Inheritor of Chaos - Chapter 21, Bad Timberwolf

>The alicorn fillies continued walking across the Everfree Forest for quite a while until they finally arrived at the closed cavern where the Tree of Harmony was located.
>Various vines were around the entrance of the cavern, preventing anyone from entering it.
"Dang it, Discord must’ve been clever and decided to close the cavern to prevent anypony from grabbing the elements of harmony." Celestia says, frustrated as she tried to see any tiny opening, even the slightest crack that would lead into the cavern.
"Maybe... maybe there is a way inside! But, I can't think of anything without using our magic to teleport inside." Luna murmured to herself. "Using magic would just call in trouble, and Discord... mostly Discord."
>Celestia sat down and sighed while tapping her right front hoof into the grass on the ground.
"Well, I can't think with an empty belly." Celestia pulled a few strands of grass from the ground and started to munch it.
>Her young sister just stared at her while tilting her head.
"Don't... judge me with that stare of shame! I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole tree..." Celestia said between munches. "Besides, I've been eating candies and what not so far, I need to eat healthy!"
>Luna, kindly smiled and slowly sat next to Celestia and started to pick grass from the ground too.
"I don't judge you, I've been eating donuts and... maybe a few tacos from Anon's lighthouse... I mean, they do taste weird at first but the taste can't leave your mouth!"
>Celestia munched the grass while raising an eyebrow at her sister.
"Oh, now you're the one starting to sound weird."
>Luna pouted to Celestia, which made her start to giggle and thus laugh.
>Both sisters laughed, even as the situations were crucial and they could be in danger any time at Discord's reach, they laughed.
>They always counted with hope, the hope of their ponies.
>As they were laughing, they heard a tiny barking noise from near them.
"You heard that?" Asked Luna to her sister. "It sounded like..."
"Bark!" Celestia quickly said moments before jumping from her spot, making Luna fall straight into the grass with a tiny yelp.
"I know it was barking, but you didn't have to jump like that!"
>Luna dusted herself off, got up from the ground, only to see her sister getting attacked by licks from a tiny timberwolf.
"A... timberwolf?" Luna asked.
"Yes! This is Bark! He was from the town I visited here! I bet he must of have noticed us and recognized me!" Celestia started to pet and tickle the timberwolf between his wooden ears and chin. "Who's a good boy? You are, you are!"
>Luna just stared with curiosity at the young timberwolf.
"Right. You think he can help us to get inside the cavern? He must have the power of the forest, even at a young age, shouldn't he?"
>Bark started to bark and jumped out of Celestia's grip, only to start trying to dig with his wooden left paw at first.
"Bark, you're a genius! We can dig our way inside!" Celestia says with surprise, starting to help the young timberwolf and dig with her hooves too. "Luna, come help too!"
"Waaa? Why me-” Luna began to whine only to realize she was being ignored by the two “agh... nevermind, I'll just help..." Said a defeated Luna.

>After a while of digging with no success, Luna stopped with an exhausted sigh and decided to take a rest.
"I don't think we're going inside at this rate... we barely dig with these filly hooves of ours!" Luna complained as she removed mud from her hooves. "Can't we find, I don't know, a stick or something to help us dig faster?"
>Celestia wasn't quitting anytime soon with her little timberwolf friend as she continued digging while looking exhausted.
"I know it looks... hard but, we gotta... continue! Ponies need… our help!" Celestia says between breaths.
>"Bark, bark!"
"See! Bark isn't giving up anytime now!" Celestia says while smiling at the young timberwolf, although he stopped digging and looked confused at Celestia. "What is it, boy?"
>Something was poking Luna in her back. As Luna turned around to see what was it, she was surprised to find out that another young timberwolf was offering her a stick.
"Oh! Another timberwolf!" She carefully took the stick from the timberwolf's maw. "Thank you kindly! You must have heard of what I needed and brought me this stick!" Luna pets the timberwolf to thank him for the stick she needed.
>"Bark, bark bark!" The young timberwolf, Bark, suddenly growls at the arrival of the new timberwolf.
"That's... odd. I've never seen Bark getting like that with another timberwolf, he usually gets along with them..." Celestia started to get suspicious at the timberwolf that was next to Luna.
>Bark was a puppy timberwolf, the timberwolf that was hiding behind Luna was in what could be his adolescence.
>Bark didn't stop growling at the new timberwolf and, when he started to step up, the other timberwolf was backing up step by step.
"...Bark? Are you okay?" Celestia asked his timberwolf friend.
>Instead of barking or replying to Celestia, the puppy timberwolf tackled and tried to bite the other timberwolf.
>In surprise, the two alicorn fillies backed up and watched them fight.
"This, this isn't like anything Bark would do! What happened to him so suddenly?" Celestia says with worry as she saw them fight.
"This must be Discord's doing... we must stop Bark before he hurts the other timberwolf!" Luna replied to Celestia with a different point of view from the situation.
>As Celestia nodded, they both heard a yelp and voice coming from the other timberwolf.
>"Ow! Make him stop!" The timberwolf yelps in pain.
"Celestia? After all these years, timberwolves can speak?" Luna asked her sister.
"Never heard one without having to use a spell to talk with wild fauna... hmm..." Celestia stared at the timberwolf who was receiving weak biting attacks from Bark.
>"Eh... I mean, bark? Heh?" The timberwolf was now sweating while awkwardly laughing.
>The alicorn fillies stared suspiciously at the timberwolf, wondering his intentions.
>"Why do I even try..." The timberwolf sighed as he seemed defeated by the tiny bites from Bark.
>The timberwolf was covered in a magical green flame, moments later his true form was revealed to be a changeling, one that wasn't looking aggressive but more like regretful from acts he never did.
>The alicorn fillies gasped at the same time.
"Why did we think Discord wouldn't send changelings to guard this place! Ugh, there goes our chance to do something for our ponies." Celestia said out loud as frustrated as ever.
"What do we do now, sister? We can't run or hide now..." Luna looked at her sister with concern on her face.
"We beat him up and tie him up until we figure out what to do! We don't need magic to solve our problems, do we?" Celestia entered in a battle stance along her tiny timberwolf friend, attempting to growl at the changeling.
>"W-Wait! I mean no harm! I'm not with my hive... or my queen! I swear!" The changeling recoiled back, covering himself with his hooves in fear.
"That's BS! But... I do believe you."
"What does BS mean?"
"I dunno, I heard Fluttershy said that word when she was playing video games. She said Anon told him it's a word he uses when someone is lying to you or when something that you wish didn't happen, happens." Celestia scratched her head a bit. "Maybe I should have asked Anon what the acronym means..."
>"Are you two... not going to hurt me?" The changeling says with a tone of surprise, still, he was eyeing Bark in case he tried to bite him again.
"Well, if you were to do something right now like tell your Queen or Discord we were here, you would have done that instead of... getting attacked by a puppy timberwolf..." Celestia kneeled herself to pet Bark and tenderly hush him and calm him down. "There, there, this changeling won't harm us, but thank you Bark!"
>Bark stopped his growling and while barking at Celestia, he tackled her in for a hug.
"Haha! Okay, I get it! You're happy!" Bark started to rub his head on Celestia's cheeks, showing his affection. "That tickles! Stop it you rascal!"

>After the alicorn fillies calmed Bark and saw the changeling as no longer a threat, the changeling started to chat with them.
>Revealing his name to them, he also explained why he returned to the Everfree Forest alone, as he was a deserter from his hive and meant no harm to any creature, despite his incredible hunger for love.
>The alicorn fillies decided it was better to hide their royal identities from the changeling, not because they didn't trust him- but because it was for the best.
>Thorax never asked them their names, so it's his fault too.
"Oh my, I'd never thought I would see a changeling that didn't want to feed on love! But, are you okay? Don't you feel... weak? Luna was looking concerned at the changeling, she wanted to help but didn't know how. "You look... tired..."
>"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine! I'll manage... somehow."
>Thorax’s words didn't seem to help how the alicorn fillies looked and thought about him.
"Well, I'm not standing without doing nothing! It hurts me to see other ponies in pain, and a changeling won't be the exception!"
>Celestia walked in front of Thorax, which startled him at first, but, after not feeling any sort of danger from the filly herself, Thorax was now curious as to what the filly wanted.
>Flying a little bit above the grass, Celestia went in and hugged Thorax with the most caring hug she could give.
"You've suffered too long, Thorax, we know you don't want to hurt anypony, but it's in your nature to feed on love, so... go on." With a soft smile, Celestia finished and let Thorax feed on her love.
>Thorax had no words, at first, he was trying to hold his hissing for the lack of love, but instead of feeding on the love of the filly, Thorax... cried while returning the hug to Celestia.
>"Thank... you..." Thorax said between sobs. "I... I've never... I don't..."
"Hush, just try feeding... you need energy after all."
>But, as much as Celestia insisted, Thorax wouldn't feed on the love she was willing to give.
>Suddenly, Bark joined in, first licking where he bit Thorax out of self-defense and then rubbing his head on Thorax's hoof.
>Luna smiled while rolling her eyes and joined the group.
"Don't you feel better, Thorax? We can be your friends! Me, my sister, Bark, it can be a little beginning for something big!"
>Thorax's tears couldn't stop, but he felt something he never felt before.
>Pure happiness.

>After a few minutes, Thorax didn't feel weak or feeling like hissing at the sun out of hunger. Neither did Celestia, Luna or Bark feel like they had their love or energy taken.
>"I feel so much better now, I can't thank you two enough for this..." Thorax says in return for feeling better.
>Bark started to bark at Thorax, calling for his attention.
>"Of course you too helped, thanks... umm, Bark?"
>Bark barked up and tackled Thorax while licking his face.
>"Okay, okay! I already feel better, thanks anyway!"
"Sister, do you feel... dizzy or something?" Luna asked her sister.
"Not even a single headache, no." Celestia answered. "It's... odd, right? Shouldn't we feel at least a little bit with the feeling? I just, feel normal."
"..." Luna stared at Thorax and Bark as he was giggling out of Bark playing with him, then she smiled. "I think we achieved something today, sister."
>Celestia looked from her sister to Thorax and couldn't help but smile too.
"We did, sister."

>"So... were you three trying to get in the cavern?" Thorax says as he had Bark on his back.
>Celestia nodded.
"We were trying but, these vines won't let us go through!" Celestia said moments before starting to dig. "We were digging our way in, but it takes too long! Maybe you can help us? You can probably turn into something that can help us, right?"
>"Why do you even want to enter to this cave?" Thorax asked with curiosity. "What business do two fillies and a timberwolf have in a cave in the Everfree?"
>Celestia and Luna looked at each other, sweating badly at the question.
>Lies shouldn't be between friends, right? They surely should tell the truth, both thought.
"Well, first thing is... this isn't a cave, is a cavern!" Luna said with pride, but Celestia just faceplanted from the ridiculous answer.
"Just... we want to get in, questions later, okay?" Celestia said after getting her face up from the mud.
>"Oooookay, well, in that case, there is a ridiculously big entrance nopony can miss in the corner to enter the cave- uh, cavern."
"What?!" Both alicorn fillies said at the same time.
>After walking a bit, they found indeed, a big entrance to the cavern that was labeled in big neon lights as "Ridiculous Big Entrance Nopony Can Miss".
>Celestia was hitting her head on a wall from the entrance while murmuring to herself.
"I swear to myself... I hate him... SO... MUCH..."

>After Celestia regained her sanity, the four creatures entered the cavern and walked directly to where the Tree of Harmony was located.
>"Whoa, that's a big tree... who woulda thought this thing was hiding inside!" Thorax says as he was impressed by the size of the Tree of Harmony.
"At least I'm calm that Discord hasn't touched the elements... or that he didn't add an obnoxious sign on the tree..." Celestia said, still angry about the sign outside the cavern.
>Luna slowly approached the Tree of Harmony, feeling back memories and flashbacks about her last time in the cavern.
"It's been so long... but the elements are pure stone... how will we fight back Discord in the condition these are in right now?"
>"Whoa, whoa whoa whoa... elements? Fighting Discord? I think there is a thing or two you two aren't telling me here." Thorax says while pointing his hoof at the alicorn fillies. "But... if you don't want to tell me anything, I get it. You two must be very important if your mission is to fight back Discord. My Queen tried and... I believe she isn't that happy with how things went her way."
>Celestia and Luna stared at each other for a moment, Luna nodded at Celestia and both smiled.
>Staring back at Thorax, they decided to tell him the truth.
"Well, for starters... we haven't been good fillies and said our names." Celestia coughed on her hoof. "I am Princess Celestia, or, well, I don't know if that title fits me well after Discord taking over Equestria..."
"Of course we remain princesses! Discord still mocks us and calls us princesses, so yes we are princesses, your majesty!" Luna hugged Celestia by her back and with a smug smile stared at her. "As for me, I am Princess Luna, you may know me as some baddie that was known as Nightmare Moon, but I am no longer bad!"
>Thorax was speechless about the fact that he had the two royal princesses in front of him, Bark had to help him by barking on his ear to make him move an inch.
>"Oh? Oh! I mean! Oh! I just, wow I mean, you two are fillies but... how didn't I realize!" Thorax tried to kneel to show respect at the princesses but fell in the attempt. "Ouch! I... I'm sorry I just-"
>But he was interrupted by the giggling of both alicorn fillies.
"I think we’ve met the silliest changeling, ever! Haha!" Celestia said between giggles.
>After laughing for a bit, they helped Thorax get in his four hooves and dust him off from the ground of the cavern.
"Don't worry, we are currently fillies because of some bizarre spell from Discord, but we'll manage..." Celestia said.
"We just went into hiding for a while... without his consent." Luna eyed her right and left side and flew to whisper something at Thorax's ear. "We're bad fillies!"
>Thorax started laughing.
>"I see."

>"So... you want me to carry those uhm, elements you say?"
>Both Celestia and Luna nodded at Thorax.
>"Well... I just hope they don't alert Discord that we're here." Thorax says while using his magic to start levitating one by one each element from the Tree of Harmony.
"The elements are Discord's weakness, he can't touch them at ease without running the risk to awake their power and turn him back into stone... we just need a decoy in case he comes visiting the cavern so he doesn't get alarmed." Celestia explained while grabbing the elements that Thorax was giving her via his levitation magic.
"Way ahead of you, sister!"
>Luna was holding some rocks with her hooves as she was holding a sly smile.
"They look alike! ...Kind of! Should help, right?"
>Celestia looked at the stones and then at the elements briefly.
"Yeah... why not."
>After changing the elements for the rocks that Luna found, Thorax saved the elements in a saddlebag he had with him.
>"Now what?" He asked.
"Well, here is where things get messy... with the elements on our side now all we need is a way to activate them to their old glory, with time we'll know how long it will take, but for now... we move on." Celestia says as she starts walking to the entrance of the cavern.
"Where do you think we should go now?" Luna asked her sister.
"Not us, but you two will." Celestia took a sigh. "If we keep getting out of Discord's view, he will get suspicious and will know we recovered our memories. We can't lose this opportunity. Thorax, tell me, can you turn into me?"
>"I mean, yes...? But why?"
"Because you two are going to Yakyakistan as I go where Discord is and try to trick him... maybe say we fought and you went somewhere else."
"Sister, are you sure about this? Yakyakistan is really far away from here and-"
>Celestia raised a hoof to hush Luna as she was near to exit the cavern.
"Just go, trust me. It is for the best." Celestia said nothing else and flew away from the cavern.
>Luna, Thorax and Bark could say nothing but watch as the alicorn filly flew and teleported in mid-air, triggering Discord's magic search away from them.
>"This is all so sudden but, we need to go, princess." Thorax says moments before changing into a medium size green dragon. "With wings, we'll get faster to Yakyakistan, we need to go now."
>Before mounting Thorax's back, Luna placed Bark on the ground and petted him slightly.
"Stay here, Bark. You need to protect the Everfree Forest from whatever Discord tries to do."
>Bark was sad to hear that he had to stay and couldn't go with them, but still, he showed his affection to Luna into a last but not final hug.
"And you, Thorax, you don't need to call me princess, just call me... Luna."
>Thorax nodded at her.
"Okay, let's go!"
>"Next stop... Yakyakistan!" Thorax said as he started flying towards the sky, going north.
>The two couldn't notice but for a few seconds, the saddlebag started shining from inside.
>As for Celestia...
"I really miss Anon's tacos... hopefully he still has some in stock!" Celestia happily stated as she flew towards El Dorado.
>"Oh, I wouldn't count on that, dear princess."
>Celestia was teletransported instantly into the floating island, where Discord was waiting for her and looked very angry.
>"You two fillies are in so much trouble-" Discord stopped mid-sentence, slowly realizing Celestia was alone. "Well, one out of two can't be that bad... where is your little sister?"
"Well, about that..."