As the Moon Rises

by MorbidTheBrony


Chapter 14. Rest

July 13th, Canterlot Hospital, Friday Afternoon
04:42PM

Sunset's eyes opened ever so slightly. Her vision was very blurry, she couldn't make out where she was. From what she could see, there was light shining through a large window and onto her, where she laid in a bed of some sort.

The light shone in her eyes. It was really annoying her. She slowly raised an arm to block the light. Then, only barely, she heard a voice, but she couldn't make out what was being said. Was someone trying to talk to her? What was going on?

She then suddenly felt something clasp onto both of her shoulders, and she began to move as if she was being shaken. She looked around to see what was doing it.

And then she saw a figure come closer to her. It looked like a person's face. They had pink skin and purple hair.

When the figure came closer, she could hear their voice, and she was able to understand it a little better.

"Sunset? Are you okay?" they said. The person then came even closer, to the point Sunset could make out who it really was.

"Twilight..." Sunset said very weakly.

Her eyes finally came into focus and she began to hear much better. On each side of her bed, there were more of her friends. In fact, all of her friends were here.

"Guys... you're all here." Sunset smiled slightly.

"Of course we came! We're always there for everyone we love!" Pinkie Pie announced excitedly.

"And you, Dear, are no exception whatsoever," Rarity finished for Pinkie.

Sunset, even though her face hurt very badly, smiled even wider. She always loved to hear that her friends are always there for her, even if she's heard if about a million times.

"How're ya doin' there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Could be better. My head's pounding up a storm, my jaw hurts like a bitch, I can barely move my arms or legs and I can't even hear out of my right ear," she explained.

Everyone looked at her uncomfortably after she mentioned the part about her ear.

"What is it?" Sunset asked.

"Yeah... the thing about your ear is... well," Rainbow Dash began, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's kind of, umm... bandaged up."

"Why? What's wrong with my ear?"

Nobody looked too confident to have to explain it to her. But then Twilight cleared her throat to gain Sunset's attention.

She began to explain for her. "Last night, when you were fighting the other wolf, Musket took a shot while I tried to stop him. I threw his gun upwards just as he shot it and... the bullet had caught your ear."

Eyes opening slightly wider at the sound of it, Sunset raised her hand up to her right ear and began feeling around. She could feel that there was a chunk missing from it.

"I'm so sorry, Sunset," Twilight said quietly, sadness being heard.

"What for?" Sunset asked, bringing her hand away from her ear as she turned to face the teary eyed Twilight.

"If I hadn't have acted so protective and worried during then, then you'd still have two full ears and Musket could have wrapped this all up just that little moment sooner. I'd only done that because, for some reason, my brain wasn't sure who he was aiming at, so I didn't take any chances and stopped him just incase." Tears of guilt began to fall from Twilight's eyes as she looked downwards.

Twilight then felt a hand land onto hers. She looked up again and saw Sunset's sympathetic smile. "You acted out of worry, I can't blame you for that. And honestly, I don't really care if I lost a part of my ear. It's better than having my face eaten off by a werewolf," she said jokingly.

Sunset noticed that her attempt at humour fell quite flat as Twilight's expression didn't change.

Sunset sighed and decided to take a different approach. "Look, I know you've been worrying about me a lot lately and I can't blame you. It's all my fault anyway.

"If at the time you felt it was right to stop Musket because you didn't know who he was aiming at, then I'll just say that you did what you had to do. We all have to make sacrifices and, well, losing part of an ear was probably one of the least bad outcomes that could've came last night. I mean look at me, I'm alive, I'm safe, I don't see the problem," she finished, looking around her bandaged up but still alive body.

Sunset looked back at Twilight and saw she gave a small smile. "You're stupid," Sunset could hear Twilight whisper, causing the injured girl to chuckle.

"I just wonder what this means for your werewolf condition, Darling," Rarity said in a wondering manner.

Sunset shrugged again. "I don't know, I may or may not still be one, at least I now know how to control my werewolf form."

Fluttershy cleared her throat, gaining the attention of everyone there. "Actually, after you went unconscious after the fight last night, both you and the grey wolf turned back into humans," she explained.

"Well, I guess that explains that then," Rarity chimed in. "It seems that you're no longer a werewolf."

"How does that work?" Sunset asked turning to Twilight, hoping she'd have the answer.

"I guess maybe since that was the werewolf that turned you into one, when it died, the powers it was possessed by and gave you died along with it," Twilight tried to explain.

Everyone gave a confused look at the spectacled girl.

"That don't sound like it'd make a whole lot 'a sense," Applejack said.

"I don't know what to tell you all, I barely actually know anything about werewolves and their crappy rules, give me a break here," Twilight huffed.

Everyone laughed at the girl's little fit before Twilight began laughing herself. But, when the laughter subsided, there was one thought that had loomed Sunset's mind.

"I wonder who the grey werewolf really was," she said curiously. "Did you see what its human form looked like?"

"Yeah, actually," Twilight answered. "After it turned back, it turned back into a lumberjack, I think it was. We got him to the hospital too, but as far as we know, we don't know who he really is yet and that he is most certainly dead."

"What I wonder is how this kind of magic ended up here in Canterlot," Fluttershy said. "Have you brought this up with Princess Twilight, Sunset?"

Sunset nodded slightly. "Yeah, about a week ago in fact, but she hasn't answered me at all since. It makes me wonder if it's even Equestrian at all."

"Well, I, for one, am completely positive that it was Equestrian magic," chimed in Rarity. "Every weird thing that has happened to us over the last few years has been, I don't see how this possibly wasn't."

"Well, you would think that Twilight would've gotten back to me by now if it was, wouldn't you?" Sunset asked.

"Never doubt, Sunset. I'm sure the princess is doing all she possibly can to get all of the information she can to give to you. But for now, let's just never mind the werewolf right now. It's all over now. We can finally live freely again. Let's not waste time wondering over something that's now dead, okay?"

"Sounds good t'uh me," Applejack agreed.

"I'm in," Rainbow and Pinkie said in unison.

"That would be nice," Fluttershy said quietly, playing with her hair.

Sunset and Twilight both nodded at the same time to the fashionista.

"So, what are we all gonna do once I get out of here?" Sunset asked, starting a new conversation."

They all continued to chat, whether it was about Sunset's werewolf form, or it was anymore details everyone didn't know yet about the previous night, or even plans to do stuff once Sunset becomes well enough.

Peace was finally brought again to the city of Canterlot, and Sunset couldn't be any happier, but for now, all she'll want to do is rest for a while. It had only been just over a week ever since she was bitten, and during that time, so much had happened. Too much, for that matter. But it was all over now, and Sunset could sleep happily without risk now.


July 17th, Sunset's House, Tuesday Evening
05:17PM

Sunset was finally let out of the hospital, and Fluttershy had volunteered to be the one to bring Sunset home. In her car not only sat the still recovering bacon hair, but also the pet she held most dearest to her heart, Ray. They were coming home together, with their lives finally back to normal.

Fluttershy carried Ray's cage as Sunset unlocked her door and stepped inside. They all moved in as Sunset turned on the light. Sunset gave a relieved sigh as she looked around the perimeter of the small house. It was... a mess, but nothing Sunset couldn't handle, despite her condition. The scratches that covered the house though, and the broken door, she'd have to hire some people for that.

"Do you need help with anything else at all, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked, placing Ray's cage back on a table against the far wall, where it usually sat.

Sunset smiled and shook her head. "No, thank you. I already can't thank you enough for even bringing me and Ray home," she said, sitting on her couch.

"Oh, it was the least I could possibly do, really. Are you absolutely sure you don't want anything else at all?"

"Really, it's fine. You go home, enjoy your evening. I'm just gonna feed Ray and just chill for the rest of the night."

"Well, if you're sure. Bye, Sunset." Fluttershy walked back to the door, waving at her friend.

"See you later, Fluttershy." Sunset waved back.

And then Fluttershy closed the door behind her, leaving Sunset alone. She slumped back on her couch, still feeling completely exhausted. She stood up again and went over to the plastic tub Fluttershy had placed next to the glass cage. Sunset scooped out a few little crickets and placed them inside the cage for her little, leopard print lizard.

"It's been a long few weeks now, hasn't it, Ray?" Sunset calmly asked, scratching the lizard's head lightly with a single finger.

While Ray started munching some crickets, Sunset heard a buzzing sound coming from her living room, she went back and saw that her journal was buzzing. The princess had sent her a message.

She sat on the couch and opened the journal to the latest used page. Needless to say, she was caught by surprise when she saw the messages she was left.

Sunset! Are you there? Are you okay?

Did you take my advice? Did it work?

Sunset?! Why aren't you answering?!

Did something happen?!

Should I come over?!

SUNSET!!

Sunset went back a few pages. She landed on the last one that wasn't taken up by huge words.

I think I found the answer. I think it is possible that an ancient earth pony named Kairo Conjure was the one that brought the werewolf magic to your world.

It was said that he had escaped from custody and he had accidentally left behind his book of spells for the guards to find.

Now, I don't have evidence, but I have reason to believe that he rewrote his spells once he escaped to your world, including the werewolf transformation one, and somepony had found it and used it for themselves and for moons, the curse had been passed onto anypony that was bitten and had survived.

In the book that I had read, it said that the only way to lift the curse is for the source of the curse, which would be the first wolf, to be killed. Then, the curse should be lifted to those who were bitten and whoever else they bit.

I hope this helps. Be sure to respond as soon as you can. I just want to make sure you're all well and safe.

-Princess Twilight Sparkle

Then every page after that, Twilight blew her journal up with worried messages.

Smiling, Sunset reached to her nightstand to grab a pen, and in her journal, she wrote to the princess the only two words she needed to calm down.

Dear Princess Twilight,

It worked.


Musket's Office, Wednesday Evening
05:42PM

Musket sat at his desk with his computer sitting in front of him. On it was an empty page which he had yet to fill with his latest blog. For a few nights, he had tried to write about his experience with facing the werewolf head on, but previous attempts didn't please him enough to post them.

He sighed and cracked his fingers. He began his newest attempt at writing his final blog.

For over a week, I made it my mission to hunt for the werewolf that roamed Canterlot during the night. And on July the 13th, 2018, my team and I were very successful by bringing down not just the one, but both of the werewolves.

But it wasn't just the three of us that had brought an end to this hunt, as we had made an unlikely ally. We had managed to team up with the golden wolf that appeared shortly after the first one. It appeared that the mind of the person had not been corrupted to have the mind of the beast's. Together, we fought as one ended the true cause of the problem. And now, no one will be forced to live in fear when the nighttime comes.

What does this mean for the golden wolf, some will ask. All I can say is that there is no more wolves roaming at night, but the golden wolf now lives, cursed no more.

This hunt has been my grandest achievement to date, and I am glad I came out successful.

But I couldn't have done so if it weren't for my allies who had helped me throughout. It is by great honor that I thank Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer for all of their help and contribution. If I had never met any of these girls, I may no longer be writing today.

But as the sun sets and the moon rises, all great stories must come to an end, and this will be probably the greatest story I ever share. I thank the girls for their contribution, my dear wife who continued to support, and those who have read my blogs.

May I see you again for the next chapter. Until next time.

-Woodland Musket.


Sunset's House, Wednesday Night
08:36PM

The sun began to set over the horizon. Nighttime was to begin again very soon. The time of day where either some will choose to skip or entirely, or to party it all away. However anyone chose to spend it, Sunset Shimmer knew how she was going to spend this night. And that was to have what was to be the greatest sleep of her entire life.

Once she changed into her magenta pajamas, she climbed back into bed, she shut off the lamp that sat on the nightstand, she rested her head on the pillow, and she pulled the covers over her body.

More comfortable than she had been in quite a while, she shut her eyes with a peaceful smile.

"Goodnight, Sunset Shimmer," she said to herself before sleep took over.


THE END