"1,2,3. step, step, turn. Hand on the hip and turn. Hold them close. You and your partner are one and the same. Everyone has the same partner and everyone starts and stops at different points. Ah Mister Lycan, you're turn to start is coming take your place and yours hand and when you hear the music begin." A mare with a mask over her face said to a Dark blue coated earth pony. The mare speaking had Long red hair and a white coat. She was an alicorn but not one known. Looking around he saw all different kinds of creatures just dancing to music unheard Male and female alike with strange silhouette like shadows. To the sides of the ballroom were beings of great and small sizes most of which were unfamiliar. But then he saw them. The princesses of Equestria. Luna in a velvet dress. Twilight in a lavender silk. Cadance in pink silk. Celestia in White satin.
"Please take your mark and stance Mr.Lycan you don't have much time left and I would hate for you to miss your cue." The white alicorn spoke again. Standing up the pony walked over to soft glowing rune that faded as he matched positions. A silhouette of a female appeared helping him take the proper stance. He couldn't see it but he felt the shade smile sweetly at him before he heard a voice.
"It's ok Just breathe and follow my lead." It had spoken with no voice. "Ready?" He nodded softly and closed his eyes ."3...2....1" And just like that the first notes of music played into his ears softly and they began to dance. When he opened his eyes he heard his own cries as a baby and a nurse looking at him with bright eyes.
"It's a baby boy. And a big and strong earth pony aren't you." She said looking into his eyes before he passed to the mare he recognized as his mother.
"My little Lycan... " The mother said nuzzling the child. "You're going to do great things." He felt himself begin to cry and blinking he was back in the ballroom dancing with his partner to the music. Before he blinked again.
The scene before him this time was when he and his foal-hood friend Clarity, a peach colored pegasus with soft green mane, were lost in the woods in the dead of night with nothing but the fool moon and wolf was about to attack them. Growling he lunged at the lone wolf first, attacking it and beating it away after sustaining a few bites and scratches. Roaring into the night his victory over the beast much like a wolfs howl his cutie mark appeared a forest peak with a full moon at that moment from his desire to protect those in the night. His vision was turning blurry as Princess Luna approached from the moon. The most beautiful thing he ever saw.
"Rest now little one you fought well." Princess Luna told him. "You are safe now." When his eyes closed they snapped open to reveal the ballroom again.
"How brave.." the shade had said sweetly. "It reminds me of an old saying from one who has long since ended his dance. Only man defeat monsters, a monster attempting to be a man is no good and a man attempting to be a monster is no good." The pair turned in time for a brief moment in synchronicity with everyone else as they continued on their path in the ballroom. Before he blinked and the scene Changed again.
"Do you Lycan Glade adhere to all of which you are promised and expected to carry out as one of my lunar guards?" Princess Luna asked as she stood infront of him. "Let there be no hesitancy in your decision as you protect your fellow beings in the night while they rest."
"I do princess, on the life of myself and honor of my family I will defend everybeing I can from any monster in the Dark." Lycan said with pride. His voice holding a deeper tone. Adolescence.
"Excellent wording but keep in mind Young Lycan. Monsters don't always come from the wilds. Some can appear as you and I." The princess warned him of. " I hereby have the privilege to call you Private Lycan from hence forth of the Lunar Corps." Luna moved away for the captain of the night guard to walk forward.
"Congatulations Private. You have a very Moonlit future ahead of you." The captain said as his Yellow eyes seemed to have flashed red for moment while smiling with his fangs all Lunar Guards seem to have. Lycan blinked and was once again dancing in the ballroom. His armor adorned him.
"So passionate. So protective. You led a virtuous life." The shade spoke into his head. A moment passed as in unison everyone shifted partner for but a brief moment Lycan danced for a single moment in the arms of Clarity who smiled so lovingly at him. Blinking away any tears there were the scene changed.
"Lieutenant Lycan Glade, wilt thou have this Mare to be thy wedded wife to live together after Harmony's ordinance in the Holy Estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her? Comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her as long as you both shall live?" Princess Luna asked the newly Promoted soldier. Nodding his head he spoke.
"I do and even in death." Luna gasped slightly at the statement in time with Clarity.
"Then it is with all the honor I have, and the power vested in me and the night that I now pronounce Husband and Wife. You may kiss-" Luna was cut off as Clarity jumped the stallion into a loving embrace the two kissing deeply as she chuckled. Blinking the stallion frowned slightly as he felt Clarity leave him and to be returned to the Embrace of the shade.
"you truly meant that as well. Truly a good stallion until the end. And with your union brought forth another dancer." Confused at the statement the stallion blinked at the scene changed to show Clarity and him at the hospital where clarity was getting a sonogram.
"Congratulations Mr. Glade, Mrs. Veil, You have a pair of faternal twins. A unicorn and pegasus." The doctor said looking at the screen. "The unicorn looks like a girl, and the pegasus a boy."
"Oh honey its just what we hoped for." Clarity said nuzzling her husband by her side. "heh my little wolf pups." she said as she rubbed her pregnant belly.
"Our little wolf pups." Lycan said. getting a playful smirk from his wife.
"So you admit your a wolf at long last huh?" She giggled as he got flustered blinking the scene of the ballroom returned and mid turn he saw a Scarlet Unicorn mare and Azure Pegasus stallion start their dance at the same time. A sense of De ja vous washed over him as they seemed familiar but could not place how. Paying back attention to his partner as she giggled.
"They would've been quiet the heart breakers if they had gotten the chance to grow up." remorsefully she spoke, implying they never did. "It's a shame things didn't turn out that way." she confirmed. Furrowing his brows at these words, he blinked worried only for hte scene to change.
"Honey! I'm Home~" Lycan said as he walked into the flat they had called home. "Honey?" he called out when no response was given. Taking off his helmet he walked into the living room. there he saw 2 drinks. One of wine that was half drunk. the other of tea. He smelled, Confused he walked towards his bedroom where he saw something that confused him. Some of the pictures on the walls were shifted or knocked down. Signs of a struggle he realized. Rushing and slamming the door open He found his wife on the patio facing the door with a hoof extended tears in her dead eyes and some kind of monster, latched to her neck where blood was spilling. "CLAIR!" He screamed before he charged for the beast. The thing pulled itself away from its late night snack screeching with its circular fang filled mouth before flying off through the patio the only discernible features able to identify it was the pony like feet and its red eyes. Screaming for help he cradled his wife putting pressure onto her neck. By the time help had arrived she was already dead. Crying and screaming he blinked and the scene changed. A cloudy night that threatened storms with a crescent moon hung over the funeral taking place. Princess Luna approached the mourning widow.
"To lose life before it is given freely, and to lose the life of one so loved. We grieve with you, young Lycan. If there is anything you should desire, only speak it and we shall-" She was brought silent as Lycan Glade turned and faced her with a hollow intensity. One that is only recognizable in those who have nothing left to lose.
"I want the thing that killed my wife and unborn kids Served on a silver platter with its Flank Mounted on my wall above the fireplace." He said coldly. Before turning to look at the cold body of his love taking her hoof in his own and nuzzling the cheek of Clarity. Blinking away whatever tears were left. The ballroom came back to his vision as he opened his eyes again. to see Clarity and her dancer depart up the stairs on the other side only for her to stop breifly and turn to smile at him. An apologetic smile... a loving smile. His attention focused back on to his partner as the song was nearing its end and he was almost at the end of the dance hall.
"You lost everything you cared about that day. With no information on what that monster was. ofcourse when the world evolves, everything evolves to adapt and survive. Including monsters. You only found out a little too late what it was. And it was too late to stop it as it found you in it's sight's." She had said. In the next turn he saw his captain red eyes and all with a few other dancing in a near endless circle in the center of the room. And he felt himself surge with anger. Blinking the scene changed again. And Scene after scene showed more ponies dead by the same monsters marks. He was tracing its attacks and was finding out any information from witnesses they could've. Lycan was promoted by Luna for his dilligence and actually stopping one attack for figuring it out the next prey area if he was right. He was and the Monster fled without being tagged as if new military tactics.
"You with me Vice-Captain?" His CO asked. him.
"Yes... Sorry sir.... just lost in thought." Lycan responded.
"Lycan... I know all these deaths are starting to get to you all similar to the way your wife died. But you're burning the candle at both ends. Come on... Lets go get a drink." His captain said. "That's an order if it has to be by the way." He joked. Lycan just nodded and followed wordlessly. "Oh lets take this shortcut. I know of a great little hole in the wall of a joint. Just the place to take the edge off." He said turning down an alley. Following Lycan furrowed his eyebrows confused. He used to patrol this district in the past knew this alley lead to a dead end.
"Sir... I htink you took a wrong turn... this doesn't lead anywhere." he said as they approached the brick wall. Turning he saw the fangs on his captain and those same red eyes the monster had. His eyes going wide, at what those meant.
"Hmmm I guess your right Vice Captain..."
"Sir... Why do you have fangs?"
"What do you mean? We all have fangs... Its apart of our enchanted uniforms armor effect.
"But... Sir.. you're not wearing the armor." Lycan pointed out. Blinking the captain checked before nodding.
"It appears you were right again Vice Captain... You know it's such a shame. You truly where one of the best Lycan. But this is for the best, I can't have you going and spoiling my hunting grounds." The captain spoke its skin rippled taking on the beast like appearance before attacking. Its fangs just infront him he blinked and the scene was back to the ballroom as the song came to a close. He and his partner bowed.
"Its a shame really, you had almost figured out the beasts den. Lycan... Such a curious name. Do you know what it truly means?" She asked her partner.
"It means wolf." he responded for the first time that entire time.
"Correct but some of the beings here come from something more... Something else a process and form called Lycanthropy. Where they gained the ability to turn into a wolf and something in between. The shade looked away at the Moon that was clouded but slowly being revealed. "Its more of a curse as you are condemned by the moon and its element. But if offered would you accept it? To finish what you started?" The shade held out her hand once again for him to take it. "You have until the moon is fully revealed to decide." She said. A Crescent was visible he saw before he looked up at Clarity who was waiting at the top of the stairs for him with her partner along with pegasus and unicorn from before. He looked towards Luna was watching him pleading eyes but no discernible direction one way or the other. Then he turned and looked back at his Captain who was dancing still with his shade. The captain turned and saw him standing there and gave at first a slight look of shock before giving a wicked smile. The moon became full and unhidden from the clouds.
