Love Bites

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.”