Under the Moonlightby chuck-vic-norrisChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2PrologueFifteen years ago It was dark and quiet, with only the moon being the source of light and the running water of a river providing the only sound. All that could be seen were the tall and eerie trees accompanied with large thick bushes as far as the eye can see. Within the thick forest was a river that connected to a lake, its clear water reflecting the moonlight. The calm flow of the river provided a soothing tune that made the Everfree Forest less ominous. The steady flow of the river was suddenly disrupted by three colts who were barely teenagers as they ran in fear. Their legs and lungs were begging for rest, but the thought of being mauled or eaten made them pick up their pace. “You idiot! Out of all the crazy ideas you had, THIS WAS THE WORST! WE’RE DEAD!” one of the colts yelled as the group tried to escape the forest. “Shut up, Storm! You’re just making it easier for it to track us!” the second colt whispered breathlessly. Storm ignored the second colt and looked desperately at the third, hoping there would be some plan to escape alive. They could hear the beast chasing them panting as it was getting closer. “Blaze, what do we do?!” he nearly shouted. Blaze quickly searched his surroundings as he and his friends ran. The forest was too thick with trees and branches for them to take flight. Flying their way through would only lower their chances of survival should any of them injure their wings. With their legs reaching their limits they needed a plan quickly. Come on, there has to be a cave to hide in, we can’t run forever! He began to lose hope when he realized just how deep they were in the forest. At the pace they were going, they would never reach the edge. We’re gonna die…this is all my fault… Blaze felt as if his heart was being torn apart by the very beast that was chasing them. What started off as Blaze’s idea of a late night race through the forest had sadly transformed into a race for survival. When he faced his friends in their final moments, tears were flowing down his face. At that moment, his friends knew there was no escape, their end was inevitable. With a heavy heart he said to them, “I don’t know…” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Meanwhile The night was painfully slow as a couple was sitting in the living room of their home. It was nearing midnight and their son had yet to return. Their daughter grew concerned for her brother’s safety as well and begged to wait in the living room. It took time, but the parents had managed to convince her to go upstairs to bed. Now they currently wait on the sofa, the mother looking at some of the family photos hanging on the walls, and the father constantly glancing at the clock by the kitchen area. Never before had their son stayed out this late at night. The latest he would arrive would be around ten due to the dangers of the area near the forest. The parents had waited patiently for his return but as it neared eleven, their patience quickly changed to fear. They had reported to the guards about their child missing and anxiously waited for word to return. A knock on the front door had both parents scrambling to their hooves and they nearly yanked the door off its hinges. In front of them stood a guard carrying a straight face, but his eyes betrayed him and their fears only grew. The mother was the first to speak. “Where is he? Where is our son?!” “Please tell us you found him,” begged the father. Unbeknownst to the adults, the daughter was listening from the top of the stairs, staying out of sight but still able to see the front door. “I’m sorry folks… We managed to find his trail, but he most likely won’t be found… by us.” the guard said with difficulty. “What do you mean? Where does the trail lead?!” the mother nearly shouted. Up to this point, the guard tried to keep a neutral form, but seeing the mare in such a state was too much for him. Bracing himself for the inevitable, the guard gave his answer, his voice wavering. “The trail leads to the forest, I’m sorry…” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The little filly could not believe her ears from what the guard said. She didn’t want to believe what he said. She considered her older brother to be invincible, an example of something that was untouchable to even Princess Celestia herself. Lightning Blaze’s frame was firm and well built, a gifted athlete. But if he was in the forest… Her world shattered shortly after she heard her mother’s wails downstairs for the loss of her only son. It was the only confirmation she needed. It was too much for the filly. She slowly backed away from the stairs, entered her room, and closed the door. When the door clicked shut, it was like a detonator. The tears and pain the filly had kept inside when she was by the stairs came crashing down in waves. The poor filly did not have the strength to stand, and therefore leaned against the door and fell to the cloud floor. Every tear she shed was like a slash to her heart. After what seemed like an eternity, she forced herself off the floor and onto her bed, her legs feeling like lead. The amount of grief in the room was enough to make even the most heartless of creatures shed a tear. As the filly settled herself in the blankets, she took a glance at a photo on her side table. It was a photo of her and her family smiling with pride. Her brother had won first prize in the Best Young Flier competition. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Best Young Flier competition had just ended. The once full cloud coliseum was now surrounded by pegasi as they exited. A particular family of pegasi flew out of the structure. The parents looked at the crown upon their son’s head, their minds still replaying the stunning flying techniques he displayed that impressed Princess Celestia herself. With the amount of pride they displayed, it would be no surprise if a blind pony could sense it. “Someday, I’m gonna fly as fast as you, Blitz!” Right beside the young stallion was a little filly who buzzed around him like a humming bird. While her wings were still small, she flew better than most foals her age. With the amount of skills she developed, it was most likely she would earn her cutie mark soon. The stallion chuckled at his little sister’s comment. “Hehe, think you can outfly me, sis?” he playfully challenged. “Just wait til my wings grow more, I’ll beat you in ten seconds flat!” The older sibling had no doubt that she would become a great flyer when she grew older. His adoration for her grew with every improvement she made in flying. “Ha, looks like I’m gonna have some competition. Tell you what. When your wings grow in more, I’ll teach you some of my tricks.” “Really?!” Lightning Blaze was aware of his sister’s love of flight. He remembered when brought her to a Wonderbolts show on her birthday. He had never seen anypony with so much determination to be the best until that day. Since then, he taught her the basics in flying and encouraged her to do better by showing his own techniques. “You bet. And some day, you’ll win the Best Young Flier competition too.” “Do you really think so?” “You’re not named Rainbow ‘Dash’ for nothing.” He chuckled. The little filly tackled down the older pony with a surprising amount of strength, considering her size. As he landed on his back on a fluffy cloud, the filly was bouncing on his chest in excitement. “Awesome! Thanks Blaze! I can’t wait til you teach me, then I’ll be just as awesome as you are!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ More tears began to shed and whimpers echoed in the room. She turned away from the photo and closed her eyes, failing to stem the flow of tears. The filly could hear the cries of her parents in their room and slowly tuned them out. Her mind and body exhausted, she began to lose consciousness. As she gave in to sleep, the last noise she heard was the sound of a wolf howling into the night. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A year before the present “GAH!” Rainbow Dash woke with a start. Gasping for air and feeling the sheets sticking to her coat, she realized she was sweating in her sleep. Searching around her room and seeing the moon shining through her window, she realized it was still night. Taking one last deep breath, she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her racing heart. It was just a dream… no need to freak out about… As she rubbed her eyes, she felt an unfamiliar wetness that trailed down her cheeks. Was I… crying? It was rare for her to cry, the last time she found herself crying in her sleep being– That was a long time ago, there’s no need to keep holding onto the past… even if it was hard on all of us. As she opened her eyes, she faced a picture that was on the side table near her bed. She took the picture in her hooves and gazed at her brother on the photo. Rainbow felt the tears build in her eyes and tried to hold them back but with no success. An old wound thought to have been closed had reopened. Hugging the photo tightly to her chest and bottom lip wavering, she clenched her eyes shut and let out a strangled sob, recalling the events of that day. I won, just like you said, big brother… You would have been so proud… Opening her eyes, her gaze fell on the crown she won earlier in the day from the Best Young Flier competition. Next to the crown was a photo of her and her friends celebrating her win at the library. After staring at the photo for some time, her quivering lips formed a shaking, sad smile. Closing her eyes, she took deep breathes in hopes of getting her body to relax. As she opened them, she took note of the moon’s position in the sky. Taking one last look at the photo in her hooves, she set it down next to the crown and the photo with her friends, allowing herself a small smile. Realizing just how exhausted her body was from the competition and from crying, she faced away from the photos and closed her eyes. I wish you were here… Giving a sigh, she willed her body to sleep. Before she fully lost consciousness, she thought she heard a wolf howling to the moon, but decided to push the thought out of her mind and rest. Author's Note It's finally hear folks! I reread this chapter and edited it several times before I became satisfied with it. This part alone took a lot of thinking. The rest of the story will be outlined so that it has a steady pace and doesn't veer off. The 1st chapter is currently drafted and will be going under some editing but updating will not be consistent. I plan on taking my time for this fic and working when inspiration strikes in order for it to be at its best. Chapter 1Present It was the end of the summer, with everyone preparing for the upcoming first day of school. It was the end of fun and late nights and the beginning of work and early mornings. The sun was barely rising from the horizon. Parents were preparing for work, and foals were accustoming themselves to waking up early again. The Ponyville weather team had just finished preparing for more cloudy and windy days. Rainbow Dash, seeing that she would not be needed for the rest of the day, decided to practice her tricks. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Come on, Twilight. It’s only the first day of school tomorrow! No one’s going to be checking out books for another month!” Spike complained as he finished dusting each bookshelf and began re-shelving the books. Although he was used to the chores, being woken up at sunrise to complete them was unnerving to say the least. Unfortunately, he knew there was no changing his friend’s mind when she sets up a task. Twilight froze from his words just as she had finished dusting the last bookshelf and quickly turned to face Spike at a speed Rainbow Dash would have approved of. She looked at him as if he had grown two more limbs. “You said it yourself, Spike. Tomorrow is the first day of school! What if some foal will need to do a research paper? What if they learn something that catches their interests and want to learn more about it? I want to make sure the library is prepared for in case they do stop by the library!” Twilight nearly shouted. Realizing she was panting, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering the breathing exercises Princess Cadence had taught her. After a few more breaths, she headed towards the kitchen to prepare lunch for the both of them. Spike continued re-shelving the books, all the while muttering how a certain unicorn needed to get out of the library more often. After putting the books back in their proper places, Spike headed towards the kitchen. When he saw Twilight preparing soup, he considered running out of the library to avoid her “meal” or risking his stomach in hopes of her serving something more edible. I don’t know how, but my stomach can digest all kinds of gems with no problem yet one taste of her food and I’m stuck in the bathroom for hours he thought with a shudder. With his stomach growling up a storm, he came to a decision. “So uh, w-what are you making, Twilight?” Spike asked, hoping he didn’t sound afraid. In a cheery tone, Twilight replied while stirring the soup, “I’m making a vegetable soup. I got the recipe from a cook book I saw in the market place and I wanted to try it out.” Mentally checking off the ingredients for the soup, she continued to stir. Unbeknownst to Spike, Twilight had been practicing on her cooking when he wasn’t home. She lost track of all the failures she made when she started off. After reading several cook books and experimenting with different flavors, Twilight had slowly but surely improved on her meals. She felt had enough practice to finally cook something they would both enjoy. Within minutes, the soup was ready and Twilight poured two bowls and placed them out on the table. It actually looks like it’ll have flavor the dragon thought as he looked into his bowl of soup. The steam from the soup gifted his nose with a mesmerizing aroma of different spices. Spike took a glance at Twilight as she sat down and floated a spoon towards him and noticed the proud smile she wore as she stared at her bowl. Setting his guard down, Spike took the spoon from her magical grasp and started on his lunch. Maybe Twilight’s cooking won’t cause anymore stomachaches. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Three tricks in a row done flawlessly. I’m just too awesome today Rainbow thought with a smirk as she pulled up from a nose dive. She began maneuvering through Ponyville, using the town as an obstacle course. She would zip through the streets testing her speed and agility while avoiding the ponies walking by. As she passed through, she saw the library out of the corner of her eye. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Twilight. I wonder if she has a new copy of Daring Do. With that in mind, Rainbow headed straight towards the library. She had planned to slow herself down at the last minute but did not plan for the gust of wind that suddenly sent her to the branches. Knowing she couldn’t right herself in time, Rainbow braced herself for a yet another painful impact. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As Spike was about to taste the first spoonful of Twilight’s soup, his eyes widened when a sudden chill ran up his spine. Sensing something was going to happen, he carefully looked at the spoon, then at Twilight as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the soup with a satisfied smile. Seeing as how there was nothing wrong with the meal, he closed his eyes and eagerly prepared himself for what may be a delicious lunch. Right before he could taste his food, the library shook from impact, sending all the books that were organized crashing down to the floor. Spike froze with the spoon only a millimeter away from his tongue as he stared with wide, horrified eyes at his hard work laying down on the floor. As he turned his gaze at Twilight, his eyes shrank when he noticed an uncontrollable twitch in her eye. “Uh, T-Twili–” Spike was interrupted by the sound of the front door slowly being opened, the door creaking. Rainbow’s head slowly peered through, wide fearful eyes searching for Twilight, and hoping against all hope she did not anger the mare. Sadly her prayers were not answered. “Hello there, Rainbow Dash. How nice of you to drop by.” Twilight said in a terrifyingly sweet tone as she gave Rainbow a maniac grin. Rainbow noticed pieces of hair sticking out of her combed mane. Oh buck me… Rainbow offered a sheepish smile, sweat trickling down her face. “H-Hey Twilight, h-how’s it going?” Twilight slowly walked closer to her friend. Rainbow’s eyes widened at each step. Oh buck me buck me buck me buck me! “Oh, nothing. We just started eating lunch after spending hours cleaning up the library and re-shelving the books!” Twilight had nearly shouted near the end, her grin turning into an annoyed frown. Rainbow Dash winced at the reply and pinned her ears to her head, rubbing one of her forelegs and looking off to the side. “Sorry about that,” she began as she took a look out the window, “weather calls for wind and clouds since summer’s almost over. I tried going for the door but the wind sent me to the branches.” Rainbow faced Twilight with worry sketched across her face, believing she had crossed the line with her friend Twilight sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine.” Rainbow sighed in relief. “BUT,” Twilight gave her a stern look and motioned to the books scattered on the floor, “you’re going to help re-shelve all these books,” she stated firmly. Seeing as how she wouldn’t be left with much of a choice, Rainbow gave a defeated sigh. “Alright, tell me where you want ’em.” After hearing the conversation and deeming the area safe, Spike emerged from the kitchen to assist with clean up, groaning since he knew he won’t be able to eat for a while. Rainbow began with the pile closest to her. As the three cleaned up the mess, Rainbow came across a book that caught her interest. Werewolves and Lycans: Legends and Myths? “Hey, Twi, I didn’t know you had these kind of books.” “Hmm?” Twilight turned to Rainbow and noticed the book she held. “Oh, that book?” Taking the book with her magic, she skimmed through some pages. “It’s been in the library for a while now, but it’s not really something that catches my interest. I’ve never been one for supernatural creatures, I just read it to pass the time. Plus, stuff about werewolves and lycans are just stories made to scare foals at night.” Setting the book back to its proper place in the fictional section, she turned to the rest of the work. Rainbow stared at the book for a few moments, debating whether or not to ask Twilight more about it. Not wanting to delay shelving the rest of the books, she decided to ask more after everything was cleaned up. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ After another hour of sorting and shelving, the floor was left spotless. “Ugh, FINALLY we’re done.” Rainbow said in exhaustion. She made a mental note to avoid flying near the library when the weather calls for wind. “Maybe next time you’ll avoid crashing into the library.” Spike muttered under his breath. Satisfied that nothing else would likely happen in the near future, he returned to the kitchen to eat his forgotten lunch. Shortly after he emerged and headed to the front door. “If you guys need me, I’ll be with the Crusaders. I need a break from this place.” Not bothering to wait for a response, Spike opened the door, gave Rainbow an annoyed looked, and shut the door behind him. Rainbow gave a grunt and decided to lay on the couch. Now that the books were back in place, she was able to rest for a bit until she recalled the book form earlier. Looking at her friend from the couch, she asked “Hey, Twilight. You mentioned that you read that book about the supernatural?” Upon hearing the question, she raised an eyebrow at Rainbow. “Yes, the one with werewolves and lycans?” Rainbow gave a nod. “What about the book?” Twilight asked, curious and excited that her friend was interested in something other than Daring Do. Knowing there was no going back, Rainbow asked “Mind telling me more ’bout it?” She prepared herself for if Twilight squealed in excitement. Twilight stared at her friend with a sparkle in her eyes. Yes! She wants to read more books! Realizing that she might have appeared excited, she mentally scolded at herself. Okay, keep it together, Twilight. She’s just curious about the book, it doesn’t mean she’ll actually read it. Clearing her throat and adopting a teacher-like approach, she began to explain the main parts of the book. “Well, the book starts off with explaining how when Nightmare Moon gained power, she had transformed some of her royal guards into supernatural creatures as a means of attacking Princess Celestia’s forces. She transformed them into either batponies or werewolves, each being having different abilities. The book focuses on the werewolves, how they transformed under the moonlight, their strengths being their hearing, sense of smell, healing faster than others, and supposedly being as strong as the princesses themselves.” Twilight paused and took a look at Rainbow Dash, surprised that she was actually paying attention. Rainbow noticed that she paused for a while. Curious and wanting to learn more, she urged Twilight to continue. “Okay, so what about lycans? What’s the difference?” Shaken out of her stupor, Twilight cleared her throat and continued. “Well, it mentions that lycans branch off of the werewolves, so they aren’t that different. The main difference is they are able to transform whenever they chose but still transform during a full moon.” Taking a quick glance into the section on lycans, she continued. “According to the book, lycans can still maintain control of their powers as long as they remember who they are.” “Remember who they are? What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means as long as they don’t forget they’re still a pony, they won’t lose themselves to the power.” Twilight closed the book and sent it back to its place on the shelf. “The book says that a common mistake among lycans is trying to forget their past. They try to move on in life but end up leaving everyone else behind, all their memories, and soon, themselves.” Twilight paused for a moment, a saddening look upon her face. She looked towards a photo of her and her friends. Rainbow noticed the look on her face and followed her gaze. Twilight spoke, but with a hint of sadness. “Once they’ve lost themselves to their lycan half, they don’t remember ever being a pony. The lycan half completely takes over and basically devours anything that lives, regardless if it was their loved ones.” She turned her face towards the floor before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She then faced Rainbow Dash and continued with a reassuring smile. “Like I said, it’s just something to scare the foals and keep them away from forests. While they did exist for some time, they died off over four hundred years ago. Otherwise, we would have known by now.” Confused, Rainbow asked, “We would have? How?” Seeing her confusion, Twilight explained, “Well the book says that a lycan’s howl is different from wolves and timberwolves. Since they’re still part pony, their howls will sound more like a pony doing a close imitation of a wolf howl.” This piece of information sent Rainbow’s mind back to her memories. That howl… the night he was gone… Her eyes widened when Twilight’s description of the lycan howl was similar to what she heard more than fifteen years ago. Her blood ran cold and she felt her body going numb. I have to know… I NEED to make sure it wasn’t… Seeing a sudden change in Rainbow’s eyes, Twilight grew concerned for her friend. “Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong?” she asked in a worried tone. Twilight’s voice snapped Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. Sensing her friend’s worry, she said in a non-convincing tone, “Nothing’s wrong, Twi.” Noticing the time, she quickly added, “Just saw the time and remembered I gotta get ready for work tomorrow.” Rainbow was sweating bullets and wore a huge grin in hopes of Twilight believing her. She didn’t like lying to her friends, but she felt this was something too personal to tell anyone. Twilight grew suspicious but nonetheless looked out the window and her eyes widened as she took note of the sky’s sudden change in color. “Wow, I didn’t realize we’ve been talking for so long,” she said, turning back to Rainbow with a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry I kept you here for so long.” “It’s fine Twi, you were just in your egghead mode since I don’t really ask a lot of questions,” Rainbow reassured her with a smirk. Remembering the lycan howl, she asked “Hey, mind if I take that lycan book? Something you said caught my attention and I wanna take a closer look.” Although she hoped Twilight wouldn’t be suspicious or ask questions, she braced herself for the response. “You do realize this is a library, right? You don’t need to ask.” Twilight said with a giggle. After quickly scanning the bookshelf and finding the book, she handed it to Rainbow with her magic. Twilight said with a smile, “Let me know if you have any questions about it.” Taking the book in her foreleg, Rainbow Dash turned to face the door and spread her wings. “Thanks egghead, see ya later.” Flapping her wings to take off, she was interrupted by Twilight. “Rainbow…” she hesitated but felt she must say something. “if you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, you can always come to me.” Rainbow Dash did not turn to face her friend as she stood there with her wings spanned out. “I’ll keep that in mind…Thanks.” And with that she took off. Twilight watched her friend leave then closed the door with her magic. Walking up the stairs to her bedroom, Twilight recalled the change in the pegasus’s behavior at the description of the lycan howl. One minute she’s interested then the next she’s… afraid. She wanted to push more out of her friend but felt she was treading on a delicate subject. She decided to push the thought out of her mind when she reached her room. When she entered, she saw Spike curled up in his bed beside hers. He must have returned and saw Dash and I were talking, probably wanted to give us some privacy she thought with an appreciative smile. She followed the young dragon’s example and decided to rest as well. Her last thoughts before falling asleep were of her cyan feathered friend. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Flying near Sonic Rainboom speed had the night air biting at Rainbow’s fur, but it was nothing compared to the coldness inside. Since they’re still part pony, their howls will sound more like a pony doing a close imitation of a wolf howl. Twilight’s words echoed in her mind and spurred her to fly home faster. Upon seeing her cloud home, she headed straight towards her bedroom window and all but hurled herself through. She landed on the floor and dropped the book, her body shaking and her breathing slightly shuddering. Closing her eyes and taking a moment to compose herself, Rainbow Dash took several deep breaths and willed her heart to slow down. Once she felt she was calm enough, she opened her eyes and read the cover of the book. Even after all these years, the howl was still fresh in her mind. If what Twilight said was true, then… Not wasting another moment, she took the book in her forelegs and settled herself on her cloud bed. Once she was comfortable, she made to open the book but froze. Her breathing quickened and her body started to shake uncontrollably. I’m not sure if I can do this. I don’t know if I can handle the truth… Every emotion she had kept bottled up for years threatened to burst. Her mind and heart were at war, a storm growling and growing in size. The rain felt like ice, the cold piercing through her, nearly pushing her over the edge. She shut her eyes as tears threatened to burst. I can’t do this alone… Rainbow Dash curled around herself, the book still in her forelegs. The storm darkened everywhere around her, the rain feeling like needles striking all around her. Before she was consumed by it, she heard a voice over the roars of thunder. If you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, you can always come to me. Rainbow’s eyes snapped wide open as the words echoed in her mind. The roaring storm of her inner turmoil had slightly calmed down, and a dim light penetrated through the clouds. Where she was once cold and numb, something warm sparked within and slowly spread throughout her body. The storm ceased but the dark clouds still remained. She was still cold but no longer numb. The sense of loneliness was no longer present. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she opened the book and began to read. Author's Note And here's chapter 1! If this came out as a sort of history lesson, I apologize, but this was necessary for what I have in mind. Criticism is welcome! ~CVC Chapter 2The sun was nearing noon and ponies were walking around town. The cool breeze was welcome against the heat of Celestia’s sun. Everypony enjoyed the comforting weather and looked forward to a pleasant day. Everyone, except one. Anypony who passed by Rainbow Dashes cloud home would receive a cold feeling that had nothing to do with the weather. It was as if the entire house absorbed Rainbow’s emotions from the previous. The pony herself was still asleep, her body exhausted from absorbing what the book had told her. The first thing Rainbow Dash woke up to was the feeling of something damp on her pillow. Groggily sitting up from her bed, she noticed the tear stain where her head was resting. Memories of the night before rushed through her head as she fought to suppress more tears. I need to get a hold of myself, maybe if fly around for a bit… With that in mind, Rainbow took about few minutes to settle herself. She decided to take a shower to clear her head. Taking a moment to rinse her face off to rid herself of the tear stains, she took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. If Rarity saw me right now she’d freak and take me to the spa. Rainbow shuddered at the thought as she took a careful look at herself. Her mane looked as if she flew through a storm cloud. Her eyes were red, puffy and baggy from crying and lack of sleep. Her coat was matted down with sweat from the nightmares she had after reading the book. She enter the tub next to the mirror and turned on the shower head. After the adjusting the water to a more appropriate temperature, she proceeded to clean herself. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but look back at what she learned from the book. Based on her memories, there was a full moon the night her brother was gone. A lycan wouldn’t have been able to resist the change. The howl she heard had fit the book’s description perfectly, and the descriptions the guards had given her moth- Rainbow slapped herself in the face in an attempt to prevent further thinking. More unwanted memories were beginning to surface in her mind. I need to get of here, clear my head. She hastily turned off the water, and without stopping to dry herself down, flew to her bedroom and out the window for a quick flight. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ For the first time in years, Rainbow felt like she was running. Even after her brother’s death, she did not run away from her problems. What was meant to be a flight around Ponyville turned into a race to escape her memories. Get out of my head dammit! Tears were streaming down her face even as she closed her eyes shut to the point of it hurting. GET OUT!! As if trying to dislodge the thoughts, she shook her head furiously. In doing so, she did not notice a tree coming up her path. “RAINBOW!” She opened her eyes at the sound of Twilight’s voice, but it was too late for her to change directions. Try as she might, she tried to avoid the tree but her right wing brushed along a thick branch, sending a lance of pain all the way down to the base of her wing. She gritted her teeth, her wing feeling as if it was on fire. With no way to elevate her flying, she braced herself for the crash landing. She landed on her back and skidded about ten feet, eyes opening wide as the wind was forcefully knocked out of her. She laid motionless on the ground and gasped for air as one would gulp down water after three days without it. The moment she was able to regain her breath, her friend arrived at her side, worry evident in her voice. “Are you okay?” Rainbow merely nodded, taking a few more moments to control her breathing. She rolled herself onto her stomach and tried to stand, her legs slightly shaking from the crash. Immediately Twilight grabbed her by shoulders to prevent her from falling, while also checking for injuries. Dirt and multiple cuts were etched along Rainbow’s back. The cuts flared an angry red and little traces of blood could be found closer to the wings. Her right wing was missing nearly a quarter of its feathers, no doubt from having them forcefully plucked from the tree branch. Upon closer inspection, Twilight sighed in relief that the appendage was not broken, but it seemed to be badly sprained. She touched the wing with a hoof to apply pressure and received a pained hiss from Rainbow, confirming her thoughts. While Twilight was inspecting her body, Rainbow took a moment to look at her surroundings. It seemed at some point she had flown near the park in her haste to leave her cloud home. As she searched for whatever had broken her flight, she found the tree and noticed one of its branches was broken and hanging. Within the leaves she saw several cyan feathers. Well that answers how I-OWWW! The sudden jolt of pain rushing through her injured wing brought her out of her thoughts. She turned her head and saw Twilight’s hoof on the appendage. Before Rainbow could say anything, she felt herself being lifted in the air by Twilight’s magic. “We need to get you fixed up,” she said as she trotted to the library with her friend in tow, “and it looks like you won’t be flying for a while.” Rainbow sighed in defeat knowing Twilight was right. With the amount of feathers lost, it would take roughly a month for them to regrow. Great, how am I gonna get home? As if her friend heard her, Twilight said sternly “You’ll be staying at the library until your wing is better.” That takes care of that. “Can I at least walk?” Rainbow whined. She would have pressed further but the glare on Twilight’s face immediately shut her mouth. Reluctantly, she let her friend levitate her home. The walk to the library felt like a few years. As they entered town square, ponies would stop to see her being carried by her friend. Rainbow felt her pride take a hit from being seen as weak and helpless. The clipped wing did nothing to help. She shut her eyes tightly when a small crowd began to form. Memories resurfaced from flight camp, she heard whispers all around her. Hey it’s Rainbow Crash! The voices only grew louder. I know a place that has a crash course, you should be a test dummy! All she wanted was to disappear from there and fly home. A Wonderbolt? Like that’ll happen! The voices were deafening. You’re a joke, I don’t know how your parents can stand you! Rainbow snapped. “SHUUUT UUUUP!!!!!” Everypony jumped from the intensity of the yell. Those who were passing by stopped in their tracks. Twilight looked at her friend in shock. It was enough to make Twilight stop her spell. As soon as her hooves touched the ground, Rainbow made a run for the library. Within seconds she made it to through the door, slamming it shut, the bookshelves vibrating from the violent impact. Rainbow stood in the center, shaking uncontrollably with heavy breaths. She willed her body to calm down with no success. Moments later Twilight arrived, quickly shutting the door behind her. She stood frozen when she saw her feathered friend trembling. The entire library would have been deafeningly silent were it not for Rainbow Dash’s heavy breathing. Twilight hesitated at first but she slowly made her way towards Rainbow. Twilight’s hoofsteps echoed throughout the library, each gentle clopping sound bringing no amount of comfort to Rainbow. Before she could lay a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, Rainbow rounded up on her, the intense glare bearing down on her. Twilight willed herself to stay put but nonetheless quivered in fear. “Never…do that…again,” Rainbow growled. “I was jus-” “NEVER AGAIN!” Rainbow shouted as she thrust her face to Twilight’s, making her sit on her rear hooves. Twilight had come across many threats since she was assigned to Ponyville. She faced Nightmare Moon head-on on the night before the Summer Sun Celebration. She and her friends defeated Discord using the Elements of Harmony. The Changeling army and King Sombra were nothing but foal’s play to her. All of those were nothing compared to the amount of terror she felt being in Rainbow’s presence right now. Never once had Twilight seen her friend display such strong emotions. Sure, the normally laidback and optimistic pegasus would show signs of irritation or annoyance and few times anger but never anger to this extreme. In an attempt to quell her anger, Rainbow Dash crouched down before launching herself to the library front door and flying out. Twilight followed her friend out of the library, and upon noticing the jerky movements in Rainbow’s flight, grew deeply concerned for her friend’s safety. Without hesitation, she ran after her, paying no mind to those in her path. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Stupid Twilight… Who the hay does she think she is carrying me like I’m useless?!” Rainbow nearly shouted out loud. She was barely flying with stability, her anger consuming her the more reasonable part of her mind. “I don’t know why she thought it was a great bucking idea to treat me like a cripple!” Maybe because your hurt and she bucking cares?! “Doesn’t mean she has to levitate me like a foal!” Rainbow shouted, her thoughts in a mix. You could barely stand up! She had to hold you! “I don’t bucking care! No one makes me look like a f-AHH!” Pain flooded throughout Rainbow Dash’s right wing, enough to make her shut her eyes tightly. A moment later she opened her eyes when she realized she had no idea where she was going. When she opened them, she saw the quickly approaching Everfree Forest. She tried veering away but her injured wing screamed in rebellion as the pain nearly doubled in strength. All Rainbow could do was close her eyes and brace herself for impact. Her last thoughts before crashing were of Twilight. I’m so sorry… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sweat was rolling down her fur, her legs were begging for a moment of rest, and her lungs and heart were pounding relentlessly against her chest. Despite all of this, Twilight kept running. Her eyes never left Rainbow, even when she weaved through the crowded market place and ran out of town. She followed her until Rainbow suddenly was losing altitude. You Featherbrain! Your wing is still injured! Twilight mentally shouted at her friend. Her irritation turned into fear when she noticed where Rainbow was heading. Celestia, please, no… Running faster than her limit, Twilight charged into the Everfree Forest. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ow… Rainbow was greeted with numbing pain throughout her body. Her face stung with newly aquired scratches from flying through the tree branches. Slowly, she opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Her blood ran cold and her heart dropped when she realized where she crashed into The Everfree… Shakingly, Rainbow stood up, ignoring her body’s plea to lay down and rest. She knew it was only a matter of time before something would come after her, especially with how hard she crashed. The impact was enough to create a small crater in the ground, causing a strong enough quake to alert any animals nearby. Before she could take a step, she heard a shout. It was weak but she was barely able to recognize the voice. Her eyes widened with fear when she realized who it was. “Twilight?” Rainbow whispered to no one in particular. As if by magic, Twilight appeared in front of Rainbow moments later, her head facing the ground and panting in exhaustion from all the running she had done. How long has she been looking for me? Rainbow could only stare at her friend with a mixture of shock, guilt and concern. Before she could speak, Twilight snapped her head up, her eyes expelling waves of anger and worry at Rainbow. Twilight opened her mouth, ready to give her friend a thorough shouting, when a deep growl echoed nearby. The two mares stand frozen with their eyes shrunk and hearts quickly pounding in their chest. Silently but quickly, they moved and stood right next to each other facing where they heard the growl. A twig suddenly snapped to their right, the sound followed by two more growls. Without a second thought, Twilight and Rainbow sprinted away from the sounds. Neither ponies knew where they were heading. The only thing on their minds was to escape the beasts heading their way. They ran through bushes, earning cuts all around their bodies. Despite changing paths every now and then, the snarls of the three beasts could still be heard. The few minutes of running felt like hours as they manuevered through the Everfree. As they continued running, the growls began to slowly get louder. Rainbow Dash turned her head around and instantly regretted it. Please Celestia, no… Trailing behind Rainbow and Twilight were three wolves nearly twice their size, bloodshot yellow-eyes bearing down on them with ravenous hunger. No… The wolves snapped at their tails. The distance between closing rapidly. NO… One wolf was ready to pounce. NO!!! Time seemed to have slowed down. The wolf leaped into the air, fangs bared and eyes filled with intention to kill. Rainbow flapped her wings and grabbed onto Twilight, carrying them both into the air just as the wolf was within biting distance. Rainbow pumped her wings, ignoring the numbing pain, using sheer willpower to lift her and her friend to the sky. Letting out a yell, she narrowly dodged the wolf and managed to fly above the tree level. She flew as fast as she could with her injured wing while carrying Twilight in her arms. As soon as they were past the borders of the Everfree, Rainbow made to land, albeit a bit jerky along the way. What was meant to be a safe landing became a rough impact with the ground, the two ponies rolling a good fifteen feet before stopping. A trail of dirt followed them. When the dust settled, there was no movement between the two ponies laying on their sides. The silence was broken in seconds with pained groans whispering in the open space. Rainbow laid motionless, not daring to move after putting her body through so much torment. Her ears were numb from her injured wing screaming in numbing pain, her back also angrily voicing its suffering. She couldn't hear the whimpers escaping her throat. Above it all, Rainbow managed to hear Twilight’s groans as well. Rainbow wanted to stand up and instantly check on her friend, but all she could manage was opening her eyes into small slits and gazing at her friend with great concern. Twilight was welcomed by the burn and jelly-like feel in her legs, along with a sore throat and exhausted lungs. All of that was ignored after hearing the small whimpers of her friend. They were barely audible but the unbearable pain was clearly heard. Twilight willed herself to roll on her stomach, ignoring the protests in her legs and stood up. At that moment, the two made eye contact with one another. The world seemed to be still except for the occasional fall breeze. Rainbow was about to speak but was cut off. "You... You Featherbrain! Wha... what were you thinking?!" the voice was barely a whisper but the anger was clearly present. Rainbow prepared to retort but all that came was a rough coughing fit, forcing her to close her eyes. Her throat felt dryer than the desert of Appleoosa, her mouth rougher than the dirt roads of the town. When her coughing eased up, she took notice of the change of scenery. The rough texture of the ground was now smooth. The cool fall breeze was no longer present, now replaced by warm, still air. She heard heavy breathing and realized that it was not from herself. As she looked for the source, she noticed she was now lying in front of the chimney of the library. After letting her gaze wonder, her eyes rested upon Twilight and her disheveled figure. The room would have been in a deafening silence were it not for the pants of both ponies. Not one word was spoken. Not even when Twilight began healing Rainbow with her magic. Rainbow made no move to refuse. She couldn't after everything her body went through. As a matter of fact, she didn't want to, not when Twilight's magic felt soothing on her sore body. While Rainbow couldn't see it, she felt the small cuts closing up, the numbing aches in her wings and muscles slowly turning into mild throbbing. With exhaustion finally taking hold, Rainbow's body began to relax, the time for rest coming sooner than she expected. Twilight felt Rainbow's breathing slowing down through her magic. She took a look at her pegasus friend's face to find it peaceful, a complete contrast to how it was earlier. What's going through your mind?... Worry began to take hold of Twilight's heart. While she was healing her friend's physical wounds, Twilight wanted desperately to heal any emotional or mental wounds Rainbow has kept from others. Twilight knew that whatever caused Rainbow's outburst was not something small or insignificant. After treating Rainbow Dash's wing, Twilight gently levitated her friend to the guest room of the library. With Spike out with Rarity, she knew there would be no disturbance any time soon. As Twilight gently laid Rainbow in the bed and covered her with the blanket, she couldn't help but gaze at the peaceful look on her face. Unconsciously, Twilight lowered her head closer to Rainbow's, her snout merely a few inches from her face. It wasn't until she was nuzzling Rainbow's cheek did she become aware of what her body was doing. Twilight jumped back in a panic when Rainbow moved, afraid she had awoken her friend. Her breath hitched in her throat until Rainbow settled down. Twilight closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, realizing just how tense she was in the moment. When she opened her eyes, she glanced at Rainbow to find the same peaceful face. This time however, a small smile had grown. Twilight couldn't help but smile as well, glad to see her friend was happy even if she was asleep. Not wanting to disturb Rainbow's slumber, she slowly stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind her. Author's Note Wow, 6 months since the last chapter, yeesh Well, as I said in my latest blog post, I'll be dedicating at least 15 minutes a day brainstorming/writing on my fics. I'll even put an alarm on my phone to ensure I make time ~~because Jesus I'm horrible at reminding myself with things~~.
PrologueFifteen years ago It was dark and quiet, with only the moon being the source of light and the running water of a river providing the only sound. All that could be seen were the tall and eerie trees accompanied with large thick bushes as far as the eye can see. Within the thick forest was a river that connected to a lake, its clear water reflecting the moonlight. The calm flow of the river provided a soothing tune that made the Everfree Forest less ominous. The steady flow of the river was suddenly disrupted by three colts who were barely teenagers as they ran in fear. Their legs and lungs were begging for rest, but the thought of being mauled or eaten made them pick up their pace. “You idiot! Out of all the crazy ideas you had, THIS WAS THE WORST! WE’RE DEAD!” one of the colts yelled as the group tried to escape the forest. “Shut up, Storm! You’re just making it easier for it to track us!” the second colt whispered breathlessly. Storm ignored the second colt and looked desperately at the third, hoping there would be some plan to escape alive. They could hear the beast chasing them panting as it was getting closer. “Blaze, what do we do?!” he nearly shouted. Blaze quickly searched his surroundings as he and his friends ran. The forest was too thick with trees and branches for them to take flight. Flying their way through would only lower their chances of survival should any of them injure their wings. With their legs reaching their limits they needed a plan quickly. Come on, there has to be a cave to hide in, we can’t run forever! He began to lose hope when he realized just how deep they were in the forest. At the pace they were going, they would never reach the edge. We’re gonna die…this is all my fault… Blaze felt as if his heart was being torn apart by the very beast that was chasing them. What started off as Blaze’s idea of a late night race through the forest had sadly transformed into a race for survival. When he faced his friends in their final moments, tears were flowing down his face. At that moment, his friends knew there was no escape, their end was inevitable. With a heavy heart he said to them, “I don’t know…” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Meanwhile The night was painfully slow as a couple was sitting in the living room of their home. It was nearing midnight and their son had yet to return. Their daughter grew concerned for her brother’s safety as well and begged to wait in the living room. It took time, but the parents had managed to convince her to go upstairs to bed. Now they currently wait on the sofa, the mother looking at some of the family photos hanging on the walls, and the father constantly glancing at the clock by the kitchen area. Never before had their son stayed out this late at night. The latest he would arrive would be around ten due to the dangers of the area near the forest. The parents had waited patiently for his return but as it neared eleven, their patience quickly changed to fear. They had reported to the guards about their child missing and anxiously waited for word to return. A knock on the front door had both parents scrambling to their hooves and they nearly yanked the door off its hinges. In front of them stood a guard carrying a straight face, but his eyes betrayed him and their fears only grew. The mother was the first to speak. “Where is he? Where is our son?!” “Please tell us you found him,” begged the father. Unbeknownst to the adults, the daughter was listening from the top of the stairs, staying out of sight but still able to see the front door. “I’m sorry folks… We managed to find his trail, but he most likely won’t be found… by us.” the guard said with difficulty. “What do you mean? Where does the trail lead?!” the mother nearly shouted. Up to this point, the guard tried to keep a neutral form, but seeing the mare in such a state was too much for him. Bracing himself for the inevitable, the guard gave his answer, his voice wavering. “The trail leads to the forest, I’m sorry…” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The little filly could not believe her ears from what the guard said. She didn’t want to believe what he said. She considered her older brother to be invincible, an example of something that was untouchable to even Princess Celestia herself. Lightning Blaze’s frame was firm and well built, a gifted athlete. But if he was in the forest… Her world shattered shortly after she heard her mother’s wails downstairs for the loss of her only son. It was the only confirmation she needed. It was too much for the filly. She slowly backed away from the stairs, entered her room, and closed the door. When the door clicked shut, it was like a detonator. The tears and pain the filly had kept inside when she was by the stairs came crashing down in waves. The poor filly did not have the strength to stand, and therefore leaned against the door and fell to the cloud floor. Every tear she shed was like a slash to her heart. After what seemed like an eternity, she forced herself off the floor and onto her bed, her legs feeling like lead. The amount of grief in the room was enough to make even the most heartless of creatures shed a tear. As the filly settled herself in the blankets, she took a glance at a photo on her side table. It was a photo of her and her family smiling with pride. Her brother had won first prize in the Best Young Flier competition. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Best Young Flier competition had just ended. The once full cloud coliseum was now surrounded by pegasi as they exited. A particular family of pegasi flew out of the structure. The parents looked at the crown upon their son’s head, their minds still replaying the stunning flying techniques he displayed that impressed Princess Celestia herself. With the amount of pride they displayed, it would be no surprise if a blind pony could sense it. “Someday, I’m gonna fly as fast as you, Blitz!” Right beside the young stallion was a little filly who buzzed around him like a humming bird. While her wings were still small, she flew better than most foals her age. With the amount of skills she developed, it was most likely she would earn her cutie mark soon. The stallion chuckled at his little sister’s comment. “Hehe, think you can outfly me, sis?” he playfully challenged. “Just wait til my wings grow more, I’ll beat you in ten seconds flat!” The older sibling had no doubt that she would become a great flyer when she grew older. His adoration for her grew with every improvement she made in flying. “Ha, looks like I’m gonna have some competition. Tell you what. When your wings grow in more, I’ll teach you some of my tricks.” “Really?!” Lightning Blaze was aware of his sister’s love of flight. He remembered when brought her to a Wonderbolts show on her birthday. He had never seen anypony with so much determination to be the best until that day. Since then, he taught her the basics in flying and encouraged her to do better by showing his own techniques. “You bet. And some day, you’ll win the Best Young Flier competition too.” “Do you really think so?” “You’re not named Rainbow ‘Dash’ for nothing.” He chuckled. The little filly tackled down the older pony with a surprising amount of strength, considering her size. As he landed on his back on a fluffy cloud, the filly was bouncing on his chest in excitement. “Awesome! Thanks Blaze! I can’t wait til you teach me, then I’ll be just as awesome as you are!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ More tears began to shed and whimpers echoed in the room. She turned away from the photo and closed her eyes, failing to stem the flow of tears. The filly could hear the cries of her parents in their room and slowly tuned them out. Her mind and body exhausted, she began to lose consciousness. As she gave in to sleep, the last noise she heard was the sound of a wolf howling into the night. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A year before the present “GAH!” Rainbow Dash woke with a start. Gasping for air and feeling the sheets sticking to her coat, she realized she was sweating in her sleep. Searching around her room and seeing the moon shining through her window, she realized it was still night. Taking one last deep breath, she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her racing heart. It was just a dream… no need to freak out about… As she rubbed her eyes, she felt an unfamiliar wetness that trailed down her cheeks. Was I… crying? It was rare for her to cry, the last time she found herself crying in her sleep being– That was a long time ago, there’s no need to keep holding onto the past… even if it was hard on all of us. As she opened her eyes, she faced a picture that was on the side table near her bed. She took the picture in her hooves and gazed at her brother on the photo. Rainbow felt the tears build in her eyes and tried to hold them back but with no success. An old wound thought to have been closed had reopened. Hugging the photo tightly to her chest and bottom lip wavering, she clenched her eyes shut and let out a strangled sob, recalling the events of that day. I won, just like you said, big brother… You would have been so proud… Opening her eyes, her gaze fell on the crown she won earlier in the day from the Best Young Flier competition. Next to the crown was a photo of her and her friends celebrating her win at the library. After staring at the photo for some time, her quivering lips formed a shaking, sad smile. Closing her eyes, she took deep breathes in hopes of getting her body to relax. As she opened them, she took note of the moon’s position in the sky. Taking one last look at the photo in her hooves, she set it down next to the crown and the photo with her friends, allowing herself a small smile. Realizing just how exhausted her body was from the competition and from crying, she faced away from the photos and closed her eyes. I wish you were here… Giving a sigh, she willed her body to sleep. Before she fully lost consciousness, she thought she heard a wolf howling to the moon, but decided to push the thought out of her mind and rest. Author's Note It's finally hear folks! I reread this chapter and edited it several times before I became satisfied with it. This part alone took a lot of thinking. The rest of the story will be outlined so that it has a steady pace and doesn't veer off. The 1st chapter is currently drafted and will be going under some editing but updating will not be consistent. I plan on taking my time for this fic and working when inspiration strikes in order for it to be at its best.
Chapter 1Present It was the end of the summer, with everyone preparing for the upcoming first day of school. It was the end of fun and late nights and the beginning of work and early mornings. The sun was barely rising from the horizon. Parents were preparing for work, and foals were accustoming themselves to waking up early again. The Ponyville weather team had just finished preparing for more cloudy and windy days. Rainbow Dash, seeing that she would not be needed for the rest of the day, decided to practice her tricks. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Come on, Twilight. It’s only the first day of school tomorrow! No one’s going to be checking out books for another month!” Spike complained as he finished dusting each bookshelf and began re-shelving the books. Although he was used to the chores, being woken up at sunrise to complete them was unnerving to say the least. Unfortunately, he knew there was no changing his friend’s mind when she sets up a task. Twilight froze from his words just as she had finished dusting the last bookshelf and quickly turned to face Spike at a speed Rainbow Dash would have approved of. She looked at him as if he had grown two more limbs. “You said it yourself, Spike. Tomorrow is the first day of school! What if some foal will need to do a research paper? What if they learn something that catches their interests and want to learn more about it? I want to make sure the library is prepared for in case they do stop by the library!” Twilight nearly shouted. Realizing she was panting, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering the breathing exercises Princess Cadence had taught her. After a few more breaths, she headed towards the kitchen to prepare lunch for the both of them. Spike continued re-shelving the books, all the while muttering how a certain unicorn needed to get out of the library more often. After putting the books back in their proper places, Spike headed towards the kitchen. When he saw Twilight preparing soup, he considered running out of the library to avoid her “meal” or risking his stomach in hopes of her serving something more edible. I don’t know how, but my stomach can digest all kinds of gems with no problem yet one taste of her food and I’m stuck in the bathroom for hours he thought with a shudder. With his stomach growling up a storm, he came to a decision. “So uh, w-what are you making, Twilight?” Spike asked, hoping he didn’t sound afraid. In a cheery tone, Twilight replied while stirring the soup, “I’m making a vegetable soup. I got the recipe from a cook book I saw in the market place and I wanted to try it out.” Mentally checking off the ingredients for the soup, she continued to stir. Unbeknownst to Spike, Twilight had been practicing on her cooking when he wasn’t home. She lost track of all the failures she made when she started off. After reading several cook books and experimenting with different flavors, Twilight had slowly but surely improved on her meals. She felt had enough practice to finally cook something they would both enjoy. Within minutes, the soup was ready and Twilight poured two bowls and placed them out on the table. It actually looks like it’ll have flavor the dragon thought as he looked into his bowl of soup. The steam from the soup gifted his nose with a mesmerizing aroma of different spices. Spike took a glance at Twilight as she sat down and floated a spoon towards him and noticed the proud smile she wore as she stared at her bowl. Setting his guard down, Spike took the spoon from her magical grasp and started on his lunch. Maybe Twilight’s cooking won’t cause anymore stomachaches. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Three tricks in a row done flawlessly. I’m just too awesome today Rainbow thought with a smirk as she pulled up from a nose dive. She began maneuvering through Ponyville, using the town as an obstacle course. She would zip through the streets testing her speed and agility while avoiding the ponies walking by. As she passed through, she saw the library out of the corner of her eye. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Twilight. I wonder if she has a new copy of Daring Do. With that in mind, Rainbow headed straight towards the library. She had planned to slow herself down at the last minute but did not plan for the gust of wind that suddenly sent her to the branches. Knowing she couldn’t right herself in time, Rainbow braced herself for a yet another painful impact. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As Spike was about to taste the first spoonful of Twilight’s soup, his eyes widened when a sudden chill ran up his spine. Sensing something was going to happen, he carefully looked at the spoon, then at Twilight as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the soup with a satisfied smile. Seeing as how there was nothing wrong with the meal, he closed his eyes and eagerly prepared himself for what may be a delicious lunch. Right before he could taste his food, the library shook from impact, sending all the books that were organized crashing down to the floor. Spike froze with the spoon only a millimeter away from his tongue as he stared with wide, horrified eyes at his hard work laying down on the floor. As he turned his gaze at Twilight, his eyes shrank when he noticed an uncontrollable twitch in her eye. “Uh, T-Twili–” Spike was interrupted by the sound of the front door slowly being opened, the door creaking. Rainbow’s head slowly peered through, wide fearful eyes searching for Twilight, and hoping against all hope she did not anger the mare. Sadly her prayers were not answered. “Hello there, Rainbow Dash. How nice of you to drop by.” Twilight said in a terrifyingly sweet tone as she gave Rainbow a maniac grin. Rainbow noticed pieces of hair sticking out of her combed mane. Oh buck me… Rainbow offered a sheepish smile, sweat trickling down her face. “H-Hey Twilight, h-how’s it going?” Twilight slowly walked closer to her friend. Rainbow’s eyes widened at each step. Oh buck me buck me buck me buck me! “Oh, nothing. We just started eating lunch after spending hours cleaning up the library and re-shelving the books!” Twilight had nearly shouted near the end, her grin turning into an annoyed frown. Rainbow Dash winced at the reply and pinned her ears to her head, rubbing one of her forelegs and looking off to the side. “Sorry about that,” she began as she took a look out the window, “weather calls for wind and clouds since summer’s almost over. I tried going for the door but the wind sent me to the branches.” Rainbow faced Twilight with worry sketched across her face, believing she had crossed the line with her friend Twilight sighed and shook her head. “It’s fine.” Rainbow sighed in relief. “BUT,” Twilight gave her a stern look and motioned to the books scattered on the floor, “you’re going to help re-shelve all these books,” she stated firmly. Seeing as how she wouldn’t be left with much of a choice, Rainbow gave a defeated sigh. “Alright, tell me where you want ’em.” After hearing the conversation and deeming the area safe, Spike emerged from the kitchen to assist with clean up, groaning since he knew he won’t be able to eat for a while. Rainbow began with the pile closest to her. As the three cleaned up the mess, Rainbow came across a book that caught her interest. Werewolves and Lycans: Legends and Myths? “Hey, Twi, I didn’t know you had these kind of books.” “Hmm?” Twilight turned to Rainbow and noticed the book she held. “Oh, that book?” Taking the book with her magic, she skimmed through some pages. “It’s been in the library for a while now, but it’s not really something that catches my interest. I’ve never been one for supernatural creatures, I just read it to pass the time. Plus, stuff about werewolves and lycans are just stories made to scare foals at night.” Setting the book back to its proper place in the fictional section, she turned to the rest of the work. Rainbow stared at the book for a few moments, debating whether or not to ask Twilight more about it. Not wanting to delay shelving the rest of the books, she decided to ask more after everything was cleaned up. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ After another hour of sorting and shelving, the floor was left spotless. “Ugh, FINALLY we’re done.” Rainbow said in exhaustion. She made a mental note to avoid flying near the library when the weather calls for wind. “Maybe next time you’ll avoid crashing into the library.” Spike muttered under his breath. Satisfied that nothing else would likely happen in the near future, he returned to the kitchen to eat his forgotten lunch. Shortly after he emerged and headed to the front door. “If you guys need me, I’ll be with the Crusaders. I need a break from this place.” Not bothering to wait for a response, Spike opened the door, gave Rainbow an annoyed looked, and shut the door behind him. Rainbow gave a grunt and decided to lay on the couch. Now that the books were back in place, she was able to rest for a bit until she recalled the book form earlier. Looking at her friend from the couch, she asked “Hey, Twilight. You mentioned that you read that book about the supernatural?” Upon hearing the question, she raised an eyebrow at Rainbow. “Yes, the one with werewolves and lycans?” Rainbow gave a nod. “What about the book?” Twilight asked, curious and excited that her friend was interested in something other than Daring Do. Knowing there was no going back, Rainbow asked “Mind telling me more ’bout it?” She prepared herself for if Twilight squealed in excitement. Twilight stared at her friend with a sparkle in her eyes. Yes! She wants to read more books! Realizing that she might have appeared excited, she mentally scolded at herself. Okay, keep it together, Twilight. She’s just curious about the book, it doesn’t mean she’ll actually read it. Clearing her throat and adopting a teacher-like approach, she began to explain the main parts of the book. “Well, the book starts off with explaining how when Nightmare Moon gained power, she had transformed some of her royal guards into supernatural creatures as a means of attacking Princess Celestia’s forces. She transformed them into either batponies or werewolves, each being having different abilities. The book focuses on the werewolves, how they transformed under the moonlight, their strengths being their hearing, sense of smell, healing faster than others, and supposedly being as strong as the princesses themselves.” Twilight paused and took a look at Rainbow Dash, surprised that she was actually paying attention. Rainbow noticed that she paused for a while. Curious and wanting to learn more, she urged Twilight to continue. “Okay, so what about lycans? What’s the difference?” Shaken out of her stupor, Twilight cleared her throat and continued. “Well, it mentions that lycans branch off of the werewolves, so they aren’t that different. The main difference is they are able to transform whenever they chose but still transform during a full moon.” Taking a quick glance into the section on lycans, she continued. “According to the book, lycans can still maintain control of their powers as long as they remember who they are.” “Remember who they are? What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means as long as they don’t forget they’re still a pony, they won’t lose themselves to the power.” Twilight closed the book and sent it back to its place on the shelf. “The book says that a common mistake among lycans is trying to forget their past. They try to move on in life but end up leaving everyone else behind, all their memories, and soon, themselves.” Twilight paused for a moment, a saddening look upon her face. She looked towards a photo of her and her friends. Rainbow noticed the look on her face and followed her gaze. Twilight spoke, but with a hint of sadness. “Once they’ve lost themselves to their lycan half, they don’t remember ever being a pony. The lycan half completely takes over and basically devours anything that lives, regardless if it was their loved ones.” She turned her face towards the floor before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She then faced Rainbow Dash and continued with a reassuring smile. “Like I said, it’s just something to scare the foals and keep them away from forests. While they did exist for some time, they died off over four hundred years ago. Otherwise, we would have known by now.” Confused, Rainbow asked, “We would have? How?” Seeing her confusion, Twilight explained, “Well the book says that a lycan’s howl is different from wolves and timberwolves. Since they’re still part pony, their howls will sound more like a pony doing a close imitation of a wolf howl.” This piece of information sent Rainbow’s mind back to her memories. That howl… the night he was gone… Her eyes widened when Twilight’s description of the lycan howl was similar to what she heard more than fifteen years ago. Her blood ran cold and she felt her body going numb. I have to know… I NEED to make sure it wasn’t… Seeing a sudden change in Rainbow’s eyes, Twilight grew concerned for her friend. “Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong?” she asked in a worried tone. Twilight’s voice snapped Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. Sensing her friend’s worry, she said in a non-convincing tone, “Nothing’s wrong, Twi.” Noticing the time, she quickly added, “Just saw the time and remembered I gotta get ready for work tomorrow.” Rainbow was sweating bullets and wore a huge grin in hopes of Twilight believing her. She didn’t like lying to her friends, but she felt this was something too personal to tell anyone. Twilight grew suspicious but nonetheless looked out the window and her eyes widened as she took note of the sky’s sudden change in color. “Wow, I didn’t realize we’ve been talking for so long,” she said, turning back to Rainbow with a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry I kept you here for so long.” “It’s fine Twi, you were just in your egghead mode since I don’t really ask a lot of questions,” Rainbow reassured her with a smirk. Remembering the lycan howl, she asked “Hey, mind if I take that lycan book? Something you said caught my attention and I wanna take a closer look.” Although she hoped Twilight wouldn’t be suspicious or ask questions, she braced herself for the response. “You do realize this is a library, right? You don’t need to ask.” Twilight said with a giggle. After quickly scanning the bookshelf and finding the book, she handed it to Rainbow with her magic. Twilight said with a smile, “Let me know if you have any questions about it.” Taking the book in her foreleg, Rainbow Dash turned to face the door and spread her wings. “Thanks egghead, see ya later.” Flapping her wings to take off, she was interrupted by Twilight. “Rainbow…” she hesitated but felt she must say something. “if you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, you can always come to me.” Rainbow Dash did not turn to face her friend as she stood there with her wings spanned out. “I’ll keep that in mind…Thanks.” And with that she took off. Twilight watched her friend leave then closed the door with her magic. Walking up the stairs to her bedroom, Twilight recalled the change in the pegasus’s behavior at the description of the lycan howl. One minute she’s interested then the next she’s… afraid. She wanted to push more out of her friend but felt she was treading on a delicate subject. She decided to push the thought out of her mind when she reached her room. When she entered, she saw Spike curled up in his bed beside hers. He must have returned and saw Dash and I were talking, probably wanted to give us some privacy she thought with an appreciative smile. She followed the young dragon’s example and decided to rest as well. Her last thoughts before falling asleep were of her cyan feathered friend. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Flying near Sonic Rainboom speed had the night air biting at Rainbow’s fur, but it was nothing compared to the coldness inside. Since they’re still part pony, their howls will sound more like a pony doing a close imitation of a wolf howl. Twilight’s words echoed in her mind and spurred her to fly home faster. Upon seeing her cloud home, she headed straight towards her bedroom window and all but hurled herself through. She landed on the floor and dropped the book, her body shaking and her breathing slightly shuddering. Closing her eyes and taking a moment to compose herself, Rainbow Dash took several deep breaths and willed her heart to slow down. Once she felt she was calm enough, she opened her eyes and read the cover of the book. Even after all these years, the howl was still fresh in her mind. If what Twilight said was true, then… Not wasting another moment, she took the book in her forelegs and settled herself on her cloud bed. Once she was comfortable, she made to open the book but froze. Her breathing quickened and her body started to shake uncontrollably. I’m not sure if I can do this. I don’t know if I can handle the truth… Every emotion she had kept bottled up for years threatened to burst. Her mind and heart were at war, a storm growling and growing in size. The rain felt like ice, the cold piercing through her, nearly pushing her over the edge. She shut her eyes as tears threatened to burst. I can’t do this alone… Rainbow Dash curled around herself, the book still in her forelegs. The storm darkened everywhere around her, the rain feeling like needles striking all around her. Before she was consumed by it, she heard a voice over the roars of thunder. If you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, you can always come to me. Rainbow’s eyes snapped wide open as the words echoed in her mind. The roaring storm of her inner turmoil had slightly calmed down, and a dim light penetrated through the clouds. Where she was once cold and numb, something warm sparked within and slowly spread throughout her body. The storm ceased but the dark clouds still remained. She was still cold but no longer numb. The sense of loneliness was no longer present. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she opened the book and began to read. Author's Note And here's chapter 1! If this came out as a sort of history lesson, I apologize, but this was necessary for what I have in mind. Criticism is welcome! ~CVC
Chapter 2The sun was nearing noon and ponies were walking around town. The cool breeze was welcome against the heat of Celestia’s sun. Everypony enjoyed the comforting weather and looked forward to a pleasant day. Everyone, except one. Anypony who passed by Rainbow Dashes cloud home would receive a cold feeling that had nothing to do with the weather. It was as if the entire house absorbed Rainbow’s emotions from the previous. The pony herself was still asleep, her body exhausted from absorbing what the book had told her. The first thing Rainbow Dash woke up to was the feeling of something damp on her pillow. Groggily sitting up from her bed, she noticed the tear stain where her head was resting. Memories of the night before rushed through her head as she fought to suppress more tears. I need to get a hold of myself, maybe if fly around for a bit… With that in mind, Rainbow took about few minutes to settle herself. She decided to take a shower to clear her head. Taking a moment to rinse her face off to rid herself of the tear stains, she took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. If Rarity saw me right now she’d freak and take me to the spa. Rainbow shuddered at the thought as she took a careful look at herself. Her mane looked as if she flew through a storm cloud. Her eyes were red, puffy and baggy from crying and lack of sleep. Her coat was matted down with sweat from the nightmares she had after reading the book. She enter the tub next to the mirror and turned on the shower head. After the adjusting the water to a more appropriate temperature, she proceeded to clean herself. Try as she might, she couldn’t help but look back at what she learned from the book. Based on her memories, there was a full moon the night her brother was gone. A lycan wouldn’t have been able to resist the change. The howl she heard had fit the book’s description perfectly, and the descriptions the guards had given her moth- Rainbow slapped herself in the face in an attempt to prevent further thinking. More unwanted memories were beginning to surface in her mind. I need to get of here, clear my head. She hastily turned off the water, and without stopping to dry herself down, flew to her bedroom and out the window for a quick flight. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ For the first time in years, Rainbow felt like she was running. Even after her brother’s death, she did not run away from her problems. What was meant to be a flight around Ponyville turned into a race to escape her memories. Get out of my head dammit! Tears were streaming down her face even as she closed her eyes shut to the point of it hurting. GET OUT!! As if trying to dislodge the thoughts, she shook her head furiously. In doing so, she did not notice a tree coming up her path. “RAINBOW!” She opened her eyes at the sound of Twilight’s voice, but it was too late for her to change directions. Try as she might, she tried to avoid the tree but her right wing brushed along a thick branch, sending a lance of pain all the way down to the base of her wing. She gritted her teeth, her wing feeling as if it was on fire. With no way to elevate her flying, she braced herself for the crash landing. She landed on her back and skidded about ten feet, eyes opening wide as the wind was forcefully knocked out of her. She laid motionless on the ground and gasped for air as one would gulp down water after three days without it. The moment she was able to regain her breath, her friend arrived at her side, worry evident in her voice. “Are you okay?” Rainbow merely nodded, taking a few more moments to control her breathing. She rolled herself onto her stomach and tried to stand, her legs slightly shaking from the crash. Immediately Twilight grabbed her by shoulders to prevent her from falling, while also checking for injuries. Dirt and multiple cuts were etched along Rainbow’s back. The cuts flared an angry red and little traces of blood could be found closer to the wings. Her right wing was missing nearly a quarter of its feathers, no doubt from having them forcefully plucked from the tree branch. Upon closer inspection, Twilight sighed in relief that the appendage was not broken, but it seemed to be badly sprained. She touched the wing with a hoof to apply pressure and received a pained hiss from Rainbow, confirming her thoughts. While Twilight was inspecting her body, Rainbow took a moment to look at her surroundings. It seemed at some point she had flown near the park in her haste to leave her cloud home. As she searched for whatever had broken her flight, she found the tree and noticed one of its branches was broken and hanging. Within the leaves she saw several cyan feathers. Well that answers how I-OWWW! The sudden jolt of pain rushing through her injured wing brought her out of her thoughts. She turned her head and saw Twilight’s hoof on the appendage. Before Rainbow could say anything, she felt herself being lifted in the air by Twilight’s magic. “We need to get you fixed up,” she said as she trotted to the library with her friend in tow, “and it looks like you won’t be flying for a while.” Rainbow sighed in defeat knowing Twilight was right. With the amount of feathers lost, it would take roughly a month for them to regrow. Great, how am I gonna get home? As if her friend heard her, Twilight said sternly “You’ll be staying at the library until your wing is better.” That takes care of that. “Can I at least walk?” Rainbow whined. She would have pressed further but the glare on Twilight’s face immediately shut her mouth. Reluctantly, she let her friend levitate her home. The walk to the library felt like a few years. As they entered town square, ponies would stop to see her being carried by her friend. Rainbow felt her pride take a hit from being seen as weak and helpless. The clipped wing did nothing to help. She shut her eyes tightly when a small crowd began to form. Memories resurfaced from flight camp, she heard whispers all around her. Hey it’s Rainbow Crash! The voices only grew louder. I know a place that has a crash course, you should be a test dummy! All she wanted was to disappear from there and fly home. A Wonderbolt? Like that’ll happen! The voices were deafening. You’re a joke, I don’t know how your parents can stand you! Rainbow snapped. “SHUUUT UUUUP!!!!!” Everypony jumped from the intensity of the yell. Those who were passing by stopped in their tracks. Twilight looked at her friend in shock. It was enough to make Twilight stop her spell. As soon as her hooves touched the ground, Rainbow made a run for the library. Within seconds she made it to through the door, slamming it shut, the bookshelves vibrating from the violent impact. Rainbow stood in the center, shaking uncontrollably with heavy breaths. She willed her body to calm down with no success. Moments later Twilight arrived, quickly shutting the door behind her. She stood frozen when she saw her feathered friend trembling. The entire library would have been deafeningly silent were it not for Rainbow Dash’s heavy breathing. Twilight hesitated at first but she slowly made her way towards Rainbow. Twilight’s hoofsteps echoed throughout the library, each gentle clopping sound bringing no amount of comfort to Rainbow. Before she could lay a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, Rainbow rounded up on her, the intense glare bearing down on her. Twilight willed herself to stay put but nonetheless quivered in fear. “Never…do that…again,” Rainbow growled. “I was jus-” “NEVER AGAIN!” Rainbow shouted as she thrust her face to Twilight’s, making her sit on her rear hooves. Twilight had come across many threats since she was assigned to Ponyville. She faced Nightmare Moon head-on on the night before the Summer Sun Celebration. She and her friends defeated Discord using the Elements of Harmony. The Changeling army and King Sombra were nothing but foal’s play to her. All of those were nothing compared to the amount of terror she felt being in Rainbow’s presence right now. Never once had Twilight seen her friend display such strong emotions. Sure, the normally laidback and optimistic pegasus would show signs of irritation or annoyance and few times anger but never anger to this extreme. In an attempt to quell her anger, Rainbow Dash crouched down before launching herself to the library front door and flying out. Twilight followed her friend out of the library, and upon noticing the jerky movements in Rainbow’s flight, grew deeply concerned for her friend’s safety. Without hesitation, she ran after her, paying no mind to those in her path. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Stupid Twilight… Who the hay does she think she is carrying me like I’m useless?!” Rainbow nearly shouted out loud. She was barely flying with stability, her anger consuming her the more reasonable part of her mind. “I don’t know why she thought it was a great bucking idea to treat me like a cripple!” Maybe because your hurt and she bucking cares?! “Doesn’t mean she has to levitate me like a foal!” Rainbow shouted, her thoughts in a mix. You could barely stand up! She had to hold you! “I don’t bucking care! No one makes me look like a f-AHH!” Pain flooded throughout Rainbow Dash’s right wing, enough to make her shut her eyes tightly. A moment later she opened her eyes when she realized she had no idea where she was going. When she opened them, she saw the quickly approaching Everfree Forest. She tried veering away but her injured wing screamed in rebellion as the pain nearly doubled in strength. All Rainbow could do was close her eyes and brace herself for impact. Her last thoughts before crashing were of Twilight. I’m so sorry… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Sweat was rolling down her fur, her legs were begging for a moment of rest, and her lungs and heart were pounding relentlessly against her chest. Despite all of this, Twilight kept running. Her eyes never left Rainbow, even when she weaved through the crowded market place and ran out of town. She followed her until Rainbow suddenly was losing altitude. You Featherbrain! Your wing is still injured! Twilight mentally shouted at her friend. Her irritation turned into fear when she noticed where Rainbow was heading. Celestia, please, no… Running faster than her limit, Twilight charged into the Everfree Forest. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ow… Rainbow was greeted with numbing pain throughout her body. Her face stung with newly aquired scratches from flying through the tree branches. Slowly, she opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Her blood ran cold and her heart dropped when she realized where she crashed into The Everfree… Shakingly, Rainbow stood up, ignoring her body’s plea to lay down and rest. She knew it was only a matter of time before something would come after her, especially with how hard she crashed. The impact was enough to create a small crater in the ground, causing a strong enough quake to alert any animals nearby. Before she could take a step, she heard a shout. It was weak but she was barely able to recognize the voice. Her eyes widened with fear when she realized who it was. “Twilight?” Rainbow whispered to no one in particular. As if by magic, Twilight appeared in front of Rainbow moments later, her head facing the ground and panting in exhaustion from all the running she had done. How long has she been looking for me? Rainbow could only stare at her friend with a mixture of shock, guilt and concern. Before she could speak, Twilight snapped her head up, her eyes expelling waves of anger and worry at Rainbow. Twilight opened her mouth, ready to give her friend a thorough shouting, when a deep growl echoed nearby. The two mares stand frozen with their eyes shrunk and hearts quickly pounding in their chest. Silently but quickly, they moved and stood right next to each other facing where they heard the growl. A twig suddenly snapped to their right, the sound followed by two more growls. Without a second thought, Twilight and Rainbow sprinted away from the sounds. Neither ponies knew where they were heading. The only thing on their minds was to escape the beasts heading their way. They ran through bushes, earning cuts all around their bodies. Despite changing paths every now and then, the snarls of the three beasts could still be heard. The few minutes of running felt like hours as they manuevered through the Everfree. As they continued running, the growls began to slowly get louder. Rainbow Dash turned her head around and instantly regretted it. Please Celestia, no… Trailing behind Rainbow and Twilight were three wolves nearly twice their size, bloodshot yellow-eyes bearing down on them with ravenous hunger. No… The wolves snapped at their tails. The distance between closing rapidly. NO… One wolf was ready to pounce. NO!!! Time seemed to have slowed down. The wolf leaped into the air, fangs bared and eyes filled with intention to kill. Rainbow flapped her wings and grabbed onto Twilight, carrying them both into the air just as the wolf was within biting distance. Rainbow pumped her wings, ignoring the numbing pain, using sheer willpower to lift her and her friend to the sky. Letting out a yell, she narrowly dodged the wolf and managed to fly above the tree level. She flew as fast as she could with her injured wing while carrying Twilight in her arms. As soon as they were past the borders of the Everfree, Rainbow made to land, albeit a bit jerky along the way. What was meant to be a safe landing became a rough impact with the ground, the two ponies rolling a good fifteen feet before stopping. A trail of dirt followed them. When the dust settled, there was no movement between the two ponies laying on their sides. The silence was broken in seconds with pained groans whispering in the open space. Rainbow laid motionless, not daring to move after putting her body through so much torment. Her ears were numb from her injured wing screaming in numbing pain, her back also angrily voicing its suffering. She couldn't hear the whimpers escaping her throat. Above it all, Rainbow managed to hear Twilight’s groans as well. Rainbow wanted to stand up and instantly check on her friend, but all she could manage was opening her eyes into small slits and gazing at her friend with great concern. Twilight was welcomed by the burn and jelly-like feel in her legs, along with a sore throat and exhausted lungs. All of that was ignored after hearing the small whimpers of her friend. They were barely audible but the unbearable pain was clearly heard. Twilight willed herself to roll on her stomach, ignoring the protests in her legs and stood up. At that moment, the two made eye contact with one another. The world seemed to be still except for the occasional fall breeze. Rainbow was about to speak but was cut off. "You... You Featherbrain! Wha... what were you thinking?!" the voice was barely a whisper but the anger was clearly present. Rainbow prepared to retort but all that came was a rough coughing fit, forcing her to close her eyes. Her throat felt dryer than the desert of Appleoosa, her mouth rougher than the dirt roads of the town. When her coughing eased up, she took notice of the change of scenery. The rough texture of the ground was now smooth. The cool fall breeze was no longer present, now replaced by warm, still air. She heard heavy breathing and realized that it was not from herself. As she looked for the source, she noticed she was now lying in front of the chimney of the library. After letting her gaze wonder, her eyes rested upon Twilight and her disheveled figure. The room would have been in a deafening silence were it not for the pants of both ponies. Not one word was spoken. Not even when Twilight began healing Rainbow with her magic. Rainbow made no move to refuse. She couldn't after everything her body went through. As a matter of fact, she didn't want to, not when Twilight's magic felt soothing on her sore body. While Rainbow couldn't see it, she felt the small cuts closing up, the numbing aches in her wings and muscles slowly turning into mild throbbing. With exhaustion finally taking hold, Rainbow's body began to relax, the time for rest coming sooner than she expected. Twilight felt Rainbow's breathing slowing down through her magic. She took a look at her pegasus friend's face to find it peaceful, a complete contrast to how it was earlier. What's going through your mind?... Worry began to take hold of Twilight's heart. While she was healing her friend's physical wounds, Twilight wanted desperately to heal any emotional or mental wounds Rainbow has kept from others. Twilight knew that whatever caused Rainbow's outburst was not something small or insignificant. After treating Rainbow Dash's wing, Twilight gently levitated her friend to the guest room of the library. With Spike out with Rarity, she knew there would be no disturbance any time soon. As Twilight gently laid Rainbow in the bed and covered her with the blanket, she couldn't help but gaze at the peaceful look on her face. Unconsciously, Twilight lowered her head closer to Rainbow's, her snout merely a few inches from her face. It wasn't until she was nuzzling Rainbow's cheek did she become aware of what her body was doing. Twilight jumped back in a panic when Rainbow moved, afraid she had awoken her friend. Her breath hitched in her throat until Rainbow settled down. Twilight closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief, realizing just how tense she was in the moment. When she opened her eyes, she glanced at Rainbow to find the same peaceful face. This time however, a small smile had grown. Twilight couldn't help but smile as well, glad to see her friend was happy even if she was asleep. Not wanting to disturb Rainbow's slumber, she slowly stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind her. Author's Note Wow, 6 months since the last chapter, yeesh Well, as I said in my latest blog post, I'll be dedicating at least 15 minutes a day brainstorming/writing on my fics. I'll even put an alarm on my phone to ensure I make time ~~because Jesus I'm horrible at reminding myself with things~~.
