Greetings for the week, dear readers. So I am well aware that I did say I would be putting out a chapter per week, but it seems I caught quite the writing fury during chapter 6 and 7. So much so that these two chapters were originally one long one.

So 13,000+ words or so. NBD, you know?

Anyways, I did split the chapters up at first, but as I did so, I realized something. writing something that long in one chunk and then trying to split it? I couldn't in good faith actually leave it until next week to post. It would kinda just burn a hole in there.

So, tl:dr version, double post. Ya know. Let there be much rejoicing.Onto the comments for the week.

Kevin Lapse: Oh, I do love a good drama. Plus the anguished cries of my readers.

DragonLord Ryukizoku: I kinda see the invitation as Tyr just falling asleep. And as for DS2, I never personally played it, but I've kept up with most of the lore and watched an entire walkthrough.

theflammablefiredragon: That is a feasible idea. On the topic of yakyakistan, it actually does exist in Equus, far to the north of the Crystal Empire. Go figure. On the topic of Equestrian brands, there is already the idea of Tyr going to Los Pegasus and stay in the Maredalay Bay Hotel. I want to do the Bellagio, but I couldn't think of how to make a pony pun. Do with that as you wish.

N1gh7Wolf93: Glad I brightened you day. Although I keep thinking it in Kindred's voice. As for Cori, being a natural empath helps, along with having a naturally kind father. There are things going on with Pinkie and Rarity, Aleron and Aurora for most adorable kids ever, and my girlfriend is already trying to get me into sticking Vanna back into the story early. He may/may not in the future, but I'll get there!

Well, that was a bit and a half. Onto the chapter(s)! Normal farewell will be tacked onto the second chapter.


Chapter 6: The Wolf and the Ponies

Tyr awoke early, as was his penchant to do. He didn't get up immediately, instead taking a moment to scan his surroundings. Obviously detecting no threats, he gently rubbed at one of Fenrir's ears to wake her. "Fen. Time to get up."

"You get up," Fenrir snapped sleepily. She batted his hand away. Tyr simply chuckled and lifted her up off his chest. She protested a bit, before settling into the crook of his arm as he got up off the couch. He picked up a pillow and stuck it under his other arm before leaving the room. After a moment of getting turned around a bit, he found his way into the kitchen. Although Tyr didn't see Rarity as the kind of mare to go about making breakfast each morning, he knew better than to underestimate the white unicorn.

"Seems no one is up," He murmured softly to himself. He glanced around, no sign of anyone wandering downstairs. He set the pillow on one of the nearby counters and set Fenrir on top of it. As she snuggled into the pillow, Tyr looked around the kitchen. From the clock on the wall, it was ten minutes to seven, much earlier than he thought. Rarity and Pinkie probably wouldn't be up for a little while. So he decided to have a little surprise waiting for them when they came downstairs.

It was about a half hour later that the owner of the Boutique finally worked her way downstairs. The smell of food was confusing, as Pinkie had been asleep when she had woken up. Was it perhaps Ancè or Jubilee trying to make breakfast? Well, whoever it was, it smelled good, so she hadn't been in much of a rush to come down and see. So when she finally rounded the corner into the kitchen she had to catch herself. "…Tyr?"

The man was working diligently, neatly chopping up apples into slices. Beside him, Fenrir was perched on a small box, mixing something in a bowl. Tyr glanced back as Rarity came in. "Oh, morning Rarity. Sleep well?"

"Why yes, I did, but… Darling, what are you doing?"

"Making breakfast, of a sort."

"This is done," Fenrir said, pulling the spoon she was using out of the bowl. Tyr took hold of it in his magic before pouring it into a waffle iron. Rarity came over to watch what he was doing.

"Waffles, darling?" She asked, quite surprised.

"Lucky for me, all your utensils and whatnot are just slightly smaller than things in the human world," Tyr pointed out with a smirk. Rarity's eyes were drawn to the assortment of fruits and vegetables that were already prepared and laid out. Tyr had been working hard.

"Tyr, you didn't need to do all this…"

"I wanted to," Tyr replied. "Think nothing of it."

Rarity sighed, momentarily considering the irony of the Element of Generosity being catered to in this manner. Instead of complaining, she took a seat at the table and watched as Tyr and Fenrir made breakfast for her household. In order to stay at least somewhat busy, she went back into her workroom, retrieved her sketchbook, and began drawing designs. That's where the rest of her family found her a few minutes later. Ancè stared at the man making breakfast in shock. "…What's going on?" She asked.

"Tyr's making breakfast?" Pinkie asked, surprised.

"Made breakfast," Tyr clarified, turning around. A tray of waffles, eggs, and a rainbow of fruits and vegetables was in his hand. "Anyone hungry?"

"I am!" Jubilee declared, bouncing to the table.

"Me too!" Pinkie agreed, joining her. Ancè didn't say anything, simply shooting a curious look at Tyr as she sat as well.

"Eat up," Tyr said brightly, constructs appearing to serve the four female ponies. He watched with a small smile as they began to eat.

Jubilee's face brightened almost immediately. "This is really good!"

"Are there… blueberries in this?" Ancè asked, chewing a bite of her waffle. Tyr gave her a short nod.

"Spot on, Ancè."

"This is absolutely delicious, darling!" Rarity exclaimed. "I had forgotten how well you could cook!"

Tyr smiled. "Thanks." Fenrir tugged at his sleeve, getting his attention. The wolf spirit had prepared a plate of food for him as well. He gently ruffled her hair affectionately.

Jubilee paused in between bites of food to look over at Tyr and Fenrir. "Is she your pet, dad?"

"I am not a pet!" Fenrir complained.

"Fenrir is more of my partner," Tyr pointed out, patting his belligerent Chaos Spirit's head. "We work together."

"How?"

"Wolves always hunt in packs," Fenrir told the filly.

Rarity swallowed. "Speaking of wolves, we have to deal with that Timberwolf problem, don't we?"

Tyr nodded in the affirmative. "Yes, we do. Did Twilight tell you anything about what was going on?"

"Well—"

The front door opened, and in walked the Princess of Friendship herself. "Hello, everypony!" She said. She glanced over and spotted Tyr. "Oh, hey Tyr."

"Hi Twilight!" Pinkie called out. "Did you come by for breakfast?"

"I think I made enough for another person," Tyr said thoughtfully, but the violet Alicorn shook her head.

"Pony," Twilight corrected. "And no, I just came by to tell you all about the expedition."

Rarity made a face. "When you say 'expedition', it makes it sound like we'll be gone for a while…"

"No more than a couple days at most," Twilight said honestly. "Chrysalis told me she didn't get very far before Princess Luna brought Cori to her."

Tyr nodded. Chrysalis had gone into the Everfree in order to do a little preliminary scouting. [You didn't see what was agitating the Timberwolves?]

[No, Master. There does seem to be an area in the forest they are avoiding, nonetheless] The thoughts of his Changeling came back smoothly, as if she was waiting for him. No doubt she was.

"I'm guessing you just clarified with Chrys," Twilight said, watching him. When he raised an interested eyebrow, Twilight shrugged. "I asked Chrys to explain the whole mental link thing."

"Ah, I see."

"So I guess we should pack for an extended trip," Rarity said. She gave a fairly theatrical sigh. "Oh, I am not looking forward to this…"

"Oh, don't be so gloomy, Rare-bear!" Pinkie said. "I'm sure it'll be fun!"

"We're meeting outside the castle," Twilight informed them. "It's the easiest place to gather before we go to the Everfree."

Rarity frowned. "What will we be doing about the little ones, Twilight? Surely we're not bringing them with us?"

Twilight shook her head. "Of course not. We'll be leaving them here. Chrys offered to babysit."

Tyr raised an eyebrow at that. "Chrys offered? You mean my Changeling, right?"

[Is it that strange for me to offer my assistance?]

[…Twilight asked you to, didn't she?]

[…Yes.]

Tyr smirked and shook his head. "I see. Well, I suppose that's fair enough. Cori would probably panic without her there."

"Speaking of Cori…" Twilight motioned him over. He moved closer to the violet mare, leaning over slightly. "She's… been quite… Fluttershy like. I know my little Star isn't much for idle conversation, but Spike tried talking to her and she wilted faster than Fluttershy does when confronted with full grown dragons!"

[Twilight speaks the truth] Tyr felt Chrysalis give her input. [I have not had the opportunity to speak to her about it, but perhaps having you speak to her would be good]

Tyr thought for a moment. "I suppose I can do that."

"Then you should go do that before we go," Rarity said, coming over. Tyr was a bit surprised to see her come over. She smiled at him, trying to assure him it was alright.

"…Alright then," Tyr said. He turned back to Twilight. "We can go now."

The violet Alicorn nodded. "Alright. I'll teleport us back."

"Bye dad!" Jubilee waved as Tyr went over beside the Princess of Friendship. Fenrir quickly joined him, taking her spot on his shoulder. He gave her a small wave back, and then he was gone. Only a few light purple sparks in the air showed that he had been there at all. Rarity let out a soft sigh. Pinkie, sensing something was wrong, went over to her marefriend.

"…Are you okay, Rare-bear?" She asked softly. Rarity let out a gentle sigh.

"I… I do not know," Rarity said. "I just… I just feel strange."

"Why?"

"Because that felt so natural."

-x-

Evening Star had been watching. Unlike her mother, who was more focused on reading books, the young daughter of the Princess of Friendship much rather preferred watching others as they went about their activities. Not to say she didn't love reading; it was her second favorite thing to do. The first was observation. Pony-watching, she called it, and she was good at it. Most times, the ponies she watched didn't realize she was watching. But sometimes, she did in fact get a little involved and didn't notice she was staring. Which was one of these moments. The object of her interest was a particular Changeling who was trying to read. Unfortunately for Cori, she had never learned how to read properly—Chrys had just not had enough time to teach her. On top of that, she was trying to stay focused despite the pair of eyes that were boring into her. From the Changeling filly's perspective, Evening Star was trying to look right into her soul. Inside the castle, Chrys and Cori had been allowed to stay undisguised. But that allowed Evening Star to observe her subject more closely. That very fact was making Cori very nervous, and it didn't help when the other filly finally spoke. "You're not very Changeling like."

Cori jumped, knocking her book off the table and onto the floor. "W-What?"

"That. That's what I mean." Evening Star got up from her seat and went over to Cori, stopping at the other side of the table. "All the books I read said that Changelings were fearsome emotion eaters that would do anything to satisfy themselves."

"Um… I don't think I'm scary…"

"You're not. And that's the problem. You don't fit anything I've read."

Cori didn't know what to say to that. Evening Star didn't seem upset or confused, but she was staring at her so intently that she couldn't find any kind of response. She drew back, making herself as small as possible. Trying to read had been hard enough without suddenly being interrogated by this filly. Lucky for her, she had someone to save her. "Star."

Both of them looked over to see Twilight and Tyr entering the room. "Mom, you're home early!" Evening Star exclaimed, turning away from Cori. The little Changeling let out a small sigh of relief, smiling at the sudden appearance of her father and his friend.

"It didn't take too long to go around to everyone's houses," Twilight said with a smile. "Teleportation, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Evening Star frowned. "You still have to teach me that spell, mom."

Twilight chuckled. "Come on then, I'll show you the basics before I leave." She glanced over at Tyr and gave him a knowing wink before leaving the room with her daughter. That left the man alone with his Changeling daughter. She had picked her book back up and was attempting to read it again. She looked like she was having a hard time, so Tyr went over and stood behind her. It looked like a pretty easy book to his eyes.

"Having trouble?" He asked softly.

Cori sighed. "…I never learned how to read. Mommy was usually busy or too tired to teach me."

"Well that's an issue," Tyr murmured thoughtfully. He knelt down beside her. "How much do you know?"

"Just… basics. I know letters, but…"

"Here." Tyr grabbed a piece of paper and a quill. "How about this. Can you write your name?"

"Um… I can try…" She took hold of the quill with a light green magical aura and put it to paper. With slow, deliberate motions, she managed to write her name, albeit in a childish looking scrawl. She looked a bit ashamed as she set the quill down. "…It looks terrible…"

"It can only get better," Tyr said with a gentle pat on her back. Cori looked up at him with a grateful smile.

"You really think I can get better?"

"Practice makes perfect. And speaking of which… me and the girls are going to be gone for a little while."

"Huh? Why?"

"There's a problem for the town that they need my help with. I won't be gone long."

Cori blinked. "B-But… you can't help me if you're gone…"

"Hey, why don't you ask Evening Star to help? She seems a lot like Twilight—really likes to read. I don't think she'll hesitate to help."

"But she seems really scary…"

"I don't think she'll say no. But if you can't ask her, why not ask Ancè? I'm sure she'd help you. She is your half-sister after all."

Cori blinked. "She's my half-sister? Like Aurora?"

Tyr nodded. "Yeah. Her and Jubilee. I'd explain but I don't have a lot of time…"

"No, I think I understand." Cori smiled at him. "Mom explained it to me. That I had a large family now that you were back. So… I can ask them for help and they'll help me?"

"Yes, that's true. Just try to make friends."

"Oh… okay."

Twilight's voice came from outside. "Tyr! The girls are here and we're waiting on you!"

"Yeah, come on, slowpoke!" Rainbow called out. "We're wasting daylight out here!"

Tyr rolled his eyes. He straightened up, Cori's mismatched eyes watching him. He gave her a warm smile. "Remember what I told you. Don't avoid making friends, okay? Chrys will be here, but don't depend on your mother for everything. Friends help you get through the toughest of times."

She nodded vigorously. "Yes sir!"

"Oh, and Evening Star knows you're a Changeling, but the other kids don't."

"So… should I hide it from them?"

"…I suppose that's up to you," Tyr said, leaning down to nuzzle her affectionately. "Be good, jitterbug."

"Jitterbug?"

"You're pretty jumpy sometimes, Cori," He teased, ruffling her mane before leaving. She made to follow, only pausing at the door to put on her disguise. When she came out of the library, she screeched to a halt. The six Elements of Harmony were there, along with the three royal Knights. Bright Soul seemed quite irritable, no doubt still miffed about being knocked unconscious the other night. Ace and Flash were attempting to not laugh at her about it, the blue maned orange stallion looking away with an innocent expression while his friend simply snickered into his hoof. But it wasn't them that had stopped the filly in her tracks. It was the six foals that were standing off in a little group. The six children of the Elements of Harmony. Tyr, in the middle of helping Rarity adjust her saddlebags, shot a glance in her direction. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and suddenly Cori felt something prick at her consciousness. [Jitterbug?]

[Sir?] Cori blinked slightly. Tyr could communicate using his thoughts with her? So it would be like he was never away from her…

[I do not approve of you calling my daughter such a silly nickname] Chrys's thoughts intruded into the semi-conversation. Cori glanced over and saw her mother off to one side, watching the group. She was disguised as well, just in case. She was giving Tyr a pointed glare.

[Oh, be quiet, Kissy] Tyr countered with a knowing smirk. Chrys blushed furiously. [Anyways, I want you to make friends, Cori. Don't hide]

[But…! What if they don't like me?] She was worried, and her parents both smiled knowingly and thought the same thing at the same time.

[Just be yourself]

"Alright!" Twilight called out, getting everypony's attention. "Let's get going! We need to stop this Timberwolf problem before it threatens the town!"

"Y'all sure this is a good idea?" Applejack asked. "I know Timberwolves. We need magic ta bust 'em up proper like, otherwise they just get right back up."

"No worries on that front," Twilight assured her. "I believe Tyr, Bright Soul, and myself should be able to handle putting them down. Everyone else is just to keep them from overwhelming us."

"Lucky for us, Tyr is a one man army anyway," Ace said with a grin.

"I doubt we need to rely on him too much," Bright Soul said, glancing at the man in question. "I believe we should not have too much trouble between all of us."

"Well," Rainbow shrugged. "As long as we're all together, nothing can stop us!"

"I still don't like this," Fluttershy said, only to have Applejack but a comforting hoof o her back.

"We'll be fine as long as we stick together," the farm pony told her. The shy Pegasus managed to smile back at her wife.

"O-okay…"

"Now kids," Flash turned to the small group of kids, catching Vibrant trying to get Golden Grove to fly with him. "You all listen to Crystal, alright?"

Chrys smiled. "Don't worry, Flash. I'll take good care of the little ones."

"We'll hold you to that," Rainbow said. She frowned. "I better not come back and find out you did something to them…"

"Threatening me? Oh, Rainbow, I thought we were past that…"

"Oh shut up!" the blue Pegasus actually blushed a little. "I trust you, but it's just… you know, a mom thing."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Let's go before she starts nuzzling him and all."

"Hey, I love my son, alright?"

Vibrant was blushing at this point too. "Mom, quit it! You're embarrassing me…"

Bramley chuckled. "Eeyup."

"Shut up, Bramley!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Alright, be good kids!"

The children went over and embraced their parents one last time before letting them go. Cori sheepishly went over to Tyr, who was being hugged by Jubilee and Ancè. They let him go as she approached. "Um… be careful, sir," the young Changeling managed to say. Tyr simply patted her head. That seemed enough to make the little Changeling smile.

"Thanks Cori. See you soon."

With the goodbyes out of the way, Tyr and the group of ponies headed off, headed in the direction of the foreboding Everfree Forest. The kids watched them go until they were out of sight. "Let's head on inside, everyone," Chrys called.

The kids obliged, following the disguised Changeling back into the castle. Just as they went inside, Ancè felt a small tap on her side. She glanced around to find a nervous Cori behind her. She vaguely remembered meeting the filly, but didn't understand why she was trying to get her attention. "…Did you need something, Cordelia?"

"Um…" Cori blushed heavily. It had taken most of her courage to just go over to Ancè, let alone touch her. She let out a deep sigh. "Um… Exuberance, right?"

"Ancè," Ancè pointed out. Hearing ponies say her whole name was embarrassing. "Just call me Ancè."

"Oh! Um… then you can call me Cori."

"Alright then, Cori. So did you need something?"

"I um… I really… I… um…"

Ancè could see the girl was floundering in whatever she wanted to say, so she let out a sigh. "…Cori. If it's important, tell me. Otherwise, I'm going to go with the others." She turned to go, only for a tug on her tail to stop her. She glanced back in a huff, ready to berate the other filly for messing up her tail after she had put so much work into it this morning, but only found a depressed looking Cori standing there.

"Your… your mom is the Element of Generosity, right?"

"…Yes, and?"

"I was wondering if… if you would…" Cori's eyes were tearing up, and a single tear escaped her silver eye. "…Could you… help me learn to read?"

-x-

"This is more like it," Fenrir murmured, climbing up onto Tyr's shoulder. The small party was well into the Everfree forest, and the wolf spirit was feeling right at home. Tyr couldn't help but agree. The wolf in him was paranoid about all the dark angles as well as the best ambush spots. As they traversed the forest, Tyr quietly watched as Fenrir's small form darted through the trees, ears twitching occasionally. Tyr easily kept pace, befitting the leader of the pack. However, the pack he was leading was a bit… well, not suited for a hunt like the silver fox girl wanted.

The ponies behind him were tired. They had been walking for the better part of the day, and from the looks of it, only Tyr and the Royal Knights could keep going at this pace. Tyr made eye contact with Ace, who read his look quickly and nodded. "…Right. Everypony, stop and let's rest up for a moment!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Rarity complained, sitting down on a large root. The rest of the group let out a collective sigh and sat down on the ground as well. The white unicorn held up one of her hooves. "Oh, look at this! My hooves are absolutely filthy!"

"They'll get a lot worse before we're done," Bright Soul said shortly. She lit up her horn to light up the somewhat dark area. "Ugh. This place is overgrown."

"It is a forest," Applejack pointed out. Bright Soul shot her a dark glance, but didn't say anything.

"We shouldn't stop in a place like this," Tyr pointed out. "It's quite a bit cramped here…"

"Maybe we should find a clearing?" Fluttershy murmured, looking around. She was afraid, but she hadn't let go of Applejack since they had left.

"Dash and I can fly up and see if there's any nearby," Ace offered.

"I suppose I will help as well," Fenrir said, hopping off of Tyr's shoulder to the ground. She shifted into her wolf form before she landed and took off into the forest. Ace and Dash took off as well to scout from the sky.

"I dunno about y'all, but I'm starving," Applejack said, reaching into her saddlebag. She pulled out a small box and opened it. There was a bunch of apple fritters inside.

"Oooh!" Pinkie cried, bouncing over. "Apple family apple fritters!"

"I got plenty for all of y'all, so don't be shy."

"We shouldn't just splurge," Twilight warned as the others crowed around except for Bright Soul and Tyr.

"Oh, come now Twilight," Rarity said, biting into her own pastry. "You can't expect us to travel on empty stomachs."

"I wasn't saying that…"

Pinkie bounced over to Tyr with a fritter balanced on her nose. "Hey, Tyr! You want one?" The man smiled and took it from her.

"Sure, Pinkie. Thanks." He bit into it, finding it warm and quite tasty. Well, it is an apple product. Can't be too surprised that it was well done. "…This is really good."

"Darn tooting!" Applejack said proudly. "That's a family recipe for ya!"

"Jeez. With food like this, I doubt you could get tired of eating apples."

Applejack glanced over at the other members of their group, the other two Royal Knights. "Y'all want one?"

"I'll take one," Flash said, before having one stuck in his mouth via violet tinged magic. He gave Twilight a deadpan expression before eating. Bright Soul shook her head.

"I'm fine," She said, pulling out a small container of grapes and carrots. She smirked. "I brought my own."

"Well that's alright," Applejack said with a shrug. "I guess."

There was mostly silence then, the only person making any noise being Pinkie, who was singing quietly to herself. The Everfree was a strange place, Tyr thought as he leaned back against a tree. A forest that the ponies of Equestria had no control over. Not so unheard of in his world, but almost anathema in this one. The forest itself was kinda creepy, and there were a lot of vines and spiked brambles around. Although… He noticed something near him—a small pink flower. He smiled lightly, picking it with one deft motion. As he held it, it bloomed even more. "…Hey, Rarity. Come here a moment."

The white unicorn blinked a couple times before coming over to him. "Is something the matter, darling?"

"No, I just wanted to see something." Tyr reached out and slipped the pink rose into her mane. "Ah. That does look good."

"Dear! Oh my. That… that actually does look rather charming."

"That's an Ever Bloom," Twilight said, coming over. "I read about them in a book. They bloom quite rarely, and they stay that way even if they're cut."

"How fitting," Tyr said with a smirk. "A rare flower for a rare mare."

Rarity blushed, her gathered friends giggling at the flattery. Bright Soul scowled, but kept her mouth shut. Tyr watched her quietly for a moment before suddenly a chill ran down his spine. Twilight noticed, a confused look on her face. "Is something the matter, Tyr?"

The man stood up, glancing around the area. The trees were dense here, making the shadows even deeper. He stuck one finger in his mouth and made it wet before sticking it up into the air. "…The wind is… Twilight, which way is north?"

Twilight's horn lit up for a short moment. She pointed in the direction Ace, Rainbow, and Fenrir had gone off in. "That's North."

"So that means…" Tyr's demeanor suddenly shifted, his thoughtful face being replaced by a panicked one. "Oh crap. That means…!"

Suddenly, a snarl caused them all to jump. There were eyes in the shadows now, bright green and menacing. The ponies began to back up into a circle defensively. "T-Timberwolves…" Applejack muttered, glancing around nervously and pulling Fluttershy to her side. "They snuck up on us?"

"They came from down wind," Tyr said, frost sword materializing in his hand. He scowled. He should have been watching behind them…!

"W-What do we do?" Pinkie asked. She was surprised and confused, standing closer to Rarity protectively. "Do we run?"

"We can't," Bright Soul said with a slight snarl. "They're all around us."

Tyr glanced around—The Timberwolves were indeed all around them. He did some mental math; There were nine of them, and over two dozen Timberwolves. Not to mention now that they were close, he could smell even more. He could use his constructs to even the playing field, but they'd be overwhelmed in such close confines. "Everyone, get close. I can protect us better that way."

"To be honest, I doubt that will change much," Bright Soul said, spear in hoof. The Timberwolves advanced, giving Tyr his first look at them. To his surprise, they were almost completely made up of pieces of wood. A rank stench of maple wafted off of them, and creaking wood sounded from every move they made. But even though they were made of wood, the sharp thorns they had for teeth still looked threatening. "I can take a few myself, but keeping them put down is another story."

"Wait, I can come up with a plan—" Twilight began, wings flaring, but Tyr held up a hand. "What? Tyr, is something wrong?"

"Now I know these cubs are not threatening my Alpha," A regal voice declared. All eyes turned to see Fenrir returning, but instead of her miniature self or her wolf form, she had returned in her full size. The Queen of all wolves had hair that fell down past her ankles, mostly braided into long cords tipped with iron rings. Clothes that looks more at home in a winter wasteland showed off her toned body, and there was an easy feral grace in her footsteps as she rejoined the group. Her pack of wolves followed at her heels, snarls and a few angry barks coming from the pack. There was a wild grin on her face that showed off her prominent canines. Even the ponies in the group quaked in their hooves at the arrival of the wolf queen. All except one proud knight.

"I don't think Timberwolves are your expertise!" Bright Soul said, jabbing her spear at a Timberwolf. The creature only backed up a step, continuing to push towards her and growl. But suddenly, the creature stopped, its eyes falling on Fenrir.

"I think they should know their place." Fenrir growled, eyes bright. She stepped into the group of ponies, striding towards the largest of the Timberwolves. Her fangs showed in her grin as she paused before the creature. To the shock of them all, the creature backed off, wooden ears falling flat against its head. "Ah, you realize now where you stand, little cub."

"You've got to be kidding me," Twilight murmured. "She speaks, and Timberwolves listen? This is about as ridiculous as Pinkie's powers."

"Cubs always cower at the sight of dominance," Fenrir said knowingly. At the sound of her voice, the Timberwolves sheepishly retreated back into the shadows. Her job done, she reverted back to her smaller form and hopped back to Tyr's shoulder. "Humph. I was hoping they'd put up more of a fight."

"I think they're not used to something like you," Tyr said with a chuckle. Fenrir shrugged.

"Seems a crisis has been averted," Rarity murmured, adjusting her mane. "Thank goodness we didn't need to get dirty."

"Luckily Fenrir came back in time to help," Fluttershy said.

"How did you get back to us so quickly?" Applejack asked. "I would a thought y'all were further away?"

"I do not need to restrain myself to conventional travel," Fenrir pointed out. "But I sensed the Timberwolves the moment they had begun approaching and came back post haste."

"What about Ace and Dash?" Pinkie asked. "They didn't come back when you did…"

"Perhaps they're further ahead," Flash pointed out. "Those two probably just went too far ahead or something."

"Go figure," Tyr said with a smirk. He glanced over to find Bright Soul staring at him. "…What is it?"

"I thought… never mind." The hazel pony shook her head quickly. "Forget it."

"We need to get out of here," Flash said. "Sure, Fenrir drove the Timberwolves away, but they're not gone." He glanced behind him, pointedly looking at the still glowing eyes all around them.

"Well, normally the beta male challenges the Alpha for dominance," Fenrir pointed out. Tyr gave her a slight frown as she shrugged. "I doubt it would be much of an issue for you, Alpha. You'd have to just fight one of them. Probably the biggest."

"Not looking forward to that. Come on everyone, let's just go!"

There were a chorus of agreements, and the group began to move again. There was a renewed sense of urgency now, as the Timberwolves were still keeping pace with them. As they continued forging their way through the overgrowth, Flash made his way up beside Tyr. The man didn't speak at first, a memory of their previous time together surfacing. But Flash seemed quite focused on the task at hand. "Hey, Tyr. A moment, will ya?"

Tyr frowned, glancing over at the orange stallion. "Is something the matter?"

"Keep this quiet," The stallion murmured. It seemed like he wanted to keep it from the others. "You see this earring I've got?"

Tyr glanced over at Flash's ear, noticing the sun shaped earring he wore there. "Huh. I didn't notice that before."

"It's a special communication device Shining Armor had the Crystal Empire crystal engineers make for us. We can use them to communicate over long distances."

"Sounds convenient."

"But here's the thing. I've been trying to contact Ace and Rainbow Dash—They have them too, obviously—and I've gotten no response."

No response? That was worth worrying over. Plus, it was Dash that was missing. Even that fact alone would send the girls into a panic. "…Should we worry?"

"As much as I'd like to say they simply went off and are making out somewhere, I know those two. With something like this Timberwolf thing going on, they wouldn't shirk their duties."

"Element of Loyalty and all that," Tyr murmured. Ace and Dash being missing for this long was something to worry about. But he couldn't bring that up with Twilight or the others. Rarity and Fluttershy were already on edge about the Timberwolves, and Twilight and Applejack were doing their best to stay focused despite the threat looming around them. "So what do you think we should do?"

"If we're lucky, Ace and Rainbow simply just show up in a little while. If we're not…"

"Whatcha talking about?" Pinkie asked. She had suddenly popped up on Tyr's other side, startling the two males. "Is it something fun?"

"Not particularly," Tyr pointed out quickly. He wasn't afraid of Pinkie freaking out about Rainbow and Ace being missing, but her in her surprise she would no doubt spill the beans. He gave her a weak smile. "Flash just hates tight spaces."

The orange Pegasus shot him a confused look, before realizing where the human man was going. "Ah, right. Yeah, you know how it is with us fliers—always gotta stretch our wings."

"Oh, oh!" Pinkie bounced up and down. "Then you and Twilight should go fly! She probably wants to stretch her wings too!"

"Getting nervous with your hooves on the ground too long partner?" Applejack teased with a small smile. Flash shrugged.

"I guess it's just with so much over me." Flash looked up at the treetops. "This forest is stifling. On top of that…"

He paused, not really needing to explain. The Timberwolves were the main reason for the tense atmosphere around the small party. Even Pinkie slowed her bouncing a bit when she remembered the wooden monsters were still watching them. Tyr coughed lightly. "Hey, Twilight. We have any idea where we need to be going?"

The Alicorn blinked several times before she realized he was speaking to her. Seems she had been caught up in her own thoughts. "Oh, ah… we need to keep going this way."

She gestured straight ahead. "Hopefully something comes of this entire endeavor," Rarity muttered irritably, attempting to protect the Ever Bloom in her mane from an errant vine. With a small huff of indignation, she extracted a somewhat large hat from her saddlebags and put it atop her head. "Ah. That's much better."

"Rarity, you should probably watch where you're going…"

"Oh, I'm quite alright darling. What's the worst that could happen, I trip on a root? …Actually, I don't want that to happen." The white unicorn began watching her hooves even more closely, navigating around each root or vine with care.

"Are we any closer to where we need to go?" Fluttershy asked nervously. She was watching the eyes of the Timberwolves in abject terror. Applejack pulled her closer, smiling to comfort the shy mare. "…Thanks Jackie."

"No problem, sugar. I'm here for ya."

Twilight's horn lit up and a map came floating out of her saddlebag. "Hm… We should be coming up to a clearing and then a ridgeline, but all I'm seeing are trees still…"

"Maybe the map is old?" Pinkie pointed out, still bouncing along without a care in the world.

"This is the most recent map I could get my hooves on. It has to be accurate."

"But when's the last time someone came to the forest?" Flash asked. He frowned. "Plus, I don't remember the last time we had a cartographer Pegasus do a fly over."

"I reckon most probably wouldn't," Applejack said thoughtfully. She glanced up at the sky. It was beginning to grow dark, showing just how long they had been moving through the forest. Despite the fact that the forest itself was normally dark anyway. "Y'all reckon we should set up for the night?"

"Possibly," Twilight said. She looked around. "I would have liked a clearer spot, but I can set up defensive wards here."

"Well, as long as we don't have to worry about Timberwolves attacking us in our sleep…" Rarity murmured, looking around. Using her magic, she cleared a small space and began setting up an elaborate tent. Tyr simply shook his head and moved over to a nearby gnarled tree. It was relatively normal, and he tested the strength of a branch. Heavy enough to hold him. "What are you doing, darling?"

He glanced back at his fashionista friend. "Sorry. Something I've gotten used to over the years." With that, he jumped up to the first branch, using it to get him a few feet above ground. Fenrir hopped out of his cloak to climb even higher up.

"I see… well, with you watching over us, I feel a bit safer."

Tyr gave her a small smile before settling into a seated position on his branch. The ponies below him set up tents while Twilight set up warning and defense spells along the perimeter. It seemed like the Timberwolves had broken off their quiet pursuit of the ponies. Although… He glanced down, spotting Bright Soul setting up her tent. She gave him one slight glance before ducking inside. "Hm."

"Seems she still does not completely trust you," Fenrir said, looking down from her higher perch.

"Fair enough. Were we that trusting of those we met along the way?"

"True. Perhaps she will warm up to you in time."

"Hopefully. I'd rather not have her glaring daggers at my back forever."

Fenrir scoffed, but didn't say anything. Instead she got back up onto her high branch. Tyr reached into his cloak and pulled out his amulet. It was a mix of colors, although primarily white and blue. With a soft sigh, he settled back, letting his eyes close and sleep overtake him.

-V-

He was jarred awake by screaming. "What in the hell?" He muttered, making sure not to jump up. He leaned over to find his friends running about in a panic and the tents were on fire.

Wait.

"Where did this fire come from!?" He leapt from his spot to the ground. As he landed, a swarm of bright gold bug like creatures came flying past. They smashed into the side of a tent, causing it to burst into flame on contact. Pinkie came running out of the tent, screaming at the top of her lungs. All the tents were aflame, with Twilight and Rarity doing their best to put out the flames. But for every fire they stopped, the strange bugs set another one. Fluttershy and Flash were using their wings to try and blow out the flames. However, all that it managed to do was fan the flames even brighter.

"They're Pyreflies!" Fluttershy cried out in fear. "They're a species of insects that set things on fire through contact!"

"You don't say!" Flash growled, batting away a group of Pyreflies. A small flame caught on his wing, and he quickly smacked it against a tree to put it out. "These things are a nuisance!"

"Where did they even come from?" Twilight asked. "They didn't even trigger my wards!"

"Nothing we do seems ta get em to want ta leave," Applejack said, using a blanket to try and drive the bugs away. She only managed to get it set on fire before having to throw it aside.

"Oh! All my outfits, my hats…!" Rarity slumped to her knees. "All of it ruined!"

"Don't tell me ya plan to pull out that fainting couch a yours!"

"I would, but it's on fire!"

Tyr frowned. "Fluttershy, Flash, stop flapping your wings! It's not helping!"

Flash scowled right back at him. "So what are we supposed to do then?"

"Panic?" Fluttershy offered weakly. As if to punctuate her statement, Pinkie came running past them, screaming loudly.

"RUN!" The pink blur didn't stop as she tore through their makeshift camp. The others paused and watched her run past in mute shock.

"…Wow." Tyr murmured. He had never seen Pinkie that panicked before. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his ear. "Ow! Fen, what is it?"

"I think I know why the pink one was running," the wolf spirit said, pointing back in the way Pinkie had come. Tyr looked, and his jaw dropped. An almost literal sea of Pyreflies was bearing down on them.

"…Oh hell. EVERYBODY RUN!"

Rarity's face fell. "But…! I can still save my things!"

"Not the time, Rarity, let's go!" Flash snapped, rushing past her. Twilight, Bright Soul and Fluttershy followed, Applejack bringing up the rear. Rarity stood there depressed for just a moment longer before following after her friends. Tyr grit his teeth and ran as well. The night had become almost as bright as day, with the pyrefly sea rolling behind them. No one spoke, all their energy being directed at running away. So focused on escaping, no one realized Pinkie had stopped running until half of them had run into her. That's when they noticed the ridgeline that led to a somewhat deep chasm.

"Equestria preserve us," Bright Soul murmured, right before they plummeted straight down.

Flash frowned. "Wait a sec—Twilight, Fluttershy! We can fly!"

"Oh, right!" Twilight and Fluttershy opened their wings, catching themselves an slowing their descent. They all shared a sigh of relief.

"THAT DOESN'T HELP US!" Bright Soul screamed at them. She and the others were still falling, getting further and further away .

Flash frowned. "Oh crap."

"Girls!" Twilight cried, propelling herself after them. But the distance was too great now, and the panic on her face showed it. Tyr gritted his teeth and used his magic to pull the other mares to him, positioning himself in time to take the brunt of the impact himself. He blacked out the moment they hit the ground.

"Seems we're making a habit of waking up in terrible situations," Fenrir murmured softly, sensing her Alpha stirring. The man blinked several times as his consciousness began returning to him, and attempted to sit up. A sharp pain in his back stopped him.

"Aw, hell," He grunted, lying back down. Whatever he was lying on, it was cold and felt like stone. He looked around, seeing some sort of goo on the ground along with what looked like spider webs on the walls. "…What the hell is this place?"

"Some sort of den, if I am not mistaken." Fenrir looked completely unscathed. She glanced over at him. "If you're wondering, I used my magic to at least lessen the damage you'd take from that fall. Otherwise, your spine would be in two pieces."

"I appreciate it," Tyr grunted, sitting up. The pain in his back was still there, but it wasn't as bad. He noticed something pink off to his side. "Pinkie!"

He got up and moved over to his energetic friend's side. He touched her shoulder and gently shook her. She didn't respond. "Alpha…" Fenrir pointed softly.

There was blood dripping from a wound on Pinkie's head. She must have hit her head when they fell. She was still breathing, so that was something. "Well, she's still alive. Fen, can you carry her?"

"If that is what you want." Fenrir shifted into her wolf form, allowing Tyr to place the unconscious mare on her back.

"Darling?" A soft voice called out. Tyr turned and spotted Rarity and Applejack. The latter was covered in cuts and scratches, but was still looking no worse for wear. Rarity's coat was scuffed up, and her mane was messed up. Although she did smile quite brightly as Tyr walked over to them. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright, darling! When you didn't move at first we feared the worst."

"Y'all seem ta have a knack for surviving crazy stuff," Applejack said with a weak smile of her own.

"You alright?" Tyr asked, kneeling beside them.

"I'm fine, but…" Applejack shot a glance at Rarity, who let out a small sigh.

"I do believe my leg is broken," Rarity murmured softly, looking down at the limbs in question. One of her rear legs was curled up next to her body, and Tyr could see that moving it hurt her. "I don't think I can move with any sort of haste."

"I'll carry you if we need to move," Tyr told her. He glanced around, missing the light blush that came up on Rarity's face. "Where's Bright Soul?"

"She went off a minute or two ago before you got up," Applejack told him. "Said she wanted to see where Twilight, Flash and Fluttershy got off to."

"Good idea. They can fly, so they should be fine…"

"A question, Alpha," Fenrir spoke up suddenly. "Do you remember that I said this place looks like a den of some sort?"

"A den? You mean like something lives here?" Applejack frowned.

Tyr glanced from Applejack to Fenrir. "Yeah, I remember. What's up?"

Fenrir swallowed hard. "I think I know what lives here."

She gestured upwards, and everyone looked up. What they saw made their blood run cold. A massive formation of overlapping spider webs were above them, and to their horror they could see six wrapped bundles stuck to the center of one. Tyr could see a patch of rainbow color through the strands of one cocoon. "…This is not good," the man murmured. They now knew what had happened to Rainbow and Ace.

Applejack was silent for a long minute. "Is… is that them up there?"

"…I'd risk a guess," Fenrir responded evenly. Before they could converse further, a voice caught them off guard. It was smooth and sultry, and sounded almost inviting.

"Oh? I thought I had brought all my guests to the 'table' already…" Tyr turned and found himself face to face with a giant spider with the upper half that looked roughly like a human woman's. An arachne. And they were right in her lair.

"She's…!" Rarity began, but the arachne simply smiled, her multiple eyes blinking in concert.

"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't leave you alone like this." The fanged maw of the arachne opened in a wicked grin. "Now… would you kindly come to dinner?"


Spiiiiders.