The night breeze ruffled my fur. The moonlight shined down, lighting my path. I have grown accustom to staying up late. It was tiring, but I can't even feel the fatigue now. My paws pounded against the ground as I ran to keep up with Light. He looked back to make sure I was alright, I winked. The soft grass bent under my weight, and the dew wet my paws. 

   "Do you know where we're going?" I asked. Light stopped in his tracks, I almost ran past him. The question had caught him off guard. 

   "Do you really want to know?" I nodded. Light sighed. "I can't keep you a secret forever. I need to present you to the council." The furs on my back stood up.

   "What's the council?" The question sounded stupid but I needed to know.

   "High ranked wolves that make decisions for us. They're like wolf versions of Celestia and Luna, except there's more of them and they're less forgiving." I gulped.

   "Why do you need to present me?" I already knew the answer.

   "Wolves do not appear out of thin air. We are born into the pack. No one has heard of you until you show up, don't you think they'll get suspicious?" I nodded again, not sure of what to say. I thought for a moment,

   "Where is the council?" Light blinked.

   "Just past that mountain over there," Light said and he pointed behind me, I turned and saw a rocky mountain I had not noticed before, "A clan of wolves live inside that mountain, a cave entrance is located on the other side." 

   "Wait... You don't live in houses?" I dreaded sleeping on the cold, hard ground.

   "Pfft, you silly ponies, what's the need of a bed when nature offers grass and earth?" Light laughed and bolted off towards the mountain. I grumbled and followed suit.

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   "Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash was killed by a wolf, I'm sure of it," said Twilight. The regal sun goddess stared down at her pupil. Her expression stayed unchanged as she looked up to the ceiling. Twilight was infuriated her mentor did not feel a ping of sadness that one of her best friends has just been murdered, nor did she act like she cared at all!

   "My student, I understand you are suffering from the loss of your friend, but we are at most peace currently. Equestria is not at war and there is no need for us to start one." Twilight winced. She felt that Celestia just didn't want to provoke the meat eating carnivores. 

   "But princess-" Celestia shook her head.

   "What worries me more are the Elements of Harmony. With Rainbow Dash gone, there is nopony to host the Element of Loyalty." Twilight clamps her mouth shut, and storms off, angry at Celestia and the world around her. The wolves, she was certain it was the wolves who had taken her friend's life. That was it then, Twilight no longer had the reason to study magic to become the best. She had another reason, one that tied in to the death of Rainbow Dash. Vengeance. She will make the wolves pay.

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   I didn't know what to expect. I was sure there was going to a metropolis of wolves living inside the mountain. As Light and I walked through the cave tunnels, it seemed quite empty. My eyes were adjusted to the darkness, I could see fine. By fine, I mean I'm a blind rodent wondering around. I followed the sound of Light's pawsteps, they were light, but audible.

   "Can you smell them?" My ear flicked as I tried to understand.

   "What do you mean?" I was confused by the question. Smell who?

   "I mean can you smell them, the wolves." 

   "Nope," I whispered. Light sighed.

   "Focus your nose dimwit and smell carefully," Light snapped.

   "Ok, ok!" Sheesh, what a grumpy guy. I closed my eyes and sniffed. Nothing at first, but then different smells hit my nose. They smelled awfully alike the way Light smells, and that's not a pleasant smell.

   "Disgusting."

   "Shut up. Are you going to be this rude when I introduce you to the council?"

   "Of course not!" But inside, I wanted to make a complete fool of myself and embarrass Light. I may have adapted to being a wolf, but that didn't mean I LIKED it. 

   "We're getting close." I noticed a lit torch hanging on the wall. "It'll be lighter once we're in." As we walked, the amount of torches grew, until it was as bright as day. As I looked around, I realized the cave walls were not rough and rocky, but smooth like cement. 

   "Stop in your tracks!" A loud voice barked. I nearly had a heart attack. A black brawny wolf stood over me. He was twice my size and I could smell his breath from all the way down here. "Who goes?"

   "Rasheen my old friend, it is me, Light." The tall wolf who was addressed Rasheen growled.

   "Great, it's you, how many times have I told you? I hate you." Light whimpered.

   "Come on man! We were like best friends as pups! What happened?" I watched Rasheen's ear flick. Just take away all the muscles, and he could be a cute little puppy. That's just my opinion anyways.

   "Well let's see, you left to join a circus of freaks who like to share our secrets with ponies," Rasheen said angrily, but it was obvious he was trying to hide his joy.

   "Oh man, you're in for a-" Light jumped onto Rasheen before finishing and the two tumbled around like kittens, pawing each other. They both laughed as they play fought, batting their ears. I stared. I have no idea what to do, so I decided to speak up.

   "A-HEM." Both the wolves ears perked up and they turned their attention to me.

   "Hey, who's that?" Rasheen asked, just noticing my presence.

   "Well you see-" Light stammered. Rasheen walked up close to me, and sniffed.

   "Hey! Back off you creep!" I pushed the larger wolf away.

   "What the hell Light?! She smells like a pony." The cheery attitude died off, and I sensed the tension that started to build. Light thought for a moment, and spilled everything. I watched Rasheen's neutral expression plummet to anger.

   "Everything will be fine Rash, that's why I'm here to preset her to the council," Light explained.

   "You're an idiot Light, you know Stream won't be happy about this." Rasheen shook his head, and trotted inside. Light stuck his tongue out before following. I sighed, some guys are real morons. Light showed me where everything was. There were many wolves wandering around the large room, that's right, it was just one large room connected to many smaller rooms. The large room could fit at least two Ursa Majors from my estimations, and it didn't seemed to be used for anything other than socializing or resting.

   "We call this room the Tongue Sharing room, think of it as a living room. Over there are the dens where we sleep," Light pointed towards to the corner, where a large hole was carved into the side of the wall as an entrance. I peered in and realized there were many smaller dens that seemed to be able to fit five or six wolves each inside.

   "Do I have to sleep in one of them?" I asked.

   "Well, if we stay." Light pointed to an entrance to another room located across the Tongue Sharing room. "Thats where the members of the councils sleep. They also have a small meeting room inside."

   "How do you know all this?" I asked, "Do you like, peep into others' rooms? If that's the case, I'm not sleeping near you."

   "Hey, you've slept near me for the past few months. And I was a curious pup." Light chuckled. My ear flicked, and I looked around the room.

   "So do you all hunt together?"

   "No, we used to as a pack, but now we have a few wolves assigned the job as hunters. They bring food to us whenever our supplies run low." I sighed a breath of relief, I've eaten meat, and I hate to admit this but it tastes delicious. I can understand it's part of my requirements to surivive, but sometimes I find myself craving the sweet tender flesh that comes off another living creature. I'm a sick, sick monster.

   "Why'd you leave then?" 

   "Huh?"

   "Why'd you leave to join that wolf group?" I snarled.

   "Thst group takes in anyone. People join, people leave, there are no permanent members. I joined to travel, travelling is just something I love to do." I closed my eyes, and resisted the urge to scratch his eyes out.

   "Dammit, if you never joined them, I wouldn't be here right now," I said.

   "Yeah well, lucky you." There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, I ignored it. "You should be proud of our clan," Light said, tryin to comfort me a bit when he realized my growing sorrow, "I mean, we're not perfect, but I'm sure you can enjoy being a wolf after being here for a while."

   "How could I enjoy killing little creatures and eating them for my own selfish needs?" I spat, "It's not how I was raised."

   "Rainbow, please-"

   "What's going on?" A sleek brown wolf walked over to us. He eyed me, looking over me from head to paw. His eyes were emerald green and his voice was light. He reminded me of Skybreak.

   "Stream! I'd like you to meet Rainbow Dash." Light grinned to the older wolf, and nudged me.

   "O-Oh, uh hi," I stammered and reached out a paw to shake his. Stream batted my paw away, declining the offer.

   "Light, I am disappointed in you." I noticed the twitch in Light's paws. "I have heard from Rasheen that you sold one of our potions to this pony, and brought her to us."

   "Yeah, that is true, except the part about me selling it to her, I gave it to her."

   "You're a fool." Stream hissed his words.

   "Come on! What's the point of making potions if no one drinks them," Light complained.

   "It is not your decision to choose who becomes a wolf, just like how it is not my decision if the potions should be made or not." Stream closed his eyes, "What has been done cannot be undone, a soft pony will not survive the way we live."

   "Hey!" I protested.

   "She is not soft, as a pony, she was a strong flyer, one that could even match up with the Wonderbolts." I blushed at the mention of my heroes. Stream closed in on Light and stared him in the eye.

   "Are you saying that the Wonderbolts are worthy of becoming wolves? Ponies are not meant to be what they aren't," Stream growled through his clenched teeth.

   "And what if they are?" Light's reply only enraged the older wolf more.

   "Look, I'm already pissed that Sliver brought in a pony as well. We do not need two soft bellies running around our home." Other pony?

   "W-wait," I interupted the argument, "What other pony?" 

   "How the hell should I know? She has a purple furcoat and a busted horn, I've heard from the clan that she's becoming a great hunter. Doesn't matter to me, she's still a pony inside." That helped a lot. I held myself back from pouncing onto Stream and ripping his neck apart. Great, first hour here and I've already been called a softy. Now who is that other pony?

   "Stream, it would mean so much to me if we announce her arrival to the rest of the pack," Light begged.

   "Very well then, I'm not sure if anyone else would approve though, you will have to deal with the scratches and bites yourself after." Light's face lit up and he grinned from ear to ear.

   "Thank you."

   Stream walked to the center of the room, where a large rock stands. With a leap, he jumped ontop of it, standing tall and strong. He raised his mouth to the ceiling, and let out a bloodcurdling howl. 

   "Awooooooooooooooooooh." Every wolf in the room turned their attention to the center, and quietly walked to the rock Stream stood on. Murmurs and whispers ran through the crowd as they racked their brains for the reason of a sudden meeting.

   "One of our... pups, Light, has brought in an outsider to live with the pack." The news shocked some of the wolves in the crowd and they chatted among themselves. Stream coughed and then continued. "Please give our newest member, Rainbow Dash, a warm welcoming." 

   "Crazy old dog," Light huffed under his breath before nodding for me to hop onto the boulder. The muscles in my legs tightened, and I pushed hard against the ground, leaping onto the tall rock. I stood beside Stream, and he complimented on my jump. At least, I think it was a compliment. At least a dozen othe wolves stared up at me, their eyes staring through me. Some shot looks at me, I quivered under my fur.

   "Rainbow Dash has quite a unique history, but I'm sure she wouldn't like to share it, so I will lay off that story for now." Stream stammered. A voice yowled from the crowd and I gulped.

   "What kind of bullcrap is this?" 

   "Who said that?" Stream barked. A purple she wolf revealed her muzzle from the pack of wolves and walked up front.

   "We will not take in ANOTHER mouth to feed, and surely not one that reeks of pony!" Every wolf in the pack gasped. "Ponies are soft, not meant to be wolves. I say we kill her now on the spot. I mean, what the hell does Ligh-"

   "Silence Trixie," snapped Stream. It clicked into my mind. Trixie was the unicorn who bragged she could banish an Ursa Major. She was way over her head and embarrassed all of my friends. I stared down at her, focused and on the horn that stuck out of her head. "Have you forgotten you were once a pony as well?"

   "Hear me out Stream, I've lived on the streets for months after being ran out of Ponyville. I know how it is to survive. This soft belly isn't any more than another mouth to feed." Stream didn't reply. "She'll eat all our prey and leave a pony stench in our dens." I looked to Light, who's eyes twinkled. They said three words.

   Kick her ass.

   I jumped off the rock and pounced onto Trixie, who in an instance kicked me off.

   "It'll be months, hell, even years before you are ready to match with the great and powerful Trixie," she spat, and lashed her claws out at me. I jumped back, avoiding the pain those razor sharp overgrown nails could've caused me. She flashed her fangs, and with haste, she rocketed forward off her legs onto me, pinning me to the ground. I flailed, trying to get the purple she wolf off me, but her strength kept me down. I swear, she worked out a lot more than I could have ever imagined. Like a vampony, she opened her wide mouth and closed in on my neck with her teeth. I began to tremble, and realized I forgot to swallow my own saliva. Trixie was in for the kill, unless I react fast. I pulled in a breath of air, and spat out my saliva. It shot through the air and pelted Trixie right in the right eye. 

   "How revolting." Trixie rubbed her eyes with a forepaw and tumbled off me. This was my chance. Spinning around, I grabbed ahold of her hind leg with my tail, and pulled. Her own weight crashed down upon her now that only one leg was supporting her body, and she fell to the ground, landing face first. When she got up, the dirt had stuck to the saliva on her face, and it looked quite amusing. A few wolves in the crowd chuckled, and Stream buried his face in his paws, obviously awed by my dazzling fighting techniques. Trixie turned a nice shade of red, and ran away into one of the dens. Stream jumped down from the rock, and stared at me.

   "Whaaaaaaat?" I moaned.

   "I don't think you belong here. Your fighting style is childish and too forgiving. If I were you, I would have finished off the kill before she stood up again. Never lay your eyes off an opponent, or pity them." I looked down, but inside, I snickered at the way I had embarrassed Trixie.

   "I thought it was creative," said Light. Stream flashed him a look, and he slunk away. 

   "You're kidding, right?" I asked. Stream shook his head, and pointed to the hallway Light and I had entered through.

   "You don't belong here."

Author's Note
As you have probably noticed, this chapter was greatly rushed. I can't start off a story well so bear with me.

Next Chapter: Four: Alone in Fillydelphia Estimated time remaining: 31 Minutes