3- Giving and Getting

After I sprained my ankle and fell asleep the next day I woke up and just laid next to Azura. While I laid there I thought about the events of yesterday and why Azura wasn’t acting shy when I was hurt. It was strange to see her like that, even though I was hurt you would think she would still be a bit shy. Oh well, anyway, after Azura woke up she was back to her old self, being shy and still a bit scared of me. But when she looked at my injured leg she seemed like a whole new person, err pony, and I tried to walk with three legs for a few minutes after and felt that I finally got walking on three legs down.

But right after checking my leg she went right back to being shy, she’s probably like that because of her dumb ass father, maybe I should find a family or someone to take care of her because a wolf isn’t cut out to raise a different kind or if you want to be technical a human shouldn't be raising a sentient pony. Maybe I should help her with her shyness while I look for someone to take care of her so the family would take her in easily if she wasn’t shy, I don’t know if I could even break her shell but I guess I could try, and much less find someone to care for her.

So for the next week I tried talking to her as a friend and sneaking around Canterlot to find someone to take care of her while trying to get food at the castle. When I went to the castle  again there were guards everywhere, probably because I let myself be seen last time, or maybe for the fact that he saw me grab Azura and thought I was going to eat her or something so he must have told someone about that day and had guards make sure the evil filly eating wolf wouldn’t get in the castle again.

Luckily with not having to worry about hiding Azura it was easy to grab some food, and put it in a bag that I found that was a big back that was black with purple designs on it, and I flew back to the cave and ate with Azura, it was mostly veggies and fruit for Azura and some more cake and something else for me. The first time I said I was going to get us something to eat while I was injured she protested and told me that I shouldn’t be straining my body when I need to heal and I told her that I would only be gone for a few minutes.

When I flew to the castle to get us food I didn’t go to the castle I flew to a dark alley way where the sun didn’t shine light into it and I would blend in easily. I sneaked through alleys and tried to find an orphanage or a family that would maybe take Azura in, if I could find either of those I could give Azura to them and get on with finding where the Elements are and stealing them.

While I was sneaking around I heard something about a town or something to the south called Ponyville and I thought that would be a good place to try to find out where the elements are. So I went and got some food and headed back to the cave and this went on for about a week and I also made some progress with Azura being shy, she started to talk to me more and she smiled a lot too even though she could hardly see me thanks to this cave being so dark, yet I could see her thanks to night vision. And remember when her ribs were showing and she had bruises all over her body, well when she ate meals normally, sort of, she started to gain weight to where I think it would be normal for a pony from this world and over time she started to heal as well. And after the week was over Azura had told me that I should be able to walk on my right paw now, so I tried to and it felt completely better so now I was able to run and sneak through alleyways on four legs instead of three.

And while I was sneaking around I leveled up my sneaking a LOT and I got a few new magic spells and it was to blend into the shadows and to blend in around any of my surroundings but I can move in the shadows but I can’t if I use the one where I can blend in anywhere. When I leveled up and got a new spell the man from before showed up as a hologram or something like that and he told me that I had a choice of what spell I wanted. I asked him how I would be able to talk to him if I needed help and he said just say these words ‘When Darkness rises Silence falls.’

Oh one more thing while I was in Canterlot one day I thought I should learn more about the Elements of Harmony so I went back to that building that was a home and a library. I went straight to the book and I read it over and over again and only found the exact same thing, something about the Mare in the Moon and only what it said before about the elements. So I just decided that I would have to find a library in Ponyville once I get rid of Azura. Sigh what am I going to do about Azura?

Now we’re back to the present on the day after the week.

I flew back into the cave and flapped my wings a few times and landed softly onto the ground. I had a bag of food in my mouth and walked to the back of the cave where Azura was. I sat the bag down and Azura came over and I opened the bag revealing food that I choose mostly every day, it was the same thing she ate the first day we stole food and because it’s her favorite thing.

She told me that she didn’t get much too eat at all, her father wanted her to do her chores and if she did them before her time limit was up he would give Azura scraps from his dinner he ate. She said he rarely gave her anything and that he would beat her if she didn’t finish her chores in time. When she said that it pissed me off and I almost lost it. And I realized that I actually was starting to like Azura, like she was the daughter I never had.

Back to the present, so me and Azura finished eating and we laid there for a while before Azura sat up and stretched while yawning.

“Shadow, when can we go outside?” she asks me and I lift my head and look at her.

“Hmm I suppose we could get out of this cave for once. Alright lets go.” I said standing up and stretching my legs.

We walked to the entrance and I saw that the sun had started to set in the east, it’s kind of hard to tell what time of day it is when your in a cave and there no light. I crouched down and let Azura on my back and she wrapped her hooves around my neck, I opened my wings and flapped them a few times stretching them out, I flapped once and I flew out of the cave and glided to the ground below the cave where there was an open field of grass and I landed. Azura got off of my back and walked around as I sat down and watched her.

She walked away from me about 15 ft away from me and sat down with her back turned to me and looked up at the sun. I looked up at the sun as well and saw the same beautiful colors of the sun again, there was orange, red, with bit of blue in the sky and it made the clouds look like they were red as well. We watched the sun for until it had finally set and the moon had came out. I don’t know why but I felt like howling. So I took a deep breath, looked into the sky, closed my eyes and let out a howl.

After I stopped howling I opened my eyes and looked at the beautiful stars in the sky and saw a full moon that made it all perfect. Back on earth it was hard to see the stars out in the city what with all the city lights everywhere, man I’m actually glad I’m in this world than in that hell hole. Never even liked my family even when they died I still despise them. (Exactly how I am right now. Even though mine aren’t dead yet.)  Azura walked back over to me and sat down next to me and looked back up at the stars.

Azura yawned. “Shadow what are those things in the sky?” she asks me and I look at her in disbelief.

“Wait are you serious?” I ask her and she nods her head. “Well those lights up in the sky are called stars and that big white circle is called the moon.” I said pointing to the moon.

“Wow I always wondered what they were called. Do they have names?” she asks again.

“No.” I said chuckling. “But they do make up constellations and they have names.” I said to her.

“What are con-stol-lat-uns?” she asks me.

“Well EXPLANATION.” I said to her.

“Can you show me some?” she asks me with a curious look.

“Sure.” I said and I told her of all the constellations and pointed them out to her. She was listening intently the whole time and staring at the stars in wonder. After I told her of all the constellation I said that t was getting late and that we should head back to the cave and sleep. So I flew back to the cave with Azura on my back and we headed inside the cave and laid down next to each other.

“Shadow?” she asks me while yawning and I laid my head down.

“Hmm?”

“Can you be my new daddy?” she asks me and I went wide eyed and looked at her in disbelief.

“Why would you want me to be your dad?” I asked her in disbelief.

“Well my real dad didn’t care about me and when I met you I felt safe for once in my life. And I never had anypony care about me the way you do. So will you?” she asks me with hope in her eyes.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea Azura.” I said to her.

“Oh alright.” she said with a frown.

I thought about what she said for a few seconds. “*sigh* I suppose I could.” I said laying my head back down. She had a smile on her face and she laid her head onto my side and closed her eyes.

“Good night… dad.” she said.

“Good night Azura.” I said smiling and I laid my head down close to her and smiled. It seems like she really is the daughter I never had, and now… now I do.

I woke up the next morning to Azura moving. I cracked open and eye and saw that she was still asleep and she looked uncomfortable so I wrapped myself around her and she snuggled into me with a smile. I closed my eye and fell back to sleep again.

I woke up again this time from Azura shaking me. I cracked open an eye again and saw her there and she stopped shaking me. I got up and stretched my legs and yawned.

“What is it?” I ask Azura.

“Can we go outside again?” she asks me.

“Now?” I ask and she nods. “Why?” I ask her.

“Well I wanted to find somewhere to clean up. I haven’t had a bath before and I’ve always wanted one.” she said.

I need to find out what else she hasn’t tried before. I thought for some reason. “Alright let's go then.” I said starting to walk to the entrance of the cave.

Azura gets on my back and I take off into the sky and head towards Canterlot. I know it’s crazy but it’s not like I can’t be sneaky. I fly towards Canterlot and now I think its time to use one of the spells I learned. I thought of a name back in the cave of the spell and I said it in my mind. ‘Blending Colors’ I thought and I felt myself feeling a bit light headed for a second and it passed as soon as it came. I looked at my paws which were always in front of me and I could still see them, so I guess I can see myself, I looked back at Azura and saw her smiling with her eyes closed and her head tilted up smelling the air. I looked back in front of me and saw that we were getting close to Canterlot.

I fly down towards Canterlot and glided towards the castle. I flew around the castle trying to find any open windows or doors on a balcony. After flying around the castle I found an open balcony door and flew down to it and landed silently.

“What are we doing here?” Azura asks me.

“Shh, you said you wanted a bath so I’m giving you one.” I said and Azura got off of my back and she started to walk into the room but I stopped her with a paw and she looked up at me.

“Azura if a pony walks in here and we can’t escape pretend I can’t talk.” I said to her and putting my paw back on the floor. She nodded and we walked into the room and luckily no one was in here and I let my spell off. What’s with ponies leaving windows and doors open? I walked around and opened a few doors and finally found the one room I was looking for. I called Azura over and opened the door more so we could walk inside.

It was a bathroom that looked very normal for a castle. It a circle room that had a toilet, a sink, and everything else you would see in a bathroom with three windows on the walls with rays of sunlight shining through them. I walk over to the shower and turn the nozzles and wait for the water to warm up. I waited a few seconds and put a paw under the water that started to stream out of the shower head and it was warm.

“Azura come over here and see if the water is warm enough for you.” I said and Azura walked over and put a hoof under the water.

“Should it be warm?” she asks taking her hoof out and putting it back on the floor.

“Yes. Now hop in and I’ll help you wash up.” I said and she got in the shower and water fell on her and she let out a satisfying ‘mmm’ and I looked around and saw two bottles of soap on the side of the tub and I looked at one of them and surprisingly I could read it, it was shampoo so I grabbed it in both of my paws.

“Now stay still. I’m going to put some soap on your head.” I said to her and she nodded and stood still.

I squeezed the bottle and soap poured onto Azura’s mane and she shivered and I chuckled at her. I put the bottle down and started to rub in the soap making bubbles on top of her head and some piled up and fell down onto her muzzle and she looked at them and blew them off of her muzzle. She giggled at it and I chuckled at her silliness.

“Alright now put your head under the water and lean your head back and I’ll wash off the soap.” I said and she did as told.

I washed the soap out of her mane and made sure I got all of the soap out before repeating the process for her tail. I grabbed the next bottle in my mouth and tilted my head sideways and bit down on the bottle and soap spilled out and onto Azura’s body. I put the bottle back down and rub the soap into her coat with my wings since I wouldn’t want to put my paws on her and accidentally push her over because I didn’t have any balance or anything to hold onto.

I rubbed in the soap and she smiled. After rubbing it in I told her to get under the water and let the water wash off the soap. She did and after a few minutes the soap was all out of her fur and I turned off the shower and went and looked in a few cabinets looking for a towel. After finding what I was looking for I grabbed a towel in my mouth and brought it over to Azura and put it over her and used my wings to rub the towel over her. I finally finished drying her off and I take the towel off of her and she looks at me and smiles. I smile back at her and I help her out of the shower and set her on the ground.

“Your turn.” Azura said.

“No, no, no. I came here to give you a bath and that’s it. Now let's go.” I said turning around.

“Come one you gave me one now it’s your turn.” she said.

“I really can’t believe I’m doing this.” I muttered under my breath.

I sighed in defeat and turned around and walked back over to the tub and jumped into the shower. I turned the water back on and I let the water wash over me and after a few seconds my fur is matted down from the water. I’m starting to miss my hands. I thought as I remembered running my hands through my wet hair every time I was in the shower. I open my eyes and look over at Azura who was grabbing the bottled soap in her mouth and I moved out from under the water and Azura tilted her head to the side and squeezed some soap out and onto my fur. She put the bottle down and used her hooves to start rubbing the soap in and she was giggling while doing so.

After rubbing the soap into my fur she told me to get under the water and I did so and she started rubbing the soap off and in all honesty, it felt kind of good… for hooves that is. I expected them to be very hard and uncomfortable once she started rubbing the soap in but they felt really soft somehow. I don’t even know how to explain how they felt, but anyway she finally rinsed off all of the soap off of my fur and I could feel that my fur is very soft now. I could also smell the soap, it smelled like peaches and oranges mixed together with a hint of kiwi. Man my sense of smell is amazing now.

“There all done.” Azura said with a smile.

I hopped out of the tub and shook all of the water off of me and my fur poofed out and made me look like I had a lion's mane. Azura giggled at how ridiculous I looked and she took the towel I used on her and put it over me and started to dry me off. She finished drying me off and I looked at her with a smile.

“Alright now it’s time to go.” I said and we walked out of the room and thankfully no one was in here still, which is still very odd.

We walked out to the balcony and Azura got on my back and I took off into the skies which was still daylight outside.

“Azura are you hungry?” I ask Azura without looking back at her. I felt her shake her head and then I felt soft rumbling on my back and it was Azura’s stomach that had did that. I smirked and changed direction and headed for the kitchen.

For some reason the window was open still and I glided over the window for a few seconds looking for any ponies that might be in the kitchen and luckily there wasn’t so I glided down to the window, went inside and landed safely onto the ground. Azura got off of my back and we walked around and ate what was left out and while I was eating some fruit I heard a door open and I looked towards the sound and saw a pony walking in and it was the same chef from before.

I looked over towards Azura and saw that she had saw him too and was getting into a cabinet. Thank god she know what to do after all this time. I thought as I crouched down and crawled over to the end of the cabinets and looked over the corner to see him walking the opposite direction of me with the sound of clip clopping as he walked. I waited until he had walked away and I crawled over to the other side of the room where the other cabinets were at and crawled over to the cabinet where Azura was hiding. I opened the cabinet quietly and motioned for Azura to get on my back since her hooves would make too much noise.

She got on and I crawled over to where the opened window was at and moonlight was shining through it and I looked over the corner and saw the guy chopping up some vegetables and it looked like he wasn’t moving any time soon. He would look side to side every so often and I would duck back behind the corner and look back over when he looked the other way. Seems like he’s jumpy from something. I wonder what could have caused that? Oh yeah me! I thought and I resisted the urge to smirk and thought that I should find a different way out of here since he’s not moving any time soon. I sneak over to the door he came in and slowly and quietly opened the door as to not make any noise. I open the door and crawl out and silently close the door. I hear clip clopping coming from the right at the end of the hall and I look towards the sound and see a shadow getting bigger and bigger.

I run to my left as fast as I could and I get to a four way and turn right hoping to get far away from whoever was coming. I run down the hall and look behind me hoping no one else was walking down the hall and there wasn’t and I look back in front of me and see a giant blue door with two guards stationed at the sides of it and I stop running as soon as I saw them and their eyes widened at the sight of me.

“There’s the wolf! Get it!” one of the guards yelled and I was right next to a door luckily and I ran through it and into a dark room with two glass doors on the other side of the room.

I ran and slammed into them sending them flying open and I ran out onto the balcony, jumped over the railing, opened my wings and flew to my right flying towards my cave as fast as I could flapping my wings vigorously. I see something flying towards me and I squint and see that it’s guards flying towards me. I turn around and flap my wings as hard as I could and went speeding towards the castle again.

“Azura close your eyes! Things may get ugly soon!” I yell at her and she nods. Luckily the guards weren’t close enough to hear me so now it’s time for a bit of a flying battle.

This is gonna be fun! I thought as I thought of an idea to get rid of them and I turned direction towards the guards flying at me. I flapped my wings once and I went hurdling towards them and there eyes widened and they tried to get out of my way but I sped up and flew faster and used a spell. Steel Wings I thought and I felt my wings start to harden but still able to move. I looked back and saw my wings were now silver and very sharp. I flapped my wings again and glided straight at them and when I was right above them I flapped as hard as I could and hit them on the head and they stopped flying but maybe only for a few seconds and I took that chance to fly towards my cave.

Once again I was stopped by three more guards. I turned back towards the castle and thought of another way to get rid of them. I flew straight toward the castle hoping I could lose them in the streets. There weren’t many ponies in the streets so I wouldn’t really be seen I just need to be a bit careful. I dive into an alleyway and flap my wings stopping right above the ground I flap them again and I fly out of the alleyway and into an empty street.

“STOP THAT MUTT!” I hear one of the guards say far away behind me.

I flap my wings and fly through the streets like a bullet and doing sharp turns around corners and the guards were on my tail but I was losing them by the second. Every corner I turn they couldn’t match my speed on turning them and one crashed into a building across an alleyway after I turned and he didn’t turn fast enough and lost control and crashed into a building. Now there were only two left following me, time for some tactics I’m trying out for the first time.

I fly even faster than before and I adjust my wings and pull them around me and Azura and I spiral upwards and back around and unfold my wings and glide along the ground and see the two guards flying straight towards a building and they start to pull up but one hit a flag pole and landed on the ground out cold and the other flew back around and started chasing me again.

Now for some stealth tactics. I fly back towards the castle going through alley ways and I finally get near the castle grounds and the final guard was still behind me but not even close to me. I speed up and look behind me to see a trail of black behind me as I flew and Azura with her eye closed tight and my eyes widened at the black trail. Hmm odd I’ll have to ask the man who sent me here about that later. I thought as I sped up more and got to the castle and flew straight up along the wall of the castle.

There was a balcony up above me and I flew straight to it and looked back and saw the guard still in the alleyway desperately trying to catch up to me. I land on onto the balcony and there was a huge door with curtains beside it. I look back at Azura and we're both panting heavily.

"Azura get off and hide behind those curtains." I said and she did what I had said.

She hid behind the curtains and I straightened them out to make it look like she wasn't there and I laid down beside her. Blending Colors I thought and I felt myself feeling light headed like the first time I used this spell and it past. I heard flapping and it got closer to us and I finally saw the guard and he landed on the balcony I was on and he looked over the edge searching for me. I was tempted to sneak up behind him and bite down on his neck and get rid of him but Azura was right here and if she wasn't I would have killed him here and now.

In the corner of my eye I saw the balcony door open and a tall dark blue pony walked out and had something around her neck that was black with a white crescent moon in the center of it and she had a black crown on her head above her long horn and she had wings as well with what looked like black paint had been splattered on her flank with a white crescent moon on her flank as well.

"What is thy doing here?" she asked the guard with a beautiful voice.

"Oh Princess Luna!" the guard said and he bowed to her and stood back up. "There was an intruder in the castle and he flew off and me and a few other guards chased him but... well he lost him." he said quickly.

"What did this intruder look like?" she asked with a hardened look.

The guard said, "Well it was a wolf. But this wolf had black and red fur. It also had wings and was as fast as lightning if not faster," he looked down "it also had a filly on his back." he finished and he looked scared for some reason.

"Very well, if he is as fast as thy says he is then we suppose you go back to thy's duty." she said as she walked over and looked up into the night sky.

"Yes princess." he said a little hesitant and he walked into the room Luna came out of.

There was shuffling next to me and I looked over and saw Azura fall out of the curtains with an audible 'oomph' and Luna spun around and looked at Azura in surprise.

"What is thou doing here?" Luna asked in a caring voice. Azura just laid there looking at the ground. "is thou alright?" Luna asked again and Azura slowly nodded still looking at the ground.

"What is thy name?" she asked.

She waited a few seconds. "A-a-azura." she said stuttering.

"Stay here Azura we will be right back." Luna said and she walked back into the room and I could hear her talking to someone and she was saying that 'thou are relieved for the night' she said and I guess she was talking to some guards. After a few seconds she came back.

"Why is thou up here? Shouldn't thou be with thy's parents?" Luna asked with a concern look.

She slowly nodded her head again, "I uh, I have a... a dad." Azura said still looking at the ground.

"Well where might thou be at? If thous daughter is away then might thy be home?" Luna had asked her. She nodded again.

"Well then we will have my guard escort thy to where thy lives." she said as she started to walk back into the room.

"I uh... I can find my way home. If that's alright with you." she said and Luna looked at her in surprise and smiled.

"Very well. At least let our guard lead you through the castle." she offered and Azura nodded again.

They walked into the room and I decided to wait for her at the entrance of the castle. I waited until I heard the door inside the room open and then closed and I kept the spell on and flew down to where I thought was at and waited for Azura to come out of the door. I waited for several minutes and finally a door swung open and a guard and Azura walked out and Azura walked down the steps and the guard went back inside the castle and closed the door. I walked over to Azura and canceled the spell while walking.

"Are you okay?" I ask her with a calm tone.

"Yeah I'm fine." she said happily for some reason. I'll ask her when we get back to the cave. I thought and I told her to get on my back and she did and I flew straight to the cave thankfully with no interruptions.  I landed inside the cave and Azura got off of my back and we walked to the back of the cave. I laid down and Azura laid down next to me.

"Azura why exactly were you happy when you came out of the castle." I asked her.

I could tell that she caught her breath. "W-well the nice blue pony walked with me half of the way and she was really nice. And she said that she wanted me to come and visit her some time." she said with a smile.

"Well I'm happy you made a new friend," I said to her "I guess," I muttered under my breath "But I won't be able to take you there without getting caught and killed." I said to her and her facial features saddened and tears started to form in her eyes.

"But I suppose we could try." I said. I'm starting to go soft for her. I thought and she hugged my neck and I hugged her back.  "now go to sleep and tomorrow night I'll take you there." I said and she nodded and snuggled into my warm fur more and she fell asleep as soon as she stopped moving.

I smiled and shook my head, I laid my head down and let out a sigh finally able to rest my tired bones after flying so much today. Even though I flew every day I wasn't used to flying so fast and making veering around corners. Oh well, guess I can work on that as soon as I can find a way to get Azura a family. I thought and my eyes felt very heavy and they closed and I went into a deep sleep.