Si Lupis Est

Spike rubbed his chest and shoulder, confused at the feeling. Or, rather, the lack thereof. It was strange, when he woke up, his whole body ached, his chest and shoulder felt like they were on fire, and his legs felt like lead. Now though, there was only a slight twinge in his legs and a dull throb that appeared every once in awhile in his shoulder and chest.

Rather, he felt sort of...good? No, not good. Different. It felt like the world had changed to him somewhat, though he could not place his finger on it.

His stomach decided to growl and make itself known, making Spike grunt. He needed food. He kept walking, giving soft hums as he looked around. He came across a rock, knocking on it with his fist, before giving it a lick. Seemingly unsatisfied, he walked off, the songs of birds to keep him company as he walked.

He tried another rock, knocking on it again. Seemingly satisfied, he suddenly started digging into the dirt with his hands, planning to take a nice shower once he got home.

He pulled a ruby out, his tail sweeping the dirt into the hole, biting into it like an apple. His body was covered in gem stuff, dirt, and some dried blood. He made a vain attempt to wipe it off, though only managed to get his pants dirtier in the process.

"Man, Rarity would be upset if she found me now." Spike mumbled out, biting into the ruby again, walking forward, scratching his chest. "I think Twilight may kick my ass for being gone this long."

He heard a twig snap, his head snapping that direction, his mouth opening and aglow with green light. When nothing happens, he took another bite of the ruby, continuing to walk off, rumbling softly.

Another twig snapped, making Spike throw the last of his ruby at the noise, booking it another direction. He jumped over a fallen tree, hearing barking and growling behind him, cursing his luck.

Zecora paced back and forth in her home, looking at the potions on her wall. She was worried sick, she had not heard from Twilight since yesterday, she was supposed to pick up the potions then. The beautiful brown woman perked up, her black and white colored mohawk a little frazzled from lack of care, hearing the door open.

"Ah, Princess Twilight! I have been worried since last night!" Zecora spoke, smiling warmly at her friends. "I have your potions right here...but why are your friends so near?"

"Spike's missing." Twilight said, walking over to Zecora, searching through her pocket to pull out the blood scale. "We were hoping you saw him or heard from him."

Zecora peered at the blood on the scale, the slowly took the shed scale, as if it would crumble at the slightest miscalculated force, and hummed softly, looking over it. "This is clearly from Spike, but the blood does not resemble his like. Where did you find the scale, perhaps it could help us end this tale?"

"We found it in the bushes on the main path here. We also found big claw marks, like a bears, but much larger. A lot of blood too, but no bodies." Twilight explained, Rarity and Pinkie sitting down, though Rarity gave Pinkie enough room to not touch her, even by accident.

"Spikey-wikey put up a fight, from what we could tell. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are trying to track him down now, but we thought you might be able to help." Rarity explained, Pinkie rubbing her throat and nodding in agreement.

"Well, I shall brew some tea. I assume you would need some, Pinkie?" Zecora offered, making Pinkie nod, sniffling loudly under her mask. "This scale may give us the answers we need. However, the process is not known for speed." Zecora said, not seeing Twilight raise her hand to object to the tea, though Twilight lowered her hand and sighed after hearing that.

"Twilight, perhaps you should stay here, deary. I will go outside and see if I can catch the others." Rarity spoke, getting up and smiling at Twilight.

"Thank you, Rarity."

Zecora grabbed the pot of hot water, pouring it into a cup of of tea, grasping some bags and putting them in the cups. "I apologies about the tea, it appears all I have for sweetness is honey."

Rarity stood outside, before letting her head droop. "Oh, Spikey-wikey, I hope you're okay..." Rarity mumbled out, using all of her strength to not burst into tears. She sat down, not caring about her pants for once in her life, and waited.

It wasn't long after when Fluttershy and Applejack were seen, talking to each other. Rarity smiled and waved them over, standing up and wiping some dirt off her pants. "So, any luck?"

"Spike was injured in the fight, but got away." Fluttershy said, making Rarity sigh in relief.

"Best we can tell, he was headin' downstream and washed up somewhere along tha other side somewhere. Dashie is lookin' for 'im." Applejack said, before giving the zebra bloods home a soft look. "How is Twi takin it?"

Rarity sighed, then looked away, crossing her arms. "Not well. Even with this news she'll be worried sick." Rarity leaned against the house, looking back at Fluttershy. "How are you taking this news?"

Fluttershy gave her a confused look, then looked at Applejack, who gave a knowing grin. Applejack walked over to Rarity, Fluttershy asking, "What do you mean?"

"Ya noticed it too, huh? I told Rainbow that Shy is horrible at hidin it."

"Hiding what?"

"Your feelings for Spike, dearie."

Oh. That.

Fluttershy suddenly turned as bright as a tomato, her mouth opening in shock as she stared at her two friends. She shrunk in herself a bit, before clearing her throat a bit, mumbling something so soft that not even Winona could hear it. If that dog had been there, of course.

"I noticed whenever we have our spa days, you bring up Spike quite a bit. No earth bloods or air bloods or even magic bloods, nothing in the romance department. However, when we have our spa days, I bring up Spike helping me and you go on and on about him." Rarity said, making Applejack lean against the wall, chuckling a bit. "Of course, to speak nothing of the looks you give him."

"Looks?"

Applejack took her moment to pipe in, raising a hand up from her leant on shoulder, "Rainbow Dash noticed ya tend to come by fer visits when Spike is 'round. She also mentioned that ya stare at Spike when he takes his shirt off after a hard days work. I only noticed on Hearts and Hooves day, when ya gave him a gem when he was down after receiving nuthin. You were blushin more than Big Mac when I mention Sugar Belle."

"Oh dear..."

"Don't you worry your little head, I haven't told Twi nuthin."

"Neither have I. A lady never kisses and tells."

Fluttershy sighed in relief, before giving a look out to the forest around them. She crossed her arms, returning her gaze to the two ladies in front of her. Rarity cleared her throat, making both look at her, "Not that I am judging, I would like to know something. Why Spikey-wikey?"

"Yeah, I'm itchin to know that one."

Fluttershy gave a soft smile, then looked at her feet as her blush grew. "It actually happened awhile back when I noticed I liked him. It was after his birthday, when he actually turned into a dragon. Afterwards, he was far more helping of everyone, far more generous, and would often help me out with my animals. He wasn't any good at helping me out-" The trio giggled at that, Fluttershy brushing her hair out of her face, then continued, "he kept trying though. And, eventually, I started to notice that his heart was...well, I don't know how to explain it. I just kind of saw him differently. He seemed like a kind, generous, seems young, but he has an old soul, often giving out wisdom in the darkest times. He even didn't abandon us when Discord messed with our heads, and saved an entire empire, but he acts so humble about it. One day, he even made me breakfast in bed when I had the flu and helped feed the animals, even Angel. I think that's when I started to like him."

"Shy, I think you got it bad for him."

Timberwolves. Of course, timberwolves! It couldn't be coyotes, or regular wolves, or dogs, or even diamond dogs! Timberwolves!

Spike slid under a branch, the wolf smashing against the branch in a vain attempt to catch him. He jumped up and over some roots, feeling the gust of wind against the back of his neck as he narrowly avoided some wooden jaws. He huffed out some smoke, looking around for any clear option to escape.

He felt something in the back of his head, a strange sensation, it almost felt like it was a warmth. Spike chanced a look back, unintentionally slowing himself down a bit, and saw three timberwolves following him, though not close enough to breathe on him.

Spike made an unfortunate turn and came face to face with a clearing and rock wall. He stopped suddenly to keep himself from slamming into it. That warmth was starting to heat up, the back of his skull feeling hot as he heard the timberwolves turn. They circled around Spike before he could turn to run, and snarled at him, snapping their jaws, sap like saliva spilling from their jaws. Their breath, as bad as ever, made Spike gag, before he returned a growl.

The bushes to the right rustled, a pair of brown eyes moving apart the branches of the bushes, peering curiously at the scene before them. It spotted Spike and hummed softly, watching the scene unfold.

That heat in Spikes skull turned into an raging inferno, Spikes pupils constricting and turning into slits. He didn't feel scared, much to his surprise, but there was something there. Anger, he definitely felt angry, but also happiness? Yeah, he felt happy. There was something else...the rage? No....bloodlust. He was hungry. Hungry for a fight, for the first time in his life, he felt perfect, energizing rage and bloodlust.

His hands clenched a bit as he bared his fangs and released a throaty hiss, making the larger timberwolf, the leader, adjust itself. It flung itself forward, before Spikes hand shot out, grasping the wooden wolfs head in his hand.

Were his arms larger now? No, no time for silly questions, now was the time to act.

Spike flexed his hand, crushing the wooden wolfs skull, then grabbed the still clawing body. Spike threw the body down and slammed his fists into it, roaring at the other two wooden abominations as a challenge, his mind escaping into a fog of instincts and thoughts of survival.

Fight. Survive. KILL!

Spikes head felt like it was on fire, the dragon blood cracking his knuckles as he flexed them. The next timberwolf charged, Spike slamming a fist into its head, dazing the poor beast. He grabbed the poor wooden creatures throat and smashed it in his fists, the body turning into splinters as its head fell off.

Spike felt great, his emerald eyes turning to the last beast, licking his fangs hungrily. It gave a loud, rough, bark, before charging at him. Spike raised his arm, before the wolf bit into it, making Spike roar in anger.

The timberwolves last mistake.

Spike grabbed the top half of its skull and tugged it off, throwing the poor beast on the ground. Before it could get its bearings, Spike was already upon it, jumping on its back and snarling as it tried to buck him off. He smashed its head a few times with his fists, before grabbing its head. He pulled with all of his strength, ripping the poor beasts head clean off, its wooden body slumping to the ground, turning into twigs and splinters.

Spike raised the broken, wooden head and roared into the sky, a deep, throaty sound that sounded more like a distorted howl than anything he could normally make. He dropped the wooden head, before feeling an ice cold chill run down his back, shivering like he was in a snow storm with no clothes on. Spike gave a soft groan, losing his footing, feeling nauseous as he stumbled into the clearing near the cliff. He released his lunch, half digested ruby bits, onto the ground with a wretching sound, his thoughts returning to him post battle.

"Oh Celestia...I don't feel too great..." Spike finally said, before slumping onto the ground soon after, smashing into a pile of wood and sticks, his vision going blurry.

However, before his vision was gone, a hooded figure walked into his sight, humming softly. "Curious. Very curious. Rest now, pup."

Then, it went dark.