To Find Equilibrium

by Slywolf930

Natural

The sky was dark. Voices could be heard around him as the world spun. He saw faces. They didn’t belong to anything from this world. They laughed and cheered. He could sense hatred and fear at the same time. It was too much. He was fading from consciousness. The last thing he saw was a bird. It was watching him… watching him go crazy, waiting for its moment to strike. Finally, it opened its wings and sprang forward.
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Synth gasped as he woke from his dream. The world was still slightly spinning, but he felt the covers of his bed, warm and comforting. He let the world stop spinning before getting out of the bed.

‘Happy dreams?’ Shade asked.

‘Of course, what else is there?’ Synth answered.

“Good morning Synth,” Vera said from the doorway.

“Yeah, good morning,” Synth replied, rubbing his eyes.

“Did you have another bad dream?” Vera asked, looking worried.

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” Synth said.

“Alright then, but you do know what day today is, right?” Vera asked.

“Winter Wrap Up, yeah I know,” Synth said, none too enthusiastically.

“What’s got you so down?” Vera asked.

Synth wanted to crawl back in bed and go back to sleep. Those nightmares were better than what could become a possibility.

“I’m heading out, is that alright?” Synth asked.

“You’re going to the forest, aren’t you?” Vera asked.

“Yeah… how’d you know? I didn’t tell you about that,” Synth said.

“Spike told me, about a week ago,” Vera said.

‘He’s got a big mouth…’ Shade said.

“Well then you know I won’t be back for a while… what are you going to do in the meantime?” Synth asked.

“I’m going to see if I can help the others. Fluttershy said that she has a lot of fun every year,” Vera said.

‘Fun? Working?’ Shade asked.

“She also said it can be a little frustrating,” Synth said.

‘Just like having you put your comments everywhere you see fit,’ Synth said to Shade.

“I still want to try,” Vera said.

“Okay, I better get going then… wish me luck,” Synth said, grabbing his bags and leaving. He stopped outside of the house at his slowly expanding garden.

The winter was passing, and the plant seeds he’d ordered from Canterlot wouldn’t grow in Spring. Synth inspected the flowers that had grown from the three seeds he’d planted. Two were fully grown, but one wasn’t finished growing. Synth uprooted the grown plants and put them in his bag. He more carefully dig up the third flower and put it in his bag. He’d need to make a stop.

Synth went into town, taking one last look at the snow covered rooftops and streets. He was almost going to miss the cold… almost. He had to admit, the cold distracted him from the beauty of the town. And wow, was did the town look great covered in snow. Maybe that was the reason he felt forlorn today. He wasn’t ready for the change.

Synth looked up from his observations at the building he had seen only days ago. The Biodome was repaired and reopened. Now, he had the entire building to himself. It was, of course, empty. He hadn’t gotten the time to get more seeds, and the winter seeds could easily be grown outside. Now, he’d have a use for the Biodome. Using his magic, he could ensure the right living temperatures for the cold driven plant.

Synth grabbed some snow from outside and took it inside with him. He placed the plant in one of the ready to go plant pots and placed snow around him. Letting some magic out, he gave the plant some sustain in slightly warmer temperatures. Next, Synth took one of the fully grown flowers and extracted some of the pollen from it.

The pollen was different, as in like many plants; he could genetically pollinate it and solidify the result with magic into a ready to grow seed. Or, like in this case, he could use the pollen as an ingredient with the snow to decrease the temperature. By both lowering temperature and increasing the plants sustain, he would ensure that the plant would live until he got back.

Synth made sure everything was right before turning to leave. The flower he’d extracted the pollen from wouldn’t last long, and Synth chewed on the petals of the flower as he walked to the forest. Ingesting them alone wouldn’t do much, but they were highly nutritious.

Synth eventually made his way to the forest, all the while wondering what Luna would want him to see by coming here. What he saw actually surprised him. The leaves on the trees hadn’t fallen off, they merely turned white to match the snow. The snow on the ground remained, and he took a while to find the path leading into the forest.

When he took the first step in, he felt the same drain on his magic. Letting Shade take control, he reserved his magic for later. Shade continued the walk, although he stopped to take in the scenery on a few occasions. Synth tried to remember Luna’s orders, as well as the letter he’d received two days ago on what to do.
Walk into the forest peacefully
Find thyself a place to sit down and relax
Keep an eye on thy surroundings
Do not fight anything that would wish to harm thee
Be patient
Leave only when the moon hast risen

Shade had walked in peacefully enough, and everything seemed fine. Up ahead there was a clearing. Maybe that would be the spot he should be going. Shade walked to the clearing, and took a seat next to a fallen log.

Looking around for something to look at, Shade started to tap his hoof on the log and then he looked back into the forest. Squinting his eyes, he started to stand back up.

‘Something’s coming,’ Shade said.

‘Don’t fight it, Luna’s orders,’ Synth said.

‘That’s up to him, not me,’ Shade said.

Suddenly, a Timberwolf jumped from the bushes. Instead of growling or attacking, the Timberwolf watched him. He then turned and trotted off back into the forest. Shade didn’t put his guard down though, and it was a good thing he didn’t. Something thudded into the log next to him. Shade looked down at the metal feather poking out.

Shade managed to jump out of the way before a feather landed where he was standing. Shade was about to use his magic, before Synth forced his magic out. Shade didn’t have much resistance to letting Synth take back control. Synth had been training, and Shade hadn’t. Synth started to feel the magic drain again, but he had enough magic to last him a while.

The feathers came again, but this time Synth sidestepped them and held out his hoof. He hoped to make a truce with the attacking Stym. It wasn’t working, and the bird shot another feather at him, this time he couldn’t dodge fast enough and it scraped his face.

Synth didn’t know if it was the forest, or Luna’s orders, but he suddenly felt something was wrong. The bird wasn’t firing rapidly like they had done other times. This one seemed to hesitate. Synth was getting ready to dodge until he heard a growl nearby. Synth spun around to face the approaching enemy and slipped in the ice he didn’t see. Synth was trying to pick himself up, but he caught sight of the Timberwolf, nearly three feet away, looking up at the bird, growling.

Synth slowly lifted himself up and was getting ready to run, until the Timberwolf turned to him. He didn’t seem angry or threatened, instead, he seemed worried. The Stym emerged from the trees and landed on the ground, next to the Timberwolf. Synth was stunned when they both turned to Synth, apparently waiting for him to speak.

“What’s going on here?” Synth asked, wondering if they’d understand him.

The Timberwolf looked up to the sky and gave a low howl. The bushes around them rustled and Timberwolves poked their heads out. In the trees above, the Stym birds watched down at them. They turned to Synth as he stared fearfully around him.

“What are you trying to tell me?” Synth asked.

The Stym birds let out a shriek that sent shivers up Synth’s neck. He had to cover his ears from the pain. When he uncovered them, the animals were looking into the sky. Synth was about to ask a question, but then a roar cut off any thought he was having. It shook the forest as the ground vibrated. Synth looked to the nearby Timberwolf to make sure he heard correctly. Once again, they looked at him.

Now, Synth understood. He knew the reason why the forest was different. He’d need to tell Luna immediately. But then he remembered her last rule. Synth looked to the animals for help. They seemed to know everything, because they all looked at the trees.

Synth noticed how the white leaves on the trees were no longer the color of snow. It was greyer and wet. They were changing colors and the snow above was melting. The ground was even starting to be squishy instead of soft. Synth found it fascinating how the ice he had slipped on earlier was also melting. The forest itself was changing seasons.

Now Synth knew the other reason Luna wanted him to see this. The way the forest was changing was unnatural in Equestria, but it was definitely beautiful. The animals had started dispersing, all except the two he met first. Synth could tell by the rate everything was melting, it’d take at least until night before everything melted, and then there would be a flood in the nearby river from the runoff.

The Timberwolf looked at Synth and then at the Stym nearby, as if suggesting something. The Stym flew up and landed on the Timber wolf’s back, finding a sturdy branch to sit on. He held out his metal wing to Synth, and he realized that it was a peace offering. Considering what happened before they were friends, he was glad they were going to get along.

Synth held out his hoof and they shook. The Stym’s icy cold feathers wrapped around Synth’s hoof and left something behind as he pulled away. A hard object, grey color and heavy in shape, was on his hoof. Synth inspected the object, and found it to resemble a metal seed. He hadn’t seen anything like it before, and it definitely wasn’t something he’d forget.

The Stym flew away, and The Timberwolf walked into the forest as well. Synth was left staring at the seed he held. When he felt he’d spent long enough for the seed to start growing, he put it in his bag and looked to the sky. He could barely see the sun, still rising. He had many hours until he would leave, and he’d need to do something to fill the time.

Synth decided he’d look for any plants he could grow in the Biodome. Because of the snow, he had a hard time finding any plants, not to mention one he would want. They wouldn’t be growing in temperature that kept shifting to melt the snow.

Synth walked around a tree and found something colorful in his sight. A purple lilac looking flower was growing next to a tree. Synth walked over and inspected it. He remembered this one, it was usually found in the winter, and they were high in protein. He’s surprised that none of the wildlife had gotten to it before him. They were delicious.

Synth reached out to pick the flower, when a white blur passed his eyes. Synth turned to look at the blur after it had taken the flower with it. He saw the rabbit before it went back in its hole. The rabbit had successfully stolen his treat.

Synth then realized that he hadn’t seen any wildlife other than the hostile monsters and the robber rabbit he just encountered. The forest had seemed quiet, but now, it seemed to start to spring to life. The sounds of hisses and rustling leaves were being heard in the forest. They must have been waking themselves up, getting the last of the winter food before it died of temperature change.

Synth knew that searching for anything else would be pointless now. It’d all be taken before he had a chance to collect the pollen. He was eager to find out what kind of plant the new seed grew into, but he’d need to wait until night to go back into town.

Synth decided to enjoy the scenery. The forest actually looked peaceful right now. The sound of a falling tree changed his mind quickly. He went over to where he heard the sound. He found the fallen tree, as well as the body of a dead Stym. Other Styms were circling the culprit, a Timberwolf who could barely stand.

Synth didn’t know what was happening, but he decided to help the helpless Timberwolf. Trotting to his side, Synth warned the Stym to stop. They didn’t seem to care, and continued their advancements. When Synth stepped inbetween the Stym and the Timberwolf, they took notice of him. Taking into flight, they shot out their feathers of steel at Synth.

Synth managed to dodge the feathers before letting Shade take back control. He knew the forest had taken a toll on his magic supply already. Shade didn’t like how he was being used, but at least he got the pleasure to fight. Jumping to the nearest Stym, he grabbed the wings and pulled him down, using him as a shield for the next barrage of feathers.

Shade threw the body of the Stym at a different Stym and then activated more magic. He used the tree branches to grab at the flying Styms, making sure the wings were secured tight. Then, the remaining Stym flew off, leaving their friends at Shade’s mercy. He, in fact, didn’t show any. Using their metal feathers to their disadvantage, he squeezed them tight until the blood flowed out.

When he disposed of the bodies, Shade turned to the Timberwolf who had been watching. He was licking the sap from his wounds and looking cautiously at Shade. Shade didn’t take the look right and started to walk toward him. The Timberwolf yipped in pain, and Shade let out his magic.

“This was your fault, I take it?” Shade asked the helpless wolf.

Shade didn’t wait for a response as he dashed forward and hit him across his face. Bits of wood flew in the air as the wolf went tumbling back. Synth tried to take back control, but Shade was resisting hard now. The forest’s power wasn’t helping the cause, and what made Synth feel worse than hitting the wolf, was when a smaller one came out from the brush where the larger one landed.

Shade went forward to the smaller Timberwolf as it looked down at the nearly dead Timberwolf. He nudged a piece of wood that Synth believed to be the mouth of the larger one. Now that it was a pile of wood, he couldn’t really tell. The pieces moved slightly though, and then went still. The Timberwolf looked a Shade as if noticing he was there for the first time.

“And who are you?” Shade asked, getting closer.

‘Stop it, you’ve done enough,’ Synth said.

‘Make me, and I’ll think about it,’ Shade said.

Shade put his face closer to the small Timberwolf and looked into its eyes. Synth felt something was weird when Shade picked up the small Timberwolf. It was only about one fourth of an actual Timberwolf’s size, so it was light. Shade was about to say something, when he suddenly stopped. Synth felt the feelings return as he took back control with little to no effort.

Looking down at the Timberwolf, he felt a warm and safe feeling. Lowering him, Synth was surprised to see the little wolf smile and bark at him.

‘There’s something different about this one,’ Synth said, awaiting a response from Shade.

Shade didn’t respond, but Synth could feel something itching at the back of his mind, as if Shade was watching in silence. Either way, Synth couldn’t feel the drain of the forest anymore. He looked down at the Timberwolf and smiled back.

“You’re a special little guy, aren’t you?” Synth asked.

The Timberwolf barked in response.

“I’m sorry about… well, you know,” Synth said, motioning slightly to the bigger Timberwolf.

The Timberwolf didn’t seem to understand and just barked a response. Then, he ran a circle around Synth, getting bored of standing around. Synth caught on and they started to walk away from the carnage of dead bodies Shade left.

Synth took another look at the scenery. It was still changing and looking better all the while. The Timberwolf was looking around as well, and Synth could feel happiness it had. It was like they were connected somehow, and Synth had to feel happy about the Timberwolf feeling happy. Shade still hadn’t spoken, and Synth was wondering what he was thinking.

When they reached a river, Synth was wondering if Steven was nearby. He figured that Steven must’ve been more upstream. Now that he thought of it, he was pretty lost at this point. He might not even be able to leave at night if he didn’t find the way out. When he looked up, he’d been traveling a while, and it was already past midday. If he had to guess, it was about three o’ clock.

Synth continued to travel, the Timberwolf at his side the entire time. They didn’t encounter anything else hostile, and Synth was feeling invigorated from the lack of energy drain. When Synth decided to walk faster, the Timberwolf followed his pace. When he started into a slow gallop, the Timberwolf could barely catch up. He slowed a little more and streaked through the forest in the direction he thought would get them out.

After they’d traveled a while, Synth stopped and determined they were lost. He looked into the sky, seeing the sun had dropped even more. He only had a few hours left, and he was wondering how long it’d take to get out.

“Is town the way I came? Or the way I’m going?” Synth asked out loud.

The young Timberwolf barked and then ran into the forest to his left. Synth had gotten used to the little guy, so he followed his lead. After trotting non-stop for a long time, Synth decided to question where he was going.

“Where are you going?” Synth asked, panting from the effort. The Timberwolf might not be fast, but he sure did have stamina.

The Timberwolf barked and continued, slower now. Stopping at a clearing, the Timberwolf rested near a tree and Synth did the same, although his lungs were burning. He really needed to run like this every day. He was starting to get lazy. Starting.

Synth lay down in the grass and looked up at the sky as he caught his breath. The sun was out of sight, and it looked like it was almost sunset. The snow was gone, and the ground was wet, spring was here. The Timberwolf was rested and ready to go, while Synth was still panting. By the time he caught his breath, the sun was definitely setting.

Standing up, he noticed this was the clearing that he had seen the friendly Timberwolf and Stym. Following the little Timberwolf, he could see that he was right in choosing where the way out was. They walked at a slow pace towards the entrance. Synth saw the opening in which he entered, and realized something he had forgotten.

Timberwolves can’t leave the forest for long. Synth was wondering if he could part with the little Timberwolf, especially after Shade had killed what Synth suspected was its mother. He didn’t have much time to think though, because a sound cut off his thoughts.

All around him, Styms poked their heads out of the trees and some flew above him. Grabbing the small Timberwolf, he made a dash for the exit. The sound of metal hitting dirt filled his head as he ran. Feeling pain in his hindlegs, he slowed slightly. The next feather caught his side and he felt warm blood slide down his side.

Practically sliding out of the forest, he made it out alive. The Timberwolf let out a yip as Synth realized he had taken a scrape on his wooden leg. The sounds of feathers were still behind him, so he got back up and ran. Instead of heading home like he wanted, he headed to the safest place for the Timberwolf.
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Synth knocked on the door, hoping Fluttershy wasn’t holding anything important when she opened it. He heard hoof steps get closer, and the door started to open. He was surprised when Vera stood there, looking at him. She must have noticed the Timberwolf, because she jumped back in shock.

“What are you doing with… that?” Vera asked.

“I was wondering where Fluttershy is,” Synth said, wanting to get to the point.

“She’s not back yet, I was supposed to keep watch over the house animals while she took down the bells,” Vera said. Synth then noticed she had feathers in her hair and scratches on her hooves.

“Let me in then, this guy got hurt,” Synth said.

“Isn’t that… a Timberwolf?” Vera asked.

“Sort of, it’s a little different,” Synth said, remembering how he felt when he grabbed it.

“Maybe you shouldn’t show him to Fluttershy,” Vera said, letting him enter.

Synth put the Timberwolf on the couch and sat next to it, feeling a little lightheaded. Vera didn’t ask any more questions, and attended to the needs of a rabbit who hadn’t noticed Synth had entered. She went to get him dinner while Synth watched over the Timberwolf, who looked at him with his yellow eyes.

The Timberwolf had a big piece of wood missing from his leg, and Synth wondered what Fluttershy could do to fix it. He wondered if she could do anything, and if he made the right choice in coming here. Suddenly, the door opened.

“Vera, I’m back. Did Angel act-,” Fluttershy stopped when she saw Synth.

“Hey,” Synth said.

“Synth, what are you doing here? Can I help you with anything? Oh, it looks like you’re hurt” Fluttershy asked, noticing the blood on his side. Angel went to Synth, making sure he wasn’t planning anything.

“Actually, and don’t scream… I was wondering if-,”

Angel let out a small shriek as he looked onto the couch.

“Angel! Are you okay?” Fluttershy said, running to him. She looked onto the couch that he was pointing at, and her eyes widened.

“W-what…” Fluttershy managed to get out before passing out.

Synth looked to the small Timberwolf, eyeing them with curiosity, while his face still showed pain.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought him here… you think you can clear things up for me?” Synth asked of Vera.

“I’ll try, but you’ll need to tell me the full story later,” Vera said.

“Sure,” Synth said, grabbing the young Timberwolf and heading for the door.

Angel was putting an ice pack on Fluttershy’s forehead, and he left before he was given a talking to by the overprotective rabbit. When he left the house, he headed into town, although he walked the perimeter, so as to not give the residents any heart attacks.

Synth realized that the air around him wasn’t cold anymore, and the grass was lively and green, like he was waiting for since the snow fell. Now, the birds were chirping and the wind blew softly. A hint of rain was present, although the sun was visible. While seeing the scenery, he ended up near Twilight’s tree.

Synth approached the tree with caution, hoping she wouldn’t overreact and blow him up with her magic. When he entered though, it was quiet and Twilight didn’t hear him burst through the door. Synth was about to warn her before she turned around, but he forgot about someone.

“Ah! What is that?” Spike asked, pointing at what Synth held.

“Look, I can explain,” Synth said, before Twilight started to turn.

“Oh, is that a Timberwolf?” Twilight asked, looking at what he held.

“You-, you’re not scared?” Synth asked.

“Well why should I? You did make it with your magic, didn’t you?” Twilight asked.

“Not… exactly,” Synth said.

“Oh… then what are you doing with a living Timberwolf!?” Twilight nearly yelled.

“You see… it was hurt… and… I couldn’t just leave it there…” Synth tried to reason.

“Now you sound like Fluttershy,” Twilight said.

“Wow, does it bite?” Spike asked, reaching to poke it.

“Probably,” Synth said. Spike took back his hand.

“Well why’d you bring him here? What about Flutter-, never mind. Why didn’t you leave him in the forest?” Twilight asked.

“I was kind of chased out…” Synth said.

“Did you do what you were supposed to? Luna said it’d take all day,” Twilight said.

“Maybe I’m still doing it,” Synth said, setting the Timberwolf on the nearby couch.

“Well I don’t know how I can help you, I don’t know much about the Timberwolves other than their habitats and their… wait,” Twilight said.

“What’s wrong?” Spike asked, as Twilight looked through the shelf of books.

“Something I read doesn’t add up,” Twilight said, as she picked a book of the shelf. “Aha, here we go,” Twilight said.

Twilight opened the book before Synth could see the cover. She opened it to a bookmarked page and found the paragraph.

“Timberwolves are bound to the forest through a magical connection. If they are taken out of the forest, they will become unstable and fall apart… These magical connections also heal any damage occurred to them within five minutes of damage occurring… Timberwolves will not be hostile if they understand there is no hostility towards them or if they are aware of a power stronger than them,” Twilight read, skipping parts of the entry to connect to what she was trying to get to.

“What does that mean?” Spike asked.

“This little guy, he shouldn’t be stable. So, why is he still here?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I feel kind of different when I hold him. I felt like he wasn’t a threat. And I haven’t seen the smaller ones before…” Synth said.

“It doesn’t say anything about the Timberwolves in this book, I’ll have to check my other resources…” Twilight said, pondering something.

“Isn’t your magic plant related?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t…” Synth was wondering what she was getting at.

“Couldn’t you, I don’t know, grow him back to full health?” Twilight asked, almost sarcastically. She looked at the small Timberwolf with wary eyes.

“Oh... yeah,” Synth said, letting his magic out.

When Synth released some of his magic, it seemed like the Timberwolf grabbed on and took just the right amount for the wood on his legs to fill in the hole made by the cut. Then, the Timberwolf got on his feet and ran around Synth’s legs, yipping softly as he went.

“Hey, the guy’s actually cute when you don’t think about the older ones… or the sap coming out the side of his mouth,” Spike said, grabbing a towel to clean up the mess.

“I’ll inform the princess about this; in the meantime, can I study him? I want to know what makes this one different than what the book describes,” Twilight said.

“Actually, I’m thinking I should hang on to him. He’s kind of grown on me,” Synth said, petting his head, and having him bark right after. “He’s like a pup, only made of wood,”

“Just keep a close eye on him, you don’t know when he could change,” Twilight said, “Bring him by every few days if you can, I’d like to see how he adapts,” Twilight said.

“Sure, but if I’m going to keep him, I’ll need to give him a name…” Synth pondered.

“What about Sappy?” Spike offered, following the trail of sap with a towel.

“I was thinking Lupin,” Synth said, looking at Twilight.

“Lupin, are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“Is that okay with you, Lupin?” Synth asked. The Timberwolf gave his bark of approval before jumping into the air to lick Synth’s cheek.

“Well, thanks for the help, I’ll get going now,” Synth said.

“Actually, I have one more question, how did you find him alone? Don’t children usually stick with their parents?” Twilight asked.

“Well… let’s just say I might have over done it,” Synth said before leaving through the door.

The air hit him immediately. The smell of the setting sun as the night air approached mixed with the smell of coming rain was breathtaking. Lupin next to him, he walked in the direction of where he thought his house was.

The house appeared in front of him before long, and he opened the door for Lupin to enter first. Lupin went straight for the couch, and laid down atop of it. Vera jumped out of her seat when he laid down next to her, and Synth held back a laugh as she fell on her side.

“Synth, maybe you should start explaining,” Vera said, backing away from the couch.

“Well, you know how you’ve always wanted a dog?” Synth asked nonchalantly.

“No,” Vera said.

“Well, here you go,” Synth said, sitting next to Lupin.

“That’s not a dog,” Vera said.

“It’s close enough, I mean, he acts like a dog,” Synth said. Sure enough, Lupin was fast asleep, snoring softly.

“But, isn’t that a Timberwolf?” Vera asked, still unsure.

“Lupin’s harmless,” Synth said.

“Lupin?” Vera asked.

“That’s his name,” Synth said.

“Well… maybe I can get used to him,” Vera said, reaching her hoof slowly to pet his bark of a head. When she touched it, she recoiled back, but then rested it atop. Lupin gave a sleepy howl before going back to sleep.

“Maybe…” Vera said, taking a few steps away, although her face was turning into a smile.

“So, how was your day?” Synth asked.

“I had a lot of fun. I went with Fluttershy to help the animals wake up, and when she said to take a break, I went ice skating with Pinkie. After that, Applejack let me ride one of the big tractors while Big Mac took it across the fields,” Vera said.

“Sounds like a busy day,” Synth said.

“Yeah it was, and then Fluttershy said I could take care of her animals while she went to finish up the Wrap Up,” Vera said.

“I’m guessing I wasn’t needed,” Synth said.

“Fluttershy told me that they had a rough start, but then Twilight helped Wrap up winter on time,” Vera said.

“I’m glad it went okay,” Synth said.

“What about you? Can you explain what you did?”

“My day was sort of… all over. Let’s just say I did what Luna wanted me to do, and then some,” Synth said, looking at the Timberwolf.

‘Unless Luna planned for that to happen,’ Shade said softly.

“What did you do in the forest?” Vera asked.

“Sorry, can’t tell you. But I bet you had more fun than I did,” Synth said.

“I bet,” Vera said.

“Well, I’m going to sleep a little early. Lupin here had a rough day; mine wasn’t that great either, so I’ll be getting to bed early too. Maybe tomorrow we can get to know little Lupin more,” Synth said, before leaving for his room without a response.

Synth noticed his seemed darker and quieter than normal. When he went to his bed, he stood over it with the feeling of someone watching him. Looking over his shoulder, he thought he saw movement. His suspicions were confirmed when Luna stepped out of the shadows, obviously something troubling her.

“Luna… is there anything you wanted?” Synth asked.

Luna looked like she was asked the dumbest question possible.

“What is thy report on the events in the Everfree?” Luna asked.

“Oh.. yeah. Well, it was a weird experience. And I don’t think you’ll believe me, but it actually happened,” Synth started.

“Continue,” Luna commanded.

“The Timberwolves were fighting with the Stym. They stopped when I showed up, and for reasons I don’t know, they let me listen to the sounds in the forest. Trust me when I say, it sounded like there was something wrong. Something was-,” Synth started.

“There is a stronger being in the forest, we take it?” Luna asked.

“Yeah, but how did you know?” Synth asked.

“We have thought so for a while now, and thy research only supports our theory. Soon, the predators in the forest will be forced out into this harsh world. Something needs to be done about this,” Luna said.

“I could try to clear it out. I’ve been practicing and training myself, I think-,”

“No… Even thee must know of the dangers of facing such a beast alone. For now, we wait for that beast to show itself. Until then, hone thy skills, and prepare for a battle,” Luna said.

“Well… if you say so,” Synth said.

“Do not be discouraged. We simply need time to evaluate the situation. Thy efforts were most commendable. Thy mother wouldst be proud,” Luna said.

“…” Synth says, remembering his mother.

“Of course, we have also seen thy companion, and would like to ask questions of our own,” Luna said.

“Companion?” Synth said, remembering Lupin, sleeping in the living room.

“Yes, we would like to hear about that story as well. Something is bothering us,” Luna said.

“Well, I might have killed his mother… and I might have taken him out of the Everfree… And I don’t know what to feed him,” Synth said.

“Thou shouldn’t put blame on thyself. It seems as if the young Timberwolf could sense the energy from Shade. Instead of staying with the forest, he chose to stay with thee. When he fed off thy energy, the Timberwolf fed from thy energy as well as Shade’s. Thus, a close connection between you two was formed. That would seem logical, wouldn’t it?” Luna asked.

“When you put it like that, it does,” Synth said.

“Then it would be best that thou doesn’t let Shade feed the pup his dark energy instead of a combination of both,” Luna said.

“So, he feeds off energy then…” Synth pondered.

“Also, our nocturnal companions have been keeping us company as well. It has been so long since we’ve been back, that we really need to practice our communication skills. They are most wonderful,” Luna said.

“I knew there was something about them,” Synth said.

“Thou dost have a keen eye for detail,” Luna said.

“You what they say, you’ve gotta keep an eye out for change,” Synth said.

Synth felt Shade le his magic out. The magic took the shape of a form, and Synth looked surprisingly down at the rabbit. Shade looked up at him, serious face present.

“Ponies don’t change, they adapt,” Shade said, matter-of-factly, laying down in his rabbit form.

Luna looked out the window at the sky, and sighed inwardly. “It seems as though we are needed at the castle. We appreciate the assistance in this matter, and we are proud of how much thou hast advanced,” Luna said. Synth was grateful for the compliment.

Luna walked out of his room, and Synth got into bed. He was ready for a long rest. He was awakened a few minutes later. Lupin looked into his eyes, as if asking for something.

Synth was going to ask a question, but then he understood. Lupin sucked a small amount of energy from Synth, like a midnight snack. Lupin’s eyes grew brighter as he took the energy. Without Shade there, Lupin got a big dose of good energy. Lupin barked his gratitude before curling up next to Shade and falling asleep.

Synth slept with a smile on his face at the animals at the foot of his bed. Now he knows how Fluttershy felt every night. Synth also found it hard to sleep with them both snoring.

Author's Note:

I’m back from my break! Sadly, I didn’t have any chapters to post over the break, and I was keeping this until I got back. My editor hasn't seen this, and he won't until he gets back, so it'll have a few errors at least until he getes back from break. I got caught up on my reading, EQD, and I learned a few things too. Hopefully, this new year will show that, and I can’t wait to post more. With the beginning of this story, we saw new things, but soon, we’ll see the unavoidable.

Next Time: Vera Centre’d( That’s how you spell it, right?) (Sorry, a little jittery today after all that coffee, I’ll be back to normal soon enough) Synth gets a package. Vera gets an opportunity.