The Bad Thing was hunting Twilight.

This was something Spike had learned after his discovery that Sunset-Protector was one who hunted The Bad Thing. Sunset had barely recovered when the smell of The Bad Thing returned, this time coming home with Twilight when she went to the School-Place.

It had always been stinky, smelling of the things called books and many growing two-legs all old enough to seek mates but too young to make their own dens, just like his Twilight. Spike did not know what they did there, but he assumed it was a lot of showing off while they learned to hunt the way two-legs did—which was silly, since Twilight was smart and clever and made many things in her Making-Den, and she already had a good mate…or would if they would hurry up with their courtship.

He really didn't understand why they were waiting—both clearly wanted to be mates, but they smelled of fear, and did not show their courtship where others could see. It wasn't like the family didn't know. Mother-Velvet-Soft got excited when the two were together, and was encouraging them in every way she could without speaking, and Father-Night-Wise was clearly satisfied with Sunset-Protector as a potential mate for his youngest pup. Shiny-brother respected her, and Cady-sister jumped with joy whenever Twilight talked to her alone about the courting.

But when The Bad Thing started hunting Twilight…he wondered if Sunset-Protector was afraid of exactly that—The Bad Thing hunting her mate to hurt her. Twilight didn't seem entirely aware, but Sunset was. The first time it happened, The Good Thing that was in Sunset attacked The Bad Thing and killed it, and Sunset stayed close, protecting the Den.

Yet it kept coming. Mostly on Twilight, but then it rose from Shiny-brother too, and Sunset-Protector became Sunset-Protector-Fire, burning The Bad Things away with fire only Spike could see, and keeping it from attacking Mother-Velvet-Soft anymore. Twilight had grown angry, and jealous, and fled to be angry and hurt in her room—Spike had gone with her, to help, but all she did was be angry at her family and Sunset. It was an anger that did not go away, even if she hid it, and no matter how much Sunset burned away The Bad Thing, Spike could feel it, deep inside Twilight like a tummy worm, a little bit of Bad trying to eat the Good Thing in Twilight that was growing.

That was also new. It was not a pup, but it was something that was part of Twilight, a tiny Good Thing that smelled like The Good Thing in Sunset-Protector-Fire, one that was growing stronger everyday, and that The Good Thing in Sunset was very clearly trying to protect.

Spike did not understand the all the ways The Good Things and Bad Things interacted, but they were clearly enemies. The Bad Thing was bad, it did Bad, so The Good Thing stopped it and killed it. But the Bad Thing fought back, and sometimes it hurt Sunset-Protector-Fire…sometimes badly, and she would come to the Den smelling of pain and tired and weakness. Those days, Spike did what he could to guard Sunset while she licked her wounds and The Good Thing inside her grew strong again when the family made her happy, when Twilight fussed over her and curled up with her the way a mate should.

The anger was still in Twilight, and the fear. It fed The Bad Thing, and it gave her nightmares and made her talk to herself, The Good Thing and The Bad Thing fighting over Twilight like a tug toy. She acted funny, smelled funny, acted scared and suspicious of her own pack and hid away in the Making-Den or the School-Place. Spike tried to help, to make her feel better, to show her that something was wrong…to tell the family that something was so very wrong…

But Spike could not speak the way the two-legs did, and while they seemed to realize something was wrong…they didn't know what, and he had no way to tell them, no matter how he barked and howled and whined.

He still did his best, trying to soothe Twilight’s bad feelings and warn Sunset as soon as she came over when the Bad Thing had come again. Her Good Thing would cover Twilight like a blanket, feeding the growing Good Thing inside Twilight, and drive back The Bad Thing as much as it could, and all would be well for some days. She, at least, seemed to know what was happening…even if she couldn't tell the family either.

Maybe she didn't know the right sounds?

Spike thought it might have gotten better, when he went to stay at Cady-sister and Shiny-brother’s den, and came back to find Twilight smelling of happy and The Bad Thing all gone and The Good Thing inside her stronger than ever. She was covered in Sunset’s scent, and it seemed that they had finally chosen to be mates after all.

Perhaps The Bad Thing had finally been beaten, and it would stop hunting his Twilight. Spike would like that.

Sunset-Protector-Fire would like that too, Spike decided. She did not like Twilight’s School-Place, at all, growling and making angry faces when it was talked about, and she got very protective when Twilight was upset about the School-Place, which happened more and more.

Spike did not get his wish.

The moon had barely turned her face when something changed again. Twilight grew angry again, and smelled of hurt and upset and sad and scared, and she fought with everyone. She made angry sounds at Sunset, driving Sunset back, hurting her with words more than if she had bit and scratched, and then she hid in her room, crying and stinking of pain and tired and sad and angry and Bad.

….and Sunset-Protector-Fire…

Was Broken. She did not seem to hear or see anything other than the shiny stone Twilight had thrown on the ground. She did not cry, but The Good Thing inside her seemed cracked now, and he smelled pain and fear and something else. Some deep, broken hurt inside her that stank of The Bad Thing, but also The Good Thing. And then she left, even when Mother-Velvet-Soft tried to get her to Stay, when Father-Night-Wise tried to talk to both females…even Spike climbing in her lap and offering cuddles and showing her that Twilight was wrong, that something Wrong and Bad had happened didn't get her to Stay.

Instead, Spike watched as Sunset-Protector-Broken…left the Den… It hurt Spike inside, and he felt was sorry he had ever wished for Sunset to leave…because she had made Twilight happy, had protected her and made his Chosen two-leg alive and free, like no one else. She was a good mate, a strong packmate…and as he saw how Twilight was also Broken and angry and hurt, he realized something else.

There was another kind of Choosing, between Twilight and Sunset…something more than just mates, something tied up in the wounded Good Things inside them both…

And Spike was afraid that if they did not make things right…

Then The Bad Thing would destroy The Good Things in both of them.

He had to help them.

Author's Note

One Chapter left.