Blood Moon

by The_Darker_Fonts

Chapter 22: The Choice

Ailade’s breath hitched as her werewolf ears picked up Joint’s words from across the hall. Her head whipped over to the crack in the doorway, the small cloth she was holding dropping softly to the floor. Her ears had to be deceiving her, yes? What that mare was saying, about a transitory night, it was simply theoretical, yes? Slowly, Ailade turned from the hallway, creeping to the doorway as she strained to hear more.

“You can’t be serious,” she heard Nightseer exclaim, echoing her own thoughts perfectly. “After everything you read about, after you know what has to happen in order for it to be completed? You can’t really be saying that!”

“I am,” Joint’s voice answered firmly, those words shaking Ailade hollowly as her own memory of her transitory night threatened to overtake her. Biting her cheek, the werewolf forced the bloody images away, forcing herself to focus on the words following it. “I’m the only one here that isn’t a nocturnal. Even my daughter has nocturnal blood from her father. I cannot allow myself to be unable to raise or defend my own child by not understanding what she even is, the challenges and life she will have to live.” There was a slight pause as the mare took a breath, embarrassment tinting the air as Joint collected herself. “Besides, I can’t be with Hemorrhage until I become a nocturnal anyways, and I’m not very good at waiting.”

“Wait, are you saying that you're willing to go through it for Hemorrhage,” Argon asked incredulously. There wasn’t a verbal response, but the mare must have nodded as the lycan slowly responded, “Hemorrhage is a very lucky stallion to have such a courageous mare to be a part of his life.”

“Yeah, we may have made out a few times already,” Joint admitted sheepishly, a giggle escaping her. Hearing that, Ailade felt her heart swell, a laugh escaping her as well as she pressed a hoof incredulously against her forehead. After all these years, hundreds of moons, it couldn’t actually be happening, could it? She had always held the hope, both for him and herself, that one day he would find his other half, the perfect match, a completion to his soul, and now here she was. Her laughter continued as she remembered the challenge Hemorrhage had given herself.

“You first,” he had told her, and now she had delivered.

Before she could continue to laugh at her master’s foolishness, the irony of his words coming back to bite him in the best of ways, the door suddenly whipped open. She let out a little yelp of surprise, jumping backwards as the sudden movement startled her. Joint stood in the now-open doorway, Amethyst in hoof with a smirk on her face as she watched Ailade’s panicked reaction.

“Were you listening in on us,” she questioned, knowing the answer well.

“In my defense, I can hardly help it with my ears,” Ailade replied defensively, wiggling her fluffy ears for poignancy. “Besides, how could I not after everything you guys were saying about a transitory night and Hemorrhage? I’ve lived with Hemorrhage for over three hundred years, ever since my own transitory night, and everything related to it and him is my greatest concern.”

“So I guess that’s why Hemorrhage refers to you as his daughter,” Joint responded with a grateful smile.

Ailade felt herself stiffen up at the statement, a blush on her face as she tentatively asked, “Did… did he actually say that he thinks of me that way, in his journals?”

Joint seemed slightly taken aback by the question, a confused frown crossing her face. “You mean you haven’t read them yourself?”

“No, Hemorrhage doesn’t allow us to read his accounts of his time, whether it involves us or not,” Argon answered from behind her. “He told us his accounts were for after his death, for whenever we needed to look for a solution to any nocturnal-related problem. He says that the emotions and words are not meant to be said, which is why he has them written down instead.”

“‘Because the words will only hurt you more when I’m gone’,” Ailade muttered, quoting him directly. The revelation made her laugh again, but this time it was sadder. Of course Hemorrhage would hide his true feelings in his tomes and scrolls, wearing that constant stoic mask of calculation and concern as if there was a hidden danger they could never understand. Looking up at Joint, unable to control herself, she thanked her even as her voice cracked, “Thank you for coming to this castle. Whatever it was that brought you here, it led you right to the best stallion in the world, the only father I’ve ever known. Thank you for breathing life into his old soul.”

Joint smiled bashfully as she reached over and hugged the werewolf, even as tears began to flow from her eyes. Ailade felt herself start gratefully crying into the mare’s neck, gushing with joy even in spite of everything that was happening. The vibrations of Joint’s throat preceded her words, a comforting movement followed by a confirmation. “I couldn’t seem to help it. Thank you for guiding me to him.”

“It was my pleasure,” Ailade replied politely, pulling away and patting the mare on the shoulder, smiling brightly. A rush of different emotions had to be pushed aside as she collected her thoughts, finally saying, “If you really want to commit to a transfiguration, then you’re going to need to be prepared for a world of rage and pain. We won’t be able to do it today, and definitely not with Hemorrhage around. I love him dearly, but he won’t allow anyone to get hurt under his care, even if it may be necessary for the better. Whenever we’re able to transfigure you, it will have to be when he isn’t around or can’t interfere.”

“Ailade, are you sure,” Nightseer questioned, looking concerned. “Going behind Hemorrhage’s back to do something he for sure won’t like?”

“What choice do we have,” Joint asked earnestly. “What will be the best for both Hemorrhage and I? I can’t raise a nocturnal without being one, you all have proved that to me inadvertently. Also, with Sombra most likely attempting to recover me, the best way to defend myself and Amethyst from him will be to be a nocturnal and not a normal pony. Besides, I can’t be with Hemorrhage until I am one, so it’s a win-win situation.”

“And you’ll become a member of the coven,” Ailade added, turning to the other two nocturnals. “Hemorrhage will be unhappy, surely, but ultimately he will be thankful that we did something for him that he couldn’t allow himself.”

There was a moment more of silence as the other two nocturnals thought deeply on their argument. Finally, Nightseer glanced at Argon, reaching out and took his hoof. With a nod of confirmation from her husband, she said, “Alright, you have our support. We can’t allow Hemorrhage to lose this opportunity to be with someone he loves, and more importantly, allow someone who loves him to be with him.”

“If this is what Joint wants, then we can’t bar her from an eternal life with him,” Argon confirmed. Then with a halfhearted scoff, he added, “He won’t let himself have a damn good thing anyways, so let’s make him.”

Joint smiled mischievously, looking between the two, before asking, “So which one of you will take a bite outta me?”

“Hey, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Ailade teased, stooping over to pick up the cloth she had dropped. “We have to wait, and besides, I don’t think any one of us wants to bite you. You seem like the type that would be tough to chew.”

“Touché,” Joint allowed, rocking Amethyst as the young filly began to fuss. When that didn’t sate the little one, she sighed and excused herself to feed the young one. Ailade and the others watched her go, and while she couldn’t quite be sure, she thought she saw the mare’s tail swishing subtly.

“She really is right for Hemorrhage,” Nightseer muttered as the door shut behind the mare, leaving a brief echo of her exit. The three stared at the closed door curiously, knowing they were all listening to the same sound of a very brave mare walking away to care for her young. Someday soon, if their plan wasn’t thwarted, she would also be another strong member to their small coven. Ailade smiled softly at the thought, a sister not in blood but in spirit able to care for the stallion she cared for the most. It was almost bittersweet to see her come in and completely change the solitary, brooding stallion she had lived with for so long into the stronger, healthier nocturnal he was becoming.

“Hey, speaking of Hemorrhage, where even is he,” Argon questioned, looking around as if he half-expected the question to reveal the stallion.

“Well, said he had to check in with Leper and Khan before he could solidify his plan,” Ailade told him. She felt herself chuckle a little as she remembered the confused look on Leper’s face when he first attempted to get the younger lycan out of their castle. “Last I saw, they had just returned empty-hooved from a hunting trip. Hopefully that got some of the young one’s energy out, because he might be joining us on our trip!”

“Mmm, I see,” Argon responded with a nod. “I haven’t actually met the newest member of our coven yet. I guess I haven’t had the time to actually hold a conversation with him yet, but I can’t wait to see who we’ve picked up. The coven has really grown over these past few years.”

“Well, you won’t be able to actually talk to him, not really,” Ailade informed him sadly. “He went through his transitory night solitarily and evaded confrontation with anypony for the past few years. During that time, his mind was lost to the lycan within, and while right now he is somewhere between a naive colt and a dangerous monster, we are hoping to relieve him of his imprisonment. Perhaps this trip, if he is able to come along, can provide an opening into his pony self and allow him to break free from his monstrous state.”

Argon’s brow furrowed as he tapped a hoof against his chin. “Is Leper attempting to assist our new friend in becoming free from his mental cage?”

“No, I don’t quite think so, though he might be helping the process along with his presence as a nocturnal in control of himself,” Ailade responded. “You see, Hemorrhage needed Leper to guide Khan- the young lycan- in how to hunt correctly and to sort of babysit him while the two of you were gone and Nightseer and I helped with Joint. I think he hopes to use this opportunity to allow Leper to grow up and give Khan a familiar, even familial figure within the coven who is more his age.”

“Ah, I see,” the lycan responded with a nod.

“Oh, and he might bow to you, or at least give you priority over Hemorrhage,” Nightseer added with a little laugh.

“What does that mean,” Argon asked with a smile, looking towards his wife.

“Well, let’s just say that his time with a wolf pack has had a great deal of influence on how he views the family dynamic,” the vampyre surmised with a devilish smile. “In his head, the breeding pair are the leaders of the pack, and considering how we’re the only ones here that fit that description, he thinks we’re the leaders of the pack.”

“So someone finally appreciates my talent,” Argon replied with a similar smile, leaning his head in and nuzzling his wife’s cheek.

“Well I’ve been appreciating it for years, so I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Nightseer countered, tipping her head over for a kiss on his lips.

“Please, you two, not in the middle of the castle,” Ailade exclaimed, blushing at their obvious display of carnal thirst. “You have to wait until you two at least have your own room.”

“Sorry Ailade,” Argon apologized, pulling back with a sheepish smile. Looking down at the baby in his wife’s hold, he admitted, “She’ll probably end up with a sibling sometime soon as well.”

“Now hold up, when did we agree on that,” Nightseer demanded even as her smile broadened at the prospect.

“It was agreed upon the moment you said you wanted two boys and two girls,” Argon replied with a small poke into her chest. “Remember that conversation?”

“Alright, seriously you two, get a bloody room,” Ailade exclaimed in mock offense, pressing a hoof against her own chest. “Of all the carnal and impure things beneath the moon! Luna cleanse my ears from what I’ve heard and purify my mind against the thirst of these two sinners.”

“Within the bonds of marriage isn’t a sin,” Nightseer practically sang, resting her head against her husband’s shoulder. “But fine, we’ll shut up.”

“Thank you,” Ailade harrumphed, silence prevailing as the two married nocturnals closed their eyes and silently drank in each other’s soft touch. The werewolf subtly watched them for a moment longer, smiling at their affection, before quietly turning and leaving the two for a moment alone. While she herself had obviously never been involved or even attracted to anypony before, she could still appreciate her coven-mates’ lovely lives and watch as they grew with each other and built families. She could be happy with that.

Her hooves had carried her farther down the hall than she had realized, almost running headfirst into the bathroom door. Letting out a slight yelp of surprise, she turned and looked around, curious to see if anybody had heard her. There was no response from the closed door those many spans behind her. Frowning, she looked back at the wooden door in front of her, staring at its slightly grained wood, a particularly deep crevice right where she may have run into. Wait a minute, that wasn’t a natural crevice.

Leaning in, she gave it a sniff, her nose barely picking out the scent of Hemorrhage in the scratch. Her brow furrowed, as she now listened carefully, the sound of soft panting barely audible from beneath the small beneath the doorway. In all of her years with Hemorrhage, she had never heard such a noise escaping him, a stream of frustrated pants as he calmed down from some sort of exertion. She grit her teeth, preparing for the worst as slowly she pushed the door open, revealing the bathroom within.

The most striking thing about the room was the steam everywhere, splashes of water still releasing clouds of it as they dissolved quickly. The open door caused a rush of wind as the two temperatures clashed briefly and released, rustling Ailade’s fur with warm wetness. Hemorrhage was barely visible within the room, standing in a cloud of steam with his back turned to the doorway, staring at a mirror on the other side of the bath hole. The stallion was in his mordigan form, looming slightly over the mirror as he barely took note of her entry. She continued to assess the bathroom, careful for the steaming puddles as she entered and closed the door behind her.

“You really did a number on that water,” she commented when she noticed how empty the bath was. “What was it, a fireball or simply a blast of uncontrolled magic?”

“The latter,” Hemorrhage answered, his voice raspy as slowly, the form of his mordigan self dissipated into his normal stallion body. “I had to take it out on something I couldn’t destroy.”

“I’m not quite sure I know what you’re mad about, but I’m guessing that it has to do with Joint and you’re blaming yourself for it,” Ailade presumed, raising an eyebrow at the stallion as he turned around to face her.

“Yes, and I’m guessing you saw the scratch on the door and heard my cursing, so now you’re here to dissuade me from doing whatever I was thinking of doing,” Hemorrhage countered, his own raised eyebrow challenging hers.

Smiling as brightly as she could force herself to, she answered, “Well, I didn’t quite hear the cursing, but I can guess who it was directed towards. Also, I don’t think you were going to do anything. The problem was that you weren’t going to do anything, correct?”

The stallion seemed to be caught, but honestly he should have expected it. After over three hundred years, she seemed to have been the only one to have learned the other’s tendencies. Finally, he admitted, “You’re correct in assuming so.”

“Which means it’s going to be harder to convince you otherwise,” Ailade sighed, shaking her head. “Can’t you see that every time I’ve tried to give you advice or told you something good will come of it, it has! Why, then, do you refuse to listen to me every time?”

“Because I don’t want a change or because it can’t possibly happen,” he responded with his own sigh. “I don’t know, but this time for sure. I can’t let Joint become a monster like me.”

“You mean a monster like us,” Ailade dared, knowing she could challenge such a statement.

Hemorrhage would never allow himself to offend them, and as predicted, he quickly corrected, “No, like Sombra and Khan.”

“Sombra is an evil stallion, not just nocturnal, and we know well Khan isn’t a monster, just a lost child at the moment,” Ailade instantly countered. “As soon as a nocturnal is taught and given control over the monster within, they are no longer a danger. They have control over themselves to prevent massacres and murders, rampages and sprees that define them as a monster. They are simply a pony with a nocturnal part.”

“Then how do you explain our diet,” Hemorrhage challenged, a glare falling over him as he looked towards the mirror. “How do you explain the countless lives we’ve consumed to continue our survival, the oceans of blood we have drank to maintain our damned bodies. Don’t you see? This isn’t life, it's damnation, and when it comes down to it, we shouldn’t be able to walk freely around as we do. All of my studies in our kind go back centuries and never once reveal a redeeming trait of our ancestry, our race. It’s simply us consuming and detracting, removing souls from their bodies in a bid to continue our own eternal lives of ruin.”

“Well, may we be the first to do something for the betterment of the world,” Ailade replied softly. “There is no such thing as a black and white conclusion for our lives, yes?”

“There is, but it’s far from us,” Hemorrhage admitted slowly. “I’ve accepted our inheritance. My point wasn’t to continue to desecrate the name of our coven and species, but to remind you why we only add coven members who come along naturally. I refuse to add another nocturnal to the world unnaturally.” Before Ailade could even open her mouth to rebut his argument, he gave her a sharp look, shocking her into silence. “A transitory night for Joint is completely out of the question.”

Ailade closed her mouth, staring at Hemorrhage silently for an eternity, the sheer determination of his cold eyes rejecting himself life, condemning him to death causing her body to freeze. Slowly, she let her gaze fall to the ground, the bricks she and him had placed together to build their home. As she stared at it, she felt the mordigan step closer and reach out with a hoof, pulling her into a sincere and tight hug. She slowly reached up her own hoof and share the embrace as well, letting herself sink into his soft fur for a second. However, what Joint had told her rung throughout her head, a calling to take action.

Hemorrhage pulled away with a sad smile, the expression so familiar to her that it had almost become his actual show of joy. “Thank you,” he told her. His eyes were scanning her face, old orbs of charcoal that had seen hundreds of years and plenty of pain. With a slight sigh, he looked around at the bathroom, he said, “I’ll take care of this mess, Ailade. It’s all my fault anyways. Please go gather the others and tell them to prepare to head out, excluding Nightseer, Joint, and Khan. We need to be ready to leave by tomorrow morning. And before you say it, yes, I’ll go to bed tonight.”

Ailade faked a smile, answered, “Good, that’s more like it.”

She took her leave, turning and opening the door, listening as Hemorrhage sighed in defeat and began to clean the steaming water from the surface of the stone. Closing the door firmly, she muttered to herself as she stared into the scratch in the door, “You may be done hurting others, but I’m done letting you hurt yourself.”

Author's Note:

Now we're seeing all sides of the coven, and as you probably guessed, we will keep up that trend with the next two chapters as well.