Author's Notes:

Well this took both a lot longer and a lot shorter than I had planned. I actually wanted to have this out last week. But with Firefighting school being how it is, I can't speak to any kind of consistent time I have to write. so who knows when the next chapter will be. It will come, I just don't know when.

The following morning called, and with it came the wonderful smell of baked bread. Daybreaks eyes fluttered lazily as a draft wafted over his exposed skin and the sweet aroma filled his nostrils. A sharp chill traveling through his body willed him awake as a single snowflake lofted in and landed atop his bare back. Daybreak sat straight up in bed, eyes wide. The culprit revealed itself as another draft blew through the room, reminding him how underdressed he was. The window directly to his right was open, and it was snowing heavily outside. He looked around, Rainbow was no where in sight, but judging from the aroma making its way in from the hall, he knew exactly where she was. Which meant she had opened the window upon awaking. Perhaps to ensure he got up in a timely manner? He'd soon find out, as that wonderful smell was reasserting his need for food.

Quickly throwing on some grey sweats and a long shirt, Daybreak stumbled his way out into the hall. The rapid and disorganized thudding of his feet along the floor alerted Rainbow to his presence long before he ever made it to the kitchen. Which was lucky for him, since that wasn't even where she was.

“I'm out here hot stuff. Come meet our neighbors.”

Rainbows voice flowed in from the open front door, that Daybreak only now spotted once finally making it to the kitchen, and finding it vacant. Rainbows words barely stuck in Daybreaks brain, all he was focused on was following that delicious smell, which also seemed to be coming from outside as well, oddly enough. Forgetting where he was, Daybreak stumbled out into the snowy exterior without even bothering to put on shoes. His brain was quick to remind him though, the moment his foot touched the mushy surface below, his whole nervous system did a hard reset, and then he was very much awake!

The sight that greeted him as the adrenaline flowed through his brain, set his mind into a nose dive. It was such a shock he almost failed to notice the tray of cornbread sitting on the bench directly to his left, releasing a steady stream of steam as the cool air touched its hot pan. Rainbow was knelt a few meters away from the house, next to a small white wolf. The beast was no bigger than a cub, barely larger than her foot, and was happily yipping as it munched on something within her outstretched palm. It was likely some of the bread, as there was at least two squares missing from the tray already. He wasn't sure which to comment on first, the wolf cub, or the fact that Rainbow was even more underdressed than he was for this weather. All she'd bothered to throw on before venturing out was an extra long shirt, that extended nearly down to her knees. Her modesty may have been ensured, but there was no way in Tartarus she wasn't freezing her ass off. He almost wished a hefty breeze would kick up, just to give him an early morning present.

“What the fuck...?” Was sadly all that managed to escape him.

Rainbow smiled and patted the top of the small cubs head. “I found him sitting out here this morning. The little pervert was watching me walk around in the house before I got dressed. He just...starred at me as I got the cornbread from last night ready.”

It was becoming increasingly more obvious that the wolf pack in these woods would not be leaving Daybreak or Rainbow alone anytime soon. Still, if they were under surveillance, why was a pup the one pulling guard duty this time around? Were they not considered a threat? And why was this one suddenly friendly?

As if to answer his question, the pup ceased its licking of Rainbows (now empty) hand and glared at Daybreak, before emitting a low growl at him as he took a step forward off the front porch. Daybreak stopped in his tracks and glared at the cub right back, before retracting the step he'd taken.

“Oh so fuck me then. What? I'm the only one they don't like?”

Rainbow saw the look on his face and giggled “You really do have a way with animals.”

Daybreak attempted to melt the pup where it stood with his glare, but all it did was bark at him in response. “Maybe we could eat it for lunch?” he suggested, at precisely the wrong time.

The words were barely out of his mouth, when he noticed the bushes directly ahead of Rainbow part ways, and the second largest wolf from the pack emerged, still larger than life and clearly displeased. As though having actually heard and understood what he said, the wolf lowered its head loosed a deep growl. Even though Rainbow was the closest to the beast, Daybreak just somehow knew that was meant for him.

“Oh fuck me...” He muttered under his breath.

The cub gave a light yip as this other wolf appeared, and, after giving Rainbows hand one final lick, ran towards its pack mate. The larger one gave the cubs face a long lick as it ran between its feet, then turned from the scene and walked back into the brush. Rainbow stood back up with a pout on her face.

“Look what you did, butt munch!”

Daybreak was taken aback, both at her expression, and her childish insult. “Me?! The fuck did I do?”

Rainbows hands found her hips in possibly the most childish looking pout he ever seen “You ticked off his mom! Now we can't play anymore.”

Daybreaks eyebrows raised as Rainbow strode over to him “That was his mom?”

Rainbows head shook in disbelief “Aren't you supposed to be the smart one? It only took me one look at her to tell she was the mom of their pack, and I'm guessing the other massive one you saw is the dad. They're the Alpha male and female of the wolves around here.”

Daybreak rubbed the back of his head “Well, yeah, I gathered that much. I mean you can tell just by their size difference that those two are running the place. I mean, how do you know she was that specific cubs mother?”

“Really?” She remarked as though the answer should be obvious, making him feel somehow less intelligent for not knowing. He didn't like Rainbow making him feel that way. He'd always considered himself the more intellectually superior of the two. Which was fair since she was probably the better fighter between them. He couldn't have her beat him in brains too, that just wouldn't stand. Still he had no idea, how she could tell that cubs heritage, so he was forced to concede this round.

“Umm...Yes?” he replied, trying not to seem ignorant of some obvious truth.

Rainbow scoffed, tweaking his nerves slightly. “You saw the way that cub ran to her almost immediately after she told you off, and the way she licked him afterwards. That's stuff only mamas do. You should really learn more about that kind of thing dude. After all, it'll be your turn soon.” Rainbows hands briefly rubbed around her belly, which was still not showing any physical differences, giving Daybreak an unexplainable blush in his cheeks.

Smirking in satisfaction, she strode up to him and gave him a quick nip on the ear, before retrieving the tray of bread and walking inside. Daybreak lingered for a moment, not because of Rainbows kiss, but because he could still see the female wolf in the brush ahead. She was eyeing him, there was no mistake of it. Her eyes were locked directly on his. Daybreak kept perfect eye contact with her, refusing to look away. If this was a contest, he would not be losing to these animals again. If his knowledge of beasts was still accurate, staring an alpha of any species in the eyes was like challenging them, and highly advised against. But he would not be bowing again. After a moment, the female snorted, or what would pass as one from a beast with a snout, and turned her back to him. For a moment Daybreak felt victory swell in his gut, before the female seemed to kick at the ground with her hind legs, flinging dirt and snow in his direction without bothering to look back at him, then walking off. They were much to far away from each other for the dirt and snow to ever reach, but the message was clear. Daybreaks face burned with fury, he opened his mouth to swear at the beast, but Rainbows own voice cut him off.

“Are you gonna stay out there all morning mister Wolf Whisperer? If you take too long I might get dressed.”

The fury slowly left his body like steam from a kettle. He turned, returning inside and shutting the door behind him. He'd let it go for now, but that little insult would not be forgotten anytime soon.

The remainder of the morning between the couple was shared in a peaceful silence. Until a brief thought crossed Daybreaks mind that he couldn't help but voice as they chowed down on the bread Rainbow had baked, and snuggled against each other on the couch.

“You know Dashie...we could always just stay here.”

Rainbows cheek nuzzled into his chest creating pleasant waves of warmth inside him “What? Like for the rest of the day? I'm down for that, except that eventually we'll get hungry...and we need more firewood...and there's the shed door you fucked up that needs fixing.”

Daybreak lightly reached down and flicked Rainbow in the nose, earning a brief snort in response. “No you dork, I meant...we could stay here, in this house, and not go back to Equestria.”

The cool moisture gripping Rainbows hair made him jump as she turned over on his lap, and looked up at him. “What like...forever?”

With her positioned the way she was, Rainbow gave off the impression of a puppy begging for food. It somehow made her response seem all the more adorable, despite how important it may be. Daybreak lightly shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah? Why not? I've got everything I need here with me already.” As he spoke his fingers rubbed down the sides of Rainbows massive shirt, tracing her curves with his fingernails and feeling her breath against him. Despite how relaxed she felt, he could still tell her next words sounded conflicted.

“Daybreak...we can't. We-...I have responsibilities back home. I still have things I want to do with my life. I'm not ready to 'settle down' just yet. And what about Famine? We can't just ignore that because we're hidden in some forest on the other side of the planet.”

Daybreak grimaced. He didn't mean to, it just slipped out, and Rainbow clearly heard it. He'd been hoping she would agree with him wholeheartedly, despite knowing the odds were very against that.

“No offense Dashie, but with a kid on the way, how much more can you really do? Once that little ball of magic is born I doubt its gonna be a part time job.”

He felt teeth lightly sink into the flesh of his arm. Looking back down when a twinge of pain crept up his spine, he found a smirking Rainbow still staring at him. “What, don't think I'm awesome enough to juggle motherhood and being a daredevil stunt flyer?”

Ignoring her quip, Daybreak continued with his defense. “And as for Famine, us being hidden here is the best thing we can do for that right? Apocalypse is basically on hold if she can't find me, right?”

“Could you really just leave everything else behind Daybreak? Even your magic? Cause that's what you'd have to do to stay hidden here forever. You know that.”

The weight of that question was all too real. Real enough that he looked away from Rainbows prying eyes, and instead found interest in the window sill before he could force himself to answer. Forced was the right term to use because he had to desperately try to push the words out.

“I...I don't care about any of that stuff Dash. I...can learn to live without magic. I don't, need anyone else. The only one I'm loyal to is you.”

A sharp burning pain in the center of his chest quickly reminded him of yet another handicap he was currently carrying around. Rainbow either felt his chest heat up, or could hear the struggle in his voice, because her eyes were full of sympathy. A warm kiss found his collarbone before she spoke.

“You're lying big guy. Maybe I am the most important thing in your world, (and I damn well better be), but I'm not the only thing you feel loyal towards. You have friends that love you, Daybreak, and will miss you if you don't come back. Scoots and Sunset, Twilight and Spike. You're not alone anymore. Maybe you should embrace that.”

The hands caressing Rainbow stopped their loving touch, leaving her momentarily disappointed. But then began to encircle and pull her tight against his chest, which was growing warmer by the moment. “You see right through me Dash, don't you.”

“Damn straight I do!” She said, very softly reaching her fist up and punching him in the forehead “And besides, you can't lie to me on matters of loyalty. Not while the essence of my Element is beating in your chest. I'm not Twilight dude, I understand how you work.”

That last part wasn't necessary, he was sure Rainbow was just throwing in some light shade at Twilight because he'd likely let her get away with it. And he would. He didn't bother remarking back, instead he just snuggled against her and let his fingers dance around her skin. That was all he really wanted to do, just lay around with her for as long as he could manage to do so. After a few minutes or so of comfortable silence, Rainbows lips found their way to his, and she gently muttered to him “One day, we'll live here forever. One day.”

The rest of the day passed with calm uneventful splendor, just the way Daybreak wanted things to be. For as long as they could remain so.

The days flowed by slowly and calmly. Daybreak and Rainbow found themselves enjoying the smaller minuet things that both magic and people had seemingly made them forget about. But with the absence of both, and barely any modern devices to be found, the couple had to become creative in ways to keep entertained. Whether it was the, now daily routine of trying to tempt the wolf cub that watched them each morning to come inside the house (Rainbows idea). Or simply gathering one of the many books from the in home library Sunset had left there and indulging in whatever knowledge they may hold (Daybreaks preference). They did whatever they could to keep semi-active and entertained. After all, even they couldn't do nothing but sleep and plow all the time, despite those still being the most preferred of activities. Daybreak even developed a daily workout routine for him and Rainbow better adapt to living without their magic. His was more strenuous than Rainbows could afford to be, for obvious reasons, but it still provided the necessary fitness to keep her active.

Eventually the day came when Daybreak could no longer put off the need to go and gather more firewood from the forest. The reserves Sunset had left hidden in drawers throughout the house had finally become noticeably thin, and he knew that it would be foolish to allow their stores to run empty before venturing out to gather more. Nevertheless, the knowledge of what likely awaited him beyond the tree line was not encouraging. It was almost guaranteed that he would meet the wolf pack once he left, and was not looking forward to it. Rainbow of course, offered to go in his place, but he burned that idea down with the vigorous passion of an arsonist. No way would he allow her or those beasts to think him too weak to do something like this just cause he had no magic to protect him. If anything, this was a chance to reassert himself in the eyes of those wolves. At least that's what he kept telling himself as he pulled on his Manticore jacket and boots. For more reasons than just the warmth, he dressed the same as the day he'd met the beasts.

Rainbow wasn't exactly much help to his mood either. As he readied himself at the door she kept checking, and double checking, and triple checking his clothes. Then offering to come with him and checking his clothes again. Her anxiety was making him even more anxious, but that still didn't change what he had to do. So he allowed her one final check of everything he had on, then forced a farewell hug from her before she could delay him again. Stepping out into the cool morning sun, Daybreak gave Rainbow a final thumbs up, before venturing into the unknown.

Before getting dressed that morning both he and Rainbow had finally taken the time to look at the giant map Sunset had set up in the library and find their location on it, in hopes of figuring out just how large this forest actually was. Their location had been marked with a bright red thumbtack, and it gave them both a brief halt in their brains. In joking, they had said how being on the opposite side of the world was a good hiding place, but they'd not realized how accurate the statement actually was. From where Ponyville stood on the map, they were almost directly on the other side of the planet. What was even more surprising, was the closest recorded civilization to them was over three hundred miles away, and it was the Dragon Lands! Sunset had literally placed them on a snow covered mountain, cut off from all civilization, with their only possible hope of communication being ferocious fire breathing brutes with the social skills of a hungry alligator. Middle of nowhere was likely an understatement. But it was anything if not effective. Daybreak hadn't even known areas near the Dragon Lands had snowy mountains until now.

Tracing the map had allowed Daybreak to surmise that this forest, which they were in the center of, took up most of the mountain and continued down its side to the base. So they were in no danger of running out of firewood. At least not before Tartarus froze over and the sun burnt out. That only left food as a problem. Much like the firewood, the food reserves were only meant to last a few days, and Daybreak wasn't going to let those run dry either. So this trip would be both about warming them, and scouting out what there was to eat in the frozen abyss.

But first, he needed a weapon. Despite his bravado, he wasn't stupid, or foolish enough to believe he could win a one on one fight with either of those massive wolves unarmed. He'd likely fare fine against the regular sized members, but knowing his luck, he wouldn't be encountering them first. As he crossed the open space between the house and shed, his eyes worked overtime. Darting in and out of every bush, squinting and scanning for even the slightest hint of movement. If he was attacked before he could arm himself, he'd be in real trouble. So he had to see the attack coming and bolt for the shed at the first sign of trouble. Luckily, he made it to the door without incident. Careful not to treat the entrance too roughly, Daybreak quickly slid inside and shut the fragile thing behind him. That would be next on his to do list, repair the door and find a new way to lock it. He'd likely just end up building a new door altogether since it would be a good way to pass time if he got bored.

Once he was sure nothing had followed or approached the shed, Daybreak breathed a sigh of relief and took a moment to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting of the shed. The crystal still sat right where it was before, giving off its own weird ambient glow. He'd ignored the thing since the first encounter, and had not since come out to mess with it more. He'd save that for when he had too much free time and no other distraction. Like after the food and fire situation was dealt with. Turning away from the rock, he scanned the many crates and hanging tools along the wall for anything that would make an ideal weapon of self defense. The axe was an obvious choice since he needed that to cut the wood anyways, so it immediately came off the shelf. Same with the many ropes and giant rubber-like bands that lay scattered nearby. If he managed to cut the tree down, he would need a way to haul it back to the clearing without relying solely on his strength alone. Still he wanted something else, it'd be better not to ruin or dull the axe with blood and flesh if he had to fight.

As his eyes scanned the shelves, a light glint of steel caught him. It shimmered dimly behind a crate, and Daybreak saw what he thought might be a hilt protruding from behind it. He tested the shelf with his foot first, before stepping up and pushing the crates aside. “Oh...This will do very nicely” He reached over the dust riddle surface and plucked the item from its sheath. A long machete slid out from within, glimmering with a freshly shined look to it. Among everything else here covered in dust, this blade looked like it was brand new, or at least very well maintained. The blade itself was at least the length of his arm, minus the sheath. It belonged in a jungle explorer kit, not hidden away in a shed on the snowy mountains. A brief thought of how and why it was here crossed his mind. But it passed just as quick, and was added to the many things he'd have to ask Sunset about when he saw her again.

Regardless, Daybreak took the blade and its sheath, tightly tying the holster around his waist and hefting the rope/bands over his free shoulder before venturing back out into the cold. Even if two weapons hadn't been enough to satisfy, he didn't feel comfortable being inside much longer...too close to the crystal and its temptations. Not while his mind was distracted with other matters. As he exited the shed, he made an immediate left turn and broke the tree line. A straight path would be the best choice, and one closest to the shed, in case he had to make a quick run back. The clearing was likely very hard to miss given its size, so the possibility of getting lost wasn't really a concern to him. He was more worried about what other life he might encounter within the wood.

Even if they were magical beasts in some way, wolves of the size he'd seen had to consume alot to stay healthy. Larger predators likely meant a greater abundance of prey. Whether or not that prey equaled the wolves in size would be what he needed to discover. As he moved further in, the clearing behind him grew fainter and fainter in his vision. Once it was almost completely out of sight, he decided to stop and start his excavation of wood. Traveling too far without an effective means to carry much wood would be foolish, but he also didn't want to effect the shape of the clearing with his harvesting. He had no idea if the clearing was in the shape it was for any reason, but assuming it was, it was best not disturb it. Plus it would likely bother him if the giant circle around his home became uneven.

With his spot picked out, he got to worked. This wasn't like picking out a holiday tree, he simply chose one that looked large enough to make a decent amount of wood, but small enough that he could lug the thing back on his own, then marked it with a deep gash in its trunk. All the trees around looked to be of mostly the same type, and there weren't many that were too skinny for use, so there was no need to be picky. As long as he didn't disturb any wildlife, there shouldn't be much issue.

Taking a good stance, he dropped the ropes and bands he'd brought to the side, and dug his feet in front of the tree. He gave the bark one good Thwack with the axe, then stood still, waiting. The sound of steel striking wood rang out across the silent forest like a chorus. If there were any animals that made this wood their home, he wanted to know before he committed to taking it down, lest he disturb something important. A squirrel or two wouldn't be so bad, as that might provide lunch and dinner. But if he happened on a few families of birds, that would bother him to a degree.

He stood in silence a moment more, then when all seemed quiet, he gave the tree another hard smack with the axe. This time he put much more force behind it, lodging the blade deep within the bark, to the point where it took considerable effort to free it afterwards. Again he waited in silence, though for not nearly as long this time. If nothing had moved from the tree by this point, then there was nothing for him to disturb. Now, he began to work with no delay. There was not as much force behind his following swings as the second strike, since he didn't want to get the blade stuck again, but he still put in more than enough effort to make decent progress. Since he wasn't exactly huge in the upper body department, he knew things would take longer than it would for most others that did this kind of work. Still it didn't bother him much, he had time and determination. That had always been enough to get him by. Minutes dragged by, and before long he noticed the axe nearly breaking the halfway mark. He stopped just shy of it and moved to the opposite side. Just to be sure, he gave the trunk a hefty kick, attempting to push it over. The tree was unmoving, and likely, unimpressed. A sigh escaped him.

“Of course, why make things easy.”

Though it wasn't unexpected, it was slightly annoying. But it looked like he'd have to go all in to topple this thing. So he dug his feet, and began swinging once more. Despite the cold air and wind, he could feel the sweat beginning to drip down the inside of his jacket. Each swing brought on more, and each breath started taking more effort. It wasn't more than a few minutes before his chest began craving fresh air, and he could deny it no longer. With a final annoyed swing into its side, Daybreak relented and took a step back, leaving the axe lodged in the trunk. Catching his breath, he roughly peeled the jacket from his skin and tossed it to his side, next to the ropes. The cool air struck him, but did not cause the discomfort it had before. Now it felt cool and refreshing against his overheated and sweaty body. Daybreak took deep breaths and sat himself down in the snow. The wind picked up almost the moment his behind touched ground. The cold air traveled all throughout his skin, practically straight through his multiple layers of clothing. It easily kept him wide awake with its unrelenting temperature. He sat only for a moment, before forcing himself back up to resume his task. Up he stood, and reached for the axe, yet as his hands clasped the handle he heard a loud Creeeeeeeeak from the trunk! Daybreak looked straight up, yet he should have kept his eyes downward. For as his vision crawled up, and saw the tree beginning to sway in the wind, he knew he'd errored. Quickly, his eyes came back down when the tree began to tilt his way.

“Aw come on!” He groaned, rapidly grabbing the hilt of the axe and throwing himself to the side as fast as his body would allow! It took not a moment longer for the tree to lean over, and snap right at the cuts he'd made. The loud sound of wood exploding echoed across the forest floor, as did the thunderous THUD the trunk made as it came down next to his body!

The ground next to Daybreak shook briefly as the tree struck, sending a pile of snow into the air and blasting him with the remnants. After a moment of being embarrassed to himself, Daybreak rolled over and got back to his feet. Silently, he thanked Luna that Rainbow hadn't been there to see that. Then he retrieved his axe from the snow and examined his new firewood. The tree was a decent size to be sure, but with some help from the rope and bands he'd brought along, it was certainly moveable. He'd brought a few ropes and at least five bands, that should be more than enough to suffice. Not wanting to waste time, he quickly began tying and stretching all the bands along the trees length. It wouldn't do if he pulled only from the front, he'd never get it to move that way. So instead, what he did, is tie the bands all along base of the tree from front to back. Then he tied all the ropes to each band and pulled them towards the front, where they converged into a pair of ropes that he fastened over and around his arms. The elastic stretch from the bands would allow him some give as he pulled, so as not to add too much strain to his back and shoulders. Since each band was a little less than an inch thick, he doubted he'd have to worry about them ripping or tearing from the strain.

With everything set up Daybreak retrieved the ropes at the front of the trunk and tied them accordingly. As he fastened the final knot into place, he gave a firm test tug on his contraption. Every rope tensed, and the bands stretched slightly, yet nothing gave way or came undone. Satisfied, he nodded to himself and took his place, firmly planting his feet in the snow. With a mighty breath he took his first step, then his second, then his third, and felt the first bit of resistance as the bands stretched and tensed against him. He could feel the tension flow down his body as the ropes squeezed the blood from his arms. He'd left the axe hacked into the side of the tree and his jacket hung on a branch to free up his grip and allow some extra pull, yet it still hadn't made things any easier for him. The ropes dragged his shirt, painfully pulling and squeezing against his skin. He took another step, and heaved a mighty sigh as he felt the trunk begin to move. Even through two layers of shirts, he could still feel the pressure, the burning as the ropes slid agonizingly over his arms. He made it two more steps before the tightness against his arms forced him to relent.

Releasing the ropes, he gasped out of frustration and a lack of progress. He needed a better way to cushion the feeling the ropes applied to his body. It didn't matter if he was physically capable of moving the tree, if the pain it created was too much to bear for the walk home. Maybe he could redon the jacket? It was thick and had plenty of cushion. Yet that would only make him overheat again, likely even faster than before. Even now he still felt like he was drowning in sweat with just two long sleeved shirts on. So the jacket was out. But perhaps his other clothing could be used?

Considering his options, he weighed the idea in his head. Given time and patience he could have likely come up with a better plan, like simply chopping the wood here and carrying it back in increments. But dammit he'd committed to hauling it home whole, and that was what he was gonna do! Plus the wind had died down now and he was giving off plenty of body heat, so he'd be fine for awhile without the layers. Convincing himself that this was indeed an acceptable plan, Daybreak quickly peeled off his other two shirts. Taking one rope at a time, he slid each end through the head of a shirt, then wrapped the shirts body and arms around as many times as he could manage, creating a thicker cushion right where the ropes would tighten against his shoulders. It was quick and not at all pretty, but as he resumed his position in front, he could confirm that it was indeed effective for the moment. Even though the cushion that the scrunched up shirts provided his arms was only slightly better than what wearing them had given him, it made a world of difference in terms of pain. Now the tightness created against his shoulders felt much more tolerable than before.

With that hurdle overcome, he resumed his journey. Taking three steps, the pressure resumed against him, but this time, much lesser thanks to his clothes, and he was able to focus solely on the strength needed to yank the trunk, and the cold against his bare chest. Getting the tree to start moving again was the hardest part, but once he gave another hearty heave, the trunk began to slowly crawl forward inch by inch. It was a strenuous not at all pleasant feeling, but he was fueled by stubbornness and determination, his ultimate combo for getting things done!

The march back to the house seemed considerably longer now that he was hauling a tree back with him. Every other foot felt like it consumed all his available energy, and he wished for nothing more than to simply fall back into the snow. Yet somehow he persevered. Step by step, foot by foot, he pulled the tree along, keeping his eyes firmly planted on the break in the tree line. That break, which never seemed to grow any closer no matter how much he moved towards it. Sweat dribbled down his nose, creating an insatiable itch that he dare not scratch. If he slowed down for even a moment, he would not get the trunk moving again, he simply lacked the strength. He had to ignore the itch, ignore the pain in his lower calves, ignore the strain in his arms, and ignore the fact that the fucking wind seemed to have disappeared from existence when he craved it the most!

An eternity passed during which Daybreak found himself imagining how simple something like this would be if he had his magic. To simply snap his fingers and make it so. Perhaps if he thought about it enough it might happen? Alas, that would sadly be counter productive...but he craved it still. The searing, burning ache in his arms and back were helpful reminders of why. Eventually the end neared and Daybreak finally saw the tree line growing larger in his vision. The last few yards were the worst. For the moment he broke into the clearing he wanted to simply drop, but knew he had to pull it ever slightly closer. Heaving his last heaves, he hauled the massive trunk past the shed and towards the front of his house, some twenty yards from the porch, before finally relenting. Even as he allowed himself to fall face first into the snow, he kept one fist raised up in victory.

After a moment of simply allowing the cold to numb his chest, he heard a light applause some ways away. Lifting his slush covered face, he saw Rainbow standing in the doorway, withholding laughter and applauding his endeavor. He smiled, but did not get up, instead he simply rolled over and pressed his back to the tree trunk, pushing himself into a semi sitting position. Apparently taking after his example, Rainbow exited the house with next to nothing on except panties and a shirt, then came to plop beside him in the snow. Silence hung for a moment as she watched Daybreaks chest rise and fall with his hastened breathing. Once she was sure he was calm enough to pay attention, she patted the trunk of the tree.

“Wow, aren't you a fucking stud. Did you haul this thing here just to impress me or sate your own ego?” She poked him in the ribs while desperately trying to control her shit eating grin.

“Fuck...off...You're just...jealous!” He panted back, not having the energy for anything wittier.

“Yep. Ego.” Rainbow nodded, as if that confirmed it. “Well now that you've proven you can do it, how about taking the easier method next time and just carrying it here in logs?”

“That sounds...like...a great...idea.” Daybreak panted, still not fully catching his breath.

Rainbow leaned over, opting to lounge across Daybreaks sweaty lap and chest, rather than continue providing her own energy to sit up. She stretched out her arms and legs, making sure to lay her butt on him as much as possible, as if she was trying to keep from touching the snow. Growing briefly annoyed as she practically smothered him against the tree, Daybreak let out a groan. Rainbow chuckled in response

“Shaddup and let me lay on you, my butt is cold!”

Forcing in a full breath at last, Daybreak heaved out his reply “Then what the heck you come out here for idiot?”

Rainbow continued to roll all over him like an abusive cat demanding attention “I dunno…maybe I wanted to fuck in the snow...could be fun.”

“For you maybe, your junk doesn't shrink in the cold...” Daybreak mumbled back. Then he pushed Rainbow off him, letting her face fall flat in the snow “Keep it in your panties for now Skittles. I still gotta get food.”

Rolling over, Rainbow wiped herself off as she began to shiver “Boooooo! Boo I say!”

Not even bothering with a response, Daybreak helped pull Rainbow to her feet, before turning to retrieve his shirts from the tree. Once he had successfully reapplied his clothes and rescued the axe from the trunk, he turned back to find Rainbow, topless, holding her shirt and one hand and his jacket in the other. Wiggling her eyebrows, she snickered at him “Hurry back.” Then turned and walked back to the house without a word.

Daybreak was speechless, not just from Rainbow actions, but from the fact that she'd actually taken off most of her clothes in this weather. Even without wind, Daybreak had found being shirtless only slightly better than having the ropes squeeze the life from him. After a moment of standing there like an idiot, he came to his senses “...Succubus took my jacket...” He loosed a sigh “Fucks sake...”

There was no way he was retrieving it without getting molested, so it looked like he'd be hunting without it. Whatever, he didn't really need it. Unless the wind picked up again, two long sleeved shirts should be more than enough. Before moving back out, Daybreak patted his side, confirming the machete was still attached, checked his shirts to see that they were both tucked into his pants for extra warmth, and examined the handle of his axe, making sure it had not chipped or dulled at all. With all his clothing and items accounted for, Daybreak once again, made for the tree line.

With the firewood situation out of the way, his next goal was to learn what animals inhabited the woods, and how many of them he and Rainbow could make meals of. If there was time, he also hoped to find berries and mushrooms, to add variety to their new diet. He had basic knowledge of wild berries, and a little less than basic knowledge about mushrooms, so he'd stick to the fruit first if possible. Unless Sunset had seen fit to stock the library with info on the local flora and fauna, there was no point in risking the consumption of random mushrooms.

It was relatively easy for Daybreak to follow his first path back into the woods, since the indent he'd left with the tree was still very visible in the snow. It was quiet as he walked, with only his breathing and the soft crunch crunch of the snow beneath him to distract his mind. The silence should make locating other life nearby that much easier; not relying so much on his eyes, but on his ears for any sound that might indicate a disturbance. Even the faintest sound would seem ear shattering in this forest, seemingly devoid of all motion.

Truth be told, it was slightly unnerving, having nothing to hear around him. A forest was usually bustling with the sounds of nature, even in snowfall. He should be able to hear birds chirping, bushes rustling, and stiff leaves crackling underneath footsteps, things that would normally indicate life. But there was nothing. No sound at all but his own breathing, his own steps in the snow. Ordinarily this would have been fine with him, silence meant solitude, a thing he'd learned to enjoy in his years of travel. But now, it was aggravating, and dare he think it, a little worrisome? In fact, he was feeling an overwhelming sense of deja vu about him right now. A familiar feeling kept nagging at his mind, telling him he was being watched. He could feel it. Somewhere a pair of eyes was watching him.

A slight twitch made itself present in his fingers, as his grip around the axe tightened instinctively. Daybreak stopped walking and looked around, carefully eyeing his surroundings. If something was watching him, it was doing a damn fine job of remaining hidden. He hadn't heard a single sound that was not his own since he'd reentered the wood. Eyes darted, scanning every bush and snow mound nearby. He saw nothing, but somehow, that didn't convince him that nothing was there. As if to make a statement, he slowly hoisted the axe upwards and left the blunt end of the blade to rest on his right shoulder, making it fully visible to anything that might be looking at him. Strangely enough, as he did this, the feeling in the corner of his mind faded. After a moment, he felt his body relax, no longer feeling eyes on him. Whatever was out there had decided he was not worth the risk.

Keeping more alert now than before, Daybreak continued onward. He was pushing beyond the point he'd chopped down the tree, which meant things would become even more unfamiliar. The trees seemed to tighten up the deeper he progressed, instilling a mild sense of confinement in him. His nerves, along with his senses, were on high alert, feeling, listening for anything living. If he could squint his ears he would have, for he was straining for even the slightest of noises to alert him to something, anything else out there! But silence continued to greet him with regular occurrence. So consumed was he with listening, that his sight was practically discarded and he nearly walked face first into a large pine tree. It had seemed to spontaneously grow in front of his path. He caught himself at the last moment, and was surely grateful for doing so, because as he peeked around the large trunk, he finally spotted other life!

There, just a bit further ahead, was a small hare casually lifting its nose towards the sky. It was likely listening for random idiots who might accidentally walk into a tree, so as to make a quick disappearance before being spotted. Luckily, Daybreak was not one such idiot, and had instead spotted the creature while still remaining hidden. What was more, the rabbit was only a few feet away from something even more important than food...a river. Daybreak had not even realized they were anywhere near flowing water, but was thankful for it. Gathering from a stream was much more preferable to his other plan, of gathering and boiling snow for drinkable water.

The little hares nose twitched once more towards the sky, sniffing for any Daybreaks that may be near. Silently, Daybreak stood, with barely his nose peeking around the tree, watching his future dinner try and sniff him out. Once the tiny morsel deemed the area clear, its head lowered back to the snow and it casually hopped towards the stream. Daybreaks grip on the axe loosened, as he slowly, and very cautiously, lowered it into the snow. He was not confident in his ability to kill that rabbit with the axe, the machete however, was a different story and something he was more accustomed to. Slowly, he unsheathed the weapon and held it off to his right, blade outwards. Before moving he made a mental note of the tree and where he'd lain his axe, so as not to forget it afterwards. Once he was sure the hare was occupied with taking a drink, Daybreak slowly broke from behind his tree, and began to scoot ever so slowly towards it. He did his best to keep as much of his body hidden behind bushes and other trees as he neared closer, never taking his eyes off the small animal. However, there was about ten to fifteen feet of open area between the last bush and the river. He would have to move quick, and strike quicker to take the hare by surprise.

When he'd pushed as close as he could while remaining hidden, Daybreak stopped and steadied himself. He judged the distance he must move once more, than took a deep breath. One breath, two breaths, three breaths. The hares head twitched, looking just slightly more away from his direction than before. This was his chance! He leapt!

Breaking from cover Daybreak sprang from the bush and made a mad dash at the rabbit, machete raised! He made it to his seventh step before a familiar feeling swam down his spine, filling him with dread! The eyes reappeared on him...and he was short one weapon. In less than the second it took him to lift his head, a wolf broke from the opposite side of the stream and made a beeline across it. The hares gaze came up, eyes locking onto Daybreak as he skidded to a halt less than ten feet away. Daybreak raised the machete, ready to strike at his oncoming aggressor, just as the hare came off the ground to attempt escape!

Daybreak realized too late who the wolfs actual target was. The poor hare never made it more than a step before the flash of silver fur jumped the short stream and snatched the small rabbit straight out of the jump it had attempted to make in retreat! The wolf landed and rolled in the snow, coming back to its feet in one seamless movement that would have made most gymnasts salivate themselves. Daybreaks mouth hung agape as the beast stared into his eyes. It looked at him, mockingly swinging the hare back and forth in its maw. The rabbit was limp in the wolfs mouth, the first bite had likely snapped its tiny neck instantaneously.

The wolf turned its back to him, and began walking back towards the cover of the bushes. A sour taste lingered in the back of Daybreaks mouth. There was no way he was letting this mut get one up on him. Not after the last encounter he'd had with its pack. “Stop!” He yelled, taking an aggressive step after the beast, though not really expecting it to react. Instead, it did just as he'd asked, and stopped. A brief moment passed, where Daybreak allowed the surprise to wash over him, and fade before the wolf actually turned back around to face him. Perplexed, but still weary of what this might mean, Daybreak spoke to the wolf again, feeling rather foolish as he did.

“I can't let you take that.”

Unbelievably, the wolf actually reacted to his words. Well, it snorted at him, which was technically a reaction. However, was it a mocking one? Something in the back of his mind told him it was. This was only reinforced when the wolf started to turn away from him again. Feeling a certain nerve being tweaked the wrong way, Daybreaks temper quickly shot up. “If I have to, I'll take it from you!” He bellowed, tightening his grip on his machetes hilt! Again the wolf turned to face him fully, but this time it did not snort. Instead, it slowly lowered its jaw towards the snow, and dropped the hare at the base of its paws. For a moment, Daybreak believed he'd been given the rabbit, but then the wolf moved to stand over top of its kill, and emitted a low growl in his direction. He understood what that meant. If he wanted it, he'd have to fight for it.

The moment he'd entered the woods, Daybreak had accepted that he'd likely run into these beasts again, and he would not be backing down this time. Though only now, when he was faced with one, and met its gaze, did he understand what that really meant. The beasts eyes were totally different from his, just like its larger brethren. Not just in shape, but in feeling. Daybreak could feel the ferocity behind this animals stare, and he knew if he wanted any chance of success, he'd have to be equally so. He steadied his stance as much as he could, and waited for the wolf to attack first, machete at the ready.

Daybreak blinked, and the wolf struck! He barely saw it move as it dashed like a silver blur across the snow, coming straight at him! Though taken a back by its unnatural speed, Daybreak was still prepared to fight back. Just as the wolf neared, Daybreak swung the machete in an upwards diagonal swipe towards his left, attempting to catch the beast across the jaw with his blade. But the steel never found flesh. Just as he was sure he would strike the beasts open maw, the wolf changed directions in an instant, sailing under his outstretched arm and making a grab for his right limb! The wolfs teeth sunk into Daybreaks flesh, easily piercing it like a hot knife on butter! The machete fell from his grasp almost instantly and plopped helplessly into the snow. Daybreak winced in pain as the teeth gripped him, but before he could try and recover, the wolf gave a firm yank downwards, and down Daybreak went, pulled by pain and a need to keep his arm attached. He hit the ground hard, right shoulder first, which didn't aid his increasing pain level. He swore loudly as a face full of snow greeted him. A moment passed where the wolf released him from its grip, likely to make a grab for his jugular. Sensing this, Daybreak quickly rolled towards his left, bringing his left knee to plant firmly in the ribcage of his assailant, and knocking it momentarily off balance.

Pain screamed its way into Daybreaks brain as he pushed himself off his now bleeding forearm, and watched the limb dangle uselessly at his side as he stood up. It wasn't immobile or numb, but just the thought of motion caused pain enough to send spots into his vision. How had getting stabbed been less painful than this? Realizing he had no time to relax, he quickly shook the daze from his eyes, in time to see the wolf make another lunge! With no time to try and retrieve the machete, Daybreak could only throw himself to the side as the wolf soared by, missing his other arm by less than a tooth. The beast landed, but didn't waste the moment, so neither would he. Daybreak rolled in the snow coming upright just after the wolf rounded, and winced as his arm reminded him it was still there.

Not wasting a moment, the beast attacked again. But this time, it was not with a powerful lunge, but a deceptive dash to the side. Moving at a speed nearly too fast to track unaided, the wolf darted at him in a zigzag, making predicting its next striking point difficult. Daybreak however, was prepared this time. As the wolf leapt, he knew he'd have no time to react, so instead, he took the hit. The wolf lunged for his right side again, but instead got a face full of knee as Daybreak threw up his only means of defense. On contact the beast bit down hard, sending a surge of crimson spots into Daybreaks vision, but he pushed through the pain and followed through with his own counterattack! As the jaws chomped down around his knee, Daybreak pushed upwards with all his might, forcing the wolf off balance! They both fell, but the mut refused to let go, just as Daybreak predicted. Daybreaks leg, along with most of his weight came down hard on the beasts jaw, pinning it underneath him. Immediately understanding its disadvantage, the wolf sunk its teeth ever deeper into Daybreaks limb to force him off! But he did not budge, now holding the advantage, Daybreak delivered a swift, but firm punch straight into the wolfs snout, hopefully filling its gaze with the same spots that had graced him seconds ago! That wasn't it for him though, he followed up by placing his full weight against the beasts jaw and grasping it firmly around the throat with both his hands. Daybreak grabbed, and squeezed the wolfs throat for all he was worth! There was no way to know if he had sufficient strength to deprive the mut of oxygen with his current strength, but it was worth a shot now that he had him!

Fingernails dug into the wolfs throat as deep and hard as he could muster the strength to allow. Sensing the danger it was in, the wolf was forced to relinquish its grip on Daybreaks knee, in an attempt to bring in more air with a wider jaw. Sharp and raspy snarls of sound sputtered forth from its maw as Daybreak took his moment of freedom to quickly shift his weight, just enough to move his knee onto the wolfs throat. Now with his full weight pressed against the beasts windpipe, it began to panic. Its limbs flailed every which direction, attempting to flop, scratch or slash its way free! Daybreak, now with both his hands free, took his chance to further weaken the beast by delivering rapid punches to the left and right side of its rib cage! The wolf yipped and snarled in pain as Daybreak assaulted it unrelentingly, fueled by the burning adrenaline the agony in his right arm brought him!

After several seconds passed, during which Daybreak did nothing but deliver blow after blow into the animals ribs, the flailing finally stopped. The snarls ceased, and the wolfs limbs fell flat against its chest. A sigh of relief escaped Daybreaks lips as he tasted victory. It tasted like iron. Or was that blood? He didn't know or care as he slowly began to peel himself off of the large predator he'd conquered. Now satisfied with himself and his own efforts, Daybreak finally felt his body relax.

Unfortunately, the absolute second he released pressure on the wolfs windpipe, it struck at him! Catching him completely off guard, the wolfs jaws closed at his face. With nothing but pure instinct to protect him, Daybreak found his wounded right arm coming up to shield his eyes and neck! The wolfs mouth closed and Daybreak found that his arm took most of the blow as the crunching of bone and warm sputtering blood told him that the limb was now useless. With any luck, the adrenaline swimming in his veins would hold off the pain long enough for him to pull through this. Even with his arm taking the brunt of the hit, he still felt sharp canines reach the side of his cheek and grip down on his head! Daybreak was granted a full view down the beasts throat as it clamped its mighty jaws on his face. The wolf gave him no time to ponder his situation, as it suddenly unleashed a surge of ungodly strength, lashing its body to the right and flinging Daybreak away from it! How his neck did not snap was a miracle to behold as his body rag dolled several feet before coming to a stop against the base of a tree.

The surrounding area spun in Daybreaks gaze as he desperately attempted to keep himself awake and semi upright, despite barely supplying the will to draw in breath. The throbbing pain in his head told him he should shut his eyes, lie down and accept defeat. But as he noticed the wolf wobbling its way back to a standing position, he knew that there was no chance of that. Not now, when he was so close. Pushing off the ground with his one good limb, he attempted to stand up, but his body refused him. The throbbing became unbearable as he attempted to put pressure on his legs. A familiar warm and wet feeling was becoming noticeable across his scalp, he could feel something spreading through and sticking to his hair.

"Oh joy" he thought. "I'm bleeding from my head now too."

But there was no time to assess his own state, the wolf was preparing for a another attack, likely its last judging by the state it was in as well. Like him, it barely seemed have the energy it needed to stand. Again, Daybreak put his hand back, this time behind the tree and attempted to push himself up with a little more leverage, but it was useless. Red danced in his eyes as his world spun, and his legs gave out underneath him. He slumped back against the tree, there was no way he was getting up. But perhaps he didn't have to? As his left hand fumbled in the snow just behind the tree, he felt something there...a wooden handle? Surprised, he took a moment to confirm where exactly he'd been thrown, as the wolf made its attack.

The beast sprinted, with the last flickers of its energy visible in its wobbled run. But still, Daybreak could see by its fiery gaze and snarling teeth, it still held more than enough strength to rip his throat out if it got ahold of him! The beast closed the distance between them in barely a moment and was upon him. Daybreak made his decision as the wolf pounced. His left hand tightened around the handle, and he pulled his weapon from behind the tree, swinging it towards the wolf for all he was worth! The beast showed clear surprise in its eyes as the blade of the axe came into view, and struck it clean in its ribs. Daybreak forced his swing to follow through, slashing across the wolf rather than digging into it. The handle slid from his grip as his last bits of energy went into the full swing rather than maintaining a firm hold, and the axe soared away from him rather unceremoniously once it left the wolfs flesh. The beast yipped a very puppy like sound as the impact and pain made it lose any momentum it had! Crashing into the bushes beside Daybreak, the predator skidded to a halt and lay still on the ground, limp and unmoving except for low pitched yips of pain.

Oh how Daybreak hoped and begged the wolf to stay down. Not verbally of course, for that would have taken too much effort. But he thought it. He thought it hard! No axe, and no machete, with one mangled arm, and he couldn't stand? He was done, spent, and he knew it. If that thing got up again, he was finished. A pool of red that was not his own began to seep out from underneath the beasts furry chest, and gloss over his own resting fingers. The wolfs blood was hot to the touch, but he was too tired to try and move his mangled hand from it, nor would he have if he could. All he cared about now, was watching it, waiting to see if it would somehow rise up again. For an entire two minutes, Daybreak did nothing but stare at the beast barely three feet from him. It made no attempt at movement, but its low yips of pain never ceased. So it wasn't dead, but wasn't getting back up either. After five minutes passed, Daybreak allowed himself to accept that this time, the beast was staying down. Exhaustion took hold of him tightly as the realization of victory spread out in his mind. He wasn't aware of his eyes closing, but at some point they did, and his head hit the snow seconds later.