-The Calm Before the Storm-

        Coalback sniffed the air in front of him, keeping his eyes closed. He had fallen asleep some time ago, but a new smell had roused him from it. The storm continued outside, but he couldn’t tell if it had gotten worse or better for them.

        He sniffed again. ‘What is that, it’s so familiar ...’ He thought to himself, raising his head to try and get a better sample of it with his nose.He was surprised when he heard hushed giggles coming from in front of him, and slowly opened his eyes.

        Sitting in front of him was a bowl, filled to the brim with scrambled eggs. Behind that the three little fillies sat, poorly concealing their mirth.

        “Good Morning!” They said loudly in unison, their exclamation finally pulling Coalback fully out of his slumber. He yawned, curling his tongue in front of his mouth as he did. “Oooooh.” All three said, staring intently at his rows of teeth.

        “Wow, Coalback. You sure have a lot of sharp looking teeth.” Sweetie Belle said in wonder, not even the slightest amount of fear piercing her smile.

        “Don’t say that!” Applebloom responded before Coalback could. “That’s rude, commentin’ on somepony’s teeth.” She argued, turning to look across Scootaloo and to her.

        “But he does!” Sweetie Belle responded, her voice squeaking.

        “DO YOU LIKE EGGS, COALBACK?” Scootaloo yelled, silencing her friends and asking her question at the same time. They all turned back to him, wide grins painting their faces.

        Coalback looked down at the eggs, a thoughtful expression decorating his wolf features. “That depends.” He started, rubbing his chin with a paw. “Who made these eggs? I don’t just eat anyone’s eggs, you know.” He eyed them, a playful spark shining in his eyes.

        “We did!” Applebloom said first, followed closely by similar responses from the other two fillies.

        Coalback looked to his side, for the first time noticing the empty place beside him. “And did you make these eggs all by yourselves?” He asked, shifting his gaze to a slightly open doorway. He briefly caught the image of two ponies darting out of sight.

        “Sure did!” Scootaloo exclaimed proudly, pushing the bowl closer to him. “So are ya gonna try some, or what?” She said hopefully.

        Coalback smiled, he couldn’t help it. Children always had a way of innocence, even in dire consequences. He leaned down, sniffing at the eggs carefully. He could smell some sort of herbs, maybe some onions.

        He used one of his paws to pull it in front of him and took a small bite of the eggs. He was pleasantly surprised, the eggs were only slightly burnt, just the way he liked them. He happily began eating them, looking up to see the fillies jumping up and down in joy.

        He finished the eggs, licking the bottom of the bowl so that he could get the last of the flavor.

        “So did you like it?” Scootaloo asked excitedly, hopping up and down in front of him.

Coalback pushed the bowl aside, quickly grabbing onto Scootaloo with his other paw and pulling her in close. He held her close while delivering an onslaught of slobbery, egg scented dog kisses.

“Aah!” She squealed, trying feebly to push him away and giggling the whole time. “No, stop!” Coalback only held on tighter, continuing to lick her all over. “Gah! It smells like eggs!” She laughed.

“Scootaloo’s bein’ eatin!” Applebloom yelled playfully, jumping onto his back.

“Get him!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, joining her friend in the impromptu wrestling match with Coalback.

Coalback stopped his licking, rolling onto his side playfully and waving his legs in a mock show of desperation. “Oh no!” He said in a bad acting voice. “My one weakness; tiny fillies!”

Scootaloo, finally free from Coalback’s relentless licking, stood up and shook herself. There was a bright flash, drawing their attention suddenly to the stairs.

Pinkie stood there, beaming happily from behind a large camera. Rarity was standing just behind her, helplessly trying to hide a grin behind her hoof.

“My, my, Coalback.” Rarity said, a mischievous spark in her eye. “I had no idea you were so good with fillies.” Pinkie began waving a piece of paper around, drying the film in the air. “Oh! Let me see, Pinkie.” Rarity said, turning her attention back to the pink mare.

“What are you doing?” Coalback asked, looking at them upside down and staying on his back. The two fillies held a similarly curious look, remaining in place where they had been wrestling with Coalback.

“I’ve been taking pictures!” Pinkie said in a sing-song voice, holding up the picture for him to see.

He turned over, dropping the fillies back to the floor where they gathered around the picture as well. There was Coalback, splayed out on his back with two fillies perched on top of him. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had their faces lit up with gleeful smiles; Applebloom was holding onto one of his arms, and Sweetie Belle was draped over his chest and pressing her hooves into his stomach. A blurry Scootaloo wasn’t very far away, still in the middle of shaking herself.

“That’s a great picture, Pinkie!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, only to be scoffed at by Scootaloo.

“No it’s not! Just look at me! I look ridiculous!” She said, pointing a hoof at her blurry image.

Coalback rose up, leaning to stretch his back, but stopping as he felt a tug on his hide there. He looked back, the fillies bickering falling into the background. His back was covered in stained bandages, one of them stretched funnily as he had moved. He sighed, opting to not ruin the bandages with further stretching and simply stood fully.

“Oh. Coalback, Dear.” Rarity said, her voice looped with concern. “You shouldn’t be moving yet, just sit down and rest awhile.” She came forward slightly, ready to help him back onto the floor if she had to, but Coalback shook his head.

“Just point me to the restroom, Rarity.” He said, scratching behind his left ear with one of his forepaws. The movement produced a clacking sound from the white spikes in his ear.

Rarity paused, a look of realization suddenly hitting her face as she pointed toward the door near the side of the room. He nodded, padding his way carefully over to it. He nosed the door open, slipping his head into the dimly lit kitchen.

“Nah don’t worry.” Came Rainbow’s voice, just behind another door leading out of the modest kitchen. “Fluttershy helped me with her cooler last night.” She said, some amount of awkwardness leaking into the words.

“Honestly, if ya had just told me that that was tha problem, Ah never woulda said those things. Ah’m really sorry about that by the way.” Applejack’s voice called out from the door as well.

Coalback padded over to it, opening it with his paw to reveal the two ponies. They were sitting in what looked like a washing room, a large wooden tub sitting in the corner with a washboard leaning against the wall nearby. Both the ponies turned to him, surprise dominating their features.

“Oo-pf!” Applejack stuffed a hoof into her mouth, cutting off whatever she was going to say before it became understandable.

Coalback’s curiosity was playing him. “What were you talking about?” He smiled, trying to alleviate any sort of concerns.

“Oh … Uh …” Rainbow tried, scratching the back of her head with a hoof.

“We were just … um …” Applejack started, her eyes darting around the room. They locked onto the wash tub. “Talking about wash tubs!” She said quickly, then stopping and smacking a hoof onto her face in a show of pure frustration.

Coalback sniffed, clearing his nose. “If you were talking about, uh-” He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. “mare … stuff. Then I can just go, I was looking for the restroom anyway.” He said, turning to leave out the door.

“Actually, Coalback!” Rainbow said, returning his attention to her. “When you’re finished, could you come up to Fluttershy’s bedroom? The girls and I wanted to ask you some questions.” Rainbow looked at him nervously, as if she were afraid of his answer.

“Okay, could you actually have her ready with more bandages. I want to change back, and I think it could rip off some of the bandages she put on.” He paused for a moment. “And do you have my cigarettes?” He asked, almost as if he already knew.

Rainbow blushed, pulling out the half full box from under her wing. “Yeah, uh … kinda been carrying it around. You know, just in case.” She clutched it close to her, smiling a little sheepishly.

Coalback smiled at her warmly. “Good, I’ll need one later.” He turned away heading back into the kitchen. When he had disappeared, Applejack turned back to Rainbow with something near a scowl on her face.

“Ya’ll can’t stay that close to ‘im fer much longer before he notices, ya know!” She said angrily. “If this storm don’t clear up by tonight, he’s definitely gonna smell it on ya!” She poked Rainbow in the chest, her scowl ever present.

“It’s fine!” Rainbow hissed back. “Besides, there’s only a few days left before it’s over.” She tucked the cigarette box back under her wing.

“That’s the worst time of it!” Applejack persisted. “I thought you always said that you didn’t want-” She paused, looking at Rainbow’s suddenly flushed face. “Yer not seriously thinkin that are ya?” She said, her expression going straight from protective aggressiveness to shocked concern.

“Well, I want to talk to him first. But yeah, I was sorta …” She trailed off, crossing her legs and shrinking under Applejack’s once more stern gaze.

“This is a really bad time ta be thinkin about this, Dash! And imagine how he would feel! Gah!” Applejack rubbed her temples. “Jus- Don’t do anythin’ rash. Okay, Rainbow?” She said, giving up on arguing with her. After all, it wasn’t her decision.

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to let him know. But I’m afraid of how he’ll take it. I mean, I don’t even begin to know what happens with mares in his country. Everything is sort of backwards there, so he could just shrug it off, or get really angry for all I know.” Rainbow said, her voice going quiet. A hoof gently placed itself on her shoulder, she looked up, meeting Applejack’s gaze.

“Look, sugarcube. Ah don’t know any more than you do. But Ah think that Coalback has shown that he has a pretty level head, on all things.” She shook her head. “Heck, if what ya told us was true, then Coalback didn’ even hold anythin’ against Dumb-Bell. Even after he attacked ‘im, twice.” She said, rubbing Rainbow’s shoulder encouragingly. “Ah would bet mah whole farm, on the fact that that there pony, will never get mad at ya fer somethin as silly as that.”

“Thanks...” Rainbow said, sighing in relief. This talk had really helped, but butterflies still flew nervously in her stomach. “Let’s just get the fillies settled and wait for him.” She collected herself, shuffling her feathers around a bit and walking out the door.

---

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy said, her quiet voice singing with shocked concern as she observed Coalback entering the upstairs bedroom.

“It looks worse than it is.” Coalback insisted, although his twitching wing and forced expression said otherwise.

He was bleeding again, crimson blood dripping to the floor slowly from his side. The shoulder wound had reopened, as well as many of the wounds along his back. And his wing had a completely untreated gouge out of it. He walked with a slight limp, his hooves clicking on the wood in a more hollow sound than usual.

And his fur looked different as well. Probably not noticeable at first glance, or even to somepony unfamiliar with it. But Rainbow Dash had come to closely examine the patterns in his fur, and while they hadn’t changed, his fur was much thicker than before. His eyes even seemed different; sharper, more focused … they were like a predator’s eyes.

Fluttershy rushed over, first-aid supplies in tow, and quickly began to clean, stitch, and bandage his wounds again. “You’ve ripped out a good portion of your stitches, Coalback. What were you doing down there? Um ... that is ... If you don’t mind me asking.” She asked, quickly shrinking back into her quiet self as she continued her work.

“Well, I was playing with the pups.” He said a little guiltily as Fluttershy gave him a glare. “Speaking of; where are they?” He asked.

“They’re downstairs, the bunnies needed to be fed.” Rarity said, cringing at the sound of something heavy dropping to the floor downstairs.

“Didn’t you say that your animals were hibernating at some point, Fluttershy?” Coalback asked her as she pulled on the thread and needle, sewing closed his shoulder.

“Most of them still are.” She said, biting off the thread and beginning to wrap the newly sealed wound. “But I had to wake up a few of them because their houses were getting flooded in the rain.” She said sadly, tying off the wrapping gently. “Th-that’s not too tight is it?” She asked shrinking a little as she realized that Coalback had been staring at her.

“No, but thank you. I would be in a little bit of trouble if it weren’t for your medical supplies.” He said, a reassuring smile teasing his lips. Fluttershy blushed, murmuring something unintelligible as she backed away from his newly bandaged form.

“So … uh … Coalback.” Applejack started, her eyes roaming the room as she tried to piece together her question in a way that would be understandable. “Rainbow told us about the stallions that got teleported to tha hospital.” She gulped, the images that Rainbow’s words had created resurfacing for a moment. “Was that … ya’ll … that did that?” She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Coalback’s expression fell, his features darkening. “I need a cigarette.” He said plainly, moving to take a seat near the edge of the room and motioning for the mares to gather around him. Rainbow Dash took a seat next to him, extracting the box from under her wing. She offered it to him as the rest of the mares took seats around him.

He tipped the box with his hoof, not taking it from Rainbow, and shook out a single white rod from the case. He grasped it with his lips, pulling it the rest of the way out. He repositioned it in his mouth, motioning for Rainbow to put away the box. He concentrated for a moment, dragging his hoof along the floor as if he was striking a match and brought it to the end of the cigarette.

It sizzled and sparked to life, spreading the stinking smoke that he liked so much into the room slowly. He took a couple of drags on it, letting out the smoke through his nostrils slowly. When he opened his eyes, they seemed much more relaxed. The familiar actions driving away the nervousness and guilt that would have hindered him before.

“First, tell me what happened after I ran into the forest.” He said, his eyes showing concern past the stinking smoke.

“Oh! Oh-oh-oh! Mememe!” Pinkie said excitingly, raising her hoof in the air and waving it wildly. Coalback smiled, nodding at her to continue. “Okay! So I was sneaking around in the bushes by the path, and I was being really sneaky, so nopony saw me. And then when you ran away I saw my chance to break everyone out!” Pinkie jumped up, beginning to mime out her actions as she spoke.

“I started sneaking toward them, and then I saw Rainbow Dash and that really big stallion. And he was leaning on her funny, and whispering something to her. But Dashie didn’t look like she wanted to hear his secret, so I got up and kicked him away!”

She jumped up in the air, performing a flying kick and landing on Fluttershy’s bed. She hopped back up, bouncing on the springy mattress and speaking quickly. “SothenIshowedhermycostume. Andthenweuntiedtheothersandcamehere, andthenyoushowedup. THE END!” She finished, her arms went up in the air, a beaming smile plastered to her face as she examined her audience.

Coalback turned to Rainbow, his face completely straight as he spoke. “So what happened?” Rainbow visibly flinched, becoming stiff as her mind recounted the memory.

“I just told you, silly!” Pinkie called from across the room, ignored by Coalback as he examined Rainbow’s reaction to the topic.

“Rainbow, was that stallion … threatening you?” He said, putting emphasis in his final statement and mixing it with a large portion of concern. Rainbow shrank under his gaze, nodding her head guiltily. “Rainbow this is important,” He said, putting a consoling hoof on her back. “Did that stallion try to make you do something?” Rainbow’s eyes watered slightly, and it was all the answer he needed.

“Tell me who he is.” He said, anger leaking through his words. “I’ll geld him, I’ll make that sorry excuse for a male wish he had never come near you.” He pulled her closer to him, his chest shaking with his rage.

“No, Coalback!” Rainbow said desperately, putting her hooves against his shoulders in a placating gesture. “Please, Coalback. Don’t hurt anypony, it was nothing. Pinkie took care of it anyway.” She leaned into him, weighing her words with the pressure she put on him.

Coalback calmed slightly, his breathing becoming regular again. “Okay.” He said, wrapping a hoof around her. “But Celestia will be informed of this. Immediately after the town is evacuated.” He said matter-of-factly, his words holding the stoic nature of mountains as he looked at her.

“Why again do we need so desperately to evacuate, Coalback?” Rarity interjected, trying to pull Coalback away from the morose topic.

“Hmmm,” Coalback stopped, puffing on his cigarette in thought. “Perhaps if I recount what happened in the forest it will become clear why.” He said, nodding as he continued to think.

He puffed out a ring of smoke, watching it rise to the ceiling and slowly fade away.

---

My legs burned. My breathing was fast and hard as I pushed forward as fast as I could on my hooves through the snow. Large clouds of vapor flew from my lips and flowed quickly behind me as I continued forward. Snow sprayed away from my hooves, spreading behind me in a wake of flakes and slush.

The sound of a wooden shaft bending in stress graced my ears just before a spearhead glazed across the back of my neck. White hot pain shot through my nerves in the wake of the offending projectile. That pain mixed with the burning in my wing, creating a cocktail of pain that brought a rush through my system.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins, every sound and sight growing sharper as it took effect. I could feel endorphins rushing through me in beat to my rapidly pulsing heart, searching to dull the pains so that I could continue. It was a distinct rush as I felt the skin of my eyes crawl.

‘JUMP!’ The Voice roared, it’s echoing voice filling my very being. I complied instantly, the speed of the thought driving my legs under me in a shunt of effort.

I soared upwards, connecting myself to the underside of a tree’s leafless bough. It shook slightly as it took my weight, but the stallions chasing me ran past a moment later, unawares as always.

‘It would seem that your hide has been saved, for now.’ The Voice echoed, no longer as urgent. I heard the stallions skid to a halt ahead, various orders speeding out of the wind. It only took a few moments, sitting in the dark, for a call to pierce the cold air and grace my ears.

“We end this now, WOLF!” Dumb-Bell’s voice echoed. I felt a growl forming in my chest, my lips pulled back in a snarl. Rage filled me at the sound of that voice, nothing but pure hatred for the stallion that had acted in his hatred of me, and hurt another.

“Indeed it does.” I whispered, the voice of the wolf echoing in my throat beside mine.

I felt my body twitch, but the pain was distant. It was almost like being under an anesthetic, not asleep, not fully numb either. It was like a distant tug against my hide as it stirred.

“Spread out and find him!” Dumb-Bell commanded in the distance, the dark of the storm hid them from my eyes however.

I snarled silently, my vocal chords stretching out and ceasing my efforts at creating sound. My muzzle stretched forward, the skin on my nose tightening as it reshaped. My hooves cracked, a familiar feeling now. I felt my pads stretch reflexively, revelling in the feeling of my claws scratching against the bark of the tree.

I could feel the endorphins racing through every part of my being, the feeling even more intense than a simple wound. It was a reflexive action of the body, my studies had told me that. But it was a feeling that could have toppled mountains, and nearly had before.

At last I felt the skin around my wings tighten, the movement causing a reflexive clench. If my body could have moved, I would have been writhing with pure ecstasy. It wasn’t nearly as numb as it had been the first time, or even the few times I had changed in forest.

This time I had complied with the Beast, not fighting against it or commanding it to do my will. We had come to an agreement, and this was always the reward. I shivered in rapture, feeling my body shake against the tree that I still clung to.

My ears swiveled, aiming themselves to the ground. A pony was running below, approaching my perch. My strong claws dug into the bark of the tree, the oversized dew-claws farther up my wrists giving me extra purchase.

I waited, silencing my growls so that I would remain hidden as the pony approached. I turned my head slightly, going completely prone, upside down. I could see him now, a spear was balanced in a tight grip with his horn’s light, he was examining the tracks.

I would have been impressed, if not for the fact that the approach of my prey was not so exhilarating. He was below me moment later, spotting a set of hoofprints that had simply ended. He examined them for a moment more, and I followed him with my gaze. He stiffened suddenly, realizing what the end of the tracks signified, and slowly turned his gaze upwards.

I took a deep breath through my nose, drinking in the smell of hot fear. His eyes widened as I came into his field of view, I heard his piss hit the ground under him as he froze in pure horror. His eyes widened, his body shaking. And I could see myself reflected in those eyes.

It almost didn’t even look like it could have been me. But that’s what all monsters think, isn’t it? Until that final moment of death, where absolution is finally clear, and far from grasp.

I was huge in his eyes. A large, bloody form clinging upside down against a bough. My claws and teeth gleamed in what little light there was. My eyes glowed, reflecting back the light from his horn. My fur was shaggy, rough from the slow transformation. I was terrifying.

But I was also very, very angry.

I snarled, his legs tensing in preparation to flee. But he was already too late, he had sealed his fate the moment that he had followed behind Dumb-Bell, had dared to have the gall to attempt to hunt me. I twisted away from the tree, pushing away from it to intercept him. I could already see his intended path, simply in the direct direction away from me ... stupid, like prey should be.

I landed on top of him, his legs collapsing under my weight. My tightly coiled muscles held him down, my jaws closing around his throat. It would only take one simple movement to take his life, but I stopped.

My jaws were locked tightly against his throat, I could feel his rapid pulse against my tongue, but I did not bite down. His desperate whimpers barely were heard over the constant growl that escaped my chest in rockslide of angry noise. I stopped, a thought crossing before my anger, like a brightly lit sign.

He has thought.

He made this choice. And I was making the choice to end his life, as miserable as it was, it was still his. I felt a part of me defy this, shaking in defiance of the thought. I had killed hundreds like him.

So why was this any different?!

My mind rebelled against me. What had once been fact had suddenly been washed away. My solid ground of determination turned to flowing, sinking, sand at the single thought. That he could think, like me ... like Rainbow Dash.

I shivered, my muscles spasming as I fought myself. Or was I?

I opened my eyes wide, suddenly seeing in clarity again. The Wolf had taken me over, the transformation hiding it as it slipped within and assimilated itself within my thoughts. But at the realization his spell broke, leaving me with a clear mind again.

I looked again at the whimpering, shaking stallion that I had held within my deadly jaws. I couldn’t help but whine quietly, I was going to regret this later.

I released his throat from my jaw, freeing it so that I could speak.

“You are guilty of crimes.” I said, my voice freezing the stallion’s shivering. “But I am not your judge, your jury, nor your persecutor. So I shall mark you for trial, you and your comrades shall answer to your princesses.” I hissed, my back leg rose up forcefully, tearing a long mark across his flank. It was like a large crossing out of his cutie mark, staining it red with his blood.

He cried out in pain, blood flowing down his side and into the cold snow on the ground. I gathered power in myself, drawing from the well of strength that powered the crystal.

“Cartref!” I barked, letting the word carry and shape the power before me. It was like a spider web of light formed underneath me, gathering about the stallion and lighting him with the spell.

Unlike the last spell I had cast, it was only meant to transport, not preserve. With a crack like thunder, and a flash of light that could have blinded, he was gone. The air snapping to replace the suddenly empty space, echoing out into the forest. My ring cracked again, a new fissure opening in it’s brass surface.

---

“So that’s why you didn’t kill them?” Rainbow asked, her voice quiet as her mind continued to create the images he had described. She looked at his arm, and the nearly destroyed ring there.

Coalback nodded silently, his eyes distant. Rainbow leaned in closer to him, wrapping her wing around him. He blinked rapidly for a moment, turning his head to look at her wing around his.

‘What is it about our two wings next to each other that intrigues him so much?’ Rainbow thought, rubbing his hoof with her own in an attempt to bring him back to the present. It worked momentarily, his eyes finally breaking away from her wing and looking back into her eyes. A small, sad smile peaked out from behind his cigarette.

“Yeah,” He finally replied. “it was pretty similar for the rest of the stallions as well. Tackle, speech about guilt, scratch out flank, teleport to hospital. I also used a bit of a perception spell that will discourage the unicorns from healing it so that there is no scar.” He finished, a small look of pride on his face as he finished.

‘He’s practically like Twilight, sometimes. Spells and thinking of everything. How did he ever get this smart?’ Rainbow’s mind mused, thinking in retrospect to his words.

“What about Dumb-Bell?” Rarity said, nervousness breaking her otherwise perfect mask of indifference with a shaking voice. “He didn’t look anything like the others did, or at least that’s what Rainbow told us.” She finished, her eyes darting over to Rainbow and then back to him, a subtle but sure movement.

“I confronted him fully, I wanted him to learn of what he had put at stake by attacking my pack. And he won’t be a problem to us anymore, he has been ...” Coalback paused trying to find the correct word again. “rehabilitated is almost the right word, so I’ll go with that. He has been rehabilitated.” He confirmed, nodding and taking another long drag on the cigarette.

“How’d ya manage to do that ta such a stubborn pony?” Applejack asked, disbelief shading her face.

Coalback didn’t answer, he simply let out the long breath he had taken. The cloud of smoke collected in front of him, reshaping as he blew out the smoke. The image of a wolf sprung from the cloud, it’s grey claws slashing toward Applejack.

She flinched as it passed through her, it’s attack simply flowing off her when it connected. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised the actual nature of the image, but shrank when she saw the dark glare Coalback held.

“I showed him what I could do, What I have done.” His words weighed heavily on them as they realized that none of them, not even Rainbow Dash, truly knew what he was capable of.

The sudden tension in the room was almost palpable.

“I found him in an old clearing, a snow buried cemetery that had been forgotten years ago.” Coalback continued, taking the break in stride and starting the tale again.

---

“WHERE ARE YOU!?” His rasping voice called, strain from barking orders and running after my ever elusive form. He turned around in the center of the clearing, trying to see all around him at once.

He held that knife in his mouth, the silver gleaming in the light of the magic orb that was following him. One of the more talented unicorns had done that for the non magical stallions, practically creating beacons for me to follow when I hunted them down.

Light was a strange thing. Almost any creature that has a well developed sense of sight seeks it. We seek it so desperately that we wrap our entire cities in undying lights, keeping daylight even on a moonless night. But in the dark, it is like a large sign reading; All You Can Eat.

It was on his third or fourth pan of the clearing that I revealed myself, my eyes clearly glowing against the black of the storm’s shadow. He froze in place instantly, an angry grimace twisting his face around the knife.

I let him stare me down for a few moments before licking away the blood on my claws, in clear view of his light. I saw his eyes widen as he realized what I was implying, but I decided to make sure.

“We won’t be disturbed.” I said, letting a growl mix with my words. The effect was almost instant, his confidence fading slightly. Whether he knew what I had done to his comrades was beside the point, I spoke what was truth. None of his friends were there to back him up this time.

He glanced down at his knife, he did so quickly, not willing to take his eyes off me for long. I had seen that look before, a scared animal.

“Don’t try to run,” I said quickly, noticing his stance shifting. “you’ll only die tired.” I finished, chuckling in the back of my throat. “Just let me say my piece, and I will let you live.” I said, an almost calming tone in my voice, even if there was a bit of teasing going on there too.

He scowled. “I don’t need to listen to anything those lying lips have to say.” He growled, twirling the knife in his mouth and tossing his head. “And I won’t need to run if I have this.” He said, indicating the knife in his teeth.

“You really think that little thorn will be enough to destroy me?” I asked, beginning to pace around him. He followed me with his head, keeping his eyes locked on me. My jibes were getting to him.

“I know for fact that Wolf-Ponies are burned by silver.” He said darkly, grinding his teeth on the knife hilt.

“And how do you know what I am?” I replied, my voice in actual question, but I continued before he could try and interrupt. “You don’t know anything, not for sure. Do you know my place of origin? Do you know how many lives I have taken?” I growled, baring my teeth. “I was part of the last pack, my family carried the legacy of my kind. All of them were bigger, stronger, and faster than I.” I paused, putting my claws on top of a gravestone that jutted out of the snow.

“And I killed all of them.” I said darkly, pulling my claws across the stone and digging deep lines through the rock, sharpening my claws. “I am the last of my kin, the last of the Blaidd-ddyn.” I snarled, the name of my kind sending shivers through me as it shook the very foundations of the Wolf inside me. “So do not think that I have not seen your kind before.” I said darkly, letting my words echo the eerily still air.

“What’s that supposed to mean? My kind?” He replied, I could smell his fear. I wanted him to drown in it.

“A righteous, self-centered ... murderer.” I said, sharpening my other set of claws. “I know this, because I grew among them. You merely adopted the killer’s instinct, I was born to it.” I jumped over the stone, baring my teeth. I watched him instinctively back away, tripping over a hidden stone under the snow. He landed on his flank, scrambling to get back on his hooves.

I let him rise again, his mane hanging untidily in front of his eyes. He was shaking with barely contained fear, that instinctive need to run blocked out by his pathetic pride.

He growled, something must have snapped in there, because the next thing he did was to rush me. I ducked under his knife, feeling the burning of the silver slide against my fur. I darted away from him, separating us again.

I looked back to where the knife had glazed over my fur, smoke rising gently from the singed fur. I turned back to him, a snarl twisting my face into the very image of rage. I looked at his eyes, and I saw it again. That thing that you see in a trapped animal’s eyes, that sudden mad instinct to strike out at it’s captor. It was all that encompassed his gaze, and I knew I had already won.

This time I made the first move, running at him, teeth bared and claws out. My jaws grabbed onto a lump of hide. I ripped upward, feeling his knife bury itself in my back. I felt it hit my shoulder blade and snap, leaving a shard of burning silver in my back. But I had made my mark as well, the meat of his neck was exposed to the cold air.

I heard thunder overhead as I retreated again.

My shoulder burned with fire, and I watched as Dumb-Bell gurgled in pain and fell to the snow. But he was very much alive, and very conscious. I took this as a chance to make my final demonstration to him.

“Do you know why I wear these rings, Dumb-Bell?” I asked, my tail wagging slightly as I smiled mischievously. He stared back at me, hate and pain in his eyes. He was pawing at the wound with his hooves, trying to stop the bleeding. “It is to protect you, all of you.” I said, letting an ominous tone linger into my words.

His eyes darted up to me again, but I interjected before he could speak. “You see, I was born of impure blood. My father one of the wolf, and my mother was one of the magi.” I flexed my arm, letting one of the rings slip off as it relaxed. It impacted the snow and glowed a dull red. “I am a volatile, cornucopia of uncontrolled power.” I flexed again, letting the second ring fall. I felt that familiar feeling, like being caught in the rapids of a river. “And before I came across my teacher, I was unaware. It was he who taught me how to control it, before it would have caught me by surprise and destroyed me.”

I shook off the last ring, growling at the shivers that ran up my spine. It was a feeling like taking off a restricting garment, or like pressure being released suddenly. It was satisfying to say the least.

“And when the rings are removed, my power is at it’s greatest, and least controlled.” I looked back at him, watching him writhe from the pressure of my uncontrolled energies flowing forth from me. “LOOK AT ME!” I commanded, the words seeded with power that would make him do as I said. His head shakily moved upward, bringing his gaze to meet mine.

He froze, his eyes going wider and wider, until I thought that they might simply burst from his skull. This was very different from a soul gaze. He screamed, a bloodcurdling wail of terror and pain.

I never knew for sure what they saw when I did this, I had only done it twice before. And I had used that distracted horror to destroy them fully, that had been an act of mercy. But I had plans for this one, he would be an example to the rest of his followers.

Thunder pounded through the air, shaking it with energy. Quickly following it, a warm rain pounded against the snow. The ground became slick and icy, slush forming puddles as the snow warped with the warmth of the liquid. All the while Dumb-Bell screamed, his eyes locked with mine as his mind unwound.

I broke the gaze after I had heard enough of his screaming, which quickly died down to maddened murmurings. I put the rings back on, my work and my revenge done. I turned back to him carefully, walking up to him so that I could concentrate the teleport more easily.

I lifted my head, looking about the clearing. Although through the rain, there was little to see. I gathered the energies I would need, finding random strings of energy to weave through the spell and give it structure.

And then the darkness turned to light, and I couldn’t feel my shoulder any more.