At The Precipice

by Teh dr3am3r

Chapter 1 : Memories

Chapter 1: Memories

Nimble paws traced the ground with nary a sound as the shadowy form they carried stalked the forest. The shadow moved silently under the dark boughs of the trees as he fled, as he hunted.

Thin, soft ribbons trailed the beast’s careful steps, the pearly silk catching on fallen twigs and leaves as they dragged over the ground. A shaft of moonlight broke through the arching canopy, casting its ghostly light over the prominent shoulders of the shadow and forcing the practical wraith to shrink back into the darkness. Tonight he hunted, tonight he ran for refuge. Branches snagged at the beast’s fur, loosing chunks of dirt and stone dust from his ebony fur.

The beast sprang silently away from the soft noise of the dirt clods as they struck the ground and shattered with the smallest sound. The beast’s heart hummed like electricity in his chest, barely an instant laying between the fiery pumps. Emerald eyes scanned the brush for anything threatening, any malevolent monster that could be stalking him. His nose breathed in only the dry musk of dead leaves and earth, with only a kiss of the scent of an animal on a puff of wind. He let out a slow breath, then inhaled again. Sensations of smell fired up his nose like shooting stars, dozens of scents and smells attacked his nervous system in a frenzy almost too rapid to decipher. He could smell every tree’s life energy, the scent of an owl perched high in a tree, the smell of fear in a nearby raccoon and the rancid stench of some dead thing far away.

Satisfied that nothing lay in wait for him, he continued on his way through the shadows. For hours, the beast crept through the darkness, searching for safety and fleeing from the pit. Aeons stood wasted in the deep within the bowels of the earth until he had clawed his way free, free of his bonds, free of his earthen prison. Now, finally, he could hunt the One down. To hunt Him down was the only thing the beast had in life now, because of what He had done. Bound him, buried him, his only respite was the hoof that lay before him without decay; the immortals do not entropy, at least until they are killed. The image of the hoof had burned itself into his mind over the countless years and had only increased the burning hatred he held for Him.

The beast halted at the edge of a small clearing and observed the pink sky, now in the throes of the new-born sun’s rising. Far beyond the horizon, he could see his first brother still gave chase to the rising orb, gaping maw snapping at the blazing light that clawed its way over the horizon and into the sky. Suddenly, the beast was overcome in his loneliness and longing and his chin rose to the sky as his flank sat firmly on the ground. Drawing in a breath that made the trees sigh, he let loose on a call of longing for his brothers and for his family. The call lasted for far too little time to the beast and he was unsatisfied. Raising his chin again, he called once more for his kin.

As his ethereal voice drew to an end, his breath brought scent once more to him, but this time, he could smell strange, moving trees amongst the bushes. His ears perked and listened for any sound that would confirm his nose. Dry creaks and the sounds of wood scraping over wood struck his ears as two canine figures slinked from the trees, but they were made from the trees themselves. The beast’s hackles rose at the sight of them and he rose to his paws with a deep, warning rumble from his chest that made the oaks around him quiver. The two wood-wolves stopped and stared at him in the center of the clearing, watching him. A sniff of the air told the beast that two similar creatures encircled behind him as the small pack attempted to en round him.

The beast ignored them and the livid thrumming of his heart as he stepped quietly into the breaking sunlight. A louder rumble erupted from his chest, a growl that shook the earth beneath him and caused the grass to wither and die around his paws. The two before him flinched and backed away, pinning their ears back in dismay. He took another step forward and bared his teeth at them, forcing them back with the threat and his deadly glare. The smaller of the two flicked his eyes into the gaze of the beast, a signal of subjugation, and the wood-wolf began to wither. The leaves from the branches that grew upon its back turned brown and fell away. Then the branches themselves turned to ash and crumbled along with the remainder of the creature’s body until nothing remained. The one remaining spun and took flight in a panic, thrusting his wooden limbs into the ground to push more speed into his tree-body.

But the beast was faster, and stronger. His legs coiled beneath him, and with a grunt the gray beast sailed through the air faster than the wood-wolf could run. He landed on its back and placed his jaws well on the rear of the creature’s head. A quick jerk to the side ended the pathetic thing’s life with a loud Crack! He could smell the other’s fear as their alpha was killed so effortlessly, and he could hear them fleeing for their lives as he tossed the wooden body aside. But he could not bring himself to care for them, he only cared to hunt Him, The One. He left the oaken corpse as it lay, and receded into the shadows once again, to resume his hunt.

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An earsplitting howl ripped Fluttershy from her dreams and threw her back into the real world like a hawk snatching away a mouse. She covered her ears to little effect and curled into a fetal position, helplessly trying to block out the horrid sound that tore at her helpless ears. The howl lasted for several minutes, and eventually the mare buried her head under her pillows. As the haunting wolf-call ended, she relaxed a bit, allowing her hooves to fall from over her ears. Whimpering in fear of the unknown beast, she felt a hoof wrap over her shoulder and she snuggled up against the warm chest of its owner.

The howl shook the house again, the timbers rattling from the sheer volume of the terrible cry. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes tight and shifted closer to her protector as he stroked her mane. This howl lasted longer than the first, but when it ended, Fluttershy felt no safer than before. In fact, sheer terror ran down her spine like foals playing on a water slide. The hoof left her mane and ran down her back, between her wings, and back up again along her shivering vertebrae. Scooting even closer, she rested her head against a powerful and muscular chest.

“C’mon babe, best get up now.” a deep, yet soft voice purred in her ear. Giving an indignant groan, she pulled the bed sheets further up her body, cradling the warmth and safety of his embrace.

“Nnn-nope. Yer gettin’ up now, the colts gonna be up wit’ that howl an’ all.” As if on cue, a gentle knock sounded at the door and the hinges gave a creak of protest. The mare sighed and raised her head from her warm little fort. Two little colts were peeking inside with a frightened look in their eyes. Fluttershy put on the best brave face she could manage and crawled out of bed and opened the door further to reveal two small colts, one with wings and the other with an undecorated figure. The colt with a soft beige coat like his mother’s, immediately ran forward and hugged her tightly, small cerulean eyes watering like little hoses. The other, winged fire-red, walked by into the room with an annoyed shake of his head as the mother comforted her crying colt, cooing softly.

The pegasus colt walked over and nimbly sprang onto the bed with an instinctive flap of his wings, sitting squarely by his quiet father. “Quit crying, Hayseed, you’re such a wimp. Momma’s had wolves over before-Ow!”

Mac popped him over the head with a hoof and chastised him, “Ay’ you leave ‘im alone, Apple Speed. If’n Ah recall, you crahd like a filly when ya first learn’t tah swim.”

Apple looked at his hooves ashamedly at the mention of his most embarrassing memory. Hayseed sniffled in his mothers wing and wiped away the tears from his eyes. He peeked from underneath the feathers with a shy smile and stuck his tongue out at his brother. Fluttershy spotted the face and covered him with her wing again. “All right you two, back to your room please. We will head into town today so clean up.”

Their fear forgotten, the colts bolted from the room with a speed that would have made Dashie proud, especially the little pegasus. A push of his small wings gave him the boost he needed to overtake his brother in their mad race for the first shower.

Fluttershy let the shaky facade drop and closed the door behind them and turned back to the bed, only to bump into her husband who pulled her into a kiss. The mare blushed madly and her heart jumped into her throat as she pulled away timidly. “Tha’s mah girl, Ah like it when ya get all blushed up.” the stallion said in a sultry tone. He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head and pushed her face against his toned chest.

“Please Mac, not this morning. That howl scared me. I-I don’t really feel very romantic right now.” He wrapped a hoof over her shoulder and held her for a minute. A loud bang and a shout crushed the silence and Mac broke the contact.

“Better check up on ‘em, no tellin’ what’s goin’ on in there.” he chuckled softly as he left the room. Fluttershy watched him leave, feelign less and less safe with every step he took. With a sigh, the pegasus went into their bathroom to get herself ready, brush her mane and apply a bit of makeup. Satisfied with the way she looked, the pegasus headed for the kitchen to try and knock a dent in her three ravenous stallion’s appetites.

As she set the cookware out, Mac came up behind her and wrapped his legs about her waist. Fluttershy gave a squeak of surprise and nearly dropped the eggs she was holding. “Ah swear, these twins are crazy. Hayseed gave ‘is brother a good one on the jaw, settin’ Apple tah cryin’ again. A’hm tellin’ ya, ‘lil Hay gotta soft heart where ‘is brother all guff, but ‘e gotta bit more bite than bark.” He chuckled under his breath as he left his wife to her cooking and sat at the table.

His eyes inevitably made their way to the cooking mare’s flank as he sat and he entertained himself with a few choice memories. He didn’t notice he was grinning like a foal until Fluttershy caught him checking her out. “Stop staring please. I-I mean, if you don’t mind.” Mac laughed again and gave her a sultry wink, grinning even wider as that adorable shade of pink spread over her cheeks. “Can you please retrieve the mail for me?”

“Kay, Ah got it.” he said as he rose and left the kitchen. The pegasus at the stove returned to the omelets in the pan and dropped in a slice of butter. As the butter sizzled and melted, Apple Speed came in with a sour look on his face.

“Momma, Hayseed hit me.”

The mare sighed involuntarily, “How many times do I have to tell you colts? Fighting never solves anything.” she said softly as she flipped the cooking omelet.

“But Hay-”

“No ‘Buts’ please.” she interjected.

“I called first turn, but he pushed me outta the way and got there first.”

Fluttershy smiled despite herself, “You mean you tried to fly again and you fell down?” Her smiled widened as a guilty look spread over her son’s face. “Please don’t worry about flying. You are strong like your daddy, I bet you will be flying like Rainbow Dash in no time.”

His face lit up like Hearth’s Warming lights, “Nopony can fly like Rainbow Dash!” he announced triumphantly, flapping his wings in an excited manner. “She’s awesome and she’s captain of the Wonderbolts and she’s-”

“She’s sent ‘nuther letter to ya, Shy.” cut in Mac’s deep voice. Fluttershy dumped the last omelet onto a plate and carried it over to the table as Hayseed walked in, towel hanging over his back like a cape. The red stallion set the stack of mail down on the coffee table and sat in his seat at the head of the table. Soon, everypony was at their spot and they all dug into their breakfast. Mac and Apple ate like panthers as Fluttershy and Hayseed savored their meal, resulting in Apple trying to steal away bits of his brother’s food when his plate was empty. Several failed attempts at this resulted in several cries of pain as his hoof was slapped away from Hayseed’s plate.

“Nuff boys.” Mac chided firmly. The two colts promptly sat at attention, one still eating slowly and the other impatiently watching his brother feast with all the impudence of Prince Blue-Blood.

Seeing Apple get more and more aggravated, Fluttershy suggested he go and take his shower. He sullenly left the room and Hayseed returned his eating to a normal pace. Mac hoofed his wife the letter from Rainbow Dash and walked out the door to start work. She carefully opened the envelope adorned with the Wonderbolt’s seal and drew out the letter, smiling as she recognized Dashie’s messy scrawl and lack of regard for correct format.

“Hey Fluttershy! As usual I wrote just to keep in touch. Had a lot of trouble the other day with Spitfire, another argument again. I don’t know how you do it, with you so shy and all, but you have got a real good relationship going on. Tell Big Mac I said hi. I don’t know, Spits is falling through like all my other marefriends and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this going on with her. She just wont listen to me, even though I’m her captain. And she always gets mad when she doesn’t get special treatment from me. I mean, just because we have been going out for like a year doesn’t mean I’ll do whatever she wants.

Do you and Mac ever get into arguments? Seems like it just come with the territory. I don’t think I have ever not had an argument besides the break up or anything. Anyway, I put some tickets to our next show in Canterlot in a couple weeks, I expect to see you there. There VIP seats so you don’t have to worry about all the noise, I know you hate all that.

Celestia, I can hardly believe it’s been like nine years since Apple and Hayseed were born. How’s my little troopers? Apple still flapping his wings? Don’t tell him about the tickets, I want that to be a surprise from Aunt Dashie! I may have some other presents for him, Hayseed too. Has the shy guy warmed up to us Bolts? I know several not-pegasuses that are still hardcore fans so he isn’t like an alien or anything. Gotta go before Spits has another fit about me writing another mare. See you next Thursday!”

Fluttershy frowned at the news about Spitfire. Rainbow hadn’t failed her reputation for quick relationships until that mare came along, or rather, since Dash came out to her fellow teammates.

The letter warmed her heart some, she knew Apple would be ecstatic about the tickets, but her brave face still quivered as it barely held the numbing fear down. Her thoughts inevitably turned to the terrifying howl earlier; no wolf can howl like that. Even if it was in the room with them it wouldn’t be that loud. Her mind began to produce horrid fantasies about the beast or whatever it was, making her shy form tremble in fear and almost drop her fork. She silently thanked Celestia the colts hadn’t noticed how much she was quivering. With shaky hooves, she returned the plates and glasses to the sink and washed them, hoping with all her heart that the activity would shake away the terrible thoughts. It didn’t. In fact, the work was almost absentminded, leaving her cruel brain to go on rampage. She didn’t even realize her legs were shaking until Hayseed brought his plate up.

Either he didn’t notice or didn’t want to say anything as he left for his room. When she finished with the dishes, she took the tickets and the letter to her and Mac’s room, depositing them in a drawer in her nightstand. She fell onto the bed and snuggled up under the covers, wishing for some warmth and for some small feeling of safety. Wishing Mac was there to hold her, the trembling mare swam further under the blankets until her entire body was buried underneath their warmth.

Not really feeling any better, she sighed and brooded over the walk to town. At least town will be safe. She told herself. Nothing would come near the village, she was sure of that. When she would take one of her sick animals into Ponyville, they would always be terrified of the buildings and all the strange ponies.

Now, slightly more assured of herself, she abandoned her cocoon and left the room to retrieved her colts for the walk into town.

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The smell of flowers and some other animal graced the beast’s nose along a puff of wind as he padded through the brush like mist; silent. Skoll snapped fiercely after the sun and a sudden gust of wind from his breath sliced through the air. On it came hundreds of subtly different scents of the same animal he smelled earlier, the smell of the ponies.

Ponies surely meant the One was near, the Sleipnir, the one he hunted. Breaking his silence, he spun and raced off in the direction of the smell like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, startling a number of animals all around him. His stealth forgotten, the beast crashed through the brush like a charging bull for several minutes until the forest abruptly ended. The sudden onslaught of sunlight forced the beast to flinch and shelter his eyes until the sun eased its attack.

As the spots slowly faded from his vision, the beast found some strange shaped bushes and hid in them. His ears twitched as shrill shrieks of laughter reached him from his hiding place. Shuffling forward, he poked his nose out just enough to see the source of the merriment.

Three young ponies danced about each other with obvious joy written upon their faces as they played some sort of game. A bright green one with a horn, female judging from her scent, chased two males about, a sandy colored normal one and a winged pony the color of hot magma. The beast let out a soft sigh as the female caught the normal pony in a fierce tackle. He used to pounce on Hati like that when he was young, so many aeons ago.

To his mild surprise, the normal pony began chasing the others, but he fumbled about slowly.

“Hold your body lower to the ground. There that’s it. Now move your legs slowly. Your legs must out run your mind if you are to catch your prey.” A little pup did as his elder brother told him, stretching his paws out before him with the lethargy of the tides. His impatient young mind fought hard to be set free and scramble all over the field like a drunk, but he held it down with several slow breaths. “Good, now let us be off. Mother will have a fresh kill tonight.” The pup turned his head and looked at his brother in his golden coat. Eyes blazing like the sun itself gazed sternly at the spectacle before him as the little one practiced the hunter’s steps towards his big brother.

“Skoll, what will Mother have for us tonight?” the pup asked. In the distance, they heard their an eerie howl ring from the mountains where their home was. Skoll’s ears flicked upwards towards the sound and he listened intently. The little pup beneath him spotted a cricket and tried to sneak up on the little black thing, black like his own coat. The little creature hopped away half a heartbeat before his paw hit the vacant ground.

“Fenrir, come along now, we must hurry.” the golden wolf said quickly as he picked the pup up by the scruff of his neck. The small package held in his legs as he swung beneath his elder brother’s throat.

The beast shut off the memories, fearful of what had happened afterward, fearful of that terrible memory. Some small flame of yearning snuck an involuntary whine from his throat. The three ponies instantly stopped in their tracks and stared at the bush which hid the beast. He shrunk deeper into the leaves and prayed that they would dismiss the sound. But his hopes sank like a scuttled boat as the red colt inched closer.

“Sounded like a dog or something.” he announced to his playmates as he stepped near to the bush. He stuck a hoof out and moved a few leaves. The beast inside shrunk further in, but his hind paw fell upon a twig which snapped with a thunderous sound in the silence. The little pony jumped back with a thrust of his immature wings in shock. His search for the One forgotten, the beast decided that he might as well show himself. He carefully stepped forward into the sunlight, keeping a steady eye on the winged pony before him. His nose was filled with the colt’s fear as he rose to his full height, towering over the young colt.

The youngling promptly gasped and fled.

Realizing his mistake, the beast shrank lower to the ground and held his ears upward, trying to be friendly. Some small part of him wanted the attention, and he yearned for that feeling he had lost so long ago. His attempts were rewarded by the sandy colt walking closer, “Don’t worry, Momma has had wolves at our house before. I think he wants to be friends.”

The beast’s eyes flicked to the female, she didn’t smell afraid, just nervous. The colt however, stank more of fear than the red one that had fled, but he continued to move closer. The beast stretched out his head and sniffed at the approaching pony. He could smell dozens of other scents in his fur, animals, strange blunt smells, and sour scents flooded his nose like an ocean.

He started somewhat as a small pressure touched the top of his head and the colt flinched, but held his small hoof upon the beast’s forehead as a smile drew over his face.

A shrill scream split the air and the beast instantly went into a fighting stance. The source was an adult female with a horn, screaming at the two younglings. The beast’s hackles rose at her harsh tone and he lifted his lip just enough to show teeth. He would not have some pony yelling at him for no reason. Just then, a sharp pain lit up his backside and the beast whirled at the unknown opponent. Running at him were several males, all equipped with tools and clubs of one sort or another with a few throwing rocks at him.

Drawing in a powerful breath, he let lose a violent bark that stopped the mob in their tracks and even halted the stones in midair. Turning angrily, he trotted back to the forest with his ears pinned down, a furious snarl etched into his features. When he reached the trees, he stopped and turned back to look at the ponies. They remained where they stood when he barked, watching him like statues. Satisfied that they understood that he was not the be trifled with, the wolf turned back to the trees and entered once more into their shadowy embrace.

The wolf strode angrily for what seemed miles, fuming at the mob that had nearly attacked him. His hackles stood in a perpetual salute, heightening his awareness and only compounding his fury. All he wanted was to be friendly, he was not being aggressive in any way so why would they chase him away? His anger pushed a violent growl from his chest and wherever his paws touched the ground, his tense claws carved vicious divots into the dirt.

The ruined dirt left a trail, and the wolf knew it would be followed once the mob regained their composure, either by hunters or the crowd themselves. But he didn’t care, if they came after him they would receive much worse than a little bark, this he vowed to himself.

After a few hours of rampaging through the brush, the wolf finally calmed down enough to steady his paws and his breathing into a silent rhythm. Silence enveloped him like a cloak and his shadowy figure vanished from sight. He took a slow and steady sniff of the air and found that he was not near so far from the forest’s edge as he supposed, both the ponies scent and his own hung strong in the air. Their’s was fresher, so it was clear they had followed his angry trail.

With a toothy smirk, he crept through the shadows back the way he had come. Before long, he could hear the Stallion’s voices through the trees.

“Damn, we lost him. The tracks just end right here.”

“A wolf that big doesn’t just disappear.”

“Ah’m not goin’ home till we catch that thing. It was havin’ at my colt when Miss Sweetie Belle found ‘em.” Said a deep, accented stallion. Anger dripped with a tangible hatred from his voice. “If’n Apple Speed hadn’t come got us, both Hayseed an’ Grace would o’ been eaten. Tha’ thing is dangerous an’ Ah intend to kill it before day’s end.”

The wolf growled in the shadows at the accusations, he hadn’t tried to kill them, he had wanted to befriend them. The angry voices stopped at the sound and he mentally slapped himself for his carelessness. He shrank further into the darkness, thankful that his coat was darker then the void.

“Wha’s that? I heard somethin’.”

“Mac, your mind is playing tricks on you. You’re just so caught up in bloodlust-”

“ ‘Ow would you feel if’n that was yer boy tha’ was attacked? You’d wanna get that beast jus’ as much as I do.”

Several heavy hoofsteps drew closer to the wolf’s hiding place and the hidden beast backed away quietly. The hooves drew closer and closer as the beast focused on calming his racing heart. He steadied his breaths and his hackles slowly lay flat against his back. The wind shifted, and the stallion’s earthy smell filled the wolf’s nose. He smelled like he had been rolling in mud. The smell of dirt stung his nostrils and pressure began to form in his chest. Closing his eyes, he fought back the impulse with everything he had, but in vain. A mighty sneeze erupted from his snout and threw his head forward in a spray of spittle. Pandemonium ensued as the stallions burst into a panicked frenzy, scrambling over each other in fear. Only one pony remained resolute. A flash of red tore through the leaves and the hard keratin on a hoof slammed into the wolf’s snout.

Red spots flashed before his eyes as another kick whipped his head back. With a growl, he backed out of range just as yet another hoof snapped a hair’s breadth from over his eye. The wolf sprang from the brush and landed atop the stallion. With a ferocious cry, the pony kicked the wolf hard in his gut and the beast fell onto his side. Gasping for breath, he struggled to his paws before his side erupted in pain and he was thrown several body-lengths away.

A moment of time slowed to the length of years and the pain in his body vanished as he felt a surge of adrenaline. From the corner of his eye he saw the red stallion charge forward like he was running through sludge. The wolf crawled to his paws and bolted around the edge of the small clearing. Time dragged by like a snail and the stallion barely turned his head before the wolf had ran all the way around him and leaped upon his back.

With a sickening lurch, time sped up again and the stallion thrashed about with the beast on his back. His claws slipped and a powerful hoof caught the inside of his leg. With a yelp, he let go and fell onto the ground. He rolled away just as a hoof crushed the dirt where his head had been and sprang to his paws. He tried the same tactic and raced around the pony, but the pony spun and kicked at the wolf as he tried to leap onto his back. With a twist of his spine, the wolf barely avoided the blow, but missed his ultimate target, landing in a dead run.

He repeated the poor tactic once again, but when the stallion swung a hoof at his assailant, the wolf leapt to the side and rammed him with a lowered shoulder. The stallion fell with the beast on top of him, but still his eyes held only hatred and the smell of fear remained absent. The wolf lowered his jaw into his face and growled, but the pinned stallion under him remained passive and fearless.

The wolf reared his head for the killing blow when he was sent flying by a winged pony that flew into him with the force of a tsunami. His paw lashed out on instinct and caught the bird-pony in the wing before he landed in the brush. Struggling to his paws, he glared at the bird-pony that had hit him. The speck of courage that remained in the winged stallion vanished in an instant as he made eye contact with the beast. He struggled to scramble away when the beast placed a powerful paw on the torn wing, forcing the fragile bone to shatter and pin the stallion down.

The pony wailed like a new-born cub and pulled at his ruined wing that was held firmly to the ground. Another stallion made a move to help, but a dark glare from the wolf held him firm. Releasing the stallion from his paw, the beast faded into the shadows, satisfied that they would not follow him again.