The predator’s dilemma. The depths of Sentinel’s mind had trouble figuring out where a desire to devour began and a desire for sexual conquest ended. Before him was a small pink earth pony filly, supine, helpless, on her back, sprawled out, and willing to fulfill either or both of his primal needs.

Diamond Tiara had sparked both sorts of desires within the now sexually aware apex predator. He stood over her, looking down, and she was smiling up at him invitingly. His mind recalled in vivid detail sitting on top of her, the soft velvet feeling of her short haired pelt as his testicles pressed up against her, the feeling of domination as he straddled her. Her muscled curvature set off hunger of all sorts. The heaving flesh along her ribs. The sure to be succulent muscles along her forelegs, which lay at her sides. He could feel the heat coming up from her navel, which heaved from her heavy breathing, rising and falling. Every inch of her thighs would be delicious. She was the ultimate prey animal, full of muscle, docile, and submissive to any of his cravings.

Below her navel he could see two small budding teats, just now developing and turning into something other than two meaningless bumps. They would be tender, easy to tear off and consume, and the tender sweetmeats and treasures that were hidden just beneath the skin, the tasty guts down beneath, they would be worth every bite. And just a little farther down from her teats was another series of muscles Sentinel’s predatory mind told him would be a good place to start ripping and tearing, an area filled with clenching muscles and rich red blood he could satiate his every hunger with.

He had other hungers. He could feel himself even now, hard as a rock and quivering.

“You’ve found quite a treat for us to devour together.”

Turning, looking over his shoulder, Sentinel saw Moonbow. She was grinning, her large fangs visible, her tongue lolling out. A tongue evolved for licking marrow out of cracked bones. Something about seeing her excited this way inflamed his desires even further.

“This is the proper way for a hunter to woo his mate… to bring food. You’ve caught quite a meal my little hunter,” Moonbow said in a low heated growl, her words resonating deep in her throat.

Sentinel watched as Moonbow moved closer. Her head dropped to Diamond Tiara, she began to sniff her, and Diamond Tiara giggled, unaware of the coming feast, or perhaps not caring about the fact that she was about to become food. The idea that she wanted to be devoured set Sentinel on fire. His guts clenched painfully, and there was a dull throbbing ache in his balls.

“What a morsel… look at all of this fat, soft flesh. It is like she has been fattened up for the slaughter. What a soft pathetic mewling creature. What a meal you’ve found,” Moonbow said lustily as she began to sniff along Diamond Tiara’s throat, taking in the scent of hapless, willing prey.

“Wait,” Sentinel whispered.

“Wait?” Moonbow asked. She sniffed again, and then began to move towards Sentinel, sniffing at him. “Oh… you want to play with our food… I understand my mate.”

Moonbow moved swiftly, impossibly fast for a creature of her already considerable size and bulk, and not even her full size yet. Sentinel found himself thrown down on top of Diamond Tiara’s body, every warm curve of her pressing tightly against his own finely muscled body. A broad hoof pressed down on his croup, and he felt himself…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Sentinel cried, feeling warm flesh wrapped around him for the first time. Diamond Tiara’s delicate throat was inches away from his toothy maw, and he could feel her heart beating in her barrel, which was pressed against his own. Diamond Tiara was panting, heaving, her breath coming in fevered whimpering cries, and he felt the sort of intimacy that only predator and prey share with one another as the predator works his way inside, finding all of the hidden places within their prey.

“Rut her senseless, get the blood flowing, and then tear her throat out,” Moonbow snarled.

Using his echolocation, he easily found the artery in her throat that lead directly to her heart. Moving with the precision that only an apex predator has, he clamped his maw down upon her jugular, bit down, and drank deep of the warm salty liquid that came spurting forth.

Bolting awake with a cry, Sentinel kicked and squirmed beneath his covers. His bed was soaked. His belly felt damp. He was still aroused and his body shuddered as even more seed came spurting out. Everything was drenched.

Confused, frightened, and feeling horribly guilty for even dreaming about killing and eating another pony, Sentinel began to weep bitterly, covering his face with his hooves, his body wracked with sobs as he wailed into his pillow, too ashamed to let anypony hear him.

When his sobs finally subsided, he slipped free from his sopping wet bed, dropped to the floor, eased down the hall, and took a shower, hoping that nopony would awake. No matter how much he scrubbed, the shame would not go away, and he did not feel clean. Many sooty brown pelt hairs were washed down the drain as he literally scrubbed away some of his own pelt from his frenzied efforts.

After his shower, he did not know what to do. He stood in the hall, still slightly damp, and he could smell her. His nose told him she was nearby, tucked in bed in his sisters’ room, along with Ripple, Dinky, and Piña. Shame burned the back of his neck and his ears.

His father was gone, having left shortly before midnight to go to Canterlot. Sentinel’s bed was still a mess. More than anything, he wanted his father. His father would understand and would make everything better somehow. His father would know how to make the hurt and confusion go away. His father could make the savage primal parts of him behave and become submissive.

He looked at Barley’s door. Barley was always nice to him. Barley was always kind and called him nephew. Barley, who was quiet and reflective and knew how to say all of the right things to Sentinel’s quiet inner voice. He moved on silent hooves towards Barley’s door and pushed it open. He peered inside at the sleeping stallion, and then crept to his bedside.

“Barley!” Sentinel hissed.

There was a muffled snort, a gasp, and a sharp report of flatulence as the old stallion was startled into wakefulness.

“Ach, crivens, damnit lad, yer a terrible wee beastie, ye dinnae scare an old stallion awake at his bedside with yon skeery flesh ripping face full o’ fangs,” Barley grumbled.

“Sorry…” Sentinel whimpered.

Sensing something was wrong, Barley lifted his head, causing his neck to crackle. “What’s wrong lad?”

“I had an accident in my bed,” Sentinel said, his voice thick with shame.

“Ye wet the bed? Eh, so what, I wet the bed occasionally. At my age, I sneeze and everything back there leaks,” Barley groused. “Luna’s a real tease about it, she likes to tickle my nose with her wing just trying to make something happen, laughin’ the whole time, the cuss headed lass. Nae respect for her elders.”

“No… I didn’t piss the bed,” Sentinel whispered in a faint voice.

“Oh… ye had yerself one of those sorts of dreams, eh lad?” Barley said, rising into sitting position and looking at Sentinel, who was barely visible in the dark.

“It was a nightmare,” Sentinel cried, sitting down upon the floor and shaking with terror.

“Ach… one of those sorts of dreams and it was skeery,” Barley whispered.

“I’ve never had a dream like this before…” Sentinel confessed.

“Ne’er had a wet dream before and yer first one was skeery… aye, that’ll put ye off the mood for a while,” Barley grumbled. His horn ignited and he lifted the squirming colt up to the bed with him. He wrapped one foreleg over Sentinel’s withers and gave a squeeze. “You must be scared shiteless.”

“My bed is a mess,” Sentinel whispered. “I did something wrong. Luna is going to punish me. I broke the rules. I did something forbidden. I did something my kind are never supposed to do… I-”

Barley silenced Sentinel with a light slap over the muzzle. “Crivens lad, it was a dream. You dinnae do anything wrong. Dreams ain’t real. And Luna wouldn’t punish you for something ye did in a dream. Now come on, I’ll help you strip yer bed and haul everything down to the laundry room. We’ll clean this up and fix this wee mess, and yer gonna stop acting all nancy about it, ye ken?”

“Yes sir,” Sentinel responded, burying his face against Barley as his sobs began again.

“Aye, that’s a good lad, cryin’ ain’t nancy, let it out, but no more blaming yerself,” Barley whispered soothingly to his nephew.

“Aye, there is a lot to be done today,” Barley said as he sipped his hot coffee, looking at Rising Star and raising his eyebrow as he did so. He was red eyed and bleary from a lack of sleep.

“I know, I am still kinda surprised by it. Celestia believes that I can help with the hoof rot problem by purifying the ground,” Rising Star replied before shoveling in a bite of eggs into his mouth.

“Aye, fae creature,” Barley said, looking at Rising Star with an amused expression upon his face. “Now there are two o’ ye fair folk in this family, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Two?” Rising Star asked.

“Aye,” Barley grunted between coffee sips.

“Maybe I’ve gone stupid, but I thought I was the only one,” Rising Star muttered sullenly, no longer feeling quite as special. He slumped at the table and shoveled in more eggs.

“Ye and yon kelpie out in yon lake, ye daft neep headed numpty,” Barley chortled.

“Oh… wait, really?” Rising Star said, coming to a swift and sudden realisation.

“Aye, she’s fae. A water spirit. But she’s kind and shy and sweet. She dinnae stank of rotten eggs like ye do ye great lout,” Barley chuckled, a twinkle in his eye.

“Surprise is coming. All fliers need to eat more and chat less,” Derpy instructed from the living room. “Wow, Sparky sure can move now. Never thought she’d be such a runner.”

“Well uncle Barley… do you still love me even though I reek of rotten eggs?” Rising Star asked, leaning over and getting closer to Barley.

“Aye, I love ye… but only a moron would trust ye now, ye cheatin’ cunnin’ creature,” Barley said as he leaned over and drew closer to his nephew. “No honeyed words from ye or I’ll give ye such a zappin’ on yer arse.”

Bursting into laughter, Rising Star slapped his hoof on the table at the old stallions words.

Moving at a swift canter that was not quite a gallop, Sparkler urged her cadets onwards as they approached the bend at the far side of the lake, near the tree line for the Everfree. She ran beside Snowflake, just like she said she would, offering encouragement as she continued.

She kept a close eye on Cherry Berry, who seemed to be having some trouble being out in the open and running on the ground. The earth pony was managing, but was clearly having a few minor issues about doing so. She admired Cherry Berry’s dedication and spirit. Even with her troubles, she persisted and continued with her task.

Holly Dash and Twinkleshine ran together, urging each other onwards. They didn’t have the stamina and speed of the earth ponies and pegasi around them. Big Mac brought up the rear, making sure nopony fell behind. He wasn’t even sweating, and with his long legs, his movements were effortless.

Thunderlane led the herd, and Blossomforth ran at his side. Sparkler watched her as her head moved around, her eyes darting about, her gaze moving towards the treeline of the Everfree.

Orange Swirl and Raindrops ran just behind Thunderlane and Blossomforth, both of them giggling and laughing as they ran, clearly having the time of their lives together.

Sparkler felt a fierce sense of pride. All of her cadets had arrived together in one unit, not one lagging behind. Their arrival had surprised her. She expected one or two to be late, she had not expected for all of them to arrive all at once, all grinning and looking pleased that nopony was last. Sparkler had the strangest feeling that somehow, this half baked idea of hers was going to work somehow.

Author's Notes:

**blinks**

Well, the first half of the chapter was really weird to write about.

But I really enjoyed writing Barley and Sentinel interacting with one another.

There are probably typos.