Hazel Eyes in the Moonlight

by Oddling

35 - Dark Beast

The air filled with panic and fear as Rainbow Dash’s lungs failed her. The ponies could only look on in horror as the timber wolf’s second head lifted up, smashing into Rainbow’s stomach and throwing her in the air above it. Scootaloo’s fangs lost their grip as the part she had bitten crumbled away. The wolf’s other head swung down and ruthlessly smacked her into the nearby wall.

Cries of terror rang out from the children. A few of them tried to run and help, but the adults blocked their way to prevent them from running to their deaths. Fine Tune grit his teeth as he struggled to get his prosthetic limb to move into a position that would allow him to get back onto his hooves. His good leg slipped on a small puddle of fluid and his jaw hit the road again. He cursed through his teeth and tried once again, ignoring the sting of a fresh scrape on his chin.

Fine Tune managed to finally slide the fake limb out from under him and he looked down the street once again. He forced what magic he had left into his horn in a last ditch effort to catch Rainbow Dash before she fell down to the waiting timber wolf. His magic sputtered and failed as he watched the cyan mare’s body vanish into a large mass of black fur, the dark creature pouncing off of a building before landing with her behind the timber wolf.

Silence consumed the street as disbelieving eyes stared at the hunched over form of a dark werewolf. The two-headed timber wolf slowly turned its burning six eyes to glare at the being that should have been eliminated. It watched as the werewolf stood and turned around. But the moment the werewolf’s gaze landed upon the mutated timber wolf its stance shifted, a primal unease seemingly consuming it.

Jim stared into the amalgamation with an expression that promised no mercy, his eyes alight in a golden glow with fierce red irises. Collective gasps faintly escaped the ponies. They knew those eyes. Not a single one of them could mistake that distinct coloration and intensity.

A shallow gasp from the trembling body in his arms was just enough to pull Jim’s baleful gaze away. He glanced down at the mare and, for just a short few seconds, his visage melted into a soundless apology. Rainbow weakly beamed up at him and opened her mouth. Her voice failed her as a lancing pain seized her. Jim gently pulled her closer to his chest, murmuring softly into her ear, “Shhh… don’t waste your energy. I’m here to stay this time. I’ll take care of everything.”

The only warning that Jim offered the timber wolf, before his unforgiving fist sent its body careening into a wall, was a brief glare as he lowered his stance just faintly. Shock filled the ponies as they struggled to process the speed that the werewolf had just displayed. Though not as instantaneous as a teleportation spell, it was still impressive for such a large body to travel twenty yards in nearly the blink of an eye.

The werewolf did not care for the result of his blow, choosing instead to carry Rainbow Dash the opposite way. Jim kneeled down and placed the cyan pegasus gently down beside the unconscious form of Scootaloo. He tenderly brushed the back of his fingers along Rainbow’s cheek.

“Wait for me. I’ll be back in a moment,” he rumbled softly.

Jim stood, sparing a glance at Scootaloo’s form. His eyes flashed angrily upon noticing the small trickle of blood from the filly’s nose. He turned his gaze back to the timber wolf and started toward it. The werewolf arrived behind the timber wolf just as it managed to pull its one head that had been thrust through the wall free.

Before the two-headed being could react, Jim’s arm slid beneath it from the side. The next thing the timber wolf managed to perceive was its view of the world rushing by rapidly, only to screech to a bone-crushing halt as Jim slammed it into the road.

Fine Tune watched in fascinated horror as the timber wolf’s back collided with the ground. He knew that the silently furious werewolf could have ended the encounter then and there. But those burning yellow and red eyes told of a reasoning behind why Jim held back. Fine did not know what compelled the werewolf to prolong things further, but he was certain that he never wanted to be seen by that gaze in such a way.

Jim’s back paw raised up as he moved forward, slamming down with enough force to crack the protective bone-like plating of his enemy’s chest armor. The timber wolf tried to twist beneath the werewolf, but quickly found Jim’s foot replaced by his palms. One hand smashed into the thing’s chest plate while the other slammed into one of its necks. The second head came face to face with the werewolf. Any further struggle from the timber wolf ceased as Jim’s gaze bored into its depths.

“I know you are watching,” Jim spoke, his voice low and cold. “And I have two things to say to you.”

The green glow of the timber wolf’s eyes flashed. The wood-like pieces of its muzzle squeaked and whined as what resembled a grin warped its features. A second later the timber wolf’s body twitched as long thorns burst from it. Jim simply stayed in place as he was once again pierced, his expression remaining unfazed.

The timber wolf went to move yet again only to find Jim’s grip had not relented in the slightest. Whatever dwelled within its empty eyes quickly registered that something was not right with the current turn of events. The hand on its chest slowly started to squeeze.

“The first thing I’d like to say,” Jim continued eerily calmly. “Is thank you.”

The protective skulls of the timber wolf’s chest cracked further.

“Were it not for you becoming such a literal thorn in my side… I might not have found peace to my inner turmoil. I’ve suffered for so long that I had nearly become completely numb to the greatest wound I’ve carried most of my life.”

The intensity of Jim’s eyes softened and a seemingly serene smile spread across his face. Were it not for the added pressure being applied to the timber wolf’s other throat, and the claws now steadily curving through the openings of its chest coverings, the expression might have come off as more genuine. For those witnessing it however, it made the sight much more sinister.

“You helped me heal. I’m no longer torn in two. I am finally… whole.”

From his place on the ground, Fine Tune’s eyes widened steadily as he watched the serene expression on Jim’s face stretch into a dangerously hungry grin. Not only that, it almost seemed as if the thick, dark fur on the werewolf’s body had suddenly taken on a life of its own; like the fur was gently churning in crystal clear waters. Shock filled him as he bore witness to a black mist that began to seep from Jim’s wounds. The feeling intensified as realization dawned on the unicorn. This entire time, the massive spear that had pierced Jim had vanished and he had not noticed until now.

The timber wolf was slow to realize a similar thought as it sensed something very wrong from the being on top of it. A series of soft snapping sounds caught its attention and its gaze flicked down. An indiscernible gleam filled Jim’s eyes as he watched many things flicker within the timber wolf’s eyes. The thing tried yet again to squirm itself out from under him. That was the moment Jim had been waiting for.

A resounding crunch filled the air as Jim’s hand ripped the skull plates off of the timber wolf’s chest. He casually tossed them aside and pushed his hand into the green flames in the cavity that was now unprotected. The magical flames erupted, flooding from the timber wolf’s body violently.

The dark mist flowed forth out of Jim’s fur. No pony knew what the substance was, but as every one of them looked on one thing became quite apparent. Just like the thorns that had impaled Jim, the black mist was drawing in the magical fire like a starving whale would krill.

“The second thing I have to say,” Jim began again, slowly leaning his head closer to the timber wolf. “Is that it’s been several, dreadfully long decades since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of a hunt.”

Jim’s face pressed against the timber wolf’s as his eyes looked into the depths if those green orbs. The timber wolf’s body trembled uncontrollably as its magic was continuously siphoned away.

A dark chuckle rumbled through Jim’s throat and he pulled his head back a little. “This tool of yours isn’t a bad appetizer. Send me more snacks if you like. Just make sure you don’t relax too soon. I’m coming for you, my prey, and nothing has escaped me yet.”

The moment the final word left Jim’s mouth he sent his point home. In a flash of vicious fury his maw opened wide and tore into the face of the timber wolf. This time however, he did not stop at that. Much to the undeniable shock of everyone consciously aware of what was happening, Jim began to eat the timber wolf.

For a time, Fine Tune could only stare on in horror at the sight unfolding before him. Of course it was not long before he realized that what Jim was doing was not just sating a beastly hunger. Every place Jim sank his fangs held condensed pockets of magic. The werewolf wasn’t mindlessly devouring the timber wolf, he was feeding on the stores of magic within.

With disturbing efficiency Jim made short work of his meal. As the rest of the timber wolf’s body began to crumble to dust, the werewolf lifted the remaining head and looked into its dim eyes.

“Whatever hope you have, I suggest you cling to it for all your life is worth. Because I’m willing to devour a god if it means getting to you,” Jim spoke, a hard edge in his tone, before he drove his claws into the head.

Jim slowly stood and turned his gaze toward Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. The burning intensity of his eyes quickly bled away, the fierce yellow and red swirling back to hazel. Dropping the remains of the timber wolf, he swiftly moved to their sides. He kneeled down and gently examined Scootaloo. After fussing over her for a few moments he determined that she was not in any danger, having only been knocked out from the impact. It was a relief to hear her heart beating strongly, her breathing unhindered.

His next action was to look over Rainbow’s injuries. Her wing was hardly recognizable as such anymore. The timber wolf’s bite had broken bones in too many places for it to hold a proper shape. To make things worse, aside from the growing trail of blood down Rainbow’s side, there was a copious amount of the dark slime all over the wounds. Jim’s ears folded back.

“Fine Tune… that dark fluid from their mouths is venom… isn’t it?” Jim asked.

Snapping out of his daze, Fine Tune pushed his front up with a groan. “Unfortunately, it is. I haven’t studied it thoroughly, but I would hazard a guess that it’s more potent than usual.” He glanced down at the small pool of it that had led to his slip. “It’s reasonable to assume it shares their dark magic as well.”

Jim sighed and grit his teeth as he thought about what he should do next. His thoughts were interrupted however as a new sound started to grow closer. He turned his head toward the source.

Fine Tune looked on as well, an immense feeling of relief draping itself over him. There, running toward them from the castle, was a large team of Royal Guards. They were also accompanied by the Princess of Magic herself, as well as the remaining Element Bearers.

Jim spotted Twilight quickly, but he hesitated to call out to her. He was thankful for help to finally arrive, but a terrible, sinking feeling in his gut told him not to hope for the impossible. Eventually he swallowed the uneasy feeling and clenched his fists.

“Twilight! Rainbow’s been bitten!” He called out. “There’s also an injured unicorn in the group!”

The purple alicorn almost paused at Jim’s shout, but before anything else could be said she lit her horn. Her body vanished in a flash of violet light and reappeared beside Jim. Twilight looked to her friend and gasped.

Jim quickly but gently placed his hand on her back. “I hope I’m wrong, but please tell me things aren’t dire for her,” he asked of Twilight.

Tears began to flow from Twilight’s eyes as she lightly shook her head.

The rest of Twilight’s friends came skidding to a halt around her while the guards took to securing the area. One guard, a unicorn stallion with a more decorated suit of armor than the rest, approached to evaluate the situation. As soon as he caught sight of Rainbow Dash’s injury his face fell into a defeated frown.

Having seen everyone’s reaction, Jim removed his hand from Twilight and looked down to the cyan mare. Her eyes were half open and unfocused while she weakly held up her head. Jim’s throat tightened as he silently compared her shallow breaths to what she had when he caught her. She was fading quickly.

“Is there no antidote? Are there no spells that can help her?” Jim asked softly.

Twilight looked up to him with pained eyes, but could only lightly shake her head.

The guard sighed softly, shaking his head. “Our normal antidotes don’t have any effect on this venom. Spells are also ineffective because of how concentrated the dark magic is within the venom. If this had been just a scratch then we might have had a chance to save her. This… this is far too much.”

Jim looked to Scootaloo, the filly finally stirring and rubbing her head. He brought up a hand and observed his claws for a moment before closing them into his fist. His hazel gaze looked beyond his fist to Rainbow as he made his next choice.

“If I told you there was a chance I could save her… would you let me?” Jim asked, his gaze never leaving Rainbow’s form.

A few gasps accompanied the shock-filled expressions that turned his way. Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared on top of the werewolf and she wrapped her hooves around his neck, begging for him to help Rainbow as she buried her face in his neck. Rarity was quick to run to him and place her hooves against his leg as she and the others all begged him to help. Their pleading quickly fell into silence as they realized that Jim did not share their willingness with the idea.

Twilight’s eyes suddenly widened as Jim opened his hand and showed the blood on his claws. She looked from the claws to his eyes and a lump formed in her throat at the pained gaze he returned.

“Despite the lack of time to properly consider this, I ask that you realize exactly what I mean. There’s no guarantee it will work. But if it does… she’ll be like me,” Jim said gently. “I can curse her… change her… to save her…”

Silence settled over them once more as the ponies thought about that. The idea of Rainbow being turned like Scootaloo was, much like many other things regarding the werewolf, a leap into the unknown. It was a lot to consider for them. Or at least it would have been.

A sharp crack echoed out when Applejack stomped the road. All eyes turned to her as she glared up at Jim. “Then what in Tartarus are ya waitin’ for? If you can save her, git to it! Ah don’t know how everypony else feels, but ah don’t think it’d be such a horrible thing. Honestly, if it weren’t for you being here then ah’d have lost my lil’ sis to those things today.”

The guard beside them nodded in agreement. “That’s an understatement. If it weren’t for you then this town would have been completely destroyed and I’d have lost more than a few of my troops. You wiped out more than half of those dark timber wolves and protected those ponies over there. All these piles of dust are more than enough proof of what you’ve accomplished since we could only manage to down a hoof-full. Personally I don’t see why her becoming like you is a bad thing.”

Soft flaps of wings drew Jim’s attention to the unexpected form of Fluttershy. Even more unusual was how she showed no hesitation in swooping down to roughly embrace him. She latched onto him firmly, her body trembling, before she pushed her muzzle up to his ear.

“Don’t let her die. Please…” she begged him quietly. “I know things have been hard for you in the past. But you won’t struggle like that anymore. You’ve done so many good things here.” She pulled her head back just far enough for her teal eyes to look into Jim’s. “If being there to protect a class of children, setting their teacher’s broken leg, and risking your life to keep them safe is evil…” for the shortest of moments the teal of her eyes flickered red, “Then I’m more of a monster than you could ever be.”

Jim stared at her for a long moment while Fluttershy gently flapped her wings to land beside her friends. There were a number of questions he wanted to ask, but knew he shouldn’t. Those would have to wait for another time.

Heaving a slow and heavy sigh, Jim turned his attention back to Rainbow. Time had been lost and he at least held the support of her friends, but Jim was still hesitant to commit his gravest sin a second time. He gently knelt beside the cyan mare and gingerly lifted her head. Jim’s heart sank as he looked into her tired, seemingly empty eyes.

Poison and blood loss’s already pushed her into shock, Jim lamented.

“Rainbow… I can try to save you, but I want you to tell me it’s okay for me to do it. Will you hate me if I give you my curse…?” he asked her.

No response came from her. If Rainbow had any awareness it was not evident in any way. Jim closed his eyes, cursing himself silently.

“Then I hope you can forgive my selfishness…” he whispered.

Acting swiftly, Jim opened his mouth and moved his tongue between his canines. He winced as he bit into it, but before anyone could ask him anything he tilted Rainbow’s head back. He lightly grabbed her chin and parted her lips. In the next moment Jim’s head tilted and he pushed forward, driving his bleeding tongue to the back of her throat.

Rainbow Dash’s body struggled weakly against the invasive muscle at first. However, after a few long seconds something compelled the mare to become more receptive. Her own tongue moved against Jim’s, as if it was seeking out his blood. Jim simply let her unconsciously act on her own. All that mattered was that she swallow as much of his blood and saliva as she could.

As the seconds ticked by in silence, Jim could only pray that his efforts would be enough. But he was all too aware of her strength fading despite everything. He pulled his head away when she stopped trying to swallow. His ears rotated forward to listen to her heart, which had steadily become harder and harder to hear. He lightly nuzzled her cheek as he felt her breathing slow even further than before.

Tightness slowly began to form in Jim’s chest as Rainbow’s vitals continued to weaken. He grit his teeth when he started to notice her color begin to fade as well. Twilight and her close friends all huddled together as they watched their loyal friend succumb to her injuries. Even though there had been no sign of a positive effect over what must have been half an hour, despite the feeling of time having passed much faster, they all still silently hoped for a miracle.

Jim gently pulled his head back to look into Rainbow’s eyes once more. His heartache was plain to see in the depths of his gaze, but something more burned deeper within.

“Come on…” he growled softly, with a firm undertone. “You were stubborn enough to fight for me when I told you not to. You’re more than stubborn enough to fight for me now. I’m still here, Rainbow. I gave you plenty of chances to run away, but you refused to leave us behind. Don’t stop now.”

Rainbow’s breaths paused for a moment, then suddenly sputtered at random intervals. Her body weakly jerked as well, as if Jim’s words had somehow made it through to her. But Jim knew better. He quickly and gently embraced her, pressing his head against her side.

“Rainbow! You said you wouldn’t let me die. Well I can’t let you either,” he said, desperate for his curse to work. “I’m begging you… please don’t leave. I can’t lose you like this… you stupid girl.”

Jim continued to hold her as her body continued to weakly fight for life. However, that only allowed him to intimately feel it as she drew her final breath. Her body limply collapsed against Jim’s arm. Though she was merely as high as Jim’s waist and comparatively light, the weight that Jim felt upon him was crushing.

All Jim could do in that moment was stare blankly as he held onto the empty shell that once held Rainbow Dash’s life. His heart sank and an icy chill gripped him as he reluctantly accepted his loss. He gently let her body lay upon the ground, considering if he could perform some form of CPR in a last ditch effort. A soft shift in the air made Jim’s ears twitch.

“Awe… how touching. The beast was attached to the Element of Loyalty’s Bearer,” came a stallion’s mocking voice from above.

All heads except Jim’s snapped toward the voice’s owner, anger and indignant shock practically bleeding off of the nearby ponies. Jim’s face hardened as he set his jaw in barely contained hatred. The surrounding Royal Guards quickly moved into defensive positions and their leader took an aggressive stance between Twilight and her friends.

“I’m surprised you have the guts to show yourself, traitor,” the guard in charge stated.

"My dear Colonel, you of all should know how some matters require a personal touch. I would have preferred to not dirty my own hooves..." Mana Spark replied smoothly. "But I have found a hindrance to my plans."

A memory from Jim’s past flashed through his mind as he recalled the day he killed his father. He vividly recalled all of the many faces of anger pointed toward him. Everything he had done had been for setting his pack toward a less corrupt way of life. By ridding the clan of those who placed too much value in power, eliminating the sickness that was their greed for devouring the weak, Jim had freed them in hopes of saving innocent lives. Instead they shunned him and chased him away. To add salt to the wound his former pack had openly bestowed upon him a new name, The Betrayer, and placed a bounty on his head.

Jim stood from his position beside Rainbow’s body and closed his eyes. “Tell me, Arch Mage… what reason led you to cause this much death?” he asked, though he had no faith that Mana Spark had done these actions with a righteous desire in mind.

The mage in question chuckled lightly. “What does it matter? I don’t see reason to tell the soon-to-be-dead anything more than farewell.”

Jim hummed and turned to face Mana Spark. He tilted his head slightly and opened his eyes. The golden yellow and burning red of his gaze fixated on the form of the light blue unicorn floating atop four swirls of darkness. Looking more the villainous part than ever, Mana Spark was decorated with a pitch black cloak, a light ebony chest plate that seemed to have become fused with his body, and a crown-like helmet that seemed more for looks than protection as it cradled his dark grey mane. However, the helmet did reveal a sinister alternative use as the two blade-like spikes in front and behind Spark’s horn appeared sufficiently lethal. There was also the red gem in the center of the chest plate that drew attention; the gem being shaped like an all-consuming maw did not lead one to think of it as a simple accent piece.

“I suppose you would think that,” Jim replied coldly. “Not that I actually care to know either. I honestly hate idiots that waste time with monologues.”

In a blur of motion Jim’s arm swung, launching a stone he had pulled from the road before standing. Mana Spark flinched at the sudden motion but just barely managed to flash-cast a magic barrier in time. The stone shattered against the barrier in front of Spark’s face, a thin cloud of dust obscuring his line of sight. A smirk slipped over Mana Spark’s muzzle as he spotted Jim’s quickly approaching form through the dust.

Having leaped immediately after his throw, Jim pulled back his arm as he closed the distance toward Mana Spark. His hatred burned more violently as he watched the Arch Mage smirk at him from within his protective shell. The unicorn must have felt quite confident as he showed no haste in lighting his horn for another spell. As far as Jim was concerned, it did not matter what the mage thought.

I’m finally going to put you in your place!

Tossing his emotions onto the metaphorical back seat, Jim’s entire state of being shifted as he embraced his past combat experiences. He was well aware of his lack of knowledge in fighting against magic. Yet he also knew now that he had an edge against it. The details were still in need of study, but Jim figured that he could disrupt magic with his fangs and claws. Without a controlling influence the magic would then disperse. At that point, he could draw it into himself. However, he would have to have an open wound to use that black mist, or more likely it was his essence.

Still, there was little else he could do at this point in time. He would adapt and learn as he always had. It was more pleasing having Mana Spark as his first magical enemy as well. This way Jim could relish in tearing the worthless stallion apart.

Once the distance had shortened enough Jim sent his clawed hand forth. Just as he had silently hoped, his claws cut right through the surface. Unfortunately the rest of his hand, as well as his chest, slammed roughly against the barrier. The sudden stop and gravity left Jim to sink his other hand's claws into the top of the magic shell. Despite that, however, the evidence to solidify Jim’s theory immediately occurred. Both Jim's and Mana Spark’s eyes widened as the magic of the barrier began to fall apart and drift away from the claws within it.

It was in that moment that Jim took advantage of the literal opening that had been presented. As a look of panic crossed over Spark’s face, Jim thrust his arm forward swiftly. The werewolf’s aim was true, directing his deadly appendages straight for his enemy’s head. Mana Spark knew he had made a grave mistake in that instant but, as fate would have it, he also knew how to avoid disaster. At the last possible second the Arch Mage’s horn flashed and a brilliant light filled the surroundings.

Author's Note:

Oh boy... our werewolf is mad now. Our second meeting with Mana Spark as the confirmed villain is just the start. You can expect a few satisfying results in the next chapter in regards to the coming fight.

Although, I don't know if whatever happens to Mana Spark will be enough for what has happened to Rainbow Dash. I guess we'll find out in the next chapter.

As always I hope you enjoyed the read and please look forward to next time.

Comments

[Andhera Hollow]

Oooooh, I definitely need more and can not wait for the next chapter.

[Oddling]

10284118
You shall receive more soon. I've just about wrapped up the fight with Mana Spark. There are a few things I'm thinking of touching up before the next release, but aside from that the next few chapters are still on schedule.