"Ah... That's the feeling I'm used to in the morning."

Twilight awoke in pain.

She slowly opened her bleary eyes.

"Oh my!" a soft voice exclaimed, "Girls! I think she's waking up!"

As her eyes attempted to focused, Twilight could make out the distinct color schemes of all her friends plus the two additional figures of Catcher and Screw Loose.

"Girls?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, it’s us Twilight." Fluttershy replied gently.

"I'm here too mistress!" Screw Loose happily proclaimed, "You sure showed those wood-wolves mistress! But please don't catch on fire in here... this place is kind of... flammable."

Twilight suddenly became very focused very fast. "Are Applebloom and Sweetiebell safe?" she flailed her limbs, bicycling until she flipped and could stand up.

A little woozy, but otherwise alright, Twilight looked around the gathered ponies. She looked to Applejack and Rarity. Neither looked like they were mourning the loss of their sisters.

"They're fine Twilight. Thanks to you." Fluttershy reassured.

"Oh thank Celestia!" Twilight said, slacking up a bit.

Applejack stepped up to Twilight, "Twi, I need ta' thank ya' for saving Applebloom 'n me." The farm pony's expression began to crack, "I was-" it broke as she threw her hooves around Twilight's neck, "I was so scared!" she sobbed "I thought I was gonna lose ma' sister!"

Twilight allowed the farm pony to cry into her coat unabashed.

After some time and many tears, Applejack gave one final squeeze and backed off of Twilight.

Rarity came up next, "I was not made aware that Sweetiebell was in danger until she didn't come home. I merely assumed she was staying over with Applebloom until I went over to the farm to make sure." the fashion pony looked Twilight in the eyes, "If what I’m told is accurate, I owe you a great debt Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight turned to the pegasus healer, "Fluttershy, could you please translate for me?" She gave a nod and Twilight began, looking the fashonista in the eyes as Fluttershy translated. "Don't worry about it Rarity, I know you would have done the same for Spike and me."

Rainbow Dash lifted off of the ground, "Ok! Ok! Now that we've gotten all the sappy stuff out of the way, I have two important questions. First, who are these ponies?" she floated directly above Catcher and Screw Loose and pointed strait down at them like they were statues in a garden.

With Fluttershy as intermediary she introduced the pair, hoofshakes were extended to Catcher, but Screw Loose was another matter.

"Aren't you just darling! That snow-drift mane! That summer-sky blue coat! Surely you must take the best care of yourself!" Screw loose tilted her head in confusion at the babbling pony. "You simply must tell me how you manage to keep your coat's luster so- so- natural! Is it-"

As the white mare continued to ramble, Screw Loose could see her gesturing to her body.

Oh! Is my fur mussed?

Screw Loose was not a perfectionist in any regard, but she knew if she presented poorly, it reflected back on the pack leader, and she couldn't have that.

"-or is it some kind of herbal conditioner? I must know!"

Rarity's question was answered by an unwitting demonstration of the mare's particular coat-care techniques.

"What are you-? Oh sweet Celestia! Why are you-? That's disgust- No! Don't come near me! No! Get off! My coat! Stop! No! STOOOOOOOOOOP!" Rarity's cries fell on deaf ears.

The girls watched as their new acquaintance leapt on top of Rarity and began licking her face.

"HEEEEEEEELLLLP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Rarity cried as the others looked on in varying levels of shock and amusement.

"Girls, this is Screw Loose." Twilight told them via Fluttershy, "She's a little different, if you can't tell. I wish she could talk to you like I- Wait!" Twilight magically separated the overly friendly mare and the defending fashionista.

"Screw Loose, meet Fluttershy. Fluttershy, meet Screw Loose."

Screw loose eyed the yellow mare, "Pack leader, what-?"

"Nice to meet you Screw Loose." Fluttershy said reservedly.

"She speaks!" Screw Loose exclaimed, practically

Twilight let out a chuckle that sounded more like a growl, "Yes she can speak to us, in fact, she is known for her ability to communicate across species."

"A pony that speaks canine! Imagine! That's crazy!" Screw Loose exclaimed. "Are you a part of mistress's pack?" she asked as she jumped at the butter pegasus.

"Uhm... I guess... Twilight is the leader of the Elements of Harmony... So she's kind of our leader..." Fluttershy said, meekly raising a hoof to gesture to the pack of mares.

"Wow mistress! Our pack is big! I thought it was just the three of us!"

"Well, as I keep telling you-" Twilight began, but was not able to make her point before terrified shrieks resonated through the windows of the tree from the freshly awakening Ponyville.

"Fluttershy, take everyone to the basement! Stay down there with the elements! I'll go check it out!"

She sprinted to the front door.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy shouted in an uncharacteristically loud voice, "We aren't just going to let you go alone! What if it's something we need the Elements for again?" It may have just been her animal form, but Fluttershy seemed unduly worried for her bestial friend.

"Fluttershy, I've carried an Ursa out of town before, and if it gets bad I promise to teleport down there and get the Elements with you, so just stay down there and have my tiara ready." Fluttershy nodded but still very concerned.

"Ok, but if it's bad-"

"At the first sign of trouble." Twilight reassured.

Fluttershy gave another nod and turned back to the group to convey the message. Rainbow and Applejack seemed upset with the plan, but Fluttershy eventually convinced them all to take cover in the basement.

As her friends descended, Twilight prepared for a fight. Her body and magic were recharged from a night of rejuvenating sleep, and she was ready to once again defend the town she had grown to love.

When she was sure the group was all safely downstairs, Twilight opened the door.

As she came out of the library her blood ran cold.

The Timberwolves from last night were back.

This time though, it looked like they brought the entire pack. Nearly a dozen wolves could be seen wandering the town.

She hadn't even fully processed the sight before one of the wolves saw what he was looking for.

"There she is!" he boomed loud enough to be heard across the town.

Every Timberwolf immediately dropped what they were doing and started running toward the library. Twilight slammed the door, locked it, and braced it with her body.

Eyes closed and teeth clenched, she held the door for what felt like an eternity. Anticipation held her firm, but no impact came. No pounding, no scratching, not even the sounds of the wolves barking. Minutes passed, and slowly her anticipation turned to confusion, and confusion turned to fear.

What were they doing?

She released the locks on the door and chanced a peak outside.

Outside lay over a dozen wolves, more than she had seen upon first glance. Something else struck her about the pack too: not only were there slightly more wolves than there were last night, but were also a few that looked to be around the size of ponies.

The thing that caught her attention the most about the Timberwolves gathered outside her door though, was HOW they were gathered outside her door.

They were all laying, almost prostrate, around her door. All had their hind legs tucked, front paws outstretched, and each had their muzzle on the ground, eyes closed as if they were all asleep.

"Chaser of the sun! We lay ourselves at your burning paws!" Twilight could see the speaker was the wolf she fought yesterday. "We pray you bear us no ill will, and we submit willingly to whatever is necessary to gain your favor."

Another wolf stumbled up from the side, with a small sack hanging from his jaw by its pull string "We brought you an offering as well!" He gently placed the sack at Twilight's paws, "We hope you like the taste of chicken! Feathers were getting everywhere while we were catching this one!" The wolf backed away with a bow, glancing to Bark Back, who gave him an approving nod.

Twilight stared in a mixture of shock and apprehension. "What? You killed a chicken! You murdered a poor, defenseless, innocent, cute, sweet..."

Twilight's mouth began to water. The thought of dead chicken was becoming a lot less barbaric and a lot more appetizing the more she thought about it.

After an exhausting afternoon and even worse evening, she had sadly missed dinner, and with her painfully exclusive diet of egg since her transformation, she was understandably, but absolutely, starving.

I'm a wolf. Meat is a wolf's natural diet. Of course I should eat it! it's only natural! Besides, if the chicken is already dead it would be terrible to just let it go to waste...

Without even a cursive glance to make sure the doors and windows to the tree were closed, she opened the sack.