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// Chapter 33: The Day 
// Story: Blood Moon 
// by The_Darker_Fonts 
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Hemorrhage and Moonsilver emerged from the cave, paw in paw, to the smell of blood.  She had known before what that smelled like, the iron and disgusting tang in the air from a wounded or dying animal.  However, the sharpness of it was more pristine now, and a newfound understanding also allowed her to smell so much more around it.  It was blood from someone she didn’t know, her new nose giving her the ability to pick that detail out specifically.  There was also a unique, mildew-like scent to it that told her it was from a specific sub-species as well, a nocturnal, but which one she didn’t have the knowledge to call.
Concerned, she felt half of her stress alleviated at the sight of Amethyst in the hooves of Nightseer.  Smiling thankfully at the mare, she took her daughter and held her tightly, taking a deep breath in.  Amethyst herself had an individually unique scent, the softness of a foal, sweetness of a filly, earthiness of her vagrant life, and the slight, muffled smell of… something.  She couldn’t quite tell what it smelled like, soft but distinct.  She did know it had to do with her parentage, the scent of whatever Sombra had passed on to her daughter.  Growling at the thought, her anger and defensiveness spiking at the thought of the Bastard Prince.  
“Hey,” Hemorrhage questioned, reaching out a paw and resting it on the back of her neck.  His touch stifled some of her emotions, but she still remained on edge as she glanced at him.  Celestia, he was handsome.  How had he become more charming after she too became a nocturnal?  
“Sorry, just… I never smelled Sombra in my life before,” she spat bitterly, holding Amethyst closer.  The little filly stared at her with wide, bright eyes.  She had always seen them as unusual eyes, but now that she knew herself, she saw them for the sharp, intense eyes they were.  Nocturnal eyes.  Warmth replaced the bitterness as she pressed a kiss into the filly’s forehead.  She understood her child now, would be there as she grew, and could protect her against even the likes of Sombra.  Looking back up at Hemorrhage, she smiled with tears in her eyes and hushly whispered, “She’s so beautiful.”
“Yes, she is,” the mordigan agreed softly, looking thoughtfully at her daughter.  The look on his face, caring and intrigued, made her heart flutter.  She couldn’t wait until she could call Amethyst their daughter.
“You look great, Joint,” Nightseer complimented with an endearing smile, her eyes flitting briefly behind the new mordigan.  Confused at first, Moonsilver realized that the vampyre was staring at the wings that still protruded from her back.  The very thought of them caused a shiver to course through her body, but she stifled it quickly.
“Moonsilver, actually,” she told her, suddenly feeling shy about the name.  It was almost like a public admission that she was now Hemorrhage’s and he was hers.  
This only caused the vampyre to smile even wider, bumping her husband excitedly as she demanded, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes, but I didn’t want to spoil it for them,” Argon stated.  Then, smirking at Hemorrhage, he added, “Besides, there were some things I didn’t really want to listen in on.”
“Oh,” Nightseer questioned, raising an eyebrow at the pair.  The modest mordigan blushed at the statement, but refusing to be flustered, Moonsilver simply reached a paw out and brought herself into Hemorrhage, kissing his fuzzy cheek confidently.  The couple giggled at her brash display, but beneath her paw she could feel Hemorrhage relax.  She didn’t know why he needed constant reaffirmation that she accepted and loved him, but she’d do her best to remind him whenever she could.
“I’m glad to see everything went well,” Ailade suddenly spoke, her voice uncharacteristically meek, as she shuffled out from behind the couple, attempting to smile reassuringly.  
Even though she didn’t see it, Moonsilver felt Hemorrhage’s sudden mood change, watching as the werewolf wilted in the ancient nocturnal’s glare.  Gruffly, he growled, “We’ll talk later, Ailade.”
“I’m sorry, Hemorrhage,” she apologized quietly, diverting her eyes from his own.  Frowning, Moonsilver could understand why Hemorrhage was so angry, at the same time… well, she would have to talk to him about it.  
Before the situation could get any more tense, however, Leper suddenly appeared at the top of the hill, dragging Khan’s limp body over the hill.  Alarm overtook Hemorrhage’s anger as he suddenly leapt into the air, landing atop the hill beside the exhausted young lycan.  Concerned, Moonsilver joined the other nocturnals as they rushed up the hill to join their leader.  
“What happened,” Hemorrhage began to ask before another set of nocturnals suddenly appeared on the hilltop.  
“No time to truly explain,” a mare with the distinct, woody smell of a werewolf dismissed whimsically.  “Certain mishaps happened to happen while you were- now who is this?”
Moonsilver came to an abrupt halt as the werewolf turned her attention and wild eyes to herself.  Holding Amethyst closer to her chest, she stood tall as she was inspected by the stranger.  She audibly sniffed the air and gave her a strange, sharp stare.
“Newborn, huh,” the mare sneered, glancing at Hemorrhage out of the corner of her eye.  Taking a slow step forward, her long tail swishing in the air behind her, she prowled around the pair as she drawled, “This was what your master was busy with?  Another joining the lot?”  She paused, taking another moment to sniff the air, her face becoming visibly confused.  “But why?  And how are you new, but the baby… old?  What is this?”
“None of your concern, Mantris,” Hemorrhage snarled, not bothering to hide his hostility.  Composing himself, he stood tall as he stepped between the werewolf and Moonsilver, looming powerfully over her.  His voice firm, he told her, “You come to us as allies and representatives of Halven.  I’d be incredibly disappointed if I had to explain why we couldn’t get along even when fighting Sombra himself.”
“Oh, you’ll already have to do that,” Mantris exclaimed gleefully.  
“What,” Hemorrhage questioned, before turning his gaze to the sleeping form of Khan.  Moonsilver peered around the large mordigan, spotting blood on the youngest lycan’s muzzle.  She tensed up, knowing that no matter what, that could not be a good sign.  Hemorrhage most definitely saw as well, a deep sigh escaping him as he turned back to Mantris.  Meeting the werewolf’s leer, he asked, “What happened?”
“Little pup here met an old friend and shook him up,” Mantris giggled.  A short growl from Hemorrhage made her jump and scitter backwards, remaining crouched as she laughed at him.  “Alright alright, your lycan killed ours.  Silven was the lycan that turned whatever colt he was into the lycan he is.  I’m taking a guess that your little pup figured out as much and took vengeance into his own claws… or jaws, in this case.”
“What are we going to do with him,” Hemorrhage sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
“Um… I was about to ask you that,” Leper admitted, still standing beside Khan’s unconscious body.  The older lycan returned the glares he was receiving from Mantris’ companions.  Feeling the need to do something, she crept around to the sleeping nocturnal’s side while the conversation continued.
“I bit him to put him to sleep since I didn’t know why he suddenly went on a rampage,” Nightseer informed Hemorrhage.  “He should wake up… sometime soon.”
“But not soon enough for you,” Mantris pointed out with a zany chuckle.  “Sun’ll be up soon, which means you and a good few of us need to take a huddle in that cave.  Not the best of times, especially considering sweetheart over there’s a newborn, but gotta live.”
“Yes, but someone needs to make their way to the Princesses again to warn them that their ponies turned against them,” Argon pointed out.  Taking a step forward, he volunteered, “I can go.  I know where to reach them and they recognize me.”
“No, I need you to stay here and make sure to rear Khan into shape once he’s woken up,” Hemorrhage commanded.  “He listens to you better, given his more primal instincts.  I will go to the Princesses and inform them of what we’ve come across here.  They will respect my word and react appropriately.  Argon, take lead of this group.”
“I will join you,” Mantris offered, and in spite of her wide grin, there wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in her proposal.  When Hemorrhage raised a questioning brow at the werewolf, she simple chirped a laugh out and explained, “As a token of good faith, take my company.  Without Silven, this group would not dare try anything against the beasts of your coven.”
Moonsilver’s gaze flitted to the uncharming group, who stood scowling.  However, she had to agree with the crazy nocturnal.  They were all vampyres or werewolves, leaving them physically weaker than the rest of them overall.  Still, that left Hemorrhage alone with the strange mare for however long his travel would take him. Determined to let nothing befall her mordigan, she stepped up beside Hemorrhage and firmly declared, “I’m going with Hemorrhage as well.  I won’t be of any use here, waiting around.  Besides, I need to learn how to use these things anyways.”
Flapping her wings slightly for poignancy, she resisted whimpering at the sudden tenderness of the new appendages.  Hemorrhage whipped around and asked her as softly as possible, “But what about Amethyst?  Surely you wouldn’t consider trying to carry her on your first flight?”
“No, you could carry her though,” she pointed out.  For some reason, feeling a thrill, she gave him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.  The serious mordigan broke as he blinked several times from the sudden sensitivity to his nose, making Moonsliver chuckle a little.  Reaching out, she insistently pushed the stirring baby into his paws.  She was being so good about everything, not crying or throwing a fit, though she was clearly tired by how she desperately tried to roll into Hemorrhage’s chest to find warmth to sleep in.  She looked so small in his hold.  There was no way of knowing what type of nocturnal her daughter was, but she had no chance of ever outgrowing her father.
Moonsilver almost paused at the thought, hardly able to comprehend what she had just thought of Hemorrhage before he rested his free paw on her shoulder, drawing her eyes.  Though there was deep concern behind them, she saw the love that welled within as he told her, “I trust you.  If you want to learn now, I’ll teach you, but we can’t dawdle.  You’re going to have to be fast, and it may hurt.  I want you to stay, but you can come with me if that’s what you wish.”
“You should have learned by now,” Moonsilver whispered, before closing the small gap between them to steal a quick kiss.  Pulling away after the briefest of moments, she declared, “Where you go, I follow.”
“In that case-” Hemorrhage began before Mantris called from behind him, “So can I go as well?”
“Yes, yes, if you can keep up,” Hemorrhage shouted back, rolling his eyes as he still faced Moonsilver.  She giggled at his annoyance, before looking around at the others.  They stood by politely, each occupied with their own menial task to distract them from the public display of their love.  
Ignoring the flushing of her cheeks, she quickly moved to Nightseer and gave the mare a quick hug, saying, “Thanks for taking care of Amethyst while I was… going through stuff.”
“It was nothing,” the vampyre replied, stepping into the shade of the hill as the first rays of the rising sun began shining over the horizon.  With a knowing smile, she added, “I can’t wait for our daughters to grow up together.”
The comment gave her pause, the reality of her new life hitting once again like a warm splash of water, excitement, anticipation, and the slightest tinge of fear.  However, before she could think too deeply on it, she reached out and caught Ailade before she could retreat into the cavern.  Pulling the much older werewolf into a hug, she whispered in her ear, “Thank you for doing this all for me.  No matter what Hemorrhage says, I’ll vouch for you.  I’ll talk to him while we fly.”
“Oh, he’ll come around,” Ailade agreed with a sad sigh, glancing to where the mordigan was currently talking with Argon and Leper hushly.  “He’s just a stubborn old stallion.  Change is good for him, and I think he’s finally come around to that.  Thank you for showing him that.”
“Thanks for letting me show him it,” Moonsilver replied.  
“Good name, by the way,” Ailade added lightly.  
“You think,” the new mordigan asked, suddenly aware of something had come so naturally to her in spite of its newness.  The compliment made her feel shy all over again, but Ailade’s reassuring smile, friendly and accepting all at once, was all she needed to see to know she was part of the coven.
“Of course, dear,” the werewolf accepted kindly.  “Now, go get him.”
Smiling ear to ear, Moonsilver did so, turning and rushing back to Hemorrhage’s side as he finished talking with Mantris.  Her ears had picked up the conversation, but new to how much she was able to hear now, the words had been jumbled in her brain.  Stopping just in front of him, she looked between the pair of nocturnals and asked, “What was that about.”
“Werewolves can’t fly, sweetheart,” Mantris replied with a twisted smirk.  “Jealous already, are we?”
“I was pointing out a path for Mantris to follow to keep up with us,” Hemorrhage explained, ignoring the werewolf’s comment.
Looking Mantris up and down, the new mordigan inquired, “Can she keep up with us?”
As a reply, the werewolf suddenly took off on a wild sprint, shooting down the hill.  Only halfway to the bottom, she suddenly leapt and landed in the valley between the two hills.  Barely taking time to land, she was in the air again, landing almost halfway up the next hill without breaking pace.  Her lithe form moved faster than anything Moonsilver had ever seen before, almost like a living arrow traveling across the ground.  
Shaking his head, Hemorrhage turned to Moonsilver and softly asked her, “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely,” she answered eagerly, standing up tall and beginning to spread her fledgling wings.  It ached, but she pushed through the soreness, watching Hemorrhage intently as he did the same.
“Now, you’re going to lift your wings as high as you dare, and when you’re ready, thrust them down as hard as you can,” he instructed her, before turning to look at her.
Nodding, Moonsilver lifted her wings as high as she could, stretching them as far as she could, casting a long shadow in the dawn’s early light.  Taking a deep breath, she thrust them down with all her might, letting out a yelp as she shot powerfully into the air.