Equestria & Wolfby Dumakey93ChaptersMan & WolfRainbow & WolfAshes & WolfMan & WolfIt had been many years since a human had spoken to her. Not that she minded the change of pace, it was just that the villagers she helped didn’t respect her anymore. Sure there was the yearly pagan festival to honor the promise of a good harvest each year. Over the years, it had turned from a whole-hearted worshipping of her, to an excuse to drink heavily for a day. It seemed that the villagers didn’t need her anymore. She never wanted to be a goddess of the wheat, it just was a title given to her by the locals who still remembered her name. Flicking misshapen fleas from her tail, Holo looked from the fields of wheat to the mountains. She had wished for an escape from this village she had once cared for. She wanted to go north, to the forest of Yoitsu, but she was still stuck in the village. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to escape, she just couldn’t. Holo lived in the wheat that the village used, if she wandered off, she would disappear from the world. Her only chance to escape, was if someone were to come by and take a few bundles of wheat from the fields. Until that time arose, Holo would wait in the wheat for someone to take a bundle, far away from the village she now loathed. ~~~~~ Norah walked along the dusty trail, as she looked for someplace to rest. It had been hours since she had lost her sheep and her sheepdog. Wherever they had gone, she did not know, but she had failed her duties. It wasn’t easy taking care of sheep when one always wanted to wander off. The rest of the flock followed suit, taking hours to get back on the trail. With a sheepdog to help, it cut the time in half, but now she was alone. Having a long grass-colored robe in the fall was quite handy, especially when the nights were cold. Her horn that she kept at her waist was all but useless now. Untying her gray sash, she blew the horn loudly, hoping for (at the very least) the sheepdog to return to her. Her attempt proved fruitless, but she still kept her head held high. Her staff was at least a foot taller than her, with a ringing bell that used to guide her now-lost sheep. With most of her equipment rendered useless, the shepherdess still kept them near her. She was warned of wolves that roamed the area, so she kept her staff as a weapon. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, mostly for modesty, because it was a custom for most women to tie their hair in that fashion. She tucked her hair in her hood, as she made her way to the village of Pasloe. ~~~~~ Holo stared at the night sky, she never was amazed by it. She knew it was just a mark of another day added to her long stay in Pasloe. Scanning across the skies, her gaze fell on the full moon. She thought that a full moon was one of the better natural pleasures for a wolf. It was more like an instinct to love the moon, a more primitive than developed habit. The moon however, looked slightly different than all the other nights. Holo could sense that something was amiss, as her ears quickly perked up. A large thunderstorm was coming, and it usually invited trouble. She ate a bit of wheat, as she transformed into a massive wolf with red eyes. Her scythelike claws easily crushed part of the wheat field. Her fangs were deathly white, as she roared loudly, enough to be heard for miles. She took this form because it kept her warm during the torrential downpours that went by. There were great volleys of thunder which lit up the night sky. Even for Holo, who had experienced many storms, was astounded by the ferocity and the amount of rain, wind, and hail. ~~~~~ Norah had just reached the town’s edge when a large storm burst the sky open. The thunder and lightning alone scared the girl out of her wits, as she hurriedly ran to any type of shelter. With every step, her breathing became more labored, as she searched for any kind of refuge. Her hair stood on end, as she felt the warmth of a lightning-bolt strike a nearby cottage, setting it ablaze. She had expected to hear screams of agony, but only heard laughter. Out of the flames, a lone man walked into the storm. His neck snapped quickly to his left, as his eyes met Norah’s. The man vanished into thin air, as Norah’s eyes bulged in surprise. The man drew a blade from his belt, as his smile cracked wide. ~~~~~ Flagg’s face was badly burnt from the inferno, but he took no notice. He spotted a lone woman out in the rain, so he dashed towards her. The girl smelt of dandelions and sheep, oh how he loved the taste of sheep. Drawing his blade, he smiled and showed all of his yellowed teeth. He sensed another force sprinting towards him. A being wants to challenge him? So be it, it had been years since he had a worthy opponent. ~~~~~ Holo had sensed a great evil that was very near her. She smelled something foul in the air, as her instincts took over. Running faster than she had in years, she made her way to the smell of blood. Spotting a dark figure, she lunged at the hopes of killing it with one strike. ~~~~~ Flagg saw an enormous creature leap towards him, but he did not fear it. Diving under it, he threw the blade into the creature’s chest. It made no reactions, as Flagg’s arms suddenly doubled in size and muscle. His leather jacket shredded open, as his body erupted in flames, and he cackled madly at the creature and the girl. Snapping his neck, Flagg’s eyes turned a deep red. From his hands, extremely sharp talons appeared. His body was covered in a blue flame and he tensed up his legs to strike his prey down. He didn’t care who they were, just that they were lambs in his ritual. ~~~~~ Holo was struck with a small silver blade, that made her wince in pain. Turning around, her eyes spotted a creature that defied everything she knew. The once human figure was now more like some sort of werewolf with red eyes. She growled menacingly at the creature, but it didn’t show an ounce of fear. This thing, whatever it was, was more battle-hardened than her. She was capable of enormous things, but the creature standing before her was....different. ~~~~~ Norah shivered in the rain, but this was not a cause for alarm. The two creatures standing across from each other worried her. Whatever she had learned about demons, didn’t apply here. These things were the stuff of legend, that were too feared to be researched. The only useful thing she could do, was to bow her head in defeat, expecting to be devoured by one of the creatures. ~~~~~ Flagg struck in near-synchronization with the lightning, as his claws scraped the chest of the large wolf. A dark smile appeared from his face, one that told of cruelty beyond all imagination. He punched, slashed and bit the large wolf, but it would not fall. Reverting back to his human form, he held a long black sword in his right hand. Without another breath, he slashed at the girl and the wolf in one sweeping motion, leaving a blood trail in his wake. ~~~~~ Holo’s and Norah’s eyes widened, as they realized the extent of their wounds. Norah now knew that the wolf had tried to protect her from the werewolf standing before her. She wanted to scream because of the pain, but her body became numb, as she passed out. Holo had realized that she saved a shepherd girl, who was once a coined enemy of wolves. Formalities did not matter now, since she needed to protect the shepherd from any more harm. Holo blocked Flagg’s path to the girl, but he just grinned even wider. Tilting his head and wheezing, Flagg spoke, “So, you are the wolf-deity, Holo.” Holo was surprised at his words, “How do you know of me?”, as she slowly backed away. Flagg coughed up blood, as he still held a grin on his face. “So the Wisewolf backs away from a fight? How very dull.” He stepped closer to the injured Holo, as a lightning bolt struck the ground behind him. Holo knew that if she ran, the innocent girl would perish, she didn’t want that to linger on her mind for the rest of her life. She picked up Norah, and threw her on her own back. Holo was about to run, when Flagg shook his head at her. “Tsk, Tsk. Why should I let you leave, besides, don’t you know that storms are dangerous? We can’t have you suffer out here any longer, even if you resemble a goddess.” With that, Flagg’s body appeared instantaneously in front of Holo. Before she could react, the madman tapped Holo’s chest. Holo felt her body seize up, as she reverted to her human form. Norah fell off of Holo’s back and into the mud. Holo growled at Flagg, with her tail up in alarm. Flagg’s face went blank, as he simply stared at Holo. “In this world, you may be killed for looking like a human with wolf ears and a tail. I have traveled many years an it’s all the same, everything’s the same.” Holo looked at Flagg with confusion on her face, “What are you going on about?” Flagg shook his head, “I will give you a chance to not be criticized or hurt, for I have seen your resolve. There will be a great evil that you must face, but you need more friends to defeat it. I am merely one of his servants, nowhere near to his power.” Holo was shocked, why did this man what to help her? Why would he give her mercy? Who, or what, was this evil? With a snap of his fingers, a bolt of lightning struck Holo and Norah, making them vanish. Behind him, a red-robed figure thrust a longsword into Flagg’s chest. Flagg closed his eyes, letting the pain seep away. His limbs felt numb and his breathing stopped. He sighed, “Good luck, you’ll need it.” He then disappeared in a wall of black flames. The robed figure swore under his breath, “How could he deceive me for this long? No matter, I shall track down where he sent those two women, and kill them.” Pressing a finger to his ear, he called one of his subordinates. The robed figure spoke, “I need you to find two people for me. They are a threat to our plans, understood?” The man on the other end replied, “Yes sir. Did you find any information regarding the aforementioned people?” “From what I gathered from Flagg, I can at the very least say that they are weak. They are two women, or the one was. The other one....seemed different. They don’t seem like much of a threat now, but I know that they will grow their abilities. I’ve dealt with a few like that in the past. I need you to find them, and send Montez after them. He should be more than enough to handle them.” He clicked the receiver off, as he smiled and yelled in the storm. “You think you can get away from me? Good luck with that....” Making an about face, his robe flowed into the wind, as he vanished in a plume of red smoke. ~~~~~ Holo’s eyes opened, as she was still in her human form. Checking herself, she found that neither her ears or tail were gone. She felt a light person on her back, who was the shepherd girl, Norah. Holo looked around, but couldn’t see any signs of villages in sight. She could smell something walking her way, by the scent, they seemed like horses. Placing Norah on her back, Holo walked towards the smell, until she spotted the two horses, or rather, ponies. It seemed that one had wings and the other a horn on its head. Holo had no idea if the creatures were hostile, so she and Norah hid in the leaves of a nearby tree. Holo slowed her breathing down to avoid detection from the ponies that headed her way. Norah was barely alive, as she was laying on a large branch near the trunk of the tree. Holo had a feeling that hiding wasn’t the best option for Norah’s survival. As soon as the thought came to her head, Holo grabbed Norah and placed her gently against the tree, as she ran away. Holo didn’t plan to abandon Norah, even if she was a shepherdess. She planned to see just what the ponies would do to Norah, before running off. She hid in a nearby bush, as the two ponies spotted Norah. They ran up to her, and simply stared. After a few seconds, they spoke to each other, as the horned one picked Norah up with a spell. The pegasus scanned the nearby area for whoever dropped her there. Finding no one, she motioned to the unicorn, as the two went back with Norah. Holo was still suspicious of them, so she dashed through the trees and bushes to keep an eye on Norah. She couldn’t understand anything that the unicorn or pegasus were saying, but she could read their faces. They expressed concern on Norah’s behalf, which was a good sign. Hopefully, this world had some sort of medical center to revive Norah. After a few miles of walking, a tall building with a red cross came into view. It seemed that Norah would be in good hands, as Holo began to walk back. She felt a quick rush of wind pass her, as her path was blocked by a rainbow-maned pegasus. Holo’s eyes widened at the speed of the pegasus, it was almost as fast as her. From what she could tell, the pegasus was angry at her for some odd reason, and she started to act aggressively towards Holo. It seemed that she had no choice, but to teach this “rainbow” pegasus who was truly the boss. Holo closed her eyes, as she concentrated hard to transform. Within a few moments, she realized that her transformation was blocked, by some magical force. With nothing powerful to change into, Holo was at the mercy of the pegasus. Rainbow & WolfRainbow Dash charged at her with great speed. Holo’s eyes could read her opponent’s movements, as she went to dodge. She dove over the pegasus, rolling herself into a slight limp stance. She was surprised at how quickly Holo moved. She had never been in many fights with ponies faster than her, but this thing was beyond her level. Holo sighed, as she took a wide fighting stance, and she closed her eyes. Picture the opponent, and find their patterns. She opened her eyes, looking over the Dash’s build and her way of fighting. From what she observed, this opponent was young and speedy. She noticed that she was cocky, so she could be manipulated easily. Holo readied herself for the pegasus, having had a strategy in place. The rainbow pegasus charged at full speed into the air, as Holo closed her eyes again. The pegasus aimed at Holo with her signature “Sonic Rainboom”, as she dove at Holo. Holo’s arms were outstretched, as her legs were shoulder-width apart. Rainbow Dash was within a meter of hitting Holo, leaving almost no time for a counter-attack. Holo’s arms suddenly flew in between the pegasus and herself. Thrusting her arms out in front of her, Holo blocked the Sonic Rainboom. Her opponent’s eyes widened, as she was shocked that Holo withstood the Sonic Rainboom’s speed and power. She seemed exhausted after her signature move, which seemed odd. Rainbow Dash had used up all her energy for one critical attack, that was nullified by Holo. Dash wondered how Holo had blocked it, for she seemed very small and weak. How could a frail looking creature stop me? Holo looked at her arms and hands. She normally would’ve been beaten in her human form, but why did her body withstand the impact? She could only think of one possibility, the power she had as a giant wolf, was put into her human form. The sudden switch to a new world with magical creatures probably enhanced her power as well. It all seemed too good to be true, but Holo didn’t want to take her chances with a new power. She didn’t know how much she still had in store, especially after the incident with Flagg. Holo looked at herself, with wolf ears and a tail, and her human body, it didn’t make sense that a creature suddenly would attack her. Then again, the world Holo was used to didn’t take kindly to things like her. She looked at her tail, paying no mind to the panting Rainbow Dash. A cold chill went up her spine, as she sensed something coming her way. She looked at Rainbow Dash, and dove at her. Rainbow Dash was too tired to move, so Holo had shoved her out of way. A flash of red light made Holo and Rainbow Dash wince, as the earth shook violently. Where Rainbow Dash once stood, only a large crater remained. Holo sighed in relief, but kept alert, as a groan was heard from the bottom of the crater. A man with torn blue jeans and a brown leather jacket rose from the crater. His black shades hid his eyes, as he cracked his neck and pulled an apple out of his pants pocket. Taking a bite, he nonchalantly walked out of the crater, paying no mind to Holo or Rainbow Dash. Sighing, he stared up at the sky, and raised his right hand up to the sun. As he lowered his hand, the sun dimmed, as it became night in an instant. He made a slight coughing sound, as he spoke, “That’s better, never did like the daylight anyway.” Holo was flabbergasted at how casual the man was. She was so distracted, that Rainbow Dash ran out from under her. She made an attempt to punch the man, as he simply took the brunt of the blow. His face did not move, nor did any part of his body move at all. It seemed that it had no effect, as Holo watched closely. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash was holding her arm in pain, as the man knelt close to her. He shook his head in disappointment, “You shouldn’t have done that. Every weak punch you give only hurts you, not me. Here, this is how you should hit someone...” In a flash, he grabbed Rainbow Dash, and gave her a quick roundhouse kick to the skull, sending her tumbling to the ground. She landed with a thud, that ended with a cracking sound, as she winced in pain. Holo could not help Rainbow Dash, for she had no idea how hurt she was. The man slowly walked up to Holo and grabbed her by the tail. She punched at the man, until his nose bled from the few punches she gave. He laughed, “You hit pretty well, not as powerful as Flagg, but good nonetheless.” He threw Holo next to Rainbow Dash, as he took another bite of his apple. Scratching his black shoulder-length hair, he sat down on a nearby rock. Looking at Holo, man spoke, “I am not the strongest of all my comrades. I was sent her to end your life, but I see no point in the deed. Why must I end a life that cannot even save herself, let alone a stranger she doesn’t know? I need to have somewhat of a good fight, especially when it’s you I have to fight.” Holo’s eyes widened as she began backtracking to the man she met before. The Flagg that I met before, was weaker than him this man? She thought a moment, then spoke up, “Why are these people after me? Why do you want to kill me?” The man spit a seed out of his mouth, as he blinked at Holo. “I don’t want to kill you, my boss wants you dead. He’s a busy guy, you see, so he doesn’t have time to deal with you. Which is why he sent me here. I only will fight you when you are at full strength, because I know that Flagg drained you of your energy. I think if you were at your full strength, you could defeat me, but that’s just my theory. After all, you are a deity in your world. I’ve always wanted to fight a goddess...” Holo raised her voice to the man, “Why do you fight me?” The man raised his eyebrows, “I fight because I get bored of killing weaklings, I’d rather have a challenge every time. You are but a seed that needs to grow and mature in battle. You are experienced with your wolf form, but you need to channel that power through your current form to master your power. I will come back here when you are ready to fight me.” Holo only had one final question for the man, “What is your name?” The man looked slightly surprised at the question, “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I mean, I can’t even remember the last time someone asked me my name.” Tapping his temple, he replied, “My name is Montez, and I look forward to fighting you again.” Montez gave a smirk, as he sank into the ground. Holo looked at Rainbow Dash to see if she was okay. She seemed to be breathing, but just barely. Out of all times, why did he have to interfere with our fight? Especially after the both of us were weakened. Holo spotted the unicorn from earlier walk up. Holo could now see that this unicorn had a purple body and pointed stars on her flank. She could only look for a few seconds, as the unicorn teleported between her and Rainbow Dash. The purple unicorn looked at Holo with contempt in her eyes, as her purple eyes began to turn to a bright white color. Holo backed away slowly, as the unicorn charged up the magic in her horn. The heat coming off of the horn made Holo shout, “STOP! I didn’t hurt your friend! It was a stranger!” The unicorn’s horn stopped glowing, as the heat faded from her horn. “Alright, I’ll hear you out, but make it quick.” Holo let the events from earlier come out, “Your friend and I fought for some reason. She suddenly snapped at me, maybe she thought that I hurt the person you picked up earlier. After our fight, this man suddenly came out of nowhere. He injured your friend when she tried to punch him in the face. He only wanted to confront me....I don’t know why he didn’t just attack me.” The purple unicorn smiled, “Thank you for telling me outright, but don’t think that I’ll trust you that easily. Now if you don’t mind, would you tell me your name and the name of Rainbow’s attacker?” Holo nodded, “Yeah, my name’s Holo, and the man’s name is Montez....” Twilight wrote down a few notes, as she spoke, “Could you help me carry Rainbow Dash to the hospital? You can also meet your friend there too.” Holo agreed to Twilight’s plan, as she supported Rainbow’s deformed wings and walked to the hospital. Ashes & WolfAfter about a few minutes of walking, Twilight, Holo, and Rainbow Dash reached the hospital. It stood tall, with its baby blue colored walls, as it seemed to invite patients. Of course, the paint itself was made to make people more calm during their time at the hospital. A large red cross was lit above the entrance, as the group calmly walked in. As soon as they arrived, they received strange looks from the staff and patients. At first, it seemed that they were being eyed up because they were carrying a body. In any normal circumstance, it would be EMTs or medical staff who would bring in a patient. Even though Rainbow Dash looked weary, she could still move, since she gave one doctor a deep glare. She grew impatient, as she tried to walk on her own, but Twilight and Holo kept her still, not wanting to add another injury to her list. Rainbow Dash sighed, as she waited to be treated by some doctors who looked overly concerned about her. It was normal for doctors to automatically look at anyone with any injury, but not with this much care. Normally it would be dismissed as caring staff, but there seemed to be something off about one of the doctors who looked at Rainbow Dash. As Twilight kept an eye on Rainbow Dash, Holo decided to roam around and find Norah. She located the stairs and went up to the third floor. Holo could locate Norah with her nose, because she still retained her sensitive nose from her wolf form. Going down a long hallway, Holo noticed that the lights flickered randomly, yet the first floor was perfectly lit. Something was off, and Holo was set on seeing what it was. She heard mumbling off in the other end of the floor, as she ran towards it, she spotted a shadowy figure. Holo couldn’t help but pause and look at the shadow, as it reared its head and growled. She noticed the scurrying of its feet coming closer, as she ran towards Norah’s scent. Holo could hear rapid breathing coming from behind her, as the creature got closer to her. Without a second thought, Holo tore an open door off of its hinges, and threw it behind her. The door scraped across the floor, as sparks flew off of the door. Hearing a heavy thud, Holo slowed down to a walk, as Norah’s scent became stronger. Opening a door to her left, she found Norah, or rather, her clothing on the floor. The beds were bent in impossible ways, as Holo noticed that the window was broken open. She looked over the edge of the window, seeing nothing but the shrubbery surrounding the hospital. Holo smelled a very different scent, one mixed with blood, turning around to face a creature with black eyes. The creature looked much like a wolf, only it was more of a mist than an actual figure. It took one step towards Holo, as it began to drool on the floor. Only now did she notice that the floor she was on had red stains, as she began to fear the worst. The creature dove at Holo, slightly cutting her right arm. She grabbed the creature’s snout and applied pressure to its nose. Her fingers slipped through the creature, as it smiled at her. It spoke, “Do you even understand who you are?” Holo stepped back, as she was shocked at what it said. Why would a creature just ask me a question out of the blue? It just didn’t make any sense... The creature then took the shape of a human, with its eyes still glowing red. It grabbed Holo by the throat, and threw her out the window. Holo could hear it laugh maniacally, as she crashed to the ground. She heard several screams come from the hospital, as a section of the hospital simply disintegrated, leaving ponies falling to the ground. Holo turned into her wolf form, as she ran to catch the falling ponies. Dashing quickly, she managed to catch all of them on her back, and one with her teeth. By this time, she was exhausted, and reverted to her human form. The ponies that she saved were awestruck as she began to walk away. The creature still had its eyes on her, watching everything she did. It smiled, as it appeared in front of Holo. “Well, how did it feel? To finally reveal your form to everypony?” Holo’s eyes grew wide, as she realized what she had done. She had revealed her wolf form, when she couldn’t before. Holo looked at the creature, “What did you do to me?” Why did you help me return to my other form?” The creature frowned at her, as it shook its head. “Only time will tell if what I bestowed upon you is a blessing,” It suddenly showed a large grin, “or a curse...” Before she could react, the creature vanished, as did the ponies she saved. It appeared, to her, that the ponies she saved were just an illusion by the creature she fought. I guess that’s good, she thought, since no one really accepted me for who I really was in the first place. Holo still needed to find Norah, to make sure that she would be safe. For Holo knew that Norah was just a regular human, and unlike Holo, she couldn’t defend against the supernatural. Holo could still smell Norah’s scent, but it was faint at best. She had a clue where Norah went, but she still needed help. Holo ran back into the hospital, as Twilight and Rainbow Dash were about to leave. Twilight was the first one to speak, “What happened up there? I swore that I heard something fall-” Holo quickly cut her off, “Nothing happened! It was merely some broken glass...” Holo sighed, “I can’t find Norah.” Twilight’s eyes widened, “What?! I made sure that she was admitted into a room!” Holo shook her head, “Well someone took her, and I need to find her soon...” Twilight nodded her head in agreement, “Sounds like an idea.” she looked back at Rainbow Dash, “Are you up to flying?” Rainbow Dash objected, “I thought that the nurse said-” Holo gave her a mean look, “It’s for a friend of mine! She’s gone, and I only trust you and your friend.” It soon became clear, however, that Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to fly anytime soon, as she struggled to even flap her wings without pain. Holo, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash decided that it was best to go on foot. Holo followed Norah’s scent, as the two ponies behind her simply followed her. Hours past, as the scent was being tampered by something that smelt of candy. Holo simply ignored the smell, and tried to focus all her energy on Norah’s scent. She heard a bubbly voice beside her, “If you are looking for someone, I’d be the best pony to ask! Cause I know everyone in Ponyville!” Holo cared not to look at the pink pony who smelt of cotton candy, but the pony persisted. “Hey! I just met you, but I don’t know you?! Why is that? Oh! I need to throw you a party! Ye-” “PINKIE! Now’s not the time to throw a party, we are looking for somepony who’s gone missing.” “What do they look like?” Holo turned towards Pinkie Pie, “She’s much like me, she has blonde hair, a cloa-” “Say no more! I already have this mystery solved!” Pinkie happily announced. Twilight rolled her eyes, “I sure hope it’s not like the M-” “Silly Twilight, I have improved my sleuthing skills from the cake incident! In fact, your friend is right here!” Pinkie put her hooves in her mane, as she rummaged through it. Pulling out various types of objects ranging from a pencil, to an actual sink, she paused and smiled at the group. She pulled Norah out from her mane, as Holo, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash stood in shock. “I knew you were strange, Pinkie, but this...” Rainbow Dash said, as she tried to withhold her surprise. Holo looked at Norah, it seemed that she was unharmed, as she had a lollipop in her mouth. Norah looked surprising calm, having been injured, thrown in the air, and put in some pink pony’s mane. It took her a second to recognize Holo, as soon as she did, she hugged her tightly. “I was scared! I didn’t know-” “It’s alright Norah, nothing could have prepared you for this...” Holo calmly uttered. She turned to Pinkie, “Thank you for helping out Norah.” Pinkie smiled, “Anything for a friend of mine, or Twilight’s, for that matter!” Twilight felt a sudden cold rush through her, as she sensed some sort of evil in the air. “Girls! We need to go!” “Why?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Trust me, I can sense something is off, and we need to get to someplace safe.” Holo began sensing the same thing, as she quickly grabbed Norah and Pinkie, and began running down towards Ponyville. Twilight called Holo back, “We don’t need to run there, because I have a spell for this type of scenario.” They all gathered in a group, as Twilight’s horn glowed. The ground beneath them began to shake, as a purple dome covered their bodies. Within an instant they were transported to Twilight’s home, as she quickly grabbed a book from the shelf. “I need to contact the rest of the group, Holo, can you stand guard outside? I know that you’ve been through alot, of course I am judging based on how physically tired you are. On second thought, Pinkie, can you-” A purple dragon ran down the steps, “Twilight! What’s the...who are these people?” Twilight barked at Spike, “There’s no time for questions! Stand guard outside will you?” “Fine, but you don’t have to be so mean about it...” “Sorry Spike, I’m just a bit on edge...” After a short silence, Spike went outside and guarded the entrance while Twilight cast another spell with her horn, making Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy appear in the library. Holo looked at Twilight, as she began to pant slightly. Twilight sure had some magic in her, but she had reached her limit. The three ponies that suddenly appeared noticed Twilight’s condition, as they set her down on a nearby couch. Twilight had pushed herself too far, and had fainted as a result. Now it was up to Holo to explain why all of them were here at once.
Man & WolfIt had been many years since a human had spoken to her. Not that she minded the change of pace, it was just that the villagers she helped didn’t respect her anymore. Sure there was the yearly pagan festival to honor the promise of a good harvest each year. Over the years, it had turned from a whole-hearted worshipping of her, to an excuse to drink heavily for a day. It seemed that the villagers didn’t need her anymore. She never wanted to be a goddess of the wheat, it just was a title given to her by the locals who still remembered her name. Flicking misshapen fleas from her tail, Holo looked from the fields of wheat to the mountains. She had wished for an escape from this village she had once cared for. She wanted to go north, to the forest of Yoitsu, but she was still stuck in the village. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to escape, she just couldn’t. Holo lived in the wheat that the village used, if she wandered off, she would disappear from the world. Her only chance to escape, was if someone were to come by and take a few bundles of wheat from the fields. Until that time arose, Holo would wait in the wheat for someone to take a bundle, far away from the village she now loathed. ~~~~~ Norah walked along the dusty trail, as she looked for someplace to rest. It had been hours since she had lost her sheep and her sheepdog. Wherever they had gone, she did not know, but she had failed her duties. It wasn’t easy taking care of sheep when one always wanted to wander off. The rest of the flock followed suit, taking hours to get back on the trail. With a sheepdog to help, it cut the time in half, but now she was alone. Having a long grass-colored robe in the fall was quite handy, especially when the nights were cold. Her horn that she kept at her waist was all but useless now. Untying her gray sash, she blew the horn loudly, hoping for (at the very least) the sheepdog to return to her. Her attempt proved fruitless, but she still kept her head held high. Her staff was at least a foot taller than her, with a ringing bell that used to guide her now-lost sheep. With most of her equipment rendered useless, the shepherdess still kept them near her. She was warned of wolves that roamed the area, so she kept her staff as a weapon. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, mostly for modesty, because it was a custom for most women to tie their hair in that fashion. She tucked her hair in her hood, as she made her way to the village of Pasloe. ~~~~~ Holo stared at the night sky, she never was amazed by it. She knew it was just a mark of another day added to her long stay in Pasloe. Scanning across the skies, her gaze fell on the full moon. She thought that a full moon was one of the better natural pleasures for a wolf. It was more like an instinct to love the moon, a more primitive than developed habit. The moon however, looked slightly different than all the other nights. Holo could sense that something was amiss, as her ears quickly perked up. A large thunderstorm was coming, and it usually invited trouble. She ate a bit of wheat, as she transformed into a massive wolf with red eyes. Her scythelike claws easily crushed part of the wheat field. Her fangs were deathly white, as she roared loudly, enough to be heard for miles. She took this form because it kept her warm during the torrential downpours that went by. There were great volleys of thunder which lit up the night sky. Even for Holo, who had experienced many storms, was astounded by the ferocity and the amount of rain, wind, and hail. ~~~~~ Norah had just reached the town’s edge when a large storm burst the sky open. The thunder and lightning alone scared the girl out of her wits, as she hurriedly ran to any type of shelter. With every step, her breathing became more labored, as she searched for any kind of refuge. Her hair stood on end, as she felt the warmth of a lightning-bolt strike a nearby cottage, setting it ablaze. She had expected to hear screams of agony, but only heard laughter. Out of the flames, a lone man walked into the storm. His neck snapped quickly to his left, as his eyes met Norah’s. The man vanished into thin air, as Norah’s eyes bulged in surprise. The man drew a blade from his belt, as his smile cracked wide. ~~~~~ Flagg’s face was badly burnt from the inferno, but he took no notice. He spotted a lone woman out in the rain, so he dashed towards her. The girl smelt of dandelions and sheep, oh how he loved the taste of sheep. Drawing his blade, he smiled and showed all of his yellowed teeth. He sensed another force sprinting towards him. A being wants to challenge him? So be it, it had been years since he had a worthy opponent. ~~~~~ Holo had sensed a great evil that was very near her. She smelled something foul in the air, as her instincts took over. Running faster than she had in years, she made her way to the smell of blood. Spotting a dark figure, she lunged at the hopes of killing it with one strike. ~~~~~ Flagg saw an enormous creature leap towards him, but he did not fear it. Diving under it, he threw the blade into the creature’s chest. It made no reactions, as Flagg’s arms suddenly doubled in size and muscle. His leather jacket shredded open, as his body erupted in flames, and he cackled madly at the creature and the girl. Snapping his neck, Flagg’s eyes turned a deep red. From his hands, extremely sharp talons appeared. His body was covered in a blue flame and he tensed up his legs to strike his prey down. He didn’t care who they were, just that they were lambs in his ritual. ~~~~~ Holo was struck with a small silver blade, that made her wince in pain. Turning around, her eyes spotted a creature that defied everything she knew. The once human figure was now more like some sort of werewolf with red eyes. She growled menacingly at the creature, but it didn’t show an ounce of fear. This thing, whatever it was, was more battle-hardened than her. She was capable of enormous things, but the creature standing before her was....different. ~~~~~ Norah shivered in the rain, but this was not a cause for alarm. The two creatures standing across from each other worried her. Whatever she had learned about demons, didn’t apply here. These things were the stuff of legend, that were too feared to be researched. The only useful thing she could do, was to bow her head in defeat, expecting to be devoured by one of the creatures. ~~~~~ Flagg struck in near-synchronization with the lightning, as his claws scraped the chest of the large wolf. A dark smile appeared from his face, one that told of cruelty beyond all imagination. He punched, slashed and bit the large wolf, but it would not fall. Reverting back to his human form, he held a long black sword in his right hand. Without another breath, he slashed at the girl and the wolf in one sweeping motion, leaving a blood trail in his wake. ~~~~~ Holo’s and Norah’s eyes widened, as they realized the extent of their wounds. Norah now knew that the wolf had tried to protect her from the werewolf standing before her. She wanted to scream because of the pain, but her body became numb, as she passed out. Holo had realized that she saved a shepherd girl, who was once a coined enemy of wolves. Formalities did not matter now, since she needed to protect the shepherd from any more harm. Holo blocked Flagg’s path to the girl, but he just grinned even wider. Tilting his head and wheezing, Flagg spoke, “So, you are the wolf-deity, Holo.” Holo was surprised at his words, “How do you know of me?”, as she slowly backed away. Flagg coughed up blood, as he still held a grin on his face. “So the Wisewolf backs away from a fight? How very dull.” He stepped closer to the injured Holo, as a lightning bolt struck the ground behind him. Holo knew that if she ran, the innocent girl would perish, she didn’t want that to linger on her mind for the rest of her life. She picked up Norah, and threw her on her own back. Holo was about to run, when Flagg shook his head at her. “Tsk, Tsk. Why should I let you leave, besides, don’t you know that storms are dangerous? We can’t have you suffer out here any longer, even if you resemble a goddess.” With that, Flagg’s body appeared instantaneously in front of Holo. Before she could react, the madman tapped Holo’s chest. Holo felt her body seize up, as she reverted to her human form. Norah fell off of Holo’s back and into the mud. Holo growled at Flagg, with her tail up in alarm. Flagg’s face went blank, as he simply stared at Holo. “In this world, you may be killed for looking like a human with wolf ears and a tail. I have traveled many years an it’s all the same, everything’s the same.” Holo looked at Flagg with confusion on her face, “What are you going on about?” Flagg shook his head, “I will give you a chance to not be criticized or hurt, for I have seen your resolve. There will be a great evil that you must face, but you need more friends to defeat it. I am merely one of his servants, nowhere near to his power.” Holo was shocked, why did this man what to help her? Why would he give her mercy? Who, or what, was this evil? With a snap of his fingers, a bolt of lightning struck Holo and Norah, making them vanish. Behind him, a red-robed figure thrust a longsword into Flagg’s chest. Flagg closed his eyes, letting the pain seep away. His limbs felt numb and his breathing stopped. He sighed, “Good luck, you’ll need it.” He then disappeared in a wall of black flames. The robed figure swore under his breath, “How could he deceive me for this long? No matter, I shall track down where he sent those two women, and kill them.” Pressing a finger to his ear, he called one of his subordinates. The robed figure spoke, “I need you to find two people for me. They are a threat to our plans, understood?” The man on the other end replied, “Yes sir. Did you find any information regarding the aforementioned people?” “From what I gathered from Flagg, I can at the very least say that they are weak. They are two women, or the one was. The other one....seemed different. They don’t seem like much of a threat now, but I know that they will grow their abilities. I’ve dealt with a few like that in the past. I need you to find them, and send Montez after them. He should be more than enough to handle them.” He clicked the receiver off, as he smiled and yelled in the storm. “You think you can get away from me? Good luck with that....” Making an about face, his robe flowed into the wind, as he vanished in a plume of red smoke. ~~~~~ Holo’s eyes opened, as she was still in her human form. Checking herself, she found that neither her ears or tail were gone. She felt a light person on her back, who was the shepherd girl, Norah. Holo looked around, but couldn’t see any signs of villages in sight. She could smell something walking her way, by the scent, they seemed like horses. Placing Norah on her back, Holo walked towards the smell, until she spotted the two horses, or rather, ponies. It seemed that one had wings and the other a horn on its head. Holo had no idea if the creatures were hostile, so she and Norah hid in the leaves of a nearby tree. Holo slowed her breathing down to avoid detection from the ponies that headed her way. Norah was barely alive, as she was laying on a large branch near the trunk of the tree. Holo had a feeling that hiding wasn’t the best option for Norah’s survival. As soon as the thought came to her head, Holo grabbed Norah and placed her gently against the tree, as she ran away. Holo didn’t plan to abandon Norah, even if she was a shepherdess. She planned to see just what the ponies would do to Norah, before running off. She hid in a nearby bush, as the two ponies spotted Norah. They ran up to her, and simply stared. After a few seconds, they spoke to each other, as the horned one picked Norah up with a spell. The pegasus scanned the nearby area for whoever dropped her there. Finding no one, she motioned to the unicorn, as the two went back with Norah. Holo was still suspicious of them, so she dashed through the trees and bushes to keep an eye on Norah. She couldn’t understand anything that the unicorn or pegasus were saying, but she could read their faces. They expressed concern on Norah’s behalf, which was a good sign. Hopefully, this world had some sort of medical center to revive Norah. After a few miles of walking, a tall building with a red cross came into view. It seemed that Norah would be in good hands, as Holo began to walk back. She felt a quick rush of wind pass her, as her path was blocked by a rainbow-maned pegasus. Holo’s eyes widened at the speed of the pegasus, it was almost as fast as her. From what she could tell, the pegasus was angry at her for some odd reason, and she started to act aggressively towards Holo. It seemed that she had no choice, but to teach this “rainbow” pegasus who was truly the boss. Holo closed her eyes, as she concentrated hard to transform. Within a few moments, she realized that her transformation was blocked, by some magical force. With nothing powerful to change into, Holo was at the mercy of the pegasus.
Rainbow & WolfRainbow Dash charged at her with great speed. Holo’s eyes could read her opponent’s movements, as she went to dodge. She dove over the pegasus, rolling herself into a slight limp stance. She was surprised at how quickly Holo moved. She had never been in many fights with ponies faster than her, but this thing was beyond her level. Holo sighed, as she took a wide fighting stance, and she closed her eyes. Picture the opponent, and find their patterns. She opened her eyes, looking over the Dash’s build and her way of fighting. From what she observed, this opponent was young and speedy. She noticed that she was cocky, so she could be manipulated easily. Holo readied herself for the pegasus, having had a strategy in place. The rainbow pegasus charged at full speed into the air, as Holo closed her eyes again. The pegasus aimed at Holo with her signature “Sonic Rainboom”, as she dove at Holo. Holo’s arms were outstretched, as her legs were shoulder-width apart. Rainbow Dash was within a meter of hitting Holo, leaving almost no time for a counter-attack. Holo’s arms suddenly flew in between the pegasus and herself. Thrusting her arms out in front of her, Holo blocked the Sonic Rainboom. Her opponent’s eyes widened, as she was shocked that Holo withstood the Sonic Rainboom’s speed and power. She seemed exhausted after her signature move, which seemed odd. Rainbow Dash had used up all her energy for one critical attack, that was nullified by Holo. Dash wondered how Holo had blocked it, for she seemed very small and weak. How could a frail looking creature stop me? Holo looked at her arms and hands. She normally would’ve been beaten in her human form, but why did her body withstand the impact? She could only think of one possibility, the power she had as a giant wolf, was put into her human form. The sudden switch to a new world with magical creatures probably enhanced her power as well. It all seemed too good to be true, but Holo didn’t want to take her chances with a new power. She didn’t know how much she still had in store, especially after the incident with Flagg. Holo looked at herself, with wolf ears and a tail, and her human body, it didn’t make sense that a creature suddenly would attack her. Then again, the world Holo was used to didn’t take kindly to things like her. She looked at her tail, paying no mind to the panting Rainbow Dash. A cold chill went up her spine, as she sensed something coming her way. She looked at Rainbow Dash, and dove at her. Rainbow Dash was too tired to move, so Holo had shoved her out of way. A flash of red light made Holo and Rainbow Dash wince, as the earth shook violently. Where Rainbow Dash once stood, only a large crater remained. Holo sighed in relief, but kept alert, as a groan was heard from the bottom of the crater. A man with torn blue jeans and a brown leather jacket rose from the crater. His black shades hid his eyes, as he cracked his neck and pulled an apple out of his pants pocket. Taking a bite, he nonchalantly walked out of the crater, paying no mind to Holo or Rainbow Dash. Sighing, he stared up at the sky, and raised his right hand up to the sun. As he lowered his hand, the sun dimmed, as it became night in an instant. He made a slight coughing sound, as he spoke, “That’s better, never did like the daylight anyway.” Holo was flabbergasted at how casual the man was. She was so distracted, that Rainbow Dash ran out from under her. She made an attempt to punch the man, as he simply took the brunt of the blow. His face did not move, nor did any part of his body move at all. It seemed that it had no effect, as Holo watched closely. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash was holding her arm in pain, as the man knelt close to her. He shook his head in disappointment, “You shouldn’t have done that. Every weak punch you give only hurts you, not me. Here, this is how you should hit someone...” In a flash, he grabbed Rainbow Dash, and gave her a quick roundhouse kick to the skull, sending her tumbling to the ground. She landed with a thud, that ended with a cracking sound, as she winced in pain. Holo could not help Rainbow Dash, for she had no idea how hurt she was. The man slowly walked up to Holo and grabbed her by the tail. She punched at the man, until his nose bled from the few punches she gave. He laughed, “You hit pretty well, not as powerful as Flagg, but good nonetheless.” He threw Holo next to Rainbow Dash, as he took another bite of his apple. Scratching his black shoulder-length hair, he sat down on a nearby rock. Looking at Holo, man spoke, “I am not the strongest of all my comrades. I was sent her to end your life, but I see no point in the deed. Why must I end a life that cannot even save herself, let alone a stranger she doesn’t know? I need to have somewhat of a good fight, especially when it’s you I have to fight.” Holo’s eyes widened as she began backtracking to the man she met before. The Flagg that I met before, was weaker than him this man? She thought a moment, then spoke up, “Why are these people after me? Why do you want to kill me?” The man spit a seed out of his mouth, as he blinked at Holo. “I don’t want to kill you, my boss wants you dead. He’s a busy guy, you see, so he doesn’t have time to deal with you. Which is why he sent me here. I only will fight you when you are at full strength, because I know that Flagg drained you of your energy. I think if you were at your full strength, you could defeat me, but that’s just my theory. After all, you are a deity in your world. I’ve always wanted to fight a goddess...” Holo raised her voice to the man, “Why do you fight me?” The man raised his eyebrows, “I fight because I get bored of killing weaklings, I’d rather have a challenge every time. You are but a seed that needs to grow and mature in battle. You are experienced with your wolf form, but you need to channel that power through your current form to master your power. I will come back here when you are ready to fight me.” Holo only had one final question for the man, “What is your name?” The man looked slightly surprised at the question, “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I mean, I can’t even remember the last time someone asked me my name.” Tapping his temple, he replied, “My name is Montez, and I look forward to fighting you again.” Montez gave a smirk, as he sank into the ground. Holo looked at Rainbow Dash to see if she was okay. She seemed to be breathing, but just barely. Out of all times, why did he have to interfere with our fight? Especially after the both of us were weakened. Holo spotted the unicorn from earlier walk up. Holo could now see that this unicorn had a purple body and pointed stars on her flank. She could only look for a few seconds, as the unicorn teleported between her and Rainbow Dash. The purple unicorn looked at Holo with contempt in her eyes, as her purple eyes began to turn to a bright white color. Holo backed away slowly, as the unicorn charged up the magic in her horn. The heat coming off of the horn made Holo shout, “STOP! I didn’t hurt your friend! It was a stranger!” The unicorn’s horn stopped glowing, as the heat faded from her horn. “Alright, I’ll hear you out, but make it quick.” Holo let the events from earlier come out, “Your friend and I fought for some reason. She suddenly snapped at me, maybe she thought that I hurt the person you picked up earlier. After our fight, this man suddenly came out of nowhere. He injured your friend when she tried to punch him in the face. He only wanted to confront me....I don’t know why he didn’t just attack me.” The purple unicorn smiled, “Thank you for telling me outright, but don’t think that I’ll trust you that easily. Now if you don’t mind, would you tell me your name and the name of Rainbow’s attacker?” Holo nodded, “Yeah, my name’s Holo, and the man’s name is Montez....” Twilight wrote down a few notes, as she spoke, “Could you help me carry Rainbow Dash to the hospital? You can also meet your friend there too.” Holo agreed to Twilight’s plan, as she supported Rainbow’s deformed wings and walked to the hospital.
Ashes & WolfAfter about a few minutes of walking, Twilight, Holo, and Rainbow Dash reached the hospital. It stood tall, with its baby blue colored walls, as it seemed to invite patients. Of course, the paint itself was made to make people more calm during their time at the hospital. A large red cross was lit above the entrance, as the group calmly walked in. As soon as they arrived, they received strange looks from the staff and patients. At first, it seemed that they were being eyed up because they were carrying a body. In any normal circumstance, it would be EMTs or medical staff who would bring in a patient. Even though Rainbow Dash looked weary, she could still move, since she gave one doctor a deep glare. She grew impatient, as she tried to walk on her own, but Twilight and Holo kept her still, not wanting to add another injury to her list. Rainbow Dash sighed, as she waited to be treated by some doctors who looked overly concerned about her. It was normal for doctors to automatically look at anyone with any injury, but not with this much care. Normally it would be dismissed as caring staff, but there seemed to be something off about one of the doctors who looked at Rainbow Dash. As Twilight kept an eye on Rainbow Dash, Holo decided to roam around and find Norah. She located the stairs and went up to the third floor. Holo could locate Norah with her nose, because she still retained her sensitive nose from her wolf form. Going down a long hallway, Holo noticed that the lights flickered randomly, yet the first floor was perfectly lit. Something was off, and Holo was set on seeing what it was. She heard mumbling off in the other end of the floor, as she ran towards it, she spotted a shadowy figure. Holo couldn’t help but pause and look at the shadow, as it reared its head and growled. She noticed the scurrying of its feet coming closer, as she ran towards Norah’s scent. Holo could hear rapid breathing coming from behind her, as the creature got closer to her. Without a second thought, Holo tore an open door off of its hinges, and threw it behind her. The door scraped across the floor, as sparks flew off of the door. Hearing a heavy thud, Holo slowed down to a walk, as Norah’s scent became stronger. Opening a door to her left, she found Norah, or rather, her clothing on the floor. The beds were bent in impossible ways, as Holo noticed that the window was broken open. She looked over the edge of the window, seeing nothing but the shrubbery surrounding the hospital. Holo smelled a very different scent, one mixed with blood, turning around to face a creature with black eyes. The creature looked much like a wolf, only it was more of a mist than an actual figure. It took one step towards Holo, as it began to drool on the floor. Only now did she notice that the floor she was on had red stains, as she began to fear the worst. The creature dove at Holo, slightly cutting her right arm. She grabbed the creature’s snout and applied pressure to its nose. Her fingers slipped through the creature, as it smiled at her. It spoke, “Do you even understand who you are?” Holo stepped back, as she was shocked at what it said. Why would a creature just ask me a question out of the blue? It just didn’t make any sense... The creature then took the shape of a human, with its eyes still glowing red. It grabbed Holo by the throat, and threw her out the window. Holo could hear it laugh maniacally, as she crashed to the ground. She heard several screams come from the hospital, as a section of the hospital simply disintegrated, leaving ponies falling to the ground. Holo turned into her wolf form, as she ran to catch the falling ponies. Dashing quickly, she managed to catch all of them on her back, and one with her teeth. By this time, she was exhausted, and reverted to her human form. The ponies that she saved were awestruck as she began to walk away. The creature still had its eyes on her, watching everything she did. It smiled, as it appeared in front of Holo. “Well, how did it feel? To finally reveal your form to everypony?” Holo’s eyes grew wide, as she realized what she had done. She had revealed her wolf form, when she couldn’t before. Holo looked at the creature, “What did you do to me?” Why did you help me return to my other form?” The creature frowned at her, as it shook its head. “Only time will tell if what I bestowed upon you is a blessing,” It suddenly showed a large grin, “or a curse...” Before she could react, the creature vanished, as did the ponies she saved. It appeared, to her, that the ponies she saved were just an illusion by the creature she fought. I guess that’s good, she thought, since no one really accepted me for who I really was in the first place. Holo still needed to find Norah, to make sure that she would be safe. For Holo knew that Norah was just a regular human, and unlike Holo, she couldn’t defend against the supernatural. Holo could still smell Norah’s scent, but it was faint at best. She had a clue where Norah went, but she still needed help. Holo ran back into the hospital, as Twilight and Rainbow Dash were about to leave. Twilight was the first one to speak, “What happened up there? I swore that I heard something fall-” Holo quickly cut her off, “Nothing happened! It was merely some broken glass...” Holo sighed, “I can’t find Norah.” Twilight’s eyes widened, “What?! I made sure that she was admitted into a room!” Holo shook her head, “Well someone took her, and I need to find her soon...” Twilight nodded her head in agreement, “Sounds like an idea.” she looked back at Rainbow Dash, “Are you up to flying?” Rainbow Dash objected, “I thought that the nurse said-” Holo gave her a mean look, “It’s for a friend of mine! She’s gone, and I only trust you and your friend.” It soon became clear, however, that Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to fly anytime soon, as she struggled to even flap her wings without pain. Holo, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash decided that it was best to go on foot. Holo followed Norah’s scent, as the two ponies behind her simply followed her. Hours past, as the scent was being tampered by something that smelt of candy. Holo simply ignored the smell, and tried to focus all her energy on Norah’s scent. She heard a bubbly voice beside her, “If you are looking for someone, I’d be the best pony to ask! Cause I know everyone in Ponyville!” Holo cared not to look at the pink pony who smelt of cotton candy, but the pony persisted. “Hey! I just met you, but I don’t know you?! Why is that? Oh! I need to throw you a party! Ye-” “PINKIE! Now’s not the time to throw a party, we are looking for somepony who’s gone missing.” “What do they look like?” Holo turned towards Pinkie Pie, “She’s much like me, she has blonde hair, a cloa-” “Say no more! I already have this mystery solved!” Pinkie happily announced. Twilight rolled her eyes, “I sure hope it’s not like the M-” “Silly Twilight, I have improved my sleuthing skills from the cake incident! In fact, your friend is right here!” Pinkie put her hooves in her mane, as she rummaged through it. Pulling out various types of objects ranging from a pencil, to an actual sink, she paused and smiled at the group. She pulled Norah out from her mane, as Holo, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash stood in shock. “I knew you were strange, Pinkie, but this...” Rainbow Dash said, as she tried to withhold her surprise. Holo looked at Norah, it seemed that she was unharmed, as she had a lollipop in her mouth. Norah looked surprising calm, having been injured, thrown in the air, and put in some pink pony’s mane. It took her a second to recognize Holo, as soon as she did, she hugged her tightly. “I was scared! I didn’t know-” “It’s alright Norah, nothing could have prepared you for this...” Holo calmly uttered. She turned to Pinkie, “Thank you for helping out Norah.” Pinkie smiled, “Anything for a friend of mine, or Twilight’s, for that matter!” Twilight felt a sudden cold rush through her, as she sensed some sort of evil in the air. “Girls! We need to go!” “Why?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Trust me, I can sense something is off, and we need to get to someplace safe.” Holo began sensing the same thing, as she quickly grabbed Norah and Pinkie, and began running down towards Ponyville. Twilight called Holo back, “We don’t need to run there, because I have a spell for this type of scenario.” They all gathered in a group, as Twilight’s horn glowed. The ground beneath them began to shake, as a purple dome covered their bodies. Within an instant they were transported to Twilight’s home, as she quickly grabbed a book from the shelf. “I need to contact the rest of the group, Holo, can you stand guard outside? I know that you’ve been through alot, of course I am judging based on how physically tired you are. On second thought, Pinkie, can you-” A purple dragon ran down the steps, “Twilight! What’s the...who are these people?” Twilight barked at Spike, “There’s no time for questions! Stand guard outside will you?” “Fine, but you don’t have to be so mean about it...” “Sorry Spike, I’m just a bit on edge...” After a short silence, Spike went outside and guarded the entrance while Twilight cast another spell with her horn, making Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy appear in the library. Holo looked at Twilight, as she began to pant slightly. Twilight sure had some magic in her, but she had reached her limit. The three ponies that suddenly appeared noticed Twilight’s condition, as they set her down on a nearby couch. Twilight had pushed herself too far, and had fainted as a result. Now it was up to Holo to explain why all of them were here at once.
