//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Into the Nightmare 
// Story: Survival of the Wolves 
// by JNKing 
//------------------------------//

Something cold and wet hit Shiva's face several times in rapid succession, she groaned as her eyes slowly peeled open and she awoke with a gasp. She found herself laying down on her side on a bed of leaves, lifting her head, she saw her Wolves around her.
"Oh, thank everything sacred, you're awake Alpha," one she recognized as Don - said.
"We really thought we had lost you," Another – Myst - said.
Don – a warg that specialized in medicine, as evidenced by the healing herb necklace around his neck, lit his fur and scanned her body. After a few seconds, a look of huge relief appeared on his face.
"She's okay,” he announced, “The spell didn't affect her."
Shiva watched as the Wolves let out a collective sigh of relief. Her heart tore at how banged up they looked; how their heads drooped from exhaustion, and how broken the light in their eyes was. Quite a few were openly weeping, others seemed to be in shock as they just stared into nothing, mates were crying in each other's forelegs while pups were bawling their eyes out.
Shiva turned to Don.
"How long was I out?"
"Twenty-four hours.” Don sighed. “You took a pretty hard hit, Alpha. I'm sure that if you weren't a Lupa-class wolf, you would have died."
Shiva nodded and looked over her wolves.
"How... how many did we lose?"
The wolves around her lowered their ears and heads, tears flowing. It was all the answer she needed.
"The attack caught us completely off guard,” Don explained. “We've lost the vast majority of our Warriors and Hunters, and nearly all our Wargs. When Starswirl hit you, we gave our all to get you and once we did we called a retreat, fleeing into the Everfree Forest, where they could not follow us. But most of the Wargs stayed behind, sacrificing themselves to allow us to make it. But that isn't the worst."
"It wasn't just the adults,” Myst added sadly. “The pups... oh Faust the pups, not even they were shown any mercy.”
Shiva's jaw dropped as her eyes widened. "What...?"
Don nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so, Alpha. We grabbed as many as we could but we couldn't save as many as we wanted to. Most of the ones we could save are now orphans."
A third pterolycus with damaged warrior armor – Shiva recognized her as Diana – limped up.
"I’m sorry Alpha. We tried to retrieve your mate's body, but were unable to. But I was able to protect something of yours, Alpha, though it cost me my pack."
Shiva was about to ask what, but two voices answered her.
"MOM!"
Shiva was nearly knocked over as two pups rammed into her at full speed, Lupa-class like her. Her pups.
"Kodo! Celine!" Shiva wrapped her forelegs around the two in a tight embrace as they sobbed into her chest.
They weren’t completely unhurt; Kodo had lost an eye, and Celine was holding her leg like it was broken. But that didn’t matter; they were alive. They were okay. 
“I wasn’t able to grab anything else,” Diana admitted. “But…”
“No, it’s fine Diana,” Shiva assured the wolf. “You’ve done more than enough.” Her heart did throb for her possessions; her father’s old cloak. The plushie her mother had given her as a pup. But those things hardly mattered. Her children were safe. They were hurt, but they were alive. That was all that mattered. She looked to the others. “Did we manage to bring anything from the old camp?”
Don lifted a tome. “My mate and I did manage to keep several of our rare tomes…” His head lowered. “And we were also able to grab our more valuable artifacts, though not as many as we wanted, and I was able to grab enough healing items to last a short while though I will need to make more soon.” Don signed as he wiped his eyes with a foreleg. “She didn’t make it.”
Shiva sighed, looking down… and noticing something she had missed before: her son and several of the male survivors had bloody hindquarters, and they carried themselves with great pain. 
“What did they do to you?” she whispered. 
Kodo covered himself with shame. “They… made sure we wouldn’t be able to have children,” he admitted. He nodded at a precious few who’s hindquarters were still intact. “Thankfully, it could’ve been worse. Most of our wargs defended us. Kept our… stuff… safe.”
“But...?” she started to ask, before remembering Don's words: 'Nearly all of our wargs... dead.'
Shiva stared out over her broken pack, struggling to comprehend. Starswirl’s face flashed before her again, filled with so much disgust. Luke’s face did as well, uncomprehending even as the arrow punched through his face. The sight caused Shiva’s fur to glow with outrage. 
What does that evil stallion have to be disgusted by?! She wanted to scream. Look what he did to us! What did we do to deserve this?
“Everyone’s been waiting for you to wake up,” Don added, snapping Shiva out of her thoughts. “We… were hoping you’d have a plan.” 
Indeed, she saw the survivors beginning to congregate around her. They were limping forward on trembling limbs, their heads bent from exhaustion. The pups clung to the few they trusted, and all eyes – desperate for guidance – were on Shiva. 
Shiva wanted to rally them with anger. She wanted to go back and turn Starswirl’s disgusted look into a look of fear. She wanted so many violent, horrible things to befall upon the monsters who had done this. 
But she knew that would accomplish nothing. If anything, it would only get more of them killed. And she had already lost enough. 
She pulled herself to her paws, as the pack took in a collective breath. When Shiva spoke, her voice was hollow at first. Yet the pack listened to it like a drowning man holding onto a lifeline.
“My pack,” Shiva said sorrowfully. “My brothers and sisters… what can I tell you? What words can describe the pain we have suffered?”
The wolves whimpered, one female fenrir holding two pups close to her. 
“We’ve been hurt,” Shiva continued. “We’ve been bled. We’ve been beaten down by the most ‘evil’ creature in all of Equestria.”
The wolves nodded; growls began to sound. Shiva’s heart rampaged in her chest; if she wasn’t careful, these poor souls would throw themselves right back into the arms of death. 
“Now I know,” she continued. “Some of you want to assume that creature is the ponies. I tell you now, that is only the work of the true evil manipulating your grief.” 
The wolves paused in confusion, but Shiva kept going. 
“The true evil that has led us to so much suffering… is Fear. Fear; the first step in the cycle of hurt.” She pointed. “I know you feel it’s icy grip now. Believe me, I feel it in my heart too. It tells me to turn back and answer the pain we have suffered with pain twice over. It pleads with me to burn them to the ground; to put them through every foul torture in the book before sending them off to Tartarus.” 
“Yeah,” one of the pterolycus growled. 
No! Shiva wanted to hiss, but she contained herself, and shook her head before more could agree. 
“But I won’t listen,” she said, silencing the potential rioters. “I cannot inflict more suffering upon us. Not to you; not to my family.” She looked directly at the pterolycus who had spoken, hoping he’d understand. “I can’t ask you to go back into battle: to risk your lives pointlessly when right now, it’s a victory for us to be alive right now. The greatest insult an enemy can suffer is to be ignored. And I say this enemy has more than deserved that humiliation.” 
“So, what would you have us do?” another fenrir asked. “Nothing?”  
“No!” Shiva barked back, regaining the crowd. “First, we’re going to make a home for ourselves here. We will regrow our numbers, rebuild our homes, and regain our strength. We will adapt and re-prosper, just as every creature has done when beset by Mother Nature’s wrath. And when our strength has returned, and the ponies try this again? I promise you, they won’t find quivering, malnourished pups. They will find REGRET!”
“Regret,” several of the wolves muttered, nodding in agreement. 
“They will find DEATH!”
“DEATH!” more of the wolves barked, their tails wagging.
“THEY WILL FIND THE WOLVES OF EQUESTRIA!” 
“WOLVES OF EQUESTRIA!” the wolves howled in agreement.
Sighing in relief, Shiva would turn to the inside of the forest. “Now,” she said. “Let’s get to work.” 

#

The chains clinked idly against the wall. Star sighed as she hung in her cell; a place that had become as familiar to her as her own room. 
Sometimes, Star wondered if this cell should have just been her room. At least then she’d have some books or something to read as she passed the time. Anything was better than dealing with the silence. The silence and the glowers the guards guarding her constantly shot her way.
A door crashing open jarred Star loose from her thoughts. She looked up as the guards spun to the hallway, their eyes widening in fear. 
“Princess?!” one of them stammered. “You… but you can’t…”
The guard was seized in a magic aura and thrown out of sight, Star hearing the sound of tools or something crashing to the floor. A second later, the door burst open, and Luna stormed in, anger flashing on her face before it faded to relief upon seeing her daughter. 
“Star!” Luna breathed, her magic enfolding the chains and unlocking them. Star fell into her mother’s embrace. 
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Star joked as she held her. “I promise I’ll change my ways. I assure you.”
Luna barked a short laugh, but it held no humor. As she carried her foal out on her back, Star saw the guards pulling themselves up, glaring at Luna in fury. 
“You won’t get away with this!” the guard swore. “Princess Celestia will hear about this!”
“Oh, she most certainly will,” Luna promised, marching up the stairs and to the throne room.
Star’s heart trembled at the mention of Celestia. “Mother,” she said. “Maybe we can just… skip talking to Celestia, and…”
“And what, my beloved daughter?” Luna asked, struggling to keep her voice even. “Allow those awful stallions to throw you right back into prison?”
Star looked away. “Isn’t that just going to happen sooner if Celestia hears about it?”
“It shouldn’t,” Luna insisted. “I refuse to stand for it anymore!” 
Star shivered as they drew closer to the throne room. If there was one thing that isolated her more from anyone else, it was how she saw Celestia. 
Every pony – even Luna – saw Celestia as a great and wonderful mare. But Star had no idea where they were pulling this image from. To her, Celestia was but a puppet: a toy for the nobles to do more damage. And she proved it, when Luna forced open the doors… and Lord Ego sat right at the foot of Celestia’s throne. Celestia had just been in the middle of laughing at some joke he had made, before the BOOM of the doors opening yanked her attention to her sister.
“Luna?” Celestia demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”
Luna lifted Star off her back before pointing at Lord Ego. “He threw my daughter in the dungeon!” she said, struggling not to screech. 
Lord Ego stood as Star scrunched up in her mother’s grip. She barely glanced at Celestia, but she saw the anger in her eyes directed at her. Star had no idea what she had done to cause it, but it made her terrified of Celestia all the same. 
“And you let the little creature out?!” Lord Ego demanded.
Celestia sighed. “Luna,” she said. “Is it true, then? Are you really trying to seize power from me?”
“Seize power?!” Luna demanded. “I’m only asking for justice!” 
“Justice is what we want as well!” Lord Ego refuted. “Don’t think we don’t know what you and the wolves were up to!” 
Luna gaped at him, clearly just as confused as Star was, while Lord Ego turned to Celestia with a disarming smile.
“My beautiful and powerful princess,” he insisted, his voice making Star shudder with disgust. “Your sister may no longer have the wolves to do her bidding, but how can we be sure she won’t make such plans again.”
“WE MADE NO PLANS?!” Luna boomed, looking to Celestia pleadingly. “Sister – TIA – I have been nothing but loyal to you! I bore the Element of Loyalty itself!”
“Any pony who must say they are loyal is no true loyalist,” Lord Ego replied. He turned back to Celestia. “We must assure your safety, my Princess. It would break all our hearts if something were to happen to you.”
Celestia nodded, her glare on Star making her shrink. “You’re right, Lord Ego,” she replied. “Guards; return the Moon Spawn to her cell.”
“TIA!” Luna protested, as the guards converged on Star. The little alicorn merely curled up, already accepting her fate. 
“Control yourself, Luna,” Celestia growled. “Lord Ego has told me of how you cavorted with the wolves and thestrals. How you planned to take my throne.”
“It’s not your throne, it’s ours!” Luna insisted, struggling to keep calm as she felt her rage beginning to burn over. She wasn’t aware of it, but her coat started to darken. Her eyes lit up a bright cyan. 
“You see!” Lord Ego insisted, pointing a hoof at Luna. “Even with all her allies gone, she still refuses to remember her place.” He bowed before Celestia. “My bright and shining star, I understand she is your sister, but you must see her for the monster she has always been. If that Moon Spawn is the only thing she cares about, measures must be taken to ensure she remembers her place.”
Celestia sighed. “Not to worry, Lord Ego. I had hoped that my sister could control herself.” She glowered at Luna. “But it appears I was wrong.” 
The guards picked Star up and began to carry her away. Luna tried to grab her again, only for Celestia to block her.
“Either remember your place, sister,” Celestia said. “Or your child will never see another moon’s light again.” 
As the doors shut between Luna and Star, the tiny alicorn tried to give her mother one last smile. But it was hard to find any positivity or hope in this. 
That’s what Celestia does best, Star thought morosely. Taking all the hope out of my sails.
As the door boomed shut, Luna did not move at first. Her rage built like a steam kettle. She almost went light-headed as pressure built, her voice wanting to scream. 
“Now,” Celestia continued. “Return to your tower, Luna. I will call you when you are needed.”
Lord Ego laughed. “As if she ever will be.”
Celestia tittered alongside Lord Ego’s laugh. And as their mocking voices rolled over Luna’s ears, a wave of cool calm fell over her. A terrifying grin adorned her blackening features. 
Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “Luna?” she tried to say, stepping forward. “I gave you a…” 
“Not… another step,” Luna growled. 
“Princess!” Ego insisted. “Princess Celestia, you see? She’s…”
A beam of magic shot for Ego. Celestia was barely able to deflect it. Even then, the shockwave sent both alicorn and noble crashing into the wall. 
“Luna!” Celestia boomed. 
But Luna was rising into the air, darkness swirling around her like a hurricane. 
“You expect me to sit idly by while they bask in your ‘precious light,’ and insult and demean my beloved night?!?” Luna demanded. “Do you think I will allow this transgression to stand, Celestia?! Do you really think I will let you TAKE MY DAUGHTER FROM ME AND LET YOU THREATEN HER!!??”
“Stop this at once!” Celestia ordered.
But as the darkness enclosed over Luna, the moon began to rise. And Celestia and Ego turned, horror adorning their faces as the moon covered the sun, bathing the entire kingdom in shadows.
“I will protect my daughter from you, from the monsters that hurt her. If there can only be one princess in Equestria,” Luna declared from inside her sphere of darkness. “Then that princess… will be ME!” 
The sphere of darkness exploded, throwing Celestia and Ego into a wall. Ego screamed as a snapping sound emanated from his back. 
Celestia briefly looked at him in concern, before evil laughter drew her gaze. Where Luna had once floated, a pitch-black mare had taken her place. Slit-pupiled eyes like a dragon glared down at Celestia in contempt. Dark blue regalia adorned her body, and her mane and tail had changed to literal galaxies of stars.
“Stop this, Luna!” Celestia demanded. “Lower the moon at once! It is your duty!” 
“I have but one duty now, Celestia,” The nightmarish alicorn in front of her growled, as her horn lit up with magic. “Killing all of you!”