Chapter 12 “The Silence Broken”

Speckle opened her eyes slowly, having them adjust to the darkness. She stretched and rolled over, half expecting Ember to still be laying beside her, but wasn't surprised when she found that he wasn't. She rose to her feet, shaking off the sleep that still clung to her. Walking towards the Den, she noticed that it was rather quiet. “Guess it's still early.”, she murmured to herself. When she stepped into the Den, a lone pair of red eyes looked up at her.

“Good morning, Alpha Speckle.”, Collin said before turning his attention back to his outstretched wing, which he was currently preening.

“Good morning, Collin. Where's everyone else? You'd think at least Quetzal would be walking around.”

“She, Ember, Nicky and Sirena went on a hunt. They should be back soon.”

“Ah. Did you speak with Ember?”

“Well, no. He came in here to come get Quetzal. I told him good morning and he just looked at me and didn't say a word back. How rude. I was about to call him out on it, but he left as quick as he came.”

“Hmm. How's your head?”

“Better. It was hurting a little earlier but I'm fine now. That's actually what I wanted to talk with you about, Alpha. Both myself and Sirena have noticed that Ember hasn't really been like himself lately. Do you know why?”

The mare scratched her head, a troubled look on her face. “How do I put this? Ember has had… a bit of an issue on his shoulders for a while now.”

“I'll say.”

“Let me finish. He has an alter ego.”

The pegasus stared at her blankly, as if he was not shocked by the information. “Ok… I think we all have an alter ego, Speckle.”

“No, I mean his is bad. He calls him Crimson, and he has a tendency for, well, killing. It's more like a separate entity, really. I've witnessed him change once before, it was scary to say the least.”

“I see. So what Ember’s doing now, is that part of him changing?”

“Sadly, yes. He has fits of rage and aggression, and once he jumps off the deep end, it's best to stay clear of him.”

Collin tilted his head to the side for a minute, then tilted it back. “What happens after this ‘change’ is over with? Do things just go back to normal?”

“More or less. Sometimes he would run off after a snap, and I'd have to go after him. Let's just hope it doesn't get that far.”

The others came in about 15 minutes after their little conversation, Ember appearing to be more talkative and calm. He apologized to Collin, and soon the two Alpha males were having a chat as if nothing happened. The mares left them be, each of them dispersing to a different spot in the cave. Off in their own chamber, the colts and fillies slept huddled together, until Dust accidentally kicked his brother in his sleep. Mist yelped, the sound waking the others. They crowded around him, the fillies giving him comforting hugs.

When Crescent pulled back, she gazed into his eyes and smiled. “You are just so cute, you know that? I like you a lot.”

He made a sound, something that resembled a grunt. “What was that?”

He made yet another noise, then he opened his mouth, and a soft, shaky voice said, “I-I l-like y-you t-too.”

The rest of them gasped loudly, bright smiles on their faces. “Mist, you spoke! And here I thought I'd never hear your voice again.”, Dust noted.

“I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to w-wait so long. It just became normal.”

Crescent spoke then. “That's ok, Mist. I'll admit though, it would have been nice to hear your voice earlier. It's nice to listen to.”

“T-thank you.”, he stammered, a blush on his cheeks as he looked down at his hooves.

Looking up suddenly, he then growled lowly, his eyes starting to flicker between gold and bright yellow.

“Mist, what's wrong?” His brother questioned, but he soon started to do the same thing.

The fillies glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. When the brothers eyes settled on yellow, a strong scent made itself known, causing Crescent’s eyes to turn red. Before any of them could move an inch, Firefly and Speckle came running in. “Mom, what's going on with Dust and Mist?”, Limelight asked, rather concerned.

“They're starting to go through a Heat, girls. It's best if you stay away from them for a few days.”

Both colts started to whimper, as mere uncomfort turned into throbbing pain, and with the fact that they were Omegas, it was doubled as there were two areas that needed attention. Speckle looked to Firefly, who gave her a nod. “Girls, come with me please.” The fillies followed their mother, taking one last look at the colts before heading off.

Mist whined. “M-miss Firefly, why is it hurting so much?”

Her eyes widened, surprised that words were coming out of the young pegasus’s mouth, but answered him calmly. “I don't know, sweet pea. That's just how Heats work.”

His wings were outspread and stiff and his eyes were squeezed shut. Dust was off on his own away from them, tending to himself. One hoof stroked at his member lazily while the other pumped into the soft folds below it. He whined when it didn't help much, the few seconds of pleasure quickly subsiding, becoming a more apparent pain, one that he couldn't satisfy by himself. He curled up into a ball, trying his best not to think about it. Firefly got up and laid down beside him, Mist resting on the other side of her. She draped her wings over them, speaking to them in soft tones.

“I'm sorry you have to go through this, it must be worse even for you. But if you're going to become great fathers for your children when you come of age, it's something you'll have to get through.” They nodded sleepily, huddling under her wings for warmth and comfort.

Ember shifted his gaze to the trio when they came into the Den. He sat alone, wrapped up in his thoughts until they approached him. “Well, hello there. What do you girls need?” Speckle looked down at the two beside her.

“Limelight, how about you go find Quetzal? She's probably got some information on training to tell you. And Crescent, go look for Nicky. I need to speak with your father.” The pair ran off, each going a different direction.

Ember watched them go, then looked back to his mate, eyebrow raised. “You need to speak to me about what?”

“Sir, Mist and Dust started their Heats today.”

“Already? Is it their first time?”

“I think so.”

He sighed. “Then Firefly's got some work to do to keep them quiet during their flare ups. Unless she starts soon, then we'll be having some trouble.”

“She's not due for another week, Sir.”

“Good. Anything else?”

She hesitated, but asked what she wished to. “Sir...about Crimson...do you have any control over him?”

The stallion started laughing and shook his head. “If I had any control over him, things would be a lot easier, wouldn't they? So the answer to your question is no. He's as unpredictable as a rapid. Any other questions?”

“Just one. Did y'all see Mark this morning?”

“We did. He's doing his rounds as usual.”

A soft voice interrupted them. “A-alphas?”

They both turned to find Mist standing at the entrance of the chamber.

“Did he just-”, Speckle started.

“Yes. I'm glad you found your voice, Mist. What is it?”

“W-well S-sir, I need to go to the bathroom and Miss Firefly is asleep.”

Ember stood up. “I'll take you. Come on, Omega.”

Speckle watched as they left together, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Your son’s going to look up to you, Ember. I'll know he'll make you proud.”, she murmured to herself before turning around to go check on the twins.