Just Another Victim

Chapters

The initial wound
The aftermath
The symptoms

The initial wound

Nightmare night. The third biggest day of the year. Second is hearth's warming, first is the summer sun celebration. But that didn't stop anypony from having fun. And it's been a lot more fun sense Luna came back. But who was Azure Aura to care? She was going to Ever free with her friends this year.

She placed a bet with her coltfriend, Silver raindrop, that no more than three of their friends would come. Seven bits says she's wrong.

"Yo! Azzy!" A voice called and Azure turned to look. Trotting up into the stone cortyard was Sunset Snow, the one and only. Despite being so full of himself, he was sweet.

"Hey Sunny!" Azure responded, a smile plastered on her face. "You know who else is coming?" She asks him. He walks up and stands in front of her.

"Other than your coltfriend, Cherry and Cloudy." He says looking towards the pathway. "Speak O' the devil." He slyly remarks. Azure looks where Sunset was looking to see the mare couple walking up the stone walkway.

"Hi! Cherry! Cloudy!" She shouts at the two and they wave a hoof happily at her. Once the two made it over to Sunset and Azure, Azure spoke again.

"You know where Silver is? He was supposed to b- AAAHH!!" somepony had picked her up off the ground and was lifting her higher and higher. And she knew, once she saw her friends laughing.

"Fucking put me down Silver!!!" She shouted, angrely. "YOU KNOW I'M SCARED OF HEIGHTS!!" She screamed, only making the ponies, who were getting smaller by the second, laugh even harder. Azure then puts her forehooves over her eyes in attempt to calm herself. And it was another full minute of her friends laughing on the ground before she felt her back hooves on stone again. Laying down to calm herself, she took her forehooves off her eyes.

"Nice!" She hears Sunset say, and she looks up in time to see Silver and Sunset Hoof bump.

"No more kisses rest of the night!" Azure yells, standing up and walking over to Silver, she pushes through him to make a point.

"Come on girls." Azure says to Cherry and Cloudy. They comply and follow her towards their destination, the Everfree Forest.

"Wait! Really?" Silver whined. "Anyway, We need to take account of who's here!" Silver yells at the three mares. They turn around and wait for the two guys to walk over. Once they reach the mares, Silver speaks again.

"Okay so we got Sunset Snow." He says, pointing to the stallion. Following the statement they all look at him. He's an earth pony, white of both coat and mane, and his Cutie Mark a simple couple snowflakes.

"Your bet your flank I'm here." Sunset says.

"Speaking of bets." Azure starts.

"Later." Was Silver's reply. "Cherry blossom." He says, pointing to Cherry. The unicorn mare with a red coat and green mane, her Cutie Mark being a cherry, responds.

"Here, oh bossy sir." She says, with a giggle at the end. Silver just rolls his eyes.

"Cloudy, miss no last name." He says. Azure giggles and looks at the pegasus mare. Her coat a dark purple and mane a light blue. Cutie Mark a cloud, dissipating.

"Present!" She responds in a sing song voice.

"And, my personal favorite, miss Azure Aura." He says, causing a blush to darken her face. Everypony looked at the Earth pony. Her coat a light-ish blue. Her mane black. And to Silver, a beautiful mare.

"Now, don't forget my favorite. Silver raindrop." Azure bows while saying his name. Rolling his eyes, he notices all eyes on him. His coat a cream yellow, and mane a shiny silver. His Cutie Mark a cloud being hit with a hammer.

"Alright!!! We done? All good? Ready to go?" Cherry hurries them all along.

"Alright!" Azure yells. "Let's go explore us some Everfree!"

"So, where exactly are we going?" Cherry asks, almost tripping on a root.

"Yea, Mr. Planner. Where we going?" Cloudy continues, helping her marefriend regain her balance.

"Well." He starts, walking ahead of everypony. He then stops walking and turns around.

"Well?" Azure beckons him to continue. The whole group stops and looks at him.

"Nah." He says, waving a dismissive hoof at the group. He then turns around and continues walking.

"Uhh, no!" Sunset yells, running up to Silver. "Dude, c'mon. You gotta tell us." He says.

"No." Silver says nonchalantly. Sticking his nose in the air, he starts to walk faster than Sunset.

Cherry, who, along with the other two girls, was following Silver quietly, then bumps into Azure.

"Girl, you go up to your coltfriend, and you get the information we desire." She tells Azure.

"What a weard way to phrase that." Cloudy says to Cherry, flirtatiously bumping into her.

"How am I going to do that?" Azure asks, preventing the two mares from going any further.

"Well, you've got your ways, don'tcha?" Cloudy asks.

"Yea, he's your coltfriend." Cherry continues.

"Yea, well..." Azure replies hesitantly. Glancing ahead, she speaks again. "I-i guess I could try something."

"There ya go girl!" Cherry half-shouts.

"Here I go..." Azure spoke half-heartedly. After a couple of more encouraging complements from the mare couple, trotted up to Silver.

"And dude, it's huge!" She heard Sunset say.

"Am I interrupting something?" Azure asks, hoping not to get an answer.

"Oh, we're just talking about my d--"

"Fuck off, Sunny." Silver cuts him off, jokingly, he places his right forehoof on his friends muzzle and pushes him.

"Fine." Sunset replies. "I'm gonna ask these two nice mares to a threesome." He says, than turns around.

"Don't get killed, jackass!" Silver yells at Sunset, then turns back to his marefriend.

"Watcha need, girly?" He asks.

"I wanna know where we're going." Azure tells him.

"Nope, I wanna see all y'all be surprised." He said, sticking his nose in the air again.

"Well, you'll get kissing privileges back, if you tell me where we're going." Azure tells him. After thinking for a minute, Silver replies.

"I'm a stallion of sacrifice." He said.

"Well, if you don't tell me, than you don't get any kisses at all, even tonight." She said, biting her lip for a second after saying 'tonight'. He looks at her, then replies.

"As I said, I'm a stallion of sacrifice." He says, keeping his nose in the air.

" I wouldn't call you a stallion." She says. And before Silver could retaliate, they hear a loud 'OW!' from behind them. Turning to look, Cherry and Cloudy walk past them angrely. They look at Sunset and he's holding his snout. Silver and Azure can't help but laugh.

"A cave?" Cloudy asks anoyingly. "You brought us to a cave?" She repeats herself.

"Not just any cave. Zecora's cave." Silver replies.

" Zecora's cave? Like, that creepy witch?" Cherry asks.

"Oh! Yes!" Sunset yells. "I've heard of this place. It's where she keeps all her forbidden things, right?" He asks.

"Correct!" Silver yells.

All the while, Azure is staring into the cave, mesmerized by the darkness, and she could swear she saw something move. 'probobly a bat' she told herself.

"Aaaaaand, Azure." Silver says. And she has to tear her eyes away to look at him.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I'll give you those seven bits I owe you if you go in." He says slyly.

"I won't do it for the money." She says, curiosity over welming her. She turns to the cave and walks towards it. With a couple of concerned yelps from the ponies behind her, she walks in. Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she looks around. She sees something move and she looks again.

"What was that?" She whispers to herself. She then sees what looks like another pony, slowly walking to her. And is it, growling? She turns and starts to walk out. Then hears the sound of.... Claws. And they're aproching fast. And she starts to run. She hits the moonlight, but feels something sink into the flesh of one of her back legs. Soon after, pain shot up her leg, then back. With a scream, her friends run towards her. But she was dragged back into the cave. Desperately trying to grab onto something, she was pulled into the dark.

The distinct sound of hooves beating against the ground hit her ears. She looked towards the entrance of the cave. And just before her brain decided to cut the lights, she could see the outline of a black and white..... Zebra.

The aftermath

Have you ever fainted? It's different than sleeping. There's no dreams, no rest, no feeling refreshed. It's just a quick here-to-there. And that's exactly what Azure felt.

Azure Aura woke up with a jolt and a scream. But she was quickly silenced by the feeling of a hoof on her muzzle. Her eyes as big as they could get, she looked at The hoof on her face, she then followed the arm up to see her Coltfriend, Silver Raindrop, smile at her, and remove his hoof. Soon, coming into view, was Cherry Blossom, Cloudy, and Sunset Snow. Before she could say anything to them, she felt a jolt of pain go to her back, left leg.

"OW!" She yelled, looking over at where the jolt came from. She saw a black and white zebra pouring water over her leg. She could make it distinct holes in her leg, to which the zebra was attending to.

"W-what in Celestia happened?" Azure said, slurring somewhat. "And w-why is there holes in my leg?'

"Quit your whining, miss Azure. For you I am trying to find the cure." The zebra says.

"Zecora heard you, and she came over and stopped that wolf from killing you." Silver tells her, running his hoof through her mane. Azure looks over at Zecora and sees her pick up a silver butter knife.

"Hold this, Azure, and we'll see. What the answer to my question may be." Zecora says, with the knife held by her teeth.

"Umm, okay." Azure replies, unsure of she should. But she did, she stuck out her hoof for Zecora to put the knife on.

Zecora reached over and placed the knife on Azure's hoof.

"AH! SHIT!" She yells when the knife gets placed on her hoof. The knife burned perfusly and even caused some steam to come from her hoof. She tossed the knife away from her.

"What the hell!" Azure yells, but looking over at her friends, she sees them all sad.

"From a lycan, miss Azure, you where surely bit. And I'm afraid, that there is no cure for it." Zecora hangs her head. "I'm afraid cleaning this will do nothing." She continues, then wraps the wound.

"Azure..." Sunset says, walking over to her. "Your part wolf now. That's pretty fuckin cool." He states.

"What!?" Azure yells, fear in her voice. "What the hell is a lycan!? What do you mean 'part wolf'!?"

"Calm down darlin' no need to get worked up." Cherry tells her, walking over to stand next to Silver.

Only now did Azure realize that she is laying on her back, on a bed. She looks to her right and sees a wall, then looks back towards her friends.

"Where are we?" She asks.

"In my cave, which you dared to enter. This is my residence, right in the center." Zecora responds.

"Wait." Cloudy tells Zecora. "I thought you lived in a tree."

"That is merely my brewing station, and I would leave it without hesitation." Zecora tells her. Only getting a 'huh' as a response.

"I most apologize, for my guard. He has one job, and when worked up, it can be quite hard." Zecora speaks again.

"What do you mean your 'guard'?" Sunset asks.

"Darlin' would you make yourself known?" Zecora yells a phrase completely out of character, but got a response. The clop of hooves echoing towards them.

"This is my guard, tamer." Zecora tells the teens in her home. Azure tries to sit up, but Zecora stops her. She has to crane her neck to see the pony walk into the room. Her friends turn to look. A brown coated and black maned stallion walked in. His Cutie Mark a whip.

"H-hi." He says, awkwardly. "I'm sorry.... Miss...." He says.

"You better b-"

"Silver!" Azure yells, cutting him off. "It's alright." She tells Tamer.

"Tamer, please, show to me, what the ability of a lycan may be." Zecora tells him.

With a nod he closes his eyes, concentrating. Then, without warning, he howled. His short brown coat grew longer and thicker. With a grin, his teeth grew sharper and longer. His hooves, grew claws, five of them. His tail turned from a silky pony tail, too a gruff wolf one.

With a devious smile, he looked at the group.

"I am Tamer the Lycan. And you, Azure, are my mate." And with that comment, a scared Azure and an angry group of friends, started to yell at him. To much was going on and Tamer was unable to tell what they all say.

"That is enough!" Zecora yells over them all. "Tamer, wait outside!" Zecora yelled, breaking her rhyme speak.

"Azure is mine!" Silver yells at Zecora, getting four voices to hum an agreement.

"As much as you wish that too be true, lycans choose who. They dicide by a bite. And that bite chooses the mate for many a night." Zecora tells them.

"What if I decide not to." Azure protests.

"He will follow you, and he will find his way to you." Zecora responds. "Now, let's leave. This is a cave, it's getting hard to breath." Zecora lied. As the others walk out, Zecora helps Azure up and out.

"Azure." Zecora says sadly. "I'm sorry for making you just another victim."

"We must see Luna on this dreaded nightmare night. Because help you with her magic, she just might." Zecora tells the group.

"Let's go!" Silver and Sunny say in unison.

"Only Tamer and Azure must come. For Luna must not know you know what has been done." Zecora says.

"What?!" Silver yells. "She's my marefriend!"

"She's my mate!" Tamer retaliates, adding a growl to his words, as he hasn't changed back yet.

"Boys!" Cloudy yells. "Listen to Zecora. She's obviously delt with this kind of thing before."

"Fine!" Tamer and Silver yell.

"Let's go and watch a movie guys." Cherry says to Sunset and Silver.

"Alright!" Sunset yells.

"Azure." Silver starts. He turns to her. And before he can say something else he feels lips on his. Hearing a growl from Tamer, they disappear.

"Just one." Azure tells him, winking. "Don't worry, nothing will happen." She reasures him.

"You sure?" Silver protests.

"Yes, I'm sure, now you guys go have fun. And don't let Cherry and Cloudy get too carried away during that movie." She says, winking again.

"Alright. Nother kiss?" He pushes.

"Nope, remember? That privilege was taken away. Now go! Have fun!" She pushes him along.

"Okay, okay. Bye"

"Bye."

The symptoms

Watching Tamer change back to a pony, was someone that deeply disturbed Azure. The sight of those claws just sinking back into the hooves. The fur shorting, and the sharp teeth disappearing, not something she thinks she could get used to.

"We're lucky it's not a full moon." Tamer says to Azure.

"Why is that?" She asks.

"In the light of a full moon, a lycan's true form awakes. So terrible, even Celestia herself, shakes. Teeth and claws sharper, eyes glowing red. If you have not seen, you know not of dread." Zecora tells her.

"Oh." Is all Azure manages to respond.

"We are here, palace of princesses." Zecora tells the two. "Let's go and see what help Luna possesses."

With a nod, Azure was following her. Tamer behind. They passed many guards Bat-ponies, but none cared. They most likely knew Zecora, and knew why she was here.

"So." Azure starts, looking over to the stallion next to her. "Why is your name 'Tamer'"? She asks him.

"I'd tame every Beautiful mare I met. With the crack of a whip." He says, smirking.

"So.... You where a Clopstar?" She says, puzzled.

"No, I'm joking. I worked for a traveling circus. I was the manticore tamer. Until this." He tells her, holding up his right foreleg. In it, Azure could make out scars. Teeth scars.

"Oh..." She says sadly. They walk in silence until Zecora stops at a door, knocking.

"What do you want? I'm sleeping!" A voice tells, then the door opens moments later.

Azure notices emediatly who it was. Princess Celestia. She, along with Tamer, bowed. With a giggle, Zecora tells them to get up, and they do.

"I need your sister." Zecora tells Celestia.

"Oh, well. I have no idea where she runs off to. I could get a guard to track her down." Celestia says, waving over a guard. After telling the guard to find her sister, Celestia speaks to Zecora again.

"Why do you need my sister?" She asks.

"Lycanthrope." Was her only response.

"Oh, you poor dear." Celestia says, walking over to Azure. "You need a hug? It's rumored I have the best hugs." She tells Azure.

"No, i-" but no use, Azure's words are muffled by Celestia's fur. Forearms wrapped around her neck, she gives into the royal comfort. And it lasted long enough to cheer her up. Pulling away from Azure, Celestia nods to a guard.

"He'll take you to my sister."

Azure followed the guard. Tamer and Zecora in tow.

"Princess Luna is out doing her Nightmare night scares." The guard tells them as they walk down a cobblestone street. "Every year, she dresses up as Nightmare Moon, and scares those on the street."

"I've never been out on a nightmare night. I've always been in a tent, or in that dammed cave." Tamer says to Azure. She didn't respond. Nopony said anything else for the rest of the walk.

The three of them walk into a plaza. Fillies and colts running around, chasing eachother.

"Luna will be here soon." The guard tells them, then walks back the direction they came. So, they waited.

Hour passed.

"Is this a joke!?" Azure turns to Zecora.

"No! THIS IS NO JOKE, AZURE AURA!" A disimbodied voice yells, causing Azure to shriek and jump behind Tamer. A couple seconds later, a purple and black smoke cloud appears, then disappears as quick as it came. In it's wake, was a slender legged pony. Black of mane, and sharp teeth smiling at them. It was Nightmare Moon.

Yelping again, Azure hid more behind Tamer. Gaining a laugh from Nightmare, Zecora, and Tamer. In another flash of smoke, Nightmare turned to Luna.

"Do not be frightened, Azure Aura. I am here to help." Luna tells her. She walks over to Zecora and speaks again.

"Why are you here, Zecora?" She asks.

"Azure has been bitten by a lycan." Zecora says.

"Yea, sorry." Tamer says, turning to Luna. Azure stops hiding behind him and walks over to Luna.

"Anything you can do, Princess?" Azure says, her eyes filled with worry.

"I am afraid not, Azure Aura. For Lycanthropy has no cure." Luna says, bowing her head.

"If we are to discuss this more, let's go talk behind a closed door." Zecora tells Luna. With a nod, Luna yells then to follow her, and there's more walking.

Opening the door to an abandoned theatre, Luna let the three of them in. Closing the door behind her, Luna lit up her horn, lighting the place up. As Azure looked around, she could see other ponies here and there.

"This, Azure Aura, is the home of lycans. Those who want help with their condition, or just want somepony to play with, come here." She says. Like it was on cue, a female lycan, about as old as Azure, walks up, happily panting.

"Hi Tamer! You back to play?!" She asks, her tounge stuck out happily.

"Sorry Rosy. Not today. New member." He says, pointing to Azure. "Don't tell anypony just yet, Kay?" He asks.

"Okay!" She says, then walks of, her tail wagging somewhat.

"Follow me." Luna says, gesturing for Azure. She complies. Following, she looks around. Once they reach the stage, only Luna and Azure climb up. Tamer and Zecora sit in seats in the front row.

"Everypony! Please, settle down!" Luna yells. Azure is astounded by the amount of obedience everypony has. They all stopped screwing around and walked to a seat. After they where all satisfied by who was where, They all sat.

"This, is Azure Aura." Luna says, with a couple of 'hello Azure' here and there. "Please make her feel welcome." Luna continues, then walks of the stage, Azure in tow. She walked off the stage, and two other lycans walked up to her.

"Hi!" The first one says, a female. "I'm Rosy, you came in with Tamer, right?" She asks, her tale wagging.

"Uhh. Yes." Was her answer.

"So..... Your his mate?" She asks, getting a bit closer.

"And you are?" Azure asks the other lycan, quickly changing the subject.

"I'm Angelica." She responds. "Let me guess, you've never changed?"

"C-changed?"

"Yea, changed. Forms. From pony to lycan."

"Oh." Azure realizes. "No, i-im afraid it'll hurt."

"Well." Rosy butts in. "If you don't change by will before this next full moon. It'll hurt a hell of a lot more." She tells Azure.

"Yea, so c'mon, do it now. With your new friends!" Angelica says, her tail wagging.

"Here? In front of everyone?" Nervously, Azure starts to back up.

"Good point. Let's go backstage." Rosy tells her. Then starts walking towards a door aside the stage.

"C'MON!" Angelica says, her tail wagging. She grabs one of Azure's forehooves with hers and pulls her.

They make it backstage. Angelica pushes Azure gently.

"It's okay, just close your eyes. And focus on the voice in the back of your head. Answer to it, and you'll change." Rosy tells her.

"Okay." She says. Then closes her eyes, and thinks.

She hears something. It's sounds like somepony is dragging out their s. She listens to it. And it grows louder louder.

'let me out, let me play.'

'hello?' she thinks, hoping to talk to it.

'I'm so bored, let me play, let me out.'

'why do you want to play?'

'I can help, you won't be weak, you will be strong!' it tells her

'show me!' she tells it. But there is no response.

Then, she feels a warmth knot in her core. It grows and grows. Soon, it's burning.

'stop fighting! Let it flow! Let me be free!' the voice tells her. And she gives in.

The burning shoots to every limb of her body. Her whole body, burning. And an involentary howl escapes her. The burning, she can feel it in every hair, every whisker. She knows her fur is growing. Then needles escape her hooves. The pierce through the hoof and grab onto the floor below her. Soon, the burning moves to her teeth, and they grow and sharpen. Causing her to wince. She feels her tail shoot out and change, gruffer and longer.

She's left panting, but she soon realized it's not over yet. She's bombarded by loud sounds, she can hear her friends breath. Then smell hits her like a brick. Everything, the old floorboard, the mold. Even the sweat she's giving off. Panting, she opens her eyes. Noticing it brighter. 'it affects my sight aswell' she tells herself.

"So?" Rosy asks.

Azure can't respond, she's panting to hard. She had to focus her breath to calm.

"I-I...... I'm good." She manages to get out.

"Yay! Puppy's all broke in!" Angelica says.

'happy happy!! Roll over! Get a tummy rub!' the voice tells Azure. And she does, she had to.

"Awww puppy want a tummy rub?" Rosy asks, watching Azure roll over. After Angelica does so, Rosy speaks again.

"Well, come on, let's go meet the family." Azure listens and walks with them.

"Why do I have sudden urges to do things? Like roll over?" Azure asks.

"I dunno, but we all get them." Angelica says.

They walk out to the theatre and look around. But before they can do anything, the door swings open and light floods in.

"Everyone! Get out!" Luna yells from the stage, but before Azure can run, she hears a loud 'BANG!" And feels an emptiness in her chest. She looks down and see blood pooling at her paw-hoovez. A couple of other bangs and other lycans drop. Soon, she blacks out.

Author's Note

I'm not trying to hard with Zecora, right?

Yay! Book one done! Look out for book two soon!
Just Another War