//------------------------------// // 12. New and Old Faces // Story: Wolves of Night and Blade: Book I // by One of Nine //------------------------------// Two days was all it took. Two days before Luna seemed to catch a cold. Nothing big, mind you, but still enough for her to drown herself in blankets, downing several gallons of water each day. Per the doctor’s orders. I had currently made my journey to the kitchen for a light snack. I’d had a small breakfast and needed something to sate my hunger. Once I cleared to doors, the sweet aroma of baked goods reached my nose, its scent making my nose twitch and my stomach rumble. I also noticed that Oil Grease was working behind the counter, no doubt baking more sweets for their majesties. The cream-colored unicorn hummed happily to herself as she moved about the kitchen, the scent of chocolate chip cookies hitting my nostrils. Deciding that was my desired target, I stealthfully crept over to the kitchen counter. I did this with the mission impossible theme blasting through my head, a smile slowly creeping onto my face. Once I reached the wall, I peeked over the counter to see the cook’s back to me. Smile still plastered to my face, I searched for my target, quietly sniffing to pinpoint my prey. A large tray of the freshly baked goodies was resting before me, the steam from the cookies tempting me with their richly inviting scent. Keeping an eye on the cook, I slowly reached out with a hand to snatch my quarry. All hopes and dreams were suddenly crushed as a wooden spatula smacked my hand. As I rubbed my sore appendage with a whimper, I saw the cook glaring at me, horn alight as the spatula floated in the same aura. “You’re as stealthy as an elephant in clown shoes.” The unicorn chided. “If you want something, just ask you big furball.” “I was mainly seeing if I could sneak up on you. That, and I was hungry.” I flexed my hand, attempting to relax its stinging nerves. “Well, you did a poor job at it. Try not stomping everywhere you go.” “Wherever we go—” “DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT SING THAT SONG AGAIN!!” Seethed the cook, waving her spatula of death at me. “Enough with There’s no breakfast in Hell. Something that’s not by these… Newsboys?” “What? They’re one of my favorite bands when I was younger, still one of my favorites. Somewhere in the top ten, I guess.” I shrugged, quickly glancing at the steaming cookies. “Can I have a cookie now… please?” Oil grumbled to herself. “Fine, but I better not find you around here till dinner, ok. Got enough with fending off the Princesses and Blueblood after they barge in here half the time.” “Thanks.” I yelled back after taking six delicious cookies, heading down the hall towards Luna’s room. She was feeling pretty bad last I’d heard, so I figured I’d pay her a visit with the currency of freshly baked goods. As I made my way to my destination, several groups of Solar Guards rushed past me, all marching swiftly down the hall. “Excuse me,” I asked a guard, the female unicorn turned to face me with a stoic expression. “What’s up? Why is everyone in a rush?” “There’s an intruder in the palace. We’re gathering our forces to find and capture the fiend.” She responded with a crisp salute. She was probably still new to the guard. “Anything I can do?” “N-not that I-I am aware of sir.” The mare stole a glance at her marching platoon, still walking away without her. “I should be going.” As the guard left, I pondered on the situation. An intruder, huh? Well, it was the guard’s job to protect the castle and princesses, better let them do their job. But if the threat was greater than they could handle, I wouldn’t waist a second to step in. With my decision made, I continued my journey. After a few minutes of walking and keeping an eye out for the intruder, I arrived at Luna’s chambers, listening as she watched… The Incredibles?! I hadn’t watched that movie in a while, why was she watching it without me!? Granted, I’d always considered it a good classic, I’d found Luna was one to enjoy a thrilling action-packed adventure. She usually wasn’t one to watch kids movies all that much, at least not that I’d been told. Celestia was the main source. I softly nocked on the door, “Hey Luna, can I come in?” There was a moment of shuffling. “Ok, stay right there,” she whispered. “Yes Fang, enter.” I opened the door to see Luna innocently sitting on her bed, gazing at me with a small smile, barely holding back a mirthfully adorable giggle. I raised an eyebrow at her curious behavior. “Ok,” I checked behind the door for any traps before turning back to the Princess, noticing a shifting lump under the blankets. “Where’s the prank?” Her smile widened. “No prank, Obsidian. But I have found somepo-- one. You remember the intruder the guards spoke of? I heard from a passing patrol.” “You found them, didn’t you?” I looked down at the quietly giggling lump. Was that… a child’s laugh? “Quite so.” She then reached over and pulled back the covers to reveal a pair of sharp silver ears. Next came a set of lovely deep purple eyes, laced with inner rings of bronze. Then popped out a snickering muzzle, a pair of fluffy hands stifling a playful giggle. A wolf pup. “Say hello.” Said the Princess as she rubbed the kid’s ear, encouraging a quiet ‘hi’ from the young she-wolf. The pup was lying on her back, an oversized green shirt draped over her frame, the sleeves rolled over her wrists. “She’s very shy.” I gave the kid a warm smile back. With that little muzzle and big adorable eyes, she outmatch Flurry Heart in cuteness by twelve miles. Seriously, this pup was the heavy weight champion of cute town. Mine and the pups eyes suddenly snapped to Luna as she released a coughing eruption. If someone’s ever visited Alaska in the early winter season, you’ll know how bad one can cough. Trust me, three to four nights of nonstop coughing, it’s a real treat. I walked over and knelt by the bed, observing the pup further as Luna slowly gained control again. Thin trances of crimson could be seen through her fur, following a similar pattern to Luna’s runes. The pup’s runes came from her nose, up her snout, under and over her eyes. Another set of markings edged down her black fingers to her arms, no doubt up her arms. “Does she have a name?” I asked once Luna had stopped coughing and downed her cup of water. “Yes. But she seems scared, though she’s enjoying the movie and attention.” From just looking, I could tell she was somewhere between the age of six and eight, judging from her body’s height compared to mine. She seemed about 4’ 2”, the average height of an adult pony was around 5', whereas I stood at 9’ 4”. Luna and Celestia were about 8’ 3”, roughly the same height. That, and she wasn’t commanding attention from us, just content to watch the super family battle the bad guy’s goons in sawblade ships. I then remembered my offering. “Cookie?” I passed two to Luna, which she took with a smile and joined the pup in watching the epic battle. I turned to the kid, her eyes scanning my scarred face with a warry gaze. I held out two cookies for her. “Would you like some cookies too?” A knowing smile found its way onto my face once her mouth started drooling. Within seconds, she snatched the treats from my hand and scarfed them down. She didn’t even leave a single crumb. “Dang, she’s hungry.” Luna shared my sad look as she looked over the child. “Whoever took care of you before didn’t feed you well, did they?” The girl slowly shook her head. I breathed a long sigh. I hated things like this, where the parents mistreated their kids, starved, beat, and yelled for no reason. I hated people like that. So grounded in their own wants and needs that they neglected others’. Either that, or her family couldn’t feed her enough. However, she was here now. In a warm bed, good food, and a roof over her head. Luna then asked a guard to get some food, she didn’t tell him why, but he probably came up with his own answer. We continued watching the movie as we waited, Luna and I laying on either side of the pup. During that time, my arm had dropped over the girl’s back. In response, she tensed up and cringed away from me, snuggling into Luna. As I’d feared, she’d probably been beaten by her parents. The food was delivered by a maid, quickly setting the tray of snacks down before leaving with a curious and worried glance at the pup. I shook my head after she left. Was it really so difficult to see someone for who they were? Luna brought the tray over and unfolded its legs, setting it in front of the starving pup. Without prompting, she dug in, stuffing her face with various meats, crackers, cheese, and sweets. I personally stole a few Reese’s cups. I lightly chuckled at the sight, my heart sinking in my chest. She need time to sate her hunger, she wouldn’t be rid of it in seconds sadly. As she continued her rampage, Luna and I shared a concerned look. The silver pup finished in minutes, suddenly looking very tired. With a long and cute squeak of a yawn later, she was out like a light. Luna turned off the movie and turned to me. “We should get her to another room, don’t want her getting sick.” The Princess suggested, trying to stall a cough. “Right.” I then slowly picked her up and cradled the pup in my arms, her little body pressing into mine for warmth. She was soon escorted to the room next door, easy access for us if she needed anything. Setting her on the bed, I lifted the blankets over her, proceeding to grab and tuck a teddy bear into her arms. Once this was done, I joined Luna back in her room, sitting on the bed beside her. The Princess had rapped herself in blankets while I was gone to keep warm. “Did she tell you her name?” I asked with concern. “She said her name was Martha, Martha Walker. Do you think she’ll want to keep it, her name?” “I have no clue. She seems pretty tight lipped, not that I blame her, being in a new world and all. That, and she’s scared of me.” My heart dropped after that statement, I was usually really good with kids. Why was she scared of me? Shaking it off, I slowly rubbed my chin in thought. “Any thoughts incase she does want to change it?” Luna hummed to herself. “Silver… something, I think. Seeing as her coat is that beautiful shade.” I nodded in agreement, deeply thinking on it. “Silver Fang?” Luna gave me a look that said, ‘really, that’s the best you’ve got?’. “You just want that, so she’s named after you.” “Hey, It’s a classic wolf name; Fang.” I laughed out. “But seriously… Silver Tooth?” “Let’s try something with a little more grace and beauty in it. I can’t see a mare wanting the name Silver Tooth.” “True.” We continued on the subject for about an hour, mulling around with the name Silver. We soon came up with three names; Silver Haven, Silver Stream, and Radiant Light. Either these, or she could name herself. “I was also think—” The Princess stopped abruptly, her eyes shimmering with a blue light. She then snapped back to me, horror striking her face. “She’s having a nightmare!” I didn’t need to be told who she spoke of, I already knew. Bolting from the bed, I quickly slipped out the door and turned into the pup’s room. From the hallway’s light, I could see the girl coming close to screaming and shaking in her bed, her body looked soaked from sweating. Within seconds, I rushed forward and gently shook the pup, her struggles and whimpering faltering once her eyes flung open. Her pupils were tiny, fear scribbled over her features. The pillow she lay on was soaked in sweat, her breath near to hyperventilating, and hands shaking. Her purple eyes locked with mine, a moment passed when all fear was replaced with hope, only to be snuffed as her dreams came back to haunt her. She suddenly leapt forward and rapped her arms around my neck, her grip near to crushing. With the fresh blanket of tears on my shirt came the pup’s whimpers, her face buried in my chest as she cried her heart out. As she continued to cry, I softly spoke, “Ssshhh, it’s ok, it’s ok. You’re safe, you’re safe now. They can’t hurt you anymore.” The child froze for a second after my last line but returned to her river of tears. I soon felt the urge to sniff as Luna’s scent drifted in through the door, I then felt a hand reach over my shoulder and caress the pup’s head. The soft, soothing hushes of Luna coming a moment later as she too comforted the kid. “You are safe with us, there’s no need to be frightened.” With the she-wolf’s sweet words, the silver pup struggled deeper into my gentle grip. We stayed like this for a while, just waiting as she finished her crying. My shoulder was now soaked in tears, but the calmed look on her face was well worth it. “You alright now?” I asked, still cradling the girl. She nodded in response and wiped her leaking eyes, sniffling as she looked over at Luna. “S-should I-I start cleaning now?” The pup’s words bordered on trembling as she pulled away to look in our eyes, skipping between mine and Luna’s. “W-what? Why would you have to clean at this hour?” The Princess all but shrieked. “Mom and Dad always said that,” She took a shaky breath. “…that when I first get up, a good girl always cleans the house from top to bottom. After that, go make Dad his lunch so he could go find a job.” My brow furrowed at hearing this. This girl’s story was similar to Cinderella in a way, but instead of meeting a prince, she came here. To us. I felt Prowl snarling and pacing in the depths of my head, seething over Silver’s parents actions. The silver pup saw my angered look, immediately trying to push herself away and out of my arms. Breaking myself out of my inner rant, I set her down on the bed and motioned for her to calm down. “It’s ok, it’s ok. I’m not mad at you.” She went from scared to confused, her head tilting adorably. “I’m mad at your Mom and Dad. Could your Dad ever get a job? And what did your Mom do all day? She had a job, right?” She shook her head. “She’d be with Darren.” “Who’s Darren?” The pup scowled. “Her boyfriend. He spent half Mom’s money on his video game. At least, that’s what I heard her yelling at him for the other night.” My own scowl deepened, a soft growl sounding in my throat. “Well, I can promise you this; we are not like that. You don’t have to clean; a lot of people around here are paid to do that. But if you want to help them, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” I jabbed a thumb at Luna. “And she’s a Princess. How can you top that?” Her eyes lit up, tilting her head in confusion. “R-really? You’re a princess?” Luna held back a giggle. “Yes, quite so little one.” The girl turned back to me. “A-and what’s-s your job?” “Well, as of three days ago…” I paused for affect, my chest puffing out. “A Knight.” “You mean like a knight in shining armor? That’s cool.” Her eyes became bright with wonder, a little smile peeking through her lips, dawning the most adorable face a seven-year-old could muster. I found myself smiling down at her. “Yep, pretty awesome.” A memory suddenly clicked, a smile spreading on my face. “So, me and Luna were talking, and we wondered if you’d like a new name.” “A new name? I already have one.” She looked down for a moment, then asked, “What kind of name?” “Well, my name’s Obsidian Fang.” I answered, placing a hand to my chest. “That’s a cool name.” The Princess smiled at her ease in speaking with us. “Mine is Lunar Star.” I cocked an eye brow. “That’s your full name?” The Princess nodded to me with a look. “Oh, ok. Cool.” The girl hesitantly gave us a curious look, diving back into her timid state. “S-so what could m-my name be?” “We came up with a few ideas, but if you don’t like any of them, we can help you make one up.” “O-ok.” We then gave her the three names we’d come up with. To our satisfaction, she choose Silver Haven. “Very good pick. You know, I considered naming you Silver Tooth.” I grinned. Haven gave a sweet little smile. “I-I can’t see that as a girl’s name.” Luna lightly smacked me on the shoulder. “See? I told you. Now, who was right?” She tilted her head towards me, cupping a hand over her ear as it perked in my direction. I rolled my eyes at her with a laugh. “You were.” “Oh, I’m sorry, what was that?” She teased. I gave her a look over my shoulder. “Really? That low huh?” Her reply was to playfully stick her tongue out at me. I just rolled my eyes at her in return. Silver quickly got back into bed, quietly giggling at our banter. She snuggled under the covers and looked prepared to sleep. The pup popped open an eye at us, asking, “A-are you s-sure you do-don’t want me t-to clean?” “Yes, Silver, get some rest.” Luna cooed as she bent down and kissed Haven on the forehead. Silver stared at the Princess, looking bewildered. “You look like you need it.” Silver slowly nodded and rolled onto her side, her back facing us as we exited the room. But before I closed the door, Silver shouted in distress. “W-Wait!” I flung the door open and leaned inside to see her pouting, hugging the stuffed bear I’d given her beforehand. Her eyes became large, filled with sadness and yearning. “C-can one of you stay w-with me?” I noticed a few tears roll down her cheeks. “I-I’m sc-scared o-of the dar- ark.” That hit me to the core. When I was young, I too was afraid of the dark. My parents had put nightlights in the walls to help me sleep, that and a noise maker. I remembered hating the eerie quiet of my room. I also remembered seeing scary faces jump out at me in the dark, always threatening to rob me of my sleep. Haven looked at me expectantly, begging me to stay with a trembling lip, more tears flowing. My heart suddenly gained several cracks in it. “I’ll stay with you.” Her eyes suddenly flooded with hope, a smile spreading over her muzzle. Luna smiled and nodded in thanks, turning to leave with a sniffle. But suddenly bolted into her room and returned with five children’s books. Each were thin, resembling the familiar style of books I used to read when young. Books such as Cat in The Hat, Go Dog Go, Ugly Duckling, and so on. Those were the only ones I could remember at least. “Care for a bedtime story?” Asked the Princess as she set the books on a nearby nightstand. “B-Bedtime story?” The pup tilted her head. “Did your mother at least ever tell you one?” Her voice as filled with concern, her face drooping. Silver shook her head. ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ My other half snarled, his already boiling hate building on itself. Hate for Haven’s previous parents and their carelessness. I took a breath, calming my nerves, saying with a smirk, “Well then, you have much to learn, my young apprentice.” I then sat down next to the pup, she took her position left of me, slowly snuggling into my lap. Luna joined us after grabbing some hand sanitizer and tissues, sitting on Silver’s right. The Princess piled the stack of books before us, smiling as she grasped one from the top and read the tittle. “Let’s see… Go Bunny Go, The Kitten in the Hat, Five Vails Goes West, Olive and Company, or… Green eggs and Hay.” Silver Haven looked each book over, trying to silence a yawn as she pointed to Go Bunny Go. Luna gave reading the tale a try, but with the amount of coughing she was doing, it would’ve taken her half the night to reach the end. With Luna’s prompting, I took the book and began again. “Big dog, little dog, slow dog, fast dog…” I barely finished the book before both ladies were fast asleep, cuddled together under the blankets in a single mass of black/blue and silver. I smiled dearly at the sight, finding it utterly adorable. Finding it rude to move the Princess of the Night back to her own germ-infested bed, I chose to let her sleep next to Silver. Finding myself comfortable where I was and being too tired to got back to my own bed, I settled onto the sheets. My body soon curled around the two females and I nodded off, little Haven snuggling into the wolf sandwich. <= The Badlands, below the former Evil Changeling Hive. => A single black digit tapped the obsidian armrest impatiently, a loud huff filling the dim chamber. The soft pulsing of emerald light shifted through the walls as the five-foot-long glowworms shifted in their sleep, the long bulbous bodies slithering against one another. A pair of green draconic eyes scanned the room before them, a deep yearning behind them. Finally, the throne room’s doors opened. In walked six changeling guards clad in dark green armor, dragging two ponies in rope. Both were mares, stripped of their clothes and hope. The changelings stopped, their spear ends slamming against the floor, indenting the tiles as a single loud clang erupted from their point of impact. A Changeling in a black robe stepped forward. “Your Grace, we’ve brought to you an offering of our dedication to you.” The Changeling Queen licked her salivating lips, her innards growling at their scent. “Bring them to me, my son.” The Changeling swallowed a lump in his throat, but followed his Queen’s command nonetheless. He soon brought the two mares before his mother, her eyes looking them up and down with a lustful gaze. “M-may th-they ple-please y-yo-you fore-forevermore, de-dear Q-queen.” The Changeling stuttered, holding out the ropes to his mother. Chrysalis gratefully took the rope and studied her offerings more closely, eyes assessing their curves and portions. “Thank you, my offspring. You may return to your duties.” The Changeling did his best to sigh in relief, overjoyed that the Queen didn’t find anything wrong with her offerings. With a bow, the drone turned to hover down the dais’ stairs and to the doors, pale wings buzzing. Chrysalis tugged the mares closer to her, slowly inching her hands over the rope toward them with an evil grin. Her long tongue slithered over her muzzle, drooling through her lips in pounds of saliva. As the drones neared the doors, the Queen called out to them one final time. “Oh, and Bill?” Bill froze, his body all but shivering. “Y-yes-s, Mo-Mother?” Chrysalis smiled down at her thousandth (somewhere down the line) child, grasping onto each mares’ shoulders, preventing them from moving. Four drones moved in behind the mares to assist their Queen. “Be a dear and bring me a nice plump pony… or a weighty minotaur on your next trip. I feel like these two just aren’t going to be enough to fill me up~” The Queen patted her lower arachnid half, all eight gangly legs curled under her second abdomen. The green stripes on her spider’s abdomen shimmering in the light of the glowworms. The Changeling gulped, praying to whoever would listen for another day of life. Unlike so many other drones who failed to bring a decent meal to her Highness, the Queen’s current eleven-foot height and weight proving their failure. “Ye-yes, m-y Q-Queen-en.” The Queen cooed, pleased that her offspring was willing to accommodate her wishes. “Such a good boy. Now, off you go. I have a meal to enjoy.” She said as she shooed him away with a hand, licking her lips as she peered down at her whimpering prey. Bill then scuttled out with the guards, trying to block the mares’ screams of horror as Chrysalis popped her jaws and her maw doubled in size. Throat yawning open to accept its future live meal, her esophagus hissing in approval. The last pitch of the screams died with the doors slamming shut, dooming the mares to their inevitable fate.