes?" she cleared her throat when she realized that was a question, ignoring Jet's snickering. "Yes, that is my wish."

Queen Dovefrost started to say something, but cut off abruptly as a slight breeze blew through the clearing. She sniffed the air and her eyes widened in alarm. Shadow Flash could tell she was trying her hardest to not go dashing off and find what the strange scent was. When Shadow Flash inhaled through her nose, she only scented the slightest hint of anything.

"If you don't mind me asking, Queen Dovefrost, are you okay? What's wrong?" Gemstone asked, her voice surprisingly submissive.

Queen Dovefrost stood still for a few seconds, then shook her head and took a deep breath. "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at a-" she cut off again as the wind blew for the second time, and this time Shadow Flash could smell other creatures, most likely dangerous. "It's...it's..."

Lord Blazeclaw nudged his mate, his eyes filling with concern. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" he took a sniff, and his face showed his disbelief. Some of the wolves raised their heads and smelled the air, coming to the same reaction. After a long wait, Lord Blazeclaw shook his head. "Wolves, I'm afraid were under attack! Every Alpha get ready to fight! Omegas, keep the pups and elders safe! And you," He turned his head to look at Shadow Flash. "you can come with me. I want to see your fighting skills."

Shadow Flash gasped silently. She was going to fight, even on her first day? Either Lord Blazeclaw really wanted to see her fight, or he just didn't trust her being in the camp without Alpha supervision. Probably the second one. But she didn't get enough time to argue. The wolves were already racing out of the camp, and Lord Blazeclaw was waiting impatiently for her.

"Get your little rump over here, or I'll fight you instead of our enemies!" he growled. Shadow Flash winced at his tone. She ran to him and past him, trying her best to catch up with the wolves. She looked back and caught Amoux's gaze.

"Sorry!" she mouthed, hoping he would understand. He nodded and followed some other wolves into one of the dens, Shadow Flash silently thanking him.

Lord Blazeclaw had already caught up to her, even though she had run clear into the forest. "The first thing we'll work on is speed." he said as the wind started kicking up, blowing his voice away. "If you live, that is." he muttered under his breath.

Shadow Flash frowned and put her head forward. Her heart was pounding and excitement pulsed through every muscle of her body. Her mind was on hyper-drive, swirling with fighting skills that had just appeared. She couldn't even remember learning how to fight, and yet her mind was telling her all the fight moves and weak points on her enemy, which, by the way, was a group of huge wolves, even bigger than Lord Blazeclaw. I guess I know how to fight, but I don't remember learning.

"Brace yourselves!" Jet called from the front. They emerged into another huge clearing, but this one was covered with a canopy of dark green. Thunder rolled in the distance, and a thin sheet of rain started to fall. Shadow Flash, still running, jumped as high as she could. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the wolves. They were pretty much all muscle, and their eyes gleamed with cold hatred. They looked worse than Shadow Flash had seen in her mind.

The group stopped abruptly and Shadow Flash almost ran into the backside of a black and gray wolf. Lord Blazeclaw stepped to the front and growled, baring his teeth. "What are you doing here?"

The leader of the group, a huge gray wolf with glowing amber eyes, stepped forward and growled back. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Blazeclaw, the leader of the pack of weak. What a surprise."

"How do you know me, and who are you?" Lord Blazeclaw dug his claws into the ground.

The gray wolf started circling Lord Blazeclaw, looking at him with a strange expression Shadow Flash didn't think she had encountered before. "Oh, I know exactly who you are. Everyone knows! Blazeclaw, the wolf who lets ponies into the pack." as he said that he glared at Shadow Flash, and she tried not to flinch at his rock-hard gaze. "And, as to who I am, well, that'll remain a mystery."

Lord Blazeclaw watched his every move as he circled him, slowly and surely. "And what are you doing on my territory?"

"Your territory? Hah! You really don't know?" he looked back at the other wolves and laughed hysterically, motioning for them to get closer. He pressed his face to Lord Blazeclaw's and looked him in the eyes. "You really don't know, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" The Alpha Male growled, scratching the ground with his paw.

"Wow, I knew you were stupid, but not that stupid. Wow, he's never noticed." he said under his breath before saying louder, "You haven't noticed the scents, the missing prey?"

"No, because we don't share the territory. We are a solitary pack, as most are."

"Well, can you tell me why were here, hmm?"

Lord Blazeclaw stood silent, didn't say anything, didn't even think about why they were here.

"Yes, I see." The gray wolf stepped back to stand in front of his group. "Now that we understand each other, ATTACK!"

Wolves started swarming out of the foliage like rats, each one bigger than the last. There were more than Shadow Flash could count, and Lord Blazeclaw had only brought his top Alphas, thinking it was just a stray wolf passing through the territory. Now he and his fighters were buried under a mass of wolves.

"Get backup!" he yelled at Shadow Flash after ripping himself free from a wolf. Shadow Flash nodded and sped away through the forest, the scene still in her head. Even though she wasn't there, she could still see what was happening as she got farther away. But there was no time to think about that. She had to get to the camp before they were terminated.

The trees flew past her, more of a blur than anything else. She dodged branches and jumped over fallen logs and bushes. Her blood was pumping faster than before, and excitement was her only feeling. Well, besides hate for the newly found wolves.That was another strange thing. Why was she so loyal to the pack all of a sudden? She had only just got there.

Shadow Flash shook her head and put on more speed. I wonder what I could do with these. She slowed her pace a little and looked back at her wings. Hmm... Shadow Flash started to open them, and almost immediately she was flung into the air. She let out a shriek and closed them again. "Let's not do that again." Shadow Flash mumbled to herself, and started to race towards camp again.

Finally, after what seemed like years, she spotted the bushes ahead and pushed through them at maximum speed, ignoring the sharp pain of the thorns that pierced her skin. "Help! The patrol is being attacked!"

Faces turned towards her, and some wolves headed out of camp quickly. One of the Alphas sniffed. "Why should we listen to a pony? They're hardly creatures, simply thin skin, fluffy manes, and colorful decorations on their flanks. Pretty dumb if you ask me."

Shadow Flash frowned and stamped her hoof angrily. "Fine!" She yelled. "If you want the pack to get killed by a group of wolves, then fine! It'll be your problem when the Lord kicks you out of the camp!"

The Alpha stood up and looked Shadow Flash up and down. "You speak as if you're part of the pack already."

Shadow Flash puffed out her chest and put a smug expression on her face. "I do, because I am part of the pack." She growled.

He laughed. "Tawny, take the pack to the battle area. I'll catch up." A light brown female wolf gathered all the wolves in the camp, including the Omegas, and led them out of the camp.

Shadow Flash turned to follow them, but the Alpha blocked her way. "Move it. They need a guide to lead them there." She tried dodging around him, but he was clearly faster than her.

"Where do you think you're going, pony? They can find their own way there. They are, after all," The Alpha took a step towards her, and she took a step back. "wolves." He bared his teeth. His gray and white fur glistened in the weak sunlight, and suddenly he looked ten times bigger than before. "And what are you?"

Shadow Flash took another step back. "Part of the pack."

"Wrong." He growled, and launched himself at her. His shoulders scraped their way across her's, causing her to shriek and jump back. "You are nothing more than a dumb, weak, stupid, pony!" With each word, his claws dug into her skin, cutting the older ones deeper and leaving long red scratches that looked like stripes on her dark blue pelt.

Shadow Flash struck out with her hoof, and hit him directly in the eye. He lost his grip on her, and that gave her a few seconds to run out of the camp, but not enough for her to escape. The Alpha's claws gripped her flanks and pulled her back. When Shadow Flash looked back at him, his eye was already swelling and blood was trickling down his cheek. It was the most frightening thing she had ever seen.

When he had pulled her close to him, she quickly opened her wings and fluttered them. The Alpha backed away again, but this time he brought his claws across her flank. Shadow Flash screamed and pulled herself free. He growled, snapping at her wings. Without thinking about what she was doing, Shadow Flash opened her wings and...

Everything suddenly froze. The Alpha was stuck, one paw on the ground and the others in the air. His teeth were inches away from Shadow Flash's wings. He was so close that the filly could see saliva hanging from one huge fang. Shadow Flash hurried from him, looking back to make sure that he stayed where he was.

Shadow Flash prodded him with a hoof. The Alpha rocked like a statue, but didn't fall. "Um...sir?" Shadow Flash was, of course, concerned about what she had done, but she really didn't want him back.

After looking him over several times, she gave up and slipped out of the camp. The bushes rustled as she continued back to the battle scene, the sun shining overhead, and everything was as it should be. But that was strange. The Alpha had been frozen, but everything else was perfectly fine. Shadow Flash shook her head to clear it of the fuzziness that had started to grow. She could no longer see the battle in her head, but she knew that it was bad.

"Shadow Flash, wake up!" Something jerked the dark blue filly's shoulder, and she blinked awake.

Amoux was standing over her, a small grin on his face. "You fell asleep after the ceremony, so I brought you into the Omega's den." The grin fell from his face, and he scuffed the ground with a paw, suddenly shy. "I-I hope you don't mind."

Shadow Flash yawned and stretched. "No, it's perfectly fine." She shook out her mane, flapping her wings. "What's happened while I was sleeping?"

Amoux shrugged. "The Alphas are choosing your mentor for your training."

Shadow Flash frowned. "Hmm, I bet their going to give me the lowest and dumbest wolf in the pack, so I won't learn anything."

Amoux sat, looking slightly sad. "I'm the lowest rank, actually."

"I'm sorry!" Shadow Flash said quickly. "I thought you were higher."

Amoux looked to the side, avoiding her gaze. "C-can you meet me outside camp tonight?"

"Uh, sure. Why?" Shadow Flash sat in front of him. She held out her wings to make her look bigger, but it didn't help.

"No reason!" Amoux said and rushed out of the den.

Shadow Flash looked out at Amoux, racing from the den, into the forest. Her mind was still processing what had just happened, and from what she could tell, Amoux had asked her out.

Don't be silly, she told herself. Amoux was probably just going to show her around the forest, or teach her some things about the pack. It wasn't a date.

Only a few seconds after he disappeared, Shadow Flash hurried after him. She was determined to find out what he wanted with her. But she didn't get to follow him. A beautiful white wolf stepped in her path, looking down at her with a loving expression. She was small, almost as tall as Shadow Flash.

"Uh, hi." Shadow said awkwardly. "You didn't happen to see a brown wolf heading this way, did you?" She tried to side-step the wolf, but she was faster than she expected. Shadow was scooped up in the wolf's mouth and brought out of the camp. "Hey! Back off!" She yelled, fluttering her wings.

They walked for some time, passing trees and dark bushes, until finally they reached a sandy clearing. The wolf placed Shadow Flash down and sat, watching her. "What the heck was that?" Shadow said.

The white wolf cleared her throat. "Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Shimmer. I've been instructed to train you."

Shadow Flash tilted her head, anger forgotten and suddenly curious. "Train me?"

"Why, yes." Shimmer said. "If you are to become an Alpha, or Omega, we have to train you."

"For both? Wouldn't there be one teacher for each?" Shadow Flash sat down in front of her, looking her over. She noticed that Shimmer had a silver earing on her left ear, and a golden bracelet on each front paw.

"There are. But I am a rare wolf." She spoke as if she were special and dangerous. "I'm a mix between an Alpha and an Omega, which means that I hunt and fight, but also clean dens and organize the prey. I'm also a teacher, so I can teach either. That's why the Alphas assigned me to you."

"That's cool!" Shadow Flash exclaimed. She was suddenly eager to show everything she had. "So, what are we going to do first? Hunting? Fighting?" She gasped. "Sneaking?"

"Well, let's not get carried away." Shimmer placed a paw on her shoulder. "I just want to watch how you do things."

"Oh," Shadow said, slightly disappointed.

"Hey, don't worry." Shimmer stood, smiling. "After were done with this, I can teach you to hunt."

"Okay!" Shadow Flash jumped to her hooves. "What first?"

"Go over to the edge of the clearing, and then crouch and walk over to me. I want to see your stealth."

Shadow Flash obeyed and hurried over to a bush at the other side of the clearing, directly in front of Shimmer. She crouched low to the ground, being careful to tuck in her wings, and slowly walked over to her mentor. Shadow placed each hoof down as quietly as she could, imagining that she was stalking prey.

"So, how'd I do?" She asked, bouncing.

"You were surprisingly quiet, but you need to tuck in your rump." Shimmer said, stifling a laugh.

Shadow Flash looked back at her scared rump, frowning. "But, I did pretty good?"

Shimmer paused. "Well, for a pony...I would have to say yes."

"Yes!" Shadow Flash bounced around in glee around her mentor. "I'm gonna be an Alpha! I'm gonna be an Alpha! I'm gonna be-"

Shimmer put a paw on Shadow's chest. "Let's not say that quite yet. You still have to prove that you are a good hunter, fighter, all the sorts." Seeing Shadow Flash's crestfallen expression, she lifted her chin up with her paw. "Hey, you have a fairly good chance of getting to be an Alpha. When I was training, it took me a long time to get the hang of stalking prey, but I still got a high rank."

Shadow Flash sat down, tears welling up in her eyes. "But what if they don't like me? What if they-" she let out a loud sob. "What if they kill me?"

Shimmer pulled her closer to her body. Shadow Flash had to admit that her soft fur was comforting, and she gingerly wrapped a wing around her mentor's waist. Shimmer glanced back at it, but did nothing to remove it. "Then we'll teach them not to. Trust me, once we're done with training, you're going to be the best Alpha there ever was."

Shadow Flash looked into Shimmer's eyes. "Y-You think so?"

"I know so." Shimmer bit her wing playfully, being careful to not hit the injured areas. "Now, let's practice that stalk again."

"Okay!" Shadow Flash leaped to her hooves.

Several hours later...

Shadow Flash followed her mentor through the forest. She was careful not to step on any leaves or broken branches, but it was hard. Everywhere they walked was another branch that had fallen from a tree, or a cluster of leaves.

Suddenly Shadow felt a damp paw hold her back from walking any further. She looked ahead. There was a small white creature with a huge ears and a fluffy tail. "What is that?" She asked Shimmer. The white wolf placed the paw over her mouth, and Shadow Flash tasted wet grass.

Shimmer crouched low to the ground, holding her tail off the ground, her ears pricked. She slowly and surely stalked behind the creature, and once she was only a few feet away, she leaped. The creature shrieked as she landed in front of it and bit into its neck, killing it. Shadow Flash gasped. Her eyes fell onto how Shimmer was crouched, how she held herself. She needed to know everything if she wanted to become an Alpha.

Shimmer trotted back to her, the creature in her mouth. She placed it before Shadow and pushed it to her hooves. "Eat it." She commanded.

"What is it?" Shadow Flash asked, prodding the creature.

"Rabbit. It should be enough for you."

Shadow Flash's stomach grumbled as the smell of the rabbit wafted towards her. Even though it was meat, it smelled heavenly.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She didn't want to be greedy over the kill.

Shimmer shook her head. "I already ate this morning." Shadow looked at her. "Well, don't let it get cold."

"But, they said that ponies don't eat meat..."Shadow Flash trailed off.

"The last one did. What makes you think that you couldn't become like him?" Shimmer tilted her head, clearly loosing her patience.

"I don't want to be like him!" Shadow Flash stamped her hoof. "Gemstone said-"

"Gemstone lies!" Shimmer growled. "Lightning Zap was the best member that any pack could ask for!"

"How should you know?" Shadow Flash stepped over the rabbit, not caring if her stomach rumbled. She bared her teeth and opened her wings, but Shimmer bared her teeth as well, making her seem much more fierce.

"Because I trained him!" Shimmer yelled.

"W-What?" Shadow stuttered.

"Yes, I trained him." Shimmer calmed down only a little bit. "He was the best apprentice anyone could wish for. And I want you to be trained like him." She pushed her back behind the rabbit. "Now eat."

"Fine!" Shadow Flash bent over the rabbit and tore a huge chunk out of its side. It tasted strange. It was chewy and warm, and when she bit down into parts of it, blood squirted out onto her tongue. It wasn't bad, but wasn't good either. She swallowed it and took another bite.

"How is it?" Shimmer asked.

"It tastes weird." Shadow Flash said, her voice muffled by the food. She took another bite and pulled out a large stringy piece that seemed to lap over itself in the rabbit's lower body.

"Oh, don't eat that." Shimmer took it out of her mouth and threw it into the bushes.

"Hey!" Shadow Flash went to retrieve the piece, but couldn't find it through the thick foliage. "That was mine!"

"Trust me. You don't want to eat intestines." Shimmer guided her back through the rabbit.

"Why?"

"I mean, you can eat it later, but not right now." Shimmer took out another tube from the rabbit, this one thicker than the last. "The first time Lightning ate meat, he went straight for the intestines, and he was regretting it through the rest of the day, if you know what I mean."

"I don't think I want to." Shadow Flash said, smiling. There was only a little bit of rabbit left, which she pushed towards Shimmer. "I'm done."

"You sure?" Shimmer asked. Shadow nodded, and the white wolf finished the meat off in one quick bite. "Okay, let's get back to the camp."

"Actually, I kinda want to explore." Shadow Flash said. Amoux had said to meet her outside of the camp, but she thought that she would look around before the sun went down.

"Okay, just stay within the scent markers." Shimmer responded, walking off. "You'll know them when you smell them!" She called over her shoulder.

Great, now I can do what I want. Shadow Flash thought, and walked in the opposite direction.

Shadow Flash slowed to a halt in front of the camp, unsure whether to go in or not. The sun had set behind her, and she had decided to head back home. She looked around for Amoux but couldn't find him in any of the bushes or around the trees. She was confused. Amoux was the one who told her to meet him, but he wasn't here.

Maybe I'm too early, She thought. That was probably it. Shadow Flash shrugged and turned back into the forest. She followed an invisible path, heading in no certain direction.

Shadow Flash looked admiringly at the dark green leaves and noticed that in the darkness, they gave off an even brighter red glow. The moonlight enhanced that glow so that it shone like the sun in the glorious night. She hopped over a small stream of water, landing in a patch of damp leaves that squished loudly beneath her hooves. Her gaze swept across what little she could see and found a pair of light orange eyes.

A familiar scent bathed her nose. "Amoux, I know that's you." Shadow called out. She watched as the eyes blinked, and then Amoux slowly peeked out of the bushes.

The small brown wolf laughed nervously. "H-Hi." He said.

"So, why did you want me here?" Shadow Flash sat on a spot that was drier than the rest, but still pretty damp. She could tell that Amoux was still uncomfortable talking around her.

"Well, I kinda wanted to show you something." Without saying any more, Amoux disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Shadow Flash followed quickly, using only his scent to find him. They appeared in another clearing, and memories came flooding back to the dark blue filly. This was the clearing that she had first been found.

"W-Why would you want to show me this?" Shadow Flash growled.

"Not this. Something else." Amoux continued into the forest, passing over the blood-stained grass with no thought of the pain that Shadow Flash got from here. Shadow Flash followed reluctantly. She got a sick feeling when she stepped onto her blood. It had only a couple of days when she was last here, and the memories still stung.

Amoux lead her up several hills and down into rivers, crossing over different parts of territory. She didn't realize that the pack land was so large. The scent of wolves was still in her nose when they came to a larger ridge than the rest.

"Look down." Amoux waved his tail behind her, lightly pushing her forward. As Shadow Flash looked over the ridge, her eyes widened.

Below the ledge, it dropped off into a cliff made entirely of dark gray rock. The cliff went down for what looked like miles, but in reality, it was about twenty-three feet. The rocks crumbled off into grass, which swooped and soared across the ground and filled it with hills and dips. The foothills lead to something Shadow Flash had never seen before. They were made out of trees and had yellow grass at the tops. Lights glistened beautifully throughout the entirety of it. She saw streams crossed over with compacted stones, and shapes moving across them. A merry song came from the strange camp.

Shadow Flash looked at Amoux. "What is this place?" She asked. She noticed how Amoux looked in the moonlight. The moon was nearly full, and it caused his light brown pelt to glow and shimmer. His amber eyes flickered like fire, and his smile was even greater.

"This is Ponyville." Amoux sat, gazing out nothing in particular.

"Ponyville?" Shadow Flash sat next to him, careful not to touch.

"Yes. It's a cute little settlement. Filled with ponies of all sorts. Pegasi, Unicorns, Earth Ponies, everything." He said without looking at her. Amoux took a deep breath, then turned to her, still smiling. "I believe it is where you came from."

Shadow Flash stared into his eyes, taking in the beauty that lay there. "You mean...?" She trailed off, for she was lost in him. There was something that drew her attention. She knew it was wrong to love him, but she could not change her emotions. Amoux put a knowing look on his face, and Shadow instantly looked away.

She felt something touch her back. "Wha-" Shadow Flash began to say, but realized that Amoux had pulled himself closer to her and wrapped his tail around her wings. "A-Amoux, what are you doing?"

"I can stop if you want." Amoux started to pull away his tail, but Shadow Flash pulled it back with her wings.

"No, I-I like it." She said shyly. They both looked at each other, gazing into their eyes. "Amoux, do you-" Amoux moved his tail across her mouth.

"Shh." He said lovingly. Amoux lay down with his paws draping over the edge of the cliff and beckoned for Shadow Flash to do the same. Shadow followed his command and cuddled next to his warm body, laying her head on his shoulder. He brought his head down across her neck, his tail curling around her body.

Shadow Flash tried not to think much of the affection he had suddenly given her, but she couldn't help and wonder why he was doing this. It felt wrong, but it also felt so right.

She looked away from him and turned her attention to Ponyville. It was a perfect night. The air was crisp and clean, and the moon enhanced the scenery to its full glory. The trees surrounded them with a gentle hum, and the music from the town drifted quietly towards them. A star crossed the moon, and Amoux pointed to it with a paw.

"Make a wish." He said. Shadow Flash closed her eyes tightly, and wished for the thing she wanted most: to be with Amoux for the rest of her life.

When she opened her eyes, Amoux was looking at her. "What did you wish for?"

Shadow Flash blushed. "Just for a great life in the pack." She lied and said no more. She placed her head on Amoux's shoulder and shut her eyes once more, falling asleep quickly.

Amoux rubbed his muzzle against the top of Shadow's head in a loving manor. She was so beautiful with her wings slightly perked and her ears twitching in her sleep.

He looked up towards the moon and caught another shooting star. He had nothing to wish for. Everything he wanted was right here next to him. But he did make one. He wished for her to come to understand his feelings for her, even if it was wrong in so many ways.

Amoux lay his head on her neck and closed his eyes. He drifted into sleep, but not before he saw the dark shadow of his sister cross the clearing.