Of Hoof and Paw

by Damsus Rhee

Chapter 3

Of Hoof and Paw

Written by: Damsus Rhee

Chapter Three

Fleur awoke.

A great pink lidless eye glowered down from the otherwise empty darkness above her. Where there should have been a clear night sky, there was nothing. No moon or stars gave Luna’s soft, pale light. There was only the ominous glow of the massive unblinking eye. With the stillness came silence. A somber stillness unbroken by either howl of wind or chatter of stream. If not for the rapidly increasing noise of her heartbeat, Fleur would have believed it to be a nightmare.

She took in her surroundings in a panic. Walls of thorns surrounded her on every side, rising to a height of thirty or forty meters. Fleur quickly checked herself to see if she was ok. She noticed she had been stripped of her disguise and tools, finding herself suddenly painfully aware of a nudity that usually seemed routine. She cried out in embarrassment and tried vainly to hide herself from the burning visage above. She could feel its intangible malice penetrating her, invading her most personal places, and laying bare her private thoughts.

Just a moment ago she had been face to face with Princess Celestia, from whom she had just stolen some obscure artifact, inside Canterlot Castle’s forbidden Spire of Secrets. Now she did not know how she had arrived, or where in Equestria she could be, only that she was naked and alone in the presence of something deeply old and terribly wrong that left her quaking in fear.

As she stared up at the eye, a cold and hateful feeling began to grasp at her. The longer she stared, the colder she felt. She closed her eyes, but could still feel it looking inside her, probing intrusively at her greatest desires and fears. Cold fingers pushed aside her defenses to grasp at her private thoughts and desires, violating her completely. It was a rape in its truest form, and the mare screamed in agony. A paranoia began to take hold of her, like icy claws running delicately down her spine. Without conscious thought she took the path before her, galloping frantically to escape the eye.

She ran until the path split off to the left and right. With only a moment’s consideration she took the path to the right. Her hooves barely clearing the thorns at the corner of the wall in front of her, she galloped down the path at full speed. Where am I? She thought as she turned another corner, her panic rising with each stride. I have to get out of here!

The eye above never once left her. Even without seeing it, the thought of the unwavering gaze on her back was worse than her darkest nightmare. She imagined it as an omnipotent outsider, invested in her struggle for just as long as she amused it. What are you looking at? Better yet... what in Celestia’s name are you? Fleur rambled in her mind as she poured on the speed, turning a corner and crying out in pain and terror as she scratched her flank on a thorn. The small wound that the barbed barrier had given her proved to her that she was not dreaming, but very much awake.

The intensity of the eye waxed suddenly, releasing a bright pink light on the nightmarish hedge maze, causing it to distort before her. Pushed down by the force of the strange wave, Fleur felt a sick, sticky pallor to the magic it emanated, her skin crawling as though insects were skittering about beneath its surface. Her vision blurring, she felt something of herself seeming to slip away. She couldn’t shake the awful feeling that she would never be whole again. Her mane lost a bit of its luster. Fleur could still feel its nightmare-gaze locked onto her, even when she looked at the ground. Even when she closed her eyes. Tears began to flood down the mare’s face as she stood on trembling legs. She had never been this frightened. Or this alone.

As she continued to run, the paths before her split again and again, raising her hopes of escape from the thorny nightmare, each hope ultimately offering her no exit. She ran blindly, choosing path after path at random, galloping with all her might through the ever-expanding maze. Her exhaustion and frustration with the prolonged run rapidly growing, she came to a huffing stop.

Her chest heaving as she panted hard, she looked up at the startling nightmare above. It remained motionless. It just looked at her with that cold pink gaze, chilling her further as she felt compelled to sit there and stare at it. If I look away will it get me? She thought and shivered, another tear beginning to form. She wiped it away with a hoof. Look at me! I’m acting like a foal afraid of the dark! She continued to try to fortify her willpower against the terrible sight, but every time she thought she could stop looking at it, a new fear entered her mind, reaching into her most vulnerable memories and showing them to her.

Trixie... did you do this to me? Fleur thought with fury as she stared at the terrible eye above, tears flowing freely down her face despite her best efforts to stave their flow. That orb was a trick! I knew better than to put my fate in the hooves of somepony else. Fleur turned her head from the eye and laid quietly on the cold black ground, her muscles aching terribly. She tried for a moment to catch her breath. Wait... didn’t Trixie disappear with me? She allowed herself a moment of bleak, unpleasant comfort at the thought that she might not be alone, that somepony else could be here to help her escape this hell. Fleur was briefly disgusted with herself for wishing this on anypony else. But she couldn’t deny it gave her comfort. Trixie should be here too! But her ears drooped as she considered another possibility. Maybe the orbs backfired. Maybe there really is no exit.

L’enfer, c’est les autres, she thought wistfully to herself, slipping literally subconsciously into the upper-class dialect with which she was so familiar.

Standing up, Fleur quickly walked to the wall of thorns before her. Well... just a bit of magic and I will climb this and get a better view of... wherever this is. After all... I am Prize Catch! Master thief, wanted across all of Equestria! She allowed her flagging confidence to build, despite the odds against her. The mare began to focus her magic, drawing upon her willpower to make her horn turn its brilliant color, but nothing happened. No color, no magical strain. It was if she was a foal who could not yet find her magical center. Worried and confused she doubled her effort and tried again, but with the same effect. Despair began to set in, shattering the lovely mares hopes. This can’t be happening! Her sorrow flowed freely down her face as she collapsed to the floor of the labyrinth.

Raising her head to meet the evil gaze once again, this time in fury and desperation, she screamed wildly into the air, “THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!”

*******

“Oh but it is, dear mare,” Fleur spoke sweetly to herself, muffled slightly by the cool breeze that blew across Canterlot Castle’s walls. Above her, inside the castle, cries of alarm were being bellowed by the guards searching for the missing intruders. The thief known as Prize Catch, and the other unknown blue mare who was with her, would soon be forgotten as the real threat to Equestria was revealed to them. But all in due time.

Fleur stretched clumsily, stumbling as though she had never stood on her own two hooves before, and took a look at herself. This weak vessel must suffice for the time being, a dark voice in her mind thought. At the least it seemeth fit. The mind strives still against me... yet that shall soon cease to matter. Wither in this world am I?

The orb that had been thrown from the Spire of Secrets had shattered on the lawn of the royal gardens, near the great waterfall that had led Fleur here. She took a moment to look around at her surroundings, and noticed Trixie was only just sitting up, recovering from her bumpy journey. There thou art , the voice echoed inside Fleur as she disdainfully watched Trixie orient herself. The blue mare quickly checked her mask, making sure she was still concealed, and snatched up the bag that held the stolen gems in her telekinetic grip.

“It worked!” Trixie exclaimed, happily strutting over to her accomplice and giving a cocky smile. “I mean... I knew it would work!” Noticing the hustle of the guards on the castle walls, Trixie’s demeanor turned serious. “We need to get out of here before they find us.”

Fleur looked around at the guards galloping frantically on the wall, and turned to face the worried mare. She slowly began to remove her mask with her hooves. Trixie’s eyes widened at the sight of Fleur’s light pink mane, bursting from under the black hood. “Fret thee not, dear Trixie. This pathetic army of useless pegasi yeomanry are the least of thy problems.” Fleur said flatly as her eyes began to glow with an ominously vibrant pink hue. “Soldiery drawn from the lesser classes has never seemed right to me...” she spoke almost to herself.

“What do you mean?” Trixie said, tensing up and taking a step away from the now-revealed Fleur de Lis. “I know you... Fleur de Lis... right? You’re Fancy Pants’ marestress! You’re Prize Catch?”

“Nay,” Fleur said and gave a wicked grin, her eyes began to violently glow, bathing Trixie in their luminescence and forcing her to turn her head away. “Mine name is called Treachery... and the pleasure of our meeting, and of our parting, shall be all with me.”

Trixie’s eyes began to glaze over, the life and arrogance and vibrancy draining from them as she sat heavily on her haunches, a complacent look on her face. Slowly her head sank to the ground, as she felt herself compelled to lie down before the strange gaze of her malicious cohort. She spoke weakly, a sudden illness coming over her. “I... I don’t know who... you are. What are... what are you doing... to me? Stop... please stop it!”

“Stop? Beloved, I have only just begun!” Fleur said, then her voice changed from her sultry tone, to that familiar to Trixie as Twilight Sparkle. “You’ll never be anypony. Just another no talent mare, best-suited to perform at birthday parties and cuteceaneras for foals who have no idea what real magic is.”

“What! No! That isn’t true!” Trixie countered pathetically, surprised by the unnatural mimicry in Fleur’s voice. As Fleur began to approach the cowering mare her eyes flared again, and she not only sounded like, but appeared to the confused and frightened eyes of the mare to take the form of, Twilight Sparkle. Other stallions and mares began to appear from the darkness, surrounding the frightened blue pony who lay cowering on the grass, pointing their hooves at her and laughing as they shouted insults and mockery. “Stop... stop laughing at me... please,” Trixie begged, covering her ears with her hooves. The voices of the mocking ponies continued to invade the mare’s ears and mind, despite her attempts to shut them out.

Twilight Sparkle was only one of many. In the crowd of ponies, Trixie could see everypony she had ever loved or respected, taunting her, hating her, seeing her for what she truly believed herself to be: a failure. Leading them was a sinister black moustachioed pony with bright red eyes, laughing riotously and twirling his moustache in a hoof as he led her former friends and family towards her; hate, murder, and rejection on their cruelly-laughing faces.

The thing that wasn’t Fleur continued. “Thou shalt retain nothing of thy riches or thy mind, nor even the secret contents of thy innermost heart, when I have concluded my business with thee,” Fleur whispered gently as she regarded the tortured mare, slowly and cruelly circling her. “Thou shalt have nothing to repair to for peace nor in which to believe. And when thou hast lost all that, then shalt thou become in truth what the world...” the mare grinned slyly, “and, if we are honest, thyself in thine own heart, already believes thee to be: Nothing.”

Crying in anguish as her thoughts were changed and corrupted by the intrusive gaze of the pink-eyed mare, Trixie cried out in terror, “What did I do to deserve this!?”

Fleur smiled down with wicked glee at the fearful, sobbing pony. She continued for a few moments, twisting the pathetic pony’s mind, watching her squirm under her destructive influence. She knew that a moment in her gaze could feel like an eternity to the suffering pony, who was reduced now to a quivering, messy pile of tears and broken sobs.

“I do apologize, dear Trixie,” Fleur said with disingenuous sincerity, placing a hoof on the broken pony’s head, stroking her mane away from her tearful eyes as she stared down at the ground. “I cannot merely leave thee be, and mayhap have thy loose tongue lay waste to all my carefully-laid plans. Can I?”

Trixie looked up at the towering mare before her, no longer Twilight, but Fleur de Lis again. She felt weak, as if she had been emotionally and physically tormented for weeks without end. “Who... what are you?” She asked timidly, eliciting another wicked grin from the evil pink eyed mare, and flinching back.

“I have long since told thee, my love... I am he who is called Treachery. Long ago, they called me the Hidden Blade, for I was hard to find and deadly when sprung on the unknowing,” Fleur said, giving an almost nostalgic smile at the old title. “As thou hast most truly learned this night.” Her tone turned quickly to annoyance. “But I tire of thee, sweet pet. A filly’s toy, and broken all too easily. What I should not give to have a strong mind to challenge me again.” Fleur stepped away from the confused mare one last time, her eyes glowing violently pink. Trixie tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. She rolled around in agony and came to an abrupt stop. Trixie stood, her head hung low, eyes glazed over. Fleur spoke to the broken mare as though she were a foal. “Good pet. Thou knowest now thy duty. The only thing thou can do. The only thing over which thou hast still any power.”

Trixie looked up at the clear night sky, her tears dried on her dirt-smeared face. She spoke without any feeling. “I just wanted to be loved.” Slowly, she began to walk towards the river at the edge of the garden.

“Oh I know, pet,” Fleur purred with venomous kindness as the mare passed by her. “Thy best effort has utterly failed to suffice. Ever shall it be so for thee.” She shrugged. “Though I suppose, happily for thee, not for much longer.” Fleur watched with delight as Trixie stopped at the edge of the torrential river flowing out over the edge of Mount Majestic. As Trixie fell into the roaring waters, just to cause her a final torment, Fleur said coldly in a singsong voice, “and oui... all of us yet despise thee.”

Fleur watched as the broken, pathetic form of Trixie barely managed to keep itself above the raging surface of the river. She smiled as she saw the limp form of the foalish blue mare crest the edge of the waterfall and disappear. Thou pathetic foal, the inner voice thought. Would that thou had settled in peace upon thy limited talents and steered clear of this path. For my part I am pleased that thou didst not do so. Thy folly is to me a boon.

Trixie out of the way, Fleur trotted over to the bag of gems sitting on the ground, spilling the contents out. Seven black rocks sat on the ground, not the lustrous gems they had previously been. Trinkets now, as worthless as the mare who stole thee, the voice thought as Fleur smiled wickedly, levitating the worthless rocks into the water. Quickly she changed from her black attire and threw it into the river as well.

She still had much to do. Celestia or one of her guards would soon find her. Fleur headed for the front of the castle, fully-exposed. With a leering smile she spoke aloud to no one, “Surely the best way to treat with a princess searching for thee is to present thyself directly. After all, she will definitely wish to see me.”

*******

Spike emerged onto the balcony of his room carrying snacks and drinks. There at the behest of Celestia herself, and on her bits, he was to clear her way for this year’s Summer Sun celebration. The balcony on the top floor of his hotel had a perfect view of Manehattan Lake, Luna’s moon reflecting off its still surface like a mirror. The baby dragon sat down and relaxed in a cushioned chair on the deck, opening a bottle of soda with his fangs. He smiled up at the night sky, content with the fizzy-sweet taste of the carbonated beverage, and spoke aloud to himself, “Spike old boy... this is the life!”

The contentment of the relaxing dragon was quickly shattered as the night sky lit up with lightning. This lightning, however, didn’t strike down from the sky, but rather reached up out of the center of the lake in a great yellow column, a massive geyser of sparkling water, rippling with the yellow power. The city’s cool night was lit up like day as the unnatural lighting licked the clouds that ought rightly to have been its origin, and they were broken apart by the radiant light.

Spike dropped his bottle which rolled over the edge of the balcony to shatter upon the sidewalk far below, as he dashed to the railing to see what was occurring. Whatever had caused the disturbance was still below the surface of the great lake, and great gouts of steam rushed from the electrified geyser at the heart of the discharge. Ponies on the city streets below him were running in frothing-mad, raging panic from the walls of searing hot steam coming off of the lake, screaming and trampling one another in the chaotic crush of a sudden and blinding fear most sheltered city-ponies had never known or even imagined.

Spike squinted as he noticed a dark object ejecting from the corona of the discharge. An object now rocketing towards his position at tremendous speed. Quickly, he turned and dashed back into the safety of his room, turning and slamming the door shut as the cacophony of screaming ponies in the chaos of the city below reached its zenith. The dragon was shaking, and reached up to mop the sweat from his brow.

The door and part of the wall attached to it crashed inward in an explosive cloud of dust, debris, and insulation from inside the wall, as though struck by a cannonball. Even the roof cracked audibly from the impact, and Spike dropped down heavily to the floor below him, fearing it would collapse at any second. Stunned and in shock, the baby dragon forced himself to his feet, looking up at the object responsible for disturbing his rest. Much to his dismay, partially covered in debris, lay a familiar alicorn, her dirty coat the same color as the night sky, her body still convulsing with shocks of yellow electrical energy. She was badly burnt and raggedly lacerated by the crash, but she was alive, and struggling to get to her hooves.

“Luna!?” Spike said in dumbfounded shock, staring at the Princess of the Moon as she brushed away the rubble from her night-blue coat. “Princess? Is that you?”

“Spike?” Luna said weakly, looking over at him, the exertion of speech causing her to cough up dust mixed with her glimmering blue blood. Even as Spike looked at her, her wounds began to glow light blue and close miraculously, leaving only the dried blood against her coat as proof that they had ever existed. “What are you...? Never mind. Listen! I need you to send a letter to my sister!” Spike started to interrupt, and the Princess held up her hoof to silence him. “I am sorry Spike, but I do not have time to explain. Find a quill and paper. Send a letter asking for help.”

“Sure,” Spike said with an uncertain tone. He took a step towards Princess Luna. “...are you okay though?”

“I will be. But we must act fast,” Luna spoke firmly. She looked out the hole in the wall and through the clearing waves of steam at the coils of the vast serpent now emerging from the lake, the yellow lightning flashing from its massive body, striking the sky and lake ferociously. She had seen and felt its size up close, but could not have truly appreciated its terrible mass until seeing it from a distance. “Go now Spike! Send for help... and try to help evacuate the city.”

“You’re evacuating Manehattan?” Spike said in surprise, looking in shock at the worried countenance of the blue alicorn.

“Have you seen what’s happening out there?” She questioned evenly, stepping out of the dragon’s line of sight to the aggressor looming in the distance. The dragon’s eyes widened, his skin taking on a pallor of fright. The leviathan was heading towards the city, flying through the air, and its tail had yet to emerge above the water. Spike’s voice changed to a whisper as he slowly backed towards the hallway door. “Got it,” he spoke softly, and dashed off.

“Let us try this again,” Luna spoke defiantly to the massive monstrosity, though she knew it couldn’t hear. Her head drooped slightly, and a look of doubt and worry crossed the younger sister's face. “Tia... please hurry.”

*******

Tempest was full and content from her overindulgent meal. An unwary deer had wandered into her sights as she went to investigate the campfire, and she had brought it down with ease. Any prey would be hard-pressed to escape her speed and strength. Her luminescent white muzzle was dyed red with the proof of her recent kill. She had gorged herself she had to admit, her stomach hanging heavy. Leaving behind the remains of her prey, she approached a gently-flowing stream and began to clean herself off.

When she had finished cleaning off in the cool waters, she stared at her reflection. The wolf stared back, eyes burning red in the shifting, liquid mirror. She smiled coyly down at the wolf and purred, “Stealth is not thy forte as thou art, lambent one.” She stepped gently out of the water and took a long breath. The cool air was refreshing as it brushed her fur. “The others shall soon know of my presence should I remain like this,” she said grimly, looking down at her luminescent paw. She frowned and sat with a canine sigh of frustration. “Should we wish to remain hidden from the Great Fowl and his scrabbling chicks we must conceal ourselves.” She looked again at the reflection. “Is this not so, dear sister?”

Tempest raised her paw to her mouth and bit down carefully, drawing blood and letting it cover her white paw. Moving with a caution and care born of ritualistic dedication, she drew symbols on the ground around herself in her own blood. Once she had completed the designs three times she sat in the middle. Closing her eyes and focusing intently, pure white power flowed out of her and into the runes, which burned brightly with her magical energy. Sparking to life in a flash of purple light, three sets of ethereal chains lashed out of the ground and began wrapping themselves around her. As they coiled around her, the glow from her fur faded, and with a loud crack the chains pulled taught and vanished, no longer visible to the naked eye.

The chained wolf no longer glowed white, was no longer the size of a bear, her eyes no longer pools of burning red. Her height was less than that of a young mare and her coat was light pink with white around her paws. She was still powerfully-built, a subtle air of danger still hanging over her despite the diminished size and her now-friendly countenance. She took a moment to look over herself, a small smile coming to her face. Standing, she walked over to the edge of the water and gazed once more into the reflective surface. Her eyes did not meet her with the red glare to which she was accustomed. Instead a pair of cerulean eyes stared up at her, causing her to jump back with a yelp, falling over onto the ground. She began to laugh at herself as she stood back up.

“Oh Tempest, what a sight thou art to behold,” she spoke, continuing to laugh at herself. “If thy kindred saw thee frightened of thy own shadow, we should never hear the end of it.” She walked back over to gaze down once again, and felt a warm feeling inside her she had thought long extinguished. It had been a long while since she had allowed herself to laugh. It always seemed so much easier for her when her powers were stowed away. Her tone was wistful. “I have not laid eyes on thee in an age, pup.” She giggled once with a half-hearted smile and began once again to work her way towards the campfire.

*******

The score of ponies lying around Zecora’s campfire slept peacefully with their bright, sweet pony dreams.

All except for one.

Applebloom slowly tugged herself out from under Applejack’s protective hoof, slipping out of the sisterly sleeping bag. Her sister slept easy, grinning contentedly as she emitted small sighs and gurgles, a tiny sliver of drool trickling from her open mouth. But Applebloom was restless. It was hard to sleep when there was so much around her to explore. Applejack had used her serious big-sister voice when she told her not to stray too far from the camp. But Applebloom couldn’t see the harm in looking around on her own.

Slowly she snuck away from the sleeping ponies and approached the edge of the Great Divide. Looking down into the pit, she fell back on her haunches, the sudden shock of the great fall below her causing her to lose her balance. Thank the stars nopony saw that! She thought to herself and giggled, laying down on the edge, forehooves sticking over the cliffside. As she laid there staring down she thought she could see something moving far below her.

A silent shadow stirred, although she couldn’t make out its shape. “Um... hello... is anyone down there?” The filly whispered hesitantly into the pit. A shiver ran through her, but the filly kept staring down, watching the shadow as it moved and came to a rest somewhere below her. “Is something down there?”

“Hello, little one,” a silky female voice whispered on the wind. “I have been pining for thee.”

“Me?” Applebloom said confused. “How did you get down there?”

“Oh... I fell you see,” the voice said sweetly, a pout in the tone. “Couldst thou be a dear and catch a rope? Thou couldst tie it to a tree with but a little exertion and I might climb up to join thee.” The voice, without speaking it, promised good times if this were to happen.

Applebloom looked back at her sister, who quietly stirred in her sleep, snoring gently and frowning. If she woke her sister, she would be in trouble. Sis sure isn’t gonna like this, she thought to herself. I’m gonna get in so much trouble...

Turning back to look down into the abyss she spoke. “Um... I’m not sure miss. I should get my big sister! She could help ya out.”

“Oh that would be nice dear... but I have been down here for so long,” the sultry voice pleaded with the filly. “It would take thee but a moment’s effort. And would not thy well-beloved sister be thrice-pleased that thou hast given succour to a gentle and needful stranger?”

“Gee miss voice... you sure do speak funny,” Applebloom mused down at the hidden figure. “But if I help you...” she said pensively. Her voice shifted to a triumphant cheer. “I might even get my cutie mark!” Quickly she made sure she hadn’t woken anypony before returning her tone to a whisper. “Ok... throw it up here. I’ll help ya.”

“Such a good little pony,” the voice said politely. “Here it comes.” A silky strand of material gently floated up to the filly, and she caught it in her mouth.

The moment it touched her lips, Applebloom went numb and her body fell heavily to the ground. It was not a rope like the voice had said, but a web, and it slowly wrapped itself around her neck like a noose. Once it had completed the knot, it became freezing cold to the filly’s skin. She couldn’t move but could feel it in excruciating detail. The sensation wasn’t painful, more of a shock against her senses. She wanted very much to recoil but found such sudden action to be far beyond her current powers of motion. The strand slowly became more and more thin, until it could no longer be seen.

Applebloom stood. The voice which had previously been kind now sounded cruel. “Dance, my sweet puppet... dance.” Applebloom felt herself moving closer to the edge of the Divide, spinning like a ballerina but unable to stop herself. She wanted to scream, to somehow arrest her involuntary motion. She was relieved when she came to a halt on the edge of the precipice.

The young filly spoke, the voice from the pit coming out, crying loudly, “Oh sister!”

Applejack quickly sat up, startled and confused. “Huh... what?” She quickly scanned the darkness around her for her sister, then stood quickly, noticing where she was. “Applebloom!” She shouted, both frightened and frustrated. “What the hay you doing over there? I told ya to keep away from that hole!” Everyone began to stir and look over at Applebloom. “Now get over here dang it!” The filly smiled wickedly at her concerned sibling, spinning again on the edge of the pit, causing some loose rocks to tumble down into the darkness.

“Applebloom,” Twilight said softly and with concern, slowly standing up and coming out of her tent. The rest of the herd began to stir and step out, looking at the spectacle before them. “Come on now, that’s dangerous. Come over here where it’s safe.”

“What is she doing!” Rarity spoke, alarmed. “Sleepwalking?”

“I’ll get her,” Rainbow Dash said quietly, taking a step forward, only to stop and notice the rope from her tent. It was wrapped around her leg from her clumsy construction session with Fluttershy. She quickly sat down on her haunches and tried to tug it off.

Applebloom looked at everypony as they slowly advanced towards her, worry in their eyes. She gave a last smile and fell backwards over the cliff, down into the pit. Forgetting the rope in her haste and panic, Rainbow Dash blazed past the group. Her eyes went wide as the rope went pulled taut and the pegasus shot forward, her eyes wide, before going down.

The webbing that was coiled around Applebloom’s neck released itself as she fell, freeing the filly’s mind and body, allowing her the chance to feel the full gravity of the situation she was in. Applebloom screamed a wail of terror as she descended towards the darkness of the abyss, flailing her legs wildly into the air above her as if to grab some imaginary ledge.

Applejack screamed in shock, and dove to the edge of the cliff. Tears filled her eyes as she watched her sister falling into the darkness below. She cried out in anguish as the rest of the ponies dashed to her side, fearful of what they were soon to witness.

The mares looked on with shock and worry as a pink streak intercepted her fall far below, ending her mournful wail with a sudden ‘oof’. The strange figure snatched her in mid-air, and grappled onto the rocky wall far below the frightened mares. They could see Applebloom’s head droop as she lost consciousness. The creature holding the wayward Cutie Mark Crusader hung in place, staring down into the darkness for a moment before looking up at them. Even from so far up they could see its clear blue eyes. It began to climb up towards them, holding the napping filly.

Twilight peered down, attempting to see the savior in the shadows, and exclaimed in shock, “It’s a wolf!” She backed away from the edge in surprise as everypony else's jaws dropped. She stopped herself from running, and returned to watch the wolf continue to climb as a landside of rocks began to tumble away from the wall, into which its claws had previously clung.

Everypony began talking at once, a mixture of joyous praise from Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity, worried babbling from Fluttershy, who in her concern stood heedlessly on the edge that had earlier intimidated her, odd non-sequiturs from Pinkie, and worried advice for the wolf to follow from Twilight. The other two CMC’s stood at their hooves with tears in their eyes, too scared to speak. The joined voices of the mares faded into an incoherent babble of vocal background noise. The wolf, still holding the filly, gave an incredulous smile up at the mares, who quieted down at the strange look. Delicately bracing the napping cargo across her forelegs to leave her mouth free, she spoke up to them, “Pegasus... prithee fly down to me and I shall vouchsafe to thee this lost child I have recovered.”

Rainbow Dash quickly untangled the last of the rope and flew down to the hanging wolf, stopping for only a moment beside her, looking at her wry smile. The wolf bit down again upon the soft back of the filly and held her out for the blue pegasus to take. Rainbow Dash gently removed the little one from her grasp, and thanked her with a nod, returning to the top with everypony else. She landed next to the campfire with Applebloom in tow.

Applejack was the first to rush to her sister’s side, clutching onto her and crying, giving her a gentle shake and muttering incoherent concerns and promises, most of them contingent upon her survival. Zecora galloped to her side and checked Applebloom’s vitals, quickly turning and dashing into a tent, beginning to grab herbs and unguents to craft a possible remedy. The rest gathered around the campfire and sat quietly, looking on the scene with silent worry written on their faces.

Scootaloo broke the silence first by asking, “Is she gonna be ok!?”

“Shh,” Rarity shushed her tenderly. “We will just need to wait and see. If it wasn’t for that wolf...” The white mare’s ears shot up in surprise, and she looked over her shoulder at the ledge, which was unoccupied. “We forgot about the wolf! She must still be climbing!”

“Everypony run!” Pinkie screamed and began to run in circles around the campfire. She stopped and looked at everypony else. “Anypony wanna panic with me? No?” She began running again by herself. “AAAAGGGGHHHH!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted at the frantic pink mare, who skidded to a stop, her chest heaving. “I don’t think she means us any harm... I mean, why would she save Applebloom just to kill all of us once she climbed up here?”

“Have you ever tried to eat while hanging on a cliff?” Rainbow Dash said grimly, glancing at the edge. “Pinkie might be right.”

“Just... just help her,” Applejack said, sobbing, not taking her eyes off of Applebloom as Zecora sat down next to her with foreign herbs, and began mixing them together. “She helped my sis. It’s the least we can do.”

Everypony shared nervous glances. Twilight looked at the resolve in Applejack’s eyes and smiled. “I’ll get her,” she said. “After all... it’s only right. Pony or not, we owe her one.” The purple unicorn slowly approached the ledge. The closer she got, the more her earlier resolve appeared to fail. Her head hung and her ears drooped in her foalish fear, her eyes hurriedly scanning the edge as though at any second the wolf might pop over the precipice and drag her down into the Divide.

The wolf had made it to the top, where she hung from the ledge. Twilight observed that the wolf did not look fatigued at all. In fact she looked as though she had enjoyed the climb, smiling the same wry smile she had before up at her as she came to a stop, and hung from the rocks directly below her. The wolf gently jerked her head sideways, and it took a moment for Twilight to realize she was requesting that she step aside and allow her to climb up. The look on Twilight’s face in that moment caused the wolf’s expression to change from jovial to serious. She could tell that the mare was contemplating whether or not to allow her to climb up. Her blue eyes were drawn to the Twilight’s hooves, standing not far from her paws.

The pink wolf looked below down into the pit. The dust from the landslide was beginning to settle. She slowly lifted her head to meet the pensive gaze of Twilight. “It is a long fall,” the wolf said plainly, and smiled the smile of one conditioned to expect betrayal. Her gentle smile changed to a sneer. “If thou hast plans to end my life... the time to act on them is now.”

Twilight snapped back to reality from her thoughts, her face contorted with her concern. “No!” She said in shock, and averted her eyes from the wolf, her ears drooping. “I wasn’t... thinking that.” Twilight looked back at the wolf, who wore a knowing smile upon her face. Twilight reluctantly reached a hoof down to the wolf, extending it to her muzzle, and turned her head in anticipation of pain. “Take my hoof.”

The pink wolf smiled slightly and giggled at the gesture, then gently bit onto the hoof, allowing the mare to help her up. Once up she shook herself off and turned her blue eyes to Twilight. “My thanks,” she said warmly and watched as Twilight cautiously began to make her way back to her friends, huddled around the campfire.

Applejack glanced over at her sister’s unlikely savior. The big sister stood up and handed the unconscious filly to Fluttershy. “Take care of her for me,” she asked the yellow pegasus with great concern.

“I will,” Fluttershy said assuredly. “What are you going to do?”

Applejack nodded her head over to the wolf, who was licking her coat quietly, cleaning the pebbles and dust out of her lustrous fur. Everypony at her and then back at Applejack. “Gotta thank her,” she said shrugging. “Be right back.” She slowly approached the wolf, who quit cleaning herself and regarded the pony warmly. “Um... I’m Applejack... many thanks for catching my sister,” Applejack said nervously, and stopped a few meters in front of her. “If you hadn’t been there... I don’t know what would've happened.”

The wolf was obviously not used to receiving praise. She cocked her head and said calmly, “She would most like have fallen to her doom.” Noticing the grim look being given to her by the earth pony, and not wanting to upset her, she added with comforting sincerity, “From such a height, oblivion would have taken her instantly.”

Applejack gave an awkward smile and a nervous giggle. “Uh... yeah. But what I’m trying to say is... thanks. For saving her.”

“No trouble,” the wolf said with a smile, then looked down behind her into the Divide. A knowing smile grew on her face as she glared down into the void. She quickly shook it off so as to not spook the orange mare. “How fares the little one?”

“She’s fine,” Fluttershy shouted from the camp, hiding from the wolf behind both her silky pink mane and Rarity. “She woke up for a moment... and fell back to sleep.”

“Aww... horse apples,” Applejack swore, galloping over to be by her sister’s side again. “I just missed it.”

“That fall must have shaken the poor girl,” Rarity said looking sad at Applejack. “We should let her rest. Fluttershy... be a dear and put her to bed. She can have my tent.”

Fluttershy nodded and lifted the filly up on her back, balancing her with her wings, and walked into Rarity’s tent. The other two Cutie Mark Crusaders dashed inside behind her. Turning around, Fluttershy took one last glance at the pink wolf, and zipped up the tent.

Without a trace of her former fear, Pinkie Pie bounced improbably over and leaned in close to the wolf, gushing happily, “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie. What’s your name?”

Everypony was looking at her, and the question had seemed to catch her off guard. The wolf began looking around between the curious mares. “My... name...” the wolf stuttered, and looked embarrassed trying to come up with a name as the ponies stared at her intently. “Umm... Gale! Yes... I am called Gale!” Her ears drooped in embarrassment, her eyes playing about the group of young mares as though they had caught her at something unpleasant.

Rainbow Dash flew over and landed next to her. Gale stared at her as the blue pegasus looked her over. With a wide smile beneath her glittering eyes she said, “Well Gale... those were some awesome moves back there!”

Gale began to speak but Rarity interrupted her. Stepping forward she said in a sultry tone, “Luckily you got up before that dreadful landslide happened.” She kept a safe distance from the wolf, sitting not far behind Rainbow Dash. “That was very selfless of you. Oh... but where are my manners.” The white mare raised a hoof to her torso by way of identification and gave a smile. “My name is Rarity. Gale, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“I would say we owe you one,” the purple unicorn said, coming to sit next to Rainbow Dash. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. You're a wolf right? Not like the timberwolves... a real full-blooded wolf.”

Gale smiled curiously. “Yes,” she said with a touch of confusion. “Those simple creatures bear little semblance to me.”

“Oh! No no I wasn’t trying to offend you,” Twilight responded quickly, shaking her forehooves in front of her. “It’s just that I’ve never seen a real live wolf before. Not to mention that I’ve heard you’re not really... supposed to be here.”

“Relax,” Gale said sweetly, with a kind smile. “Thou hast no need for such awkwardness.” She then looked in confusion at Twilight. “What dost thy warning mean, Twilight?”

“These ponies may well have good cause to fear. That will depend upon why you are here,” Zecora interjected, walking over to stand face to face with Gale. “Wolves have been gone for five hundred years. Banished by the Princess to ease ponies’ fears.”

“I do not wish to be a bother,” Gale said, sweetly grinning at the zebra, turning to look at the other five mares before her. “Could someone kindly unfold to me what the striped one is attempting to say? Preferably without making use of rhyme.” Rainbow Dash stifled a laugh and Zecora gave the pink wolf an indignant frown, turning her nose up and sitting down with her friends.

“What my friend is saying,” Twilight answered, giving a plaintive smile to Zecora. “Is that wolves have been banished from Equestria for over five hundred years. There was a conflict with them that couldn’t be resolved, so the Princess removed them.” Gale’s countenance turned pensive at that. A bead of sweat formed on the purple unicorns brow. “I mean... I just figured you would... you know... know that. Being a wolf and all.”

“Assume thee for the moment that I did not,” Gale said, tilting her head and gazing into Twilight’s eyes. “By saving this filly, have I then given some offense against your sovereign?” She gave a sly smile. “Am I to be... punished?”

“No!” Applejack said sharply, then turned her head to look at Twilight. “Well maybe... about the offense part! They wouldn’t punish ya! Sure ya broke some silly law that’s been around since before you were born, but it was the right thing to do!”

“I agree,” Twilight said gently, giving a comforting look to her friend. “But what’s important is what I’m about to ask next.”

“And what may that be?” Gale said, regarding the purple pony with seeming indifference.

“Now that you’re here... what do you plan to do?” Twilight asked inquisitively, looking at the wolf’s eyes. “If you decide you're going to stay in Equestria... I will have to let Celestia know. If you decide to leave and go back across the Divide... I’ll tell her you were here... and what you did. She would probably want to thank you though.”

Gale stepped aside, and walked just out of earshot of the ponies. The others could see her pacing and pondering, seeming to speak to herself. They wore perplexed expressions at the canine’s strange behavior.

“Uh... what is she doing?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends, not removing her suspicious violet gaze from the wolf.

“I don’t know,” bubbled Pinkie Pie, bouncing impossibly. “But it looks fun!”

Twilight spoke up. “I think it’s like when ponies talk to themselves onstage. What’s it called...?”

“An aside, darling,” offered Rarity.

Rainbow Dash looked at her with shock. “Okay, miss knows-about-something-finally,” she gave a tiny snort as she giggled at her own joke.

Rarity turned her nose up and looked away. “I shan’t dignify that with a response.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Makes perfect sense to me that Rarity would know about the theater.” Rounds of nodding and quiet giggles greeted her observation.

Rarity looked back at them, blinking in confusion. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Everypony met her scintillating eyes awkwardly. They briefly reached the conclusion that the wolf was a better subject to watch.

“I still can’t even think what that could mean,” Rarity muttered to herself.

Not far away, but just out of earshot, Gale was also talking to herself. “I can weather no such foolishness as this. Mayhap this would be easier were I to dispose of these ponies.” She looked back at the mares, who stood staring at her in worry and bewilderment. She averted her eyes to the brightly-burning fire. “My kin have not all yet learned that my slumber has ended. Mockery was close but could ill identify me. She was always the worst at it.” Her eyes burned back towards Twilight, her tone while still low grew deeper, more threatening. “They dare to speak of banishings and punishments. Know they not death when they see it?” Gale could feel her blood beginning to boil, her fury overwhelming her temperance. “I am Tempest! They and their sovereign shall learn to fear my wrath and bow low before my might!”

Gale did not notice the yellow pegasus slipping out of her tent, until she had quietly crept up next to her. “Um... excuse me miss,” the mare said in her ear, at which Gale yelped and jumped away. She turned to face the pony who had snuck up on her, breathing hard.

Gale slowed her breathing and leered, spitting out sharply: “Thou art most quiet!”

“Sorry.” She said softly, her ears drooping, heartbreaking shame on her sweet face. “I just wanted to tell you... if you want that is... that near my cottage there is a cave, just inside the Everfree Forest.” The pegasus gently scuffed the dirt under her hooves, her eyes on the ground. “And um... if you wanted you could stay there... well maybe. You see a bear used to live there. But he found a wife and had to move to a bigger cave to raise a family.” She slowly looked up at Gale, fear of rejection evident on her kind face. “I’m sure if you talk to Celestia she would let you stay. Especially since you saved a filly.”

Gale began to calm from her spooking, and saw that everypony was looking at her in anticipation. A genuine smile began to form on her face as she looked at the odd group before her, then hung her head. Regarding the sneaky pegasus, she nodded to the ponies sitting together and asked inquisitively, “You are in earnest all, are you not? To think I was moments away from... never mind.” She giggled once and looked up sweetly at the stealthy pegasus. “What then is thy name?”

“I’m Fluttershy,” the winged mare said bashfully.

“What is one little complication,” she thought aloud and said, “Yes, Fluttershy. I will see this cave of thine.” She smiled and followed everyone as they walked over to the comfort of the campfire to rest. Her voice once again turned to a muttering. “I have yet to decide if thy innocence will be thy undoing, or mine.”

The mares huddled close to the campfire, and the wolf laid on the opposite side, away from them. As the night passed on everypony fell fast asleep. But not every wolf. Gale gazed up at the night sky into the barely lit moon, the color of blood, as a large crack ran down its middle.

Author’s Note

Once again a big thank you to Malthusite for taking hours to edit this. Your aid with the Furies speech has not gone unappreciated. Also a big thank you to all the people who have read this over at Equestria Daily.

Malthusite’s Note

It was an honor to teach Damsus the value of killing his darlings.

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Cowie, Peter, !Revolution! The Explosion of World Cinema in the Sixties (New York: Faber and Faber, 2004) pg. 184 Damsus asked that I give context for that statement. Context ho!