What if Mavis was a:by darkmage1997ChaptersChapter 1: Werewolf (Part 1)Chapter 2: Werewolf (Part 2)Werewolf (Part 3)Werewolf (Part 4)Werewolf (Part 5)Werewolf (Part 5)(Alternate Route)Werewolf (Part 6)Werewolf (Part 7)Vampire (Part 1)Vampire (Part 2)Dullahan (Part 1)Witch (Part 1)Genie (Part 1)Centaur (Part 1)Yuuki Onna/ Snow WomanYuuki Onna/ Snow Woman (Part 2)Centaur (Part 2)Demon (Part 1)Demon (Part 3)Demon (Part 4)Demon (Part 5)Centaur (Part 3)Centaur (Part 4)Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 3)Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 4)Centaur (Part 5)Werewolf (Part 8: Final)Demon (Part 2)Chapter 1: Werewolf (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was wearing a very well made, but short Gothic Lolita dress, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful green eyes that were red and puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only to trip over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "peut-être juste un verre de lait?" Mavis asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room, "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of milk. She got the milk carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the milk. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may turn me in as some attraction,' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. 'Ok, I didn't see the Full Moon, but I should still be careful,' Mavis thought, as she crawled into the bathtub. She then proceeded to wash every inch of herself. After a few minutes, she rinsed herself off, and drained the bathtub. She then climbed out of the tub, and carefully let herself down to the floor. Grabbing a towel off from the sink, she proceeded to dry herself off. Once she was dried off, she redressed herself, and exited the bathroom. "Do you feel any better, precious?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis solemnly replied. "Well, let's get you to bed now," Cadence said, as she helped Mavis into the bed that was in the room, "I'm sure my sister in law, my aunts, and all their friends are going to love you," Cadence said, tucking the young girl into bed, "Goodnight Mavis," Cadence said, planting a small kiss on Mavis' head, before heading to the door, "And if you need me or Shining Armor for anything, our bedroom is right down the hall," Cadence said, as she left Mavis in the room. Mavis was trying to go to sleep, but kept tossing and turning in bed. Getting frustrated, she decided to go out onto the balcony, where she then proceeded to look out over the Crystal Empire. "Is this to be mon new home?" Mavis wondered. It was then she noticed something. There was still light out, even though it was nighttime. Looking around, she tried to find the source. It was then she wish she hadn't, because right there, above the castle, was the Full Moon. She tried desperately to look away, but the majesty of the moon was too much for her to break sight of it. She then felt her teeth sharpening, "Oh no, the change is starting!" Mavis screamed, as she gripped her head in agony, as a monstrous transformation took hold of her. Looking at her hands, she saw her nails began to sharpen and elongate, as her hands turned into large paws, with pitch black fur covering her arms. She felt her feet getting bigger. Looking down, she saw her feet went under a similar transformation as her hands. She grunted, as she felt a long, bushy tail sprouted from her backside, and her ears relocated themselves to the top of her head. Once her transformation was complete, she let out a howl that echoed throughout the Crystal Empire. Outside Mavis' room, Nathan was on his way back to his room from taking his dirty dishes back to the kitchen, "Now Ah'm ready ta hit the hay," Nathan commented, as he passed by Mavis' room. He was about to continue on, when he heard grunting coming from behind the door. Feeling concerned, he felt obligated to investigate, "Mavis? Are ya alright?" Nathan asked. All he heard was growling coming from behind the door, "Ah was just askin'," Nathan asked defensively. But upon listening closer, he could tell that grunting and growling was out of pain. One of the guards came walking by. "Prince Nathan, is everything alright?" the guard asked. "Ah honestly don't know. Could ya go git mommy and Daddy? Ah think something's wrong with Mavis," Nathan asked. The guard nodded, and dashed off to get the Crystal Couple. Within minutes, the guard returned with Cadence and Shining Armor. "Nathan, what's this about something being wrong with...." Cadence didn't get a chance to finish her question, as a bone chilling howl echoed through the halls, emanating from Mavis' room. "Does that answer your question?" Nathan asked. Reluctantly, Cadence nodded, as she used her magic to open the door. She was about to open it all the way, but stopped when she saw a sight that made the three of them all gasp in a mix of shock and horror. There, on the balcony, was Mavis, but she had beastly arms and legs, wolf like ears and a tail. Mavis turned to look at them with golden, yellow eyes. At first, she looked at them with a curious look, only for it to turn to an angry one, as she pounced at them with a roar. Chapter 2: Werewolf (Part 2)At the Crystal Empire Station, As soon as the friendship express pulled in, the Mane 6 piled out, and made a beeline for the Crystal Palace, "Are you sure what Cadence was talking about was real?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight. "There's no doubt. There's some kind of emergency here. That's the vibe I got from the letter she sent me earlier," Twilight replied. Flashback, early that morning, As Twilight was getting out of bed, a letter materialized in her bed chambers. Unrolling it, she saw that it was from her sister in law, Cadence, and based on the horn writing, she knew instantly that something was amiss. She then proceeded to read the letter, "Twilight, we have an emergency in the Crystal Empire! We need your help! Bring Raiden with you! Cadence, Twilight pondered what the emergency could be, but wasted no time in heading out to gather her friends. Present Time, "And that's all I was able to gather from the note," Twilight said, as they neared the castle. In the skies above, they saw the carriage, commandeered by Celestia and Luna, also nearing the castle, "Looks like Cadence contacted Canterlot too," she commented, as they arrived at the castle. Much to the Mane 6's, and even the Royal Sister's surprise, the guards looked like they weren't expecting them. "Princesses Twilight, Celestia, and Luna, what brings you all to the Crystal Empire?" one of the guards asked. "We were all called here by Cadence. She said there was some sort of emergency?" Celestia replied. The guards looked at each other, then back at the two groups. "We... weren't told that she was expecting you," the other guard replied. The two groups certainly weren't expecting this. "I will take you to the Princess. She and her family are in the dining hall," the first guard said, leading them into the castle. It didn't take long for them to reach the dining room, where they saw Cadence, Shining Armor, Nathan, Skyla, and Guard were all seated around the table, unharmed, eating breakfast, along with a human girl they haven't seen before. "Twiley? This certainly is a surprise," Shining Armor commented. "What brings you here, Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna?" Cadence asked. "We got your message?" Twilight replied, floating the letter over to them. Looking it over, Cadence had a look of mild shock on her face. "I never sent this," she stated. "So, there was no emergency?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, we thought there was at first, but...." Nathan said, making warping noises, as he went into a flashback. Last Night, Mavis had pounced at the Crystal Family, growling threateningly, "What happened to her?!" Cadence exclaimed. "Wolf ears, wolf tails, furry arms and legs, and yellow eyes..... there's no mistakin'...… Mavis is a werewolf!" Nathan exclaimed, as Mavis went on to attack them again, only for them to duck into the living room, avoiding the wolf girl's attack. "What in Equestria is a werewolf?!" Cadence exclaimed. "A monster that turns from a human into a wolf creature durin' a Full Moon. They've made tons o' movies about them back on Earth," Nathan explained. "Is there a way to stop one?" Shining Armor questioned. "The only thing that deals with werewolves is silver, but we don't want ta kill her, do we?!" Nathan exclaimed. The Crystal Couple looked at each other, and then back to Nathan. "No. It's clear that Mavis has suffered before we met her earlier this evening. What about a cure?" Cadence asked. "Ah'm afraid there ain't no known cure," Nathan replied. A growling broke their attention, as they shifted it towards the door, revealing the aggressive wolf girl, who crept slowly at them, "Uh, Mavis, Ah know we got off on the wrong hand, but Ah can assure ya, ya don't want ta do this," Nathan tried reasoning with the werewolf, who bared her fangs at the Crystal Family, who backed up, putting some furniture between them and her. Cadence quickly wrote a letter to Twilight, as Mavis charged at them, when..... WHACK! The three of them saw that Mavis was in fettle position, holding her foot, which she hit on the coffee table. They could hear her whining in pain. Mavis the proceeded to stand up, only to hit her head on very same coffee table, causing her to yelp in pain again. Cautiously, Cadence approached her, "Mavis, sweetie? Are you alright?" she asked, patting Mavis' head. Instead of attacking the pink alicorn, they all saw that Mavis instantly became docile, her eyes tearing up from a mix of pain from hitting her foot and head, and also from the guilt of attacking them. "je suis vraiment désolé. I did not mean to attack any of vous," Mavis said, her voice sounding just a little growly. "Uh, it's alright, but may Ah ask why you went all feral?" Nathan asked. "It's mon wolf nature. I only attacked because I changed and didn't have time to adjust to this form. That, and the smells were unfamiliar to moi," Mavis explained. "But... you're calm now, yes?" Shining Armor asked. Mavis simply nodded. "I hope you do not mind moi saying, but that fruity smell you have is quite lovely, Princess," Mavis said. "I used Strawberry and Cream body wash and conditioner," Cadence admitted. "And I must say, that peanut butter scent on Nathan is quite lovely too," Mavis commented. "But Ah haven't been eatin' anything with peanut butter," Nathan commented. Present time, "Wait, so, Mavis IS one of these 'werewolf' monsters, but is actually more dangerous to herself than she is to others?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "I would've worded that better, but yes," Cadence replied. "And she's not really a monster. She's more like a puppy," Nathan said. Mavis shrunk out of embarrassment at being called a puppy, but she did like being called one, as it made her feel cute. "So, just a false alarm?" Luna asked. "I guess. Sorry about this guys. But, since you're all here, maybe you'd all like to meet Mavis a little more formally?" Shining Armor asked. "We'll make introductions on Mavis' behalf," Cadence said, walking over to the girl in question. "Everyone, this is Mavis Goustou, our little guest," Cadence said, introducing Mavis, who shrank in her seat, upon feeling multiple strange gazes coming her way. "A shy one, is she?" Celestia asked. "Yes. She wasn't very open with us at first. But when she transformed last night, and saw that we accepted her, she became rather tame," Shining Armor replied. "I see. So, we should just give her time to warm up to us," Twilight commented. "It could be a part of her wolfen nature. Wolves tend to be more scared of us than we would be of them," Fluttershy piped in. "Maybe, but Ah think that may just be how Mavis is altogether," Nathan replied, taking Mavis aside, "Now tiger, Ah know it can be scary to meet new people, or in this case, new ponies, but Ah can assure ya, these folks are all really nice. Ya get where Ah'm goin' with this?" Nathan asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, though her tone indicated she still had some uncertainty. "Just relax. They ain't gonna try ta hurt ya, Ah promise," Nathan said, bringing Mavis back to the group from the little pep talk. Deciding this needed to be done delicately, Twilight opted for Fluttershy to go first. "Hello Mavis, it's very lovely to meet you. My name is Fluttershy, and I love animals of all kind. If I may ask, do you exhibit any typical mannerisms of a wolf when you change?" Fluttershy asked. "Some of them, I do. As Princess Cadence said, I can often attack those whose scents are unfamiliar to me just after changing, which is why I need a moment or so to adjust to my new body. I also have a tendency to chase mon own tail, and howl when I feel an irresistible urge to do so," Mavis quietly explained. Fluttershy nodded, and passed the torch off to Rarity. "Hello, young one. I am Rarity. And I must say, you look quite.... lovely in that dress," Rarity tried to hide her disdain for Mavis' Gothic Lolita dress. Mavis seemed unnerved by her mannerisms. "Don't worry, precious. Rarity just has a bit of bad history with Gothic Lolita. Anyways, my name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and also Shining Armor's younger sister. By the way, how is your transformation triggered anyhow?" Twilight asked. "It happens whenever I look at the moon when it is full. And it's not just the real one that makes me change. Any image causes me to transform," Mavis replied meekly. "I see," Twilight replied. Applejack decided to go next. "Howdy there little lady. Ah'm Applejack, part of the massive Apple Clan all across Equestria. If ya want, Ah can show ya mah home, Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack said. "I would happily accept your invitation," Mavis replied. Twilight motioned for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to take it easy when introducing themselves. Rainbow Dash went on up first. "Hey there kiddo, the name's Rainbow Dash. I'm one of the fastest Pegasus ponies out there. Maybe some time I can show you a few tricks?" the rainbow maned Pegasus offered. Mavis nodded. Next up was Pinkie Pie. Her friends were expecting her to be all overexcited to meet someone new, but instead, Pinkie calmly walked up to the young girl, and knelt down to eye level. "Hi there. My name is Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident Party Pony master. If you want, I could plan a party for you to welcome you to Equestria. Of course, you are free to decline," Mavis thought about what Pinkie had just said. "I am not comfortable with lots of attention, so, if you do not mind, I wish to decline," Mavis politely declined. Pinkie nodded in understanding. Last but not least, Celestia and Luna approached Mavis. "Hello Mavis. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my little sister, Luna. We are in charge of raising the sun and the moon," Celestia introduced the two. "As for your uncomfortable transformation, I must apologize, but this is an extremely rare year, when the moon is full all week long once each month," Luna replied. "You don't need to apologize, really! I may not be comfortable when changing, but it doesn't mean I don't like transforming. It makes me feel, how you say, free," Mavis replied. "Free from what, exactly?" Twilight asked. "The binds of being human," Mavis meekly replied. "Y'know Mavis, Ah think mah buds down in Ponyville would love ta meet ya," Nathan commented. "Is this 'Ponyville' nice?" Mavis asked cautiously. "Of course. It's one of the friendliest places in Equestria," Twilight replied. "It's got all kinds of places, a bakery, a boutique, even a guild hall, and a castle," Pinkie Pie added. "I tell you what Mavis. Why don't you go and see Ponyville for yourself? I'm sure you can make all kinds of new friends, and maybe Rarity could make you some new outfits?" Cadence asked. "It would be my pleasure to make her some more outfits," Rarity replied. "Well, I guess I could go see it," Mavis replied. "Oh good. Nathan, could you go and help Mavis pack a few things for the trip?" Cadence asked, levitating a satchel to her eldest son. With a nod, Nathan took Mavis out of the room, leaving the adults all alone, "By the way, where's Raiden?" Cadence asked. "He was in the middle of an experiment when we left, so he couldn't come," Twilight replied. "Well, while your down there, could you see if he can shed some light on this whole 'werewolf' business? I want to help Mavis feel more comfortable here," Cadence requested. "You can count on us," Twilight replied. "Ok then, once the two of them come back, we'll see you all back to the train station. And while you're gone, we'll try to figure out who sent that letter," Shining Armor commented. No sooner than he said that, Nathan and Mavis came back. "Ok, Ah think we're all ready for the trip," Nathan commented. "Ok then. We'll see you all to the station," Cadence said, as she and Shining Armor exited the castle with them. "We'll head on back to Canterlot. And we hope to hear from each of you soon," Celestia said, as she and Luna deviated from the group to go back to their chariot, and headed on back to Canterlot. Meanwhile, with the group, they had just arrived at the station. "Sorry about making you come all the way up here for nothing, Twiley," Shining Armor commented. "It's alright Shining. But I wouldn't say 'for nothing'. We got to meet a new friend," Twilight replied, as the Ponyville gang boarded the train. "Nathan, I want you to keep an eye on Mavis, and make sure she doesn't get lost or hurt, ok?" Cadence asked. "Sure thing," Nathan replied. Just then, the train gave a whistle, and took off. Werewolf (Part 3)The train ride to Ponyville was fairly long, to the point where Mavis dozed off, and fell asleep on the seat she and Nathan were sharing. Nathan allowed Mavis to use his lap as a makeshift pillow, "So, Ah'm guessin' the others didn't come because o' the urgency in that letter?" Nathan asked. "Of course. We didn't want to put them in any potential danger, but now that we know Mavis isn't a threat to anyone, other than herself, we can introduce her to your friends," Twilight said. "Yeah, maybe seein' them will make her feel more safe and secure," Nathan replied. "By the way, did you happen to see Mavis when she was transforming?" Fluttershy asked. "Ah'm afraid not. And even if Ah did, she wouldn't be usin' me as a pillow right now. Apparently, for some werewolves in her pack, being seen by any non-werewolf is the same as being seen naked in public," Nathan explained. "I see. So, what happens when she changes?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Well, she said she needs a moment or so to adjust to her new body. Any direct interaction immediately after the transformation makes her more of a wolf than a person," Nathan replied. Just then, the conductor came in. "Next stop! Ponyville! All who are departing be ready!" he bellowed. It was loud enough to wake Mavis, who stirred in her sleep. "Are we there yet?" she asked groggily. "Almost. You're going to love Ponyville. We'll see about getting you some more outfits, maybe a snack, and we can take you to look at some fantastic creatures on a ranch nearby," Twilight said. She figured she would try to keep the itinerary as small as possible, as Mavis is only just adjusting to Equestria. It was then that the train pulled into the station, "Alright Mavis, our first stop will be getting you some new clothes," Twilight said, as they all stepped off of the train, Nathan taking care to help Mavis off. "There ya go," Nathan said, as they all left the station, and made their way to Carousel Boutique. After getting the measurements Rarity needed to make Mavis some new outfits, the others decided to leave her to her work. With this in mind, they decided to stop by Sugarcube Corner, and order something sweet for Mavis, "Ok Mavis, is there anything you particularly like?" Twilight asked. "Well, I do like, how you say, butter cookies," Mavis replied timidly. "Well, alright then. We'll have a batch ready in about half an hour," Mrs. Cake replied, as she went into the back with Pinkie Pie. "Ok, in the mean time, I would like to talk to Raiden about.... you being a werewolf, if that's alright with you?" Twilight asked awkwardly. "Oui," Mavis replied, as Twilight led her and the others out of Sugarcube Corner, "So, where is this Raiden's house?" Mavis asked. "He lives up at the local guild hall. He has a lab there too where he does all these crazy experiments," Applejack replied. "He'll be answerin' any questions we have about werewolves," Nathan added, as the walked towards the guild hall. Seven minutes of walking later, They had arrived at the Guild Hall, and Mavis in awe at the gothic architecture, mainly the gargoyles that were decorating the walls and perches, "Come along now Mavis, Raiden should be inside," Twilight said, leading them inside. "Is it really ok for us to just barge in here?" Mavis asked. "It's quite alright. While anyone is allowed to come in and out as they please, we have special permission from the guild master to enter areas that are restricted to the public, like Raiden's lab," Twilight said, as they entered the main area of the guild. Mavis saw all manner of teenagers or kids, all going about their business, either just lounging around, getting into scuffles, or heading out on jobs. It was then that they approached the soda bar, where Silver was using his telekinesis to make drinks or snacks of the guild members. "Oh, hey Twilight, how goes it?" Silver asked. "Pretty good Silver. Is Raiden still in by any chance?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, he says he's just about done with his experiment. Not sure if that means he's close to completing it or just giving up on it. Either way, you know where his lab is," Silver said, pointing down a hall. "Thanks so much," Twilight said, as they all proceeded down the hall. After a few minutes, they arrived at the lab, where they saw the thunder mutant typing on his supercomputer. "And with that, the experiment was a success," Raiden said, saving the file. Turning around in his chair, he saw Twilight and friends standing in the door way, "Ah, Twilight. How was your trip to the Crystal Empire?" Raiden asked. "It was just fine. Speaking of which, we brought someone from there that we want you to answer a few questions about," Twilight said. "I see. And just who might I ask is the individual in question?" Raiden asked. Twilight and Nathan ushered Mavis forward, "And what is about this girl that you want to know about?" he asked. "You see, Mavis here, she's a werewolf. We want to know all we can about werewolves," Twilight explained. Raiden nodded. "Well, while I don't believe in such creatures like werewolves or the like, I will answer any questions you have about them," Raiden replied, pulling up documents on werewolves. Mavis, upon seeing pictures of the full moon, quickly covered her eyes, as to avoid transforming, "Ok, here's what you want to know; werewolves are beastly monsters that transform from human to wolf during a full moon. They are highly aggressive, carnivorous predatory creatures that will attack anything that moves. The first werewolf appeared in Greek Mythology, when King Lycaon, who fed human flesh to the god, Zeus, wanting to know if Zeus was really a god, and was punished by being transformed into a wolf. The term 'werewolf' can be broken up to mean 'wolf person', as the Greek Root 'were' means 'man'," Raiden explained. "I see," Twilight nodded. "There's more. There are many speculations on how a person can be turned into a werewolf themselves, including ways of turning others into the creature," Raiden added. "Wait, so werewolves can be created?" Fluttershy asked in disbelief. "Yeah, that bit Ah know. Anyone who get's bit by a werewolf and lives will become one themselves," Nathan replied. "The only way to effectively deal with a werewolf is with silver weapons, as silver is supposed to be the only alloy that can pierce a lycanthrope's hide," Raiden added. "Wait, 'lycanthrope'?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yes. That is the technical terminology for werewolves. But as I said, lycanthropy is just a bunch of unscientific superstition among the human world," Raiden replied. "But we're tellin' the truth! Mavis IS a werewolf!" Nathan stated. "I'll believe it when I see it. If she can change in front of me, then I'll be convinced," Raiden stated. Mavis blushed. "Ok, just humor us. If Mavis is truly a werewolf, would there be a cure?" Twilight asked. "I'm afraid not. After the first transformation under a full moon, the lycanthropy becomes caked in. In other words, it's permanent," Raiden replied. "And if one is born a werewolf?" Fluttershy asked. "Pretty much the same thing. There is some speculation in lycanthrope lore that a cure can be made from a plant called 'wolves-bane', but this is ill-advised as the plant is extremely poisonous," Raiden said. "Hmm, well, that's too bad," Twilight commented solemnly. Raiden, deciding to humor them, decided to approach Mavis. "Your name's 'Mavis', right?" Raiden asked. Mavis timidly nodded, "If I were to ask you to change into your alleged werewolf form, would you do it?" he asked. Mavis blushed out of embarrassment. "What are you getting at?" Twilight asked. "See, while I don't believe in werewolves, I can't say I believe that this girl's lycanthropy is fact, and not just some kind of mental instability. So, if she can change, I may be able to make something for her to ease up the pain of the transformation," Raiden explained. "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Applejack asked. "See, a werewolf transformation is an extremely painful process. A person who's changing is forced to experience their nails sharpening into claws, their teeth turning into fangs, coarse fur growing all over their body, their bones reshaping themselves into wolf like appendages, that sort of thing. I can probably make a pain killer that deadens the pain. I can also give her some sedatives I made for Heaven, whenever she eats too much sugar," Raiden explained. "Could Ah just have a quick word with her first?" Nathan asked. "Of course," Raiden replied. Nathan took Mavis out into the hall. "Alright Mavis, Ah know ya told us that being seen while transforming is really embarrassin' for ya, but if we want Raiden to take this case seriously, we need ya to grin and bare it, ok?" Nathan asked, giving Mavis a little pep talk. Mavis fidgeted. She didn't like the thought of someone seeing her change, but she did like the thought of being able to change pain free, and sleeping through a full moon. With a reluctant sigh, she looked the Texas boy in the eyes. "Ok, I will do it," Mavis replied. "Ok then. We'll make it up to ya, that Ah promise," Nathan said, as they went back into the lab, "Alright, she'll do it," Nathan declared, as Mavis took off her shoes and socks. "No need to disrobe here, Mavis. We can wait until tonight," Raiden said. "Actually, she said she can change from seeing ANY image of the full moon," Nathan replied. "Well, that's convenient. Just step into the testing chamber over there," Raiden said, opening a chamber door. Needless to say, he was starting to second guess himself about Mavis' lycanthropy. "Don't worry Mavis. As Ah said, we'll make it all up to ya," Nathan said, as Mavis stepped into the chamber. Raiden then closed the door, and locked it. He then stepped over to a desk with a microphone. "Ok Mavis, just pay attention to that screen on the wall," Raiden said. Mavis did so, as Raiden punched in a few keys on a keyboard. It was then that an image of the full moon appeared. Mavis froze up when she saw it, but was unable to shut her eyes or look away. She then screamed in agony, as she gripped her head, and fell to the floor, writhing pain. The others watched in a mix of horror and amazement as the transformation took hold of the little girl. Her arms and legs were the most noticeable ones that changed, as well as Mavis' tail that grew out from under her dress. Once she was done transforming, she let out a howl, and started prowling around on all fours, "Ok, now I'm convinced," Raiden commented. "What should we do now?" Twilight asked. "She said she needs a moment or so to adjust to her new body," Nathan replied. Mavis then took notice of them from behind some seven inch glass. She stared at them with a timid look, which soon melted into an angry one, as she lunged at them, only to hit her head on the glass. She whined, as she rubbed her head, "Mavis, are ya alright?" he asked over the intercom. Mavis shook herself out of her daze, and looked back to them. "Oui," Mavis replied. With that, Raiden unlocked the chamber door, and opened it. Mavis then walked out of the chamber. "So, how on earth did this all happen to you?" Twilight asked, petting Mavis' head. This made Mavis wag her tail like a dog. "I honestly do not know. I was born a werewolf," Mavis replied. "Well, I can at least give these to you," Raiden said, giving Mavis two pill bottles, one blue, one red, "The red bottle is the painkillers. They will make your body numb, but you shouldn't feel anything during the transformation. And the blue bottle has very powerful sedatives. You can use these to help you sleep whenever you don't want to transform," he explained. Nathan took the bottles, and placed them in Mavis' satchel, along with her shoes and socks. "Thanks so much for all the information Raiden. I'll be sure to relay this all to Cadence," Twilight said, as they all turned to leave. "Uh, princesse Twilight, what are we to do about mon arms and legs?" Mavis asked. "You needn't worry, sweetie. We've had all manner of creatures come to Ponyville. I'm sure the ponies won't mind you being a werewolf," Twilight reassured. Mavis took her word for it, but still had some uncertainties. Werewolf (Part 4)Time passed as Mavis continued getting used to Equestria. While there were a few.... inconveniences, like getting kidnapped not once, but twice by power hungry unicorns, she was able to make lots of new friends, like the ones in Ponyville, and her mentors, the Northern Mountain Nymphs, who were helping Mavis with getting better control of her lycanthropy. Today, she was with Cosmo, who was the most beneficial to Mavis, as her cosmic projections helped Mavis to better resist the transformation. However, this was easier said than done, as, during one of their sessions, Mavis had transformed into her werewolf form, "I'm sorry Mavis, but I guess there's nothing I can do for you," Cosmo apologized. "It's not your fault. My wolfish urges are too strong for me to resist," Mavis replied, hugging her master. It was then that Dana came in with a meaty mutton drumstick for the werewolf, followed by Kat and Marina. "Still no luck?" the thicc Nymph asked, giving Mavis her lunch. "No. It would appear her transformation is an uncontrollable impulse," Cosmo replied, as Mavis glumly ate the food Dana gave her. "Mavis, do you know of any other werewolves from you pack who can control the transformation?" Marina asked. Mavis took a moment to swallow some of the food. "The only one in mon pack that resist the change of her free will is the Queen Werewolf," Mavis replied. "I'm assuming that this 'Queen' is like the alpha wolf?" Kat asked, as Mavis finished off the drumstick. "Oui. She welcomes those who are cast out of the nearby villages into our pack. I don't really know how the whole process works myself," Mavis explained. "So, our only chance of understanding how your pack operates would be to contact the queen or one of her subjects," Cosmo commented. "Well, we do have those crystal balls that can contact beings from other dimensions. We can use those," Kat suggested. "Well that would all depend. Mavis, do you know the queen or anyone from your pack?" Dana asked, holding the werewolf in her lap. "Non. I always kept to myself. I was too shy to interact with anyone," Mavis admitted. "I know this is a little bit sensitive of a subject, but what about your parents?" Kat asked. "Well, my parents and I were exiled from a village at one point, after some humans caught Maman and moi transforming. As a result, we had to leave our home, and go to the village of the werebeasts. Papa was among the few humans that lived there," Mavis replied solemnly. "Hmm.... Mavis, I know you feel pained at thinking about your parents, but what if we got your parents to explain things?" Marina offered. The other Nymphs knew where she was going with this. "I would like to see them again, but.... they were murdered by human hunters, remember?" Mavis asked, trying to hold back the tears. Dana spun Mavis around, and smothered the lycan girl in her enormous bosom. "There, there Mavis, you're among friends," Dana soothed, rubbing the young girl's back. "But what Marina was getting at is that we can still communicate with your parents, even if they're not in the world of the living," Cosmo added. This was able to make Mavis perk up. "Really?" Mavis asked. "We have a sister over at the Eastern Nymph Grotto, who communicates with the dead. Her name is Fortuna, and she's known as the Fortune Teller Nymph," Marina explained. "If we go to see her, I will be able to see Maman and Papa again?" Mavis asked. "Of course. She contacts the spirits to help read fortunes, or to help others contact loved ones who have passed on," Dana replied. "So, would you like to go see her?" Cosmo asked. Mavis didn't even need a second to think about it. "Oui," she replied. "Alright then, let's go and get ready," Cosmo said, as she and the other Nymphs took Mavis out of her observatory. Later, at the Eastern Nymph Grotto, In a temple that looked like an Japanese Palace, some large crystals were beginning to glow brightly. This caught the attention of a Nymph with long, blonde hair, and a chartreuse bikini. She had a Four Leafed Clover charm around her neck, "What could this be?" she asked, looking at the crystals. Her answer soon answered itself, as the Nymphs from the Northern Grotto and Mavis were all flung out of them. Mavis looked to be really dizzy. "Easy there, sweetie," Kat said, holding Mavis. "Dana, Cosmo, Marina, and Kat too? This is certainly a surprise," the new Nymph commented. "Sorry barging in like this Gladys, but do you know where Fortuna is?" Cosmo asked. "Where else? She's been in her room all day, reading her tarot cards. But her predictions were right. We were in store for a big surprise sometime soon," Gladys replied. It was then she noticed Mavis, "Oh, who might this cute little puppy be?" she asked, petting Mavis' head. Mavis wagged her tail at being petted, and had a content expression on her face. "This is our student, Mavis. She was recently adopted by the new ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence," Marina replied. Gladys had a shocked look on her face. "Oh, so the Empire's back after all this time?" Gladys asked. "Yep, and so is that despicable king, Sombra," Dana replied. "Mavis is also the newest Crystal Nymph," Cosmo added. "I see," Gladys replied. "Mavis, this is Gladys, the Luck Nymph. She controls the luckiness of every living creature," Marina introduced Mavis to Gladys. "Bonjour, Gladys," Mavis greeted respectfully. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis. Would you like to go see Fortuna now?" Gladys asked. "I would like that very much," Mavis replied. "Ok, then come this way," Fortuna said, leading Mavis and the older Nymphs along. Looking around, Mavis saw two more Nymphs. One had lavender hair and a seafoam green bikini, while the other had brown hair and a white bikini. She was carrying some tools that Mavis could tell were for chiseling stone. The lavender haired Nymph was posing for the other Nymph. "You see Mavis, unlike the Northern and Southern Grottos, the Eastern and Western Grottos only have four Nymphs each. But you won't go to the Western Grotto until you're much older," Dana explained. "Why's that?" Mavis asked. "Uh, don't worry about. Just take our word for it," Kat quickly replied. The thought of two Nymphs, both dressed in black bikinis, cracking some whips entered her mind. She shuddered at the thought, as did the other Nymphs. "They are so cold," Marina squeaked to Cosmo. Thankfully, even with Mavis' sharpened hearing, she didn't hear what the Water Nymph had said. It was then that they had arrived at what looked to be a gypsy wagon. "Ok, Mavis, Fortuna is just inside," Gladys said, pulling the curtains aside, allowing Mavis, Dana, and Marina to enter. Inside, they saw a dark skinned Nymph dressed in a skimpy gypsy outfit, sitting at a table. "I've been expecting you," the Nymph greeted. "Hello Fortuna. I assume you also know why we have come here?" Marina asked. "No. I only foresaw that you were coming. You know I prefer to only look so far into the future, as not to spoil any surprises," Fortuna replied. "Yes, well, we're here on behalf of our student. This is Mavis, a werewolf. We came here for two reasons. One, she wants to speak with her parents who have.... left the world of the living. And two, we would also like to talk to them about a rather interesting subject Mavis brought up," Dana explained, holding the little werewolf. "I see," Fortuna said, turning her gaze to Mavis, "Mavis, was it? In order to contact your parents, I must ask that you hold the crystal ball with me. I must have someone who is related to the specific spirits in question in order to contact them," Fortuna explained. "Oui," Mavis said, as Dana lifted her up onto the table. Mavis placed her beastly paws on the crystal orb, on top of Fortuna's hands. The ball began to glow. "Calling the spirits of.... what did you say your parent's names were?" Fortuna asked Mavis. "Mon Maman's name is Alice, and mon Papa's name is David. Oh, and our last name is Gustou," Mavis replied. "Ok. As I was saying, calling the spirits of Alice and David Gustou. Alice and David Gustou," Fortuna said, as an image of Mavis' parents materialized. "Maman! Papa!" Mavis exclaimed. "Mavis, mon enfant! Oh, I am so happy to see you again!" Alice exclaimed. "How've you been, princess?" David asked. "I have been doing just fine, Papa. But I've missed you every day since, well, you know," Mavis tried to dance around what she was trying to say. "And we long to hold you in our arms too, precious," Alice replied. "So, what've you been up to?" David asked. "A lot has been happening to moi. I have made a lot of new friends, including the Nymphs that have helped me to contact you," Mavis replied. "Well, that's good. These Nymphs, have they been treating you well? Alice asked. "Oui. They've given me all kinds of lessons regarding nature," Mavis replied. Her parents nodded. "Uh, Mavis, may I?" Dana asked. Mavis nodded, and scooched out of the way, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Gustou, I am Dana, one of Mavis' teachers, along with one of my sisters, Marina," Dana introduced herself and Marina. "It's very nice to meet both of you. And merci for looking after our precious little enfant," Alice said, feeling slightly insecure about her figure, seeing how sexy the two Nymphs were. "It's our pleasure. But it was actually Princess Cadence who is Mavis' new legal guardian," Marina said. The two parents nodded. "Anyhow, we were hoping you could answer a few questions we have in regards to the pack that you all came from," Dana added. "Oh, well, ok. We can answer whatever we're able to," David replied. "First off, Mavis said something about outcasts being welcomed into the pack. Could you clarify?" Marina asked. "Ah yes. Well, you see, our pack lives in a dense forest that is surrounded by four or five small human villages. The humans fear and loathe our kind, so much so, that they'll banish anyone if they have animal bitemarks, regardless of where they came from," Alice began. "See, back when we were living in our village, Alice and I were set to get married, with Mavis on the way," David explained. 4 Years Ago, And 18 year old of David and Alice were walking home from the market late one night, with David carrying the majority of the groceries, while his four month pregnant wife was carrying two small bags, "Really David. I may be pregnant, but I'm not helpless," Alice said. "I know, but I don't want to risk putting any undue pressure on you. After all, you are carrying a special package," David said, as they rounded a street corner. "Yeah. What are you hoping our child will be?" Alice asked. "Well, let's see. As long as the baby is healthy, it doesn't really matter to me. I would like to have a son so I can have a little bit of father-son quality time. But having an adorable daughter would be just as nice," David said. However, unbeknownst to the parents to be, an animal was stalking them from behind the bushes. When they neared the bush, the beast leapt out. While it was just a Doberman dog, the couple jumped and dropped their groceries in shock. The dim lighting made it easy for them to mistake it for one of the werewolves they heard that lurked in nearby forest. Without warning, the dog pounced. The two of them dodged, but Alice was too far in the dogs line of attack, and one of the dog's sharp nails pierced her flesh, as the dog ran off with the ham they had bought. "Alice! Are you ok?!" David exclaimed, coming to the aid of his wife. "I'm fine, but one that thing's claws cut me," Alice said, showing him the injury. It wasn't a big cut, but it was large enough to draw a little blood. "HEY! That woman's been attacked by one of the werewolves!" a sleazy looking man proclaimed, pointing at the couple. This drew in quite a crowd of people, who instantly began hurling objects at the two of them. Just then, an important looking man came walking in. "David and Alice Gustou, is what I hear true? You were bitten by a werewolf?" the man asked. "It was more of a cut," Alice admitted. "And besides Mayor, the beast that attacked us looked rather scrawny to be a werewolf," David added, holding Alice. "I see. But we can't take any chances. By the power vested in me, Alice Gustou, you are hereby banished from our village, effective immediately," the mayor declared. The Gustou's couldn't believe what they had just heard, as the crowd began throwing more insults and threats their way. "GET OUT OF HERE!" "MONSTER! WE DON'T WANT YOU KIND HERE!" "GET OUT OF OUR VILLAGE, OR ELSE!" With the whole town seeming to be against her, Alice decided it was better just to follow through on her sentence, and leave, "Don't worry Alice. I'm not about to abandon you or the baby. If you're banished, then I may as well be too," David declared. "You realize that if you go with her, you can never set foot in our village again, right?" the Mayor asked. "I'd rather have that than leave my woman and my child to fend for themselves," David proclaimed. The Mayor seemed unfazed. "Very well, then you are both banished, and are forbidden to return for any reason," the Mayor declared, as the crowd then dispersed, shunning them out. "That was very brave of you," Alice said, as they began to leave town. "Like I said, I couldn't leave you or our child to fend for yourselves," David said. Real Time, "And that's how we came to be banished from the village," Alice explained. Needless to say, the Nymphs were speechless about how quickly humans can turn on one another. "Ok, but what about the Queen Werewolf? Where does she play into any of this?" Dana asked. "Ah yes, well, you see, it happened like this," David said. Four Years Ago, after David and Alice were banished, Waking along a forest trail, the Gustou couple were trying to find the fabled Were-Beast pack, "Are you sure we're going the right way David? We don't even know if it even exists," Alice asked, as they stopped so she could rest. "Well, from what I've heard from around town, there have been sightings of werewolves, werecats, and even wererabbits in these woods," David replied. They heard a twig snap from the foliage. This made David jump up in an effort to defend his wife. Several minutes passed, but nothing could be seen. David and Alice breathed a sigh of relief, when four female werewolves leapt out of the bushes. "Who are you?! Why have you come to our forest?!" the leader werewolf growled threateningly. "Please, we mean no harm. We just got run out of our village, and my wife if carrying a child," David pleaded, steeping between them and Alice. This caught the werewolves' attention. "Huh?! You're having a baby!?" a werewolf exclaimed, effortlessly tossing David over her shoulder, before looking at Alice with giant, sparkly anime eyes. This made Alice a little uncomfortable, but her mind was at ease, as she and David now knew they weren't going to harm them. "I apologize for my cohort. She's still young and excitable," the lead werewolf said. "No worries," David replied, as he stood back up, disoriented. "Come. If you need a place to stay, we can take you back to our city. Our queen is very hospitable to those who have lost their homes, and could make arrangements for you," the lead werewolf offered. "Wow, that's really nice of you. Thank you," David said, as he helped Alice up on her feet. Once she held onto David's arms, the werewolves led them through the forest, taking them into a large cave, "Big cave," David commented. "Well, it helps that minotaur's helped us to make the city," the leader replied, as she pushed in a few tiles in the wall. The cave walls then began opening up to reveal what looked to be a vast metropolis. "Oh my, I never thought something this big was in the forest," Alice commented. "Our Queen uses her magic to conceal the city in a dimension apart from the human villages, as well as provide everything we could ever need. Plenty of food, shelter, sunlight, the Full Moon to howl at. Even modern convivences such as television and what humans call the 'internet' are all right here in this city!" the energetic werewolf explained. "Could you take these two to see the queen? We need to get back to our patrol," the lead asked the energetic werewolf. "Okie dokie!" she replied, leading them into the city, with the other three heading back out into the forest. Along the way, Alice and David saw all manner of beastman species, ranging from werewolves and wererabbits to ridiculously busty minotaur women, who looked more human than bovine. "It looks like your queen is very benevolent," Alice commented. "Of course! She feels bad whenever humans are tossed out of their villages, so she takes it upon herself to let them live with her. Apparently, long before there was this huge city you see before you, our pack just lives in little huts, scattered across the forest," the werewolf replied. The two humans saw that there were quite a few humans living there as well, "Though, most humans are not actually one of us, the queen still lets them live here," she added, just as some children came rushing by, one of them, a werecat, bumped into David's leg. "Careful there," he said. The kid got back up, and raced off to his friends. "It's actually quite sad. The majority of the children living here were cast out by the humans," the werewolf stated, as they reached what looked to be the Queen's Palace, "She's right through the hall," she said, as she lead them down the corridors. She led them into what looked to be a massive throne room. They saw that everything was decorated with large marble pillars, five or six overly fancy fountains, and beautiful, silky drapes, behind some was a colossal feminine figure, "My queen, I have brought two humans who were exiled from a nearby village. They wish to request living arrangements, as the woman is pregnant," the werewolf stated. Out from the drapes, emerged a ferociously curvy werewolf woman, who was no less than ten feet tall. She had beautiful, silver hair, and glowing golden eyes. "Approach," the queen demanded. The Gustou's did as they were told, "Explain yourselves," she demanded. "Well, uh, you see, it's like this, your majesty. We were walking home from the store, picking up supplies for when our baby is born, but we were jumped by some kind of dog like creature, but it was far to small to be a werewolf. Anyhow, the dog scratched Alice, and she was immediately called out for being bitten by what the townsfolk thought was a werewolf, and the mayor chose to banish her without a fair trial," David explained. The Queen nodded, as she took in the information. She was not informed that any werewolves left the city, other than the sentries, so she figured it was a dog. "And not wanting to let moi fend for myself, or our child, David joined us in mon exile too," Alice added. "I see. Very well. I shall see to it that you have the best living arrangements my city has to offer," the queen stated. "We are extremely grateful, you ladyship," Alice said. "However, there is however, one stipulation," the queen added. "I had a feeling there would be a catch," David whispered to Alice. "See, the majority of the population of my city is beastmen species', and one of the key rules for ALL families here is that at least one member of each family MUST be some kind of beastman," the queen explained. "Um, ok? Well, we are wanting to take you up on your offer for a new place to live, but what does that rule have to do with us?" David asked. "In other words, what she is stating serves a few purposes, one of the major ones is that you never leave to disclose the location of our fair city. The point she's stating is that one of you must become a werebeast, like her or me," the sentry werewolf explained. This certainly caught the parents to be by surprise, but they took a moment to think about it. They knew what she was saying was right. If word got out of the location of the Werebeast City, it would result in a large scale invasion. "Well, I guess we can do it," David replied. "Splendid. But before any biting commences, may I take a look at your baby?" the queen asked Alice. "Um, ok?" Alice replied warily. The Queen was then handed a scepter by a wererabbit maid, which she then waved over Alice. The Queen then inspected the jewel in the scepter. After a brief look, she then turned back to the couple. "Ok, I just took a look the growing baby in your belly, and I noticed a few things," the queen began to explain. This drew some concern from the two human parents to be. "There's nothing wrong with the baby, is there?" David asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "Nothing's wrong with the child. In fact, she will be born with no complications," the queen began to explain. "We're having a girl!?" Alice exclaimed, sounding overjoyed. "Yes. She will be a most beautiful girl, but there may be a few.... problems. For starters, there may be a..... seventy percent chance you may.... not survive," the queen explained, trying to lay it on them gently. They took a moment to take this information in. "I... I may not be able to be a part of mon enfants life?" Alice said, sounding disheartened. "Well, if you were to become a werebeast, I may be able to guarantee your survival by.... oh, ninety-five percent, give or take," the Queen replied. This seemed to brighten their moods immensely. "I feel there's a big 'but' in all of this," David commented. "Well, apart from my own massive tushy, the only catch would be that your daughter will be born a werewolf as well," the Queen replied. "Well, if it's for mon child to have a mother in her life, then please, do what must be done," Alice pleaded. The Queen got down on all fours, as Alice exposed a little bit of her arm, which the Queen then bit down on. Alice cried out in pain, causing David to rush to her side. Alice fell woozily into her husbands arms. "Ok, now you must take her outside so she can transform," the Queen said. The Sentry Werewolf helped David with carrying Alice out onto the balcony. David saw that the Full Moon was shining brightly down on them. "Ok Alice, the moon's right above us," David said, as Alice stood up by herself. She then looked up to the moon, taking in the sight, "Uh, the change won't hurt the baby, right?" David asked the Queen. "Not in the slightest," she replied. Alice then screamed in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Her clothes burst apart, as her arms, legs, and ears morphed into that of a wolf's appendages, and a long, fluffy tail sprouted from her backside. David also noted tat the change was making her figure more curvaceous, especially in her rear, which bubbled our to twice it's original size. When the change was done, Alice then howled at the moon, inciting several howls from the city, as well as the Sentry Werewolf and the Queen. "Alice, are you ok?" David asked, coming to her side. Thankfully, unlike the stories he had heard, Alice appeared to retain her sanity. "Oui, I am.... ok," Alice replied, before noticing she was naked, "AAAAH! I take that back!" Alice exclaimed, covering herself. "Please, fetch her something to cover herself," the Queen said to the wererabbit maid. With a nod, she ducked into a closet, and pulled out some raggedy clothes, a top and a skirt. "Here you go. This should suffice until you get some more clothes," she said, as Alice covered herself. "If she keeps changing, then will she survive and be apart of our daughter's life?" David asked. "Well, here's the thing, she won't be able to return to human form until AFTER the baby is born, so, yeah," the Queen replied. "This may prove beneficial to us. If our daughter is to be a werewolf too, I could teach her all the ins and outs of being one," Alice said to her husband. "If it'll make you feel better, I could always act as a sort of.... grandmother figure for your daughter," the Queen offered. "We are eternally grateful your majesty," David said. "You're both most welcome. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to come and ask me. My doors are always open," the Queen said, as a minotaur stewardess came in to show them to their new home. Real Time, "And that's pretty much how things were back in the pack," David explained. He and Alice chose to leave out the part of the Queen's offer to act as a grandmother. "I always heard the Queen was a benevolent ruler," Mavis replied. "She is. Even after the invasion of the human hunters, she still put the citizens of her city before her, and oversaw the evacuations. Of course, as you know, there were some..... losses," Alice explained. Mavis knew all to well of the losses. "But don't worry about it Mavis. We've foreseen your future, and you're going to be a tremendous help to not only your friends in Equestria, but also the pack. And a little further into the future, well, you'll see us again," David said, as the call dissipated. "Looks like the time's up on the call," Fortuna commented. "Well, do you feel any better after talking to your folks?" Dana asked. "Oui. Now I know more about mon pack, and how Maman and Papa joined them," Mavis replied, reverting back into human form. "Thanks for everything Fortuna," Marina said. "No problem. If Mavis needs anything else from me, she can always give me a call," Fortuna said, as she place a cosmic crystal into Mavis' pendant. "Merci," Mavis said. "C'mon Mavis, it's getting late, and we promised your parents we'd have you back by sundown," Cosmo said, as the five of them left the Eastern Grotto via crystals. "That girl that was with our sisters seemed nice," the sculptor Nymph commented. "Indeed she was Gretchen, indeed she was," Fortuna replied, peering back into her Crystal Ball. A troubled look worked it's way onto her face as she did, 'What could this be?' Fortuna pondered, as she saw a cloud of darkness in her Crystal Ball. Werewolf (Part 5)Time passed on, and it was nearing Hearth's Warming time. Nathan and Mavis were sent to Ponyville to stay with Twilight and them, while Cadence was going over some things with her aunts. She was sitting with the other girls at the spa, having her hair done, "I'm jealous Mavis. Your hair is so silky and soft," Kelly commented, as the spa ponies washed Mavis' hair. "Ah, oui. Mon masters have shared with me their secrets of having luxurious hair," Mavis replied, as they went into the sauna next. "Your teachers are the Nymphs we've heard about, right?" Melody asked. "Oui. They even made me a Nymph too. That way, as they said, I would grow up to have a body just like them," Mavis replied, as they left the sauna, and got changed. "I'd sure like to meet them," Trinity commented. "And you will. Maman has invited them to attend this Hearths Warming Ball," Mavis replied, as they left the spa. "Not to sound rude, but you'll be glad that Hearth's Warming doesn't fall on a week of the Full Moon, so you don't have to worry about that," Charity added. "That is a relief. I wouldn't want to cause a panic," Mavis replied. "Yeah. If what Raiden told Mommy was true, Werewolves could be seen more like monsters by the snobbish nobles of Canterlot," Crystal commented. "Well, we're only dangerous if we haven't had enough time to adjust to our beast forms. The same goes for Werecats. Wererabbits, not quite," Mavis replied, as the entered Sugarcube Corner. They all placed an order for some chocolate chip cookies. "Is it really ok for you to eat chocolate?" Season asked. "Oui, as long as I am in human form. If I am in my werewolf form, then chocolate can give me a tummy ache," Mavis replied. "I guess that makes sense. Chocolate can be quite venomous to any creature of the canine family. It can either be fatal, or make them very sick," Trinity replied, as Pinkie Pie came over with their cookies. "There ya go! One batch of chocolatey chocolate chip cookies!" Pinkie said, as she went back to the counter. The girls then began eating the cookies. "I'm glad you've come this far Mavis. When we all first met you, you wouldn't even look at sweets. But now look at you! You're eating cookies like the rest of us!" Vibrant commented. Just then, the Boy Band, Equestrian Mayhem, came in. "Ok, I think that'll do for today's practice," Josh commented. His bandmates agreed. "Hey guys. You got your songs picked out for the ball?" Kelly asked. "Yep. We're goin' ta put on the best show Canterlot's ever seen," Nathan replied. "They have a band?" Mavis asked. "Yeah, they're Equestria's hottest new Boy Band. Only difference between them and other boy bands is that these guys are actually talented," Melody commented. MLG air horns sounded, as sunglasses fell down onto her face. "So savage," Conner commented. Later that night, Twilight had shown Mavis to her room. However, since it was a Full Moon Night, she gave Mavis a bedroom on the inside, so that way she wouldn't transform. To help ensure she would get to sleep easier, she took one of the sedatives that Raiden gave her. It appeared to work almost instantly, as she felt herself getting drowsier. She was thankfully able to make into bed before the full effect took hold. She was able to sleep for about three or four hours before she had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, her room did not have it's own bathroom, so she had to venture out into the castle to find one. She was able to find one, however, the one thing she didn't notice was that it was a bathroom that had a window to the outside, and the Moon was out. After she was done washing her hands, she made the mistake of looking out the window, and seeing the moon. She screamed in pain, and fell out of the bathroom, writhing in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Once she was finished, she let out a howl, that echoed throughout the castle, waking up the others. "Oh no," Nathan said, as he bolted out of the room, with Josh in tow. "Was that howl Mavis?" Josh asked. "Yeah. We need to git her under control before she attacks someone," Nathan replied, as they rounded a corner, only to bump into Twilight, Cory, and the other girls, "Ah'm guessin' y'all heard that howl too, right?" Nathan asked. "We did. Was that Mavis?" Kelly asked. "Yep. She must've seen the moon," Nathan replied. "But how? I gave her a room with no outside window!" Twilight said. "Maybe she had to go to the bathroom and saw the moon from a window?" Clover theorized. Twilight then slapped herself in the face. "Of course! Mavis' room didn't have a bathroom!" Twilight groaned. "Is everything alright?" they heard Mavis ask. Turning, they saw a transformed Mavis standing in the corridor, looking at the group with a curious look. "I'm sorry Mavis. I completely forgot your room didn't have a bathroom," Twilight apologized. "It's fine, Aunt Twilight, really!" Mavis quickly replied defensively. "So, you're already in control?" Kelly asked. "Oui. Thanks to mon training with Cosmo, I have been able to control mon wolf form more easily," Mavis replied. "You have puppy ears!" Lucky Joy squealed, as she started petting Mavis. This caused Mavis to freeze up, save for her tail which wagged furiously. Snapping out of her daze, she gently swatted Lucky's hand away. "Please don't do that," Mavis asked, covering her ears. "So, you're ok to go back to bed?" Twilight asked. "Oui. I am still sleepy from the sedative," Mavis yawned. "Alright then. The rest of you go back to your rooms. Come along now Mavis," Twilight said, ushering Mavis back to her bedroom. Once she was back in bed, Mavis conked out, falling back asleep, "I should probably tell Cadence about Mavis' progression with her training," Twilight said to herself, leaving Mavis alone to sleep. The Next Morning, Everyone had assembled for breakfast in the dining hall, where they were having waffles, "Sorry if I caused a scare last night," Mavis said. "It's fine Mavis. We were just being cautious," Twilight said, as she gave Mavis a small dollop of whipped cream on her waffles. "By the way Mavis, is it true you can turn others into werewolves by biting them?" Nyx asked. "Oui. Maman and Papa say that it's because of saliva, or something like that," Mavis replied. "So, if you were to bite one of us, then we would be werewolves too?" Josh asked. This caused Mavis' entire body to turn beet red. "Mavis? Are you alright?" Twilight asked. "Uh... well.... you see..... for werewolves, it's not awkward for those of similar genders to turn other non-werewolves. But for people of the opposite gender.... well..... it's like asking to be married," Mavis whispered the last part. It took a moment for them all to process what she had said. mainly because the last bit was so quiet, they could barely hear it. "Wait, so.... if a werewolf bites someone that's the opposite gender of them, then it's basically a marriage proposal?" Twilight asked. Mavis' blushed even more, "This makes things a bit more awkward," she commented. Meanwhile, somewhere in the village Mavis' parents once lived, In the local restaurant, some older kids, dressed as Monster Hunters were all enjoying a hearty meal. Although, one of them was sulking, "Aww, cheer up Markus.... So what if we haven't found the strong hold of the Werebeast pack? Maybe we were just searching the wrong part of the forest," one of the hunters said to the leader. "An interesting theory, Luke. However, we've been searching the forest the townsfolk here and in the neighboring villages said were home to the werebeasts," the leader countered, slumping in his chair. "Come on Markus, you need to pull yourself together!" another boy declared, as he led everyone in a song. "Ah, I needed that! Thanks for the morale boost Clarence," Markus said. Just then, a man came rushing in. "HELP! HELP!" he cried. "Whoa there..... what's happened old man?" the maître d' asked. "It's the werewolves! I was heading back to my farm, when I saw some of those beastly monsters lurking in the forest nearby! I barely got out of there before they attacked!" the man said. "You weren't bitten, right?" Markus asked. "No, they just stared at me, as if they were judging me," the man said. "Where did you say they were at?" the girl of the hunters asked. "In a small opening into the forest. I can show you where I saw them!" the man offered. "Well, this trip may not be such a total waste after all," Markus said, as he and his crew all got up to leave. "I hope this will cover our clan's expenses," Luke said, giving the maître d a small handful of jewels. "I... um....." the maître d was at a loss for words. "Keep the change," Luke said, as they ventured out. Werewolf (Part 5)(Alternate Route)Time passed on, and it was nearing Hearth's Warming time. Nathan and Mavis were sent to Ponyville to stay with Twilight and them, while Cadence was going over some things with her aunts. She was sitting with the other girls at the spa, having her hair done, "I'm jealous Mavis. Your hair is so silky and soft," Kelly commented, as the spa ponies washed Mavis' hair. "Ah, oui. Mon masters have shared with me their secrets of having luxurious hair," Mavis replied, as they went into the sauna next. "Your teachers are the Nymphs we've heard about, right?" Melody asked. "Oui. They even made me a Nymph too. That way, as they said, I would grow up to have a body just like them," Mavis replied, as they left the sauna, and got changed. "I'd sure like to meet them," Trinity commented. "And you will. Maman has invited them to attend this Hearths Warming Ball," Mavis replied, as they left the spa. "Not to sound rude, but you'll be glad that Hearth's Warming doesn't fall on a week of the Full Moon, so you don't have to worry about that," Charity added. "That is a relief. I wouldn't want to cause a panic," Mavis replied. "Yeah. If what Raiden told Mommy was true, Werewolves could be seen more like monsters by the snobbish nobles of Canterlot," Crystal commented. "Well, we're only dangerous if we haven't had enough time to adjust to our beast forms. The same goes for Werecats. Wererabbits, not quite," Mavis replied, as the entered Sugarcube Corner. They all placed an order for some chocolate chip cookies. "Is it really ok for you to eat chocolate?" Season asked. "Oui, as long as I am in human form. If I am in my werewolf form, then chocolate can give me a tummy ache," Mavis replied. "I guess that makes sense. Chocolate can be quite venomous to any creature of the canine family. It can either be fatal, or make them very sick," Trinity replied, as Pinkie Pie came over with their cookies. "There ya go! One batch of chocolatey chocolate chip cookies!" Pinkie said, as she went back to the counter. The girls then began eating the cookies. "I'm glad you've come this far Mavis. When we all first met you, you wouldn't even look at sweets. But now look at you! You're eating cookies like the rest of us!" Vibrant commented. Just then, the Boy Band, Equestrian Mayhem, came in. "Ok, I think that'll do for today's practice," Josh commented. His bandmates agreed. "Hey guys. You got your songs picked out for the ball?" Kelly asked. "Yep. We're goin' ta put on the best show Canterlot's ever seen," Nathan replied. "They have a band?" Mavis asked. "Yeah, they're Equestria's hottest new Boy Band. Only difference between them and other boy bands is that these guys are actually talented," Melody commented. MLG air horns sounded, as sunglasses fell down onto her face. "So savage," Conner commented. Later that night, Twilight had shown Mavis to her room. However, since it was a Full Moon Night, she gave Mavis a bedroom on the inside, so that way she wouldn't transform. To help ensure she would get to sleep easier, she took one of the sedatives that Raiden gave her. It appeared to work almost instantly, as she felt herself getting drowsier. She was thankfully able to make into bed before the full effect took hold. She was able to sleep for about three or four hours before she had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, her room did not have it's own bathroom, so she had to venture out into the castle to find one. She was able to find one, however, the one thing she didn't notice was that it was a bathroom that had a window to the outside, and the Moon was out. After she was done washing her hands, she made the mistake of looking out the window, and seeing the moon. She screamed in pain, and fell out of the bathroom, writhing in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Once she was finished, she let out a howl, that echoed throughout the castle, waking up the others. "Oh no," Nathan said, as he bolted out of the room, with Josh in tow, a baseball bat in his hands. "Was that howl Mavis?" Josh asked. "Yeah. We need to git her under control before she attacks someone," Nathan replied, as they rounded a corner, only to bump into Twilight, Cory, and the other girls, "Ah'm guessin' y'all heard that howl too, right?" Nathan asked. "We did. Was that Mavis?" Kelly asked. "Yep. She must've seen the moon," Nathan replied. "But how? I gave her a room with no outside window!" Twilight said. "Maybe she had to go to the bathroom and saw the moon from a window?" Clover theorized. Twilight then slapped herself in the face. "Of course! Mavis' room didn't have a bathroom!" Twilight groaned. A growling sound was then heard, "Hey don't blame me! I didn't anticipate this to happen!" she scolded. "But, none of us growled," Nyx replied. It then occurred to them where the growling was coming from. Turning, they saw Mavis, transformed, on all fours, in a stance that made them assume she was going to pounce on them. She was also heard to be growling. "Uh, Mavis? It's us! Your friends?" Nathan said in a questioning manner. This made Mavis pounce on him. She was about to start eating him, when he move the bat in front of her teeth. She growled and struggled, trying to move the bat out of the way, "Mavis knock it off! Ya mustn't give into your animal instincts!" Nathan yelled, only to get more ferocious growling, and more struggling, "Dang it girl, AH SAID CUT IT OUT!" everyone winced as Nathan's fist collided with the top of Mavis' head, leaving a massive crater in the wall, and a bump the size of a grapefruit on the top of her head. A little later, Mavis was seated in front of everyone, anime tears rolling down her cheeks, and the bump still on her head, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," Mavis said. "It's quite alright Mavis. We understand you were just acting on instinct," Twilight comforted. "But did you say you were getting better at controlling your werewolf form with the Nymphs?" Charity asked. "Maybe it's because I spend so much time there that I got used to their scents," Mavis theorized. "That would make sense. Animals have a stronger sense of smell than humans or ponies. Maybe werewolves have that same sense of smell," Trinity theorized. "Oui. There are quite a few.... unfamiliar scents in this castle alone. Lilacs, chocolate, even papaya," Mavis replied. "Well, in any case, we should all get to bed. That goes for you too, Mavis," Twilight said, as everyone went back to their rooms. She took the liberty of escorting Mavis back to her room personally, "Try to get some sleep, ok sweetie?" Mavis nodded, as Twilight left her alone in her room. Werewolf (Part 6)Time passed for Mavis, as she was able to experience the joys and warmth of Hearth's Warming at Canterlot Castle. Her mentors, the Nymphs had all arrived as well, so that Mavis could reason with Celestia about her grudge against them. However, all the joy and happiness she was feeling during this time was short lived, as the Hunters from her old world, fueled with the Dark Magic they received from King Sombra, came in and captured her, her friends, humans, ponies, and Nymph alike, and took them back to her world, where they were using them as bartering chips so they could get Mavis to give them the location of the Beastman City. This however, has proven unsuccessful, as Mavis did not know the exact location of said city. This made Markus beyond annoyed, "Dammit! This little brat isn't cooperating!" he snapped, kicking a table over. "Maybe she actually doesn't know where it is. I mean, we are just talking one werewolf," Luke commented. "And that's what's pissing me off! Unless we have some way of getting her to go back to the city, we're basically boned!" Markus yelled, slumping down in his chair. Just then, some hunters came in to his tent, completely battered, "What happened to you?" Markus asked. "Well, you know those bimbo fairies the werewolf seems chummy with? Yeah, turns out they're a lot stronger than they look," one of the hunters replied. Flashback, a few minutes ago, Mavis' friends were all being held in cages in the middle of the camp, while a transformed Mavis was growling, as she prowled around her cage, "If those bars weren't lined with silver, Mavis could easily break them down," Crystal commented, as she saw her young friend, curled up and whimpering. "We can only hope that the others come to our aid," Wanda replied. It was right then that some hunters opened the cages. "What do ya want?" Nathan asked bitterly. Without warning, the hunter that came into his cage decked him so hard, he was sent flying into Sasha's huge bust. "Dude, what was that for?!" the other hunter exclaimed. "'What was that for?'? Are you freaking kidding me!?! These twerps are in heaven, being surround by so many sexy half naked women! They act like they're just buddy-buddy, but I bet they just want to get a handful of their huge tits and their even bigger asses! I am demanding that they apologize!" the first hunter yelled. "What?! You're the one who decked me without any warnin'! You're the one who should apologize!" Nathan yelled back. "Oh, I had no idea you were ignorant to being so damn lucky! Of course, coming from a church school, you must feel the need to suppress all of your carnal desires, instead of taking advantage of them! You're such a late bloomer, and a shorty at that! I feel so bad for you!" the hunter yelled back. This seemed to push Nathan over the limit of his temper. "WOULD YA CARE TA REPEAT THAT?!" Nathan screamed at him. Soon, both he and the hunter got into a heated argument, making even the other hunters question their sanity. "Uh, please ignore my comrade. Anyhow, I came here to try and get more information out of the werewolf," the second hunter said, as he took the still shackled Cosmo. "You're wasting your time! Mavis doesn't know where this city even is!" Dana said. "Well, I'm sure I'll be able to get something useful out of IT, if I use a little.... persuasion," the hunter said, eyeing Cosmo's body in a perverted manner. Mavis' friends didn't to take it kindly when he referred to her as "it". It was then that Cosmo got an idea. "You know, maybe WE could ask her if there's a way to find the city. All you need to do for us is let us implement some of our massage techniques," she said in a seductive tone. Her sisters immediately caught on to what she was planning. "What's she planning?" Kelly asked Marina. "You'll see," the water Nymph replied. "Well, with an offer like that, how can we refuse?" the second hunter asked, as his cohorts joined him. "But first, could you undo these shackles? They're kind of keeping us from turning our wrists the right way," Wanda requested. "Well, we can't have that now can we?" the second hunter said, as he unlocked all of the their shackles, "Alright, ladies, work your magic," he requested. "With pleasure," Daria replied. The kids all though they were just going to rub their shoulders or pop their backs. But instead, they put all the hunters into various wrestling holds. Figure Four Leglocks, Boston Crab Holds, suplexing the hunters, some of them even elbowed the hunters in a sandwich move. All the hunters, apart from the hunter who punched Nathan, who was laughing contently, were all screaming in agony, as the Nymphs all worked the hunters' bodies in ways they shouldn't be worked. "Remind me never to get any of them mad," Bolt commented. When the Nymphs were done, Sky used her magic to create a smokescreen with the dust around the camp, which everyone used to make a stealthy getaway. Daria was able to get Mavis' cage as they escaped. Realtime, "And that's basically what happened," the hunter replied. Markus and his commanders all face palmed. "Oh my god. Why didn't you just let them walk on your backs?!" Markus yelled. "It didn't occur to us?" the hunter sheepishly replied. "And NOW we've lost our only lead!" Markus yelled, throwing a dagger at a nearby crate. "And why of all people were you with the masochist?" Aoi questioned. "He was the only one not doing anything," the hunter replied. "Alright... this is just a minor setback, but I have a plan. The forest around here is to thick for us to search completely, so here's what we do. After we break down camp, and take everything outside of the forest, we'll have to burn the forest to the ground," Markus said. "Don't you think that's just a little bit drastic?" Luke asked. "You know what they say about omelets, you can't make one without breaking a few eggs. Besides, if we exterminate the Beastmen, I'm sure the villages will overlook one little forest fire," Markus replied. "Well, you heard what he said. Get word out to everyone in the camp. We're breaking down and heading outside the forest!" Aoi ordered. "AT ONCE!" the hunters replied, as they left. "I hope you know what you're doing Markus," Luke said, as the other commanders left. "I do too," Markus said. Somewhere in the deeper parts of the forest, The sound of metal clashing against one another could be heard, as Daria was attempting to break the lock on Mavis' cage with her war hammer, "Don't worry, I almost got it!" Daria said, as the lock finally broke, opening the cage. "Come on Mavis, I've got you," Dana said, helping Mavis out of the cage, making sure she doesn't brush against the bars. She then set the young werewolf on the ground. "So, what now? Those hunters will be on our trail by now," Toby commented. "Mavis, are these the woods your hometown was located in?" Kelly asked. "Oui. I would often wander out by mistake, and I recognize some of the landmarks," Mavis replied. Her animalistic hearing and smelling immediately picked up on something. "Somethin' wrong?" Nathan asked. "Something's heading out way," Mavis replied. "The hunters couldn't have found us already!" Chris commented. Soon, they were all surrounded by about five or six female werewolves. Not one of them looked too pleased. "Who are you to trespass in this forest?" the Alpha wolf asked. "We're sorry if we're intruding, but we were being held captive by some hunters, who took us from our homes, and were trying to use us as bargaining chips to get information out of our friend here," Nyx explained defensively, motioning to Mavis. "A werewolf, with humans?" another werewolf questioned. "We're ponies," Trinity corrected. "And we're Nymphs," Wanda added. "But we can assure you, we are NOT your enemies," Toby added. "You there, cub," the Alpha Wolf addressed Mavis, who froze up, "Do these humans and their entourage speak the truth?" she asked. "Oui, they are mes amis. Mon family have been treating me as anyone else," Mavis replied. "Well, you seem to be telling the truth. You there; take them to the city. They'll need a place to stay until their families come to get them. In the meantime, we'll continue scouting the area for those hunters they mentioned. If " the alpha commanded, as the others leapt back into the shadows. "Alright guys, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to see the Queen," the werewolf sentry said, as she led them through the forest, eventually arriving in a cave, with a large mural on the wall. "What's this place?" Conner asked. "This is the entrance to the Beastman City," the werewolf said, as she opened a doorway, leading inside. Everyone, apart from Mavis and the Sentry Werewolf, were in awe at the city. The buildings looked to be made out of marble, while also looking to be infused with high tech gear. "This is where you come from, Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Non. The buildings here look different than before," Mavis replied. "That's because after the last siege on our previous city, we moved deeper into the forest, further away from the human settlements," the Sentry explained, as she led them through the city. Along the way, they saw a few humans, along with a large number of Beastmen, werewolves, werecats, wererabbits, and minotaurs, who looked to be more laidback than the ones in Equestria. The boys and even the girls blushed at seeing some minotaur women in super skimpy bikinis, "Here we are," the Sentry said, as they arrived at a large palace at the center of the city. "Is it really alright for us to go in there?" Toby questioned. "Of course! The queen is very benevolent. Anyone can go in and out of the palace as they please," the Sentry replied, as they entered. "Is that wise? I mean, what about possible assassination attempts?" Trinity asked. "Well, the only ones who live in this city are pureblooded Beastmen or those humans who were turned into one after being exiled from their villages. The Queen welcomes any and all who need a place to live, so no one really has a reason to try and take her life," the Sentry replied, as they entered what appeared to be the throne room. "Whoa, this is amazing!" Cory commented. "Yeah, the Queen loves to make her new citizens welcome," the Sentry said, as they approached the throne, where the Queen was sitting, "My Queen, I have brought before you a group of humans, Nymphs, and people who claim to be ponies, who are accompanying a young werewolf cub," the Sentry said, kneeling before the Queen. "Young cub, approach," the Queen said in an authoritarian voice. Mavis nervously stepped forward, "You're name, it wouldn't happen to be Mavis Gustou?" she asked. "Uh, oui?" Mavis meekly replied, feeling unearthly amounts of pressure under the gaze of the Queen. "Sentry, you are dismissed," the Queen said. With a bow, the Sentry left the throne room. Once the queen saw the sentry leave the caste, she then squealed, and scooped Mavis up into her arms, "Oh, I have been wanting to meet you for years!" the Queen squealed, holding Mavis up to her cheek. "Uh.... it's.... nice to meet you too, my Queen?" Mavis said in a questioning manner. "Oh, how embarrassing! I guess I should explain things," the Queen said, setting Mavis down to the floor, "See, when your parents came to my city, I had to bite your mother in order for them to live here. But by doing so, I administered some of my DNA into your mother's blood stream, basically making her like a daughter to me. This in turn means you, sweetheart, are my granddaughter!" the Queen squeed. "Uh, your majesty, if I may be blunt for a moment?" Wanda said respectfully. "Yes?" the Queen asked. "Well, I am glad that Mavis has a grandmother to call her own, but don't you think this may be a bit.... too sudden for her?" Wanda asked. "Well, now that you mention it, I guess this is all a bit too much for her to take in all at once," the Queen replied. "Plus, Mavis has said that she has not interest in bein' royalty," Nathan added. "Well, I wouldn't want to have her doing anything that makes her feel uncomfortable," the Queen replied. "Another question, I may ask; if those hunters know the city is in this forest, why don't you move the city else where?" Trinity asked. "Well, little one, the answer is quite simple. This forest is one of a kind. The moon, when viewed from inside the forest, is always Full. My city encourages the people to be free with what they are, so they eagerly await the nightfall," the Queen explained. "I see. So this anomaly is why you never relocate?" Mariah asked. "Yes," the Queen replied. A series of howling echoed through the halls. "What's that?" Marina asked. "A warning from the outer sentries," The Queen replied, as she then smelled something like smoke, "Those hunters couldn't be THAT desperate!" the Queen commented, as she made her way out of the palace. "What was that about?" Sky questioned. Sniffing the air, Mavis' eyes widened. "I smell smoke!" she exclaimed, as some Minotaurs came rushing past them. "Hey, what's going on out there?" Cosmo asked. "Those crazy hunters have gone off the deep end! They're actually setting the forest on fire to try and find the gateway to the City," the Minotaur explained, as he followed after the others. "If they find the gate way, we'll be smack dab in the middle of an all out war!" Mike commented. "You needn't worry. Our city is protected by a very powerful magic barrier. Only those who can match our Queen's level of magic can bypass it," a wererabbit maid said, fidgeting a bit, a deep blush on her face. "I did sense a quite a large amount of magic at the gateway. But what about the mountain the entrance is in?" Veronica asked. "You needn't worry about that either. The mountain may look like it's made to be made of rock, but it's much stronger than any know rock," the maid replied, as the Queen came back. "Ok, so, the forest is burning out of control, so I recalled all of the sentries. But we needn't worry. The barrier will hold out, but we'll still get things ready for evacuations just in case. In the meantime, I'm sure you all must be tired from your ordeal. Could you show these folks to their living quarters?" the Queen asked the maid. "At once, my queen," the maid replied. "Hold on, isn't one of the laws of this city that at least one member of any newcomers have to be turned into a Beastman?" Yuki asked. "That's only for permanent residents. If you're just staying temporarily, then you don't need to worry. However, I should give one piece of advice. Never, ever leave your rooms when a Full Moon is visible from outside the forest," the Queen warned, as the maid ushered them all to the living quarters. Being shown to their temporary apartments, which, surprisingly to all of them, had all the modern conveniences of any regular home, the kids and Nymphs all settled into their respective rooms. The maid was showing Toby, Silver Spoon, Marina, Sky, and Dana to their own rooms, when Sky turned to the maid, "If you don't mind my asking, but what did the queen mean by 'never go out during a Full Moon visible from outside the forest'?" she asked. The maid blushed. "Uh... well.... you see.... the thing is..... well, for female Beastmen, the moon causes us to.... err, 'heat up' in a manner of speaking," the Wererabbit replied. Silver Spoon and the Nymphs immediately knew what she was talking about. Toby on the other hand, wasn't too clear on the term "heat" for animals or in the case of Beastmen, but he had heard Fluttershy talk about it from time to time, "Uh, in a-any case, if any of you need something, you can just yank the cords above your beds, and a servant will come and attend to you!" the maid said, as she hopped off. "Well, I guess, I'll see you all in the morning," Toby said, as he and Silver Spoon shared a kiss, before retreating back into their rooms. Silver Spoon was about to shut the door, when she was stopped by Dana's foot. "Something I can do for you girls?" she asked. "Well, the three of us want to talk to you about that cutie of a boyfriend of yours," Dana replied, as Silver Spoon invited them all in. Author's Note Bios for the Beastmen: Werewolves: The most common type of Beastman, they are the most skilled hunters of all the Beastmen. Females look more like humans than the males. They tend to be extremely agressive towards anyone they think is a threat, and will often attack unprovkedly after transforming. Have exceptional agility, speed, and sense of smell. Werecats: Not quite as common as Werewolves. They act much like regular cats. Like Werewolves, females appear more human. They especially love fish, and are willing to help with fishing. Their claws and flexibility are their greatest weapons. Minotaurs: Unlike the ones from Equestria, Minotaurs from Mavis' hometown are laid back, mellow folk. Like their comrades, femals appear to be more human than bovine, and are often seen wearing very skimpy outfits. Two types of female minotaur exist. First are Bullfighter Minotaurs, who are pretty much warriors, and Dairy Minotaurs. You can pretty much guess where the latter goes. They are well gifted with navigating labryinths, though if they get lost, they can just knock down some walls for easy exits. Wererabbits: Unlike their fellow beastmen, Wererabbits are a female only race. They have great speed, which they mostly use to flee undesirable situations. Have a strong love for vegetables, especially carrots. Also unlike their fellow beastmen, wererabbits have no set mating seasons, and they go into it EVERYTIME they transform, not just during an actual Full Moon. They don't really like fighting, and have great hearing. Werewolf (Part 7)The next morning was rather trying for the kids, human and pony alike,, as they all struggled to get out of bed, feeling absolutely exhausted. However, the Nymphs and Mavis were already wide awake. Toby was the first to come out of his bedroom, with a yawn, "My, that was quite the yawn, sweetie pie," Silver Spoon commented, as she yawned too. "I take it neither of you slept well last night?" Marina asked. "Not really. There was a ton of howling last night, and it was hard to sleep," Toby replied. "I'm surprised you guys look well rested," Silver Spoon commented. "Well, truth be told, Nymphs don't really need to sleep. Sure, we take nine hour beauty naps, but we don't really need to. We're naturally gorgeous," Dana replied, leaning over, giving Toby a full view of her cleavage. Toby blushed at this. It was right then and there that all the others walked out of their rooms. They all gave tired greetings. Just then, a girl came in. She looked exactly like the wererabbit that showed them all to their rooms. "Pardon my intrusion, but breakfast is being served in the dining hall," the girl said. They were all surprised to hear the wererabbit's voice coming from her. "Mavis, is that the same wererabbit that showed us to our rooms?" Kelly asked. "Oui. All Beastmen return to human forms at day break," Mavis replied, as they followed the girl. She led them into a dining hall that easily put the dining rooms at each castle in Equestria to shame. There were statues, fountains, a skylight, and several topiaries. "Whoa, even the dining room back home isn't this fancy!" Chris commented, as they all took their seats. "Mavis, come sit next to me!" the Queen insisted childishly, smiling with razor sharp teeth. Unlike the other beastmen, she was still in Werewolf form. Mavis took the spot next to the Queen, with Marina sitting on the other side of her. It was then that several maids, including minotaur women, still dressed in their tiny bikinis, came in with a variety of food, ranging from eggs, meat products, fruits and vegetables, pancakes, waffles, and other food stuffs. They had arranged it in buffet style, "Well? Go right ahead," the Queen urged her guests. Awkwardly, the group went to get their breakfast. Surprisingly to the Queen, Mavis was the only one who went for meat products, "You kids don't eat meat?" the Queen asked. "Nope. We went strictly vegetarian after we came to Equestria," Nathan replied, as he ate a waffle. "And we've always been vegans," Nyx added. Just then, the minotaur maids poured glasses of milk for each of them. The humans and ponies all looked at the cups questioningly, then at each of the minotaur's colossal busts. "Oh, you needn't be so skeptical! That milk comes from the farms in the city," the Queen said cheerfully. "And even if it were that kind of milk, you could still drink it. It has far more nutritional values than regular milk," Wanda explained, taking a sip from the cup. The rest of the meal was.... awkward, to say the least. Back with the adults and the guild, After regrouping at Ponyville after putting Sombra in his place, the Guild was getting ready to take off for Mavis' homeland, "You have the coordinates?" Cadence asked. "Thanks to the information that Eris gave me. She was able to home in on the magic the Nymphs give off, so we can follow her directions. Of course, once we land, we'll have to spread out and search by land," Raiden explained, as the ship was beginning to take off. "Alright guildmembers! Our latest mission is like this! A number of kids at the Hearths Warming ball at Canterlot here kidnapped, along with a number of Nymphs. Our mission is to locate them, and bring them back to Equestria! Most likely they're all holed up at the Hunter's Camp, though I expect that our query to be clever enough to find a way out. If that's the case, they'll most likely be in the Werebeast City," Silver said over the intercom. "So, we're going to searching around the forest where Mavis' hometown was at," Cadence commented, as Eris used her magic to open the portal to the other dimension. Raiden piloted the ship through it. Though they were all unaware that an unlikely source of help was following them into the portal. Back in the Werebeast City, Mavis took it upon herself to guide her friends through the city the best she could. Though, it has been a few months since she was in the city, she had trouble navigating, " Ya know, Mavis, if you want, we could always ask someone," Applebloom reassured the youngest member of the party. "It's fine. I just need to find something I recognize, then we can go from there," Mavis replied, trying (and failing) to sound confident. "You know Mavis, there really is no shame in asking for help," Dana said, lending some advise to her young student. "Well, maybe some help could be useful in this situation," Mavis conceded, as Daria hailed some passing Minotaur women. "Excuse me, but where can we go to properly enjoy the city?" the warrior Nymph asked. "Hmm, um, well, there is the shopping district. They've got, like, all kinds of cool stores, and junk," the Minotaur girl replied, in a completely airheaded fashion. "Yeah, like they have, like, a bunch of lingerie stores where you can buy the cutest panties and bras, like what we're wearing," the other Minotaur said, as her bra strained against her enormous bust size. Kelly, Crystal, Melody, Clover, and Heaven all took it upon themselves to shield the eyes of the boys, leaving the ponies all confused by their actions. "Ok, so could you point us the general direction?" Wanda asked, only to be ignored, as the two Minotaurs were talking about the various types of stores. It was then, that the two of them noticed something. "Hey...… you're all humans, aren't you?" the first Minotaur asked. The made everyone go colorless, and anime sweat drops appeared on the back of their heads. 'They seriously just noticed that NOW?!' everyone thought, word for word. Wanda regained her composure, as did Nyx. "To be honest, my sisters and I are actually Nymphs, not human," the head Nymph explained. "And those of us with pony ears are actually ponies," Nyx added. The two supersize busted women tilted their heads. "So.... you're not human?" the second Minotaur asked. 'This is getting us nowhere fast,' everyone thought. "We'd just like to find the shopping district, so, if you could be so kind as to point us in the general direction?" Marina asked politely. "Oh, sure, it's just down that road," the first Minotaur replied, pointing down the road. "Ok, thank you," Wanda said, as they took off. "Those humans seemed nice, along with those Nymphs and ponies," the first Minotaur commented. "I agree. Though, that one boy with his hair brushed over his eye looked pretty cute," the second Minotaur replied. "Maybe, but I feel more attracted to the one with the glasses," the first Minotaur replied. Back with the group, they were nearing the shopping district, when Yuki approached Mavis. "Mavis, are all Minotaurs like that in this city?" she asked. "Only the Dairy Minotaurs. All Minotaurs are very strong, but they're also very easy going," Mavis replied as they arrived at the District. All around, they saw normal humans and minotaurs, going about their business. "I thought werewolves, and other werebeasts lived in this city?" Toby asked. "They do. And quite a few of them are here. The Full Moon isn't out, so of course they'll appear human," Mavis replied. "So, you can tell which person is which type of werebeast?" Melody asked. "Oui. Though it's a bit tricky," Mavis replied, as everyone dispersed to do their thing. Later that night, Having come back from their outing just before the moon started rising, the friends were all settling back into their respective bedrooms. Mavis was dressing herself in her pajamas, after having a bath, when she heard a series of howls echoing from the city, "The moon must be out," she commented. She jumped when she heard someone knocking at her door. "Mavis? Are y'all ok in there?" Nathan asked. "Oui! I am! Please do not come in! I am not, how you say, decent!" Mavis called back. "Ok, well, your grandma wants to see you as soon as possible, so when you get a chance, head to her throne room," Nathan's voice called out, as she heard him walking away. Mavis quickly got into her pajamas, and left her room. "I wonder what grand-mere wants with moi?" Mavis wondered, as she made her way to the throne room. Soon, she arrived at the throne room, where the queen was waiting for her, "You wished to see me, grandmere?" Mavis asked. "Yes Mavis. I was hoping we could do some familial bonding, you know, since your my granddaughter, after all," the Queen said giddily. "Ok, but what kind of bonding did you having in mind?" Mavis asked. "Well, I thought I could take you out on a hunting lesson. Maybe find a decent sized deer or something," the Queen replied. Mavis felt sickened by that. "No offence, Grandmere, but I never really did any hunting when Maman and Papa were still alive. Plus, I faint at the sight of blood," Mavis replied. "Well, it was just a suggestion. Hmm, I know! How about I make it so that you won't feel pain when you transform?" the Queen asked. This caught Mavis' attention. "Really? You could do that?" Mavis asked. "Of course! Many children your age are brought to me to help with the pain of transforming. It's a simple spell, really," the Queen replied. "Well, ok, that sounds like it could help. The training I did with the Nymphs helped me with going wild after transforming," Mavis said, as the Queen led her to an alter. "Splendid! But in order for me to use the spell, you'll need to start changing. So, if you'll just look up, I can begin the spell," the Queen said, With a deep breath, Mavis looked straight up to the Full Moon. Even if she wanted to look away, she couldn't, as the moon light had met her eyes. Within seconds, she let out a scream of pain, fell to the floor, and gripped her head, feeling like she was being torn apart. The Queen wasted no time in casting a spell on Mavis. Within seconds, Mavis' screams had died off, as the rest of the transformation completed. Mavis then let out a loud howl, which was joined by the Queen. Other howls echoed through the halls of the castle, signaling that some of the other servants had transformed as well. "Merci, grand-mere," Mavis said. "You're very welcome Mavis. Now then, I assume you were preparing for bed?" the Queen asked. "Oui, but I may stay up, just a little later," Mavis replied. "Do as you wish, just make sure you're in bed by an appropriate time," the Queen said, as Mavis left the throne room, "Oh wait, Mavis, I just remembered something important!" the Queen said, catching her granddaughter's attention, "If you nibble a human, then they'll only transform once. If you were to bite them and break the skin, then they'll become permanent werewolves," the queen said. "Ok, Grand-mere," Mavis said, as she turned to leave once again. Once she left, she saw Toby, his face a deep shade of red, and a look of embarrassment on his face, "Monsieur Toby? Is something the matter?" the young werewolf girl asked. "Well, it's nothing bad, per say, but, some of the Minotaur maids mistook my room for their changing room, and well, you can guess where that goes," Toby replied, scratching the back of his head. "I thought human boys liked girls with large busts?" Mavis asked, tilting her head. "Well, it's not that I don't like big chests, but seeing so many in one place is a little.... nerve wracking," Toby replied. "So you do like big titties then?" Toby and Mavis both jumped when they heard Dana's voice. Mavis had leapt into Toby's arms, Scooby Doo style. They turned to see the Gourmet Nymph, along with Silver Spoon, Sky, and Marina, all with flirty eyes directed at Toby, "I repeat; do you like big tits?" Dana asked. Toby let Mavis down, before backing up, feeling more nervous as his girlfriend, and three of Mavis' teachers were closing in on him. "Well, maybe I do?" Toby asked. "So, do you think I'm more attractive with, what did you call these things? 'Boobs'?" Silver Spoon asked Sky. "Yes, that's one term for them," Sky replied. "Well, you're already plenty attractive as you are now," Toby replied, trying to keep things from going overboard. "Why so nervous Sweetie Pie? We only want to make you feel comfy," Silver Spoon said, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. Toby blushed even harder when he felt Silver Spoon's chest against his ,"You know Toby, Dana, Sky, Marina, and I were talking, and, well, they want to be your girlfriends too," Silver Spoon said. "But.... aren't they.... you know?" Toby's though process was halted by Marina's finger on his lips. "There's no need to worry about an age difference, Toby. Nymphs are ageless beings, you know? Our age is technically infinite, so it doesn't really matter," she explained. Toby was about to reply, when an explosion was heard from outside. "What was that?!" Toby exclaimed, feeling relieved from the pressure of being surrounded by four sexy girls, but feeling more concerned about what happened outside the castle. Mavis, being startled by the explosion, quickly latched onto Dana's chubby thigh. Just then, the same Wererabbit girl from last night came bouncing in. "What happened?!" Silver Spoon exclaimed. "It's the hunters! They've broken through!" she replied. Now the six guests were now more concerned than before, "Please, you must evacuate with the others!" the maid pleaded, as the Queen left her chambers. "Another group have also infiltrated the city, but they're fighting against the hunters!" she stated, showing them images of the new group, who were fighting valiantly against the Hunters, while protecting the Beastmen. "It's the Alicorn's Wish Guild! They've come to save us!" Toby exclaimed, noting that some members were ushering the citizens onto the big flagship, though some looked unsure as to whether or not they could trust them, "Your majesty, this Guild is on our side!" Toby said. "Then I will head over to the ship, and assist with the evacuations. You all should get your friends, and the castle staff, and evacuate as well," the Queen said, as she, in a very wolfish manner, ran on all fours, and raced out of the castle, and to the ship. "You heard the Queen! We need to help with the evacuations!" Dana said, as Mavis let go of her leg. "We got to move fast!" Silver Spoon commented, as they all rushed back to the guest rooms. Vampire (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was very pale, and was wearing a very well made Gothic Lolita dress with a rosary charm around her neck, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful blue eyes that were puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only to trip over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. Along the way, as they passed by anything with a reflective surface, only the Crystal Couple's reflections shown. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "Peut-être juste un verre de jus de tomate?" Mavis asked. Cadence was a bit taken aback at being asked for tomato juice, but chose not to question it. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room, "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of tomato. She got the juice carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the juice. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may turn me in as some attraction,' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. Looking to the mirror, she saw no reflection. "Hopefully they never find out about that," Mavis quietly muttered to herself, as she crawled into the bathtub, where she proceeded to cleanse herself. It was then she heard a voice. "You're being too paranoid," another girl's voice said. Looking around, Mavis saw an exact image of herself, only with blonde hair, and an intimidating vibe to her, "I haven't sensed any malevolence from these folks. They aren't going to harm you," the other Mavis said. "I know, but it's still to scary," Mavis replied, as she rinsed herself off, and emptied out the tub. Climbing out of the tub, she dried herself off, and redressed herself. She then exited the bathroom. "Do you feel better now?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, as she was walked over to the bed. Cadence was about to tuck Mavis in for the night, when the two of them heard some annoyed grumbling from outside the room. "That was the dumbest thing Ah ever did!" they heard Nathan say. They decided to investigate. Opening the door, they saw Nathan walking towards his room, while holding his hand. Mavis then smelled something delicious. "Nathan, are you ok?" Cadence asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, Ah just cut mah finger by mistake," Nathan replied grumpily, showing the wound. Mavis then retreated back into her room, trying to control herself. "Do you need some help with dressing the wound?" Cadence asked. "Nah, Ah think Ah can handle things," Nathan replied, heading off to find a First Aid kit. Cadence only made a face at her son's independence. She then turned back to Mavis, who was leaning up against a wall, panting. "Mavis, are you alright?" Cadence asked in genuine worry. "O-Oui, just a little woozy. I would like to just lie down," Mavis replied. Cadence nodded, and helped the child into bed. "Ok precious, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask one of the guards, or come find me and Shining Armor. Our room is at the end of the hall," Cadence informed. "Oui, merci, Princesse," Mavis said, as Cadence planted a small kiss, before leaving the child to sleep. Once she heard the door click, Mavis briefly opened her eyes, 'It feels so weird going to sleep at night,' she thought, as she drifted off into sleep. Vampire (Part 2)Morning dawned over the Crystal Empire, as the royal family was waking up to the new day. Cadence and Shining Armor had just exited their room, and were proceeding to dining room. Along the way, they collected Guard and Skyla, and woke up Nathan, "You all go on ahead to the dining room. I'll go get Mavis," Cadence said, as she went to Mavis' room. Knocking on the door, Cadence gingerly opened it, "Mavis? It's time to get up," Cadence said, as she went over the bed to nudge Mavis. Mavis rose up, looking absolutely dead tired, dark rings around her eyes, her hair was a mess, and she looked like she didn't sleep at all, "Uh, good morning?" Cadence asked. "Good morning," the tired goth girl replied politely, but still yawned. "Are you ok? You look dead tired!" Cadence exclaimed. "I feel more UN-dead tired," Mavis groaned, as she plomped back on the pillow. "Did you sleep at ALL last night?" Cadence asked. "Non. I just stared at the ceiling. I am not used to sleeping at night," Mavis replied tiredly, sounding like she was trying to go to sleep. This certainly surprised Cadence. In all her years, she never heard a child say they were "not used to sleeping at night", even more so when Mavis emphasized the term "undead". "Well, would you like something for breakfast? My family and I are planning to go down to Ponyville to visit my sister in law and her friends and family," Cadence offered. Mavis, feeling to0 tired to refuse the Princess's offer, chose not to even try. "Ok," Mavis yawned, as she fell back on the bed. "Would you like me to help you out of bed?" Cadence offered. "Non," Mavis replied, sounding like she was falling back asleep. Cadence couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with this little girl. She thought that Raiden could help out in figuring out if Mavis had any medical problems. Deciding to let Mavis sleep, Cadence carefully crept out of the bedroom, closing the door gingerly behind her. She then proceeded to the dining room, where the rest of her family were all seated at the table. "Hey honey, where's Mavis?" Shining Armor asked. "Well, for some reason, instead of waking up feeling refreshed, Mavis looked too tired to even get out of bed. She told me she didn't sleep at all last night. We should look into talking to Raiden about this," Cadence suggested. "Sounds ta me like Mavis' may be an insomniac," Nathan theorized. "Hopefully, Raiden has some kind of powerful sedative that Mavis can take," Cadence commented, as she sat down to breakfast. After eating, the family went on to gather their things. Cadence went back to check on their little guest. Opening the door, she saw that Mavis hadn't moved from the bed. Once more, Cadence decided to wake Mavis up, "Mavis? We're getting ready to head out to Ponyville. Are you wanting to come with us?" Cadence asked. Mavis sat up once again. She didn't look nearly as tired as before, but she was still groggy. "Oui, Princesse," Mavis replied, as she stumbled out of bed, her legs feeling like jelly. "Take it easy there. We'll see about getting you some sort of transportation on the way to the station," Cadence said, as she acted as a crutch for Mavis to lean on, as they made their way down to the foyer, "Is everyone ready?" she asked. "Ah got my entertainment for the trip," Nathan said, motioning to his backpack. "I packed enough supplies for Skyla and Guard during our stay in Ponyville," Shining Armor added, motioning to a baby bag, and the stroller which held the two babies. "Ok, and I can manage our luggage, so all that leaves for me to carry Mavis in my arms," Cadence said, using her magic to lift Mavis up onto her shoulder, while also using the magic to grab hold of some suitcases, "Alright, I think that's everything," Cadence said, as they left the castle. "You guys can manage things in our absence?" Shining Armor asked the guards. "Affirmative," the two guards replied. With that, they made their way to the train station. During the walk over, Mavis was just barely awake enough to see that Mavis was carrying her over her shoulder, putting Mavis' face near her neck. Mavis only stared at the neck, a slight hunger growing in her stomach. 'Non! Non! They have already show moi great hospitality. I can't let my blood lust get the better of me!' Mavis though, as she looked away from Cadence's neck. Soon, they arrived at the train station, where they promptly boarded the train bound for Ponyville. Cadence let Mavis off of her shoulder. "Sorry if the walk over here wasn't very comfortable," Cadence apologized. Her apology fell short, as Mavis once again dozed off, "Well, why don't we let her sleep some more?" Cadence suggested. "Fine with me," Nathan replied, as he turned the sound off on his game system. Mavis slept for about an hour and fifteen minutes before the train arrived at the Ponyville Station. Once there, Mavis was awake enough to walk, but she still leaned on the baby stroller. "Ugh, it's bright. How can these ponies and humans stand such strong sunlight?" Mavis wondered, as they left the station, and made their way over to Twilight's Castle. At Twilight's Castle, Twilight and her children were all assembled in the main foyer, awaiting the arrival of their family from the Crystal Empire, "They should be here any minute!" Twilight exclaimed. "Didn't the letter say they were also bringing someone new with them?" Kelly asked. "Yes. Now, when we meet the new arrival, try not to overwhelm her. Apparently, she hardly slept last night," Twilight instructed her kids. "We'll try not to overwhelm her," Cory said. Just then, some knocks came from the door. Twilight squealed, and dashed for the door. Opening it reveal the Crystal Family. Twilight and Cadence quickly did their little nursery rhyme, before embracing. "Oh, it's been quite a while, hasn't it, Twilight?" Cadence asked. "It's only been about a month and a half, but yeah," Twilight replied. "I see you've been keeping things under control here," Shining Armor commented. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Twilight asked. "Well, there have been all those times you crack under pressure when something like this happens, and go nuts," her brother replied casually. Twilight scoffed. "I do not!" Twilight said, only to be met with only the sound of crickets chirping to be heard, "Ok, fine, so I go a little gun-ho with making sure everything is spick and span. Sue me," Twilight retorted. "Why don't we discuss this further in the main throne room?" Cadence suggested. "Of course! Right this way please," Twilight said, ushering them in. It was then she saw Mavis, "Oh, I take this is Mavis then?" she asked. Mavis flinched at being the center of unfamiliar attention. "Yes. Mavis, this is Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship, as well as Shining Armor's sister, and my sister in law," Cadence introduced Mavis to the lavender alicorn. "Hello Mavis. It's very nice to meet you. As Cadence said, I am the Princess of Friendship, as well as Shining Armor's little sister," Twilight said, introducing herself. "Bonjour, Princesse," Mavis replied with a tired yawn. "My, that was quite the yawn. I take it she didn't sleep well last night?" Twilight asked. "Apparently not. She said she just stared at the ceiling all night long. The stranger thing is that she also said she felt 'UN-dead tired' when I went in to wake her up," Cadence replied. This certainly was a surprise to Twilight. "Well, we can make one of the stops for today the Guild. At least then we can talk to Raiden about some sedatives she can take," Twilight suggested. "We were thinking the same thing too," Shining Armor said. "Any how, why don't we go meet MY family then, Mavis?" Twilight offered. Mavis only nodded because she was still too tired to resist. Nathan, once again, acting as a crutch, helped walk Mavis over to the others. When she saw more humans, she was fully awake out of fear. 'Oh no, MORE humans!' she thought, as thoughts of them wielding mallets and stakes entered her mind. Apparently, she was thinking so much of what the worst case scenario was, that she completely didn't hear the introductions. She was only snapped out of her trance by a gentle nudge from Cadence. "Mavis? Are you ok?" Cadence asked, a tone of worry in her words. "Huh? Oh, uh.... oui," Mavis replied. Cadence wasn't convinced, but she chose against prodding for more information. "I must say, that's quite the peculiar charm you're wearing," Nyx commented, trying to make small talk. "Uh, oui…. this rosary was a gift from mon.... maman," Mavis said, an unmistakable tone of grief in her voice. Everyone noticed it, but chose against asking her about it. "Well, I can at least show you all to your rooms before we go and enjoy Ponyville," Twilight offered, leading the Crystal Family and Mavis into her castle. "And here is your room, Mavis," Twilight said, as she let Mavis into a bedroom, "Cadence and Shining Armor's room is right across the hall, so you don't need to venture out too far if you need them for anything," Twilight said, as Mavis plopped down on the bed, "Wow, you must have really had a bad night," Twilight commented, as she left Mavis to rest, while she went on to check on her guests. She encountered Nathan, who had just stepped out into the hall, "Got yourself settled in?" Twilight asked. "Yep. How's Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Well.... she plopped on the bed as soon as I let her into her room," Twilight confessed. "Hmm. Ah'm beginnin' ta think she may be an insomniac after all," Nathan commented, sounding concerned for Mavis. "Well, one of our stops will be the Guild Hall. Hopefully, Raiden isn't out on a job and he can provide us with some kind of sedative for her," Twilight commented, as Cadence and Shining Armor came out of their room, with the stroller holding Guard and Skyla. "We heard what you said. Mavis has been ever so sleepy since we found her last night," Cadence commented. "Yeah. Plus, she's unnaturally pale. We figured she should try to get in some sun, so we're hoping our little outing today can help her with that," Shining Armor added. "Well, we could the stroller I had to get when Nyx tried to use a baby spell, and ended up turning herself into a foal. Mavis should be small enough to fit," Twilight suggested, much to her daughter's embarrassment. "I'll go and get it," Cory offered, taking off to get the item in question. "Just bring it to the foyer once you find it!" Twilight called to her eldest son. "Ah can carry Mavis down myself, if y'all will allow it," Nathan offered. "If you would, please?" Cadence asked, as she and Nathan entered Mavis' room, seeing the resting form of Mavis on the bed, "We really need to see Raiden about a sedative she can take," Cadence commented, as Nathan picked up Mavis bridal style, and carried her out of the room. "Maybe that oughta be our first stop," Nathan suggested. "Good call," Cadence replied, as they got back to the foyer, where Cory was waiting with a stroller. Nathan gingerly placed Mavis into the stroller, "Twilight, could we make our first stop the guild hall? I want to ask Raiden about those sedatives for Mavis," the princess of love asked. "Of course! I have to ask him about something," Twilight replied, as they all left the castle. Cadence was pushing Mavis' stroller, while Shining Armor was pushing Skyla and Guard's stroller. No one noticed, but each time they passed a reflective surface, Mavis' reflection was never shown. At the Guild Hall, Mavis was still sleeping, as they arrived at the Guild Hall. Although, her face was a little red, like she was sunburnt, "Looks like she needs a lot more Vitamin D," Twilight commented, as they entered the guild, just as Eliza, and some of her Guildmates were getting ready to leave on another job. "Princess Twilight? And Cadence too? What brings you to the guild today?" the Scottish Girl asked. "We're here to see Raiden about our new guest," Twilight replied, motioning to the sleeping Mavis. "Aye, she's a wee lassie," Eliza commented. "Raiden's in his lab, working on an experiment. I'm sure he can help you guys out," Naomi added. "Thank you so much," Cadence said, as they all entered the Guild Hall, while Eliz and them left. They made their way into the back, where they knew Raiden had his laboratory. They soon arrived at the lab door. Twilight then gingerly knocked on the door. "Raiden, are you in there?" Twilight called. The sound of cluttering came from the other side. Moments later, the thunder teen opened the door. "Ah, Twilight, good of you to come. And I see you have company," Raiden commented, seeing the group. "Yes. Could we come in?" Twilight asked. "Of course. Please, make yourselves at home," Raiden said, standing aside, allowing them all into his lab, "Please excuse the mess. I wasn't expecting company," Raiden commented. "It's fine," Cadence replied. "So, what brings you all here?" Raiden asked. "Well, you see, we found this little girl last night," Shining Armor said, showing him the stroller with Mavis, snoozing in it. "Ok. So, what did you want to ask me about her?" Raiden asked. "Well, you see, she didn't sleep at all last night. As in, she was wide awake through the whole night. We were wondering if you have a sedative you could give her?" Cadence asked. "Ah, of course! I have just the thing," Raiden said, opening a cabinet, as he pulled out a large pill bottle and a lotion bottle, "The effects of this sedative are immensely powerful, and work almost immediately. I often give this to Heaven when she eats too many sweets and is wired. And this sunscreen I'm also giving you is infused with aloe vera. You can rub this on her face to treat her sunburn," Raiden said, giving the bottles to Cadence. "Thank you for this, Raiden. But I do have one more question. We weren't out in the sun that long, so why did she get sunburn?" Cadence asked. "My guess is Vitamin D deficiency. The majority of a human's Vitamin D intake comes from stuff like calcium and such. She looks like she could also stand to have a better intake of iron rich foods. She looks anemic," Raiden explained. "I can provide them information on Vitamin D and Iron rich foods," Twilight volunteered. "Ok then. Is that all you guys wanted?" Raiden asked. "No, actually. I'm curious about that charm she has around her neck," Twilight replied, pointing to the rosary on Mavis' chest. "Looks like a rosary. They're religious cross charms fitted with a rosary bead, often believed to ward off anything unholy," Raiden explained. "That's the first Ah've eva heard 'bout 'em," Nathan commented. "Well, not all religious churches use rosaries. They often just rely on holy water, the bible, and crosses to help ward of evil," Raiden explained. "I see. Well, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this chat," Cadence said, rubbing the sunscreen on Mavis' face. "No problem. And remember about what I said about her diet!" Raiden called out, as they left. By then, Mavis woke up, once again, feeling something on her face. Something that felt.... relieving. "Enjoy your little nap, Mavis?" Shining Armor asked. "Uh... oui," Mavis squeaked out. "Now Mavis, our next stop is going to be to get you some new clothes. It must be rather uncomfortable, wearing that dress all the time, right?" Twilight asked. "O-ok," Mavis replied, not wanting to anger a princess, as the group moved onward. Later, The family soon arrived at Carousel Boutique, where Twilight immediately knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal Rarity, "Twilight! And Cadence and Shining Armor too! What brings you here today?" Rarity asked, as she invited the group into her shop. "Well Rarity, we were wondering if you had some time to make a few outfits for our new guest here," Cadence replied, as she motioned to Mavis, who was nodding off in her stroller. As soon as Rarity saw Mavis' Gothic Lolita dress, she became appalled by it, but retained her composure. "Of course, Princess. I'll just need a few measurements," Rarity replied. "Ok," Cadence said, as she helped Mavis out of the stroller, "Mavis, this nice lady is going to take some measurements of your body for some nice new clothes. If you could try and stay awake as long as possible, then that's all I'll ask of you," Cadence said. "O-Ok, Princess," Mavis replied, as Rarity took her over to get measured. "Could you raise you arms, sweetie?" Rarity asked. Mavis did as she was told. Moments later, Rarity got all of Mavis' measurements, "Ok, I should have these ready for her by tonight," Rarity replied. "Thank you for doing this Rarity. Sorry if we're intruding on your busy schedule." Cadence said, as she put Mavis back in the stroller. "It's no trouble at all. In fact, this is the first order I've had all day today," Rarity replied, as she got her materials, and went to work, as the family left the fashionista to work. "Alright, how about we get something to eat?" Shining Armor asked. "I'm getting hungry, now that you mention it," Twilight replied, as they headed into town to get some food. Later that night, Mavis was now more lively than she was earlier that day, but she was still sluggish, as the family arrived back at the castle, where Rarity and the others were waiting, "Ok, I made five different outfits for young Mavis, as well as a few pairs of pajamas as well," Rarity said, as she gave the bag to Cadence. "Thank you for doing this, Rarity," Cadence said, as she turned to Mavis, "Mavis, would you like to go try on your new clothes?" Cadence asked. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as they went inside the castle. Cadence took Mavis directly to her bedroom. Cadence pulled out a pajama outfit, which looked to be a black nightgown. "Go and try this one on," Cadence urged. Mavis went into the bathroom, and shut the door behind her. Mavis carefully took off her dress, leaving her rosary on, and switched into the nightgown. "Ooh, this feels so light and comfy," Mavis commented, liking the feel of the outfit. She then exited the bathroom. "So? Do you like your nightgown?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "Well, why don't you come take a look in the mirror?" Cadence suggested, looking at the full sized mirror. Mavis felt her undead heart drop into her stomach. "Uh, actually, I-I'll just take your word for how I look in it," Mavis tried to decline, not wanting to go in front of the mirror. "Now, now, you should see yourself in the mirror for yourself," Cadence replied, as she urged Mavis in front of the mirror. Mavis really didn't want to, but she didn't want to anger the princess either, so she braced herself for the inevitable hunt she thought would come about, as she moved in front of the mirror. When Cadence went to see how Mavis looked in the mirror, she was puzzled when she saw that Mavis had no reflection, 'That's odd. Why doesn't Mavis have a reflection? The only creature I can think of without a reflection is....' her train of thought halted, as she thought about Mavis' mannerisms throughout the day. The extreme tiredness, her getting sunburn easily, the fact that she said "Undead" earlier that morning, "Mavis? Are you....?" Mavis could take the pressure anymore, and broke down sobbing. "O-Oui," Mavis said between sobs, "I am a vampire!" she confessed, feeling completely helpless. "Mavis? Mavis! Please, try and calm down sweetie. It'll be alright!" Mavis was taken aback by how the Princess was just casually accepting Mavis' confession and hugging the child in comfort, "I promise you that I'm not mad," Cadence said. "But.... Pourquoi?" Mavis asked. "It's not my place to judge another. You can rest assured that I am not, nor will I be mad at you for keeping a secret like this," Cadence replied. Mavis started calming down, but still remained cautious, "Now then, why were you keeping this a secret?" Cadence curiously asked. "Well, there are humans living in this world, and, well, I am not too good with mingling with humans. They only see me as a monster. Which, I kind of am, but they see me as an evil monster," Mavis explained. Cadence nodded, as she took this in. "Well, perhaps I can try and ease your fears. You see, each of those humans have all been through some kind of hardship, so you're not alone. And one quick question to help ease your mind; do you drink blood like the stories say vampires do?" Cadence asked. To her surprise, Mavis shook her head. "Non. I faint at the sight of blood," Mavis replied. Cadence once again nodded. "Ok then. Well, there is much I would like to ask you, but you've had a rather long day, so I'm going to give you something to help you go to sleep," Cadence said, as she gave Mavis a sedative pill and some water. Mavis then swallowed the pill, and drank the water. Almost instantly, Mavis became sluggish, and very tired, "We'll have a question and answer session tomorrow. For now, you just rest," Cadence said, as she took the young vampire to her bed. Tucking her in, Cadence then planted a kiss on Mavis' forehead, before leaving her to sleep. Dullahan (Part 1)It was a warm, summers evening in the Crystal Empire, and a familiar group of humans and pony children were heading back to the Crystal Palace after a day of playing at the waterpark that had just opened up, "Man, that was a lot fun!" Josh commented, as they walked along the streets. "Yeah, but I kept getting water up my nose," Kelly complained. "That's why I got goggles with a nose guard," Toby replied, as the neared the plaza just before the palace. "Hey, who's that?" Lucky Joy questioned. Looking to where she was referring to, they saw what appeared to be a human girl with a stoic expression, looking back at them. She had long, black hair, and blue eyes, and was wearing a Gothic Lolita dress. Mike then noticed something about her eyes: the whites of her eyes were just as black as her hair. He was about to tell the others, when a cabbage cart rushed by. "NO! MY CABBAGES!" the pony selling the cabbages lamented, as he chased after it. When it passed, the girl was gone. "Hmm? Where'd she go?" Drake questioned. His question soon answered itself, when they felt an ominous presence behind them. Later, back at the Crystal Palace, "Hey Mommy! We're back!" Nathan called out. The adults all peered out from a room. "Oh good, did you have fun?" Cadence asked. "We did, plus, Ah think we made a new friend," Nathan said, casually pointing to a headless body. This caused Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Celestia, and Shining Armor to shriek. "Son, what are you doing, bringing a headless body like that home with you?!" Shining Armor yelled. "How did you even find this.... body?" Twilight questioned hysterically. "We're not really sure ourselves," Cory replied. Flashback, about five minutes ago, After seeing the mysterious girl disappear, their suspicions were confirmed when a scythe was at Toby's neck, but the blade didn't even touch him. Lifting it off of him, he saw it was just a toy, "A fake scythe?" Mike pondered, as they all turned to see a headless body, desperately searching around for something. Charity, Serenity, Melody, Clover, Nyx, and Trinity all fainted, as made evident of their souls leaving their bodies through their mouths. "Hold on Serenity! I got your soul!" Toby said, as he, Mike, Nathan, Josh, Conner, and Timmy all grabbed the girl's souls, and fed them back into their mouths. It was then that Crystal felt something tugging her outfit. She then saw the body, tugging on her swimsuit in a pleading fashion. Real Time, "And after that, we figured we'd bring her back here," Chris explained. "So, she lost her head?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "That's not the kind of thing you just loose," Rarity commented. "I think I remember Eliza talking about some kind of spirit from Celtic folklore, but I'm not too sure about the name of the spirit," Kelly commented. "I think we should try and find her head," Chris suggested. "A noble notion. We shall set out at once!" Luna declared. "Now you kids stay put and watch over our.... guest," Cadence instructed, as the adults and Cory left the castle. After about fifteen minutes of searching, The Royal Sisters, Crystal Couple, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all regrouped near the castle, "Any luck?" Celestia asked. "No. I searched everywhere close to where the kids found the body," Rainbow Dash replied. It was then they heard high pitched screaming coming from the park. "That sounded like Pinkie Pie, or Rarity, or Fluttershy!" Twilight commented, as they rushed over to the park. There, they saw the three aforementioned ponies, standing before an unconscious Cory and Chris, "What happened?!" Twilight asked. "Well, we searching the park, when we heard these two screaming, then we saw THAT!" Rarity exclaimed, pointing to a small clearing. Shining a flashlight over to where she was pointing, they saw the head of a little girl, with pitch black hair. "Could that be the head?" Cadence wondered, gingerly approaching the head. "Be careful Cadence," Celestia warned. "I will be," Cadence replied, kneeling down to look at the head, "Um, excuse me? We found your body. Would you like us to bring you to it?" she offered, but got no reply. "Maybe the head can't talk with it's body?" Applejack theorized. "Could be. In any case, we should take the head back to the castle," Cadence suggested, reaching for the head, when, "Do not touch me so casually," the head spoke. This made them all jump back, "I am a dullahan, the harbinger of death," the head spoke with an accent similar to Cadence's homeland of Prance, "It would appear you've all been caring for mon body. For that, I am truly grateful," the head spoke in a dark tone. "Whoa, this girl's nothing like her body. It's kind of a klutz," Rainbow Dash whispered to Shining Armor. "I will admit, it is rather shameful that I must be revealed to you in this form. I must beseech you mortals to restore moi to mon body, and let mon powers of darkness to be returned," the head proclaimed. "Uh.... come again?" Cadence asked. The head became irked by this. "Insolent mortal! Do not mock me! I am death incarnate! You must restore me to my former glory!" the head demanded, only to get some confused looks from the adults, "Um, I'm asking if you could take me back to mon body. it's not very comfortable being just a head," the head clarified, making a pouty face. "Oh! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Cadence asked, as she picked up the head. "You say you're the harbinger of death. You're not going to try and kill any one, are you?" Twilight asked. "My kind only comes for those whose times are drawing to a close. We make no time for the living," the head replied, before bursting out laughing. "What's all this about?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I-I-I DON'T KNOW! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! It would appear *laughs* that someone is tickling mon feet!" the head replied, laughing again. "Tickling your feet?" Rarity parroted. Then, it hit them. Back at the castle, "Y'know, this feel's kinda weird. Without a head, I can't tell if she's enjoying the massage," Toby commented, massaging the body's feet. it was then the body retracted her feet. "Maybe she didn't like it?" Kelly theorized. Back with the adults, The head eventually stopped laughing, donning her gloomy expression once more, "What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I couldn't take any more of that tickling, so I tucked my feet in," the head replied. "Well, we should get back now," Luna suggested, as they headed back to the castle. Back in the living room, The body soon placed the head on it's neck, "There, all better now?" Cadence asked. "Oui," the girl replied. "Uh, sorry if you didn't like the massage I was giving you," Toby apologized. "It's fine. Mon feet are quite ticklish," the girl replied. "Wait, so you can feel what happens to your body, even when your head's not attached?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oui," the girl replied. "So, would you like anything to drink?" Cadence offered, giving her a cup of milk. "Oui," the girl replied, taking her head off, and pouring it directly into her throat. This action caused most of the adults and the kids to faint. "Not sure if I can call that 'drinking'," Rainbow Dash commented. "Can you eat that way too?" Pinkie Pie asked, offering some cookies, which the body seemed rather excited for. "Oui. It helps when eating something I don't particularly like," the girl replied, as Pinkie poured some cookies down the body's throat. It was then that the fainted regained consciousness. "You said you were the harbinger of death. Is this true? Is someone going to die?" Twilight asked. Everyone broke out in a cold sweat. "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. It is not my place to tell," the girl replied. "Are you sure you're tellin' us the truth?" Applejack asked. "Oui. Much like death itself, I cannot determine who is destined to die," the girl replied, only to find Applejack and Season Harvest staring relentlessly into her eyes. This made the girl uncomfortable, so much so, that she ran away, and clung to Nathan's arm, "W-Well, maybe we're not the harbingers of death, per say, but...." the girl was cut off when she saw the others all staring at her just as relentlessly as the farm ponies, "Ok, ok! Dullahan's aren't actually harbingers of death! My name is Mavis Gustou, and I come from a high class neighborhood in Paris, France! What more do you want from me?!" she cried, spilling the beans about everything, including stuff that wasn't related to the topics at hand. Cadence, feeling compassionate, came over to her, and pulled her into a comforting hug. "You needn't worry, Mavis was it? We won't judge you for not being like the stories tell you to be," Cadence cooed. Mavis felt at ease with this. "You know, Mavis might benefit from a visit to Ponyville. At least that way, she can get to know Equestria a little better," Josh suggested. "You may be on to something," Nyx replied. From there, Mavis went on to being accepted into the Equestrian circle of friends, and made plenty of them, including the Northern Grotto Nymphs, while also eluding two power hungry unicorns, and facing the ghosts of her past. Author's Note Sorry guys, but this is all i could come up with for Dullahan Mavis. In case you missed it, there is one other reference, other than Monster Musume, i made in writing this chapter. Let me know in the comments if you found it, and from where it was from originally. Witch (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was wearing a very well made, but short Gothic Lolita dress, looking similar to one of those Magical Girls that Heaven likes watching, with an oversized witches hat, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful green eyes that were red and puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only for her large hat to fall over her face. It was when she tripped over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "peut-être juste un verre de lait?" Mavis asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully, clutching what appeared to be a wand, ready to defend herself in any way possible. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room. "Though, it looks ta me that she may want ta get that hat resized," Nathan commented, as he left. "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of milk. She got the milk carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the milk. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may want to execute me!' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. One she was fully undressed, Mavis climbed into the tub. She had to admit, it felt nice, having a nice soak in a warm bath. With a wave of her hand, she turned her wand into a brush, and proceeded to scrub herself. "Mmm, this feels nice," she quietly commented. Once she was done washing herself, she rinsed and dried herself off. She then turned her wand back to normal, and redressed herself. Once she donned her hat, she exited the bathroom. "Do you feel any better?" Cadence asked. Mavis solemnly nodded, as Cadence guided her to bed, taking her hat, and placing it on a chair, "My and Shining's room is just down the hall. It's the two big doors. You can come and get us if you need us," Cadence said, tucking in the young girl, and planting a small kiss on the child's head, before leaving. Mavis still couldn't help but feel uneasy about sleeping under the same roof as a human, much less royalty. She covered her head with the sheets, a few stray tears escaping. "Sebastian, Archimedes, I need you!" Mavis thought, as images of a black cat and owl entered her mind. Genie (Part 1)It was a hot day in the deserts of Equestria, as a class from Twilight's school of Friendship were all travelling to some ruins, said to be the remnants of an ancient civilization. Accompanied by Twilight herself, the pony who was leading them was rather ominous looking, "Alright everyone, we'll be arriving at the ruins momentarily. Please don't touch anything. This civilization were known for booby traps meant to keep trespassers from finding their treasures," the stallion said, as they arrived in a valley, which looked like it was abandoned for centuries. "This is so cool," Nathan commented, looking at the architecture. "There's more legends about these particular ruins than any other ruins in the world," the sleazy looking stallion replied. "What pony mean?" Yona asked. "Well, I heard of an artifact hidden in a desert ruins that can grant the wishes of ANYONE who get's a hold of it. But the artifact itself is extremely well guarded, and near impossible to get to," the stallion explained. "Wouldn't it be awesome if these were those ruins?" Vibrant whispered to her friends. "It would be, but I doubt something like that can possibly exist," Trinity replied. "Just tread lightly. We don't know if any of these stone floors are stable. They could cave in and you could...." *CRASH* The stallion turned to see that a large chuck of the flooring had collapsed in on itself. The screams of the students echoed through the opening, as Twilight, Smolder, Gallius, and Ocellus flew down to rescue them, "Fall into an unknown cavern," the sleazy stallion sighed, before his face turned sinister, "But getting rid of those fools would probably make getting the Lamp that much easier," he cackled wickedly. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the chasm, Nathan groaned as he regained consciousness. He woke up to see a certain, yellow alicorn filly, staring directly into his eyes, "Ya ok, hon?" Applebloom asked. "Ah've been better, but what happened?" he asked, as he sat up. "We fell through a hole in the ceiling. Thankfully, there was a ton of sand to break our fall," Toby said, looking around, as Twilight and the others soon arrived. "Is everyone alright?" Twilight asked. A round of confirmations was her answer. "So, how do we get out of here? We can't go back the way we came in," Sweetie Belle commented. "There must be another way out of here. We just have to look around for it," Kelly said, sitting on a rock, which almost immediately sank. Soon, a section in the walls opened up, to reveal a massive treasury. "Whoa, looks like the entire fortune of every known kingdom is here!" Scootaloo said, looking at the mountains of gold and jewels. "I'm sure no one will notice if we help ourselves," a certain chubby unicorn colt commented, eyeing the treasure with greed. "Not so fast there Snips. Take a look at this," Josh said, inspecting a tablet on the floor, "'Those who enter this room may touch nothing by the sacred Lamp'. Wonder what that means?" he pondered. "Well, maybe we can find a way out through here. Stay close everyone, and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Twilight instructed, enunciating the last three words, as she and her students all entered the treasure room, being careful not to touch anything by mistake. "Hey, there's some kind of glow over there!" Silverstream exclaimed, pointing in one direction. And sure enough, on the other side of the room, they saw some kind of blue light, shining through. "That looks promising," Mike commented, as they headed over to the other side of the room. However, their hopes were all dashed, when they only saw a deeper part of the cave, with now real exit. They only saw a large alter, bathed in some kind of luminescent light. At the top, they saw what appeared to be an oil lamp. "Oh, great! We go all this way, just for a piece of junk?! Give me a break!" Diamond Tiara dramatically complained, falling into Bolt's arms, like she fainted. "Ah think I remember this from a movie. A guy finds a lamp like that, and releases a genie, which grants him three wishes," Nathan commented, as he began to ascend the stairs. This sparked a bit of hope in each of the students, but Twilight remained pessimistic. "Hold on Nathan. I find that to be completely farfetched. Besides, there's no guaranteeing that the lamp even has a genie inside," Twilight commented. "What's a genie?" Applebloom asked. "A wish granting spirit. They're mostly found trapped inside lamps like that," Toby explained. "That message did say something about a lamp. Think that could be what it was talking about?" Bolt asked. "Only one way ta find out," Nathan commented, as Twilight stayed close to him, ready to pull him out of any danger. Gingerly, Nathan took the lamp from the alter, and nothing happened. "Ok, so it was that lamp. But what do we do now?" Silver Spoon wondered. Nathan was too transfixed by the lamp, seeing a blue glow. "How does genie get released?" Yona asked. "Well, it usually takes a rub of the lamp," Toby replied, as Nathan rubbed the lamp. Just then, fireworks began shooting out of lamp, causing many of the students to duck behind rocks, while Nathan dropped the lamp, and Twilight pulled him into a barrier, as smoke began emitting from the lamp. The smoke soon materialized into a human girl, who looked to be about four years old, dressed in pajamas, and holding a teddy bear. "*Yawn* Can't a girl get a good 2,000 year nap around?" the girl complained, before seeing where she was, "Oh, looks like someone set me free. Now, who is my new master?" the girl wondered, looking around, as two men, dressed like genies appeared. One looked comical, and the other one looked equally carefree. "Well Mavis, it would appear you've been released. You know what happens next, right?" one of the men asked. "Oui, I must grant the wishes of the one who freed moi," the girl said, as she snapped her fingers, changing her clothes into similar genie garbs. "Uh, excuse me?" Twilight asked, getting the men and girl's attention, "Sorry that my nephew here woke you up, but, who are you, and what was all that smoking from the lamp?" she asked. The girl then turned to Nathan. "Oh, so that must make you mon new master," the girl said, looking at the Texas boy. "Uh, what do you mean 'master'?" Nathan asked, uncomfortable with how the girl was looking at him. "Well, you were the one who rubbed mon lamp, no?" the girl asked. Nathan cautiously nodded, "Then by genie law, that makes you my new master, until someone else rubs mon lamp. My name is Mavis, by the way. So, Master, what would like from me, THE EVER IMPRESSIVE" She began, morphing into an Arnold Schwarzenegger physique, "LONG CONTAINED" she continued, breaking free from a small box, "Often imitated," she said, pulling out a ventriloquist dummy, "But never duplicated," she continued, as several copies of her appeared, "Genie, of the LAMP!?" Mavis asked, her legs turning into mist. "And what about the two of you?" Twilight asked the two adult genies. "Ah yes, we are young Mavis' Genie Proctors. We're here to help train her to grant wishes," the second genie replied, as name tags appeared on each of them, with the names "Bob" and "Marvin" on them. "Wait, so that whole thing about wishes is true?" Smolder asked. "3 wishes to be exact. And ixnay on the more wish-ay! That's all you get! Uno, dos, tres," Bob said, turning into a slot machine and a mariachi band. "And there ain't no returns, exchanges or refunds! All wishes are final!" Marvin added, doing a Groucho Marx impression. "Ah think, but maybe Aunt Twilight was right. Maybe this is just a buncha hooey," Nathan commented. "Oh Master, I don't think you quite comprehend the great deal you have going for you! You and your friends can sit back, while I illuminate, the possibilities!" Mavis said, as the three genies all broke out into a jazzy show tune. "Ok, but how does the wishing work, exactly?" Twilight asked. The three genies looked at her in disbelief. "You're..... kidding right? The whole song was the instructions!" Marvin yelled. "Ok, we'll make it simpler for you. All you have to do is say what you want, and if you're the last one to have rubbed the lamp, then you'll get it," Bob explained. "So... we can wish for.... anything?" Toby asked. Most of the kids hoped that they could see their real parents again. "Not quite. There are a few restriction.... limitations, if you would. First off, you can't ask Mavis to kill anyone. Secondly, you can't make wishes regarding love. Thirdly, she can't bring anyone back from the dead," Marvin explained, dashing the hopes of the kids. "As long as your wishes follow those rules, you can wish away," Mavis said, as she held up a hand mirror, checking her hair. Nathan then got an idea on how to save on everyone's wishes. "Wait, 'limitations'? 'Restrictions'? Ah thought genies were all powerful! Maybe Ah was right about that wishing biz bein' a load of hooey," Nathan commented. This caused Mavis to look at him from her mirror, with a vengeful look in her eyes, "C'mon guys. She probably couldn't get us out o' here anyhow," Nathan said, as he turned to leave, only to be stopped by an giant foot. "EXCUSE MOI? Are you looking at me? Did you rub mon lamp? Did you bring me here? I have been waiting to be free for so long, and NOW you're walking out on me?! Not a chance, no way! You're getting your wishes, so TAKE A SEAT!" Mavis' voice boomed, as she unfurled a giant sized rug, which everyone promptly sat on, "In the event of an emergency, exits are located all around you. Please keep all hands arms, feet, legs, tails, horns, wings, and other appendages inside the bounds of the carpet until we come to a complete stop. Now, hold on tight, and ALONSY!" she said, as she bore through the cave walls, with the carpet in tow, leaving Bob and Marvin in the cave. "She fell for the oldest trick in the book, didn't she?" Bob asked. "Yep," Marvin replied, as they followed after them. Meanwhile, with the sleazy stallion, "The entrance has to be around here somewhere! But where?!" he roared, not finding anything. It was when he head some nearby stone being blown apart, that he saw a little girl, dressed as a genie, leading a large carpet with Twilight and her class on it away from the ruins, "They must've found the lamp!" the stallion exclaimed, as his face cracked apart, revealing him to be Sombra, "Well, this makes my plans so much easier," he cackled, as he turned to shadows, and went off somewhere. Centaur (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. What was shocking to them, was that it was a centaur. Though this one looked nothing like Lord Tirek. The centaur appeared to be a child, a girl, to be more precise, wearing a well made Gothic Lolita dress. She had very long black hair, and appeared to be limping. "Must.... get.... away..... Can't let them catch me," the centaur girl said, in a voice that sounded similar to Cadence's home country of Prance. Though, the tone of her voice was broken, like she had experienced something bad. "Uh, excuse me?" Cadence called out to the young centaur. The centaur noticed the couple, and with a squeak, she tried to run away, only to fall. "Owwie," the girl said, as the Crystal Couple rushed to her aid. "Are you alright?" Cadence asked, offering to help the child up onto her hooves. "Careful Cadence. We don't know if she can steal magic like Tirek," Shining Armor cautiously advised. "Uh, centaurs can't steal magic. We don't even use magic," the girl reassured, her tone still shaky, as if, untrusting towards the couple. "If I may introduce myself and my husband, I am Cadence, and this is Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing both herself and her husband. The centaur girl looked to be a well mannered individual, as she did a little curtsey, and bowed respectfully. "I am Mavis Gustou," the child replied, her tone sounding a little more at ease, but still wary. "If I may ask, why are you out so late?" Cadence asked. "I.... don't have a home anymore," Mavis sadly replied. "You poor thing. We have plenty of rooms at our castle, if you're wanting a place to stay? We could even get you something to eat," Cadence offered. "I would not like to impose. I was told it goes against centaur code,," Mavis replied, wanting to get away as soon as possible. "We don't mind at all. In fact, we insist you be our guest," Shining Armor replied. Mavis thought about running, but she knew she was not that good a runner, especially with her injuries to her legs. Added to the fact that these two could use magic to catch up with her, Mavis just gave up. "O-ok," Mavis simply replied. With that, the Crystal Couple led her to their castle, offering support to the young centaur, who was still limping. They soon arrived at the Castle. upon arriving, the Guards almost took a defensive stance against Mavis. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, why is there a centaur here? Has she drained off your magic?" one of them asked. Mavis paled at hearing this. 'A real Princess?! I didn't commit any crimes, did I?!' Mavis thought fearfully. "You needn't worry about this one. Apparently, she does not posses the same ability to siphon off magic like Tirek does," Cadence said. The guards stood down, and allowed them all to enter. "Uh.... maybe I shouldn't be here after all," Mavis said, sounding like she shouldn't be in the castle. "Nonsense, Mavis. We insist on you being our guest," Cadence said, as she ushered Mavis to the kitchen, "Shiny, could you go get a room ready for Mavis?" Cadence asked. "Of course!" Shining Armor replied, taking off, as Mavis continued following Cadence into the kitchen. Once inside, Cadence saw Nathan, making a sandwich for his dinner. Mavis paled at the sight of him. 'Oh non! A human!' she thought, as she was getting ready to run away as fast as she could. "Making yourself some dinner, Nathan?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Ah figured Ah should have somethin' on mah stomach before Ah go ta bed," Nathan replied. He then took notice of Mavis, "Ah see we have a guest," Nathan commented. "Of course. Nathan, this is Mavis. Mavis, this is Nathan, our eldest son," Cadence said. Mavis only shrunk back, feeling scared of Nathan. "Ah didn't do anythin' to offend her, did Ah?" Nathan asked, worried he offended the young centaur girl. "I don't know, but why don't you take your sandwich back to your room?" Cadence suggested. "O' course," Nathan said, as he took his sandwich, and left the kitchen. "Ok Mavis, what would you like to eat?" Cadence asked. "C-could I maybe just have some c-carrots?" Mavis meekly asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she got the some of the requested vegetable out of the fridge crisper, and gave them to Mavis. With a crunch, Mavis then began to eat them. After some bites, Mavis finished both carrots. "Merci," Mavis said to Cadence. "Now, if you're satisfied with your dinner, I can show you to your room," Cadence said. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as she followed Cadence out of the kitchen. The Princess of Love had to help Mavis with going up the stairs, as Mavis was still having trouble with walking, "Do you want to stop by the infirmary? I could take a look at your legs if you want?" she offered. "N-non. It's just a pulled muscle as …. Papa would call it," Mavis declined, sounding disheartened at the mention of her father. Cadence made a note of that, but chose not to press on the matter. Eventually, they arrived at a guest room. "Ok Mavis, here's where you will sleep for tonight, and until further notice. If you need anything, Shining Armor and I will be down the hall in our room," Cadence said, as Mavis went over to the bed, and knelt down, and leaned against the bed, 'Hmm, I should ask Raiden or Francisco about making a bed for her,' Cadence thought. "Merci, P-Princess," Mavis said, as she adjusted the pillow to rest against her head. "You're very welcome Mavis. Pleasant dreams," Cadence said, as she left Mavis alone for the night. She then made her way back to her room, where Shining Armor was getting ready for bed. "How is she?" her husband asked. "Well, she ate some carrots for a rather meager supper. I offered to take her to the infirmary to have her legs looked at, but she declined, saying it was just a sprained muscle," Cadence said, as she got into bed with Shining Armor. "Well, maybe the trip to Ponyville will help her out," Shining Armor commented. "Hopefully. I just hope they don't think she's like Tirek," Cadence commented. "She is nothing like Tirek, I can guarantee that. But, all in all, we know little to nothing about centaurs," the alabaster unicorn commented. "True. Maybe we can talk Discord into getting some information on centaur culture," Cadence suggested. "Yeah. But, let's hold off on all of that until tomorrow. It's late," Shining Armor said, as they went to sleep. Yuuki Onna/ Snow WomanIt was a warm, summer's evening in the Crystal Empire, and a certain couple were returning home to the Castle, after an evening out, "Once again, you've outdone yourself, dear," Cadence said, as she walked with her arms wrapped around her husband. "Anything for you, my love," Shining Armor replied. They had rounded a corner, when they felt a sudden chill in the air, "Is it supposed to be cold?" he wondered. "It can't be. It's too warm," Cadence replied. They're curiosity was soon answered, when they saw a little human girl, with raven black hair, slumped next to a building, in a very well made Gothic Lolita dress. They saw some kind of mist emitting from her. They also saw that here face was flushed, like she was overheated. They also saw she was panting, "Um, excuse me? Are you alright?" Cadence asked, reaching out to the little girl. Upon hearing her, the girl tried to run away, but was only to get a few feet away, before she collapsed. The two of them quickly rushed to her side, "Are you hurt?" Cadence asked, trying to help the girl up, only, to her surprise, for the girl to wiggle away from them. It was clear from her actions that she did not want them touching her some reason. "Maybe, she has really delicate skin?" Shining Armor theorized. "Could be," Cadence pondered, as she tried a different approach, "We mean no harm to you. We only want to help," she cooed softy. This however, didn't work, as the girl tried to get away. "P-P-Please don't touch me!" the girl squeaked out. This certainly wasn't something they were expecting, nor was the fact that her accent sounded reminiscent of Cadence's homeland of Prance. "It's fine, sweetie. Like I said, we mean no harm," Cadence said once again, gently stroking the girl with her wing. When she did, she felt an unnatural cold on her cheek, "You're freezing cold! If you want, we could take you back home and give you a nice hot bath," she offered. "P-p-p-please non...… I hate hot baths," the child uttered. This girl was starting to become more and more mysterious to the Crystal Couple. Normally, anyone would jump at the chance for a hot bath, so why would this girl refuse a bath? "Well, we could at least offer you a place to stay for the time being. We can even have a nice meal made for you if you want," Cadence offered. The girl seemed to take this into account. She didn't want to impose on these nice folks, but she also wanted somewhere to sleep. With her options limited, she gave in. "Ok, I-I will come with you," the girl said. "Ok. By the way, my name is Cadence, and this is my husband, Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing herself, and her husband. "Je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the girl said in French. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis," Cadence said, as she offered a hand to the child. However, Mavis seemed unwillingly to take it. Thinking it would be best not to put any more undue pressure on the poor girl, Cadence knelt down to eye level with Mavis, "Mavis, I know being in a new world can be scary, but I can assure you, you are not alone," she tried to reassure. However, instead of receiving an answer, Mavis collapsed once again, breathing heavily, "Oh dear. We need to get her to the castle, now!" Cadence said, picking up Mavis in both her arms. She still felt more coldness coming from the child, but she couldn't worry about that now. Get Mavis better was at the top of her priority list. She and Shining Armor wasted no time, and making their way back to the castle, as fast as they could. They soon arrived. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, I take it you both had a nice evening?" the guard asked. "We did, but that's not important right now! Go and get a guest room prepared!" Shining Armor ordered. "At once!" the guard said, before heading into the castle. "I'll take Mavis to the infirmary first," Cadence said, as they entered the castle. Once inside, they saw their eldest son, Nathan, walking out of the kitchen with a sandwich. He was surprised to see his parents looking so frazzled. "Mommy? Daddy? You guys are back early," he commented. "We found someone new that needs our help," Cadence said, motioning to the flushed Mavis in her arms. "Looks like a fever," Nathan commented. "This is Mavis, and for the time being, she's going to be staying with us. I wish I could talk more, but she needs immediate medical attention," Cadence said, as she made her way to the castle infirmary. Once there, she laid Mavis out on a bed, and got a digital thermometer. Pressing it against Mavis' forehead, she was puzzled when it read -12 degrees Fahrenheit, "With how she's looking overheated, why is her body temperature so low?" Cadence wondered. Deciding that it would be best to help Mavis out, she got some cold packs from the freezer, and placed them over Mavis. Within seconds, Mavis looked to cool down. "How is she?" Cadence turned to see her husband and son standing in the doorway. "Well, she wasn't ill. Mavis was apparently overheated," Cadence replied. "Well, it was a lot hotter today then it normally is," Nathan commented. "But here's the strangest part. When I took her temperature, it read as -12 degrees," Cadence replied. This certainly caught both her husband and son by surprise. Then, Nathan thought of something. "Could be that she's more used to a colder climate," he theorized. "Maybe, but in any case, we should take her with us when we go to visit Twilight in Ponyville. Maybe Raiden can help shed some light on the situation," Cadence said. Unbeknownst to any of the Crystal Family, Mavis was just barely awake to hear their conversation. She was terrified that there was a human with them. However, she couldn't do much of anything, as fatigue soon took over, and she fell asleep. However, she felt comfortable, as the cold packs on her were helping to lower her body temperature. Yuuki Onna/ Snow Woman (Part 2)The next morning soon came, and the Crystal Family was ready to leave for Ponyville. They had all gathered in the main foyer, where they had all their luggage ready to go, "Ok, is that everything?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Got mah clothes, entertainment bag, and some snacks for the trip," Nathan replied. "Ok then. I'll go and get Mavis from her room. I'll be right back," Cadence said. "Hopefully, we can get her something substantial to eat. She fell asleep before we got a chance to feed her anything," Shining Armor commented. "Yeah. And Ah'm hoping we can git to the bottom of why she's so cold," Nathan replied. Cadence was able to get to Mavis' room in not time at all. However, before she entered, once thing puzzled her.... there was frost on the area surrounding the door, "Where did all of this frost come from?" she wondered, as she opened the door. Once inside, she shivered, as she felt an unnatural cold feeling. She then saw that most of the room was coated in frost and ice. She was more confused and concerned than before, "Mavis? Are you there?" Cadence asked, as she carefully entered the room, being careful not to slip on the ice. She walked over to the bed were Mavis was still sleeping. She gasped when she saw what looked to be fresh snow on the bed. However, instead of shivering, Mavis looked content. Cadence's mind flooded with even more questions than before, but she knew the one person who could help answer her questions. And for that, Mavis' needed to wake up, "Mavis? It's morning sweetie," Cadence said, gently nudging the child, who still felt as cold as she did last night. Mavis' stirred in her sleep. "Bonjour, Cadence," Mavis yawned tiredly. She then noticed the state of the room, 'Oh non! If she finds out about that.... then I may be as good as dead!' Mavis thought fearfully. "Mavis, my family and I are going to visit some relatives in a town called Ponyville. Would you like to come with us?" Cadence asked kindly. "Uh.... ok," Mavis cautiously replied, as she got out of bed, sending some of the snow to the floor, "Désolé," she said timidly. "It's fine, sweetie. It's just a little snow," Cadence reassured. Mavis was surprised when Cadence wasn't asking questions about the snow. But she wasn't complaining. The less people knew about her secret, the better, in Mavis' opinion. Cadence then led her downstairs to the foyer, where Shining Armor, Nathan, Skyla, and Guard were all waiting. Mavis paled at the sight of Nathan. 'A.... human!' she thought, as they neared the group. "Ok, now that everyone is here, let's get going," Cadence said, as they exited the castle. She then motioned to some nearby servants, "Could you clean the room this child was sleeping in? There was a lot of frost and snow in there," she whispered. "Of course, Princess," the servant said, as they went to take care of the task given to them. Mavis felt more uneasy. She had no idea she was taken in by a princess. But she felt/knew she had to keep her composure. It took about fifteen minutes, but they soon arrived at the train station, where the Crystal Express was waiting. "Tickets please!" the conductor bellowed. Cadence gave him their tickets, after buying an additional ticket for Mavis. Once the conductor checked all the tickets, he let them onto the royal car, that was coupled to the train. Once they all got settled, Mavis took her seat, away from the others. This behavior concerned the Crystal Family, apart from the two babies, because they're just babies. The train then set off at an incredible speed. "Mavis must still not fully trust us," Shining Armor commented. "Well, hopefully, this trip to Ponyville will help her out. We can seek out Raiden to help as far as psychologically helping her, among another issue I've been thinking about," Cadence replied. "What's that then?" Nathan asked. "Well, when I went to get Mavis, I saw that the room she was staying in was completely coated in ice, snow, frost, the whole nine yards," Cadence replied in a hushed voice, as not to make Mavis feel bad. "That is mighty strange," Nathan commented. "Maybe she's an Ice or Snow Mutant, like Icezer or those other two boys from the Guild?" Shining Armor chimed in. "Maybe, but if so, then she froze her room over without any control," Cadence replied. "Well, we can have Raiden help us out as far as that. No sense in us overthinkin' things," Nathan suggested. "Yeah, you're probably right. In the mean time, I'll take Mavis to the dining car to get her something to eat," Cadence said, as she walked over to the young girl in question, "Mavis, sweetie? Would you like to come with me to get you something to eat? You haven't eaten a thing since we found you," Cadence offered. Truthfully, Mavis didn't want the Princess to take pity on her, but she was starving. "O-Ok," Mavis replied timidly, as Cadence led her through the train cars. Eventually, they arrived at the diner car, where they had ready to eat pastries in a display case. "Is there anything in particular you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis looked at the pastries, and grimaced. Her grimace didn't go unnoticed by Cadence. 'They all look so full of sugar,' Mavis thought, but the grumbling in her tummy snapped her out of her trance, "C-could I m-maybe have some t-toast?" Mavis meekly asked, flinching immediately. Cadence was saddened by how fearful Mavis was behaving, but was not about to let her starve. She then turned to the worker. "Could I get two slices of toast?" Cadence asked. "At once, your majesty," the worker replied, as she began to work on some toast. Cadence led Mavis to the side, to get out of the way of the other ponies who were walking through. In about five minutes, the toast was ready, and the worker gave it to Cadence, along with some packs of butter and jelly. "Thank you for this," Cadence said, as she and Mavis went back to the royal car. Once they were back in the car, Cadence got Mavis settled at the table, placing her toast in front of her, "I'll get you some milk to drink, if you want," Cadence asked. "M-merci," Mavis replied. With that, Mavis went to the fridge, and got a cup of milk for the young girl, and brought it her, as she started eating her first slice of toast. Within a few bites, she finished her first sliced, and proceeded to the second one. Once that was done, she went to drink the milk, only to find it was slightly frozen. Mavis, however, didn't mind, as she drank the milk. It was then that they all felt the train slow down. "We must be nearing Ponyville," Cadence commented. Mavis put her cup down, and went back to her seat by the window, gazing out the window. She saw the town they were approaching was nothing like the villages she was used to. The doors looked to be made entirely of wood, and opened inwards and outwards. Soon, the train stopped, arriving at the station, "Come along now Mavis," Cadence said, as she and her family led Mavis out of the train car. However, as she stepped out, she got brushed with a face full of steam, causing her to cry out in pain, "Mavis, what's wrong?!" Cadence quickly rushed to the young child's aid. "The.... the steam.... It's too hot!" Mavis shakily replied, her face reddened by the heat, and was covered in sweat. This definitely raised concern among the Crystal Family. To them, the steam was barely warm. "Well, let's go git ya cooled off then," Nathan said, as he picked Mavis up, bridal style, ad carried her out of the station. As he did, he noted that as he carried her, she felt unnaturally cold. Normally, a person would have some degree of body heat, but this girl had almost no heat to her at all, 'What is with this girl?' he wondered, as they neared Twilight's castle. "Mavis, if you want, we can wipe your face off when we get inside," Cadence offered. "O-Ok," Mavis timidly replied. She was on edge with a human carrying her. Once they arrived at the castle, Cadence knocked on the door. In moments, Twilight opened the door. "Hi Twilight!" Cadence said, as she and Twilight did their little nursery rhyme. Or rather, they attempted to, before Shining Armor cut them off. "Can we skip this part? We have someone who needs to be cooled off," he stated. "Ah, right! Sorry Twilight, but can we ask for some cold wet wash cloths and an ice pack or two?" Cadence requested. Twilight was taken aback by this odd request, but seeing the overheated girl in Nathan's arms, she decided not to question it. "Of course! Bring her to the throne room, and set her on the table," Twilight replied, as she went to get the requested items. Nathan then carried Mavis to the throne room, where he promptly laid her out on the table. Mavis was still breathing heavily, her face was flushed from the heat of the steam. Twilight came in with a few ice packs, and some wet washcloths. "Ok, lets try to cool her off," Cadence said, as they placed ice packs all around Mavis' body, and wiped off her forehead. When she did so, Cadence saw the water on both Mavis' forehead and on the washcloth had frozen. This did not go unnoticed by the others. Twilight then pulled out a something that looked like a remote, and pressed it against Mavis' forehead. Once she got a reading, she was flabbergasted. "What the....?! -20 degrees?! She's freezing!" Twilight exclaimed. "Maybe so, but she looks more relaxed than when we got here," Nathan observed how much more relaxed Mavis looked. "We just assumed that she could be another Ice Mutant, like Icezer," Shining Armor added. "Probably. But we shouldn't move Mavis, just to be safe. I'll have Raiden come over with Icezer, if they're not out on a job, and look over her," Twilight said, quickly writing down a message on a scroll, and sent it away. "It's for the best. Her health is more important than the outing we planned on," Cadence replied. With in minutes, some knocking came from the front door. Twilight went to answer it, and revealed both Icezer and Raiden standing before her. "We came as soon as we got your message," Icezer said. "Thank you both for coming over. Please, right this way," Twilight said, allowing the two boys into the castle. "So, what's the deal with this kid?" Raiden asked. "Well, she appeared to be severely overheated, and when we took a wet washcloth to her face to help cool her off, the water froze. The weirdest thing was when I took her temperature, it read well below 0 degrees," Twilight explained. "Hmm, she sounds like an Ice Mutant, but she probably isn't," Icezer replied. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "See, Ice and Fire Mutants are immune to temperature. They could take blasts from the other, and not feel any heat or cold," Raiden replied. "Ok, but if she ain't an Ice Mutant, then what could she possibly be?" Nathan asked, as the three of them entered the room. "I have a theory. Icezer, can you place your hand on her forehead?" Raiden asked his brother. An odd request, but the icy teen did so. As soon as he made contact, he immediately pulled away. "Whoa, she IS freezing!" Icezer commented. "Cold enough for even you to feel?" Raiden asked. "Yeah, which is really weird," Icezer replied. "Which confirms my suspicions," Raiden commented. "What have you got?" Cadence asked. "Mavis here, might just possibly be a Yokai spirit, known as a Yuuki Onna," Raiden replied. "What's a Yokai?" Shining Armor asked. "Yokai are spirits that are often believed to be the cause of mundane occurrences, such as being clumsy, depressed, etc. The legends of them originate in Japan. But in the case of a Yuuki Onna, they're also called 'Snow Women'. They live in snow covered mountains, waiting for travelers to come by and freeze them solid to decorate their lairs. They can be extremely dangerous Yokai," Raiden explained. "But Mavis doesn't seem dangerous at all," Cadence replied. "I said they CAN be dangerous, not that they ARE," Raiden clarified. "Are there lots of Yokai species?" Twilight asked. "Oh yeah. Legends tell of the Oni, who attack human villages, slaughtering anyone who crosses their path, devouring the flesh and blood of humans, the Noppera-Bo, who are basically faceless ghosts, then there are the Onryo, spirits born from a grudge towards someone who wronged them in life, and quite a plethora of others," Raiden replied. "In fact, there's a movie franchise that's actually based on the story of an Onryo," Icezer added. "My word. Human world ghost stories are more gruesome than I thought," Cadence commented. "And believe me, there are a lot more, equally gruesome stories," Raiden replied. "Yuuki Onna stories are usually rooted in tragedy. Some stories tell of one being forced into a hot bath, where she melted instantly," Icezer added. "Well, if that's the case, then ice baths are what Mavis needs," Cadence commented. "Well, I have something that could help her out even more than mere ice," Raiden replied. "Oh yeah. You got a shipment of liquid hydrogen, right?" Icezer asked. "Yes. It's temperature is about 0 degrees Kelvin. It should be cold enough for Mavis to be comfortable with," Raiden replied. "But isn't 0 degrees Kelvin extremely dangerous?" Shining Armor asked. "To warm bodied creatures like you and I, yes. But a Yuuki Onna's coldness is supernatural. Normal coldness may not affect her the same way it would affect us," Raiden replied. "Ok, but should we still use ice baths for Mavis? I'm not exactly sure on how to use or dispose of liquid hydrogen," Cadence replied. "Yeah, you could do that. And if she wants something colder, just bring by the guild anytime you guys come to visit, and I'll set up a sprinkler system for her with the liquid hydrogen," Raiden replied. "Thank you both for your time," Twilight said to the two brothers. "Any time, Twilight," Icezer replied, as the two of them left. Once they did, Mavis began to stir once again. "Mmm, I feel nice and cold again," Mavis murmured, as she sat up, holding the ice packs close to her, enjoying the cold. "Ah! Mavis, are you feeling any better?" Cadence asked, coming to the child's side. "Oh... uh.... oui," Mavis replied quietly, focusing more on the cold packs. "Mavis, if you feel rested enough to come with us, we'd love to have you with us while we walk around. There may even be something you might like," Cadence offered. "Uh... ok," Mavis replied, as she carefully got off of the table, and onto the floor. She wobbled a bit, trying to balance herself. With that, they all left the castle, and made their way into Ponyville. Centaur (Part 2)The next morning, Sunlight peered in through the window of Mavis' room, as she began to stir in her sleep. She yawned as she stretched out. She carefully opened her eyes, and remembered she was in the Crystal Castle, "Oh, that's right," Mavis said to herself, as she carefully stood up. She stumbled a bit, as she tried to walk to the door, but was able to stabilize herself. She got to the door, and carefully opened it, peering out, seeing no one in sight. Walking out of the room, she stayed close to wall, still feeling pain in her legs, "Mmm, why did I have to get hurt in my legs," Mavis quietly complained. "Oh, Mavis!" the young Centaur could hear Cadence call out. Mavis turned to see both her and Shining Armor walking towards them, with two babies in their arms, "How are you feeling this morning?" Cadence asked. "I-I slept alright, p-princess. Though my legs do hurt a bit," Mavis replied. "That's a shame. We were planning to go visit my sister in her hometown, but we should look into fixing you up before we head out," Shining Armor replied. "Well, if it can help ease the pain," Mavis quietly replied, as they continued walking to the dining room. She kept limping along the way. "Do you want to go to be treated first? We can do so while our breakfast is being made," Cadence offered, seeing Mavis limping, and the pained expression on the young centaur's face. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as they arrived at the dining room, where Nathan was waiting. Mavis flinched upon seeing Nathan, and opted to take a seat that was a ways away from the others. 'Ah didn't do anythin' ta offend her, did Ah?' Nathan wondered, as Cadence retrieved a first aid kit from a nearby cupboard. She then walked over to Mavis. "Alright Mavis, do all your legs hurt, or is it just one?" Cadence asked. This was the first time she, or anyone in the castle was near a centaur on friendly terms, so she didn't know how to deal with this kind of situation. "Just my front leg, merci," Mavis said, patting her left leg. Cadence lifted Mavis' skirt, and saw what looked to be a nasty looking bruise. Cadence applied some salve, and then wrapped some gauze around it. The salve felt very soothing to the injury, and Mavis' pained expression appeared to relax. Just then, a servant came in with a cart of food items. "Ah good! is there anything in particular you want for breakfast, Mavis?" Cadence asked. "T-Toast, s'il vous plaît," Mavis replied. "Ok. Two slices?" Cadence asked. Mavis nodded, "Would you also like some butter or jelly on your toast?" the little centaur shook her head, "Ok, would you like something to drink?" "lait, s'il vous plaît," Mavis replied. "Ok then," Cadence said, turning to the servants, "Two slices of toast and one glass of milk for our guest, please," Cadence said. The servant nodded, and went to work on the toast. Cadence opted for some pancakes that were on the cart. Mavis was soon given two, lightly toasted pieces of toast and a glass of cold milk. Once she was given her meager breakfast, Mavis then began to eat. She started on the two slices of toast, before going to the milk. Once she finished, she tried to stand up, only to stumble a bit. "Easy there Mavis. Your injury needs time to heal," Shining Armor said. "I can have a crutch scooter prepared for you if you need it," Cadence added. "O-Ok," Mavis replied. Cadence motioned to a guard, who left to get a crutch scooter. In moments, the guard returned with the scooter. Cadence then helped Mavis to get herself situated on the scooter. "Alright Mavis, just take it nice and slow. The scooter can be a bit fast moving, so it may jerk forward if you're not careful," Cadence said, as Mavis started to move around on it, trying to get used to the feel of it. "Well, now that Mavis has a reliable mode of transportation, we can probably make our way to the train station. Her leg should heal up by the time we arrive in Ponyville," Shining Armor suggested. "True. Mavis, would you like to accompany us to somewhere called 'Ponyville' today? We have some friends and family down there that I'm sure would love to meet you," Cadence offered. "O-Ok," Mavis replied shakily, almost loosing her balance. "Ah'll go git mah things, and meet y'all in the main foyer," Nathan said, as he left the dining room. "I'd better go prepare a stroller and the baby bag for Guard and Skyla," Shining Armor added, leaving with the babies in his arms. "In the mean time, I'll show you downstairs," Cadence said, as she took Mavis out of the dining room, and took her to the foyer. It wasn't long before Nathan and Shining Armor, the latter of whom was pushing the stroller with the babies in it, arrived, "Alright, looks like we're all ready," Cadence said, as she grabbed her and Shining Armor's suitcases from nearby. With that, they exited the castle. "Keep an eye on things in our absence, ok?" Shining Armor asked the guards. "Yes sir!" they replied. And with that, the family, and Mavis, were off. Mavis opted to stay by Cadence's side, away from Nathan. "She must really not like me. Did Ah do somethin' to offend her?' Nathan wondered, as they walked through the Crystal Empire. Mavis was kept close to the family, as she could see some of the citizens of Empire looking at her with uncertainty, their eyes filed with mistrust. Soon, they arrived at the Train Station. Cadence went to purchase an additional ticket for Mavis, as the train was getting the royal car coupled up. "Our tickets," Cadence said, giving the conductor the tickets. "Very good. The Royal Car awaits for you and your party," the conductor said, stepping out of the way, allowing the Crystal Family and Mavis to pass onboard. Once onboard, Mavis opted to go and lie down on one of the seats, staying out of everyone's way. The rest of the Crystal Family opted to go about their own business, Nathan kicking back with some video games, Shining Armor reading some comics, while Cadence kept an eye the babies. The train ride lasted for about an hour, being how fast it was, and it soon arrived at Ponyville Station. Rounding up their stuff, they departed the railcar, allowing the station staff to roll it to a siding. "Ok Mavis, just follow us sweetie," Cadence said, as they led her out of the station, and towards the massive crystalline structure that is Twilight's castle. Demon (Part 1)It was a cool, spring evening in the Crystal Empire, and a certain couple was returning from a night out on the town, "Did you enjoy yourself, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "Yes, indeed. It was most lovely," Cadence replied. Shining Armor was about to say something, when they something, or rather, someone, limping against the wall of one of the buildings. It looked to be a very young girl, no older than four years old, who looked rather undernourished. She was wearing a well made Gothic Lolita dress, and had very long, black. The one thing that stuck out most to them was a pair of horns on the top of the child's head, and a long, spaded tail coming from her backside. "Must get away.... can't let them.... catch me," the girl said. The couple was most surprised to hear her accent was similar to that of Cadence's home country of Prance. "Uh, excuse me?" Cadence said to the child. When the child looked up to see the couple, she squeaked, and ducked into an alleyway. The two ponies went after her, as they were worried for her. They saw a box trembling, most likely the child in question, shaking in fear. 'Please don't find me.... please don't find me.....' the girl chanted in her mind. "Uh.... excuse me?" Cadence asked, peering into the box. She got a good look at the child's eyes, which were a brilliant blue, but the whites of her eyes were pitch black. The a small shriek, the girl bolted out of the box, and ran away, only to trip over a small rock, "Oh my goodness,, are you alright?" Cadence quickly rushed over to the child's side, as the girl continued to tremble. "S'il te plait, ne me fais pas de mal. Je ne veux pas d'ennuis" the child said in French. "Ne vous inquiétez pas. Nous ne vous ferons pas de mal," Cadence replied. The girl was surprised to hear the Princess talk in her native tongue. "Y-you speak F-French too?" the child asked. "Indeed I do. Allow me to introduce my self. My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but my friends and family call me Cadence. And this is my husband, Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing herself and her husband. "M-Mon nom est Mavis Gustou" the child said, introducing herself. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis, but could you tell me why you're out so late?" Cadence asked. "I-I lost mon home, and mon parents," Mavis replied sadly, a few stray tears falling from her eyes. "Oh, you poor dear. If you want, we have plenty of rooms at our place. You could stay there until we find a permanent solution," Cadence offered. Mavis almost immediately shook her head. "N-Non! I don't want to impose on vous!" Mavis replied. "It's fine Mavis. We'd love to have a guest like you stay over," Cadence insisted. Mavis could tell she wasn't being given a choice, so she gave in. "Ok," she said, as she followed the two ponies. They soon arrived at the Crystal Palace, where some guards were standing watch. "Ah, Princess Cadence, and Captain Shining Armor. I trust your night out went well?" one of the guards asked. This caused a heavy lump to well up in Mavis' throat. 'P-P-Princess?! I haven't done anything bad, have I?!' Mavis thought fearfully. "We did. But, if we can ask you to go and prepare a bedroom? We have a guest sleeping over tonight," Cadence requested. The guards then took note of the girl in question, who looked on edge. "At once, Princess," the guard said, as he left to go get a room ready, as Cadence and Shining Armor ushered Mavis into the palace. "Uh, m-maybe I should just leave after all," Mavis quietly said, as she tried to break free, but her scrawny body was powerless against the stronger forms of the two royals. Plus, she knew she wasn't a very fast runner. "I'll go on and check on Guard and Skyla," Shining Armor said. "Very well, and I'll fix Mavis a little something to eat, before I put her to bed," Cadence said, leading Mavis towards the kitchen. Once they arrived, they both saw a familiar kid, fixing himself a sandwich. Mavis instinctively ducked behind a counter. 'Oh non, a human!' she thought fearfully. "Oh, Nathan, making yourself something to eat?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Ah want a little somethin' on mah stomach before Ah hit the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing too heavy or spicy. You remember what happened last time, right?" Cadence asked. Nathan merely shuddered at what his mother was referring to. Images of him dressed as a Valkyrie, chasing his family around the castle with a mop entered his mind. "Ugh, like ya had ta remind me," Nathan groaned. He then noticed something from behind the counter, "Do we have company?" he asked. Mavis felt her heart drop into her stomach, as Cadence pulled Mavis from behind her hiding spot. "Ah yes. Nathan, this is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Hey there, Mavis. Welcome to the Crystal Empire," Nathan said. Mavis only shrunk away when Nathan directly talked to her, "Hmm, a shy one, huh? Well, Ah ain't gonna make her feel uncomfortable, so I'll head back to mah room now," Nathan said, taking his sandwich. He took one last look at Mavis, 'Ah wonder why her eyes are black and has horns?' Nathan wondered, as he left. "Alright Mavis, is there anything you want as far as food?" Cadence asked. "Uh, maybe just some t-toast?" Mavis asked timidly. Cadence nodded, and placed two slices of bread in the toaster. "And would you like anything to drink?" Cadence asked. "M-Maybe some milk?" Mavis asked. Cadence then got out the milk, and poured it into a glass, just as the toast popped out. She placed both slices on a plate, and gave Mavis her requested, albeit meager, meal. Mavis started eating her toast. Once she was done with both slices, she then drank the glass of milk, "Merci," Mavis said. Cadence then took the plate and glass, and put them in the dishwasher. "Now that you've.... more or less.... eaten, lets take you on up to your room," Cadence said, leading Mavis out of the kitchen, and upstairs. As they walked, they passed by Nathan's room, which the door was open. Looking inside, Mavis saw some of Nathan's religious stuff, and shuddered. 'Great, not only is there a human here, but this one is also religious!' Mavis thought to herself, as they arrived at a bedroom that quite a ways down from Nathan's room. "Alright Mavis, would you like to take a bath first? It might help you warm up a bit," Cadence suggested. "Well, o-ok," Mavis agreed. Mavis loved the mere thought of a bath, and she felt like she could go for one right now. "Alright, I'll draw up some water," Cadence said, as she turned the faucets to the bathtub, allowing the water to fill the tub. "P-Princess, would it be okay if I b-bathed alone?" Mavis asked. Cadence was taken aback by the odd request, but could tell Mavis was still on edge. "Of course. I'll be outside if you need me," Cadence said, as she shut off the faucets, and left the bathroom. Mavis then began to undress. As she did, a small pair of bat like wings emerged from her back. She then crawled into the tub. "Mmm, this feels nice," Mavis said, as she began to wash herself. She lathered up her hair, before she uses the showerhead to rinse. She was able to get it thanks to a small usage of magic. Once she was done bathing, she opened the plug, and let the water flow out, as she crawled out of the bathtub. She dried herself off, and redressed herself. She then exited the bathroom. "Enjoy your bath?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, as Cadence ushered Mavis over to the bed. "We're planning to have a trip to my sister in law's home tomorrow. We'd love it if you'd join us," Cadence offered. "W-Well, if you insist," Mavis replied, as she crawled into bed. "You'll love it down there, I promise," Cadence said, tucking Mavis into bed. Planting a small kiss on the girl's head, Cadence left her to sleep, "Pleasant dreams," she said, closing the door behind her. Once Cadence was gone, Mavis then took off her dress, leaving her in only her undies. "I do love mon dress, but it's not exactly good for sleeping in," Mavis said, as she tossed it to a nearby chair, before falling asleep. As Cadence walked back to her bedroom, she was approached by Nathan, "Heading on back to your room for the night, I take it?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Just got done takin' the plate back ta the kitchen. So, how's Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Well, she took a bath, and is now sleeping," Cadence replied. "Well, that's good. On that note, what's the deal with her horns and eyes? Is she wearin' costume pieces or somethin'?" Nathan asked. "I don't know, but what I do know is that she has a spaded tail, and it looked real enough to me and your father," Cadence replied. "Well, Ah suppose it's somethin' else entirely. But it ain't our place to judge," Nathan said, as he left for his room. Cadence then entered hers and Shining Armor's room. "I take it you heard what I told Nathan?" Cadence asked, as she slipped behind a changing screen. "I did. It is strange that a girl her age would be wearing costume pieces like that, especially contacts that turn the whites of your eyes pitch black," Shining Armor replied, as Cadence joined him in bed. "Well, all we can do is let Mavis tell us at her own pace. It wouldn't be a good idea to force it out of her," Cadence replied. "True,' Shining Armor replied. "And I did invite her on our trip to Ponyville tomorrow," Cadence added. "Ah, good. It would probably do her a lot of good to meet other kids around her age," Shining Armor said, as they shut off their lamps, and went to sleep. Demon (Part 3)The group had just left the castle, and were heading towards Carousel Boutique, to ask Rarity to make some more clothes for Mavis, "Ok Mavis, our first stop is to get you some more clothes. It must be uncomfortable wearing the same dress all the time," Cadence said. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk. Eventually, they arrived at the Boutique. Twilight then knocked on the door. Moments later, it opened up to reveal Rarity. "Ah, Twilight. What brings you here today?" Rarity asked, noticing the Crystal Family. "Well, I was wondering if you were busy? See, Shining Armor and I found this little one last night, wandering the streets of the Crystal Empire, all alone. We intend to let her stay with us for the time being, but if we do, she may want a change of clothes," Cadence explained. "Ah, of course. Well, you caught me at an excellent time. I actually have a free schedule, so I can fill your order. Can I ask for the little darling to step into my studio?" Rarity asked "Of course. Come along now Mavis," Cadence said, ushering Mavis into the boutique. "Now then, darling, just stand over here, while I get your measurements," Rarity requested, motioning to a spot in front of some mirrors. "Uh, ok," Mavis replied nervously, as she stood where Rarity had requested. Rarity then went to work, getting Mavis' measurements, and writing them down, "Raise your arms, please," Rarity said, as Mavis raised her arms, as requested. Rarity then measured them out, "Ok, that will do. I will get to work on some outfits right away," Rarity said, as she went into her work area. "Alright Mavis, while she's doing that, why don't we go look around Ponyville some more?" Twilight suggested. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as they all left. They soon made their way over to Sugarcube Corner. Cadence figured Mavis should have some kind of treat to help her feel more calm. They soon arrived at the bake shop. "Alright Mavis, this here is Sugarcube Corner. As you can probably tell by the name, this place is a sweets shop. What do you say to having a little something sweet to eat?" Cadence offered. Mavis immediately became uncomfortable again. She didn't really want anything sweet. She wanted to maintain her svelte physique. "N-No offense, Princesse, but I would much rather try to keep my thin figure," Mavis timidly replied. "Well, if that's what you want, then we won't force you," Cadence stated. "M-Merci," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk around. Later, that night, It was night time when they all were back at the castle, settling in for the night. Rarity and the others came by the castle, mainly just to drop off Mavis' new clothes, "I hope she likes them," Rarity said, giving Cadence a bag full to the brim with new clothes. "I'm sure she will. I'll go have her try some on," Cadence said, as she took the bag from Rarity, and made her way to find Mavis. She eventually found the young girl in the common room, hanging out with the other children. Though, the girl in question kept her distance. This behavior was quite puzzling to Cadence. "Mavis, the clothes Rarity made for you are ready. Would you like to go try some on?" Cadence asked, holding the bag. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as Cadence led her out of the room, and towards the young girl's room. Once there, Mavis pulled the changing screen in front of Mavis, before giving the child the bag of clothes. Mavis then undressed, allowing her bat like wings to spread freely. She sighed silently in relief at the feel of it. She then proceeded to put on one of the outfits. She then folded her wings as best she could, as she slipped on the first outfit, which consisted of a light blue tank top, and white short shorts. She then emerged from behind the screen. The bulge from her wings was still visible, but she didn't know it was. "So, how does it feel?" Cadence asked. "It feels... lovely," Mavis replied quietly. Cadence then noticed the bulge on Mavis' back. "Is there something on your back?" Cadence asked. Mavis then looked in the mirror, and to her horror, there was the bulge from her wings, "If I were to venture a guess, does that bulge have anything to do with wings?" she asked. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, sounding dejected, feeling like she was found out for something bad. "Well, maybe it would be a good idea to ask Rarity for some alterations. At least to your shirts," Cadence suggested. "O-Oui," Mavis replied. She then looked up to Cadence, "Princesse, I need to tell you something," she said. "Yes?" Cadence asked. "You see, I am not human. I am actual a demon," Mavis replied. "An actual, for real one?" Cadence asked, surprised at the confession. "Oui, but you don't have to worry! I don't eat souls or anything! I am morally objected to it," Mavis quickly replied. "Ok. I have a lot of questions, but it's late right at the moment, and I'm sure the others will have questions too, so why don't we pick this up in the morning?" Cadence asked. Mavis thought about it for a moment. After her most recent experience with humans prior to coming to Equestria, she wasn't exactly comfortable, or fond of humans. And it didn't help that she knew Nathan practiced religion. "W-well, I am not too fond of humans, especially the ones that are religious. But if you say I should, then I shall," Mavis replied. "I'm not forcing you to, but you should know that the others will have to know sooner or later. And you needn't worry about Nathan. He may worship Christianity, but he is a nice boy," Cadence replied. "That may be so, but religions and demon kind..... they go together about as well as..... hellfire and snowballs," Mavis explained. "Well, I'm sure he'll understand. I'll explain things to him and the others, so all you need to worry about is getting some sleep tonight," Cadence replied. "W-well, ok," Mavis replied, as she went back behind the changing tent, and took off her new clothes, setting them with her dress. She then emerged, only in her undies, as she went over to the bed, and crawled into bed. "Try to have pleasant dreams, sweetie," Cadence said, planting a small kiss on Mavis' forehead, before leaving the young girl to sleep, the room illuminated by the light of the moon, shining through the window. Cadence then looked at Mavis' clothes, and she decided to take them to Rarity for alterations. The next morning, Mavis was sleeping soundly, as sunshine peered in through the windows. Just then, Cadence then gingerly entered the room, making her way over to the sleeping child. In her hands, was the bag, containing Mavis' clothes, including her dress. Cadence had asked Rarity to make alterations for Mavis' wings. She then looked over the small form of Mavis, as she continued sleeping softly. Cadence almost couldn't bring herself to disrupt such a cute sight, but she knew the morning was going to be eventful, and Mavis needed to be present for it, "Mavis, it's morning sweetie. Time to wake up," Cadence said, gently nudging Mavis, who began to stir in her sleep. "Mmm, morning already?" Mavis asked, sounding groggy. "Yes, it is. Now come and get dressed. We're having breakfast in the dining room," Cadence said, placing the outfit Mavis tried on last night on the side of the bed. Mavis then begrudgingly sat up, and got out of bed, taking the outfit Cadence picked out, and went behind the changing screen. She then proceeded to get dressed, which included holes for her wings, "How do they feel now?" Cadence asked. "Much better. It was a little cramped trying to keep mon wings folded under the shirt," Mavis replied, stepping out from behind. Now her wings were fully spread from her back. "Well, that's good. Now that you're dressed, shall we join the others for breakfast?" Cadence asked. Mavis knew what this meant, as she felt a lump form in her stomach. But she knew that what Cadence said was true. The others would find out about her demonic nature sooner or later, so it may as well as be sooner. "Ok. Let's get it over with," Mavis replied, not really thrilled about coming clean about being a demon. both she and Cadence left the bedroom. "Now don't worry your sweet, little head. I'll be there to back you up all through the breakfast," Cadence reassured, as they descended the stairs. They soon arrived at the dining room, where the others, including the rest of Twilight's friends and their families, were all having breakfast. "Ah, Cadence, with little Mavis in tow. How'd the little one sleep last night?" Rarity asked. "I'd say she slept rather well. Thanks again for making the alterations to her outfits," Cadence replied. "It was no trouble at all, darling. Though I was a bit taken aback at being told that she had wings like Nathan," Rarity commented, as both Cadence and Mavis took their seats, with Mavis sitting between Cadence and Twilight, still not to comfortable with being near humans. "Well, that's all because Mavis, believe it or not, is an actual demon," Cadence stated. An awkward silence hung in the room. "Wait, she's a really for real demon? Like, the kind that take souls in exchange for various deals and such?" Kelly asked. "Well, Mavis told me she's morally against taking souls," Cadence replied. "Is this true Mavis?" Nyx asked. "Oui. I was born from a human father and a succubus mother," Mavis replied. "That's.... so..... AWESOME!" Kelly exclaimed. "Wait, really?" Mavis asked, surprised none of them were freaking out. "Well, if ya ain't a soul stealin' demon, then we ain't got nothin' ta fear," Nathan replied. Mavis still seemed wary of trusting Nathan, but was now relieved that she had nothing to fear from the humans. "So, what basically can you do, as a demon?" Twilight asked. "Well, I can breathe hellfire, place powerful curses on others, summon other demons using pentagrams, and some other things. However, I am not very good at any of those things just yet," Mavis replied. She then went on to explain how things worked in the Demon Kingdom. Demon (Part 4)Time passed on, as Mavis got more used to Equestria. She just recently got adopted by Cadence and Shining Armor as their daughter, so she could remain a permanent resident in the Crystal Empire. However, things weren't all going good for Mavis, as during a trip to an Aquarium, she was kidnapped by Prince Blueblood's gang of revenge seeking ponies, all of whom had a bone to pick with Twilight and friends. While in captivity, Mavis labeled Blueblood as a bitch. However, their plans well through, as the Alicorn's Wish Elite had arrived to liberate Mavis. However, Mavis fell down a cliff into the raging river, and got swept downstream, where she came across the extremely curvy Nymphs, before she arrived back at the Crystal Empire. Later, she got kidnapped by King Sombra, who also wanted to use Mavis as a hostage to gain control of the Crystal Empire. However, the evil unicorn underestimated Mavis' prowess as a demon, as she managed to escape without too much trouble. "Sucks to be you, BITCH!" Mavis yelled, flipping off Sombra. "Why you.... get back here!" Sombra roared, as he turned into his mist form, and charged at Mavis, who summoned a pentagram shield, which, for the most part, was able to block the ex-king's advance, but since Mavis was not skilled in magic of any kind, she was pushed back to the edge of the cliff. "Uh oh," Mavis commented, as she looked down at the raging river below. She then noticed the rock formations around the river, and recognized it as the river where she fell into when she escaped from Blueblood. "Now, are you going to behave, or do I have to be.... uncivilized?" Sombra growled. "I pick door number trois," Mavis replied, as she slid down the cliff. The good news was that Sombra was unable to follow after her, since the river in the mountain range was protected by a magic that he could not bypass. The bad news is that Mavis did not think things through, as she fell through a briar patch, which tore her clothes to shreds. She had little time to be embarrassed, as she fell into the river, hit her head on a rock, knocking her out, as she floated downstream. "No! I can't loose this chance!" Sombra roared, as he shot a beam of his dark magic at Mavis. A little bit entered her mouth, as she continued to float further away from Sombra. She eventually washed up on shore at the base of a mountain, in front of a cave. A mysterious figure came and brought her into the cave. Later, in the Nymph Grotto, When Mavis finally came to, she saw she was inside some sort of temple. She attempted to sit up, only for a sharp pain to keep her down. Looking down, she saw she was only covered up by bandages. She was embarrassed about being naked, but was glad she had something covering her up for the most part. Just then, she could hear someone coming towards her. Her first instinct was to run away, but she was in too much pain to even move. She then saw who was coming in, and was in shock and awe. It was a trio of women in rather small bikinis, that held curves, much larger than Mavis had ever seen. She immediately recognized Cosmo and Marina, as she met them previously, but was unfamiliar with the third one. She wore a white bikini, with a little nurse's hat, and had lime green hair. "Oh my goodness!" the green haired woman said, immediately rushing to Mavis' side, "How are you feeling sweetie?" she asked. "I have been better," Mavis cautiously replied. "Well, let me help you out," the woman said, as she conjured a ball of green light. She then placed it on Mavis' belly, where it immediately sunk in. In a moment, Mavis could no longer feel any pain, "Now how do you feel?" she asked. "A lot better. Merci," Mavis said, as she slowly sat up. "You're very welcome, but try to take it easy, ok? You don't want to push yourself," the woman said. "O-Ok," Mavis said, as she finally sat all the way up, "If it is not too much trouble asking, where am I?" Mavis asked. "Why, you're in the northern Nymph Grotto, sweetie, just a little ways North of the Crystal Empire," Cosmo replied. "We found you washed up on shore just outside the grotto," Marina said. "Really?" Mavis asked. She then took a moment to recollect herself. She remembered escaping from King Sombra, then falling into the river below his hideout, and hitting her head, "Ah yes, now I remember," Mavis commented. "So, if we may ask, how did you wind up on the beach outside the grotto in your birthday suit?" Tabby asked, looking over Mavis' tiny form, making sure there weren't any lingering injuries she missed. Mavis took a moment to compose herself, still feeling shaken up from the ordeal, as she explained everything to the three Nymphs. Needless to say, they were all shocked at hearing the name "Sombra" after some many years. "Sombra..... never thought I would ever hear that detestable name again," Tabby commented. "I'm amazed you were able to get away..... relatively ok," Marina said. "Well, I may be a demon, but I am not very good at magic," Mavis replied. "I must say, we always thought demons to be brutish monsters, no offense, but you have wonderful manners, and are very polite," Cosmo commented. "None taken," Mavis replied, all the while, staring at each of the Nymph's massive breasts. This did not go unnoticed by the Nymphs. "Is something wrong, Mavis?" Cosmo asked. "Non, it's just..... where I come from, more than half of the population consists of demons. Among these demons are succubi, much like mon Maman," Mavis began. "Yes, we've heard of succubi. They seduce males into doing whatever they want, or feed off their essence. What about it?" Tabby asked. "Well...... the succubi that live in the Demon Kingdom have very nice figures, but they all pale in comparison to the three of you," Mavis replied. "Really, now?" Marina asked. "Oui. None of the succubi I know have boobies, thighs, or tushies as big as yours," Mavis replied. She then realized what she said, then got a little flustered, "N-Not that you're fat or anything! F-Far from it!" she quickly said. "Relax young one. We're not offended in the least. If anything, we're quite flattered you would say that," Tabby said, gently patting Mavis' head. "Well, if you feel like you're up to it? Would you like to come meet the rest of our sisters?" Cosmo offered. Mavis, with the help of Tabby, slowly got to her feet. Her legs still felt a little wobbly, but Tabby let Mavis use her as a crutch, as she and her sisters walked Mavis to the next room. There, Mavis met Wanda, Kat, Yuki, Sky, and Dana. Mavis was amazed at Dana's extra thicc body, as they were the largest curves she had seen in her life. Kat then told Mavis that they had a sister in the Southern Nymph grotto with body that was way more thicc than Dana's. "So Mavis, I'm sure Cosmo told you about our offer to you. Would you like to train under us to become a Nymph yourself?" Wanda asked. "It does sound lovely, but I would need permission from Maman. She's the ruler of the Crystal Empire," Mavis replied. "Well, I guess we could just send her a message then," Wanda said, writing down a note. She then called over a bird, rolled up the note, and gave it to the bird, "Take this to Princess Cadence, please," she asked of the bird, who then took the note, and flew out of the grotto. "In the mean time, why don't we get something warm for you to eat? You must still be feeling cold," Dana offered. "That.... would be lovely," Mavis replied. Soon, Cadence and others arrived at the Nymph Grotto, and gave her consent for Mavis to train under the Nymphs. And Mavis did so, learning how to use magic a little better. Though, given how young she was, she couldn't use magic for very long. But her teachers assured her that she would get better at magic when she gets older. However, nothing could prepare Mavis, or any of her friends or family for the horrors that would soon befall Equestria. Demon (Part 5)Time went on, and it was finally time for the most anticipated holiday: Hearth's Warming. When Mavis first learned of this celebration, she immediately became unnerved, as she wasn't too comfortable with getting presents or having treats. However, Cadence reassured her that they would respect her wishes about getting presents. When it was time to go for the party in Canterlot, Mavis still had reservations about the whole celebration, but was still willing to partake in it. She met her grandparents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, who were both ecstatic and shocked to learn that Mavis was a demon, but still accepted her as part of the family. Then the time came for the party at Canterlot Castle. Using the amulet she got from her mentors, she was able to call them, and have them show up to the party, where they all met Mavis' other friends and family. Things were going well, right up until a cult of religious extremists from Mavis' Earth attacked the party, and took her, and all her friends, the Nymphs included, and took them back to their world. Right now, the leader of said cult was contemplating what to do. "Hmm, first, we should have them bath in Holy Water, as to wash off the sinful filth of that demon girl. Then, we can destroy that monster," Marcus said, taking a sip of some herbal tea. Just then, another cultist came in, looking rather frantic. "Brother Marcus.... the demon and the heretics," the cultist said, sounding exasperated. "Yes? What about them? Have those heathens decided to come to our side willingly?" Marcus asked. "No.... they've escaped!" the cultist replied. Marcus did a spit take. "WHAT?!" Marcus yelled, which caused everyone in their "temple", which was really just an abandoned warehouse, to freeze up, "How did they escape!?" he yelled. "Well.... you see, what happened was this," the cultist said, waving his hands around, while making warping sounds, as they went into a flashback. 10 Minutes ago, Mavis was kept in a separate cage, while her friends were all being held in one big cage in the middle of the room. Her friends were all considered blasphemous sinners for making friends with a demon. They were also going to put Josh, Crystal, and the others on trial for using magic that was not being used for smiting Mavis, "Is there anyway we can get out of here?" Kelly asked, looking around, trying to find a way out. "Hmm," Wanda hummed, looking at the bars of the cage, "The magic enforcing these bars is..... relatively weak. My guess, is that since it's borrowed magic from King Sombra, these cultists don't know how to use it properly. We may be able to break through and out," she explained. "But we would have to make our escape quickly. Is there any way out?" Sasha asked, as she and the others looked around. Then, Mike saw an open window that looked big enough for all of them to fit through. "How about there?" he asked, pointing to the window. "Could work, but there's a slight problem with that," Applebloom replied, motioning to the Nymphs. "Well, it was a thought," Mike sighed. "Actually, we Nymphs are more than just hot bods. Our magic allows us to tap into the power of nature, including animal transformation," Marina said, as she and her sisters all turned themselves into rabbits. "Well, we got a plan for all of us to get out easily. Now, we just need to break out," Toby commented. Daria reverted back to her normal form. "Leave that to me!" she said, pulling out a war hammer from.... somewhere, and smashed it into the cage door, destroying it completely. "What's going on in there?!" they could hear one of the cultists coming. "Oh crud! I forgot about that!" Mike exclaimed. "Not to worry," Wanda said, as she used her magic to raised large boulders from the ground, blocking one entrance, while Yuki froze the other one, "That won't stop them for long. Daria, could you break Mavis out? We'll see about getting the young ones out," she requested. "No problem," Daria said, as she went to town on Mavis' cage. Meanwhile, the Nymphs were all helping the kids out of the window, while the cultists kept ramming the door. Daria was soon able to break open the cage, and got Mavis out of the cage, "Hurry now, child," Daria said, as she helped Mavis out the window. Daria then turned into a squirrel, and climbed out of the window. And just in time too, as the cultists were able to break through the blockades. "Where are the sinners?!" one of the cultists exclaimed, seeing the cages were empty. Another cultist saw that a window was open. Going over, and looking outside, they saw the group running into the forest. Wanda then stomped on the ground, summoning a massive wall of stone around the back of the warehouse, preventing them from giving chase, at least for the time being, "No! Marcus is going to be furious!" he exclaimed. Realtime, ".... How do you know what they did if you weren't in the room?" Marcus asked. "You don't want to know," the cultist replied. "Well, in any case, where did they go?" Marcus asked. "They were heading into the forest. The one where we believe the gateway to the Demon Kingdom is located," the cultist replied. Marcus then stroked his chin, in a thinking manner. "Hmm, this may prove useful," he said. Meanwhile, with the Equestria Friends, The friends all decided to take a quick break to catch their breaths, "Those guys..... are not...... good enough...... to be considered...... a religious group," Nathan said, in between breaths. "Those cultists have some nerve. Twisting and perverting a good thing for their own selfish purposes," Wanda commented. "So, where do we go from here?" Kelly asked. Mavis then looked around. "Something, Mavis?" Sky asked. "This forest, I think the gateway to the Demon Kingdom is somewhere in this forest," Mavis replied, looking around. "Do you think they'll let us take shelter there?" Crystal asked. "Oui. Many humans have made their residences in the Kingdom. Mainly because some demons can't have kids with one another," Mavis replied. "Well, do you know how to find it?" Dana asked. "I think so. All I do know about the gateway is that it is in a big cave," Mavis replied. "Do you know which way?" Crystal asked. "I can faintly pick up on a large amount of demon mana, and it is fairly close," Mavis replied, as she walked in further into the forest, followed closely by her peer group. Eventually, the arrived at a cave, "The mana is strongest here," she commented, as they entered. "What's this 'mana' that you keep talking about?" Melody asked. "In short, from what I understand, its a type of magic that many monster species' wield," Mavis replied, as she conjured a fire ball, and tossed it at a torch. Once lit, a whole bunch of other torches lit up, one right after the other, illuminating the cave. Once they could see things better, the group saw something that looked like a gateway. "Is that it?" Toby asked. "Oui. Now, if I can ask you all to stand back, I'm going to try and open the gate, and things might get a little...... intense," Mavis requested. As she wished, her friends all backed away, giving Mavis plenty of room. Once Mavis got herself situated, she then began chanting something in some sort of demonic language. As she chanted, the torch flames turned a sinister purple, and started flowing into the gateway. Eventually, the flames formed into a portal. From the other side, came what looked to be a teenage girl in a rather.... immodest outfit. Mavis' friends could see the woman had curled horns and a long, spaded tail, just like Mavis does. "Who opened the gateway to the Demon Kingdom?" the demoness asked. "Uh.... I did?" Mavis meekly replied, catching the demoness' attention. She looked around, and saw Mavis' friends from Equestria. "A demon, still in the human world?" the demoness questioned. "Well, I was a survivor from when the human cultists attacked our city a while back," Mavis replied, still sounding meek. "And I take it these humans and..... human like creatures are friends?" the demoness asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "We just escaped from the cult, and need shelter until our friends from our dimension arrive," Wanda added. "I see. Well, it just so happens that the Demon Queen is very hospitable, and is more than likely to accommodate you all. And you don't have to worry. The Demon Kingdom is not in Hell, so none of the demons there feed on souls or essence," the demoness said. "They don't?" Connor asked. "Nope. Instead, we feed on typical human fare," the demoness said, stepping out of the way, "Now, proceed through this portal. I'll follow after you all to make sure it's closed," the demoness said. One by one, Mavis and her friends all entered through the portal, with the demon girl going through last. Once on the other side, the Equestria Friends all beheld the Demon Kingdom, which, admittedly, looks pretty much like a normal city, apart from the massive castle in the center of town. "Whoa," was all Toby could say. "This is really where you're from, Mavis?" Dana asked. "Oui. The barrier between the Kingdom and the Human world can only be opened by chanting that spell you heard me do," Mavis replied. "However, doing this collapses the barrier just long enough for someone to enter or leave," the demoness added. "So it's back up?" Nathan asked. "Yep," the demoness replied. "Well, that's good," Wanda commented. "Indeed. Let me take you to see the Queen. I'm sure she'll want to meet with all of you," the demoness said, leading them into town. Author's Note Here are bios on the various monster species found in the Demon Kingdom, Demon: Basic resident. They have superior strength, speed, and agility as compared to even the strongest of humans. However, males rarely take on human form, the same of which cannot be said for the females, as they always take on a humanoid form. They are capable of casting curses or hexes, as well as possess humans, and breath hellfire Succubus: A Dream demon that invokes powerful feelings of lust in men. They love to dress in less than modest outfits to help seduce men without the use of their powers. However, if need be, they can use spells called "Seduce" or "Charm" to get humans to do whatever they want. There are male counterparts called Incubi, who are basically capable of the same thing, but only to women. Ironically, neither Succubi or Incubi can have children with one another, so they require human partners. The tips of their tails have needle like appendages, which allows them to administer a small, but very powerful aphrodisiac to both humans and other monster species Imp: Low ranking demons, Imps are at the very bottom of the barrel. They're capable of anything Demons are able to do, but with only half the amount of power, sometimes less than that. They like to make pests of themselves, causing trouble for both humans and Demons alike. Centaur (Part 3)Twilight was busy getting things ready for the arrival of her family from the Crystal Empire. She had the guest rooms prepared for the few days they would be staying in Ponyville, "Ooh! They should be here any minute!" she squealed. It was then that she heard knocking coming from the front door. Twilight then quickly made her way to the door, and opened it, reveal the Crystal Family. Cadence and Twilight did their normal greeting, before embracing, "I hope the trip wasn't too draining on you guys," Twilight said, breaking away from the hug. "None at all. The Crystal Express is the fastest passenger train in all of Equestria," Cadence replied. "Twiley, we brought along a guest with us," Shining Armor added, motioning to Mavis, as she wheeled herself in. "A centaur?" Twilight asked in surprise. She remembered how Tirek was when it came to the ponies, but it appeared that this young centaur was nothing like the evil magic siphoning tyrant. "Yes. We found her last night when we came back from a night out on the town. She had some kind of injury to her leg, which is why she's on this crutch scooter," Cadence explained. Twilight then noticed the young centaur's leg, and how it was wrapped in gauze, "And before you ask, no, she can't drain magic like Tirek can," she quickly added. Twilight took this information in, and carefully approached her, as not to make the girl feel threatened. "Hello sweetie, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, but please, call me Twilight," she carefully introduced herself. "B-Bonjour," Mavis quietly replied, quickly avoiding eye contact. "She seems very well mannered, but shy," Twilight commented. "She's not very talkative, and has hardly said much since last night," Cadence explained. "We were thinking bringing her to Ponyville could help her to relax around us," Shining Armor added. "True. Perhaps meeting our friends will help her out. Let me show you all to your rooms, then we can head out," Twilight said. "Ok. Mavis sweetie, we're going to go with Twilight to find our rooms, then we'll be back for todays outing. You can come with us to find your room, or you can stay here if want. Your choice," Cadence said. "O-Ok, I will just stay here then," Mavis replied, wheeling herself off to the side. Twilight then proceeded to show the Crystal Family to their rooms. "Twilight, could you possibly give Mavis a room that's close my and Shining Armor's room? I'd rather her not be too far from me if she feels scared," Cadence requested. "Of course! She seems to trust you most of all," Twilight replied, as she let them all unpack, and returned to the foyer, where the young centaur was waiting. "By the way, where are Josh and the rest?" Nathan asked. "They had some things that needed taking care of, so they couldn't stay," Twilight replied. "I see. Well, maybe we can meet up with them in town," Cadence said, as they all exited the castle, with Shining Armor helping Mavis down the stairs, setting the scooter on the ground. "We should probably head to the guild first. Raiden's new invention may be able to help out with Mavis' leg," Twilight suggested. "Good call," Cadence said, as they began to make their way to the guild hall. Along the way, Mavis felt more uncomfortable because of the stares she was getting from the townsfolk, some of them being dirty looks. The dirty looks the townsfolk were giving Mavis didn't go unnoticed by Cadence and the others. "Actually, it'll be faster this way," Twilight said, as she teleported them out of town, and in front of the guild hall. Mavis looked at the guild hall in awe, "Impressive, right? It used to be a castle before it got turned into a guild," Twilight explained, as they entered the gates. Mavis paled at the sight of multiple humans among the grounds. One of them, she saw exiting the castle, and coming towards them. It was Eliza, one of the S Ranked Members. "'Ello there, Princess. What brings ye ta our neck o' the woods?" Eliza asked. "Hello Eliza. Is Raiden in right now?" Twilight asked. "Aye. He's in his lab, workin' on some experiment," Eliza replied. Then she took notice of Mavis, who immediately flinched at being looked at, "Who's this wee lassie?" the Scottish girl asked. "This is Mavis. We were hoping to talk to Raiden about an injury she somehow got on her leg," Cadence replied. "Ah. Well, do nae let me stop ye from your plans," Eliza said, as she left the guild grounds. "Well, come along Mavis. We'll go and get you fixed up," Twilight said, as they all entered the Guild Hall. Once inside, Twilight went over to where Silver was working the drink counter, giving some soda floats to some of the guild members. "Ah, Twilight. What brings you here?" Silver asked. "Hello Silver. Would it be alright if we went to see Raiden? We have a guest with us with an injured leg," Twilight asked. "Oh sure. His lab is down the hall, second set of double doors on the right," Silver replied. "Thank you," Twilight said, as she led her family from the Crystal Empire down the hall to Raiden's lab. Twilight then carefully knocked on the door. "It's open!" she heard Raiden call out. They then proceeded to enter the lab, where they saw Raiden working on some kind of experiment, "Well, that's a bust," he grumbled, before turning to the family, "Ah, Twilight, and Cadence and Shining Armor too. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" the thunder teen asked. "Well, we were hoping you had something to help with healing injuries," Cadence replied, motioning to Mavis, who flinched at being observed by Raiden. "A centaur? I thought Equestria didn't get along with centaurs?" Raiden asked. "Well, it's just with Tirek. He's the only centaur to ever show malice towards Equestria, and wants to make the magic of every pony his own," Twilight replied. "I see. Well, you're in luck. I have just the thing. But I'll have to ask this young one to lay down on this table here," Raiden said, motioning to an examination table. "Ok. Mavis, this nice young man is just going to look at your leg, and try and make it better, ok?" Cadence said to Mavis. "O-Ok," Mavis quietly replied, as Cadence helped her up onto the table. Raiden came over with a device that appeared to look like a giant bubble wand. "Ok Mavis, I want you to try and extend your injured leg. This invention of mine will take care of the rest," Raiden said, activating the device. "O-Ok," Mavis was more on edge, being this close to a human. Raiden fed Mavis' injured leg through the device, taking it all the way up to her lower torso. He then brought it back down. Mavis no longer felt the pain from the injury. "Is there any tenderness still?" Raiden asked, examining the young centaur's leg. Mavis flinched from being touched, pulling away from him. "Sorry about that, but Mavis doesn't seem to keen on being near humans," Cadence apologized to Raiden. "Hmm, based on her mannerisms, it does seem like she had a traumatic experience of some kind," Raiden observed. "Can you recommend any actions we should take? Mavis doesn't seem like the type case like you, or the rest of the humans were," Twilight asked quietly, as Cadence and Shining Armor helped Mavis off the table. "Hmm, the best thing you can do for her is to give her time and space from the other human kids until she's warmed up to them," Raiden recommended the best course of action he could think of. "Well, it may take a long time, but things like this do take time," Twilight replied. "Indeed. Try not to force her into things she doesn't want to do. Let her do her own things at her own pace," Raiden advised. "We will. Thank you for helping us out," Cadence said, as they all left. "No problem. And if you ever need any more help, you can always come by," Raiden said. "Well, now that Mavis' leg is healed up, maybe the next stop should be to get her some more clothes. It must be uncomfortable wearing the same dress all the time," Shining Armor suggested. "Good call. What do you say, Mavis? Want to get a few more outfits?" Cadence offered. "W-Well, I certainly would like some more outfits," Mavis replied. "Then we have the perfect place to take you for new outfits!" Twilight said, as the group left the guild hall, and made their way to the center of town. Centaur (Part 4)Mavis did not like the looks she was getting from the townsfolk. They all looked at her with disgust and distrust. For this reason, Cadence had Mavis walk between her and Shining Armor, as to protect the young centaur. They soon arrived at their destination, Carousel Boutique, and Mavis could finally relax. Twilight then knocked on the door, "Rarity? Are you home?" Twilight called out. "Just a minute!" Rarity's voice sang, as she opened the door, "Ah, Twilight! And i see Princess Cadence..." "Please, just 'Cadence' is fine," Cadence said, interrupting Rarity, before looking apologetically at the fashionista. "Ah, right. It's just since your a princess and everything," Rarity explained herself. "It's quite alright," Cadence replied. "So, what brings you all to my humble abode?" Rarity asked, suddenly noticing Mavis, "Twilight, is that....?" Twilight cut her off. "Yes, she is a centaur. Could we take this inside? We can explain things better," Twilight said. Rarity then allowed them all into the Boutique. Inside, they saw the rest of the Mane Six. all hanging out inside. "Howdy there guys," Applejack said, as they all filed into the shop. "Hey everyone. What's going on?" Twilight asked. "We've been hearing rumors of a centaur in town," Rainbow Dash replied, eyeing Mavis, "Although, she doesn't seem to be much of a threat," she observed a bit ruder than intended. Mavis felt more pressure and unease. "I know she's a centaur, but from what I've seen, she can't use magic," Twilight replied. "Centaurs can't use magic. We are, how you say, a warrior race. Well, some of us are," Mavis quietly stated, just loud enough for them to hear her. "Well, if can't take any o' our magic, then she's alright in mah book," Applejack commented. "Are relations between Equestria and the Centaur kingdom really that bad?" Nathan asked. "Not so much the kingdom itself, but Equestria's views on Centaur kind are.... not the best because of Tirek's most recent rampage," Cadence explained. "That's right. As a result, ponies aren't exactly onboard with the idea of forming relations with King Vorak, on account that he's Tirek's father. In fact, there was even an Equestria wide petition to keep from ever forming friendly relations with the Centaur Kingdom," Twilight added. "I am sorry if mon presence is offensive to your people," Mavis timidly apologized. "No, no Mavis, it's not your fault," Cadence quickly said. "That's right Mavis. Ponies just don't trust what they don't understand," Twilight added. "As long as we all like ya, that should be all that matters," Nathan added. Mavis flinched a bit when Nathan spoke to her directly, stumbling a bit, but Cadence helped her get her balance. "Now that we got that all out of the way, Rarity, if it's not asking too much, could I ask for you to make a few outfits for Mavis?" Cadence asked. "Of course! Step this way, Mavis, so I can get your measurements," Rarity requested, leading Mavis into the next room. Within moments, Mavis trotted out, and went back over to Cadence, "I'll try to have these outfits to you by nighttime," Rarity said, as she went to work. "In the meantime, Mavis, there's lots to show you around town. We can all show you around," Twilight said, as they left the Boutique. However, upon exiting, they were met with an angry mob of townsfolk, accompanied by Naomi, Stealth, Brian, and Icezer. "Is there something we can help you all with?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, these guys had sent a request for some of the Guild Members regarding a Centaur," Brian replied. "Centaurs have no place in Equestria!" one of the townsfolk exclaimed. "GET HER OUT OF HERE!" a familiar pony, in the form of Spoiled Rich, added. "Has this Centaur done anything bad to provoke the townsfolk?" Icezer asked. "No, of course not! If anything, Mavis is more nervous about being in Equestria than the townsfolk are being hateful towards her," Cadence replied. "Princess Cadence, with all due respect, you should know that Centaurs are NOT to be trusted. After all, this one could be just like Tirek, if not worse!" Spoiled Rich proclaimed. "Now hold on, is there any proof to your claims?" Stealth asked, looking at the pony who hired him, his brothers, and his girlfriend. "We're not going to do anything unless we have irrefutable, positive proof, as per our regulations," Naomi added, crossing her arms. "She's a Centaur! Centaurs drain magic of ponies! What more proof do you need?!" Spoiled Rich screeched. "Well, evidence that she HAS drained someone's magic is a start," Brian snarled, not liking the bratty mare's racist attitude towards an innocent child. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! You would rather risk OUR safety, just because you want proof?! ARE YOU ALL CRAZY OR SOMETHING?!" Spoiled Rich screeched even louder, some of the windows nearby breaking. "Right.... the mare who's being racist because of one villain's actions is calling US crazy," Icezer shot back sarcastically. "Alright, break it up everyone!" Twilight said, getting between the townsfolk and the mutants, "Look, as one of the four Princesses of Equestria, I can personally vouch for Mavis. She has done nothing to harm anyone, nor has she done anything to deserve such unacceptable behavior!" she proclaimed. "Twilight is right. We're not going to do this request. In fact, we're taking this up with our brother to have this request banned completely from the Guild Request Board," Brian said, as the mutants left. "Wait! I'm paying you by the hour to complete this request!" Spoiled Rich yelled, only for Brian to flip her off, "I cannot believe this! I'll sue the guild! I have the best lawyers money can buy!" she ranted. "Your case won't hold up in court," Shining Armor said, getting everyone's attention, "It's just like they said.... you have no evidence that Mavis has or will siphon off magic. That's the only crucial evidence you need for us to send her back to where she came from. Besides, Mavis told us she can't use magic," he stated, turning his attention to the crowd, "And if ANY of you have problems or complaints about this child, then you take it up with us!" he yelled with drill sergeant authority. This made the crowd disperse rather quickly, leaving Spoiled Rich all alone. "Well? You want to try making anymore baseless accusations against a child?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes. Throwing her arms up into the air, Spoiled Rich stormed off. "Sorry about that, Mavis. Ever since another centaur by the name of Tirek tried to conquer Equestria, the citizens have been extremely distrustful towards centaurs," Cadence said, holding Mavis' hand. "Now, why don't we move on from this awful ordeal, and onto more fun stuff? We have a friend at the edge of town who might have something fun for you," Pinkie Pie suggested. "Great idea Pinkie! Will might be able to give Mavis some Pokemon to help her adjust to Equestria," Twilight said. "Could you take her Twilight? We'll see about getting her some sugar-free treats at Sugarcube Corner," Cadence asked. "Of course! I'll bring her back as soon as we get her some Pokemon. Come along, Mavis," Twilight said, as she led Mavis towards the edge of town, while the others went to prepare some sugar free treats for her. Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 3)Having toured most of Ponyville, Twilight decided Mavis should have her own Pokemon, and was bringing her over to see Will, "Don't worry Mavis. Will is a very nice person, and I'm sure he'll have some nice Pokemon for you to take as your own," Twilight said. "Is it really alright to do so?" Mavis asked cautiously. "Of course. Will is our friend, and he has plenty of baby Pokemon running around," Twilight said, as they arrived at Will's ranch house. In the front, they saw Cindy, sweeping off the porch. "Oh, hey Twilight, what brings you out here?" Cindy asked. "We have a new friend in our circle of friends, but she's a bit shy and timid, so we were wondering if Will had any baby Pokemon that could help her out?" Twilight asked. "Oh, sure! Will is around the back," Cindy said, pointing to the side of the house. "Thank you!" Twilight said, as she led Mavis around the house. There, on the porch, grooming one of his Liepard, was Will. "There you go, Liepard, you're all clean now," Will said. "Thanks Will," Liepard said, as she pranced off. Will then noticed Twilight and Mavis. "Oh, hey there, Twilight. What brings you out here?" Will asked. "Will, this is Mavis. She's new to Equestria, and is having some trouble opening up. We were hoping you had some baby Pokemon that could help her to open up?" Twilight asked. "Oh sure. There are plenty of Baby Pokemon over in the nursery that I'm sure would be thrilled to have someone to take care of them. Are there any particular ones you want to get her?" Will asked. "Well, here's the thing about Mavis. She's actually something that Raiden and Icezer called a 'Yuuki Onna', if I recall correctly, which is some kind of snow spirit, so maybe ones that are resistant to the cold?" Twilight asked. "Hmm, perhaps some Ice Types would prove beneficial. I also have a few Togepi and some other Pokemon that are good in colder climates. Let's step over to the nursery and take a look," Will said, as he led the two of them over to the nursery. "Now Mavis, Will is going to show a bunch of wonderful Pokemon for you to choose from, so don't feel too pressured, alright?" Twilight asked. "O-Ok," Mavis quietly said, as they entered the Nursery. "We'll need to do a bit of walking to reach the Ice Type section," Will said, as they continued to walk through the nursery. They soon came up to a large door. Will went over to a nearby closet, and pulled out two heavy looking parkas, "Here Twilight, you may want to put this on," he said, giving Twilight one of them. "What are these for?" Twilight asked, as Will opened up the big door, which released a powerful gust of ice, cold wind, "Ah, now I see." "This feels so nice," Mavis commented, enjoying the cold air. Inside, both she and Twilight were amazed to see a completely different environment. It looked exactly like a snowy forest. They saw some Pokemon playing in icy water, while others were wandering about. "As you can see, i isolate the Ice Type Pokemon, or other Pokemon that prefer colder climates to help with their comfort. Take a look around here for a little bit Mavis, while I go find some Togepi that I can give you," Will said, as he left the two of them alone in the snowy environment. "This reminds me of my home village," Mavis said, as she plopped face first into a pile of snow, enjoying every bit of the cold feeling. "Come along now Mavis, why don't we have a look over near the water?" Twilight suggested. "Oui," Mavis replied, as they walked over to the ice floe pool. There, they saw several Piplup, along with some seal Pokemon, a larger, pleisosaur like Pokemon with a shell on it's back. Around the banks of the water, they also saw some little yellow cone shaped Pokemon, little floating Pokemon that looked like ice cream, a small, polar bear like Pokemon with a drippy nose, and some sauropod Pokemon with frills that looked like they would glow like an aurora. "Already quite a few Pokemon to choose from. Let me get my Rotom Phone out," Twilight said, pulling out her Rotom Phone. "Piplup, the Penguin Pokemon, a Water Type. Because of it's pride, it doesn't like accepting food from others. It's thick down protects it from the cold. Seel, the Sea Lion Pokemon, a Water Type. A Pokemon that lives on icebergs, it swims in the sea using the horn on it's head to break up any ice. Spheal, the Clap Pokemon, a Water and Ice Type. They can't swim well yet, and move better by rolling. When they are happy, they clap fins. Snorunt, the Snow Hat Pokemon, an Ice Type. It is said that any house that Snorunt visits or lives in will be blessed with good fortune. Lapras, the Transport Pokemon, a Water and Ice Type. This very intelligent Pokemon is able to understand human speech, and will farry people across large bodies of water. Once on the verge of extinction, there is now an overabundance of them. Cubchoo, the Chill Pokemon, an Ice Type. It sniffles before executing an attack, using it's frosty snot to provide an icy element to any move that needs it. Amaura, the Tundra Pokemon, an Ice and Rock Type. In ancient times, it lived in colder climates to avoid predetors like Tyrunt and Tyrantrum. It is said that when Amaura whinnies, auroras appear in the night sky," Twilight's Rotom Phone explained. "They all sound perfect!" Mavis exclaimed quietly. "Well, then let's see if they'll want to go with you then," Will said, returning with an egg shapped Pokemon, with red and blue triangle markings on it's shell, "Speaking of which, Mavis, this Pokemon's name is 'Togepi'. It likes to share the happiness energy in it's shell with kind hearted individuals," he explained, giving Mavis the Spike Ball Pokemon. But as soon as Mavis got a hold of Togepi, it wrestling out of her hands, and shivered. "Hmm, maybe we should talk to Raiden about getting you some thermal insulated gloves. That way, you can hold Togepi all you want," Twilight said. "In any case, I also brought some Pokeballs," Will said, giving Mavis a handful of different Pokeballs, "Just press the button on the Pokeballs to make them bigger, and use them to catch those Pokemon," he explained. Mavis took a Dusk Ball, and pressed the button, enlargening it, "Hey guys, can some of you come over here?" he then called out to the Pokemon by and in the water. They all came over to him, "Alright guys, this is Mavis. Starting today, she would like to be your trainer," he said. The Pokemon all looked at Mavis curiously, which caused her to tense up a bit. One of the Amaura, a white one, came up, and nuzzled her cheek. "She's so cold!" the Amaura commented. "This may be a bit hard to believe, but she's a snow spirit called a 'Yuuki Onna', which means she's going to be very cold," Twilight replied. "We love the cold!" a Snorunt exclaimed happily. "And it's quite the coincidence that Mavis likes the cold too," Twilight replied. "So, what do you all say?" Will asked. "YES!" they all said, including Togepi. "Well, they've given their concent, Mavis, so now you can catch them," Will said. Mavis then used the Pokeballs on each of the baby Pokemon, "One more thing, take this with you, and use it on your Female Snorunt," he said, giving Mavis a teal colored stone, "Using that will enable it to evolve into a Froslass," he explained. "Ok, now which one had the Snorunt?" Mavis tried to remember which Pokeball had her Snorunt. "I think it was these two," Twilight said, grabbing a Dusk Ball and a Nest Ball. Mavis then released both of her Snorunt. "Uh, so how exactly do this work?" Mavis asked. "Just tap it Snorunt. it'll do the rest," Will explained. Mavis did so on one Snorunt, with no reaction, then she used it on her other one, which caused it to evolve into the ghostly Froslass. "In addition to those insulated gloves, we'll have to see if Raiden of Francisco can do something about your room, making it warm for Togepi, and cold for you and your other Pokemon," Twilight said. "Well, in any case, you now have Pokemon that can help with your happiness, and help keep you cold," Will stated. "Merci," Mavis said. "Yes, thank you for doing this for us, Will," Twilight said. "No problem. I'll give you some notes on how to take care of your Pokemon," Will said, as they left the Nursery. Author's Note Yuuki Onna Mavis' Pokemon include: Togepi, Snorunt, Froslass, two Amaura (one of them being a Shiny), Lapras, Piplup, Seel, Spheal, and Cubchoo Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 4)Time went on as Mavis continued to adjust to life in Equestria. Because of her power, she causes alot of frost and snow to form when she sleeps, which is why Cadence and Shining Armor opted to have Raiden and Francisco to alter her bedroom so that it keeps the cold inside, to keep her and her Ice Type Pokemon cold, as well as a smaller area in the room, just for Togepi to keep warm. She somehow tapped into the power to encase others in ice, albeit by accident, when she got startled, and accidently encased Nathan in a block of ice. Thankfully, there was plenty of hot water and salt to get him out of it. Mavis felt really bad about doing that, but became grateful to gaining that ability, when the former king of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra, came and kidnapped her as a bargaining chip in exchange for the throne. However, Mavis tapped into her icy powers, and froze everything in the room Sombra was holding her in, including Sombra himself. This allowed Mavis to escape, but fell into a river, which floated her all the way to the Nymph Grotto, where she was recieving training from the Nymphs. "Ok Mavis, that should just about do it with your Earthen Training," Wanda said, as she stood by her student, who was just finishing up moving several large boulders with magic. "That was tough," Mavis panted. "Well, for now, you can continue your training with Yuki," Wanda said, as a vortex opened up, "She's waiting for you on the other side." "Merci," Mavis said, as she walked through the portal, and found herself in the middle of a snowy tundra, "Ah, this feels so nice!" she exclaimed, rolling around in the snow. "Seems like you enjoy colder climates, right?" Yuki asked, as she suddenly appeared. "Oui, though where I used to live, finding places to stay cold was rather difficult," Mavis replied. "What do you mean?" Yuki asked, placing Mavis on her lap, which let her large breasts to rest on top of the younger girl's head. Mavis blushed, but liked the feeling of it. "W-well, in the Yokai Village where I lived with mon parents, we lived cooler district, but more often than not, some Oni would stumble into our section of the Village after doing what Papa would call 'binge drinking', I think is what it's called, spewing flames everywhere, and making things unbearably warm," Mavis replied. "Sounds rough. Then again, we have a sister in the Western Nymph Grotto who just loves drinking her own wine by the barrel full. Her alcohol tolerance is fairly consistent, as she often gets drunk after a few glasses of wine, before switching to barrels," Yuki explained. "I suppose everywhere has some kind of drunken people," Mavis commented. "I guess so. But for now, let's continue your training. Now, I get that you're a Snow Spirit, but tell me how much you know about ice and snow," Yuki requested. "Well, for those with poor tolerance, it causes them to shiver a lot," Mavis replied. "That's true, but there can be a lot done to actually help preserve someone's heat," Yuki replied. Mavis was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. "For the first part of our training session, we're going to build something called an 'igloo'. Some humans from ancient times would build this dome shaped huts in snowy climates, such as the land surrounding the Crystal Empire for shelt. The compaction of the snow bricks help to trap heat inside, and keep blustering blizzards out," Yuki explained, as she used her majic to conjur up an igloo, "Care to go in, and see?" Yuki asked, as she crawled in. Mavis crawled in after her teacher. She then entered the space in the middle of the igloo, which was a little cramped, but it was comfortable enough, "You see what i mean, right? In here, those who require warmer temperatures to survive are able to use these little huts to trap heat inside," Yuki explained. "Sounds good, but...." Mavis' face began to flush, "It's a little too stuffy for me." "Oh dear," Yuki said, using her magic to deconstruct the igloo, allowing Mavis to feel the cold, "Just remember Mavis, in order to properly trap the heat for warmer bodied individuals, you need to make the space as small, yet movable as possible. Let's give it a try. Use your powers to construct an ingloo like how i did," Yuki said. Mavis then used her control of ice and snow to build an igloo, but her first attempt was a little bigger. Yuki went in to inspect it, "Hmm, a bit bigger than mine, which means not a lot of heat will get trapped, but otherwise, not bad for your first try," Yuki said. "I see," Mavis said. "Well, let's try again, but this time, try making it a little smaller," Yuki said. Mavis once again used her powers to form a slightly smaller igloo, "Good, now let's see what it's like inside," Yuki said, as she went to crawl inside. But as she was crawling in, she got stuck in the entrance, as her hips were too wide to fit through, "Hmm, looks like a fairly spaceous igloo on the inside, but you may want to think about making the entrance a bit bigger. "Ok," Mavis quietly said. "Don't worry. We'll keep training until you've built a good igloo," Yuki said, as they continued training. A few more months have passed, and Mavis was more accustomed to Equestrian culture, and it was time for the Hearths Warming Holiday Season. Since it was getting colder outside, Mavis was able to move around outside as much as she wanted without worrying about overheating. When it came time for the Hearth's Warming Ball, Mavis was gifted a beautiful kimono, curtousey of some of the Alicorn's Wish Guild Members. Things were going smoothly at the ball, with the arrival of her Masters, their sisters from the Southern Nymph Grotto, up until the group of self-righteous monks came, and attacked the party, taking Mavis as their main hostage, as well as the rest of the children. The Guild Members at the ROyal Guard did their best to stop them, but the Dark Magic they recieved from King Sombra was able to easily overpower them. Now, the kids were trapped inside cages in the middle of a bamboo forest, quite a ways away from the Monk's camp. Yuki and Dana were trying to weaken the iron on the bars with their magic, "Ok Daria, try it now," Dana said. Daria pulled out a rather large war hammer from.... somewhere, and with one mighty swing, she was able to break the latch on the cage. "Great! Now we can get Mavis, and get out of here," Kelly said, as Daria began to swing her hammer on Mavis' cage, breaking the latch in only a few swings. "Merci," Mavis said, as they all quickly made their escape. "Where do we go from here?" Veronica asked. Mavis looked around, and recognized some of the flora, including a peculiarly shaped dead tree. "Wait, I think I know of a secret entrance into the Yokai Village I grew up in," Mavis said. "How do you know?" Wanda asked. "That tree is a marker, from what Maman would call it, that hides the Village from the human world," Mavis replied, pointing to the tree. "Is there like, some kind of barrier or something that can keep those Monks out?" Toby asked. "Oui. In fact, a Yokai is needed to open the gateway," Mavis replied, as the approached the tree. "HALT!" a voice called out. From up in the trees, what appeared to be a woman with the lower body of a spider dropped down in front of the group. She looked to have six, glowing red eyes, short, bowl cut white hair, "Who dares to approach one of the entrances to the Yokai Kingdom?" she demanded. She then noticed Mavis, "A Yuuki Onna? What are you doing outside of the village?" "S'il te plaît, we just escaped from the Monks who attacked the village a few months ago. We would like to go into the village to keep away from them," Mavis explained. "Well, alright. Let me just get someone over here, first," the spider woman said, as she held up a handful of threads, and began tugging on one of them, "Are these humans with the Monks, or against them?" she asked. "We ain't with the Monks, we can assure you of that," Nathan said. "If they're jsut trying exterminate the Yokai for no real reason at all, then we're on your side," Nyx said. "As are we," Wanda said. "Ok then," the spider woman said, as she felt some tugging on the threads, "Ok, proceed through that cave there. A Nopperabo will take you to see the Queen," she said, motioning to a cave on the other side of the tree, that was somewhat hidden by some overgrown moss. "Thank you getting permission for us," Wanda said, as the made their way to the cave. "Hold on, kid," the spider woman said, getting Mavis' attention, "Your mother... her name wouldn't happen to have been 'Alice', would it?" she asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "I see. Alice was a very close friend of mine. You look an awful lot like her when she was a kid," the spider woman solemnly said, as she leapt back into the trees. Mavis quickly rejoined her friends, as they entered the cave. "I can hardly see anything in here," Josh commented. "Let me see about that," Dana replied, conjuring a fireball. Mavis instinctively ducked away from the Food Nymph, as not to be overheated by her fire. They saw that the cave goes deeper, "Is this the way, Mavis?" she asked. "O-oui," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk. They kept walking for about 10 minutes, until they came across what appeared to be a man in traditional Japanese clothing, and had his back facing the group. "Are you the group that Jiro told the Village Gate Guards about?" the man asked. "If you're referring to that spider woman we met outside, then yes," Cory replied. "I see. Then follow me. I'll take you the rest of the way to the village to meet the Queen," the man said, never once turning to face the group. "This guy must be the Nopperabo that Spider Woman told us about," Nyx commented. "Now hold on there, we don't know what a Nopperabo looks like. For all we know, he could be a human," Sky said, as they arrived at the end of the tunnel, which had a big red gate like structure just outside of it. At the base of the gate, the group saw a pair of unusual characters. One was a blue skinned woman, wielding a large, spiked club, dressed in a yellow, thunder print bikini, while the other looked to be an anthropomorphic fox with nine tails. "Hajime, are these the people Jiro told us about?" the fox asked. "I believe so. The youngest of them is a Yuuki Onna," the man they met in the tunnel replied. "They don't appear to be with the Monks, so go ahead and take them on towards the castle," the blue woman said, holding a slip of paper up to the gate, causing something to spark. Hajime then continued to lead the group to the large castle situated in the middle of the city. "Uh, Hajime, was it? What did that woman do?" Trinity asked. "She used a special kind of talismen to open up the barrier to the city. See, there's a barrier surrounding the entire city, which prevents unwelcome outsiders, like those monks, from entering the city," Hajime replied, as they now began to ascend a flight of stairs, which led to the palace gates. Hajime then knocked on the door, which soon opened up to reveal a small, turtle like creature, "Takahashi, we have guests for the Queen," he said. The small turtle like yokai then looked at the group, his gaze then fixed on Mavis. "Is that Yuuki Onna girl with them?" Takahashi asked. "Yes. She seems to be friends with them all," Hajime replied. "I see. I'll take them to meet with the Queen," Takahashi said. "Alright then," Hajime said, turning to face the group. Only, much to the group's shock, save for Mavis, Hajime had no face, like, whatsoever, "This is as far as I take you. Takahashi will take you to meet with the Queen," he said, as he walked back down the stairs. "Please, come this way," Takahashi said, inviting them into the castle grounds. "Uh, Mavis, about Hajime..." Charity began. "Oui, Hajime is a Nopperabo. Nopperabo aren't hostile Yokai like Oni, but their faceless visage is quite alarming," Mavis replied, as the ventured into the palace. Author's Note Here's some bios of some of the Yokai in Yuuki Onna Mavis' Village: Yuuki Onna: Also known as "Snow Women", Yuuki Onna are snow spirits that inhabits snowy mountain tops. They appear before travellers who are hiking through the cold enviornment, and take them back to their lair, where they freeze the travellers and decorate their lairs Oni: Quite possibly the most well known of all Yokai, Oni are vicious brutes who wield tremendous strength and ferocity. They get more powerful with the more alchohol they drink. Since Oni don't have a set legal drinking age, Oni Children often drink Sake or other types of booze. Oni come in two different colors: red or blue Nopperabo: A faceless Yokai who aren't hostile towards humans, but their faceless visage is quite alarming. Yurei: Otherwise known as "Onryo", these Yokai are born from the spirits of humans who bear a powerful grudge against someone, and will stop at nothing to exact their revenge. The Ring Movie franchise is based on the stories of this malevenont spirit. Nure Onna: A vampiric snake like Yokai that has the head of a beautiful woman, but the body of a snake. They often lire their victims over by pretending to be carrying a bundle while washing their hair. If a human offers to take the bundle, it becomes extremely heavy, which gives this serpentine Yokai the perfect chance to strike Kappa: A turtle like Yokai, and another well known Yokai. They have a strong affinity for cucumbers, and like to live in ponds or streams. Centaur (Part 5)Time came and went, and Mavis steadily became more accustomed to Equestria's way of life. She was still the object of prejudice from the citizens, but thankfully, she had her friends to defend her. Speaking of friends, she also made some with some Mountain Nymphs just outside of the Crystal Empire. They helped teach Mavis how to use natural magic from nature, and make Mavis into a half Nymph upon mastering the eight forms of magic her master's taught her. Today, she was spending a day at the grotto, relaxing alongside her masters. She was currently soaking in a warm bath along with Marina, "Ah, this feels so nice," Mavis commented, as Marina helped with washing her. "So, how are things in the Crystal Empire?" Marina asked. "Truthfully? The citizens still don't trust me, All I hear is something about someone called 'Tirek'. Who is he?" Mavis asked. "Tirek is one of the most evil villains Equestria has ever seen. He's a centaur who has the ability to absorb the magic from magical lifeforms," Wanda explained, as she walked into the bathhouse. "O-Oh, I see," Mavis said, feeling dejected. "Now hold on, Mavis! Just because he's evil doesn't mean every centaur from this world is evil! In fact his father, King Vorak, stood in opposition to his son's ambitions!" Wanda quickly said. "But to think that the actions of one centaur is why everyone is treating me like a bad guy. quelle horreur," Mavis replied. She was then embraced by Marina. "Now Mavis, just because one centaur's actions lead everyone to believe they can't be trusted doesn't mean that you need their approval. What matters is that there are those out there who like you for WHO you are, not WHAT you are," the watery nymph said. "Even so, but I would still like to venture out without feeling singled out," Mavis replied. "I know you do, but think of it this way... that Hearth's Warming Ball that Cadence invited us will allow us to help turn the public's opinion about you around," Wanda said. "That's right! Think about it that way," Marina said. Mavis, however, was still unsure, even with the encouragement from her masters. Many months have passed, and it was finally time for the Hearth's Warming Ball at Canterlot Castle. The Crystal Family had arrived in Canterlot, and checked in with Twilight and Shining Armor's parents, and introduced Mavis to them. The two of them were a bit hesitant about Mavis, being a centaur, but they could tell she was nothing like Tirek. Mavis was currently walking through the fair grounds at the Canterlot Castle Ball, with her mentors, Marina, Sky, Tabby, and Kat so they can keep any of the snooty nobles from trying to harm their precious student. Things were going well, until Mavis, her siblings, friends from Ponyville, and her mentors were kidnapped by an army of monster hunters, and brought back to the world Mavis originally came from.They were currently being held in cages in the hunter's camp. Inside the main tent, the leader of the hunter's was going over his master plan against the Forest Kingdom. "Knowing the centaurs, they'll be sure to come charging head first to save the girl. That's when we'll strike. As for the rest of the kingdom, the only real threat will be the elves," he said, a look of wicked glee on his face, taking a sip of his coffee. Just then, one of his underlings came rushing in. "Marcus! The Centaur and her friends! They've escaped!" he said. Marcus then did a spit take. "WHAT?! HOW DID THEY ESCAPE!?" Marcus roared. "Well, what happened was like this," the lackey said, as he went into a flash back. About 15 minutes ago, Mavis and her friends were all trapped in cages, imbued with King SOmbra's dark magic. It was this magic that was keeping the ponies and nymphs from using their own magic, "Ok, so we can't use magic to break out. Is there anything we can do?" Vibrant asked. "Hmm, maybe we could try to pick the lock?" Toby suggested, looking at the lock. "Could work, but we have no idea what to expect from the Dark Magic they placed on the bars," Wanda replied. Nearby, they could see Mavis, lying down in her cage, a look of dispair on her face. "Now don't worry Mavis. None of this is your fault," Dana quickly tried to reassure the young centaur foal. Just then, some of the hunters came in, and opened the cage that held Mavis' friends. "What do you want?" Nathan angrily questioned, only to recieve a punch across the face from one of the hunters, sending him into Sasha's massive bust, "Hey, what was that for?!" "Be silent! You kids are going to be tried for siding with these freaks of nature," one of the hunters stated coldly. "And for getting to hang out with such babes!" the hunter who punched Nathan seethed. "What makes any of you guys more special than centaurs like our friend?" Kelly questioned. "These are unnatural creatures. Anything that is unlike humans must be purged. And the same goes for humans who would willingly turn their back on their own kind to form relations with them," the first hunter said. "You won't get away this!" Marina proclaimed. "We intend to do whatever it takes to preserve the sancitity of the human race, even if that means... GAK!" the first hunter said, as Daria kicked him where the sun doesn't shine, and roundhouse kicked the second one. "Quickly, let's free Mavis and get out of here!" she declared. The other captives of the cage quickly rushed out, with Vibrant snatching the keys from one of the hunters. "Here, open Mavis' cage and we can get out of here!" she said. Dana then took it upon herself to unlock Mavis' cage. "Hurry Mavis!" she urged. Mavis quickly got up, and made her way out of the cage. Wanda then conjured up a boulder, and smashed down a wall, allowing them to escape. Real Time, in the Hunter's Main Tent, "That's basically what happened," the lesser hunter said. Marcus just facepalmed. "My god, I am surrounded by incompetent idiots! Well, don't just stand there, get a team and hunt down those traitors! Burn the forst to the ground if you have to!" the lead hunter ordered. "YES SIR!" the lesser hunter quickly ran out of the tent. "One way or another, humanity will have one less problem to worry about," Marcus said. With Mavis and Friends, The group was walking along a path in the forest, having just escaped the clutches of the hunters. They were now trying to figure out what to do next, "So, what now?" Toby asked. "Well, if the way they were talking was true, then any human towns would probably persecute Mavis, so that option is out," Kelly commented. "What about the Forest Kingdom that Mavis was born in?" Kat suggested. "That could work. One of the only entrances to the kingdom is very near where we are," Mavis replied. "Really? Well, if you would, sweetie, lead the way," Wanda asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, leading them through a path in the forest. They hadn't run into any sort of issue until.... "HALT!" a group of human like girls leapt down in front of them. They were wearing clothes that looked to be weaved from leaves and vines. They looked just like humans, except for the fact they had really pointy ears, "State your business! Why were you humans chasing this centaur?" one of the girls asked, clearly not trusting any of Mavis' human friends. "Hang on! We were NOT chasing her! She was leading us through the forest to one of the entrances to the Forest Kingdom after we escaped from some hunters," Crystal pointed out, clearly sounding offended that she and the others were being associated with the hunters. "Hmm, is this true, little one?" the lead girl asked Mavis. "Oui, it is. They are all very close friends of mine," Mavis replied. The elves still didn't seem to turst any of her human friends, but they took her word for it. "Very well. Humans! Be honored that you are being allowed to our glorious kingdom! But be warned, serious consequences will be immediate should you do anything shady!" the lead elf said. "I'll take them to meet with the Queen," one of the other elves volunteered. "Very well. Keep an eye on them," the lead elf ordered. "Come with me," the elf said, leading them the rest of the way. The soon came across a massive, wooden gate. "HALT, WHO GOES THERE!?" a loud man's voice bellowed. "One of the scouts from the Elf Recon Team! We found a centaur, accompanied by her friends. They just escaped the hunters, and need a place to take sanctuary. I need to take them to see the Queen!" the elf girl called back. "OPEN THE GATES!" the man's voice called out. The massive gates then began to open slowly. On the other side was a very short man with a beard like a viking, "Please, enjoy your stay," the man said, allowing them inside the village. Inside, they all saw centaurs, elves, dwarves, and even humans going about their usual business. The city itself looked like a cross between a fantasy world and a futuristic city. "Is this really where you come from, Mavis?" Melody asked. "Oui. It's a quiet city, which is something I quite like about it," Mavis replied, as they walked through the city eventually arriving at a massive castle that looked somewhat like a tree. "This place is huge!" Toby commented, as they entered the castle. "Hopefully the Queen is a kind ruler," Diamond Tiara commented. "I have never actually see the Queen herself, but Maman and Papa always told me that she's a very nice lady," Mavis replied, as they arrived at a pair of massive doors. "You're all about to meet the Queen, so please, don't do anything to embarass yourselves," the elf girl said, as the doors opened. Inside, there was a Centaur woman, nearly the size of a skyscraper, with breasts a large as a mansion, "My Queen, I have come to you with a young centaur foal and her friends. They have just escaped the same Hunters that laid seige on the northern village," the elf said. "Young lady, step forth," the Queen said, her voice carrying a tone that was a mix of compassion and authority. Mavis cautiously stepped forward, "Are you the foal in question?" she asked. "Oui, I am," Mavis replied. "Were you among the few survivors from the northern village?" the Queen asked. "Oui. Mes parents ont été perdus dans le siège, et j'ai été envoyé dans un autre monde, ma reine," Mavis explained. "I see. I am very sorry to hear that. May I ask your name?" the Queen asked. "Oui, My name is Mavis Gustou," Mavis replied. The Queen looked very surprised. "'Gustou'? Your parents... their names wouldn't happen to have been David and Alice, would they?" the Queen asked. "Oui, that is true," Mavis replied. It was then that the Queen did something no one in that room, not even her guards were anticipating; The Queen squealed happily, and scooped up Mavis. "So you're the little Mavis that Alice told me about," the Queen said. "W-Wait, you know Maman?" Mavis asked. "Of course. For you see, little one, your mother just happens to be my blood daughter," the Queen explained. "So, that would mean that..." Mavis qas quick to put two and two together. "Yes. You are indeed my Granddaughter," the Queen replied. "Uh, your grace? If I may?" Wanda respectfully said. "Yes?" the Queen asked, setting Mavis back down. "Well, the thing is, we just escaped from the very same hunters that attacked your village, and we kind of need a place to stay until we are able to return to our own world," Wanda explained. "I see. Well, the Palace has more than enough rooms. You are all welcome as guests," the Queen said, as she tapped her sceptar on the floor. Almost immediately, another centaur woman, dressed as a maid, with breast much larger than a human child, trotted in, "Please show our guests to their rooms. They'll be staying with us for a while," the Queen instructed. "Yes, my Queen. If you'll all please follow me," the Centaur maid said, leading them out of the throne room. "Merci for your hospitality, Grandmere," Mavis said. "You're quite welcome sweetie. And don't hesitate to come ask for help wth anything," the Queen said, as Mavis went to catch up to her friends. Author's Note Centaur Mavis originally came from the Forest Kingdom, which is situated in the middle of a very dense forest, away from any human civilization. Here are the bios of some of the various Monster Species that reside in the Forest Kingdom: Centaur: Centaurs are a type of Beastman Monster species that have the the upper bodies of a human but the lower body of a horse. They are typically a proud warrior race. As such, most of the royal guard consists of Centaurs. There is an ancient law that only a small handfull of Centaurs still follow, that states explicitly that only the strongest Centaurs are permitted to mate. As a result, many of the male centuars are muscle bound meatheads who don't particularly look very attractive to any of the female Centaurs. There is also a sub-clause to this law that forbids Centaur women from mating with human men, but over time, the law sort of died out, and many marriages between Centaur women and Human men have taken place, despite the opposition of the Male Centaur. While Male Centaurs are mainly muscle bound meatheads, there are quite a few other roles that some of the female Centaurs can take, apart from being knights. For starters, there are Dairy Centaurs. You can pretty much guess where this is going. Then there are smaller breeds of female Centaurs. Unlike others, these smaller Centaurs have basically flat chests, but are way more athletic. Because Centaurs are very large, even at birth, they require a lot of milk. As a result, even at a young age, like 4 years, it is not unusual to see a female centaur with a bust size of at least E-Cups. For some unknown reason, Centaurs have a bit of a rivalry with Lamias. It is unclear why this is so. Elf: Elves are a type of Monster Species that closely resemble humans, apart from their very pointy ears. Their attire mainly consists of plants they weave together into clothing, but they do wear normal clothing like everyone else. They are very proficient in terms of magic, but they lack great physical strength. Unlike the elves that Santa Claus has working to make presents from everyone in the world, Forest Elves have a history of utterly despising humans in the past, though in modern times, their hatred of humans have mellowed out immensely. Dwarves: Dwarves are a type of Monster Species that make their living as blacksmiths. They are very short, some having a maximum height of only 4 feet. Even young Dwarves of the age of 6 or 7 have beards like that of a viking. They have tremendous strength, despite their size. Aracnhe: A female only race of Monster. They have the upper body of a beautiful woman, but the lower body of a spider. They are mainly solitary creatures, preferring to stay in the shadows, using the webs they spin to catch prey, mainly consisting of men that they particularly like. They are expert weavers, using their silk to weave cloth and make clothes. Normal Spider Silk, ounce for ounce, has the strength rivaling that of steel, but Arachne silk is several times stronger. Cyclops: More commonly referred to as "Monoeyes", the Cyclops are a subspecies of Ogre that work in the same forges as dwarves. Their most distinguishing quality is that they have only one eye. While this grants them a great sense of sight, they also lack depth perception. While male Cyclops' don't really care too much, female Cyclops' can be very self conscious about their single eyes, and can often get embarassed if someone keeps eye contact with them. Werewolf (Part 8: Final)The war between the joint forces of the Alicorn's Wish Guild and the Beastmen against the Hunters was nearing the end after maybe a good hour of fighting. Thanks to the combined forces of the Guild and the Beastmen, the Hunters were able to be driven out of the forest, but a few stragglers stayed behind, still wanting to try and take a few Beastmen lives, "I'LL KILL YOU!" one hunter yelled, running towards some Minotaur's. Stealth, along with Naomi, who had transformed into a more cat-like creature, were quick to intercept. The Ninja tossed a kunai knife at the hunter, causing him to flinch, which gave Naomi the opening she needed to take him down. Stealth then took the opportunity to wrap up the hunter in vines. "Nice one, Naomi," Stealth praised. Naomi, being more beast than human now, nuzzled her boyfriend. While they, along with most of their Guild mates and the Beastmen, were holding off the Hunters, the Werewolf Queen, along with the four Princesses, led the evacuation onto the Guild's massive ship. "This way! You'll all be taken somewhere safe!" the Queen called out, as the residents of the City piled into the ship. "Single file please! There's more than enough room!" Claire said, as she, Eliza, April, and Cassidy were making sure everyone got on safely. Somewhere, within the crowd, all the children from Equestria were scattered within the crowd. The Nymphs were all fluttering above the crowd, trying to keep tabs on them all. "Hey guys! Where are you?!" Nathan called out, as he tried squeezing past some wererabbits, 'Ah gotta find Mavis! There ain't no telling what's happening with her!' he thought to himself. Sometime after the Hunter's were able to breach the outer walls of the city, the dark magic Sombra infected Mavis with manifested with her Nymph Magic, causing her to go mad with magic power. Thankfully, her mentors were able to separate the Dark Magic and the Light Magic into two separate entities. The only downside? It caused Mavis to age up by four years, and she was still unconscious, as Marina carried her into the ship, while Wanda and Mariah kept the evil Mavis restrained, as she was thrashing and growling. "LET ME GO!" Shadow Mavis roared. Meanwhile, in the crowd, Toby was trying to get up to one of the higher decks, to see if he can spot the rest of his friends. He attempted to get to the stairs, when he bumped into two minotaur girls. Both had dark skin, similar to Dana and Sky, but both were both blonde. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I can't really see the ground too well with my tits," one of them apologized to Toby, who blushed at their skimpy outfits. "I-It's fine, but I need to get to one of the upper levels. I need to try and find my friends," Toby said, pointing to one of the upper levels. "Oh sure. Here you go," the other minotaur said, picking the boy up, and carrying him over to the stairs. She then placed him on the floor. "Thanks," Toby said, as he went up stairs. Once he was at the top, he saw Vibrant, flying overhead, "Vibrant! Over here!" he called out. This was able to get the Pegasus' attention, as she flew over to her cousin. "Toby, I've been looking all over for everyone!" Vibrant exclaimed. "Well, if you find the others, can you tell them to come to the upper level? We can regroup here," Toby requested. "I'll do what I can," Vibrant replied, as she took off once again. He then heard someone approaching him. "TOBY!" he heard Fluttershy call out. He turned to see not only her, but the rest of the adults coming towards him, "I've been so worried!" she exclaimed, hugging her son. "I'm fine, Momma," Toby replied, as the others soon joined them. "Looks like everyone's here except one. Where's Mavis?" Shining Armor asked, not seeing his new daughter anywhere. "She's right here," Marina said, as she fluttered down, still carrying the unconscious Mavis, setting her on the floor. "What happened to her? She looks.... taller!" Lucky Joy commented. "It's a result of Sombra's dark magic mixing with Nymph Magic. The two types of magic don't mix, and Mavis was now split into two separate entities," Marina explained, as Wanda and Mariah joined them, with the restrained Shadow Mavis, who was still growling and thrashing. "I'LL EAT YOUR SORRY HIDES!" she threatened. "I got this," Eris commented, casting a powerful sleeping spell on her. Shadow Mavis fell fast asleep, "I'll get her to a secure prison in Equestria," she said, as she teleported away with the evil Mavis. The real Mavis, on the other hand, just woke up. "Mmm, what happened?" she asked. "Take it easy there, tiger. You've been through quite the ordeal," Nathan urged his beastly sister. "Guys, we're almost at full capacity for evacuees. Have you finished driving off the hunters?" Silver asked through a microphone system. "I'm taking care of the last one! We'll be good to go in just a moment!" Simon's voice replied. "Alright then. Dad, we're ready to transport the city to Equestria," Silver said to Discord. "Of course! Let me just get into position," Discord said, teleporting out of the ship. He was gathering as much magic as he thought he would need, when he saw Simon, along with other guild members, driving out the last of the hunters. "You fools! Do you have any idea what kind of a mistake you're all making?!" Markus yelled. "We aren't making any mistakes, bub. The Beastmen of this city have not attacked any of our friends or us for that matter. Can't you see that they're not the monsters you're making them out to be?!" April yelled at him. "LIES!" Markus yelled, as he got back up, "Anything that isn't normal is a plague on humanity! These monsters must be expunged from existence!" he spat with venom. He was about to charge them, when some vines held him down. "Perhaps you need to cool your head," Stealth commented, as he used the vines to throw the leader of the hunters away from the city. "Ok Discord! We got rid of all the hunters!" Eliza bellowed. With a snap of his eagle talon, Discord teleported the ship, and the city, and all it's inhabitants back to Equestria. Back in Canterlot, All the children the Hunters took hostage, along with their families and friends, the Nymphs, the Werewolf Queen, and several beastmen looked around to find they were all back in Canterlot, safe and sound, "We're back!" Josh cheered. "Apart from the Queen's hospitality and the shopping we did in the city, that was an unpleasant experience," Dinky commented. "So, this is our new home world?" the Queen asked, looking out across the horizon. "Of course, your majesty. This is Equestria, the world where Mavis has been living for the past several months," Twilight replied in a diplomatic manner. "Speaking of Mavis, where is she?" the Queen asked, sounding worried. "I'm right here," Mavis called out, as she stood up, using Toby and Silver Spoon as crutches for her to get her bearings, "What happened to moi?! Why am I so much taller?" Mavis asked. "It's because of King Sombra's magic. It, along with the Nymph Magic you received from us, didn't agree with having the same vessel, so we had to split you into two parts. The part of you that was born from King Sombra's magic has been taken to prison, leaving you, the one with Nymph Magic," Wanda explained. "Ok, but how does that explain why I am taller?" Mavis asked. "Well, separating both magics was easy enough, but it caused you to age up by..... I'm going to say, four years," Marina replied. "Here, take this," the Queen said, as she waved her scepter over Mavis' head, as magic flowed out of it, and into her granddaughter's body, "I just gave away four years of my eternal life. Worth every second," she commented with an adorable, razor sharp teethed grin. Just then, Discord popped in. "Alright, I've put the city in a large forest, near the border of Equestria. It's like the forest it was originally in. In other words, the forest is at a unique position where the Moon will always appear Full," Discord explained, as he laid down in a lounge chair, and conjured a smoothie. "Thank you for doing all this, Discord," Fluttershy said, just as Eris arrived. "Ok, I got the evil Mavis into a silver lined cage at a Maximum Security Detention Center. She won't be bothering us for a long time," Eris commented. "Thank you for doing that Eris," Discord said. "Oh, Mavis. Here's a little treat for you," the Queen said, as she conjured up a very meaty mutton drumstick. Mavis drooled at the sight of her favorite food. The Queen then gave the meat to her granddaughter, who happily went to eating it. "Mavis may be a little older now, but it's still nice to see some things will never change," Dana commented. "Now then, I know you'd like to go and see to your subjects, but is there any chance you'd like to stay for the Hearths Warming festivities?" Celestia asked the Queen, and the many Beastmen that were with her. "Well, as much as I would like to stay and spend more time with my granddaughter, I really need to get back and check on things, to make sure everyone is alright," the Queen politely declined. "Ok, but what about these nice folks? I'm sure they'd like to stay for the festivities," Cadence asked, regarding the other beastmen. "Whether or not they choose to come with me or stay here is up to them," the Queen replied. Some of her subjects chose to stay, while the rest wanted to go home and rest from what had just occurred. "I'll be taking them back to the city," Eris said. "Alright Mavis, I'll see you later then," the Queen said. "Au revoir, Grand-mere," Mavis said, sharing a quick hug with her grandmother, before Eris teleported her, along with the Queen's subjects away. Moments later, Eris reappeared. "So, why did you guys want to stay here?" Mike asked the Beastmen. "Well, we want to try and see what this world is like. And we figure this celebration will help us to assess just that," a werewolf teen girl replied. "Hey, aren't you that kid that bumped into us on the ship?" a Minotaur girl asked, recognizing Toby. "Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" Toby asked. He also recognized her as one of the Minotaur girls he and the others met while looking for the shopping district. She had tan skin, like Dana's, and long, blonde hair. "No problem, but I was wondering if you could, like, show us around this city?" she asked. "Uh.... ok....," Toby replied. "It's actually pretty late. And I'm sure you're all tired from the ordeal. Why not stay the night in the castle, and we can show you around tomorrow?" Celestia asked. "Ok, that sounds good," the Minotaur girl replied, as they all went back to the castle. Mavis was still eating her drumstick, when Nathan approached her. "Mavis? We're headin' back to the castle," he said. However, Mavis growled at him, and took a defensive stance. "Nathan, you should know you must never approach a carnivore when they're eating," Toby said, diverting Nathan's attention, which seemed to calm Mavis down, "Mavis, we're going to the castle to get some sleep," Toby said, giving Mavis her drumstick. Mavis took her treat from the boy, as he went to catch up with his family. Unknown to anyone, Mavis blushed at the kind gesture. Author's Note Before any of you asks, these chapters will not only show how Mavis interacts with her friends and family as the monster girl listed in the chapter, but also the various species' that are listed in the monster species bios. For example, Werewolf shows how she would interact with her friends if she were not only a werewolf, but a werecat, wererabbit, and minotaur. Demon (Part 2)The Next Day, Sunlight peeked into Mavis' room, as she began to stir in her sleep. She then sat up straight, her hair was a little bit of a mess, and her eyes were still groggy, "Mmm, can't a demon girl get any sleep around here?" she grumbled, laying back down, covering her head with the sheets. Just then, Cadence walked in to the room. "Mavis? Time to get up sweetie," Cadence said, nudging Mavis. "Mmm, don't wanna," Mavis mumbled, half asleep. "Now, now, it's already morning, and it's time for breakfast," Cadence said, pulling the sheets back off of the child. When she did, she was shocked to see bat like wings attached to her back, and her tail was actually attached to her backside. Mavis realized that Cadence pulled the sheets off of her, and that she was only wearing her undies. She was now wide awake out of embarrassment. With a squeak, she fell out of bed, and landed on her head, "Oh my, are you alright?!" Cadence asked, rushing to the child's side. "Owwie, I am fine," Mavis replied, as she quickly went over to get her dress, and ducked behind the chair it was sitting on, and slipped it on, 'I hope that human or any other male saw me,' Mavis thought, as she emerged from behind the chair. "So, Mavis, would you like to have some breakfast before we leave for Ponyville?" Cadence offered. She was trying to keep from letting Mavis know she saw her bat wings. The child was already nervous enough..... Cadence didn't want to worsen Mavis' anxiety any more. "Uh..... o-ok," Mavis timidly replied, as she was led out of the room. All the while, Cadence was wondering about Mavis. Why does she have horns, a tail, and wings? And why was the whites of her eyes black? This girl was shrouded in so much mystery. Eventually, they arrived at the dining hall, where Shining Armor, Nathan, and the foals, Skyla and Guard, were all having breakfast. "Ah, Cadence, and Mavis too. I trust you had a good night sleeping?" Shining Armor asked the young guest. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as she sat at the table, a few spaces from Nathan. 'Did Ah do somethin' to upset her?' Nathan wondered, as he ate his breakfast. "Do you want some more toast, Mavis?" Cadence asked. "O-Oui," Mavis quietly replied. Cadence then motioned to a servant, who nodded, and went to prepare Mavis' requested meal. Moments later, she came back with two slices of toast, and a glass of milk for Mavis, "M-Merci," Mavis said, as she began eating her meager breakfast. "She doesn't eat much, does she?" Nathan asked his parents. "It could just be nerves," Cadence replied, as she ate her hay bacon and eggs. Once they were all done, they left the dining room, and made their way tot he foyer, "Alright, does everyone have everything?" she asked. "Yep, ah got mah suitcase, and mah entertainment bag," Nathan replied. "I have our suitcases, and a stroller for Skyla and Guard," Shining Armor added. "So that leaves me with the baby bag," Cadence said, slinging a large tote over her shoulder, "Mavis, if you want, you can borrow this satchel while we're visiting Ponyville. You can store things you find in it," Cadence said, giving Mavis a small satchel. "M-Merci," Mavis replied, as they left the castle. "I trust you guys can handle things while we're gone?" Shining Armor asked. "Of course, Captain," the guard replied. With that, the family was off to the train station. As they were walking, Nathan noticed a tail, just as Cadence had described, flowing out from Mavis' backside. 'Hmm, if that's true, then Mavis may not be human after all. Only question is, what is she?' he thought, as they arrived at the station. Cadence then quickly purchased one more ticket for Mavis, and presented them to the conductor. "Ah yes, Princess, the Royal Car has been coupled up to the train prior to your arrival," the conductor said, motioning to the car in question. The family and Mavis boarded the car, just as the engine blew its whistle, and began to move out of the station. Mavis took a seat close to the window. Propping her head up with her arm, she gazed out the window. All the while, the Crystal Family, save for the babies, who were just sleeping, were all talking to each other in regards to Mavis. "Mavis seems..... distant," Shining Armor commented. "Ah would say she's just bein' shy, but this seems to be somethin' else entirely," Nathan replied. "You're both right. But I think there's another piece missing entirely. When I went to wake her up this morning, I saw that she had bat like wings coming out of her back," Cadence pointed out. "Ya mean like mine?" Nathan asked. "Sort of. But I can't fathom just why she has wings, horns, and a tail. Not to mention her eyes," Cadence replied. "Y'know, the way she has all those things, she could either be an actual demon or just cosplayin' as one," Nathan commented. "Now Nathan, we should jump to rash conclusions like that just yet," Shining Armor replied. "Ah'm just sayin' she could be, not that she is one," Nathan countered. "Either way, you shouldn't say things like that about anyone without all the facts," Cadence replied. "Alright, Ah get ya," Nathan said. "But maybe Twilight and the others can help shed light on this mystery," Cadence commented. A little while later, the train began to slow down, as it reached Ponyville Station, "Come along Mavis," Cadence urged, as they all departed from the car. Mavis then looked around the peaceful hamlet of Ponyville. 'Well, it does look safe enough,' she thought to herself, as Cadence and the others led her to Twilight's castle. Meanwhile, at Twilight's Castle, Twilight and her kids her all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cadence and Shining Armor, as well as Nathan and the foals, Alright, they should be here any moment," Twilight said, just as they heard knocking coming from the door. Twilight then opened the door, revealing the Crystal Family. Twilight and Cadence then did their little nursery rhyme. "SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE, LADYBUGS AWAKE. CLAP YOUR HOOVES AND DO A LITTLE SHAKE!" they rhymed. "Oh, it's so good to see you guys again!" Twilight said, embracing her brother and sister in law. "And you, Twilight," Cadence said. "Hey guys," Nathan greeted his cousins. "Hey Nathan," Josh greeted back. "So, what's new?" Nyx asked. "Well, we brought a guest with us," Nathan replied. This caught the surprise of the entire Twilight household. "Really?" Cory asked. "That's right. She's a little shy, but is a very sweet child," Cadence said, turning towards the door, "Mavis? You can come on in now," Cadence urged. From behind the door emerged Mavis, who looked rather tense, upon seeing more humans. 'Oh great, more human!' she thought, as she entered the castle. "Everyone, this is Mavis. Until further notice, she'll be staying with us at the Crystal Empire," Cadence said, introducing Mavis to the others for the girl, who simply shrank away, when the others all pointed their attention towards her. "It may be a while before she'll open up to us, so we'll just give her some space," Twilight told Cadence. "That would probably be best for her," Cadence replied. "Well, before we head out on town, shall I show you to your rooms?" Twilight offered. "That would be lovely, thank you," Cadence replied. With that, Twilight led the Crystal Family, and Mavis up to their rooms. Later, "... And here will be your room, Mavis," Twilight said, as she let Mavis into her room. "M-Merci," Mavis said, as she went inside, and flopped down on the bed. Twilight just smiled at the young girl's antics, as she went to check on the others. "Settling in alright?" Twilight asked Cadence and Shining Armor. "Indeed. So, how's Mavis?" Cadence asked, "Well, she just flopped down on the bed, so I assume she likes the room," Twilight replied. "Well, that's good," Cadence replied. "So, what are the plans for the visit?" Shining Armor asked. "Well, I was thinking we could do lunch at Sugarcube Corner, then go to the art gallery. But I think some minor adjustments to the schedule could be made for Mavis. We should see about getting her some new clothes," Twilight suggested. "Excellent idea. I'll go see if Mavis is up for it," Cadence said, as she made her way to Mavis' room. It wasn't too terribly far. By Cadence's request, Twilight made sure Mavis' room was close to hers and Shining Armor's room. She gently tapped on the door. "Mavis? We're going to be heading out to town soon. If you want to come, we can get you some new clothes?" Cadence offered. The door then opened up, revealing the young child. "O-Ok Princess, if you say so," Mavis replied shakily. "Alright then. Now, if you can head on downstairs, we'll be there momentarily," Cadence said. With that, the young girl left for the main foyer. However, she got lost, and wound up even further from the entrance than she was originally. She then looked around. "I hope no one sees this," Mavis said, as a star symbol made of fire appeared beneath her feet. She then descended into the star, which dropped her out near the entrance. She looked around, and saw that no one was there, thankfully, "Oh thank goodness," Mavis said, as she quickly extinguished the flames. Thankfully, there was no scorch marks. Soon, the others arrived. Mavis tensed up at seeing all the human kids. "Ok Mavis, are you ready to go?" Cadence asked, "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as the exited the castle, and made their way into town.
Chapter 1: Werewolf (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was wearing a very well made, but short Gothic Lolita dress, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful green eyes that were red and puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only to trip over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "peut-être juste un verre de lait?" Mavis asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room, "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of milk. She got the milk carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the milk. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may turn me in as some attraction,' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. 'Ok, I didn't see the Full Moon, but I should still be careful,' Mavis thought, as she crawled into the bathtub. She then proceeded to wash every inch of herself. After a few minutes, she rinsed herself off, and drained the bathtub. She then climbed out of the tub, and carefully let herself down to the floor. Grabbing a towel off from the sink, she proceeded to dry herself off. Once she was dried off, she redressed herself, and exited the bathroom. "Do you feel any better, precious?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis solemnly replied. "Well, let's get you to bed now," Cadence said, as she helped Mavis into the bed that was in the room, "I'm sure my sister in law, my aunts, and all their friends are going to love you," Cadence said, tucking the young girl into bed, "Goodnight Mavis," Cadence said, planting a small kiss on Mavis' head, before heading to the door, "And if you need me or Shining Armor for anything, our bedroom is right down the hall," Cadence said, as she left Mavis in the room. Mavis was trying to go to sleep, but kept tossing and turning in bed. Getting frustrated, she decided to go out onto the balcony, where she then proceeded to look out over the Crystal Empire. "Is this to be mon new home?" Mavis wondered. It was then she noticed something. There was still light out, even though it was nighttime. Looking around, she tried to find the source. It was then she wish she hadn't, because right there, above the castle, was the Full Moon. She tried desperately to look away, but the majesty of the moon was too much for her to break sight of it. She then felt her teeth sharpening, "Oh no, the change is starting!" Mavis screamed, as she gripped her head in agony, as a monstrous transformation took hold of her. Looking at her hands, she saw her nails began to sharpen and elongate, as her hands turned into large paws, with pitch black fur covering her arms. She felt her feet getting bigger. Looking down, she saw her feet went under a similar transformation as her hands. She grunted, as she felt a long, bushy tail sprouted from her backside, and her ears relocated themselves to the top of her head. Once her transformation was complete, she let out a howl that echoed throughout the Crystal Empire. Outside Mavis' room, Nathan was on his way back to his room from taking his dirty dishes back to the kitchen, "Now Ah'm ready ta hit the hay," Nathan commented, as he passed by Mavis' room. He was about to continue on, when he heard grunting coming from behind the door. Feeling concerned, he felt obligated to investigate, "Mavis? Are ya alright?" Nathan asked. All he heard was growling coming from behind the door, "Ah was just askin'," Nathan asked defensively. But upon listening closer, he could tell that grunting and growling was out of pain. One of the guards came walking by. "Prince Nathan, is everything alright?" the guard asked. "Ah honestly don't know. Could ya go git mommy and Daddy? Ah think something's wrong with Mavis," Nathan asked. The guard nodded, and dashed off to get the Crystal Couple. Within minutes, the guard returned with Cadence and Shining Armor. "Nathan, what's this about something being wrong with...." Cadence didn't get a chance to finish her question, as a bone chilling howl echoed through the halls, emanating from Mavis' room. "Does that answer your question?" Nathan asked. Reluctantly, Cadence nodded, as she used her magic to open the door. She was about to open it all the way, but stopped when she saw a sight that made the three of them all gasp in a mix of shock and horror. There, on the balcony, was Mavis, but she had beastly arms and legs, wolf like ears and a tail. Mavis turned to look at them with golden, yellow eyes. At first, she looked at them with a curious look, only for it to turn to an angry one, as she pounced at them with a roar.
Chapter 2: Werewolf (Part 2)At the Crystal Empire Station, As soon as the friendship express pulled in, the Mane 6 piled out, and made a beeline for the Crystal Palace, "Are you sure what Cadence was talking about was real?" Rainbow Dash asked Twilight. "There's no doubt. There's some kind of emergency here. That's the vibe I got from the letter she sent me earlier," Twilight replied. Flashback, early that morning, As Twilight was getting out of bed, a letter materialized in her bed chambers. Unrolling it, she saw that it was from her sister in law, Cadence, and based on the horn writing, she knew instantly that something was amiss. She then proceeded to read the letter, "Twilight, we have an emergency in the Crystal Empire! We need your help! Bring Raiden with you! Cadence, Twilight pondered what the emergency could be, but wasted no time in heading out to gather her friends. Present Time, "And that's all I was able to gather from the note," Twilight said, as they neared the castle. In the skies above, they saw the carriage, commandeered by Celestia and Luna, also nearing the castle, "Looks like Cadence contacted Canterlot too," she commented, as they arrived at the castle. Much to the Mane 6's, and even the Royal Sister's surprise, the guards looked like they weren't expecting them. "Princesses Twilight, Celestia, and Luna, what brings you all to the Crystal Empire?" one of the guards asked. "We were all called here by Cadence. She said there was some sort of emergency?" Celestia replied. The guards looked at each other, then back at the two groups. "We... weren't told that she was expecting you," the other guard replied. The two groups certainly weren't expecting this. "I will take you to the Princess. She and her family are in the dining hall," the first guard said, leading them into the castle. It didn't take long for them to reach the dining room, where they saw Cadence, Shining Armor, Nathan, Skyla, and Guard were all seated around the table, unharmed, eating breakfast, along with a human girl they haven't seen before. "Twiley? This certainly is a surprise," Shining Armor commented. "What brings you here, Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna?" Cadence asked. "We got your message?" Twilight replied, floating the letter over to them. Looking it over, Cadence had a look of mild shock on her face. "I never sent this," she stated. "So, there was no emergency?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, we thought there was at first, but...." Nathan said, making warping noises, as he went into a flashback. Last Night, Mavis had pounced at the Crystal Family, growling threateningly, "What happened to her?!" Cadence exclaimed. "Wolf ears, wolf tails, furry arms and legs, and yellow eyes..... there's no mistakin'...… Mavis is a werewolf!" Nathan exclaimed, as Mavis went on to attack them again, only for them to duck into the living room, avoiding the wolf girl's attack. "What in Equestria is a werewolf?!" Cadence exclaimed. "A monster that turns from a human into a wolf creature durin' a Full Moon. They've made tons o' movies about them back on Earth," Nathan explained. "Is there a way to stop one?" Shining Armor questioned. "The only thing that deals with werewolves is silver, but we don't want ta kill her, do we?!" Nathan exclaimed. The Crystal Couple looked at each other, and then back to Nathan. "No. It's clear that Mavis has suffered before we met her earlier this evening. What about a cure?" Cadence asked. "Ah'm afraid there ain't no known cure," Nathan replied. A growling broke their attention, as they shifted it towards the door, revealing the aggressive wolf girl, who crept slowly at them, "Uh, Mavis, Ah know we got off on the wrong hand, but Ah can assure ya, ya don't want ta do this," Nathan tried reasoning with the werewolf, who bared her fangs at the Crystal Family, who backed up, putting some furniture between them and her. Cadence quickly wrote a letter to Twilight, as Mavis charged at them, when..... WHACK! The three of them saw that Mavis was in fettle position, holding her foot, which she hit on the coffee table. They could hear her whining in pain. Mavis the proceeded to stand up, only to hit her head on very same coffee table, causing her to yelp in pain again. Cautiously, Cadence approached her, "Mavis, sweetie? Are you alright?" she asked, patting Mavis' head. Instead of attacking the pink alicorn, they all saw that Mavis instantly became docile, her eyes tearing up from a mix of pain from hitting her foot and head, and also from the guilt of attacking them. "je suis vraiment désolé. I did not mean to attack any of vous," Mavis said, her voice sounding just a little growly. "Uh, it's alright, but may Ah ask why you went all feral?" Nathan asked. "It's mon wolf nature. I only attacked because I changed and didn't have time to adjust to this form. That, and the smells were unfamiliar to moi," Mavis explained. "But... you're calm now, yes?" Shining Armor asked. Mavis simply nodded. "I hope you do not mind moi saying, but that fruity smell you have is quite lovely, Princess," Mavis said. "I used Strawberry and Cream body wash and conditioner," Cadence admitted. "And I must say, that peanut butter scent on Nathan is quite lovely too," Mavis commented. "But Ah haven't been eatin' anything with peanut butter," Nathan commented. Present time, "Wait, so, Mavis IS one of these 'werewolf' monsters, but is actually more dangerous to herself than she is to others?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "I would've worded that better, but yes," Cadence replied. "And she's not really a monster. She's more like a puppy," Nathan said. Mavis shrunk out of embarrassment at being called a puppy, but she did like being called one, as it made her feel cute. "So, just a false alarm?" Luna asked. "I guess. Sorry about this guys. But, since you're all here, maybe you'd all like to meet Mavis a little more formally?" Shining Armor asked. "We'll make introductions on Mavis' behalf," Cadence said, walking over to the girl in question. "Everyone, this is Mavis Goustou, our little guest," Cadence said, introducing Mavis, who shrank in her seat, upon feeling multiple strange gazes coming her way. "A shy one, is she?" Celestia asked. "Yes. She wasn't very open with us at first. But when she transformed last night, and saw that we accepted her, she became rather tame," Shining Armor replied. "I see. So, we should just give her time to warm up to us," Twilight commented. "It could be a part of her wolfen nature. Wolves tend to be more scared of us than we would be of them," Fluttershy piped in. "Maybe, but Ah think that may just be how Mavis is altogether," Nathan replied, taking Mavis aside, "Now tiger, Ah know it can be scary to meet new people, or in this case, new ponies, but Ah can assure ya, these folks are all really nice. Ya get where Ah'm goin' with this?" Nathan asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, though her tone indicated she still had some uncertainty. "Just relax. They ain't gonna try ta hurt ya, Ah promise," Nathan said, bringing Mavis back to the group from the little pep talk. Deciding this needed to be done delicately, Twilight opted for Fluttershy to go first. "Hello Mavis, it's very lovely to meet you. My name is Fluttershy, and I love animals of all kind. If I may ask, do you exhibit any typical mannerisms of a wolf when you change?" Fluttershy asked. "Some of them, I do. As Princess Cadence said, I can often attack those whose scents are unfamiliar to me just after changing, which is why I need a moment or so to adjust to my new body. I also have a tendency to chase mon own tail, and howl when I feel an irresistible urge to do so," Mavis quietly explained. Fluttershy nodded, and passed the torch off to Rarity. "Hello, young one. I am Rarity. And I must say, you look quite.... lovely in that dress," Rarity tried to hide her disdain for Mavis' Gothic Lolita dress. Mavis seemed unnerved by her mannerisms. "Don't worry, precious. Rarity just has a bit of bad history with Gothic Lolita. Anyways, my name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and also Shining Armor's younger sister. By the way, how is your transformation triggered anyhow?" Twilight asked. "It happens whenever I look at the moon when it is full. And it's not just the real one that makes me change. Any image causes me to transform," Mavis replied meekly. "I see," Twilight replied. Applejack decided to go next. "Howdy there little lady. Ah'm Applejack, part of the massive Apple Clan all across Equestria. If ya want, Ah can show ya mah home, Sweet Apple Acres," Applejack said. "I would happily accept your invitation," Mavis replied. Twilight motioned for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to take it easy when introducing themselves. Rainbow Dash went on up first. "Hey there kiddo, the name's Rainbow Dash. I'm one of the fastest Pegasus ponies out there. Maybe some time I can show you a few tricks?" the rainbow maned Pegasus offered. Mavis nodded. Next up was Pinkie Pie. Her friends were expecting her to be all overexcited to meet someone new, but instead, Pinkie calmly walked up to the young girl, and knelt down to eye level. "Hi there. My name is Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident Party Pony master. If you want, I could plan a party for you to welcome you to Equestria. Of course, you are free to decline," Mavis thought about what Pinkie had just said. "I am not comfortable with lots of attention, so, if you do not mind, I wish to decline," Mavis politely declined. Pinkie nodded in understanding. Last but not least, Celestia and Luna approached Mavis. "Hello Mavis. I am Princess Celestia, and this is my little sister, Luna. We are in charge of raising the sun and the moon," Celestia introduced the two. "As for your uncomfortable transformation, I must apologize, but this is an extremely rare year, when the moon is full all week long once each month," Luna replied. "You don't need to apologize, really! I may not be comfortable when changing, but it doesn't mean I don't like transforming. It makes me feel, how you say, free," Mavis replied. "Free from what, exactly?" Twilight asked. "The binds of being human," Mavis meekly replied. "Y'know Mavis, Ah think mah buds down in Ponyville would love ta meet ya," Nathan commented. "Is this 'Ponyville' nice?" Mavis asked cautiously. "Of course. It's one of the friendliest places in Equestria," Twilight replied. "It's got all kinds of places, a bakery, a boutique, even a guild hall, and a castle," Pinkie Pie added. "I tell you what Mavis. Why don't you go and see Ponyville for yourself? I'm sure you can make all kinds of new friends, and maybe Rarity could make you some new outfits?" Cadence asked. "It would be my pleasure to make her some more outfits," Rarity replied. "Well, I guess I could go see it," Mavis replied. "Oh good. Nathan, could you go and help Mavis pack a few things for the trip?" Cadence asked, levitating a satchel to her eldest son. With a nod, Nathan took Mavis out of the room, leaving the adults all alone, "By the way, where's Raiden?" Cadence asked. "He was in the middle of an experiment when we left, so he couldn't come," Twilight replied. "Well, while your down there, could you see if he can shed some light on this whole 'werewolf' business? I want to help Mavis feel more comfortable here," Cadence requested. "You can count on us," Twilight replied. "Ok then, once the two of them come back, we'll see you all back to the train station. And while you're gone, we'll try to figure out who sent that letter," Shining Armor commented. No sooner than he said that, Nathan and Mavis came back. "Ok, Ah think we're all ready for the trip," Nathan commented. "Ok then. We'll see you all to the station," Cadence said, as she and Shining Armor exited the castle with them. "We'll head on back to Canterlot. And we hope to hear from each of you soon," Celestia said, as she and Luna deviated from the group to go back to their chariot, and headed on back to Canterlot. Meanwhile, with the group, they had just arrived at the station. "Sorry about making you come all the way up here for nothing, Twiley," Shining Armor commented. "It's alright Shining. But I wouldn't say 'for nothing'. We got to meet a new friend," Twilight replied, as the Ponyville gang boarded the train. "Nathan, I want you to keep an eye on Mavis, and make sure she doesn't get lost or hurt, ok?" Cadence asked. "Sure thing," Nathan replied. Just then, the train gave a whistle, and took off.
Werewolf (Part 3)The train ride to Ponyville was fairly long, to the point where Mavis dozed off, and fell asleep on the seat she and Nathan were sharing. Nathan allowed Mavis to use his lap as a makeshift pillow, "So, Ah'm guessin' the others didn't come because o' the urgency in that letter?" Nathan asked. "Of course. We didn't want to put them in any potential danger, but now that we know Mavis isn't a threat to anyone, other than herself, we can introduce her to your friends," Twilight said. "Yeah, maybe seein' them will make her feel more safe and secure," Nathan replied. "By the way, did you happen to see Mavis when she was transforming?" Fluttershy asked. "Ah'm afraid not. And even if Ah did, she wouldn't be usin' me as a pillow right now. Apparently, for some werewolves in her pack, being seen by any non-werewolf is the same as being seen naked in public," Nathan explained. "I see. So, what happens when she changes?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Well, she said she needs a moment or so to adjust to her new body. Any direct interaction immediately after the transformation makes her more of a wolf than a person," Nathan replied. Just then, the conductor came in. "Next stop! Ponyville! All who are departing be ready!" he bellowed. It was loud enough to wake Mavis, who stirred in her sleep. "Are we there yet?" she asked groggily. "Almost. You're going to love Ponyville. We'll see about getting you some more outfits, maybe a snack, and we can take you to look at some fantastic creatures on a ranch nearby," Twilight said. She figured she would try to keep the itinerary as small as possible, as Mavis is only just adjusting to Equestria. It was then that the train pulled into the station, "Alright Mavis, our first stop will be getting you some new clothes," Twilight said, as they all stepped off of the train, Nathan taking care to help Mavis off. "There ya go," Nathan said, as they all left the station, and made their way to Carousel Boutique. After getting the measurements Rarity needed to make Mavis some new outfits, the others decided to leave her to her work. With this in mind, they decided to stop by Sugarcube Corner, and order something sweet for Mavis, "Ok Mavis, is there anything you particularly like?" Twilight asked. "Well, I do like, how you say, butter cookies," Mavis replied timidly. "Well, alright then. We'll have a batch ready in about half an hour," Mrs. Cake replied, as she went into the back with Pinkie Pie. "Ok, in the mean time, I would like to talk to Raiden about.... you being a werewolf, if that's alright with you?" Twilight asked awkwardly. "Oui," Mavis replied, as Twilight led her and the others out of Sugarcube Corner, "So, where is this Raiden's house?" Mavis asked. "He lives up at the local guild hall. He has a lab there too where he does all these crazy experiments," Applejack replied. "He'll be answerin' any questions we have about werewolves," Nathan added, as the walked towards the guild hall. Seven minutes of walking later, They had arrived at the Guild Hall, and Mavis in awe at the gothic architecture, mainly the gargoyles that were decorating the walls and perches, "Come along now Mavis, Raiden should be inside," Twilight said, leading them inside. "Is it really ok for us to just barge in here?" Mavis asked. "It's quite alright. While anyone is allowed to come in and out as they please, we have special permission from the guild master to enter areas that are restricted to the public, like Raiden's lab," Twilight said, as they entered the main area of the guild. Mavis saw all manner of teenagers or kids, all going about their business, either just lounging around, getting into scuffles, or heading out on jobs. It was then that they approached the soda bar, where Silver was using his telekinesis to make drinks or snacks of the guild members. "Oh, hey Twilight, how goes it?" Silver asked. "Pretty good Silver. Is Raiden still in by any chance?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, he says he's just about done with his experiment. Not sure if that means he's close to completing it or just giving up on it. Either way, you know where his lab is," Silver said, pointing down a hall. "Thanks so much," Twilight said, as they all proceeded down the hall. After a few minutes, they arrived at the lab, where they saw the thunder mutant typing on his supercomputer. "And with that, the experiment was a success," Raiden said, saving the file. Turning around in his chair, he saw Twilight and friends standing in the door way, "Ah, Twilight. How was your trip to the Crystal Empire?" Raiden asked. "It was just fine. Speaking of which, we brought someone from there that we want you to answer a few questions about," Twilight said. "I see. And just who might I ask is the individual in question?" Raiden asked. Twilight and Nathan ushered Mavis forward, "And what is about this girl that you want to know about?" he asked. "You see, Mavis here, she's a werewolf. We want to know all we can about werewolves," Twilight explained. Raiden nodded. "Well, while I don't believe in such creatures like werewolves or the like, I will answer any questions you have about them," Raiden replied, pulling up documents on werewolves. Mavis, upon seeing pictures of the full moon, quickly covered her eyes, as to avoid transforming, "Ok, here's what you want to know; werewolves are beastly monsters that transform from human to wolf during a full moon. They are highly aggressive, carnivorous predatory creatures that will attack anything that moves. The first werewolf appeared in Greek Mythology, when King Lycaon, who fed human flesh to the god, Zeus, wanting to know if Zeus was really a god, and was punished by being transformed into a wolf. The term 'werewolf' can be broken up to mean 'wolf person', as the Greek Root 'were' means 'man'," Raiden explained. "I see," Twilight nodded. "There's more. There are many speculations on how a person can be turned into a werewolf themselves, including ways of turning others into the creature," Raiden added. "Wait, so werewolves can be created?" Fluttershy asked in disbelief. "Yeah, that bit Ah know. Anyone who get's bit by a werewolf and lives will become one themselves," Nathan replied. "The only way to effectively deal with a werewolf is with silver weapons, as silver is supposed to be the only alloy that can pierce a lycanthrope's hide," Raiden added. "Wait, 'lycanthrope'?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yes. That is the technical terminology for werewolves. But as I said, lycanthropy is just a bunch of unscientific superstition among the human world," Raiden replied. "But we're tellin' the truth! Mavis IS a werewolf!" Nathan stated. "I'll believe it when I see it. If she can change in front of me, then I'll be convinced," Raiden stated. Mavis blushed. "Ok, just humor us. If Mavis is truly a werewolf, would there be a cure?" Twilight asked. "I'm afraid not. After the first transformation under a full moon, the lycanthropy becomes caked in. In other words, it's permanent," Raiden replied. "And if one is born a werewolf?" Fluttershy asked. "Pretty much the same thing. There is some speculation in lycanthrope lore that a cure can be made from a plant called 'wolves-bane', but this is ill-advised as the plant is extremely poisonous," Raiden said. "Hmm, well, that's too bad," Twilight commented solemnly. Raiden, deciding to humor them, decided to approach Mavis. "Your name's 'Mavis', right?" Raiden asked. Mavis timidly nodded, "If I were to ask you to change into your alleged werewolf form, would you do it?" he asked. Mavis blushed out of embarrassment. "What are you getting at?" Twilight asked. "See, while I don't believe in werewolves, I can't say I believe that this girl's lycanthropy is fact, and not just some kind of mental instability. So, if she can change, I may be able to make something for her to ease up the pain of the transformation," Raiden explained. "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Applejack asked. "See, a werewolf transformation is an extremely painful process. A person who's changing is forced to experience their nails sharpening into claws, their teeth turning into fangs, coarse fur growing all over their body, their bones reshaping themselves into wolf like appendages, that sort of thing. I can probably make a pain killer that deadens the pain. I can also give her some sedatives I made for Heaven, whenever she eats too much sugar," Raiden explained. "Could Ah just have a quick word with her first?" Nathan asked. "Of course," Raiden replied. Nathan took Mavis out into the hall. "Alright Mavis, Ah know ya told us that being seen while transforming is really embarrassin' for ya, but if we want Raiden to take this case seriously, we need ya to grin and bare it, ok?" Nathan asked, giving Mavis a little pep talk. Mavis fidgeted. She didn't like the thought of someone seeing her change, but she did like the thought of being able to change pain free, and sleeping through a full moon. With a reluctant sigh, she looked the Texas boy in the eyes. "Ok, I will do it," Mavis replied. "Ok then. We'll make it up to ya, that Ah promise," Nathan said, as they went back into the lab, "Alright, she'll do it," Nathan declared, as Mavis took off her shoes and socks. "No need to disrobe here, Mavis. We can wait until tonight," Raiden said. "Actually, she said she can change from seeing ANY image of the full moon," Nathan replied. "Well, that's convenient. Just step into the testing chamber over there," Raiden said, opening a chamber door. Needless to say, he was starting to second guess himself about Mavis' lycanthropy. "Don't worry Mavis. As Ah said, we'll make it all up to ya," Nathan said, as Mavis stepped into the chamber. Raiden then closed the door, and locked it. He then stepped over to a desk with a microphone. "Ok Mavis, just pay attention to that screen on the wall," Raiden said. Mavis did so, as Raiden punched in a few keys on a keyboard. It was then that an image of the full moon appeared. Mavis froze up when she saw it, but was unable to shut her eyes or look away. She then screamed in agony, as she gripped her head, and fell to the floor, writhing pain. The others watched in a mix of horror and amazement as the transformation took hold of the little girl. Her arms and legs were the most noticeable ones that changed, as well as Mavis' tail that grew out from under her dress. Once she was done transforming, she let out a howl, and started prowling around on all fours, "Ok, now I'm convinced," Raiden commented. "What should we do now?" Twilight asked. "She said she needs a moment or so to adjust to her new body," Nathan replied. Mavis then took notice of them from behind some seven inch glass. She stared at them with a timid look, which soon melted into an angry one, as she lunged at them, only to hit her head on the glass. She whined, as she rubbed her head, "Mavis, are ya alright?" he asked over the intercom. Mavis shook herself out of her daze, and looked back to them. "Oui," Mavis replied. With that, Raiden unlocked the chamber door, and opened it. Mavis then walked out of the chamber. "So, how on earth did this all happen to you?" Twilight asked, petting Mavis' head. This made Mavis wag her tail like a dog. "I honestly do not know. I was born a werewolf," Mavis replied. "Well, I can at least give these to you," Raiden said, giving Mavis two pill bottles, one blue, one red, "The red bottle is the painkillers. They will make your body numb, but you shouldn't feel anything during the transformation. And the blue bottle has very powerful sedatives. You can use these to help you sleep whenever you don't want to transform," he explained. Nathan took the bottles, and placed them in Mavis' satchel, along with her shoes and socks. "Thanks so much for all the information Raiden. I'll be sure to relay this all to Cadence," Twilight said, as they all turned to leave. "Uh, princesse Twilight, what are we to do about mon arms and legs?" Mavis asked. "You needn't worry, sweetie. We've had all manner of creatures come to Ponyville. I'm sure the ponies won't mind you being a werewolf," Twilight reassured. Mavis took her word for it, but still had some uncertainties.
Werewolf (Part 4)Time passed as Mavis continued getting used to Equestria. While there were a few.... inconveniences, like getting kidnapped not once, but twice by power hungry unicorns, she was able to make lots of new friends, like the ones in Ponyville, and her mentors, the Northern Mountain Nymphs, who were helping Mavis with getting better control of her lycanthropy. Today, she was with Cosmo, who was the most beneficial to Mavis, as her cosmic projections helped Mavis to better resist the transformation. However, this was easier said than done, as, during one of their sessions, Mavis had transformed into her werewolf form, "I'm sorry Mavis, but I guess there's nothing I can do for you," Cosmo apologized. "It's not your fault. My wolfish urges are too strong for me to resist," Mavis replied, hugging her master. It was then that Dana came in with a meaty mutton drumstick for the werewolf, followed by Kat and Marina. "Still no luck?" the thicc Nymph asked, giving Mavis her lunch. "No. It would appear her transformation is an uncontrollable impulse," Cosmo replied, as Mavis glumly ate the food Dana gave her. "Mavis, do you know of any other werewolves from you pack who can control the transformation?" Marina asked. Mavis took a moment to swallow some of the food. "The only one in mon pack that resist the change of her free will is the Queen Werewolf," Mavis replied. "I'm assuming that this 'Queen' is like the alpha wolf?" Kat asked, as Mavis finished off the drumstick. "Oui. She welcomes those who are cast out of the nearby villages into our pack. I don't really know how the whole process works myself," Mavis explained. "So, our only chance of understanding how your pack operates would be to contact the queen or one of her subjects," Cosmo commented. "Well, we do have those crystal balls that can contact beings from other dimensions. We can use those," Kat suggested. "Well that would all depend. Mavis, do you know the queen or anyone from your pack?" Dana asked, holding the werewolf in her lap. "Non. I always kept to myself. I was too shy to interact with anyone," Mavis admitted. "I know this is a little bit sensitive of a subject, but what about your parents?" Kat asked. "Well, my parents and I were exiled from a village at one point, after some humans caught Maman and moi transforming. As a result, we had to leave our home, and go to the village of the werebeasts. Papa was among the few humans that lived there," Mavis replied solemnly. "Hmm.... Mavis, I know you feel pained at thinking about your parents, but what if we got your parents to explain things?" Marina offered. The other Nymphs knew where she was going with this. "I would like to see them again, but.... they were murdered by human hunters, remember?" Mavis asked, trying to hold back the tears. Dana spun Mavis around, and smothered the lycan girl in her enormous bosom. "There, there Mavis, you're among friends," Dana soothed, rubbing the young girl's back. "But what Marina was getting at is that we can still communicate with your parents, even if they're not in the world of the living," Cosmo added. This was able to make Mavis perk up. "Really?" Mavis asked. "We have a sister over at the Eastern Nymph Grotto, who communicates with the dead. Her name is Fortuna, and she's known as the Fortune Teller Nymph," Marina explained. "If we go to see her, I will be able to see Maman and Papa again?" Mavis asked. "Of course. She contacts the spirits to help read fortunes, or to help others contact loved ones who have passed on," Dana replied. "So, would you like to go see her?" Cosmo asked. Mavis didn't even need a second to think about it. "Oui," she replied. "Alright then, let's go and get ready," Cosmo said, as she and the other Nymphs took Mavis out of her observatory. Later, at the Eastern Nymph Grotto, In a temple that looked like an Japanese Palace, some large crystals were beginning to glow brightly. This caught the attention of a Nymph with long, blonde hair, and a chartreuse bikini. She had a Four Leafed Clover charm around her neck, "What could this be?" she asked, looking at the crystals. Her answer soon answered itself, as the Nymphs from the Northern Grotto and Mavis were all flung out of them. Mavis looked to be really dizzy. "Easy there, sweetie," Kat said, holding Mavis. "Dana, Cosmo, Marina, and Kat too? This is certainly a surprise," the new Nymph commented. "Sorry barging in like this Gladys, but do you know where Fortuna is?" Cosmo asked. "Where else? She's been in her room all day, reading her tarot cards. But her predictions were right. We were in store for a big surprise sometime soon," Gladys replied. It was then she noticed Mavis, "Oh, who might this cute little puppy be?" she asked, petting Mavis' head. Mavis wagged her tail at being petted, and had a content expression on her face. "This is our student, Mavis. She was recently adopted by the new ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence," Marina replied. Gladys had a shocked look on her face. "Oh, so the Empire's back after all this time?" Gladys asked. "Yep, and so is that despicable king, Sombra," Dana replied. "Mavis is also the newest Crystal Nymph," Cosmo added. "I see," Gladys replied. "Mavis, this is Gladys, the Luck Nymph. She controls the luckiness of every living creature," Marina introduced Mavis to Gladys. "Bonjour, Gladys," Mavis greeted respectfully. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis. Would you like to go see Fortuna now?" Gladys asked. "I would like that very much," Mavis replied. "Ok, then come this way," Fortuna said, leading Mavis and the older Nymphs along. Looking around, Mavis saw two more Nymphs. One had lavender hair and a seafoam green bikini, while the other had brown hair and a white bikini. She was carrying some tools that Mavis could tell were for chiseling stone. The lavender haired Nymph was posing for the other Nymph. "You see Mavis, unlike the Northern and Southern Grottos, the Eastern and Western Grottos only have four Nymphs each. But you won't go to the Western Grotto until you're much older," Dana explained. "Why's that?" Mavis asked. "Uh, don't worry about. Just take our word for it," Kat quickly replied. The thought of two Nymphs, both dressed in black bikinis, cracking some whips entered her mind. She shuddered at the thought, as did the other Nymphs. "They are so cold," Marina squeaked to Cosmo. Thankfully, even with Mavis' sharpened hearing, she didn't hear what the Water Nymph had said. It was then that they had arrived at what looked to be a gypsy wagon. "Ok, Mavis, Fortuna is just inside," Gladys said, pulling the curtains aside, allowing Mavis, Dana, and Marina to enter. Inside, they saw a dark skinned Nymph dressed in a skimpy gypsy outfit, sitting at a table. "I've been expecting you," the Nymph greeted. "Hello Fortuna. I assume you also know why we have come here?" Marina asked. "No. I only foresaw that you were coming. You know I prefer to only look so far into the future, as not to spoil any surprises," Fortuna replied. "Yes, well, we're here on behalf of our student. This is Mavis, a werewolf. We came here for two reasons. One, she wants to speak with her parents who have.... left the world of the living. And two, we would also like to talk to them about a rather interesting subject Mavis brought up," Dana explained, holding the little werewolf. "I see," Fortuna said, turning her gaze to Mavis, "Mavis, was it? In order to contact your parents, I must ask that you hold the crystal ball with me. I must have someone who is related to the specific spirits in question in order to contact them," Fortuna explained. "Oui," Mavis said, as Dana lifted her up onto the table. Mavis placed her beastly paws on the crystal orb, on top of Fortuna's hands. The ball began to glow. "Calling the spirits of.... what did you say your parent's names were?" Fortuna asked Mavis. "Mon Maman's name is Alice, and mon Papa's name is David. Oh, and our last name is Gustou," Mavis replied. "Ok. As I was saying, calling the spirits of Alice and David Gustou. Alice and David Gustou," Fortuna said, as an image of Mavis' parents materialized. "Maman! Papa!" Mavis exclaimed. "Mavis, mon enfant! Oh, I am so happy to see you again!" Alice exclaimed. "How've you been, princess?" David asked. "I have been doing just fine, Papa. But I've missed you every day since, well, you know," Mavis tried to dance around what she was trying to say. "And we long to hold you in our arms too, precious," Alice replied. "So, what've you been up to?" David asked. "A lot has been happening to moi. I have made a lot of new friends, including the Nymphs that have helped me to contact you," Mavis replied. "Well, that's good. These Nymphs, have they been treating you well? Alice asked. "Oui. They've given me all kinds of lessons regarding nature," Mavis replied. Her parents nodded. "Uh, Mavis, may I?" Dana asked. Mavis nodded, and scooched out of the way, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Gustou, I am Dana, one of Mavis' teachers, along with one of my sisters, Marina," Dana introduced herself and Marina. "It's very nice to meet both of you. And merci for looking after our precious little enfant," Alice said, feeling slightly insecure about her figure, seeing how sexy the two Nymphs were. "It's our pleasure. But it was actually Princess Cadence who is Mavis' new legal guardian," Marina said. The two parents nodded. "Anyhow, we were hoping you could answer a few questions we have in regards to the pack that you all came from," Dana added. "Oh, well, ok. We can answer whatever we're able to," David replied. "First off, Mavis said something about outcasts being welcomed into the pack. Could you clarify?" Marina asked. "Ah yes. Well, you see, our pack lives in a dense forest that is surrounded by four or five small human villages. The humans fear and loathe our kind, so much so, that they'll banish anyone if they have animal bitemarks, regardless of where they came from," Alice began. "See, back when we were living in our village, Alice and I were set to get married, with Mavis on the way," David explained. 4 Years Ago, And 18 year old of David and Alice were walking home from the market late one night, with David carrying the majority of the groceries, while his four month pregnant wife was carrying two small bags, "Really David. I may be pregnant, but I'm not helpless," Alice said. "I know, but I don't want to risk putting any undue pressure on you. After all, you are carrying a special package," David said, as they rounded a street corner. "Yeah. What are you hoping our child will be?" Alice asked. "Well, let's see. As long as the baby is healthy, it doesn't really matter to me. I would like to have a son so I can have a little bit of father-son quality time. But having an adorable daughter would be just as nice," David said. However, unbeknownst to the parents to be, an animal was stalking them from behind the bushes. When they neared the bush, the beast leapt out. While it was just a Doberman dog, the couple jumped and dropped their groceries in shock. The dim lighting made it easy for them to mistake it for one of the werewolves they heard that lurked in nearby forest. Without warning, the dog pounced. The two of them dodged, but Alice was too far in the dogs line of attack, and one of the dog's sharp nails pierced her flesh, as the dog ran off with the ham they had bought. "Alice! Are you ok?!" David exclaimed, coming to the aid of his wife. "I'm fine, but one that thing's claws cut me," Alice said, showing him the injury. It wasn't a big cut, but it was large enough to draw a little blood. "HEY! That woman's been attacked by one of the werewolves!" a sleazy looking man proclaimed, pointing at the couple. This drew in quite a crowd of people, who instantly began hurling objects at the two of them. Just then, an important looking man came walking in. "David and Alice Gustou, is what I hear true? You were bitten by a werewolf?" the man asked. "It was more of a cut," Alice admitted. "And besides Mayor, the beast that attacked us looked rather scrawny to be a werewolf," David added, holding Alice. "I see. But we can't take any chances. By the power vested in me, Alice Gustou, you are hereby banished from our village, effective immediately," the mayor declared. The Gustou's couldn't believe what they had just heard, as the crowd began throwing more insults and threats their way. "GET OUT OF HERE!" "MONSTER! WE DON'T WANT YOU KIND HERE!" "GET OUT OF OUR VILLAGE, OR ELSE!" With the whole town seeming to be against her, Alice decided it was better just to follow through on her sentence, and leave, "Don't worry Alice. I'm not about to abandon you or the baby. If you're banished, then I may as well be too," David declared. "You realize that if you go with her, you can never set foot in our village again, right?" the Mayor asked. "I'd rather have that than leave my woman and my child to fend for themselves," David proclaimed. The Mayor seemed unfazed. "Very well, then you are both banished, and are forbidden to return for any reason," the Mayor declared, as the crowd then dispersed, shunning them out. "That was very brave of you," Alice said, as they began to leave town. "Like I said, I couldn't leave you or our child to fend for yourselves," David said. Real Time, "And that's how we came to be banished from the village," Alice explained. Needless to say, the Nymphs were speechless about how quickly humans can turn on one another. "Ok, but what about the Queen Werewolf? Where does she play into any of this?" Dana asked. "Ah yes, well, you see, it happened like this," David said. Four Years Ago, after David and Alice were banished, Waking along a forest trail, the Gustou couple were trying to find the fabled Were-Beast pack, "Are you sure we're going the right way David? We don't even know if it even exists," Alice asked, as they stopped so she could rest. "Well, from what I've heard from around town, there have been sightings of werewolves, werecats, and even wererabbits in these woods," David replied. They heard a twig snap from the foliage. This made David jump up in an effort to defend his wife. Several minutes passed, but nothing could be seen. David and Alice breathed a sigh of relief, when four female werewolves leapt out of the bushes. "Who are you?! Why have you come to our forest?!" the leader werewolf growled threateningly. "Please, we mean no harm. We just got run out of our village, and my wife if carrying a child," David pleaded, steeping between them and Alice. This caught the werewolves' attention. "Huh?! You're having a baby!?" a werewolf exclaimed, effortlessly tossing David over her shoulder, before looking at Alice with giant, sparkly anime eyes. This made Alice a little uncomfortable, but her mind was at ease, as she and David now knew they weren't going to harm them. "I apologize for my cohort. She's still young and excitable," the lead werewolf said. "No worries," David replied, as he stood back up, disoriented. "Come. If you need a place to stay, we can take you back to our city. Our queen is very hospitable to those who have lost their homes, and could make arrangements for you," the lead werewolf offered. "Wow, that's really nice of you. Thank you," David said, as he helped Alice up on her feet. Once she held onto David's arms, the werewolves led them through the forest, taking them into a large cave, "Big cave," David commented. "Well, it helps that minotaur's helped us to make the city," the leader replied, as she pushed in a few tiles in the wall. The cave walls then began opening up to reveal what looked to be a vast metropolis. "Oh my, I never thought something this big was in the forest," Alice commented. "Our Queen uses her magic to conceal the city in a dimension apart from the human villages, as well as provide everything we could ever need. Plenty of food, shelter, sunlight, the Full Moon to howl at. Even modern convivences such as television and what humans call the 'internet' are all right here in this city!" the energetic werewolf explained. "Could you take these two to see the queen? We need to get back to our patrol," the lead asked the energetic werewolf. "Okie dokie!" she replied, leading them into the city, with the other three heading back out into the forest. Along the way, Alice and David saw all manner of beastman species, ranging from werewolves and wererabbits to ridiculously busty minotaur women, who looked more human than bovine. "It looks like your queen is very benevolent," Alice commented. "Of course! She feels bad whenever humans are tossed out of their villages, so she takes it upon herself to let them live with her. Apparently, long before there was this huge city you see before you, our pack just lives in little huts, scattered across the forest," the werewolf replied. The two humans saw that there were quite a few humans living there as well, "Though, most humans are not actually one of us, the queen still lets them live here," she added, just as some children came rushing by, one of them, a werecat, bumped into David's leg. "Careful there," he said. The kid got back up, and raced off to his friends. "It's actually quite sad. The majority of the children living here were cast out by the humans," the werewolf stated, as they reached what looked to be the Queen's Palace, "She's right through the hall," she said, as she lead them down the corridors. She led them into what looked to be a massive throne room. They saw that everything was decorated with large marble pillars, five or six overly fancy fountains, and beautiful, silky drapes, behind some was a colossal feminine figure, "My queen, I have brought two humans who were exiled from a nearby village. They wish to request living arrangements, as the woman is pregnant," the werewolf stated. Out from the drapes, emerged a ferociously curvy werewolf woman, who was no less than ten feet tall. She had beautiful, silver hair, and glowing golden eyes. "Approach," the queen demanded. The Gustou's did as they were told, "Explain yourselves," she demanded. "Well, uh, you see, it's like this, your majesty. We were walking home from the store, picking up supplies for when our baby is born, but we were jumped by some kind of dog like creature, but it was far to small to be a werewolf. Anyhow, the dog scratched Alice, and she was immediately called out for being bitten by what the townsfolk thought was a werewolf, and the mayor chose to banish her without a fair trial," David explained. The Queen nodded, as she took in the information. She was not informed that any werewolves left the city, other than the sentries, so she figured it was a dog. "And not wanting to let moi fend for myself, or our child, David joined us in mon exile too," Alice added. "I see. Very well. I shall see to it that you have the best living arrangements my city has to offer," the queen stated. "We are extremely grateful, you ladyship," Alice said. "However, there is however, one stipulation," the queen added. "I had a feeling there would be a catch," David whispered to Alice. "See, the majority of the population of my city is beastmen species', and one of the key rules for ALL families here is that at least one member of each family MUST be some kind of beastman," the queen explained. "Um, ok? Well, we are wanting to take you up on your offer for a new place to live, but what does that rule have to do with us?" David asked. "In other words, what she is stating serves a few purposes, one of the major ones is that you never leave to disclose the location of our fair city. The point she's stating is that one of you must become a werebeast, like her or me," the sentry werewolf explained. This certainly caught the parents to be by surprise, but they took a moment to think about it. They knew what she was saying was right. If word got out of the location of the Werebeast City, it would result in a large scale invasion. "Well, I guess we can do it," David replied. "Splendid. But before any biting commences, may I take a look at your baby?" the queen asked Alice. "Um, ok?" Alice replied warily. The Queen was then handed a scepter by a wererabbit maid, which she then waved over Alice. The Queen then inspected the jewel in the scepter. After a brief look, she then turned back to the couple. "Ok, I just took a look the growing baby in your belly, and I noticed a few things," the queen began to explain. This drew some concern from the two human parents to be. "There's nothing wrong with the baby, is there?" David asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "Nothing's wrong with the child. In fact, she will be born with no complications," the queen began to explain. "We're having a girl!?" Alice exclaimed, sounding overjoyed. "Yes. She will be a most beautiful girl, but there may be a few.... problems. For starters, there may be a..... seventy percent chance you may.... not survive," the queen explained, trying to lay it on them gently. They took a moment to take this information in. "I... I may not be able to be a part of mon enfants life?" Alice said, sounding disheartened. "Well, if you were to become a werebeast, I may be able to guarantee your survival by.... oh, ninety-five percent, give or take," the Queen replied. This seemed to brighten their moods immensely. "I feel there's a big 'but' in all of this," David commented. "Well, apart from my own massive tushy, the only catch would be that your daughter will be born a werewolf as well," the Queen replied. "Well, if it's for mon child to have a mother in her life, then please, do what must be done," Alice pleaded. The Queen got down on all fours, as Alice exposed a little bit of her arm, which the Queen then bit down on. Alice cried out in pain, causing David to rush to her side. Alice fell woozily into her husbands arms. "Ok, now you must take her outside so she can transform," the Queen said. The Sentry Werewolf helped David with carrying Alice out onto the balcony. David saw that the Full Moon was shining brightly down on them. "Ok Alice, the moon's right above us," David said, as Alice stood up by herself. She then looked up to the moon, taking in the sight, "Uh, the change won't hurt the baby, right?" David asked the Queen. "Not in the slightest," she replied. Alice then screamed in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Her clothes burst apart, as her arms, legs, and ears morphed into that of a wolf's appendages, and a long, fluffy tail sprouted from her backside. David also noted tat the change was making her figure more curvaceous, especially in her rear, which bubbled our to twice it's original size. When the change was done, Alice then howled at the moon, inciting several howls from the city, as well as the Sentry Werewolf and the Queen. "Alice, are you ok?" David asked, coming to her side. Thankfully, unlike the stories he had heard, Alice appeared to retain her sanity. "Oui, I am.... ok," Alice replied, before noticing she was naked, "AAAAH! I take that back!" Alice exclaimed, covering herself. "Please, fetch her something to cover herself," the Queen said to the wererabbit maid. With a nod, she ducked into a closet, and pulled out some raggedy clothes, a top and a skirt. "Here you go. This should suffice until you get some more clothes," she said, as Alice covered herself. "If she keeps changing, then will she survive and be apart of our daughter's life?" David asked. "Well, here's the thing, she won't be able to return to human form until AFTER the baby is born, so, yeah," the Queen replied. "This may prove beneficial to us. If our daughter is to be a werewolf too, I could teach her all the ins and outs of being one," Alice said to her husband. "If it'll make you feel better, I could always act as a sort of.... grandmother figure for your daughter," the Queen offered. "We are eternally grateful your majesty," David said. "You're both most welcome. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to come and ask me. My doors are always open," the Queen said, as a minotaur stewardess came in to show them to their new home. Real Time, "And that's pretty much how things were back in the pack," David explained. He and Alice chose to leave out the part of the Queen's offer to act as a grandmother. "I always heard the Queen was a benevolent ruler," Mavis replied. "She is. Even after the invasion of the human hunters, she still put the citizens of her city before her, and oversaw the evacuations. Of course, as you know, there were some..... losses," Alice explained. Mavis knew all to well of the losses. "But don't worry about it Mavis. We've foreseen your future, and you're going to be a tremendous help to not only your friends in Equestria, but also the pack. And a little further into the future, well, you'll see us again," David said, as the call dissipated. "Looks like the time's up on the call," Fortuna commented. "Well, do you feel any better after talking to your folks?" Dana asked. "Oui. Now I know more about mon pack, and how Maman and Papa joined them," Mavis replied, reverting back into human form. "Thanks for everything Fortuna," Marina said. "No problem. If Mavis needs anything else from me, she can always give me a call," Fortuna said, as she place a cosmic crystal into Mavis' pendant. "Merci," Mavis said. "C'mon Mavis, it's getting late, and we promised your parents we'd have you back by sundown," Cosmo said, as the five of them left the Eastern Grotto via crystals. "That girl that was with our sisters seemed nice," the sculptor Nymph commented. "Indeed she was Gretchen, indeed she was," Fortuna replied, peering back into her Crystal Ball. A troubled look worked it's way onto her face as she did, 'What could this be?' Fortuna pondered, as she saw a cloud of darkness in her Crystal Ball.
Werewolf (Part 5)Time passed on, and it was nearing Hearth's Warming time. Nathan and Mavis were sent to Ponyville to stay with Twilight and them, while Cadence was going over some things with her aunts. She was sitting with the other girls at the spa, having her hair done, "I'm jealous Mavis. Your hair is so silky and soft," Kelly commented, as the spa ponies washed Mavis' hair. "Ah, oui. Mon masters have shared with me their secrets of having luxurious hair," Mavis replied, as they went into the sauna next. "Your teachers are the Nymphs we've heard about, right?" Melody asked. "Oui. They even made me a Nymph too. That way, as they said, I would grow up to have a body just like them," Mavis replied, as they left the sauna, and got changed. "I'd sure like to meet them," Trinity commented. "And you will. Maman has invited them to attend this Hearths Warming Ball," Mavis replied, as they left the spa. "Not to sound rude, but you'll be glad that Hearth's Warming doesn't fall on a week of the Full Moon, so you don't have to worry about that," Charity added. "That is a relief. I wouldn't want to cause a panic," Mavis replied. "Yeah. If what Raiden told Mommy was true, Werewolves could be seen more like monsters by the snobbish nobles of Canterlot," Crystal commented. "Well, we're only dangerous if we haven't had enough time to adjust to our beast forms. The same goes for Werecats. Wererabbits, not quite," Mavis replied, as the entered Sugarcube Corner. They all placed an order for some chocolate chip cookies. "Is it really ok for you to eat chocolate?" Season asked. "Oui, as long as I am in human form. If I am in my werewolf form, then chocolate can give me a tummy ache," Mavis replied. "I guess that makes sense. Chocolate can be quite venomous to any creature of the canine family. It can either be fatal, or make them very sick," Trinity replied, as Pinkie Pie came over with their cookies. "There ya go! One batch of chocolatey chocolate chip cookies!" Pinkie said, as she went back to the counter. The girls then began eating the cookies. "I'm glad you've come this far Mavis. When we all first met you, you wouldn't even look at sweets. But now look at you! You're eating cookies like the rest of us!" Vibrant commented. Just then, the Boy Band, Equestrian Mayhem, came in. "Ok, I think that'll do for today's practice," Josh commented. His bandmates agreed. "Hey guys. You got your songs picked out for the ball?" Kelly asked. "Yep. We're goin' ta put on the best show Canterlot's ever seen," Nathan replied. "They have a band?" Mavis asked. "Yeah, they're Equestria's hottest new Boy Band. Only difference between them and other boy bands is that these guys are actually talented," Melody commented. MLG air horns sounded, as sunglasses fell down onto her face. "So savage," Conner commented. Later that night, Twilight had shown Mavis to her room. However, since it was a Full Moon Night, she gave Mavis a bedroom on the inside, so that way she wouldn't transform. To help ensure she would get to sleep easier, she took one of the sedatives that Raiden gave her. It appeared to work almost instantly, as she felt herself getting drowsier. She was thankfully able to make into bed before the full effect took hold. She was able to sleep for about three or four hours before she had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, her room did not have it's own bathroom, so she had to venture out into the castle to find one. She was able to find one, however, the one thing she didn't notice was that it was a bathroom that had a window to the outside, and the Moon was out. After she was done washing her hands, she made the mistake of looking out the window, and seeing the moon. She screamed in pain, and fell out of the bathroom, writhing in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Once she was finished, she let out a howl, that echoed throughout the castle, waking up the others. "Oh no," Nathan said, as he bolted out of the room, with Josh in tow. "Was that howl Mavis?" Josh asked. "Yeah. We need to git her under control before she attacks someone," Nathan replied, as they rounded a corner, only to bump into Twilight, Cory, and the other girls, "Ah'm guessin' y'all heard that howl too, right?" Nathan asked. "We did. Was that Mavis?" Kelly asked. "Yep. She must've seen the moon," Nathan replied. "But how? I gave her a room with no outside window!" Twilight said. "Maybe she had to go to the bathroom and saw the moon from a window?" Clover theorized. Twilight then slapped herself in the face. "Of course! Mavis' room didn't have a bathroom!" Twilight groaned. "Is everything alright?" they heard Mavis ask. Turning, they saw a transformed Mavis standing in the corridor, looking at the group with a curious look. "I'm sorry Mavis. I completely forgot your room didn't have a bathroom," Twilight apologized. "It's fine, Aunt Twilight, really!" Mavis quickly replied defensively. "So, you're already in control?" Kelly asked. "Oui. Thanks to mon training with Cosmo, I have been able to control mon wolf form more easily," Mavis replied. "You have puppy ears!" Lucky Joy squealed, as she started petting Mavis. This caused Mavis to freeze up, save for her tail which wagged furiously. Snapping out of her daze, she gently swatted Lucky's hand away. "Please don't do that," Mavis asked, covering her ears. "So, you're ok to go back to bed?" Twilight asked. "Oui. I am still sleepy from the sedative," Mavis yawned. "Alright then. The rest of you go back to your rooms. Come along now Mavis," Twilight said, ushering Mavis back to her bedroom. Once she was back in bed, Mavis conked out, falling back asleep, "I should probably tell Cadence about Mavis' progression with her training," Twilight said to herself, leaving Mavis alone to sleep. The Next Morning, Everyone had assembled for breakfast in the dining hall, where they were having waffles, "Sorry if I caused a scare last night," Mavis said. "It's fine Mavis. We were just being cautious," Twilight said, as she gave Mavis a small dollop of whipped cream on her waffles. "By the way Mavis, is it true you can turn others into werewolves by biting them?" Nyx asked. "Oui. Maman and Papa say that it's because of saliva, or something like that," Mavis replied. "So, if you were to bite one of us, then we would be werewolves too?" Josh asked. This caused Mavis' entire body to turn beet red. "Mavis? Are you alright?" Twilight asked. "Uh... well.... you see..... for werewolves, it's not awkward for those of similar genders to turn other non-werewolves. But for people of the opposite gender.... well..... it's like asking to be married," Mavis whispered the last part. It took a moment for them all to process what she had said. mainly because the last bit was so quiet, they could barely hear it. "Wait, so.... if a werewolf bites someone that's the opposite gender of them, then it's basically a marriage proposal?" Twilight asked. Mavis' blushed even more, "This makes things a bit more awkward," she commented. Meanwhile, somewhere in the village Mavis' parents once lived, In the local restaurant, some older kids, dressed as Monster Hunters were all enjoying a hearty meal. Although, one of them was sulking, "Aww, cheer up Markus.... So what if we haven't found the strong hold of the Werebeast pack? Maybe we were just searching the wrong part of the forest," one of the hunters said to the leader. "An interesting theory, Luke. However, we've been searching the forest the townsfolk here and in the neighboring villages said were home to the werebeasts," the leader countered, slumping in his chair. "Come on Markus, you need to pull yourself together!" another boy declared, as he led everyone in a song. "Ah, I needed that! Thanks for the morale boost Clarence," Markus said. Just then, a man came rushing in. "HELP! HELP!" he cried. "Whoa there..... what's happened old man?" the maître d' asked. "It's the werewolves! I was heading back to my farm, when I saw some of those beastly monsters lurking in the forest nearby! I barely got out of there before they attacked!" the man said. "You weren't bitten, right?" Markus asked. "No, they just stared at me, as if they were judging me," the man said. "Where did you say they were at?" the girl of the hunters asked. "In a small opening into the forest. I can show you where I saw them!" the man offered. "Well, this trip may not be such a total waste after all," Markus said, as he and his crew all got up to leave. "I hope this will cover our clan's expenses," Luke said, giving the maître d a small handful of jewels. "I... um....." the maître d was at a loss for words. "Keep the change," Luke said, as they ventured out.
Werewolf (Part 5)(Alternate Route)Time passed on, and it was nearing Hearth's Warming time. Nathan and Mavis were sent to Ponyville to stay with Twilight and them, while Cadence was going over some things with her aunts. She was sitting with the other girls at the spa, having her hair done, "I'm jealous Mavis. Your hair is so silky and soft," Kelly commented, as the spa ponies washed Mavis' hair. "Ah, oui. Mon masters have shared with me their secrets of having luxurious hair," Mavis replied, as they went into the sauna next. "Your teachers are the Nymphs we've heard about, right?" Melody asked. "Oui. They even made me a Nymph too. That way, as they said, I would grow up to have a body just like them," Mavis replied, as they left the sauna, and got changed. "I'd sure like to meet them," Trinity commented. "And you will. Maman has invited them to attend this Hearths Warming Ball," Mavis replied, as they left the spa. "Not to sound rude, but you'll be glad that Hearth's Warming doesn't fall on a week of the Full Moon, so you don't have to worry about that," Charity added. "That is a relief. I wouldn't want to cause a panic," Mavis replied. "Yeah. If what Raiden told Mommy was true, Werewolves could be seen more like monsters by the snobbish nobles of Canterlot," Crystal commented. "Well, we're only dangerous if we haven't had enough time to adjust to our beast forms. The same goes for Werecats. Wererabbits, not quite," Mavis replied, as the entered Sugarcube Corner. They all placed an order for some chocolate chip cookies. "Is it really ok for you to eat chocolate?" Season asked. "Oui, as long as I am in human form. If I am in my werewolf form, then chocolate can give me a tummy ache," Mavis replied. "I guess that makes sense. Chocolate can be quite venomous to any creature of the canine family. It can either be fatal, or make them very sick," Trinity replied, as Pinkie Pie came over with their cookies. "There ya go! One batch of chocolatey chocolate chip cookies!" Pinkie said, as she went back to the counter. The girls then began eating the cookies. "I'm glad you've come this far Mavis. When we all first met you, you wouldn't even look at sweets. But now look at you! You're eating cookies like the rest of us!" Vibrant commented. Just then, the Boy Band, Equestrian Mayhem, came in. "Ok, I think that'll do for today's practice," Josh commented. His bandmates agreed. "Hey guys. You got your songs picked out for the ball?" Kelly asked. "Yep. We're goin' ta put on the best show Canterlot's ever seen," Nathan replied. "They have a band?" Mavis asked. "Yeah, they're Equestria's hottest new Boy Band. Only difference between them and other boy bands is that these guys are actually talented," Melody commented. MLG air horns sounded, as sunglasses fell down onto her face. "So savage," Conner commented. Later that night, Twilight had shown Mavis to her room. However, since it was a Full Moon Night, she gave Mavis a bedroom on the inside, so that way she wouldn't transform. To help ensure she would get to sleep easier, she took one of the sedatives that Raiden gave her. It appeared to work almost instantly, as she felt herself getting drowsier. She was thankfully able to make into bed before the full effect took hold. She was able to sleep for about three or four hours before she had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, her room did not have it's own bathroom, so she had to venture out into the castle to find one. She was able to find one, however, the one thing she didn't notice was that it was a bathroom that had a window to the outside, and the Moon was out. After she was done washing her hands, she made the mistake of looking out the window, and seeing the moon. She screamed in pain, and fell out of the bathroom, writhing in agony, as the transformation took hold of her. Once she was finished, she let out a howl, that echoed throughout the castle, waking up the others. "Oh no," Nathan said, as he bolted out of the room, with Josh in tow, a baseball bat in his hands. "Was that howl Mavis?" Josh asked. "Yeah. We need to git her under control before she attacks someone," Nathan replied, as they rounded a corner, only to bump into Twilight, Cory, and the other girls, "Ah'm guessin' y'all heard that howl too, right?" Nathan asked. "We did. Was that Mavis?" Kelly asked. "Yep. She must've seen the moon," Nathan replied. "But how? I gave her a room with no outside window!" Twilight said. "Maybe she had to go to the bathroom and saw the moon from a window?" Clover theorized. Twilight then slapped herself in the face. "Of course! Mavis' room didn't have a bathroom!" Twilight groaned. A growling sound was then heard, "Hey don't blame me! I didn't anticipate this to happen!" she scolded. "But, none of us growled," Nyx replied. It then occurred to them where the growling was coming from. Turning, they saw Mavis, transformed, on all fours, in a stance that made them assume she was going to pounce on them. She was also heard to be growling. "Uh, Mavis? It's us! Your friends?" Nathan said in a questioning manner. This made Mavis pounce on him. She was about to start eating him, when he move the bat in front of her teeth. She growled and struggled, trying to move the bat out of the way, "Mavis knock it off! Ya mustn't give into your animal instincts!" Nathan yelled, only to get more ferocious growling, and more struggling, "Dang it girl, AH SAID CUT IT OUT!" everyone winced as Nathan's fist collided with the top of Mavis' head, leaving a massive crater in the wall, and a bump the size of a grapefruit on the top of her head. A little later, Mavis was seated in front of everyone, anime tears rolling down her cheeks, and the bump still on her head, "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," Mavis said. "It's quite alright Mavis. We understand you were just acting on instinct," Twilight comforted. "But did you say you were getting better at controlling your werewolf form with the Nymphs?" Charity asked. "Maybe it's because I spend so much time there that I got used to their scents," Mavis theorized. "That would make sense. Animals have a stronger sense of smell than humans or ponies. Maybe werewolves have that same sense of smell," Trinity theorized. "Oui. There are quite a few.... unfamiliar scents in this castle alone. Lilacs, chocolate, even papaya," Mavis replied. "Well, in any case, we should all get to bed. That goes for you too, Mavis," Twilight said, as everyone went back to their rooms. She took the liberty of escorting Mavis back to her room personally, "Try to get some sleep, ok sweetie?" Mavis nodded, as Twilight left her alone in her room.
Werewolf (Part 6)Time passed for Mavis, as she was able to experience the joys and warmth of Hearth's Warming at Canterlot Castle. Her mentors, the Nymphs had all arrived as well, so that Mavis could reason with Celestia about her grudge against them. However, all the joy and happiness she was feeling during this time was short lived, as the Hunters from her old world, fueled with the Dark Magic they received from King Sombra, came in and captured her, her friends, humans, ponies, and Nymph alike, and took them back to her world, where they were using them as bartering chips so they could get Mavis to give them the location of the Beastman City. This however, has proven unsuccessful, as Mavis did not know the exact location of said city. This made Markus beyond annoyed, "Dammit! This little brat isn't cooperating!" he snapped, kicking a table over. "Maybe she actually doesn't know where it is. I mean, we are just talking one werewolf," Luke commented. "And that's what's pissing me off! Unless we have some way of getting her to go back to the city, we're basically boned!" Markus yelled, slumping down in his chair. Just then, some hunters came in to his tent, completely battered, "What happened to you?" Markus asked. "Well, you know those bimbo fairies the werewolf seems chummy with? Yeah, turns out they're a lot stronger than they look," one of the hunters replied. Flashback, a few minutes ago, Mavis' friends were all being held in cages in the middle of the camp, while a transformed Mavis was growling, as she prowled around her cage, "If those bars weren't lined with silver, Mavis could easily break them down," Crystal commented, as she saw her young friend, curled up and whimpering. "We can only hope that the others come to our aid," Wanda replied. It was right then that some hunters opened the cages. "What do ya want?" Nathan asked bitterly. Without warning, the hunter that came into his cage decked him so hard, he was sent flying into Sasha's huge bust. "Dude, what was that for?!" the other hunter exclaimed. "'What was that for?'? Are you freaking kidding me!?! These twerps are in heaven, being surround by so many sexy half naked women! They act like they're just buddy-buddy, but I bet they just want to get a handful of their huge tits and their even bigger asses! I am demanding that they apologize!" the first hunter yelled. "What?! You're the one who decked me without any warnin'! You're the one who should apologize!" Nathan yelled back. "Oh, I had no idea you were ignorant to being so damn lucky! Of course, coming from a church school, you must feel the need to suppress all of your carnal desires, instead of taking advantage of them! You're such a late bloomer, and a shorty at that! I feel so bad for you!" the hunter yelled back. This seemed to push Nathan over the limit of his temper. "WOULD YA CARE TA REPEAT THAT?!" Nathan screamed at him. Soon, both he and the hunter got into a heated argument, making even the other hunters question their sanity. "Uh, please ignore my comrade. Anyhow, I came here to try and get more information out of the werewolf," the second hunter said, as he took the still shackled Cosmo. "You're wasting your time! Mavis doesn't know where this city even is!" Dana said. "Well, I'm sure I'll be able to get something useful out of IT, if I use a little.... persuasion," the hunter said, eyeing Cosmo's body in a perverted manner. Mavis' friends didn't to take it kindly when he referred to her as "it". It was then that Cosmo got an idea. "You know, maybe WE could ask her if there's a way to find the city. All you need to do for us is let us implement some of our massage techniques," she said in a seductive tone. Her sisters immediately caught on to what she was planning. "What's she planning?" Kelly asked Marina. "You'll see," the water Nymph replied. "Well, with an offer like that, how can we refuse?" the second hunter asked, as his cohorts joined him. "But first, could you undo these shackles? They're kind of keeping us from turning our wrists the right way," Wanda requested. "Well, we can't have that now can we?" the second hunter said, as he unlocked all of the their shackles, "Alright, ladies, work your magic," he requested. "With pleasure," Daria replied. The kids all though they were just going to rub their shoulders or pop their backs. But instead, they put all the hunters into various wrestling holds. Figure Four Leglocks, Boston Crab Holds, suplexing the hunters, some of them even elbowed the hunters in a sandwich move. All the hunters, apart from the hunter who punched Nathan, who was laughing contently, were all screaming in agony, as the Nymphs all worked the hunters' bodies in ways they shouldn't be worked. "Remind me never to get any of them mad," Bolt commented. When the Nymphs were done, Sky used her magic to create a smokescreen with the dust around the camp, which everyone used to make a stealthy getaway. Daria was able to get Mavis' cage as they escaped. Realtime, "And that's basically what happened," the hunter replied. Markus and his commanders all face palmed. "Oh my god. Why didn't you just let them walk on your backs?!" Markus yelled. "It didn't occur to us?" the hunter sheepishly replied. "And NOW we've lost our only lead!" Markus yelled, throwing a dagger at a nearby crate. "And why of all people were you with the masochist?" Aoi questioned. "He was the only one not doing anything," the hunter replied. "Alright... this is just a minor setback, but I have a plan. The forest around here is to thick for us to search completely, so here's what we do. After we break down camp, and take everything outside of the forest, we'll have to burn the forest to the ground," Markus said. "Don't you think that's just a little bit drastic?" Luke asked. "You know what they say about omelets, you can't make one without breaking a few eggs. Besides, if we exterminate the Beastmen, I'm sure the villages will overlook one little forest fire," Markus replied. "Well, you heard what he said. Get word out to everyone in the camp. We're breaking down and heading outside the forest!" Aoi ordered. "AT ONCE!" the hunters replied, as they left. "I hope you know what you're doing Markus," Luke said, as the other commanders left. "I do too," Markus said. Somewhere in the deeper parts of the forest, The sound of metal clashing against one another could be heard, as Daria was attempting to break the lock on Mavis' cage with her war hammer, "Don't worry, I almost got it!" Daria said, as the lock finally broke, opening the cage. "Come on Mavis, I've got you," Dana said, helping Mavis out of the cage, making sure she doesn't brush against the bars. She then set the young werewolf on the ground. "So, what now? Those hunters will be on our trail by now," Toby commented. "Mavis, are these the woods your hometown was located in?" Kelly asked. "Oui. I would often wander out by mistake, and I recognize some of the landmarks," Mavis replied. Her animalistic hearing and smelling immediately picked up on something. "Somethin' wrong?" Nathan asked. "Something's heading out way," Mavis replied. "The hunters couldn't have found us already!" Chris commented. Soon, they were all surrounded by about five or six female werewolves. Not one of them looked too pleased. "Who are you to trespass in this forest?" the Alpha wolf asked. "We're sorry if we're intruding, but we were being held captive by some hunters, who took us from our homes, and were trying to use us as bargaining chips to get information out of our friend here," Nyx explained defensively, motioning to Mavis. "A werewolf, with humans?" another werewolf questioned. "We're ponies," Trinity corrected. "And we're Nymphs," Wanda added. "But we can assure you, we are NOT your enemies," Toby added. "You there, cub," the Alpha Wolf addressed Mavis, who froze up, "Do these humans and their entourage speak the truth?" she asked. "Oui, they are mes amis. Mon family have been treating me as anyone else," Mavis replied. "Well, you seem to be telling the truth. You there; take them to the city. They'll need a place to stay until their families come to get them. In the meantime, we'll continue scouting the area for those hunters they mentioned. If " the alpha commanded, as the others leapt back into the shadows. "Alright guys, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to see the Queen," the werewolf sentry said, as she led them through the forest, eventually arriving in a cave, with a large mural on the wall. "What's this place?" Conner asked. "This is the entrance to the Beastman City," the werewolf said, as she opened a doorway, leading inside. Everyone, apart from Mavis and the Sentry Werewolf, were in awe at the city. The buildings looked to be made out of marble, while also looking to be infused with high tech gear. "This is where you come from, Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Non. The buildings here look different than before," Mavis replied. "That's because after the last siege on our previous city, we moved deeper into the forest, further away from the human settlements," the Sentry explained, as she led them through the city. Along the way, they saw a few humans, along with a large number of Beastmen, werewolves, werecats, wererabbits, and minotaurs, who looked to be more laidback than the ones in Equestria. The boys and even the girls blushed at seeing some minotaur women in super skimpy bikinis, "Here we are," the Sentry said, as they arrived at a large palace at the center of the city. "Is it really alright for us to go in there?" Toby questioned. "Of course! The queen is very benevolent. Anyone can go in and out of the palace as they please," the Sentry replied, as they entered. "Is that wise? I mean, what about possible assassination attempts?" Trinity asked. "Well, the only ones who live in this city are pureblooded Beastmen or those humans who were turned into one after being exiled from their villages. The Queen welcomes any and all who need a place to live, so no one really has a reason to try and take her life," the Sentry replied, as they entered what appeared to be the throne room. "Whoa, this is amazing!" Cory commented. "Yeah, the Queen loves to make her new citizens welcome," the Sentry said, as they approached the throne, where the Queen was sitting, "My Queen, I have brought before you a group of humans, Nymphs, and people who claim to be ponies, who are accompanying a young werewolf cub," the Sentry said, kneeling before the Queen. "Young cub, approach," the Queen said in an authoritarian voice. Mavis nervously stepped forward, "You're name, it wouldn't happen to be Mavis Gustou?" she asked. "Uh, oui?" Mavis meekly replied, feeling unearthly amounts of pressure under the gaze of the Queen. "Sentry, you are dismissed," the Queen said. With a bow, the Sentry left the throne room. Once the queen saw the sentry leave the caste, she then squealed, and scooped Mavis up into her arms, "Oh, I have been wanting to meet you for years!" the Queen squealed, holding Mavis up to her cheek. "Uh.... it's.... nice to meet you too, my Queen?" Mavis said in a questioning manner. "Oh, how embarrassing! I guess I should explain things," the Queen said, setting Mavis down to the floor, "See, when your parents came to my city, I had to bite your mother in order for them to live here. But by doing so, I administered some of my DNA into your mother's blood stream, basically making her like a daughter to me. This in turn means you, sweetheart, are my granddaughter!" the Queen squeed. "Uh, your majesty, if I may be blunt for a moment?" Wanda said respectfully. "Yes?" the Queen asked. "Well, I am glad that Mavis has a grandmother to call her own, but don't you think this may be a bit.... too sudden for her?" Wanda asked. "Well, now that you mention it, I guess this is all a bit too much for her to take in all at once," the Queen replied. "Plus, Mavis has said that she has not interest in bein' royalty," Nathan added. "Well, I wouldn't want to have her doing anything that makes her feel uncomfortable," the Queen replied. "Another question, I may ask; if those hunters know the city is in this forest, why don't you move the city else where?" Trinity asked. "Well, little one, the answer is quite simple. This forest is one of a kind. The moon, when viewed from inside the forest, is always Full. My city encourages the people to be free with what they are, so they eagerly await the nightfall," the Queen explained. "I see. So this anomaly is why you never relocate?" Mariah asked. "Yes," the Queen replied. A series of howling echoed through the halls. "What's that?" Marina asked. "A warning from the outer sentries," The Queen replied, as she then smelled something like smoke, "Those hunters couldn't be THAT desperate!" the Queen commented, as she made her way out of the palace. "What was that about?" Sky questioned. Sniffing the air, Mavis' eyes widened. "I smell smoke!" she exclaimed, as some Minotaurs came rushing past them. "Hey, what's going on out there?" Cosmo asked. "Those crazy hunters have gone off the deep end! They're actually setting the forest on fire to try and find the gateway to the City," the Minotaur explained, as he followed after the others. "If they find the gate way, we'll be smack dab in the middle of an all out war!" Mike commented. "You needn't worry. Our city is protected by a very powerful magic barrier. Only those who can match our Queen's level of magic can bypass it," a wererabbit maid said, fidgeting a bit, a deep blush on her face. "I did sense a quite a large amount of magic at the gateway. But what about the mountain the entrance is in?" Veronica asked. "You needn't worry about that either. The mountain may look like it's made to be made of rock, but it's much stronger than any know rock," the maid replied, as the Queen came back. "Ok, so, the forest is burning out of control, so I recalled all of the sentries. But we needn't worry. The barrier will hold out, but we'll still get things ready for evacuations just in case. In the meantime, I'm sure you all must be tired from your ordeal. Could you show these folks to their living quarters?" the Queen asked the maid. "At once, my queen," the maid replied. "Hold on, isn't one of the laws of this city that at least one member of any newcomers have to be turned into a Beastman?" Yuki asked. "That's only for permanent residents. If you're just staying temporarily, then you don't need to worry. However, I should give one piece of advice. Never, ever leave your rooms when a Full Moon is visible from outside the forest," the Queen warned, as the maid ushered them all to the living quarters. Being shown to their temporary apartments, which, surprisingly to all of them, had all the modern conveniences of any regular home, the kids and Nymphs all settled into their respective rooms. The maid was showing Toby, Silver Spoon, Marina, Sky, and Dana to their own rooms, when Sky turned to the maid, "If you don't mind my asking, but what did the queen mean by 'never go out during a Full Moon visible from outside the forest'?" she asked. The maid blushed. "Uh... well.... you see.... the thing is..... well, for female Beastmen, the moon causes us to.... err, 'heat up' in a manner of speaking," the Wererabbit replied. Silver Spoon and the Nymphs immediately knew what she was talking about. Toby on the other hand, wasn't too clear on the term "heat" for animals or in the case of Beastmen, but he had heard Fluttershy talk about it from time to time, "Uh, in a-any case, if any of you need something, you can just yank the cords above your beds, and a servant will come and attend to you!" the maid said, as she hopped off. "Well, I guess, I'll see you all in the morning," Toby said, as he and Silver Spoon shared a kiss, before retreating back into their rooms. Silver Spoon was about to shut the door, when she was stopped by Dana's foot. "Something I can do for you girls?" she asked. "Well, the three of us want to talk to you about that cutie of a boyfriend of yours," Dana replied, as Silver Spoon invited them all in. Author's Note Bios for the Beastmen: Werewolves: The most common type of Beastman, they are the most skilled hunters of all the Beastmen. Females look more like humans than the males. They tend to be extremely agressive towards anyone they think is a threat, and will often attack unprovkedly after transforming. Have exceptional agility, speed, and sense of smell. Werecats: Not quite as common as Werewolves. They act much like regular cats. Like Werewolves, females appear more human. They especially love fish, and are willing to help with fishing. Their claws and flexibility are their greatest weapons. Minotaurs: Unlike the ones from Equestria, Minotaurs from Mavis' hometown are laid back, mellow folk. Like their comrades, femals appear to be more human than bovine, and are often seen wearing very skimpy outfits. Two types of female minotaur exist. First are Bullfighter Minotaurs, who are pretty much warriors, and Dairy Minotaurs. You can pretty much guess where the latter goes. They are well gifted with navigating labryinths, though if they get lost, they can just knock down some walls for easy exits. Wererabbits: Unlike their fellow beastmen, Wererabbits are a female only race. They have great speed, which they mostly use to flee undesirable situations. Have a strong love for vegetables, especially carrots. Also unlike their fellow beastmen, wererabbits have no set mating seasons, and they go into it EVERYTIME they transform, not just during an actual Full Moon. They don't really like fighting, and have great hearing.
Werewolf (Part 7)The next morning was rather trying for the kids, human and pony alike,, as they all struggled to get out of bed, feeling absolutely exhausted. However, the Nymphs and Mavis were already wide awake. Toby was the first to come out of his bedroom, with a yawn, "My, that was quite the yawn, sweetie pie," Silver Spoon commented, as she yawned too. "I take it neither of you slept well last night?" Marina asked. "Not really. There was a ton of howling last night, and it was hard to sleep," Toby replied. "I'm surprised you guys look well rested," Silver Spoon commented. "Well, truth be told, Nymphs don't really need to sleep. Sure, we take nine hour beauty naps, but we don't really need to. We're naturally gorgeous," Dana replied, leaning over, giving Toby a full view of her cleavage. Toby blushed at this. It was right then and there that all the others walked out of their rooms. They all gave tired greetings. Just then, a girl came in. She looked exactly like the wererabbit that showed them all to their rooms. "Pardon my intrusion, but breakfast is being served in the dining hall," the girl said. They were all surprised to hear the wererabbit's voice coming from her. "Mavis, is that the same wererabbit that showed us to our rooms?" Kelly asked. "Oui. All Beastmen return to human forms at day break," Mavis replied, as they followed the girl. She led them into a dining hall that easily put the dining rooms at each castle in Equestria to shame. There were statues, fountains, a skylight, and several topiaries. "Whoa, even the dining room back home isn't this fancy!" Chris commented, as they all took their seats. "Mavis, come sit next to me!" the Queen insisted childishly, smiling with razor sharp teeth. Unlike the other beastmen, she was still in Werewolf form. Mavis took the spot next to the Queen, with Marina sitting on the other side of her. It was then that several maids, including minotaur women, still dressed in their tiny bikinis, came in with a variety of food, ranging from eggs, meat products, fruits and vegetables, pancakes, waffles, and other food stuffs. They had arranged it in buffet style, "Well? Go right ahead," the Queen urged her guests. Awkwardly, the group went to get their breakfast. Surprisingly to the Queen, Mavis was the only one who went for meat products, "You kids don't eat meat?" the Queen asked. "Nope. We went strictly vegetarian after we came to Equestria," Nathan replied, as he ate a waffle. "And we've always been vegans," Nyx added. Just then, the minotaur maids poured glasses of milk for each of them. The humans and ponies all looked at the cups questioningly, then at each of the minotaur's colossal busts. "Oh, you needn't be so skeptical! That milk comes from the farms in the city," the Queen said cheerfully. "And even if it were that kind of milk, you could still drink it. It has far more nutritional values than regular milk," Wanda explained, taking a sip from the cup. The rest of the meal was.... awkward, to say the least. Back with the adults and the guild, After regrouping at Ponyville after putting Sombra in his place, the Guild was getting ready to take off for Mavis' homeland, "You have the coordinates?" Cadence asked. "Thanks to the information that Eris gave me. She was able to home in on the magic the Nymphs give off, so we can follow her directions. Of course, once we land, we'll have to spread out and search by land," Raiden explained, as the ship was beginning to take off. "Alright guildmembers! Our latest mission is like this! A number of kids at the Hearths Warming ball at Canterlot here kidnapped, along with a number of Nymphs. Our mission is to locate them, and bring them back to Equestria! Most likely they're all holed up at the Hunter's Camp, though I expect that our query to be clever enough to find a way out. If that's the case, they'll most likely be in the Werebeast City," Silver said over the intercom. "So, we're going to searching around the forest where Mavis' hometown was at," Cadence commented, as Eris used her magic to open the portal to the other dimension. Raiden piloted the ship through it. Though they were all unaware that an unlikely source of help was following them into the portal. Back in the Werebeast City, Mavis took it upon herself to guide her friends through the city the best she could. Though, it has been a few months since she was in the city, she had trouble navigating, " Ya know, Mavis, if you want, we could always ask someone," Applebloom reassured the youngest member of the party. "It's fine. I just need to find something I recognize, then we can go from there," Mavis replied, trying (and failing) to sound confident. "You know Mavis, there really is no shame in asking for help," Dana said, lending some advise to her young student. "Well, maybe some help could be useful in this situation," Mavis conceded, as Daria hailed some passing Minotaur women. "Excuse me, but where can we go to properly enjoy the city?" the warrior Nymph asked. "Hmm, um, well, there is the shopping district. They've got, like, all kinds of cool stores, and junk," the Minotaur girl replied, in a completely airheaded fashion. "Yeah, like they have, like, a bunch of lingerie stores where you can buy the cutest panties and bras, like what we're wearing," the other Minotaur said, as her bra strained against her enormous bust size. Kelly, Crystal, Melody, Clover, and Heaven all took it upon themselves to shield the eyes of the boys, leaving the ponies all confused by their actions. "Ok, so could you point us the general direction?" Wanda asked, only to be ignored, as the two Minotaurs were talking about the various types of stores. It was then, that the two of them noticed something. "Hey...… you're all humans, aren't you?" the first Minotaur asked. The made everyone go colorless, and anime sweat drops appeared on the back of their heads. 'They seriously just noticed that NOW?!' everyone thought, word for word. Wanda regained her composure, as did Nyx. "To be honest, my sisters and I are actually Nymphs, not human," the head Nymph explained. "And those of us with pony ears are actually ponies," Nyx added. The two supersize busted women tilted their heads. "So.... you're not human?" the second Minotaur asked. 'This is getting us nowhere fast,' everyone thought. "We'd just like to find the shopping district, so, if you could be so kind as to point us in the general direction?" Marina asked politely. "Oh, sure, it's just down that road," the first Minotaur replied, pointing down the road. "Ok, thank you," Wanda said, as they took off. "Those humans seemed nice, along with those Nymphs and ponies," the first Minotaur commented. "I agree. Though, that one boy with his hair brushed over his eye looked pretty cute," the second Minotaur replied. "Maybe, but I feel more attracted to the one with the glasses," the first Minotaur replied. Back with the group, they were nearing the shopping district, when Yuki approached Mavis. "Mavis, are all Minotaurs like that in this city?" she asked. "Only the Dairy Minotaurs. All Minotaurs are very strong, but they're also very easy going," Mavis replied as they arrived at the District. All around, they saw normal humans and minotaurs, going about their business. "I thought werewolves, and other werebeasts lived in this city?" Toby asked. "They do. And quite a few of them are here. The Full Moon isn't out, so of course they'll appear human," Mavis replied. "So, you can tell which person is which type of werebeast?" Melody asked. "Oui. Though it's a bit tricky," Mavis replied, as everyone dispersed to do their thing. Later that night, Having come back from their outing just before the moon started rising, the friends were all settling back into their respective bedrooms. Mavis was dressing herself in her pajamas, after having a bath, when she heard a series of howls echoing from the city, "The moon must be out," she commented. She jumped when she heard someone knocking at her door. "Mavis? Are y'all ok in there?" Nathan asked. "Oui! I am! Please do not come in! I am not, how you say, decent!" Mavis called back. "Ok, well, your grandma wants to see you as soon as possible, so when you get a chance, head to her throne room," Nathan's voice called out, as she heard him walking away. Mavis quickly got into her pajamas, and left her room. "I wonder what grand-mere wants with moi?" Mavis wondered, as she made her way to the throne room. Soon, she arrived at the throne room, where the queen was waiting for her, "You wished to see me, grandmere?" Mavis asked. "Yes Mavis. I was hoping we could do some familial bonding, you know, since your my granddaughter, after all," the Queen said giddily. "Ok, but what kind of bonding did you having in mind?" Mavis asked. "Well, I thought I could take you out on a hunting lesson. Maybe find a decent sized deer or something," the Queen replied. Mavis felt sickened by that. "No offence, Grandmere, but I never really did any hunting when Maman and Papa were still alive. Plus, I faint at the sight of blood," Mavis replied. "Well, it was just a suggestion. Hmm, I know! How about I make it so that you won't feel pain when you transform?" the Queen asked. This caught Mavis' attention. "Really? You could do that?" Mavis asked. "Of course! Many children your age are brought to me to help with the pain of transforming. It's a simple spell, really," the Queen replied. "Well, ok, that sounds like it could help. The training I did with the Nymphs helped me with going wild after transforming," Mavis said, as the Queen led her to an alter. "Splendid! But in order for me to use the spell, you'll need to start changing. So, if you'll just look up, I can begin the spell," the Queen said, With a deep breath, Mavis looked straight up to the Full Moon. Even if she wanted to look away, she couldn't, as the moon light had met her eyes. Within seconds, she let out a scream of pain, fell to the floor, and gripped her head, feeling like she was being torn apart. The Queen wasted no time in casting a spell on Mavis. Within seconds, Mavis' screams had died off, as the rest of the transformation completed. Mavis then let out a loud howl, which was joined by the Queen. Other howls echoed through the halls of the castle, signaling that some of the other servants had transformed as well. "Merci, grand-mere," Mavis said. "You're very welcome Mavis. Now then, I assume you were preparing for bed?" the Queen asked. "Oui, but I may stay up, just a little later," Mavis replied. "Do as you wish, just make sure you're in bed by an appropriate time," the Queen said, as Mavis left the throne room, "Oh wait, Mavis, I just remembered something important!" the Queen said, catching her granddaughter's attention, "If you nibble a human, then they'll only transform once. If you were to bite them and break the skin, then they'll become permanent werewolves," the queen said. "Ok, Grand-mere," Mavis said, as she turned to leave once again. Once she left, she saw Toby, his face a deep shade of red, and a look of embarrassment on his face, "Monsieur Toby? Is something the matter?" the young werewolf girl asked. "Well, it's nothing bad, per say, but, some of the Minotaur maids mistook my room for their changing room, and well, you can guess where that goes," Toby replied, scratching the back of his head. "I thought human boys liked girls with large busts?" Mavis asked, tilting her head. "Well, it's not that I don't like big chests, but seeing so many in one place is a little.... nerve wracking," Toby replied. "So you do like big titties then?" Toby and Mavis both jumped when they heard Dana's voice. Mavis had leapt into Toby's arms, Scooby Doo style. They turned to see the Gourmet Nymph, along with Silver Spoon, Sky, and Marina, all with flirty eyes directed at Toby, "I repeat; do you like big tits?" Dana asked. Toby let Mavis down, before backing up, feeling more nervous as his girlfriend, and three of Mavis' teachers were closing in on him. "Well, maybe I do?" Toby asked. "So, do you think I'm more attractive with, what did you call these things? 'Boobs'?" Silver Spoon asked Sky. "Yes, that's one term for them," Sky replied. "Well, you're already plenty attractive as you are now," Toby replied, trying to keep things from going overboard. "Why so nervous Sweetie Pie? We only want to make you feel comfy," Silver Spoon said, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. Toby blushed even harder when he felt Silver Spoon's chest against his ,"You know Toby, Dana, Sky, Marina, and I were talking, and, well, they want to be your girlfriends too," Silver Spoon said. "But.... aren't they.... you know?" Toby's though process was halted by Marina's finger on his lips. "There's no need to worry about an age difference, Toby. Nymphs are ageless beings, you know? Our age is technically infinite, so it doesn't really matter," she explained. Toby was about to reply, when an explosion was heard from outside. "What was that?!" Toby exclaimed, feeling relieved from the pressure of being surrounded by four sexy girls, but feeling more concerned about what happened outside the castle. Mavis, being startled by the explosion, quickly latched onto Dana's chubby thigh. Just then, the same Wererabbit girl from last night came bouncing in. "What happened?!" Silver Spoon exclaimed. "It's the hunters! They've broken through!" she replied. Now the six guests were now more concerned than before, "Please, you must evacuate with the others!" the maid pleaded, as the Queen left her chambers. "Another group have also infiltrated the city, but they're fighting against the hunters!" she stated, showing them images of the new group, who were fighting valiantly against the Hunters, while protecting the Beastmen. "It's the Alicorn's Wish Guild! They've come to save us!" Toby exclaimed, noting that some members were ushering the citizens onto the big flagship, though some looked unsure as to whether or not they could trust them, "Your majesty, this Guild is on our side!" Toby said. "Then I will head over to the ship, and assist with the evacuations. You all should get your friends, and the castle staff, and evacuate as well," the Queen said, as she, in a very wolfish manner, ran on all fours, and raced out of the castle, and to the ship. "You heard the Queen! We need to help with the evacuations!" Dana said, as Mavis let go of her leg. "We got to move fast!" Silver Spoon commented, as they all rushed back to the guest rooms.
Vampire (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was very pale, and was wearing a very well made Gothic Lolita dress with a rosary charm around her neck, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful blue eyes that were puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only to trip over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. Along the way, as they passed by anything with a reflective surface, only the Crystal Couple's reflections shown. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "Peut-être juste un verre de jus de tomate?" Mavis asked. Cadence was a bit taken aback at being asked for tomato juice, but chose not to question it. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room, "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of tomato. She got the juice carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the juice. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may turn me in as some attraction,' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. Looking to the mirror, she saw no reflection. "Hopefully they never find out about that," Mavis quietly muttered to herself, as she crawled into the bathtub, where she proceeded to cleanse herself. It was then she heard a voice. "You're being too paranoid," another girl's voice said. Looking around, Mavis saw an exact image of herself, only with blonde hair, and an intimidating vibe to her, "I haven't sensed any malevolence from these folks. They aren't going to harm you," the other Mavis said. "I know, but it's still to scary," Mavis replied, as she rinsed herself off, and emptied out the tub. Climbing out of the tub, she dried herself off, and redressed herself. She then exited the bathroom. "Do you feel better now?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, as she was walked over to the bed. Cadence was about to tuck Mavis in for the night, when the two of them heard some annoyed grumbling from outside the room. "That was the dumbest thing Ah ever did!" they heard Nathan say. They decided to investigate. Opening the door, they saw Nathan walking towards his room, while holding his hand. Mavis then smelled something delicious. "Nathan, are you ok?" Cadence asked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, Ah just cut mah finger by mistake," Nathan replied grumpily, showing the wound. Mavis then retreated back into her room, trying to control herself. "Do you need some help with dressing the wound?" Cadence asked. "Nah, Ah think Ah can handle things," Nathan replied, heading off to find a First Aid kit. Cadence only made a face at her son's independence. She then turned back to Mavis, who was leaning up against a wall, panting. "Mavis, are you alright?" Cadence asked in genuine worry. "O-Oui, just a little woozy. I would like to just lie down," Mavis replied. Cadence nodded, and helped the child into bed. "Ok precious, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask one of the guards, or come find me and Shining Armor. Our room is at the end of the hall," Cadence informed. "Oui, merci, Princesse," Mavis said, as Cadence planted a small kiss, before leaving the child to sleep. Once she heard the door click, Mavis briefly opened her eyes, 'It feels so weird going to sleep at night,' she thought, as she drifted off into sleep.
Vampire (Part 2)Morning dawned over the Crystal Empire, as the royal family was waking up to the new day. Cadence and Shining Armor had just exited their room, and were proceeding to dining room. Along the way, they collected Guard and Skyla, and woke up Nathan, "You all go on ahead to the dining room. I'll go get Mavis," Cadence said, as she went to Mavis' room. Knocking on the door, Cadence gingerly opened it, "Mavis? It's time to get up," Cadence said, as she went over the bed to nudge Mavis. Mavis rose up, looking absolutely dead tired, dark rings around her eyes, her hair was a mess, and she looked like she didn't sleep at all, "Uh, good morning?" Cadence asked. "Good morning," the tired goth girl replied politely, but still yawned. "Are you ok? You look dead tired!" Cadence exclaimed. "I feel more UN-dead tired," Mavis groaned, as she plomped back on the pillow. "Did you sleep at ALL last night?" Cadence asked. "Non. I just stared at the ceiling. I am not used to sleeping at night," Mavis replied tiredly, sounding like she was trying to go to sleep. This certainly surprised Cadence. In all her years, she never heard a child say they were "not used to sleeping at night", even more so when Mavis emphasized the term "undead". "Well, would you like something for breakfast? My family and I are planning to go down to Ponyville to visit my sister in law and her friends and family," Cadence offered. Mavis, feeling to0 tired to refuse the Princess's offer, chose not to even try. "Ok," Mavis yawned, as she fell back on the bed. "Would you like me to help you out of bed?" Cadence offered. "Non," Mavis replied, sounding like she was falling back asleep. Cadence couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with this little girl. She thought that Raiden could help out in figuring out if Mavis had any medical problems. Deciding to let Mavis sleep, Cadence carefully crept out of the bedroom, closing the door gingerly behind her. She then proceeded to the dining room, where the rest of her family were all seated at the table. "Hey honey, where's Mavis?" Shining Armor asked. "Well, for some reason, instead of waking up feeling refreshed, Mavis looked too tired to even get out of bed. She told me she didn't sleep at all last night. We should look into talking to Raiden about this," Cadence suggested. "Sounds ta me like Mavis' may be an insomniac," Nathan theorized. "Hopefully, Raiden has some kind of powerful sedative that Mavis can take," Cadence commented, as she sat down to breakfast. After eating, the family went on to gather their things. Cadence went back to check on their little guest. Opening the door, she saw that Mavis hadn't moved from the bed. Once more, Cadence decided to wake Mavis up, "Mavis? We're getting ready to head out to Ponyville. Are you wanting to come with us?" Cadence asked. Mavis sat up once again. She didn't look nearly as tired as before, but she was still groggy. "Oui, Princesse," Mavis replied, as she stumbled out of bed, her legs feeling like jelly. "Take it easy there. We'll see about getting you some sort of transportation on the way to the station," Cadence said, as she acted as a crutch for Mavis to lean on, as they made their way down to the foyer, "Is everyone ready?" she asked. "Ah got my entertainment for the trip," Nathan said, motioning to his backpack. "I packed enough supplies for Skyla and Guard during our stay in Ponyville," Shining Armor added, motioning to a baby bag, and the stroller which held the two babies. "Ok, and I can manage our luggage, so all that leaves for me to carry Mavis in my arms," Cadence said, using her magic to lift Mavis up onto her shoulder, while also using the magic to grab hold of some suitcases, "Alright, I think that's everything," Cadence said, as they left the castle. "You guys can manage things in our absence?" Shining Armor asked the guards. "Affirmative," the two guards replied. With that, they made their way to the train station. During the walk over, Mavis was just barely awake enough to see that Mavis was carrying her over her shoulder, putting Mavis' face near her neck. Mavis only stared at the neck, a slight hunger growing in her stomach. 'Non! Non! They have already show moi great hospitality. I can't let my blood lust get the better of me!' Mavis though, as she looked away from Cadence's neck. Soon, they arrived at the train station, where they promptly boarded the train bound for Ponyville. Cadence let Mavis off of her shoulder. "Sorry if the walk over here wasn't very comfortable," Cadence apologized. Her apology fell short, as Mavis once again dozed off, "Well, why don't we let her sleep some more?" Cadence suggested. "Fine with me," Nathan replied, as he turned the sound off on his game system. Mavis slept for about an hour and fifteen minutes before the train arrived at the Ponyville Station. Once there, Mavis was awake enough to walk, but she still leaned on the baby stroller. "Ugh, it's bright. How can these ponies and humans stand such strong sunlight?" Mavis wondered, as they left the station, and made their way over to Twilight's Castle. At Twilight's Castle, Twilight and her children were all assembled in the main foyer, awaiting the arrival of their family from the Crystal Empire, "They should be here any minute!" Twilight exclaimed. "Didn't the letter say they were also bringing someone new with them?" Kelly asked. "Yes. Now, when we meet the new arrival, try not to overwhelm her. Apparently, she hardly slept last night," Twilight instructed her kids. "We'll try not to overwhelm her," Cory said. Just then, some knocks came from the door. Twilight squealed, and dashed for the door. Opening it reveal the Crystal Family. Twilight and Cadence quickly did their little nursery rhyme, before embracing. "Oh, it's been quite a while, hasn't it, Twilight?" Cadence asked. "It's only been about a month and a half, but yeah," Twilight replied. "I see you've been keeping things under control here," Shining Armor commented. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Twilight asked. "Well, there have been all those times you crack under pressure when something like this happens, and go nuts," her brother replied casually. Twilight scoffed. "I do not!" Twilight said, only to be met with only the sound of crickets chirping to be heard, "Ok, fine, so I go a little gun-ho with making sure everything is spick and span. Sue me," Twilight retorted. "Why don't we discuss this further in the main throne room?" Cadence suggested. "Of course! Right this way please," Twilight said, ushering them in. It was then she saw Mavis, "Oh, I take this is Mavis then?" she asked. Mavis flinched at being the center of unfamiliar attention. "Yes. Mavis, this is Twilight Sparkle, princess of friendship, as well as Shining Armor's sister, and my sister in law," Cadence introduced Mavis to the lavender alicorn. "Hello Mavis. It's very nice to meet you. As Cadence said, I am the Princess of Friendship, as well as Shining Armor's little sister," Twilight said, introducing herself. "Bonjour, Princesse," Mavis replied with a tired yawn. "My, that was quite the yawn. I take it she didn't sleep well last night?" Twilight asked. "Apparently not. She said she just stared at the ceiling all night long. The stranger thing is that she also said she felt 'UN-dead tired' when I went in to wake her up," Cadence replied. This certainly was a surprise to Twilight. "Well, we can make one of the stops for today the Guild. At least then we can talk to Raiden about some sedatives she can take," Twilight suggested. "We were thinking the same thing too," Shining Armor said. "Any how, why don't we go meet MY family then, Mavis?" Twilight offered. Mavis only nodded because she was still too tired to resist. Nathan, once again, acting as a crutch, helped walk Mavis over to the others. When she saw more humans, she was fully awake out of fear. 'Oh no, MORE humans!' she thought, as thoughts of them wielding mallets and stakes entered her mind. Apparently, she was thinking so much of what the worst case scenario was, that she completely didn't hear the introductions. She was only snapped out of her trance by a gentle nudge from Cadence. "Mavis? Are you ok?" Cadence asked, a tone of worry in her words. "Huh? Oh, uh.... oui," Mavis replied. Cadence wasn't convinced, but she chose against prodding for more information. "I must say, that's quite the peculiar charm you're wearing," Nyx commented, trying to make small talk. "Uh, oui…. this rosary was a gift from mon.... maman," Mavis said, an unmistakable tone of grief in her voice. Everyone noticed it, but chose against asking her about it. "Well, I can at least show you all to your rooms before we go and enjoy Ponyville," Twilight offered, leading the Crystal Family and Mavis into her castle. "And here is your room, Mavis," Twilight said, as she let Mavis into a bedroom, "Cadence and Shining Armor's room is right across the hall, so you don't need to venture out too far if you need them for anything," Twilight said, as Mavis plopped down on the bed, "Wow, you must have really had a bad night," Twilight commented, as she left Mavis to rest, while she went on to check on her guests. She encountered Nathan, who had just stepped out into the hall, "Got yourself settled in?" Twilight asked. "Yep. How's Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Well.... she plopped on the bed as soon as I let her into her room," Twilight confessed. "Hmm. Ah'm beginnin' ta think she may be an insomniac after all," Nathan commented, sounding concerned for Mavis. "Well, one of our stops will be the Guild Hall. Hopefully, Raiden isn't out on a job and he can provide us with some kind of sedative for her," Twilight commented, as Cadence and Shining Armor came out of their room, with the stroller holding Guard and Skyla. "We heard what you said. Mavis has been ever so sleepy since we found her last night," Cadence commented. "Yeah. Plus, she's unnaturally pale. We figured she should try to get in some sun, so we're hoping our little outing today can help her with that," Shining Armor added. "Well, we could the stroller I had to get when Nyx tried to use a baby spell, and ended up turning herself into a foal. Mavis should be small enough to fit," Twilight suggested, much to her daughter's embarrassment. "I'll go and get it," Cory offered, taking off to get the item in question. "Just bring it to the foyer once you find it!" Twilight called to her eldest son. "Ah can carry Mavis down myself, if y'all will allow it," Nathan offered. "If you would, please?" Cadence asked, as she and Nathan entered Mavis' room, seeing the resting form of Mavis on the bed, "We really need to see Raiden about a sedative she can take," Cadence commented, as Nathan picked up Mavis bridal style, and carried her out of the room. "Maybe that oughta be our first stop," Nathan suggested. "Good call," Cadence replied, as they got back to the foyer, where Cory was waiting with a stroller. Nathan gingerly placed Mavis into the stroller, "Twilight, could we make our first stop the guild hall? I want to ask Raiden about those sedatives for Mavis," the princess of love asked. "Of course! I have to ask him about something," Twilight replied, as they all left the castle. Cadence was pushing Mavis' stroller, while Shining Armor was pushing Skyla and Guard's stroller. No one noticed, but each time they passed a reflective surface, Mavis' reflection was never shown. At the Guild Hall, Mavis was still sleeping, as they arrived at the Guild Hall. Although, her face was a little red, like she was sunburnt, "Looks like she needs a lot more Vitamin D," Twilight commented, as they entered the guild, just as Eliza, and some of her Guildmates were getting ready to leave on another job. "Princess Twilight? And Cadence too? What brings you to the guild today?" the Scottish Girl asked. "We're here to see Raiden about our new guest," Twilight replied, motioning to the sleeping Mavis. "Aye, she's a wee lassie," Eliza commented. "Raiden's in his lab, working on an experiment. I'm sure he can help you guys out," Naomi added. "Thank you so much," Cadence said, as they all entered the Guild Hall, while Eliz and them left. They made their way into the back, where they knew Raiden had his laboratory. They soon arrived at the lab door. Twilight then gingerly knocked on the door. "Raiden, are you in there?" Twilight called. The sound of cluttering came from the other side. Moments later, the thunder teen opened the door. "Ah, Twilight, good of you to come. And I see you have company," Raiden commented, seeing the group. "Yes. Could we come in?" Twilight asked. "Of course. Please, make yourselves at home," Raiden said, standing aside, allowing them all into his lab, "Please excuse the mess. I wasn't expecting company," Raiden commented. "It's fine," Cadence replied. "So, what brings you all here?" Raiden asked. "Well, you see, we found this little girl last night," Shining Armor said, showing him the stroller with Mavis, snoozing in it. "Ok. So, what did you want to ask me about her?" Raiden asked. "Well, you see, she didn't sleep at all last night. As in, she was wide awake through the whole night. We were wondering if you have a sedative you could give her?" Cadence asked. "Ah, of course! I have just the thing," Raiden said, opening a cabinet, as he pulled out a large pill bottle and a lotion bottle, "The effects of this sedative are immensely powerful, and work almost immediately. I often give this to Heaven when she eats too many sweets and is wired. And this sunscreen I'm also giving you is infused with aloe vera. You can rub this on her face to treat her sunburn," Raiden said, giving the bottles to Cadence. "Thank you for this, Raiden. But I do have one more question. We weren't out in the sun that long, so why did she get sunburn?" Cadence asked. "My guess is Vitamin D deficiency. The majority of a human's Vitamin D intake comes from stuff like calcium and such. She looks like she could also stand to have a better intake of iron rich foods. She looks anemic," Raiden explained. "I can provide them information on Vitamin D and Iron rich foods," Twilight volunteered. "Ok then. Is that all you guys wanted?" Raiden asked. "No, actually. I'm curious about that charm she has around her neck," Twilight replied, pointing to the rosary on Mavis' chest. "Looks like a rosary. They're religious cross charms fitted with a rosary bead, often believed to ward off anything unholy," Raiden explained. "That's the first Ah've eva heard 'bout 'em," Nathan commented. "Well, not all religious churches use rosaries. They often just rely on holy water, the bible, and crosses to help ward of evil," Raiden explained. "I see. Well, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this chat," Cadence said, rubbing the sunscreen on Mavis' face. "No problem. And remember about what I said about her diet!" Raiden called out, as they left. By then, Mavis woke up, once again, feeling something on her face. Something that felt.... relieving. "Enjoy your little nap, Mavis?" Shining Armor asked. "Uh... oui," Mavis squeaked out. "Now Mavis, our next stop is going to be to get you some new clothes. It must be rather uncomfortable, wearing that dress all the time, right?" Twilight asked. "O-ok," Mavis replied, not wanting to anger a princess, as the group moved onward. Later, The family soon arrived at Carousel Boutique, where Twilight immediately knocked on the door. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal Rarity, "Twilight! And Cadence and Shining Armor too! What brings you here today?" Rarity asked, as she invited the group into her shop. "Well Rarity, we were wondering if you had some time to make a few outfits for our new guest here," Cadence replied, as she motioned to Mavis, who was nodding off in her stroller. As soon as Rarity saw Mavis' Gothic Lolita dress, she became appalled by it, but retained her composure. "Of course, Princess. I'll just need a few measurements," Rarity replied. "Ok," Cadence said, as she helped Mavis out of the stroller, "Mavis, this nice lady is going to take some measurements of your body for some nice new clothes. If you could try and stay awake as long as possible, then that's all I'll ask of you," Cadence said. "O-Ok, Princess," Mavis replied, as Rarity took her over to get measured. "Could you raise you arms, sweetie?" Rarity asked. Mavis did as she was told. Moments later, Rarity got all of Mavis' measurements, "Ok, I should have these ready for her by tonight," Rarity replied. "Thank you for doing this Rarity. Sorry if we're intruding on your busy schedule." Cadence said, as she put Mavis back in the stroller. "It's no trouble at all. In fact, this is the first order I've had all day today," Rarity replied, as she got her materials, and went to work, as the family left the fashionista to work. "Alright, how about we get something to eat?" Shining Armor asked. "I'm getting hungry, now that you mention it," Twilight replied, as they headed into town to get some food. Later that night, Mavis was now more lively than she was earlier that day, but she was still sluggish, as the family arrived back at the castle, where Rarity and the others were waiting, "Ok, I made five different outfits for young Mavis, as well as a few pairs of pajamas as well," Rarity said, as she gave the bag to Cadence. "Thank you for doing this, Rarity," Cadence said, as she turned to Mavis, "Mavis, would you like to go try on your new clothes?" Cadence asked. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as they went inside the castle. Cadence took Mavis directly to her bedroom. Cadence pulled out a pajama outfit, which looked to be a black nightgown. "Go and try this one on," Cadence urged. Mavis went into the bathroom, and shut the door behind her. Mavis carefully took off her dress, leaving her rosary on, and switched into the nightgown. "Ooh, this feels so light and comfy," Mavis commented, liking the feel of the outfit. She then exited the bathroom. "So? Do you like your nightgown?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "Well, why don't you come take a look in the mirror?" Cadence suggested, looking at the full sized mirror. Mavis felt her undead heart drop into her stomach. "Uh, actually, I-I'll just take your word for how I look in it," Mavis tried to decline, not wanting to go in front of the mirror. "Now, now, you should see yourself in the mirror for yourself," Cadence replied, as she urged Mavis in front of the mirror. Mavis really didn't want to, but she didn't want to anger the princess either, so she braced herself for the inevitable hunt she thought would come about, as she moved in front of the mirror. When Cadence went to see how Mavis looked in the mirror, she was puzzled when she saw that Mavis had no reflection, 'That's odd. Why doesn't Mavis have a reflection? The only creature I can think of without a reflection is....' her train of thought halted, as she thought about Mavis' mannerisms throughout the day. The extreme tiredness, her getting sunburn easily, the fact that she said "Undead" earlier that morning, "Mavis? Are you....?" Mavis could take the pressure anymore, and broke down sobbing. "O-Oui," Mavis said between sobs, "I am a vampire!" she confessed, feeling completely helpless. "Mavis? Mavis! Please, try and calm down sweetie. It'll be alright!" Mavis was taken aback by how the Princess was just casually accepting Mavis' confession and hugging the child in comfort, "I promise you that I'm not mad," Cadence said. "But.... Pourquoi?" Mavis asked. "It's not my place to judge another. You can rest assured that I am not, nor will I be mad at you for keeping a secret like this," Cadence replied. Mavis started calming down, but still remained cautious, "Now then, why were you keeping this a secret?" Cadence curiously asked. "Well, there are humans living in this world, and, well, I am not too good with mingling with humans. They only see me as a monster. Which, I kind of am, but they see me as an evil monster," Mavis explained. Cadence nodded, as she took this in. "Well, perhaps I can try and ease your fears. You see, each of those humans have all been through some kind of hardship, so you're not alone. And one quick question to help ease your mind; do you drink blood like the stories say vampires do?" Cadence asked. To her surprise, Mavis shook her head. "Non. I faint at the sight of blood," Mavis replied. Cadence once again nodded. "Ok then. Well, there is much I would like to ask you, but you've had a rather long day, so I'm going to give you something to help you go to sleep," Cadence said, as she gave Mavis a sedative pill and some water. Mavis then swallowed the pill, and drank the water. Almost instantly, Mavis became sluggish, and very tired, "We'll have a question and answer session tomorrow. For now, you just rest," Cadence said, as she took the young vampire to her bed. Tucking her in, Cadence then planted a kiss on Mavis' forehead, before leaving her to sleep.
Dullahan (Part 1)It was a warm, summers evening in the Crystal Empire, and a familiar group of humans and pony children were heading back to the Crystal Palace after a day of playing at the waterpark that had just opened up, "Man, that was a lot fun!" Josh commented, as they walked along the streets. "Yeah, but I kept getting water up my nose," Kelly complained. "That's why I got goggles with a nose guard," Toby replied, as the neared the plaza just before the palace. "Hey, who's that?" Lucky Joy questioned. Looking to where she was referring to, they saw what appeared to be a human girl with a stoic expression, looking back at them. She had long, black hair, and blue eyes, and was wearing a Gothic Lolita dress. Mike then noticed something about her eyes: the whites of her eyes were just as black as her hair. He was about to tell the others, when a cabbage cart rushed by. "NO! MY CABBAGES!" the pony selling the cabbages lamented, as he chased after it. When it passed, the girl was gone. "Hmm? Where'd she go?" Drake questioned. His question soon answered itself, when they felt an ominous presence behind them. Later, back at the Crystal Palace, "Hey Mommy! We're back!" Nathan called out. The adults all peered out from a room. "Oh good, did you have fun?" Cadence asked. "We did, plus, Ah think we made a new friend," Nathan said, casually pointing to a headless body. This caused Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Celestia, and Shining Armor to shriek. "Son, what are you doing, bringing a headless body like that home with you?!" Shining Armor yelled. "How did you even find this.... body?" Twilight questioned hysterically. "We're not really sure ourselves," Cory replied. Flashback, about five minutes ago, After seeing the mysterious girl disappear, their suspicions were confirmed when a scythe was at Toby's neck, but the blade didn't even touch him. Lifting it off of him, he saw it was just a toy, "A fake scythe?" Mike pondered, as they all turned to see a headless body, desperately searching around for something. Charity, Serenity, Melody, Clover, Nyx, and Trinity all fainted, as made evident of their souls leaving their bodies through their mouths. "Hold on Serenity! I got your soul!" Toby said, as he, Mike, Nathan, Josh, Conner, and Timmy all grabbed the girl's souls, and fed them back into their mouths. It was then that Crystal felt something tugging her outfit. She then saw the body, tugging on her swimsuit in a pleading fashion. Real Time, "And after that, we figured we'd bring her back here," Chris explained. "So, she lost her head?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "That's not the kind of thing you just loose," Rarity commented. "I think I remember Eliza talking about some kind of spirit from Celtic folklore, but I'm not too sure about the name of the spirit," Kelly commented. "I think we should try and find her head," Chris suggested. "A noble notion. We shall set out at once!" Luna declared. "Now you kids stay put and watch over our.... guest," Cadence instructed, as the adults and Cory left the castle. After about fifteen minutes of searching, The Royal Sisters, Crystal Couple, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all regrouped near the castle, "Any luck?" Celestia asked. "No. I searched everywhere close to where the kids found the body," Rainbow Dash replied. It was then they heard high pitched screaming coming from the park. "That sounded like Pinkie Pie, or Rarity, or Fluttershy!" Twilight commented, as they rushed over to the park. There, they saw the three aforementioned ponies, standing before an unconscious Cory and Chris, "What happened?!" Twilight asked. "Well, we searching the park, when we heard these two screaming, then we saw THAT!" Rarity exclaimed, pointing to a small clearing. Shining a flashlight over to where she was pointing, they saw the head of a little girl, with pitch black hair. "Could that be the head?" Cadence wondered, gingerly approaching the head. "Be careful Cadence," Celestia warned. "I will be," Cadence replied, kneeling down to look at the head, "Um, excuse me? We found your body. Would you like us to bring you to it?" she offered, but got no reply. "Maybe the head can't talk with it's body?" Applejack theorized. "Could be. In any case, we should take the head back to the castle," Cadence suggested, reaching for the head, when, "Do not touch me so casually," the head spoke. This made them all jump back, "I am a dullahan, the harbinger of death," the head spoke with an accent similar to Cadence's homeland of Prance, "It would appear you've all been caring for mon body. For that, I am truly grateful," the head spoke in a dark tone. "Whoa, this girl's nothing like her body. It's kind of a klutz," Rainbow Dash whispered to Shining Armor. "I will admit, it is rather shameful that I must be revealed to you in this form. I must beseech you mortals to restore moi to mon body, and let mon powers of darkness to be returned," the head proclaimed. "Uh.... come again?" Cadence asked. The head became irked by this. "Insolent mortal! Do not mock me! I am death incarnate! You must restore me to my former glory!" the head demanded, only to get some confused looks from the adults, "Um, I'm asking if you could take me back to mon body. it's not very comfortable being just a head," the head clarified, making a pouty face. "Oh! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Cadence asked, as she picked up the head. "You say you're the harbinger of death. You're not going to try and kill any one, are you?" Twilight asked. "My kind only comes for those whose times are drawing to a close. We make no time for the living," the head replied, before bursting out laughing. "What's all this about?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I-I-I DON'T KNOW! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! It would appear *laughs* that someone is tickling mon feet!" the head replied, laughing again. "Tickling your feet?" Rarity parroted. Then, it hit them. Back at the castle, "Y'know, this feel's kinda weird. Without a head, I can't tell if she's enjoying the massage," Toby commented, massaging the body's feet. it was then the body retracted her feet. "Maybe she didn't like it?" Kelly theorized. Back with the adults, The head eventually stopped laughing, donning her gloomy expression once more, "What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I couldn't take any more of that tickling, so I tucked my feet in," the head replied. "Well, we should get back now," Luna suggested, as they headed back to the castle. Back in the living room, The body soon placed the head on it's neck, "There, all better now?" Cadence asked. "Oui," the girl replied. "Uh, sorry if you didn't like the massage I was giving you," Toby apologized. "It's fine. Mon feet are quite ticklish," the girl replied. "Wait, so you can feel what happens to your body, even when your head's not attached?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oui," the girl replied. "So, would you like anything to drink?" Cadence offered, giving her a cup of milk. "Oui," the girl replied, taking her head off, and pouring it directly into her throat. This action caused most of the adults and the kids to faint. "Not sure if I can call that 'drinking'," Rainbow Dash commented. "Can you eat that way too?" Pinkie Pie asked, offering some cookies, which the body seemed rather excited for. "Oui. It helps when eating something I don't particularly like," the girl replied, as Pinkie poured some cookies down the body's throat. It was then that the fainted regained consciousness. "You said you were the harbinger of death. Is this true? Is someone going to die?" Twilight asked. Everyone broke out in a cold sweat. "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. It is not my place to tell," the girl replied. "Are you sure you're tellin' us the truth?" Applejack asked. "Oui. Much like death itself, I cannot determine who is destined to die," the girl replied, only to find Applejack and Season Harvest staring relentlessly into her eyes. This made the girl uncomfortable, so much so, that she ran away, and clung to Nathan's arm, "W-Well, maybe we're not the harbingers of death, per say, but...." the girl was cut off when she saw the others all staring at her just as relentlessly as the farm ponies, "Ok, ok! Dullahan's aren't actually harbingers of death! My name is Mavis Gustou, and I come from a high class neighborhood in Paris, France! What more do you want from me?!" she cried, spilling the beans about everything, including stuff that wasn't related to the topics at hand. Cadence, feeling compassionate, came over to her, and pulled her into a comforting hug. "You needn't worry, Mavis was it? We won't judge you for not being like the stories tell you to be," Cadence cooed. Mavis felt at ease with this. "You know, Mavis might benefit from a visit to Ponyville. At least that way, she can get to know Equestria a little better," Josh suggested. "You may be on to something," Nyx replied. From there, Mavis went on to being accepted into the Equestrian circle of friends, and made plenty of them, including the Northern Grotto Nymphs, while also eluding two power hungry unicorns, and facing the ghosts of her past. Author's Note Sorry guys, but this is all i could come up with for Dullahan Mavis. In case you missed it, there is one other reference, other than Monster Musume, i made in writing this chapter. Let me know in the comments if you found it, and from where it was from originally.
Witch (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. Judging by the wardrobe, they knew in an instant that the child was a human girl. She was wearing a very well made, but short Gothic Lolita dress, looking similar to one of those Magical Girls that Heaven likes watching, with an oversized witches hat, and looked to have a very frightened face, and she looked as though she had not eaten properly in days. She had raven black hair, beautiful green eyes that were red and puffy. They had assumed she was crying, as she walked along the sidewalk, holding onto the sides of the buildings as she walked. "I need to find my way out of here.... got to get out of this place," they heard the girl say. Judging by her accent, they assumed she was from the human version of Cadence's home country of Prance. The little girl then looked up to see the royal couple. With a frightened squeak, she ducked into the alley way, hoping to have gotten out of sight, 'Please don't find me, please don't find me, please don't find me," she chanted in her mind, as she heard the hoof steps getting closer and closer to here. More tears began running down her cheek, as she feared the worst of the worst. "Um, excuse me?" she heard Cadence asked worriedly. The little girls heart sank, as she looked up to see that she was discovered. She squeaked and tried to run away, only for her large hat to fall over her face. It was when she tripped over a small, but heavy rock. "S'il vous plaît, ne me faites pas mal!" the girl pleaded in her native tongue. "Chut, ne t'inquiète pas, je ne te ferai pas de mal. je veux vous aider," Cadence replied, speaking the same exact language. The girl look genuinely surprised to see the humanoid pony before her speaking her language. "You speak F-French too?" the girl inquired. "I assume that is what you humans refer to as Prench, but yes, I do speak that language," Cadence replied. The girl seemed at ease by the alicorn's tone, but was still nevertheless frightened, "Might I ask what your name is, s'il vous plait?" Cadence asked, trying to keep from scaring the poor girl. "je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the young girl replied. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mavis. I am Cadence, the..... head authority of the Crystal Empire, and this is mon mari, Shining Armor," Cadence said, trying to keep the girl from feeling more intimidated by telling Mavis of her role as princess. "By the way, why are out so late?" Shining Armor questioned. At the question, Mavis began feeling utterly helpless, and broke down crying. She didn't even try to hold back. "I c-c-can never go b-b-back to my home. There's n-n-nothing left for me there," Mavis sobbed, covering her head. The royal couple felt terrible for the little girl. "You know, if you want, we could always take you to our home. We'd be more than happy to help you," Cadence offered. This seemed to only frighten Mavis even further. "non non Non! Je ne peux pas vous accepter cette offre!" Mavis squeaked. "It's alright sweetheart, we'd love to have you as a guest," Cadence replied. Mavis seemed very unsure of this, and gripped her right arm. "W-well, I guess I would like to have somewhere w-w-warm to sleep," she murmured quietly. "Then alright. Let's go and get you some nice hot food, and maybe a relaxing bath," Cadence said, gingerly taking Mavis' left arm, as they led Mavis to their home. 'They seem like nice.... people. But what if they're like THEM?' Mavis thought, as images of a gang of teenagers, dressed like hunters, were all surrounding her. Mavis felt her heart race faster, and her blood running cold. Her thoughts of possible impending doom were cut short, when they arrived at the Crystal Palace. She looked up in awe. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, I see you've enjoyed your evening," one of the guards commented. Mavis' eyes widened, not just in surprise, but in pure horror. 'P-PRINCESS?! Did I do something bad?!' she thought fearfully. She thought about running, but thoughts of the guards chasing after her quickly snuffed out that idea. "Princess, who is this little girl?" the guard asked. "This is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being," Cadence replied. "Um... o-on second thought, m-maybe I shouldn't," Mavis said almost inaudibly, too quiet for the adults to hear her. "As such, could you go prepare a guest room for her? We'll bring her up after we get her something to eat," Cadence said. "At once your majesty," the guard said, as he went to take care of the task he was given. "As for you, let's get you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days," Cadence said, as she began walking Mavis into the castle. Or rather, she was dragging Mavis in with her, as Mavis seemed too reluctant to go in, "Is there something wrong, precious?" Cadence asked. "I-I don't think this is a g-good idea after all, princess," Mavis stammered. "Why ever not?" Shining Armor asked. "I-I don't want to ask for f-food from royalty," Mavis replied, trying desperately to run away. "It's no problem at all Mavis. We're happy to give you something to eat," Cadence soothed. "mais je ne suis qu'une fille que vous avez trouvée. Pourquoi voudriez-vous aider quelqu'un comme moi?" Mavis asked. "Do we really need a reason to help someone? You're someone whose scared and alone. Keeping you from feeling like that is more than enough reason for helping you," Cadence replied. Mavis tried thinking of something to counter that, but she quickly dismissed that idea, as she didn't want to argue with a princess, and just gave in. "O-ok. I would just like some du pain grillé, s'il vous plait," Mavis sighed in defeat. "Is that all you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis simply nodded, "Alright, how many slices would you like?" "seulement deux," Mavis replied. "Would you like butter, or jam on your toast?" Cadence asked. Mavis shook her head. "Well, what about something to drink?" she added. "peut-être juste un verre de lait?" Mavis asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she led Mavis to the kitchen. There, they saw a familiar human boy, fixing himself a sandwich. "Hey Mommy, welcome back," Nathan greeted. Mavis hid behind the counter. 'Oh no, a human!' she thought, trembling fearfully, clutching what appeared to be a wand, ready to defend herself in any way possible. "Fixing yourself a little snack, I see?" Cadence asked. "Yeah, I wanted something on my stomach before hittin' the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing big. We don't want another of your sleepwalking incidents," Cadence warned. Nathan shuddered at the memory of the aforementioned incident. Images of him walking around in his underwear, while in a trance, filled his head. Nathan then took noticed of something around the corner, "Oh, that reminds me. We have a guest staying with us," Cadence said, pulling Mavis from her hiding place. Mavis was full on hyperventilating upon being seen by Nathan, "Nathan, this is Mavis Gustou. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Nice to meet ya Mavis," Nathan said. Mavis didn't reply, only hiding behind Cadence. "She's very shy and timid. You might want to give her some time to warm up to you," Cadence advised. Nathan nodded, as he took his sandwich, and went back to his room. "Though, it looks ta me that she may want ta get that hat resized," Nathan commented, as he left. "Now Mavis, you don't need to be scared of Nathan. He can be a bit of a.... tough guy, but he's a very nice boy," Cadence reassured. Mavis didn't seem too convinced, 'What in Equestria happened to you?' Cadence thought to herself, as she began making toast for Mavis. She put two slices of bread in the toaster, before going to make a small cup of milk. She got the milk carton from the fridge, and poured it into the cup. The toast finished, as they popped out from the toaster. Cadence place both slices on a plate. She then sat Mavis at the table, and placed her meager dinner in front of her. Mavis then proceeded to eat the toast, and drink the milk. After a few minutes, she was done. "Merci beaucoup," Mavis said. "Now, how about a nice bath before bed?" Cadence suggested, as she took the 'human' girl to her room. Mavis thought worriedly for a second. 'I can't let them know about that. They may want to execute me!' Mavis thought fearfully, "Uh, p-princess, if it's not too much t-trouble, could I maybe b-bathe alone?" Mavis asked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Cadence said, as she prepared the bathtub, making sure it wasn't too hot or cold, and was just the right height. With that, she gave Mavis a towel and a washcloth, and exited the bathroom. Mavis began undressing. One she was fully undressed, Mavis climbed into the tub. She had to admit, it felt nice, having a nice soak in a warm bath. With a wave of her hand, she turned her wand into a brush, and proceeded to scrub herself. "Mmm, this feels nice," she quietly commented. Once she was done washing herself, she rinsed and dried herself off. She then turned her wand back to normal, and redressed herself. Once she donned her hat, she exited the bathroom. "Do you feel any better?" Cadence asked. Mavis solemnly nodded, as Cadence guided her to bed, taking her hat, and placing it on a chair, "My and Shining's room is just down the hall. It's the two big doors. You can come and get us if you need us," Cadence said, tucking in the young girl, and planting a small kiss on the child's head, before leaving. Mavis still couldn't help but feel uneasy about sleeping under the same roof as a human, much less royalty. She covered her head with the sheets, a few stray tears escaping. "Sebastian, Archimedes, I need you!" Mavis thought, as images of a black cat and owl entered her mind.
Genie (Part 1)It was a hot day in the deserts of Equestria, as a class from Twilight's school of Friendship were all travelling to some ruins, said to be the remnants of an ancient civilization. Accompanied by Twilight herself, the pony who was leading them was rather ominous looking, "Alright everyone, we'll be arriving at the ruins momentarily. Please don't touch anything. This civilization were known for booby traps meant to keep trespassers from finding their treasures," the stallion said, as they arrived in a valley, which looked like it was abandoned for centuries. "This is so cool," Nathan commented, looking at the architecture. "There's more legends about these particular ruins than any other ruins in the world," the sleazy looking stallion replied. "What pony mean?" Yona asked. "Well, I heard of an artifact hidden in a desert ruins that can grant the wishes of ANYONE who get's a hold of it. But the artifact itself is extremely well guarded, and near impossible to get to," the stallion explained. "Wouldn't it be awesome if these were those ruins?" Vibrant whispered to her friends. "It would be, but I doubt something like that can possibly exist," Trinity replied. "Just tread lightly. We don't know if any of these stone floors are stable. They could cave in and you could...." *CRASH* The stallion turned to see that a large chuck of the flooring had collapsed in on itself. The screams of the students echoed through the opening, as Twilight, Smolder, Gallius, and Ocellus flew down to rescue them, "Fall into an unknown cavern," the sleazy stallion sighed, before his face turned sinister, "But getting rid of those fools would probably make getting the Lamp that much easier," he cackled wickedly. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the chasm, Nathan groaned as he regained consciousness. He woke up to see a certain, yellow alicorn filly, staring directly into his eyes, "Ya ok, hon?" Applebloom asked. "Ah've been better, but what happened?" he asked, as he sat up. "We fell through a hole in the ceiling. Thankfully, there was a ton of sand to break our fall," Toby said, looking around, as Twilight and the others soon arrived. "Is everyone alright?" Twilight asked. A round of confirmations was her answer. "So, how do we get out of here? We can't go back the way we came in," Sweetie Belle commented. "There must be another way out of here. We just have to look around for it," Kelly said, sitting on a rock, which almost immediately sank. Soon, a section in the walls opened up, to reveal a massive treasury. "Whoa, looks like the entire fortune of every known kingdom is here!" Scootaloo said, looking at the mountains of gold and jewels. "I'm sure no one will notice if we help ourselves," a certain chubby unicorn colt commented, eyeing the treasure with greed. "Not so fast there Snips. Take a look at this," Josh said, inspecting a tablet on the floor, "'Those who enter this room may touch nothing by the sacred Lamp'. Wonder what that means?" he pondered. "Well, maybe we can find a way out through here. Stay close everyone, and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" Twilight instructed, enunciating the last three words, as she and her students all entered the treasure room, being careful not to touch anything by mistake. "Hey, there's some kind of glow over there!" Silverstream exclaimed, pointing in one direction. And sure enough, on the other side of the room, they saw some kind of blue light, shining through. "That looks promising," Mike commented, as they headed over to the other side of the room. However, their hopes were all dashed, when they only saw a deeper part of the cave, with now real exit. They only saw a large alter, bathed in some kind of luminescent light. At the top, they saw what appeared to be an oil lamp. "Oh, great! We go all this way, just for a piece of junk?! Give me a break!" Diamond Tiara dramatically complained, falling into Bolt's arms, like she fainted. "Ah think I remember this from a movie. A guy finds a lamp like that, and releases a genie, which grants him three wishes," Nathan commented, as he began to ascend the stairs. This sparked a bit of hope in each of the students, but Twilight remained pessimistic. "Hold on Nathan. I find that to be completely farfetched. Besides, there's no guaranteeing that the lamp even has a genie inside," Twilight commented. "What's a genie?" Applebloom asked. "A wish granting spirit. They're mostly found trapped inside lamps like that," Toby explained. "That message did say something about a lamp. Think that could be what it was talking about?" Bolt asked. "Only one way ta find out," Nathan commented, as Twilight stayed close to him, ready to pull him out of any danger. Gingerly, Nathan took the lamp from the alter, and nothing happened. "Ok, so it was that lamp. But what do we do now?" Silver Spoon wondered. Nathan was too transfixed by the lamp, seeing a blue glow. "How does genie get released?" Yona asked. "Well, it usually takes a rub of the lamp," Toby replied, as Nathan rubbed the lamp. Just then, fireworks began shooting out of lamp, causing many of the students to duck behind rocks, while Nathan dropped the lamp, and Twilight pulled him into a barrier, as smoke began emitting from the lamp. The smoke soon materialized into a human girl, who looked to be about four years old, dressed in pajamas, and holding a teddy bear. "*Yawn* Can't a girl get a good 2,000 year nap around?" the girl complained, before seeing where she was, "Oh, looks like someone set me free. Now, who is my new master?" the girl wondered, looking around, as two men, dressed like genies appeared. One looked comical, and the other one looked equally carefree. "Well Mavis, it would appear you've been released. You know what happens next, right?" one of the men asked. "Oui, I must grant the wishes of the one who freed moi," the girl said, as she snapped her fingers, changing her clothes into similar genie garbs. "Uh, excuse me?" Twilight asked, getting the men and girl's attention, "Sorry that my nephew here woke you up, but, who are you, and what was all that smoking from the lamp?" she asked. The girl then turned to Nathan. "Oh, so that must make you mon new master," the girl said, looking at the Texas boy. "Uh, what do you mean 'master'?" Nathan asked, uncomfortable with how the girl was looking at him. "Well, you were the one who rubbed mon lamp, no?" the girl asked. Nathan cautiously nodded, "Then by genie law, that makes you my new master, until someone else rubs mon lamp. My name is Mavis, by the way. So, Master, what would like from me, THE EVER IMPRESSIVE" She began, morphing into an Arnold Schwarzenegger physique, "LONG CONTAINED" she continued, breaking free from a small box, "Often imitated," she said, pulling out a ventriloquist dummy, "But never duplicated," she continued, as several copies of her appeared, "Genie, of the LAMP!?" Mavis asked, her legs turning into mist. "And what about the two of you?" Twilight asked the two adult genies. "Ah yes, we are young Mavis' Genie Proctors. We're here to help train her to grant wishes," the second genie replied, as name tags appeared on each of them, with the names "Bob" and "Marvin" on them. "Wait, so that whole thing about wishes is true?" Smolder asked. "3 wishes to be exact. And ixnay on the more wish-ay! That's all you get! Uno, dos, tres," Bob said, turning into a slot machine and a mariachi band. "And there ain't no returns, exchanges or refunds! All wishes are final!" Marvin added, doing a Groucho Marx impression. "Ah think, but maybe Aunt Twilight was right. Maybe this is just a buncha hooey," Nathan commented. "Oh Master, I don't think you quite comprehend the great deal you have going for you! You and your friends can sit back, while I illuminate, the possibilities!" Mavis said, as the three genies all broke out into a jazzy show tune. "Ok, but how does the wishing work, exactly?" Twilight asked. The three genies looked at her in disbelief. "You're..... kidding right? The whole song was the instructions!" Marvin yelled. "Ok, we'll make it simpler for you. All you have to do is say what you want, and if you're the last one to have rubbed the lamp, then you'll get it," Bob explained. "So... we can wish for.... anything?" Toby asked. Most of the kids hoped that they could see their real parents again. "Not quite. There are a few restriction.... limitations, if you would. First off, you can't ask Mavis to kill anyone. Secondly, you can't make wishes regarding love. Thirdly, she can't bring anyone back from the dead," Marvin explained, dashing the hopes of the kids. "As long as your wishes follow those rules, you can wish away," Mavis said, as she held up a hand mirror, checking her hair. Nathan then got an idea on how to save on everyone's wishes. "Wait, 'limitations'? 'Restrictions'? Ah thought genies were all powerful! Maybe Ah was right about that wishing biz bein' a load of hooey," Nathan commented. This caused Mavis to look at him from her mirror, with a vengeful look in her eyes, "C'mon guys. She probably couldn't get us out o' here anyhow," Nathan said, as he turned to leave, only to be stopped by an giant foot. "EXCUSE MOI? Are you looking at me? Did you rub mon lamp? Did you bring me here? I have been waiting to be free for so long, and NOW you're walking out on me?! Not a chance, no way! You're getting your wishes, so TAKE A SEAT!" Mavis' voice boomed, as she unfurled a giant sized rug, which everyone promptly sat on, "In the event of an emergency, exits are located all around you. Please keep all hands arms, feet, legs, tails, horns, wings, and other appendages inside the bounds of the carpet until we come to a complete stop. Now, hold on tight, and ALONSY!" she said, as she bore through the cave walls, with the carpet in tow, leaving Bob and Marvin in the cave. "She fell for the oldest trick in the book, didn't she?" Bob asked. "Yep," Marvin replied, as they followed after them. Meanwhile, with the sleazy stallion, "The entrance has to be around here somewhere! But where?!" he roared, not finding anything. It was when he head some nearby stone being blown apart, that he saw a little girl, dressed as a genie, leading a large carpet with Twilight and her class on it away from the ruins, "They must've found the lamp!" the stallion exclaimed, as his face cracked apart, revealing him to be Sombra, "Well, this makes my plans so much easier," he cackled, as he turned to shadows, and went off somewhere.
Centaur (Part 1)It was a brisk, Fall evening in the Crystal Empire. Families were putting their foals to bed, shops were closing, and couples were out on dates. As the Full Moon began to rise over the empire, one particular couple, however was heading home after a date at one of the most poshest restraunts in the empire. They were Princess Cadence, and her husband, Prince Shining Armor, co-rulers of the Crystal Empire, "Did you enjoy it, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "It was one of the most excellent dinners we've had all year Shiny," Cadence replied. However, before the went any further, they saw something, or rather, someone, a very young someone, was walking along the sidewalks, all alone. What was shocking to them, was that it was a centaur. Though this one looked nothing like Lord Tirek. The centaur appeared to be a child, a girl, to be more precise, wearing a well made Gothic Lolita dress. She had very long black hair, and appeared to be limping. "Must.... get.... away..... Can't let them catch me," the centaur girl said, in a voice that sounded similar to Cadence's home country of Prance. Though, the tone of her voice was broken, like she had experienced something bad. "Uh, excuse me?" Cadence called out to the young centaur. The centaur noticed the couple, and with a squeak, she tried to run away, only to fall. "Owwie," the girl said, as the Crystal Couple rushed to her aid. "Are you alright?" Cadence asked, offering to help the child up onto her hooves. "Careful Cadence. We don't know if she can steal magic like Tirek," Shining Armor cautiously advised. "Uh, centaurs can't steal magic. We don't even use magic," the girl reassured, her tone still shaky, as if, untrusting towards the couple. "If I may introduce myself and my husband, I am Cadence, and this is Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing both herself and her husband. The centaur girl looked to be a well mannered individual, as she did a little curtsey, and bowed respectfully. "I am Mavis Gustou," the child replied, her tone sounding a little more at ease, but still wary. "If I may ask, why are you out so late?" Cadence asked. "I.... don't have a home anymore," Mavis sadly replied. "You poor thing. We have plenty of rooms at our castle, if you're wanting a place to stay? We could even get you something to eat," Cadence offered. "I would not like to impose. I was told it goes against centaur code,," Mavis replied, wanting to get away as soon as possible. "We don't mind at all. In fact, we insist you be our guest," Shining Armor replied. Mavis thought about running, but she knew she was not that good a runner, especially with her injuries to her legs. Added to the fact that these two could use magic to catch up with her, Mavis just gave up. "O-ok," Mavis simply replied. With that, the Crystal Couple led her to their castle, offering support to the young centaur, who was still limping. They soon arrived at the Castle. upon arriving, the Guards almost took a defensive stance against Mavis. "Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, why is there a centaur here? Has she drained off your magic?" one of them asked. Mavis paled at hearing this. 'A real Princess?! I didn't commit any crimes, did I?!' Mavis thought fearfully. "You needn't worry about this one. Apparently, she does not posses the same ability to siphon off magic like Tirek does," Cadence said. The guards stood down, and allowed them all to enter. "Uh.... maybe I shouldn't be here after all," Mavis said, sounding like she shouldn't be in the castle. "Nonsense, Mavis. We insist on you being our guest," Cadence said, as she ushered Mavis to the kitchen, "Shiny, could you go get a room ready for Mavis?" Cadence asked. "Of course!" Shining Armor replied, taking off, as Mavis continued following Cadence into the kitchen. Once inside, Cadence saw Nathan, making a sandwich for his dinner. Mavis paled at the sight of him. 'Oh non! A human!' she thought, as she was getting ready to run away as fast as she could. "Making yourself some dinner, Nathan?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Ah figured Ah should have somethin' on mah stomach before Ah go ta bed," Nathan replied. He then took notice of Mavis, "Ah see we have a guest," Nathan commented. "Of course. Nathan, this is Mavis. Mavis, this is Nathan, our eldest son," Cadence said. Mavis only shrunk back, feeling scared of Nathan. "Ah didn't do anythin' to offend her, did Ah?" Nathan asked, worried he offended the young centaur girl. "I don't know, but why don't you take your sandwich back to your room?" Cadence suggested. "O' course," Nathan said, as he took his sandwich, and left the kitchen. "Ok Mavis, what would you like to eat?" Cadence asked. "C-could I maybe just have some c-carrots?" Mavis meekly asked. "Of course," Cadence said, as she got the some of the requested vegetable out of the fridge crisper, and gave them to Mavis. With a crunch, Mavis then began to eat them. After some bites, Mavis finished both carrots. "Merci," Mavis said to Cadence. "Now, if you're satisfied with your dinner, I can show you to your room," Cadence said. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as she followed Cadence out of the kitchen. The Princess of Love had to help Mavis with going up the stairs, as Mavis was still having trouble with walking, "Do you want to stop by the infirmary? I could take a look at your legs if you want?" she offered. "N-non. It's just a pulled muscle as …. Papa would call it," Mavis declined, sounding disheartened at the mention of her father. Cadence made a note of that, but chose not to press on the matter. Eventually, they arrived at a guest room. "Ok Mavis, here's where you will sleep for tonight, and until further notice. If you need anything, Shining Armor and I will be down the hall in our room," Cadence said, as Mavis went over to the bed, and knelt down, and leaned against the bed, 'Hmm, I should ask Raiden or Francisco about making a bed for her,' Cadence thought. "Merci, P-Princess," Mavis said, as she adjusted the pillow to rest against her head. "You're very welcome Mavis. Pleasant dreams," Cadence said, as she left Mavis alone for the night. She then made her way back to her room, where Shining Armor was getting ready for bed. "How is she?" her husband asked. "Well, she ate some carrots for a rather meager supper. I offered to take her to the infirmary to have her legs looked at, but she declined, saying it was just a sprained muscle," Cadence said, as she got into bed with Shining Armor. "Well, maybe the trip to Ponyville will help her out," Shining Armor commented. "Hopefully. I just hope they don't think she's like Tirek," Cadence commented. "She is nothing like Tirek, I can guarantee that. But, all in all, we know little to nothing about centaurs," the alabaster unicorn commented. "True. Maybe we can talk Discord into getting some information on centaur culture," Cadence suggested. "Yeah. But, let's hold off on all of that until tomorrow. It's late," Shining Armor said, as they went to sleep.
Yuuki Onna/ Snow WomanIt was a warm, summer's evening in the Crystal Empire, and a certain couple were returning home to the Castle, after an evening out, "Once again, you've outdone yourself, dear," Cadence said, as she walked with her arms wrapped around her husband. "Anything for you, my love," Shining Armor replied. They had rounded a corner, when they felt a sudden chill in the air, "Is it supposed to be cold?" he wondered. "It can't be. It's too warm," Cadence replied. They're curiosity was soon answered, when they saw a little human girl, with raven black hair, slumped next to a building, in a very well made Gothic Lolita dress. They saw some kind of mist emitting from her. They also saw that here face was flushed, like she was overheated. They also saw she was panting, "Um, excuse me? Are you alright?" Cadence asked, reaching out to the little girl. Upon hearing her, the girl tried to run away, but was only to get a few feet away, before she collapsed. The two of them quickly rushed to her side, "Are you hurt?" Cadence asked, trying to help the girl up, only, to her surprise, for the girl to wiggle away from them. It was clear from her actions that she did not want them touching her some reason. "Maybe, she has really delicate skin?" Shining Armor theorized. "Could be," Cadence pondered, as she tried a different approach, "We mean no harm to you. We only want to help," she cooed softy. This however, didn't work, as the girl tried to get away. "P-P-Please don't touch me!" the girl squeaked out. This certainly wasn't something they were expecting, nor was the fact that her accent sounded reminiscent of Cadence's homeland of Prance. "It's fine, sweetie. Like I said, we mean no harm," Cadence said once again, gently stroking the girl with her wing. When she did, she felt an unnatural cold on her cheek, "You're freezing cold! If you want, we could take you back home and give you a nice hot bath," she offered. "P-p-p-please non...… I hate hot baths," the child uttered. This girl was starting to become more and more mysterious to the Crystal Couple. Normally, anyone would jump at the chance for a hot bath, so why would this girl refuse a bath? "Well, we could at least offer you a place to stay for the time being. We can even have a nice meal made for you if you want," Cadence offered. The girl seemed to take this into account. She didn't want to impose on these nice folks, but she also wanted somewhere to sleep. With her options limited, she gave in. "Ok, I-I will come with you," the girl said. "Ok. By the way, my name is Cadence, and this is my husband, Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing herself, and her husband. "Je m'appelle Mavis Gustou," the girl said in French. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis," Cadence said, as she offered a hand to the child. However, Mavis seemed unwillingly to take it. Thinking it would be best not to put any more undue pressure on the poor girl, Cadence knelt down to eye level with Mavis, "Mavis, I know being in a new world can be scary, but I can assure you, you are not alone," she tried to reassure. However, instead of receiving an answer, Mavis collapsed once again, breathing heavily, "Oh dear. We need to get her to the castle, now!" Cadence said, picking up Mavis in both her arms. She still felt more coldness coming from the child, but she couldn't worry about that now. Get Mavis better was at the top of her priority list. She and Shining Armor wasted no time, and making their way back to the castle, as fast as they could. They soon arrived. "Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor, I take it you both had a nice evening?" the guard asked. "We did, but that's not important right now! Go and get a guest room prepared!" Shining Armor ordered. "At once!" the guard said, before heading into the castle. "I'll take Mavis to the infirmary first," Cadence said, as they entered the castle. Once inside, they saw their eldest son, Nathan, walking out of the kitchen with a sandwich. He was surprised to see his parents looking so frazzled. "Mommy? Daddy? You guys are back early," he commented. "We found someone new that needs our help," Cadence said, motioning to the flushed Mavis in her arms. "Looks like a fever," Nathan commented. "This is Mavis, and for the time being, she's going to be staying with us. I wish I could talk more, but she needs immediate medical attention," Cadence said, as she made her way to the castle infirmary. Once there, she laid Mavis out on a bed, and got a digital thermometer. Pressing it against Mavis' forehead, she was puzzled when it read -12 degrees Fahrenheit, "With how she's looking overheated, why is her body temperature so low?" Cadence wondered. Deciding that it would be best to help Mavis out, she got some cold packs from the freezer, and placed them over Mavis. Within seconds, Mavis looked to cool down. "How is she?" Cadence turned to see her husband and son standing in the doorway. "Well, she wasn't ill. Mavis was apparently overheated," Cadence replied. "Well, it was a lot hotter today then it normally is," Nathan commented. "But here's the strangest part. When I took her temperature, it read as -12 degrees," Cadence replied. This certainly caught both her husband and son by surprise. Then, Nathan thought of something. "Could be that she's more used to a colder climate," he theorized. "Maybe, but in any case, we should take her with us when we go to visit Twilight in Ponyville. Maybe Raiden can help shed some light on the situation," Cadence said. Unbeknownst to any of the Crystal Family, Mavis was just barely awake to hear their conversation. She was terrified that there was a human with them. However, she couldn't do much of anything, as fatigue soon took over, and she fell asleep. However, she felt comfortable, as the cold packs on her were helping to lower her body temperature.
Yuuki Onna/ Snow Woman (Part 2)The next morning soon came, and the Crystal Family was ready to leave for Ponyville. They had all gathered in the main foyer, where they had all their luggage ready to go, "Ok, is that everything?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Got mah clothes, entertainment bag, and some snacks for the trip," Nathan replied. "Ok then. I'll go and get Mavis from her room. I'll be right back," Cadence said. "Hopefully, we can get her something substantial to eat. She fell asleep before we got a chance to feed her anything," Shining Armor commented. "Yeah. And Ah'm hoping we can git to the bottom of why she's so cold," Nathan replied. Cadence was able to get to Mavis' room in not time at all. However, before she entered, once thing puzzled her.... there was frost on the area surrounding the door, "Where did all of this frost come from?" she wondered, as she opened the door. Once inside, she shivered, as she felt an unnatural cold feeling. She then saw that most of the room was coated in frost and ice. She was more confused and concerned than before, "Mavis? Are you there?" Cadence asked, as she carefully entered the room, being careful not to slip on the ice. She walked over to the bed were Mavis was still sleeping. She gasped when she saw what looked to be fresh snow on the bed. However, instead of shivering, Mavis looked content. Cadence's mind flooded with even more questions than before, but she knew the one person who could help answer her questions. And for that, Mavis' needed to wake up, "Mavis? It's morning sweetie," Cadence said, gently nudging the child, who still felt as cold as she did last night. Mavis' stirred in her sleep. "Bonjour, Cadence," Mavis yawned tiredly. She then noticed the state of the room, 'Oh non! If she finds out about that.... then I may be as good as dead!' Mavis thought fearfully. "Mavis, my family and I are going to visit some relatives in a town called Ponyville. Would you like to come with us?" Cadence asked kindly. "Uh.... ok," Mavis cautiously replied, as she got out of bed, sending some of the snow to the floor, "Désolé," she said timidly. "It's fine, sweetie. It's just a little snow," Cadence reassured. Mavis was surprised when Cadence wasn't asking questions about the snow. But she wasn't complaining. The less people knew about her secret, the better, in Mavis' opinion. Cadence then led her downstairs to the foyer, where Shining Armor, Nathan, Skyla, and Guard were all waiting. Mavis paled at the sight of Nathan. 'A.... human!' she thought, as they neared the group. "Ok, now that everyone is here, let's get going," Cadence said, as they exited the castle. She then motioned to some nearby servants, "Could you clean the room this child was sleeping in? There was a lot of frost and snow in there," she whispered. "Of course, Princess," the servant said, as they went to take care of the task given to them. Mavis felt more uneasy. She had no idea she was taken in by a princess. But she felt/knew she had to keep her composure. It took about fifteen minutes, but they soon arrived at the train station, where the Crystal Express was waiting. "Tickets please!" the conductor bellowed. Cadence gave him their tickets, after buying an additional ticket for Mavis. Once the conductor checked all the tickets, he let them onto the royal car, that was coupled to the train. Once they all got settled, Mavis took her seat, away from the others. This behavior concerned the Crystal Family, apart from the two babies, because they're just babies. The train then set off at an incredible speed. "Mavis must still not fully trust us," Shining Armor commented. "Well, hopefully, this trip to Ponyville will help her out. We can seek out Raiden to help as far as psychologically helping her, among another issue I've been thinking about," Cadence replied. "What's that then?" Nathan asked. "Well, when I went to get Mavis, I saw that the room she was staying in was completely coated in ice, snow, frost, the whole nine yards," Cadence replied in a hushed voice, as not to make Mavis feel bad. "That is mighty strange," Nathan commented. "Maybe she's an Ice or Snow Mutant, like Icezer or those other two boys from the Guild?" Shining Armor chimed in. "Maybe, but if so, then she froze her room over without any control," Cadence replied. "Well, we can have Raiden help us out as far as that. No sense in us overthinkin' things," Nathan suggested. "Yeah, you're probably right. In the mean time, I'll take Mavis to the dining car to get her something to eat," Cadence said, as she walked over to the young girl in question, "Mavis, sweetie? Would you like to come with me to get you something to eat? You haven't eaten a thing since we found you," Cadence offered. Truthfully, Mavis didn't want the Princess to take pity on her, but she was starving. "O-Ok," Mavis replied timidly, as Cadence led her through the train cars. Eventually, they arrived at the diner car, where they had ready to eat pastries in a display case. "Is there anything in particular you want?" Cadence asked. Mavis looked at the pastries, and grimaced. Her grimace didn't go unnoticed by Cadence. 'They all look so full of sugar,' Mavis thought, but the grumbling in her tummy snapped her out of her trance, "C-could I m-maybe have some t-toast?" Mavis meekly asked, flinching immediately. Cadence was saddened by how fearful Mavis was behaving, but was not about to let her starve. She then turned to the worker. "Could I get two slices of toast?" Cadence asked. "At once, your majesty," the worker replied, as she began to work on some toast. Cadence led Mavis to the side, to get out of the way of the other ponies who were walking through. In about five minutes, the toast was ready, and the worker gave it to Cadence, along with some packs of butter and jelly. "Thank you for this," Cadence said, as she and Mavis went back to the royal car. Once they were back in the car, Cadence got Mavis settled at the table, placing her toast in front of her, "I'll get you some milk to drink, if you want," Cadence asked. "M-merci," Mavis replied. With that, Mavis went to the fridge, and got a cup of milk for the young girl, and brought it her, as she started eating her first slice of toast. Within a few bites, she finished her first sliced, and proceeded to the second one. Once that was done, she went to drink the milk, only to find it was slightly frozen. Mavis, however, didn't mind, as she drank the milk. It was then that they all felt the train slow down. "We must be nearing Ponyville," Cadence commented. Mavis put her cup down, and went back to her seat by the window, gazing out the window. She saw the town they were approaching was nothing like the villages she was used to. The doors looked to be made entirely of wood, and opened inwards and outwards. Soon, the train stopped, arriving at the station, "Come along now Mavis," Cadence said, as she and her family led Mavis out of the train car. However, as she stepped out, she got brushed with a face full of steam, causing her to cry out in pain, "Mavis, what's wrong?!" Cadence quickly rushed to the young child's aid. "The.... the steam.... It's too hot!" Mavis shakily replied, her face reddened by the heat, and was covered in sweat. This definitely raised concern among the Crystal Family. To them, the steam was barely warm. "Well, let's go git ya cooled off then," Nathan said, as he picked Mavis up, bridal style, ad carried her out of the station. As he did, he noted that as he carried her, she felt unnaturally cold. Normally, a person would have some degree of body heat, but this girl had almost no heat to her at all, 'What is with this girl?' he wondered, as they neared Twilight's castle. "Mavis, if you want, we can wipe your face off when we get inside," Cadence offered. "O-Ok," Mavis timidly replied. She was on edge with a human carrying her. Once they arrived at the castle, Cadence knocked on the door. In moments, Twilight opened the door. "Hi Twilight!" Cadence said, as she and Twilight did their little nursery rhyme. Or rather, they attempted to, before Shining Armor cut them off. "Can we skip this part? We have someone who needs to be cooled off," he stated. "Ah, right! Sorry Twilight, but can we ask for some cold wet wash cloths and an ice pack or two?" Cadence requested. Twilight was taken aback by this odd request, but seeing the overheated girl in Nathan's arms, she decided not to question it. "Of course! Bring her to the throne room, and set her on the table," Twilight replied, as she went to get the requested items. Nathan then carried Mavis to the throne room, where he promptly laid her out on the table. Mavis was still breathing heavily, her face was flushed from the heat of the steam. Twilight came in with a few ice packs, and some wet washcloths. "Ok, lets try to cool her off," Cadence said, as they placed ice packs all around Mavis' body, and wiped off her forehead. When she did so, Cadence saw the water on both Mavis' forehead and on the washcloth had frozen. This did not go unnoticed by the others. Twilight then pulled out a something that looked like a remote, and pressed it against Mavis' forehead. Once she got a reading, she was flabbergasted. "What the....?! -20 degrees?! She's freezing!" Twilight exclaimed. "Maybe so, but she looks more relaxed than when we got here," Nathan observed how much more relaxed Mavis looked. "We just assumed that she could be another Ice Mutant, like Icezer," Shining Armor added. "Probably. But we shouldn't move Mavis, just to be safe. I'll have Raiden come over with Icezer, if they're not out on a job, and look over her," Twilight said, quickly writing down a message on a scroll, and sent it away. "It's for the best. Her health is more important than the outing we planned on," Cadence replied. With in minutes, some knocking came from the front door. Twilight went to answer it, and revealed both Icezer and Raiden standing before her. "We came as soon as we got your message," Icezer said. "Thank you both for coming over. Please, right this way," Twilight said, allowing the two boys into the castle. "So, what's the deal with this kid?" Raiden asked. "Well, she appeared to be severely overheated, and when we took a wet washcloth to her face to help cool her off, the water froze. The weirdest thing was when I took her temperature, it read well below 0 degrees," Twilight explained. "Hmm, she sounds like an Ice Mutant, but she probably isn't," Icezer replied. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "See, Ice and Fire Mutants are immune to temperature. They could take blasts from the other, and not feel any heat or cold," Raiden replied. "Ok, but if she ain't an Ice Mutant, then what could she possibly be?" Nathan asked, as the three of them entered the room. "I have a theory. Icezer, can you place your hand on her forehead?" Raiden asked his brother. An odd request, but the icy teen did so. As soon as he made contact, he immediately pulled away. "Whoa, she IS freezing!" Icezer commented. "Cold enough for even you to feel?" Raiden asked. "Yeah, which is really weird," Icezer replied. "Which confirms my suspicions," Raiden commented. "What have you got?" Cadence asked. "Mavis here, might just possibly be a Yokai spirit, known as a Yuuki Onna," Raiden replied. "What's a Yokai?" Shining Armor asked. "Yokai are spirits that are often believed to be the cause of mundane occurrences, such as being clumsy, depressed, etc. The legends of them originate in Japan. But in the case of a Yuuki Onna, they're also called 'Snow Women'. They live in snow covered mountains, waiting for travelers to come by and freeze them solid to decorate their lairs. They can be extremely dangerous Yokai," Raiden explained. "But Mavis doesn't seem dangerous at all," Cadence replied. "I said they CAN be dangerous, not that they ARE," Raiden clarified. "Are there lots of Yokai species?" Twilight asked. "Oh yeah. Legends tell of the Oni, who attack human villages, slaughtering anyone who crosses their path, devouring the flesh and blood of humans, the Noppera-Bo, who are basically faceless ghosts, then there are the Onryo, spirits born from a grudge towards someone who wronged them in life, and quite a plethora of others," Raiden replied. "In fact, there's a movie franchise that's actually based on the story of an Onryo," Icezer added. "My word. Human world ghost stories are more gruesome than I thought," Cadence commented. "And believe me, there are a lot more, equally gruesome stories," Raiden replied. "Yuuki Onna stories are usually rooted in tragedy. Some stories tell of one being forced into a hot bath, where she melted instantly," Icezer added. "Well, if that's the case, then ice baths are what Mavis needs," Cadence commented. "Well, I have something that could help her out even more than mere ice," Raiden replied. "Oh yeah. You got a shipment of liquid hydrogen, right?" Icezer asked. "Yes. It's temperature is about 0 degrees Kelvin. It should be cold enough for Mavis to be comfortable with," Raiden replied. "But isn't 0 degrees Kelvin extremely dangerous?" Shining Armor asked. "To warm bodied creatures like you and I, yes. But a Yuuki Onna's coldness is supernatural. Normal coldness may not affect her the same way it would affect us," Raiden replied. "Ok, but should we still use ice baths for Mavis? I'm not exactly sure on how to use or dispose of liquid hydrogen," Cadence replied. "Yeah, you could do that. And if she wants something colder, just bring by the guild anytime you guys come to visit, and I'll set up a sprinkler system for her with the liquid hydrogen," Raiden replied. "Thank you both for your time," Twilight said to the two brothers. "Any time, Twilight," Icezer replied, as the two of them left. Once they did, Mavis began to stir once again. "Mmm, I feel nice and cold again," Mavis murmured, as she sat up, holding the ice packs close to her, enjoying the cold. "Ah! Mavis, are you feeling any better?" Cadence asked, coming to the child's side. "Oh... uh.... oui," Mavis replied quietly, focusing more on the cold packs. "Mavis, if you feel rested enough to come with us, we'd love to have you with us while we walk around. There may even be something you might like," Cadence offered. "Uh... ok," Mavis replied, as she carefully got off of the table, and onto the floor. She wobbled a bit, trying to balance herself. With that, they all left the castle, and made their way into Ponyville.
Centaur (Part 2)The next morning, Sunlight peered in through the window of Mavis' room, as she began to stir in her sleep. She yawned as she stretched out. She carefully opened her eyes, and remembered she was in the Crystal Castle, "Oh, that's right," Mavis said to herself, as she carefully stood up. She stumbled a bit, as she tried to walk to the door, but was able to stabilize herself. She got to the door, and carefully opened it, peering out, seeing no one in sight. Walking out of the room, she stayed close to wall, still feeling pain in her legs, "Mmm, why did I have to get hurt in my legs," Mavis quietly complained. "Oh, Mavis!" the young Centaur could hear Cadence call out. Mavis turned to see both her and Shining Armor walking towards them, with two babies in their arms, "How are you feeling this morning?" Cadence asked. "I-I slept alright, p-princess. Though my legs do hurt a bit," Mavis replied. "That's a shame. We were planning to go visit my sister in her hometown, but we should look into fixing you up before we head out," Shining Armor replied. "Well, if it can help ease the pain," Mavis quietly replied, as they continued walking to the dining room. She kept limping along the way. "Do you want to go to be treated first? We can do so while our breakfast is being made," Cadence offered, seeing Mavis limping, and the pained expression on the young centaur's face. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as they arrived at the dining room, where Nathan was waiting. Mavis flinched upon seeing Nathan, and opted to take a seat that was a ways away from the others. 'Ah didn't do anythin' ta offend her, did Ah?' Nathan wondered, as Cadence retrieved a first aid kit from a nearby cupboard. She then walked over to Mavis. "Alright Mavis, do all your legs hurt, or is it just one?" Cadence asked. This was the first time she, or anyone in the castle was near a centaur on friendly terms, so she didn't know how to deal with this kind of situation. "Just my front leg, merci," Mavis said, patting her left leg. Cadence lifted Mavis' skirt, and saw what looked to be a nasty looking bruise. Cadence applied some salve, and then wrapped some gauze around it. The salve felt very soothing to the injury, and Mavis' pained expression appeared to relax. Just then, a servant came in with a cart of food items. "Ah good! is there anything in particular you want for breakfast, Mavis?" Cadence asked. "T-Toast, s'il vous plaît," Mavis replied. "Ok. Two slices?" Cadence asked. Mavis nodded, "Would you also like some butter or jelly on your toast?" the little centaur shook her head, "Ok, would you like something to drink?" "lait, s'il vous plaît," Mavis replied. "Ok then," Cadence said, turning to the servants, "Two slices of toast and one glass of milk for our guest, please," Cadence said. The servant nodded, and went to work on the toast. Cadence opted for some pancakes that were on the cart. Mavis was soon given two, lightly toasted pieces of toast and a glass of cold milk. Once she was given her meager breakfast, Mavis then began to eat. She started on the two slices of toast, before going to the milk. Once she finished, she tried to stand up, only to stumble a bit. "Easy there Mavis. Your injury needs time to heal," Shining Armor said. "I can have a crutch scooter prepared for you if you need it," Cadence added. "O-Ok," Mavis replied. Cadence motioned to a guard, who left to get a crutch scooter. In moments, the guard returned with the scooter. Cadence then helped Mavis to get herself situated on the scooter. "Alright Mavis, just take it nice and slow. The scooter can be a bit fast moving, so it may jerk forward if you're not careful," Cadence said, as Mavis started to move around on it, trying to get used to the feel of it. "Well, now that Mavis has a reliable mode of transportation, we can probably make our way to the train station. Her leg should heal up by the time we arrive in Ponyville," Shining Armor suggested. "True. Mavis, would you like to accompany us to somewhere called 'Ponyville' today? We have some friends and family down there that I'm sure would love to meet you," Cadence offered. "O-Ok," Mavis replied shakily, almost loosing her balance. "Ah'll go git mah things, and meet y'all in the main foyer," Nathan said, as he left the dining room. "I'd better go prepare a stroller and the baby bag for Guard and Skyla," Shining Armor added, leaving with the babies in his arms. "In the mean time, I'll show you downstairs," Cadence said, as she took Mavis out of the dining room, and took her to the foyer. It wasn't long before Nathan and Shining Armor, the latter of whom was pushing the stroller with the babies in it, arrived, "Alright, looks like we're all ready," Cadence said, as she grabbed her and Shining Armor's suitcases from nearby. With that, they exited the castle. "Keep an eye on things in our absence, ok?" Shining Armor asked the guards. "Yes sir!" they replied. And with that, the family, and Mavis, were off. Mavis opted to stay by Cadence's side, away from Nathan. "She must really not like me. Did Ah do somethin' to offend her?' Nathan wondered, as they walked through the Crystal Empire. Mavis was kept close to the family, as she could see some of the citizens of Empire looking at her with uncertainty, their eyes filed with mistrust. Soon, they arrived at the Train Station. Cadence went to purchase an additional ticket for Mavis, as the train was getting the royal car coupled up. "Our tickets," Cadence said, giving the conductor the tickets. "Very good. The Royal Car awaits for you and your party," the conductor said, stepping out of the way, allowing the Crystal Family and Mavis to pass onboard. Once onboard, Mavis opted to go and lie down on one of the seats, staying out of everyone's way. The rest of the Crystal Family opted to go about their own business, Nathan kicking back with some video games, Shining Armor reading some comics, while Cadence kept an eye the babies. The train ride lasted for about an hour, being how fast it was, and it soon arrived at Ponyville Station. Rounding up their stuff, they departed the railcar, allowing the station staff to roll it to a siding. "Ok Mavis, just follow us sweetie," Cadence said, as they led her out of the station, and towards the massive crystalline structure that is Twilight's castle.
Demon (Part 1)It was a cool, spring evening in the Crystal Empire, and a certain couple was returning from a night out on the town, "Did you enjoy yourself, my love?" Shining Armor asked. "Yes, indeed. It was most lovely," Cadence replied. Shining Armor was about to say something, when they something, or rather, someone, limping against the wall of one of the buildings. It looked to be a very young girl, no older than four years old, who looked rather undernourished. She was wearing a well made Gothic Lolita dress, and had very long, black. The one thing that stuck out most to them was a pair of horns on the top of the child's head, and a long, spaded tail coming from her backside. "Must get away.... can't let them.... catch me," the girl said. The couple was most surprised to hear her accent was similar to that of Cadence's home country of Prance. "Uh, excuse me?" Cadence said to the child. When the child looked up to see the couple, she squeaked, and ducked into an alleyway. The two ponies went after her, as they were worried for her. They saw a box trembling, most likely the child in question, shaking in fear. 'Please don't find me.... please don't find me.....' the girl chanted in her mind. "Uh.... excuse me?" Cadence asked, peering into the box. She got a good look at the child's eyes, which were a brilliant blue, but the whites of her eyes were pitch black. The a small shriek, the girl bolted out of the box, and ran away, only to trip over a small rock, "Oh my goodness,, are you alright?" Cadence quickly rushed over to the child's side, as the girl continued to tremble. "S'il te plait, ne me fais pas de mal. Je ne veux pas d'ennuis" the child said in French. "Ne vous inquiétez pas. Nous ne vous ferons pas de mal," Cadence replied. The girl was surprised to hear the Princess talk in her native tongue. "Y-you speak F-French too?" the child asked. "Indeed I do. Allow me to introduce my self. My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but my friends and family call me Cadence. And this is my husband, Shining Armor," Cadence said, introducing herself and her husband. "M-Mon nom est Mavis Gustou" the child said, introducing herself. "It's very nice to meet you Mavis, but could you tell me why you're out so late?" Cadence asked. "I-I lost mon home, and mon parents," Mavis replied sadly, a few stray tears falling from her eyes. "Oh, you poor dear. If you want, we have plenty of rooms at our place. You could stay there until we find a permanent solution," Cadence offered. Mavis almost immediately shook her head. "N-Non! I don't want to impose on vous!" Mavis replied. "It's fine Mavis. We'd love to have a guest like you stay over," Cadence insisted. Mavis could tell she wasn't being given a choice, so she gave in. "Ok," she said, as she followed the two ponies. They soon arrived at the Crystal Palace, where some guards were standing watch. "Ah, Princess Cadence, and Captain Shining Armor. I trust your night out went well?" one of the guards asked. This caused a heavy lump to well up in Mavis' throat. 'P-P-Princess?! I haven't done anything bad, have I?!' Mavis thought fearfully. "We did. But, if we can ask you to go and prepare a bedroom? We have a guest sleeping over tonight," Cadence requested. The guards then took note of the girl in question, who looked on edge. "At once, Princess," the guard said, as he left to go get a room ready, as Cadence and Shining Armor ushered Mavis into the palace. "Uh, m-maybe I should just leave after all," Mavis quietly said, as she tried to break free, but her scrawny body was powerless against the stronger forms of the two royals. Plus, she knew she wasn't a very fast runner. "I'll go on and check on Guard and Skyla," Shining Armor said. "Very well, and I'll fix Mavis a little something to eat, before I put her to bed," Cadence said, leading Mavis towards the kitchen. Once they arrived, they both saw a familiar kid, fixing himself a sandwich. Mavis instinctively ducked behind a counter. 'Oh non, a human!' she thought fearfully. "Oh, Nathan, making yourself something to eat?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Ah want a little somethin' on mah stomach before Ah hit the hay," Nathan replied. "Well, just nothing too heavy or spicy. You remember what happened last time, right?" Cadence asked. Nathan merely shuddered at what his mother was referring to. Images of him dressed as a Valkyrie, chasing his family around the castle with a mop entered his mind. "Ugh, like ya had ta remind me," Nathan groaned. He then noticed something from behind the counter, "Do we have company?" he asked. Mavis felt her heart drop into her stomach, as Cadence pulled Mavis from behind her hiding spot. "Ah yes. Nathan, this is Mavis. She'll be staying with us for the time being. Mavis, this is Nathan, my and Shining Armor's eldest son," Cadence said, introducing the two. "Hey there, Mavis. Welcome to the Crystal Empire," Nathan said. Mavis only shrunk away when Nathan directly talked to her, "Hmm, a shy one, huh? Well, Ah ain't gonna make her feel uncomfortable, so I'll head back to mah room now," Nathan said, taking his sandwich. He took one last look at Mavis, 'Ah wonder why her eyes are black and has horns?' Nathan wondered, as he left. "Alright Mavis, is there anything you want as far as food?" Cadence asked. "Uh, maybe just some t-toast?" Mavis asked timidly. Cadence nodded, and placed two slices of bread in the toaster. "And would you like anything to drink?" Cadence asked. "M-Maybe some milk?" Mavis asked. Cadence then got out the milk, and poured it into a glass, just as the toast popped out. She placed both slices on a plate, and gave Mavis her requested, albeit meager, meal. Mavis started eating her toast. Once she was done with both slices, she then drank the glass of milk, "Merci," Mavis said. Cadence then took the plate and glass, and put them in the dishwasher. "Now that you've.... more or less.... eaten, lets take you on up to your room," Cadence said, leading Mavis out of the kitchen, and upstairs. As they walked, they passed by Nathan's room, which the door was open. Looking inside, Mavis saw some of Nathan's religious stuff, and shuddered. 'Great, not only is there a human here, but this one is also religious!' Mavis thought to herself, as they arrived at a bedroom that quite a ways down from Nathan's room. "Alright Mavis, would you like to take a bath first? It might help you warm up a bit," Cadence suggested. "Well, o-ok," Mavis agreed. Mavis loved the mere thought of a bath, and she felt like she could go for one right now. "Alright, I'll draw up some water," Cadence said, as she turned the faucets to the bathtub, allowing the water to fill the tub. "P-Princess, would it be okay if I b-bathed alone?" Mavis asked. Cadence was taken aback by the odd request, but could tell Mavis was still on edge. "Of course. I'll be outside if you need me," Cadence said, as she shut off the faucets, and left the bathroom. Mavis then began to undress. As she did, a small pair of bat like wings emerged from her back. She then crawled into the tub. "Mmm, this feels nice," Mavis said, as she began to wash herself. She lathered up her hair, before she uses the showerhead to rinse. She was able to get it thanks to a small usage of magic. Once she was done bathing, she opened the plug, and let the water flow out, as she crawled out of the bathtub. She dried herself off, and redressed herself. She then exited the bathroom. "Enjoy your bath?" Cadence asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, as Cadence ushered Mavis over to the bed. "We're planning to have a trip to my sister in law's home tomorrow. We'd love it if you'd join us," Cadence offered. "W-Well, if you insist," Mavis replied, as she crawled into bed. "You'll love it down there, I promise," Cadence said, tucking Mavis into bed. Planting a small kiss on the girl's head, Cadence left her to sleep, "Pleasant dreams," she said, closing the door behind her. Once Cadence was gone, Mavis then took off her dress, leaving her in only her undies. "I do love mon dress, but it's not exactly good for sleeping in," Mavis said, as she tossed it to a nearby chair, before falling asleep. As Cadence walked back to her bedroom, she was approached by Nathan, "Heading on back to your room for the night, I take it?" Cadence asked. "Yep. Just got done takin' the plate back ta the kitchen. So, how's Mavis?" Nathan asked. "Well, she took a bath, and is now sleeping," Cadence replied. "Well, that's good. On that note, what's the deal with her horns and eyes? Is she wearin' costume pieces or somethin'?" Nathan asked. "I don't know, but what I do know is that she has a spaded tail, and it looked real enough to me and your father," Cadence replied. "Well, Ah suppose it's somethin' else entirely. But it ain't our place to judge," Nathan said, as he left for his room. Cadence then entered hers and Shining Armor's room. "I take it you heard what I told Nathan?" Cadence asked, as she slipped behind a changing screen. "I did. It is strange that a girl her age would be wearing costume pieces like that, especially contacts that turn the whites of your eyes pitch black," Shining Armor replied, as Cadence joined him in bed. "Well, all we can do is let Mavis tell us at her own pace. It wouldn't be a good idea to force it out of her," Cadence replied. "True,' Shining Armor replied. "And I did invite her on our trip to Ponyville tomorrow," Cadence added. "Ah, good. It would probably do her a lot of good to meet other kids around her age," Shining Armor said, as they shut off their lamps, and went to sleep.
Demon (Part 3)The group had just left the castle, and were heading towards Carousel Boutique, to ask Rarity to make some more clothes for Mavis, "Ok Mavis, our first stop is to get you some more clothes. It must be uncomfortable wearing the same dress all the time," Cadence said. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk. Eventually, they arrived at the Boutique. Twilight then knocked on the door. Moments later, it opened up to reveal Rarity. "Ah, Twilight. What brings you here today?" Rarity asked, noticing the Crystal Family. "Well, I was wondering if you were busy? See, Shining Armor and I found this little one last night, wandering the streets of the Crystal Empire, all alone. We intend to let her stay with us for the time being, but if we do, she may want a change of clothes," Cadence explained. "Ah, of course. Well, you caught me at an excellent time. I actually have a free schedule, so I can fill your order. Can I ask for the little darling to step into my studio?" Rarity asked "Of course. Come along now Mavis," Cadence said, ushering Mavis into the boutique. "Now then, darling, just stand over here, while I get your measurements," Rarity requested, motioning to a spot in front of some mirrors. "Uh, ok," Mavis replied nervously, as she stood where Rarity had requested. Rarity then went to work, getting Mavis' measurements, and writing them down, "Raise your arms, please," Rarity said, as Mavis raised her arms, as requested. Rarity then measured them out, "Ok, that will do. I will get to work on some outfits right away," Rarity said, as she went into her work area. "Alright Mavis, while she's doing that, why don't we go look around Ponyville some more?" Twilight suggested. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as they all left. They soon made their way over to Sugarcube Corner. Cadence figured Mavis should have some kind of treat to help her feel more calm. They soon arrived at the bake shop. "Alright Mavis, this here is Sugarcube Corner. As you can probably tell by the name, this place is a sweets shop. What do you say to having a little something sweet to eat?" Cadence offered. Mavis immediately became uncomfortable again. She didn't really want anything sweet. She wanted to maintain her svelte physique. "N-No offense, Princesse, but I would much rather try to keep my thin figure," Mavis timidly replied. "Well, if that's what you want, then we won't force you," Cadence stated. "M-Merci," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk around. Later, that night, It was night time when they all were back at the castle, settling in for the night. Rarity and the others came by the castle, mainly just to drop off Mavis' new clothes, "I hope she likes them," Rarity said, giving Cadence a bag full to the brim with new clothes. "I'm sure she will. I'll go have her try some on," Cadence said, as she took the bag from Rarity, and made her way to find Mavis. She eventually found the young girl in the common room, hanging out with the other children. Though, the girl in question kept her distance. This behavior was quite puzzling to Cadence. "Mavis, the clothes Rarity made for you are ready. Would you like to go try some on?" Cadence asked, holding the bag. "O-Ok," Mavis replied, as Cadence led her out of the room, and towards the young girl's room. Once there, Mavis pulled the changing screen in front of Mavis, before giving the child the bag of clothes. Mavis then undressed, allowing her bat like wings to spread freely. She sighed silently in relief at the feel of it. She then proceeded to put on one of the outfits. She then folded her wings as best she could, as she slipped on the first outfit, which consisted of a light blue tank top, and white short shorts. She then emerged from behind the screen. The bulge from her wings was still visible, but she didn't know it was. "So, how does it feel?" Cadence asked. "It feels... lovely," Mavis replied quietly. Cadence then noticed the bulge on Mavis' back. "Is there something on your back?" Cadence asked. Mavis then looked in the mirror, and to her horror, there was the bulge from her wings, "If I were to venture a guess, does that bulge have anything to do with wings?" she asked. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, sounding dejected, feeling like she was found out for something bad. "Well, maybe it would be a good idea to ask Rarity for some alterations. At least to your shirts," Cadence suggested. "O-Oui," Mavis replied. She then looked up to Cadence, "Princesse, I need to tell you something," she said. "Yes?" Cadence asked. "You see, I am not human. I am actual a demon," Mavis replied. "An actual, for real one?" Cadence asked, surprised at the confession. "Oui, but you don't have to worry! I don't eat souls or anything! I am morally objected to it," Mavis quickly replied. "Ok. I have a lot of questions, but it's late right at the moment, and I'm sure the others will have questions too, so why don't we pick this up in the morning?" Cadence asked. Mavis thought about it for a moment. After her most recent experience with humans prior to coming to Equestria, she wasn't exactly comfortable, or fond of humans. And it didn't help that she knew Nathan practiced religion. "W-well, I am not too fond of humans, especially the ones that are religious. But if you say I should, then I shall," Mavis replied. "I'm not forcing you to, but you should know that the others will have to know sooner or later. And you needn't worry about Nathan. He may worship Christianity, but he is a nice boy," Cadence replied. "That may be so, but religions and demon kind..... they go together about as well as..... hellfire and snowballs," Mavis explained. "Well, I'm sure he'll understand. I'll explain things to him and the others, so all you need to worry about is getting some sleep tonight," Cadence replied. "W-well, ok," Mavis replied, as she went back behind the changing tent, and took off her new clothes, setting them with her dress. She then emerged, only in her undies, as she went over to the bed, and crawled into bed. "Try to have pleasant dreams, sweetie," Cadence said, planting a small kiss on Mavis' forehead, before leaving the young girl to sleep, the room illuminated by the light of the moon, shining through the window. Cadence then looked at Mavis' clothes, and she decided to take them to Rarity for alterations. The next morning, Mavis was sleeping soundly, as sunshine peered in through the windows. Just then, Cadence then gingerly entered the room, making her way over to the sleeping child. In her hands, was the bag, containing Mavis' clothes, including her dress. Cadence had asked Rarity to make alterations for Mavis' wings. She then looked over the small form of Mavis, as she continued sleeping softly. Cadence almost couldn't bring herself to disrupt such a cute sight, but she knew the morning was going to be eventful, and Mavis needed to be present for it, "Mavis, it's morning sweetie. Time to wake up," Cadence said, gently nudging Mavis, who began to stir in her sleep. "Mmm, morning already?" Mavis asked, sounding groggy. "Yes, it is. Now come and get dressed. We're having breakfast in the dining room," Cadence said, placing the outfit Mavis tried on last night on the side of the bed. Mavis then begrudgingly sat up, and got out of bed, taking the outfit Cadence picked out, and went behind the changing screen. She then proceeded to get dressed, which included holes for her wings, "How do they feel now?" Cadence asked. "Much better. It was a little cramped trying to keep mon wings folded under the shirt," Mavis replied, stepping out from behind. Now her wings were fully spread from her back. "Well, that's good. Now that you're dressed, shall we join the others for breakfast?" Cadence asked. Mavis knew what this meant, as she felt a lump form in her stomach. But she knew that what Cadence said was true. The others would find out about her demonic nature sooner or later, so it may as well as be sooner. "Ok. Let's get it over with," Mavis replied, not really thrilled about coming clean about being a demon. both she and Cadence left the bedroom. "Now don't worry your sweet, little head. I'll be there to back you up all through the breakfast," Cadence reassured, as they descended the stairs. They soon arrived at the dining room, where the others, including the rest of Twilight's friends and their families, were all having breakfast. "Ah, Cadence, with little Mavis in tow. How'd the little one sleep last night?" Rarity asked. "I'd say she slept rather well. Thanks again for making the alterations to her outfits," Cadence replied. "It was no trouble at all, darling. Though I was a bit taken aback at being told that she had wings like Nathan," Rarity commented, as both Cadence and Mavis took their seats, with Mavis sitting between Cadence and Twilight, still not to comfortable with being near humans. "Well, that's all because Mavis, believe it or not, is an actual demon," Cadence stated. An awkward silence hung in the room. "Wait, she's a really for real demon? Like, the kind that take souls in exchange for various deals and such?" Kelly asked. "Well, Mavis told me she's morally against taking souls," Cadence replied. "Is this true Mavis?" Nyx asked. "Oui. I was born from a human father and a succubus mother," Mavis replied. "That's.... so..... AWESOME!" Kelly exclaimed. "Wait, really?" Mavis asked, surprised none of them were freaking out. "Well, if ya ain't a soul stealin' demon, then we ain't got nothin' ta fear," Nathan replied. Mavis still seemed wary of trusting Nathan, but was now relieved that she had nothing to fear from the humans. "So, what basically can you do, as a demon?" Twilight asked. "Well, I can breathe hellfire, place powerful curses on others, summon other demons using pentagrams, and some other things. However, I am not very good at any of those things just yet," Mavis replied. She then went on to explain how things worked in the Demon Kingdom.
Demon (Part 4)Time passed on, as Mavis got more used to Equestria. She just recently got adopted by Cadence and Shining Armor as their daughter, so she could remain a permanent resident in the Crystal Empire. However, things weren't all going good for Mavis, as during a trip to an Aquarium, she was kidnapped by Prince Blueblood's gang of revenge seeking ponies, all of whom had a bone to pick with Twilight and friends. While in captivity, Mavis labeled Blueblood as a bitch. However, their plans well through, as the Alicorn's Wish Elite had arrived to liberate Mavis. However, Mavis fell down a cliff into the raging river, and got swept downstream, where she came across the extremely curvy Nymphs, before she arrived back at the Crystal Empire. Later, she got kidnapped by King Sombra, who also wanted to use Mavis as a hostage to gain control of the Crystal Empire. However, the evil unicorn underestimated Mavis' prowess as a demon, as she managed to escape without too much trouble. "Sucks to be you, BITCH!" Mavis yelled, flipping off Sombra. "Why you.... get back here!" Sombra roared, as he turned into his mist form, and charged at Mavis, who summoned a pentagram shield, which, for the most part, was able to block the ex-king's advance, but since Mavis was not skilled in magic of any kind, she was pushed back to the edge of the cliff. "Uh oh," Mavis commented, as she looked down at the raging river below. She then noticed the rock formations around the river, and recognized it as the river where she fell into when she escaped from Blueblood. "Now, are you going to behave, or do I have to be.... uncivilized?" Sombra growled. "I pick door number trois," Mavis replied, as she slid down the cliff. The good news was that Sombra was unable to follow after her, since the river in the mountain range was protected by a magic that he could not bypass. The bad news is that Mavis did not think things through, as she fell through a briar patch, which tore her clothes to shreds. She had little time to be embarrassed, as she fell into the river, hit her head on a rock, knocking her out, as she floated downstream. "No! I can't loose this chance!" Sombra roared, as he shot a beam of his dark magic at Mavis. A little bit entered her mouth, as she continued to float further away from Sombra. She eventually washed up on shore at the base of a mountain, in front of a cave. A mysterious figure came and brought her into the cave. Later, in the Nymph Grotto, When Mavis finally came to, she saw she was inside some sort of temple. She attempted to sit up, only for a sharp pain to keep her down. Looking down, she saw she was only covered up by bandages. She was embarrassed about being naked, but was glad she had something covering her up for the most part. Just then, she could hear someone coming towards her. Her first instinct was to run away, but she was in too much pain to even move. She then saw who was coming in, and was in shock and awe. It was a trio of women in rather small bikinis, that held curves, much larger than Mavis had ever seen. She immediately recognized Cosmo and Marina, as she met them previously, but was unfamiliar with the third one. She wore a white bikini, with a little nurse's hat, and had lime green hair. "Oh my goodness!" the green haired woman said, immediately rushing to Mavis' side, "How are you feeling sweetie?" she asked. "I have been better," Mavis cautiously replied. "Well, let me help you out," the woman said, as she conjured a ball of green light. She then placed it on Mavis' belly, where it immediately sunk in. In a moment, Mavis could no longer feel any pain, "Now how do you feel?" she asked. "A lot better. Merci," Mavis said, as she slowly sat up. "You're very welcome, but try to take it easy, ok? You don't want to push yourself," the woman said. "O-Ok," Mavis said, as she finally sat all the way up, "If it is not too much trouble asking, where am I?" Mavis asked. "Why, you're in the northern Nymph Grotto, sweetie, just a little ways North of the Crystal Empire," Cosmo replied. "We found you washed up on shore just outside the grotto," Marina said. "Really?" Mavis asked. She then took a moment to recollect herself. She remembered escaping from King Sombra, then falling into the river below his hideout, and hitting her head, "Ah yes, now I remember," Mavis commented. "So, if we may ask, how did you wind up on the beach outside the grotto in your birthday suit?" Tabby asked, looking over Mavis' tiny form, making sure there weren't any lingering injuries she missed. Mavis took a moment to compose herself, still feeling shaken up from the ordeal, as she explained everything to the three Nymphs. Needless to say, they were all shocked at hearing the name "Sombra" after some many years. "Sombra..... never thought I would ever hear that detestable name again," Tabby commented. "I'm amazed you were able to get away..... relatively ok," Marina said. "Well, I may be a demon, but I am not very good at magic," Mavis replied. "I must say, we always thought demons to be brutish monsters, no offense, but you have wonderful manners, and are very polite," Cosmo commented. "None taken," Mavis replied, all the while, staring at each of the Nymph's massive breasts. This did not go unnoticed by the Nymphs. "Is something wrong, Mavis?" Cosmo asked. "Non, it's just..... where I come from, more than half of the population consists of demons. Among these demons are succubi, much like mon Maman," Mavis began. "Yes, we've heard of succubi. They seduce males into doing whatever they want, or feed off their essence. What about it?" Tabby asked. "Well...... the succubi that live in the Demon Kingdom have very nice figures, but they all pale in comparison to the three of you," Mavis replied. "Really, now?" Marina asked. "Oui. None of the succubi I know have boobies, thighs, or tushies as big as yours," Mavis replied. She then realized what she said, then got a little flustered, "N-Not that you're fat or anything! F-Far from it!" she quickly said. "Relax young one. We're not offended in the least. If anything, we're quite flattered you would say that," Tabby said, gently patting Mavis' head. "Well, if you feel like you're up to it? Would you like to come meet the rest of our sisters?" Cosmo offered. Mavis, with the help of Tabby, slowly got to her feet. Her legs still felt a little wobbly, but Tabby let Mavis use her as a crutch, as she and her sisters walked Mavis to the next room. There, Mavis met Wanda, Kat, Yuki, Sky, and Dana. Mavis was amazed at Dana's extra thicc body, as they were the largest curves she had seen in her life. Kat then told Mavis that they had a sister in the Southern Nymph grotto with body that was way more thicc than Dana's. "So Mavis, I'm sure Cosmo told you about our offer to you. Would you like to train under us to become a Nymph yourself?" Wanda asked. "It does sound lovely, but I would need permission from Maman. She's the ruler of the Crystal Empire," Mavis replied. "Well, I guess we could just send her a message then," Wanda said, writing down a note. She then called over a bird, rolled up the note, and gave it to the bird, "Take this to Princess Cadence, please," she asked of the bird, who then took the note, and flew out of the grotto. "In the mean time, why don't we get something warm for you to eat? You must still be feeling cold," Dana offered. "That.... would be lovely," Mavis replied. Soon, Cadence and others arrived at the Nymph Grotto, and gave her consent for Mavis to train under the Nymphs. And Mavis did so, learning how to use magic a little better. Though, given how young she was, she couldn't use magic for very long. But her teachers assured her that she would get better at magic when she gets older. However, nothing could prepare Mavis, or any of her friends or family for the horrors that would soon befall Equestria.
Demon (Part 5)Time went on, and it was finally time for the most anticipated holiday: Hearth's Warming. When Mavis first learned of this celebration, she immediately became unnerved, as she wasn't too comfortable with getting presents or having treats. However, Cadence reassured her that they would respect her wishes about getting presents. When it was time to go for the party in Canterlot, Mavis still had reservations about the whole celebration, but was still willing to partake in it. She met her grandparents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, who were both ecstatic and shocked to learn that Mavis was a demon, but still accepted her as part of the family. Then the time came for the party at Canterlot Castle. Using the amulet she got from her mentors, she was able to call them, and have them show up to the party, where they all met Mavis' other friends and family. Things were going well, right up until a cult of religious extremists from Mavis' Earth attacked the party, and took her, and all her friends, the Nymphs included, and took them back to their world. Right now, the leader of said cult was contemplating what to do. "Hmm, first, we should have them bath in Holy Water, as to wash off the sinful filth of that demon girl. Then, we can destroy that monster," Marcus said, taking a sip of some herbal tea. Just then, another cultist came in, looking rather frantic. "Brother Marcus.... the demon and the heretics," the cultist said, sounding exasperated. "Yes? What about them? Have those heathens decided to come to our side willingly?" Marcus asked. "No.... they've escaped!" the cultist replied. Marcus did a spit take. "WHAT?!" Marcus yelled, which caused everyone in their "temple", which was really just an abandoned warehouse, to freeze up, "How did they escape!?" he yelled. "Well.... you see, what happened was this," the cultist said, waving his hands around, while making warping sounds, as they went into a flashback. 10 Minutes ago, Mavis was kept in a separate cage, while her friends were all being held in one big cage in the middle of the room. Her friends were all considered blasphemous sinners for making friends with a demon. They were also going to put Josh, Crystal, and the others on trial for using magic that was not being used for smiting Mavis, "Is there anyway we can get out of here?" Kelly asked, looking around, trying to find a way out. "Hmm," Wanda hummed, looking at the bars of the cage, "The magic enforcing these bars is..... relatively weak. My guess, is that since it's borrowed magic from King Sombra, these cultists don't know how to use it properly. We may be able to break through and out," she explained. "But we would have to make our escape quickly. Is there any way out?" Sasha asked, as she and the others looked around. Then, Mike saw an open window that looked big enough for all of them to fit through. "How about there?" he asked, pointing to the window. "Could work, but there's a slight problem with that," Applebloom replied, motioning to the Nymphs. "Well, it was a thought," Mike sighed. "Actually, we Nymphs are more than just hot bods. Our magic allows us to tap into the power of nature, including animal transformation," Marina said, as she and her sisters all turned themselves into rabbits. "Well, we got a plan for all of us to get out easily. Now, we just need to break out," Toby commented. Daria reverted back to her normal form. "Leave that to me!" she said, pulling out a war hammer from.... somewhere, and smashed it into the cage door, destroying it completely. "What's going on in there?!" they could hear one of the cultists coming. "Oh crud! I forgot about that!" Mike exclaimed. "Not to worry," Wanda said, as she used her magic to raised large boulders from the ground, blocking one entrance, while Yuki froze the other one, "That won't stop them for long. Daria, could you break Mavis out? We'll see about getting the young ones out," she requested. "No problem," Daria said, as she went to town on Mavis' cage. Meanwhile, the Nymphs were all helping the kids out of the window, while the cultists kept ramming the door. Daria was soon able to break open the cage, and got Mavis out of the cage, "Hurry now, child," Daria said, as she helped Mavis out the window. Daria then turned into a squirrel, and climbed out of the window. And just in time too, as the cultists were able to break through the blockades. "Where are the sinners?!" one of the cultists exclaimed, seeing the cages were empty. Another cultist saw that a window was open. Going over, and looking outside, they saw the group running into the forest. Wanda then stomped on the ground, summoning a massive wall of stone around the back of the warehouse, preventing them from giving chase, at least for the time being, "No! Marcus is going to be furious!" he exclaimed. Realtime, ".... How do you know what they did if you weren't in the room?" Marcus asked. "You don't want to know," the cultist replied. "Well, in any case, where did they go?" Marcus asked. "They were heading into the forest. The one where we believe the gateway to the Demon Kingdom is located," the cultist replied. Marcus then stroked his chin, in a thinking manner. "Hmm, this may prove useful," he said. Meanwhile, with the Equestria Friends, The friends all decided to take a quick break to catch their breaths, "Those guys..... are not...... good enough...... to be considered...... a religious group," Nathan said, in between breaths. "Those cultists have some nerve. Twisting and perverting a good thing for their own selfish purposes," Wanda commented. "So, where do we go from here?" Kelly asked. Mavis then looked around. "Something, Mavis?" Sky asked. "This forest, I think the gateway to the Demon Kingdom is somewhere in this forest," Mavis replied, looking around. "Do you think they'll let us take shelter there?" Crystal asked. "Oui. Many humans have made their residences in the Kingdom. Mainly because some demons can't have kids with one another," Mavis replied. "Well, do you know how to find it?" Dana asked. "I think so. All I do know about the gateway is that it is in a big cave," Mavis replied. "Do you know which way?" Crystal asked. "I can faintly pick up on a large amount of demon mana, and it is fairly close," Mavis replied, as she walked in further into the forest, followed closely by her peer group. Eventually, the arrived at a cave, "The mana is strongest here," she commented, as they entered. "What's this 'mana' that you keep talking about?" Melody asked. "In short, from what I understand, its a type of magic that many monster species' wield," Mavis replied, as she conjured a fire ball, and tossed it at a torch. Once lit, a whole bunch of other torches lit up, one right after the other, illuminating the cave. Once they could see things better, the group saw something that looked like a gateway. "Is that it?" Toby asked. "Oui. Now, if I can ask you all to stand back, I'm going to try and open the gate, and things might get a little...... intense," Mavis requested. As she wished, her friends all backed away, giving Mavis plenty of room. Once Mavis got herself situated, she then began chanting something in some sort of demonic language. As she chanted, the torch flames turned a sinister purple, and started flowing into the gateway. Eventually, the flames formed into a portal. From the other side, came what looked to be a teenage girl in a rather.... immodest outfit. Mavis' friends could see the woman had curled horns and a long, spaded tail, just like Mavis does. "Who opened the gateway to the Demon Kingdom?" the demoness asked. "Uh.... I did?" Mavis meekly replied, catching the demoness' attention. She looked around, and saw Mavis' friends from Equestria. "A demon, still in the human world?" the demoness questioned. "Well, I was a survivor from when the human cultists attacked our city a while back," Mavis replied, still sounding meek. "And I take it these humans and..... human like creatures are friends?" the demoness asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "We just escaped from the cult, and need shelter until our friends from our dimension arrive," Wanda added. "I see. Well, it just so happens that the Demon Queen is very hospitable, and is more than likely to accommodate you all. And you don't have to worry. The Demon Kingdom is not in Hell, so none of the demons there feed on souls or essence," the demoness said. "They don't?" Connor asked. "Nope. Instead, we feed on typical human fare," the demoness said, stepping out of the way, "Now, proceed through this portal. I'll follow after you all to make sure it's closed," the demoness said. One by one, Mavis and her friends all entered through the portal, with the demon girl going through last. Once on the other side, the Equestria Friends all beheld the Demon Kingdom, which, admittedly, looks pretty much like a normal city, apart from the massive castle in the center of town. "Whoa," was all Toby could say. "This is really where you're from, Mavis?" Dana asked. "Oui. The barrier between the Kingdom and the Human world can only be opened by chanting that spell you heard me do," Mavis replied. "However, doing this collapses the barrier just long enough for someone to enter or leave," the demoness added. "So it's back up?" Nathan asked. "Yep," the demoness replied. "Well, that's good," Wanda commented. "Indeed. Let me take you to see the Queen. I'm sure she'll want to meet with all of you," the demoness said, leading them into town. Author's Note Here are bios on the various monster species found in the Demon Kingdom, Demon: Basic resident. They have superior strength, speed, and agility as compared to even the strongest of humans. However, males rarely take on human form, the same of which cannot be said for the females, as they always take on a humanoid form. They are capable of casting curses or hexes, as well as possess humans, and breath hellfire Succubus: A Dream demon that invokes powerful feelings of lust in men. They love to dress in less than modest outfits to help seduce men without the use of their powers. However, if need be, they can use spells called "Seduce" or "Charm" to get humans to do whatever they want. There are male counterparts called Incubi, who are basically capable of the same thing, but only to women. Ironically, neither Succubi or Incubi can have children with one another, so they require human partners. The tips of their tails have needle like appendages, which allows them to administer a small, but very powerful aphrodisiac to both humans and other monster species Imp: Low ranking demons, Imps are at the very bottom of the barrel. They're capable of anything Demons are able to do, but with only half the amount of power, sometimes less than that. They like to make pests of themselves, causing trouble for both humans and Demons alike.
Centaur (Part 3)Twilight was busy getting things ready for the arrival of her family from the Crystal Empire. She had the guest rooms prepared for the few days they would be staying in Ponyville, "Ooh! They should be here any minute!" she squealed. It was then that she heard knocking coming from the front door. Twilight then quickly made her way to the door, and opened it, reveal the Crystal Family. Cadence and Twilight did their normal greeting, before embracing, "I hope the trip wasn't too draining on you guys," Twilight said, breaking away from the hug. "None at all. The Crystal Express is the fastest passenger train in all of Equestria," Cadence replied. "Twiley, we brought along a guest with us," Shining Armor added, motioning to Mavis, as she wheeled herself in. "A centaur?" Twilight asked in surprise. She remembered how Tirek was when it came to the ponies, but it appeared that this young centaur was nothing like the evil magic siphoning tyrant. "Yes. We found her last night when we came back from a night out on the town. She had some kind of injury to her leg, which is why she's on this crutch scooter," Cadence explained. Twilight then noticed the young centaur's leg, and how it was wrapped in gauze, "And before you ask, no, she can't drain magic like Tirek can," she quickly added. Twilight took this information in, and carefully approached her, as not to make the girl feel threatened. "Hello sweetie, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, but please, call me Twilight," she carefully introduced herself. "B-Bonjour," Mavis quietly replied, quickly avoiding eye contact. "She seems very well mannered, but shy," Twilight commented. "She's not very talkative, and has hardly said much since last night," Cadence explained. "We were thinking bringing her to Ponyville could help her to relax around us," Shining Armor added. "True. Perhaps meeting our friends will help her out. Let me show you all to your rooms, then we can head out," Twilight said. "Ok. Mavis sweetie, we're going to go with Twilight to find our rooms, then we'll be back for todays outing. You can come with us to find your room, or you can stay here if want. Your choice," Cadence said. "O-Ok, I will just stay here then," Mavis replied, wheeling herself off to the side. Twilight then proceeded to show the Crystal Family to their rooms. "Twilight, could you possibly give Mavis a room that's close my and Shining Armor's room? I'd rather her not be too far from me if she feels scared," Cadence requested. "Of course! She seems to trust you most of all," Twilight replied, as she let them all unpack, and returned to the foyer, where the young centaur was waiting. "By the way, where are Josh and the rest?" Nathan asked. "They had some things that needed taking care of, so they couldn't stay," Twilight replied. "I see. Well, maybe we can meet up with them in town," Cadence said, as they all exited the castle, with Shining Armor helping Mavis down the stairs, setting the scooter on the ground. "We should probably head to the guild first. Raiden's new invention may be able to help out with Mavis' leg," Twilight suggested. "Good call," Cadence said, as they began to make their way to the guild hall. Along the way, Mavis felt more uncomfortable because of the stares she was getting from the townsfolk, some of them being dirty looks. The dirty looks the townsfolk were giving Mavis didn't go unnoticed by Cadence and the others. "Actually, it'll be faster this way," Twilight said, as she teleported them out of town, and in front of the guild hall. Mavis looked at the guild hall in awe, "Impressive, right? It used to be a castle before it got turned into a guild," Twilight explained, as they entered the gates. Mavis paled at the sight of multiple humans among the grounds. One of them, she saw exiting the castle, and coming towards them. It was Eliza, one of the S Ranked Members. "'Ello there, Princess. What brings ye ta our neck o' the woods?" Eliza asked. "Hello Eliza. Is Raiden in right now?" Twilight asked. "Aye. He's in his lab, workin' on some experiment," Eliza replied. Then she took notice of Mavis, who immediately flinched at being looked at, "Who's this wee lassie?" the Scottish girl asked. "This is Mavis. We were hoping to talk to Raiden about an injury she somehow got on her leg," Cadence replied. "Ah. Well, do nae let me stop ye from your plans," Eliza said, as she left the guild grounds. "Well, come along Mavis. We'll go and get you fixed up," Twilight said, as they all entered the Guild Hall. Once inside, Twilight went over to where Silver was working the drink counter, giving some soda floats to some of the guild members. "Ah, Twilight. What brings you here?" Silver asked. "Hello Silver. Would it be alright if we went to see Raiden? We have a guest with us with an injured leg," Twilight asked. "Oh sure. His lab is down the hall, second set of double doors on the right," Silver replied. "Thank you," Twilight said, as she led her family from the Crystal Empire down the hall to Raiden's lab. Twilight then carefully knocked on the door. "It's open!" she heard Raiden call out. They then proceeded to enter the lab, where they saw Raiden working on some kind of experiment, "Well, that's a bust," he grumbled, before turning to the family, "Ah, Twilight, and Cadence and Shining Armor too. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" the thunder teen asked. "Well, we were hoping you had something to help with healing injuries," Cadence replied, motioning to Mavis, who flinched at being observed by Raiden. "A centaur? I thought Equestria didn't get along with centaurs?" Raiden asked. "Well, it's just with Tirek. He's the only centaur to ever show malice towards Equestria, and wants to make the magic of every pony his own," Twilight replied. "I see. Well, you're in luck. I have just the thing. But I'll have to ask this young one to lay down on this table here," Raiden said, motioning to an examination table. "Ok. Mavis, this nice young man is just going to look at your leg, and try and make it better, ok?" Cadence said to Mavis. "O-Ok," Mavis quietly replied, as Cadence helped her up onto the table. Raiden came over with a device that appeared to look like a giant bubble wand. "Ok Mavis, I want you to try and extend your injured leg. This invention of mine will take care of the rest," Raiden said, activating the device. "O-Ok," Mavis was more on edge, being this close to a human. Raiden fed Mavis' injured leg through the device, taking it all the way up to her lower torso. He then brought it back down. Mavis no longer felt the pain from the injury. "Is there any tenderness still?" Raiden asked, examining the young centaur's leg. Mavis flinched from being touched, pulling away from him. "Sorry about that, but Mavis doesn't seem to keen on being near humans," Cadence apologized to Raiden. "Hmm, based on her mannerisms, it does seem like she had a traumatic experience of some kind," Raiden observed. "Can you recommend any actions we should take? Mavis doesn't seem like the type case like you, or the rest of the humans were," Twilight asked quietly, as Cadence and Shining Armor helped Mavis off the table. "Hmm, the best thing you can do for her is to give her time and space from the other human kids until she's warmed up to them," Raiden recommended the best course of action he could think of. "Well, it may take a long time, but things like this do take time," Twilight replied. "Indeed. Try not to force her into things she doesn't want to do. Let her do her own things at her own pace," Raiden advised. "We will. Thank you for helping us out," Cadence said, as they all left. "No problem. And if you ever need any more help, you can always come by," Raiden said. "Well, now that Mavis' leg is healed up, maybe the next stop should be to get her some more clothes. It must be uncomfortable wearing the same dress all the time," Shining Armor suggested. "Good call. What do you say, Mavis? Want to get a few more outfits?" Cadence offered. "W-Well, I certainly would like some more outfits," Mavis replied. "Then we have the perfect place to take you for new outfits!" Twilight said, as the group left the guild hall, and made their way to the center of town.
Centaur (Part 4)Mavis did not like the looks she was getting from the townsfolk. They all looked at her with disgust and distrust. For this reason, Cadence had Mavis walk between her and Shining Armor, as to protect the young centaur. They soon arrived at their destination, Carousel Boutique, and Mavis could finally relax. Twilight then knocked on the door, "Rarity? Are you home?" Twilight called out. "Just a minute!" Rarity's voice sang, as she opened the door, "Ah, Twilight! And i see Princess Cadence..." "Please, just 'Cadence' is fine," Cadence said, interrupting Rarity, before looking apologetically at the fashionista. "Ah, right. It's just since your a princess and everything," Rarity explained herself. "It's quite alright," Cadence replied. "So, what brings you all to my humble abode?" Rarity asked, suddenly noticing Mavis, "Twilight, is that....?" Twilight cut her off. "Yes, she is a centaur. Could we take this inside? We can explain things better," Twilight said. Rarity then allowed them all into the Boutique. Inside, they saw the rest of the Mane Six. all hanging out inside. "Howdy there guys," Applejack said, as they all filed into the shop. "Hey everyone. What's going on?" Twilight asked. "We've been hearing rumors of a centaur in town," Rainbow Dash replied, eyeing Mavis, "Although, she doesn't seem to be much of a threat," she observed a bit ruder than intended. Mavis felt more pressure and unease. "I know she's a centaur, but from what I've seen, she can't use magic," Twilight replied. "Centaurs can't use magic. We are, how you say, a warrior race. Well, some of us are," Mavis quietly stated, just loud enough for them to hear her. "Well, if can't take any o' our magic, then she's alright in mah book," Applejack commented. "Are relations between Equestria and the Centaur kingdom really that bad?" Nathan asked. "Not so much the kingdom itself, but Equestria's views on Centaur kind are.... not the best because of Tirek's most recent rampage," Cadence explained. "That's right. As a result, ponies aren't exactly onboard with the idea of forming relations with King Vorak, on account that he's Tirek's father. In fact, there was even an Equestria wide petition to keep from ever forming friendly relations with the Centaur Kingdom," Twilight added. "I am sorry if mon presence is offensive to your people," Mavis timidly apologized. "No, no Mavis, it's not your fault," Cadence quickly said. "That's right Mavis. Ponies just don't trust what they don't understand," Twilight added. "As long as we all like ya, that should be all that matters," Nathan added. Mavis flinched a bit when Nathan spoke to her directly, stumbling a bit, but Cadence helped her get her balance. "Now that we got that all out of the way, Rarity, if it's not asking too much, could I ask for you to make a few outfits for Mavis?" Cadence asked. "Of course! Step this way, Mavis, so I can get your measurements," Rarity requested, leading Mavis into the next room. Within moments, Mavis trotted out, and went back over to Cadence, "I'll try to have these outfits to you by nighttime," Rarity said, as she went to work. "In the meantime, Mavis, there's lots to show you around town. We can all show you around," Twilight said, as they left the Boutique. However, upon exiting, they were met with an angry mob of townsfolk, accompanied by Naomi, Stealth, Brian, and Icezer. "Is there something we can help you all with?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, these guys had sent a request for some of the Guild Members regarding a Centaur," Brian replied. "Centaurs have no place in Equestria!" one of the townsfolk exclaimed. "GET HER OUT OF HERE!" a familiar pony, in the form of Spoiled Rich, added. "Has this Centaur done anything bad to provoke the townsfolk?" Icezer asked. "No, of course not! If anything, Mavis is more nervous about being in Equestria than the townsfolk are being hateful towards her," Cadence replied. "Princess Cadence, with all due respect, you should know that Centaurs are NOT to be trusted. After all, this one could be just like Tirek, if not worse!" Spoiled Rich proclaimed. "Now hold on, is there any proof to your claims?" Stealth asked, looking at the pony who hired him, his brothers, and his girlfriend. "We're not going to do anything unless we have irrefutable, positive proof, as per our regulations," Naomi added, crossing her arms. "She's a Centaur! Centaurs drain magic of ponies! What more proof do you need?!" Spoiled Rich screeched. "Well, evidence that she HAS drained someone's magic is a start," Brian snarled, not liking the bratty mare's racist attitude towards an innocent child. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! You would rather risk OUR safety, just because you want proof?! ARE YOU ALL CRAZY OR SOMETHING?!" Spoiled Rich screeched even louder, some of the windows nearby breaking. "Right.... the mare who's being racist because of one villain's actions is calling US crazy," Icezer shot back sarcastically. "Alright, break it up everyone!" Twilight said, getting between the townsfolk and the mutants, "Look, as one of the four Princesses of Equestria, I can personally vouch for Mavis. She has done nothing to harm anyone, nor has she done anything to deserve such unacceptable behavior!" she proclaimed. "Twilight is right. We're not going to do this request. In fact, we're taking this up with our brother to have this request banned completely from the Guild Request Board," Brian said, as the mutants left. "Wait! I'm paying you by the hour to complete this request!" Spoiled Rich yelled, only for Brian to flip her off, "I cannot believe this! I'll sue the guild! I have the best lawyers money can buy!" she ranted. "Your case won't hold up in court," Shining Armor said, getting everyone's attention, "It's just like they said.... you have no evidence that Mavis has or will siphon off magic. That's the only crucial evidence you need for us to send her back to where she came from. Besides, Mavis told us she can't use magic," he stated, turning his attention to the crowd, "And if ANY of you have problems or complaints about this child, then you take it up with us!" he yelled with drill sergeant authority. This made the crowd disperse rather quickly, leaving Spoiled Rich all alone. "Well? You want to try making anymore baseless accusations against a child?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes. Throwing her arms up into the air, Spoiled Rich stormed off. "Sorry about that, Mavis. Ever since another centaur by the name of Tirek tried to conquer Equestria, the citizens have been extremely distrustful towards centaurs," Cadence said, holding Mavis' hand. "Now, why don't we move on from this awful ordeal, and onto more fun stuff? We have a friend at the edge of town who might have something fun for you," Pinkie Pie suggested. "Great idea Pinkie! Will might be able to give Mavis some Pokemon to help her adjust to Equestria," Twilight said. "Could you take her Twilight? We'll see about getting her some sugar-free treats at Sugarcube Corner," Cadence asked. "Of course! I'll bring her back as soon as we get her some Pokemon. Come along, Mavis," Twilight said, as she led Mavis towards the edge of town, while the others went to prepare some sugar free treats for her.
Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 3)Having toured most of Ponyville, Twilight decided Mavis should have her own Pokemon, and was bringing her over to see Will, "Don't worry Mavis. Will is a very nice person, and I'm sure he'll have some nice Pokemon for you to take as your own," Twilight said. "Is it really alright to do so?" Mavis asked cautiously. "Of course. Will is our friend, and he has plenty of baby Pokemon running around," Twilight said, as they arrived at Will's ranch house. In the front, they saw Cindy, sweeping off the porch. "Oh, hey Twilight, what brings you out here?" Cindy asked. "We have a new friend in our circle of friends, but she's a bit shy and timid, so we were wondering if Will had any baby Pokemon that could help her out?" Twilight asked. "Oh, sure! Will is around the back," Cindy said, pointing to the side of the house. "Thank you!" Twilight said, as she led Mavis around the house. There, on the porch, grooming one of his Liepard, was Will. "There you go, Liepard, you're all clean now," Will said. "Thanks Will," Liepard said, as she pranced off. Will then noticed Twilight and Mavis. "Oh, hey there, Twilight. What brings you out here?" Will asked. "Will, this is Mavis. She's new to Equestria, and is having some trouble opening up. We were hoping you had some baby Pokemon that could help her to open up?" Twilight asked. "Oh sure. There are plenty of Baby Pokemon over in the nursery that I'm sure would be thrilled to have someone to take care of them. Are there any particular ones you want to get her?" Will asked. "Well, here's the thing about Mavis. She's actually something that Raiden and Icezer called a 'Yuuki Onna', if I recall correctly, which is some kind of snow spirit, so maybe ones that are resistant to the cold?" Twilight asked. "Hmm, perhaps some Ice Types would prove beneficial. I also have a few Togepi and some other Pokemon that are good in colder climates. Let's step over to the nursery and take a look," Will said, as he led the two of them over to the nursery. "Now Mavis, Will is going to show a bunch of wonderful Pokemon for you to choose from, so don't feel too pressured, alright?" Twilight asked. "O-Ok," Mavis quietly said, as they entered the Nursery. "We'll need to do a bit of walking to reach the Ice Type section," Will said, as they continued to walk through the nursery. They soon came up to a large door. Will went over to a nearby closet, and pulled out two heavy looking parkas, "Here Twilight, you may want to put this on," he said, giving Twilight one of them. "What are these for?" Twilight asked, as Will opened up the big door, which released a powerful gust of ice, cold wind, "Ah, now I see." "This feels so nice," Mavis commented, enjoying the cold air. Inside, both she and Twilight were amazed to see a completely different environment. It looked exactly like a snowy forest. They saw some Pokemon playing in icy water, while others were wandering about. "As you can see, i isolate the Ice Type Pokemon, or other Pokemon that prefer colder climates to help with their comfort. Take a look around here for a little bit Mavis, while I go find some Togepi that I can give you," Will said, as he left the two of them alone in the snowy environment. "This reminds me of my home village," Mavis said, as she plopped face first into a pile of snow, enjoying every bit of the cold feeling. "Come along now Mavis, why don't we have a look over near the water?" Twilight suggested. "Oui," Mavis replied, as they walked over to the ice floe pool. There, they saw several Piplup, along with some seal Pokemon, a larger, pleisosaur like Pokemon with a shell on it's back. Around the banks of the water, they also saw some little yellow cone shaped Pokemon, little floating Pokemon that looked like ice cream, a small, polar bear like Pokemon with a drippy nose, and some sauropod Pokemon with frills that looked like they would glow like an aurora. "Already quite a few Pokemon to choose from. Let me get my Rotom Phone out," Twilight said, pulling out her Rotom Phone. "Piplup, the Penguin Pokemon, a Water Type. Because of it's pride, it doesn't like accepting food from others. It's thick down protects it from the cold. Seel, the Sea Lion Pokemon, a Water Type. A Pokemon that lives on icebergs, it swims in the sea using the horn on it's head to break up any ice. Spheal, the Clap Pokemon, a Water and Ice Type. They can't swim well yet, and move better by rolling. When they are happy, they clap fins. Snorunt, the Snow Hat Pokemon, an Ice Type. It is said that any house that Snorunt visits or lives in will be blessed with good fortune. Lapras, the Transport Pokemon, a Water and Ice Type. This very intelligent Pokemon is able to understand human speech, and will farry people across large bodies of water. Once on the verge of extinction, there is now an overabundance of them. Cubchoo, the Chill Pokemon, an Ice Type. It sniffles before executing an attack, using it's frosty snot to provide an icy element to any move that needs it. Amaura, the Tundra Pokemon, an Ice and Rock Type. In ancient times, it lived in colder climates to avoid predetors like Tyrunt and Tyrantrum. It is said that when Amaura whinnies, auroras appear in the night sky," Twilight's Rotom Phone explained. "They all sound perfect!" Mavis exclaimed quietly. "Well, then let's see if they'll want to go with you then," Will said, returning with an egg shapped Pokemon, with red and blue triangle markings on it's shell, "Speaking of which, Mavis, this Pokemon's name is 'Togepi'. It likes to share the happiness energy in it's shell with kind hearted individuals," he explained, giving Mavis the Spike Ball Pokemon. But as soon as Mavis got a hold of Togepi, it wrestling out of her hands, and shivered. "Hmm, maybe we should talk to Raiden about getting you some thermal insulated gloves. That way, you can hold Togepi all you want," Twilight said. "In any case, I also brought some Pokeballs," Will said, giving Mavis a handful of different Pokeballs, "Just press the button on the Pokeballs to make them bigger, and use them to catch those Pokemon," he explained. Mavis took a Dusk Ball, and pressed the button, enlargening it, "Hey guys, can some of you come over here?" he then called out to the Pokemon by and in the water. They all came over to him, "Alright guys, this is Mavis. Starting today, she would like to be your trainer," he said. The Pokemon all looked at Mavis curiously, which caused her to tense up a bit. One of the Amaura, a white one, came up, and nuzzled her cheek. "She's so cold!" the Amaura commented. "This may be a bit hard to believe, but she's a snow spirit called a 'Yuuki Onna', which means she's going to be very cold," Twilight replied. "We love the cold!" a Snorunt exclaimed happily. "And it's quite the coincidence that Mavis likes the cold too," Twilight replied. "So, what do you all say?" Will asked. "YES!" they all said, including Togepi. "Well, they've given their concent, Mavis, so now you can catch them," Will said. Mavis then used the Pokeballs on each of the baby Pokemon, "One more thing, take this with you, and use it on your Female Snorunt," he said, giving Mavis a teal colored stone, "Using that will enable it to evolve into a Froslass," he explained. "Ok, now which one had the Snorunt?" Mavis tried to remember which Pokeball had her Snorunt. "I think it was these two," Twilight said, grabbing a Dusk Ball and a Nest Ball. Mavis then released both of her Snorunt. "Uh, so how exactly do this work?" Mavis asked. "Just tap it Snorunt. it'll do the rest," Will explained. Mavis did so on one Snorunt, with no reaction, then she used it on her other one, which caused it to evolve into the ghostly Froslass. "In addition to those insulated gloves, we'll have to see if Raiden of Francisco can do something about your room, making it warm for Togepi, and cold for you and your other Pokemon," Twilight said. "Well, in any case, you now have Pokemon that can help with your happiness, and help keep you cold," Will stated. "Merci," Mavis said. "Yes, thank you for doing this for us, Will," Twilight said. "No problem. I'll give you some notes on how to take care of your Pokemon," Will said, as they left the Nursery. Author's Note Yuuki Onna Mavis' Pokemon include: Togepi, Snorunt, Froslass, two Amaura (one of them being a Shiny), Lapras, Piplup, Seel, Spheal, and Cubchoo
Yuuki Onna / Snow Woman (Part 4)Time went on as Mavis continued to adjust to life in Equestria. Because of her power, she causes alot of frost and snow to form when she sleeps, which is why Cadence and Shining Armor opted to have Raiden and Francisco to alter her bedroom so that it keeps the cold inside, to keep her and her Ice Type Pokemon cold, as well as a smaller area in the room, just for Togepi to keep warm. She somehow tapped into the power to encase others in ice, albeit by accident, when she got startled, and accidently encased Nathan in a block of ice. Thankfully, there was plenty of hot water and salt to get him out of it. Mavis felt really bad about doing that, but became grateful to gaining that ability, when the former king of the Crystal Empire, King Sombra, came and kidnapped her as a bargaining chip in exchange for the throne. However, Mavis tapped into her icy powers, and froze everything in the room Sombra was holding her in, including Sombra himself. This allowed Mavis to escape, but fell into a river, which floated her all the way to the Nymph Grotto, where she was recieving training from the Nymphs. "Ok Mavis, that should just about do it with your Earthen Training," Wanda said, as she stood by her student, who was just finishing up moving several large boulders with magic. "That was tough," Mavis panted. "Well, for now, you can continue your training with Yuki," Wanda said, as a vortex opened up, "She's waiting for you on the other side." "Merci," Mavis said, as she walked through the portal, and found herself in the middle of a snowy tundra, "Ah, this feels so nice!" she exclaimed, rolling around in the snow. "Seems like you enjoy colder climates, right?" Yuki asked, as she suddenly appeared. "Oui, though where I used to live, finding places to stay cold was rather difficult," Mavis replied. "What do you mean?" Yuki asked, placing Mavis on her lap, which let her large breasts to rest on top of the younger girl's head. Mavis blushed, but liked the feeling of it. "W-well, in the Yokai Village where I lived with mon parents, we lived cooler district, but more often than not, some Oni would stumble into our section of the Village after doing what Papa would call 'binge drinking', I think is what it's called, spewing flames everywhere, and making things unbearably warm," Mavis replied. "Sounds rough. Then again, we have a sister in the Western Nymph Grotto who just loves drinking her own wine by the barrel full. Her alcohol tolerance is fairly consistent, as she often gets drunk after a few glasses of wine, before switching to barrels," Yuki explained. "I suppose everywhere has some kind of drunken people," Mavis commented. "I guess so. But for now, let's continue your training. Now, I get that you're a Snow Spirit, but tell me how much you know about ice and snow," Yuki requested. "Well, for those with poor tolerance, it causes them to shiver a lot," Mavis replied. "That's true, but there can be a lot done to actually help preserve someone's heat," Yuki replied. Mavis was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked. "For the first part of our training session, we're going to build something called an 'igloo'. Some humans from ancient times would build this dome shaped huts in snowy climates, such as the land surrounding the Crystal Empire for shelt. The compaction of the snow bricks help to trap heat inside, and keep blustering blizzards out," Yuki explained, as she used her majic to conjur up an igloo, "Care to go in, and see?" Yuki asked, as she crawled in. Mavis crawled in after her teacher. She then entered the space in the middle of the igloo, which was a little cramped, but it was comfortable enough, "You see what i mean, right? In here, those who require warmer temperatures to survive are able to use these little huts to trap heat inside," Yuki explained. "Sounds good, but...." Mavis' face began to flush, "It's a little too stuffy for me." "Oh dear," Yuki said, using her magic to deconstruct the igloo, allowing Mavis to feel the cold, "Just remember Mavis, in order to properly trap the heat for warmer bodied individuals, you need to make the space as small, yet movable as possible. Let's give it a try. Use your powers to construct an ingloo like how i did," Yuki said. Mavis then used her control of ice and snow to build an igloo, but her first attempt was a little bigger. Yuki went in to inspect it, "Hmm, a bit bigger than mine, which means not a lot of heat will get trapped, but otherwise, not bad for your first try," Yuki said. "I see," Mavis said. "Well, let's try again, but this time, try making it a little smaller," Yuki said. Mavis once again used her powers to form a slightly smaller igloo, "Good, now let's see what it's like inside," Yuki said, as she went to crawl inside. But as she was crawling in, she got stuck in the entrance, as her hips were too wide to fit through, "Hmm, looks like a fairly spaceous igloo on the inside, but you may want to think about making the entrance a bit bigger. "Ok," Mavis quietly said. "Don't worry. We'll keep training until you've built a good igloo," Yuki said, as they continued training. A few more months have passed, and Mavis was more accustomed to Equestrian culture, and it was time for the Hearths Warming Holiday Season. Since it was getting colder outside, Mavis was able to move around outside as much as she wanted without worrying about overheating. When it came time for the Hearth's Warming Ball, Mavis was gifted a beautiful kimono, curtousey of some of the Alicorn's Wish Guild Members. Things were going smoothly at the ball, with the arrival of her Masters, their sisters from the Southern Nymph Grotto, up until the group of self-righteous monks came, and attacked the party, taking Mavis as their main hostage, as well as the rest of the children. The Guild Members at the ROyal Guard did their best to stop them, but the Dark Magic they recieved from King Sombra was able to easily overpower them. Now, the kids were trapped inside cages in the middle of a bamboo forest, quite a ways away from the Monk's camp. Yuki and Dana were trying to weaken the iron on the bars with their magic, "Ok Daria, try it now," Dana said. Daria pulled out a rather large war hammer from.... somewhere, and with one mighty swing, she was able to break the latch on the cage. "Great! Now we can get Mavis, and get out of here," Kelly said, as Daria began to swing her hammer on Mavis' cage, breaking the latch in only a few swings. "Merci," Mavis said, as they all quickly made their escape. "Where do we go from here?" Veronica asked. Mavis looked around, and recognized some of the flora, including a peculiarly shaped dead tree. "Wait, I think I know of a secret entrance into the Yokai Village I grew up in," Mavis said. "How do you know?" Wanda asked. "That tree is a marker, from what Maman would call it, that hides the Village from the human world," Mavis replied, pointing to the tree. "Is there like, some kind of barrier or something that can keep those Monks out?" Toby asked. "Oui. In fact, a Yokai is needed to open the gateway," Mavis replied, as the approached the tree. "HALT!" a voice called out. From up in the trees, what appeared to be a woman with the lower body of a spider dropped down in front of the group. She looked to have six, glowing red eyes, short, bowl cut white hair, "Who dares to approach one of the entrances to the Yokai Kingdom?" she demanded. She then noticed Mavis, "A Yuuki Onna? What are you doing outside of the village?" "S'il te plaît, we just escaped from the Monks who attacked the village a few months ago. We would like to go into the village to keep away from them," Mavis explained. "Well, alright. Let me just get someone over here, first," the spider woman said, as she held up a handful of threads, and began tugging on one of them, "Are these humans with the Monks, or against them?" she asked. "We ain't with the Monks, we can assure you of that," Nathan said. "If they're jsut trying exterminate the Yokai for no real reason at all, then we're on your side," Nyx said. "As are we," Wanda said. "Ok then," the spider woman said, as she felt some tugging on the threads, "Ok, proceed through that cave there. A Nopperabo will take you to see the Queen," she said, motioning to a cave on the other side of the tree, that was somewhat hidden by some overgrown moss. "Thank you getting permission for us," Wanda said, as the made their way to the cave. "Hold on, kid," the spider woman said, getting Mavis' attention, "Your mother... her name wouldn't happen to have been 'Alice', would it?" she asked. "Oui," Mavis replied. "I see. Alice was a very close friend of mine. You look an awful lot like her when she was a kid," the spider woman solemnly said, as she leapt back into the trees. Mavis quickly rejoined her friends, as they entered the cave. "I can hardly see anything in here," Josh commented. "Let me see about that," Dana replied, conjuring a fireball. Mavis instinctively ducked away from the Food Nymph, as not to be overheated by her fire. They saw that the cave goes deeper, "Is this the way, Mavis?" she asked. "O-oui," Mavis replied, as they continued to walk. They kept walking for about 10 minutes, until they came across what appeared to be a man in traditional Japanese clothing, and had his back facing the group. "Are you the group that Jiro told the Village Gate Guards about?" the man asked. "If you're referring to that spider woman we met outside, then yes," Cory replied. "I see. Then follow me. I'll take you the rest of the way to the village to meet the Queen," the man said, never once turning to face the group. "This guy must be the Nopperabo that Spider Woman told us about," Nyx commented. "Now hold on there, we don't know what a Nopperabo looks like. For all we know, he could be a human," Sky said, as they arrived at the end of the tunnel, which had a big red gate like structure just outside of it. At the base of the gate, the group saw a pair of unusual characters. One was a blue skinned woman, wielding a large, spiked club, dressed in a yellow, thunder print bikini, while the other looked to be an anthropomorphic fox with nine tails. "Hajime, are these the people Jiro told us about?" the fox asked. "I believe so. The youngest of them is a Yuuki Onna," the man they met in the tunnel replied. "They don't appear to be with the Monks, so go ahead and take them on towards the castle," the blue woman said, holding a slip of paper up to the gate, causing something to spark. Hajime then continued to lead the group to the large castle situated in the middle of the city. "Uh, Hajime, was it? What did that woman do?" Trinity asked. "She used a special kind of talismen to open up the barrier to the city. See, there's a barrier surrounding the entire city, which prevents unwelcome outsiders, like those monks, from entering the city," Hajime replied, as they now began to ascend a flight of stairs, which led to the palace gates. Hajime then knocked on the door, which soon opened up to reveal a small, turtle like creature, "Takahashi, we have guests for the Queen," he said. The small turtle like yokai then looked at the group, his gaze then fixed on Mavis. "Is that Yuuki Onna girl with them?" Takahashi asked. "Yes. She seems to be friends with them all," Hajime replied. "I see. I'll take them to meet with the Queen," Takahashi said. "Alright then," Hajime said, turning to face the group. Only, much to the group's shock, save for Mavis, Hajime had no face, like, whatsoever, "This is as far as I take you. Takahashi will take you to meet with the Queen," he said, as he walked back down the stairs. "Please, come this way," Takahashi said, inviting them into the castle grounds. "Uh, Mavis, about Hajime..." Charity began. "Oui, Hajime is a Nopperabo. Nopperabo aren't hostile Yokai like Oni, but their faceless visage is quite alarming," Mavis replied, as the ventured into the palace. Author's Note Here's some bios of some of the Yokai in Yuuki Onna Mavis' Village: Yuuki Onna: Also known as "Snow Women", Yuuki Onna are snow spirits that inhabits snowy mountain tops. They appear before travellers who are hiking through the cold enviornment, and take them back to their lair, where they freeze the travellers and decorate their lairs Oni: Quite possibly the most well known of all Yokai, Oni are vicious brutes who wield tremendous strength and ferocity. They get more powerful with the more alchohol they drink. Since Oni don't have a set legal drinking age, Oni Children often drink Sake or other types of booze. Oni come in two different colors: red or blue Nopperabo: A faceless Yokai who aren't hostile towards humans, but their faceless visage is quite alarming. Yurei: Otherwise known as "Onryo", these Yokai are born from the spirits of humans who bear a powerful grudge against someone, and will stop at nothing to exact their revenge. The Ring Movie franchise is based on the stories of this malevenont spirit. Nure Onna: A vampiric snake like Yokai that has the head of a beautiful woman, but the body of a snake. They often lire their victims over by pretending to be carrying a bundle while washing their hair. If a human offers to take the bundle, it becomes extremely heavy, which gives this serpentine Yokai the perfect chance to strike Kappa: A turtle like Yokai, and another well known Yokai. They have a strong affinity for cucumbers, and like to live in ponds or streams.
Centaur (Part 5)Time came and went, and Mavis steadily became more accustomed to Equestria's way of life. She was still the object of prejudice from the citizens, but thankfully, she had her friends to defend her. Speaking of friends, she also made some with some Mountain Nymphs just outside of the Crystal Empire. They helped teach Mavis how to use natural magic from nature, and make Mavis into a half Nymph upon mastering the eight forms of magic her master's taught her. Today, she was spending a day at the grotto, relaxing alongside her masters. She was currently soaking in a warm bath along with Marina, "Ah, this feels so nice," Mavis commented, as Marina helped with washing her. "So, how are things in the Crystal Empire?" Marina asked. "Truthfully? The citizens still don't trust me, All I hear is something about someone called 'Tirek'. Who is he?" Mavis asked. "Tirek is one of the most evil villains Equestria has ever seen. He's a centaur who has the ability to absorb the magic from magical lifeforms," Wanda explained, as she walked into the bathhouse. "O-Oh, I see," Mavis said, feeling dejected. "Now hold on, Mavis! Just because he's evil doesn't mean every centaur from this world is evil! In fact his father, King Vorak, stood in opposition to his son's ambitions!" Wanda quickly said. "But to think that the actions of one centaur is why everyone is treating me like a bad guy. quelle horreur," Mavis replied. She was then embraced by Marina. "Now Mavis, just because one centaur's actions lead everyone to believe they can't be trusted doesn't mean that you need their approval. What matters is that there are those out there who like you for WHO you are, not WHAT you are," the watery nymph said. "Even so, but I would still like to venture out without feeling singled out," Mavis replied. "I know you do, but think of it this way... that Hearth's Warming Ball that Cadence invited us will allow us to help turn the public's opinion about you around," Wanda said. "That's right! Think about it that way," Marina said. Mavis, however, was still unsure, even with the encouragement from her masters. Many months have passed, and it was finally time for the Hearth's Warming Ball at Canterlot Castle. The Crystal Family had arrived in Canterlot, and checked in with Twilight and Shining Armor's parents, and introduced Mavis to them. The two of them were a bit hesitant about Mavis, being a centaur, but they could tell she was nothing like Tirek. Mavis was currently walking through the fair grounds at the Canterlot Castle Ball, with her mentors, Marina, Sky, Tabby, and Kat so they can keep any of the snooty nobles from trying to harm their precious student. Things were going well, until Mavis, her siblings, friends from Ponyville, and her mentors were kidnapped by an army of monster hunters, and brought back to the world Mavis originally came from.They were currently being held in cages in the hunter's camp. Inside the main tent, the leader of the hunter's was going over his master plan against the Forest Kingdom. "Knowing the centaurs, they'll be sure to come charging head first to save the girl. That's when we'll strike. As for the rest of the kingdom, the only real threat will be the elves," he said, a look of wicked glee on his face, taking a sip of his coffee. Just then, one of his underlings came rushing in. "Marcus! The Centaur and her friends! They've escaped!" he said. Marcus then did a spit take. "WHAT?! HOW DID THEY ESCAPE!?" Marcus roared. "Well, what happened was like this," the lackey said, as he went into a flash back. About 15 minutes ago, Mavis and her friends were all trapped in cages, imbued with King SOmbra's dark magic. It was this magic that was keeping the ponies and nymphs from using their own magic, "Ok, so we can't use magic to break out. Is there anything we can do?" Vibrant asked. "Hmm, maybe we could try to pick the lock?" Toby suggested, looking at the lock. "Could work, but we have no idea what to expect from the Dark Magic they placed on the bars," Wanda replied. Nearby, they could see Mavis, lying down in her cage, a look of dispair on her face. "Now don't worry Mavis. None of this is your fault," Dana quickly tried to reassure the young centaur foal. Just then, some of the hunters came in, and opened the cage that held Mavis' friends. "What do you want?" Nathan angrily questioned, only to recieve a punch across the face from one of the hunters, sending him into Sasha's massive bust, "Hey, what was that for?!" "Be silent! You kids are going to be tried for siding with these freaks of nature," one of the hunters stated coldly. "And for getting to hang out with such babes!" the hunter who punched Nathan seethed. "What makes any of you guys more special than centaurs like our friend?" Kelly questioned. "These are unnatural creatures. Anything that is unlike humans must be purged. And the same goes for humans who would willingly turn their back on their own kind to form relations with them," the first hunter said. "You won't get away this!" Marina proclaimed. "We intend to do whatever it takes to preserve the sancitity of the human race, even if that means... GAK!" the first hunter said, as Daria kicked him where the sun doesn't shine, and roundhouse kicked the second one. "Quickly, let's free Mavis and get out of here!" she declared. The other captives of the cage quickly rushed out, with Vibrant snatching the keys from one of the hunters. "Here, open Mavis' cage and we can get out of here!" she said. Dana then took it upon herself to unlock Mavis' cage. "Hurry Mavis!" she urged. Mavis quickly got up, and made her way out of the cage. Wanda then conjured up a boulder, and smashed down a wall, allowing them to escape. Real Time, in the Hunter's Main Tent, "That's basically what happened," the lesser hunter said. Marcus just facepalmed. "My god, I am surrounded by incompetent idiots! Well, don't just stand there, get a team and hunt down those traitors! Burn the forst to the ground if you have to!" the lead hunter ordered. "YES SIR!" the lesser hunter quickly ran out of the tent. "One way or another, humanity will have one less problem to worry about," Marcus said. With Mavis and Friends, The group was walking along a path in the forest, having just escaped the clutches of the hunters. They were now trying to figure out what to do next, "So, what now?" Toby asked. "Well, if the way they were talking was true, then any human towns would probably persecute Mavis, so that option is out," Kelly commented. "What about the Forest Kingdom that Mavis was born in?" Kat suggested. "That could work. One of the only entrances to the kingdom is very near where we are," Mavis replied. "Really? Well, if you would, sweetie, lead the way," Wanda asked. "Oui," Mavis replied, leading them through a path in the forest. They hadn't run into any sort of issue until.... "HALT!" a group of human like girls leapt down in front of them. They were wearing clothes that looked to be weaved from leaves and vines. They looked just like humans, except for the fact they had really pointy ears, "State your business! Why were you humans chasing this centaur?" one of the girls asked, clearly not trusting any of Mavis' human friends. "Hang on! We were NOT chasing her! She was leading us through the forest to one of the entrances to the Forest Kingdom after we escaped from some hunters," Crystal pointed out, clearly sounding offended that she and the others were being associated with the hunters. "Hmm, is this true, little one?" the lead girl asked Mavis. "Oui, it is. They are all very close friends of mine," Mavis replied. The elves still didn't seem to turst any of her human friends, but they took her word for it. "Very well. Humans! Be honored that you are being allowed to our glorious kingdom! But be warned, serious consequences will be immediate should you do anything shady!" the lead elf said. "I'll take them to meet with the Queen," one of the other elves volunteered. "Very well. Keep an eye on them," the lead elf ordered. "Come with me," the elf said, leading them the rest of the way. The soon came across a massive, wooden gate. "HALT, WHO GOES THERE!?" a loud man's voice bellowed. "One of the scouts from the Elf Recon Team! We found a centaur, accompanied by her friends. They just escaped the hunters, and need a place to take sanctuary. I need to take them to see the Queen!" the elf girl called back. "OPEN THE GATES!" the man's voice called out. The massive gates then began to open slowly. On the other side was a very short man with a beard like a viking, "Please, enjoy your stay," the man said, allowing them inside the village. Inside, they all saw centaurs, elves, dwarves, and even humans going about their usual business. The city itself looked like a cross between a fantasy world and a futuristic city. "Is this really where you come from, Mavis?" Melody asked. "Oui. It's a quiet city, which is something I quite like about it," Mavis replied, as they walked through the city eventually arriving at a massive castle that looked somewhat like a tree. "This place is huge!" Toby commented, as they entered the castle. "Hopefully the Queen is a kind ruler," Diamond Tiara commented. "I have never actually see the Queen herself, but Maman and Papa always told me that she's a very nice lady," Mavis replied, as they arrived at a pair of massive doors. "You're all about to meet the Queen, so please, don't do anything to embarass yourselves," the elf girl said, as the doors opened. Inside, there was a Centaur woman, nearly the size of a skyscraper, with breasts a large as a mansion, "My Queen, I have come to you with a young centaur foal and her friends. They have just escaped the same Hunters that laid seige on the northern village," the elf said. "Young lady, step forth," the Queen said, her voice carrying a tone that was a mix of compassion and authority. Mavis cautiously stepped forward, "Are you the foal in question?" she asked. "Oui, I am," Mavis replied. "Were you among the few survivors from the northern village?" the Queen asked. "Oui. Mes parents ont été perdus dans le siège, et j'ai été envoyé dans un autre monde, ma reine," Mavis explained. "I see. I am very sorry to hear that. May I ask your name?" the Queen asked. "Oui, My name is Mavis Gustou," Mavis replied. The Queen looked very surprised. "'Gustou'? Your parents... their names wouldn't happen to have been David and Alice, would they?" the Queen asked. "Oui, that is true," Mavis replied. It was then that the Queen did something no one in that room, not even her guards were anticipating; The Queen squealed happily, and scooped up Mavis. "So you're the little Mavis that Alice told me about," the Queen said. "W-Wait, you know Maman?" Mavis asked. "Of course. For you see, little one, your mother just happens to be my blood daughter," the Queen explained. "So, that would mean that..." Mavis qas quick to put two and two together. "Yes. You are indeed my Granddaughter," the Queen replied. "Uh, your grace? If I may?" Wanda respectfully said. "Yes?" the Queen asked, setting Mavis back down. "Well, the thing is, we just escaped from the very same hunters that attacked your village, and we kind of need a place to stay until we are able to return to our own world," Wanda explained. "I see. Well, the Palace has more than enough rooms. You are all welcome as guests," the Queen said, as she tapped her sceptar on the floor. Almost immediately, another centaur woman, dressed as a maid, with breast much larger than a human child, trotted in, "Please show our guests to their rooms. They'll be staying with us for a while," the Queen instructed. "Yes, my Queen. If you'll all please follow me," the Centaur maid said, leading them out of the throne room. "Merci for your hospitality, Grandmere," Mavis said. "You're quite welcome sweetie. And don't hesitate to come ask for help wth anything," the Queen said, as Mavis went to catch up to her friends. Author's Note Centaur Mavis originally came from the Forest Kingdom, which is situated in the middle of a very dense forest, away from any human civilization. Here are the bios of some of the various Monster Species that reside in the Forest Kingdom: Centaur: Centaurs are a type of Beastman Monster species that have the the upper bodies of a human but the lower body of a horse. They are typically a proud warrior race. As such, most of the royal guard consists of Centaurs. There is an ancient law that only a small handfull of Centaurs still follow, that states explicitly that only the strongest Centaurs are permitted to mate. As a result, many of the male centuars are muscle bound meatheads who don't particularly look very attractive to any of the female Centaurs. There is also a sub-clause to this law that forbids Centaur women from mating with human men, but over time, the law sort of died out, and many marriages between Centaur women and Human men have taken place, despite the opposition of the Male Centaur. While Male Centaurs are mainly muscle bound meatheads, there are quite a few other roles that some of the female Centaurs can take, apart from being knights. For starters, there are Dairy Centaurs. You can pretty much guess where this is going. Then there are smaller breeds of female Centaurs. Unlike others, these smaller Centaurs have basically flat chests, but are way more athletic. Because Centaurs are very large, even at birth, they require a lot of milk. As a result, even at a young age, like 4 years, it is not unusual to see a female centaur with a bust size of at least E-Cups. For some unknown reason, Centaurs have a bit of a rivalry with Lamias. It is unclear why this is so. Elf: Elves are a type of Monster Species that closely resemble humans, apart from their very pointy ears. Their attire mainly consists of plants they weave together into clothing, but they do wear normal clothing like everyone else. They are very proficient in terms of magic, but they lack great physical strength. Unlike the elves that Santa Claus has working to make presents from everyone in the world, Forest Elves have a history of utterly despising humans in the past, though in modern times, their hatred of humans have mellowed out immensely. Dwarves: Dwarves are a type of Monster Species that make their living as blacksmiths. They are very short, some having a maximum height of only 4 feet. Even young Dwarves of the age of 6 or 7 have beards like that of a viking. They have tremendous strength, despite their size. Aracnhe: A female only race of Monster. They have the upper body of a beautiful woman, but the lower body of a spider. They are mainly solitary creatures, preferring to stay in the shadows, using the webs they spin to catch prey, mainly consisting of men that they particularly like. They are expert weavers, using their silk to weave cloth and make clothes. Normal Spider Silk, ounce for ounce, has the strength rivaling that of steel, but Arachne silk is several times stronger. Cyclops: More commonly referred to as "Monoeyes", the Cyclops are a subspecies of Ogre that work in the same forges as dwarves. Their most distinguishing quality is that they have only one eye. While this grants them a great sense of sight, they also lack depth perception. While male Cyclops' don't really care too much, female Cyclops' can be very self conscious about their single eyes, and can often get embarassed if someone keeps eye contact with them.
Werewolf (Part 8: Final)The war between the joint forces of the Alicorn's Wish Guild and the Beastmen against the Hunters was nearing the end after maybe a good hour of fighting. Thanks to the combined forces of the Guild and the Beastmen, the Hunters were able to be driven out of the forest, but a few stragglers stayed behind, still wanting to try and take a few Beastmen lives, "I'LL KILL YOU!" one hunter yelled, running towards some Minotaur's. Stealth, along with Naomi, who had transformed into a more cat-like creature, were quick to intercept. The Ninja tossed a kunai knife at the hunter, causing him to flinch, which gave Naomi the opening she needed to take him down. Stealth then took the opportunity to wrap up the hunter in vines. "Nice one, Naomi," Stealth praised. Naomi, being more beast than human now, nuzzled her boyfriend. While they, along with most of their Guild mates and the Beastmen, were holding off the Hunters, the Werewolf Queen, along with the four Princesses, led the evacuation onto the Guild's massive ship. "This way! You'll all be taken somewhere safe!" the Queen called out, as the residents of the City piled into the ship. "Single file please! There's more than enough room!" Claire said, as she, Eliza, April, and Cassidy were making sure everyone got on safely. Somewhere, within the crowd, all the children from Equestria were scattered within the crowd. The Nymphs were all fluttering above the crowd, trying to keep tabs on them all. "Hey guys! Where are you?!" Nathan called out, as he tried squeezing past some wererabbits, 'Ah gotta find Mavis! There ain't no telling what's happening with her!' he thought to himself. Sometime after the Hunter's were able to breach the outer walls of the city, the dark magic Sombra infected Mavis with manifested with her Nymph Magic, causing her to go mad with magic power. Thankfully, her mentors were able to separate the Dark Magic and the Light Magic into two separate entities. The only downside? It caused Mavis to age up by four years, and she was still unconscious, as Marina carried her into the ship, while Wanda and Mariah kept the evil Mavis restrained, as she was thrashing and growling. "LET ME GO!" Shadow Mavis roared. Meanwhile, in the crowd, Toby was trying to get up to one of the higher decks, to see if he can spot the rest of his friends. He attempted to get to the stairs, when he bumped into two minotaur girls. Both had dark skin, similar to Dana and Sky, but both were both blonde. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I can't really see the ground too well with my tits," one of them apologized to Toby, who blushed at their skimpy outfits. "I-It's fine, but I need to get to one of the upper levels. I need to try and find my friends," Toby said, pointing to one of the upper levels. "Oh sure. Here you go," the other minotaur said, picking the boy up, and carrying him over to the stairs. She then placed him on the floor. "Thanks," Toby said, as he went up stairs. Once he was at the top, he saw Vibrant, flying overhead, "Vibrant! Over here!" he called out. This was able to get the Pegasus' attention, as she flew over to her cousin. "Toby, I've been looking all over for everyone!" Vibrant exclaimed. "Well, if you find the others, can you tell them to come to the upper level? We can regroup here," Toby requested. "I'll do what I can," Vibrant replied, as she took off once again. He then heard someone approaching him. "TOBY!" he heard Fluttershy call out. He turned to see not only her, but the rest of the adults coming towards him, "I've been so worried!" she exclaimed, hugging her son. "I'm fine, Momma," Toby replied, as the others soon joined them. "Looks like everyone's here except one. Where's Mavis?" Shining Armor asked, not seeing his new daughter anywhere. "She's right here," Marina said, as she fluttered down, still carrying the unconscious Mavis, setting her on the floor. "What happened to her? She looks.... taller!" Lucky Joy commented. "It's a result of Sombra's dark magic mixing with Nymph Magic. The two types of magic don't mix, and Mavis was now split into two separate entities," Marina explained, as Wanda and Mariah joined them, with the restrained Shadow Mavis, who was still growling and thrashing. "I'LL EAT YOUR SORRY HIDES!" she threatened. "I got this," Eris commented, casting a powerful sleeping spell on her. Shadow Mavis fell fast asleep, "I'll get her to a secure prison in Equestria," she said, as she teleported away with the evil Mavis. The real Mavis, on the other hand, just woke up. "Mmm, what happened?" she asked. "Take it easy there, tiger. You've been through quite the ordeal," Nathan urged his beastly sister. "Guys, we're almost at full capacity for evacuees. Have you finished driving off the hunters?" Silver asked through a microphone system. "I'm taking care of the last one! We'll be good to go in just a moment!" Simon's voice replied. "Alright then. Dad, we're ready to transport the city to Equestria," Silver said to Discord. "Of course! Let me just get into position," Discord said, teleporting out of the ship. He was gathering as much magic as he thought he would need, when he saw Simon, along with other guild members, driving out the last of the hunters. "You fools! Do you have any idea what kind of a mistake you're all making?!" Markus yelled. "We aren't making any mistakes, bub. The Beastmen of this city have not attacked any of our friends or us for that matter. Can't you see that they're not the monsters you're making them out to be?!" April yelled at him. "LIES!" Markus yelled, as he got back up, "Anything that isn't normal is a plague on humanity! These monsters must be expunged from existence!" he spat with venom. He was about to charge them, when some vines held him down. "Perhaps you need to cool your head," Stealth commented, as he used the vines to throw the leader of the hunters away from the city. "Ok Discord! We got rid of all the hunters!" Eliza bellowed. With a snap of his eagle talon, Discord teleported the ship, and the city, and all it's inhabitants back to Equestria. Back in Canterlot, All the children the Hunters took hostage, along with their families and friends, the Nymphs, the Werewolf Queen, and several beastmen looked around to find they were all back in Canterlot, safe and sound, "We're back!" Josh cheered. "Apart from the Queen's hospitality and the shopping we did in the city, that was an unpleasant experience," Dinky commented. "So, this is our new home world?" the Queen asked, looking out across the horizon. "Of course, your majesty. This is Equestria, the world where Mavis has been living for the past several months," Twilight replied in a diplomatic manner. "Speaking of Mavis, where is she?" the Queen asked, sounding worried. "I'm right here," Mavis called out, as she stood up, using Toby and Silver Spoon as crutches for her to get her bearings, "What happened to moi?! Why am I so much taller?" Mavis asked. "It's because of King Sombra's magic. It, along with the Nymph Magic you received from us, didn't agree with having the same vessel, so we had to split you into two parts. The part of you that was born from King Sombra's magic has been taken to prison, leaving you, the one with Nymph Magic," Wanda explained. "Ok, but how does that explain why I am taller?" Mavis asked. "Well, separating both magics was easy enough, but it caused you to age up by..... I'm going to say, four years," Marina replied. "Here, take this," the Queen said, as she waved her scepter over Mavis' head, as magic flowed out of it, and into her granddaughter's body, "I just gave away four years of my eternal life. Worth every second," she commented with an adorable, razor sharp teethed grin. Just then, Discord popped in. "Alright, I've put the city in a large forest, near the border of Equestria. It's like the forest it was originally in. In other words, the forest is at a unique position where the Moon will always appear Full," Discord explained, as he laid down in a lounge chair, and conjured a smoothie. "Thank you for doing all this, Discord," Fluttershy said, just as Eris arrived. "Ok, I got the evil Mavis into a silver lined cage at a Maximum Security Detention Center. She won't be bothering us for a long time," Eris commented. "Thank you for doing that Eris," Discord said. "Oh, Mavis. Here's a little treat for you," the Queen said, as she conjured up a very meaty mutton drumstick. Mavis drooled at the sight of her favorite food. The Queen then gave the meat to her granddaughter, who happily went to eating it. "Mavis may be a little older now, but it's still nice to see some things will never change," Dana commented. "Now then, I know you'd like to go and see to your subjects, but is there any chance you'd like to stay for the Hearths Warming festivities?" Celestia asked the Queen, and the many Beastmen that were with her. "Well, as much as I would like to stay and spend more time with my granddaughter, I really need to get back and check on things, to make sure everyone is alright," the Queen politely declined. "Ok, but what about these nice folks? I'm sure they'd like to stay for the festivities," Cadence asked, regarding the other beastmen. "Whether or not they choose to come with me or stay here is up to them," the Queen replied. Some of her subjects chose to stay, while the rest wanted to go home and rest from what had just occurred. "I'll be taking them back to the city," Eris said. "Alright Mavis, I'll see you later then," the Queen said. "Au revoir, Grand-mere," Mavis said, sharing a quick hug with her grandmother, before Eris teleported her, along with the Queen's subjects away. Moments later, Eris reappeared. "So, why did you guys want to stay here?" Mike asked the Beastmen. "Well, we want to try and see what this world is like. And we figure this celebration will help us to assess just that," a werewolf teen girl replied. "Hey, aren't you that kid that bumped into us on the ship?" a Minotaur girl asked, recognizing Toby. "Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" Toby asked. He also recognized her as one of the Minotaur girls he and the others met while looking for the shopping district. She had tan skin, like Dana's, and long, blonde hair. "No problem, but I was wondering if you could, like, show us around this city?" she asked. "Uh.... ok....," Toby replied. "It's actually pretty late. And I'm sure you're all tired from the ordeal. Why not stay the night in the castle, and we can show you around tomorrow?" Celestia asked. "Ok, that sounds good," the Minotaur girl replied, as they all went back to the castle. Mavis was still eating her drumstick, when Nathan approached her. "Mavis? We're headin' back to the castle," he said. However, Mavis growled at him, and took a defensive stance. "Nathan, you should know you must never approach a carnivore when they're eating," Toby said, diverting Nathan's attention, which seemed to calm Mavis down, "Mavis, we're going to the castle to get some sleep," Toby said, giving Mavis her drumstick. Mavis took her treat from the boy, as he went to catch up with his family. Unknown to anyone, Mavis blushed at the kind gesture. Author's Note Before any of you asks, these chapters will not only show how Mavis interacts with her friends and family as the monster girl listed in the chapter, but also the various species' that are listed in the monster species bios. For example, Werewolf shows how she would interact with her friends if she were not only a werewolf, but a werecat, wererabbit, and minotaur.
Demon (Part 2)The Next Day, Sunlight peeked into Mavis' room, as she began to stir in her sleep. She then sat up straight, her hair was a little bit of a mess, and her eyes were still groggy, "Mmm, can't a demon girl get any sleep around here?" she grumbled, laying back down, covering her head with the sheets. Just then, Cadence walked in to the room. "Mavis? Time to get up sweetie," Cadence said, nudging Mavis. "Mmm, don't wanna," Mavis mumbled, half asleep. "Now, now, it's already morning, and it's time for breakfast," Cadence said, pulling the sheets back off of the child. When she did, she was shocked to see bat like wings attached to her back, and her tail was actually attached to her backside. Mavis realized that Cadence pulled the sheets off of her, and that she was only wearing her undies. She was now wide awake out of embarrassment. With a squeak, she fell out of bed, and landed on her head, "Oh my, are you alright?!" Cadence asked, rushing to the child's side. "Owwie, I am fine," Mavis replied, as she quickly went over to get her dress, and ducked behind the chair it was sitting on, and slipped it on, 'I hope that human or any other male saw me,' Mavis thought, as she emerged from behind the chair. "So, Mavis, would you like to have some breakfast before we leave for Ponyville?" Cadence offered. She was trying to keep from letting Mavis know she saw her bat wings. The child was already nervous enough..... Cadence didn't want to worsen Mavis' anxiety any more. "Uh..... o-ok," Mavis timidly replied, as she was led out of the room. All the while, Cadence was wondering about Mavis. Why does she have horns, a tail, and wings? And why was the whites of her eyes black? This girl was shrouded in so much mystery. Eventually, they arrived at the dining hall, where Shining Armor, Nathan, and the foals, Skyla and Guard, were all having breakfast. "Ah, Cadence, and Mavis too. I trust you had a good night sleeping?" Shining Armor asked the young guest. "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as she sat at the table, a few spaces from Nathan. 'Did Ah do somethin' to upset her?' Nathan wondered, as he ate his breakfast. "Do you want some more toast, Mavis?" Cadence asked. "O-Oui," Mavis quietly replied. Cadence then motioned to a servant, who nodded, and went to prepare Mavis' requested meal. Moments later, she came back with two slices of toast, and a glass of milk for Mavis, "M-Merci," Mavis said, as she began eating her meager breakfast. "She doesn't eat much, does she?" Nathan asked his parents. "It could just be nerves," Cadence replied, as she ate her hay bacon and eggs. Once they were all done, they left the dining room, and made their way tot he foyer, "Alright, does everyone have everything?" she asked. "Yep, ah got mah suitcase, and mah entertainment bag," Nathan replied. "I have our suitcases, and a stroller for Skyla and Guard," Shining Armor added. "So that leaves me with the baby bag," Cadence said, slinging a large tote over her shoulder, "Mavis, if you want, you can borrow this satchel while we're visiting Ponyville. You can store things you find in it," Cadence said, giving Mavis a small satchel. "M-Merci," Mavis replied, as they left the castle. "I trust you guys can handle things while we're gone?" Shining Armor asked. "Of course, Captain," the guard replied. With that, the family was off to the train station. As they were walking, Nathan noticed a tail, just as Cadence had described, flowing out from Mavis' backside. 'Hmm, if that's true, then Mavis may not be human after all. Only question is, what is she?' he thought, as they arrived at the station. Cadence then quickly purchased one more ticket for Mavis, and presented them to the conductor. "Ah yes, Princess, the Royal Car has been coupled up to the train prior to your arrival," the conductor said, motioning to the car in question. The family and Mavis boarded the car, just as the engine blew its whistle, and began to move out of the station. Mavis took a seat close to the window. Propping her head up with her arm, she gazed out the window. All the while, the Crystal Family, save for the babies, who were just sleeping, were all talking to each other in regards to Mavis. "Mavis seems..... distant," Shining Armor commented. "Ah would say she's just bein' shy, but this seems to be somethin' else entirely," Nathan replied. "You're both right. But I think there's another piece missing entirely. When I went to wake her up this morning, I saw that she had bat like wings coming out of her back," Cadence pointed out. "Ya mean like mine?" Nathan asked. "Sort of. But I can't fathom just why she has wings, horns, and a tail. Not to mention her eyes," Cadence replied. "Y'know, the way she has all those things, she could either be an actual demon or just cosplayin' as one," Nathan commented. "Now Nathan, we should jump to rash conclusions like that just yet," Shining Armor replied. "Ah'm just sayin' she could be, not that she is one," Nathan countered. "Either way, you shouldn't say things like that about anyone without all the facts," Cadence replied. "Alright, Ah get ya," Nathan said. "But maybe Twilight and the others can help shed light on this mystery," Cadence commented. A little while later, the train began to slow down, as it reached Ponyville Station, "Come along Mavis," Cadence urged, as they all departed from the car. Mavis then looked around the peaceful hamlet of Ponyville. 'Well, it does look safe enough,' she thought to herself, as Cadence and the others led her to Twilight's castle. Meanwhile, at Twilight's Castle, Twilight and her kids her all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Cadence and Shining Armor, as well as Nathan and the foals, Alright, they should be here any moment," Twilight said, just as they heard knocking coming from the door. Twilight then opened the door, revealing the Crystal Family. Twilight and Cadence then did their little nursery rhyme. "SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE, LADYBUGS AWAKE. CLAP YOUR HOOVES AND DO A LITTLE SHAKE!" they rhymed. "Oh, it's so good to see you guys again!" Twilight said, embracing her brother and sister in law. "And you, Twilight," Cadence said. "Hey guys," Nathan greeted his cousins. "Hey Nathan," Josh greeted back. "So, what's new?" Nyx asked. "Well, we brought a guest with us," Nathan replied. This caught the surprise of the entire Twilight household. "Really?" Cory asked. "That's right. She's a little shy, but is a very sweet child," Cadence said, turning towards the door, "Mavis? You can come on in now," Cadence urged. From behind the door emerged Mavis, who looked rather tense, upon seeing more humans. 'Oh great, more human!' she thought, as she entered the castle. "Everyone, this is Mavis. Until further notice, she'll be staying with us at the Crystal Empire," Cadence said, introducing Mavis to the others for the girl, who simply shrank away, when the others all pointed their attention towards her. "It may be a while before she'll open up to us, so we'll just give her some space," Twilight told Cadence. "That would probably be best for her," Cadence replied. "Well, before we head out on town, shall I show you to your rooms?" Twilight offered. "That would be lovely, thank you," Cadence replied. With that, Twilight led the Crystal Family, and Mavis up to their rooms. Later, "... And here will be your room, Mavis," Twilight said, as she let Mavis into her room. "M-Merci," Mavis said, as she went inside, and flopped down on the bed. Twilight just smiled at the young girl's antics, as she went to check on the others. "Settling in alright?" Twilight asked Cadence and Shining Armor. "Indeed. So, how's Mavis?" Cadence asked, "Well, she just flopped down on the bed, so I assume she likes the room," Twilight replied. "Well, that's good," Cadence replied. "So, what are the plans for the visit?" Shining Armor asked. "Well, I was thinking we could do lunch at Sugarcube Corner, then go to the art gallery. But I think some minor adjustments to the schedule could be made for Mavis. We should see about getting her some new clothes," Twilight suggested. "Excellent idea. I'll go see if Mavis is up for it," Cadence said, as she made her way to Mavis' room. It wasn't too terribly far. By Cadence's request, Twilight made sure Mavis' room was close to hers and Shining Armor's room. She gently tapped on the door. "Mavis? We're going to be heading out to town soon. If you want to come, we can get you some new clothes?" Cadence offered. The door then opened up, revealing the young child. "O-Ok Princess, if you say so," Mavis replied shakily. "Alright then. Now, if you can head on downstairs, we'll be there momentarily," Cadence said. With that, the young girl left for the main foyer. However, she got lost, and wound up even further from the entrance than she was originally. She then looked around. "I hope no one sees this," Mavis said, as a star symbol made of fire appeared beneath her feet. She then descended into the star, which dropped her out near the entrance. She looked around, and saw that no one was there, thankfully, "Oh thank goodness," Mavis said, as she quickly extinguished the flames. Thankfully, there was no scorch marks. Soon, the others arrived. Mavis tensed up at seeing all the human kids. "Ok Mavis, are you ready to go?" Cadence asked, "O-Oui," Mavis replied, as the exited the castle, and made their way into town.
