//------------------------------//
// Howl 
// Story: Howl 
// by MidnightDancer 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight couldn't sleep.

She tossed and turned as quietly as was possible, finally huffing to herself and rolling to her left side. The window just in front of her looked out into the peaceful night, moonlight spilling across the sill and snaking across the floor. She lifted her hoof, as a foal might do, and watched the moonlight highlight the tips of her fur, casting the rest in deep shadow. Her lids grew heavier at the calming sight, a small smile winding its way across her muzzle.

She tucked her hoof in beneath the duvet, still dreamily looking out onto the view of the ridge.

Something moved.

Twilight's head shot up, wide awake now, eyes intently scanning what little she could see of the ridge. Above the treeline, she could just make out a large, almost circular shape before it disappeared into the rocky outcroppings. An icy chill of fear trickled down her chest as she crept to the window slowly, wings tucked in tight and ears folded back. Though she was loathe to admit it, Twilight Sparkle the scientist had fled. In her place, a small, scared filly stared out into the night, frightened once more of the big bad wolf.

A floorboard creaked, and she bit down on her own tongue to keep from screaming. Turning slowly, she saw Appleack standing in the doorway, looking towards the window as well. "Twilight. There's somethin' up there."

Swallowing hard, Twilight somehow forced her legs move, crossing the distance to her friend. "I know."

Her own fear was reflected in Applejack's eyes, and the two simply stood for a moment, taking deep breaths, before Applejack broke the silence, voice low. "Now. I ain't sayin' it's some Beast. Could be some prankster thinkin' it'd be cute to scare the beans outta the town on account o' us makin' them leave."

Twilight nodded automatically, grasping that explanation like a drowning pony grasping a life preserver. "Yes, I agree. It's the most likely scenario. In fact," she giggled quietly in the darkness, "I bet whoever is up there is going to try to howl and it's going to be very obvious that this is just a pony."

Before Applejack could answer, a heart-wrenching howl rang across the ridge and the homestead. It wasn't just a howl, not by Applejack's terrified estimation; no, this was a sob turned feral, pure mourning tearing across the night. Her baser instincts, as Twilight called them (though she herself preferred 'lizard brain'), jangled at her nerves, demanding she run lest the creature find her. Because, as her lizard brain helpfully informed her, that weren't no pony.

Twin thumps could be heard downstairs, followed by a mix of flapping and hooves on wood; and down the hall, Rarity poked her head out of her door as Spike did the same across the hall from her. Rainbow Dash bowled into the hallway, followed by Pinkie Pie. The four ponies and one dragon looked to Twilight, and all Twilight could see were tiny pupils, eyes that were a bit too wide and shiny, and shaking legs. Taking a deep breath, Twilight shut her eyes, visualizing a small checklist in her head.

First box: is everypony okay? She opened her eyes again, executing another quick headcount. "Okay. Where is Fluttershy? I want to make sure we're all together, but I don't see her."

In response, Rarity lit her horn, pale blue magic dragging the terrified yellow pegasus from their shared room. Fluttershy tried on a smile, but it faltered, and she hid her head in her hooves. Rarity sat down beside her, absently stroking the long pink mane with her hooves. "It's alright, Fluttershy. It was just a howl, and we're all here."

Twilight tried on her best comforting smile before turning back to her mental checklist.

First box still isn't checked off. Where's Apple Crumble and Princess Luna? Her ears swiveled, straining for sounds, before she finally heard soft snoring coming from the head of the hall. She glanced at Applejack, who smiled wryly. "Auntie Crumble will sleep through Armageddon itself, I'm sure. She's fine." Twilight nodded, mind turning over the last name on the list.

Princess Luna. Fact: Luna said she was going to take care of this. Fact: Luna said, specifically, she would take care of this at night. Fact: a very long time passed between seeing that thing on the ridge and the howl. Possibility of Luna being injured: moderate. Twilight rubbed her face with her hooves, mentally checking off the box before moving to the next one.

Second box: Assemble a party and prepare to depart. She glanced at her friends. Easy enough. But what about the town? She tapped her chin before remembering the guards. Nodding to herself, she took a deep breath.

One that was cut off by yet another mournful howl, sending her friends skittering, bodies pressing down to the floor and against the walls. Twilight shivered before finally stomping a hoof, snorting. "Listen. Everypony get yourselves together. Spike, I want you to stay behind here at the homestead. I need you to wake the guards, explain the situation, and tell them that their royal duty is to protect this town. The rest of us are going up the ridge to find this Beast and Princess Luna, and help her if we can. Are we clear?"

"Yeah! We'll show that beast a thing or two!" Rainbow Dash brushed off her legs as she stood up, wings twitching. She pulled Pinkie Pie to her hooves, grinning. "And we'll do it together."

Five out of six of them drew closer together, the exception being Fluttershy, who looked up in stark horror. "Oh. Um. Maybe I should stay here, with Spike. And, um, the guards..." She trailed off as Rainbow Dash marched up to her, and reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled to her hooves.

"Okay, seriously Fluttershy? First of all, you're the only one of us that can talk to animals, which is gonna be, like, extra useful here."

"Yes, but... but maybe you don't need to talk to it, just scare it away? I'm not very scary..." Fluttershy hid behind her mane to escape Rainbow Dash's eye rolling.

"You calmed a manticore."

"But..."

"You had a dragon terrified of you."

"Um..."

"You totally reformed an evil that even Celestia and Luna couldn't fix."

"That's true, but um, I couldn't have done it if he didn't want to..."

"Your eyes literally hypnotize animals into loving you."

"Um." Fluttershy noticed all five ponies (and one dragon) giving her a very flat stare. She sighed. "Oh, alright. If it means that much to you, I'll go."

To her credit, Rainbow Dash only grumbled a little about her shy friend as the six began to draw up their plan.





Ten minutes later, and all six ponies were standing at the base of the mountain. The wind was chilly for the time of year, and Twilight shivered once. A Lunar Guard, Silent Wing, sidled up beside her. "Are you sure you do not want one of us to accompany you, Princess?"

"I'm sure. We'll be okay. Luna told me she was going up there, so I'm going after her." Twilight lightly scraped a hoof over the cool grass, worried gaze on the ridge.

Silent Wing shifted uncomfortably. "She is our Princess, and we are sworn to protect her."

"I am also your Princess, and I am assuring you that we will be fine and that your job, in its entirety, is to protect the townsfolk. They need it more than two Alicorns do." Twilight huffed, turning her stare on Silent Wing, and paused. The guard's ears were folded back, and he averted his gaze from hers. Sighing, Twilight hung her head. "Sorry. I don't... I just think you'd be better off here, in case something happens. This town is full of quiet, honest folk, not fighters."

Silent Wing relented, nodding. "That's very wise, Princess Twilight. We shall wait here." He raised a wing, signaling the other five, and they spread out at the base of the mountain roughly equidistant from each other.

"Alright, girls!" Twilight punched a hoof in the air, hoping to appear to be more a confident general than an awkward pony. It only sort of worked, as her hoof flung grass into Fluttershy's face.

The pegasus winced, and wiped her nose daintily. "O-Ok."

"Sorry."

Rainbow Dash shot into the air, beckoning with a foreleg. "C'mon! Fluttershy and Twilight, come up here with me. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, you guys cover the ground."

Twilight nodded, leaping into the air beside her friend. "Yes! And Rarity, I know you know a couple concealment and defensive spells. Have a shield ready to go, just in case." Rarity nodded, brow furrowed with determination.

"That Beast won't lay a claw on my precious mane!" At Applejack's flat stare, Rarity cleared her throat nervously. "Nor will it lay a claw upon my friends either, of course!"

"Enough gabbin'. We got a plan, let's get goin'." With her usual straightforwardness, Applejack started a hard gallop to the face of the mountain, seeking out a pathway she vaguely remembered from foalhood. Pinkie Pie thundered along beside her, Rarity keeping pace easily with her horn glowing with a stored spell.

"I'll scout ahead, you and Fluttershy stay above the others!" With that, Rainbow Dash shot off, banking up the treeline with more caution than usual.

Twilight set her wings to beating, following the glow of Rarity's horn as Fluttershy fanned ahead and to the side, gently flapping to and fro as she scanned the ground for any animals that might pose a danger. Senses on high alert, Twilight kept her eyes locked on the rocky outcropping above. Ignoring the sting of the chill wind and the pulling at her feathers, she pushed herself on, ears swiveling to keep track of the ponies below.

Hard pounding, Applejack. Lighter beats with a longer stride, Rarity. Uh... Intermittent connectivity, Pinkie Pie. She smiled to herself before nearly crashing into Rainbow Dash, who was flying back towards them.

"Hey, stop! Halt! Whatever, just chill for a minute!" Breathing hard, Rainbow Dash darted to the ground, landing heavily beside Pinkie Pie. Twilight and Fluttershy touched down beside her, folding their wings. Twilight tilted her head at the blue pegasus.

"What's up? We're about halfway there already, why stop?"

"Because there's some kind of crazy shield. I bounced right off it." Rainbow Dash pointed to her side, lightly burned with magical feedback. "It doesn't really hurt, but whoever put it up put a warning in it. I never got this on your shields, Twi."

Twilight nodded slowly. "An invisible shield. I didn't see any magic..."

"It's there, trust me." Rainbow absently rubbed at her ribs with a wing, smiling ruefully. "So, what now? Do you think you can break it?"

With a nervous wing shrug, Twilight glanced up through the trees at the outcropping. "Where was it, exactly?"

"Right in front of the rocks. I flew up there, and like, there's this peaked ridge thing. But below that is some kinda cave. As soon as I got close to the ridge thing, I got stung and couldn't get through." Her brow furrowed, and she snorted. "I wanna get through it. I bet a Rainboom would break it!" She readied herself, crouching low and shooting into the sky, before magenta magic grasped her tail firmly and pulled her down.

Twilight shook her head. "No. If it doesn't break the barrier, it might break your neck! Absolutely not." She stared down the defiant pegasus, who was pawing at the ground with a hoof and snorting. "We want all of us to come back safe. So the best thing to do is for me to go up and try to deconstruct it."

"We're with you all the way, Twilight. I think that's a very sensible idea. I know you hardly need it, but my magic is at your disposal as well, if you need extra energy." Rarity glanced up the mountain, missing Twilight's touched look. "Well, nothing for it! Let's go!" 

With Rarity in the lead, the other five fell into position, galloping up the forested path. Twilight pushed herself, pulling even with the unicorn as six sets of hooves thundered up the path, scaring sleeping birds from their nests. After ten minutes of hard running, the vegetation started to become sparser, and their hooves clacked loudly against rock versus the smooth thudding on the path. Soon, they had all slowed, turning to climbing more than running. 

Stumbling on some scree, Applejack started to slide back before she was caught neatly in Rarity's magic and pulled up to the plateau where Twilight called a halt. Panting, she turned to the others. "Right... how close are we?"

Rainbow Dash just pointed, breathing heavily, at the outcropping above them. "Shield's there."

Twilight examined the outcropping. It could only be reached by wing, as the mountain face below it was a sheer drop some fifty hooves to where they stood. She sagged slightly. "So somepony has to fly up there and also dismantle the shield. It's like the Beast wanted protection from everything. It'd take an alicorn to get up there." She flopped down, pushing at the pebbles at her hooves.

"Ooooooooooor a really great pegasus slash unicorn team!" Pinkie Pie, somehow, was still full of energy, bouncing around Rainbow Dash and Rarity. "It'd be like a Raricorn! Or a Dashicorn! Or a Raridashicornicom!"

Hooves over her face, Twilight tried her best to tune out Pinkie Pie. Even with my new alicorn powers, I still get so tired after running... but Luna is up there. As the thought hit her, she shot to her hooves, staring upwards. The sky, naturally, chose that moment to begin releasing the torrent of rain that was meant for earlier that day, droplets pattering down onto the ponies and into Twilight's eyes. She blinked them away, shaking her wings out.

"Alright, I'm going up. Luna is up there, and we have to bring her back safe, too." Gathering her strength, she pumped her wings, flying straight upwards as the others grouped below simply watched. As she got closer to the outcropping, Twilight felt a vibration in the air, one that set her teeth on edge and made her horn ache. The storm intensified as she pushed through the pain, forcing herself upwards until she was level with the outcropping. Over the edge, she could see the cave Rainbow Dash had mentioned. Through the curtain of rain, she saw something dark move within its depths.

I'm coming, Luna. Ignoring the pain in her horn, Twilight sent feelers of magic over the shield, probing for a weak point. She observed as the raindrops pinged off the shield, sizzling into steam. Magical feedback or not, Twilight determined it was more or less a normal shield, and set about pulling apart the threads of magic on one portion, much as one might pull apart a knit hat or blanket. Once the hole was large enough, Twilight, near tears with the thrum of the feedback, slipped inside.

As much as she simply wanted to slump with exhaustion, Twilight instead readied a stun spell in her horn and began creeping quietly into the cave. It was large, but surprisingly warm after the bite of the storm, and the scent of lavender hung within. Twilight slowed her steps, sleepiness starting to overcome her. I could nap here. It seems safe. I mean, why not? I don't hear anything or see anything and I'm just so tired... Eyelids heavy, she let her body come to a stop, head hanging low enough to brush the cave floor with her muzzle. Mmm. I love lavender. She took a deep sniff, goofy smile surfacing on her face. Reminds me of Luna.

LUNA!

Panic gripped her then, tamping down her exhaustion long enough for her to set out at a full gallop into the cave again, hooves magically muffled by a sound spell. Light appeared ahead, a soft glow thrown on the cave walls, but with no shadows to be seen. Pushing her soaked mane out of her face, Twilight hugged the wall, creeping slowly towards the lair of the Beast.

Peering around the corner, Twilight gasped, muffling herself with a hoof.

Princess Luna sat, back to her, head bowed. Around the softly lit end of the cave laid trinkets of all kinds, and Twilight, natural curiosity taking over, entered the lair slowly. "Princess Luna? Are you alright?" She ventured towards the unmoving alicorn, reaching a hoof out to tentatively touch her shoulder. "We were so worried..."

"Leave me." Luna's voice was tiny in the silence, her head bowing even further as Twilight sat back, confused. Unsure, Twilight turned her attentions to the trinkets around the cave. In one corner rested a hornring, made of a simple gold. To her right, a large tome scored across with Old Eqquish letters sat, defying cursory translation. On a jagged bit of rock, a shawl that would make Rarity green with envy was draped, all colors of the rainbow dancing across its surface.

"I don't... I don't understand, Luna. Did the Beast steal these? Where is the Beast? Are you injured?" She saw Luna's back tighten, her large body drawing more in on itself. "I'm sorry, but we've all been worried. Let me help you." Gathering her courage, she approached, one wing spread out to cover Luna's back again.

The Princess of the Night hid her face in her hooves like a foal, shivering as Twilight's downy wing enveloped her. "This cave is pretty warm, but rocks are still kinda cold..." Twilight trailed off as a rather important realization hit her.

Luna was not shaking with the cold.

Luna was crying.

"Oh, hey, shhh..." Twilight wrapped both wings and her forelegs around Luna, feeling the frantic beat of the darker alicorn's heart through her skin. She rubbed Luna's back the way Twilight's mother used to do it, making gentle shushing noises as she rubbed between her shoulders. Slowly but surely, Luna's tears tapered off; and in that stillness that comes after a good hard cry, she stared at the wall over Twilight's shoulder. After a moment, she pulled back, wiping her eyes with a foreleg.

"I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle. I did not mean for you to see this..."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alright! Well, mostly alright," she amended with an embarrassed cough. "What happened up here?"

Luna sighed, running her hoof over a small collection of hairpins nearby. "The same thing that used to happen, once a year, before my banishment to the moon."

Twilight blinked.

"There is no beast, Twilight Sparkle. No beast but myself." She slumped to the cave floor, levitating a small stuffed bear, worn with age, to her forelegs. "But I did not mean to frighten anypony, I swear it. I enter through the other side of the mountain, and I could not see the village below."

"But you knew tonight."

Luna shivered at her words, pulling the stuffed bear closer. "Yes. I came to collect my belongings and go. But each has a story, and I was reminded... and... I'm sorry." She pulled herself up, using her levitation to briskly start packing the motley selection into a set of oversized saddlebags. Looking everywhere with her puffy, red-rimmed eyes but at Twilight, she busied herself with packing until one item resisted. She turned, seeing the shimmering, delicate scarf held firmly on the other end with Twilight's magic.

"I like stories."

A surge of anger rushed through Luna. The impertinence! That is not hers to touch! A snarl curled her muzzle, and she glared at Twilight. "Fine. Once upon a time, there lived a Princess. She was young, and she was stupid, and she took mortal lovers. They all died. The end." Twilight let go of her end in surprise, and Luna viciously shoved the scarf in the bag with the book. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, turning to look at Twilight more evenly. "That is the summary. The stories... we could be here for eternity, and I would never finish telling them."

Twilight nodded numbly. "I... okay. But it's not stupid to love! I mean, Cadence and my brother got married and they're even having a foal! Love can do wonderful things."

"It can also hurt beyond all measure." Luna shrugged, tying her saddlebags closed. "So now, in this age, I wish only for the respect of my little ponies. But nothing more."

Twilight tilted her head to and fro, considering her words carefully. "I guess that's true, from the standpoint of trying to protect yourself. But... what if somepony did love you again, someday? You must get ponies coming in to court you, sometimes."

Luna laughed humorlessly, shaking her head. "They do not. After all I have done, and the beasts I have become—both literal and metaphorical—only a madpony would lov—" Her no doubt eloquent sentence was cut off, suddenly, by warm lips against her own. A fire lit in her gut, urging her to reciprocate, and so she did, lips working against Twilight's until Twilight pulled back, face afire. Both wide-eyed, they stared at each other for a moment, until what she had done clicked for Twilight.

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" Twilight covered her face with her wings, scrambling backwards towards the cave exit. She chanced a glance upwards, seeing Luna standing rigid, her teal eyes unfocused and jaw slack. "You're just amazing and smart and talented and just everything I could ever want to be and I don't care what you did a thousand years ago because it's part of what makes you who you are and I wouldn't trade who you are for even an army of dainty little princesses!"

Luna finally focused on Twilight, blinking in confusion.

Backing slowly again, Twilight felt like her face was fit to burst into flames. "Please don't take my wings. I'll move far away, I'll stay away from Canterlot. I'm so sorry." She turned to flee out of the cave when blue magic enveloped her, dragging her roughly to Princess Luna. She quailed beneath her gaze, shutting her eyes tight against Luna's scrutinizing gaze.

Just as roughly, she felt herself jerked upwards and her lips pushed against Luna's.

Where Twilight's initiation had been swift and gentle, Luna's was slow and forceful. Twilight, at first confused, began to push back with just as much vigor. Luna dropped her magic, and the two ponies wrapped around one another, tongues dancing and small nips to the lips exchanged. After a few moments. the older alicorn pulled back, panting slightly and grinning at the flushed, fluffed up ball of alicorn in her hooves. "Twilight?"

"I... what? Yes?"

"Howl with me."





Far below on the plateau, the five anxious, waiting ponies huddled up together as twin howls ripped across the sky above them. Fearing the worst, Rarity charged her horn, blinking away tears and rain, and Rainbow Dash readied her wings, but another sound gave them pause.

Laughter.

Rarity huffed, powering down her horn. "Of all the immature..." She grumbled to herself, trying to find again a dry portion of the rock.

Rainbow Dash looked up into the storm and laughed right back.





The seven sleepy ponies had stumbled back to the homestead, waving the guards back in for another few hour's worth of sleep. Rarity, still grumpy about the state of her mane, grumbled all the way up the stairs. One look at the doe-eyes Twilight and Luna were pulling at each other, and the grumpiness was overridden by girlish glee. "Ahem. I would like the first shower in the morning, if it's not too much trouble."

Luna chuckled. "Of course. I apologize for all the trouble. I did not think, after speaking to Twilight, that you would all follow me."

"I think it's safe to say that Twilight here would follow ya anywhere, Princess." Applejack grinned as Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"That's enough lovey-dovey stuff. I'm going to bed." Rainbow Dash fluttered down the staircase, followed by a bouncing Pinkie Pie.

As they passed out of view, and Rarity and Fluttershy retired back to their rooms, Luna regarded Twilight with a fond smile. "I suppose Applejack is correct. And, betwixt you and I... I love that you came for me."

Twilight opened her mouth, and was cut off by a happy shriek from below.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAID!"

Laughing, the Princesses retired to their rooms, happy to catch a few precious hours of sleep before the trip home.