Love Bites

Chapters

Chapter 1 “Rush”
Chapter 3 “Little Flower”
Chapter 4 “Tread Lightly”
Chapter 5 “Moonrise”
Chapter 6 “Spiral”
Chapter 7 “The Fool’s Folly”
Chapter 8 “Appearance”
Chapter 9 “Location”
Chapter 10 “Decisions”
Chapter 11 “Trackers”
Chapter 12 “Sunset Valley”
Chapter 13 “Discoveries”
Chapter 14 “Brought to Light”
Chapter 15 “Cracks”
Chapter 16 “Findings”
Chapter 18 “Bonds”
Finale
Chapter 2 “In the Shadows”
Chapter 17 “Amid the Ashes”

Chapter 1 “Rush”

As with most things, ponies, and werewolves alike, tend to adapt quickly to changing environments and conditions. Yet there are some cases, as is this one, were attempting to adapt is much easier said than done. Soulmate. The word echoed through Obsidian's mind as he sat in place. It was the last thing he would have expected to come so late. At the age of twenty four, almost twenty five, most werewolves would have already settled down and started a pack of their own. This however was not the case with the young stallion. Him being so quiet and reserved usually didn't do well with courtings, as his parents had begun to hook him up with mares in the surrounding areas when he turned twenty, none of whom ever struck his fancy. Eventually they gave up and left him to his own devices, which he for once was glad that they did. The strong smell of lavenders and lilacs came to mind once again, just thinking about it made his cheeks flush. Was it true? Was the mare that lost touch with him for five moons really his mate? There was only one female- rather, two females that could help him with this situation.

“Limelight, Crescent, are y'all home?” A voice called back to him before a figure came into view.

“Well, would you look at who it is. Yo, Beta! Come say hi to our baby bro.”

Obsidian rolled his eyes before sitting down on his haunches. A purple coated pegasus mare strolled calmly out of the cave’s entrance. Her night sky blue mane hung down past her shoulders, frayed at the ends. A lime green streak within it complimented her features, her ice blue eyes stared at him while she smiled at him kindly. “Good to see you too, Crescent.,” he grumbled. Another head peered curiously at him, and a soft gasp came before the rest of the body appeared.

“Obsidian! What brings you all the way up here?”

The owner of the voice was a teal coated unicorn mare, her two toned yellow mane was cut short, stopping just under her neck. Her eyes, reddish orange in color, twinkled as she grinned.

“Oh, you know. I just got bored and decided to trek the fifteen miles it took to get here.,” He said with a drop of sarcasm.

“Look at him, Lime. He’s fallen for someone.”

His body stiffened, and his cheeks grew darker. “I have not.”

“Then what brings you to Goldenleaf Woods for any other purpose than to talk to us about a relationship issue?”

He diverted his gaze from them, instead watching a leaf fall to the ground. “It's Pixel… I ran into her earlier today.” The mares grew silent, looking at each other before turning back to face him. “She… she looks so different than what I remember. Her eyes, they sparkled like the clearest of amethysts against the cool brook that was her face.”

Crescent placed a hoof against her forehead and sighed deeply. “Ok, so we're dealing with a poetic, yet mostly empty, romantic. That's on you, Limelight. You two have fun.”

She turned, retreating back into the darkening tunnels with a calm demeanor. Limelight snorted at her sister's leave, redirecting her gaze to her younger brother. “Continue. Did she say much?”

“Well, no. Nothing of too much importance. And you know me with keeping a conversation…”

“Right. Anything else?”

“She ran off before I could ask her about her father. I'm assuming he had something to do with her sudden rush to leave.”

The mare sighed. “Dad’s been wondering about how he’s doing. I heard he’s planning on having a meeting with all of the Alphas in the area soon. Perhaps he will attend?”

“Perhaps. There's… one more thing though…”

“Is there now? What is it?”

“When I bumped into her, I could… smell her scent. It sounds weird, but I could smell it really strongly at that moment, and I can't get it out of my system now.”

Limelight's face twisted to a look of surprise. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. “So you mean to tell me that Pixel Bit, daughter of Lead Alpha Collin, is your mate?! I...need a minute, excuse me.” With that she was up and moving, trotting briskly back into the cave. Obsidian frowned, huffing before laying down. If what he said was enough to get that strong of a reaction out of his sister, then this was bad.

A wolf with a soft blue willow coat scurried across the terrain, weaving in and out of trees and leaping over logs to reach her cave. She skidded to a halt when she saw a teal pegasus stallion come towards her, changing her form in a flash. “Soundwave! Did you hear anything from Dad?” The male snorted at the question, rolling his blood red eyes.

“All I know is that you're late. And you know how mad he gets when someone's late.”

Her panic doubled, and she left for the cave's entrance without saying another word to her brother. Her heart rammed against her chest in fear at the sight of her father. His lips were curled in a snarl, wings outspread, casting a shadow on the ground under them. His eyes were borderline white, and his fur stood on end. “Where in Equestria were you? You were supposed to be home a half hour ago!,” He barked, the harshness of his voice making the young mare cower in front of him. She would have to face his wrath, her mother wasn't going to save her hide this time.

“D-Dad, I’m sor-”

“Sorry ain’t going to cut it, Pixel. I let you go because I trusted you to be responsible enough to come back on time. And you can't even do that. How can I trust you to take care of a pack on your own?”

The words stung like thorns, and tears streamed down her face, collecting under her chin and dropping to splatter into the grass below her hooves.

“D-Dad, please… I-I won't do it again, I p-promise.”

His stare didn't waver, yet the corners of his mouth twitched. “I’ll think about it. But you can say goodbye to your casual outings for the next two weeks, because you’ll be on patrol duty with your sister starting tomorrow.”

“B-But-”

“I don't want to hear it. Now off to bed with you.”

The unicorn's head hung low, and she dragged her hooves across the cold stone to the chamber that she shared with her twin. The magenta colored pegasus lifted her head at the sound of sniffling, cocking it at the other. “Hey, Pix. You alright?”

“I don't want to talk about it.,” she muttered, spinning around in a circle before dropping to the floor, shivering slightly. Her tail was tucked at her side, and she rested her head on one of her forelegs, squeezing her eyes shut as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

It was a struggle, the next few weeks were. Obsidian waited day after day for a glimpse, even just for a second, of Pixel maybe wandering around the forest on a hunt. For the first week, he merely hung on hope that she would remember their little spot, she would come see if he was still there. He wanted to see her, to look into her beautiful eyes, smell that wonderful scent of her’s again, gaze upon her shining face. By the end of the second week, that hope had dwindled to a small sliver. He spent his nights out in the open, ignoring the first signs of winter: leaves falling at a rapid pace, birds leaving their nests to travel southward, squirrels and other little woodland creatures storing food. That didn't bother him in the slightest. The third week came and went, the air beginning to become cooler. The start of the fourth week, the trees completely bare of leaves, only the pines still standing tall and full. Obsidian was in his wolf form, curled into a ball on a bed he had made from dead leaves. He was asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly.Snowflakes tumbled from a grey sky, creating patches of white amidst the brown earth. His nose twitched as a smell filled it, forgotten yet familiar. He shot up, standing with his paws planted as his eyes searched. Then he saw her, and his heart skipped a beat.

Her coat was glowing due to the lack of light, and her own eyes widened as she took notice of him. Transforming, she raised an eyebrow at him. “Obsidian, what are you still doing here? I thought you had left for home a long time ago!” He shook his head and whined, pawing at the ground next to the bed of leaves. “You were... waiting for me?” He nodded once, a low growl then rumbling in his throat. “I-I’m sorry! I would have come sooner if I knew you were still here. Do forgive me. You must be cold, would you like to come with me back home? We don't have much, but I'm sure my father wouldn't mind a former pack member to stay for a couple of days.” The black ebony wolf weighed his opinions before nodding, stretching and then shaking himself, following the young mare to her cave, more than ever so slightly anxious about reuniting with her father.

“Absolutely not.”

“But, Dad!”

“Don't 'But Dad' me. I said what I said. We're struggling with food enough as it is. Any more mouths to feed and I will flip my lid. So you can tell this new found fellow to go home, he’s not welcome here.”

“He’s-”

“I don't care who he is, he’s going back to wherever he came from.”

The hot tears welled up in her eyes again and she turned away, head down as she left his chamber. His ears lifted when he heard her faintly mutter, “If I'm supposed to be your favorite, then why don't you listen to a word I say.” He frowned. That cut him like a sharp claw, deep and ragged. In truth, he was scared. Scared of losing the precious little thing he called his child to the chaos of life. It took all that he could not to spend all of his nights awake, thinking, questioning. It hurt him every time he saw her cry, knowing that it was his fault. But discipline must be placed where discipline is needed.

“I'm so sorry, Sidian. I tried to tell him it was you, but he brushed me off.”

“It's alright. I guess I don't have much else to do but return home. My parents must be worried sick with me being gone for so long.”

The unicorn laughed a little at that. “Please. Your father could probably not notice you being gone for a moon.”

“Haha, probably. So, we’ll meet again at the meeting?”

“If we must. I hate having to sit for hours while someone just talks.”

“It's not all that bad, some of the stories told are actually good.” She shrugged her shoulders, looking down for a second, quickly moving forward, stopping in front of him. His nostrils flared as they took in that wonderful scent once again, probably for the last time in a while. And then, something unexpected: a soft pair of lips pressing against his.

He blinked a few times before letting his eyes close blissfully. This wasn't his first kiss, no, but something about it felt so… right. His heart leapt up to his throat, his body surging with an energy he had never experienced before. And a whisper, light, delicate, like a whistle in the wind: “I'm yours.” He wasn't sure if he had imagined it, or if it had been actually said, but at that point in time, he didn't care. The warmth, the rush of blood flooding his face and ears as they grew hot, the very low purr that threatened to escape him, it was too much. He pulled back, turning his head. “I, uh, I-I should really get going. Goodnight Pixel.” She didn't have a chance to say anything back, for he was gone. For lack of a better term, she was confused. She didn't know what to do with what just happened. So she sat, soon ignoring her mother's calls to come home. She sat and pondered.

Chapter 3 “Little Flower”

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the pines, casting little patches of white onto the cold forest floor. Pixel sat in a clearing, alone, perplexed. It had been two days now, and she didn't move an inch. She wouldn't be surprised if Soundwave was out looking for her. At this point, she didn't care what punishment her father would give her. She was having problems of her own already. A sudden noise startled her, and she jumped, transforming out of instinct. A tall figure broke through the brush, shaking its head to get loose dirt out of its mane. The unicorn gasped internally in shock.This figure was one recognized. She changed back, hesitating before calling out. “N-North? Is that you?” The peachy tan coated unicorn stallion turned his head in her direction, his eyes widening. He trotted briskly over to her.

“Pixel? Mi pequeña flor! (My little flower!) How have you been, my dear?”

The mare shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ve been alright, I guess.I could be better. Dad hasn’t been the most agreeable lately.”

The other unicorn frowned.

“I’m sorry to hear that. May I ask what are you doing here?”

She sighed. “It’s...complicated. I’d rather not say.”

North nodded, understanding her reasons. “That’s alright. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Would you like to come have some soup with me?,” he offered.

She smiled a little. “Of course! I’m just worried that you’d accidentally feed me a potion instead of soup though.”

He laughed. “No guarantees, sweetpea. Now come along. My home has expanded much since you last came to visit.”

The wooden door creaked open, a thin trickle of an eerie blue light shining up through a short tunnel. Pixel followed North into the large tree, her eyes widening at what she saw. Rows upon rows of potions lined the living walls, each one glowing in various colors. A large black cauldron sat in the middle of the large room, and sacks filled with leaves, flowers, and other types of plants hung from the ceiling. A flight of stairs led up to a small resting room, complete with a wooden cot. The mare looked around in awe. “Wow… you were right when you said you expanded. I don’t remember it being this big last time I came here.” Her gaze was redirected to the fire that burned under the cauldron, and she gulped nervously. “You, uh, you don’t make potions and cook in the same pot, do you?” The stallion rolled his eyes.

“Of course I don’t, silly. Who do you think I am? I’m a Healer, not a witch. Besides, you’ve been with me long enough to know that I like to keep things neat and organized.”

He hummed in thought before levitating a clay bowl filled with a piping hot mushroom soup towards her. “Here you go, my dear. Be careful, I don't need you burning yourself.”

“I got it, thank you.” She sighed contently after taking a slow sip, the creamy broth warming up her insides. She quickly became self conscious when she noticed the stallion was staring at her, a slight smile on his lips. “Um, North? You alright?” He blinked, shaking his head quickly, a faint blush flashing onto his cheeks.

“Er… yes, yes I’m fine. I was… going to ask you about the soup… is it good? I was never one with good cooking skills…”

“Oh, it’s wonderful! Thank you again.” She looked past him and examined the filled bottles of potions. “So...what do all those potions do exactly?”

His eyes were aglow at the mention of them. “All kinds of things. Magic enhancers, cures for illnesses of course. An elixir or two, and my personal favorite: liquid fireworks.” She eyebrows raised at that.

“Liquid fireworks? I never heard of those before.”

A dark blue aura glowed around one of the bottles, lifting it off of its shelf. The bright yellow liquid inside it sloshed around until it was flipped upside down, the contents bubbling and splashing onto the floor. The unicorn gingerly grasped a burning piece of wood from underneath the cauldron, tossing it into the growing puddle. The fluid was rapidly absorbed into the wood, bright sparks flying out, illuminating the entire area. Pixel was impressed, to say the least.

“Wow...do you think you could teach me how to make that?”

“I could...But promise me something first.”

“What is it?”

The stallion leaned forward, his eyes turning red ever so briefly.

“Don’t you ever tell anyone about these.” Misusing them can set the whole forest on fire. You got that?”

The mare nodded quickly, slight fear creeping into her voice.

“O-of course I won't tell. My parents don't even know about you.”

“Good, and let's keep it that way. Now, let's started, shall we?”

Chapter 4 “Tread Lightly”

As one may wonder whether or not the pair of unknown lovers ever stumbled across each other again, I will be kind enough to nudge them in the right direction: they did. It was unexpected, sure, but certainly not unwelcome. Pixel was the first to spot the navy blue earth pony on the other side of the Raging Rapids, one of the few rivers that ran along both Saddle Horn Peaks and Whitetail Woods. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him with his head submerged in the cold waters, jerking back to reveal a struggling fish in his jaws. Its tail slapped at his face, but he ignored it, instead dropping it onto the bank and watching it flop around until it laid still. Obsidian's nose twitched at the arrival of a scent he had missed. His eyes flickered upwards, then widened in surprise as he took in the she wolf swimming over to him. He waited for her to shake herself and transform before speaking. “Pixel? How did you get here?”

“I walked, silly.”

“No, I mean-”

“I got it. Just wandering around, I guess. Don't have much else to do nowadays.”

His eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. If she was still under her father's hold, which he was quite certain that she was, she wouldn't be have time for such 'wandering’, as she put it. Heck, she wouldn't have much time to be talking to him. “Pix, you doing alright? You look like you haven't slept in days.” She chuckled nervously, nodding once.

“Maybe it's because… I haven't.”

“Luna, I know that we're moreso nocturnal, but a werewolf's gotta sleep sometime.”

“I know, I know. I've just… been thinking, that's all.”

“About what, may I ask?”

She blushed at the question, avoiding eye contact. Then she frowned, a low growl leaving her.

“About how you left me! Without a word about what happened.”

A bushy eyebrow raised, and the stallion snorted.

“To be fair, you are the one who kissed me, so I have every right to react the way I did. But if we're being honest… I haven't stopped thinking about it too. I even told my sisters about it- er, not directly, of course. Limelight said something about… Mates, I believe? And she didn't seem to happy about it.”

The unicorn's ears perked up at the word.

“Mates?,” she repeated, puzzled to say the least. “But, that couldn't be… we’ve known each other for moons and… how come I haven't picked up your scent yet?”

No sooner than the words passed her lips did the overpowering aroma made itself known. The forest floor after a rain shower, wildflowers, pines. The young mare tried to block the smell by covering her nostrils with a hoof, but that only strengthened it, and her body was starting to sway due to dizziness. Obsidian stepped forward to steady her, only to have her fall against his chest. Her eyes were shut, a dumb yet content smile on her face. “It's true…”, she murmured softly, almost as if she was talking in her sleep. It took a second to click, but once it did, the earth pony couldn't help but smile. He cupped a hoof under her chin and pulled her head up, looking down at her with half lidded eyes.

“Why don't we have another kiss to celebrate, hmm?”, He offered.

Pixel laughed lightly, but wasted no time to reach up and plant a warm one against his lips, purring contently as his hoof moved to rest behind her head, gently pushing her closer. He craned his neck to further deepen the contact, feeling her soft hooves rest on his chest. They held it there for a minute or two, breaking apart to breathe before looking away from each other, each one's cheeks were flushed pink. The unicorn bit her lip shyly, her ears twitching as they picked up a voice calling out from the distance.

“Obsidian! Donde esta, hijo?” (Where are you, son?)

Pixel raised an eyebrow. “Your dad speaks Spanish now?”

“Always could. He never found the need to after his mother died, she was the one who taught him it.” He then turned his head to answer. “Uno momento, por favor!” (One moment, please!) Turning his head back, he gave the female a soft smile. “I have to go. Do you think we could meet here again for a bit next week?”

“That would be nice… Bye, Sid.”

“See ya around, Pix.”

The stallion darted off into the brush, not before taking his fish of course, and she watched his tail sway contently, just for a second, before it too disappeared. She turned around to cross the river once more, suddenly letting out a startled yelp, backing up a few paces. Ember merely sat in place, his head cocked to the side.

“O-Oh, Alpha Ember… You scared me… I thought you were-”

“Not anywhere near you? Then you would be incorrect. It's called throwing your voice. Helped me out in a few situations. But that's not the point. I'm simply curious, Pixel Bit. Out of anyone, I would least expect you to be the one to go missing for four days straight. Even Obsidian would let me know if he's going on a long trip, and he rarely talks with me.”

She frowned, worried more than anything.

“A-Are you going to tell Dad? I'm sure he's mad enough at me already.”

To her surprise, the Lead shook his head.

“No, I won't. I don't need to. Your scent will bring you back on its own. “

“What do you-” , the sentence wasn't finished as the red pony stood up and left without another word. Now she was even more worried, just waiting for the rest of the day to pass.

Chapter 5 “Moonrise”

It turns out that Ember was right. Soundwave located Pixel a few hours after her encounter with the Lead. The words exchanged between the siblings were few, if any at all. The male made no effort in trying to lead the female home, he simply took her by the scruff of her neck and flew her back himself. Collin was resting up on a ledge, watching as the two landed below him. The unicorn instantly cowered, waiting for a harsh word, but her body tensed as a warm hoof rested her back. “Sit up, Alpha.” The command was soft, and she surprised to find that it had come from her father. She hesitated, but eventually rose to a sitting position, still not meeting his eyes. He pressed a hoof under her chin, gently pushing it up to be level with his. When their eyes finally met, he raised an eyebrow. “You think I'm mad at you, don't you?” She simply nodded, out of fear of speaking. The stallion chuckled softly, causing her to give him a confused look. “Far from it,” was his answer.

“B-But, why not? I thought you would have skinned me by now.”

“Because I thought you would have learned your lesson on your own, which by how you're acting I assume that you did.”

Pixel fell silent, running the words through her head, her muzzle scrunching up in further confusion. Collin finally started laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling as the sound reached them. “Go get some sleep, Pixel. I'll explain in the morning.” Now that was an order she could get behind.

In the early hours of the morning, Andante was trying her best to be discreet as she slipped out of the cave, unfurling her wings to take flight. Her movements, however, weren't unnoticed by her father, and he watched her, amused. “And where do you think your going, Missy?”, he called out, unintentionally startling her.

“O-Oh, I forgot you were up there. Um, just a little Beta meeting. Nothing special.”

“Must your meetings be so early? And this is coming from someone who had to be up by sunup for training.”

The pegasus shrugged. “I dunno, Dad. You've lived with a Beta, you should know how we work.”

“Clearly not enough time apparently. Now go. I don't want you breaking Beta Rule No. One.”

Anne smirked. “And you know what that is?”

“Yes. 'Never be tardy, under any circumstances.’”

“That is- correct. I'm impressed.”

“Go, or do I have to force you to?”

“Ok, ok. I'm going.”

Just a few feet away from the Raging Rapids, a trio of mares sat facing each other in a triangular shape. Limelight raised a hoof before speaking. “I, as meeting coordinator, ask that the two of you will not let what is spoken of here tonight that is personal pass your lips to anyone else, or you shall be breaking Beta Rule No. Seven. Do I make myself clear?”

The pair nodded in unison, watching as the unicorn lowered her hoof back down to the ground. “Wonderful. Anyone have any news to share?”

Quetzal’s tail swayed as she spoke. “Ember's planning on having the Alpha meeting tomorrow afternoon.”, She announced.

“And who is going to be the Peace Keeper?”, Limelight inquired.

“I heard it was going to be Firefly, but if she can't make it than it would Obsidian.”

“My brother? That's a first. If anything, I think he'd be the last Omega I would think of to be chosen as Peace Keeper…”

“I see where your standards are, Lime.”, Anne said with a little smile.

The teal mare rolled her eyes. “Ok, moving on. Actually, speaking of the little squirt, I think he's got a thing for your sister, A.”

“Really? Well I'm not surprised. I think that they'd be cute together.”

Quetzal's eyes narrowed. “You do realize that your father would pitch a fit if he found out that the two of them were actually mates? I've seen him under emotional pressure, he doesn't handle it well.”

“So what? It's not like he can force them not to be with each other. If it's fate, then he can't tamper with that.”

All the while, Limelight had become awfully quiet. She shifted on her hooves nervously, biting her bottom lip. The Dragon hybrid was the first to pick on the odd behavior.

“We see you, Lime. What's gotten you so frazzled?”

She looked up slowly, ignoring a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. Her voice was shaky, but she managed to get out:

“Girls, I've made a grave mistake.”

Chapter 6 “Spiral”

Pixel opened her eyes slowly early the next morning as her ears were filled with the sounds of someone singing, which was not uncommon in her pack. Curious, she rose to listen in on the singer, trying to figure out which song was being sung, if she knew it. The melodious voice led her outside of the cave, where Collin sat. His eyes were closed as he sang the last verse to a lullaby he used to sing to her and her sister when they were fillies:

Sweet Nightingale

Touch the sky

May the clouds be your only guide

To my heart, don't you cry

Sweet Nightingale

Touch the sky

The unicorn's eyes rolled as she looked up at him. “Dad, you do realize that is a lullaby, right? Kind of an odd choice to warm up with when it's the morning…”

The stallion opened one eye, looked at her briefly, then opened the other. “Ah, good morning to you too, chickadee. And would you rather me sing something more upbeat? I'm sure Soundwave could come up with something…’

“Never mind… You said you were going to tell me something yesterday.”

“That I am. I'd like it if you came up here though. It hurts my neck to have to look down for so long.”

Pixel scoffed, but she quickly teleported to her father's side. “So, what is it?”

Collin took a moment to answer. “I've been a bit harsh on you, and I'd like to apologize. I realize that you're getting older, and you need to be out on your own at times. Hence why I haven't punished you. You’re so precious to me, Pixel… I couldn't dream of seeing you get hurt. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Of course. ...Could I...ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“If I were to possibly....meet someone… and I may or may not… like them, would you be upset about that?”

The pegasus’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”

Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment as she stammered: “M-my Mate. What if I had found my M-mate?”

He couldn't help but laugh at that question. “You? Finding your mate? Now that’s funny.”

“Dad…”

“I’m kidding, sweetpea. Of course I wouldn't get upset. That is, depending on who it is...why do you ask?”

Her eyes flashed blue briefly. “No reason. Umm, when does the meeting start, exactly?”

“Ember told me that it was going to start at midday, so we should head over to the Raging Rapids soon.”

“Wait, where’s Mom and Soundwave? I didn't see either of them when I came out.”

“Soundwave went to bring your mother over to Saddle Horn Peaks. She said she wanted to catch up with Speckle before the meeting.”

“And let me guess, Ann left to go see Limelight?”

“That she did. It’s funny, the unicorn’s a good seven or eight moons older than your sister, yet the two of them act like they’re twins.”

“I guess that’s how it is with Betas. They have a connection that we can’t really understand.”

She stretched before standing up. “Shall we go? If there’s anything more scary than seeing you mad, it’s seeing a trio of Betas mad because we’re late.”

“You’re not wrong. Well, lead the way, princess.”

Far out in the distance, Ember and Obsidian traveled down a path, the latter trailing fairly close behind the former.

“Father,” Obsidian began, “You haven’t told me who the Peace Keeper is.”

“Firefly,” Ember answered bluntly.

“But, why am I going to the meeting? If she’s the Peace Keeper.”

The red earth pony snorted. “Things have changed this month. More Alphas.”

More Alphas? That was a first. Even if a few new packs came in last month, things weren't rowdy enough to call for two Peace Keepers. Surely the numbers did not grow too much… did they?

“Do you… Do you know all of these Alphas?”

“Some, yes. I think you’ll recognize them as well. Keep up, Omega.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The clearing near the Raging Rapids was practically filled with werewolves, all coming from the surrounding areas. There were a few that Collin recognized, and he had to blink twice to make sure that they were actually there. “Elder Onyx? Elder Rose Cross? What are you two doing here?”

“No need to call us Elders anymore, kid,” Onyx replied. “The Elder Pack has disbanded.”

“Disbanded? What...How?”

Rose sighed before answering. “Comet started... changing not too long ago. He used to be kind and compassionate, but then he started to work us like we were his dogs or something, even resorting to beating some of the older Elders if they didn’t do what he asked. He said it was to strengthen the pack, but we argued that that job was for the Guardians. He wasn’t having any of it, and worked us harder than before. Some of the Unmarked Elders couldn't take it anymore and started biting each other so they could contract Moon Fever. There were so many bodies...I had to help bury them all. The Guardians got together to banish him, but Comet decided to take one more life: his own. He cast a spell to set himself on fire before anyone could reach him. The screams he made...I can still hear them sometimes…”

“That’s awful...I’m so sorry to hear that, Alpha Rose. And what happened after that? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Onyx took that question. “Those of us remaining left with our respective Guardians. The Guardians without an Elder disappeared without a trace.”

“But...what about Ranking? All of those pups would be so disappointed that they don’t know what Rank they are.”

“All werewolves are gifted with their sixth sense, yes? So those who are Leads in their Pack will be able to Rank their pups.”

A howl interrupted their conversation and Collin reluctantly had to make his way back to Sirena and Pixel. Now sitting behind the mares, he watched as Ember walked to the center of the large circle that had formed. The Betas followed him alongside Obsidian and Firefly. It had been a while since the male Omega had seen the female, and how mature she looked now. Gone was the shy and timid mare that used to watch over him, now was replaced with a proud and tall Omega, the strength reflected in her three legged stride. When the Lead sat down, the others did the same. Ember cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Good afternoon, fellow Alphas. For those of you who don't know me, I am Alpha Ember. Beside me are the Betas and the Peace Keepers. Betas, please wave when your name is called. Andante, daughter of Lead Alpha Collin.” The pegasus slowly waved to catch everyone's attention. Then she lowered her hoof, glancing over at Limelight. “Limelight, my daughter.” The unicorn did the same. “And Quetzal, my Beta.” The dragon hybrid waved before standing up, the other two rising as well. The trio turned to the Lead for further instruction. “Places, ladies.”

Each Beta then broke off in a different direction and found a spot in the circle to sit. Ember then turned to the Omegas. “And these are the Peace Keepers, Firefly and my youngest, Obsidian.” Firefly ruffled her wings while Obsidian gave the group a nervous nod. “Omegas, find a spot and sit together, please.” Firefly was the first to rise, locating a place right in between two packs’ members who had pups with them. The stallion did his best to stay collected as one of the pups, a cream coated earth pony colt, to be exact, stared at him quizzically.

“I haven't seen you before. Are you really Alpha Ember's son?”

“I am.”

“Oh, ok. I'm Oak. Nice to meet you, Sir.”

“Same to you, little one.”

Sid wasn't really used to being called 'Sir’. That title was usually given to his father. Still, he gave the colt a soft smile before turning his head to look towards the center of the circle. Ember was in the middle of roll call, eyes scanning the members from each pack that was mentioned. Those eyes met with Collin's briefly, then snapped away from the other until everyone was accounted for. “So everyone is here. Good. Now for reports. Whitetail Woods, did anything suspicious or threatening turn up this month?”

Collin shook his head. “No, Sir. A few Rogues trespassed my territory a couple weeks ago, but they have been taken care of.”

“Alright. What about the residents of Goldenleaf Woods?”

Crescent shook her head as well. “Nothing to report, Sir.”

The Lead nodded, then going down the line until all six regions gave their reports, which turned out to be none at all.

“Ok, good. So I guess now we can have a quick Greeting session and then you all are dismissed. Carry on.”

The once orderly circle now broke as the group began to interact with each other. Obsidian was about to go back to his parents when Oak grabbed his foreleg. “Can I show you to my Momma? She's never met a male Omega before.”

The stallion frowned slightly, not wanting to be shown off like a prize. But he nodded, letting the colt drag him over to a dark brown unicorn mare. “Momma, Momma! Come look! It's a male Omega!”

The mare turned her head towards her son's voice, staring at the navy earth pony. “Oh,” was all she said at first, then creeping closer to examine the male. “You have the body type of an Alpha, yet you have the eyes of a Hunter.” She then sniffed at him cautiously. “Are you masking your scent? I can't smell you at all.”

Obsidian blushed. “Not all Omegas are capable of masking their scent, Ma’am.”

“Huh. Your Alpha Ember's son, yes?” A nod was what she got as an answer. “I'm surprised. Normally an Male Lead Alpha has children that take his traits, including his rank.”

The stallion looked hurt. “W-what are you trying to say?”

“Oh, nothing. I just thought-” She paused, and for good reason, because Ember was staring at them from across the way, one eyebrow arched. “N-never mind… We need to go. Come on, Oak.”

The colt followed his mother, turning around to give Sid a comforting grin before darting off. Ember approached his son from behind and gave him a playful nudge. “Getting the females interested, I see.”

“Knock it off. It was just a colt's mother. She was curious. Everyone is when they meet a male Omega for the first time. Praise Luna that I don't have a Mark, otherwise she’d probably be checking my privates.” He grimaced at the thought.

Ember chuckled lightly. “Ease up, Sidian. You just have to get used to it.”

The other shrugged. “It'd be easier if she didn't question my Rank.”

“You'll have to get used to that too. It was the same with me when I was Ranked an Alpha.”

“Really? How?”

“That's a story for another time. Now come, I heard that Pixel has an announcement for us to hear.”

“And you want me to be in front of everyone because…”

“Because you'll be telling them too, you goof. Or at least I need you to be near me.”

Obsidian blinked. “Why?”

Pixel stared at him. “You don't know? We're going to tell them that we're together!”

The stallion looked concerned. “Are you sure? It's only been a week... don't you think we should wait a little longer?”

The unicorn shook her head. “Nuh uh. I want to tell them as soon as possible.”

Sid sighed. “Alright. But you're telling them, not me.”

“Deal. Hey, can I get everyone's attention please?” Both packs turned to face the pair. “I have a little something to tell you all. Obsidian and I found out something about ourselves a few days ago that is a bit special... we're Mates! Isn't that exciting?”

The silence was deafening. No noise could be heard except the chirping from a few birds. Pixel’s smile slowly turned into a frown, and her shoulders slumped as she sat down. She didn't hear her father's low growling, nor did she see his eye turn blue. All she felt was a gush of wind as the male beside her was knocked over. “Dad, what are you doing? Get off of him!”

Collin's head snapped up to look at her. “I won't let anyone take you away from me! Not now!”

Obsidian growled as he transformed, nipping at the other's neck. The pegasus transformed as well, grabbing the smaller wolf by the throat and shaking his head back and forth. As the two wolves continued to fight, Sirena started running towards the pair, only to be stopped by a see through force field. She turned to glare at Speckle, who was standing behind her. “Speckle, please! Let me go. I can't let him do this!” The unicorn promptly shook her head.

“No, Sirena. I can't let you get hurt.”

They both looked up as a loud blast shook the ground. The pegasus mare gasped as she watched her mate fall to the ground, motionless. “Collin!”, She cried, her body pressed against the wall of the dome as tears streamed down her cheeks. Even if he could hear her, there was no answer. Pixel took off running with tears in her eyes, Obsidian hot on her tail. Ember was silent as he stood in front of the downed stallion, waiting for a twitch, a sound, anything. He sighed as the other slowly got up before slapping him across the face.

“Are you insane? What on earth caused you to do that? You could have killed him!”

Collin wiped off the blood that dripped from his muzzle with a hoof. “I was thinking about it,” he hissed. “I can't believe it...and I won't believe it.” His demeanor changed when Sirena's cries reached his ears. He started going towards her, but stopped when the mare raised a hoof. She was wrapped in Speckle's warm embrace, but her voice was cold as she stammered:

“I-I don't…I don't know you anymore.”

Collin froze in place, tears forming in his own eyes. “Sirena, I…” The words trailed off, and he turned away, changing forms and bolting off into the darkening forest. Ember's eyes locked with Limelight's, the mare trembling before she ran after the dark grey wolf. He sighed again as he turned to face Speckle. “Bring her home, please. I have to go after Collin before he does something stupid.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Chapter 7 “The Fool’s Folly”

The winds whistled and howled as they tossed and tumbled in the hollow depths of the Crevice. The cold air nipped at Collin's coat, but he ignored it. The stallion was looking down, teetering dangerously close to the cliff's edge, the slightest nudge would be enough to send him over into the neverending darkness. His ears slicked back to listen as nervous hooves clicked across the stony surface behind him. Limelight's eyes stung with tears, and she threw her body onto the ground as she wailed. “P-please, Sir! Please don't harm my brother any further for something he didn't do... I'm the one who put those thoughts in his head. If there's anyone you should punish, it's me, Sir.”

The Alpha’s head turned to look at the Beta, realizing that she was in the Omega position. Sighing, he moved away from the edge, rising and stepping just in front of her bowed head. “Stand up, Beta. You have no need to degrade yourself to the ways of an Omega. It wasn't your fault.”

The unicorn's head lifted, looking up at him with tear stained eyes. The rest of her body followed, and she stood, trembling slightly. “T-thank you, Sir.”

“Now go home. Your sister must be worried sick.”

“Yes, Sir.” Her horn began to spark before igniting completely, causing her to disappear in a small flash of light. Collin sighed again, sitting back down. His body tensed as something warm suddenly pressed itself against his back, his wings unfurling out of instinct. Once his nose caught hint of a familiar smell, however, he relaxed.

“Ember… what are you doing here?”

The earth pony simply hummed in response, his tail flickering as he rested his head on the other's shoulder.

“Hey, Mister No Personal Space, I'm talking to you.”

“I wanted to see if you were dead or not,” Ember finally mumbled.

“You're just the most straightforward Alpha I've ever met.”

“Figured as much. How else did you become so nonchalant about everything?”

Collin scoffed. His eyes stared at the red hooves that were wrapped around his waist. “Seriously though. Why are you here?” He heard a soft sigh come from the other stallion.

“Because I didn't want to see my best friend do something that could cost him his life.”

They both went quiet for a moment, the cold wind whispering in their ears. The pegasus then decided to speak.

“I wasn't going to do it, you know. I'm not stupid. But...I appreciate you coming after me. It's not everyone who would do that.”

Ember hummed again, holding the other a little tighter. “I know, but I'm not everyone, and neither is my pack. I do ask that you give my son an apology the next time you see him.”

“Of course. I'd feel awful if I didn't. Speaking of which, aren't you going to send someone to bring them back? I don't think Pixel would be ready to see me at the moment.”

The earth pony shrugged. “I think they just need some time to themselves right now. Emotional support, or whatever you call it.”

Collin agreed, his eyes closing as the male released his hold on his abdomen, the hooves strengthened from years of running surprisingly gentle as they rested on his shoulder blades, rubbing small circles into the tense muscles. He began to purr as they slowly traveled down his back, his ears perking every time a bone in his vertebrae popped. His body then jerked as he felt a pair of lips lightly kiss at the spot just in between his wings, then the warmth of Ember's muzzle as he nuzzled him.

“E-Ember, what are you doing?”

“Relax. I just making sure your reflexes were in check. You've been through a lot these past few weeks. Through the past few hours, to be more specific.”

The pegasus's shoulders lowered as he slowly got over the sudden jolt of energy surging through his nerves, only for them to raise again as the Alpha grabbed his tail and pulled him closer, causing him to fall flat on his face.

“Ow...If you wanted me to lay down you could've just asked…”

“Sorry, force of habit. You haven't had your wings preened in a while now have you?” A shake of the head was his answer. “Well we can't have that. C’mon, spread those big boys.”

Collin's eyes rolled, but he obliged, extending his wings to their full length. Ember repositioned himself so he was standing above the pegasus, lowering his head to reach his feathers. His tongue expertly glided across them, nudging them all into neat rows. He paused at the sight of Collin's silver feathers before pushing them into place with his nose. “I remember when you got these. I don't think I had ever seen you so excited before,” he murmured.

The other smiled. “I had thought it was just a legend, nothing more. Turns out I was wrong.”

“That you were. Now roll over.”

He obeyed, turning so he was now resting on his back. Yelping in surprise as the red stallion quickly straddled his hips, he stared up at him with a confused expression. The Alpha paid him no mind, instead placing his hooves on the other's chest, dipping his head to do the same thing that he did with the back of his wings. His eyes started to slide shut again when he heard the one on top of him growl. He noticed that the Lead was breathing a bit heavy, and not because of the constant leaning down and pulling himself back up. His eyes trailed down to locate the source of the problem. His heart pounded as he watched as the tip of Ember's shaft slowly slip out of its sheath, a few drops pooling around the head. “Awe, Alpha. You seem to be in a bit of a predicament there,” he purred playfully.

Ember hissed, getting off the younger male. “I couldn't help it. Your yelp sounded like a mare’s in Heat, and that kicked my senses into overdrive.”

“Speckle hasn't gone into Heat yet? Well that explains your behavior. Is...is there anything I can do to help?”

The earth pony's eyes had now turned blue, and he nodded once. “Just, come here.”

Collin did so, not expecting to have his teeth suddenly jabbed into his neck. He cried out at first, but then his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His legs buckled, and he grunted as his wings sprang up from his sides. Finally his eyes fell back into place, his irises a glowing blue. His mind was hazy when Ember let go. “W-what did you just…”

“Mental reset,” was the reply.

“Why?”

“To reassume dominance. Better this than what else I had planned.”

“O-Oh, um, ok. Do you mind helping me? I don't think I can fully walk just yet.”

Without a word, the taller stallion was scooped up and placed onto Ember's back like he was as light as a colt. “But of course. Anything to help a friend.” The pair left the Crevice behind them, not once turning back.

Chapter 8 “Appearance”

The snow crunched under Ember's paws as he traveled along a river bank, carrying a half awake Collin on his back. The effects from the bite hadn't completely worn off yet, leaving the pegasus in what the earth pony could only describe as a slightly delusional state of mind.

“Alpha…,” the blue stallion whined. “Where are we going?”

The dark brown wolf's eyes rolled. “To your place.”

“Oh...is my Alpha going to be there?”

“Yeah, she’ll be there...to beat your ass just like the rest of us want to.”

“Awe, that's not very nice. Why would she do that?” Ember didn't bother answering, so Collin continued. “And why do you want to beat me? You were about three seconds away from ru-”

“Irrelevant. I still have every wish to beat your ass.”

The pegasus pouted, then purred as he curled to be more deeply embedded in the wolf’s fur. “Mmm, you're so soft... like a giant pile of bird feathers.”

“I take offense to that.”

“Or a puppy...can I call you a puppy?”

“Ok, now that's just rude. I am no one's 'puppy’.”

“C'mon, it's not that bad. I've seen how you act sometimes.”

“That's only around actual pups. There's a difference between the two. Now go back to sleep.”

Sirena had reduced to a cold, shivering heap as she slept in her chamber, subconsciously moving towards Speckle as she lay beside her. A soft voice roused her, and she glanced over at the unicorn as her eyes opened wearily. “Speckle? What is it?” The other mare said nothing, her chest rising and falling steadily as she continued to slumber.The voice came again, this time slightly louder.

“Sirena…”

The pegasus sat up quickly, now red eyes darting around. “Who’s there?”

There was no answer...at first. She watched on with curiosity as a faint light began to glow in front of her. It shone brighter for a second, then disappeared completely, leaving a transparent figure floating in its place. The mare’s face paled. The figure looked like...herself, only younger and donning a darker coat. “W-Who are you? And how do you know my name?”, she questioned, cowering slightly at the ghost’s intense glare. Said ghost sighed dramatically, pushing her undulating mane behind her ear.

“What did I expect? You werewolves always ask the same questions upon first meeting an Infecto. Maybe if you had paid more attention to my signals, you would have figured it out.”

“Infecto?” Sirena paused. That was what Ember had, and she saw all of the trouble that had been caused because of it. What with all that was going on now, this was the last thing that she wanted to discover. “What is your name?”

The see through mare flashed a bright smile, bowing to her host. “Infecto Mauve, at your service. Are there any questions you wish to ask of me?”

“A few. First of all, why did you choose me? There are countless other werewolves out there, why do I have to be the bearer of your conscience?”

Mauve's grin faltered. “You ask with such dissatisfaction… Do you not wish to have me?”

“No, I don't. I don't wish for any of this!,” Sirena snapped angrily, freezing as she heard Speckle begin to stir. She relaxed when the mare fell asleep again, lowering her voice. “I know that this will affect her as well.”

The Infecto huffed. “Well excuse me for having you be the perfect candidate for my needs. It's not like I choose you out of spite or anything. By Luna I sure didn't know you'd be this disapproving of my presence.”

“Mauve, I-”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re under a lot of pressure, yadda yadda. That still doesn't mean you can be all snappy with me. I'm sure my last host wasn't like this.”

The lilac pegasus frowned. “I apologize. If what I’ve heard about Infectos is true, then you know the things that I've been through these past few days. It's kind of in my right to be upset.”

Mauve slowly nodded in agreement. “I suppose you're right. But don't think I'll be letting this go so easily.” Their conversation was cut short as the ghost's ears perked, picking up a distant sound. “I can't stay out here much longer. We’ll talk more later.” She then disappeared from sight just as Soundwave peeked inside the chamber.

“Oh, hey. You're awake. Alpha Ember and Dad are outside.”

Sirena took in a deep, shuddering breath before she nodded once. “Thank you, Soundwave. I’ll be right out.”

Collin sighed in slight frustration as he waited for his mate to come out of the cave’s entrance. Ember glanced over at him. “You sure you’ll be to handle this on your own? If I were Sirena, I wouldn't be the most excited to see you right now either.”

The pegasus's eyes narrowed. “I got it, Ember. I'm the one who put myself into this, and I'm going to bring myself back out.”

“If you say so. I'll be helping Soundwave with patrolling the perimeters if you need anything.”

“Much appreciated, thanks.”

He watched as the other hastily moved through the trees, his ears twitching as he heard something stop in front of him, turning his head. His red eyes locked with Sirena's magenta ones for a second before moving to look at something else. “Sirena…”

She raised a hoof to silence him. “Before you start, let me get this out of the way.” She then backhanded him, leaving a red mark on his cheek. He rubbed at it, saying nothing. “Are you happy now? You scare your daughter out of her wits, nearly killing her mate in the process. She only has one, Collin. What if it was us with my father? Sure he’d get verbally aggressive, but he would never do what you were going to do to Obsidian.”

“I know…”

“Then what's the problem? Clearly you don't hate him.”

“I don't want to talk about it right now.”

“But-”

Collin then growled lowly. “ I said what I said, Sirena.”

She huffed, ruffling her black wing tip feathers. “Your just mad because I'm the telling the truth.”

“Excuse me?”

“That's the only reason why you’re putting it off, because you don't want to face it.”

He started to shake, his lips curling back into a snarl as tears began to fill his eyes.“I never said that-”

“You didn't need to. Your arrogance is what ru-”

“ENOUGH!,” he barked, eyes blue as his wings sprang from his sides in a defensive manner. “I do not need to hear this anymore!” Before the mare could get a word out, he took off, leaving a fading trail in his wake as the area around him rippled with sound. Sirena snorted, shaking the loose dirt that now clung to her out of her coat. She sighed, resting a hoof against her temple as her head throbbed.

“What am I doing? I'm acting just as childish as he is.”

“Maybe you should go after him? He’s unstable enough as it is,” a voice noted behind her. She looked back to find Speckle standing underneath the cave's arch, her eyes showing her concern.

“I should. Good thing I know where he’s headed.” Unfurling her wings, the pegasus carried herself through the sky, the chilly winds no match to the warmth she was building up in her heart.

Collin let his body drop onto a thick layer of snow that sat on the peak of a nearby mountain, curling up underneath his outspread wings. He shivered, but he didn't pay mind to the cold. He was so exhausted, his eyes closing for just a moment as his racing mind slowed down. Said eyes reopened abruptly, and he found himself on forest floor, something warm and wet pooling under his body. Looking down, he yelped, jumping up and scrambling backwards. “O-Obsidian?,” he stammered, then finding that his forelegs were painted dark red with blood.

The navy coated earth pony’s body lay motionlessly, his head detached from it. The stallion became frightened, moving back another step when his tail came in contact with something else. Whipping around, he gasped inwardly as he took in the sight of Ember laying on his side, wheezing painfully before coughing up a mouthful of blood. “Ember?! What happened?”

The Lead’s ears perked at the sound of his voice, forcing himself to roll onto his back, exposing his open chest cavity. He struggled in an attempt to sit up, starting to cough again. Collin rolled him back onto his side, holding him down. “No, no. Don't sit up. Can you please tell me what happened here?” The red pony couldn't speak, but he managed to write out a single letter in the blood soaked earth beside his head: a y. He then proceeded to have a coughing fit, unable to get oxygen into his failing lungs. Finally he stopped moving, now lifeless eyes staring straight ahead. The pegasus lowered his head, hot tears falling from his cheeks as he reached out, closing his friend’s eyes.

He slowly stood up looking around for someone, anyone who would have an explanation. He located Speckle's cold frame not too far away, her eyes dark bleeding holes as they were missing from the rest of her face. Still the stallion forced himself to move forward, glancing over each maimed body he passed. His heart dropped upon seeing his mate, as she was leaning against the trunk of a pine tree, holding the corpses of her son and daughters close to her chest. Her watery eyes shifted up to look at him as he approached, slowly shaking her head.

“You finally got what you wanted, Alpha. You have destroyed everything that you’ve ever had.”

“What? No! I didn't... I couldn't have…” He was at a loss for words as he broke down, falling to the ground in front of her. He suddenly felt someone grab him by his shoulders, pulling him backward. He struggled against his assailant, reaching out desperately to the mare. “No, no! I-I’m sorry! Let me go! Please! Sirena!”

Collin wailed like an injured animal as he jolted awake, still fighting with whoever was holding him. Yelping as his head was pulled back, he stared up at Sirena's worried face, tense nerves relaxing instantly. Sitting up, he gripped her tightly as he continued to sob soundlessly, as he had lost his voice. She wrapped her wings around his trembling frame, rubbing his back simultaneously. “Shh, shh….your ok. I'm here, I'm here. Shh...it was just a bad dream, sweetheart. I'm never going to leave you.” He soon quieted, loud sniffles and soft gasps being the only sounds that left him. The lilac mare pulled back after some time, looking up at him with on growing sympathy. “You ok? Do you want to talk about it?”

He sniffled again before stammering: “I-I was in a clearing. Everyone else was dead except for you, a-and…” He couldn't finish, breaking into another flood of tears.

“Oh Collin…,” she murmured softly, holding him close once again. His head buried into her shoulder, he felt her lips press against his tear stained cheek. “I'm sorry for getting upset with you. You’ve got a lot on your shoulders right now, and I sure didn't help. Do you forgive me?” Feeling him nod, she slowly rocked him back and forth, like she would with an upset foal. “Do you want to go home?”

He shook his head. “No...I... just... keep holding me, please?”

She did so, closing her eyes. “I will. I love you, Collin. Always remember that.”

“Thank you...I love you so much, Sirena.”

Chapter 9 “Location”

Blurs of color sped across the white terrain until they slowed down to a stop. Pixel held a hoof to her forehead as she waited for the one behind her to catch up. The earth pony leaned his head down, taking in gasps of air. “Ok...what happened back there?”

“I don't know, Sidian! All I know is that if I didn't do something, you could of been killed.”

“But he wasn't going to.”

“What? What are you talking about? My father had your neck in his jaws, for crying out loud!”

Obsidian rolled his eyes as he scoffed. “Think about it. If your father really wanted to kill me, he would of done so in a heartbeat. But he didn't. Doesn't that count for something?”

Pixel blinked. “Huh...now that you mention it, that is a bit odd. So...what do we do now? There's no way I can back and face whatever's waiting at home…” She paused when she felt a hoof rest on her shoulder. Looking up into the stallion's concerned eyes, she sighed softly. “Sorry for dragging you into this. I was just so excited about telling everyone else...I didn't really think about the consequences. Now we're here.”

Obsidian could only smile and gently rubbed noses with the mare. “And we’ll get through it together. I promise.”

The unicorn grinned back, leaning forward to kiss him when her eyes went wide. “Oh! I just remembered. I need to go get some things from a... friend. I’ll be back. Wait here.” With that, she darted off into the brush, leaving the other with a confused and slightly suspicious look on his face.

As the sun broke free from the horizon, there was a circle that had formed near the Raging Rapids. Collin yawned as he fought the urge to sleep, half listening to the Alpha across from him as he blabbered on about something or other. It was only when he was asked a question did he snap awake. “Huh?”

Ember snorted. “I asked if you had any ideas on where your daughter might of went. It's been a day. She could of covered a lot of ground at this point.”

“Uh, no. Last thing I recall is that she traveled east, and as far as I know she doesn't have any hideouts in that direction.”

“So they’re in uncharted territory. Great. Soundwave, could you do an aerial sweep of the area? It’ll help to narrow down possibilities.”

“Of course, Alpha.” The teal pegasus took to the skies, soon only his brightly colored wingtips could be visible.

Speckle didn't seem all too pleased. “And what about ground scouting? Surely it would give better results.”

“I was getting to that, Speckle. Sirena, Anne. You two can check around the cave, in case they may have stopped by there.” The pair rose to their hooves and went towards the peak. Firefly and Mark, who had been called to the meeting, looked at each other. The Omega raised a hoof to get the red earth pony's attention. “Speak, Omega.”

“Alpha, we may have something that could aid in your search.”

“What is it?”

Mark turned his head. “Ryker! Come here, buddy.” There was a faint rustle from within a nearby bush, and a small head peeked out curiously. Soon the rest of the body slinked out, revealing a young pegasus colt, his coat olive green in color. His long triple brown mane hung slightly past his head, causing it to bounce as he ran towards his parents.

Speckle blinked in surprise. “You have a pup?”

Firefly smiled shyly, nodding once, gently pushing her son towards the Alpha. “Had him shortly after we left Saddle Horn Peaks. He’s a sneaky little bugger, always hiding from us. He’s really good at finding things though.”

Ember hummed in thought, leaning down to pick up the colt, looking him over. His eyes were an interesting sight, what with one being a fiery orange like his mother’s, and the other a cool turquoise color like his father’s. They changed to a glowing violet out of instinct. “He’s already Ranked?”

Mark bobbed his head. “Yes, Sir. Last week, actually.”

“Hmm. If what you say is true…then I think it wouldn't hurt to have him on the search team.”

Collin was surely awake for that. “Wait, wait. Your entrusting this search to a pup? The thing doesn't even look a day over twelve!”

The Lead’s eyes narrowed. “You got any better ideas? The nearest Guardian that I know is at least twenty miles away, and even if she wasn't, it would take her at least a few hours to ingrain the scents, hours that we can't waste.”

The pegasus frowned, but he nodded in agreement. “I guess you're right. So what do you want me to do?”

“You'll be with Ryker and I. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Oh, so now I get be a part of the action. I feel so honored.”

“Don't push your luck. The rest of you are dismissed.”

There was a faint rapping at North’s door, and the tan unicorn slowly rose to see who would be knocking at such an early hour. When he pulled it open, his eyes lit up. “Pixel? I wasn't expecting you here. Guess you liked those potion making lessons, huh?”

The female shook her head, clearly not focused on the question that was asked. “Sorry, can’t chat now. Do you have my leaf bundle?”

North raised an eyebrow. “Yes… why do you need it?”

“No reason in particular. I just do.”

The tone in her voice seemed desperate, so the stallion immediately went over to a nearby table to retrieve said bundle. Handing it to her, he randomly felt his cheeks flush as their auras made contact. “Thanks, North. You’re the best. See you around!”

“Bye…” For some reason, the male felt lonely after the other left. He shouldn't have. He was perfectly content with being alone. Or so he thought. His head suddenly began to spin, and he growled while lowering it down towards his chest. His eyes darted around in their sockets, one rolling to the back of his head before falling back, now an angry red.

“Something's not right, and I'm sure you know what it is,” a raspy and deep voice noted, though it was coming from the unicorn's mouth.

The still blue eye glanced off to the side, not amused. “I don't know, Orion. Please be so kind as to enlighten me,” North stated sarcastically.

The half of the stallion that was not being controlled by himself frowned, lips curling up in a slight snarl. “Don't play dumb with me. The mare.”

“What about her?”

“Didn't you sense anything… off with her? Her quickness to leave, her scent…”

“Still not picking it up.”

Orion was now fed up with the shenanigans and outright barked, “She's with another male, you imbecile! Clearly your obsession with potions leaves you completely idiotic!”

North whined. “Easy on the name calling, sheesh. How does knowing that Pixel's with someone else affect me, er… us?”

At this the other smirked. “There haven't been any records of a werewolf and a non-werewolf uniting, yes? I’d like to be the first. Our offspring would be able to take on any other creature in the entire region.”

The still reasonable side of the stallion raised an eyebrow. “Ok, now you're being ridiculous. I am not planning on getting into a serious relationship with Pixel anytime soon. She's my friend, nothing more. Plus, she seems to be hooked with someone already. Can't you just drop it?”

Orion growled, snapping his teeth threateningly. “Drop it? As if. I make a proposal that you possibly couldn't refuse, and you tell me to drop it? It seems that I have no other choice.”

The unicorn's horn began to glow a dark red, anger fueled magic swirling around his body, forcing the sensible half of the stallion into submission, and it screamed as it was sucked into the depths of the same mind. Orion snorted before opening his eyes, both of them now glittering rubies. His attention was redirected to the cauldron that sat in the room’s center, a glowing, green liquid bubbled and brew from within it. Pulling down a bag of dried flowers from the ceiling, he tossed in a couple of lavenders and lilacs. The concoction changed colors almost immediately, now a neon blue. Grabbing a small bottle from a nearby shelf, he filled it with the thick fluid, sniffling at it before closing it and putting it back in its place. Scowling, he gritted his teeth as he muttered, “And now we wait.”

Chapter 10 “Decisions”

“Did you find anything, Anne?,” Sirena called from the cave's entrance. She waited for a few seconds until she heard,

“Nope, nothing. It's like she upped and vanished.”

The older mare sighed, rubbing her temples as her head throbbed. “Ok… so if they didn't come back here, do you think they may have gone past Whitetail Woods? Because our cave is right beside the outskirts of the area.”

The younger pegasus slipped out of the tunnel, shrugging her shoulders. “Seems possible. Knowing Pix, she’d want to get as far away from here as she could.”

Sirena hummed in agreement, dropping to her haunches as she sighed again, tucking her wings against her sides. "The poor thing's probably worried about what's going to happen when she finally comes back. I'll make sure that Collin keeps his emotions in check so the two of them can have a reasonable conversation with each other without fear of anyone snapping.”

At this Anne lowered her head, not wanting to meet her mother's gaze as she mumbled, “What about me?”

The lilac mare cocked her head. “What about you?”

There was a low growl that rumbled in the other's throat, but it was quickly silenced. “All everyone seems to be worried about is finding my sister, but has anyone considered how I feel about this whole thing? At this point, I say leave them be. I know Pixel, and she can take care of herself. She's not some runaway puppy that might get taken to the pound. Besides, Obsidian's with her, and he'd protect her with his life.”

Sirena blinked in surprise at her daughter's choice of words. “I... didn't know you felt that way. But, while what you say is true, Pixel still needs our guidance before we can feel comfortable enough to let her out on her own. She's naive, and makes decisions far too quickly without much thought. Those two things together will make it hard for her to survive this world of tricksters and deceit.”

Anne scoffed, her eyes narrow slits, spreading her wings before flying in place. “Now you're sounding like Dad. No wonder why she left. Well you can take me out of the search team. I have a Beta Meeting to go to.”

She was gone before the other could say anything, and Sirena frowned as she lowered her head shamefully. Tears began to fill her eyes, tumbling down her face and dripping onto the cold stone. Since her head was down, she didn't see that someone had appeared to check in on her.
“Uh oh. Looks like the cat’s outta the bag. It's sad when not even your own children trust you anymore, isn't it?”

“I don't want your opinion, Mauve.”

“But that's what I do. How else am I to express myself?”

“Maybe if you kept your feelings to yourself, then we wouldn't be having this conversation!”

The Infecto looked utterly baffled at the sharp tone, her face twisting into an ugly scowl. “Are you sure your not pregnant? Because the amount of attitude your giving me is very surprising if your not.”

“Luna no I'm not pregnant! I'm just pissed because you won't leave me alone! I have no idea how Ember was able to go on for so long with one of you, because I’m ready to rip you out myself!”

The name triggered something in the creature, because it suddenly began to hiss angrily. “I’ll only advise you refrain from saying his name in front of me once, Or you'll wish you didn't have a tongue to speak with,” it snapped, eyes flashing white.

The threat was enough to calm the pegasus down, and she took in a few deep breaths. Her wings, which were slowly starting to spread out, were quickly yanked back into place. “Fine, fine.” Her head drooped lower until it touched the ground. “I just need some time to think about all this.”

She heard Mauve start mumbling things, along the lines of, “Why didn't you say that sooner?,” and “Just keep your grumpy levels down, Missy.” She, of course, ignored the Infecto, closing her eyes wearily as she drifted off.

Andante landed in front of Limelight as the sun hung high above them, and she seemed a bit puzzled by the fact that the Dragon hybrid was nowhere to be seen. “Where's Quetzal?”

The unicorn glanced up at her with a tired expression. “She's... somewhere. She told me where she was going but I don't...I don't remember…”

The pegasus's ears perked up in alarm. A Beta never forgot things, even moons after they were told them. For Limelight, an A class Beta no less, to forget something as simple as to where her fellow Beta was going, then something was terribly wrong. “Are you doing alright, Lime? You seem… out of it.”

The teal mare nodded slowly, yet she struggled to stay still, her body swaying back and forth as if she was dizzy. Finally she toppled over with a low grunt, Anne catching her and hoisting her onto her back in one fluid motion. “Ok, something's up. We can have the meeting at another time, right now we need to get you home, asap.”

Pixel slowed her steps as she reached the long leafy tendrils of a willow tree, which grew by a small river. She sighed softly as her back soon rested against its rough bark, scratching at an itch she had yet to reach. Obsidian laid down in front of her, absentmindedly running a hoof over a patch of tall grass that hadn't been covered in snow. “Hey, Sid?”

“Hmm?”

The unicorn hesitated for a few seconds, closing her eyes before asking, “What...What are your thoughts on Marking?”

The male’s hoof stopped moving, and he stared at her with half lidded eyes. “That depends on what your asking. Marking in general or me Marking you?”

“Er...the latter?”

Obsidian snorted, rolling onto his back. “Pix, you know me well enough to figure out what my answer is gonna be. I would Mark you in a heartbeat if I could, but you know there's has to be at least one other witness present for a Marking ceremony. Plus, someone has to give us their blessings beforehand.”

Pixel Bit her lip, frowning slightly. Then her eyes shot open and lit up as she remembered something. “Well, my dad did tell me that he wouldn't get upset if I had found my mate, doesn't that count?”

The earth pony's face deadpanned, and he slowly shook his head.

“Shoot. In all honesty, who needs dumb ceremonies anyways? It just slows down the inevitable.”

Obsidian blinked. “And this is coming from someone who always wanted a Marking ceremony as a pup. Don't things change. It's a form of verification, Pixel. You wouldn't want me Marking your sister, would you?”

Pixel's face scrunched up in child-like disgust, sticking her tongue out. “Luna, no!”

“Case in point.”

“Ok, fine. You win.” The young mare's body slumped against the tree, a slight pout on her lips. Her gaze then shifted to the leaf bundle beside her, and her eyes sparkled once again. “Maybe… there's something else that might change your mind.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

The knot that held the bundle closed was untied, revealing a clump of odd looking flowers. One was levitated out of the bunch, floating above Obsidian's head before dropping onto his muzzle. He stared at it for a good three seconds before fixing his gaze once again on the unicorn. “And this is?”

“A Honeypetal flower. It makes you more sensitive to touch…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes suddenly slid shut, her breathing beginning to become more labored. The male was quick to roll over, sitting up quickly.

“Pixel? Are you alright?” Then the smell hit him, one he instantly recognized: a mare on her Heat. “Great…,” he muttered. Thankfully for him, his levels of desperation and need weren't as high as, say, the female across from him due to his rank, but still he couldn't help but feel a bit of desire in watching her body tremble, the previously closed lips of her marehood now puffy and pursed, her clit winking slowly as she rubbed at it with a hoof.

“O-Omega... please…,” she whined, eyes now open and glowing red as she tried to relieve herself.

Luna, was looking at her with a somewhat calm demeanor a struggle. The way her hair splayed out against the tree's trunk,
her mouth in an o shape as she would occasionally coo, her eyes lidded with pure need reflecting in the glossy orbs. Obsidian used all the might that was in him to not pounce on her and rut her senseless. Instead, he thought on other ways to give her some comfort without resorting to the obvious.

Noticing the flower still on the ground, he picked it up, pressing it to her mouth, more or less coaxing her to eat it. She did so, swallowing slowly. Her hoof moved faster, causing her to groan softly as her folds leaked more and more, her coat drenched in a thin layer of sweat. The stallion gingerly pulled it away before dipping his head and replacing it with his tongue, brushing it up and down rhythmically against her puffy lips, thrusting in deeper from time to time. Pixel cried out while her tail thrashed around, wrapping her hind legs around his neck and pulling him forward while he lapped at the liquid that dripped from her warm folds. Humming in approval, he occasionally glanced up to see if she was liking what he was doing, going faster each time her breathless voice or blissed out face greeted him. Her clit broke into a flurry of winks, smearing its lubricant all over Obsidian's muzzle, not that he minded. His tongue finally got bored of the continuous licking, drawing back to circle around the engorged nub.

“S-Sid… don't s-stop…,” the unicorn begged, frantically thrusting her hips against his warm tongue, gripping tightly on his mane. The stallion didn't have much of a choice at this point, so he gave her what she wanted, wrapping his lips around the sensitive organ, sucking at it hungrily. The female's body curled around him, trembling heavily as sparks lit up behind her eyes, her nerves firing as her horn shot out a beam of magic, the rest of her body tensing before her limbs gave out as she released forcefully, spraying hot liquids onto her lover’s neck and chest. With her unable to move, Obsidian lifted his head, repositioning her so she lay on her side, still shaking. Her eyes were shut, but she managed to mumble a low “Thank you” before passing out. The male smiled fondly at her, rising to his hooves quietly to go clean up in the river’s waters.

Chapter 11 “Trackers”

Orion’s head turned from left to right as he quickly trotted down a narrow path. He was looking for something that North had buried near the tree hut moons ago, yet couldn’t quite place exactly where it was. As if on cue, said personality’s voice started to speak up.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so abstain on asking me for help. I would have found that necklace hours ago if you only let me out to do it.”

The red eyed unicorn huffed. “Sure you would. Anything to get me back inside that empty mind of yours would be just be fantastic, wouldn't it? Well tough luck, buckaroo. I ain’t finished with my plan yet, so your staying put.”

“Please? Just for a few minutes so I can find the necklace, and then you can block me out for as long as you want.”

“You make a hard bargain there, Northie. What’s the catch?”

“N-Nothing! I mean it.”

Orion sighed deeply, yet let his horn glow. His magic swirled around his head until it turned a dark blue, then faded. North shook himself before opening his eyes, blue irises back where they should have been for weeks. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now get moving. That necklace isn’t going to dig up itself.”

The unicorn started to do so, yet stopped in his tracks when a blur of magenta suddenly zipped by above him. “What was that?”

“Don’t know, don’t care. Use those legs or I’ll make you move them.”

Ember, Mark, Collin and Ryker all traversed down the slightly muddy pathways to the east of the Raging Rapids, the colt in the front with his nose to the ground, sniffing around like a bloodhound. The pegasus found the sight amusing, and playfully nudged Ember’s shoulder. “At this rate, I think he’ll end up leading us to a pile of dog bones with how hard he’s sniffing.”

The other Lead’s eyes rolled. “Don’t underestimate him, C. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Yeah, ok. Once a big wad of crap goes flying up into his nostrils, you can tell me otherwise.”

Slightly annoyed, Mark nipped at the stallion’s wing that was closest to him. “Oy, knock it off, will you? That’s my boy your ridiculing. I’m sure he’s doing a better job at tracking these scents than you ever could.”

“Is that so? You wanna bet?”

The red earth pony stepped in between them, a low growl escaping him. “At ease, both of you. Now is not the time for bickering. I’m starting to regret having you come along in the first place.”

Collin pouted. “Rude.” His gaze redirected to the youngster in front of him, suddenly very interested. “Yo, Rykes. How come your mane is brown when neither of your folks have it in them?”

“Grandparents,” was the simple reply.

“Very well. What about your eyes, then? I haven’t seen many around with eyes like that.”

“Medical condition. Heterochromia.”

“What-”

Ryker abruptly stopped in his tracks, spinning around to snap his teeth at the older pegasus while his eyes flashed purple. “Look, Gramps. I much as I would love to talk about every weird aspect of my body, I really don’t think now is the appropriate time. So drop it.”

Collin blinked, surprised to say the least. His eyes shifted to glance at the pup’s father. “Mark, did you and Firefly make out in a salt pool? Because your kid is pretty full of it.”

The light green unicorn shrugged his shoulders. “He gets it from his grandad. But I’ll admit, you kinda had it coming for you there, mate.”

“Shut up.”

The colt had turned back around at this point, his body suddenly going stiff as he caught wind of a scent.

Ember looked around, scanning for anything out of place in the distance. “What is it, Ryker?”

“Rogues. To the north.” Right on cue, two large wolves emerged from the trees, roaming the area absentmindedly. “You guys stay here. I’ll go take care of them.”

The Lead started to move forward to stop him, but Mark shook his head. “Leave ‘im be. He’s fought with bigger buffoons before.”

Collin looked appalled. “You let your kid fight Rouges? They’re at least twice his size! They’ll crush the thing!”

The unicorn wasn’t the slightest bit concerned. “He’s gotta learn early, doesn’t he? Besides, didn’t your boy kill a vampire when he was a youngin’? Same thing.”

“Yeah, but that was just one. And I didn’t even know he did it until he showed me. Are you sure you’re comfortable with throwing your son in fights like that?” As soon as he finished speaking, the trio suddenly heard loud snarls and yelps, turning their heads to see what was going on. Ryker was in the process of ripping out one of the Rogue’s necks, the wolf’s body slumping lifelessly onto the ground before him. The other one tried to run away, but was chased by the youth, who grabbed one of his hind legs with his teeth, pulling it clean out of its socket. Now downed, the Rouge whimpered and pleaded to be spared, but to no avail, as seconds later its head fell against its chest limply, never to rise again. The pegasus nonchalantly flexed his wings before trotting over to the group.

“Sorry about that, Alpha Ember. Let’s take a quick break, shall we? I’ll make sure to get back on the trail as soon as I can.’’

“Actually, Ryker. I think it would be best if we head home for the night. We’ve done enough scouring for the day, haven’t we boys?”

The dark blue pegasus could only stare at Mark as they started on their way back. “Mark, I stand corrected. Your pup’s a monster.”

Crescent leaped over logs and dodged trees as she sped through her nook of the woods. She had been sent to find the nearest Healer in her region, for her sister had some sort of illness that neither herself nor the Omegas could identify. The Healer’s hut was in sight when something suddenly obstructed her path, and with no way to slow herself down, the Alpha barreled into it, rolling until she stopped. Something soft and warm was now underneath her, and she cautiously opened one eye to see what it was. Another she wolf glared at her, annoyed, yet it was the emerald eyes that made Crescent blink. She transformed, taking a step back. “Nicky? Is that you?”

The wolf cocked her head after sitting up, surprised as well. Shifting into her pony form, she quickly bowed. “Alpha Crescent. What are you doing here?”

“I’d ask you the same thing. Where have you been? No one has seen you for moons.”

At this the earth pony turned around, pulling something out from behind a nearby bush. It was a pale blue earth pony foal, pastel colored hair draped around her head. The elder placed her onto her back, eyes flashing briefly. ‘My pup, Snow Fall. Had her a few months ago.’

“What on earth is she doing out here? She’s far too young to be in these unstable temperatures.”

Nicky growled. “Sorry. I guess I haven’t been in the loop, now have I? In case you didn’t know, my new pack doesn’t allow more than a certain amount of members. So it’s either her or all three of us. And frankly, I can’t afford to be pack hopping right now I’m doing the best I can to keep her alive, so cut me some slack, Alpha.”

The pegasus’ wings unfurled. “Haven’t you changed. What happened to the caring and charismatic Hunter I used to know? She’s long gone now, it seems. Let me take the pup. Unlike yours, my pack doesn’t have any issues with taking in new members.”

“Be my guest.” As soon as the foal was placed on the cold ground, the earth pony was gone without another thought. Crescent’s eyes narrowed in slight suspicion. What happened at Nicky’s new pack that caused her to be so... not like herself? The Hunter she knew would never do such a thing. And yet, here she was, a tiny foal wrapped tightly in her arms. Snow’s eyes opened, revealing light green irises, a few shades lighter than her mother’s. She stared up at the pegasus curiously, her lips curling into a slight smile. Crescent sighed, leaning down to nuzzle her gently.

“Sorry, kiddo. Guess I’m your new mama now.”

Chapter 12 “Sunset Valley”

“C’mon, you slowpoke! We’re almost there,” Pixel called out playfully to the navy earth pony behind her as she bounded into a brightly lit clearing. Morning had come, and for once the Alpha was up before the Omega. Obsidian hummed tiredly as he followed her, mildly amused.

“Forgive my slowness, Alpha. I’m not one for nearly being shaken to death.”

The unicorn scoffed, rolling her lilac eyes. “I only shook you because you sleep like a rock. Maybe that’s why your parents named you after one.” Her body suddenly tensed as the male quickened his stride and nipped at her shoulder, baring his teeth in mock annoyance afterwards.

“Not funny,” he mumbled, although his eyes shimmered at the cleverness of her jest. Face turning thoughtful, he gave her a quizzical look. “Tell me, where exactly are we headed? You haven’t told me anything since we started walking.”

“You know that friend I mentioned a while back?”

“The one who gave you those weird flowers? How can I forget?”

Pixel chuckled nervously. “Eh heh… yeah. We’re going to go see him! Ask him if we could stay at his place for a bit. I’m sure he’d be fine with it.”

“If you say so.”

Their ears perked as a loud rustle came from the nearby bushes, revealing a trio of wolves who were entering the clearing. The mare growled in disgust. “Ugh...more Rogues? That’s the third run in today! Let’s go see what they want.”

One of the wolves turned its head towards them, lips curling up in a snarl. The other two took notice and quickly changed forms, a coal coated pegasus and a dusty grey earth pony standing in their place. “Who goes there?” the pegasus barked, its sharp gaze cold.

“The offspring of Lead Alphas Collin and Ember,” Pixel answered, staring back just as fiercely.

The earth pony’s face shifted to one of suspicious delight. “The Lead Alphas of the North, eh? Tell you what. We’ll make a deal: you come with us, and we’ll make sure that your daddies know that your safe and sound. They must be looking for you, right? Wouldn’t it be nice for them to know that no harm has come to their precious children? And just think of it! You would be free to do whatever you please.”

Obsidian’s fur bristled, and he stood up to his full height. “And what makes you think our parents would just be so naive as to trust you band of fleabags? For all we know, you may just want to hold us for ransom! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t leave your bodies dead where you stand.”

The other earth pony smirked. “Strong words from such a lowly Omega. I’m surprised that your insignificant brain could come up with such a threat.”

The stallion was preparing to pounce when Pixel stepped in front of him, her eyes shooting daggers. “Stand your ground, Omega,” she snapped, her horn beginning to spark. “There is no need for blood to be shed on such a beautiful day as today, even with low lifes such as these.” Her head swiveled sharply towards the werewolves in question, eyes flashing red. “We decline your offer, and have no interest in speaking with you any further. Now get lost.”

The trio all looked at each other with on growing panic before darting off into the brush from whence they came. Obsidian could only stare at the unicorn as she steadied her breathing. When she met his gaze, she coyly shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry for raining on your parade, Sid. I’ve been told I have my dad’s temper…”

The male smiled, leaning over to affectionately nuzzle and lick her cheek. “All the more to admire you with. I’m glad you stopped me, otherwise I would have done something that would of ended up in regret.”

Pixel slowly nodded in agreement, turning around to start back on the path she had so rudely been deterred from, her steps no longer light and carefree, instead being determined and urgent. “Let’s keep moving, shall we? Another group of Rogues and I’ll rip out my fur.”

North stirred from his nap in his cot as a loud rapping came from his door. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly traveled down the stairs until the panels of wood were in front of him. Glancing down at the green crystal that now rested against his chest, he heaved a heavy sigh. If his assumptions were correct, he knew who was waiting on the other side. He didn’t want to open the door, wanted to pretend that no one was home. But what choice did he have? This was all part of the plan, and he had to obey, for both of their sakes. Forcing a smile, his horn lit, turning the handle. Pixel’s bright face greeted him, along with a navy earth pony who he could only assume was her soon to be soulmate. How pleasant.

“Hey, North! How’ve ya been?” the light coated mare asked, eyes sparkling.

“Just fine, mi flor. Who’s this you’ve brought with you?”

Pixel nudged the stallion forward. “C’mon, big guy. Introduce yourself.”

Obsidian timidly extended a hoof to the other unicorn. “Obsidian, Sir. Nice to meet you.”

North looked a bit surprised. A werewolf of his size and stature shouldn’t be this… shy. It was kind of cute, to be honest. He gently shook hooves with the other male. “North Star, at your service. And no need to call me any titles. I’m far from formal, believe me. So what brings you two to my little shack in the woods?” Pixel quickly explained the situation, and his face became concerned. “Huh...I see. So you want to hide out here?”

“Only for a week or two. Then we’ll get out of your mane.”

“I’m not so sure, Pixel. I mean, if I get caught keeping you here, it will spell big trouble for all three of us…”

“Please, North. Just for a little while, we won’t bother you again afterwards.”

A bright light suddenly flashed behind his eyes, and Orion’s voice hissed in his ear, “Don’t stray from the plan.”

The tan unicorn sighed before bobbing his head. “Okay, fine. Two weeks is all your getting.” He tensed at the mare abruptly wrapping her hooves around him in a tight hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Think nothing of it. Before I can get things set up for you though, I have to go run a few errands. You can come with if you want.” The pair glanced at each other before nodding once. He trotted over to a small desk that had three black hooded cloaks conveniently strewn across its surface. Tossing one to each of them, he said “Put those on. The inhabitants tend to be a bit more...clothed than what you’re used to.”

As the final streaks of sunlight stretched across the sky, the group slipped into a quaint little village. “Welcome to the village of Sunset Valley, you two. Feel free to look around. Just...don’t draw too much attention to yourselves. Oh, and try not to use up all of the bits in your pouches, please. I’ll meet you back here later.” The unicorn disappeared into the crowd before the others could follow him. Pixel took in the sights in utter awe. It was the first time that she had ever been in a place so… busy and populated. Ponies were everywhere, buying items from shops, bringing shiny trinkets to their homes, making small talk with others. It was nothing like how things were back home. Obsidian broke her out of her trance by giving her a nudge.

“Keep your mouth open any longer and you’ll swallow a fly, Pix. Let’s peek into one of these shops, see what they have to offer.” He led her into what appeared to be a jewelry shop, and the owner’s face broke into a slightly crazed grin as he wandered over to them.

“Celestia above, new customers! And here I thought I’d be alone for the rest of the evenin’. What can I get you lovelies?”

The mare gave him a meek smile. “Just looking around, Sir.”

“Ah, that’s just fine. If there’s anything you need, feel free to let me know!”

Pixel slowly weaved in and out of the aisles, glancing over every sparkling set of jewelry on display, stopping in front of one in particular. It was a rather simple set, containing a golden necklace and clip on earrings, both in the shape of flowers, small diamonds lining the edge of each petal. The female glanced up to the stallion beside her, pointing towards the set. “I’ll take this one.”

The shop owner was in front of them in a matter of seconds, bringing the pieces to the counter to box and bag them. Obsidian gave him the amount of bits that was printed on the sign above his head, waving goodbye before clutching the small bag in between his teeth, joining up with the unicorn at the shop’s exit. They located North where he said he would be, waving them over. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you two.”

Pixel’s head tilted slightly. “You did say we could look around.”

“True, true. Now let’s get back. As nice as this place looks, things aren’t so pleasant late at night.’

The earth pony looked concerned, placing the bag onto his back underneath his cloak. “What happens?”

North’s face darkened, and his eyes flashed red for a split second. “You wouldn’t want to find out.”

Chapter 13 “Discoveries”

Stars sparkled and glimmered in the night sky as Ember slowly trudged into his cave. It had been so long since he had last been here, he was slightly surprised that he remembered how to get back. The usual loud and playful bickering he would hear between Lovelace and her sister was gone, an eerie silence in its place. What he did hear though were low, hushed voices, seeming to come from his personal chamber. A faint light painted the walls as he drew closer. Peering around the corner, his eyes widened at what he saw. Sirena was lying on the floor, eyes shut while she shivered and shook uncontrollably. A glowing transparent projection of herself was floating above her, basking the chamber in the light the male had seen earlier. Speckle was sitting a few feet away from the pair, one ear twitching at his approach. “So you’ve returned,” she noted, voice flat.

“Speckle, what is this?” Ember questioned, gaze moving from one spot to the next.

The glowing figure scoffed. “What do you think, Ember? Sirena has fallen ill, far past the point where I can do anything about it. A host in this state is of no use to me, so I’m out. Should do the poor thing some good.”

“You speak to me as if you know me. Who are you?”

The ghost’s lips twitched into a smile. “Infecto Mauve, pleasure to finally meet you. Although, you may know me by another name…”

“And what is that?”

The creature began to shift, growing taller as its wings fell from its body, mane and tail getting shorter and brightening in color. Its fur darkened into a burgundy red, and ruby colored irises replaced the dull magenta. The Lead’s jaw dropped. “Crimson...it’s you! But...how…?”

“Surprised, Alpha? Worry not, I shall explain. Ever since my...abrupt passing, I’ve spent moons trying to find a way back to you. To make my leave less burdening. Because my ties with you were broken, I settled for the next best thing: a close friend.” The Infecto paused, glancing down at the pegasus still quaking on the cold stone floor. “And what a joy she was.”

The unicorn looked confused, tilting her head. “Why didn’t you tell her it was you in the first place? Surely she wouldn’t have reacted as strongly if she knew that you had come to visit Ember.”

Crimson shrugged. “I didn’t want to spoil things so quickly. Besides, it was quite amusing to see how fast I could light her fire. It’s a shame I can’t stick around much longer. This bond is not permanent.”

Ember’s ears perked at that. “Is that why she’s so out of it?”

“Perhaps. I’ve read before that this can happen to new hosts whose Infectos are intent on leaving. A mental reboot, you could call it. Take her to the landing, we can finish things up there.”

Sirena’s health had already begun to improve as Ember gently laid her down onto the landing, now having the strength to open her weary eyes and sit up, wings pressed against her sides. Crimson stood in front of her, glowing dimly as a heavy sigh left his see-through lips. “My apologies to you, Alpha Sirena. My intent to meet my previous host one last time had clouded my sense of proper sociability. I wish our short time together hadn’t been so...trying.”

The mare gave him a soft smile. “It’s alright, Crim. I forgive you. I’ll admit, I wasn’t being the best host to you, either. I guess we both had something to bring to the table, huh?”

“I would agree.” His head turned to look at the Lead in question, slowly raising a hoof towards him. Small red balls of light formed and shot off in his direction, circling around his head. “A small gift before I go.”

The stallion began to ask what it was, but was quickly answered when the orbs drifted down to his neck, joining together and fading into a black cord necklace with a single large ruby tied into it. The gem seemed to glow itself, filled with a sort of magic that even a skilled unicorn like Speckle couldn’t completely comprehend. Ember smiled as he looked up. “Thank you, Crimson. We won’t ever forget you.”

“And neither will I. Farewell to you all.” With that, the Infecto faded out completely, shifting into a small sphere of light himself. The ball took off into the night, soon disappearing and becoming one with the stars amidst a sapphire sky.

A bright flash of light illuminated the otherwise dark forest as rain poured down in sheets. Collin was tangled up in this ravenous thunderstorm, blindly moving from the miniscule protection of one tree to the next, not that it mattered much at this point. He stopped in his tracks when a voice called out to him. “Alpha Collin!”

His head turned, looking down at Ryker as he ran up to him, mane plastered against his face due to the water. “Oh. It’s you. And you’ve actually called me by name for once. Aren’t you growing up so fast.”

The younger pegasus wasn’t amused. “What are you doing out here? I told Alpha Ember that we’d continue the search once this storm blows over.”

The Lead grunted. “I’m not concerned about the search. In fact, I’m not going to be concerned about anything for a while. So go home, squirt.”

Ryker’s face turned to one of bewilderment. “What? Why?”

Collin turned back to stare at him. “Soundwave and I had a disagreement. Things got out of control, so I did what I always do: leave. Does that answer your questions?”

“But... what about the others? Don’t you think they’d wonder where you’ve gone?”

“I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. You don’t get it, Ryker. Everything I’ve done this past month and a half has torn one of the things that I care about most apart. What’s the point of watching it crumble further?”

The colt darted in front of him, ignoring another clap of thunder as he gave him a hopeful look. “So you can fix it. If there’s anyone that I know who would be able to get out of the mess he put himself in, it’d be you, Alpha.”

Collin’s gaze softened, but only for a second. He shook his head, moving past the youth. “I can’t, not now. I need some time alone to reflect on things. I don’t know when I’ll be back, if ever.”

“C’mon, Alpha. Don’t tell me your just going to walk out on all this. We need you.”

The elder pegasus unfurled his wings, taking each of his silver feathers in between his teeth, forcefully ripping them out with a sharp tug. They fell to the ground in a wet clump, tips red with blood. “Give those to Sirena the next time you see her. And...when you do find them, tell Obsidian he has my blessing. Goodbye, Ryker.” He kept walking before he could be called back, form quickly blending into the dense and dreary colors of the rain soaked woods. The little Hunter didn’t have the heart to follow him, so he sat in a puddle, letting the cold raindrops mask his tears as he stared at the blood stained plumage before him.

Chapter 14 “Brought to Light”

Quetzal’s eyes shone green as she carefully slinked along the forest floor, pausing behind a large pine tree as her gaze locked onto a hare not too far from where she crouched in wait. It had been days since she last had eaten something, which was expected as the winter months brought little food. The dragon hybrid intently watched her prey slowly creep closer, hypnotised by the brightly colored orbs as it turned to look at her. She prepared to tackle the small creature when a loud crashing sound in the distance broke it out of its trance, causing it to dart off. Quetzal hissed angrily, rising to her clawed hooves to go put some sense into whatever so rudely scared her next meal away. Sharp ears followed the direction of the sound, bringing her into a clearing that was littered with downed dead trees. Her eyes snapped up to find Andante flying full force into a hollowed out trunk, the brittle wood creaking and snapping before tumbling down in the hybrid’s direction. Her horns quickly ignited with magic, and her aura enveloped the tree to set it down before it had the chance to crush her. The pegasus’ eyes widened in shock, and she quickly landed in front of the other Beta. “Quetzal? What are you-”

“I was going to catch something to eat, but someone was having a hissy fit,” the mare interrupted with a scowl.

Anne’s cheeks flushed. “Sorry, Beta.” She then raised an eyebrow. “Which reminds me. Where were you last meeting? Out of the three of us, you would be the last one I would think of to break a rule.”

Quetzal nonchalantly shrugged, walking past her. “Emergency business. Alpha’s orders. Not that it would be of any interest to you, being off the search team and all.”

The pegasus ruffled her feathers, frowning. “So Mom told you, huh?”

“Word travels fast, especially with telepathy.”

The other Beta sighed heavily, slowly leaning back to rest against the tree, the rough bark pressing into her fur as she let her eyes close. “I didn’t... mean to blow up, you know. It’s just… all my parents ever seemed worried about was my sister. Pixel this, and Pixel that. She got all the praise as a pup, too. Even more than Soundwave, and he’s been around longer than we have. So, I guess when she left, I was hoping that I would be more...noticed. That wasn’t the case.”

Quetzal’s stern expression turned soft. “And yet, your still worried about her. I can tell. If things were turned around, she wouldn’t leave you be if you ran off, would she?”

“I guess not.”

“And I’m sure she would appreciate that you were out looking for her when no one else was, don’t you agree?”

Anne opened one eye to glance at her. “What are you getting at, Beta?”

The hybrid smiled a little. “Just a bit of reassurance. To show you that things don’t have to be the way they’ve always been. You can be the one to take the next step forward, to change things. Of course, don’t take it from me. Take it from yourself.”

As the mare started to ponder on her fellow Rank member’s words, said Beta began to slip out of the clearing. “W-wait, where are you going?”

“I'm going to make some final preparations. You are free to join us, if you want. Or, you can stay here and knock down the rest of the trees in the forest. It’s your call.”

Mist Rise folded his wings after landing atop of the cliff face that jutted out above his cave, fluffing the feathers on his chest to help keep warm as cold air swirled around him. He was on watch duty tonight, what with his brother being kept busy by tending to his mate. He frowned slightly as his thoughts brought up his own partner. Where was Crescent? She was supposed to have returned hours ago, and this fluctuating weather was certainly not the best to be traversing in. Suddenly his ears perked to the faintest sound of leaves crunching, prompting him to dive to the ground in an instant. His lips began to curl up into a snarl until he noticed who it was. The purple pegasus met his gaze as she slowly entered the clearing, an exhausted expression on her face. The male quickly stepped forward, nuzzling her cheek before taking notice of the sleeping foal on her back. “Cres...what happened?”

The mare huffed tiredly. “She’s Nicky’s. Ran into her on the way to the Healer’s. Said her new pack is picky on the amount of members it has, so she’s been keeping her on her own under a bush. Long story short, I guess we have a new addition to pay attention to. How’s Lime doing?”

The stallion sighed. “Seems to be getting paler by the hour. Doesn’t even bother to eat anymore. Did the Healer suggest anything?”

“Just to keep her hydrated. She also gave me this.” A small vial was pulled out from underneath her wing, filled with a bright orange liquid. “Said something about it glowing to reveal any internal problems she may have. All I know is that she needs to drink it.”

“Better than nothing, I guess. Might as well head in then, she’s been asking for you.”

The pair traded a quick kiss, Mist moving to the side to let her through. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark tunnels, gleaming a bright red until she slipped into her cave’s Den. There she found her sister lying on her side, faintly whimpering as Dust hovered above her, magic keeping her hind legs spread as he had to stimulate her in order to get her to relieve herself. The brown unicorn purred soothingly as a means to have her relax. “Easy, love. I know this probably isn’t the most comfortable way to get everything out, but you’re far too weak to walk right now. I’m almost done, your doing great.” His head lifted at the Alpha’s approach. “Oh, Alpha. You’ve returned. And it seems that something either went right or terribly wrong, by the looks of it.”

“Both, Omega.” She reached back to pick up Snow, waiting for the male to finish before gently placing the tiny thing down beside her twin. The foal instantly curled up against the teal unicorn, basking in the new warmth that she had been given. Limelight’s eyes grew bright for the first time in a long while, then narrowed in concern. She looked up at the pegasus with a confused stare. “She belonged to Nicky, Lime. The Hunter couldn't take care of her anymore, so she’s with us now. Her name is Snow Fall.”

The Beta slowly nodded in understanding, gaze drifting back to the small creature that was lightly kneading into her belly. It was simply amazing how intricate the little thing was, and how much she resembled her mother, just with softer colors. Crescent then cleared her throat, presenting the vial.

“The Healer gave me this for you to drink. If your not up for it now, you can take it in the morning.”

Limelight shook her head, her horn channeling just enough magic to take and open the small bottle, bringing it to her lips. The liquid was surprisingly warm and sweet, starting to bring color back into her face that the others had tried to do for days. Then something a bit unexpected occured. A faint light started to glow from within her stomach, revealing a small dark shape, no larger than a rodent. Dust gasped when the realization hit him.

“Limelight...your pregnant!’

The mare beamed as her eyes sparkled, looking down at the foal which was growing inside her. Miniscule hooves floated freely as the creature was suspended in a safe cocoon of fluids. A tiny head and tail could be seen, as well as the thin cord that connected it to its mother. The mere thought of what was soon to come brought an even bigger smile to her face. She was going to be a mother. The unicorn’s heart swelled with pride and adoration, watching as her mate came over to lightly lay his hoof over the spot, the light fading moments later. Even Snow seemed to notice the change in atmosphere, snuggling up closer to the larger figure.

Crescent let out a small sigh of relief, calling Mist in to share the news. Leaning forward, she touched noses with her sister, blinking away the stray contented tears that had formed in her eyes. “Congratulations, Beta. We’re so proud of you.”

Chapter 15 “Cracks”

Obsidian slowly stirred awake as the morning’s sun gently shone onto his face through the window that was placed across from him. He yawned as he stretched, tail steadily swishing to and fro as he proceeded to untangle himself from the numerous sheets that had wrapped around his body during sleep. He had offered to spend the next few nights on the floor, due to the fact that North only had one bed in his hut, what with him typically being the only occupant of it. The creaky wooden floorboards certainly weren’t the most comfortable thing in the world to lay on, but the earth pony didn’t have much of a choice. His head turned to look upon Pixel’s still frame on the small bed, nestled neatly underneath a thin blanket. Her mane spread out onto the pillow beneath her head, long locks trickling over its side and pooling onto the mattress. She looked peaceful, if anything. It was probably the best sleep she had gotten in a while, due to the recent stresses piling up on her shoulders. Obsidian sighed. To think that none of this would have happened if the enthusiastic mare had kept her lips shut for a while longer… he quickly shook the thought out of his head. He shouldn’t blame the gal. She was excited, is all. He most likely would have been too, if he had a more spontaneous nature. Now they had to wait and see where things would take them… and he hoped for the best.

His ears suddenly perked at hearing a faint crashing sound come from below. Curious, he quietly slipped out of the small alcove and wandered down the stairs, pausing at the last step. Straining to hear, he managed to pick up a low voice, speaking in hushed tones. That was North’s, he determined. The stallion began to continue walking again when another voice stopped him in his tracks. This one was much more raspy and lower in pitch to the Healer’s, causing the earth pony to narrow his eyes in slight suspicion. Pixel had told him once that North lived on his own, and was not really one for having friends aside from herself. If that were the case, then who was this supposed recluse talking to? He continued to move forward, turning the corner into the larger room where the tan unicorn stood by his cauldron, a broom and dustpan floating in his aura as he swept up some broken glass. Obsidian cleared his throat. “Good Morning.”

North visibly flinched, whirling around to stare at him with a slightly panicked look before diverting his gaze to quickly regain his composure. “Oh, er… Good Morning, Obsidian. Didn’t realize you were awake, heh… So, can I get you anything? Tea, soup... oh, I think I have some leftover bread from yesterday…”

The other male huffed, shaking his head. “I’ll pass. Was planning to go on a hunt with Pixel, but she’s still asleep. Tell her where I’ve gone if she wakes up.” Then he turned, heading for the door and disappearing from view.

The unicorn waited a few moments to let the door close before releasing a held in sigh. His fur bristed as he frowned. “Nice work, Orion. You nearly got me caught!”

“Sure, sure. As if this was my doing. Your the one who dropped the bottle, remember? I was just reminding you where the broom was.”

“You didn’t have to come out for that! A simple, ‘Hey, the broom’s over in the corner’ would have sufficed.”

“Whatever. Let’s just try this again and not be such a klutz, okay? This potion is very important to our cause.”

“What’s so special about it anyways?”

“You do recall that one I made a while back, yes? Or must I jog your memory?”

“I remember. What about it?”

“Well, when combined with the one you’re making now… consuming it leads to some rather interesting side effects.”

North pouted. “Such as?”

“You’ll find out when the final stage of the plan is complete. Now, let’s go wake the little lass and implant the next seed, shall we?”

Obsidian tiredly strolled back into the tree house’s entrance towards the day’s end, long hours of fruitless hunting behind him. Even though leaves were starting to grow back on the bare tree branches, not many animals were running around due to still cold temperatures. The navy coated stallion quickly noticed the pair of unicorns sitting near the cauldron, the red glow from the bubbling liquid within it painted on their fur. Pixel had her eyes scrunched in concentration, horn sparking before shooting out a rainbow colored beam towards the ceiling, the swirling streak exploding into a colorful kaleidoscope of light before fading into thin air. Her eyes slowly opened, shimmering with excitement. “I-I did it!”

North smiled. “Very good, Pixel. You’re becoming a natural.”

The mare beamed brightly, soon taking notice of the earth pony across from them. “Oh, hi Sid! I was wondering when you would come back. Did you find anything?”

“Hi, Pix. And no, I didn’t.”

“Awe, sorry to hear that. Did you see the spell I just casted? It took me hours to get down. I’m glad I have such a great teacher to show me the ropes.”

“Yeah, it was...nice.”

Pixel raised an eyebrow. “You doing alright, Obsidian? You seem more grumpy than usual.”

The male flashed a clearly strained smile. “I’m fine, Pix. Really. Just...tired. I’ll be heading off to bed now. Good Night!”

“Oh...ok. Night…” She frowned as she watched him leave. Her gaze quickly turned to North, who was starting to look nervous. “Was he like that when you saw him this morning?”

The stallion blinked, shaking his head. “What? Oh, sorry. Um, sort of. He didn’t seem the most talkative. Maybe you should talk to him about it?”

Pixel huffed, standing up. “Maybe I will. Night, North. See you tomorrow.”

“Good Night.” When she was gone, he became even more uneased, wiping his brow. “Celestia aid me...I don’t like where this is going, Orion. That werewolf might tear me to shreds if I’m not careful.”

“All a part of the plan, my boy. All I’m concerned with is the fact that things are running smoothly. Jealousy is all we need to get this ball rolling down hill. So you just keep Pixel by your side and as soon as Obsidian becomes the slightest bit aggressive towards her, we’ll spring the trap. After all, what’s the point of being soulmates if you can’t even trust your significant other?”

North gulped, a ball of dread starting to churn in his stomach. “I just hope your right.”

“Always am, Northie. Always am.”

Chapter 16 “Findings”

Ember, Speckle, Sirena and Quetzal all sat in their usual spot by the rushing waters of the Raging Rapids, in the midst of discussing their next course of action. Ryker was there as well in his parents stead, listening intently as thoughts were tossed around. The Lead’s eyes were lidded, fighting fatigue. He had spent the past few nights restless, pacing continuously on his cave’s landing as he pondered long and hard. This morning’s meeting may had been called at the last minute, but he deemed that it was necessary, despite his mate’s protests to hold it off for at least an hour or two so he could get some rest. He shifted his gaze to the dragon hybrid across from him. “Have you spoken to those that I requested, Beta?”

Quetzal bobbed her head. “Yes, Alpha. They should be on their way here.”

“Good, good.”

Sirena’s nose twitched as a scent that she recognized reached it, abruptly rising to her hooves, head whipping behind her. “Anne? Is that you?”

The younger pegasus emerged from the tree line, head held high as she stepped forward to greet the others, quickly bowing before the stallion. “Alpha.”

Ember’s head tilted to the side in slight amusement. “So you’ve had some time to think, huh? What made you change your mind, Andante?”

Anne smiled softly. “It was your Beta, actually. She gave me a bit of a pep talk, and it helped me see things in a different light. I’ve made my decision to help you find your son and my sister, Alpha.” Her eyes shimmered as she turned to looked at her mother. “I won’t let you down again, Mom.”

The lilac mare surged forward to embrace her daughter, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she closed them. “No, Anne. You didn’t let me down. I was wrong to make such assumptions about Pixel. If there’s anyone who would know her best, it’d be you. I’m sorry.”

A loud rustle came from the nearby bushes across from them, and a familiar voice questioned, “Awe, are we having a hug fest? How come I wasn’t invited?”

Ryker’s face lit up and he darted towards the sound, tail wagging violently. “Alpha Collin!” He tackled the elder pegasus’ legs, causing the two of them to tumble backwards onto the ground. The stallion wheezed as the air was suddenly knocked out of him, but couldn’t help but laugh as he playfully ruffled the colt’s mane.

“Easy there, pup… I didn’t anyone would be this excited to see little old me.”

“I thought you would never come back!”

Collin scoffed, narrowing his eyes. “And leave my daughter out there to deal with Luna knows what? Please. I just needed some time to assess the situation, that’s all.” Then, he winked. “Besides, I couldn’t have my little Hunter reaping all of the spoils, now could I?”

Ember grinned as he came over to help his friend up. “Glad to have you back on board, Alpha. We missed you.”

“As did I. Now, if I may add… is the beard starting to become a trend? Cause I noticed Mark sporting a small one last time I saw him and your starting to grow one too...I’d be glad to give some grooming tips if you-”

“Collin…”

“Right, right. Sorry. Now where were you in the whole plan thing?”

Speckle’s eyes rolled as she shook her head fondly. “Reinforcements.”

“Ooh, sounds sophisticated. Are we going to have a ‘Welcome back even though you’ve been gone for over two months and we should be mad but for the sake of being somewhat decent parents we’ll let it slide just this once’ Parade? I could make a speech…”

Sirena groaned, pressing a hoof to her forehead. “Luna, help us all… no. We’ve called in some extra help in case things go south. Who knows what those two could have gotten themselves into.”

Her ears suddenly perked, looking over her shoulder to see her own parents in their wolf forms swimming across the river alongside Speckle’s. The group carefully came onto shore, shaking the water out of their fur before transforming and joining the others. Onyx had a slight frown on his lips. “It seems like every time we meet, something’s bound to happen, kid.”

Collin ruffled his feathers, seeming nonchalant. “Don’t take it personally, Ox. I made a… small mistake of attacking Pixel’s supposed mate, causing the both of them to run away. Now we’re trying to find them and bring them home. Is that fair enough for you?”

The yellow pegasus grimaced. “Seems like somethin’ you’d do. Not sure why you dragged Saddle Horn into it though.”

Ember sighed. “Her mate is my son.”

This caused the elder’s eyes to widen, and his scowl deepened. “What kinda demon possessed you to do such a thing?”

The dark blue stallion quickly brushed him off. “No time for that now. Rykes, have you gotten any leads?”

The youth shook his head. “No, Sir. Not since the last time we were out.” Suddenly he paused, eyes going wide, nose twitching like a rabbit’s. He quickly transformed, howling and yipping as he sped into the brush, prompting everyone else to follow his lead. The faint trickle of a scent grew stronger and more intense as he tracked it, stopping when the smell covered item came into view. The red earth pony’s face shifted to one of shock. On the ground was a golden necklace in the shape of flowers, with diamonds lining the petals. On closer inspection, small strands of Obsidian’s hair coiled around the cold metal. Scrawled in the dirt beside the piece of jewelry was a washed out but still readable message: Hurry.

“He knows we’re looking for them, and something’s wrong.” The Lead glanced up to look at Anne. “Go get the others, quickly.” When she left, he left the burning question in everyone else’s mind as they all stared at him silently. What do we do? “We move forward and prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario.” Noticing Sirena’s eyes start to water, he gave her a sympathetic look. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, Alpha, but we still should be ready for it. Your girl is strong, but even she has her limits.” The mare slowly nodded, leaning against her mate for comfort. Collin’s gaze shifted from her to his fellow Lead.

“We’re ready, Ember.”

“Good. Then we embark at moonrise.” As the others all began to disperse to find a place to get comfortable, he could only sit and stare at what had been found. The faint scent of his son gave him hope that the pair were okay, but the message spoke otherwise. He sighed, lying down when his legs could support him no longer. “We’re coming, Sid. Just hold on a little more. We’re coming.”

Chapter 18 “Bonds”

As stars began to sprinkle across the night sky, Pixel practically slumped against Obsidian as the gravity of all that had happened within the past few hours finally crashed into her. “Oh, Sid...what did we just do?”

The male cut her a glance. “We just saved ourselves from possibly getting killed, that’s what.”

“Yeah, but at what cost? What if Orion was right? What if I did actually just kill North? Luna, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for moons.” The earth pony stared at her for a solid second before turning his head and continuing to walk, catching her with his tail as she lost balance and stumbled. “Hey! Don’t walk away from me, mister!” His eyes rolled.

“I think he was just trying to guilt trip you, Pix. If anything, he knew that your weakness would be anything related to North, so he wanted to see if it would cause you to stop what you were doing. Which, by the way, I’m quite glad you didn’t.”

The unicorn quickly followed him, catching his eye. “What makes you say that, Mr. Judgemental?”

Obsidian frowned, shaking his head. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said before, and I can’t take it back. Does that clear things up?” Hearing her grunt, he continued. “And to answer your question, I say that because if Orion was half of anything that North is, he had his wits about him and knew what he wanted. What easier way to get that than to undermine a naive Alpha?” He raised a hoof to prevent her from blurting out what he knew was going to be said next. “Your not that naive, I know.”

Pixel blinked. “You talk about North as if he’s still here...what makes you so sure?”

The stallion pointed to the necklace resting against her chest. “Just a hunch.”

She looked down at it, quickly noticing something she hadn’t before. There was a small crack within the gemstone, and it seemed to be pulsing in time to her heartbeat. “Wait...your not saying that…”

“It’s possible. We’ll just have to find out.”

The pair’s heads lifted as their ears picked a distant sound. Howling, followed by the low thunder of feet beating against the ground. A cloud of scents reached their noses as the sounds got louder, and soon, silence. Glowing eyes peered out from behind trees and above bushes, all reflecting different emotions. Pixel’s eyes began to water as she saw her parents and siblings slowly step out into the clearing, and lowered herself to the ground, bowing her head. Within seconds, she was lifted into an upright position, gently cradled in warm, strong embraces and surrounded by soft, downy feathers. She was finally home. Her eyes were closed as hot tears trickled from them, but she could tell where each family member was by their hushed voices and comforting scents. Her father was the first to press a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his daughter into his tight hold as she openly sobbed into his chest. “I-I’m s-so sorry,” she whimpered, body trembling.

Collin sighed, resting his head against her’s. “Ssshh, easy now. Your ok, your ok. It wasn’t your fault. If there’s anyone who needs to say sorry, it’s me. I love you.”

Pixel sniffed, pulling back to look at him. A slight smile upturned her lips. “I love you too, Dad. ...Does this mean I’m grounded?”

He glared at her briefly, then shook his head fondly, purring lightly as he kissed her forehead once more. “You’ll have to talk to your mother about that.” Hearing a noise, they looked over to see Obsidian cautiously approaching after squeezing out of his own family’s embrace. His eyes were laced with concern and worry, and his ears were flat against his head.

“Sir?”

The pegasus raised an eyebrow in amusement. “No need to be coy, Omega. You’ve kept my girl safe, and for that I owe you one. What is it?”

The earth pony looked even more nervous than before, quickly glancing down at Pixel. She grinned brightly, nudging her father playfully. “I think he’s ready to pop the question, Dad.”

Collin’s eyes widened, and he rose to his hooves. “Is that so?” He took a moment to think on it, narrowing his eyes. Snorting, he mumbled, “You really do love her, don’t you?”

Obsidian nodded. “With all my heart, Sir.”

The Lead hummed, trying his best to draw out the obvious answer. “I dunno…”

Ember, who had been watching the exchange from afar, playfully growled. “Ease up, you old coot. Your going to make the poor boy break into sweats if you don’t give him a clear response.”

The other male snapped his teeth before sticking out his tongue in jest. “I was getting to it. I didn’t see you being so hesitant at our Marking Ceremony.” Those two words instantly prompted Pixel to excitedly start to wrap her hooves around his neck, yet he gently held her back. Instead, he walked over to the younger stallion, leaning forward to whisper into his ear, “If I ever so hear a rumor of you raising a hoof against my daughter with malintent, I will find you and claw your eyes out on the spot, got it?”

Obsidian started to tremble, quickly nodding his head as his heart rammed against his chest. “Y-yes, Sir.”

Collin then burst out into laughter, earning confused glances from the others. His smile was warm as he reached up with a wing to ruffle the youth’s mane. “Relax, kid. I won’t be that harsh with you.” His head then swiveled to see everyone else start to approach, awaiting his next words. With a flap of his wings, the Lead proudly announced, “Keep your wits about you, everyone. We have a Ceremony to prepare for.”

The moon graced its light upon the land as the packs were finishing their preparations for the Marking Ceremony. Within the cave, Speckle placed a crown of wildflowers atop of Pixel’s recently groomed mane, leaning back to give her a soft smile. “You look beautiful, Pixel,” she remarked, eyes aglow with joy for her future daughter in law.

The other unicorn beamed, embracing the elder tightly. “Thank you, Alpha.”

Andante then peeked her head into the dimly lit Den, green eyes narrowed. “Are you two done with being all slow? I think Obsidian’s going to faint if you take any longer.”

Pixel giggled, waving a hoof in her sister’s direction. “We’ll be right out, Anne.” When the other left, her eyes turned pink, a slight frown gracing her features. Feeling a hoof lightly rest onto her shoulder, she looked up to find Speckle with her eyebrow raised.

“What’s wrong?”

The mare shrugged, glancing off to the side. “I don’t know… it’s just… all I ever dreamed about as a filly was when this day would come. I’d find my mate and all would be right in the world. But now… I’m not so sure. I was so quick to want Obsidian to Mark me ever since I knew that we were mates, but when he tried to force himself on me… through instinct, of course, I realized that wasn’t what I truly wanted. I want us both to be happy, and I certainly don’t want to rush him into doing something that he may not be ready for. After everything that’s happened, are you sure that now’s the right time?”

The elder unicorn pondered on the question, slowly nodding in response. “He’s been waiting for this for as long as you have. I know my son, and if he was able to muster up the courage to go to your father, much less his own, to ask for his blessings, then isn’t that saying something? Of course, it’s up to you. If you feel that things are moving too fast, I’m sure he would understand your reasonings and take a step back.” Her horn began to shimmer, and she distanced herself from the other to cast a teleportation spell. Before she did, though, another comforting grin spread on her lips. “Whatever you decide, we have your back, Pixel.” Then she disappeared from sight, leaving the Alpha to herself. Seconds later, her twin peered into the chamber once again, this time with a smile on her face. Pixel tilted her head.

“Your excited all of a sudden. What’s going on?”

The pegasus’ grin grew wider. “There’s someone who wants to see you before you head out there.” There was a beat of silence before a familiar figure came into view. The unicorn gasped in surprise, pressing a hoof to her mouth as her pupils dilated. She slowly walked up to them, reaching out to touch their chest. Their fur was as warm and soft as she remembered it, and the low, muffled sensation of their heartbeat lit up her nerves as she let her eyes close, leaning against them. Her name was whispered into her ear as strong arms wound around her, the gentle brush of their lips against the base of her horn as their head rested on her’s. She sighed, blinking away tears as she spoke softly.

“North...I thought you were-” She was cut off by a tight squeeze from the stallion, followed by a light pat on her shoulders as he pulled away. Their eyes met, and a meek smile crossed his features.

“No need to think of the past right now, Pixel. Tonight’s your night, and I’d rather you spend it in love than worrying about me. Besides,” he paused to give her a wink, “I owe you more than one.”

Pixel’s face flushed as she let out a laugh, lifting her head to nuzzle her friend’s cheek. “Your too much.” Her gaze shifted to her sister, then back to North. Remembering the other mare’s excitement earlier, she quickly put the two together. “Ah, I see what this is. Are you two taking notes for your Ceremony?” The pair’s faces both turned pink, attempting to deny the very idea, causing her to shake her head. “Alright, alright. I heard you loud and clear. Now get moving, both of you. The last thing I need is Dad coming to drag me out.”

To no one’s surprise, Obsidian was quite nervous as he waited for Pixel to come into the clearing. He kept stealing glances towards his father, who was standing off to the side. The Lead finally had enough and leaned forward to speak to his son. “Ease up, will you? You can do this.” The Omega nodded and took in a deep breath, briefly closing his eyes. When they reopened, his heart skipped a beat. His mate to be had finally arrived, mane draped over her shoulders in waves as she walked towards him with her head held high, confidence shining in her eyes. He gently grasped her hoof when she was by his side, giving it a light squeeze.

“You look gorgeous, Pix,” he murmured softly, eyes aglow with adoration.

Pixel beamed, squeezing back. “Your not too shabby yourself, Sid.”

The pair turned to face Collin and Sirena, both of whom had tears forming in their eyes. The male pegasus was quick to wipe his away, clearing his throat as he stepped forward. “Obsidian, do you promise to obey and protect this Alpha at all costs, and to take care of her and your offspring for as long as you all shall live?”

The Omega nodded. “Yes, Sir. I do.”

Sirena took a second longer to take in the sight of her daughter standing in the same place where she herself stood all those moons ago. Tears began to spring to her eyes once again, falling when Pixel gave her an illuminating smile.

“It’s ok, Mom. I’m always going to be your little willow tree, I’m just extending my branches to other places. You can do it.”

The mare bobbed her head, wiping her eyes before speaking. “Pixel, do you promise to love and respect your Omega, and to protect him and your offspring for as long as you all shall live?”

The Alpha nodded as well. “Yes, Ma’am. I do.”

The pegasi’s hooves lifted, lightly resting on the pair’s foreheads. Together, the final oath was uttered. “Then by the power in us, we grant you our blessings to perform this act of ultimate unity in the eyes of us and your witnesses.”

Collin was the first to lower his hoof, nodding towards his new son in law. “Obsidian, you may now Mark your mate.”

The earth pony turned to face the unicorn, heart quickening its pace upon seeing her. She looked... happy, happier than he had ever seen her before. Maybe it was because there were no more stressors, no more need for fighting, at least for now. Or, maybe it was because she had finally found what she was looking for: a companion to spend the rest of her life with, which he was more than happy to fit that role. Whatever the reason, he knew that this new chapter of their lives couldn’t start without finishing what had begun. He watched her tilt her head to the side, exposing the spotless pink patch of skin on her neck that would soon be punctured. Leaning forward, he allowed his fangs to slide out of their sheaths, ready to embed themselves into the virgin flesh that was her Mark spot. His eyes closed as his teeth pressed against the warm skin, feeling her pulse quicken, then stop briefly as he bit down hard.

Pixel gasped sharply, eyelids fluttering as her knees wobbled, struggling to stay upright. The surge of pain that coursed through her body was uncomfortable, yet also extremely pleasurable. As soon as it came, it stopped, leaving her lightheaded and slightly dizzy, leaning against Obsidian for support. The sounds of cheering and applause were strangely faint in her ears, for all she could hear was the male’s heartbeat pounding strongly within his chest, reminding her that he was her Omega, no one else’s. Her eyes widened as he suddenly dropped to his knees, bowing his head towards the ground. “I am yours to command, Alpha Pixel,” he stated, as was custom whenever Omegas had new Alphas over them. The mare looked bewildered for a moment, then quickly shook her head to clear it, lightly tapping his shoulder.

“Right… first command: get off the ground. I’m not going to order you around like a Scout. It’s time to celebrate!”

As the night started to come to a close, Obsidian sat in between Collin and Ember, wanting to receive some advice before he was to go off and spend his first week with Pixel alone. His face flushed pink as the former stallion brought up a slightly touchy topic. “A-Alpha Collin, if I may… don’t you think it’s a little too soon to start bringing up children? I mean, we haven’t even settled down yet-”

The pegasus cut him off with a scoff. “Please. Don’t tell me your not going to pin her down as soon as you get the chance to. I know how you Omegas work.”

Seeing his son’s face become darker, Ember nipped at one of Collin’s wings, causing the other to yelp. “And that’s where we change the subject. Sid, is there anything else you want to ask us?”

The youth tilted his head to the side in thought, then nodded once. “Yes, actually. What do we do when we run into our first trespassers?”

Collin quickly piped up. “Oh, that’s easy. Slit their throats.”

Obsidian looked disturbed and slightly concerned, causing his father to shake his head. “Ignore him. You should calmly ask them to leave, and if that fails, then you can introduce threats or… more violent forms of persuasion. Although,” he paused to chuckle, “If I were you, I’d leave the confrontations to Pixel. Not saying that you aren’t capable, but it seems that she’s a biter.”

The navy earth pony rubbed the back of his neck. “You have no idea…”

The response made the two elders laugh, warm grins on their faces. Then the pegasus looked thoughtful, a sly expression appearing on his features. Ember instantly picked up the change in mood, eyes narrowing. “I see you. What terrible thing is on your mind now?”

Collin shrugged, faking nonchalance. “I was just wondering what the kid’s gonna call me now. I'm technically not his 'uncle’ anymore. I was thinking Papa, like Soundwave used to call me. Or, we could go with something more common, like Daddy.”

Obsidian quickly dismissed that suggestion, blush reappearing on his cheeks. “Er, I'm fine with Alpha, thank you.”

“Suit yourself.”

The group looked up to the sound of a loud, desperate whine, finding Pixel, Speckle and Sirena approaching, the youngest of the three looking very uncomfortable with her eyes bright red. The lilac pegasus tilted her head towards her daughter. “I think that's your cue, Obsidian. It'd be best to leave now before her instincts kick in.”

The male rose to his hooves, trading places with the mares to stand beside his mate. She leaned against his chest, rubbing her face into his fur as she whined again, this time a tad bit softer. “Just a little longer, Pixel,” he murmured into her ear before stepping forward to say farewell to his parents. Speckle threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tight.

“Be careful out there, Sidian. We’ll always be here if you need us.”

“Of course, mother.”

When she let go, Ember took her place, gazing down proudly at his son before dipping his head to touch noses with him. “I wish the best of luck for you both. We're so proud of you. Carry our name well, Obsidian.”

“I will, father.” They pulled away, leaving a beat of silence between them as the youth transformed, lifting the unicorn onto his back, raising his head to the moon to howl to tell the others of his absence. One by one, they all transformed as well, howling back as they sent the pair off into the early hours of the morning.

The black ebony coated wolf tiredly wandered into an abandoned cave as the sun’s rays stretched out onto the stone floor. The space was small, having only one chamber, but it would have to do for now. He crouched low, tilting his body to one side, causing the sleeping mare on his back to gently slide off. Purring contently as he watched her chest rise and fall peacefully, he decided to wake her with a mental message. “Pixel... it's time to wake up, Princess of Sleep.” When there was no answer, he settled for more physical means, laying down on top of her while burying his nose into the crook of her neck. The unicorn jerked awake at the sudden addition of weight, quickly relaxing when she realized who it was. A sleepy smile came across her face, reaching up to scratch under his chin.

“Good morning, Sid. Since when did I say that you could use me as a bed?”

The male changed forms, snorting while he stretched, pressing their bodies closer to each other. “Since now. And your not as comfy as I thought.”

“Hey!”

“Kidding.” His eyes lidded as he lowered his head, letting out a heavy sigh. Pixel raised a curious eyebrow, waving a hoof in front of his face to get his attention.

“What's the matter?”

“Nothing. Just... thinking.”

“You've been doing that a lot lately.”

Obsidian chuckled, absentmindedly shifting his gaze to look at her. “I've got you to blame for that.”

“Me!? What did I-” She paused, catching his warning glare. “Nevermind… I think you were right about North.”

The earth pony blinked, ears perked up in interest. “How so?”

“I saw him before the ceremony. He seemed happy.”

“Hmm. I presume Anne was with him?”

“She… was. How’d you know?”

He smirked while twitching his nose. “Either I'm really good at guessing… or I may have spotted them heading off somewhere after I Marked you. It's hard to tell.”

Pixel scoffed, rolling her eyes. “No wonder why our Dads are so close. They're practically carbon copies of each other.”

Obsidian laughed, eyes slipping shut. He then grew quiet, looking puzzled. “Hey, Pix?”

“Yeah?”

The male hesitated, trying to get his words together. Finally he huffed, squeezing his eyelids closed as he asked “What are your thoughts on... children?”

The unicorn's mouth opened in surprise. “Wait, like us…?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you don't want to-”

“I’d love to, Sid.”

He opened one eye to see her smiling brightly. “R-Really? You mean it?”

She nodded. “Of course! I think it'd be nice to start up a little pack of our own. Besides, that's what our parents really want out of our union, isn't it? I say let's give them their gift early.”

Obsidian smirked at the response, biting his lower lip. “Guess we better make up for lost time, huh?” His hips dipped down to grind against her’s, sending shocks up her spine as she gasped. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, then widened once she saw his continuously flash.

“Something tells me you don't want to go easy on me, do you?”

He purred playfully, nuzzling her cheeks. “That depends. If you think you can take it…”

“Which I can!”

“Alright. I want to see what you've got first.” He rose to a sitting position, keeping his hind legs apart as his cock slid out of its sheath with enough force to sway upwards and slap against his lower stomach. Pixel's gaze instantly locked on the appendage now present, hooves gravitating towards it. She paused however, looking up to see if he was ok with her continuing. He gave her a quick nod, trying his best to keep still. “It's ok. You can touch it. I'm not going to bite...hard.” The unicorn felt her face grow warm, reaching out to gently take ahold of the organ that still bobbed tantalisingly in front of her. The skin was surprisingly cool to the touch, getting warmer as blood surged into it. Her ministrations were gentle, experimental even, lightly gliding her hooves up and down his shaft, feeling around for bumps, ridges and raised veins. Ears picking up the low sounds of his breathing getting heavier, she decided to take things a bit further. Horn sparking, her magical aura enveloped his plump testicles, lightly squeezing while her head lowered, rubbing her nose against the underside of the stiff shaft, then replacing it with her tongue. It trailed up to the bright pink concave tip, which had a translucent bead of liquid oozing from its hole. Her eyes flickered upwards to look at him, desire and need clearly apparent on his face.

“Do you want me to service you, Sid? It's must have been so long since you've gotten a chance to let go, hmm?” Her voice was soft, carrying a tone that made the stallion's heart beat even harder than it already was as he nodded. The throbbing member twitched slightly, releasing a few more drops that trickled down until they were caught by Pixel's hoof, smearing them across the semi-smooth surface of his skin. She hummed, lowering herself until her head was level with the leaking tip. “Someone's making a bit of mess. Let's get that cleaned up, shall we?” Her mouth opened, leaning forward to wrap her lips around the curved head, still looking at Obsidian with lidded eyes while her tongue ran over the opening. The sight was enough to cause his hips to thrust upwards involuntarily, a low groan escaping his lips. She pulled back, now wet tip flopping downwards as she snorted. “Watch it…,” she warned, instantly getting a guilty look from her partner. Once she was satisfied with his response, she repeated her previous action, this time going down a bit further. The slickness and warmth threatened his body to want to move forward again, but he held steady as best he could, eyes falling shut as jolts of pleasure came in waves with each bob of the unicorn's head.

“P-Pixel,” he murmured softly, almost in a sleep-like manner as he reopened his eyes halfway, “you...mmm… you didn't tell me you were into roleplay…”

The mare grinned around him, letting her eyes glow red as she pulled away once again, taking a quick breather. “I've got my surprises,” she replied with a wink, adjusting herself so her face lined up with his. “I'm sure you’ve got yours too.”

“Plenty.” He too shifted positions, now hovering above her while she lay on her back, hind legs wrapping around his waist while her tail rested on the floor. Her eyes were shut with anticipation, lips pursed as she waited for the male to line up and push into her. When a few minutes passed and nothing happened, she cracked one eye open, finding that he was staring at her.

“What?”

Obsidian couldn't help but let out a light laugh, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. “Your acting like I'm going to shove a log into you. Relax, love. I’ll go slow, and if you need me to stop, just tell me.”

Pixel gazed into his eyes briefly before sighing softly and tenderly caressing his cheek. “Ok, ok. I'm ready.” Her body tensed once she felt the bulbous head of his organ touch the opened folds of her marehood, causing him to stop.

“Relax,” he reminded, letting their bodies touch as he began to kiss her neck in order to distract her. The tip slowly was pushed forward, her damp walls stretching to accept it and pull it in deeper. She gasped inwardly, back arching as every sensation that she could possibly feel was crashing into her, an emptiness that she never knew that she was feeling before now being filled.

“S-Sid...I…”

“Ssh, your doing great. Just focus on your breathing... good girl.” He felt her body trembling underneath him, the quick pulse of her heart as he reached the deepest parts within her warm and tight flesh. His eyes closed blissfully as he finally came to a halt, letting her walls constrict and clench around him, locking him in place. The two were now as one, giving the most intimate parts of themselves to each other for each other. The earth pony quickly reopened his eyes when he heard the unicorn sniffling, noticing that she had tears in her own eyes. “Pixel...are you alright? Am I hurting you?” He started to pull back when she grabbed his foreleg, quickly shaking her head.

“No, no. I'm fine. I just… I love you so much, and I can't wait to raise our children with you.”

The sincere words lit a fire of passion in the Omega's heart, and he smiled brightly, kissing his mate affectionately until she let out a desperate cry, trying to move her hips downwards. He gave her what she wanted, slowly thrusting in and out of the confines of her body, the sounds of her pleasured coos and moans urging him to pick up speed. Soon he was gripping tightly onto her shoulders, both of them rocking back and forth, breathing in quick yet heavy puffs. Her head fell back as every muscle in her tensed at once, nerves firing signals as her sense of touch went into overdrive, mouth opening in a silent gasp as liquid heat pooled and flowed freely out and trickled down her rear. Finally the male stilled, calling her name with slight exhaustion as his pulsing tip flared, gushing hot spurts of seed into the mare's womb, completing the task that had been given. His body fell forward, crumpling against the female with no interest of getting up. Everything started to get fuzzy, and he whined as lights flashed behind his eyes. Pixel stroked his mane lovingly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You were wonderful, Obsidian. Thank you.”

The earth pony huffed tiredly, struggling to stay awake. “I think that's the first time you've called me by my full name all day…”

The Alpha laughed, snuggling into his broad chest. “Might be. I still love you no matter what I call you. And I always will.” Obsidian gave her a warm yet sleepy grin, closing his eyes and laying his head beside her’s.

“I can go to sleep now, right?”

Pixel purred, letting her eyes shut as well. “Yes, Sid, you can go to sleep. You've deserved it.” And that's exactly what the pair did.

Finale

Day 7

In this past week, I have learned many things about the nature of werewolves and their ways of living. For starters, they are not the bloodthirsty nightcrawlers that works of fiction have led common society to believe. I'm not saying this due to my experiences with them in my occupation, however. My observations have revealed time and time again that they function and feel emotions the same way as you and I, albeit showing these through means that may be absurd to the passing villager. During this time I have also become a unofficial member of their ranks, earning the title of Foraster, translating to outsider. I personally find the name to be rather interesting, for if I were to be a werewolf, or full blood as they like to call it, I would most likely be ranked as a Beta, which, ironically, is the same Rank as Andante, daughter of Lead Alpha Collin.

In relation to aforementioned subject, I've found that the hierarchy of these packs are rather similar to that of Victorian royalty and their subjects, or to keep things simple, that of a lion and his pride. Alphas, preferably male Alphas, are typically chosen to be the leaders of their packs due to their protective and loyalist tendanices, although this is not always the case, as packs who do not have a designated Alpha among them will move down the line till they find a suitable member to keep things in order. Betas follow behind Alphas, usually being seen as the Lead’s advisors or confidantes. Their wit and high intelligence makes them ideal for discussing various topics, especially when dealing with an issue that requires making a life altering decision. Omegas are at the bottom of the trifecta, most relying heavily on the ranks above them to care for and protect them until they are of age to live on their own. They tend to be soft spoken and reserved, preferring to observe their surroundings and make decisions based on what they see or feel rather than on impulse. Hunters and Scouts are self explanatory: one hunts and tracks down prey, the other is a lookout. While these roles sound simplistic, they take a lot of concentration and skill to do well. The members that are lowest on the hierarchy totem pole are the Unranked and those like me, Forasters. According to Lead Alpha Ember’s Beta Quetzal, there are actually many werewolf packs that have outsiders living among them, although they are very widespread and difficult to locate as they don’t stay in one place for too long. Speaking of living, I have decided to remain in my hut, if only for the sake of not having to gather and relocate all of my materials, of which there are many. Plus, I’d rather sleep in comfort then spend my nights in a cold cave, risking the chance of getting hypothermia in the winter months. Of course, I am not built to endure such extremities, so I applaud the werewolf race for being such persistent troopers.

Luckily, (or unluckily depending on who you ask) I won’t be roaming the area alone anymore. Beta Andante has been spending these past few days with me here, an idea that has taken many a hour to get approved by her father. The ordeal was...trying, to put it lightly. Yet, I have the utmost respect for the pegasus, as he recently gave away his other daughter, Pixel, to her soulmate. Speaking of the unicorn, I got the chance to speak with her the night before. She seems to be glowing with contentment, and I couldn’t be happier for her. Collin may had been wanting to hold on to his remaining little girl for a while longer, only to be whisked off by some stranger. He seems to have gotten used to me though, as just the other day he pulled me aside to ask whether or not I’m enjoying Anne’s company, to which I responded positively of course. The mare is rather charming, and her excitement in discovering ‘advanced’ things reminds me quite fondly of her sister. However, unlike the unicorn, she tends to get distracted easily, which isn’t the most ideal when in comes to making potions, which require a high amount of precision. I have already had to put out two fires, losing a few patches of fur in the process. Despite the mishaps, she is eager to learn more about where I come from and how I work. Perhaps one day I will bring her to Sunset Valley, given that I gain approval to do so. Something tells me that werewolf fathers don’t let go of their children so easily...but I digress. Anne is certainly something else, but maybe that’s what attracted me to her. Her smile, the slight tilt of her head when she’s confused about something, the way her eyes turn into the loveliest shade of emerald green whenever she gets annoyed at my attempts to help her combine potions when she ‘clearly’ knows what’s she doing. Perhaps it’s just in my imagination, but I’ve noticed that she tends to stare at me a little longer then she probably should whenever I pass by. Maybe she keeps conveniently locating that fly that buzzes around, I’m not sure. She asked me the other night about my thoughts on relationships, to which I had a bit of trouble with responding. After my ordeals with Orion, I don’t feel quite ready to dive into anything serious just yet, as I am still recovering from his rather painful removal. For now, a mutual friendship will suit me just fine, and if things start to blossom between us, then so be it. Whatever challenges we come across, we can face them together, all of us.

~ North Star

Chapter 2 “In the Shadows”

The moon was high above the wolf as he slipped into his territory. He was tired, and needed to rest more than anything. His eyes struggled to stay open, yet they fixed on the mare that came into his line of sight. Transforming, he put on his best smile, although his fatigue could be seen clearly. “Mother,” he called, “I'm back.” She turned her head, rising to her hooves and coming forward to embrace her son.

“Obsidian! We were just wondering about you. Couldn't find anything?” He shook his head, waging whether or not he should tell the light blue unicorn about his encounter with Pixel, then decided now wasn't the time.

“Where's Father?”, He asked instead.

“The same place he usually is at night- up on the landing. He’s been gloomy lately. Perhaps seeing you might cheer him up.”

“Perhaps. Thank you.”

He started to move, pausing when his mother spoke again, this time her voice soft. “You seem… concerned. Did something happen?” His body tensed, and he looked down briefly, gritting his teeth as he lied:

“Nothing happened, Mother. Nothing at all.”

He continued to walk before he disappeared from her view. She scowled, sensing something was off. Yet, instead of going to confront him on it, she dropped the matter, directing her gaze to her fellow Alpha, Lovelace, who was attempting to feed a young earth pony filly a piece of rabbit. “Reste assis, Marigold!” (Sit still, Marigold!), the pegasus exclaimed in slight frustration, as the little one was hopping up and down in excitement. Speckle smiled and shook her head.

“Permettez-moi d'aider, Lovelace.” (Let me help, Lovelace.), She offered.

Lovelace nodded, watching with interest as the unicorn lifted the filly off the ground in her aura, bringing her to her eye level. “Marigold, sweetie. I know you're excited to eat, but Lovelace isn't going to give you food until you sit, ok?” The other’s eyes squinted, but she nodded once, going into a sitting position once she was lowered back onto the grass. Lovelace tossed her the chunk of meat, which she snatched into her jaws, carrying it promptly into the cave, her gold colored tail wagging. The pink pegasus gave Speckle a surprised look.

“Comment as-tu fais ça?” (How did you do that?)

The other mare laughed lightly. “Vous apprenez une chose ou deux lorsque vous avez vécu avec une Omega depuis si longtemps.” (You learn a thing or two when you've lived with an Omega for so long.)

Now that she thought about it, she missed the liveliness that the three Omegas had brought to the pack. In general, the liveliness that all of the other members had brought to the pack. Once thriving with sixteen members strong, now had dwindled to six. It's surprising how much had happened within five moons. With Quetzal taking Mark’s position once he left with Firefly, she and Speckle rarely saw each other, yet the unicorn figured it was probably for the best. A cool breeze snapped her out of her little trance, and she sighed. “Allons-y, devons-nous?” (Let's head inside, shall we?) The other agreed, and they went in together, mostly to sleep, but also to check on Marigold so she didn't end up eating a whole deer.

Ember was in the middle of grooming himself when Obsidian appeared on the landing. He cocked his head at the dark brown wolf. “Father? May I ask what you're doing?” The wolf’s eyes stared at him before rolling in their sockets. He changed forms, blinking slowly.

“Can't a stallion clean himself? This coat wouldn't be this shiny if I didn't clean it.”

“Right… Mother said you were feeling down. What's the matter?”

At this question the other sighed, turning to face front. “Call it odd, but I wish things weren't as… mundane as they are now. Check the perimeters once a week with Quetzal, have a meeting once a month, go on a hunt, sleep, repeat. It's gotten more than boring. Don't get me wrong, the past two decades of my life have been hectic, but I wouldn't change it for the world.”

Obsidian sat and pondered as he listened to his father's words, curious more than anything. He had heard bits and pieces of some of the events that had occurred before his birth, but now he had a chance to hear about it all. “You wouldn't mind to perhaps, tell me about those moons, would you?”

Ember chuckled softly. “Interested, are we?” He glanced at the sky to check for the location of the moon, finding it rising just above the tops of the green, feathery pines. He turned back. “Get comfortable, kid. And if I catch you falling asleep you're getting hit with my tail.”

“Yes, Sir.”

In the misty cover of the clouds, a transparent figure flitted around, turquoise eyes set in place as it floated about. Its point of focus was redirected to something below it, so it dived, parts of its body coming off in wisps. Sirena had fallen asleep at her cave's entrance, oblivious to the soon blossoming flower of heartache and pain that was about to land on her. The ghost-like creature stopped in front of her, eyes unwavering as it took in her still frame. A faint smile tickled its lips, and it reached out to touch her wings, grazing over her black feathers. They fluffed up in response, and she tensed. It waited for her to relax again before touching her wings once more, this time phasing through them. It slipped into her without warning, feeling out the warm confines of her body, deciding it could get used to this. A deadly force was now taking root, and it was too late to uproot it.

Chapter 17 “Amid the Ashes”

Pixel’s tail thrashed restlessly as she huddled underneath the thin sheet that rested on her shoulders. She was having trouble falling asleep, not that she really knew the cause. Maybe it was because Obsidian had stopped talking to her over the past few days, rarely even looking in her direction when she called out to him. Instead, he’d leave the hut in the early hours of the morning to go hunting -without her no less- and return under the cover of moonlight. The mare could sense that something was amiss, though she couldn’t quite put her hoof on what. Today would be the day that she got answers. “Hey, Sid? You awake?” A low grunt was what she got as a response. “Oh, good… I was just wondering...are you mad at me?”

The earth pony chuckled half heartedly. “What ever gaveyou that idea, dearest?”

Pixel frowned at his tone. “I’m serious. What did I do to get you to be so standoffish?”

Obsidian finally sighed, opening his eyes as he rose to a standing position. “It’s not you, per say. I’m just slightly disappointed that you decide to spend more time with your ‘friend’ instead of me.”

The unicorn sat up, eyebrow arched in utter confusion. “What? Since when?”

“Since we arrived. Day in and day out, all I ever see when I come back is you snuggled up to that no-blood unicorn, showing off some lightshow spell that I have no idea of its purpose. Furthermore, all he ever does is shower you in praise and affection, when that right should only be used by those close to you, which I clearly think he isn’t.”

The fur on Pixel’s back started to bristle. “I’m sorry? I didn’t realize you were so bothered by me spending some time with my friend that I normally don’t see for moons. And since when did having a no-blood for a friend become such a big deal? Clearly it is to you, seeing as your so uptight about it.” Then she paused, eyes widening in realization. “Are you... jealous of North taking my attention?” The eerie silence confirmed her suspicions. “You are! Oh, Luna. Sid, you of anyone should know that my heart belongs to you. You're my mate, and... your my best friend.”

The earth pony's head lifted, revealing watery brown eyes. “Then… why doesn't it feel like it…” The mare opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, looking off to the side. “You don't even know. You don't see how he looks at you, hear his flirty comments. It's been driving me up the wall, and I’m sure he’s doing it on purpose.” He then growled lowly, eyes flashing white. Slinking onto the bed, he roughly gripped the unicorn's mane, yanking her head to the side, exposing her Mark spot. His fangs sprang out of their sheaths, grazing over the patch of pink skin.

Pixel shuddered, then tried to pull away. “S-Sid, what are you doing?”

The male snarled slyly, tightening his grip. His eyes glowed yellow, losing himself to his primitive instincts. “You want to get Marked, don't you? I’m ready now, and want to claim you as mine and only mine.”

The female started to panic, quickly shaking her head. “No, Obsidian! Not like this! Stop it!” She tensed before igniting her horn to force him off of her. Before she could cast the spell though, she felt his body stiffen, then slump lifelessly against her. Scrambling to get out from underneath the heavy weight, she froze as North came around the corner, magic dimming to reveal a tranquilizer gun floating beside his head, a thin trail of smoke drifting from the barrel. Her gaze snapped frantically between the downed Omega and the Healer, finally resting on the latter. “North.. what did you do?”

The tan stallion smiled wildly, tilting his head unnaturally to one side with an audible crack. The crystal hanging around his neck began to glow, then stopped abruptly. The voice that came out of the unicorn's mouth was low, carrying a sinister tone. “Just took care of your little issue, mi flor. You sounded scared, so I helped however I could.” He glanced down at the unconscious earth pony’s still frame in front of him, red eyes glinting in glee. “I knew that he would snap at you sooner or later. So much for 'love at first sight’, hmm?”

Pixel's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right, she could smell it. “I could have handled myself.”

The male scoffed. “Sure you could, what with that large lug on you. Plus, he was in full instinct mode, so there was no way of getting him out of it unless you gave him what he wanted or… silenced him.” He smirked, secretly pulling out another pink tipped dart from behind him and loading it into the gun. Whipping it out in front of him, his head tilted once again in the opposite direction, eyes ablaze. “Which I think should be repeated.” Before the mare had a chance to react, the dart was fired, shooting across the room to embed itself into her foreleg, the sedative seeping into her bloodstream. The last thing she saw was North’s tall frame standing over her before everything went black.

The unicorn's vision was blurry as she came to, wearily lifting her head. The first thought that came to mind was of Obsidian, causing her to jolt upwards to look for him. Suddenly her horn slammed against something hard, a painful yelp escaping her lips. When things started to clear, she quickly realized that she was in a cage, a metal one for that matter. Her head frantically swiveled from side to side, checking for flesh that may be deteriorating. A low rattling noise made her look up. North had what appeared to be a rain stick floating in his aura, beads rushing down the wooden tube like a waterfall to the other end. Seeing that he had caught her attention, he flashed a wide smile. “Was wondering when you’d wake up. Your lover has been out for the past half hour.”

“Sid!” The mare quickly pressed her body against the cage wall, ignoring the possibility of searing more of her skin. Her eyes scanned the room for him, locating his bound frame against the wall just beside her. Irises turning red, her head snapped in the other unicorn's direction. “What did you do to him!”

“Nothing major, doll. I just didn't want him hurting you again when he comes to, so I kept him restrained. Don't worry, the chains are made of steel, as is the cage.”

Pixel growled. “What's up with you, North? You open your place to us and then you do this?! I thought you were my friend.”

The stallion chuckled throatily. “That, my dove, is where you're wrong. The one who you call North is gone, and I have taken his place. He was worried about you, you know. Didn't want you to face any harm. Too bad he won't get to see things when I'm done with you.”

The mare's face paled. “Who...who are you then?”

Bowing, another bright grin was flashed on the male’s face. “Orion, pleasure to finally meet you. I was nothing but a jumble of emotions inside of this bird brained Healer that you say is a friend until that fateful night when I was created. It was a bit of a mishap, at first. A local witch in Sunset Valley made the dimwit an offer he couldn’t refuse: the ability to be in harmony with oneself.” He snickered. “Sounds even more absurd now that I mention it. He took the offer, and here I am. North always has been trying to get rid of me ever since, but I can't be removed unless he gives me complete reign of everything that makes him him. And that's where you come in.” He leaned forward, staring deep into her eyes. “From the first day that I saw you, I knew that we were meant to be. You and I, we could be the next rulers of the forest, and our children will triumph over every other creature in the area.”

Pixel's face instantly turned to one of disgust. “Ugh, save the bargaining for later. I'm definitely not interested in your advances, nor will I change my mind. Now let us go, bring North back and we can forget that this ever happened.”

Orion briefly looked surprised, then scowled, slamming his hooves against the cage angrily, causing it to rattle violently. His eyes glittered as he spat,“I’d keep your attitude to yourself, lassie. Otherwise I will not hesitate to turn those bars into silver.” Her eyes showed the slightest hint of fear, and he turned his head, drawing back to where he stood before, appearing more composed. “Now, I understand your concerns. Afterall, being mates with a no blood is something that is quite unheard of, but not impossible. I think all you need is a little bit of persuasion.” Horn shimmering, his magic weaved through the air until it coiled around Obsidian’s neck, forming into a translucent rope as it began to squeeze hard. The earth pony’s eyes shot open, instinctively trying to lift a hoof to his neck, only to find that it was tied against his abdomen. His desperate gasps for air were quiet, yet held urgency. Orion tilted his head, eyes narrowed. “What do you plead, Alpha? Will you join me, or will you let the one that you hold most dear die here on the floor? It’s your choice.”

The mare’s eyes darted from one stallion to the other, unsure of what to do. Finally something within her snapped, and her gaze grew cold as her irises turned white. “Neither.” Her form began to shift as her fur grew longer and darkened a few shades, growing taller until the cage creaked and groaned to keep her contained, finally splitting apart with a loud thud. The now she wolf snarled at the unicorn, snapping her teeth at him before stepping in between the two males. The fur on her back was fully bristled, white eyes gleaming in anger. Orion took a cautious step back, letting his horn dim. The wolf’s ears slicked back to hear the one behind her cough and wheeze, signaling that he had been released. Crouching low, she pounced on the taller stallion, knocking him to the floor. Her claws dug into his shoulders, painting them red with blood. His eyes went wide with panic, struggling to break free of her tight grip. She leaned down and grasped the crystal that hung around his neck, forcefully ripping it off. Tossing it to the side, she roughly grabbed his head in between her large paws, glaring down at him. The unicorn stared back, a look of defeat on his face. The female let go, but not before grasping his horn and breaking it in two. She ignored his cries of pain as she slid off, redirecting her attention to Obsidian, who was in the process of breaking free from his chains, letting them drop to the floorboards with a clatter. His eyes glanced up to look at her, waves of relief crashing over him as she came forward to gently nuzzle his cheek, helping him up. Transforming, she quickly looked him over, causing him to chuckle lightly.

“I’m fine, Pixel. A little short of breath, but I’m ok.”

She stared at him for a few seconds before nodding, glancing back to take in the other male still writhing on the ground. “So...what do we do with him?”

Obsidian looked over her shoulder, eyebrows dipping in thought, then a sly smirk crept up onto his lips. “I say...we burn the place down.”

Pixel blinked in shock. ‘“Your joking, right? Even if North’s body was stolen-” She paused at the rather confused look on the navy stallion’s face, rolling her eyes. “I’ll explain later. This still is North’s home, and we shouldn’t be so quick to destroy everything just because Orion tried to have his way with us.” Her horn sparked, picking up the necklace off the ground and placing it onto her outstretched hoof to more closely examine it. The green crystal glowed brightly at her touch, almost as if it knew it was being held. She tied it around her neck, looking back towards the other unicorn. “Now, if you want to burn him, be my guest.” Horn lighting up once more, a swirl of magic shot over to where he lay, trickling down to the floorboards to encase him in a transparent dome. His head slowly lifted, giving the pair a bitter look as he rolled over and stood. His voice wasn’t much louder than a whisper, but Pixel could hear every word.

“And what will you do once your precious friend is gone, Pixel? Leaving his bones to decay and crumble here alone once you’ve burned his corpse doesn’t sound like something you would do.”

The mare levitated all of the bottles of potions off of the shelves, uncorking each of them one by one, letting the corks fall into small piles . “You. Don’t. Know. Me. And you obviously don’t know my father. I take matters into my own hooves, and you crossing a line won’t end well.” She began to pour the contents of the bottles into the dome, the liquid phasing right through the top of the magical barrier and splattering onto Orion’s mane and coat. He didn’t seem to be the slightest bit worried or scared. Instead, he looked calm, as if he had been waiting for something like this to happen for a long time. As the swirling mixture came up to his chest, he sighed.

“You’ve never ceased to amaze me, mi flor. And yet, here you are, moments from terminating this friendship for good.”

The Alpha was silent, narrowing her eyes in concentration before emptying the last bottle, dropping it. It crashed onto the elder unicorn’s head, adding blood to the already toxic stew that lapped underneath his chin. He closed his eyes, waiting, listening. Pixel’s head turned to cut Obsidian a glance. “Care to do the honors?”

The Omega was slightly hesitant, but from the sharp look he was receiving it was either do it or the mare would do it herself. He slowly went over to the cauldron, picking up a flaming piece of firewood that crackled underneath it. Without another thought, he threw it in the dome’s direction, backing up when a loud bang erupted within the sealed bubble. Fire licked up the transparent sides, and soon clouds of smoke billowed around in its place. Pixel waited a few moments before lifting the barrier, releasing the grey wisps into the room. Without looking back she grabbed Sid’s hoof, pulling him towards the door. “C’mon, we’re done here. Let’s go.”