Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 3

by TDR

Keep Calm and Frigoris On, Part 3

Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 3
By TDR

[Canterlot]

“Sombra please, your help could benefit every pony in this instance....” Luna pleaded.

“In the words of the current generation, 'mother.'” Sombra nearly spat the word. “Fuck off.”

Luna huffed and headed out of the library, taking note of her sister standing by the door watching her with concern.

Sombra, satisfied the point was made, returned to his reading.

“We cannot get him to help sister. It is most infuriating, neither bribes nor anything we have tried will get him to share what he might know.” Luna sighed.

“I think perhaps Luna that you might simply be asking wrong. He is approximately a teenager after all.” Celestia responded with a small smile. “ Let me try.”

Celestia moved past her sister and part ways into the library before she spoke out.

“Sombra, how would you like to prove you know more than the mare who beat you in the Empire as well as possibly screw over something your father may have setup?” Celestia asked.

Sombra paused his reading and lifted his head. He remained silent a moment more before he spoke. “I'm listening.”

[Two weeks after the quarantine]

The massive form of a white buffalo god took up far more space in the lab than Twilight was comfortable with, though she was also unsure how he had managed to fit inside in the first place.

Iinii and Maohk were both peering over the railing down at the orange earth pony below who was trying to read a book and failing a bit as she felt all the eyes on her.

Applejack was getting more than a little stir crazy, despite the visits from her friends and the constant presence of the Sparkles.

Still quite a lot had happened in the last two weeks. Twilight got the Timber wolf, who was in a cage outside. She had tested all the ponies mauled by timber wolves by pumping magic into them to see if they changed, none had.

Going by that she started work on a testing everyone in town only for Spike to question what was she going to do if some pony changed?

After some consideration it was Applebloom that had a suggestion for testing that worked.

The spell Luna taught Sweetiebelle was drawn to those that ate magic and Sweetie couldn't even cast it near Applejack.

Getting Princess Luna to teach Twilight the spell was easy. Finding out the third part of the spell was what Princess Luna used to change the very stars in the sky.

Twilight protested the alteration of stars that had been followed for a thousand years, and Luna placated her some by saying many stars didn't change at all, including all of them used for navigation.

Checking the spell over Twilight found that the motes of light were indeed drawn to Applejack just as they were to Rahs, though at a faster rate. She also found that they were drawn to the timber wolf.

Using this as a base, Luna tested all of Ponyville and found no other magical draws.

Save Pinkie Pie who used her hooves to push the motes around to make funny pictures.

She was ignored.

The second test was done in the Crystal Empire and while none of the ponies drew in any magic, they did find three more hidden null rooms and a few more veins of mithril near the mines.

The final test in Canterlot showed no sign of a pony drawing in any power, but it did locate a cash or two of mithrial weapons in some antique collections as well as some items in museums.

While this didn't change the fact the lock down was necessary, it did however remove all of the quarantines from the Empire and Canterlot.

Kaz reopened his borders to the minotaur islands, though Lockheed kept his lands on lock down. Bleu didn't move her flight of dragons either.

“Alright, thanks for coming out, but I'm not seeing anything with you. There's traces of odd magic in Applejack when she changes and because of that flare I can follow it some, but when she's a pony and when she's a witch wolf I can't find the magic at all, it's only during the change. There's nothing like it in you or the timber wolf.

“With all I have been through if I was thus cursed I'm sure it would have shown up by now.” The buffalo cow smiled.

“Umm not to offend, but I do get a rather odd scan from your umm eyes.” Twilight offered.

The green gem eyed buffalo cow smiled again. “Well, you would have to ask Iinii about that. My sight was lost in my first fight with a witch wolf, but I recovered and these gems allow me to see better than i had before.

The red furred buffalo cow chuckled running a hoof over the claw marks crossing her face.

“I was friends with the former god of harpies Raptor. On top of being the god of harpies he was also quite skilled in gem cutting and shaping. He was attempting to gain gemstones or jewel craft as a secondary portfolio. Sadly his people were wiped out by the dreadnaughts before he was able to do so and he passed on.” Iinii explained. “Harpies have never been a very prolific race, but they are fairly easy to bring back from extinction as they are usually the result of a diamond dog and a griffon's union, much as the hippogryphs come from the pony and griffon unions. He made her eyes at my request and a such i owe him a favor I can no longer repay, thus I tend his successor, Fledge. He is the youngest god after Cadence and he has taken the secondary portfolio of the air at my suggestion. If it flies, and is not some one elses, it is Fledge's.”

“I still wish we could have been more help.” Maohk frowned looking down at Applejack. “This cannot be easy for any pony involved.”

“It's not but I'm getting closer to something. The timber wolf might have been a red herring, but I don't think it is, there has to be some sort of connection. Rahs has said that their magic has different tastes, and Chrysalis says they have emotions. But what is the connection?” Twilight grumbled her ears flat to her head.

“I have heard you have asked for Discord.”Iinii questioned.”The Coyote will be a problem. But he may have the answers you seek.”

“After a bit more thought I agreed he was a last ditch effort. We need to use the Elements to remove him from stone, and we would need them all again to put him back if he does something. “Twilight sighed. “That's a lot of magic that would probably trigger Applejack's change. The last thing on the list altogether is to try and force the Element's of Harmony to cure her. The problem there is she is one of the Elements and forcing them to turn on her is likely to break off their connection from us, thus removing Equestria's greatest tool of defense.”

“You may be over thinking that.” Maohk suggested.

“Probably, but in this sort of situation I'd rather over think something than under think it. Besides there are avenues we have yet to try.” Twilight sighed.

“Like the former dark king?” Iinii growled.

Maohk placed a hoof against the larger buffalo's leg. “Calm down, he was not guilty of half the things he is accused of.”

“He still kept the empire enslaved and practiced dark magic. He turned some of his own people against the others as his soldiers.” Iinii growled.

“You are simply mad he was going to try and use me as ransom so the buffalo would stop attacking.”Maohk offered.

“And?” the great buffalo asked.

“He's still on a short leash and he's cooperated with everyone except Princess Luna as of lately. No one trusts him, but if Sombra will help, it will be a step in the right direction I think.” Twilight offered. “ Plus you forgot assaulting and injuring several guards and two equestrian citizens, vulgar conduct, threats, attempted regicide, and generally being a dick.” Twilight listed. “But supposedly he's a skilled enchanter and if this is some sort of enchantment he might spot something I missed.”

[Later]
[ “Wait a moment where the heck am I?This is supposed to be my big return!”]

Sombra raised an eyebrow looking down at the earth pony in the room below him. Princess Celestia, Twilight and Rahs stood around with him. Twilight made the guards wait outside much to their protest.

“It's still alive?” He asked simply.

“We are trying to save HER from whatever is making her turn into a witch wolf.” Twilight explained.

“How are you going to figure anything out just watching it? You need to cut it open and see if anything has changed. Clearly you are not a doctor.” Sombra snorted.

“Hard pass on that cutting me open thing.” Applejack grumbled.

Celestia rolled her eyes as Twilight huffed.

The former king still cut a rather imposing figure, his black mane flowed around his head not unlike Celestia's though it was much shorter, giving him the look of constantly being windblown. The curved red horn was covered in inhibitor rings, though he barely seemed to notice them. He had also exchanged his fancy fur lined cloak for a simpler one, though the black material covered his back and most important to him any way, his blank flank. Twilight took note that he had fangs as well, and if he wasn't a total ass he might be attractive.

“We have full medical scans that check everything now a days, there's no longer a reason for a doctor to cut any one open unnecessarily.” Twilight explained.

“I am well aware of that after several physicals since my confinement.” Sombra stated.

“Then why would you suggest cutting her own, that's barbaric!” Twilight snapped.

“The scans you use are magical in nature and that thing eats magic. Your scans invalidate themselves.” Sombra snapped.

Twilight opened her mouth to say something before closing it and considering.

“Still a hard no on cutting me open.” Applejack stated.

“Alright I see where you're coming from, but she only absorbs magic at the rate of point four three six one mp a second. I can easily over compensate to account for that bit of drain.” Twilight stated.”The main issues are we need to figure out how this is spread and how to stop it from spreading AND save her.”

Sombra grumbled as he looks down at the farm mare below him.

“I doubt it can be saved from it. Note how its ears and mouth have altered themselves to what it's become. An enchantment that changes the fundamental properties of the target will not allow the target to go back to what it once was.” Sombra stated.

“I was aware of that, but living things can adapt. And even if we can't revert her we need to find a way to make sure she's not contagious, and how to keep her from changing.” Twilight stated.

“Moving it away from any sources of magic would be prudent. Locking it in a null room would suffice.” Sombra pondered.”A mithril coat of some sort would reduce the rate of absorption of magic as well. Perhaps less than that.”

“I had considered that, but that doesn't cure the contagion.” Twilight offered.

“Have you found out what the transmission agency is?”Celestia offered.

“No. We've ruled out standard contact and airborne. Current thought is blood born.” Twilight answered. “So saliva, blood, and other bodily fluids might transfer it.”

Sombra frowned looking over some images on the table of witch-jack.

“It is surprisingly brightly colored.” Sombra frowned. “ I do not recall ever seeing a witch wolf of this coloration. They tended towards grays, purples, blues, and blacks with the rare red and brown. I have never seen orange.”

“Never?” Celestia asked.

“No. Is it fertile?”

Rahs nearly fell over at that question and the others in the room simply stared.

“Tha buck?” Applejack demanded.

“Why?”

“The few witch wolf females that were around were not fertile, Nightmare claimed something about the process of bringing them to this world sterilized them. I find that ridiculous, likely she only brought the ones that were already couldn't breed to stop my father from raising an army easily. It was a reason the males were sent out to breed an army with the local diamond dogs.” Sombra explained.

“None of the diamond dogs have ever shown signs of being able to eat magic. There have also been conflicts with them that led to injuries and no pony has changed at all in over nine hundred years. The diamond dogs have been back on the surface for a little over seven hundred.” Celestia informed.

“These are still oddities.” Sombra stated. “Out of curiosity what is that golem you have outside in a cage? Does it have a relevance to this?”

“The timber wolf?”

“Apt, if simple name.”

“A big one of those bit Applejack and despite evidence to the contrary I can't shake that there is a connection.” Twilight explained.

Sombra said nothing and simply turned walking out the door.

Twilight glared at Celestia though the alicorn simply followed the stallion out.

Sombra was staring at the wooden creature in the cage curiously. The wolven creature oddly was not snapping or growling at him but was simply watching the dark unicorn.

“ I will need use of my horn.” Sombra stated.

Celestia raised an eyebrow and Twilight glared.

“Do you expect me to help or simply keep pointing out the obvious? You have eight actually skilled guards, that thing,” Sombra snapped gesturing at Rahs who growled at him. “ A witch wolf, a goddess, what ever paltry hedge spells you know and I don't have my sword. I am not going to try anything 'funny'.”

“Ooh what's funny?” Pinkie Pie asked popping up next to Sombra sending the former king crashing to the ground as he yelped and lept away from the pink pony who was simply there.

The guards and Princess Celestia stared as Pinkie Pie stood there, looking down curiously at Sombra who was clutching his chest and trying to get his breathing under control.

“Pinkie Pie what brings you out here?”Twilight asked with the air of some one long used to this sort of thing.

“Oh, I came to tell you Rarity and Fluttershy are bringing lunch by for you guys, though I didn't know we would be having more guests. I'll need to make some more food.” Pinkie Pie offered.

“Why would I care for any of the common fare youhmmmmph!” Sombra growled as he stood up only to have a cupcake shoved into his mouth.

“So any way Princess are you going to stay for lunch because I need to know if I should bring any cake or not.”Pinkie Pie smiled darkly. “Cause you know, you're not getting any.”

Celestia sighed, but let it go.” No Pinkie, we do not plan to stay..”

“What.....!?” Sombra began again only to have another cupcake shoved in his mouth.

“Anyway, Twilight I should be back in about an hour, did Applejack want anything special?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I'm not sure, why don't you go ask her” Twilight suggested before Pinkie Pie pronked up the stairs to yell down at Applejack.

Sombra grumbled as he licked his lips clear of the confection.

“The rings?” he grumbled.

Celestia sighed , her horn lighting up pulling the collection of rings from Sombra's horn. The dark unicorn grumbled rubbing his horn with a hoof to make sure they were all gone before his horn lit up in a red aura.

Rahs could taste the flare of magic from the unicorn, oddly it tasted like coffee and milk. His sister was wrong about the olive thing.

Despite every pony tensing up Sombra's magic simply ran over the caged timber wolf. The unicorn blinked and his eyes started flaring with black tendrils of energy.

“It's not any sort of enchantment, but this feels different from what the thing inside is. This one isn't pulling on my magic like it should be if it was a true witch wolf.” Sombra pondered. “ The draw is there, but barely present.”

“We noticed that issue earlier. Though a secondary conformation that it's not an enchantment is good. Though that does open some avenues to try, perhaps to see the result of poison joke.” Twilight considered.

“I have no idea what that is either, but this is not some basic magic. It has traces of imperial taint.” Sombra frowned.

“Necromancy.” Celestia frowned.

“Well that explains why I didn't recognize it. I was banned from looking into that school.” Twilight spared a glance at Celestia, though the princess didn't react.

“I know little myself. My father dabbled as far as I know, but given there were no raised dead in the empire he clearly didn't put much stock in it.” Sombra grumbled.

“There is far more to necromancy than simply making zombies and undead. Life drain, disease spells and anything dealing with souls is in necromancy.” Celestia sighed.

“Yeah you have to be careful with necromancy, do it to much and you'll get hickeys.” Pinkie Pie stated popping up next to Sombra again sending the unicorn toppling over the other way with a crash.

Once again no one else saw her appear there.

“Pinkie what do you know about necromancy?” Celestia narrowed her eyes.

“No offense but it's none of your bees wax what Fluttershy get up to. We're two of age, consenting adults and if I wanna give her a lil hickey...”Pinkie rambled.

“PINKIE...” Twilight shouted cutting her off.” Necromancy, not Neck Romancing.”

“OOOOOOOoooooh... I don't get it.” Pinkie Pie shrugged.

“Must you do that every time!?” Sombra snapped.

“Oh right, sorry bout that, here you go.” Pinkie Pie gave him a small paper plate with a cup cake on it.

Celestia frowned before noticing that all the guards had cupcakes as well. Then she frowned deeper.

“Why are you giving me this?” Sombra demanded.

“What you don't want it?” Pinkie chimed.

“I did not say that.” Sombra grumbled.

“Okay, you looked like you could use one Mr. grumpy pants.” Pinkie Pie smiled.

“Harrumph.” Sombra harrumphed as he picked it up to take a bite that he wouldn't choke on this time..

“Sombra... what do we say?” Celestia stated staring at him.

The dark unicorn blinked then flattened his ears before letting out a small sigh.

“Thank you for the treat, common mare.” Sombra growled.

“You're welcome.” Pinkie Pie stated and pronked off.

“See was that so hard?” Celestia smirked.

“You are by far, my least favorite aunt.” Sombra grumbled.

“That means I am also your favorite aunt, as I'm your only aunt.” Celestia chuckled. “So how about sharing a bite of that with your favorite aunt then?”

Sombra raised an eyebrow at her. “No” he stated before shoving the whole cup cake into his mouth as Celestia pouted.

“Wait, what, Aunt? What?” Twilight demanded as Rahs looked on confused as well.

["I am quite cross"]