It only knew it's frozen world. It hadn't yet had the pleasure to feed off the emotions of the Dust-Born. But it had heard stories told by the pack leaders, of the great taste of Sorrow, Anger, Fear and the other emotions that feed the Grimm.
It was excited when it felt the negativity flowing from the cliff. It could taste the emotion, Sadness, it tasted cool, not unlike the cold snow which covered it's forest home.
In it's excitement, it raced back to it's pack with it's companion. Conveniently the Dust-Born, a female wearing a red cloak, was heading straight for the clearing where it's pack was staying. It could feel another emotion emanating from the Dust-Born: Wariness.
It arrived a few seconds before the Dust-Born, the rest of the pack was already on the alert. The younger Grimm standing at the front, ready to sink their teeth and claws into the Dust-Born's soft flesh, the older Grimm standing further back, wary of the red figure. Old fools.
The female emerged from the forest, Caution and Fear drifting off it like the snow that was beginning to fall. It could taste something else from the female, something that it wasn't supposed to feel at a time like this, something that made it hesitate in it's attack. Excitement.
Three Grimm charged the Dust-Born, eager to taste first blood. Yet before their claws could make contact, the Dust-Born vanished. It sensed the Dust-Born above the three Grimm, somehow it had jumped so fast they hadn't seen it.
The female removed a device from behind her back, and It sensed something very dangerous. Before the three Grimm could dodge or retaliate, the female had fired off three shots of White Dust, killing the attackers. The female's device began to expand into a long, curved blade on the end of a lone metal stick.
Trying to avenge it's fallen allies, It attacked. The Dust-Born swung her weapon at It, the blade falling just behind It's back. It raised it's head, baring it's red teeth- when It froze. The other Grimm could taste a very strong emotion emanating from the Grimm trapped under the red scythe, Terror.
The female had silver eyes.
A bang was heard, and It was cut in half as the blade tore through It's body.
===
It could feel the pain running from it's left shoulder to it's tail. It grabbed at the wound trying to stop the pain. Suddenly, four things sprung into It's head. One, It's body was still in one piece, and It could feel the parts that should have been missing. Two, It couldn't feel it's claws or toes. Three, it was not in the clearing anymore. And four, It was self-conscious.
Before, It had run on mostly instinct, with a small amount of intelligence. Now that instinct seemed fuzzy, like something was blocking it.
It looked around at it's surroundings. It was in a large circular cavern, several large stalactites hanging from the ceiling and even more stalagmites rising from the floor. A few mushrooms, ferns and other plants were growing in the corners where the sunlight managed to reach into the cavern. In the center of the chamber was a large, perfectly still pool of water.
It moved over to the pool, looked at It's reflection and saw that It didn't look like It was supposed to. It's face was rounder, with less fur sticking out at weird angles. It's claws and paws had been turned into hard, round hooves. It's fore-arms had shrunk so that It wasn't hunched over when standing on all fours, and It's hind legs had been altered, making standing on two limbs near impossible. It's tail, ears, teeth, and eyes however were still the same. All in all It looked like some weird cross between a cartoon horse and the Beowolf that It was. There was one other difference between It's current form and the one it had on Remnant, there was a long red line running the length of its body, in the exact place where that female Dust-Born's blade had cut It.
It looked back over It's shoulder. There were about 30 other Grimm lying around on the ground, all of which were in the same form as It was. They also all had similar red and white scars on there bodies: white patches on their fur from where the female shot them, red lines through their arms and legs, It saw two that actually had red scars running through their throats.
Around the cavern the Beowolf pack was stirring. The leaders, a larger Grimm with a gunshot mark where its heart should be and another with red scars running through three of its limbs, motioned that the pack stay where it was.
A sound like a laugh came from a small path leading up to the exit. It was the Grimm who charged ahead when the female came out of the forest, a large white blast mark over the left side of its head providing testament to how well that went; that and the now dead eye in the center of the blast mark. The young Grimm uttered a challenge to the leaders then began heading outside, eighteen other Beowolves, including It, followed.
This forest was far different than the one that the Beowolves had been in before. While the old forest was barren and cold, this forest was quite warm. This forest was filled with a large number of different types of plants. The small pack wandered around for a bit, the few Aura-Grimm they encountered running away in panic. Although these encounters were tasty, there were barely snacks in comparison to an attack on a Dust-Born settlement, thus the pack continued moving onwards seeking some form of nourishment. A few of the Grimm (including It) began to wonder if following the shot eyed youngster was a good idea.
Suddenly Shoteye (as the leader had begun to think of itself) detected a large area of negativity. Several minutes of running through the forest later, the pack arrived at a large stone Dust-Born creation. It was old, so old it was crumbling in on itself. The pack could feel a large amount of negativity inside; Jealousy, Hatred, Loss, and Regret. However there was a large rift in the earth between the pack and the stone building.
Eager to reach the source, the pack began scaling the rock face, some slipping but finding their footing after a moment. Nearly seven minutes later the pack found themselves all at the bottom. Shoteye was ready to begin climbing the next cliff, but one of the other Beowolves (one with slash running through it's torso) noticed a cave off to one side, a cave which seemed to lead directly into the structure.
===
"Thanks again for coming with me to work on the old castle girls." Rarity sang as she and her friends trotted down the road through the Everfree to the Castle of the Two Sisters.
"It's no trouble at all Rarity." said Applejack, who was pulling a cart of supplies, "Now that the harvest season is finished, Ah got a lot more time on my hooves."
"And I've been meaning to see if the star spiders were doing all right." Fluttershy's saddle bags were filled with supplies for the care of invertebrates.
The rest of the party was made up of the Crusaders, who hadn't yet been to the castle. Naturally the three fillies were bouncing with excitement.
"Do you think we'll find some secret passages or booby traps?" asked Scootaloo
"Probably, when we were explorin' it, me and Rainbow found all kinds a hidden doors and moving walls and stuff. Just remember, no going off exploring by yerselves, make sure one of us is with you at all times. If ya get lost, stay together and don't move, we'll come find you."
"Well, we're here." The Castle of the Two Sisters stood tall before the group. Fluttershy though it seemed a little more whole then when they were last here. Probably due to Rarity, Spike and Twilight's visits in between then and now.
Sweetie Belle looked questioningly at the rope bridge spanning the rift between the castle and the forest. "Um, are you sure this is stable?"
"Don't worry Sweetie Belle, it's perfectly safe." Rarity said before crossing. Sweetie still wasn't so sure, until Fluttershy put her wing around the white filly, she felt a little braver after that.
As the ponies crossed over, they all failed to notice the black figure disapering into the cave far below them.
===
The girls found themselves in one of the lower hallways. Rarity and Applejack were taking down a long tapestry that was hanging on the wall and had been slightly eaten by moth larva, the CMC were rolling up another tapestry that the two mares had already taken down, Fluttershy was apologizing to the moths. "I know your babies have been eating it for years, but she just wants to fill in the holes and then she'll give it right back." The moths were sceptical.
The Crusaders had finished rolling up the tapestry and were putting it in the wagon. "This thang's a lot heavier than it looks." Apple Bloom complained.
"Well y'all agreed to help with the work." Applejack scolded.
"We thought you were going to let us look around."
"Fair enough. Rarity, why don't you take them up ahead and find another tapestry, while me and Fluttershy finish rolling up this one?"
"Sounds good to me. Come along girls!" Rarity grabbed one of the lamps they were using to light their way in her magic and headed off further down the castle.
Applejack and Fluttershy were just about to follow them when a large group of star spiders began crawling past them in the opposite direction.
"KIKEE! KIKEE! KLIIIK!"
"Ya mind telling me what that was about?"
Fluttershy had turned slightly pale and was subconsciously making herself smaller, "They said 'Hell's gates! Hell's gates! Flee!'"
Applejack's eyes widened, "Come on, let's go find the girls." The mares ran off down the hall Rarity and the CMC took.
Apple Bloom found herself standing on her fellow crusader's backs while trying to unhook a blue and white tapestry from it's hanging place. "Remind me why we agreed to this?" complained Scootaloo who was on the bottom.
Rarity was on the far end of the room admiring a large, faded mural on the wall depicting the princesses standing up to Discord. She hoped that the flaming landscape and the throne made out of ponies was just an artistic freedom.
Apple Bloom had finally managed to get the corner of the tapestry off the hook and was about to tell her friends to move over to the other corner when AJ and Fluttershy ran into the room. The crusaders fell into a mess and Rarity nearly jumped out of her fur.
"Apple Bloom! Are you and the girls alright?"
Apple Bloom pulled herself from the mass of ponies and wall hanging, "Yeah sis we're fine. Why wouldn't we be."
Fluttershy helped Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo up, "We saw a bunch of star spiders running away, and we wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"Fluttershy, I'm sure the spiders had there reasons for acting the way they did. But as you can see, we're all fine and there's nothing to worry about."
CLANG! "GrrraaAAH!"
Rarity froze, "On the other hoof perhaps we should cut this little expedition short."
The group of ponies made their way out of the room quickly, Rarity pausing to grab the cloth and needing Applejack to pull her out. They had made it to the end of the hallway when they first saw them.
It was confused. It could feel the auras of Dust-Born, yet could see only these strange Aura-Grimm. Shoteye had no such hesitation, it could feel the fear and terror from the Aura-Grimm, especially from the small ones. Shoteye and a few other Beowolves started to advance on their targets while growling. Then the girls all started screaming.
Several of the Grimm made mental notes to never try and force one of these creatures to scream ever again. The rest of them were to busy holding their ears in pain to think.
AJ was the first one to notice that the creatures were temporarily stunned and acted on it. First putting the fillies into the wagon, then getting her friends to start running.
"What in Celestia's name are those things!?" Screamed Rarity as the group ran though the halls.
"I don't know just keep running!" Replied Fluttershy from the wagon, which had become really heavy with the weight of four ponies and the tapestries, yet didn't seem to slow down Applejack at all.
The Beowolves charged through the halls, not caring if they got lost. Shoteye lead the pack, wanting to make sure it was the one to kill the Aura-Grimm.
The girls were able to make it back up into the old throne room before the Grimm overtook them. Several of them leaped over the ponies, blocking off their exit. The rest circled the ponies, licking heir mouths in anticipation while also feeding on the Fear. AJ and Rarity put themselves in defensive postures on either side of the Crusaders, while Fluttershy stood over them with her wings trying to obscure them from view.
It had a clear shot at the small White Aura-Grimm with a horn. It crouched, ready to spring. An image of the red cloaked female from the woods flashed before It's eyes. It had charged in once, and it had cost It, the red glow from the slash mark would be an eternal reminder of that.
Two of the younger Beowolves took a few cautious steps forward. Applejack faked a lunge at them, "Git back!" One of the Grimm moved back, but the other (it had a white gunshot mark on it's head) stood it's ground. Shoteye wasn't going to wait any longer, it leaped at Rarity who attempted to remember how Twilight and Starlight did those shield spells.
Time seemed to slow down for all parties present, be it for fear, shock or just savoring the moment. However, when a creature of chaos, made of chaos, presumably brought into a world by chaos, makes an attack on a bearer of harmony, in the long time resting place of the elements of harmony, which is but a few meters above the Tree of Harmony; SOMETHING'S going to happen. In this case, that something was an orange, pink and purple wave of energy moving outward from the group of ponies.
The Grimm were forced backwards, some hitting the wall behind them. The girls, though shocked, were extremely glad for this development. Shoteye, It and another Beowolf (one with a red line running vertically through it's body) were the first ones to get back on their hooves. The three charged the ponies, but were blocked off by the large orange Aura-Grimm.
AJ didn't know what these creatures were or why they were attacking her and her friends, but she wasn't going to let them do it with out a fight. She caught the first one a right hook to It's jaw. The second (the one with the red scar) tried to dodge right, but was stopped by a powerful buck to the side. Shoteye looked the Aura-Grimm right in the eye, neither one advancing. Applejack was about to make the first move when another of the black creatures jumped over the one with the white eye.
While she dealt with the rest of the pack, It and the other Grimm managed to slip past her and continue their pursuit of the ponies. The wagon had been abandoned back in the throne room, so the girls were escaping on hoof, the older mares in front with the fillies following behind. Rarity realizing this, and that they were still being followed, fell behind to try and stall them.
"Rarity! What are you doing!?" Sweetie Belle cried out.
Rarity grabbed a large piece of rock with her magic and hit one of the monsters in the head with it. "Never mind me! Just keep running!" She turned back to the beastly ponies, and threw the rock in her magic at the one still standing.
The other one advanced on the ponies while Rarity was preoccupied with It's companion. The girls were too frightened to run. Fluttershy, being the pony that she is, tried to reason with the black beast. "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
What happened next would be remembered in the history of the multiverse as a landmark moments. The first time a Grimm would ever speak.
"Pack. Pack. Kill. Kill!"
It then made to grab the Aura-Grimm that had addressed it around the throat. And it would have, if another Grimm hadn't been launched in It's direction. Applejack came running in from the throne room, Shoteye and a few other Beowolves following behind her.
Applejack jumped on the one that Rarity had been fighting, "Keep running!" Shoteye swiped it's fore hoof at the farm pony, only to have a brick thrown at it's face by the white unicorn. The ponies continued their retreat, making it across the old rope bridge over the gap.
Several Grimm attempted to pursue them, but found that several creatures running quickly across a rope bridge that hadn't been mended in a thousand years is... well. The ropes snapped sending many of the dark creatures to their second death. Except for one that managed to make it to the other side quickly enough. The monster charged the ponies, only to meet a fierce buck to the face that could only have come from a member of the Apple family. The Beowolf fell down, it's neck effectively broken.
Scootaloo looked across the chasm, several Grimm stood at the edge glaring at the ponies. "What were those things?"
"I don't know," AJ said, panting, "but one thing's for sure; noponys going to the old castle for a while."
Apple Bloom was watching the dead creature's body dissolve into smoke. She looked at the old castle which just an hour before had looked so mysterious and inviting now looked sinister and frightening. She could see the monster ponies moving back into the castle, except one. Apple Bloom wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure that it was looking directly at her.
= = =
It stared at the Aura-Grimm from across the rift, It could taste the fear from them from here. Shoteye and the other Grimm, which was now calling itself Redscar. It decided to give itself a name as well.
It looked at the retreating figures, a memory of the female with the silver eyes flashed before It's eyes once again. It looked at the ponies, the yellow one with the wings catching It's eyes. It knew what It's name was.
The three Grimm went back into the Dust-Born creation; the rash one, Shoteye, the warrior, Redscar, and the thinker, Silvertounge. The leaders of the first pack of Equestrian Grimm. The Grimm which were here to stay.
