Equestria Wolves: The Pack is Family, The Pack is Life

Chapters

Chapter 6: Journey to Howler's Rock
Chapter 1: Waking as Wolves
Chapter 2: Adjusting
Chapter 3: New Friends
Chapter 4: First Hunt
Chapter 5: Pups
Chapter 7: The Lunar Assembly - Part 1
Chapter 8: Lunar Assembly - Part 2
Chapter 9: Playtime and Meeting Sombra
Chapter 10: A New Mate and Rising Threats
Chapter 11: A Strange Guest

Chapter 6: Journey to Howler's Rock

With the Greenpaw Pack

Twilight and the pack had been running for two full hours now. Thanks to Lora's guidance, they were able to find the river easily.

The Salmon River was large but relatively shallow since they could see the bottom. Despite its namesake, the fertile river was filled with other species of fish that would be attractive to those with a taste for fish.

A cacophony of growling stomachs brought the pack to a halt. Spike landed in a nearby tree panting. Twilight chuckled.

"We still have a good bit of daylight left. Why don't we try to catch a few fish for lunch for a bit?" Twilight asked.

It turned out that Twilight didn't need to ask them for they took off towards the water to try to catch fish. Twilight joined them in fishing.

Twilight walked a good bit out in the river until she came across a large catfish. Holding her breath, Twilight dove her head into the water and just got the catfish by its tail and brought it back to shore.

As she ate the fish, she saw what the others caught. Applejack and Rainbow both caught largemouth bass, Pinkie caught a rainbow trout, Lora caught a pike, Rarity and Fluttershy caught multiple bluegill, and Starlight and Trixie caught some squirrels. Spike found several berries to eat from a nearby bush. He'd probably eat whatever the others couldn't finish. Twilight looked at Lora.

"Say Lora, what can you tell us about this land?" she asked.

Lora swallowed a mouthful of pike to answer her new alpha. "Are you new here?"

"Yes, we're new to this area and just established a territory," Twilight replied.

"Okay, then. We're in the Wildland Kingdom, the land of plenty and harmony," Lora said. "It's protected by Fenrir's Spine just west of here".

"What's Fenrir's Spine?" Rarity asked.

"It's a mountain range that's tough to navigate, especially if you don't know the area. It protects us from the humans just west of the Spine," Lora replied.

"Humans? There are humans here?" Twilight asked with perked ears.

"Indeed, you know about them?" Lora asked.

"I've encountered them before," Twilight said. Lora's face contorted into an expression of fear.

"I'm surprised you survived! Humans are vicious killers that destroy everything they see, especially us wolves!" Lora said.

"What? The ones I knew were kind and decent," Twilight said.

"They've slaughtered hundreds of our kind simply for being here! They would've finished us off if Howler the Great didn't find a safe hidden path through Fenrir's Spine," Lora said.

"Is this 'safe hidden path' the reason why the humans haven't come beyond the mountains?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes. We're safe here and the humans will never find the path," Lora said with confidence.

"What happens if they do?" Fluttershy asked.

"Personally, I'd like to fight for our land. If the humans try anything, we'll show them the power of the wolf!" Lora replied with a flash of her fangs.

"Okay moving on from that... how many packs exist within this Kingdom?" Rarity asked.

"Well, there's yours, Copperhide, Snowfoot, Shadowhide, Redtail, Highpaw, Frosteye, Barrenfang, and finally Silverhide," Lora replied. "The Silverihides are the largest and most powerful and influential pack in the Kingdom".

"Are there other predators here apart from wolves?" Rainbow asked.

"There are the bear clans that live within Fenrir's Spine," Lora said. "They were placed there as a line of defense in case humans ever find there way through them. Some of their representatives will be there during the Assembly".

"Any others?" Fluttershy asked.

"There are the foxes, coyotes, and mountain lions," Lora said. "Foxes are able to freely travel through wolf territory and settle. Coyotes are not welcome by any pack, and are even killed by wolves. Mountain lions have their own territory in the Northern Hills".

"Why aren't coyotes welcome?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight looked up to see the position of the sun. They were burning daylight talking like this. She got up, stretched, and addressed the pack.

"Look, there will be time to talk later. Right now, we have to continue to Howler's Rock," Twilight said.

Before the pack could start running again, Spike fell to the ground in a flapping fit. Twilight looked to him with concern.

"Spike! What's wrong?!" Twilight asked in worry.

Spike giggled and his words were slurred. "I don't know. All I know is... I feel good".

Applejack sniffed at the berries Spike ate earlier. She turned to Twilight and tried to hold in laughter.

"The berries Spike ate were fermented," Applejack said. "He's smashed!"

Twilight sighed and smiled at Spike. It was going to be hard to carry Spike while they traveled to Howler's Rock, but she had to do something.

"Spike, I'm going to carry you, but I promise I'll be gentle," Twilight said.

"It'zz okay, Twi. I truzzt you," Spike said.

Twilight gently picked up Spike in her mouth and took off along the river. Once the sun had touched the top of the trees, the pack saw what they guessed was Fenrir's Spine, stretching far and wide. Lora came up beside Twilight as they ran.

"Howler's Rock is just up ahead beyond the next hill!" Lora said.

Sure enough, as soon as the pack crested the hill, they finally arrived at Howler's Rock.

Howler's Rock was an impressive rock formation in the center of a very large clearing. The Rock was in a shape of a large wolf's head pointed upwards as if the rock itself were howling. Adorning the top of the Rock was a short tree that seemed out of place with the other trees around the clearing.

"Here we are, Howler's Rock!" Lora said.

"This place looks cool!" Rainbow said.

"This looks like a good place to meet. I can see why everyone comes here," Twilight said. "How long do we have to wait until others start coming?"

A series of howls in the distance answered Twilight's question for her. Just as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, lots of wolves and a few other predators came into the clearing.

Wolves from all the different packs came, as well as a few bears, two mountain lions, four foxes, and even a few coyotes came into the clearing to take part in the Assembly. They all devolved into their own conversations until a loud hooting sound came from the tree.

Everyone in the clearing turned to the tree to see a large great horned owl with a white patch of feathers under his beak flying down to the top of Howler's Rock overlooking everyone gathered. Joining the owl was a large male wolf with a large patch of silver-colored fur along his neck and back. The owl picked up a small rock in his talons and banged it on the tip of the rock.

"Hello, everyone!" the owl greeted with a kind and wise voice. "I am the Knowledge Keeper of the Wildland Kingdom, Archimedes. Seeing as we're all gathered here, let us get started".

Chapter 1: Waking as Wolves

Twilight woke up to the feeling of something sharp poking her in the neck. She woke to see what looked like a raven with bright green eyes looking down at her.

"Twilight! Twilight, wake up!" the raven cried in a familiar voice.

Twilight stood straight up with a start. She locked her eyes with the green-eyed raven that sounded exactly like Spike.

"Spike?! What happened to you?! How did you become a raven?!" Twilight cried.

"I don't know how I became a raven! And I don't know how you became a wolf!" Spike said.

That last exclamation caught Twilight's attention. She looked down at herself and saw not hooves, but large paws with toes, pads, and claws. She looked at her own muzzle and saw that it was longer and more canine. Twilight looked behind her and saw a bushy tail. Her fur was also colored like a wolf's, with silver and white and a bit of purple on her neck and head. She brought a paw to her head and couldn't feel her horn. Spike was right, she had become a wolf!

Twilight looked around and saw that she wasn't in her castle anymore. All around her, she could see nothing but compact soil above and below her. The walls and floor had claw marks, indicating that this was a wolf den.

And she could see that she wasn't the only one in the den. In the deepest part of the den, there were other wolves sleeping soundly in close proximity to each other. Twilight walked closer to the wolves and saw that they were her friends turned into wolves! She went up to Applejack, since she was the closest, and shook her with her paws.

"Applejack! AJ, wake up!" Twilight goaded.

Applejack looked not that dissimilar to a normal wolf with the exception being her neck and head having lighter fur. She opened her bright yellow eyes and looked at Twilight. Understandably, she shot up and looked straight at Twilight.

"Twilight?! What happened to you?! You turned into a wolf!" she shouted.

"So did you, Applejack!" Twilight retorted.

Applejack looked herself over and got the confirmation of Twilight's words. She looked at Twilight wanting some form of explanation. Twilight simply looked at Applejack with a tired expression.

"Let's wake up the others and then we can figure out what happened" Twilight said.

Twilight and Applejack woke up the rest of their friends. They all had the same reaction Twilight and Applejack had. The girls all looked to Twilight for an explanation for what happened. Twilight simply looked at all of them to see how they all looked as wolves.

Rainbow Dash had a light belly with a darker gray back, while her neck and head were a light blue. Pinkie Pie had a light gray fur with bits of black on her back while her neck and head fur had a dark pink streak. Rarity was a white wolf with a small streak of her dark purple fur lining her neck. Fluttershy had a light tan fur color with some light pink on her head.

Curiously, Fluttershy had a better time adjusting to being a wolf.

"Twilight! What happened?! Why are we all wolves?!" Rainbow demanded.

Twilight put a paw to her muzzle in thought. She tried to think back to what could have caused this to happened. Then, the memory hit her like an apple cart.

"I think I know what happened" Twilight said.

"What happened, Twi?" Fluttershy asked.

"I remember working on the portal to the human world, you all came to visit, and I must have activated the portal by accident, and sent us to a new world altogether" Twilight said.

The pack seemed to be satisfied with that explanation. But Rarity raised her paw.

"But why are we wolves?" she asked.

"The portal must've sent us to a new world where we're now sentient wolves" Twilight replied.

"How are we going to get back?" Applejack asked.

"I... I don't know" Twilight said. "I think the best thing for us to do right now is to get outside and view our surroundings"

The rest of the pack seemed to agree with Twilight's suggestion. It was certainly better than sitting in the den not doing anything. The walked out of the den and into the fading sunlight of dusk. All they could see around them was nothing but forest. The leaves on the trees on the trees were yellow, orange, and brown. There was a crisp chill in the air, too.

The wolves slowly walked out of the den to survey the surrounding area. Twilight turned to see that their den was dug underneath a dead tree. Twilight pointed her snout in the air and sniffed.

Twilight's eyes widened. She could smell things she couldn't even dream of. She was familiar with the smell of forests, but she could somehow smell more than simply the trees and soil. Every scent around her was somehow greatly enhanced. She could smell Spike perched in the tree above her. She faced her friends and sniffed.

She could make out all their individual scents. Their scents were like fingerprints, being unique to each of them.

"Uh, Twilight? Why are you sniffing us?" Rainbow asked.

"Girls! You have to sniff the air around you! Our sense of smell is stronger now!" Twilight replied.

The wolves sniffed the air around them. Their eyes instantly lit up at smelling the different scents around them.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Pinkie cried.

"Simply outstanding! Every smell around me is so clear!" Rarity said.

"All of our scents are unique, too!" Fluttershy interjected.

Twilight felt a set of teeth pulling her ear. She turned to see that it was Pinkie.

"Ow Pinkie! What is it?" she asked.

"What do we do?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight looked around. They were turned into wolves and transported to an unknown forest in a different world altogether. She got it!

"I think we should split into three pairs. Spike, you and Fluttershy will come with me and survey the North. Rainbow, you and Applejack will search the East. Pinkie, you and Rarity will survey the West" Twilight said.

They separated into their teams and ran off into their designated directions. They had to find out how to get back to their own world.

Chapter 2: Adjusting

Twilight and Fluttershy were running through the forest at a decent speed through the forest they found themselves in. Spike had an easy time catching up with them as he was flying directly behind them. As far as Twilight could see, this was a really average forest. The autumn trees, the rocks, and the birds all looked the same.

Both Twilight and Fluttershy were amazed by the fact that they've been running for a long time and didn't feel the need to stop and rest yet. But this made sense to them, given their knowledge on animals.

Wolves are nature's best marathoners. They can cover up to forty miles in one day when not running at top speed. They can track their prey for miles before reaching the edge of their territory.

Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike crested a treeless hill and looked around. Spike circled above them to get a literal bird's eye view of the landscape. Despite it now being night, Twilight and Fluttershy could see very well in the dark thanks to their wolfish eyes. Spike landed on Twilight's back.

"Anything, Spike?" Twilight asked.

Spike shook his head. "Nothing. There's nothing but dense forest for miles"

"What do we do now, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"I think we should reunite with the others" Twilight replied.

"And how are we going to contact them if we're miles apart from each other?" Spike wondered.

Twilight's only reply was to lift her head towards the sky and let out a long howl.

"Aaahooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Hopefully, the others should respond. A few seconds later, Twilight got a howl back coming from the East and another howl coming from the West. The pack would reunite back at the den and search the South together.

"Well, we better get back to the den" Twilight said before shooting off down the hill.

Spike and Fluttershy followed suit.

With Applejack and Rainbow Dash

Applejack and Rainbow ran through the eastern part of the forest with Rainbow obviously enjoying being a wolf. Applejack raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"I'd thought you would hate being a wolf since you don't have wings" Applejack said.

"I may not have wings anymore, but being a wolf is so awesome! We've been running for miles and haven't stopped once!" Rainbow replied.

Applejack knew that Rainbow was right. They were covering a lot of ground and haven't made any stops. Applejack could get used to being a wolf until they found their way home.

As the pair continued running, they could hear the sound of a river in the distance. They ran until the sound became more and more clear to them. Eventually they came to a stop at a small canyon-like ravine with a river flowing through it. On the other side of the river was a different forest with entirely different trees.

These trees were all evergreen trees, with their permanently-full branches and needles making the nighttime forest look even darker. Both of them looked into the other forest's darkness with growing anxiety. But they both tried to put on brave faces.

"I-I'm not scared of any d-dark woods!" Rainbow said with a slight stammer.

"N-neither am I!" Applejack retorted.

Just then, the sounds of barking, growling, and something running towards them made their ears perk up. Both of them sniffed the air to make out what it was. The scent they caught was somehow both different and familiar to them.

Out of the darkness of the evergreen forest, a strange copper-colored wolf appeared out of the brush. The strange wolf simply stared at the two for a brief second before looking back to the sounds of growling. The copper wolf then made a flying leap across the river and landed on Applejack's and Rainbow's side of the river.

A trio of black wolves suddenly appeared and halted at the edge of the river. They were all growling and barking at the copper-colored wolf that had eluded them before turning their gazes on Applejack and Rainbow. The black wolves all stared at them for a few moments before the one in the center raised its head.

"You stay out of our territory, Copperhide!!" he shouted in a deep voice. He and his cohorts trotted back into the dark forest.

Rainbow and Applejack didn't know what to make of this. They had just watched three black wolves chasing this copper wolf out of their territory. They turned to speak to the copper wolf.

"Are you alright? Those guys gave you quite the chase, huh?" Rainbow asked.

The copper wolf simply lay flay on the ground with her tail between her legs and her ears flattened. She looked up at the two with pleading eyes.

"Please forgive me! I didn't mean to trespass into your territory! I had to get away from--" the copper wolf said before Applejack put a paw to her mouth.

"It's alright, sugarcube. Why were they chasin' you?" Applejack said.

"They were chasing me because I was in their territory trying to find food" she replied.

"Well, you're safe here. What's your name?" Rainbow asked.

"My name is Lora Copperhide of the Copperhide Pack. And you?" Arina replied.

"I'm Rainbow Dash"

"I'm Applejack"

Lora tilted her head. She had never heard of those names before.

"What pack do you belong to? If you say I'm safe here, may I speak to your alpha?" Lora asked.

They weren't sure how to answer the first question, but since Twilight was a Princess, they could answer the second one.

"Yeah! We'll bring you to our alpha" Rainbow replied.

"Okay. Where's your den?" Lora wondered.

Instead of a verbal response, the sound of a howl in the distance answered for them. Rainbow and Applejack somehow knew that howl came from Twilight. Applejack lifted her head and returned the howl. In the West, another howl sounded.

"Looks like we're meeting up back at the den" Applejack said.

"Alright! Follow us to the den, Lora. Our alpha will want to talk to you" Rainbow said.

"Thank you so much!" Lora said.

They set off back in the direction of the den with a new friend.

With Pinkie Pie and Rarity

Pinkie and Rarity stopped to gaze out over a vast plains landscape with scattered rocks. Pinkie looked excited.

"This looks like a great place to play Hide And Seek, Rarity!" Pinkie cried.

She was about to set off and play on the rocks when Rarity pulled on her tail with her teeth. Rarity pulled Pinkie back into the cover of the trees.

"Pinkie, darling, I don't think we should go out there!" she said.

"Why?"

"Don't you smell that?"

Pinkie sniffed the air around her and her eyes popped open.

"I smell wolves. Different wolves, too. Could these plains be their territory?" Pinkie asked.

"I get the feeling that it would be bad for us if we simply wandered into another pack's territory" Rarity replied.

Both of them turned to leave when a voice called to them. "Leaving so soon?"

Rarity and Pinkie turned in the direction of the voice. The voice wasn't threatening, but disappointed. From behind one of the rocks was a wolf.

This wolf was beautiful, with pure white fur and bright blue eyes. And it was small, too. It was likely a pup that started to run with the rest of its pack. She sauntered up to Rarity and Pinkie and sat down before them.

"Hello there! Those woods your territory?" the young white wolf asked.

"I-indeed they are" Rarity replied. "I take it the plains are your pack's?"

"Yep. We make our living on the plains. We're the Ghosts of the Plains, according to some packs" she replied.

"Nice to meet you! My name's Pinkie Pie. What's your name?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"My name is Phantom of the Snowfoot Pack. What pack are you from?" Phantom asked.

They weren't sure how to answer that without telling Phantom that they used to be magic ponies from another world. They decided to play along with Phantom.

"We're part of the Greenpaw Pack" Rarity replied with a wag of her tail.

Phantom squinted her eyes in thought. "I've walked along the edge of the forest lots of times and met many different wolves of different packs, but I've never heard of the Greenpaw Pack. Did you recently establish a territory in the forest?"

"We sure did! We're new to the area, but we'd like to meet the neighbors" Pinkie replied.

Both of them felt bad for lying to Phantom, but it was the only option they had if they were going to get any information about this world. Besides, Phantom seemed to like their answers.

"Well, if you want to meet the other packs, there's the monthly Lunar Assembly coming up in three days. You get the chance to interact with the other packs there" Phantom said.

"And just where do we go to get to the Lunar Assembly?" Rarity asked.

"You follow Salmon River north until you reach Howler's Rock. You'll know it when you see it" Phantom said.

Before they could continue their conversation, the sound of Twilight howling overcame them. Phantom giggled.

"Looks like your alpha is calling for you" she said.

"Well, we better get going. Goodbye, Phantom! It was lovely to meet you" Rarity said.

"I hope we'll see you again in the future!" Pinkie said.

"I'm sure you will. I'll see you both at the Lunar Assembly!" she cried before she trotted off over the rocks.

Pinkie and Rarity ran off to meet the rest of their pack back at the den. They would bring good new, after all.

Chapter 3: New Friends

Back at The Den

Twilight and the rest of the pack gathered back at the den after an hour of tracking their scents back. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike were the first to arrive, followed by Pinkie and Rarity and finally Rainbow Dash, Applejack and a strange wolf.

When Twilight saw the strange wolf Applejack and Rainbow brought back with them, she felt something in her chest. There was something about this wolf that Twilight didn't like.

"Who is this you've brought back with you?" Rarity asked.

Applejack stepped forward. "Everyone, this is Lora. She's from different pack. We found her being chased by different wolves from another territory"

Lora stepped up and lowered her head at everyone else.

"Thank you for having me. I've been wandering the land for the past few days" Lora said.

"Why are you wandering if you're part of a pack?" Fluttershy asked.

But before Lora could respond, Twilight walked toward Lora growling and baring her fangs at her. Her posture and facial features conveyed a form of hostility. The fur on her back and the back of her neck was bristled, her lips were pulled back over her teeth, and her ears were flattened against her head.

"Twi, what is it?!" Rainbow asked worriedly.

When Rainbow tried to step between Twilight and Lora, Twilight snapped at Rainbow's muzzle with a bark. Rainbow backed off and lowered her head to the ground. Twilight continued walking toward Lora.

Lora laid down on the ground and rolled over, exposing her stomach with a whimper. Twilight stood directly over Lora and growled in her face and sniffing her.

Fluttershy could see what was happening. Twilight was exhibiting territorial behavior. She's actively dominating Lora and Lora is submitting to Twilight.

Wolves are very territorial. While it is possible for lone wolves to join other packs if they submit to the alpha, wolf packs in general didn't like strange wolves in their territory. If lone wolves wanted to join another pack, they had to submit to the alpha.

After the dominance display was over, Twilight allowed Lora to stand. Lora was still in a submissive posture.

"You are welcome to stay with us if you want" Twilight said.

Lora looked up at Twilight with sparkling eyes and a wagging tail.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Lora cried.

The others were dumbfounded. They just saw Twilight acting like a true wolf before their very eyes. Not just like a wolf, but like a pack's alpha.

"Twilight, what just happened?" Pinkie asked.

"I don't know what came over me. I just felt like I had to get aggressive" Twilight replied.

"You were acting on instinct" Fluttershy interjected. "Twilight was showing that she's the alpha".

"Wait, Twilight's the alpha?" Rainbow asked.

"Remember how she reacted when you tried to get between her and Lora?" Fluttershy asked in response.

Rainbow cringed at the memory. She'd never seen Twilight that hostile even when she was fighting Tirek.

"Well now that we've established that Twilight is the alpha and Lora's now part of the pack, don't you think we should get back to what she was talking about earlier?" Spike said from a tree.

"Right. Lora" Twilight said looking at Lora.

Lora stood back up and wagged her tail in excitement. She got to introduce herself to her new pack.

"I am Lora, formerly part of the Copperhide Pack" Lora said.

"The Copperhide Pack?" Pinkie asked.

"They rule the territory from Beaver Lake to the Great Stump" Lora replied.

"Why did you leave your pack?" Applejack asked.

A shadow seemed to cross Lora's face. She looked down and away from the others.

"I don't really want to talk about it" she replied.

They all looked at Lora with concern. It was obvious that Lora was likely kicked out of her pack for something. They decided to let the issue lie. At least, for now. Lora continued with her story.

"I was wandering from territory to territory trying to join other packs, but they all just chased me away every time" Lora said.

"Who were the wolves chasing you away when we met?" Rainbow asked.

"Those were wolves from the Shadowhide Pack. They rule Darkwood Grove" Lora said.

Pinkie nuzzled Lora's cheek. "Well, now you've got us!"

"Thank you so much for accepting me" Lora said.

Rarity stepped forward. "Now that we have a new packmate, me and Pinkie have some interesting news"

"What is it?" Applejack asked.

"When me and Rarity were searching the West, we came across the edge of another pack's territory. We met another wolf who told us about a way we can learn more about this world" Pinkie replied.

"Really? What did this other wolf say?" Twilight asked.

"Her name is Phantom. She said that there's a 'Lunar Assembly' in three days at a place called Howler's Rock" Rarity said.

"She said that we follow Salmon River north until we reach it. She said we'll know it when we see it" Pinkie added.

Lora's ears perked up. "I've been to a few Lunar Assemblies before. I know how to get to Howler's Rock"

"Thank you. But what are these 'Lunar Assemblies' anyway?" Rainbow asked.

"It's when all the wolf packs and other predators of the Wildland Kingdom gather to speak about important issues or to reassure and establish good relations. Sometimes, we all play together. The only other time where all predators get together in peace is during the annual Salmon Runs" Lora replied.

Twilight held her head high. "Well everyone, looks like we've got something to look forward to in three days"

The sounds of multiple stomachs growling filled the air around them. The entire pack realized that they haven't eaten anything the entire time they were there. But now that they're no longer herbivores, they have no choice but to hunt and kill prey like true predators.

Twilight bared her fangs in a grin. "Girls, who's hungry?"

The entire pack let loose a haunting symphony of howls to hype themselves up for the coming hunt and took off into the night.

Chapter 4: First Hunt

The Next Day

Twilight and the rest of her pack were running through the forest at speed. Now that they weren't concerned with surveying the surrounding area, they could take the time to enjoy running through their territory.

They loved feeling the adrenaline pumping through their veins, the earth beneath their paws, and the wind rushing over their fur. It somehow felt... right.

Twilight stopped and sniffed the air. Their were several scents mixed in with the air around them. Grass, trees, birds, a few mice, and some squirrels, But when Twilight turned her head to the left, she caught something's scent.

As she smelled, a mental image began to form within her mind. It was like the scent itself was taking shape within her mind into the form of the animal giving off the scent. The scent image quickly began to take the shape of a large animal.

The image Twilight saw was that of a moose. From what Twilight could smell, the moose was only two hundred yards away from them and was injured. The animal had no idea Twilight and her pack were closing in. Twilight turned to her pack.

"Everyone, I smell something," Twilight said. "It's a moose. We have to be sneaky if we're going to do this successfully."

The rest of the pack nodded in understanding and crept in the direction of the moose. The held their heads down and treaded slowly through the brush so as not to alert the moose to their presence. After several minutes of tracking, the pack came across the moose eating plants from a nearby pond.

The animal was male, with large antlers and stood at an impressive six feet at the shoulder. It had a thick barrel for a mid-section and taut flanks. The only problem with this moose is that the beast was walking with a limp. Twilight could see that the right ankle on the moose's right foreleg was considerably swollen.

The pack couldn't smell that scent of sickness from this moose. A good sign. They won't have to worry about getting something nasty from this moose.

Twilight shot her head from left to right, signaling for the others to fan out and surround the moose. They all separated from Twilight and surrounded the moose quickly and quietly. Fortunately, the moose was too preoccupied eating from the pond to really notice the pack of wolves surrounding it. Once everyone was in place, Twilight clenched her muscles and silently readied her fangs. After her preparations were complete, she lunged.

The moose didn't have time to move its head away from Twilight delivering a vicious bite to the side of its neck. The moose bellowed in pain and shock and took off. Twilight and her pack gave chase.

Due to its injury, the moose wasn't able to run at its top speed. The pack was closing it very quickly, snapping at the moose's heels. The moose stopped and faced the pack to make a stand. The moose bellowed and shook its antlers at the wolves. The pack surrounded the moose and took turns biting at the moose. Despite the moose's attempts to stomp or kick at the wolves, its injuries were taking effect. The bites left bleeding wounds in critical spots and the moose's movements were becoming slower and more sluggish. The moose's legs were visibly shaking from blood loss and shock.

The moose eventually hit the ground with a resounded "thud". Twilight rushed in to deliver the finishing bite to the moose's neck. The taste of blood sprayed into Twilight's mouth as she ruptured the animal's carotid artery. Twilight looked into the moose's eyes as it quickly died.

With the moose now dead, the pack gathered around to feast. Twilight, being the alpha, was the first one to eat. She tore the fur away from the moose's skin and then tore into the animal's flesh and started truly feasting.

The primal feeling of feeding on another creature in this manner was intoxicating. Sinking her fangs into another animal's flesh, tearing it from the bones, and then eating it was something that just felt... right. Must be an affect of being a wolf. After eating her fill, the rest of the pack came over to eat from the carcass.

By the time the pack was done, there was nothing but bones and bits of skin left from the moose. The rest of the pack was lounging around with content and sleepy faces and full bellies. Even Rarity, the most lady-like out of all of them, had a noticeably distended belly.

"Wow, I never *burp* knew being a carnivore could so amazing?" Rainbow asked.

"That experience was somehow... natural," Pinkie said.

"Did you get enough to eat, Lora?" Twilight asked.

The only response Twilight got was the sound of light snoring coming from Lora. She fell asleep from all the meat she had eaten. Twilight simply smiled at Lora.

"That looks like a good idea. Let's all sleep this off" Twilight said.

The rest of the pack laid their heads down and fell asleep. Even Spike fell asleep in the branches of a nearby tree.

"I think we'll survive until e find a way home," Twilight said before she let sleep take her.

Chapter 5: Pups

Later That Night

It was early evening when the pack returned to the den. The waxing gibbous moon was hanging low in the night sky, illuminating the nocturnal landscape in aquamarine light. They had licked their lips from their first successful hunt since they've become wolves. Lora pointed at the moon with her nose.

"The Lunar Assembly is tomorrow night. We should start traveling to Howler's Rock tomorrow," she said.

"Thanks, Lora. Can you lead us there tomorrow?" Twilight asked.

"Of course! It's the least I can do for accepting me," Lora replied.

Twilight smiled at her. Lora could be a fine addition to their pack. Besides, she's their best source of information on this world they have.

Twilight was about to lead the pack into the den when a strangely familiar smell hit her nose from within the den. It wasn't any of the others' scents, but it was definitely the scent of wolves. She took a deep sniff to get a mental image of what she was smelling.

To Twilight's shock, the mental image split into two familiar forms: those of Starlight Glimmer and Trixie! Her eyes snapped open and she dove into the den. Thanks to her enhanced sight, she could make out the shapes of two sleeping wolves in the den.

Only, these weren't adult wolves, but pups. Barely old enough to join the adults on hunts, from the looks of them. They were cute little balls of fluff and pent-up energy peacefully sleeping. And they were wolves that Twilight recognized.

Twilight nuzzled Starlight and Trixie to wake them up.

"Starlight! Trixie! Wake up!" Twilight whispered.

Slowly, both Starlight and Trixie opened their little eyes and stared at wolf Twilight. They both jumped up in fear and looked right in Twilight's golden-yellow eyes. Starlight seemed to recognize Twilight even in her new body.

"Twilight? Is that you? How did you become a wolf?" Starlight asked.

"The same way you did," Twilight replied.

Starlight and Trixie looked at each other, gasped, and then looked back to Twilight.

"What happened?! How did we become wolves?!" Trixie asked loudly.

"Just follow me outside and I'll explain everything," Twilight said.

Twilight led the young pups out of the den and into the moonlight for the rest of the pack to see. Fluttershy and Pinkie squealed and scooped up Starlight and Trixie to snuggle them both.

"You are so cute!!" Fluttershy screamed.

Pinkie was sniffing them both. "And they have that classic puppy smell!"

"Hey! Let us go!" Starlight wheezed.

Thankfully, they were released from the loving grasps of the happy wolves and the pack took full stock into the sight of Starlight and Trixie as wolf pups.

"I'm guessing what happened to us happened to you?" Applejack asked.

"All I know is Trixie and I showed up to join your slumber party when we saw a bright light coming from the portal from the library. Next thing we know, we're wolf pups," Starlight replied.

Trixie was feeling her own fur with her paws. "At least we're soft and fuzzy."

Rainbow licked the top of Trixie's head. "And you're adorable, too."

"Alright, we should explain the current situation," Twilight said.

One Lengthy Explanation Later

Starlight and Trixie sat there and were trying to process everything they've been told. They've become wolves, actually hunted and ate another creature, and now they were going to find a way back to Equestria.

"Well, this entire thing makes sense," Starlight said.

"But why are we wolf pups while the rest of you are adults? We're the same age as you!" Trixie complained.

"Not sure why. I'm willing to just chalk it up as a magic thing," Applejack replied.

"At least you're old enough to start running with the rest of us," Fluttershy said.

"Also, why is Spike a raven?" Starlight asked.

"It may be due to him being a dragon in Equestria," Rarity replied.

Spike shook his feathers. "At least these feathers are warm."

"Do we have any idea about how we're going to return to Equestria?" Starlight asked.

"Well, the best thing we can do for now is to learn more about this world. And we may have a lead," Twilight replied. "There's supposed to be a gathering at a place called 'Howler's Rock'."

Chapter 7: The Lunar Assembly - Part 1

At Howler's Rock

Twilight and her pack were amazed at being surrounded by all of these different wolves and predators from all over the land. But as they walked among the arrivals, they drew a fair bit of stares, especially from the other wolf packs. There were quite a few whispers about them, too.

"Who are they?"

"Where are they from?"

"I don't recognize them".

"Is that a Copperhide among them?"

"Their pups are so cute!"

Among the whispers came a voice familiar to Rarity and Pinkie. "Hey, Rarity! Pinkie!"

A familiar white wolf pup sauntered up to Rarity and Pinkie. The two recognized the pup immediately.

"Hey, Phantom! It's so ice to see you again without having to worry about territory!" Pinkie said nuzzling Phantom's head.

"It is indeed great to see you again, darling! I hope you've been doing well," Rarity said.

"I've been itching to see the new pack in the Kingdom ever since I first met you!" Phantom said.

"Phantom! Where are you?" a female voice called from the crowd.

Phantom bounced up more than Pinkie, which was surprising. Phantom was certainly energetic.

"Over here!" she called back.

A beautiful white wolf with a thin line of pale silver running down her back and bright golden eyes made her way over to Phantom and brought her head down to bring her in closer.

"Phantom, you can't just go running off like that," the she-wolf said. "I don't want to lose you!"

"I'm sorry, mom. I just wanted to see my new friends," Phantom said indicating the pack before her.

"I'm sorry if my daughter caused you any trouble," the mother said. "My name is Spectra of the Snowfoot Pack. Pleasure to meet you".

"Your daughter hasn't been any trouble, at all," Twilight said stepping forward. "In fact, she's a welcome sight. My name is Twilight, alpha of the Greenpaw Pack".

Spectra's ears twitched. "Greenpaw? I'm sorry, but I've never heard of your pack before".

"We recently came here to establish a territory just south of here," Twilight said.

"Well, sounds like we have cause for celebration," Spectra said.

Twilight introduced Phantom and Spectra to the rest of the pack. When she got to Starlight and Trixie, Phantom seemd to perk up even more. She ran up to them and gave them a play-bow with her wagging tail in the air.

"Hey there! My name's Phantom! Do you wanna play?!" Phantom asked excitedly.

Starlight and Trixie looked at each other and then to Phantom. They didn't seem sure about how to respond at first, but then Starlight mimicked Phantom's play-bow. Trixie did the same and then Phantom took off, wanting the pair of pups to chase her. Starlight, Trixie, and Phantom all joined several other young predators in play in what seemed like an area designated for them. Spectra left to keep an eye on her daughter. As the pack watched the youths frivolity, a new voice sounded.

"Lora? Is that you?" the male voice said with an accent similar to Applejack's.

The pack turned to see a coyote walking up to them. This coyote had the top part of his right ear missing, likely due to a fight. He walked up to them and smiled at Lora in particular. Lora smiled and looked away with her ears pinned back.

"H-hey there, Bandit," Lora said. "You look well".

"Things have been going good. I've recently found a good place to den in Redtail Territory," Bandit said. "They'll let me live there and scavenge from their kills".

"That's great, Bandit!" Lora said. "Things have been going good for me, as well. I finally found a pack".

Bandit seemed to acknowledge the other wolves for the first time. He gave a respectful bow to Twilight.

"Pleasure to meet y'all. I'm Bandit, a coyote," Bandit greeted. "And may I say I am so happy to see that dear Lora has joined your pack. If you need anything, you need only ask".

"Well, pleasure to meet you, too, Bandit," Twilight said. "Lora is more than welcome amongst us. And you're more than welcome to come to our territory".

A loud growl seemed to instantly kill the jovial mood. A large male wolf with reddish fur like Lora's came into view, flanked by two similarly-colored wolves. He seemed to be singling Lora out specifically. Lora looked terrified, her ears down and tail between her legs. Bandit looked disgusted at the sight of the approaching wolves.

"Hello, deviant," the apparent alpha said with a hateful tone. "I see you're doing well".

The rude alpha looked to Bandit with a snarl. "And I see your deviant coyote has followed you here, too".

"Eat a hornet, you rot-for-brains," Bandit said.

One of the alpha's subordinates snapped at Bandit. Bandit didn't even flinch.

"You watch what you say to the alpha of the Copperhide Pack!" she snarled.

Twilight stepped forward and got between her and Bandit. "Is there something I can help you with, or are you just here to bother one of my packmates and a coyote?"

The Copperhide alpha looked at Twilight and seemed to acknowledge her as a fellow alpha. He bowed his head slightly.

"Greetings, dear alpha," he greeted. "I am Vilkas of the Copperhide Pack. I feel it important to inform you of the deviant wolf you've welcomed into your pack".

"Deviant how?" Twilight asked.

"Well, that wolf there has committed a great offense against our pack," Vilkas said.

"And this offense being what?" Twilight asked.

"She has indulged in a romantic relationship... with a coyote!" Vilkas said before pointing his muzzle to Bandit. "That coyote to be exact".

Twilight tilted her head to the side in confusion. That was what Vilkas was so upset about? That was why he kicked Lora out of the pack? That would certainly explain how Lora and Bandit knew each other. As much as she wanted to bite Vilkas for kicking out one of his own for simply being in love with a coyote, she had to play the mediator in this scenario.

"Listen, your pack may be against the idea of a wolf and a coyote being in love, but I have welcomed Lora into my pack. She is now under my protection, as is anyone she cares for, regardless of them being a coyote," Twilight said. Vilkas seemed perturbed.

"Please, dear alpha, you must understand! A wolf-coyote union is a violation of the laws of nature!" Vilkas argued.

"Vilkas, please. You don't really believe that a wolf being in a relationship with a coyote will destroy the world or something, do you?" Twilight asked.

"I simply can't abide by such an abominable act! Such a thing should be destroyed!" Vilkas yelled.

Okay, Twlight had absolutely had it by now. She snarled at Vilkas and the rest of her pack, excluding Lora, backed her up with an aggressive display. The other gathered predators seemed to be enjoying the drama unfolding before them. Twilight spoke with dangerous authority.

"Now you listen here, Vilkas! I will only repeat this one more time," Twilight said. "Lora is with my pack now. And Bandit is more than welcome amongst us. Therefore, what becomes of them is no longer your business. But if you mess with them, you have to deal with us!"

Surprisingly, Vilkas and his guards backed off. Vilkas silently turned and walked away with his guard-wolves in tow. Lora ran up to Twilight and nuzzled her neck in gratitude.

"Thank you so much for standing up for me!" Lora said with tears in her eyes. Bandit seemed impressed.

"That was pretty hardcore," he said.

"You sure showed him!" Pinkie said.

"Who does that walking sack of bones think he is?" Rainbow asked.

"He's... my father," Lora said.

"What?!" everyone asked.

"Yeah. Vilkas is my father, though I'm sure he doesn't think I'm his daughter anymore," Lora said sadly.

"Clearly. He didn't even say your name when he saw you," Bandit said.

"That's cruel!" Rarity said.

"It's even crueler what he did to Lora when he found out about us," Bandit said. "Had his wolves attack her, chase her out, and threatened to kill her if she ever returned to Copperhide Territory".

"It's my fault. If I hadn't told him about us, you wouldn't have been attacked by him. Remember what he did to your ear?" Lora said, pointing to Bandit's deformed ear with her nose. Bandit put his paw on Lora's.

"It's fine, really," Bandit said. "Compared to you, half of my ear is nothing".

Lora put her head against Bandit's affectionately with a few whimpers. Twilight and the others giggled at seeing the two lovebirds. With the drama out of the way, Archimedes the Owl once again banged the rock in his talons against the rock beneath him. Everyone looked to him.

"Okay, now!" he called. "Now that we're all gathered here, let us finally get down to business".

Chapter 8: Lunar Assembly - Part 2

The Lunar Assembly - Twilight's Pack

Twilight, her pack, and the other gathered predators all looked to Archimedes and saw a beautiful male wolf walk up next to him on Howler's Rock. His fur was a seamless blend of white and silver. He had the most beautiful blue eyes any of the other predators there. He had the air of an honorable king about him. He held his head high and his tail was curled up behind him. A true alpha in appearance. The words that slipped between his lips were like a deep river of honey.

"Thank you all for gathering on this lovely clear night, everyone!" he greeted the crowd. "Let the Lunar Assembly begin!"

"Who is that?" Rarity asked Lora.

"That is Argent, alpha of the Silverhide Pack and one of the most powerful wolves in the Kingdom," Lora said. "He's as wise and kind as he is powerful."

"Let us begin with the Raven Reports," Archimedes said.

A large flock of ravens appeared in the tree atop the rock and began to speak to everyone, not just Argent and Archimedes. Each raven was reporting various bits of information to the crowd.

"The annual Salmon Run is looking particularly plentiful this year."

"Prey migrations are stable and the populations are healthier than last year."

"Lady Margaret of the Cougar Clan has given birth to her fifth litter of cubs."

"Humans have been spotted attempting to traverse their side of Fenrir's Spine."

The bit about the humans got the entire crowd murmuring to each other. Most spoke with nervous tones while a few spoke with aggression. Humans in this world are definitely not well-liked. Argent and Archimedes looked to each other with concern. Archimedes banged the rock once more.

"Everyone, please control yourselves!" Archimedes called to the crowd. "This matter will be discussed."

A large black male wolf took a step forward. He was big, with black fur with splashes of white on the tips of his neck fur. A small scar crossed his milky right eye. He was also visibly angry.

"What is there to discuss?!" he called out. "We have to make absolutely certain that the humans won't be a threat to us!"

"While I appreciate your desire to protect our citizens, Alpha Bane, we cannot spill blood without proper cause," Argent said.

"Milord Argent, I implore you to hear me. Our ancestors were nearly wiped out by the humans! We cannot simply wait here for the humans to come here and kill us all!" Bane argued.

There were several murmurs of agreement in the crowd. Archimedes banged his rock once.

"Have you forgotten that the Bear Clans have been made the wardens of the mountains or that Fenrir's Spine is extremely difficult to navigate?" Archimedes asked. "The humans will hardly be able to even get halfway up those peaks, let alone deal with the bears."

"With all due respect Knowledge Keeper, just because we were able to traverse the mountains doesn't mean the humans can't," Bane respectfully argued.

The voices in the crowd grew even more nervous. Twilight could hear fear in their voices.

"Bane's right."

"There is a slight chance the humans could stumble upon the hidden path."

"If they come here, will they kill us?"

Argent gave a long howl to reign in the anxious crowd. The long melodious tune seemed to set the crowd at ease. Even Pinkie lowered her head with droopy eyelids.

"Your concerns are indeed valid, Alpha Bane," Archimedes said. "In that case, what do you propose we do?"

"I humbly suggest that we establish some of our able-bodied to the edges of the mountains. Simply as a precaution," Bane replied. "That way, we can be better prepared for a human invasion."

Argent seemed to be carefully considering what Bane was saying. After taking a deep breath, he spoke to Bane.

"I am afraid I cannot do that," Argent said calmly. "If we send wolves away from their packs to patrol the mountains, then there will be no wolves to bring back food for their packs and pups. We cannot jeopardize the safety of others for something that may never occur. We must put faith in the Bear Clans."

"You can put your faith in us, Lord Argent," a large male grizzly bear said. "We're warriors. Just let the humans try something!"

"In that case, the matter of the humans will be relegated to the Bear Clans!" Archimedes cried with a strike of his rock.

Twilight looked over to Bane, who had a stone-solid and fixed look of anger on his face. She had a feeling that Bane would do something regarding the humans, anyway. Twilight hoped he wouldn't do anything rash.

A single raven suddenly joined Archimedes' side and seemed to whisper something to him. Next, the raven pointed in the direction of Twilight's pack with his beak, causing the wise old owl to turn his golden eyes towards the pack. Archimedes cleared his throat to speak to everyone.

"It has recently been brought to my attention that a new pack has joined our kingdom!" Archimedes announced. "Would our new citizens please come forward?"

Twilight and her pack, excluding Lora and Bandit, stepped forward and stood before Argent and Archimedes. The pack bowed respectfully to Argent.

"Please rise, newcomers," Argent said.

The pack raised their heads and Archimedes seemed to be carefully regarding them. He gave a warm hoot.

"Let me officially welcome you to the Wildland Kingdom!" Archimedes hooted. "May you please give us your names?"

Each member of the pack gave their names to Archimedes. He tilted his head towards the rear of the pack.

"What of the female Copperhide you were seen with?" Archimedes asked.

"I wasn't sure if you'd accept wolves joining other packs," Pinkie replied.

"Of course, she can join your pack. I could hear you speaking with Alpha Vilkas and I don't think her joining your pack will be an issue," Argent said. "Where is your territory?"

"We live just south of here between Snowfoot and Shadowhide Territories," Twilight replied. "Our den is under an old tree stump."

"I see. From now on, your territory will be registered in the Wildland Kingdom's Territory Registry," Argent said. "You may return amongst the crowd."

As the Greenpaw Pack was heading back to the crowd, Archimedes gave a loud hoot, stopping them in their tracks. He turned towards the alpha and spoke with deep tones.

"Lord Argent, aren't you forgetting something?" he asked. Argents widened and he gave an amused chuckle.

"Of course! How could I forget?" he asked himself before turning towards the Greenpaw Pack. "There's an important bit of business we must get sorted out."

"What is it, Lord Argent?" Fluttershy asked.

"It concerns your pack's alpha, I'm afraid," Archimedes replied before turning to address Twilight. "You see, a pack's alpha rule is a dual-wolf job. A male and a female."

"What my friend Archimedes is trying to say is that... since you're an all-female pack, your alpha must have a mate," Argent said.

That bit of information hit Twilight like a lightning bolt. She's supposed to have a mate?! She had never thought about romance that much before. Twilight wasn't sure if she was ready for that.

"With all due respect, why do I need to have a mate?" Twilight asked softly.

"A pack that is mono-gendered won't last. Besides, the laws of the Wildland Kingdom dictates that alphas can only effectively lead with the aid of partners," Argent said. " According to the Woodland Law: 'two halves make a whole, and a whole makes for a prosperous pack'."

As Twilight thought about it, it made more and more sense. The leaders of a wolf pack were a mating pair of wolves, so there was no lone leader of a pack. Still, the thought of being paired with a strange he-wolf made Twilight's heart race in an anxious way. However, it didn't look like Twilight had much of a choice in the matter.

"Now don't worry, dear. We're not going to force you to pair with any random male. You are free to choose which male to take as a mate," Argent said, sensing her discomfort. "Although, you will need to have potential suitors live with your pack until you choose."

Twilight had to think about this. Now that Argent cleared things up, it wasn't like she would have to do anything too intimate with a random male. He would just have to stay with them for a while. She could live with that.

"In that case, I'll accept," Twilight said.

"Since Alpha Twilight has agreed to our kingdom's law, I'd like to add my piece to this," Alpha Bane said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "I'd like to present my eldest son as a potential mate!"

There were other voices in the crowd saying their piece as well. Each of the voices were from the alphas of other packs, minus the Copperhides, basically saying what Bane was saying. The alphas wanted to present their sons to Twilight as well. As embarrassed as Twilight was, some small part of her was flattered to be given this kind of romantic attention. Argent gave a long howl.

"Now that's enough! You know the law! Only one suitor at a time!" Argent said. "Since Alpha Bane spoke first, his son will be the one to court Alpha Twilight."

There were a few silent groans, but there was no further argument. Twilight turned to Alpha Bane and bowed her head respectfully.

"I... look forward to meeting your son, Alpha Bane," Twilight said.

"Wonderful! I'll send him to your territory tomorrow!" Bane said with a single tail wag.

"This concludes our Lunar Assembly!" Archimedes said with a strike of his rock. "We shall meet again next full moon!"

The crowd began to disperse to head back to their own territories. Pinkie and Rarity said goodbye to Phantom and Spectra before they began the journey home. The other members of the Greenpaw Pack snickered to themselves as they headed back down south to their territory. Bandit joined them, running alongside Lora.

"Shut up!" Twilight pouted.

"Come on, Twi! You get to be paired with a handsome he-wolf!" Rainbow said.

"Besides, you may grow to like Bane's son," Rarity said.

"That depends," Bandit said. "He's a Shadowhide wolf, after all."

"What's wrong with that?" Fluttershy said.

"The Shadowhide Pack is a warrior pack that prides itself on might and battle prowess," Bandit replied. "Though, the eldest son may be decent mate for Twilight."

"Why's that?" Twilight asked in an eager tone.

"I haven't met him to confirm this, but I heard that Bane's eldest son relies more on cunning to win fights," Bandit said. "He uses brains and not brawn to win battles. Though using brains doesn't earn you many points with your pack."

"What's that supposed to mean? His own pack doesn't like him because he's smart?" Applejack asked.

"No. It just means that the Shadowhides view him as weak for using cunning. Even his own father is trying to get rid of him," Bandit replied.

"That explains why Bane was so eager to present him to me as a suitor," Twilight said. "That's horrible!"

"It only gets worse. If you reject him, then it's probable that his own father will prevent him from returning home," Bandit said. "He may even order his wolves to kill him."

"Are you saying that if I don't choose him to be my mate, he'll be cast out and-or killed?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"It's sad, but that's the truth," Bandit said.

"Even if I reject him, I'll invite him to join our pack! He wouldn't even have to think about returning to Shadowhide Territory," Twilight said.

"I've never heard of that happening, but I suppose it's possible," Lora said. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Yeah, heh-heh. Wait and see," Twilight said. "I just hope he's nice, at least. What's the name of Bane's son?"

"Oh yeah! His name is Sombra," Bandit replied.

Chapter 9: Playtime and Meeting Sombra

With Twilight's Pack - Their Territory

Twilight was pacing back and forth around the den thinking about what she was told at the Lunar Assembly. A mate. She would have to have a mate to actually be able to lead her pack. Twilight researched wolves before she became one, so she knew that wolf packs were led by a mating pair, but she hadn't considered that it would happen to her.

And to make things even weirder for Twilight, the male that was proposed for her was named Sombra. That name held too much weight for Twilight to be okay with. She tried to shake any bad thoughts out of her head.

"Come on, Twilight! Just because he has the same name as the tyrant in Equestria, it doesn't mean that he's the same guy," Twilight said to herself. "Maybe he'll be nice."

As Twilight thought about it more, a new set of thoughts entered her head. And these thoughts were somehow even more bizarre than the first ones.

"What if... what if I actually grow to like him?" Twilight asked herself.

Ever since she ascended the throne, she hadn't really had time for dating or finding a lover. Sure, she had her fair share of crushes, but she hadn't really been able to actually get with anyone. And this time, a suitor was being delivered to her. It was a lot to take in. Twilight continued to pace until Starlight and Trixie came loping out of the den.

"Twilight, are you okay?" Starlight asked. "You've been pacing for about an hour."

"Yeah, and we're bored!" Trixie said. "Can you play with us?"

Ever since Starlight and Trixie were changed into wolf pups, the pair had been acting more and more like children. They had seemingly endless energy and wanted to play a lot. Right now though, the pack was hunting for food and Twilight stayed behind to look after them.

"Maybe playing with them will take my mind off things," Twilight thought.

"Sure, let's go play," Twilight replied.

The wolves trotted over to a few hundred feet away from their den and Twilight initiated play with a play bow, with her upper body lowered and her tail wagging in the air. Starlight and Trixie did the same bow and began to play. Twilight took off in one direction and the pups took off after her. Play like this would be good for them, for it would help them learn how to hunt.

"This is so fun! You can't get away from us!" Trixie called aloud.

"This deer isn't getting away from us!" Starlight said to Trixie.

"Heh-heh. So that's how it is," Twilight said to herself.

Twilight continued running until she came across a drop into a creek. She turned around and Starlight and Trixie finally caught up to her. The clumps of fuzz ran up to Twilight and began jumping along her neck and sides, giving her small nips.

Twilight responded by pawing at the pups and shoving them to the ground, before jaw-wrestling with Starlight while Trixie was nudging Twilight with her nose. Starlight was laughing while Twilight was tickling her chest with her nose.

"Stoooop! That tickles!" Starlight cried while laughing.

"No deer's gonna stop the great and powerful hunter Trixie!" Trixie declared.

Trixie went to go for Twilight's neck and managed to grab a mouthful of neck when Twilight turned and wrestled Trixie to the ground. Trixie and Twilight were now jaw-wrestling while Starlight was trying to jump onto Twilight's back. Twilight eventually pushed Starlight back onto the ground and began to wrestle with the two pups.

Starlight got away from Twilight and tried to nip her tail. Twilight tried to stop Starlight, but Trixie managed to trip one of Twilight's legs, sending her falling to the ground. Now the pups began to nip at Twilight's neck and stomach, making the downed alpha laugh.

"Stop! Please! I'm gonna pee!" Twilight said.

Thankfully for her, Starlight and Trixie stopped and backed away panting. Twilight got back up and started their trek back to the den. From the panting sounds she heard behind her, it seemed that Starlight and Trixie were tired out from playing. Those two would more than likely take a nap after this.

"I could use a nap myself," Twilight thought to herself.

As the two walked back to the den, a strange scent caught Twilight's nose. It wasn't Lora's or Bandit's, but a new wolf entirely waiting at the den. Twilight started to run the rest of the way back to the den to see just who is at her pack's den. She and the pups hightailed it back and Twilight was surprised at the wolf she saw.

This wolf had lighter black fur than those from the Shadowhide Pack, with raven-black fur on his cheeks that looked similar to sideburns and luscious fur on the back of his neck. He looked to Twilight with an indiscernible look and gave a bow of his head.

"Alpha Twilight of the Greenpaw Pack, I presume?" he asked with a smooth deep voice.

"I am Twilight," Twilight replied. "May I ask who you are?"

"I am Sombra, son of Alpha Bane of the Shadowhide Pack," Sombra replied. "I hope the two of us will get along."

*****

Shadowhide Territory - Alpha Bane's Den, 1 Day Ago

The territory of the Shadowhide Pack was a large cluster of pine trees and shrubs spanning for miles. The wolves of this pack were known for their warrior mentality and their physical strength. Their secretive nature and aggression made them some of the most feared and respected wolves apart from the Silverhide Pack.

Alpha Bane was widely known for his strength and penchant for encouraging his wolves to fight each other. His own children were told to fight often to become the true heirs of the pack, and they were all formidable fighters and hunters in their own right. Well, except for one.

The eldest of Bane's children, Sombra, wasn't like his siblings or his pack. As a prematurely-born pup, he wasn't able to build up muscle as easily as his younger siblings. His father and siblings never said it aloud, but Sombra knew he was hated by them. The only one who showed him any love and kindness was his mother, Shade.

Sombra was walking through his family's den site when he saw his first brother Morpheus looming over a beaten beta wolf with a smirk on his face. Morpheus was one of the toughest wolves in the pack apart from their father. Sombra tried to walk past him, but Morpheus noticed him.

"Hey, Sombra! What have you been doing? Sitting on a rock trying to train again?" Morpheus asked mockingly.

Sombra knew how to handle his siblings. "No, I was simply overhearing our brother Garm saying that your face looked like a cougar's poop."

"What?!" Morpheus shouted in anger. "Where is that goose-head now?!"

"I think I saw him heading to the southern border," Sombra said.

Morpheus took off to go fight Garm. Sombra started laughing once his dimwitted younger brother was gone. Sombra wasn't the strongest, but he was comparably the smartest. In order to avoid getting hurt by his siblings, Sombra focused on being crafty and cunning. It was due to his mind that he survived his pack for as long as he had. Once Sombra was done laughing, he was walking back to the den when he saw his father standing there.

"Oh, Sombra! I was just about to send a raven to look for you," Bane said.

"That's funny. You never want to see me," Sombra said. "You hardly ever even acknowledge my existence."

"Well, this is an important matter to discuss with you. It's about your future," Bane said.

"Okay... now I'm curious. What exactly do you have in mind?"

"There's a new pack that's appeared in our kingdom. One that only has a female alpha."

Sombra already knew where this was going. "Let me guess, you want to marry me off to this pack's alpha so that you wouldn't have to deal with my mere presence in the pack."

"Son, this pack needs a strong leader. And you simply don't have the strength to properly lead this pack. At least in this way, you'll still be part of a pack."

"By marrying me off to a strange she-wolf and be a part of a pack of wolves I don't even know and may not even like?"

"If that's how you want to look at it, then yes. A raven will lead you to their territory, so do your duty as a wolf and do something for the pack for once. This pack survives off strength!"

Sombra knew that he couldn't win an argument with a wolf as stubborn as his father. So, he simply conceded. As he walked away, he turned back to his father.

"Father, before I go, allow me to give you some wisdom I picked up: without brains to back it up, strength by itself is worthless," Sombra said. "You and my younger siblings taught me that."

Bane said nothing and went back to his usual habit of ignoring him whenever he tried to impart wisdom to him. Sombra hated it when his father was like that. Sombra clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"See you someday, father," Sombra said.

The elder Shadowhide son walked a ways from the den when one of the pack's ravens met him at the border. This raven was one of the few in their territory that was actually kind to him.

"Hello, Lord Sombra! Are you ready?" the raven asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sombra said. "I don't have a future with this pack, so maybe this one will actually be interesting."

Sombra and the raven took off beyond their territory to meet Sombra's future mate.

Chapter 10: A New Mate and Rising Threats

With Twilight and Sombra

Twilight stood in shock at seeing Sombra, her arranged mate. Twilight knew that the wolves of the Shadowhide Pack prided themselves on strength, but this male was strangely skinnier than what she was expecting. Instead of strength, Twilight saw a deep intellect in his golden eyes that made her breath hitch in her chest. She was staring for so long that Sombra tilted his head in confusion.

"Are... you OK, miss?" Sombra asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Twilight shook her head in embarrassment. "Uh, no! I'm sorry, it's just that I wasn't expecting you to arrive to our den so soon."

Sombra gave a deep chuckle that Twilight could feel in her chest. "My father wanted me gone as soon as possible. I'm sorry if I've caught you off-guard."

"I was caught off-guard, but you are more than welcome here," Twilight said.

Following after that was an awkward silence. Neither Twilight nor Sombra said anything for a while until Sombra took a few steps closer until he mere inches from her. The fur on the back of Twilight's neck stood up as Sombra gazed intently at her.

"W-what is it?" Twilight asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing at all," Sombra said before tilting his head. "I simply wasn't expecting to be married to a she-wolf so beautiful."

That response sent blood to Twilight's ears and cheeks, making her thankful her blush was hidden under her fur. She flattened her ears against her head and looked away bashfully.

"Well, I'm sure you say that to all the she-wolves," Twilight said sheepishly.

"Not all of them, and especially not the ones in my pack," Sombra said. "Too much muscle and aggression for my liking."

"Must have been hard," Twilight said.

"It was. I had to be smarter, not madder when it came to dealing with my siblings and packmates," Sombra said. "You're not like the Shadowhide wolves, so I think we can get along well."

At that moment, the rest of the pack had returned to the den with a few dead ducks in their mouths. Pinkie ran ahead of them.

"Twilight! We're back with din--!" Pinkie Pie called before she saw who was with her.

The rest of the wolves stared at Sombra there and looked back to Twilight with teasing eyes. Rarity spoke first.

"I take it that this is your new mate, Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Uh, yes. This is Sombra of the Shadowhide Pack," Twilight said. "And I guess he's my new mate."

"He's more handsome than I thought he'd be," Applejack said.

When Twilight heard that, she unconsciously glared at Applejack and snarled at her, flashing her fangs. Applejack chuckled and took a step back.

"Whoa, girl! I'm not gonna do anything, relax!" Applejack laughed. Sombra laughed at Twilight's response.

"We only just met today, and you're already possessive of me," Sombra noted to Twilight. "I must be one lucky male."

Twilight gently pushed at his shoulder with her nose. "Shut up! I'm not possessive!"

Everyone else chuckled at seeing Twilight act like this around her new mate. Starlight and Trixie walked up to Sombra and began to bounce around him.

"Hey, do you wanna play with us?" Trixie asked.

"Yeah, play with us!" Starlight called.

Sombra looked to Twilight at seeing the pups. "Did you have another mate before me?"

"No! Why?" Twilight asked in reply.

"How do you have pups?" Sombra replied. "I don't see other males in your pack."

Good thing she thought of an excuse for this. "These two were orphans from a dead pack while we were looking for new territory. I took them in as my own."

Better that he thought she was a good Samaritan rather than explain the fact that they came from a world of ponies, dragons, and magic. Besides, Sombra seemed to accept that excuse easily enough. Sombra then turned his attention to the dead ducks the pack brought.

"Well, let's not stand here letting food rot. Let's eat!" Sombra said.

No need to say that twice. The whole pack, with the new addition of Sombra, ate the ducks and had a hearty evening getting to know Sombra better to welcome him into the pack. As they ate, Twilight snuck glances at Sombra.

"He actually seems like a good wolf. Maybe being mates with him won't be so bad after all," Twilight thought.

Later that night, when the pack went to sleep in the den, Twilight laid down in the far end of it with Starlight and Trixie cuddled against her stomach. Twilight could smell Sombra and feel him moving in the den, his scent being oddly comforting to her now. Next thing she knew, Sombra had curled up against her back with his body heat radiating to her.

"Good night," Twilight said simply.

"Good night, love," Sombra said, giving a lick to Twilight's cheek.

While crazy that Twilight had gotten herself into an arranged marriage, it was even crazier that she had already fallen for him so quickly. She made a mental note tomorrow to spend more time with Sombra to know him better.

*****

Fenrir's Spine - Early the Next Morning

The ravens and bears had taken up the mantle of guardians on the mountains separating their kingdom from the human-ruled lands. One of the brown bears of the resident bear clan, Heracles, was on patrol along the hidden path through the mountains. A raven was assigned to him to act as a messenger to report back to the others.

"Things seem to be clear so far, Diomedes," Heracles said to his raven companion in the trees.

"I only pray that this passage remains hidden from the humans forever," Diomedes said.

As Heracles was about to eat some berries from a nearby bush, his ears picked up the sounds of footsteps. They didn't match the footsteps of the other bears on patrol. In fact, they didn't match any animal at all. Heracles hid behind some of the larger bushes and peered into the shallow gorge that was part of the hidden passage.

A small bunch of creatures Heracles had only heard of appeared in the gorge, creatures that weren't supposed to know about the passage. Humans, several armed individuals, were walking through the gorge. Heracles was watching them with wide eyes.

"Humans, here? They found the passage!" Heracles whispered before looking to Diomedes. "I'll try to scare them off."

Before Diomedes could protest, Heracles burst out of the bushes towards the humans. The humans all shouted in fear at seeing a huge brown bear suddenly burst from the bushes. He stood on his hind legs and roared at them to chase them off.

Diomedes next heard what sounded like multiple thunderclaps during a storm coming from the humans. Heracles fell to the ground with a thud. He wasn't moving at all. Diomedes feared the worst and flew away at high speed to get away. He had to report this. If the humans were here, then war was coming.

Chapter 11: A Strange Guest

With Twilight and Sombra

The trees whistled as the soft breeze blew through them and the birds were singing their beautiful orchestra as Twilight and her new mate Sombra ran through the fields near the den. It had only been a day since they met, and the rest of the pack decided to give them an entire day to learn more about each other. While the pack was out hunting, Twilight and Sombra were running through a field of tall grass. Sombra was running right behind Twilight as they were playing a game he suggested.

According to Sombra, this was a game he and his siblings used to play before they grew up to be quote, "insufferable muscle-headed clods". One of the players would pretend to be a deer and take off running while the rest of them would chase after them to catch them. And Twilight was having fun playing the deer.

She was running and running through the fields as fast as she could while Sombra was happily chasing her. The two wolves were laughing like pups as they were running. Twilight got the idea to run in a zig-zag formation to try to throw off Sombra, only to see that Sombra was just as capable of keeping up. The both of them were running until Twilight tripped on a root from a nearby tree stump, landing flat on her back. Sombra caught up and playfully stood over her while looking down at her with an amused look on his face.

"I've finally caught my fallen quarry! Time to finish her off!" Sombra said with an overly dramatic tone in his voice.

Sombra then proceeded to tickle Twilight by rubbing his nose on her neck. Twilight was laughing and flailing her legs to stop him from tickling her.

"No! Sombra, stop it!" Twilight cried while laughing. "No fair! I'm gonna... I'm gonna pee!"

Of course Sombra stopped after hearing that, but he still looked pleased with himself. Twilight got to her feet and shook off the dirt from her fur. She then sauntered over to Sombra panting rapidly.

"That was so much more fun than I thought. I wish I played like this when I was younger," Twilight said. "I'd like to do this again sometime."

Sombra looked to Twilight with a raised brow. "You didn't play when you were a pup?"

Twilight looked away from Sombra with her ears lowered. "When I was a pup, I was too busy observing frogs in a nearby pond."

That got a chuckle out of Sombra. He himself would watch birds and bats for hours, fascinated by how they can fly. Sombra looked at Twilight and chuckled.

"You know, I used to watch birds and bats when I was a pup, as well. I even tried to fly once by jumping off a tall tree stump, with predictable results," Sombra said, looking away with nostalgia. "I sprained my paw on a rock. Mother watched over me all day and night to make sure I healed. My father never even looked at me, let alone spoke to me."

Twilight gently rubbed Sombra's cheek with her nose. His upbringing was definitely not the best, with a father like Bane making the rules of the pack. At least he had his mother to watch over him. As Twilight noticed the downtrodden look on Sombra's face, Twilight gently nibbled his ear.

"Hey, how about we go down to the river for a drink? Maybe we can play in the water, too," Twilight suggested. Sombra chuckled softly.

"I'd like that. I could use a drink from all our playing," Sombra said.

The two wolves ran all the way down to the river and began to drink when Twilight noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A strange green bundle was lying on the riverbank just twenty feet away from Twilight on her left. She nudged Sombra to get him to look at the bundle.

"What do you suppose that is?" Sombra asked. "It's clearly not a fish."

Twilight knew what she was looking at: a cloak. But that didn't make any sense since there weren't supposed to be any humans this side of the mountains. Twilight approached the bundle and took a tentative sniff of the bundle. The scent was one that she didn't recognize as any animal she's smelled so far. Next Twilight gripped one end with her teeth and pulled it to reveal something that made Sombra jump back.

A human face was what Twilight revealed. She was a young girl around her early teen's, with bright red hair and a soft pale face decorated with freckles. The girl's eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal emerald globes that locked onto Twilight's own. The girl gasped and backed away from Twilight and Sombra panting while never taking her eyes off the two wolves. Twilight lowered her head and tail to look nonthreatening to the girl.

"Don't worry. We're not going to hurt you," Twilight said before realizing something. "Wait, you probably can't understand what I'm saying."

"Actually, I can understand you just fine, Miss Wolf," the girl said to Twilight's and Sombra's shock. "I just wasn't sure if you were going to attack me."

"You... can understand us?" Sombra asked.

"Yes. I can talk to animals. Been able to all my life," the girl replied with a thick Irish accent.

"Where do you come from?" Twilight asked. "Humans shouldn't be able to find a way here through Fenrir's Spine."

"You mean... the mountains?" the girl asked. "Well, that's a long story."

"I think you better come with us to our den first," Sombra said. "This is something the whole pack, the whole kingdom, needs to hear."

"Agreed. You better come with us," Twilight said. "But first, introductions. I'm Twilight and this is my mate, Sombra. What's your name?"

The girl stood up and gave a polite bow. Now that she stood to her full height, Twilight could she that her head came up to her ribs.

"My name is Siobhan McNamara," the girl replied. "A pleasure to meet you."

Siobhan closely followed Twilight and Sombra as they made their way back to their den, and just in time too as the rest of the pack had returned. They all looked at the human girl that was accompanying them.

"Darlings, are you aware that a human girl is following you?" Rarity asked. "One that is beautifully dressed, too?"

"Look, everyone. There's a lot we need to talk about," Sombra said. "The girl's name is Siobhan McNamara. And she can actually talk to us."

The whole pack was shocked to hear about a human that could talk to them. Except for Fluttershy as she could talk to animals when she was just a pony. The pack walked forward and started asking questions and sniffing her. Even Spike flew down from the trees to perch on her shoulder to play with her hair with his beak. Siobhan giggled and held Starlight in her lap rubbing her belly while Trixie was whining about getting her turn next. Before Siobhan could answer any of their questions, a familiar-looking great horned owl flew down and perched on one of the trees around the den.

"Good noon, wolves of the Greenpaw Pack," Archimedes greeted. "I am here to tell you that there is to be an emergen-."

Archimedes would've finished that sentence if it weren't for him seeing the human Siobhan standing amongst them. It was crazy to think that an owl's eyes could get any bigger. He kept his eyes on Siobhan while speaking to the pack.

"Alpha Twilight, Alpha Sombra, why is there a... human... standing here?" Archimedes asked in a low voice. Sombra stepped forward to reply.

"Sir, we've found a human, yes, but this one is special," Sombra said. "This girl can actually commune with us."

The old owl tilted his head in curiosity. "Indeed? Well, we'll need to discuss this girl at the emergency meeting."

"Emergency meeting? What emergency meeting?" Twilight asked.

Archimedes shook his head and fluttered his wings. "Ah, yes. There is to be an emergency meeting at Howler's Rock. There are signs that humans have found a way through the mountains and are on their way here."

"Humans actually found a way through Fenrir's Spine?" Applejack asked. Archimedes nodded.

"Yes. And if other humans are here, it could lead to war," the old owl replied.