//------------------------------//
// The Same, Old Morning 
// Story: The Night Will Never Be The Same 
// by abramblett 
//------------------------------//

The sun's rays of light shined through the forest clearing, the rays of light warming my cold body. I began to stir, feeling the sun's warm rays, and a sticky, dried up liquid on my hooves, muzzle, neck, teeth, and nose. I knew the liquid too well, I tasted it nearly every morning, blood. The cold, thick, metallic tasting liquid on my teeth bothered me, but I have gotten used to it by now. Despite the blood on my hooves, I began to rub my stomach and head. The transformation from pony to lycanequis was a exausting and painful experience, leaving me tired and weak in the morning. I slowly began to open my eyes, not wanting to be blinded by the sun's rays.

I began to rub my head softer then before "Celestia...damn it" I huffed, as a headache began to set in.

My head was throbbing like it was about to bust, but this problem often occurred every night. Once, my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I was disgusted at the what I have done last night. This clearing was a beautiful place last night, but now, it was completely different. There was blood soaked into the grass and shrubs, pieces and chunks of the deer all across the clearing. All the trees around me had giant claw marks. The pond didn't seem affected by any of this, but I think some of the blood might have gotten into the water. The worst part out of all of this, was right beside me. There it was, the deer, torn apart. 

Its legs and neck was chewed up, stomach partcially eaten, its tail had been ripped off as well as its hooves. Pieces of bone was sticking out of the deer as I nearly began to throw up. While I had eaten plenty of these animals, tonight was different, it was like my hunger had grown and I needed all I could eat from the deer.

My hooves clenched my stomach in a reflex. I began to whimper and whine as some of the meat from the deer wasn't digested yet. Ponies weren't supposed to eat meat, and here I am, tons of raw deer meat inside me. I stood up, and walked over to the pond, looking down in it. Nothing was in there but it wasn't the cleanest water, but walking through ponyville, covered in blood isn't the best idea. I gently trotted into the water and began to bath a bit, getting all the blood off me but not my teeth, as I was afraid this water might contain something harmful. I swam back out and shook myself off. I clenched my stomach gently with one hoof and walked back into the Everfree forest.

There were only two ponies who knew about my secret, my transformations into a werepony. One of them was my best friend, Shatter. He was rather gloomy pony, but he would always enjoy making others happy. I was first surprised by him agreeing not to tell anypony, since he usually is a very truthful stallion. The second thing to surprise me was his reaction. when I told him what I had become, he seemed rather curious and fond of it. He would always ask questions about it or wonder where my favorite hunting spots were. Despite his questions and whys and hows, he would always try to cheer me up and support me. On the rare occasion, he would mention some ideas on how to contain me in ponyville, but I always pointed out the flaws and risks. 

The second pony who knew, or should I say zebra, was zecora. She found out who I was, and what I was when she found me passed out near her hut. She brought me into her hut, cleaned off the blood, and began to fix some kind of potion for me. When I woke up, she was standing next to her pot, still working on a potion. I began to whimper and whine from the meat in my stomach and she noticed I was awake then, she poured me a bowl of what she had made. She told me to drink what was in it with her rhymes and I did so. Almost instantly, my headache was gone and the hurting session in my stomach was gone. She asked a few questions, I answered, then I asked her some questions, and she answered. Now, we stand at some kind of friendship. She is usually the first pony I visit every morning to get a batch of that special potion she made me when she first found me.

The potion was nothing special, but it was a blessing for me. Before I found her, every night I ate something, I would have to deal with horrible stomach pains and headaches, but now, with the potion she makes, my digestive acids are able to dissolve the meat, meaning no more stomach problems, and my mind is numbed for a few seconds then the pain disappears.

I began to walk through the Everfree, a hoof still clenched around my stomach. I looked around, hoping the trees I saw was near zecora's hut. The muddy ground began to stick to my bloody hooves and my dark grey coat. This part of the forest looked completely different to me, then again, I could never memorize this forest. 

My body shook and my blood soaked teeth gritted against each other. I wasn't afraid at night, when I was a giant wolf monster. Maybe a dragon or hydra would find me but that's all I was scared of at night. During the day though, anything could kill me right now. If I was the wolf creature and I saw a timber wolf, results would be different on the scenario. Maybe he would attack, I would too. If the timber wolf had gotten a kill and it was eating, it would growl at me, wanting me to back off. If I was a pony, no matter how I found the Timber wolf, I would get eaten if I didn't run. 

I continued walking through the dark forest, till I saw some light through the trees. It was Zecora's hut, I hope she woke up early today, because the pain in my stomach kept getting worse and worse. I slowly knocked on her door, and I was greeted by a smile of the rhyming zebra. 

"Ah, the beast has had a feast. Come inside Charmer and take a seat, your brew will be soon,"  Zecora said with a teasing tone in her rhyme. 

I growled playfully at her and went inside the hut, closing the door behind me. Once inside, I went over to a wall and sat down, enjoying the calm sounds of the potion brewing as I tried to ignore the painful feeling in my stomach. 

A few minutes passed by, and Zecora was finally finished with the potion. She got the same bowl she got me every morning and poured some of the brew in it. She walked over to me and hoofed over the bowl as I took a sip from it, my stomach and head finally starting to calm down. 

Once I was done drinking the potion from the bowl, I hoofed it back over to her and stood up. She trotted over to a rack and placed the bowl down. She looked over at me and smiled a bit. 

"So, have you found anything about this... curse?" I said slowly, already knowing the answer. 

I have asked her this question many times and it turns out to be negative ever time, no matter how much time I wait to ask the question again.

She smiled softly "I have a clue to that of what you seek, would you like to take a peek?" Zecora asked, trotting over to a book on the counter. 

I smiled like a complete moron at that statement as I almost rammed into Zecora, wanting to read what the book said. She flipped through a few pages, until she finally stopped at one and I began to read the contest of the story aloud. 

"For one to become a lycanequis, one of two things must happen. The first and most used method is by a bite. If a pony is able to live through a lycanequis attack, then most of the time, they will become a lycanequis. The second most used method is by ritual.  A pony must gather the resources required for the ritual then arrange them in a certain order. After forty-eight equestrain hours, they will become a lycanequis," I said, starting to slow down towards the end 

I felt my neck quickly, nothing was there. I wondered why I was a werepony, when I didn't even get bit, and I surely didn't do a ritual. I look at Zecora, a bit of worry in my eyes. 

"I didn't do either of those things. Is there another method of transformation?" I asked, sounding a tiny bit scared 

She shook her head "For that, the book does not read." Zecora said softly, looking at her book with a slight frown on her face 

I walked towards the door to her hut, and said my goodbyes for today. I began to walk towards the exit of the Everfree as my mind began to wonder. Was I bit? Did it heal? Maybe I did the ritual and I forgot? No, why would I do that? Soon, rays of light hit my face as I existed the forest.  

I looked around, seeing ponyville off in the distance. pegusus ponies were flying about, fillies and colts playing with one another, even a familiar purple princess learning to fly with a rainbow maned pony. I looked at my dirty coat, glad it wasn't bloody anymore. The potion had washed most of the blood off my teeth but now I need to go home and take a proper shower. I just hope I can get a little sleep, and enjoy the day before having to go through the same, old morning, again.