Focus
"Focus Cloudkicker. Listen to the sound of my voice. I am Princess Luna, spirit of the moon, and I am ordering you to sit!"
"Awooooooo." The lycan mare howled in reply, opting to instead continue running around the room with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She noticed her tail, and began chasing it. On catching it, she yelped, having bitten to hard, tripped over her own paws, then groaned in pain as the transformation reverted.
"Owwwwooooo." The now completely pony mare winced and made a sound rather similar to the previous one, except with far different tone.
"How goes it?" I asked, seeing Luna put her hoof to her head. She turned, startled, as she hadn't noticed me enter.
"About as well as you'd expect. She won't listen at all, she just bounces around, much like a playful puppy."
"She may be bored. Perhaps if she had something to occupy her she'd be more inclined to listen?"
"You have a suggestion?" The princess raised an eyebrow at me.
"A chew toy. But she can only have it if she's good."
Luna's reaction was surprising. She was very clearly trying not to laugh, and struggling greatly to contain herself for Cloudkicker's sake. Thinking back on my suggestion, which I had meant in all seriousness, It could have been taken as a joke.
Eventually, she regained her air of regality, and took her turn to question me.
"So, how went your endeavors? Did you find who you were looking for?" She asked.
"I did indeed. She has yet to make her reply, though I'm certain she will send an emissary in short order. Now, all we must do is wait..."
"Who did you go to?"
"Queen Chrysalis." At my answer, Luna's eyes narrowed, wordlessly demanding an explanation. "She's looking for a way to make things right. You and I, of all people, know the value of second chances. She could be of use."
"I see."
"She will send her reply to us at the league, at which time we'll begin negotiations, if she agrees at all. You should inform your sister."
"Actually, I don't think I will. Not just yet. She may be a wise and benevolent ruler, but when she's wronged, especially on a personal level, she is slow to trust and easily angered. She becomes defensive, and unwilling to budge. It's that strength that makes her a force to be reckoned with among enemies, but at the same time, makes diplomacy difficult when she's not among allies who, let's face it, bow to her every whim. We'll at least wait for the reply. If Chrysalis declines, then there's no point in worrying her."
"Very well. Now, there's another subject that worries me. Rothak. If we're going to chase down these lycans which, having survived so many years in hiding, must be from the ancestral line. He'll most certainly see them as kin. Once we've caught them, we'll have great difficulty dealing with them, politically."
"You may be right. We narrowly convinced him to stay away from you, what to do about an entire pack?" Luna put her hoof to her chin an pondered, letting out a soft hum as she thought. "I'll have to think of something, in the mean time, perhaps you should get better acquainted with your new partner."
"Partner?" At my inquisitive gaze, Luna motioned to the pony laying on the cell floor.
"It has been decided that she'll be your responsibility. You'll take her with you on your endeavors, and teach her what you know."
'It has been decided...' Basically, Celestia pretty much forced Luna's hoof. She wants to punish me for making another werewolf, but can't do so with overt methods, so she's making me take the newcomer with me wherever I go to discourage repetition of that behavior. Clever, and there's really nothing I can do to refuse.
"Very well." The princess walked over and unlocked the cage, letting the pegasus mare blearily trot out, yelping in surprise when she brushed against the silver bars.
"So? How have you been?"
"I.. it's really strange, bizarre even. When I'm like that, there's really odd things I just find myself wanting to do. I saw my tail and just felt that I HAD to catch it, and seeing Princess Luna... well... I felt like chewing on her. Not biting but, just, you know, gnawing. It's freaky. And when she tried telling me what to do, I felt I would rather just play, where as otherwise I'd immediately do as she said. It's so weird." Cloudkicker explained.
"You really are like a puppy... Hopefully, since we're here at the very beginning, we'll be able to teach you, and things should go more smoothly than with myself. After all, I had a great deal of time to develop... misbehavior."
"So then, what now?"
"You'll be traveling with me, assisting with investigations and such, until the time that you've gained control of yourself. After that, you'll have your life back, I suppose."
"Actually, I meant now as in right now. I kinda wanna go home to see my friends and family." She scuffed her hoof at the floor.
"Well, the next full moon isn't for a while, so I suppose there's no harm in it."
"Good, I'll go request a chariot." She began to walk away.
"We do not need a chariot."
She stopped, then looked back at me, confused. "Are we taking the train?"
I sighed and shook my head. "No... we aren't taking the train."
"Then... how?"
At the border of Canterlot
"What are we doing here?" Cloudkicker asked.
"Proving a point. Until now, you've still been thinking like a pony. That has to change. For example, this sheer drop down to the train platform on the outskirts. This, to any normal person, would be fatal. However..." Saying nothing more, I let myself drop off the wall. She rushed the the edge, only to find me standing there, whole and uninjured. "To people like us, tis nothing at all. Of course, considering that you can fly, it's nothing to you either. Go ahead. Jump off, and do not use your wings."
She backed away from the edge, took a running start, them jumped off the wall. At the last moment, before hitting the ground, she opened her wings and landed gently, instead of what I intended. I raised my eyebrow.
"Oh... sorry, I guess I panicked." She looked ashamed. I ruffled her mane with my hand.
"Think nothing of it. You are still learning after all. Let's go to Ponyville... and, take it slow. Learn to appreciate the night, and all it brings."