//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 - Under the Pale Moonlight 
// Story: Leader of the Pack (Book 3/3) 
// by AdrianJNovelle 
//------------------------------//

	"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Twilight to Dawn, her, him, and Spike still gathered around the post in the Library. 
"Didn't we already establish that, Twilie?"
"Yeah, but that was before we learned about how shady the Nubs and Fwaps are and how tormented they were when they were not in hiding. I don't think they'd want to be exposed like that."
"We can create a support group without exposing them, you know."
"How do we do that? Host it at night?"
Dawn made no reply, but only grinned suggestively.
"Of course," sighed his wife. "Spike, as my number-one assistant, can you go to the store and get me some parchment sheets? I'll give you some bits."
"Yes, ma'am!" Spike saluted.
"Great. And Dawn, I know you're not a painter anymore, but do you think you can use your artistic talent to create some flyers around town for us?"
"Anything for you, Twilie."
"Also great." Twilight climbed the stairs, opened her nightstand drawer with her hoof and withdrew a small, leather pouch from within, closing the drawer. "Here, Spike, don't spend too much."
"Twilie," began Dawn as Spike ascended the stairs. "Don't waste your hard-earned money on something as menial as parchment paper. I'll pay for it: I've got plenty of money back at home."
"It's fine, Dawn," Twilight handed Spike the pouch as both of them descended back to the first floor. "I can pay for it."
"But you're on a limited income, Darling!"
"So are you now, Honey!" Twilight protested.
Dawn gave up.
Spike exited the Library.
"So, what exactly is your plan?"
"When Spike gets back with the parchment sheets, we'll make flyers to put up all around town to advertise our support group. We'll all meet tonight, after everypony's asleep, so the Nubs and Fwaps can come out into public without being humiliated."
"Didn't most of them flee to the Everfree Forest, though?"
"We've gotta start somewhere."





When Spike got back to the Library, the three of them began using Dawn's old painting and drawing tools to create fifty nearly identical flyers to put up around town. It took the better part of the afternoon to complete, but Twilight believed there was enough time for word to spread about the support group before dark.
After the sun went down, Twilight and Dawn stood in front of town hall, patiently waiting for their guests. They spent several minutes waiting...waiting...and waiting.
So far, their luck was not very good. 
"Are we gonna call it a night, Twilie?" Dawn asked.
Twilight shook her head. "No, they're probably just shy. I wanna wait out here a little longer."
"That's fine," Dawn affirmed.
The night was quiet. A gentle breeze swept through the leaves and the manes of the characters as they stood in perfect silence at town hall. All was calm. It was almost as if Ponyville itself was asleep. No lights except the few scattered around town to help the denizens see at night were on, no ponies were up stirring, galloping through the streets, and nothing but the wind made any movement.
Twilight began to get sleepy standing outside in the dark for so long. But she did not lose hope.
Finally, after several more minutes of silence in the dead of night, there was a graceful breathing sound, short-lived, and pratically inaudible, as if somepony was whispering. Twilight and Dawn felt like they were being watched. Twilight was tempted to give a beckoning call, but she feared she would bother the stirring creatures of the night.
She and he could make out shadows at the edge of his and her vision. They slowly emerged from the depths of the night, the light of the moon shining onto their coats and manes, their wings broken and torn, some ripped right off their pony bodies, others twisted and crooked; their horns cracked and split into two, three, and four, most of them just nubs on their heads. There they were: the Fwaps and Nubs. They gathered around the couple and the town hall. Then all was still.
Twilight cleared her throat.
"Fwaps," she began. "Nubs. Pretty degrating terms if you ask me. You won't be called these terms anymore. For you are not Fwaps and Nubs. You are not even acting earth ponies. You are pegasi and unicorns who have had tragedy struck your mortal beings. You are still pegasi and unicorns, and no damage to you will ever change that."
Silence.
Twilight and Dawn stepped out of the shadow of the town hall, exposing their faces and horns. "The truth is, we are Nubs, too. Princess Celestia synthesized artificial horns for us, but my husband and I are just as magical as any of you other unicorns out there. I understand that no one else here is that lucky. You still bear your broken horns and wings...I know about your people. You're a good people. Yet you were cast aside and ridiculed. And all because of a few breakouts of Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome. Well...your time of torment and scorn ends tonight."
Polite applause.
"It is getting late, and I do not wish for any of you to feel uncomfortable. All of you meet back at this time in front of the Everfree Forest tomorrow night. We will set up a formal club then, so everyone can have a chance to speak in the privacy of the Everfree Forest."
Nods.
"Thank you for coming. And, goodnight."
A gradual depature.