Wolves of Night and Blade: Book I

by One of Nine

11. I Hereby Dub Thee...

There’ve times when I couldn’t help but grumble at my sister’s freakishly bright orb. The times when, such as now, that my pleasantly thick curtains needed a washing, leaving me with a set of unholy thin drapes that failed completely to block Tia’s sun. I swear, there were times when I thought she made her sun brighter just for my spite. And the three hours of sleep I got last night thanks to a certain pink earth pony didn’t bode well for me.
Grumbling a few choice words for my ever-optimistic sister, I slowly sat up in my queen-sized bed. With the warm sheets covering my legs, my upper body was free to stretch and awaken as needed. However slowly that may’ve been. I decided to rub up my long muzzle to my furrowed brow, intent on trying to wake. Emphasis on trying.
After a minute, my body decided for me and I released a mighty yawn of yawns, vanquishing all other yawns before this morn. A whine escaped my throat as said yawn finished, something I’d gotten used to with this new body. Comparing the two; Alicorn and Wolf, would be like comparing a plump watermelon to a prickly dragon lemon. Both very different, but both… uhm, I’m too tired for analogies.
A few seconds passed as I flopped my way out of bed and over to my full body mirror, my reflection stared back at me with a drooping face, wearing a sky-blue extra-large shirt (No, I’m not fat, I just like a little extra room for when I sleep) and a pair of black shorts. My silver mane (I think it’s still called a mane) hung loose over my forehead. Unlike the former flowing mane I once sported, my new addition was still like any other mare’s mane, except the fact that it didn’t automatically bend into a set style. It was both a great annoyance and an interesting predicament. While I had to learn the basics of mane does all over again, the none flowing mane did give me more room to experiment.
‘Yes, please. Let’s get on with this day already.’ Groaned a very groggy Star, pressing her presents to the forefront of my mind. ‘We’ve got a lot of princess-y stuff to do but I don’t want us to overwork ourself.’
‘Yes, I know this. However much I’d like a few extra hours of sleep,’ I managed to yawn silently. ‘I can’t afford to dose off, we have a lot of work to do.’
Star was quiet for a moment before she spoke. ‘What if I took over for the day, that way you could catch up on sleep while I get to do all the boring work.’
I hummed in thought. I did like that idea, but Star’d never handled all the forms I signed day in and day out. And last time I let her take control, it involved a lawn mower, a crippled cross-bow, and a weeping gardener. But, she did manage to find out it was Noble Shifty Witty who’d been dealing out that drug. So, against my better judgement, I let her have her morning of control.

‘YAY, this is so exciting!’ That was, it would be if I had the energy to spin down the halls like a giddy school filly. That being said, there was one thought that came to mind; coffee.
Before departure from our room, I opted to grab my bathrobe and straightened out my heir. No point in scaring the local maid or guard with a crazy hairdo. With my fluffy and soft robe draped over my body, I took to strolling down the halls in a tiredly exulted fashion, if my drooping eyes were anything to go by.
It was three minutes past noon by the time I reached the kitchen, once I entered I immediately noticed two things. The first was Fang slouched over a pile of books, using an open one for a pillow as he silently snoozed away. The second was that Chief Oil Grease had already made my morning coffee, the cup was perched on my seat waiting for me, steaming with perfection.
As I held the warm mug in my hands, its heated surface warming my limbs, I took notice of the books the wolf had been reading. They were history books. Awaiting further investigation, I made my way next to my male counterpart (species whys), looking over the books he slept near. I grasped one and gazed at the cover, Peace vs War by Stitched Leather and Battle of the Four Armies by Princess Celestia. So, he was looking into history. But why? What did he want to know? Did it involve me and Luna? Or Celly, in some way?
I didn’t notice it, but the rim of my robe had draped over Fang’s shoulder, the material passing unnoticed by him. A moment later I heard a rumbling sounding from the wolf, but this wasn’t the usual growl one would hear from him.
Fang’s nose flared, taking in a deep breath as he stirred. He grumbled in half awareness as his eyes blinked out of sync, smacking his lips as he steadily awoke. Seconds later, the wolf released a thunderous yawn, teeth and throat showing as a tear escaped his eye’s grasp. He began rubbing his face, probably an attempt to waken fast, only to yawn once again. His eyes then leveled out, staring straight ahead for a moment, getting his thoughts organized for the day.
His nose twitched with a sniff, his head turned in my direction a second later. Or to be more precise, my coffee mug. His astonishing eyes then turned to me, their brilliant gold and deep ocean blue coming near to hypnotize me.
“Morning Luna.” He yawned before popping his stiff neck.
I found myself blushing, somewhat embarrassed that he thought I was Lulu. Though, I couldn’t blame him, he didn’t know what the signs were. “Oh, good morning to you too, Obsidian. Though, I’m not Luna.”
He squinted at me, trying to focus his tired eyes on me. After a moment, the gears seemed to click as his ears perked. “Whoops. Morning Star. Luna let you take the wheel?”
I held back a giggle. “In a sense, yes. Luna was feeling tired and she let me ‘take the wheel’, as you say. Reading up on some history?”
He turned his sleepy gaze to the stack of books in front of him. His shoulders slouched slightly, ears following suit. “Yeah. Didn’t find much out though, not a lot for the era I was looking for.”
My brow raised in curiosity, taking a sip of the perfected brew in my hands. “What era, if I may ask?”
I listened as he ran his teeth together in thought. He huffed out, “The four-thousand-year gap.”
To say that I was stunned would’ve been an understatement. Him, someone I’ve known for only a week and he’d already been helping?! Someone I owe everything to and he helped me yet again out of selflessness? Out of kindness? Just who was this wolf?
“I’m guessing that face means you’re just as stumped as me?” Fang laughed, earning a small blush from me.
“Yes, aside from a few squabbles with the growingly egotistical nobles, defending the new Canterlot from dragons, and her growing obsession of cake, Tia’s told us—I mean… yeah us, next to nothing….” I added dryly before downing more coffee. “Sorry, not awake yet. Go team Luna, yay.”
Fang chuckled at my remark, rubbing his head. “Just give me a set of pompoms and we’re all set.”
I had trouble balancing my laugh with more sips of my morning nectar. “Do you want pigtails too?”
The wolf returned my laugh, stacking the books he’d been reading earlier. “Nah, that’s taking it too far.” He paused, something coming to mind. “Hey, isn’t today the Knighthood ceremony… party?”
I nodded in response. His gaze shifted to the floor, mulling over the details. “When and where was it supposed to be again? I forgot.”
“Six in the evening, Twilight’s castle in Ponyville.”
“And… isn’t there another party for Starlight, Trixie, Thorax, and Discord too?”
I nodded before continuing the conquest of my energy fountain, blowing the steam in Fang’s direction. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Well,” He grabbed the stack of books and smiled at me, his fangs glistening in the light. “Better go get ready. And it’s…” He stole a glance at the clock, which read twelve forty-six. “Oh geez, I’m-a goin’, I’m-a goin’!!”
With that, he raced down the hall leaving a trail of dust in his wake. By the time he reached the door, he’d already made very deep impression. At that moment, I finally burst out laughing, spilling half my drink on the floor.

The time was four twenty, a good while before we reached Ponyville. We’d boarded the Royal Carriage five minute ago, now riding among the clouds as we soared over the wild woods known as the Everfree. I looked to my right to see three Solar Guards sitting patiently for our future landing. The Bearers of the Elements had gone ahead yesterday to set the ceremony up, Celly sent the banners with them for just that. The new Element of Love sat across from me, Fang’s eyes were focused on the passing scenery. Thanks to my heightened senses, I could hear strange lyrics, a rhythm being sung along with the soft chorus of his words.

The symphony went on, its words bringing a smile to my face. His voice was deep, almost rumbling with the rhythm. With each word I was sucked into this picture he seemed to paint, the words drawing a rich land filled with wonder and adventure. Oh, how I’d love to visit such a place. To not be confined to that old castle day in and day out. To wander to my heart’s content and splash in the cool river and streams. What I’d give for a few moments to view nature’s sights without anything to halt me. However, Fang brought me out of my imagination with a different tune. One which he lightly tapped against the armrest with a steady, terrible beat. One that sounded like many great footsteps, steps of an oncoming army, crushing everything in their path. He then let loose the lyrics, his whispering voice shifting from his normal one to a creepy and swift one, filled with age and evil. He also seemed to gain a strange accent, one that seemed to help with the song’s delivery.

Everyone in the carriage was stock still. No one dared move as the song died down, the wolf’s fist coming to rest on the armrest as it once had. Fang then turned back to see everypony pressed against one another, huddled away from the towering wolf. All but me.
“Fascinating song.” I sparked the conversation, intent to calm everyone in the small space. Why were they so afraid? It’s only a song. So far, I hadn’t seen anything to make me be worried of his demeaner. Fang had presented himself to be calm, collected, very childish sometimes, and an honorable fighter.
He smiled at my comment, adjusting the collar of his suit Rarity had made him. It was a red jacket with a silver inlay, his undershirt was a white button up, pants were respectable slacks, and he withheld the tie. He’d said he was never really fond of them for some odd reason. “Yeah, one of my favorites. At least when it comes to bad guys songs… aside from Pete’s King of France.”
“What was the first song you sang? It sounded lovely.”
His smile broadened. “The Road Goes On.”
With my answer obtained, our conversation lapsed into different subjects such as shows and movies. As it turned out, many of the songs he’d sung were from a favorite movie series named Lord of the Rings. The marvelous adventure of a fellowship out to save their world. Epic battles, comedic moments, and lovable characters unfolded within this amazing tale forged from the pages of a book loved worldwide. However, his face slowly drooped, as if he were focusing on something that’d been bothering him.
“Is something the matter?” I asked, concerned for my friend.
He took a long breath, huffing the air from his lungs. “Two things. One: I won’t be able to see my family until I die.”
“True… I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help, but I know nothing about reality travel.” My own ears fell against my head. “… And the second?”
He laughed slightly, his face brightening from its previous sour. “I should probably sing something other than Lord of the Rings music. I feel like I’m getting obsessed.”
I hummed in thought, a small tug from Luna following. “Well, that first song was nice. But yes, don’t go nuts.” A smile traced its way up my face as I wagged my finger at him.
“Too late.” He chuckled. “Already nuts. Lost my mind years ago.”
I gasped in mock concern. “Oh dear! I do hope you find it one of these days.”
“I give it a shot.”
With that, I relinquished control back to my other half.

Fun fact about Luna and Star; whenever Star took control, her eyes’ silver rings thickened, the eyes becoming completely silver. I honestly found it really cool, others however might find it somewhat creepy.
But nonetheless, her eyes were a beautiful sight. When Luna was in command, her eyes seemed to pulse with teal energy, taking on the appearance of the stunning northern lights. A side note; the aurora borealis was always something you defiantly wanted to see, especially when they’re strong and bold. Stars’ eyes shimmered with a similar energy. Yet, her eyes stole the brightness of the moon itself. I’d always found full moons to be the most beautiful of sights during the night and looking into those blinking orbs was just as marvelous and calming.
Luna shook her head as she regained control of her body, her silver heir lashing against her face. She then looked over her dress and nodded, apparently satisfied that Star didn’t put them into a jester’s outfit. Me and Luna spent the rest of the trip discussing how the ceremony would play out. Luna and I were to be standing near Celestia with cloaks over us. Why you may ask? Celestia had said that it would make their subjects less likely to run off screaming, possibly running into each other and the walls. Much like headless chickens.
Once Celestia presented Thorax, Trixie, Discord, and Starlight with their metals, she was to announce Luna and I’s predicament. After this was done, we were to remove our hoods and answer five questions. I was then to be knighted, given the title of Noble and a gift from the Solar Princess.
Luna seemed to be scared. After I’d asked if she was scared, she’d admitted that she was afraid that the ponies of Equestria weren’t going to take it well and riot. Honestly, I doubted that would come to pass. At the most I thought there’d be some screaming and a stampede out the door.
To her fears, I said, “Well, I know for a fact that they aren’t going to be scared of you more than me.”
The Princess tilted her head at me.
“What I mean is, that even if they’re scared of you for a second, they’ll see me and run for the hills. Think about it; a towering wolf that stands over your sister, unknown and covered from head to toe in scars? Yeah, I think they’ll be way more fearful of me than you.” I noticed one of the guards slightly nod, seemingly agreeing with me. With added curiosity, I then turned to the assembled guards next to the Princess.
“Hey guys,” They all faced me, varying degrees of weary and fear on their faces. “I got a question, what were your first thoughts when you saw me?”
Two of the Solar Guards looked stunned at my question, yet the third seemed to ponder my quarry. After a moment, the guard (brown unicorn) spoke. “For starters, when I saw you, my first thought was ‘Oh freaking Faust, he’s huge!’”
The second guard (a grey earth pony) took the silence as his que. “W-well, uh… mine was, like ‘he’s gonna bite my head off!’. But when you started talking to the Princess, my main thought was ‘he’s not half bad.’”
I turned to the last, adding a soft growl to my words just to mess with her. “And you?”
The blue unicorn mare was drenched in sweat in seconds, shaking in his armor enough I thought it’d attract the ghost light. “U-uh, y-you see-e… uh.”
I chuckled at his stumbling. “Relax, I’m just pulling your leg.”
The guard laughed nervously, trying to calm down.
I decided to give the lady a break and turned back to the Princess. “See, even your sister’s guards thought I was freaky. Relax Nebula, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
She returned my comfort with a soft smile, one that seemingly made my heart skip. Weird, the only time I’d ever heard of such an action was in… Nah, probably nothing. But I’d better watch myself incase other signs showed.
I suddenly gripped the armrests, listening as they crumpled in my grasp. My stomach leaped into my chest and spun twice as the carriage began its descent. Luna noticed my nervousness, her face converting into one of concern. “Are you alright, Obsidian? You seem to have taken on the color of green.”
True to her words, I felt ready to hurl my breakfast over the chariot’s side. “Yep, I hate doing down.”
“Would you like me to get a pale?” She smiled.
“No thanks. I’ll be fine.” A thought then came. “Well, at least I can take my cousin’s words literally now.”
“And what words are that?”
“Rock bottom; you’ll know it when you hit it.” The chariot shook violently as we descended further. The guards shared a wide-eyed look.

Once we landed, I promptly swallowed what remained of my previous meal, the stomach acids providing a nice aftertaste. Luna waited patiently by the castle doors in her black cloak, standing at the top of the staircase that lead to the front doors. Two large crowds of ponies stood on either side of the path that lead to the doors, all staring at the two wolves who dared enter their home town. I stepped out of the chariot in my own brown cloak, the hood swallowing my head, eyes darting from one frightened pony to the next.
“What are those things?” asked one pony. “Why did they come in the Princess’ chariot, could they be thieves?”
“Freaks of nature. And if they are, we’ll run them out of town.” Declared another.
These and other conversations filled my ears as I walked on. My brow furrowed with each step, each word sending a scoff into my head. Friendliest town in Equestria, yeah right.
‘Geez, where’s the love people!’ Prowl scoffed.
As I made my way through the parted crowd, I noticed that most of the looks I was receiving were fear, awe, and/or confusion. I just shrugged them off and kept walking till I reached Luna’s side. The doors parted to reveal Twilight’s Castle. The violet crystal walls, tall ceilings, polished floors, and long hallways filled our vision as we moved further in. We soon arrived in the main hall, round tables were set up with various decorations, streamers and confetti lined the walls and ceiling, and a buffet table waited for its evening guests. Twilight and her friends then stopped their cleaning to look our way and all gasp.
“Princess Luna!” They all shouted with glee as they neared.
Luna for her part took a step back, bumping into me in the process. She was probably shaken by how loud that was, dog ears and all. The Princess of the Night looked up at me with a worried expression, I gave her a warm smile and a nod in return. That seemed to help, seeing that she smiled back and stepped forward to greet the main six. I soon looked to the stage and found Celestia talking with a few of her guards, she looked worried, adding a small pace to her walk.
I decided to see what the trouble was after lowering my hood. “Hey, Celestia.”
She looked my way.
“Everything ok?”
She chatted with her guards for a second before sending them off. “Well, yes and no.”
“Yeah?” My brow raised at this, whatever was happening, it was hopefully nothing big.
“The good news is—”
“Start with the bad, always start with the bad.” I dramatically lowered my voice as it began to rumble, mimicking a certain Master of Shadows.
She rolled her eyes in amusement, a smile edged onto her short muzzle (compared to mine at least). “We can’t find Discord.”
Forget what I said earlier, this was bad. I hummed in thought while rubbing my chin, thinking of anything we could do to get him here. “What would draw him in?”
Celestia bit her lower lip. “We coul—”
Suddenly, the sound of nails on a chalkboard was heard and we looked over to see a blackboard in the corner. On the said board was an eagle talon drawing a window with crayons. After a moment, the drawing was done as the fictional window opened to reveal Discord’s head looking at us with a wide grin.
“DISCORD!” The Princess shouted a fury with her aching ears pinned to her head, looking ready to strangle the Draconaquis.
“We we, lady capitaine. You bellowed?” He cackled.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I stepped between the Princess and the cosmic trickster. “And the good news… now?”
She stepped back and took a breath. “We now have all our honored guests in the castle. The proceedings will take place in thirty minutes. You know what to do?”
I nodded. “Yeah, Luna filled me in.”
“Good.” She then looked around, her eyes dancing over everyone until she smiled. “Looks like everything’s in order.”
“WAIT! WAIT!” Shouted Pinkie before she zoomed her way into what I thought was the kitchen, if the numerous smells of cooking supplies didn’t steer me wrong. A moment later, the pink mare came running out with a huge cake on a silver platter. When she reached the buffet table, she quickly cleared away a dozen deserts with a sweep of her leg to make room for the monstrous pastry. She then set the cake down in is newly designated spot, giving us her widest smile.
“OK, everything’s Okey Dokey Loki!” I then notice she was waring a forest green shirt with the iconic Marvel villain giving the peace sign, his cheery face winking.
I felt Prowl go wide-eyed. ‘So… that happened.’
‘No kidding.’ I shook my head to rid myself of the brain racking thought, trying to deny what I just saw. “Ok then, everything’s set. How far are we from the ceremony?”
“Actually darling, it should begin in…” Rarity flipped out her silver pocket watch, the synchronized ticking flooding my ears. “Five minutes exactly.”

“… I now award you with the Pink Hearts of Courage!” Celestia’s magic grasped six metals shaped like hearts and were pasted to Nebula. The cloaked Lunar Princess then draped the awards over our necks. She settled for teleporting Thorax’s around his neck instead of pushed it over his orange moose horns. At the end of the row, I stood, still covered by my hood and cape. The crowd watched as the black cloak drifted over to the brown one and a blue fire settled the metal onto brown’s neck, some looked exceedingly nervous about our chosen attire.
Celestia then moved to center stage as Luna stepped back. She then tapped her hoof to signal us. Luna and I stepped forward, the Lunar Princess doing so hesitantly.
“It’s ok, don’t worry.” I whispered low enough that only Luna could hear, earning a calming breath from my left.
I stood to Celestia’s left with Luna at her right, the Solar Princess then spoke up as we stopped next to her. “I know that there have been many rumors about Princess Luna’s foalnapping over the past few weeks. I also know that much of what happened has reached your ears, but I assure you all, everything is quite well.”
She raised both hands to present us to the crowd. “Everypony, please know that my sister has been and always will be the wonderful mare she is, never changing for the worst. Regardless of her past and present form, please know that she shall never harm anypony.” Celestia turned to Luna, her face stricken with worry. “Luna, if you please?”
Taking a long deep breath, the younger Princess prepared herself and slowly removed her hood. The crowd gasped, all wide eyed as they soaked in Luna’s features. From her snout, teeth, claws, eyes, ears, and silver heir, all grew silent.
After a long pause, Celestia faced me, asking the same question. “Obsidian, if you will?”
I nodded and flung my head back, the hood swiftly flying off my head to reveal my face. I then undid my cape’s clasp at have it fall to the floor, extending my claws slightly. If you though Luna’s reaction was cold, mine was absolutely horrific. Not only were there more gasps, there was also a number stumbling, tripping, shrieking, and fainting ponies. I even heard someone say, “Run! We’re all gonna DIE!!”
And in response to this exaggeration, “THE HORROR, THE HORROR!!”
I’ll give you three guesses as to who that was.
The surrounding chaos was enough to have Discord whip out a huge thermometer, the red rising until it breached the top with an eruption of candy. Pinkie dived headfirst into the mountain of sweets as the crowd scrambled about. This all may have seemed funny in the show, but seeing it in person, I only saw this display as pathetic. Just… utterly pathetic.
“SILENCE!!” Shouted Celestia, only when I turned around to meet her gaze, it was Luna who’d stepped up to the stage’s edge and shouted. This evident by the fact that Celestia stood behind Luna, shocked as much as the crowd, and Luna with her wings spread wide.
“This is most unbecoming of you all. Enough of this foolishness.” Nebula scolded. “Though I may have changed in shape, I’ve not changed in heart. I’m still your Princess Luna, walker of dreams and slayer of night terrors. I may have sharp teeth and claws. I may have a little meat in my diet. I may be as tall as Tia, but I’m still the same as you all know me. I am still Luna. I understand that my appearance may be frightening, but I still adore my little ponies. I am sorry that I was kept hidden for all this time, but I was afraid you’d act this way; afraid of me and my new abilities. I ask you this, will you please look past this wolfskin, and see the pony beneath? Will you see me for who I am, not what I am?”
The room was silent, all eyes watching the Lunar Princess as her gaze filled with hope. But seeing as how no one was taking the first step, I obliged. My hands began the steady rhythm of clapping, the sound filling the chamber as all eyes turned to me. I smiled at Luna, her eyes now misty. Slowly, very slowly, the crowd of ponies joined me. A thunderous applause filled the great room as the Princess wiped a single tear from her eye.
After a short while, the applause died enough for me to speak. “Well done your Majesty. Well done indeed.”
Discord whistled his approval of her speech, holding up a banner that said, ‘GO LULU!’. After the commotion died down, Celestia stepped forward and prepared for another announcement. “Now, I would like to reward our dear savior with an old tradition. Obsidian Fang,” She motioned for me to stand next to her. “rescued us from the Changeling Queen Chrysalis, along with the help of an anonymous force, and put an end to her evil rain. For this act of courage and devotion, he has been awarded the honor of Knighthood.”
The Solar Princess asked me to face her as she teleported a richly decorated sword into her grasp. “Please kneel.” I did as asked, her sword tapping me on the shoulders and head as she spoke. “By the right of the crown, by the will of Faust. Obsidian Fang, Dark Knight of Equestria. You may rise.”
I stood to find Celestia holding out a wooden rectangular box, its engravings taking on the shape of a raging battle, armies engaging one another on the timber battlefield. “This was something my father gave to me before he pasted, and now, I belongs to you. Obsidian Fang, please accept this gift as a small thanks for coming to our aid.”
I replied by bowing and taking the box from her hands. I looked to her and asked, “Can I open it?”
She smiled. “It’s yours, do with it was you wish.”
I looked down at the small box, its polished surface reflecting my eyes’ colors. My hand seemed to move on its own and slowly opened the box, revealing a strange object rapped in soft fabric, laying on a purple silk pillow. I grasped the item and unraveled the cindered object, rubbing over its surface to try and picture its exterior before seeing it. The cloth was slowly removed, revealing a silver sword handle, engraved with an awe-inspiring array of artistic carvings. Where the hilt would’ve been were two hollow cylinders, acting as the beginnings of said hilt, but nothing was there to claim their place. The area where the blade might’ve been was the same. But where the hilt and blade met, there ware short golden blades, both ending in sharp points. And below all that, a centimeter above where my hands gripped, was a small red button.
‘No way.’ I thought, my brain starting to spin wildly as to the slightest possibility. ‘It can’t be… could it?’
‘Only one way to find out.’
I slowly eased my thumb up to the button, positioning the cylinder’s blade port to the ceiling. With a soft click, the blade hissed to life. A thick beam of yellow light spewed forth from the silver doublehanded saber, two smaller beams emanating from the hilt ports. A soft hum followed the glowing blade as it was held in a firm grip, but unlike anything else, no matter how much pressure I applied it didn’t break.
The only words I could thing to say at the time came out, a huge grin plastered on my muzzle. “No. Freaking. Way.”