Wolfsing

“Alaru!” William cried. “We’re supposed to be going with the others. They’re going to need help moving the younger ones, and Raisong is going to be cross with you, and me because I’m not leaving until you agree to come along,” he said. He was referring to the three sisters’ younger siblings that Wofsing and Raison had since they started school. They were about five years old and there were four of them.

“I know you love me, but this is a bit much,” Alaru joked, leering at him over his shoulder to see William scowling at him, his eyes narrowed. “There’s no reason why you should follow me, though I would think you would like to be able to get back that scythe of yours.”

“It means a lot to me, but our lives and the lives of our family mean more to me than that reminder of my past,” William answered crossly.

“Let’s just say,” Alaru replied, “That I feel like somepony is in trouble and we’ll be losing some family if we don’t return to save them. Silve was agreeable, why can’t you be?”

“Because you’re acting unreasonable,” William told him. He looked ready to say more, but Alaru stopped him, pulling him down to the ground by his horn.

He didn’t have time to complain about the treatment as he caught sight of the same thing Alaru did. The two stallions were both hunched down on a ridge, and they could just barely make out the form of a pony, held high on a post surrounded by a raging crowd. They could definitely hear the screaming and cursing from here.

“You know who that is, right?” Alaru asked him, a proud smirk on his face at being right.

“Wolfsing,” He breathed. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to go in there, raging like hellfire, smash a few heads, and get her back. We better do it quickly too. That crowd is hungry for blood,” Alaru told him.

“And how are we going to avoid getting murdered ourselves?” William replied and Alaru rolled his eyes at him.

“I thought that was obvious. We’re going to use skill, my good brother-in-law,” he replied, and before William could talk him out of it, or at least suggest a plan, he was gone, hurtling toward the crowd on highly adjusted wings. William shook his head, and it wasn’t long before he was charging headlong as well, his magic blazing.

Wolfsing whimpered as she struggled to escape her bindings, shifting her wings about, but the ropes were too tight. So tight that they cut into her skin and made it hard to breathe. What was worse was the sounds of their voices all raised in anger and excitement at her impending demise, pressing in on her like an unrelenting sea of despair. They backed off just enough for the wood to be placed before a unicorn stepped forward, his horn aglow to light it.

There were cries of surprise and pain that distracted from the task, however, as Alaru landed amongst them kicking and slamming into them with a vengeance. Right when they thought they might be able to overwhelm him, might get some relief form his ferocity, a blast of magic rained down on them as William joined the skirmish. It wasn’t long before they had gained a wide berth for themselves and William managed to blast the ropes holding Wolfsing, effectively freeing her.

Though she knew they were saving her, she was absolutely terrified. The moment she managed to get free she fluttered away before landing heavily out of the circle, her wings sore and maybe even broken. They were definitely not cooperating as she ran into the forest, flapping them frantically before finally holding them tight to her side.

The General growled, knowing that they wouldn’t last long against these two stallions as broken apart and confused as they were, and he was hardly willing to let her simply get away. “Ignore them! Go after Wolfsing! Hunt her down before she brings her entire devilish pack upon us with a thirst for blood and murder!”

Those watching William and Alaru with nervous eyes took a step back and went to pursue her eagerly, finding one injured mare much easier to deal with than two enraged, dangerous Stallions. Seeing what was happening, the two tried to stop them, but they couldn’t catch all of them before they were long gone in pursuit of Wolfsing.

***

Solomen made short work of the defending line, and all that was left was Cakern who came at him with fury, his sickle in his mouth though every strike he took on Solomen was either a harmless glancing blow or a complete miss as he stepped out of the way with ease. It hardly helped the Scythe Pony how incredibly furious he was, his anger muddling otherwise clean strikes.

The way he buzzed around Solomen, swooping in and out to prevent him from returning a solid attack, was beginning to annoy him suddenly.

Selena had warned him not to do this, that it would get him into trouble if he did so in front of other ponies, but it wasn’t as if this particular pony would be telling anyone once he was through with him, and he intended for this to be his last job in any case. Wings suddenly sprouted from his back to accompany his horn. It was in Selena’s vain image that the enchanted horn would be able to make him an alicorn. He had seen her countless nights fiddling with mechanical wings that would hardly hold her when she wasn’t trying her hardest to make him hers.

Cakern was shocked for a moment, and cried out as Solomen dove up to meet him, his horn cutting along his shoulder until the pegasus managed to get away. It was suddenly a deadly game of chase, Cakern rising higher and higher, trying to escape that deadly horn, especially as the black stallion began shooting off beams of magic. It shouldn’t have been possible. This kind of magic shouldn’t have existed at all.

Cakern was hoping to wear him out, but if anything Solomen seemed to grow stronger and stronger simply from his fear, and he knew that if he didn’t do something to remedy this fast he would be the one to wear out and fall from the sky. He turned to meet him head on, his sickle tearing down his side as he managed to dodge around him, blood dripping from the wound to the cobblestone below.

“Do you have the blood of a god as well?” Cakern sneered, but the next moment Solomen was turning in the air, slamming his hooves down onto Cakern, carrying him into the side of a wall with a snarl.

“The blood of a devil,” he promised, wincing painfully.

***

Wolfsing shuddered as she ran. She could hear them chasing her from far behind, too far back for her to see but still a constant digging at her mind. It didn’t matter. She knew that if they caught her they would kill her.

Her hoof caught on a jutting root and she was thrown to the ground. She sniveled horribly as she tried to pull herself back up, but it hurt too much. She held still and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, preparing herself for the end.

The sounds of distant hooves suddenly ceased and the forest around her grew louder. She opened her eyes and nearly shrieked as a huge wolf stood over her, his teeth bared. His fur was a dark red from his maw to his tail and his eyes were a shattering green. Her fear fell away to something of awe as she watched him, though she was almost certain she was about to be devoured by this rage-filled stranger.

“Do you know who I am, Wolfsing?” He growled. She shook her head slowly, her eyes wide with curiosity now. “I am your father.”

“Bloodtryst—father?” She gasped, “But you’re dead.”

“That’s right, but you’re not,” he told her, his voice sharp with anger. “Stand and fight for what you believe in. Avenge me and avenge yourself for how they treated you. You have life and family to live for, and a clan bigger than the moon with a future brighter than the sun.”

“I don’t think I’m strong enough,” she murmured, tears shining in her eyes. “I did all these things and appeared before all these ponies, but it’s not like I can fight them father. They’ll find us one day and they’ll kill us, or else we’ll have to wander forever and we’ll never know peace.”

“Is that really what you think?” Bloodtryst sneered, holding out his hoof to her. “No daughter of mine—“

She reached out to take it, but wolves were all around her, sinking their fangs into her, into legs and mane and neck and flank and she cried out. She never felt anything more terrible and intense in her life.

***

Sara groaned as he laid stiffly, Raisong’s hoof firmly on his side, his horn glowing lightly, though he wasn’t really threatening any longer. He knew that he had won and Sara had lost and that was that.

“You’ll pay for this,” Sara hissed at him. “You’ll pay along with all of your family.”

“That’s funny,” Raisong replied. “The only one that I can imagine paying is you.”

The doors began to open and Sara laughed. He expected the pony coming in to be his son, ready to take care of Raisong, but instead he turned to see a dark stallion with a long horn. His wings were now gone.

Raisong turned to see him as well and was promptly blasted. He howled in pain, a dark scorch mark on his side. Sara jumped up quickly, going to his side, believing he had an ally, but Solomen killed him with a sweep of his horn.

“Aren’t you Swallow Death’s assistant?” Celestia demanded, a look of horror and disgust crossing her face.

“That’s right, and Selena sends her regards. I was told to come here, kill you and every ‘pony’ with you, and then return to my mistress,” he replied, narrowing his eyes at the word.

Raisong growled, bitter about the cheap shot and angered at his threats. They were suddenly locking horns, but Raisong was surprised to find how much more adept he was at the art of locking horns than Sara, and it wasn’t long before blood was running freely down his shoulder. The next moment Raisong slashed out and Solomen howled in pain, his eye bloody. He growled and shook it off. He had to finish this for the sake of his sister and returning home. He forged on, a snarl on his face.

***

Wolfsing awoke with her head feeling heavy. She looked all over, but there wasn’t a mark on her body. She struggled to her feet and the next moment her pursuers were there, scraping the earth, but they all paused when they saw her.

“Is it real?” The first asked the second with some trepidation, and the second looked at him and shook his head slowly, not in disagreement but because he wasn’t sure what was going on. She didn’t understand what was going on as well, but she took a threatening step forward. She was done running away. To her surprise they took a step back, fear in their eyes. Was she in wolf form? No, she definitely wasn’t, she could see her wings out of the corner of her eyes. Then she realized she could see something else as well.

Another pony caught up with them, and this time they didn’t question what was happening at all. “Sh-She’s an alicorn now!”

“What?” Wolfsing replied, though it didn’t sound like her own voice. Still, she couldn’t deny how much heavier her head felt, and what she could see in the middle of her forehead out of the corner of her eyes. How did unicorns deal with this, having something like this in the center their vision at all times? However when she stopped focusing on it, it seemed to stop being prominent to her, much like her snout.

Even so, she thought, this wasn’t possible. Ponies didn’t simply become alicorns and somepony like her definitely didn’t. Still, what her father told her stuck in her head. She was meant to rule, to have a mighty clan, and so what did that mean? That she would have to be a princess to lead them? That didn’t really make sense. She didn’t have time to think about it. The three that had been staring at her had become four and then five, and they could see her indecision and personal confusion at what had happened to her and encouraged each other until they made up their minds about it. They charged at her, but she charged back. She nearly lost her balance, however, with the new appendage.

At that moment William and Alaru arrived. William stared at her with wide-eyed awe, but Alaru simply laughed. He had played this game before, and he had personally refused it, but he thought it looked good on Wolfsing if only she wasn’t still stumbling around, struggling to stand. The other ponies turned their attention on them with terror in their eyes and fear in their hearts, and it wasn’t long before the two stallions had them off and running.

“What are you looking at?” Wolfsing growled at Alaru as he started laughing again after the two returned to stand at her side.

“Oh nothing, my dear lady Wolfsing,” Alaru smirked, “Our good princess, or would you prefer queen? I prefer queen because it makes you sound better than that bottom feeder Celestia and her annoying sunlight.”

“Come now,” William gulped, looking between Alaru and Wolfsing. “That’s really not necessary Alaru. Celestia has done a lot for us.”

“Bet you she’ll be upset* about Wolfsing here. So how did it happen?” Alaru asked her.

“Well,” she said slowly. “My father visited me a vision…or something…and then I awoke and I was like this.”

“Your dad helped you with that?” Alaru laughed, “Mine too! Let’s go find your mate before Celestia comes down on us with her unholy sunlight and destroys us all in the name of Leto!”

They watched him slowly, his reference lost on them before Wolfsing nodded and replied, “I suppose it can’t be helped.” The two stallions agreed, and supported her until she was able to manage her balance again and walk.

***

When they arrived it was eerily quiet, but the first thing they noticed was Celestia, suspended in a crystal that gave off a brilliant light that made the entire room an eerie lavender color. The second thing they noticed was Raisong, less noticeable as he lay bloodied and battered in the middle of the floor. There was no sign of Solomen. Wolfsing cried out fearfully, running to his side, but pulled up short as a blast of magic hit the floor between them.

“How kind of you to show, Lady Wolfsing,” Selena sneered but paused, an ugly look crossing her face. “How did you do that? Tell me how!”

Wolfsing was confused for a moment, but then she realized what she was talking about. She didn’t know the answer to that herself, but right now she simply wanted to spite this arrogant mare that seemed to have caused this turmoil. “Wouldn’t you like you know?” She asked lamely, and something about her answer revealed to Selena just how much she knew, and she merely sniffed disdainfully.

“I suppose you won’t be able to tell me, but no matter. I have way of taking it from you, fur and flesh,” Selena informed her, and the next moment she was descending down the stairs, and the next moment she was attacking Wolfsing with vicious magic she was hardly prepared for.