"Um, maybe you should calm down, Needle." Rambler urged, as she followed the young magenta mare storming down the halls.

Even so, the earth pony continued on, ignoring her best friend's advice. She had every right to be infuriated, and she felt wholly justified in her fury. She wouldn't be doing her job if she wasn't pissed about this. Without warning, Needle Work turned on her forehooves and bucked a door open. About facing, she stared in on the scene inside with a dark look.

Within the larger office than her own were two other mares, and they had the young filly Cocobomb seated before them. The two mares were Security Chief Razor Sharp, a rare bicorn, and the odd bat pony Madame Elegance. Cocobomb stared up at the cat-like Security Chief in clear fear, intimidated by more than her rough unkempt grey coat and sharp cruel teeth and bull-horns. Needle snarled at the scene. "Rambler, take the filly and go get her some ice cream." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" Rambler responded worriedly and hurried over to fetch the young brown unicorn.

But as the pegasus ushered the scared foal out of the room she was stopped by Razor's voice, "I can not allow you to do that."

"The wellbeing of all the orphans here is my duty. Her care is under my authority." Needle growled.

"And the safety of this sanctuary and those within is MY duty. She stays." The bicorn retorted aggravatedly.

"She is not a threat!" The earth mare screamed, as she stepped inbetween the predatory pony and Cocobomb.

Wasting no more time, Rambler hurried out with the young unicorn.

Razor Sharp narrowed her eyes at Needle Work. "She snuck onto the grounds." The white-maned mare asserted.

"She's homeless." The earth pony growled.

"No adult should've been able to get in without being noticed, let alone a foal." The bicorn snarled back, her long feline tail snapping at the ground like a whip.

"Oh yes, so that makes it alright to interrogate her like an adult!" Needle yelled, and stepped up to the challenge by walking up to the Security Chief's face, glaring right into her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you, monster!" Razor snapped, and tilted her head forward slightly to press the tips of her sharp horns against the magenta mare's head.

"Funny hearing that from you!" Needle retorted, her eyes narrowing to pin pricks at the insult.

"Enough!" Elegance commanded, ending her silence.

Needle Work hesitated, before pulling out of her peer's face. Her attention fell on the tall rose-colored mare behind the Security Chief, a color which was very odd for her breed. Elegance sat just out of the sunlight, her pale platinum mane and tail still somehow managing to catch the light. "Razor Sharp, the foals' care falls under Matron Needle Work's authority, and if she feels you were being too harsh then you are to heed her advice. Needle Work, the Security Chief is correct. If a foal like her managed to sneak in then we have a breach in our defenses, and it must be fixed. Since we know not what it is, that filly is our only way to find out. We do not want one of the orphans running away, and we do not want anything malicious intent to find its way in. Now, this questioning will resume later, and you will BOTH cooperate in it. Am I understood?" The powerful mare asked.

"Yes ma'am." Razor agreed unwillingly.

Needle Work had to stop from spitting at the order. "Fine." She grunted.

"Good. Then we're done here." Madame Elegance stated curtly, as she rose to stand on her long legs.

Once the bat pony had left Needle took the chance to shoot Razor another glare, earning a warning growl from the bicorn, before leaving herself. She was not at all satisfied with the way things turned out. She hated working with the Security Chief. More than once they'd come close to ripping each other's throats out, and usually it was because of the way predatory pony treated a foal. It was not that the earth mare didn't respect Razor Sharp. The cat-shaped pony was a capable soldier, and she did her job well. When it came to the orphans, though, the bull-horned bitch showed little consideration for how to act around them. She treated them like adults, and you couldn't do that with most foals. The worst part, though, was that the poor filly who'd snuck in would have to be interrogated again. At least Needle could try to prepare her now.

"YOU! Wait up!" A voice interrupted that Matron's thoughts.

Holding back a groan, Needle Work spun in mid-step to spot that recruit again. What did she call herself the other day? Trixie? "What?" She asked shortly.

The showmare stormed up to her with an agitated scowl. "You snubbed Trixie!" She stated.

"Your point?" Needle asked, not seeing the big deal.

"You disrespected her in front of the foal she saved!" Trixie asserted.

Needle took a deep breath, and rubbed her forehead with hoof to try to keep her shortening temper in check. "You didn't save Pipsqueak. We are not heroes. We are her Grace's forehoof. We each do a duty. That's it! There is no glory. There is no fame. You did your job, and you did it well. But that's all." She tried to explain.

"Pipsqueak?" Trixie blurted, only partly catching what was said.

"It's part of my duty to know who all the foals here are, and it was part of my duty to give Pipsqueak a one on one to sort things out!" Needle answered with glare at the unicorn for not even knowing the name of the foal she helped. "There was no time or sense for you to boast."

"Boast?! Trixie learnt her lesson before! She does not exaggerate the truth!" The azure unicorn protested.

Needle Work grit her teeth. Quickly, she wrapped her forehoof around the Showmare's head, and pulled it against her own to look in the offending unicorn's eyes. "Then learn this! I am not in the mood to put up with someone else's attitude, and I'm doing my best not to beat the ever-living crap out of you! Now piss off before I stop caring about what anyone who sees might think!" She threatened.

Trixie gulped. "Y-you can't do that to Trixie!" She tried to reason.

Needle continued to glare at the azure mare silently for a moment, before finally releasing her head. "No. You're right." The Matron grunted and turned to leave. "Just don't make yourself a nuisance."

The point must have been made, because the annoying unicorn didn't follow any further. Needle Work was granted peace, as she continued her walk. No one else bothered her, and she was able to cool down. Her Majesty often warned her that she needed to work on her temper, but it wasn't exactly that easy. Needle Work had been able to fly off the handle whenever she wanted, before she joined the LAA. She often had too, making it a habit, and old habits are hard to break.

Upon reaching the dining hall, the earth mare only had to look around to spot her friend waving energetically at her from the distance. Needle took just a moment to trot over to the pegasus and smirked at the sight before her. Rambler was shoveling ice cream into her mouth like an energetic filly. "Needle, you should have some!" The pegasus offered around a mouthful, and slid her half eaten bowl over some.

Staring at the messy, partially melted, and drool ridden frozen treat the Matron of the facility could only chuckle nervously, "U-um, no thanks, Rambler. You can have it."

With a shrug, her best friend drew the bowl back over and resumed eating. Needle Work then took notice of something else. Cocobomb wasn't here. "Hey, where's that filly I sent you away with?" She asked.

"Hmm? Oh, she said she didn't want any ice cream, so she left! I got to have her bowl, though!" Rambler answered joyfully through her full mouth.

Needle could only sigh. Of course Rambler would just let the filly go. Ah well, it's not like she was going to find more trouble.

Pipsqueak tried his best to ignore Button Mash's rambling. Evidently, the other earth colt had somehow gotten the idea that they were friends, and was hanging out with him all the time now. It wasn't exactly appealing given how obnoxious the chocolate earth pony was, but for some reason Pip couldn't tell him to buzz off. With a sigh, the young colt tried to focus on his story book.

--heeded not the word of his elder. Arrogantly, the Colt strode into the forest as the day before. For he had already proven to himself that no animal would dare him for fear of his father, whose dominion stretched far throughout the tribes of ponies.

As before, no animal laid hold to him. The manticore lay as still as before, and yea even the Ursa did play as tender as a kitten. Then came the Colt unto a patch of trees he did not recognize. Deeper had the Colt tread than the day before, but he did not worry. For he knew his father's authority protected him. It was at this time came an animal from the trees that the Colt did not know. A great Wolf of immense size with a hunger to his gaze.

Boldly, the Colt spoke until the beast, "Wolf, I am the son of the great Warlord, whose dominion stretches wide across pony lands. Therefore, I command you bow down to me."

A smile grew upon the beast's face, and the Wolf spoke thus, "--

"--And so if I wanna beat the giant killer moth I need to spend hours grinding, and that's just not my thing. So I looked up a guide on the internet, and I found that there's this really cool sword hidden somewhere in the Cave of Despair that might--" Button Mash continued rambling, interrupting Pipsqueak's train of thought.

"You know what?" The pinto pony stopped his annoying acquaintance, jumping off his bed. "I'm gonna go play outside."

"Oh, cool. I'll go with you." Button stated.

Pip slapped his own face to keep from groaning. Even as the chocolate colt stood up to follow him, carrying his gamecolt in his mouth. It seemed there would be no escaping Button's company. At least the slightly older orphan had shut up now. Resigning himself to the other earth foal's companionship, Pip trotted over to the door, but before he could jump up to hit the knob it swung inward, nearly hitting him in the face.

The pinto colt stumbled back in surprise, but on the other side of the door was only the slender more mature frame of Cocobomb. Pipsqueak fought not to glare at the unicorn, figuring it would be bad to start something with his abruptly added roommate. The filly, though, stared down at him in an odd form of concern. "Oh, are you alright? I didn't know you were right there." She excused.

"I'm fine." Pip grunted. "I was just going outside."

Cocobomb frowned. "Oh, uh...Maybe I can come with you?" She wondered.

"No way. Keep your cooties away from us." Button Mash interjected, his voice slightly muffled by his game system.

The older filly sent a glare at the foal, making him flinch back, before turning her attention back to her roommate with a softer expression. For once, though, Pipsqueak was in agreement with Button. One unwanted companion was enough for him. "No. You're not coming." He answered.

Cocobomb's frown deepened. "But, m-maybe I...okay." She surrendered, and stepped aside to allow Pip and Button to go.

The pinto colt left without further word, but Button Mash smugly stopped to blow a raspberry at the filly around the system in his mouth. His fumbling attempt at taunting the tall orphan caused his game to unpause, though, and his character was swiftly killed. Eyes widening, the earth foal spat out his game colt with a shout, "Dang it!"

Cocobomb smirked at the chocolate colt's misfortune, but as Button ran off after Pipsqueak without his game her frown returned. Pip remained unaware of the exchange, as he cantered down the stairs to the main entrance. He didn't pause to wait for Button. The original point of heading outside was to ditch the slightly older foal. So it was much to the pinto pony's aggravation when his annoying companion caught up and started speaking again, "Who does that filly think she is? You can't just hang with the cool herd like that."

Pip paused, as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "The cool herd?" He asked incredulously, quirking a brow at the chocolate colt.

Button Mash's eyes drooped to the ground. "Yeah, okay. We're not that cool." He admitted. "B-but still, fillies have cooties!"

Rolling his eyes, Pipsqueak trotted up to the front door. "My mom said that cooties were just an invention of the popular foals to keep all the really cool ponies to themselves." He responded.

"Really?" Button blurted, his voice squeaking in surprise. "She sounds like she knows a lot. Where is she? My mom kind of lost me...Er, well, she didn't really lose me. I kind of ran away cause I didn't want to move from Manehatten to some little village called Ponyville. When the LAA found me they'd tried to bring me back, but I left on the day of the move. So she wasn't there anymore."

Pip grit his teeth at the question. It wasn't obvious what happened to his mother? No, he supposed it couldn't be to some idiot who didn't appreciate his parent when he still had her! "She's dead." The smaller earth colt stated, and jumped up to the handle to open the door.

As the entrance cracked open he dropped down, but Button followed him outside a bit more slowly. "O-oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know." The chocolate colt apologized.

Pipsqueak didn't respond, as he descended the doorway's stairs. It was a bright sunny day, and the cool spring weather had enticed more than a few other orphans outside. Several of them seemed to be playing tag or hide and seek. While others didn't seem to be playing any discernible game at all, just running to and fro happily.

The pinto pony made his way to none of them. Instead, he chose a secluded part of the foster home's courtyard between the fence and the side of the massive facility. "Why are we over here?" Button asked. "Everypony else is up front."

"BECAUSE everypony else is upfront." Pip answered, as he laid down against the foot of the building.

Button furrowed his brow, not understanding, but before he could question his friend further a familiar voice called out, "There you are, you little shit."

The chocolate colt froze, and Pipsqueak turned his gaze to the pegasus now coming down the alleyway. He was tall, even taller than Cocobomb, with a dirty silver coat. The colt had to be in his teens. "You slipped away without paying up the other day, so you owe me interest on top of the usual ten bits." The mangy colt stated.

Button turned and around chuckled nervously, "Oh, uh, h-hey! Fancy meeting you here, Quicksilver. U-umm, I-I don't uh...h-have the money right now."

"Really? That's a shame. I guess I'm gonna have to extract payment another way." Quicksilver stated in mock-pity.

Pipsqueak frowned. He couldn't stand bullies, and...like it or not Button was his friend. "Hey! Pick on somepony your own size!" The short orphan ordered, as he climbed to his hooves.

Quicksilver seemed to take note of the pinto pony for the first time. "Oh? You want to pay in his stead? Alright then." The teenaged colt responded almost pleasantly.

Without warning, the bully swung a hoof at Pip's head, and he barely managed to duck in time. He was unprepared for the swift uppercut that followed, though, as Quicksilver reared up to pull the move off. Pipsqueak was knocked onto his side by blow, tearing up a little from the pain. The pegasus moved to continue beating the helpless foal, only for Button to halt him by grabbing onto his forehoof. "No! I'm the one you want, not him!" The chocolate colt begged.

Quicksilver grunted, and knocked the earth pony off his hoof. "Sorry, shit-stain, but the shrimp needs to learn the pecking order." He spat.

"Leave. Him! ALONE!" Another voice roared.

Pip blinked in surprise. At the entrance of the alley stood Cocobomb. The filly looked much larger than before, as the light framed her like some sort of hero. Quicksilver was clearly unimpressed, though. "Oh? You want some too, filly?" He taunted.

Cocobomb snarled like an animal, and in the blink of an eye she charged forward. Quicksilver, flinched back, unprepared for the brown filly's speed, but it didn't save him from the attack. The seemingly slender unicorn stopped right before ramming into the bully and spun around on her forehooves. Only to swing her hindhooves into the side of the pegasus' face with the full force of her gallop. The teenaged pegasus cried out in pain from the blow, as his head slammed into the foster home's metal fence. Groaning, he tried to stand back up, but Cocobomb pressed a hoof down on his neck. Pipsqueak couldn't see the look on his roommate's face, but he could easily read one of terror on Quicksilver's. "Stay down." The brown filly snarled with more than a hint of viciousness.

Button Mash scuttled over to Pip and quickly helped the younger foal up. "Come on, let's get out of here." He whispered in panic.

Pip didn't move, though. He was too young to understand the intricacies of combat, but he knew what he just saw was not the work of an undisciplined fighter. He was in awe. As the tall filly finally stepped off of Quicksilver's neck and turned her attention to the two younger orphans, Button hid behind Pipsqueak, but it was Cocobomb's soft look of concern from earlier that met them. "I wasn't too late, was I?" She asked.

Pipsqueak wasn't sure what to say. He was grateful for the help, but he couldn't say he didn't share some of Button's sentiments at the moment. Why had she shown up? "I thought I said for you not to come." He responded, trying to make the comment as little rude as possible.

"Oh, u-um, well I don't know anyone, so when I thought about it some more I went against your wishes. I mean...I don't have any friends, and we can't be friends if we don't get to know each other, right?" The brown unicorn tried to explain, almost as if making an excuse.

Pip frowned for a moment, before allowing a small smile to grow on his face. "Well, thanks for helping us." He said.

"Y-yeah, thanks." Button agreed, as he cautiously came out from behind his smaller friend.

"You're welcome, Pipsqueak!" Cocobomb replied happily, brightening up. "Now come on. Let's leave this worm to lick his wounds."

Nodding in agreement, the pinto colt trotted out from between the foster home and fence with Coco and Button Mash trailing behind him. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought.

Pip walked through the forest slowly. His eyes shifted about his surroundings in worry. He didn't know where he was, or how he came to be here. All he knew was that it was late, the moon high into the sky, and he heard odd sounds every now and then. The cracking of a twig or clap of something hard against wood. He wasn't alone, and he knew it. There was something in this forest with him, a shadow amongst the trees.

The young colt had no idea where he was heading until he came to it. A small clearing within the forest was laid out before him, and within its center were two gravestone with very familiar names. Pipsqueak froze and teared up at the sight, but why were his parents out here in the forest? From the shadows across from him, the small orphan noticed two glowing turquoise eyes. He stared into the mesmerizing orbs, until a sudden motion jerked him awake.

Pipsqueak's bolted into consciousness and sat up in bed panting, the haunting eyes from his dream burned into his brain. A creak drew the foal's attention to the cracked door of the room. He furrowed his eyebrows. Why was the door open? He could hear Cocobomb snoring in the bed above him, so he knew she was still here. Had someone been in their room?

Gulping, Pip jumped out of bed and approached the door. He stuck his head through the crack and looked around cautiously, but the hall was empty. "H-hello?" He called out to the darkness.

When he received no response, he looked back at his bunk bed, at Cocobomb's sleeping form. He'd feel a lot safer in his roommate's company, but he didn't want to disturb her. Swallowing hard once more, the earth colt nudged his way out of the room and started down the hall.

The somber elegant coloring or the LAA foster home took on an ominous feeling at night, the dark colors consuming far more light than necessary. Pip could barely make out his hooves on the ground. It was simply too dark. He was about to turn back when heard the heavy steps of something very close by. Then the colt froze, as hanging high above him were those glowing turquoise eyes from his dream.

And thus the Wolf spoke, "Welcome, oh Warlord's son, into my dominion."

Author's Note

Sorry for this one taking longer, but, as I said, I make no promise on specific times. I only guarantee that I'm working on the chapters as fast possible. That said, I hope you enjoy this one as much as the previous two.

Also, I forgot to mention last time, Cocobomb is an OC belonging to Janushyde. She is not my own, but was invented during private RPs between the two of us. Janushyde has given me full permission to use her and all other OC characters he has made, and as such he might see what's going on here. I hope to throw him for a loop too.

Finally, big thanks to Leonofsweden for pre-reading my chapters for me.