Meanwhile, inside the Ever-Free Forest, a pack of wolves watched the ruins of the Castle of Two Sisters collapse. Celestia had barely moved from her spot where Luna – or whatever that black alicorn was – had been defeated. She stared up at the moon as if reflecting on her entire life.
Further away, the wolves could make out the armored visage of Flash Magnus. As the wolves watched, Flash placed something on a gravestone, before bowing his head in either mourning or respect.
“How ironic,” Kodo mused darkly. “The ponies are barely done with destroying us, and already they’ve turned on each other.”
Myst chuckled. “I find it fitting, all things considered.”
Kodo shook his head. “I don’t,” he said. “I think we should take advantage. Just go in and…”
“No!” A golden wolf stepped forward in the pack, her brown eyes carrying the same fire as Shiva. “You heard Alpha Shiva; we’re going to focus on rebuilding and re-strengthening ourselves before we try and fight them again.”
Kodo still gave the crumbling tower a dark look. “Wish we could do that faster,” he grumbled. “Those ponies deserve to be punished.”
“No doubt,” the golden wolf agreed, glaring at the castle herself. “But for now, let’s let them rip each other apart. While they weaken, we grow stronger.”
The other wolves nodded reluctantly, before Myst gave the golden wolf a curious glance.
“Why aren’t you back at camp, Celine?” she asked. “You’re still fit for breeding, after all.”
“I’m not going to just be a pup factory,” Celine growled. “I can do more than get pregnant. Like hunt.”
“But if you get hurt?” Kodo asked. “This place can be pretty dangerous.”
Celine grinned at him. “I’m not alone,” she replied. “I’ve got you with me.”
Kodo glanced down. Though their wounds had been healed, there was still clearly no return from the damage Starswirl and his goons had inflicted on them.
“I can’t exactly be called a ‘guy’ anymore,” Kodo noted.
Celine gave him a sympathetic look, and brushed his shoulder. “You’re still willing to do what you can for the pack,” she assured him. “That’s what makes a real male.”
Kodo grinned softly at her reply, before a scream drew their gaze. The wolves looked at each other in confusion.
“Is that… a pup?” Myst asked.
“There’s no howl behind it,” Kodo reasoned. “If it’s a kid… it’s gotta be a pony.”
The mere word sent a shudder of disgust through the pack. Yet, as another scream permeated the air, Celine felt the instinct of a mother wolf pulsate through her veins. Driving her to take off in the direction of the scream. To reach whoever was in trouble and help them, regardless of whether it was pony or wolf.
#
Star Wing had never been in the Ever-Free Forest before. She had always wanted to go in; she always had ideas of conquering the evil things inside. But now, as she ran away from those that wanted her dead, she realized just how naïve she had been to think she could take on anything in the forest.
The twisted, gnarled trees almost seemed to resemble faces, laughing at her plight. Creatures scurried in the darkness out of the corners of her eyes, leaving her jumping at shadows. And the wind hissed laughter, sounding almost like the voices in Star’s mind.
“Why couldn’t you help me,” Luna’s voice pleaded, as several sharp branches clawed at Star’s wing.
She wrenched away, only to stumble into a pit.
“This is where Moon Spawn like you belong,” Lord Ego’s voice hissed as she hit muddy, slimy water.
Something shifted underneath her, and Star yelped, bursting from the water and trying to fly with sodden wings. The trees shivered with malicious laughter as the water weighed her down, sending her tumbling to the ground.
“Moon Spawn,” the wind hissed. “Demon. Devil. Deserve to die…”
Star Wing shivered where she fell, her horn pulsating with light. “Shut up,” she growled. “I could’ve been your hero! You didn’t give me a chance!”
“Demon.”
“I could’ve proven you wrong!”
“Devil!”
“You weren’t fair!”
“Deserve to die.”
“Star,” Luna’s voice seemed to whisper. “Help me.”
Eyes seemed to poke up from everywhere. Star’s horn bristled and popped with light. Overwhelmed, she let out a shriek, and a burst of light destroyed the trees around her, leaving her in a small, crater-like clearing.
For a moment, the wind went silent. Though the darkness still remained, the voices went quiet. Star took a moment to compose her, breathing deeply, in and out. Out and in.
“I’ll be a hero,” she reminded herself. “I’ll… I can just live here. A-And when they need me, I’ll be there. Nothing can stop me!” She looked up. “You hear me? NOTHING’S GONNA STOP ME!”
In response, several glowing green eyes opened, regarding her with unamused hunger.
Star’s wings, ears and tail drooped. Timber wolves.
The broken branches from Star’s fit slid over to the green eyes, becoming part of the bark-armor that made up their forms. Growling, Star charged up another blast of magic. But with her energy worn out from her fit, all she managed to do was blow the head off one of the beasts; a head that grew back from moss and branches easily.
As the pack bore down on her, Star managed a nervous chuckle.
“I guess… you guys… are gonna stop me, eh?” she noted, glancing around at the crater she had made and the destroyed trees with them. “Um… can I just… replace these? I’m sure I can do it.”
The lead timber wolf jumped at her, Star only escaping due to her smaller size.
“Okay, fine!” she snapped at them. “Be like everypony else! Don’t give me a chance!”
She stomped her hoof and took off. However, one of the timber wolves almost got lucky. As it’s jaws snapped at her back, they managed to snag her saddlebags.
Star yelped, trying to grab them back, but two more wolves lunged at her. Wisely letting go, Star tumbled backward as the timber wolves smashed into each other, and the one with her saddlebag rolled backward, her supplies flying away into the darkness.
To make matters worse, the two timber wolves smashing together just reformed into a larger timber wolf. And as Wing struggled to get back to her hooves, the bigger timber wolf romped forward effortlessly and jumped for her throat.
Yelping, Star held up her forelegs, and screamed in pain as the beast’s jaws latched around her legs and her head. Desperate, Star pumped what little magic she had left into her forelegs, trying to hold apart the jaws threatening to crush her.
But she was still young, and her magic reserves were few. And as her strength slowly failed her, and the jaws of death pressed down closer and closer towards her head, Star saw the other timber wolves gathering around. Flanking her, but patiently waiting for their Alpha to finish the job.
This can’t be right, Star thought frantically. “I-I’m not supposed to die!” she protested, kicking feebly at the timber wolf’s underside. “I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE LIKE THIS!”
The timber wolves didn’t care. And as the last of Star’s strength left her, and the wolf’s teeth began to press into her neck, drawing a tiny amount of blood, Star didn’t even have enough energy to cry. Slowly, her eyes shut, and her body began to accept her fate, even as her mind bounced around in her head like a superball. No-no-no, someone save me! Someone help me! That’s how it worked in the stories! PLEASE, I’M SO SCARED!
But then, just before her throat could be crushed, and her story could end, Fate decided to be kind to her. A new howl – not one of timber wolves – filled the air.
Seconds later, a golden form smashed the big timber wolf to mulch, releasing her from its death grip. As Star landed she gaped up in shock: it was… another wolf. But this one was made of flesh and fur, not bark and moss. A pair of giant owl-like wings were spread across it’s back, and it’s fur shimmered like a unicorn horn.
The rest of the wooden pack jumped, growling at the flesh wolf. But the golden one growled right back. And as more flesh wolves gathered around her, the timber wolf pack seemed to realize it was outmatched.
Reluctantly, the timber wolves crept away into the forest. One stayed, glaring at the wolves, but another blast of magic from the golden one sent it scurrying away with a damaged snout.
Hesitantly, Star looked up, her eyes wide and fearful, while her whole body trembled. Cautiously, the golden wolf got on her level, looking at her with sympathy.
“Are you alright, young one?” she asked.
Star pulled herself up, dusting herself off. “Well, I’m… with wolves again.” She glanced back at where the timber wolves had gone. “Though I gotta say, I prefer you guys to them.” She reached out and touched Celine’s fur, noting how soft it was. “Fluffy… much better than wood.”
The other flesh wolves exchanged confused looks, but the golden one only had eyes for Star. Despite her words, Star’s voice shook, struggling to remain even. And her eyes were glazed, half-focused on her fur.
“Little one?” the golden one said. “My name is Celine. Who are you?”
“S-Star Wing,” she replied, struggling to smile as she extended her wings. “Y-You can guess where I got the name. I-I thought it would be a good hero name... o-one day, you know? When I was trained?”
Celine tilted her head. “And is that why you’re out here?” she asked. “To train?”
“Because you need way more practice,” one of the wolves in the back snarked, producing a round of laughter.
Celine glared at her pack mates, but Star tried to join in; hoping it would defuse things. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Just like you guys need to work on keeping secrets.”
The wolves paused. Their glares caused Star’s heart to hammer.
“I-I mean… you did a great job keeping things with my mom secret. I sure didn’t know about it until…”
“Hold on,” Celine said. “Your mom?”
“P-Princess Luna,” she said with a nod. “You… they said you were going to overthrow Celestia.” She glanced back. “P-Pardon me, but it doesn’t look like it worked.”
Kodo stepped forward with a glower, but Celine motioned for him to wait. “Kodo…”
“Those ponies honestly thought…?” Kodo demanded.
“Stay calm,” Celine ordered. “Get Mother. She needs to hear this.”
Kodo glanced between them, and then turned to his wolves. “That filly tries anything…” he started to say, but Myst just nodded.
“We’ll handle it,” she promised. “Go.”
Kodo spared Star one more glare, but his glare faltered under how pathetic the little filly looked. Rocking back and forth, murmuring to herself. “Mom? Mother? Mother’s okay… she was… she… no!” She slapped herself. “Pull it together, Wing. You’re better than this.”
Sighing, Kodo left to find his mother.
#
He found Shiva with three of the survivors; two males, one female. One of the males had been a victim of the spell, and he was looking down with a glower.
“I’m sorry that it has to be like this,” Shiva insisted to him. “But this isn’t just about feelings right now; this is about ensuring our race goes on.” She looked to the un-fixed male and female. “I expect you two to treat him,” she indicated the fixed one, “With respect. He had every right to love you,” she indicated the female, “Before Starswirl and the others ruined his chances of getting to start a family.”
“Mother,” Kodo said, drawing her gaze. “We found something.”
Shiva’s eyes darted to him. “Can it wait?”
Kodo shook his head. Shiva sighed, turning back to the trio.
“I’ll be right back,” she promised. “But you three understand.” She glared at the non-fixed male. “Just because you can breed with her doesn’t give you the right to act like you’re better than him.” She indicated the fixed one.
“I understand, Alpha,” he promised.
“Good.” Shiva turned back to Kodo, and followed him into the forest.
#
As the Alpha reached the clearing where Celine was tending to Star Wing, she had to pause, taking in Star’s form.
She was an alicorn, but she was also so young and tiny. The terrors of the Ever-Free should have broken such a young soul. Yet, she was still trying to smile, her eyes wide as she retold some kind of story to Celine.
“A-And then,” Star was saying. “Princess Luna launched right at King Sombra with her scythe, like… SWOOSH and BACK! And Sombra? Sombra was like, “Aw, no…” A-And she beat him!”
“I’m sure she did,” Celine said before glancing at Shiva. “Mother.” She turned and bowed, while Star blinked dumbly up at the Lupa.
“Oh h-hello,” Star said. “You… look a lot like an alicorn. Was that too obvious? I don’t know, I’ve been kinda… running through this forest for about an hour or two, so I-I’m a little… uh… on edge. Even though I’m not actually out on an edge, am I?” she tittered a broken, stressed laugh.
Shiva glanced at Celine. “What’s her name?”
“Star Wing,” Celine replied, as Star continued to talk.
“N-Not that it matters,” Star Wing was insisting. “You know? Because… heroes don’t get scared. A-And I’m a hero! Or at least… I was gonna be. There… we had this demon, a-and I was gonna beat it, see? I was gonna… I was gonna beat it and then... e-everyone was gonna love me! They’d appreciate me, they’d… they wouldn’t punish me for looking at them wrong…”
As Star spoke, Shiva felt her heart throb at how much the young alicorn was struggling to sound chipper, despite the horrifying treatment she was implying the ponies had put her through. Unwilling to hear anymore, Shiva cut off Star’s rambling with a simple nuzzle. It was gentle and kind, but it stopped Wing dead in her tracks. She made a few more attempts to speak, before the dam finally broke, and she seized Shiva by the neck.
“Hey!” Kodo barked, only to be answered with sobs.
Shiva motioned for him to stay back as the little filly cried into her fur, sobbing uncontrollably. Picking her up, Shiva gently rocked the filly back and forth, patting her back and letting her vent.
“They… took my mommy,” the filly whimpered through her tears.
“Just let it out,” Shiva encouraged. “We’re here for you; you’re among friends.”
Eventually, Wing cried herself out. As her last sniffles faded into gasps for breath, Shiva dried the filly’s tears.
“Now,” Shiva said. “Who took your mom?”
Star hiccupped, helping Shiva wipe away her tears. “I-I mean… they didn’t ‘take’ take her. B-But t-they were mean to her. They hated me… hated her. B-But Mom loved me. A-And Uncle Flash - that is, uh, Flash Magnus? He was good to me. And I figured, ‘hey, one of them likes me. Maybe I can earn the love…”
“Flash Magnus?” Myst asked. “The Pillar of Equestria? And you wanted the other Pillars to show you…”
“Oh, not just the pillars,” Star rectified. “The ponies. The nobles! C-Celestia? I was gonna show them.” She looked down. “But Mom… she… it just got too much for her, and then…” Star covered her face. “How was I supposed to fight my own mom? How can a hero do that?”
Shiva would look up at the moon – at the new visage of Luna on it – and understanding dawned on her face. “They can’t,” she whispered.
Star looked up in confusion, as Shiva settled the mare on her lap.
“Ponies in this day and age,” Shiva said sadly. “They let fear of the unknown control them. They let it justify hatred; they let it excuse cruelty. And trying to change it…” Shiva glanced at her pack mates. “Will only get you hurt.”
Star followed her gaze, looking at the downtrodden wolves. She wiped away her tears again, her brow creasing in thought. “Uncle Flash tried to change it,” she whispered. “He helped me get away.” She looked up and around. “Oh Faust… he probably thinks I’m dead!”
Shiva winced. “I’m sorry to say it,” Shiva said. “But it might be better for them to think that. You and I are similar, Little Wing, in that not many ponies will seem to mourn our passing.”
Star shook her head. “But there’s gotta be some way,” she insisted. “The heroes in the stories; they always found a way.” Her ears perked. “Wait. YOU!”
Shiva blinked as Star gripped her fur.
“You can teach me, right?” Star asked. “Heroes always need mentors. A-And you just said we’re similar. You can teach me how to be a hero! A-And then… When the ponies need us, when they look up and yell to save us, w-we’ll emerge from the darkness, apparently rising from the dead, and save the world from fear and hate! We will!”
Shiva winced. She didn’t believe such a thing was possible so soon after her people had been attacked. Even now, a dark, ugly part of her yearned for the day the wolves were back to full strength; when they would burn Canterlot and the Elite to the ground. A part of her wanted to watch the ponies' sins foam up around their waists. And when they looked up and screamed, ‘save us’ like Star envisioned, Shiva could see herself whispering, ‘No.’
But as Shiva stared into Star Wing’s eyes, she saw more than just an innocent’s imagination. She saw a broken soul, struggling to piece itself together; hanging on by a delusional thread.
Shiva sighed, unwilling to shatter this poor youth’s delusion, and wrapped her in a hug. “Yes,” she said. “I’ll teach you. I’ll teach you everything I know. And we will help you grow into a strong, powerful hero. A hero who will save the world.”
Star Wing’s eyes glittered, and she hugged Shiva back. Shiva then turned her eyes up to Canterlot.
“And the beasts who hurt you,” Shiva whispered, too softly for Star to hear, her voice black with bitterness, “Will never have you again.”
Picking the little filly up by the scruff of her neck, she brought her back to the camp. As she walked, Star blinked with surprise as she was carried by the Lupa-wolf like one of her own pups. Yet, as she felt the gentle way Shiva was holding her, her surprise faded into amusement; with the amusement serving as a poor cover for her joy.
These wolves may not have been ponies, but they had shown her more love than Lord Ego and most others had ever shown her in her entire short life. Star had been a fool to think these wolves were monsters.
But don’t you worry, Star thought as Shiva carried her. A good filly learns from her mistakes. And if the ponies don’t want me as their hero… I’ll be your hero instead… my saviors.
As Shiva brought Star into camp, several wolves bristled at the sight of a pony, but the way Shiva held her waylaid their anger and replaced it with curiosity.
“My brothers and sisters,” Shiva said, indicating Star. “This is Star Wing; daughter of Princess Luna.”
“A pony,” Diana, who had just gotten back from a hunt, growled as several others looked surprised at what Shiva had just said. “Tell me she’s not going to be here long.”
Shiva glared at her pack mate. “Princess Luna was betrayed by her own,” Shiva explained. “The nobles who destroyed our home and our people turned their sights onto this mare and her mother.”
Star shivered in Shiva’s grip, but she just adjusted her grip, comforting the filly with her warmth.
“It’s too late for Luna,” Shiva said. “But it’s not too late for this one.” She looked up at the others. “I won’t ask you to forgive the nobles who hurt you. But I do ask you to recognize that this filly was not involved in any of that. She was hurt by the same creatures who hurt us. She may not be our sister in blood, but she is our sister in pain. And I beseech you to find it within yourselves to see her beyond what she looks like, and allow her to prove herself as a valued pack member.” Her voice lowered. “After all… we could use all the help we can get, eh?”
The pack’s bristling dwindled at Shiva’s truth. Like it or not, they did need help surviving. And an alicorn filly could grow into a powerful ally.
Thus, no one complained as Shiva brought Star back to her den. In fact, a group of wolves followed Shiva, a familiar pair of saddlebags in their teeth.
“Alpha Shiva?” the leader, Diana, asked. “We found these saddlebags out in the forest. They had an odd scent on them, and they led back to you. Could it be…?” She glanced at Star, who’s eyes widened at the sight of her things.
“My… my stuff!” Star Wing stammered. She nearly lunged up to seize the bags, before halting herself, and bowing to Diana. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Diana blinked; it wasn’t often that an alicorn - even one so young - bowed to a wolf. But when she looked to Shiva, the Alpha smiled and nodded. Grinning herself, Diana handed the saddlebags over to Star, noticing the glint of gold around her neck.
“What are you wearing?” Diana asked.
Star briefly glanced down at her neck. “Oh, just, uh…” she chuckled sheepishly. “The High Royal Order. My dad got it; it’s… an award for great valor and outstanding leadership.” She toyed with it. “I… probably shouldn’t be wearing it, but… it was my dad’s, and Dad’s not here so…” she paused, before diving back into her saddlebags.
Diana and Shiva exchanged a worried look, before Star re-emerged with a book.
“N-Now here’s something a little more interesting,” she declared with glee. “‘The Fall of Discord,’” she opened the book with a laugh. “Mom would read this to me every time I got scared; it would always assure me that no matter how bad things got, heroes won out in the end.”
Shiva curled up next to Star. “Would you like to read it to us now?” she asked.
Star looked around. “Can I?”
Shiva nodded as another Wolf, a Warg, came up. “First, let me take a look at you Star Wing.”
Shiva placed a paw on Star’s back as the Filly looked up at the warg curiously. “Star, this is Don, a warg that specializes in medicine.”
Star blinked. “Like a doctor?”
“Yes.”
“And a warg?” She paused for a second before a look of understanding appeared over her face. “Oh… the Wolves’ “Unicorn” right?”
Shiva nodded again. “Exactly Star.”
Though Star was a little reluctant, remembering the last time she was looked at by a doctor, Star let Don look her over, watching as he took out a small bottle no bigger than his paw along with what looked like cotton swabs. Don then pulled out a second bottle and from it poured a white foam-like fluid which he rubbed into and over his paws, noticing the look of wonder he spoke while he put the second bottle away.
“Paw cleaner, as one of the Wolves’ Healers I need to have my paws clean while tending to wounds, last thing I want to do is cause an infection while treating a wound.”
Once he was done rubbing the foam over his paws, he picked up the first bottle and carefully poured a few drops of a clear liquid onto a cotton swab.
“Now Wing, this is going to sting for a few seconds but it’ll pass quickly and clean those wounds on your neck, forelegs and wings.”
Star nodded and allowed him to gently press the swabs against her wounds. She flinched at the sting but held her tongue. It was a bit surreal to her; every doctor she had met before had treated her as if they’d rather let her get sick and die, or even try to use their medicines to hurt her worse. It had gotten to the point where the only ones Luna allowed to heal Star were either Flash or Meadowbrook. Yet this Wolf doctor showed her a gentleness that helped her to relax as he did his work. As he worked, Kodo found another book in Star’s bags; a photo album.
And with Don’s encouragement, Star began to share the pictures inside, depicting memories such as Star trying on Flash’s helmet, Flash reading her a story as she peeked out from under his helmet, a few very old pictures of Luna, Star Hunter and Star Wing all together as a family, and even one of Flash Magnus holding a newborn Star Wing. Through her stories and explanations, Shiva and the other Wolves learned that while the other Pillars weren’t around Star very much, nowhere near as much as Flash was anyway, they always treated her nicely and apparently taught the young Alicorn everything that her teachers should have taught her, but instead wasted by treating her like a demon.
After cleaning her wounds Don gave her a checkup, up to examining her teeth. Once he was done he nodded with a smile and put his things away.
“So what’s the verdict, Doc?” Star joked.
Don gave her a smile and a chuckle. “Well Star Wing, I’m glad to say that the wounds on your neck only went deep enough to draw blood and that’s it. Using your Earth Pony strength when you did likely saved your life as it bought Celine and her pack time to reach you. I know it may not seem like much but I’ve learned from experience that even a single second can make the difference between life and death. Beyond that you’re as healthy as one would expect for a foal your age. It’s clear to me that the ones that did care for you made sure you were looked after.”
Star gave him a smile as she laid down next to Shiva and as the other wolves gathered round, Star began to regale them with the tale of how Luna and Celestia - once united as sisters and friends - had took down the laughable evil of Discord, Shiva looked back towards Canterlot, struggling not to let the bitterness take hold.
You nobles will pay for this, Shiva silently promised. Not just for my sake anymore, but for Luna’s sake. And this filly’s sake. Anyone that can do this to a child… she shook her head. One day, we will get our strength back. And if you’re not paying for this already, you will pay for it then.