Change. The word alone is such a simple thing. It describes the basic fundamental of what once was is no longer the same, different from what it used to be. It can show the smallest of changes, such as the steady flow of soil from atop the mountains as they are eroded by the rain, or the greatest of differences like the before and after of an explosion.
Change… as old as time and intimately intertwined with its passage. For the town of Ponyville, change had once been the occasional happenings where a group of friends were the center of many an event; where friendship blossomed and its roots connected every creature together in harmony.
Ponyville was no stranger to change, sometimes experiencing it through the power of strong individuals who cared nothing for the idea of peace. This day however, had pushed the town well beyond the change it had known in its past. In a single afternoon it had lost its view of Celestia’s comforting sun. Orbs of an unknown dark magic had splintered its homes and sundered its cobbled streets. Then its residents were attacked by dark, charred, and sinister wolves; tainted by an evil magic.
The wafting plumes of smoke from raging magical fires, the broken buildings and shattered stalls, the scent of blood on the air; none of it belonged in a place that had once been full of love and harmony. Ponyville had changed once again, molded by a brutal, unforgiving force. There was little hope, as hollow fiends hunted through its streets and fires burned unhindered, that the town would be able to recover from this change.
Yet where one who had lived in Ponyville would have been at an utter loss within the destruction, the werewolf protecting a group of ponies as he led them only saw what used to be all too familiar to him.
To say that Jim was angry would have been a strong contender for the most understated line of the decade. As sharp hazel eyes constantly swept over the surroundings, fury bubbled throughout his body. The only thing stopping the silently seething werewolf from finding the one responsible for the carnage before him was the children behind him. Despite his growing hatred for his enemies, his sorrow for the young ones outweighed it enough to keep him centered.
The echo of Celestia’s order to protect Scootaloo tickled at the back of Jim’s mind, a reminder that he needed to stay beside her now more than ever. In addition, his promises to the fillies and colts following him had officially solidified. The group had only traveled a few blocks into Ponyville and the children now held to their end of Jim’s bargain. Not a one had run away, and every single kid had kept their silence. Not all could keep from crying, but Jim held nothing against the ones that did. The fact that they put in as much effort as they could to weep silently was far more than Jim could ask of them.
A soft hitch of breath, quiet as a feather landing on grass, traveled to Jim’s sensitive ears. This should have never happened, he thought, gritting his teeth.
~~***~~
Thinking back, it had hardly taken more than ten minutes for him to improve the mood of Cheerilee’s students after Rainbow Dash left to find answers. Explaining what to look for when predators were on the prowl, including the things that Scootaloo and her friends had learned during hide and seek, had given the kids the kind of boost they needed. In addition, by forming the class of sixteen children into groups of four and positioning them in a cross pattern around Fluttershy and Cheerilee, they could help and rely on each other to keep every pony safe.
Morale in the group had been high. With Rainbow’s return shortly after hope had risen further that things would turn out okay. The fighting between the dark wolves was not as bad as it initially seemed, but it could have been better. What Jim gathered from the cyan pegasus’ flyover was that the royal guards were successfully pushing the attacking wolves back in their fights. The downside however, as well as the newest mystery, was that the guards couldn’t defeat the wolves. The defending guard forces had not suffered any losses, but no matter what attacks they used on the wolves the damnable things would not stay down; much less receive any substantial damage.
The news of the enemies being so difficult to take down had been perplexing, and left Jim with more questions and a half-baked theory or two as to why. At the very least Rainbow’s next bit of information had been more relieving. Twilight’s castle had a large platoon of the royal guards stationed around it. Even better was that they successfully erected a number of magical walls and fortified a defensive position. To top the news off with a welcomed cherry, Rainbow had seen a large number of ponies that had made it to the castle safely, with more groups being brought in by the guard teams from within the town’s interior.
Rainbow said that there was a secondary position being built up around Town Hall as well, but it was harder for the guards to defend due to the wolves using the rooftops of nearby buildings to attack from. Overall, it seemed the situation was within manageable levels at the moment. The endurance of the troops would come into question eventually, but Jim had plans to remedy that once he had safely delivered the kids.
Unfortunately, there had been bad news to accompany the good. When Jim had asked about the severity of casualties, it had been clear as day what the answer was when Rainbow’s eyes narrowed and her head dipped. Her body had trembled angrily as she gave a solemn nod. Though it was all he could offer at the time, Jim pat her shoulder and offered his assurance that he would put a stop to the battle. He would help save as many as he could.
From there, having a better grasp of the situation’s nature, Jim led the group to town. The children followed in formation and Rainbow hugged Jim’s side as he explained his plan to her. Each group of four kids would keep their eyes and ears on everything around their side of the formation. If they heard anything that seemed like an enemy they would scrape a hoof along the ground. If a wolf was spotted they would call out the number they see and the direction from the formation; left, right, front or back.
The short time they spent practicing had paid off quite well in their first encounter. When Jim’s group had gotten within a mere dozen yards of the first buildings, two wolves had come out from behind a home. The plan from that point on was for the children to stay in position around Fluttershy while Jim fought, with Rainbow taking to the air to provide support or distraction. Just as Jim had cautioned, another wolf crept out from behind another nearby building to take advantage of Jim’s attention being drawn by the other two. Scootaloo spotted it first and called it out. With Jim having one hand crushing the head of one wolf and the other swinging to punch the second, he spared the briefest of glances and called for Rainbow to stall it.
Rainbow Dash, with more than a little eagerness, wasted no time in fulfilling Jim’s command. In a blur of motion and colors she rushed the dark wolf, clipping its flank to make it stumble before she barreled into it from above to drive its head into the ground. Much to the prismatic pegasus’ irritation, the thing’s head had hardly even cracked. Her displeasure was short-lived however, as that had been all Jim needed to finish off the other wolf and close the distance to the last one. Watching Jim’s claws rend through the dark wolf’s head and ribs had left Rainbow feeling one part satisfied, and another part uneasy.
So long as there weren’t too many enemies at once, Jim felt confident that he could continue to keep the group protected. But it was just after that encounter that things changed for him… and the children…
~~***~~
As the soft clops of the children’s hooves took them around the body of what a few of them recognized as the owner of Quills and Sofas, the werewolf’s heart pounded as warring emotions tore at his insides. The light brown stallion was not the only victim that they had seen, but he had definitely meant a lot to a few of the children. Jim took a moment to glance back and make sure none of them had stopped, his features softening ever so lightly. All of the kids still marched forward, senses tuned in to their surroundings, though some had taken up the work of their friends as a few could only try to blink through their tears.
There was a piece of Jim that wished he had been able to better prepare the kids for what he knew they would see. The majority of him knew better. In an event such as this words alone could only help to a degree. Much like the coined phrase, ‘seeing is believing,’ some things could only be understood after witnessing it yourself. Now that the children had seen what Jim had said they would, the cruel truth had finally etched itself upon them. But that only made the beast inside Jim’s core stir a little more.
Jim’s gaze briefly met with Fluttershy’s. A wordless exchange of emotion passed between them in that short piece of time. They both hurt in their own way, but there was only so much that they could do for the children at the moment. The yellow mare offered Jim her tiny, sad smile before she extended a wing to one of the weeping fillies beside her. Sucking in a quiet breath, Jim returned his full attention back to the hunt.
The group continued onward slowly but steadily, the star-like spire atop Twilight’s castle coming closer to being within their reach with each step. However, the more the distance shrunk the more tense Jim’s body became. He could hear the sporadic scuffles of a few of the guards around his group’s position, their conflicts giving the impression of the wolves repeatedly utilizing simplistic hit and run tactics. The nearby battles were a concern, but they were overshadowed by the almost constant cacophony ringing out from the direction of the castle. If he was to be as honest to himself as he had been to the kids, then he was certain that the wolves attacking the castle’s defenses would be the biggest obstacle between safety and his charges.
It was simply a matter of time before another group of enemies would come around and spot the ponies behind him. Knowing this, Jim kept his senses strained for the slightest signs of anything close by. Before long they came across an intersection. Jim slowly stood and gestured with a hand for the group so slow to a crawl. The roads just ahead of them, though not too narrow nor too wide, would be a potential spot for an ambush if they were careless.
Jim looked to the kids. “Alright, you’ve done great so far. I’m proud of you,” he spoke, as quietly as his rumbling voice would allow. “The intersection ahead is possibly a dangerous spot for us to be. Remember what we practiced. We’ll move slowly through and keep our steps quiet. Keep your eyes and ears at the ready. We want to find them before they find us.”
Quiet nods answered Jim’s words and he offered an approving smile to them. His assuring gaze helped the few who had been crying perk up a pinch, their determination finding a tiny, fresh spark to rekindle their struggling spirits. Jim looked to Fluttershy. She glanced to Cheerilee, who had already begun to feel the effects of fatigue from her injury. The teacher, though feeling weaker and more strained as her leg insisted on throbbing in seemingly random intervals, returned the look and nodded. The yellow pegasus looked back to Jim with a determined gleam in her eyes.
Jim turned his gaze to Rainbow Dash. “Alright then. Keep your wings ready. Your speed will be key if those things just happen to be positioned for a pinch.”
A confident smirk and measured flap of wings was Rainbow’s reply.
Ready or not… Jim mused to himself as he silently dropped back to all fours.
Jim guided the group toward the crossroad, though he deviated toward the brick wall on one side to avoid the scattered shards of glass from a corner shop’s devastated windows. He had preferred traveling near the middle of the road to keep an equal distance away from the surrounding structures. Hugging a wall had the advantage of keeping his group in locations to take cover in, but that would have only been a viable method if he was leading experienced ponies. Instead he kept them in the open so that he had an even playing field to move around in and reduce the risk of the kids losing sight of each other, splitting up, or being the victims of a surprise attack from above. With glass on the majority of the road, Jim deemed it safer to go around as cracking shards underfoot or hoof would attract unwanted attention. That, or an injury could happen and put the kids in even greater danger.
The closer their steps took the children to the intersection, the more Jim’s body wound up; his entire being ready to act at a second’s notice. He was ready for anything…
Just as Jim was a few steps away from the corner of the brick wall his ears rotated forward, picking up a new sound. He stopped in his tracks and gently flicked Rainbow with his tail. Fluttershy’s wings darted out and lightly caught the children by her sides as her tail mimicked Jim’s toward the four behind her. The entire group paused, eyes darting around and ears listening for either sounds or Jim’s voice.
Jim swiftly stood and pressed his back against the wall just beside the corner. His gaze traveled down the two streets he could see as he flicked his ears to better hear the sound. It only took a few seconds to process what it was. There were hushed voices from nearby. He leaned forward for a discreet look. The third street was empty, save for an overturned luggage cart beside what might have been its two lifeless passengers. Though he could not see them, Jim was positive there were at least three voices. He spotted two alleys that were roughly where the voices may have been coming from, but with the way sound could travel in an urban location, bouncing off of every smooth surface and wall around, he couldn’t be sure.
With another quick scan down the other roads, Jim stepped back to the group. “Someone is nearby. I hear a few voices, but I’m not sure where they are,” he said and looked to Rainbow. “Can you glide back a short bit and then fly over this block? There are two alleys off of the left road. They could be there. If we find them, maybe we can help them get to the castle as well, but I need you to be the ice breaker. They might freak out if they see me first.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and grinned at the werewolf. “Come on, you’re not that bad to look at,” she joked quietly.
“Heh,” he huffed good-naturedly under his breath. “We can discuss the intricacies of my deliciously dashing looks and how not all ponies are prepared to witness such perfection later. Get going,” he finished, smirking at her head shake.
With a quick salute and a firm flap Rainbow flew off down the way they came then darted up and over the block. Jim stepped closer to the kids, his eyes drifting around once again for anything new, while he listened for Rainbow’s voice to join the others. His attention was redirected when he felt the soft touch of a hoof on his knee.
Looking down, Jim saw the little grey filly with the fancy glasses from Scootaloo’s circle of friends. “What is it?” He asked softly as he knelt down.
“Are we going to help those other ponies?” She asked.
Jim nodded. “If they don’t attack me or run away from me then I’ll try to help them as well. It’ll make things a bit harder though, so I’ll need to rely on you guys more to help me keep you all protected. You guys feel up to the task?”
Unanimous nods along with a few smiles answered him. Jim gave them a thumb up and a confident grin. “You guys are the best. Keep it up. Now, let’s get back to looking for those pesky wolves,” he finished and stood back up.
All of the children resumed their vigilant tasks, a new air of positivity sweeping over them at the thought of finding other survivors. Mere moments later and Jim spotted Rainbow as she rounded the corner. She slowed to a hover close to Jim’s head.
“There’s a group of seven in the first alley. They’re definitely scared, and they could use a helping hoof,” Rainbow quickly informed. She stole a quick glance toward the kids, a lightly apprehensive look crossing her features for a second. “But the unicorn in charge, uh… he wants to talk to you first.”
Jim raised a brow at Rainbow’s look. “A reasonable request, but you look like it’s more complicated than that.”
“Well… let’s just say that… he might not be that happy to meet you,” she finished, a hoof rubbing at the back of her head.
His expression turning flat, Jim sighed. “I have a sneaky suspicion I’m not going to like this,” he murmured and looked to the group. “Let’s meet up with the others. Regardless of who it is, don’t get distracted. We’re not out of danger yet.”
Jim looked to Rainbow and gestured for her to lead on. He and the others followed the prismatic mare around the corner and partway down the block. As it turned out, Jim’s caution had proven to be fairly warranted once he arrived at the mouth of the alley. The moment his large, dark body came into view behind Rainbow’s there were four makeshift weapons directed his way.
Fear was clearly displayed in the eyes of the two earth pony stallions, one light blue and the other a cobalt, as well as the puffed up pink teenage pegasus mare and the skinny, middle aged grey unicorn off to the side. Each pony held a weapon, though that was using the term loosely if you considered a street sign and cooking ware as tools for combat. Behind the unicorn defender were two other ponies. The peach-colored mare looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, her long two-toned blonde mane sticking to her sweat soaked body. Another unicorn stallion had been laid down beside her, the poor guy clearly suffering from lacerations along his side that were bleeding into his mild green coat.
It was the final unicorn stallion however that Jim’s gaze fixated on once their eyes met. Firm purple eyes, slightly closer to the red side of the color, stared at Jim with distinct disapproval. His build was more muscular than what Jim had seen on other unicorns, and he sported a light brown coat and a slightly messy mane that was a few shades darker than Scootaloo’s. Factoring in the prosthetic left leg and the missing tip of his horn, it was no hard task to figure out exactly who Jim had just come across.
A brief look at the peach mare again and Jim easily took notice of the resemblance between the two ponies and Scootaloo. Upon realizing who he was speaking with, Jim lowered his head slightly to the father. “I take it you’re the one who wanted to speak with me,” he said.
Fine Tune’s eyes glanced to his daughter at the back of Jim’s group, hardening as they turned back to the werewolf. “That would be me indeed. There are a number of things I’d like to tell you, but now’s a poor time for that,” he said, his manner of speech hinting toward a no-nonsense type of personality. “Given the circumstances, I’m more inclined to at least be amicable with you.”
“Indeed,” Jim rumbled. “You and I can have our time to discuss things properly once we’re all out of this mess. I take it you’re willing to work with me?”
Sparing a brief glance to his wife, Fine Tune nodded. “Yes. Rainbow Dash mentioned your… shall we say, affinity, for taking down our current assailants. I’d appreciate an explanation if you have one to share.”
Jim opened his mouth to reply, but stopped cold as he realized something. His head started turning in different directions as he strained his ears. Fine took notice of his action and glared at him questioningly.
“What is it?” Fine Tune asked, flicking his ears around to listen as well. The others in both groups doing the same.
A few moments later and Jim’s eyes narrowed dangerously, his fangs peeking out as he inched closer to the children.
Rainbow looked around. She could not see any danger around and the town was quiet. She turned to Jim. “What is it big guy? I don’t see or hear anything.”
“That’s exactly the problem,” Jim growled lowly. He looked to Fine Tune. “That other unicorn. He was injured by one of those wolves.” He stated more than asked.
Fine Tune’s posture stiffened and he lit his horn, the gathering magic creating a few small sparks of pale red. The others steadily grew uneasy while the kids huddled tighter in their formation. “Yes… one of the wolves pounced him. It damaged his weapon and clawed his side before we managed to run it off. Haven’t seen another since…”
Jim growled lowly, his hearing picking up the sounds of the wolves’ wooden claws scraping against roads. “There’s a lot of them, we need to get out of this alley.” He looked to Fine Tune.
Fine returned the look and nodded. He looked to his wife and the others in his group. “This space is too narrow to fight them here.”
“Head to the intersection!” Jim said firmly and looked to Scootaloo. “Reverse formation. Lead them to the middle of the road.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened, taken aback from being put in charge of leading her friends. Her surprise quickly shifted as a feeling of urgency took hold of her and she called for her friends and fellow students to follow her.
Meanwhile, Jim looked to the injured unicorn and Quartz Recorder. The frightened unicorn beside them jumped when Jim dashed over, swinging the frying pan in his magical grasp. Ignoring the metal striking his shoulder, Jim called over to Rainbow. “Dash, fly up and flick them off the roofs!” He looked to the trembling unicorn beside him. “Get your scrawny ass out there and keep those kids safe. If even one of them gets touched by those things I will break that toothpick off your forehead and shove it up your ass. Now MOVE IT!” He barked.
As the unicorn scrambled out of the alley Jim reached down and gingerly lifted the injured unicorn, eliciting a strained groan of pain from the stallion.
“Bare it for now,” Jim said, placing the stallion over his shoulder.
He looked to the mare, Quartz, and reached under her. “Pardon me,” he said as he lifted her effortlessly. Turning around and announcing, “Thanks for choosing Lycan Express. Please keep all limbs tucked in until the ride has come to a complete stop,” Jim rushed out of the alley, ignoring the glare from Fine Tune. The remaining ponies from Fine’s group chased after the werewolf and his two passengers, though to their amazement they could hardly keep up.
Jim quickly caught up to the kids, passing them up to come to a stop at the intersection. He gently lowered the two ponies in his grasp and looked up in time to spot the first of the incoming enemies. Five wolves barreled around the corner of the far end of the block in the direction Jim had just come from. A streak of rainbow in the air above the buildings Jim’s group had passed by earlier told him that they couldn’t retreat back that way. Glancing down the remaining two streets showed him the worst case scenario had happened. His group had been surrounded.
The last of the adults slid to a stop beside the children, fear gripping them as they saw just what they were up against. Jim stood tall, his expression solidifying into a furious glare. “I don’t care what you have to do; hold them back! I’ll finish’m off!” He ordered and leapt on top of the brick building.
They just had to coordinate with each other NOW of all times, he thought bitterly. Hastily taking in the view from his position, Jim had a feeling that half of the damn wolves had decided to take part in this ambush. To further foul his mood he was positive that something else had caused this to happen. There was simply no way the wolves remotely held the combined intellect to even consider something as effective as this. But what, or even who, had known when and where to send these things? More importantly, why?
A yell from Rainbow drew Jim’s attention. He looked over just in time to see her slam another wolf from atop a building. Once she had gained more altitude Jim let out a sharp bark. With her attention gained he waved her over.
“What’s the plan, big guy?” She asked as she flew down to him.
“I’ll let you pick. Stick around and try not to get yourself killed or go get help.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she rebutted firmly.
Jim smirked. “Then I guess it’s time you show me that speed of yours. If we get through this I might forget about my mission to snuggle with you when you least expect it,” he replied and then jumped down. “Stall them as best you can! We can’t let them overrun us!” He called back, grinning at the shocked look on the cyan mare’s face.
The moment Jim touched the ground he bolted toward a street lamp. “Kids!” He called out, gripping the post and gouging his claws through the metal. “Change of plans!” The post whined as he bent it over before a piercing snap rang out. “If any of those wolves get near you I want you to dodge them! But don’t separate from your partners!”
With a firm leap Jim landed beside the ponies, the light post held in his grip. He looked to Fluttershy and Cheerilee, then down to the children. “And I hope you can forgive me for what you’re about to see me become…”