Crimson stretched, yawning like a small puppy. Rolling around for a moment, she got comfortable, but the light from the morning still got through her clenched eyelids. With a sigh, she got up with her joints popping like burning wood.

Looking around, she saw the sun just rising over the horizon, Spike sleeping comfortably in the bed, and her guard kicking his legs in the air while in a cold sweat.

Ignoring the guard, she glanced over at the door to the bathroom, rubbing her eyes some more she went in and locked the door firmly behind her.

Spike snorted from the noise and forcefully opened his eyes to the burning light of the morning sun. Sleeping in on many occasions, the sun hadn't bothered him that much. It was the heat that warmed his blood and woke him up that annoyed him; especially whenever he tried to get some sleep after securing Crimson in her cage every month.

"Why can't Celestia just dim the thing? Or make it less hot?" He asked aloud to nopony in particular. "Doesn't she know about her subjects that aren't warmblooded?"

Sitting up, he glanced around the room and noticed steam coming out from under the bathroom door. Seeing the guard sweating in his bed and kicking his legs, he rolled his eyes before getting out of his own bed and going to the guard's. Leaning up, he pinched his nose until he slowed.

Snapping up in the bed, the guard took in deep breaths, eyes switching around frantically.

Spike looked at him questioningly before a trail of black smoke came out from his nose. Swirling around on the floor for a moment, Nightmare flushed herself from his system, Spike glared at the swirling mass of black and sparkles before looking at the guard who, was staring with anger, awe, and confusion.

"That was you!" The guard said obviously miffed at the dream goddess. "I thought you actually pushed me out the window!"

"Nay," she said forming her ethereal form. "We have tried to do so before, it was unsuccessful." She frowned.

"Did you really need to let me see myself splatter though?" He asked shooting her a bemused expression. "Seriously? Where do you get... Um. Morning ma'am!" He gave a quick salute toward Crimson as she stepped out from the bathroom, a complimentary towel around her neck.

She glanced over at them before frowning and teleporting Spike and the guard out. The guard's armor followed him shortly after, appearing on his body.

They both looked at each other before Spike shrugged it off and burned out a deck of cards. The guard nodded silently as the draconian began to shuffle them out.

Inside the room, Crimson was drying herself off while Nightmare merely made her helmet fade from sight to let more of her mane spill out. Looking over at Crimson, she smiled and soon Crimson also had one.

"I'm not just going to let some guard see me out, fresh from the shower," Crimson said. "I'm not interested in him."

Nightmare laughed lightly before disappearing under the door.

"Enough," she said, pausing her drying. "But still enough to use as a meat shield." She snickered hearing a gasp from behind the door.

Setting the towel aside, she fixed her mane with a quick spell and had on her saddle bags. Pausing at the door, she looked back and gathered Spike's things too.

What she saw made her pause momentarily. Blinking slowly, she saw spike with a small pile of bits and her guard leaning against a hoof. Spike had been quickly picking up the cards at the sight of her, when he saw her staring at them, he dropped them and pointed at the guard. He gasped and Crimson quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I swear, he robbed me of my hard earned bits." The guard said. "These aren't even mine."

She rolled her eyes before gathering them herself, Spike gave back the guards bits back, but gave him a wink. Nightmare's eyes flashed through Spike's as she gave a needle thin smile. The guard merely glared at her before sticking his tongue out.

"Are you three done yet? Or do I have to leave you all here?" She said making the group snap to attention.

With Spike on her back, the guard following close behind with a blank stare, they all quickly went to go down the stairs, but before they could, a door opened in their way.

A silver coated stallion, his jaw was sharply cut, his white mane slicked back with numerous hair gels, and his Cutie Mark hidden by the black business suit he wore. He saw them on the other side and quickly closed the door.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I noticed you... Inspecting, the body yesterday." He said with a slight Maretallion accent. "Are you a detective?"

"No sir," Crimson replied staring at him. "Do I know you? You look like somepony I once knew, but I can't place my hoof on it..."

"Please, I tend to get that a lot." He chuckled, walking with her. "So, what are you doing here? Business perhaps? A friend?" He glanced a the guard. "A special evening?" He winked.

"No, I'm just keeping him around as a meat shield." She smirked casting a glance at the wounded guard. "He'd probably be able to choke the one I'm after. Hopefully."

"After?" The stallion said shocked. "Are you after that brute who killed that pony?" He asked. "Was it even a pony? Or maybe, I mean no offense towards your companion, but a feral dragon?"

"No, he's... Part pony, part wolf." She said slowly. "A lycan."

"A lycan?" He said. "So they do exist," he said nodding. "Fascinating. What are you doing chasing after him though? Isn't that a job suited for the guard? Or, meat shield as you call him."

"Believe me, if the guard could hurt him, I would have gotten them already. But he's taken so much from me, he ruined me emotionally and physically."

"What!" He let out a gasp. "He... Oh I am so sorry about that. If you need somepony to talk to, my office is down the street. I've dealt with many victims of sexual attacks."

"What?" She asked looking at him. "No, no. He... He didn't do anything like that. He's just... A monster. A killer that I will see dead."

"Oh, I see." He wilted. "It's good I suppose he didn't do anything like that, but killing... Horrible." He shook his head in distaste. "So, where are you going?"

"I figured since he hasn't shown any sign of activity." She said. "Other than... I think that was him howling last night." She said nervously. "Well, I'm assuming from the direction the head of the corpse was facing, he'll be going that way."

"Which way was it facing?" The stallion asked blinking.

"To the North." She said. "After that, its really only country and then abandoned forests. Nothing to bad, a few hydra's, manticores... Maybe even a TImberwolf pack or two. Nothing too bad." She shrugged.

"Yeah, because having things around that could tear us limb from limb isn't so bad." Spike said sarcastically. "What would be bad? Traveling with one?"

"How about no gems for the rest of the day?" She snapped back.

He shut up as they got into the lobby. The elderly pony was already watching them as they descended, but was giving a glare towards the mystery stallion of the group.

Going up to the mare, Crimson handed her the key and bits. With a kind nod, she took them before giving a cold stare towards the stallion as he approached.

As he was putting his key and bits on the counter, she brought out a cane and hooked his neck. Pulling him in, she put her lips to his ear.

"If you hurt her, I'll shove this cane so far up you flank I'll knock your teeth out, understand? I heard your little ramblings last night while I was locking up."

"Of course," he replied taking the cane off from his neck. "Why would I dream of harming her? I'm just checking up, that's all."

He pulled away and turned back to the group, Crimson had a calm face while Spike and Nightmare looked at him suspiciously. He merely smiled back. As they turned, he looked back and let his eyes go slitted momentarily before following them.

Exiting with a fresh breeze, Crimson looked around. Scanning the chimneys of the buildings, further down the road or by the sewer grate, she took her first steps onto the cobble. The guard followed closely after, he scanned the same buildings and street.

"Well, I must say," the stallion said coming out. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. I do hope-"

"Sir, would you mind if I show you something?" Crimson asked keeping a complete royal poker face. "If you're interested, interested in seeing how I'm tracking the killer?"

"Sure, that sounds... Oddly enticing." He said. "What is it?"

She lit her horn and pulled out her pouch, bringing out the tooth wrapped in a cloth she let him take it in hoof. He stared at it, feeling its shape over from under the cloth, licking his lips he took the cloth away revealing the white tooth. His eyes widened as he turned it, showing the root of it.

"Is this...?"

"Yes, the killers tooth." She said. "If you point it towards his direction, it turns ivory like that, if you turn it away, it turns black."

His ears perked up, smiling he began to turn it.

Spike leaned forward, eyes narrowed and arms wrapping tightly around Crimson's neck. He looked down and saw her own muscles tense, and slightly ripple. Cocking his head, he saw a few places under the skin bulge slightly more than normal.

He stopped, the point of the tooth almost facing his shoulder. He turned it back towards Crimson with a smile, a smile with a red tint to it.

Crimson charged forward with a roar, but he merely chuckled as he quickly jumped to the side. Turning around, she saw his suit begin to rip and blood drip from his mouth.

"You know," he said, his accent now gone and his voice scratchy. "I must thank you for returning this. New teeth are always so irritating, never quite like the original, wouldn't you say, Crimson?" He said putting the tooth in his mouth. "Don't worry, you'll get this back in due time. Remember, go North."

As he was speaking, she grew to nearly his mass. Her hooves became padded with claws, her muzzle elongated and fangs grew out from it, her eyes slitted becoming a crimson red, her ears pointed up in place, her mane and coat grew out and her muscles grew to four times their original size.

The guard, seeing the grey lycan, took his spear and charged with a cry. He laughed triumphantly as it connected with the old lycan's eye. His eyes widened as Silver turned his head slowly, his lips peeled back. Leaning forward, he barely managed to nick the guard before getting his mouth clamped shut by Crimson's biting down on it.

Getting a good swipe, he knocked her away before he had to deal with a new problem.

Spike shot out a wave of flames, scorching his fur and melting the end of the spear. he reared back roaring in pain before looking towards him again. He froze before pulling what was left of the spear out and running.

"Coward! Traitor!" Nightmare yelled using her own magic to increase Spike's wings to her own size. "We will find thee, and kill thee for thy crimes against the Nocturnal Empire!" She yelled sending a fireball his way.

He stopped to scale a wall, looking back he saw Crimson already on her way. Grinning, he got to the top and seemed to just sit there, staring down at her like a hawk.

Crimson got to the building he was on, she put her claws into the stone and began to climb with leaps. With two good leaps, she had made it to the top, just as she was about to lunge and bite his head off, the stone gave out and she suddenly felt herself falling.

He ran away, seeing the rubble and dust surround her as she hit, he grinned before going to the next building.

Down below in the rubble, Crimson stirred. A large gash had been made on her head, one of her hooves felt like it was sprained and the rest of her was covered in multiple cuts and bruises. Seeing the last sign of Silver, she snorted before shrinking back down. Spitting some blood out, she looked over and saw smoke still coming out from Spike's mouth, and the guard laying on the ground but moving.

She tried to hurry over, but fell on her side when she suddenly felt a crushing pain. Laying there, she charged her horn and teleported over.

Appearing with a slight puff of dust, Spike turned to her and gasped.

"Crimson! Hey! Come on speak to me." He said placing a claw on her cheek. "Please?"

"...Magic..." She whispered.

"Magic? W-What about magic? I could go get-"

"Need... Lunar magic... Healing to lycans..." She said staring up at him. "Now."

"Right, Nightmare, can you help her?" He asked.

She didn't respond but merely kept his claw in place as it began to leak a white mist. It spread across her, tiny sparkles appeared wherever a scratch was, soon, she managed to stand. The mist still covered her and she took a labored breath drawing some in. She froze, coughed for a bit, and then sighed before breathing again. Holding up a hoof, the mist vanished and she was left panting.

"S-Silver..." She sneered. "H-He was right there! Right in front of me!" She yelled smashing a few bricks out of a wall. "How could I be so stupid!? I let him get away!"

"No ma'am, I let him get away. I failed in protecting you."

She turned fuming, but soon her eyes widened in a moment. She went up to the guard, he was sitting up against the wall holding his right fore-leg. He frowned as she stared at the steady stream of blood coming out from the puncture in his armor.

"W-What... Did he... Did he scratch you?" She asked kneeling in front of him. "Did he scratch you?"

"No, that mutt bit me. Not too bad, but not too good either." He winced as she took his hoof off. "It's still tender..."

"I'm... I'm..." She leaned forward and hugged him. "I'm so sorry..." She cried.

"Sorry about what?" He asked. Looking at Spike, he saw his face in despair, confused himself, he looked back to Crimson. "Ma'am, what's wrong?"

"Nightmare, could you help him?" Crimson asked taking herself off him. "D-Do you know how I was turned? How I was cursed?"

"Er, no? Why? What does..." His eyes widened. "Oh buck my life..." He groaned hitting his head on the wall. "I'm infected too, aren't I?" He sighed.

"I-I'm afraid so..." She said.

"Well, plenty more reason to kill him then." The guard shrugged. "So, while we go track him, maybe you could-"

"Track him? Track him!" She said angrily. "We've just lost the one thing that could help us track him!"

"Nu uh," he said shaking his head. "He said you'd find him up North. Has he lied before? Like in a note or anything?"

"N-No..." She shook her head.

"Then, why not? It's not like I have anything left to lose." He said getting up. "Well, maybe this armor here could go." He said letting the leg piece fall away. "Hey, you know, were kind of like a pack now. Two lycans, chasing after another for the same reason."

"Our reasons are different." She snapped. "We have nothing in common."

"Well, how about the fact that he has, officially, ruined our lives by cursing us? I know, that's only one, but he also broke my spear. That was actually a gift from my own parents."

"No. You have to be sent back to Canter-"

"Ma'am, the only way I'm leaving without taking his other eye out, is in a body bag." He said forcefully. "So, unless any of you are going to do me in, do it. Because I'm going with you, as orders from my Princess. So, am I going, or am I staying?"

Crimson looked at him, he stared straight back with a glare and smirk. She smiled before punching him in the jaw.

"Ow!" He said getting up. "That hurt!"

"Get over over it," she said. "I just had a wall collapse on me. Now," she turned to spike and set him on her back before fixing her saddle bags again. "As the pack leader, I say it's time we do some hunting."

"Now were talking." The guard said. "So, maybe along the way... You could tell me some things about being a lycan? I've only read some books in the royal archives. I doubt their authenticity though."

"And you'd be right to doubt it." She said.

Author's Note

I wanted the mare to say, 'I'll shove this cane so far up your poop chute that I'd break your teeth.'

What? Did you think I would end it here? Please.