A Silver Light in the Darkness

The timberwolves made slow, precise movements. Their glowing green eyes never left the pony and fox, large droplets of their sticky saliva dripping from their splintery fangs, as thick and viscous as tree sap and even more disgusting looking. None of the wooden beasts even paused to take notice to the new, three-tailed creature that was with the cyan pegasus. Nor did the simple-minded beasts care, only seeing their latest prey that was foolish enough to wander into the forest.

Though Rainbow Dash was easily able to keep her cool composure, not about to be frightened by walking piles of sticks, there was a nervous sweat occurring on the back of her neck as she could easily see how outnumbered they were. Prince Arren however, having never seen such animals before, merely looked at them with a peculiar gaze, like a zoologist studying their latest specimen.

As the timberwolves converged, they made sure not to get too close to the pair, making Rainbow Dash take a step back for every one of theirs. They wouldn't simply charge at them, not yet, unless the prey tried to run of course. The only sound coming from them were their vicious snarls. Besides the rustling of the leaves from the passing wind, it was the only sound to be heard within the forest, until the sound of galloping hooves sounded nearby that is.

Having fallen behind for obvious reasons, the other four mares who were left behind at the hospital finally caught up, not realizing the predicament they were rushing in to. Their shocked gasps were what took the place of their hooves striking the dirt of the forest floor. Though it was hard to tell, what with their lack of any muscle and flesh, but the timberwolves looked even more excited at the newcomers bolstering what they had already come across.

“What... what are we going to do?” Fluttershy whimpered out, her voice barely able to go above a whisper out of fear for the timberwolves hearing her.

“Can we escape this many?” asked Applejack, looking between the approaching beasts. Though she was proud of her own physical abilities, she had doubts about jumping into a conflict while her others friends were in danger.

Twilight just stared at them, unable to even blink as the ferocious creatures looked more and more ready to attack. “I... I don't know...” she said, weighing her options. She didn't' think they could fight them in such an enclosed area. With their distance away from Ponyville, running seemed like an even less ideal option. Through her worrying thoughts however, her eyes finally broke away as she noticed their fox visitor still standing there, stuck right between the timberwolves and ponies.

Noting it as well, Rarity lightly cleared her throat, looking urgently toward the furry companion. “S-sir, you must get back. These beasts as a vicious lot, very dangerous.”

Shock once again shot into the five ponies as something happened that they would never have expected, to hear a chuckle produced within such a situation. All eyes were set onto the fox, his muzzle sporting an amused grin. “These things?” he asked, nodding toward the timberwolves. “These somewhat eerily familiar looking beasties are a threat to you?” Another huff of joy left him as he lowered his head, matching the predatory stance of the timberwolves almost perfectly, his lips quivering before he let out a sharp snarl of his own.

The wooden canines reacted to that. Each one pausing for a moment, having never encountered their prey to match them in such a way. It only lasted mere moments however, the beasts resuming their earlier methods quickly. As the ponies became spectators to it, they looked between their attackers and their companion, looking so strangely similar. Though, in Arren's case, they could still make out a smile twitching within his own growling.

As it seemed to be a power struggle of sound, something else broke through. It was a much louder snarl, sending a shiver down several of the ponies' spines. The crowed of timberwolves broke apart, revealing a much larger one stepping forward.

Other than its size, the timberwolf was different in several other aspects. Body covered in deep grooves left by claws, large chips from deep bite wounds, eyes so intense that they burned with a green flame. It was clear that this one was the leader of the pack, having earned its title and power through conflict and triumph.

It eyed the fox solely, its deep growls even making its fellow timberwolves show signs of intimidation. All that it could see was a challenger, like so many others that it had taken down. Even still, as the imposing beast of wooden limbs encircled the fox, Arren kept an unfaltering demeanor of ease, as though it was no true threat to him.

The lead timberwolf could see it easily enough, the lack of fear emanating from the three-tailed prey infuriating it even more. Its jaws nearly foamed as it growled more and more viciously, legs bending back in preparation, body lowering to the ground. Without warning, the timberwolf burst into a charge, blazing eyes locked onto the fox prince.

Arren followed the beast's lead, charging at it as well. As they neared, he craned his neck to his side, mouth opened just before he clamped his jaws around the hilt of the sword he wore. With a single turn of his head, the blade was pulled free from its confinement, the metallic surface nearly glinting in the sunlight piercing above them through the canopy.

Not even the pack leader was able to react in time as the space separating it from the fox became non-existent. They both leaped into the air at one another, the timberwolves claws poised and ready to strike while its mouth hung open and ready to snap down with bone-crushing force.

But the timberwolf completely missed its target. All that registered to the ponies, or even the rest of the pack for that matter, was a high-pitched wail of a yelp, the mighty timberwolf's body crashing to the ground. Arren came to a stop as well, landing perfectly on every one of his paws as his momentum slowed, sword still clutched tightly in his muzzle. Everypony watching only gaped at the sight, seeing the leader's right foreleg completely cut off.

All that remained of the limb was a scattered mess of wood, not recognizable as to what it once was. The pack leader twitched and practically flailed about, struggling to move with the loss of its leg. It had been a clean cut, a straight line starting from where its leg used to connect to its chest and running across much of its side. A substance, even thicker than their slimy spit oozed out from the cut. All that the leader could do was whimper pathetically as it tried to stand on its remaining three paws.

Arren didn't give much attention to his wounded adversary. With a sudden flick of his neck, he caught his sword by the guard, using the angle to crane his neck once again and return the sharp weapon to its sheath. It made the ponies even more surprised as they realized that things weren't over yet, still outnumbered by what was left of the pack.

Such a problem found a quick solution however as they looked at the rest of the timberwolves. It was a sight none of them could have expected to ever see, the once ferocious creatures looking as frightened as kittens as they stared at their once proud leader. The strongest one of them had been felled so easily, something that resonated with them clearly.

Perhaps they were simple beasts, only able to latch onto their age old instinct to get by, but even instinct was smart enough to tell them they had bitten off far more than they could chew. It was through that understanding that caused them to run away, their wooden tails between their legs as they disappeared into the forest. Even the leader managed to get away, hobbling into the thick brush at a much slower pace than it had arrived in.

The group of mares still remained dumbstruck at what had happened, staring off at where the beasts had disappeared to. It wasn't until a hearty chuckle from Arren broke into their minds that their stiff attention was softened. “Since it seems I've gained five new shadows, I guess you all should know that we aren't very far now,” he said, nodding off toward a different direction. “Come, you can meet the rest of the crew.”

None of them said a word as they followed the fox further into the forest. He moved at a much more normal pace, allowing them to trot behind him. For the most part, their trip was spent staring at the weapon that dangled at the fox's side. They weren't used to seeing such violence take place, much less with a blade. It raised many questions as to the creature's own land as well as what his intentions were. Surely no one would wear such a dangerous thing without reason.

After a while however, the thoughts of the ponies shifted to a more pressing matter. The terrain around them began to change. The once mighty trees were looking damaged, tree limbs bent or broken while wooden debris scattered the ground.

Arren noticed it as well, stopping on the spot. As his equine companions did the same, the fox's ears began to twitch, eyes narrowing slightly before he continued, taking much slower steps while the mare did the same.

There was an unusual tension in the air, even for being in the Everfree forest. Just ahead of them, the trees parted to reveal yet another clearing, but it wasn't a simple bold patch in the otherwise hairy field of trees. It had been created, many of the trees being trampled, smash under something that the ponies could only recognize as a boat. Only, it wasn't a boat, holding many features that would not be seen on a nautical vessel. It was completely broken in half, the stern pointed skyward as it leaned against a tree while the bow half was wedged between the thick trunks of two others. Pieces of shattered wood and metallic components that none of them could discern laid scattered across the area.

As their eyes became glued to the sight, the last few trees around them passing by, they barely noticed their furry guide stopping yet again. Nearly running into him, they all stopped as well, hearing naught but a deathly silence around them.

Then, the quiet snapping of a twig sounded. Prince Arren blinked as, without warning, he jumped backward, causing the mares to trip over themselves from the sudden surprise. Before they could even question the action, their throats were filled with their latest gasps as a loud thud sounded just inches in front of them, a the sharpened tip of a sword cutting into the ground where the fox once stood. It would had undoubtedly cleaved his head from his body had he not moved.

Holding the sword in its mouth, another fox stood there, having fallen from the treetops above for an areal attack. Their eyes were intense, ready to strike down their opponent in one fell swoop. But the attack had obviously failed, the near-victim looking at the fox and smiling broadly. “Not bad,” he said, voice laced with a hint of pride. “You should work on making your steps a little less heavy though. I could nearly hear you a mile away. Also...” a stunted chuckle escaped him, “try and make sure you know who your target is...”

There was another, much more lighter thud that sounded as the sword fell from the fox attacker's mouth. Its eyes were wide as a gasp came from the creature. “Arren!” the fox shouted, with a voice that was clearly feminine. She immediately jumped at the royal fox, wrapping her forelegs around him in a tight hug.

Twilight and her friends merely looked at the scene, having clearly been forgotten. But none of them really took the time to notice that detail as their gazes were focused on the vixen who had tried to run them through. She had a metallic face!

After a few moments of the strange fox nearly suffocating the prince, she finally broke away. The joyous feelings died quickly however as her attention was finally put onto the five ponies who had been lead there. “Look out, behind you,” she said quickly, picking her sword up from the ground and brandishing it threateningly.

“Wait, wait, hold on!” Arren said quickly, jumping in between the armed fox and the others. “Trust me, they're friends. They ended up saving me from... whatever happened to me...” Though still looking apprehensive toward the strange creatures she had never seen before, the vixen clearly took the prince's word seriously, sheathing her blade without so much as a word of protest.

“I'm sorry,” the vixen murmured, looking back to Arren with shock at his appearance showing clearly on her face. “I was just so worried. We've been beset by these strange beasts ever since we've landed. None of us could even find a scent of you to track, we feared the worst...”

A comforting smile spread across the fox prince's lips as he lightly patted her on the shoulder. “It's fine,” he said in understanding. His eyes trailed off toward the surrounding area, as did the rest of the ponies. It looked like a small war had been waged. Bodies of timberwolves were strewn about, nearly a dozen of the wooden creatures lying still. Several had deep cuts sliced into their hides, while others were completely cut in two, each half not being far from the other.

After a moment however, Arren turned back to his equine companions and brought the vixen toward them. Standing next to the female fox, they were taken aback by what she wore, realizing that she didn't have a metal face at all. It was actually a helm, covering the entirety of her head. The detail placed in it was magnificent, perfectly fitting over her face and taking its place. Even her ears were covered, with small slits made into the inward curve to allow her to still hear. All that was exposed was her lower jaw, allowing her to easily talk and still hold her sword.

The rest of her outfit was rather strange to the ponies as well. The more they looked at it however, they realized it wasn't a simple getup that one would normally wear, it was armor. Much of her body was covered by a white surcoat with a black trim and a silvery design placed on the front of the chest.. Just underneath of the fabric, the metallic mesh of protective chainmail could be seen, exposed slightly from where her forelegs protruded out from, where glinting bracers were locked around the base of them. The most familiar detail about her attire was the black belt that she wore, allowing her own sword to dangle at her side, having less stunning beauty in design when compared to the prince's weapon of choice, but it was still of fine make that no one could doubt.

“Everyone,” Arren said, gesturing toward the vixen now at his side, “this is Ashera, captain of the Eclipse Elite, a group of the finest warriors our land has.”

In response to the introduction, Ashera removed the metallic mask she wore and bowed her head in respect. “Greetings,” she said formally. Without her facial covering, the ponies were able to get a better look at her more natural details. With fur that was a dull white, it was nearly pure except for a few marring details. With black fur covering the tips of her pointed ears, two small triangular curves running across the sides of the base of her muzzle and a ring wrapped around the tip of her tail. The vixen's coat was also much more silky than the male fox who stood beside her, making her look much more feminine than her covered body showed.

To bring the introductions to full circle, Twilight bowed her head as well, saying, “I'm Twilight Sparkle, it's nice to meet you.”

“Ah'm Applejack,” the farmpony said with a tip of her hat.

“Rainbow Dash.”

“I'm... F-Fluttershy...”

“Rarity if you please,” the fashion designer said, adding her own courteous bow.

Ashera smiled slightly and gave a passing wave of her paw in friendly greeting. She was about to go further but her voice was silenced as there was a fierce growl coming from far away. Everyone immediately locked onto the source of the sound, seeing it coming straight for them. From the wreckage, several new faces slowly emerged. They were all foxes, fur ranging by many different colors and patterns. Each of the vulpine creatures held looks of curious intent and surprise as they saw their prince once again. One such fox was actually storming toward them, but not having a look of relief, instead one of a white-hot rage.

“Move, Ashera!” snapped the fox, his eyes piercing with anger. The vixen complied quickly, stepping aside and leaving Arren to take the full brunt of the assault as the male fox barred his teeth in fury. “You! You just had to fly all the way out here, didn't you?! Ignoring all the danger for yourself and everyone else! Only for us to crash and for you to be thrown to the wayside! You could have been dead for all I knew! Have you any idea what your father would do if something were to happen to you?!”

The spectating ponies were shocked to see the display. Rarity was most of all appalled at what she was seeing, having never seen someone act toward royalty in such a way, except of course, that one time at the Grand Galloping Gala.

Arren looked away for a moment, developing a look of deep thought before he turned to the fox with a smile and said, “Laugh hysterically alongside you when he realizes I was a victim of my own hubris?”

The enraged fox merely looked at the prince with a frozen expression. His face only moving for a moment as a severely noticeable facial twitch of bottled rage occurred. The kind made of antique glass and having a cap with a needle-sized hole in it. Just as it looked like the fox might pop, his tensed frame became lax and he released a much needed sigh.

His eyes eventually fell on the group of ponies, staring at them curiously for a moment as the mares did the same. Having a rusty-red coat, black ears and white on the tip of his tail, his paws and a portion of his legs were also black, looking as though he were wearing dark socks. Besides that, he had a similar white fur on his lower jaw, cheeks and a patch just on the front of his chest.

He also looked three times older than both Arren and Ashera. The heavy lines under his eyes and fading fur color was a clear point. There were also many white and gray hairs that stuck out on his coat, mostly around his muzzle and ears while small streaks could be seen on parts of his body The fur near the tip of his muzzle also looked more scruffy and shaggy than the rest of his body, the hairs poking out and slightly overgrown to where it actually looked like facial hair on him.

“What manner of creature are you?” the now calmed fox asked, eyes running up and down their equine forms.

“Ponies,” Twilight responded, feeling the gazes of all the other foxes on them as well.

“Never heard of them,” Ashera murmured, circling the group as she kept a suspicious gaze held on them. “Such strange paws you have...”

“They're called hooves,” Rainbow Dash responded gruffly, folding her forelegs as she hovered in the air.

The new fox looked taken aback as he fully noticed the flapping wings on the pegasus. “So you can all talk, huh?” he said to himself. “And fly too apparently.”

“Very fast, I might add,” Arren said, winking at the cyan mare in amusement before he nodded toward their scholarly companion. “Twilight here can also do magic. Holding a skill unlike any I have ever seen.”

The red-furred fox merely tilted his head as he examined the horn jutting out from the mare's forehead. “Well,” he murmured, “I suppose it would be rude to prolong introductions...” He cleared his throat before making a respectful bow, nearly pressing his nose into the dirt. “My name is Kaneri.”

“He usually works alongside me,” Arren said, wrapping a foreleg around the fox happily, “as my... How do you usually put it?”

“Indentured servant...” the fox responded dryly.

“Dear friend, that's it!” the prince exclaimed. “Though, I suppose he was technically appointed my aide long ago, but I've never held it against him. Now that we aren't steaming or trying to kill me, I must ask the obvious. Is everyone alright?”

“Luckily, yes,” Kaneri responded, looking back toward the wreckage. “Only minor injuries from the crash and everyone's still alive. Ashera fended off the creatures that attacked us while we waited for a chance to try and find you. We were worried about what had happened to you, but it seems you've been fortunate yourself.”

“Thanks to these ponies,” Arren responded, smiling at the group. He stepped closer toward Fluttershy, his smile widening while the mare adverted her gaze timidly. “Actually, from what I understand, it was you who rescued me.”

“I... I... yes, I thought you needed help,” the meek mare managed to say. “I just... thought you were a wild animal...”

“Should that matter?” Arren asked. “It makes it even more noble if I must say. Helping me even when you didn't realize I was a prince. That marks true intentions far better than anything else I can think of.” At that, the royal fox bowed his head in respect. “I thank you, fair Fluttershy. You have a prince of Illaisier in your debt. Why, if we were back home, you'd be paraded through the streets of the capital as a hero.”

“Sadly, we are no longer home,” a new voice spoke up, growing steadily more clear as the owner stepped toward them.

Arren's ears perked up as he turned, smiling in direction of the fox approaching them. He wore an expensive looking coat, appearing much like the jackets worn alongside tuxedos. It was emblazoned with gold designs near the silver buttons on it, the sleeves nearly touching the ground as they stopped at his paws, while the triangular tails flowed and swayed alongside his own. A small pair of spectacles clung to the bridge of his muzzle, lenses holding a slight oval shape while a thin frame held them together.

The fox's entire body and natural coat was but a single color, a deep, dark brown that almost looked black in the right light, or lack thereof. He looked at the group of foxes and ponies with a rather mundane expression, his posture never lessening into anything short of perfect while his eyes looked at the world with the same light, looking refined and dapper in every sense of the words. From how he was dressed and his demeanor, he looked far more regal than the prince did himself.

“Ah! Talsin, I was wondering when you'd make an appearance,” Arren said to the approaching fox.

Upon reaching a respectable distance to the prince, the posh looking fox bowed his head, quickly adjusting his glasses once he was returned to his typical stance. “We truly are fortunate for you being so unharmed, sir,” he said, his voice sounding just as proper as he looked, holding little in the way of grand emotion.

“You must meet our new friends,” the prince said, ushering the fox closer as he turned to the ponies and gestured at the fox. “This is Talsin. He's my father's confidant, as well as the castle chronicler.”

“It's a pleasure...” dark-furred fox responded, his gripping eyes staring at the mares for sometime. It made Twilight feel unnerved as she felt his gaze fall on her the longest. It was soon interrupted however as a mighty wail burst out from the wreckage of the ship. It almost sounded like sobbing, making everyone turn their heads in the direction of it.

“What... what was that?” Arren questioned, the spine-tingling cries coming out once again.

A groan escaped Ashera as she shook her head in dismay. “It must be Feral. He struck his head pretty bad in the crash, been out ever since, he must have woken up...” As though on cue, another fox jumped out from inside the wrecked ship, mouth trembling as he gazed upon what was left of it, his ears and tail sagging down terribly.

“Why?! Why?!” he cried out in despair, wrapping his outstretched arms around the wooden frame in an attempt to hug it. “My poor, poor Skysaber! You were just in your prime, ready to go on for so much longer! And now this happens to you! You were so much more eloquent than your siblings, streaming across the skies like any bird worth their feathers! My baby, my pride, my everything!” He released another series of painful sobs before immediately pulling away from the downed ship. “Oh well, what's done is done. Can't cry over wrecked airships. Now I can make the new Skysaber even better than the last! Ha-ha!”

“Who... is that...?” Rarity murmured, seeing a strange and eery familiarity in the fox.

“Oh, that's Feral,” Kaneri said, as said fox noticed the group and came bounding toward them with a noticeable skip in his step. “He's the royal engineer. Though he has a brilliant mind... I've always wondered if he was mentally sound.”

“That's where his genius comes from,” Arren said with a laugh. “It's his doing that we even have the airships in the first place. He wanted to be apart of our little journey more than anyone.”

As the engineer approached, the ponies were able to see his appearance easily as well. What the eye caught first were the goggles that he wore, the circular lenses covering his eyes entirely while a black strap kept them secured around his head. Besides that, the only other thing he wore was a pair of tight-fitting gloves over his forepaws, made of a thick, brown material that the ponies didn't recognize.

Feral's coat was a dull, dark-cobalt color in appearance. Patches of a darker blue appeared on the tips of his ears and tail, as well as small streaks across his cheeks. Several tufts of fur sprang up at the top of his head, looking disheveled and messy. It complimented greatly with the deranged smirk he seemed to wear and bubbling energy in his eyes, threatening to burst out of him at any moment.

Looking at his prince, Feral's smirk broadened as he said, “Ah, Prince Arren, I'm glad to see you not dead.”

“The feeling's mutual,” the tri-tailed fox replied.

In a single moment, the engineer's gaze turned straight to Twilight and her friends. They nearly toppled over themselves as the cobalt fox suddenly approached them, breaching their personal space easily. “Hm,” he murmured as he examined them. “And what sort of freakish abominations are you?”

“Uh... ponies...” Twilight said, too weirded out by the fox's actions to sense how much of a broken record her species was sounding like.

“Strange name...” Feral said in response, lowering his head down to the ground as he stared at their hooves. “Stubby looking legs...” Raising his head slightly, he looked more closely to the scholar's lavender coat. “Not very furry...” The mare then immediately jumped back with a surprised yelp as the fox placed his paw against her flank, his eyes locked onto her cutie mark. “What a strange marking too...”

A thick, and undoubtedly forced cough came from Kaneri as he glared at the invasive fox. “Feral,” he stressed, “let's conduct ourselves accordingly around these creatures.”

“Hm?” Feral questioned, not fully comprehending the reactions he was getting. “Um... okay.”

A sigh of relief escaped Twilight as the fox left her side and took a spot with the rest of them. It was then that she noticed something odd. Besides fur color and general patterns, all of the foxes were relatively similar, four legs, two pointy ears and a single tail. It was like that for them all, except for Prince Arren. None of the others had more than one tail, or even the extensive pattern on their person like he did on his back.

“Why are you different from the others?” the scholar asked to him.

The prince held a look of momentary confusion before he looked down at his own tails for a moment, realization showing on his face. “Oh that...?” he said. “Well... it's really because I'm kinda sorta not really a fox...”

About to further elaborate, he was stopped by Kaneri. “Arren, allow me,” he said as he continued where the gray-furred fox ended. “Prince Arren is apart of a species similar to our own and just as ancient. Kitsunes, as they were once called. Many, many ages ago, they were nearly as plentiful as regular foxes. But now... all that remain are those of the royal family. Though technically speaking, he is part fox, as his mother was one herself. The children of the royal family are all born kitsunes.”

“We're more like... cousins to the foxes,” Arren said. “Except... I do have an actual fox cousin... Cousin One-Tail... But anyway, I suppose it's similar to your kind and how you have the flying ones, the horn one s and the... non-flying-non-horn ones...”

“Earth pony,” Applejack corrected.

“Ah... right... heh-heh,” the royal fox said, smiling sheepishly as he looked back at the wreckage of the Skysaber. “So, Feral, anything to report on the ship?”

The engineer scratched his muzzle for a moment as he pondered something, looking back to the ship himself as he said, “Well, the core was cracked open when I saw it. The cutter-furnace was almost completely melted on the inside. I can only guess that it overheated from us flying for so long... Hm... Perhaps I should have accounted the bad weather and longer flight times for the smaller variation. I'm sure the other ships would have been able to handle it, but since we took the Skysaber...”

“Overheated, huh?!” Kaneri growled, his piercing gaze focusing directly on Arren, his fangs grinding together.

Taking a step back, the prince chuckled uneasily as he developed a large, toothy grin and said, “Now, now, before we start point claws at whose fault this may or may not be, let's just all pause for a moment and be thankful that we're all safe and sound... No one was seriously hurt... and... that it was I who discovered these friendly creatures!” It only caused his friend's glare on him to deepen as it was clear the fox wasn't buying it. All the prince could do was inwardly sigh, realizing how he would now never hear the end of it.