PonWolf: the Ascension

Rarity was humming to herself as she did her work. Recently she had felt incredibly inspired. Once she had awakened the morning after that ghastly event, she had ideas flowing through her mind. Designs, patterns, runes, even an idea for a new material.

Something gave her the idea to melt a gem in a certain way, using her magic. This, as it turned out, turned a material into something different when spread across it. Sapphire turned satin into silk. Ruby turned flannel into charmeuse. Emerald made Cotton into denim...

I digress.

Currently she was finishing off working with a bolt of a sort of lycra-rayon mix (made from Ruby coated denim). She was humming about her art and how it filled her with joy. How she felt when she made a unique dress. This particular one was for Princess Luna, as it happens. The soft yet stretchy fabric, the way it took colour and enchantments, she would just love it.

Speaking of, it was toward being sunset. A particularly beautiful one. Sweetie Belle wanted to watch it. It was just about that time, too.

For some reason, the lunar Princess had taken to changing how everypony's view of the moon was, on a schedule. Sometimes the whole side or a sliver of it.

Maybe she was just bored?

"RARITYYYYY!!!" She heard her sister's voice from downstairs. "You promised to see the moonrise with me!"

Rarity frowned. For the love of Celestia; she was in the zone. Still, family comes first. "Coming! Coming!"

A short time later, Sweetie was literally running circles around her sister in her excitement. Rarity was rather amused, more than annoyed. She smiled. Her little sister was always energetic. Well, most of the time. And when she wasn't full of beans, she was asleep.

They then reached their destination. The highest hill in the Ponyville area.

Sure enough the sun was just beginning to set. When it did, the area positively glowed with the light.

"And now comes the... Moon?" Sweetie was rather confused that the moon didn't appear.

Rarity racked her brain, trying to remember why. She shortly got her answer. "Ah. Of course." She turned to her sister. "Sweetie Belle, tonight is a new moon. Come, let's -"

She was unable to finish her sentence, as they heard growling. They looked in the direction of the sound. These weren't Timberwolves.

"LIONS?!" Sweetie shouted. "That makes no sense! They don't live this far North!"

Rarity put herself before her sister. "Tell them that!" She said in return. "I think I also see a couple of tigers."

"And a bear."

"Oh, my."

Rarity knew that they were trapped. If she didn't do something, Judging by the look in the creatures' glowing eyes, they were either rabid, being controlled, or possibly both. both she and Sweetie would be in mortal peril. 'Oh, Luna, grant me strength and bravery, to protect my sister. Be it even at the cost of my life'

For a moment, a ring in the sky shone down upon the area.

Rarity felt her fur starting to bush out, her tail changing to match that of a wolf. Her mane tied itself into a loose ponytail. Her teeth began to sharpen, her eyes to glow violet. Before anything else happened, Rarity said, trying to keep her voice under control, "Sweetie, dear, run as fast as ever you can. Try to get home!"

"But what about you?"

"D-d-don't worry, darling. I'll catch up." 'I am about to be as much a danger to you as them' she thought, but didn't add.

Her hooves split into paws, sharp claws developing shortly thereafter. Her horn vanished too. She could feel many emotions; rage, annoyance, frustration, a small bit of loss, worry...

Fear wasn't on the list.

As Sweetie ran for home, attempting to set a new land speed record, Rarity's transformation was completed.

She felt all of the possibilities. Just what she could do to them.

She opted not to speak. Instead she snarled in a low tone, daring them to approach.

{Snarl of the Predator}

Alas, that didn't work. They started charging forth. Using some magic, she pulled the iron from below the ground.

{Sculpt!}

In an instant, she had a set of iron claws waiting for her to slide them on.

The first target didn't stand a chance. In an instant she had cut it to ribbons. The second leapt, but was summarily disemboweled. No problem.

The next target was more hesitant. She came to it instead, cleaving it in thirds.

This time, she did elect to speak, though she was relatively sure that none of the creatures could understand her. "Your pelts will make an excellent material. Go ahead; just give me some more to work with."

One of the tigers obliged her. She took a heavy slash, but was still standing. When it went to attack her again, she sidestepped it, thereafter casually batting it aside.

"The problem is your momentum, darling. You might be able to reach high speeds and hit your target hard, but if they avoid your attack like so, then you find it hard to stop. It's a bit of a double-edged blade, isn't it?"

The rest of the creatures were beginning to wise up to her fighting method. Or so they thought.

{Urshul Form!}

Within but a moment, Rarity had gone from a wolven form to a nearly-wolven form. She stood up, suddenly towering over the other predators.

"Still want to fight?"

For most of the creatures, the fear that they were feeling overrode whatever they were under, and most of the creatures turned tail, vanishing. She shifted back to her previous form.

"Conjured? Well, well. That means that your pelts disappear with your death, doesn't it. We can't have that."

The two remaining creatures (the bear and one of the male lions) started to back away, but with but a flick of her newer magic,

{Needle!; Thread!}

She used two cojured items to create a thick barrier of what seemed like spider silk. "Ah, ah, ah. I have plans for you two. Now hold still..."

A slightly squeaky voice rang out, "RARITY!!!"

Rarity was brought up short. 'Sweetie Belle?!'

Her conjured barrier vanished, the two remaining creatures doing the same shortly thereafter.

Rarity turned her gaze. Sure enough, there was her sister, with Nurse Redheart (who had wide eyes and a hoof to her mouth in shock) at her side.

Rarity fought down a wave of anger that threatened to overtake her. "Sweetie Belle... I told you to go-"

"Yeah, but I thought you might be hurt so I brought Nurse Redheart with-"

Sweetie loooked at the still starstruck mare, poking her a few times. Redheart shook her head, coming back to her senses.

"With me." Sweetie Belle finished.

Rarity smiled wanly. She suddenly reverted to her Pony form, slumping to the ground. "Thank... you." The slash she'd taken from the tiger earlier had caused her to lose a fair bit of blood. Redheart was quick to dash to her side. "She's fine. Maybe a transfusion, and a good meal, but she'll be okay."

Redheart reached into her Pocket and retrieved a first aid kit. She bandaged Rarity's wounds as best she could. Then she asked Sweetie Belle, "Have you been practicing with your levitation spells?"

Sweetie nodded, seeing where the nurse was going with this. With some effort, she lifted Rarity's slumbering form in her magic. With an occasional boost from Redheart, they made their way toward the hospital.

"Congratulations, Rarity. You are now an Iron Master. Use this power to protect those you hold dear. For you are now a PonWolf."