Copper Heart

-Ponyville-

Jackpot Ace sat down beside Wolf Heart, furrowing a worrisome brow as she cried. "I'm sorry about Abacus," he muttered, his vision blurring as his gaze became unfocused and zoned. His ears fell flat whilst the winged unicorn's cries resonated through the house.

"I can't deal with this anymore," Wolf Heart sobbed, head buried in her arms as her shoulders shuddered. "He wasn't supposed to die... not like this," she cried.

The unicorn stallion sighed heavily. "Better him than you," he retorted, more so to himself than anypony.

At hearing the words, Wolf Heart lifted her head, her expression now that of anger as she took the heavily sleeping form of June Bug from Jackpot's arms. "My life was worth no more than Oak's was! Now get out! Get the fuck out of my sight!" she roared in his face, her horn glowing faintly.

Jackpot, bewildered and shocked, obliged, making a hasty exit from the kitchen before Wolf Heart slowly fell back down, burying a hoof in her mane and crying whilst holding her child in her free hoof.

-Moments Later-

"Did you talk to her?" Astral Thunder asked Jackpot Ace flatly as he stormed from the house, slamming the front door behind him.

"Shut up! Shut up! Okay?! Just shut up! I don't want to hear your bull shit! Now leave me the fuck alone and take care of this yourself!" Jackpot shouted in his face before storming away.

Astral sighed and dipped his head before haphazardly nudging Steadfast's head with his hoof. "Wake up," he grunted.

The earth stallion in question woke slowly, lifting a hoof to his snout with a wince. "What happened?" he muttered as he stumbled to his hooves before looking up at Astral Thunder. Almost instantly, a scowl came across his face. "What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to leave?" he growled.

"I can't leave, not just yet," Thunder explained. "You see, your family is in grave danger. You are being hunted by a very bad group of ponies who wants you and your wife dead. You never met Dapper Alan Jolt, but he was a friend of Wolf Heart's and now his former enemies, are her current enemies. I need you to grab your wife and child, and get out of here... before you fall victim to this." At the words, the pegasus pointed down at Abacus Oak's body, moving Steadfast's attention towards it.

"Why? Why do they want us dead, though? It can't be just because of Wolfie's affiliation with Mister Jolt, so don't try to feed me that bull shit," the earth stallion retorted.

Astral Thunder rolled his eyes. "Why is not important right now. The point is if you care about your wife, you will do as I say, no questions asked, do you understand me?"

-Beaver Hollow, The Everfree Forest-

Shadow Blade stirred, ushering a pained growl as he hefted himself to his hooves. The stallion's face bled as a result of the branch he'd received to the jaw, and a few of his teeth had been knocked loose from his mouth. Spitting a blood clot from his mouth with a grimace, the pegasus stallion cracked his neck and looked over his surroundings, flexing his metal arms momentarily in the process.

With a sneer, he beat his wings. He recognized the being that had taken him down, and Colonel Hurricane needed to be made aware. Astral Thunder had been a thorn in his organization's side for too long...

-Ponyville-

Steadfast slowly walked into the kitchen, brows furrowed with concern for his wife's well being. Wolf Heart was currently balled into a fetal position, clutching her daughter close to her chest while her knee bounced as it typically did when she was anxious or upset.

"Hey, Baby-girl," Steadfast cooed, gently taking up residence next to her and placing a ginger hoof on her leg in hopes of calming the mare. The stallion sighed as Wolf slowly turned her head and looked up into his yellow-tinged, brown eyes, her own bloodshot and red. "I'm so sorry about Abacus," he whispered, pulling Wolf Heart close while being careful to avoid crushing his sleeping daughter between them. Steadfast exhaled, running a hoof through the mare's long, navy and sky-blue mane.

Wolf Heart sniffed as she forced back tears. "First Cipher, then Dapper... and... and now Abacus," she cried softly into his shoulder. "I wish they were here."

At the words, Steadfast wrapped Wolf Heart into a tight embrace, pulling her into his lap and kissing her forehead. "I know you do, Baby... I know you do. I'm sorry you had to see that... That stallion thinks he might know who's behind all of it though," he explained in a voice barely above a whisper before noticing that Astral Thunder was leaning against the frame of the door that led to the kitchen, arms crossed. Steadfast glared up at him. "We need to leave," he continued through a sigh.

"What? Why?" Wolf queried, leaning back and looking at her husband with a quizzical, and sorrowful expression. Turning her head, she noticed the muscular pegasus in her house.

"Because," said stallion started in a stern voice. "You are not safe here anymore. A group of agents working illegally under Celestia's nose wants you dead... One, in particular, seems to show a particular interest in seeing to it that you are killed, Misses Heart," Astral Thunder answered.

Wolf Heart's expression darkened considerably as she recalled many years ago when she had a run-in with a certain alicorn. "Flute Melody," she sneered, her sorrow making way for pure anger.

"Yes, that's right... I have orders to take you to the Crystal Empire in order to see you to safety. Apparently, Princess Cadenza would like to speak with you." It was at that time that both Steadfast and Wolf Heart noticed his cheeks redden slightly, a cursory smile slipping across his muzzle.

-Hours Later, Train to the Crystal Empire-

Wolf Heart sighed, her gaze trained upon the floor of the train car as Steadfast slept in the spot beside her, with June Bug snuggled into the crook of his arm. Astral Thunder sat across from her with a stern, yet slightly more gentle expression clad upon his face as he scrutinized her curiously.

"Tell me, Wolf Heart... What was Mister Jolt like?" he grunted.

The mare looked up at him, her emerald eyes fixated upon his own green and blue, singular eye. "No," she replied flatly, leaning back in her seat

Astral tilted his head and flicked an ear, raising an eyebrow. "I need to know what he could have done to create the enemies he did... or I can't help you," the pegasus said calmly, angling himself forward and touching his forehooves together.

"Did it maybe occur to you that we don't want your help?" Wolf Heart replied snidely, crossing and legs and folding her arms whilst glaring down at Astral. As much as she wanted to make Flute Melody pay for being the cause of her friend's death, Wolf Heart still didn't trust the pegasus fully, nor did she much like him. "For all, I know... you could have been the reason for Abacus's death," she accused, her voice wavering. "Tell me, Mister Thunder, could you have stopped Melody from killing him?"

The bat-winged pegasus dipped his head. "She already had him by the throat, Heart... There was nothing I could have done. And what about you, hm? Might it be that Mister Ace also winds up dead because you told him off, rather than allow him to stay with us?"

At the words, Wolf Heart's eyes practically blazed, her pupils constricting into cat-like slits as she bared her teeth, revealing a small pair of previously hidden fangs. The winged unicorn lunged forward, placing a hoof against Astral's throat and lifting the other above her head as a crackling teal and violet enveloped her horn.

Almost instantly, Steadfast awoke from his sleep with a jerk, looking over to see his wife ready to strangle the pegasus. "Wolfie, what are you doing?!" he blurted, rising to his hooves.

Astral lifted his hoof to stop the stallion as Wolf Heart snapped her head over to her husband, lips curled back aggressively. "Steadfast," Thunder choked as the mare growled. "Stand down, immediately!" he hissed.

The moment was over as soon as it began when Wolf Heart's eyes returned to a neutral state, her pupils dilating as her lips uncurled and the glow of her horn died to a flicker. Looking down, the mare wore a bewildered expression as she removed her hoof from Astral's throat. "What happened?" she spluttered, lifting her hoof to her forehead and leaning back.

As if on cue, June Bug awoke from her sleep with a yawn, her eyelids fluttering as she stretched her arms and looked over at her mother. She must have felt the tension in the air, for the little filly frowned and looked around. Steadfast gently set her down as she looked up at Astral Thunder and retreated behind her father's leg. "Daddy... he's scaring me," she exclaimed nervously, hugging Steadfast's muscular forearm and pointing at the bearded stallion.

"Don't be afraid, Honey-Bun, he's here to help us... I think," he explained with slight skepticism on his tone as Wolf Heart slumped back in her seat, sweat touching her brow as she breathed heavily.

Looking down, Steadfast furrowed a worried brow. "Baby? What is it?" he asked, sitting down beside her and lifting a hoof to her forehead. "Jeez, Wolfie! You feel like you're on fire," the earth stallion said with a shocked expression lacing his muzzle as he yanked his hoof away from her.

"I'm... fine," Wolf Heart lied, feeling quite the opposite of fine in that moment of time.

Steadfast deadpanned. "Tell me what's wrong," he instructed as June Bug looked worriedly up at her mother.

"I-I don't know. I feel faint. Just... give me... give me a moment to rest-" Her words cut off as she slumped over and passed out, falling against Steadfast's form as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Astral Thunder sat upright with an uneasy look on his face as June Bug squealed in fear. "Mommy?!" she yelped, taking her mother's leg and giving it a meek shake. "Mommy, wake up!" she begged before Steadfast lifted a hoof up to silence his daughter.

"Mommy's fine, Bug! She's just feeling a little bit worn out, okay?" Steadfast reassured her, gently lowering a hoof and resting it against June's cheek in an attempt to calm the panicked filly.

"What's wrong with her?" the small alicorn pleaded with wide eyes, standing up on her back hooves so that she could see her mother more clearly. "Why is she sleeping?"

Steadfast looked down at his wife's unconscious form with a disquieted frown.

"Has she had any contact with dark magic recently?" Astral interjected with a serious tone and firm expression that demanded an answer.

Far too flustered to retort, Steadfast acknowledged. "N-no, not that I know of!"

"And have you ever seen her behave this aggressively?"

"What are you, a damn doctor?! Of course, I haven't, Thunder!"

Astral Thunder stroked his beard, deep in thought. "Doesn't matter, we're here. Princess Cadenza can figure it out when we get inside." As if to prove the pegasi's words, the train ground to a halt, the whistle sounding off and the squealing of the metal wheels against track ringing.

As the train finally came to a stop, Astral Thunder rose to his hooves, where he came to Wolf Heart's side to hoist her up. "You get your daughter, I can carry Wolf," he explained to Steadfast before, with a grunt, he tossed Wolf Heart over his shoulder.

Steadfast grumbled a string of swears and derogatory remarks under his breath but didn't object as he lifted June Bug onto his back. "Mommy will be fine, okay, Bug?" he assured the four-year-old, though speaking to her more as an inner dialogue in order to reassure himself.

"Okay," the filly replied as the group of four departed from the train station and made their way towards the Crystal Empire itself.

-An Hour Later-

The first thing that Steadfast saw when Astral Thunder opened the throne room doors was a blur of light, bubblegum pink rush forward before leaping into the pegasi's arms that caused a wide smile to cross the normally rigid visage of his face. "Astro!" a regally armored alicorn laughed joyfully whilst hugging him tightly.

"Candy! Fuck, give me a chance to come to the door!" Astral exclaimed.

"Candy?" Steadfast scoffed, looking back and forth between the two before the realization hit him and his jaw dropped.

"Daddy? What's wrong? Your face looks funny," June Bug said, tilting her head and tugging on the fetlocks of her father's hooves.

"You two... are together?!" Steadfast blurted suddenly, throwing his hooves up as Astral slowly slipped Wolf Heart off of his back. In response, all three who were still conscious, even June Bug, looked to him like he had three heads.

Astral Thunder smirked. "Changes things, doesn't it? Y'know, I could have you tried for treason, considering your blasphemous behavior towards me," he snickered. "But for starters, you didn't know. And secondly, I'm not exactly what you'd call a 'royal'," the pegasus went on gruffly

Princess Cadence interrupted with an abrupt exclamation. "Goodness gracious! This is Wolf Heart!" she noticed with fear lacing her expression. "She needs medical attention, now," the alicorn said with authority, telekinetically lifting the unconscious mare into the air and rushing off. "You two stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can!" she called to the duo before leaving them alone, June Bug still on her father's back.

A moment of silence passed.

"So," Steadfast started in an attempt to strike up a conversation and ease off his worry for Wolf Heart. She was safe now. "You're a prince, hm?"

Astral Thunder swiveled his head to face the earth stallion with deadpan laced across his expression. "Don't be a fool," he grunted before turning and taking a seat against the closest wall, dipping his head and closing his eyes with a sigh. "Course I'm not a damn prince."

June Bug leaned forward. "I don't think he likes you, Daddy," she whispered.

"Thanks, Bug," the earth stallion said, shaking his head whilst chuckling at her words.

"You're welcome!" the filly chirped.

-Meanwhile, Crystal Medical Wing-

Wolf Heart slowly opened her eyes, having to do so at a snail's pace so that her vision could grow accustomed to the light that assaulted her retinas. The winged unicorn groaned as she pulled herself to an upright position, a blanket slipping off of her lap before she noticed that her prosthetic wings were not attached to her shoulders. Groggily, she sat up and looked around her, reaching for the bedside to put on her glasses. Upon doing so, Wolf Heart studied her surroundings before noticing the alicorn who stood at the foot of the bed with a warm smile upon her face.

"Welcome back, Miss Heart," Princess Cadence said softly.

"Thanks?" Wolf muttered, rubbing her eyes with a yawn. "What happened?"

Princess Cadence furrowed a brow. "We're not quite sure yet, nor do we know what caused you to black out... But, last I checked, normal ponies don't have fangs," she surmised.

"Where's Steadfast and June Bug?" Wolf Heart queried. "And... yeah. I noticed them about a month ago, oddly enough. Is there a problem with my having fangs?" the mare said, cocking a confused brow as she slipped off of the medical cot.

The alicorn spoke. "Your family is alright. I left them guarded in the throne room... And, no, nothing wrong, per say. Just odd. Your eyes reacted differently to light than other ponies tend to as well. When you were under, our doctor's ran a couple of tests to make sure nothing serious was going on. Most ponies, when a light is flashed in the eye, the pupil constricts, sure... Wolf Heart, yours constricted and slit... like a cat or dragon," she explained.

Wolf Heart lifted a brow in confusion. "What's that mean?" the mare asked.

Princess Cadence dipped her head with a sorrowful sigh. "Aerenth poisoning."

Wolf Heart's jaw lowered a couple of inches and her breath grew heavy. "H-how do you know?" she spluttered, none-too-pleasant memories of Dapper Jolt experiencing its effects flashing across her vision.

"King Sombra had those same features under dark magic's corruption. I think when he cut your wings off, you were infected by the aerenths that made up his scythe," Cadence continued. "I don't want to be a pessimist, but the fact that you've managed to maintain your sanity for this long is a miracle, if you are infected, which would seem to be the case."

She shook her head in disbelief. "No... Please tell me you're kidding," Wolf begged, not wanting to go down the same road as her deceased friend.

The Princess of Love shook her head slowly. "I'm really sorry for you, it's a Hell of a thing. I've already put a small spell on you to hopefully counterbalance its effects, but I can't make any promises that it will last." Cadence slowly opened the door leading into the room for Wolf Heart, where she followed her out.

As Wolf Heart trailed behind Cadence, her vision swam, disbelief and anxiety having mingled together in a mind-meddling mix that threatened to make sure she lost sanity. After a few more moments walking, the winged unicorn noticed that they weren't at the throne room, as she had been informed her husband was at, but the armory.

Wolf Heart furrowed a confused brow.

"I figured you would be going back out to find Flute Melody and take care of her, so while you were unconscious, I had a special pair of gauntlets made for you by our blacksmith," Princess Cadence clarified, noticing the uncertainty clad upon the mare's muzzle. "We also gave your wings a minor upgrade from the previous model," she smiled.

Wolf shook her head to clear her vision before she responded. "Hm? Oh, you really didn't have to do that," she retorted.

"Nonsense. A friend of mine and savior of the Crystal Empire deserves only the best," Cadence giggled, leading her towards a crystal resident wearing safety goggles as he slammed a large, square-headed hammer down on a long sword whose blade was still red hot. The two metals collided with a shower of sparks before the mustached unicorn looked up to see his ruler approaching him.

"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed with a smile, tossing the hammer onto a workbench and bowing his head. "You here for the new gauntlets?" the stallion asked.

Princess Cadence smiled warmly. "I am indeed, Smithy," she replied.

Smithy grinned and turned briefly before hefting a pair of iron gauntlets caped with sharp claws before him with a grunt. "Here they are, as requested! Caped with titanium wolf claws and padded with the harmlessly shorn fur of the Everhoof Mountain's snow yak!" he boasted proudly, puffing his chest slightly.

Wolf Heart gazed upon the gauntlets with fascination, her eyes wide. They were elegant, the base of the aforementioned claws laden with small jewels and the heel opened for a more feminine feel. A thin padding of snowy white fur was visible lining the interior of the gauntlets and flared out from the tops of them. The winged unicorn looked back and forth between Smithy and Cadence with disbelief etched across her face.

"We thought it fitting that the mare named "Wolf Heart" should have wolf claws on her battle-armor," Cadence said with a kindhearted smile.

"Do try them on, won't you?" Smithy said eagerly, placing the heavy boots on the floor.

Wolf Heart nodded and slipped her forehooves into the gauntlets, and lifted a hoof, expecting the armor to be heavy, after seeing the effort that the blacksmith put into lifting them. She was pleasantly surprised at how light they actually were and smiled. "I... I don't know how to thank you," she said whilst looking over at Smithy.

"Don't," the unicorn stallion smiled. "Not just yet anyway. Bend your wrist," he instructed.

Doing so, Wolf Heart smiled as, with a downwards motion in her wrist, the claws attached to the gauntlets also flexed down with a series of nearly silent mechanical whirs.

"They'll require some maintenance from time to time, of course, because they're mechanical, but otherwise, they should serve you well," Smithy smirked as Wolf Heart repeatedly flexed her wrist, fascinated with how the claws seamlessly flicked back and forth. "We also have your wings ready to try on as well," he noted, turning and moving to a corner of the workshop.

He returned a moment later with a large pair of wings gently rested on a cart. They were clearly larger than her previous pair, and now sported a small claw each. The frames were laden with crystals of varying colors that worked their way down the rainbow and they looked quite heavy.

Wolf Heart reached down and studied them with a smile before her gaze became caught on a series of etchings. She could see a pair of initials carved into the baseplate on each wing. On the left, she saw D.A.J. and the right, A.E.O. "Princess Cadence requested that your old friend's initials be carved onto the plates," Smithy smiled.

The mare leaned back, those initials were those of Dapper Jolt's and Abacus Oak's. She smiled, holding back tears and dipping her head. "Thank you," she whispered as Cadence telekinetically lifted one wing and Smithy the other. Wolf Heart closed her eyes, feeling the duo work and position the prosthetic appendages over the stumps of her old wings, where a center plate snapped the two together and leather straps were tightened around her chest and belly to prevent the set from slipping.

The two equines stepped back, where Wolf Heart flexed the new wings with a soft smile. Looking over her shoulder, she fixed her view on the large wings and sighed.

"You ready to head back?" Princess Cadence asked her after a moment.

"Yes," Wolf Heart replied softly.

The Princess of Love nodded and turned to Smithy. "Thank you Mister Smithy, you did a fantastic job. I'll get you the payment in a while, but in the meantime, why don't you take the time for an intermission, you deserve it."

"No payment necessary, Your Majesty. The satisfaction of the customer is payment enough for me," the unicorn smiled kindly, bowing briefly before Cadence led Wolf Heart from the workshop with a nod of respect towards the blacksmith.

-Moments Later, Crystal Throne Room-

Wolf Heart walked into the throne room, followed by Princess Cadence, a soft smile sketched across her muzzle as Steadfast and June Bug trotted up to meet her. "Mommy!" June blurted, jumping into her mother's arms with a gleeful squeal as Cadence moved towards her own husband.

"Hey, Bug!" Wolf cooed, hugging her daughter as Steadfast patiently hung back while mother and child embraced each other. "Did Daddy misbehave?" the winged unicorn asked her daughter with a mock look of seriousness, though she spoke in a sing-songy voice.

June Bug giggled and whispered into her mother's ear as Steadfast approached the two. "Hey, Baby," he smiled softly, relief washing over him at seeing his wife happy after the events that had unfolded in only a day.

"Hello, Handsome," Wolf Heart giggled while looking up slyly at her husband before she took a step forward and kissed her special-somepony on the lips, snaking a free hoof around his neck and lightly tickling him with a claw before she gently set her daughter down and lifting the other to his collarbone

"What's the news?" Steadfast chuckled after kissing her back, holding her tightly.

At the words, Wolf Heart's expression dulled considerably and she gently broke off the hug. "You remember I told you that Sombra used his scythe to cut my wings off?" she asked her husband through a sigh. "And that Dapper had his arm and wing cut off the same way?"

"Yeah, why?"

The mare moved her hoof away from Steadfast's collar and looking away. "Dapper had contracted aerenth-poisoning from the scythe, and eventually, it changed who he was," she whispered. "Baby..."

Steadfast cut her off by lifting a hoof to her lips. "I understand," the earth stallion said softly, ushering a deep breath. "Now you have aerenth-poisoning," he surmised, dropping his gaze down and lowering his hoof from her lips sullenly.

Wolf Heart choked back tears. "Cadence told me it was a miracle I hadn't already gone insane," she clarified, lifting her hoof and rubbing her eye with her arm.

Her husband looked down to see big eyes staring back up at him. "Your Majesty," he called to Princess Cadence, drawing her attention away from Astral Thunder and towards the trio. "Can you watch over June Bug for a moment, please? I need to speak with my wife."

"Of course," she replied, approaching them and gently leaning down to look the little alicorn in the eyes. "Hey, Miss Bug, why don't you come with me for a few moments. I can get you a snack, alright?" Cadence said with a warm, motherly smile that was her trademark smile.

"Okay," June Bug replied hesitantly before Cadence rose to her hooves and lifted the filly onto her back, where Astral followed them out of the throne room.

When he was sure that they were gone, Steadfast spoke again. "Is there any cure?" he asked Wolf Heart worriedly. "There must be some way to heal you of the poisoning," Steadfast exclaimed, lifting a hoof to his wife's cheek.

Wolf Heart shook her head. "Cadence said that the best she could do was slow its effects," she whispered, taking a step away from the earth stallion. "I don't want to hurt you if I lose control of myself as I did on the train," the mare then said, distancing herself slightly from her husband with sorrow engraved onto her face.

"You could never hurt me, Baby," Steadfast assured her, shaking his head with a smile in an attempt to reassure the mare and diminish her fears.

"I don't want to push luck," Wolf retorted, turning away from the stallion. "Besides that, you're... not coming with me."

Steadfast's expression became surprise. "What are you talking about?" he said, furrowing a brow.

"I'm going out to find Jackpot before Flute Melody and Shadow Blade do... and I don't want to risk you getting hurt or... or worse," the mare acknowledged, growing quite serious as she spoke. "Stay here and look after our daughter." With that, Wolf reproached her husband and looked up into his eyes. "I can't stand to lose you too."

After a moment of contemplation, Steadfast spoke, abet in a quiet, solemn tone. "Okay, Wolfie," he whispered, looking down at his wife.

Wolf Heart sighed, lifting a hoof to the back of Steadfast's head and gently craning his snout down. Tilting her head, the mare locked lips with the stallion, a tear slithering down her cheek as her wings lowered slightly. The two remained like this for a moment before Wolf Heart abruptly pulled away and trotted out of the room, leaving Steadfast whilst fighting tears.

The winged unicorn came to a pause at the door and turned to face the earth stallion briefly. "I love you, Steadfast," she said, furrowing a solemn brow before she left the room.

The stallion in question dipped his head pensively. "I love you too, Wolfie," he whispered.