Si Lupis Est

The soft cool air drifted lazily throughout the land. Home were alight with a soft glow, the creatures of the night dancing about in the forest nearby. Near the forest, a loud ruckus could be heard, the sound laughing children echoing out throughout the cottage.

A man gave loud growling sounds as he followed the two children, making them scream in delight. "Oh! What are these two little munchkins doing in my house?! I am going to gobble them up!"

The man suddenly scooped up the two youngsters, blowing raspberries on their tummies. He chuckled as they squealed in delight, before flashing them a fanged smile, letting them grip onto his shirt.

"Spike, it's time for the little ones to head to bed." A soft voice spoke, making the two younger ones groan in protest. The beautiful Fluttershy walked up, her pink hair flowing down her back, her wings tucked against her back. Her yellow sweatshirt hung loose around her frame, her jeans hugging her rather thick bottom.

"Aww, but dad!" The son tried to argue, grumbling loudly in his fathers arm.

"Yeah, can we stay up a little longer? Pleeeeeeeease?" The daughter asked, flashing her own fanged smile back at the father.

Said father was the young Spike. His emerald hair was messy, his tan body covered with a purple shirt, the young lad wearing some sweatpants that he liked to relax in that were a rather dull shade of green. His long tail curled behind him, his fangs being flashed to the two.

"Well...how about a bed time story?" Spike offered, making Fluttershy smile, walking back downstairs to make herself and him some tea.

"Yeah, a story!"

"Tell us!"

"Now, hold on, hold on! We gotta tuck you two pups into bed. Then, I'll tell the story."

He walked over to the twos room, opening the door with his tail, and pushing it open with his rump. Spike set the two down, ignoring their scale covered tails trying to hold onto him for a bit longer, and sat down on the edge of their bed.

"So, which story would you like? How I met your mom? How I saved the Crystal Heart? How your mom saved me from a hydra? How about-"

"Dad, I want a new story." The son spoke, sitting up a bit in the bed. The daughter nodded in agreement, making Spike sigh, then smile softly.

"Well...how about the Legend of the Lycan?"

"Lie...can?"

"Dad, cans don't talk, how can they lie?"

"No, the Lycan is a mystical, mythical beast, a man with the spirit of a wolf. They would have incredible strength, sense of sight, smelling, and hearing." He told them, before adjusting a bit. "The legend begin long ago, back when Equestria was young, and your grandmother was but a child."

Spike adjusted, giving a soft noise when he felt his daughter poke him, peering down at her. "This won't be a scary story, will it?"

"Oh, no, it won't be a scary story. It starts in the winter, far from here, in a forgotten place. Deep in the woods-"

"Wait, if the place is forgotten, how do you know about it?"

"Yeah! That doesn't make any sense."

"What are you two, critics?" He jokingly spoke, giving them each a noogie, before continuing on. "Now, where was I? Right! In the forest lies a...nearly forgotten village. It once had many people in it; guards and warriors, farmers and bakers, even people who threw crazy parties."

"It sounds like our town, Ponyville." Spikes daughter spoke, her big green eyes staring up at her fathers.

"Yes, it does! It was once like our town. However, unlike our town, there once lived a hunter. She was a large woman, who could fight a manticore with nothing but her bare hands. Now, this woman, let's call her..." Spike searched around the room for a quick moment, before pulling a stuffed bunny out and handing it to the son, the young half blood happily taking it and cuddling with it. "Leni."

"Leni? Leni isn't much of a story name. I would have called her...wingatron!"

"That sounds more like a robot, Dawn Star."

"Nobody asked you, Solar Flare!" The daughter, Lily, snapped back, making Spike chuckle, catching the twos attention.

"Now, Leni," Spike continued, the two settling back into their spots, their argument already forgotten. "She was an amazing hunter, and often brought home game for the whole village. She would never hunt for fame or for trophies, nor the thrill, she simply wanted to help her people."

"Wow, she sounds so cool..."

"Once day, she comes back to find the village has been raided by bandits. She takes off to the town to see her friends hurt, but alive, and her family having lost their house."

The woman ran to the village, her blood pumping as she saw smoke in the distance. Her heart sank as she watched a friend bandaging up one of the guards, his face and body covered in new wounds. She walked over to the bakers to find the man strung up in a sick display, blood dripping down the walls of his once beautiful business, everything ransacked and tossed around inside.

She slowly walked around to see the wife of the baker, crying as she held her only daughter in her arms, slowly rocking her as she sobbed with her child. The hunters hand clenched, before looking towards her own home, seeing smoke rise that direction.

She walked through the town, seeing friends and neighbors slain, injured, or mourning their losses. She gave a heavy breath as her fears started creeping up on her. Did her family suffer the same fate? Were they mourning, thinking she had died?

Did they...?

No, she can't think about that now.

She heard a scream of help, rushing towards a burning house. The door was wedged, making it stuck in the frame. The hunter adjusted, then suddenly twirled her body around, bringing her boot onto the door. It nudged, cracking loudly, though did not falter.

She did it again and again, making it nudge more and more. Her leg ached, her foot was sore, even with the heavy boot on. However, she unleashed a heavier kick, bashing down the door, freeing those inside. A fisherman and his family spilled out, coughing, the hunter helping their two children up.

"Strong Claw! Thank goodness you are okay, we had feared the worst!"

"Steady Line, what happened?"

"Raiders attacked the village. We refused to give them anything...we heard your family were putting up a fight, but we haven't heard anything since they set fire to our home." Steady Line spoke, resting against a snow covered wall.

"Steady Line...you home."

"It is a home. We will rebuild, luckily no one in our family was hurt."

Strong Claw looked up, towards her own house, seeing smoke rise from it. She started to run that direction, ignoring Steady Line's calls. When she got there, she saw...

"So, she decided that...it was bed time for two little hatchlings."

"Aww, but dad!"

"No butts! Now, go to bed, I'll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow." Spike said, before kissing Solar Flare and Dawn Star on the foreheads, ignoring their sleepy words of argument and tucking them into their blankets. "Good night, my little flames."

He walked out their door and gently shut it behind him, giving a soft sigh. Fluttershy walked up with a cup of tea in her hands, Spike giving her an appreciative smile. They shared a soft kiss, before walking back downstairs, Spike rubbing his shoulder, feeling the scarred up marks on it.

"You haven't told them, have you?" Fluttershy asked him, making the dragon blood sigh and shake his head. "You really should, it would help clear your mind."

"They don't need to know about that...not yet." Spike said, taking a sip from his tea. He sat for a moment and stared off into nothing, absentmindedly rubbing the scars on his shoulder.

Fluttershy sat next to him, running her hands over his chest, pulling him into a hug. She gave a soft hum that soothed Spikes mind, planting a soft kiss on his head. "It would be easier for them to start learning when they are younger...so they can control it later on."

"Maybe. I'll tell them soon, I just...don't know if I am ready."