The Wolf's War

by Blazing47s

First published 19th of July, 2014

When a huge black wolf mysteriously appears in Equestria, he brings with him an evil that nopony could have seen coming. After befriending the mane six, the black wolf must stop the approaching tide of evil before it is too late.

After Midna sealed the Twilight realm forever, the newly resurrected Zant traps Link in his wolf form and sends his Twilight beasts to kill him. Link escapes, and his friend Ordona helps him flee to a mysterious new land, away from Zant's evil. But is this pony-populated world the heaven it seems? Or is it the hiding place for something much more sinister?

Featured on 11/25/15!

The Escape *Revised*

The wolf streaked through the forest. The moonlight shone down onto its black fur, it's white belly a streak of light in darkness. An intricate white pattern waved on its forehead, framed by piercing dark blue eyes. The wolf shot through the forest in a full on sprint, its lean and iron strong muscles rippling with motion. A small manacle and piece of broken chain was attached to its left foreleg, which rattled piercingly as it ran. A small blue earing glinted in the wolf’s right ear, the same color as the eyes. Sparkling in those blue eyes was an intelligence and emotion that one would not expect in what was considered a fearsome predator. But abounding in those eyes was fear. Complete and utter terror, spurring the wolf onward.

Through the trees came the smashing and howling of something unnatural, that grated into the wolf's ears and danced on its brain. The wolf glanced backward, but its piercing eyes saw nothing but the oppressing darkness. It continued its sprint.

The wolf heard a sudden sound, and its ears swiveled to the right. Something shot out of the forest directly at the wolf, like a living shadow. The wolf leapt to the side, tumbling painfully into the ground and against a tree with a painful thud. The wolf let out only a small grown as it shot back to its paws, its vision focusing on the creature that stood before it.

It was completely midnight black, and taller than the wolf by three feet. It was bipedal, but its long arms reached down to the ground, like an ape’s. Long claws glinted on its grotesque feet and hands, stained black with drying blood and dirt. Its face was completely flat, as if it had been smashed into a wall, and it was too large to look natural. There were a few long hairs sticking out of the top, and red energy danced underneath the creature’s skin. The giant creature swiped at it the wolf with a claw, aiming to take advantage of its fall, but the strike was slow and clumsy. The wolf sidestepped the strike, set its weight back on its hind legs, and launched itself at the creature, latching its jaws on the things neck.

The wolf ripped and tore with all the ferocity its kind was known for, razor sharp teeth rending flesh and bone. The creature reached up to swat the wolf away, but the heavy strike was too late. With a black spray of fluid, the wolf ripped out the creature’s throat, and nimbly danced away, black fluid dripping from its jaws. The black creature collapsed in a limp heap, like a grotesque puppet with its strings cut.

The wolf turned and began to run again, leaving the corpse behind, when the forest screamed. A hundred perverse voices, thundering with no semblance of any pitch and louder than anything the wolf had ever heard, burning like a brand in its mind. The screams created a cage of sound around it, spurring the wolf forward, to the only place of silence. The wolf knew that death came for it in every direction but ahead, so it ran.

The wolf flattened its ears, and whimpered in pain as the sound continued to rebounded around the trees, but it did not stop. There was a cracking from behind it, and the wolf risked a glance backward. The creature it had just killed was slowly rising to its feet, the strings back in control, as if it had never been injured at all. The thing’s flat head swiveled towards the wolf lighting fast, locking on. The wolf’s blue eyes went wide, and it began its desperate sprint once again.

The next attack came not long after. Three of the same creatures exploded out of the forest, trying to surround the wolf. The wolf leaped and rolled out of the way of all three, and continued its run without trying to fight; it knew it couldn’t beat them all. But it was an ambush. A fourth creature was lying in wait a few yards up the path, and the wolf didn’t see it coming. The creature swatted the black wolf on the side from the shadows as it sprinted past, its claws tearing gaping gashes into the wolf's hide.

The wolf’s sudden forward momentum was completely halted, and it was thrown to the side. The wolf rolled limply for a moment, before shakily standing back up. Blood was flowing steadily onto the ground form three vertical slashes in the wolf’s side, matting the fur and staining the dirt, the red color shining sickly in the moonlight. The wolf limped forward for a few moments, before growling in defiance, its lips peeled back from its teeth. It growled again against the pain, and began its sprint once more.

The desperate dash was nearing its end, the wolf knew. Its only chance for survival was only a few hundred yards away, tantalizingly close, but it was going to be a close shave. Dozens of black creatures could now be seen loping after the wolf, getting closer with every stride, flying over rocks and roots, flashing around the trees. They were in every direction, a wall of death that was slowly gaining ground, their screams growing in volume as they came closer to their helpless prey.

The wolf put on an extra burst of speed, hoping beyond hope to make it. It was getting closer, closer. A huge arm reached out to grasp the wolf’s tail with its claws. But suddenly the wolf was free, leaping out of the trees and into the shallow pond. It whimpered and stumbled on the landing, drops of blood staining the water red. The wall of death halted at the tree’s edge, hissing and screaming in frustration, pounding claws into the dirt. The wolf took a second to breathe, before turning around.

It was standing in a large pool. The water flowed from a small river in the back, which in turn bubbled from a natural spring in the ground. The river fell down three miniature waterfalls, until landing gently in the main body of water. Behind the pool was the complete blackness that was all around, but the shallow water the wolf was standing in shone with a gentle light. The sound of the water and the light seemed almsot to lift a heavy weight off of the wolf's shoulders. It had made it. The wolf slowly padded to the center of the pool, and stood waiting. After only a moment, the pool rippled in the center. A small drop of water was spat into the air, and when it impacted back into the water in front of the wolf, ripples spread outward.

A creature began to form. A huge ball of pure light was first, which hung suspended high in the air. A pair of glowing ram’s horns was next, the orb of light in between them. From there, a head, shoulders, and back. When the short transformation was complete, a huge ram stood in the air above the pool. Its skin rippled and swirled with light, making the are seem as if the sun had risen. The creatures at the edge of the water hissed and shied away from the light, withdrawing into the shadows.

“Hero,” An ancient voice rumbled into the wolf’s mind, caring and compassionate. “Our time runs short.” The giant ram bent its neck to look the wolf in the eyes. “I cannot hold them off forever,” It said quietly. “I will call for my brethren. We will fight, and give you ample time to escape.” The wolf nodded its head in thanks and understanding. “But,” the ram emphasized. “Our power is not infinite, and we will be defeated. Be ready when they come.” The ram lifted its head to look into the trees. “Go!” It commanded. “To the back of the spring! Do not look back!”

The wolf obeyed, clearly still in great pain, limping over the three steps and nearly falling, the stone slick with moss and water. After the last ledge, there was a large cliff face that rose high into the air. The wolf continued right up to this wall of earth, and set its nose near the ground, powerful nostrils flaring. At some unknown mark, the wolf began to dig. Its claws scraped at the dirt, gouging huge chunks out of the ground. The wolf shoved its head into the hole it had made, with its torso following soon after. When its tail had disappeared into the ground, the earth it had displaced fell back into the hole, covering up the only trace of where it had vanished to.

-----

In a cave not too far away, a scratching noise could be heard. A small patch of earth danced and rumbled, from some unseen disturbance underground. Then, a small black muzzle appeared, followed by a head.

The wolf hauled itself out of the earth, shaking the dirt off its fur. The wolf winced when it was fully on the ground, setting weight into one side hesitantly. Soil and rocks were caked into its fresh wounds, stinging and burning like fire. Shaking its head, the wolf limped forward, taking its its surroundings. The small cave it had emerged into stretched before it, a wall of stone blocking its path behind. Not that it would go back. The wolf was cautious as it padded its way forward, the only sound being the soft clinking of the chain attached to its foreleg. The cave seemed to run off into the darkness forever, never varying from its straight path. The wolf struggled on.

After an unknown amount of time, the wolf froze. It lifted its nose high into the air, taking deep huffing breaths. The wolf growled and its hackles rose, detecting a change in smell. It was not the same scents of the wolf’s normal world, and it set the predator on edge, making it shift its weight painfully and swivel its ears in every direction. The wolf continued on nevertheless, until a dull light could be seen. The wolf stepped out of the cave into bright moonlight. A jagged cliff face rose behind it, much like the one it had dug underneath, the cave mouth yawning behind it.

The forest ahead much like the one it had left, but this one was more peaceful. The normal sounds and sights of nocturnal life were present, owls hooting and bats swooping after insects. The wolf padded slowly out of the entrance of the cave, into the black trees. Its blue eyes shone in the darkness, pinpricks of light as the predator slinked through the shadows. It came too close to a tree once, distracted by the pain in its side and the fuzziness of its thoughts, and received a small gash on the snout from the sharp low lying branches. As the wolf huffed in annoyance and examined the branch, it could see hundreds of tiny thorns sticking out of the black bark. Carefully avoiding any other trees, the wolf continued its silent trek.

It came to a small dirt path in the woods, barely large enough for the wolf to walk on. The wolf bent its nose to the ground and tried to sift out the smells, but to no avail. They were too mixed and unfamiliar to get anything out of it, and the wolf was too weakened. The wolf went on the path, keeping its body low to the ground, alert. But the wolf knew it wouldn’t make it much farther. It had lost too much blood and its vision was starting to blur, its steps growing slow and lethargic. It tried to push on, but with one last whine of pain, it slumped to the ground unconscious.

-----

Not so far away, on the very edge of the forest, was a small cottage. It was completely made out of wood, and the cheery yellow and white of the paint shone dully in the moonlight. The back and front lawns were covered in small houses and burrows, with many animals slumbering peacefully away. Inside the small cottage, up a short flight of stairs, a bedroom door was closed. Inside the small room, there was a bed pushed up against the back wall. Next to the window there was a small nightstand, a single book laying there, a faded red bookmark in its pages. A small dresser sat against the other wall, and there was a pair of hearts carved into the white doors.

The covers on the bed were slowly rising and falling, its occupant sleeping. There were a few mumbled words, and a head peeked over the covers, eyelids barely opened. The face was yellow, with sleepy green eyes. Long pink hair fell past the face of the bed’s occupant. Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure what had woken her up, but she blearily rubbed her eyes with her hooves to clear away the drowsiness that hung over her like a shroud. She got out of bed and let out a small yawn, stretching her canary yellow wings on her back, before opening the door.
She unconsciously found herself checking on all of the small animal houses in her cottage, before she was fully awake. As she peeked into a bird nest housing four slumbering robins, she realized what she was doing.

There was a small tug on the back of her mind, a familiar pull that she had had as long as she had had her cutie mark. One that usually symbolized when an animal needed taking care of. The three pink butterflies on her flank symbolized her talent with animals, and Fluttershy knew from experience that a pony shouldn’t ignore what their cutie mark was telling them.

The pegasus kept checking on her animal friends, growing more and more distressed when each one appeared to be fine. After checking the den of her friend Mr. Bear, Fluttershy stood on her front porch, trying to figure out what was nagging at her mind. Animals were very important to Fluttershy, and the feeling usually came with the name of the creature that was injured along with the ailment it was suffering from. This feeling was more of a vague direction, one that Fluttershy was forced to admit. It led into the Everfree forest. The magical and sinister forest sat less than fifty yards from her house, but Fluttershy only rarely dared into its depths, for a very good reason. Many mean and deadly creatures called the Everfree home, and some would not hesitate to call a small yellow pegasus breakfast. As Fluttershy slowly got nearer to the forest’s edge, she slunk farther downward and slowed until she was practically crawling forward, her face hidden by her pink mane.

The trees loomed above her, seeming to sprout evil eyes, their branches reaching out, trying to drag her inside. Shadows danced like evil spirits, leaning towards her. The pegasus was now trembling with fear, but she gathered her courage.
“One of my animal friends needs me, and I won’t let them down,” She thought resolutely. Even that thought didn’t keep her from trying to trot as silently as possible, eyes darting wildly around at every sound. She slowly slunk into the forest, following the small path to her friend Zecora’s hut. The trees in the Everfree were completely black, with sharp little thorns the pegasus was careful to avoid. As she kept going forward, ever so slowly, the tug on her mind grew stronger, pulling her insistently down the path.

After ten minutes of walking silently, Fluttershy noticed a large dark trail on the path, which came out of a gap in the bushes and foloowd the path towards Zecora’s hut. Fluttershy bent her head down to the ground, curious, and as she bent close, she inhaled.
She recoiled violently, trying to wash the coppery smell from the back of her mouth. It was blood, and lots of it. Her fear forgotten, Fluttershy’s pace quickened, not even needing to see the trail to follow its metallic scent. After about two hundred feet, Fluttershy stopped. There was a huge black lump on the ground, larger than a pony. Fluttershy, despite the blood trail that led to the lump and the now overwhelming sensation in her mind, cautiously slinked forward, until she was about a foot away.

The pegasus’ green eyes widened as they took in the sight as the moon illuminated the scene, full of concern and fear. She spoke, her soft voice barely above a whisper. “Oh my!”

Author's Notes:

Well, that was the first chapter to my first story ever. Hope you guys like it, and remember to Read and Review! If you have any questions, just send me a personal message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Chapters should come out every two weeks or so.

Patched Up *Revised*

Twilight Sparkle, resident princess and librarian to Ponyville, was trotting down the path to Fluttershy’s house, smiling in the cheery morning sunlight. Her cutie mark, a pink star burst with five smaller white stars around it seemed to twinkle in the sunshine. The purple alicorn’s saddlebags were full of various supplies, and her number one assistant, Spike, was perched on her back, still grumbling about the early start.

Spike was a baby dragon, completely purple with green spines that ran the length of his head, back, and tail. He was rubbing at one of his green, slit-pupiled eyes with the back of a scaled claw. “I still don’t see why we have to get up so early,” he complained.

“We are going to help Fluttershy with her animals. We promised remember?” Twilight said, and Spike grumbled an affirmative response under his breath. Yesterday, Fluttershy had told them she had some chores she couldn't do herself that Twilight’s magic could help with, and Twilight had agreed to come in the early morning, knowing that the shy pegasus was often up at the crack of dawn to care for her animals. Spike had to come because Twilight didn’t trust him to stay at home and not eat all the ice cream in the library. As Twilight neared the cottage, she slowed down at the sight of animals arranged before the house. They had formed some kind of protective wall around the lawn, from bears to squirrels, all standing together with menacing faces and gleaming black eyes, daring anyone to get close.

Twilight stopped about ten feet away, and regarded the wall of animals curiously. She had only seen this once before, and it usually meant something big was happening with Fluttershy, something that she wanted to be alone for. Twilight cast her gaze to the small cottage, and a large brown bear growled a warning. Twilight usually would leave her friend to her own devices in this circumstance, but she had made a Pinkie Promise yesterday; a promise she was obligated to keep.

“How are we gonna get through?” Spike asked, seemingly forgetting that his dragon scales could repel any attack that the animals could muster, and that he could probably waltz right through the line with no problem. Twilight, on the other hoof, was not so hardy, and she thought she saw the same growling bear eyeing her. Twilight mulled the problem over for a second before coming up with the obvious answer.

“Teleport,” Twilight said, and Spike nodded. Not wanting the animals to notice, Twilight walked back down the path a couple dozen yards. When she was sure that the animals had lost interest in her, Twilight pictured Fluttershy’s front porch in her mind, before concentrating. The purple unicorn horn on her forehead was encased in a magenta aura, which danced and spun around her horn as she activated the spell. With a bright flash Twilight was standing on the front porch of the cottage, behind the animal wall, Spike still on his perch on her back. None of the animals had noticed the white flash; they were too busy sweeping the path ahead of them, looking for anypony who might be passing by.

Spike hopped off her back, and Twilight knocked lightly on the door with a hoof. She stood there for a moment, but no one answered. Twilight frowned slightly and knocked again, a bit louder. Maybe Fluttershy hadn’t heard her? With no answer the second time, Twilight knocked again, doing her best to keep the noise down while still being audible. Twilight’s frown deepened when there was still no answer.

“Maybe she’s asleep?” Spike suggested, with a shrug, hopping down from her back.

As Twilight was just about to pull the door open herself, it swung open. A small white rabbit with black eyes eyed them, its suspicion evident . Angel Bunny, Fluttershy’s main pet and helper around her home, was looking as grumpy as ever as crossed his little arms over his chest and tapped his large foot, waiting for Twilight to explain what she was doing.

“Hello, Angel,” Twilight greeted the small rabbit. “We are here to help Fluttershy.” Angel seemed to mull Twilight’s statement over before nodding grudgingly and hopping out of the way, letting the door fully open. Twilight slowly trotted into the main room of the house, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to see. The room was almost completely dark, something she would have never expected in Fluttershy's normally cheery home. All of the windows were still covered, as if they had never been opened in the morning. The back door to the cottage was open a crack, shining a beam of light through the small kitchen and onto the wall next to Twilight. Angel hopped in after Spike, forcefully shutting the door and vanishing in the darkness.

“Hello?” Twilight called. “Fluttershy?”

There was a small noise from upstairs, and Twilight though she heard Fluttershy’s soft voice. “I’m up here, Twilight! Could you come up here, I mean, if you don’t mind . . .”

Twilight trotted up to the stairs, Spike following close behind. The short hallway on the next floor was also dark, but one room’s door was completely open. Sunlight was streaming out of the room, and lit up the painted walls. Twilight went over to the door. “Hello Fluttershy! I’m here. . .” Twilight trailed off when she saw the room. Fluttershy was standing next to a bed, her hooves and wingtips stained slightly red. There were huge bags under her eyes, and she looked like she was struggling to stay awake. Fluttershy's state was worrying enough, but it was the bed’s occupant that stopped Twilight.

“Is that a wolf?” Spike exclaimed from behind Twilight, peeking around her hind legs. Indeed it was, as far as Twilight could tell. A huge wolf, bigger than she was, was lying on its side on Fluttershy’s bed. It was so big that its back paws were hanging off the edge of the bed. It was mostly black, but the fur on its stomach was white, along with the bottom of its tail. A manacle and broken chain were attached to one foreleg, and a small blue earing glinted in its right ear. It had a large concentration of fur around its neck and shoulders, looking like a small lion’s mane. There was a white pattern of fur consisting of a diamond with a dot in the center on its forehead, and a few other swirls on the eyebrows above its closed eyes. The wolf’s chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and Twilight could tell it was unconscious.

Fluttershy smiled sleepily. “Hello Twilight, hi Spike,” She said, before turning back to something on the wolf’s side Twilight couldn’t see. “Twilight, could you come over here please?” Twilight nodded, and skirted along the edge of the room to make it to Fluttershy’s side, carefully eyeing the huge wolf. When she made it to Fluttershy she gasped, and held a hoof to her mouth in shock.

Three huge vertical slashes had ripped open the flesh on the wolf’s side, and the fur around them was crusted with dried blood and dirt. There was a bowl set on the bed next to the wolf’s side, along with towels, some clean and some used, and other various supplies such as gauze and a small box of band aids. Fluttershy was using one of her feathers to gently scoop out dirt and small stones that had been caked into the gaping wounds, dropping them into the bowl atop a growing mound of grit. The most shocking thing was the sickly black coloration of the exposed muscle , an unnatural change from the normal red. An almost nauseating smell of ash wafted over her, and Twilight blinked rapidly to try and clear her sinuses.

“Fluttershy, what happened?” Twilight asked when she had regained control of herself. The only explanation that she could come up with was that the wound were caused by a manticore, the only creature she knew of that have big enough claws to cause such devastating damage. But Twilight had never seen an actual wolf in the Everfree, just timberwolves, the distant magical cousins of the flesh and blood species. Timberwolves were magical wolves made out of wood and sticks, and were smaller than this wolf was.

Fluttershy continued cleaning the claw marks while replying. “I found him in the Everfree forest last night. He was bleeding very badly, so I brought him back here to patch him up.” Fluttershy finished the middle wound and moved onto the last one, switching the blood stained feather for one of the last remaining clean ones on the other wing.

“All by yourself?” Twilight asked, incredulous. Twilight knew the shy pegasus could be strong when she needed to, but she couldn’t imagine her hauling a load this big, through the Everfree and in the dark no less! Twilight’s already high opinion of her friend went up a couple of notches.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said softly. She then frowned, the ultimate look of concern in her eyes. “But I'm worried. His wounds aren’t infected, but they are still this color, and they stopped bleeding a while ago.” Now that Fluttershy mentioned it, Twilight did find it strange that wounds this devastating weren't at least leaking some blood. That wasn't good. “Do you think you could help?” Fluttershy asked, glancing at Twilight. “I’m not good with magical ailments at all, and I've never seen anything this bad. . .” Fluttershy trailed off as she focused on cleaning the last slash and dumping the dirt into the half-filled bowl with a flick of her wing. She gingerly folded her wings to her side, smearing a blood and grime on her coat as she did so.

Twilight bit her lip and nodded. She had done some preliminary study of medical magic back in school, mostly just to sake her own curiosity, and she felt grossly adequate to attempt something like a major healing spell. But she couldn't let Fluttershy down, nor let a creature die just sitting in front of her without at least trying. She lit her horn and reached out to feel the wolf with her magic, and she recoiled in surprise. Inside the wolf was magic. That in and of itself wasn't surprising; every creature and thing in all of Equestria was brimming with the stuff. But this magic was different than just the life magic of some creature. It was pony. It was slightly different than was she was used to, but the essence that allowed the numerous races of the world to achieve sapience was undoubtedly there.Twilight made a mental note to examine the wolf further when she was done. This deserved further research, but now was not the time. She focused back on her task.

Twilight let her magic run over the wolf's body and magic, and she imagined that this was what doctors felt like when they treated serious wounds. The wolf's magic was weak and fluctuating dangerously, making it hard to actually sense anything concretely. After a moment, Twilight pinpointed the three claw wounds with her mind and let her magic drift over them more fully. She found nothing magical on the surface, so she pushed a little deeper. She didn’t have to go far to find something.

Black magic, as dark and evil as anything Twilight had ever felt, was creeping slowly towards the wolf’s beating heart, a surely deadly poison. She could feel it, and her repulsion was almost a physical force. The magic felt like lead being poured into her bones; a chill that settled into the center of her gut. The wolf’s body was fighting back, attempting to pushing back the poison, but the dark magic was winning, an ever steady crawl of death. Even if the wolf had managed to somehow survive on its own, recovery would be extremely slow and excruciatingly painful. Twilight could help with that.

Twilight carefully grasped the ends of each line of poison with her magic, fighting the urge to recoil as its slimy essence oozed into her aura, and gently started to pull outward, her action guided by something she couldn't quite place but knew was right. She snagged the bowl in her magic and held it below the wounds, grimacing in concentration, the light on her horn growing steadily brighter. A small trickle of black viscous fluid floated out of one of the wounds, held aloft in Twilight’s purple aura. Then another, and another, until hundreds of drops of poison were pouring into the air from the wolf’s body, forming into a sphere which rippled and swirled in Twilight’s telekinetic grip. Creeping red color began to fill into the wounds, replacing the dark shade it had been, and blood began to weep from the gashes. Fluttershy rushed to press what clean towels she had onto the wolf' side.

With a gasp and one last pull, Twilight extricated the last of the poison and added it to her sphere, before dropping the mass into the bowl.Twilight shivered, a deep shake that threw out the last of the lingering effects of handling the vile magic, feeling suddenly like she needed to take a nice long shower to clean herself off. Without hesitation, Twilight lit the bowl on fire, containing the smoke and flames inside a magical shield, watching the poison burn and fade away in the roaring flames. This was no magic she had any intent of studying, or letting go out into the world. Spike watched his caretaker burn the bowl with fascination, from his position a few feet away that he had taken up when they had entered the room to better see what was happening.

Twilight dispelled the shield, a small puff of smoke drifting up into the ceiling. Fluttershy smiled at Twilight, and gave a quiet “thank you,” before turning back to the wolf’s side. Fluttershy was doing her best to keep pressure on the wounds, but the wolf was so large that it was almost impossible for her hooves to cover the necessary area. Fluttershy pointed a wing at a needle and some thread that at next to where the towels had been, giving Twilight a glance, a pleading look in her eye. With a gulp, Twilight grabbed a roll of thread from the bedside table.

Twilight had never actually had to sew up a wound, or anything really but she had read many books on the subject and was at least semi-confident in her magical abilities. This knowledge did not help the sickening feeling she developed as the sharp needle pierced skin and began to sew the slashes closed, Twilight's moves calculated and precise. When Twilight had finished the stitching, she cast a light healing spell over the wounds. The wolf should be ready to go in a two weeks, three at most with the amount of magic Twilight had saturated his body with. If Twilight was an actual trained doctor, it might have been sooner, but she had to settle with what she had. Twilight set the thread down and picked up a roll of gauze from the table, trying to keep her gaze away from the maze of cross stitches she had just made. She and Fluttershy carefully wrapped the bandages around the wolf’s side and stomach, Twilight levitating the wolf off the bed while Fluttershy wrapped in silence.

Twilight gently laid the unconscious animal back onto the bed and wiped her brow with a hoof. Spike had sat down at this point, watching the entire display, before speaking. “Fluttershy, you need a shower and about ten more hours of sleep,” he said bluntly. Fluttershy looked down at her blood stained fur and blushed, yawing loudly as if to further make Spike's point. Flushershy's face blushed a crimson red. “I'll go . . . take a shower,” she said, “But please come and get me when he wakes up, oaky Twilight?” After the pruple unicorn nodded, the yellow pegasus stumbled out of the room. After she was gone, Twilight and Spike looked at each other, both surprised at what had happened in the past ten minutes. Not only was the giant injured wolf incredibly strange, but Fluttershy had been confident and somewhat assertive, actually saying she was doing something without seeing if everypony thought it was okay first. It was strange, but not it a bad way.

As the pegasus left the bedroom to go clean up, Twilight sat on her haunches next to Spike with a thump, her eyes trained curiously on the wolf. “Well, that was interesting,” Spike said. He gestured to the bed with a claw. “What do you think?” He looked to her for her response, but saw her eyes unwavering in their attention, her horn lit magenta. He sighed knowing there was no way to get to her when she got like this, and settled in to wait until Fluttershy came back.

After a minute, Twilight let out a sigh of frustration. She couldn’t figure it out. The magic the wolf possessed was undeniably sapient magic; Twilight could have told you that from the time she was a filly. For all the world it seemed like it was just a pony in a huge wolf body, but that made no sense. Twilight started dictating the letter she would write to Princess Celestia when she got back home in her mind, continuing to scan the wolf with her magic. Another few concerning facts were the earing and manacle. The earing wasn’t that important, but it was an unnervingly pony like accessory. The manacle and broken chain, on the other hoof, was a completely different story.

This giant wolf had been locked up at some point or another by a pony, or other race, and it had escaped. Maybe some evil pony had wanted to use the wolf to their advantage for something, and had locked it up. Maybe a good pony had chained it somewhere to keep it from endangering their town. Twilight had no idea which one was true, or if neither were true but she had no trouble imagining the giant wolf killing somepony. It's size alone was fear inspiring, even when unconscious. Twilight shivered, and vowed to protect her friends and Ponyville if the wolf was indeed a threat.

The small dragon sitting next to her was of a completely different mind. “A giant wolf! In Ponyville! Could this get any cooler?” He wondered, ecstatic. Sure the thought that the black wolf might be a danger had crossed his mind, but he had cheerfully discarded it. If Fluttershy trusted the wolf enough to bring it into her house, why shouldn’t he?

As the two were engrossed in their thoughts, Fluttershy came back into the room looking much better than she had before. Her yellow fur and wings were still slightly damp, and her pink hair was dripping water slowly onto the floor. Some of the fatigue was gone from her face, and she smiled a bit at seeing the slumbering canine on her bed. Softly, without disturbing her friends, Fluttershy quietly trotted over and sat next to Spike, all waiting for the wolf to wake.

Author's Notes:

Well, here is chapter two. I apologize for the lack of anything important in this chapter, but I felt it needed to be in here. Hope you guys like it, and remember to read and review!

Introductions *Revised*

It took about two hours for the wolf to wake. In that time, Twilight had left Spike and Fluttershy and made some lunch in the cottage’s small kitchen downstairs, with Angel’s begrudging help, and only after Fluttershy had borderline commanded him to, her fatigue edging out the bulk of her patience for the bunny's grouchy attitude. The pegasus was conflicted about letting her friend do it at first, feeling like she was neglecting her duties as host, but her resolve for waiting for the wolf to wake won out, and she stayed behind with Spike. Spike had been briefed on the giant wolf’s apparent sentience, and was busy brainstorming names for the canine, until Twilight arrived with food. Twilight levitated her plate aside, and stacked it on top of Fluttershy’s once they had both finished to take them down to the sink. Spike was still eating, taking his time to savor the sandwiches she had made, munching happily. When he finished, Twilight took his plate too.

Fluttershy still needed a nap. She was leaning her head heavily against the wall, struggling to keep her eyes open. She had dark bags under her eyes, and she looked and felt completely exhausted. The long night and day had taken its toll on her, but she was fighting through the exhaustion. An animal needed her, and she wouldn't let something as silly as sleep keep her from helping. So, the wait continued.

The wolf coming back into consciousness wasn’t like when a pony wakes up. His head didn’t rise; there was no noise, no sleepy shift in his body. Twilight would have completely missed it if it wasn’t for Fluttershy. Even when extremely tired, her instinct and talent for animals let her see it first, and her head was off the wall in a flash. Twilight practically gave herself whiplash turning to see what had caught Fluttershy’s attention. One moment the wolf’s body was completely relaxed in sleep. The next, every single muscle was tensed, the iron-like bands of muscle snapping to defined attention. The wolf’s eyes didn’t open, and his breathing stayed regular, but there was no doubt about how awake he was.

Fluttershy was confused. Normally, when an animal awoke in an unfamiliar place, their first reaction was to fling themselves away from the nearest pony and flee. The wolf was biding its time, and she could faintly pick out the shuffling sound as it breathed in, taking in the scents of the room. It was trying to appear as if still asleep, but its instincts made its body tense at the first sign of danger. Or prey, Fluttershy thought, and swallowed nervously. Even though she loved and cared for all animals, huge predators struck a chord within her equine nature, one that made her want to run far, far away.

-----

The wolf could feel soft sheets underneath it, along with the pressure of something wrapped around his body. The horrible pain of his injuries had subsided to a burning ache in his side. He couldn’t feel any blood or dirt in his wounds and no airflow across them, which gave them the feel of being closed. Had he been cared for? He took small breaths of air through its nose in time with his heavy breathing, which he took extra care to keep steady. The familiar scent of cotton and wool filled his nose first, along with the smell of old wood and paint.

The wolf continued to smell, using the scents to make an indistinct picture of the room around him in his mind. He was fairly sure what he was lying on was a bed, with his back paws hanging off of the edge. He was inside a small room, the scent of dirt and oak woven through the wood, probably from a forest outside. Bandages, or some kind of cloth, were wrapped around his side and stomach, each with the slight metallic scent of his own blood. The wounds ached, feeling like hammers pounding underneath his skin. A thousand pinpricks of pain emphasized the edge of his injuries; stitches, maybe? What had happened?

Suddenly, the wolf knew that there were three things in the room with him. His nose was automatically guided in their direction. Two of them had similar smells, one that the wolf recognized, but couldn’t quite place in his slightly groggy state. The two things were spaced about three feet apart, near the end of the bed. Their individual scents were weaved into the bandages, along with the scent of magic. The two creatures were the ones who had cared for him then, he supposed. The middle object in between the other two was also familiar. The wolf had only even smelled this scent twice, and the last time it had been from a nose a thousand times worse than the one it had now, so the wolf had only dimly recognized it at first, but he knew now.

Dragon. The musty, dead, and corrupted scent the wolf had come to know as a dragon’s was partially present, more like an undertone, with a few differences. This one was alive, and the rancid scent that all Twilit beasts shared wasn’t present. The wolf could sense on some primitive level the blood pumping through the dragon’s veins, mixing with the scent of oak and dirt, undoubtedly from the forest that the wolf could smell outside. This was very bad news. He had fought dragons before, and knew how ferocious and dangerous they were, able to kill something his size with a single claw. In his current shape he couldn't fight or flee, and the only thing that kept the wolf from desperately trying was the size of the dragon. It was slightly smaller than his head; way to small to be a Twilit dragon or a blood thirsty beast. It seemed to . . . uncorrupted.

The wolf mulled over its options, which it determined were about none. He couldn’t pretend to sleep forever, and sooner or later the two creatures and the dragon would know he was awake. He couldn’t fight or run; he was too injured and he suspected that he would collapse in overwhelming pain if he tried to push his body for any real amount of time. Besides, these creatures had bandaged him, hadn’t they? The wolf was silently trying to decide what to do, when one of the creatures stood, the one on the dragon’s right side. It was smaller than he was, but not by much, he judged. The creature slowly made its way over to the wolf with distinct clopping sounds, one that the wolf immediately identified as horse hooves. With a mental click, the wolf put the pieces together. The scent he had recognized from before was equine, albeit different, as if younger, more innocent in a way. A pony, then, he supposed.

Were there really two ponies in the room with him, and they had cared for him, with magic no less? His confusion growing by the second, he decided to wait until the pony stopped next to him. Then it spoke.

“Um . . . hello, Mr. Wolf,” The voice was distinctly female, and very soft and hesitant, but the wolf picked up the half-whisper fine. Despite his efforts to stay still, his surprise that the pony could talk caused him to flinch back in surprise, ears swiveling toward the sound, and his eyes flew open, focusing on the sight in front of him.

The pony let out a terrified “eep!” at his sudden movement, and fell backward into a white wooden wall, her eyes wide with fear. If the wolf didn’t have an incredible amount of self-control, his eyebrows would have been floating over his head in surprise at the admittedly adorable sight. As it was he only let out a confused whine, his head slightly tilting as much as the bed allowed. Well, he was right about the pony part, as far as he could tell. She was definitely a quadruped equine, but different than the horses the wolf was used to, with thicker legs and bigger eyes. It was perhaps the oddest thing the wolf had seen in a very long time. She was yellow and pink, the bright color scheme not helping the wolf incredulity. She was supporting itself on the wall, large green eyes filled with fear, her long pink bangs hiding half of her face. The wolf could see three butterflies on her flank, and she had wings, each folded close to her sides.

This time the wolf’s eyebrows did rise. He had seen some weird stuff in his lifetime, and this was close to the top. The terrified yellow pony (pegasus?) seemed to gather her courage, and stood up off of the wall onto all fours, but the wolf could smell the fear radiating off of her, a scent of mostly sweat and of other things the wolf had no real words for.

She swallowed and spoke again. “Um, hello. My name is Fluttershy, and I was wondering, um . . . How are you feeling?” The last part was squeaked out, with the mare hiding behind her bangs even futher.

The wolf figured he had nothing to lose at this point, his curiosity at the strange situation overriding his suspicion, and tried to reply. As every time before, only a small huff escaped at his attempted greeting.

“Well hello there, I’m so glad you are feeling better,” The mare said softly, and her smile shone with happiness. The wolf was shocked into complete silence, lying there unmoving.

-----

Twilight watched Fluttershy start her conversation, and was as amazed as ever at Fluttershy’s ability to talk with animals. To her it looked like Fluttershy was somehow making responses out of thin air. How did a quiet huff and a wag of the wolf’s tail mean “Hello?” She had no idea, but figured she would leave Fluttershy to her own devices; she was the animal expert in the room. Fluttershy managed to coax the wolf into being more comfortable, and Twilight could see the wolf’s muscles relax. Spike was practically vibrating with excitement, and, unable to contain his excitement, jumped up and raced to Fluttershy’s side.

“Hi! I’mSpikeandyouareagiantwolfthat’ssocoolwhat’syour Gah!” Spike’s exclamation turned into a cry of surprise and fear as the wolf reacted. It was so fast Twilight only caught the movement as a streak of black and white. One moment, Spike was standing at Fluttershy’s left, the next he was pressed into the wall by a giant paw, black claws digging into his scales.

The wolf had leapt out of the bed, and was pinning Spike to the wall with a giant paw, pressing him into the wood. The wolf’s body was completely tensed under his coat, and his face was lowered so it was almost pressing into Spike’s, eyes alight with anger. The manacle and chain clinked softly as it rapped against Spike’s scales. The baby dragon’s face was slightly drained of color, his eyes wide and terrified. Fluttershy had leapt clear when the wolf had acted, and stood cowering a few feet away. The wolf bared its huge fangs and growled deep in its throat, a rumbling sound that sent vibrations through Twilight’s body. Despite the black wolf being unable to speak, the message couldn’t have been clearer. Back off.

Twilight was very scared. She could see the bandages wrapped around the wolf’s body started to soak in red blood, and she had no doubt that the wolf had pulled some of his stitches. But despite the excruciating pain the wolf must have been in, it hadn’t hesitated at all to make its lighting fast move. The wolf released Spike with another small growl, shoving him away. Spike scrambled back to Twilight’s side, huddling against her body, staring wide-eyed at the wolf. She could feel him shivering through her coat. Twilight blinked, and immediately cursed herself for not acting, not even with her magic. Her inaction could have put Spike in serious danger, and she pulled the little dragon closer.

The wolf’s frightening mask broke, and he let out a pained whimper, ears flattening to the sides of his head. He was shaky on his paws, unbalanced and seemingly on the edge of collapsing. Fluttershy recovered from her shock, and shook herself to clear her head.

“No, no!” She exclaimed softly. She pushed against the wolf’s huge side with her head, but Twilight doubted that Fluttershy could have moved him if he didn’t want to be moved. “Back into bed with you!” The wolf allowed her to push it back on top of the bed, whining and whimpering in pain. Fluttershy bit her lip when she saw the red bandages, and she slowly peeled them away, revealing the red mess his stitches had become. “You’ve pulled some stitches,” Fluttershy scolded. “Twilight is going to put them back in, and then you will apologize to Spike for treating him so roughly.” She said adamantly. The wolf rolled his eyes slightly but huffed in acknowledgement, as the pain was making him much less inclined to argue.

Twilight set about fixing the stitches at Fluttershy’s request, but she stood as far away from the wolf as possible, using her magic to do it. She eyed the wolf warily and with no small amount of fear, and the thought that she had no anesthesia on hoof didn't even cross her mind. The wolf didn’t care. He eyed her with stoic unconcern, his shockingly blue eyes bored, barely flinching as the needle slid in and out of his skin. When Twilight was done, she sat back next to Spike, wrapping one of her wings around him for comfort. The wolf pushed himself to his paws with a few quiet whines of pain, and stood next to the bed.

Fluttershy pointed to Spike with a hoof, and her face could have been set in stone. The wolf huffed in annoyance before crossing over to sit on its haunches in front of Twilight and Spike. Once again Twilight was struck by his massive size. He gave a low bark, and his tail thumped once on the floor.

Fluttershy stood next to the wolf. After a second, the yellow pegasus smiled, before leaning in and nuzzling Spike’s cheek. As she straightened, she spoke softly.

“His name is Link, and he says he is sorry.”

Author's Notes:

Well, here is the third chapter in this story! I want to thank everyone for your favorites and support, it makes me want to write more. Remember to read and review, and feel free to comment if you find any mistakes that I could fix.
Thanks, Blazing47s.

Zant's Dilemma *Revised*

Zant ground his teeth together as he surveyed his enemy’s defenses. The three blasted light beasts had been calmly decimating his armies for almost an entire day, and, though he hated to admit it, they had him completely stuck and there was nothing he could do about it. Zant was standing a few yards back from the edge of the tree line, his view consisted of the small spring of water that the light beasts had made into their fortress. Sunlight shone down through the irritatingly bright sky onto huge wooden barricades, about twenty feet tall, which circled the three exposed sides of the pool of water. Huge logs were set up vertically, thrust into the soil around the pool of water with no space in between them, and Zant almost couldn't believe their simple effectiveness.

The four light guardians were deceptively cunning, turning their small fortress into a nearly impenetrable defense by using a surprising amount of strategy. Land attacks from Zant’s larger Twilit beasts could only come from three sides, and the bests simply swatted anything less hardy right out of the air. As Zant was sullenly mulling over his options, there came a noise like a large horn from right behind him, which blared loudly and slightly off key. Zant turned his head, and made out one of his flying beasts through the eye holes in his mask.

The huge bird like creature stood on two legs behind him. Its skin was the waxy black that all Twilit beasts shared, with the red veins of energy pulsing under its skin. Two huge bat-like wings were folded over its scrawny body, and its legs were tipped with large black claws. The bird’s face was almost completely flat, but it had a border around the center, about two inches thick. The border seemed to move and pulsate in small cubic sections as the thing blared its horn-like voice. Zant held up a hand in the signal to wait. His long sleeves were black with green patterns woven into them, and they hid his entire arm, only letting the tips of a few of his fingers peek out. The creature bowed its head in respect and backed away, going back to join the ranks of its comrades. Zant turned back to the wall, grinding his teeth.

His flying beasts were next to useless, despite their determination and loyalty. Being too small and weak to do anything of sustenance to the powerful light deities, they served as a mere annoyance at best and cannon fodder at worst. Even with the advantage of being able to fly over the large barricades, they were killed too fast to help, even in large numbers. If the beasts he was able to summon with his new power didn’t come in packs (Thirty flying beasts and around forty land ones) he wouldn’t summon the flying creatures at all. Zant sighed, determining that his small pity fest had run its course, and held up the other hand. With roars and screams for bloodshed, his forces exploded from the tree line around him, the flying beasts immediately rushing into the air with their powerful wings. The land bound creatures rushed forward, huge claws pounding into the soil as they ran, their flat heads leaning into the wind. The tall creatures streaked around Zant, parting around him like water around a stone.

The flying Twilit beasts made it to the wall first. They condensed into one huge group, about to dive onto something, and Zant sighed in defeat. He knew what was coming. A huge beam of bright light shot from behind the wall, bright even as he turned his head away. Zant could feel the power of the blast even from his vantage point, the pure magic sending tingles down his spine. The beam cut into the mass of creatures like a scythe, burning and charring skin and bone. More than half of the flying beasts were cut down by the initial attack, screaming as they fell toward the earth, their bodies shedding black cubes into the air that dissolved before their body hit the ground. Soon, nothing would be left of the corpses, transformed into the vanishing black cubes completely. Before the rest of Zant’s flying creatures could compose themselves, another beam of light erupted from behind the walls. It did the same as the first, cutting down the rest of the flying beasts, which fell to the ground with screams of pain. The slower land bound beasts sprinted and leapt over the dissolving bodies of their comrades, unheeding or caring, and smashed into the wooden wall claws first.

They ripped and tore at the wood, causing splinters to fly off in every direction. When one of the huge vertical logs groaned under the strain and began to topple over, Zant had his first gimmer of hope. The waves after waves of beasts had finally done something. Perhaps now he could finish off these annoyances for good. The beasts that were under the toppling barricade moved to the side, and the log crashed into the soil, throwing up dust and pebbles. The beasts roared in victory, and streamed toward the hole in the defenses, every one of Zant’s army on the battle field condensing into one pack, pushing and shoving to make it through the narrow gap.

Zant's hopes were dashed nearly immediatly. The first beast reached its waxy arm into the hole, and was about to push forward, when it disappeared. It was there one moment, and gone the next, yanked into the spring almost instantly. There was the loud scream of a Twilit beast from behind the wall that made the rest pause, wary. There was moment of almost complete silence; the only sound was the near imperceptible gurgling of the water in the spring. Then the owl came. It rose over the wooden walls like a sun, making Zant cover his eyes from the sheer brightness. Its huge wings were at least fifty feet long, and they made the grass press backward, the trees waving and shaking from the force of its wings.

The four light beasts of Hyrule were a fierce sight to behold, even when just guarding the orbs of light entrusted to their possession. When they knew an attack was coming, they transformed, absorbing the light into their own bodies, making them as bright as a miniature sun. Their skin danced and spun with energy, swirling in majestic patterns. Their skin became as hard as stone, and their actions almost too fast to see. The guardians, too, were very smart about conserving their power. By each taking turns every attack, the four beasts were able to rest and restore some of their power while another fought. It took Zant about an hour to summon another pack, in which they repaired their wooden wall and rested until the next engagement. Zant knew he would defeat them eventually, but they were brilliant at stalling him for an infuriating amount of time.

The owl was still in the air for a moment, before acting faster than lighting. There was an explosion of light bright enough to sting Zant’s eyes even behind his arm, causing his vision to flash painfully. There were screams and crashes for a moment, and then silence. When Zant shook the spots from his eyes and surveyed the field, he was met with the grizzly sight that he had seen a dozen times before.

The remains of his small army were everywhere. The large beasts lay in piles around the trees, heaps of dissolving bones and charred flesh, wet with their own blood. One beast twitched lightly in a tree, having been impaled though the chest by a thick branch. Black blood dripped slowly around the puncture, and fell to the forest floor below. The light owl that had devastated his forces was nowhere to be seen, already back behind the wall. The clear spring water was pockmarked black with dissolving Twilit bodies. Zant felt disgusted as his eyes swept over the carnage, before turning away. “Such a waste of power,” He thought bitterly. “Just my luck to be reincarnated by an impatient fool.” But he could not disobey his new mistress. He owed his life to her, after she made him reborn from the ashes of his previous body. He would fight and die for her, just like he did for his master before. He would follow her command to the very letter. But that did not mean that he liked it.

Zant paused as he felt a slight tug on his consciousness. He was being summoned. Zant sighed, before holding his arms upward in front of him. He built black power in the palms of his hands, feeling the magic surge through his body. With a loud crack, he clapped his hands together, and disappeared in a flash of black cubes. Zant shook off the temporary disorientation from the teleportation, before surveying the place he had appeared in. He was standing in a blank desert, which stretched out on every side. The sun glared down onto the white sand, but with no heat. There were no cacti, or life of any kind here. The dreamscape his mistress chose to meet him this time reflected her mood, and Zant knew she wouldn't be happy. Without anything else to do, Zant stood silently in the shifting sand, unmoving, letting a small breeze shift his long sleeves around his arms.

It took about ten minutes for his mistress to appear. A large mirror flashed into existence before Zant’s eyes, floating a foot above the sand. Its edges were black obsidian, with swirling light blue patterns. The perfectly smooth surface of the glass seemed to shine dull blue for a moment. An image appeared in the glass, swirling a moment before settling. A pair of teal eyes, much larger than Zant’s own, glared out at him from the glass. Not once had Zant seen his mistress' full body, just her pair of cat-like eyes.

“Hello, my little pawn,” A feminine voice came from everywhere at once. “I hope things are going well,” She purred, and Zant felt that she knew exactly how well things were going.

He decided to be honest. “No mistress,” Zant’s said, shaking his head. “The light beasts are losing power, but at this rate they can repel my forces for days at best.” This was not Zant’s only concern, but he did not voice it.

“What is it, my little pawn?” His mistress asked, as if she had read his mind, her voice a sickly sweet blend of fake concern. “Speak freely now.”

Zant did a small bow at the mirror. “Of course mistress.” He took a breath before beginning. “This plan . . . your plan, mistress . . . revolves on luck,” Zant said simply. “All it would take to destroy everything is one light dweller from Hyrule discovering my forces in the forest. If the Vessel of Wisdom came down and allied herself with the light beasts, we would have no chance.” Zant shook his head. “My beasts may be powerful, but a full army of light dwellers would be more than capable of decimating the small forces I can summon, especially with the goddesses' help.” Zant was extremely;y careful to not let a trace of his disdain into his thoughts. His last master, the master he had greatly respected, had been careful. Taking the light beasts by surprise, plunging the light dwellers into Twilight. Defeating the Vessel of Wisdom practically before the battle even began, imprisoning her in her own castle. He had only made one mistake, and that was not taking the real Princess of Twilight into account. That careful style of pre-planning and flawless execution was in stark contrast with the strategies of his new mistress, and her rushing and impatience frustrated Zant to no end.

“I realize these facts,” his mistress said, her voice losing some of its light tone. “But do not concern yourself with those at this time.”

“Yes mistress,” Zant bowed again in submission.

“Now the thing you should really be worried about,” His mistress' voice suddenly whispered into his ears, “Is me.” Zant looked up in surprise.

“You, mistress?” He asked.

“Yes,” her voice was cold as ice. There was a moment of silence, before she spoke slowly, emphasizing every word. “You let the Vessel of Courage, the only one who can stop me, ESCAPE!” She roared, and Zant’s clothes ruffled in a sudden wind. “In his wolf body! Were he in his Ordonian form, the world he is in now would have rejected him, and he would be dead. Instead, you might have ruined everything! All of my planning! Just so you could have your petty revenge!” She ranted angrily.

Zant made sure to guard his next thoughts. "I had him right where I wanted him, but you summoned me away before I could finish. It is your fault", he seethed internally. But to voice this to his mistress would be suicide. She was a magnitude of power above his own, and he would have no chance at survival.

“I apologize, mistress,” He said instead, bowing once more.

He could hear the smile in her next words. “I will have to take care of the Vessel of Courage myself, but in the meantime,” her voice grew a hard edge, mixing with the glee in her tone. “Your punishment.”

Zant screamed.

After what seemed like an eternity of agony, Zant struggled back onto his feet from the sand. He swayed lightly when he settled his weight onto his two feet. His mistress was still looking out from the mirror, an evil glint in her eyes.

“Now, my little pawn, I have a task for you.” Zant couldn’t find the strength to speak, so his mistress continued. “Search any source you can for a way to deal with the light beasts. Find a way around, through them, i don't care. Explore any rumor, tall tale, or myth. Find a way.” With these last words, the mirror and Zant’s mistress’ teal eyes vanished, leaving him alone in the blank desert.

Despite his pain, a small smile found its way onto his face. “Any myth, mistress?” He rasped, his smile growing. “I might have just the thing.”

-----

After introductions, and with Link continuing to struggle to his paws, Fluttershy and Twilight had decided to find a middle ground and help him downstairs so that he wouldn't hurt himself. Getting Link out of bed and downstairs had been easy enough with Twilight helping. When she encased him in her magic at first, he had stiffened and growled, but he eventually let her carry him down the stairs. She had set him on his side on the pink couch in the family room, with his head on the leg rest on the side, letting him see everything, and he seemed to be mostly content for now. Spike had accepted the wolf’s apology, but was still unwilling to get within a few feet of Link, eyeing him warily from the opposite side of the room.

Twilight had teleported a notepad and some quills from her house, and she was sitting in an easy chair across from Link and Fluttershy, taking notes on everything she had learned. Link was letting her scan him with magic once again, with the purple alicorn furiously scribbling everything she noticed or observed with the magic encased quill. “Likes to be petted, like Wiona, see ‘Friend’s pets list number one,’” Twilight wrote down. Fluttershy was sitting on the cushions in the space between Link’s back and front legs, and was slowly running a hoof over the back of his head (with his permission of course), and down into the fluffy scruff on his neck and shoulders. She seemed to be enjoying it, as it had a slightly lethargic effect, especially in her current state. She was leaning her head on his side while she petted him, her eyes drooping more closed every second.

Link seemed to be enjoying it also, having never really been pet before, and was making no move to stop Fluttershy. He instead opted to stare at Twilight with his ice-blue eyes. His tail was thumping softly against the other leg rest of the couch, a soft metronome in the quiet of the room.

Spike poked one of Twilight’s legs with a claw, getting her attention. She looked down at the baby dragon, and the notepad and quill she was levitating ceased moving. “Yeah Spike?” She asked. Spike cast a suspicious glance in Link’s direction. His eyes were met with the cold gaze of the black wolf’s, and he shivered slightly. Looking back up at Twilight, he jerked a claw in the direction of the door, indicating that he didn’t want Link to hear.

“Fluttershy, Spike and I are going to go now; we will be back later, okay?” Twilight said, rising to her hooves. The yellow pegasus’ only response was a light snore, as she buried her head farther into Link’s warm side next to the bandages. The hoof she had been petting Link with had disappeared into the wolf’s mane-like scruff, and didn’t look like it was going to re-appear any time soon. “I have some questions for you, Link, once I get back,” Twilight said, switching her gaze to the wolf. Link nodded in understanding, before closing his eyes in an effective dismissal.

Twilight picked up her saddlebags from next to the chair, and secured them onto her sides with her magic, dropping the pad and quill inside before closing the flap. She trotted over to the door, and opened it with her magic. Spike went out into the bright afternoon sunshine first, with Twilight closing the door behind her as she followed. Twilight was glad to be out of the dark house, and was thankful to see that the wall of animals that had greeted them this morning was nowhere to be seen. A few birds chirped and flew about in the green trees surrounding Fluttershy’s house, diving and swooping around in a playful matter. Twilight felt a smile settle onto her features at the sight as she started back down the path.

Spike opted to walk next to Twilight instead of riding on her back. The afternoon was comfortably warm, and it perked the little dragon’s mood up a bit. “So, let me guess what your plan of action is,” Spike said as they walked down the path. He held up his index finger. “You are going to write to Princess Celestia, asking her to come down to Ponyville to meet Link for herself, to see if she thinks he is a threat.” Spike held up another finger. “You are going to gather all of your friends together and take them to meet Link with Princess Celestia.” He held up another finger. “You are going to cast some sort of spell on Link to see where he came from and how he got here.”

Twilight stumbled a bit in surprise. “Spike, how did you?” She sputtered, looking at her assistant.

Spike sighed. “It’s practically the same thing you do every time something like this happens.” He went back to looking forward.

“Well, the first two, yes,” Twilight admitted. “But not the last one. How did you know that one?”

Spike shrugged. “You are the Element of Magic. Magic is your thing, so it makes sense you would use it.” He stated, as if it was obvious. “Also, you didn’t ask a single question on why he was here or what attacked him. You must've had a plan to figure it out by yourself.”

Twilight was a little bit troubled by the extreme accuracy with which Spike had guessed her thoughts. Was she really becoming that predictable? It was the perfectly logical and reasonable way to approach this situation. “Okay, so you got me,” Twilight said, as they walked side by side back to Ponyville.

-----

Back at Fluttershy’s cottage, Link had drifted off as well. The ache of his wounds and Fluttershy’s gentle massage had lulled him into unconsciousness, giving them both some needed rest. The room was silent and peaceful for a time. This was finally interrupted when a creature walked out of the kitchen into the front room.

It was a mishmash of different animals, with one horse leg and a lizard leg. A bird-like claw held a silver platter filled with sandwiches next to his head, while a lion paw was held behind his back. A black suit covered most of his long, skinny body, with a hole in the back to let out his large red tail. There was a small plume of white hair on the end of the tail, along with a small beard at the end of his long face. A purple bat wing was folded next to a blue feathered one on his back. Two mismatched horns sprouted from above his red and yellow eyes, each with a slight mischievous glint. “Ooh, what do we have here?” Discord, lord of chaos, asked softly, a grin showing the one large tooth that jutted from his upper lip. With a soft snap of his claws, his attire and the platter disappeared as if they had never existed.

Discord floated over to the pair on the couch, his serpent-like body flowing behind his head, as if a liquid. He did a few circles around the sleeping wolf and pegasus above their heads, before landing softy in front of them. Discord’s eyes narrowed and he reached out one claw. He gave the sleeping wolf a single tap on the forehead, gentle enough to not wake him. After a second, there was a bright light that shone from one of the wolf’s paws. Below the manacle and chain, on the back on his left forepaw, were three triangles. Discord gasped in delight as he saw the symbol. Three equilateral triangles making up a larger triangle, with another triangular gap in the middle. They glowed bright gold, shining out of the wolf’s paw and onto his face and the wall. The wolf shifted a bit in his sleep, but did not wake.

Discord gave a quite cackle. “Well, Vessel of Courage, you are going to make things oh so very . . . interesting,” He said, loving the way the final word rolled off of his tongue, an grin forming on his face.

-----

Link gave a loud yawn as he came back into the waking world, his jaw stretch showing his large teeth. The family room of Fluttershy’s house was dark and still. Link yawned again, flicking one of his ears. As he inhaled, a scent unlike anything he had ever smelled assaulted his nose. It was completely . . . chaotic. That was the only way Link could have described the complete jumble of smells. It was as if someone had smashed things together, with no regard for normality or the laws of physics. And it tickled his nose. Unprepared for the sensation, Link sneezed loudly. He then shook his head to get rid of the remains of the smell. The jerk of his body caused a movement on his side. Looking over, he saw Fluttershy rising sleepily, apparently having woken up by the sudden movement. She raised her head off of his side, and blinked a couple more times.

Upon seeing where she was laying, her eyes snapped open. She struggled to all four hooves, glancing about the room, before looking back at Link. “Oh!” She exclaimed. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you!” She said apologetically, partially hiding behind her hair. “I hope I didn’t hurt your side . . .”

Link just blinked at her, before releasing a huff of air, resting his head back onto the leg rest of the couch, and Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. Fluttershy didn’t speak with animals, per se. To her, breaths of air, or a twitch of the tail or an ear made up their own language, most of the time. It depended on the animal she wanted to speak to; if it wanted to communicate with speech. She was normally able to translate those into Equis, and make actual words or sentences out of them. Link had only said one “word” to her this entire time, his name. He seemed to rely completely on body language and the expression you could see in his eyes, ones that Fluttershy couldn’t translate, but she didn’t need to. Despite his lack of language, even to Fluttershy, he seemed able to convey his meaning clearly with just these signs.

Fluttershy perked up a bit as she remembered something. “Link, have you eaten anything all day?” She asked. The wolf shook his head slightly. Fluttershy gave a small smile. “Well, I’ll be right back, just sit tight.” Still trying to shake off her fatigue, she went into the kitchen. Flutershy looked around, and rummaged through the white cupboards over the counter top. Not seeing what she was looking for, she sighed. She forgot that they were in the basement. She trudged tiredly back into the family room. Going to a door across from the front door, right next to the gap that led into the kitchen, she turned the doorknob with a hoof. A set of worn wooden stairs stretched down into the darkness. Link watched her form go into the darkness, and he shifted on the couch to get into a more comfortable position with his bandages, though no matter how he positioned himself they still ached.

Fluttershy relied on her pegasus eyesight, which was better than a unicorn’s or an earth pony’s, to navigate down the stairs and into the small room at the bottom. Fluttershy’s basement served a dual purpose. It was a convenient place to store all of the things she had no room for up above in her house, with a couple boxes full of small items she had gathered over the years. It was also a food cellar. Bird feed and crates of berries and fruit were stacked in one corner, next to a large metal box. Any supplies she also might need were stored down here, a couple of small bird houses were clustered in one corner, and a few ferret toys in another. Fluttershy made her way over to the metal box, avoiding tripping over the few small items on the floor.

She opened the metal lid with a hoof, and bent her head backward as a swath of cool air brushed cross her muzzle. Twilight had enchanted the inside of the box a while ago, a few months after she had come to Ponyville. It kept the contents cold, preventing it from spoiling. An icebox of sorts, but without the ice. As such, it made it the perfect place for Fluttershy to store her meats - mostly fish. Even though she hated the idea of eating meat, some of her animals, namely Mr. Bear, had a partially carnivorous diet, and she had come to terms with that years ago. She usually took fish which were nearing the end of their lifespan, taken from the river near her home right before they died. The fish were stacked in neat rows in the box, coated in a small amount of magical ice. Fluttershy thought that they looked extremely creepy, with staring black eyes and gaping dead mouths.

Fluttershy gingerly closed her teeth around the tail of one fish, making sure to keep her tongue and lips away from its cold scales. She closed the icebox with a hoof and made her way over to the stairs, the fish swinging slightly in her grip. She trotted back up the stairs and into the darkened living room. Link, having smelled the fish before she had made it upstairs, was staring at the door when she came in. His ears were perked up, and he was looking in her direction, his head lifted off of its resting place. Fluttershy went back into the kitchen, grabbed a white ceramic plate off a stack on the counter, and set the fish onto it. She made a face as she released her teeth off of the fish’s tail. Grabbing the edge of the plate with her mouth she trotted back into the living room. Link had tracked her movement across the rooms, and was still waiting expectantly. She placed the plate down on the floor near the end of the couch his head rested on. When she straightened, Link gently nudged the side of her neck with his nose in thanks, before bending down to the meal.

Fighting down a blush, Fluttershy glanced around. She had a feeling she was forgetting something, but she only remembered when she saw Angel peeking his head into the door through his flap. The small white bunny waited until she saw him, and then ducked back outside. Her chores, that was what she was forgetting. Fluttershy gasped in dismay as she remembered. All of her poor animal friends needed to be fed, talked to, and cared for! Fluttershy said something about being back soon as she rushed out the door. The only sign that Link had heard her was an ear that flicked in the door’s direction, the rest of his head was engrossed in eating.

Fluttershy stumbled back into the room an hour and a half later. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon at this point, and would be evening soon. What energy she had gained from her nap on Link’s side had been expended doing her chores, leaving her almost as tired as before. Link was resting his head once more on the couch, but he looked up when the groggy pegasus entered the room. The fish was gone from the plate, not even bones left. His brows furrowed in concern when he saw the state Fluttershy was in. Her hair was messy, with a few stray hairs poking out of her main and tail. She had pronounced bags until both eyes, and she was standing just inside the doorway, as if unsure what to do.

When she spotted the plate on the ground, she blinked and shook her head. She moved over to the couch in the intent to pick up the plate to clean and put away, but she was interrupted. When she neared the leg rest, Link reached out his head and tapped her barrel with his nose. Fluttershy looked down in confusion, and opened her muzzle to ask a question. She let out a sound of protest as she was firmly pushed towards the couch by Link’s large head. Link made no indication he had heard her, continuing his gentle nudges that Fluttershy had no energy to resist. When she made to get up, she was pushed back onto the cushions, and given a stern and concerned look by the giant wolf.

After a few more attempts to rise, which all failed, she resigned herself to her fate. She rested her head on Link’s side, his body’s warmth making her yawn. After a few minutes, she was fast asleep and breathing deeply, her body resting comfortably on Link’s. ink figured that with all that Fluttershy had done for him, without even knowing him, the least he could do was act as a large pillow for a while longer.

Author's Notes:

Well, longest chapter yet. Hope you guys like the glimpse of the antagonist! Ooh, spooky. Get ready for a bunch of back story next chapter. As always, remember to read and review. If you find any mistakes, feel free to comment and I'll fix it.

Luna's Arrival *Revised*

Twilight paced in the warm dirt in front of her library. The sun was slowly sinking towards the mountains on the horizon, signaling the beginning of the evening and the end to a hectic day. The huge crystal spires of Twilight’s castle shone in the sunlight, their normal purple hues transformed to a shimmering pink by the fiery sunset. The structure resembled a huge tree, with ever branching crystal streams that wove a web into the sky. A large six pointed star sat in the center of the branches. It was another tangible sign, along with Twilight’s wings, of her princess status, and Twilight was still working to associate this giant crystal tree with the word home.

Spike was sitting on the front porch, propping his head up with his claws. Watching Twilight anxiously pace back and forth had never been that exciting, and now he was just bored. This was actually a more regular occurrence than one would expect; every time royalty was bound for a visit she worked herself into a total frenzy, notwithstanding that she was royalty herself. Twilight had improved over the last few, her freak-outs weren’t as bad and they didn’t last as long, but this new situation didn’t help at all. It felt just like old times. Well, except the fact that there is a giant sentient wolf living right outside the town. But an otherwise normal day in the life. Weird stuff happened all the time in Ponyville. Spike took a moment to wonder if living elsewhere in Equestria was just as odd.

Twilight was going through the letter she had sent and the reply she had received in her mind as she waited. The letter she had sent to her mentor had gone as follows:

“Dear Princess Celestia,

It has come to my attention of some magical anomalies and weird goings on in the Everfree Forest just outside of Ponyville. Just yesterday, a sentient wolf named Link appeared on the outskirts of town gravely wounded by a beast of unknown origin. Fluttershy has taken him in and treated his wounds. However, it is strange. He has been imprisoned at some point; there is what appears to be a manacle and chain around his left foreleg. I am not sure if he will be a threat to the inhabitants of Ponyville. I am taking the other Element Bearers to meet and asses him this evening and your presence and expertise would be greatly appreciated.
Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle.”

The reply had come via Spike’s magical fire not ten minutes afterword.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Mine sister is currently indisposed at this time with national business, and is away in the Griffon Kingdom. With the magical and possibly dangerous origin of this situation, I will be honored to take my sister’s place this evening.
Sincerely, your good friend,

Princess Luna.”

Twilight wasn’t sure how happy she was about Luna coming. She was extremely glad to have a chance to see the lunar princess again; she didn’t have nearly enough chances aside from the yearly Nightmare Night. Luna was more fun and a bit easier going than her elder sister. But Twilight would have also preferred to have Princess Celestia there, if just slightly. She had known her since she had been taken on as Celestia’s student as a foal, and she almost felt more at ease with Celestia than Luna. Her conflicting opinions would have to be set aside for the time being, though. After Luna arrived, hopefully with some guards (She expected that all of them would be more at ease with Link if there were some armed ponies nearby), they would travel around town picking up the other four Element Bearers, and make their way over to Fluttershy’s cottage at the edge of town.

The sun had just touched the very peaks of the mountains in the west when Twilight spotted a small black spot in the sky, coming from the direction of Canterlot. Spike, following her eyes after noticing her sudden shift in behavior, perked up a bit when he saw the black speck. He stood off of the porch and waved some dust from his legs, and jogged over to Twilight’s side. The spot in the sky grew closer at a steady rate, slowly solidifying into the recognizable from of a pegasus pulled chariot. The ponies on the street that were going about their daily business stopped for a moment, glancing up at the descending chariot with curiosity. Then there was the almost tangible shrug from the crowd, and the ponies went back to talking, or trotting to their respective destinations.

As the chariot grew closer, Twilight made the shape of the black and dark blue chariot that Luna traveled in, as well as the winged forms of the four black pegasi pulling the vehicle from the front harnesses. As she watched, one of the forms darted off from the harness, hovering next to the cabin before linking back up with the other three guards. The chariot’s front end lifted upward as it neared the ground, and Twilight could see the pegasi straining to slow the chariot’s speed with large beats of their wings. The chariot’s black wheels kicked up swirling clouds of dust from the dirt road as they hit the ground, and Twilight could see the guards take long loping strides and pulling the chariot to a halt about ten feet away from her and Spike. It shuddered to a halt with a few metallic clangs. After the dust cleared, Twilight and Spike took in the sight before them.

The chariot stood about twice Twilight’s height, and the wheels kept the main cab a foot off the ground. The chariot was a collage of black, blues, and white. The main cab was mostly black, with purple swirls reaching around the sides and back, wrapping around the glass window set into the center of the side. Lighter tones of purple bled into darker purple as they neared the edges. Small glittering spots of white were spread throughout the entire body of the chariot, even flowing onto the harnesses that were strapped onto the armored pegasi, giving the whole vehicle the appearance of the night sky. The guards in front of the chariot were all stallions, and large ones at that. Each stood a head over Twilight, and even under their armor, she could see the impressive muscles under their coats. They all held themselves like military ponies, neck straight, eyes forward, and face held high.

They were also Night Pegasi. Night Pegasi were usually found in black or tones of dark blue or purple. All of the guards that Luna had brought were black, with their manes hidden by their icy blue helmets. Plates of similarly colored armor stretched across their broad barrels and shoulders, ran around their flanks and back and obscuring their cutie marks from view. Shining obsidian shoes were on their hooves; thick ones that looked like they could do some serious damage. The center of each chest plate bore a white crescent moon, the symbol of the Night Guard. Night Pegasi, also commonly known as “bat ponies”, had large flexible bat wings filled with flexible membrane folded onto their sides. The guards also had cat like eyes that all Night Pegasi shared. Even with the sun still partially out, Twilight could see the yellow or golden iris’ of each individual glowing softly, with the black slit of the pupil partially hidden in the center.

With their strange pupils and sharp teeth much like a predator, it gave them a fearsome and mysterious look. Most ponies were unnerved and scared by their presence. Twilight had never bought into the fear, as she had had some interaction with them before. She only felt slight discomfort around them, and that was only when they surprised her while she was doing something.

As Twilight and Spike watched, one entire side of the chariot was encased in a dusky blue magical aura, which simmered and danced around the wooden frame. With a magical push from the chariot’s occupant, the entire wall swung open like a door, and Princess Luna stepped out. She was an alicorn, much like Twilight, but a good bit taller and with a horn that was much sharper and longer that rose out of her head like a blade. A small obsidian crown used the base of her horn as a perch. Luna's mane and tail billowed out like curtains from her body, swaying in an invisible breeze. It seemed like the night sky itself was reflected in her mane and tail, both dazzling and subdeoed in its beauty. Her coat was a deep blue, almost black. Luna was tall and slender, but she exuded an aura of power and control. Luna had warm teal eyes, which were filled with mirth and mischief, and a smile broke across her muzzle as she saw Twilight and Spike waiting nearby. She strode ahead to meet them, her guard falling into a respectful distance behind her. “Twilight Sparkle!” She greeted. “It is so nice to see you again.” Her voice was not much older than Twilights, but she had a slight archaic accent, one that betrayed her real age.

Twilight was pleasantly surprised at Luna's tone. Luna had been working with a voice coach back in Canterlot to try and fix her old accent, it was working. She almost sounded normal. Twilight nuzzled her good friend. “You too, Luna.” She couldn’t help keep a large smile from her face, and Twilight felt her worries about the princess disappear.

Luna leaned down and greeted Spike next. “Hello, Spike.” She got a smile and a warm “Hey Luna,” in response. Luna’s face then settled into seriousness, and she addressed Twilight. “What is the plan, Twilight Sparkle?” She asked, staring steadily into Twilight’s eyes. Twilight tried not to look too unsure as she replied.

“We will go pick up Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie. After informing them of the situation, we will make our way to Fluttershy’s cottage.” At Twilight’s nervous pause, Luna nodded her head and indicated for her to continue. “After introductions with Link, um, I am planning on using a memory spell on him to see where he came from. I mean, if that sounds okay with you,” She added hastily.

Luna’s expression had darkened considerably when she mentioned the last part of her plan. “Using a spell to get into somepony’s head is extremely dangerous, and requires an extreme amount of care. If this Link is sentient, as you say he is, this could prove disastrous at one small error.” Twilight flinched back and her ears drooped as Luna replied. Seeing this, Luna’s face softened, and she lifted Twilight’s head with a gentle hoof. "I do not doubt your magical ability, Twilight,” She said softly. “But your experience. There is a reason mental magic is forbidden under my sister’s laws. But if you think you are capable, I will stand behind your plan with full support.”

“I . . . I can do this,” Twilight said. She stepped back from Luna. “I can,” she nodded again, as much for her own reassurance then Luna’s.

Luna nodded once. “Who shall we find first?” She asked. Twilight thought for a moment.

“How about Pinkie? She is the closest,” Twilight smiled a little. “She will also be the most excited to see you.”

Luna chuckled. “Indeed. Shall we?” She motioned down one street with a hoof, allowing Twilight and Spike to take the lead.

-----

Sugar Cube Corner was the arguably most interesting building in all of Ponyville. It outclassed even the Carousel Boutique in originality, a title not easily won. While the shape and size of the building were not all that unique, it was the materials that were used that made this place what it was. Candy. Sugar Cube Corner took its name very seriously, and it did not disappoint. With the tan walls seemingly made out of gingerbread, to the icing and candy swirls along the rooftop, it screamed “sugar paradise!” to all ponies who might catch a glimpse. Twilight and Spike stood a few feet away from the building, with Luna gazing up at it with curiosity. While Twilight and her dragon assistant may be used to the strange sight, Luna was not. She had never seen such a remarkable building!

Spike loved Sugar Cube Corner. Practically everything inside the bakery was delicious, and the menu had all of the sugary combinations he could have wished for. Pinkie had even added an option to “gemafy” a pastry, by adding on slivers of the gems that all dragons took as delicacies, just for him. Spike wiped a bit of drool from the side of his mouth with a claw, and glanced around. Fortunately, no one had seen, and he breathed a sigh of relief. To the Night Guard’s credit, they did not react at the sight of the building. They instead continued to stare stoically forward, seemingly unfazed. Twilight trotted over to the pink doors at the front of the bakery. Encasing them in her magenta aura, she swung the doors open, enticing a small bell to jingle above the doorway an announcement. Spike followed her inside, with Luna shortly after, and the Night Pegasi made their way inside at a clipped and precise pace at the rear.

The inside of the bakery was just as cheerfully decorated as the outside, with many white and pink tables spread across the room. The scant number of ponies in the bakery at this hour jumped up at the sight of not only one princess, but two, entering the room. They all jumped out of their seats and bowed low to the ground (except two foals in one corner that were too focused on their milkshake drinking contest to notice). At Luna’s nod of consent, the ponies all went back to their meals, peeking over the rims of their pastries at the newcomers, especially the armed guards. They continued to do so as Twilight, Luna, and Spike made their way over to the counter at the back of the room.

A yellow stallion, with an orange tail and mane, smiled warmly at them. “Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, your highness, Twilight, Spike!” He said cheerfully, beaming at the small group. Since Twilight had asked no one to call her by her title, Mr. Cake was only addressing Luna as “your highness”. Mr. Cake, along with his wife Mrs. Cake, ran the bakery. They lived in rooms above the main store, along with their one and only employee. Mrs. Cake was usually gone from the counter most days, up with her two twins in the upper floor. With Pound and Pumpkin Cake just starting to fly or have magic spurts, it was an all time job, and Mr. Cake and Pinkie managed admirably in her relative absence.

“Hey Mr. Cake!” Spike greeted enthusiastically. He then went back to drooling over the pastries behind the glass on the bottom of the counter, his face and palms pressed against the clear surface.

Twilight smiled at the small dragon’s antics. “Hello,” She said, looking back up.

“Greetings,” Luna nodded.

“What can I get for ya’ today?” Mr. Cake asked.

“One Pinkie Pie, actually,” Twilight replied. Mr. Cake nodded and turned to go upstairs, but Twilight caught the puppy eyes Spike was throwing her way out of the corner of her eye. “And one chocolate cupcake,” She said, winking at Spike.

"Gemafied please!” He exclaimed enthusiastically. Mr. Cake smiled and shook his head, but leaned down to get the ordered pastry. Spike let out a small whoop of joy as he took the cupcake, and took a huge bite, munching happily on the small emerald shards woven into the icing. Mr. Cake then trotted over to the stairs at the back of the kitchen, vanishing upward into the other floor. Twilight could hear a series of thumps before a loud whooshing sound. A neon pink blur shot out of the stairway, directly at Twilight.

The blur froze and condensed into a pony about two inches away from Twilight, on their side of the counter. Pinkie Pie was a completely pink earth pony mare. Her coat was neon pink, along with her hair, which curled and bounced like cotton candy. Her blue eyes were wide with excitement, and the tree balloons on her flank were vibrating up and down like the rest of her body.

“Hi Twilight!’ She exclaimed, giving a huge smile. Twilight leaned back as Pinkie's air buffeted her face. “Hi Spike!” She then caught sight of Luna standing a foot away. Pinkie stood up on her hind legs, and put a hoof to her chest. She gave out a loud and theatrical gasp, pointing another hoof at Luna. “Could it be?!” She asked, her eyes wide. “It is!” She exclaimed, answering her own question. She flashed over to Luna, and the princess found a pair of pink legs wrapping around her. Pinkie cheered as she hugged the princess. “Hi Luna! It’s been forever since we saw each other and now you are here and I should throw a party and it would be so awesome yay!” She exclaimed, squeezing tighter.

Luna giggled and returned the pink mare’s embrace. “Hello, Pinkie Pie.” After hugging had stopped, Pinkie stood in front of her for a second, staring at her face. She hummed and her eyes narrowed.

“Twitchy tail, itchy ear, watering eye! There are new ponies in town!” Pinkie yelled, somehow not noticing the four Night Pegasi feet in front of her, who were all still staring forward. Pinkie started pacing in a small circle in front of Luna muttering something under her breath, her eyes squinting in concentration. Twilight and Spike watched the curios display with little reaction, and Luna shot them a questioning glance. Spike shrugged and mouthed, “Just wait. She’ll get it eventually.” Luna nodded uncertainly, and took a small step backward.

Pinkie stopped, staring at the ground, before exclaiming (still looking at the ground), “Four!” She cheered and launched into the air, as if on a trampoline, looking at Luna. “There are four of them! Yay! Now I can have quadruple the party!” She cheered, throwing her front hooves upwards. As she landed silently on the ground, she gave a start and stared at the four guards that she had apparently just noticed. She paced over to them, her head tilted to one side. She did a few circles around the small group, her gaze flashing over each guard individually. After she made a few full circuits around them, she stopped in front of the two pegasi in the front. Then her face broke out into a huge smile, and confetti exploded outward from her body.

“Hi!” She said brightly. “My name is Pinkie Pie, and I know everypony in Ponyville ‘cause it’s my job and I love to throw parties and you can have one! Welcome to Ponyville!” She seized one of the guard’s hoof and shook it up and down madly. The guard just watched her warily, letting his leg be wrenched up and down over and over again. The guard she had chosen was one of the smaller Night Pegasi, with the short crop of his tail that fell down to his knees. His tail was mostly dark blue, with a single orange stripe down the center, the same color as his eyes. His mane was hidden under his helmet, but Twilight suspected it was the same style. Pinkie let go of the guard’s hoof. She got right up into her face, beaming even wider. “What’s your name?” She asked. Twilight noticed that the other three guards took a step away from the guard under Pinkie’s attention, apparently leaving him on his own. Twilight almost felt sorry for the poor stallion.

“Dusk, ma’am.” The guard clipped simply, staring straight forward, as if through Pinkie. Twilight was surprised. His voice didn’t sound any older than she was. She wondered if they were the same age. It was entirely possible. Then she saw the look Luna was giving the guard. It was stern and commanding, along with a small touch of threatening, and the stallion apparently saw it too, because he swallowed visibly. In the blink of an eye, he relaxed. His neck lost its ramrod straightness, and his face relaxed from its stoic unconcern, into a sheepish smile that showed his two sharp incisors. "I mean, uh, Dusk,” he amended, and Twilight gave a start.

Even his tone had lost its stiff military clip, relaxing into a more normal voice. Pinkie smiled from ear to ear, and Twilight turned her head away from the conversation (Pinkie was talking at the speed of lightning while hopping in place, and Dusk seemed fine to just stand there and take it with a bewildered look on his face) to give Luna a questioning glance. Luna leaned over and whispered, “I am trying to get my guards to be more relaxed in public, and when talking to other ponies. I don’t always want them to be soldiers that could be made out of stone.” Luna glanced upwards at Pinkie before continuing. “I feel it’s good for them, and for their public image. Many Night Pegasi do not have any friends, as most are in the military. They never relax.” Twilight nodded in understanding. She watched as the other three guards took another step away from Pinkie and Dusk. She wasn’t surprised, but a little impressed. Most ponies had a worse reaction when they first met the energetic pink mare.

-----

The next stop was the closest building to Sugar Cube Corner, the Carousel Boutique. Probably the second most interesting building in Ponyville, and just like Sugar Cube Corner, it took its name very literally. The top of the building was a cone shape, with decorative robbing in many colors falling down to hook onto the main part of the building. Pony shaped mannequins sat in positions along the bottom of the roof, as if going in a circle, all displaying dresses or other clothing items. From gorgeous dresses to simple vests to hats and shoes, everything in this year’s latest fashion seemed to be on display. The setting suns was halfway beneath the mountains, and it’s yellow and orange sunset back lighted the Carousel Boutique, light dancing and swirling off of the elegant curves.

Luna was admiring the building with an approving look on her face. Near her, Dusk and Pinkie were still talking. After the initial meeting in which Pinkie had talked almost non-stop, she had calmed down, and Dusk was able to get a word or two in occasionally. Twilight had held back near them and listened to the conversation. Dusk seemed like a somewhat shy but likable pony, when he was out of his military mode. Pinkie had already declared them the “bestest friends of ever and ever,” about two minutes ago. Dusk had been ready to protest at first, but the armored stallion had closed his mouth and thought better of it.

Spike eagerly ran up to the front door of the boutique as they got near, and Twilight could almost see the hearts in his eyes. She shook her head and giggled under her breath. Spike had had a hopeless crush on Rarity, the owner of the boutique, for as long as they had been in Ponyville, and it was a bit silly sometimes. It probably didn’t help anything that Rarity called him “darling”. As nice as she was, Twilight didn't think Rarity could find it in her heart to tell the poor dragon what she thought, so she kept quiet. Because of this, Spike thought he was an expert at hiding his affections, when it was glaringly obvious to everyone else. Spike knocked on the front door loudly, rocking back and forth on his feet. A large smile to rival Pinkie’s was plastered on his face.

A high feminine voice sang out from inside. “Coming!” Twilight heard the faint clopping of hooves before the door was pulled open by a light blue magical aura. A white unicorn stood there, blinking at the entourage, before looking down at Spike, who was impatiently tapping his feet. “Oh hello, Spike darling!” she said with a sophisticated accent. Rarity had three blue diamonds for a cutie mark, and the beauty of the gems was appropriate. Rarity's purple mane and tail was styled into elegant curves that fell down one side of her face. Her blue eyes were accented by a touch of makeup on her eyelashes and eyelids, and her white coat shone with the kind of care that Twilight knew only came from very frequent spa trips.

“Hi Rarity!” Spike answered happily, grinning.

“What brings you here?” Rarity paused as she looked upward, and Twilight saw her swallow lightly as she looked at Luna. “Your highness?” She dropped into a low bow, before standing in one smooth motion. “Do come in, all of you!” She said, beckoning inside her house with a hoof.

“Thank you, Miss Rarity,” Luna said as she followed Twilight and Spike inside. Dusk and Pinkie were not far after, with the other three guards in the back of the group again. The inside of Rarity’s home/business was as decorated as the outside. A small hallway to the right led into a kitchen area, and a set of stairs that led onto the second floor were on the right. The center of the building was dominated by a raised stage, with elegant curtains hanging closed. The rest of the boutique was covered in Rarity’s designs, both on mannequins and hanging racks alike. Just like the mannequins on the outside of the building, all of the numerous pony shaped objects were covered in clothing items, draped in formal were or fitted snugly into more practical clothing. All were beautifully made, proof of Rarity’s expertise at her trade. Opal, Rarity’s cat, eyed them with complete disinterest from the entrance into the kitchen. The white cat raised her nose into the air haughtily and ambled out of sight, her tail swishing back and forth on the ground.

Rarity had trotted over to one side of the boutique, near the stage. There was a large red couch, and Rarity settled down onto it with all the grace and poise of a high class mare. She eyed the Night Pegasi at first, but looked away to ask Luna a question. “What brings you here, your highness? And with . . . ahem . . . armed company?” She asked, her voice level as a table. Spike had settled near one of the leg rests of the couch, watching Rarity out of the corners of his eyes, with a goofy grin still on his face.

Luna gestured to Twilight with a hoof, indicating that she should explain. Twilight nodded in understanding. “Well, we actually came here for you,” Twilight said, looking back to Rarity.

“Oh, for me?” Rarity asked, surprised. “Whatever for?”

-----

The house of one Rainbow Dash was another unique house in Ponyville, largely because it didn’t even touch the ground.
It was completely made out of clouds; one that Rainbow Dash had made back in Cloudsdale and assembled once she moved to ponyville. The fluffy white clouds had been pushed into a nearly mansion size, with soaring columns and arched ceilings. Rainbows seemed to spawn out of the top and sides of the cloud structure, spiraling towards the ground before dissolving into prismacolored mist several dozen feet up.

In order to get to the doorstep, Rarity and Pinkie Pie had had to stay behind on the ground, their lack of wings making it impossible to make it up to the house. Spike had volunteered to stay behind and keep them company while the rest of the group flew upward, except for Dusk. Pinkie had begged him to not go, and after her very persuasive grab-onto-his-leg-and-never-let-go method, he had relented. Twilight had been an alicorn for a while now, but the fluffy sensation of cloud beneath her hooves was still relatively new. It was almost like walking on a bunch of warm marshmallows; you would sink into it if you stayed in one spot for too long. Luna stood behind Twilight, with the rest of her guard behind her. Twilight raised a hoof and knocked steadily on the front door, somehow still producing the wooden and hollow sound that most doors possessed.

After a few seconds of silence, Twilight frowned and knocked again, harder this time. The sound of numerous falling objects came from inside, followed by a muffled curse. THe door was flung open with a growl. Rainbow Dash had small bags under her scarlet eyes, and was nursing a small bump on the side of her head with a hoof. Rainbow’s sky blue pelt and her rainbow multicolored hair was in a slight state of disarray. Twilight had apparently woken her up from a nap. Rainbow’s cutie mark, a white fluffy cloud with a red, yellow, and blue lightning bolt was barely visible on her flank. Form her position from outside the door, Twilight could see the smashed form of a cloud lamp just behind Rainbow. How was that even possible?

“Twilight!” Rainbow whined with a tomboyish voice. “I was in the middle of a nap! Today is my day off, you know.” She glared tiredly at the purple alicorn, who gave a sheepish smile.

Luna cleared her throat from behind Twilight. Rainbow looked up in surprise, and she perked up a bit.

“Oh hey princess. Why are you -” She paused to yawn loudly. “You here?” She finished, looking past Twilight’s head at Luna.

-----

Twilight reflected on how all of her friends lived in unique houses as she stared at Sweet Apple Acres. None of them lived in the normal thatched roof and wooden walled houses of most of Ponyville. They all lived in very strange or special buildings, herself included. It was strange. Luna trotted next to her through the high gate into the farm, and Twilight shook the distracting thoughts from her head. Healthy brown and green trees flanked them on every side, numerous red apples hanging from their branches.

Behind her, Dusk was walking next to Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing like a spring down the worn dirt path. Rarity was walking next to the armored Night Pegasi, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She already had a few ideas for new clothing from the Night Guards unique armor, and she wanted to make sure she didn’t miss any small detail. Rainbow was flying lazily overhead, doing a few loops and spins in the air whenever she got too bored.

Sweet Apple Acres was one of the reasons Ponyville was ever founded. For generations, the Apple clan had lived in this very spot, and the selling of their delicious wares is what had turned a small trading post into the Ponyville it was today. All of the current Apple clan members could trace their ancestry back to Sweet Apple Acres somewhere, even to the years just after Equestria’s founding. The Apple clan took their apples and land very seriously. The main house of Sweet Apple Acres was a renovated barn. With the loved and cheerfully painted wood, the main house was one of the most homely-looking places around. There was a small chicken pen near the house, along with a shed peeking out from behind the house.

Just as Twilight and Luna were walking near the front porch, the sound of something behind dragged came from around the house, and Big Macintosh appeared. Big Mac was as taller and as fit as any of the Night Guards. With large muscles shoulders and a broad barrel, he stood as tall as Princess Luna. He had a orange mane and tail, which were cropped short to his body. He had a red coat, and his cutie mark was that of a green apple cut in half, which dominated his entire flank. There was a wooden yoke around his neck, just above the harness that was strapped around his back and stomach. He was pulling a large empty cart, having emptied the last batch of apples for the day, and on his way to unhook from the cart. Big Mac looked the group over with one single glance, a honed intelligence flashing in his eyes as he gave them a mental assessment. He gave a small bow in his harness at Luna. "Princess," He said, moving a piece of hay from one side of his mouth to the next as he rolled the word around in his mouth.

“Is Applejack here?” Twilight asked.

Big Mac nodded once. “Eeyup,” He said in his deep base voice. He gave a jerk in the direction behind the house with his head.

Twilight nodded her thanks, and with another nod in return, Big Mac was off, pulling the huge cart like it weighed nothing. Luna followed Twilight to the side of the house, and into the backyard. They didn't have to get too close to the house in order to hear the giggling and shouting of fillies and Applejack's drawling voice. As they rounded the house, Twilight stopped and giggled at the sight.

Applejack was in the middle of corralling three fillies that were running around in circles in the backyard. Her orange coat and yellow mane and tail were unkempt more than usual, and she was panting. The hat she always wore, a brown Stetson, was slightly askew on her head. At the sight of Princess Luna, the three fillies gave out excited squeaks and stampeded over. Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s younger sister hopped up and down in place at Luna’s hooves, talking as fast as Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. She was white like her sister, with curly pink and purple hair. Apple Bloom, Applejack’s little sister , was yellow with pink hair. A large red bow was perched on her mane, and she stared up at Luna with something akin to awe. Scootaloo, an orange filly with purple hair, ran up and threw her legs around Luna in a bear hug. “Hi Luna!” She exclaimed.

Luna, despite being bombarded by all three energetic fillies at once, giggled and leaned down to nuzzle Scootaloo. “Hello, little one,” She laughed. At the sight, Twilight detected the small curve of a smile on Applejack's muzzle.

“Well howdy, Twilight,” She greeted in her southern accent, tipping her stetston back into place with a hoof. “I'm sorry y'all caught me in this state. These three rascals are enough to wear anyone out. So what brings all of y’all here at this time of night?”

Author's Notes:

Well, that was a heck of a long chapter. Sorry it took so long to put out, but high-school starting jacked up my writing plans. Hope you all like it!
As always, remember to read and review! Comment on any grammar, spelling, or plot errors (there will probably be a lot in this chapter), and I will fix them as soon as I can.