//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 - The New Development // Story: An Alternative Beginning // by ultrapoknee //------------------------------// [Ponyville Train Station - Earlier That Morning] Rainbow Dash was in a grumpy mood. It was just past seven in the morning, and she was sitting on one of the benches at Ponyville Station with the others, waiting for the eight o’clock train to show up. She absolutely hated mornings, but she’d made a promise to be at the train station, and she didn’t want to go back on a promise. Even so, she was still groggy. Suddenly, a cup of steaming liquid was thrust in front of her. She looked up, only to see Pinkie holding said cup towards her. Rainbow could smell coffee coming from it. “Um…thanks,” she said as she took the cup and sipped the morning nectar. “Oooh…that’s the good stuff…” she said. “Extra shots of espresso, too,” Pinkie said with a smile. Rainbow looked up at her again, a small smile forming on her own face. “You didn’t forget…” “My party room might be gone,” Pinkie said, “but I never forgot what was there.” Rainbow was touched, and smiled wider as she took another sip. “Aah…delicious.” Pinkie smiled at her, but just then she looked away. She tilted her head and a frown appeared on her face. “Um…Rainbow? I think somepony wants to see you,” she said with some uncertainty in her voice. “You too, Rarity,” she called to her other friend. Rarity turned and gaped. “Mother? Father?! Sweetie Belle!?” “Hey, there pumpkin,” Hondo said. “It’s nice to see you again, dear. You’re looking a lot better now,” Cookie Crumbles added. “Hey, Rarity,” Sweetie said in a subdued tone. Rarity turned to her little sister, ears flattened. “S…Sweetie Belle…” she said, “I…It’s really good to see you again…” Her breath hitched in her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks. “You too, I guess….” The silence returned again as neither said knew exactly what to say to one another. Sweetite sighed as she started to speak. “Rarity–” Rarity slowly walked over and lowered herself. “No, Sweetie. You don’t have to say anything. I was the one who was stubborn and acted like a fool. I drowned myself in my sorrow and refused to accept accountability. Well, no more! Starting today, Rarity makes a change! For herself and for her family!” Sweetie rolled her eyes but also smiled while shaking her head and embracing her sister in a hug. “You’re still a drama queen,” she said. Rarity returned the hug properly. “Well, you can’t expect everything to change, darling,” the unicorn said with a smile of her own. As Rarity’s parents joined in on the family hug, Rainbow watched. She looked back at Scootaloo, took a deep breath and walked slowly over to her. She saw Scootaloo’s parents and aunts move closer protectively to the filly, causing Rainbow to stop. She looked down at her former little sister and took a deep breath. “Scoots, I was a flankhole.” “Hey, language!” Holiday admonished with a scowl. “Even if it is appropriate,” Lofty added. “I know, and I’m sorry for using that language,” Rainbow said to Scootaloo’s aunts and parents, “but I’m not sorry for the description of myself. That’s all true.” She turned back to Scootaloo, ears flattened. “I’m sorry I was a lousy role model. When ponies look up to you, you have to be there for them. You can’t mess up and let them down. Otherwise, they’ll think the behavior I was doing is okay, but it’s not. None of what I did and said was awesome or cool. It was mean. I’m glad you didn’t pick any of that up, Scoots.” Scootaloo looked down and kicked at the dirt under her hoof awkwardly. “...Yeah, but the truth is I don’t know how I feel about humans. What happened to Jason was wrong, I know that, but it hurt knowing you did it. It hurt seeing how bad you were hurt. I don’t know what to think anymore…” Sweetie Belle, who was coming over after her reunion with Rarity, said, “Is that why you said yesterday that the other human should leave Ponyville?” Scootaloo shrugged. “Kinda. I didn’t want him to get hurt, honest, but him being there was making ponies crazy.” “Scoots, those ponies were idiots too,” Rainbow said firmly, “they were acting cruel even when the other human was doing nothing wrong. It’s important to always follow what you know is right and wrong. If some adults are acting like jerks then don’t listen or follow them. Sometimes, you have to be your own mare!” To everypony’s surprise save for Mane and Snap, Scootaloo’s wings began to buzz. She lifted off of the ground so that she was eye to eye with Rainbow, hovering in place like any other pegasus. “But how do I know what’s right and wrong anymore?” she asked, desperation in her tone. “You got your parents and your aunts. They can tell these kinds of things. And if it still means anything, you got me. You can use me as an example of what not to do. Like I said, I messed up, and it takes a big pony to admit that. It's not an ego thing. And I promise I won’t ever let you down or steer you wrong. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Slowly, Scootaloo landed. She looked at the ground for a few moments before she took a step forward. “I…I missed you…” she said, hiccuping and looking at the ground. Rainbow meets her half way and pulls her into a hug. “I missed you like twenty percent more.” With that, the tears came and Scootaloo bawled, leaning against her. Everypony else nearby couldn’t help but be touched by this heartwarming reunion. Everypony except for Scootaloo’s family. Their faces did soften, but not by much. Snap Shutter took a step forward. “Rainbow Dash,” he said firmly, “I admire what you said, but Mane and I, along with her aunts, need more than just your word before we can trust you alone with our daughter. Do you understand what I mean?” Rainbow straightened herself up and walked right up to Snap Shutter. “Hit me!” “What?” Snap balked while the others looked confused. “I want you to hit me,” Rainbow confirmed, pointing to her face. “Do it as hard and as long as you like. Don’t worry about bruises, I’ve taken worse. I mean, you can’t do any more damage than this.” Rainbow gestureed to herself. “So, let them fly.” “You’re serious? You want Snap to hit you?” Mane Allgold asked in disbelief. “If you’re not satisfied with just him, you can hit me too,” Rainbow insisted, “I’ll do whatever it takes for Scootaloo. Even taking a few lumps. I probably deserve worse, but that’s the best I can think of right now.” Rainbow stood there with conviction. Scootaloo’s relatives stood gobsmacked as Snap Shutter looked at his wife, sister, and sister-in-law. When the mares all shrugged, he walked up to Rainbow, who in turn, prepared herself. “Alright, I hope you’re ready!” Snap raised his hoof while Rainbow stiffened in anticipation. His hoof shot forward and Rainbow closed her eyes. She expected a rough smack or a proper punch with the blunt end of a hard adventurer’s hoof. Instead, she felt a light bump against her snout. “Boop.” “Huh?” Rainbow said in confusion. Mane Allgood snickered. “My husband, who’s wrangled with all of the dangerous types of monsters in Equestria, giving Rainbow a boop. I should have taken a photograph of that.” “I took one,” Pinkie said, holding up her camera with a photograph coming out of the instant camera. Mane looked at it, then smirked. “I want copies,” she giggled. Embarrassment flushed over Rainbow as she exclaimed, “Hey! Get rid of that!!!” It was a very unflattering picture. Rainbow’s face was scrunched up in a ugly manner.  “O-Oh, it’s not so bad, darling. I think Pinkie got your good side.” Rarity chortles. Pinkie turned and stuck her tongue out at the prismatic pegasus, “I’m not gonna get rid of it, Dashie! I’m gonna get it developed and blown up and give copies to Scootaloo, her family, and maybe even Gregory!” “The human who left?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Hey, wait a moment, where are you all going?” she asked, looking mostly at Rarity. “We’re going to visit Starlight’s new school. The other girls are getting their things in order. They should be here any second now.” Pinkie stated. At that moment, Applejack showed up, but she didn’t come alone. Much to everypony’s surprise, the entire Apple clan was also there, including a stunned Applebloom who stared in shock at the sight of her Crusader friends. “S-Sweetie Belle…? Scootaloo…?” she stammered. “Applebloom!” Both fillies exclaimed. Applebloom ran to them and tackled her two friends, crying hard as she held her two friends close with her earth pony strength. “Yer here! Yer here!” she said over and over again, tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘Ah, ain’t that precious.” Granny Smith said. “Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed. Pinkie looked at each of the Apple family, but more specifically at the heavy saddlebags they carried save for Applejack. “Um…are you all packed up for something?” she asked. Her confused face turned into one of anticipation “Are you coming with us!?” “We got some relatives near the school in the next town over. Ah figure since we’re out there, we can pay them a visit fer a few days when we come back,” Applejack said. Scootaloo looked up at her parents. “Mom, Dad, can we go too?” she pleaded. “Well, I see no harm in it. Plus, it’s a good chance to talk with some other species and their culture.” Snap Shutter said in agreement. “What about us?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking up at her own parents. “That’s fine with us, dear. It’s closer to our home anyways.” Cookie said. “Better hurry and get your things, then,” Pinkie said, “the train will be here in less than an hour.” [High Elm Estate - Later That Morning] High Life was sitting calmly in his study again while drinking some tea. While the evening was peaceful, head to admit that he was unbearably bored. Setting up Filthy Rich to take the fall for the mind wiping was entertaining enough, but now he had nothing else to occupy his attention. And he was not in the mood to host another meeting with the short-sighted lords. He sighed deeply as he moved to start his day of monotony. A gentle glow from his pocket stopped him in his tracks. He used his magic to take the glowing gemstone out of his pocket. It was a two way magical communication device that was tied to his spy shadowing Cozy Glow and her organization. “Hmm, I am overdue with a check up.” His horn glowed as the image of Feather Duster was projected from the gemstone. “What have you to report? Please tell me it is something worthwhile.” “It is, my lord,” Feather Duster said. High Life noted that she had a triumphant look in her eyes. “I’ve recently discovered news pertaining to our young filly activist. Information that will ground her silly little movement to a halt!” High Life raised a curious brow at his agent. “Well, well, it is not often I hear you so self-assured,” he said, more than a little curious at this new development. “This must be good news then. Well? Out with it. You’re holding up my morning duties.” Feather nodded immediately. “Yes my lord. It’s come to my attention that the little filly isn’t as virtuous as she had led on to others. In reality she’s a very clever manipulator that has ties to Tirek!” High Life had to sit up as he leaned forward. “Does she now? That’s a very bold calm. Are you sure this information is accurate?” “I’d stake my career on it, my lord,” she said with utter surety. “The human was showing more of that visual mirror of our lives to a number of creatures here, you know the one that the first human used during The Trial. It displayed events where our sweet filly almost rid Equestia of all our magic.” “Do you have visual confirmation of these events?” High Life asked. “The spell I gave you doubles as a scrying spell. We can both see and hear everything she has said and done!”  “I have it right here, my lord.” As Feather Duster replayed what Cozy Glow had seen, High Life found himself smiling. A rarity for the ever stoic and serious stallion. “Excellent work. Truly, you have done well, Feather Duster. Send me that copy immediately.” He chuckled as he thought back to some of the scenes. “That version of Miss Glow is one I could grow to admire. A shame she isn’t a unicorn.” She nodded again as she replied, “At once, sir. However, I should note that what the filly saw had greatly upset her and she had to be comforted by the human.” Feather Duster said, showing Gregory and Cozy talking. “Hmm, then it is a good thing she has a shoulder to cry on going forward,” he said with a dark smirk, because she’ll be doing a lot more in the coming days.” [The Walls Of Yggdrasil - Late Afternoon That Same Day] Gregory stood on the walls near the southern portion of the magically infused walls, looking out at the landscape surrounding the fortified school. The sun was shining brightly, there was not a cloud in the sky, and there was a soft cool breeze emanating from the south. None of which did anything to improve his mood despite the beauty of raw nature normally helping him. The day was warm, but not unpleasant. His metal pole was leaning against the wall. He felt a bit more secure with it than without. One knife was attached to his belt and he had a pistol holstered on his other hip. Even though Starlight had assured him that the magical protection would keep him safe within the walls, he wanted that extra bit of insurance. The attack by those false guards had probably scared him more than he guessed, he had realized. After Cozy’s declaration, he had taken her back to the others despite how afraid she was. Immediately, Starlight took her aside and had a few words with her. He couldn’t hear what was said, but he could tell that Starlight was trying her best to reassure her. When the two came back, Cozy looked a bit more relaxed. However, Gregory wasn’t really in much of a mood to show more of the show but did promise that he’d show more another day. Instead, he asked Starlight just where he would be staying so that he could unpack. She’d led him to the northernmost part of the tower and up a flight of stairs to what could only be described as a suite. It was bigger than his own apartment on Earth had been. The room itself had a high ceiling along with two levels, a main level where the main living area was located and an upper loft where his bed was located. The bed itself was comparable to a king sized one, but soft and sturdy. It had comfortable looking light green sheets with an evergreen comforter on top. On either side of the bed were two end tables with lamps on either side, a wind up analogue alarm clock on one, and drawers on either side. The loft was against the southernmost portion of the suite itself.  On the main floor, there were a number of items of furniture, such as a large couch facing the large ceiling to floor windows which themselves faced east along with a door which opened onto a balcony overlooking the eastern portion of the school grounds. Directly across from the loft was a large fireplace with two other windows on either side, each able to be opened.  His room also had a large desk and chair directly underneath the loft. Unlike the one from his old room in the Helping Hooves Shelter, the chair and desk was able to fit him perfectly. It was here that he set up all of his electronics for the time being. There were bookshelves built into the walls along the main walls where he placed the few actual books he’d brought with him. He also had a large dresser and a walk-in closet where he put his clothes. There was a medium sized fridge and freezer combo in a corner along with a small rectangular table with two chairs near one of the windows. There was a small kitchenette as well, with cabinets that had a few plates and bowls and silverware in them. The bathroom, located on the southeastern side of his room, was a full sized one, with a sink, toilet, and a shower/bath combo. Next to the bathtub, a frosted glass window sat. It could be opened so that he could look out onto the school grounds. There was also a cabinet where spare toiletries could be placed. All in all, the room he had been given was one of the nicest ones he’d had, plus it was relatively close to that tower’s cafeteria and a small laundry room. It would have taken him ages to carry everything up the stairs along, but he received plenty of help from those who’d watched the show with him. Cozy was the most excited, asking him question after question about what he was unpacking. He humored her and explained just what everything he had was. Soon, his belongings were all unpacked. The fridge was stocked with the meat he’d brought along with sodas and Gatorade and Powerade he’d brought. He’d placed any dry food in some of the empty cabinets in the kitchenette and set some of his other things aside to organize later. Afterwards, he decided he needed time to decompress, which was when he asked to be left alone to go for a walk. His guards had protested, but Starlight had reassured them that as long as he was within the boundaries of the school, he would be safe. He’d wandered around, exploring the different parts of the school grounds by himself. Eventually, he’d found the stairs on the outer walls which led to the wall walk. It was there that he stayed for a while, leaning against the wall and just looking around at the landscape just outside of the walls. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “What am I doing?” he muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky. “What the fuck do I do about Cozy?” He put his head down on the battlements and groaned. “Goddamnit…” He’d barely been in this world a week, and he could feel the second stage of moving to a new place starting to settle in: homesickness. He leaned against the battlements and slid down, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring up at the sky. It was in this way that Ember found him. “What’s scoffing at your scales? Or is it tan your hide?” Ember asked. He looked up at her. “Oh, hey,” he said as he slowly stood and brushed his backside off. “I just got a lot on my mind…” He looked out at the dark forest below them. “You tend to do that a lot. Is that a human thing?” she asked. “It’s a me thing,” Gregory said, “don’t just go assuming that everything I do represents my entire species.” He turned to her. “If I did that, It’d be no better than what Twilight did.” “Fair enough. So, what is this ‘me thing’ that’s bothering you?’ He turned away and looked back at the forest. “Cozy Glow,” he muttered. “Didn’t you find her and give her off to unicorn Twilight?” Ember asked. He nodded. “That’s not the issue here,” he said. “Then spit it out,” Ember said in frustration, “I’d rather not play a guessing game when I’m the one offering you an ear.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. In brief, he recounted what Cozy had said about her now being his daughter. “It came right out of left field,” he finished, “and honestly, I’m at a loss here.” “What’s there to be lost about?” Ember asked. “The filly claimed you as a parental figure. You don’t have any hatchlings of your own. I don’t see a problem here. Ponies getting attached is normal for them.” He turned on her. “Do I look like a pony to you? I was raised by two useless parents who couldn’t be bothered to give a shit about me until they kicked me out at eighteen. I’m not parental material.” Ember rolled her eyes. “And? Dragons go their own way once they molt. But if your parents were bad then you already know how to be better than them. Just do the opposite of what they did to you.” “Knowing what not to do isn’t quite the same as knowing what to do,” Gregory argued back. “Does any creature know how to be a parent?” Gregory looked at her, studying her face. He was surprised by how calmly and directly she was speaking to him. He blew out a breath. “No, I guess not, but she did kind of spring this on me. Humans don’t go adopting on a whim most of the time.” “Eh, it's your fault for being a comfort to her,” Ember replied. “Now you’re stuck with her. Of course, you could always tell her no and break her heart.” “Are all dragons good at guilt tripping, or is that a you thing?” Gregory replied with a scowl, “because I don’t appreciate it.” Ember smirked down at Gregory from where she hovered. “Oh? Is that a challenge? If you don’t like what I’m saying then we could always blow off some stress with a good spar,” “You and I know damned well you’d beat me even now,” Gregory said, “and do you know just how it feels to lose?” He caught himself and sighed. “No, forget I asked that…” He turned away. “Urgh, look, all I know is that the filly likes you,” Ember said, “she wouldn’t want to be near you if she didn’t see you as a kind creature. Stop overthinking everything and keep doing what you’ve been doing. It’s worked so far.” He turned back to her. Her words struck a chord with him. He stood straighter. “I guess you’re right…huh, guess all I needed was a simpler view of things.” Ember scowled at him. “What do you mean by simple?” she asked, baring her teeth at him. Gregory couldn’t help it. He smirked. “Well, not everybody can have brains like yours,” he teased. “I know, it’s a gift.” Ember smiled. “So no more doubting?” “I’ll just do what I’ve been doing, but I’m still gonna be talking with her about it,” Gregory replied. He picked up his pole and looked at her. “So what brought you out here anyway? Looking for little old me?” he asked. “I was a bit bored after the search. I figured I could teach you a thing or two about hunting.” He pointed at the forest. “In there?” he asked. “You see any other forests around here?” she replied. He chuckled and looked back at it. “That might actually be nice,” he said. “Of course it would,” Ember smirked, “you’ll need to start getting food of your own whenever this place isn’t stocked up. Maybe you could make a lesson out of it when you get good at it.” “For omnivores, sure,” Gregory chuckled as he turned. “Let’s get a move on then. Sunset will be here in a few hours. This might give me an opportunity to clear my head.”  “Good call,” she said as she hovered beside him. Ember allowed Gregory to bring his knives and a gun since he lacked the natural tools to hunt by claw. The Dragon Lord explained that she had scouted the forest earlier that day and found some prime locations to catch game. Ember informed Gregory of what they will be catching. A jackalope. A small rodent that bears a resemblance to a rabbit but with antlers on its head. “And they’re extremely delicious,” she finished, licking her lips. “I’ve heard of them,” he replied, “they’re myths in my world, but I was under the impression that most animals here weren’t meant to be eaten. Hell, when the Gjallarhorn showed me that trial, I saw that even you looked disgusted when Twilight accused humans of being a cannibalistic species. And if a jackalope is a mix of rabbit and antelope, well, I know rabbits are at least off the menu.” “They’re not intelligent like rabbits,” Ember explained. “You could even say they’re as far removed from rabbits as we are from, say, a worm. You can eat them and no one will raise a stink about it.” He grinned, licking his lips. “Good. I’ve had rabbit and antelope meat from my world, both of which aren’t like the ones here. If jackalopes taste the same, then I bet they’re exquisite, especially in stew. I’ve got to find out if there are meat grinders here…” he chuckled as they approached the edge of the forest. He paused and looked up at the dense line of trees. His smile faded. “This place gives me the creeps.” “Getting cold hooves? Or claws?” Ember paused her taunt as she looks down at Gregory’s boots. “What are those things called anyway?” “I have feet,” he said, looking up at the hovering dragoness, “but you can’t see them right now for obvious reasons. And I’m not talking about the modesty thing. To answer your previous question though, I’m not getting cold feet. This forest just gives me a bad feeling. It’s like there’s some ancient evil inside.” He looked at his arm and shivered. “Jesus, I’m getting goosebumps.” “Pfft, whatever,” Ember replied with a dismissive wave of her claw, “I’m a thousand times more intimidating than anything in this forest. Besides, do you think the other Twilight would pick this location for the school if there was something dangerous here?” “Whoever founded Ponyville parked it right next to the Everfree Forest,” Gregory reminded her, “and that place has all sorts of dangerous creatures in it.” “And they’ve survived and thrived for as long as it stands today,” Ember argued back, “so I fail to see your point.” “My point is I have absolutely no magic, not like other creatures in this world,” he said as they walked into the forest, “and that makes me extremely vulnerable.” “Again, you’re with the Dragon Lord. I won't let the big scary forest hurt you.” He glared up at her. “Don’t patronize me,” he said as he pulled out his pistol. “Now then, where are these jackalopes?” “Good, now, we’re talking about something interesting,” Ember chuckled before pointing ahead of them. “They should be over this next clearing. I suggest using the foliage as cover and staying quiet. They get spooked real easily.” Gregory crept as stealthily as he could towards the clearing where Ember had pointed. As he did so, he drank in the sights and smells of the forest around him, trying to be as alert to anything that could be a danger to him. Despite Ember’s reassurances, he still wanted to be ready in case of anything. The forest itself was dense, with thick foliage that was difficult to pass through without getting some of the dark purple, red or green leaves in his hair and on his clothes. The trees themselves had dark purple and green bark, most of which were mostly covered in moss. The undergrowth was overgrown with bushes, some with leaves or needles of a deep red hue, others with a dark purple and others with green or blue. Despite the multicolored nature of the forest, the colors that he did see were muted, almost as if the forest itself was sick. The only other strange thing he noticed were the massive crystals that came up from the ground. They had a mostly blackish hue, but Gregory could see that there were a few that had a slightly glowing aquamarine tint coming from within. The blackness seemed to be creeping up from the ground towards the tips of these crystals. All in all, the forest looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. Since Ember could fly above the brush she made very little noise. He moved slowly and whenever there was a slight breeze he moved faster. After a while he came to the edge of the clearing and peered in. Jackalopes were bigger than he thought. They were about half as big as a lion. Quietly, he raised his gun and aimed it at the head of the biggest one he could see. He took a deep but silent breath and pulled the trigger which put the bullet directly into the jackalope’s head. Ember arched a brow at the effectiveness of the kill as their quarry hit the ground. Going over to inspect it, she saw that the weapon Gregory had used on it put a clean hole through its cranium. “Huh, not bad. You killed it before it even knew what was happening.” Gregory put his gun away and walked up to it. He kneeled and examined the creature more closely. “I need to be careful. I don’t have access to a way to replenish this weapon if I run out of ammunition. Looks like I’ll need to learn more about how to use my blades very soon.” He lifted the animal and slung it over his shoulder. “The only disadvantage is the loud sound it makes.” “Yeah, you did scare off anything else for miles,” Ember acknowledged, “but at least this catch appears fat. It should last a couple of days. Now, let’s haul it back so I can show you how to skin it.” “Roast jackalope…sounds good to me,” he said as he began carrying it out of the forest. As they continued with their trek, Ember paused and sniffed at the air. Gregory noticed this and looked around as well. He soon noticed the distinct lack of noise coming from the forest. Everything had gone deathly silent save for their footsteps. He then caught a whiff of something foul. Foul and familiar. A second later the dragoness turned around with a growl. Gregory turned with her. Both of them spied a bush rustling a few feet behind before four timberwolves came walking out and baring their teeth. One of the timberwolves, which had silvery glowing eyes instead of the normal sickly green eyes, was almost three times as tall as the other two, who were still bigger than the timberwolf that Gregory had killed. All that Gregory could say at that moment was, “Oh shit…” “They must’ve smelled the jackalope and come to steal it,” Ember hissed. “Fuck, they can have it for all I care,” he replied, “nothing is worth being attacked by a timberwolf.” “Idiot,” Ember whispered, “they won’t just settle for the jackalope now that they see us with it.” Gregory ran through the possible scenarios. He’d been lucky before, but all he had was a pistol, and because he was still holding the jackalope, he wasn’t sure if he could be fast enough to drop it and draw the pistol, disengage the safety and get a good shot before they were on him and the Dragon Lord. “Alright, Miss Dragon Lord, what do we do now?” he asked, hoping she’d thought of something he hadn’t. Ember grinned broadly as she crouched down, primed her claws, and flared her wings. “Now, I’d say we gather some firewood to cook our game!” Ember pounced toward the first timberwolf in front of her, which happened to be one of the smaller ones. The hounds of bark were startled by the brazen charge, so much so that Ember managed to land a clean hook against the timberwolf in the middle of the back, destroying its head in an instant. She quickly whipped her tail against the barrel of the timberwolf on the left, tossing it hard against a nearby tree. She grabbed the last smaller timberwolf on the right by the neck and hurled it at the one that hit the tree. Taking a deep breath, she breathed hot blazing flames, reducing the wolf  to ashes before turning to face the others. The taller one with the silvery eyes gazed at Ember, not with anger so much as malicious intent. Gregory frowned. This one was different from the other two, and not just because of its height and eyes. There was a strange intelligence there, one that terrified him. He quickly released his grip on the jackalope and pulled out his pistol again. As he did this, the silver eyed timberwolf leaned back its head and released a howl. The brush around them began to move, and at once eight or so more of the green eyed timberwolves came out. Gregory cursed under his breath. He only had twelve bullets left, and he doubted that would be enough for them and any more that might show up.  He quickly looked back at the burning timberwolf to see if it was getting up. Said timberwolf was writhing around and shrieking in pain, but he had no time to keep an eye on it as another two began advancing on him. He knew he had to make every shot count since he didn’t have a spare clip. “Note for next time, bring some spare clips,” he said as he brought up his pistol and aimed at the nearest one’s head. He fired, and the timberwolf disintegrated immediately, becoming a mass of moss and wood. This got the attention of the silvery eyed timberwolf, whose eyes flashed as it stared at Gregory. The timberwolf raised a hoof, and in the most sickening voice, actually spoke. The word wasn’t one that Gregory recognized, but the intent was now clear. He had become the main target. “Shit!” Gregory swore again as three more approached him. His heart was beating hard and sweat was forming fast. He swallowed and took quick but careful aim at the nearest one. The bullet went straight through its head and it came apart like the first. He turned, aimed at the second one and fired again. However, he only grazed it, leaving it to retreat from him but not coming apart. In the back of his mind he quickly counted how many more bullets he had before he would be forced to use his knife. He’d already used four bullets, leaving him with nine more.  He could vaguely hear Ember nearby breathing dragonfire at other timberwolves, but he had his own to worry about, as more timberwolves were now surrounding him. He counted four who were surrounding him, including the one he’d grazed. They moved more quickly now, seeming to have gotten the idea that whatever he was wielding was dangerous to them.  He knew he’d run out of time, so he aimed and began firing once more, doing his best to make sure each shot counted. He managed to take out the one he’d grazed thankfully then dispatched the one next to him. This led to him having an opening, which he immediately took. The three remaining timberwolves roared and gave chase. He made his way back the way they’d come through the forest, hoping that his smaller stature and the denseness of this forest would give him an advantage so that he could get further ahead and be able to get two more shots off at them before they caught him. However, this forest was their home, not his. They moved with a swiftness that was surprising considering their size. They kept pace with him, almost as if they were toying with him. Glowing green sap dripped from their maws and sizzled when it hit the ground. Adrenaline ran through Gregory’s body harder than it had ever done before, and he pumped his legs for all they were worth.  At long last, he breached the forest’s edge and made a break for it, then when he heard the timberwolves breach the borders, he turned, took careful aim again and took the shot. He cursed as he missed two more times. Seven more bullets remained, and he forced his hands to steady. The third shot was one of the luckiest shots he’d had as it went through the head of one and directly into the one behind it, making both of them collapse into wood. However, before he could get a shot off the other was on him, swiping at him and sending him flying. The gun flew from his grasp and out of his reach, landing in the grass somewhere. He landed hard on his back, which knocked the wind out of him. He lay there winded before he felt a searing pain on his chest. Looking down, he saw that his jacket and shirt were torn open and was now being stained with blood. He screamed in utter agony, but he didn’t have time to crawl away as the remaining timberwolf was on top of him, glaring down at him with its sickly green eyes. Despite the pain, he felt a new wave of terror passing through him. He fumbled for the knife at his side and quickly pulled it out of its leather sheath. The timberwolf came down, its putrid breath making Gregory almost pass out from the overwhelming odor. It opened its maw and moved down. Gregory acted immediately, thrusting the blade into its upper mouth with a scream of defiance. “GO BACK TO HELL!” he bellowed in fury. The timberwolf screamed, but the scream stopped a few seconds later. The light went out of its eyes and it collapsed, half burying him in its body. He groaned as he tried to push himself clear of the rubble. Fortunately for him, the timberwolf had only partially landed on him. Slowly he stood, wincing in pain as he looked at the new gash on his chest. It went diagonally from the right side of his chest to to the bottom left side of his stomach. The cut didn’t look as deep as he’d thought, but it was still bleeding pretty badly. Just then, there was more commotion that came from the forest. Ember was in a tussle with the silvery eyed timberwolf, and unlike the other timberwolves, dragonfire didn’t seem to affect this one as much. The silver eyed timberwolf had some singed wood, but that was about it. Gregory stood and looked around for his gun and his pole which he had lost in the timberwolf attack. He found the pole first which was buried in a lone bush nearby. He grabbed it and used it to help him walk. He quickly looked around in the grass around him for his pistol. All the while, Ember continued to wrestle the strange timberwolf. He felt the effect of the blood loss from his injury starting to affect him, but he did his best to push through it as he made his way around the area where he thought the gun had been flung. “When this is over, I’m getting that thing attached to an elastic band,” he said ruefully, “such a fucking cliché!” “I think - hnng! - you should just carry everything with you from now on!” Ember shouted. She had to admit that this timberwolf was relentless. It was mostly resistant to her flames and it knew the terrain well. Flying would give her more of an advantage, but any other timberwolves this one summoned would simply gang up on Gregory if she did that. Grabbing and pushing the alpha away from her face, Ember launched it back toward the forest with a mule kick. “I’ll remember that if I live through this!” he shouted back as he continued searching for his gun. However, when the silver eyed timberwolf raised its head and said something in that dark language, more timberwolves came out of the forest. The timberwolf said something else, and Gregory froze. It was almost as if he’d been commanded to stop. He turned towards the silver eyed timberwolf. It was looking at him with the eyes of a predator. He felt like he was lost in its spell. Without realizing it, he began stumbling towards it, almost as if in a trance. The pole fell out of his hands and tumbled to the ground. When he realized what was happening, he fought the urge to move, but his body wouldn’t obey. He couldn’t even scream for help. The silver eyed timberwolf stood and loomed up in the distance before it said something again, causing the other timberwolves to make their way to it. Then it did something Gregory didn’t expect.  To his complete shock, the silver eyed timberwolf began destroying the smaller timberwolves, all of whom just sat and let the taller timberwolf do that until there was nothing left of them but assorted pieces of wood. The wood began to glow in that same silver hue and swirled around the creature, attaching to the silver eyed timberwolf and making it even bigger. It reminded Gregory of the large timberwolf in Spike At Your Service. As he continued walking towards the growing timberwolf, Ember turned and saw what Gregory was doing. “Hey! What in Tartarus are you doing?! Stay away from that lumberwolf!” she shouted at him. She called out to him a couple more times, but after seeing that her words were failing, she darted towards the entranced just as the newly formed massive lumberwolf raised its paw. Ember managed to push Gregory to safety, but the paw came down and scraped against her shoulder, leaving behind a nasty gash. Ember bit down a scream of pain as she rolled with Gregory in tow. They fell over each other until she was pinning him down. When she saw a slight silvery glow in his eyes, she slapped his face hard. “Wake up, human. This is no time for a nap!” she snarled. Thanks in part to Ember’s slap and the eye contact with the lumberwolf being broken, Gregory quickly came back to his senses. He grit his teeth in pain. He tried to sit up, but the blood loss was growing worse. The ground shook under him as the lumberwolf walked closer. “Ugh…what happened…?” “Does that noise maker have anything left?!” Ember demanded. “Yeah…if I can…find it…” he said as he slowly and painfully tried to sit up. “YAAH!” he screamed in pain. Ember looked back quickly and saw the lumberwolf approaching. Turning back she said, “This is gonna hurt, so hang on!” Ember quickly grabbed him in her arms and took to the skies to avoid another paw crushing down on them. She scanned the forest carefully for Gregory’s weapon and found it on the ground right behind the lumberwolf. Growling, she hovered in front of it as if to egg the beast on. Taking the challenge, the wolf opened its maw as gas began to build. The lumberwolf reared its head back and launched a toxic stream of smog at the pair. Ember waited until the last possible second before diving under the foul smelling fumes and sliding underneath the wolf before tumbling to Gregory’s weapon. She grabbed it and flew back up, making her way back to him and lifting him up. She steadied him against a tree and looked at him with fire in her eyes. “Listen to me, you can’t faint yet!” she shouted. “I need you to destroy the heart in the center of it with this thing. Wait for my signal!” “Okay,” he said weakly.  Ember took off to the sky once more as the lumberwolf turned around. She grimaced at the aftermath of its toxic breath against the foliage. The attack left nothing intact as it was reduced to rotting slag. “Okay, don’t get hit by that.” “I can barely move…” he said, feeling the effects of his adrenaline wearing off and the pain only getting worse. “Just keep that thing aimed at the heart,” she replied, “I’m going to charge it!” Ember glared at the lumberwolf before flying straight towards it. It met her charge and opened its maw again, fully intent on devouring her whole. Ember smirked at this as she launched a quick fireball into its open muzzle. The lumberwolf stopped in its tracks and whined horribly at the intense flames. It glared at her with hateful eyes and said something in that dark language it spoke. It was almost on top of Gregory. Seeing her chance, Ember dove for the chest cavity where the heart was and pried the bark apart, giving Gregory a clear shot. “NOW!!!” Gregory held up the gun, took aim, and fired. The lumberwolf paused in its thrashing, a look of shock spreading over its face. Not wanting to take any chances, Gregory emptied the rest of the clip into its heart, bellowing with every ounce of strength he had left. When he finished, he let his hand fall to the side. There was silence; the moments passing an eternity. Finally, there was a cracking noise like a tree falling in the woods. The lumberwolf began to slowly fall apart, its silver eyes dimming until there was nothing but eye sockets. After about ten seconds, the entire lumberwolf was gone, disappeared. Not in a pile of rubble, but into a pile of sawdust. As the lumberwolf was disintegrating, the piece that was the lumberwolf’s head collapsed on his legs, burying them in sawdust. Something fell into his lap. Looking down, Gregory saw three glowing gems. One was a sphere the size of a softball and the other two were small oval shaped cut gems, each about the size of a marble. All three had that same silvery glow to them, albeit a bit weaker than before.  He looked down at them, then slipped all three into his jacket pocket and with what little strength he had left, zipped it up. Immediately after the lumberwolf was gone, the nasty timberwolf breath smell in the air vanished, and it felt like he was breathing sweet air. In fact, the oppressive air that he’d felt in the forest seemed to lift almost immediately. He heard distant roaring noises rise up before being instantly silenced. He leaned his head against the tree Ember had placed him against. Despite the intense pain he was feeling, he couldn’t help but spit at the pile of sawdust. “Go to hell, monster,” he said. Ember walked up next to him, clutching her bloodied arm while managing a pained smile as she collapsed against the same tree he was leaning against. Her shoulder touched his and she looked over at him. “N-not bad. You’re so teaching me how to use that thing…” she said, nodding down at the gun. “We’ll see…” he replied weakly.  Just then, he heard the sound of distant galloping hooves. He weakly looked towards the source, only to see a number of ponies running towards them. He pushed through the pain and lightheadedness to see who they were. He recognized Starlight Glimmer, Moonlight and Swift, along with a couple other ponies, a griffin hen, and a hippogriff male. As they approached, he saw black spots forming on the edge of his vision. He spat out blood, then with his strength finally spent, he collapsed. Right before he lost consciousness, he caught a brief glimpse of the head of a white horse with a silvery mane poking its head out from the nearby trees, its dark blue eyes directed straight at him. The last thing he heard was Starlight screaming his name in terror.  [Canterlot - Luna’s Bedchambers - That Same Time] Blueblood trotted into her aunt’s bedchamber, a snifter of wine as well as a bottle of the same wine in his magic and his two personal guards remaining outside. He turned to them and nodded. “Stay here,” he ordered the two mares. “Yes, your highness,” one of them replied with a salute. The doors closed behind him and he looked over at his aunt, who was giving him a narrowed eyed look from her desk where she was looking over a few things. The two stared at each other for a while before Luna’s horn glowed. The entire room was bathed in a dark blue glow. The curtains were shut, the doors locked, and the magical silence spell was complete. The moment the spell was in place, Blueblood straightened, walked over to a nearby sink, and dumped nearly the entire bottle down the drain. “By Faust…” he said, “this is exhausting.” He put the snifter down on the counter next to the sink and looked back at his aunt. “Good evening, Auntie.” “Hello, dear nephew.” Luna replied with a nod. He pointed to one of the two chairs in front of his aunt’s fireplace. “Mind if I sit down?” “Verily, you may sit.” Blueblood walked over, the snifter still in his magic. He sat and stared into the fire. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. “I am so…so…sick of this,” he growled. There was frustration in his voice as he slammed the snifter down on the small table between the two chairs. “If I have to play the fool for those flank kissing sycophants one more time, I’m going to jump from the castle parapets!” “Do not even joke about that,” Luna said. She stood and came to his side, putting a comforting wing around him “Patience is the only way to win here, nephew. Above all else, Celestia has taught you that much. Now, I believe there is a reason for your visitation besides venting your woes.” Blueblood sighed as he nodded. “It’s about Gregory’s unfortunate banishment from Ponyville. I believe I know the cause of it.” “Other than rampant bigotry and xenophobia?” Luna asked with an arched brow. “Yes,” Blueblood replied. He lifted the bag he came in with and opened it. A few papers came hovering out. “You might want to sit down and bring out those reading glasses of yours, Auntie.” Luna did just that as she took hold of the documents. They were documents from the Royal Canterlot Bank which showed a large number of bits being withdrawn from an account. The account of one Filthy Rich. She pushed her glasses down in alarm. “What treachery is this?! I ordered Filthy’s account to be frozen!” “This was done before that, dear Auntie,” Blueblood said, “just look at the date.” “Hmm, I see. But who would steal from Filthy and to what ends?” “Bribe money, Auntie,” Blueblood reasoned. “Think about it: Jason Wright just collected half of Ponyville’s income a few days ago. The bits from a bribe wouldn’t be a part of the Gjallarhorn’s punishment. You know the old saying; Bits neigh.” “Then somepony in Ponyville received the bribe,” Luna concluded, “but what was their deal for the bits?” “My source actually spoke to one of the ponies at the Helping Hooves Shelter with some valuable information,” Blueblood replied. “I have the conversation that my contact recorded.” He lifted his horn and a frozen scene appeared in front of the two royals. It was from the perspective of an unknown unicorn standing in the Helping Hooves Shelter hallways. The pony was watching a conversation going down at a nearby open door. A random unicorn stallion was standing in front none other than Spoiled Milk, formerly Spoiled Rich. The earth pony mare was standing in a doorway, her daughter beside her with a downcast look on her face. “Watch.” The scene began and the unicorn asked, “Excuse me, are you Miss Spoiled Milk?” Spoiled looked at the speaker. “Yes…that’s me,” she said. “Hello, my name is Risk Assessment,” the stallion said, “and I’ve come from Canterlot to try and help this poor town after the collection the other day. The pony I’m working for is willing to repatriate everypony who was robbed. Were you one of the ponies who were forced to give up half your bits?” “I am.” Spoiled said in an unsure tone. “And just how much were you forced to surrender?” Risk asked. “Half my wages, everpony knows that. What is this?!” “I meant specifically,” Risk said, “because if I know that, I can compensate you for what you lost. Every bit back in your hooves.”  Spoiled scoffed at this offer. “I’m not going to disclose what I make to somepony I barely even know,” she said, “so please leave.” “My benefactor is an extremely wealthy but private pony who wants to help,” Risk said,  “What’s the catch then?” Spoiled asked, “because you aren’t fooling anypony. I can smell a setup when I see one.” Risk smiled. “You’re very astute,” he said, “but I wouldn’t call it a catch. We just need you to help rid this town of a certain undesirable element.” Spoiled narrowed her eyes. “This ‘undesirable element’ wouldn’t happen to be furless, stands on two legs and human would it?” Risk nodded. “It’s clear he’s not wanted around here,” he said, “and my employer simply wish to remove him to an environment where he wouldn’t be in danger-” “You’re lying!” a young filly’s voice called out from inside the room. A pink earth pony filly came into view, looking up at Risk with a scowl, “You just wanna hurt Gregory like those other ponies and everypony else in town when they hurt Jason!” Risk looked down at the light pink filly. “Not at all, not at all,” he said, sounding mollified, “we just want to protect-” “I like Gregory! He’s nice!” the filly shouted, interrupting the unicorn. “He reads us stories at night and stuff!” Spoiled looked down at her daughter in surprise before she turned back to Risk. “I believe my daughter has made our stance very clear. We’ll have no part in whatever nonsense you and your employer are engaged in. Now, get out. You’re disturbing us.” Risk simply nodded. “Very well, Ms. Milk. Good day.” With that, he turned and walked down the hall The spell ended as Luna glared down at the empty space. “That was Risk Assessment. He works with the Treasury Department. It makes sense how he gained access to the funds. I believe he is also in league with the rest of your cohorts?” Blueblood nodded, turned, and gave her a smirk. “Verily,” he said, doing what he always did to try and cheer his aunt up: imitate her archaic speech. Luna returned the smirk. “Then that means we now have probable cause to open a case against the House of Lords. We can finally see what other manner of dealings they’ve done to undermine the crown. Begin preparations at once, nephew.” He nodded, grabbed his empty bottle and snifter before splashing the wine on his face. “Okay, flankhole Blueblood is back,” he said, the smell of alcohol permeating the air instantly. He turned and began walking to the door with a bit of a wobble. “Gotta make it convincing,” he said with a chuckle.  Luna sighed, smiled, then dropped the shield. With the dropping of the shield, her smile instantly vanished and her countenance took on a stern tone. “Go sleep it off, nephew,” she said with some disdain in her tone, “we have much to do in court tomorrow.” He raised the snifter and nodded. “Yes, Auntie,” he said as he opened the door with his magic. “Take me to my room,” he ordered his guards. As the guards helped the “drunk” prince away, Luna watched him go with a disapproving scowl painted on her face. However, on the inside, there was a smirk. Celestia had definitely taught their nephew well. She closed the door and went back to her reports. “Let’s see…unusual weather reports…”