//------------------------------// // Chapter six - Development // Story: Once in a lifetime // by Echolocation //------------------------------// Twilight was pacing again. Quite an unhealthy habit, sure, but old habits die hard. After a few rushed tests, now even science had proved that yes- it was sentient, and yes- there was a small possibility that it was, or would become at this rate, sapient. It could almost understand her at this point, sensing her increasing frustration like a common domesticated pet would. Another detail Twilight couldn't have missed if she had tried is that it had grown a few inches, and it's skeleton had hardened enough to it could stay upright. Yet another anomaly or loophole in the rules of all she had been taught as a little filly in Celestia's school. The room had gone silent for a few minutes, before a loud excited burbling echoed throughout the room. Wasn't it chirping before? The creature was gesturing to something on her head with one of it's tendrils, and patting it's head with another. Twilight lifted her hoof and raised it to the point where the creature was now wildly gesturing to her. Her hoof brushed the top of her horn, causing a few violet sparks to spurt from the point of contact. It had stopped flailing now, instead performing an action that could be only described as jumping for joy. Twilight pointed at her horn. "You want... my horn?" Her sentence was cut short by a mix of burbles and squarks in an excited tone. Well... this thing seemed friendly enough? Her calculating side got the better of her, therefore she set up a few anti-drain wards just in case 'Chirper' tried anything nasty. You could never be too careful. With some hesitation, Twilight lowered her head into the sanctuary and her horn scraped a scar into the sand. She could hear Chirper's hoofsteps- footsteps? Move towards her, and braced herself for the worst as the little creature rubbed against her horn. Nothing seemed to happen, for one minutes, two minutes and then Chirper was done with whatever they had been doing. Twilight rose out of the sanctuary and pulled up a mirror with her levitation to check if any physical damage had been inflicted on her. Nothing, not even scratches from where the claws might've dug into the bone. As Twilight got lost in thought thinking about what in Celestia's mane Chirper had done, a new sound arouse from containment. It wasn't the Shrill cry of a bird nor the murmuring of a bubbling pot, instead it sounded distinctly pony-like. Twilight cautiously peered over the rim of the constructed environment to witness Chirper forming a forth leg, the tissue stretching out and reforming to accommodate the new appendage. The ends of each foot were still two toed, however sparse lilac fur covered the entirety of it's body barring the feet. She watched it grow, from a reasonable 2 inches to 8 within a matter of minutes, bones slowly cracking and reforming, and yet the creature showed no hint of pain on it's face, only enthusiasm. With this new, and, uh, unique development, Twilight made the executive decision to write a fairly worried letter to the Princess, trying to finish it before Celestia settled down to sleep. --------------- Tf'kt could only feel a sense of pride in her stalking abilities when she had pinned the yellow creature to the ground in hopes of taking the energies that sat snugly within it's chest that promised intellect and power for her. The creature was shaking violently under her five-toed paw and making vague squeaking noises whenever Tf'kt pressed a sensitive point. Somehow Tf'kt knew that if she extinguished this creature's life, then the light within it would be snuffed as well. No, she had to be careful with this extraction. The most power was leaking from the base of the wings in large amounts as it flapped violently. Tf'kt leaned down and lightly scraped it's teeth along the joint between the body and the wings. Almost instantaneously she felt a surge of energy fly through her nerves as she sapped the creature's energy from the easiest source. The world snapped into focus and the world became more vibrant as her brain evolved to take in colors never seen before. Tf'kt straightened up as newer, sturdier bones crept into her wings, providing a solid wingspan that could hold her up in flight. Out of all of those changes, none shocked her more than the well of energy pooling within her, making her head buzz and wings flap wildy. Through her blurry gaze she saw the creature flung off to one side against a tree, fur strangely grey, the light from before put out, cowering pathetically. Just as she went to move in for the final blow, an unfamiliar voice rang out in her head: Why should we kill the creature? It has given us power beyond our wildest dreams. We should leave it here, and let the wildlife pick it off. It would be the least we could do to show our gratitude. Tf'kt reluctantly agreed and proceeded to move back to the pack's resting grounds. What awaited her was not the picture of what she had left behind, the orange sunrise shining into the Alpha's furious eyes. Alpha turned his ears back and gestured to the rest of the resting grounds. It felt weird to read body language now. {How dare you leave your pack unguarded for a stupid youngling adventure!} {I am sorry Alpha.} {Sorry will not do! You are hereby exiled from this pack!} Tf'kt's Yellow eyes flashed as she filled her paw with concentrated energy from within and brought it down on the Alpha's head with lightning fast speed. Before he could get up, she snapped his spinal cord with her hardened jaws. The rest of the pack watched on in shocked horror as a pack member only so much older than a hatchling decimated the previous steadfast leader. {I now control this pack!} {Any opponents will meet the same fate as R'thl, should you dare challenge me!} She howled, using the previous Alpha's birth name. {I will not settle for an endless cycle! We will expand, and grow stronger and smarter! Soon, we will rule the planet!} Tf'kt straightened her back and let out a wordless howl, and eventually others joined in to the orchestra of voices that rang across the woods. ----------- Another tear escaped from Fluttershy's eye as she curled up in a ball, her magic and energy drained from her, so much that she couldn't stand. She started to shake in fear when loud animal howls spread to each corner of the forest, wary that even in the sunlight, one of those things could be hiding in every bush, behind every tree, around every corner. She barely noticed when a flurry of leaves swept past her as her vision faded into darkness. Into a sleep that she might never wake up from. Goodnight, Fluttershy.