Link to Part 1

This one has four smaller parts to it.

The years pass by surprisingly fast for your kind as it had been busy leaning how to hunt in the Everfree Forest and effectively becoming one with it as your kind established themselves as apex predators and had even manged to domesticate several flocks of Cockatraces, though beyond that nothing too serious happens, with a few exception. The first of these is the spell that rendered 30% of you original Ponies barren is now gone, having only lasted four generations.

The second is that every year after the first time, on the very same day your kind was attacked and fled into the Everfree, a group of Ponies ranging in size from around five to twenty members would come in to the same spot the first group did and plant flowers, even after the original Ponies had passed on.

And the third was that on somewhat rare occasions Ponies escorted by Guards would enter though still not go very far in to study the plant and animal life in the forest.

One night, about a thousand years from you keeping track (While your power levels weren't at Celestia's or Luna's you were sill gifted with at least a very long lifespan), you happen to look at the moon and immediately notice that the "Mare in the Moon" image is gone, telling you that Luna has returned.

Soon after one of the Hunting Packs spots and tracks a group of six Mares, witnessing some rather odd things but otherwise going undetected. To make a long story short that pack witnesses the return of the Elements of Harmony and Luna's return, after which they wait until Celestia, Luna, and the six Mares have left before reporting back to you about everything they had seen.

What would you tell your kind after the Ponies have left? It should be noted that after this long any thoughts of revenge have long since faded away, though your kind is still wary of the Ponies.

At some point after Luna's return one of your Herbal Experts is gathering plants with a small escort when they have an unexpected encounter; a Pony-like figure who they quickly found out is actually a Zebra came to harvest the same plants and is very surprised to see members for your kind as, according to her, it was been believed that you kind was all but gone.

What would you do next after this little surprise meeting? Just to clarify, your kind knows that this Zebra, who introduces herself as Zecora, is not a threat to you.

Roughly two months after Luna's return you are fast asleep after a long hunt when your Second-in-Command (let's just call him "Beta" for now) comes charging in shouting for you which snaps you awake, much to your annoyance.

You: "What is it Beta? I just got back from a long hunt and I'm very tired and need my sleep."

Beta: "I know Alpha, but... we have a bit of a situation on our hooves."

You blinking: "What sort of situation?"

Beta: "Well... *He takes a very deep breath* You know that one Filly that is a bit of a trouble maker, she got it into her head to grab apples from that farm and was seen and chased into the Everfree by six Mares, the same ones from before, right into one of the larger Hunting Packs who captured the Mares and brought them here. Now the others want to know what to do as they are unsure and at least two of the Mares are getting rather aggressive and I came to tell you before a fight breaks out." He finished by taking in a large breath again.

Your response to the Beta's words?

You immediately follow Beta to where the Mares are and see two of them (Rainbow and Applejack) in a rather nasty argument with one of the Hunting Pack Leaders while the other Mares are looking worried though one of them (Twilight) is looking very shocked to see your kind at all. Rainbow then says something that causes the Hunting Leader to rear back, ready to spit his venom but that was when you made your presence know with a loud;

"ENOUGH!"

Right away everypony, both the Mares and your kind, freeze as you walk down to stand in front of the Mares, who are looking at you with complete shock before Twilight recovers enough to ask: "You're an Alicorn?!"

Your response to Twilight's question and after it?

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Okay, a bit to unpack here...

What would you tell your kind after the Ponies have left and the Elements of Harmony have returned?

"My brothers and sisters," Shiva would say. "Change is on the horizon. One way or another, we will have to deal with the ponies again. But I implore you: do not heft the sins of the parents upon these fillies. Let us see them for who they are - not who their parents were. And let us treat them the way they treat us." She would nod at where the flowers given in tribute by the ponies have grown. "With luck, the ponies will have learned from their mistakes, and will come bearing the friendship Celestia once stood for."

"And if they don't?" Beta might ask.

Shiva would sigh. "What's the status on our military and weapons?" she would reply.

"Fully functional," Gamma - one of her children - would reply.

She would nod grimly. "If the ponies are still just as consumed by fear and hatred as they were back then... we will be ready to destroy them," she decided.

one of your Herbal Experts is gathering plants with a small escort when they have an unexpected encounter; a Pony-like figure who they quickly found out is actually a Zebra came to harvest the same plants and is very surprised to see members for your kind as, according to her, it was been believed that you kind was all but gone.

What would you do next after this little surprise meeting?

"Wolves of Equestria, Shiva's spawn!" Zecora might cry. "It was my belief, that all of you were gone."

"Almost," Shiva would reply, striding into Zecora's view. "But not quite." She would peer into Zecora's eyes - into her soul. "What is your name?"

"Zecora," she would reply.

Shiva would nod. "And what are your intentions, Zecora?" she would ask.

"To survive and prosper," Zecora would reply. "As is the goal of all in nature's roster."

Shiva would nod. "A goal that would be easier obtained, if we were to work together." She would motion to her Herbal Expert - let's call him Vine. "Vine, take Gamma and two warriors. Let us show each other what we know, and how we can help each other survive out here."

As soon as Zecora and Vine were out of earshot, Shiva would then turn to Gamma.

"Don't try to intimidate or frighten Zecora," she would warn him. "Just be prepared."

"She seems harmless," Beta would note. "She might make a good ally."

"Agreed," Shiva would assure. "But she must also know that we are willing to defend ourselves if need be." She'd smile. "And she should know that anyone who allies with us will get that same protection."

Gamma might tilt his head. "So... don't just watch Zecora?"

"No," Shiva would assure him. "Protect her just like she was one of our wolves." She'd peer back at Ponyville. "I sense she will have interactions with the ponies one day. And I'd like them to know that we're not the monsters they may think we are."

Beta: "Well... *He takes a very deep breath* You know that one Filly that is a bit of a trouble maker, she got it into her head to grab apples from that farm and was seen and chased into the Everfree by six Mares, the same ones from before, right into one of the larger Hunting Packs who captured the Mares and brought them here. Now the others want to know what to do as they are unsure and at least two of the Mares are getting rather aggressive and I came to tell you before a fight breaks out." He finished by taking in a large breath again.

Your response to the Beta's words?

Shiva would stand. "Take me to them."

Shiva immediately follows Beta to where the Mares are. Two of them (Rainbow and Applejack) are in a rather nasty argument with one of the Hunting Pack Leaders while the other Mares are looking worried though one of them (Twilight) is looking very shocked to see your kind at all. Rainbow then says something that causes the Hunting Leader to rear back, ready to spit his venom but that was when you made your presence know with a loud;

"ENOUGH!"

Right away everypony, both the Mares and your kind, freeze as you walk down to stand in front of the Mares, who are looking at Shiva with complete shock before Twilight recovers enough to ask: "You're an Alicorn?!"

"A wolf alicorn, yes," Shiva would admit. "Alpha Shiva of the Wolves of Equestria. And you... you are the Element of Magic." She'd smile. "We saw your conversion from the shadows of the Everfree."

Twilight might step back, while Applejack might pipe up.

"Forgive us, yer grace, but did ya also see one of yer own make off with ma family's apples?"

Shiva would give the trouble-making filly a dark glare. Cowed by her Alpha's gaze, the filly would turn over the apples.

However, before Applejack could take them, Shiva would rest her claws on the apples, rolling one of them back and forth.

"What would you accept in return for these apples?" Shiva would ask. "We have a fine collection of herbal medicines and brews that might serve as ample repayment. Some of which you may be familiar with, thanks to Zecora."

Twilight might gasp. "You know Zecora?"

"I know of many things in the Everfree, my dear," Shiva would reply. "And I know many things outside the Everfree. Like the agreement of trade, and how it can plant the first seeds of friendship."

It might take some haggling, but eventually, Shiva would work out a trade for the apples. As the mares collected their payment, Applejack might note to the filly, "Next time, just try asking."

"Trust me," Shiva would reply, giving the filly another glare. "The next time we meet, it will be with barter, not theft."

"Well... thank you, Alpha Shiva," Twilight would say.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Element Twilight Sparkle," Shiva would reply. "I hope we meet again; under better circumstances."

With that, Shiva would motion to her Hunting Party to return the mares to Ponyville. As they'd leave, she'd then turn to her scouts and spies.

"Keep an eye on Ponyville," she'd advise. "Be prepared to sniff out any lies and deceit."

The scouts would salute and scamper off, while Beta might give Shiva a curious look.

"You're... starting a trade with them, and yet you're also preparing for a fight?" he might ask.

Shiva would grin. "A wise warrior once said, 'Offer one hoof but arm the other,'" she would reply. "I want to believe that these ponies are different, but I will not forget the pain we were put through. And I will be prepared if this investment turns out to be a mistake."

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I like how Shiva is willing to let the past go (though it has been at least a thousand or so years after being chased into the Everfree), yet at the same time is fully ready to fight back should it come to that. As this one quote put it: "If you want peace, prepare for war."

So a few more parts;

About two weeks after first meeting the Mane Six things are going surprisingly well, every once in a one of the Mane Six would come by for various reasons like Twilight coming to ask questions, Applejack wanting to lean a bit about how you farm, and so forth. One day, Applejack comes by with a pair of saddlebags hold various Apple Family products, curious about what your kind would like. Once the contents of the bags were cleared she shows you the items, which includes a freshly made jar of Zap Apple Jam, something of a treasure to your kind as when you had been forced to flee you had to leave behind your just-planted grove of the trees.

Your reaction to the AZ Jam?

About three days later Twilight returns but this time she has another with her; riding on her back is a Baby Dragon. This does surprise your kind a bit as in the past relations between your kind and Dragons were not what one would call good. While the adults are a bit wary of this Dragon they let him pass after Twilight explains who he is.

Spike is noticeably nervous around the adults so he sticks close to Twilight who asks Beta if he could get you which he does. Now while the adults are wary of Spike, the Foals are a different story. Curious about him, they slowly walk up to him and start sniffing him, a few even giving little licks. Spike starts giggling from the sniffs and licks as it tickles and soon he finds himself "under attack" by playful Foals, laying on his back wiggling as they continue to tickle him, do playful pounces and other such things.

This is the scene you arrive to: Spike under a pile of Foals playing with him while he's laughing, Twilight off to the side giggling and the various adults giving small smiles of their own.

Your reaction?

It was finally time, you had asked the Mane Six to keep your kind's presence hidden after they had met you but now you felt it was time to reveal yourselves to the world and show it that you had survived. Taking eight of you best hunters with you as bodyguards you only stop at the edge of the Everfree to met with the Mane Six... and for the first time in a thousand years, leave the safety of the forest that had been your home.

Understandably, the Ponies of Ponies of Ponyville are very surprised to see you, most of them are speechless with their jaws dropped though you do hear a few whispers.

"I don't believe it, they're back."

"After so long..."

"They never died... they were just hidden."

Those are only a few of what you hear but none of the whispers are hostile, only awe-filled mixed with a bit of nervousness. Most of the Ponies keep their distance but several brave ones do take a few steps forward and give friendly greetings. Eventually the Mane Six lead you to a small area that even after all this time you recognized as the place where your own original den once stood (Ponyville had been built on your old homeland), and what you see causes you to stop in your tracks: Standing tall where your den once was is a large stature of you sitting with a foreleg over the shoulders of one of your kinds' Earth Pony equivalent with the Unicorn one next to that on the right and the Pegasus equivalent cradling a Foal on the left, under the statue is a large brass plaque. Curious you walk up to it and start reading the words.

"Fear is a powerful yet dangerous thing, as we found out on that terrible day. We let our fear rule us and it lead to one of our greatest mistakes: The possible extinction of fellow Ponies who while very different from us were still Ponies in the end, something we didn't realize until after it was too late.

We had always feared this race because of their hunting ways and scary appearance, we had always thought that they would one day attack us, a fear that the Nobles preyed upon. Thanks to their lies we let our fears rule us and it lead us to do something horrible. We stood on that field after the survivors fled into the Everfree, staring at out blood-covered hooves in shock and horror, like a blindfold and been lifted from our eyes and shown us what we had become.

Many of us could not believe what we had down, killing the adults was one thing, but during our attack not even Foals had been spared. We had done something beyond forgiving, something we would deeply regret for the rest of our lives. We could only hope that if the Survivors live long enough they do not take their revenge on our descendants, for this horror is ours and ours alone to bear.

We built this monument as a remember of the cost of letting fear rule and to at least give the ones we killed some form of peace. Should the survivors and/or their own descendants read this, please do not blame ours for what we did to you. We know we can never be forgiven for what we have done, but let it die with us, let us take this burden to the grave.

We are sorry, sorry for all we did to you, for the lives we took that day, for letting our fear control us. We know we can never be forgiven, but let us try to right this wrong, even if we have to do it from beyond."

Reading further you count the names and discover that the amount matched all of the Ponies that had attacked that day, each and every one of them.

Okay, I actually teared up a bit typing that part. So, your reaction after reading the plaque?

I did have a scene for Celestia to appear but I'll save that for my next response.

7536831

Your reaction to the AZ Jam?

Shiva would struggle to hold in her surprise. "How did you find this?" she asked.

"There's a grove we Apples protect," Applejack replied. "Timber Wolves make it a bit of a risk to keep it that way, but the risk is worth the reward, eh?"

Shiva would nod. "Indeed. Zap Apple Jam is considered quite a delicacy among wolves. A treasure like this deserves special payment."

From there, she'd probably try to do something extra nice for Applejack, like crafting a new yoke for her farm or even enlisting some of her warriors to help protect the grove from the timber wolves.

This is the scene Shiva arrives to: Spike - a baby dragon - under a pile of Foals playing with him while he's laughing, Twilight off to the side giggling and the various adults giving small smiles of their own.

Shiva's reaction?

She'd watch in silence, smiling as well. Eventually, she'd comment, "Having fun?"

The adults and foals might freeze, and Twilight and Spike might get nervous. But Shiva's smile would disarm any tension, as would her relaxed posture when she approached Twilight.

Twilight might try to apologize. "T-They approached first, and we didn't mean any harm, it was..."

But Shiva would sooth her with a grin. "The best thing about children is their innocence," she would say. "To them, there is no fear of the unknown." She'd look with gratitude to the young Spike. "And something different would be seen more as a new friend than a potential monster." Her ears would flatten as she looked down. "Fear that we instill in them, believing it will protect them."

Twilight's ears might flatten in concern, but before she could respond, Shiva would shake off her morose musings, and ask Twilight what she came to learn about. Twilight might go ahead and continue with her questions, though she'd get the idea to show Shiva the statue.

And, of course, after seeing the statue and reading the plague, Shiva would weep: she'd lift her head, her teeth clenched as she struggled not to sob, but tears would stream down her face, and she'd be too overwhelmed with emotion to properly speak.

Twilight might get concerned again, and Fluttershy might even approach Shiva. However, Shiva would find it in herself to speak.

"Thank you," she would whisper to the mares. "Thank you for showing me this." She'd turn back to them. "The others... can they see this as well?"

"Of course," Twilight would assure her.

From there, Shiva would lead her people to the statue. She'd let them read the words of those who had been their enemy, and the dedication to those that had fallen.

"It was as many of us hoped, my sisters and brothers," Shiva would say. "Those we called enemies saw the true enemy Fear... even though it was too late to save all of us from it's icy grip." She'd look at Twilight and the others. "Let us learn from the mistakes of our ancestors. Let's never allow Fear to turn us on each other again." She'd gaze forlornly at the statue. "Let us ensure that the fallen didn't die in vain."

And with that, she would walk up to Twilight, and either shake hooves or even hug her, in a show of an alliance between the wolves and the ponies.

From there, the wolves might start making their way out of the Everfree, and living in Ponyville. They'd build houses for themselves, make it easier to trade or find jobs. And overall, they'd start to re-integrate with ponykind.

I'd be curious to see how Celestia would factor in; since Shiva's a sort of alicorn in this version, I'd be curious if Celestia knew about her. Shiva would be aware of Celestia, and despite the actions of her subjects, she actually respected Celestia's authority. Not sure if this would change due to Celestia being unable to stop her subjects from attacking, but I'll wait to see how Celestia factors into the next response.

Until then, thanks for sharing, and I hope you enjoy.

7536855
You're welcome and I did indeed enjoy this.

Before I get to Celestia I've got two more small parts;

After a few weeks things are going very well, there have been some minor problems but nothing that serious and those involved were able to work things out. While a good chunk of the Wolves had moved into Ponyville most have chosen to stay in the Everfree but create a safe path for visitors, while some of the Ponies semi-move in with the Wolves, curious about their way of life.

The most interesting of this being cases where some of those Ponies actually joining in on some of the hunts, a few even being successful thanks to those Ponies being in the right spot at the right time.

Shiva's reaction to the above?

One day you're resting after a large hunt when one of the younger adults (around 22 or so) approaches you, clearly very nervous if his digging at the ground is any indication. Standing next to him is a Pegasus Mare around the same age, quite a pretty one too, who looks just as nervous if not more so.

"Alpha?" He asked, his voice shuddering a slight bit.

"Yes?"

"I know it's only been a few weeks since we started to re-integrate with ponykind but..." He pauses as he extends a wing and wraps it around the Mare, pulling her against him which she responds by nuzzling into him. "This Mare and I... we're in love."

He explains that they had met a week ago when the Mare approached him, nervous yet curious, and after hitting it off right away they gave dating a try to see if they clicked. And they did. While they know it's still early both are worried about the future and wanted to ask you what you thought.

It should be noted that this Stallion is the first of the wolves to take this step and It's clear that to you that these two, despite only knowing each other for a short time, are deeply in love with each other even if they don't know it yet.

Shiva's response?

The day had finally arrived, you were standing at the train station in Canterlot with the Mane Six, under disguise as a young adult Unicorn as word hadn't left Ponyville yet and you weren't sure if you or the rest of Ponykind were ready yet. The reason for being there is that Twilight and you felt it was time for you to met Celestia face-to-face, but before that the Mane Six took you for a tour of the city. During the tour your group when through the Canterlot Museum, eventually reaching a small section that surprised you.

This section was dedicated to your kind.

Within you find displays of various things ranging from small personal items, tools, weapons, and even a few sets of intact armor used by your soldiers back then. There was even a to-scale and accurately detailed statue of you with your wings spread in a proud pose, standing over the target of a successful hunt. Under the statue was a plaque like the one back in Ponyville, only this one was gold rather than brass.

It read;

"This is the Wolf Alicorn that was named "Shiva", leader of the "Wolves of Equestria" and perhaps their greatest Hunter and was a powerful Mage. Shiva was the only known Alicorn besides Celestia and Luna though she never took part in ruling Equestria, having her won kind to look after. Shiva was, according to various records recovered, a firm but very fair leader who would gladly listen to what her Ponies had to stay and would take their options into account.

It is unknown what became of her after she lead the survivors of her kind into the Everfree, some believe she may have passed into legend with her kind but many firmly believe that she is still out there, waiting for the time to return, whether it would be with peace or vengeance is unknown."

Shiva's response to seeing all that?

Finally, you found yourself before none other than Celestia herself. The first thing you noticed was her mane, which while you two had never really met you knew was pink. Now, it was almost like a rainbow. Celestia greeted Twilight and the others warmly and asked you their friend was, Twilight had asked if all of you could move somewhere more private and Celestia had brought all of you to her personal tea room.

Once seated Celestia turns to you with a happy smile.

"So my little Pony, who would you be? I'm happy to see that Twilight is reaching out to others already."

You smile as you place a "hoof" on the necklace that projected your disguise.

"Well, I'm not sure if you knew me but..."

You drop the disguise, revealing your true form.

"...You could say that I knew you a long time ago Celestia."

Said Alicorn's jaw fell open as her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, you really wish you had a camera as the Mane Six, even Twilight though she's only giggling, laughed at the look. Eventually Celestia recovered.

"... So my instincts were right all these years, you did still live."

"You knew I was alive Celestia?"

"Not directly, I've always had this sort of sense related to other Alicorns, its hard to explain but even though we never truly met until now I always knew you were one. Besides, from what I had heard about you, you were always a craft one. Shiva... I know it's a thousand years late but... I'm truly sorry for what my Ponies did to yours, if I had known what was coming I would have stepped in. But after Luna turning into Nightmare Moon and what followed I didn't find out until after the deed was already done, I arrived to find I was too late but I saw my Ponies staring at their hooves or just off into space in shock. I'm guessing that you already saw the statue in Ponyville? The ones who had been in the attack built it, as well as the Museum section. They felt like they could never be forgiven for what they had done, so they worked hard to preserve what was left so that the Wolves of Equestria were never forgotten, taking the first steps in paying for their crime. Truth be told, I pasted a law soon after that if any of your kind was found alive they were under protection of the crown and were not to be harmed."

Celetia's face then turn hard.

"One thing I can guarantee however is that the Noble Families that started the whole thing are long gone, once I found out they were behind it I stripped them of all their titles and power and they rotted in the deepest and darkest dungeons in Canterlot. The current ones are nothing like the ones before, some still have their noses high in the air but they wouldn't make any moves towards you and some even wish to to return the artifacts their ancestors recovered should they be given the chance, another way of redeeming themselves."

Shiva's response?

Celestia then remembers something as she summons a saddlebag.

"Speaking of returning things, I managed to get this from your old home. I'm guessing that you want it back."

Using her magic Celestia reaches into the bag and pulls out something very familiar to you: A large plushie around the size of a large Foal of a wolf Alicorn, the same one your parents had given you as a Foal and all you had left of them, the same one you had been forced to leave behind while fleeing and had thought lost forever.

Shiva's response?

7537530

The most interesting of this being cases where some of those Ponies actually joining in on some of the hunts, a few even being successful thanks to those Ponies being in the right spot at the right time.

Shiva's reaction to the above?

"Well done," she'd comment, both surprised and a little impressed. She'd then encourage the cooperative hunting to continue, citing how it seems to be helping both sides out.

It should be noted that this Stallion is the first of the wolves to take this step and It's clear that to you that these two, despite only knowing each other for a short time, are deeply in love with each other even if they don't know it yet.

Shiva's response?

"If you both truly desire to be with each other," Shiva said. "I'm certainly not going to try and stop you. But I also want you to understand: love is going to take time and work. You're going to have to be willing to go through a lot with your significant other, both good and bad."

She'd then take the time to sit them down and ask them what they enjoy about being with each other, and any possible problems they might have. For example, pet peeves that will get on each other's nerves, or financial or tactical methods that the others disagree with. But not to discourage them: instead, Shiva would be looking to help them find ways to overcome these obstacles; ensuring that the two would be able to stay and work together as an effective team as well as a couple.

Shiva's response to seeing the statue of herself?

She'd grin at the 'whether it would be with peace or vengeance' part. She'd turn to Twilight or whoever was with her.

"I suppose we answered that question, no?" she'd muse with a chuckle.

Shiva's response to the Nobles?

"One thing I can guarantee however is that the Noble Families that started the whole thing are long gone, once I found out they were behind it I stripped them of all their titles and power and they rotted in the deepest and darkest dungeons in Canterlot."

Shiva's gaze would harden. "I hope you'll forgive me for not feeling pity for them."

"I don't expect you to," Celestia would assure her. "And rest assured; the current ones are nothing like the ones before. Some still have problems with pride, but they wouldn't make any moves towards you. Some even wish to to return the artifacts their ancestors recovered should they be given the chance, another way of redeeming themselves."

"My people will be glad to hear that," she'd reply. "If there is a way for us to get in contact with these nobles, I would appreciate it. It's far better for us to move on, rather than wallow in the past."

"Agreed," Celestia would say in relief. She then remembered something as she summoned a saddlebag. "Speaking of returning things, I managed to get this from your old home. I'm guessing that you want it back."

Using her magic Celestia reaches into the bag and pulls out something very familiar to you: A large plushie around the size of a large Foal of a wolf Alicorn, the same one your parents had given you as a Foal and all you had left of them, the same one you had been forced to leave behind while fleeing and had thought lost forever.

Shiva would gasp in both shock and delight. She take the plushie and hold it close.

"Princess... Celestia," she would whisper. "This... I don't believe my words can convey it, but... thank you." She'd smile. "I had hoped that the Nobles who hurt us had acted against your will; that you truly wished no harm upon us. It fills me with joy to know I was right."

7537552
Sorry for the late reply, was busy with RL stuff. So one more part before moving onto the Part 3 of this.

The Mane Six couldn't help but "Dawww" at the sight of Shiva hugging the plushie as Celestia continued.

"Even during that time, when I was... not who I am today, your kind never harmed my Ponies so I saw no reason to think you were a threat. Truth be told, I had been hoping to contact you before things happened." She signs. "I still remember land on that field, seeing so many of your wolves dead, even though I now know that you never died out, the sight still haunts me. And I can't even put into words how I felt when I discovered the Nobles were behind it. It was the same thing with the Thestrals (Bat-Ponies) all over again."

Twilight spoke up.

"What do you mean Princess?"

"The Thestrals shared many features with Shiva's Wolves, and they too suffered. During the time I was mourning the lost of my sister the Nobles tricked the Thestrals into thinking that them eating meat would turn them into bloodthirsty monsters, so the Thestrals were forced to switch to these "Blood Rations" to quell their cravings."

Celestia looked at the table with a hard glare.

"This lasted a few generations, but than the stillbirths came."

Even of the Mane Six gasped as shocked looks came over them.

Shiva's reaction?

Celestia continued.

"When that happened the lies were soon exposed and the Thestrals were enraged beyond belief, as it turns out; those Blood Rations were nothing but color water that was enough to quell the hunger but nothing else. Another way to put it: Imagine eating food you need to survive but never getting what your body needs so that no matter how much you eat you still suffer from severe malnutrition. I will never forget the looks of hurt and betrayal that their leaders gave me before the Thestrals told me the oaths they had swore were now worthless and they left into a self-imposed exile. They told me it was better to live in exile then be effectively enslaved to those who would drive them to slow extinction. I let them go, for my eyes had been fully opened. I had once believed that only words were needed, the apparent extinction of the Wolves of Equestria and what happened to the Thestrals woke me up to the reality of what was going on."

Her face hardened.

"That's why the Nobles are they way they are today, the lost of two Pony races told me that I needed to take action, before a third was lost. Neither me or Luna agreed to rule Equestria only to see Pony races die out because of some bigots, the vision both we and the had Founders had was a land that every race of Pony, regardless of what they were, could live in harmony together and I hope to see it become a reality one day."

She signed sadly.

"While I think that the Wolves will soon start coming back into Equestria like before, I fear the Thestrals will be a different story. While some have come back to serve as Luna's Guards, they as a whole have made it clear they do not trust anypony from Canterlot even after all this time and even the ones in the Guard will only accept food from their Homeland, despite the fact that modern-day Ponies are aware that some have to eat meat and are not ready bothered by it. If I know correctly, a number of Ponies from Ponyville have even joined in on some of the Wolves hunts.

Shiva's response to all this?

7539310
No worries about timing; I just got back from a business trip, so this is perfect timing, in fact.

In regards to Shiva's response:

When the stillbirths are mentioned, she wouldn't say anything, but she'd visibly tense up. She has two children of her own, and though she can't really show preference due to her mother-styled method of ruling, her biggest fear is something bad happening to her pups. And even the mention of stillbirths would make her start wondering, 'what if that had happened to me or one of my people?"

And after Celestia explains what happened with the thestrals, Shiva would hum in thought.

"The thestrals won't be able to trust some pony from Canterlot... but my wolves and I are not from Canterlot."

Twilight might perk up. "You'd do that for us?" she might ask.

"You've clearly changed from the nobles we had... 'issues' with," Shiva would note. "And needing blood isn't that different from needing meat. I'm sure I'd be able to find some common ground with them." Her smile would fade. "Though I should warn you, all I'll be able to do is recommend. I can't just ask them to trust you just because you've gained my trust. All I can do is open the bridge. From there, it will be up to you to prove to them that you're different from the nobles who tried to enslave them and deprive them of what they needed."

"Of course," Celestia might say with a nod. "This is a great service you are providing us, Shiva."

Shiva would then chuckle. "It's not just for your sake," she'd note. "I'm rather eager to meet these thestrals myself. We are stronger when we stand together, after all. And despite the fears of bigots, a united Equestria is a powerful Equestria. We just have to figure out how to make it work."

7539322
Things are certainly getting interesting, next time will be the last part of this. See you then.

7539358
Looking forward to it.