The lands beyond the Pack borderlines seemed very strange to Dawn.

The sun was shining above them, blocked out by numerous gray clouds. A distance away, strange human-created machines were rolling along blackened stone trails. The frozen soil beneath their feet had been torn up and toiled with.

"Why is the ground all chopped up, Dad?" Nova asked. "Was there an earthquake?"

Twilight laughed as the group of wolves padded along. "No. Some humans grow their own food. They call it 'farming.'"

"What about those things over there? Why are they running so fast?" Jinx pointed with her tail over to the moving machines in the distance.

"Those are cars," Twilight said, admiring his role as a teacher. "Humans are too lazy to walk or run to get anywhere, and they don't have wings to fly. So they have cars to get inside and take them places inside."

"How do you know so much about humans, Smartypants?" Summer smirked as if she didn't believe him.

"Mutt told me!" Twilight yipped. "He lived with the humans!"

"Who's Mutt? And what are humans?" Raven asked. She was placed comfortably on Riptide's back, and she was the only one of the nine wolves that wasn't walking.

Nova and Jinx began laughing at Raven's lack of knowledge. However, Star gave them a stern look, silencing them.

"They are strange and bizarre creatures," Evan began. "They wear clothes to cover their naked, fur-less bodies. They live in extravagant dens and eat whatever they want, and most never go to sleep hungry. But the worst part is that they've captured our shameful relatives, the Cripps, and tamed them to become hideous, mindless pets called dogs."

"Why would wolves give in to those strange creatures? Not even Cripps would be that desparate, would they?" Raven asked.

"Apparently, after capture, they accepted their fate, and became their friends," Evan explained. "Most Cripps that were originally tamed by the humans are dead by now, but their descendants now come in many shapes and forms, and will do anything for their human... 'brethren.'"

"How do you know so much about dogs?" Nova asked.

"My good friend, Mutt, used to be a dog, but now he lives as a Shadow wolf," Twilight replied. "His sister, Eve, is a Hawk wolf, and she also used to be a dog."

"How'd they get their wings then?" Jinx asked. "Were they born with them?"

"I believe he was given a pair of wings, but I'm not sure how though," Twilight replied.

"I'll bet he got them by the Power!" Nova chirped.

Dawn's ears perked up at the word "Power", immediately thinking about Andromeda.

---

Fang and Kale crouched down, arching their fur-bristled backs and growling insults at each other. Kale was about to pounce on the dragon-winged wolf when a black-indigo she with golden dragon wings flew up and landed in between them. "Stop!" she cried.

"Andromeda!" Dawn thought in alarm, recognizing the voice immediately.

"I've had enough of all of this fighting!" Andromeda boomed defiantly. "Wasn't this rule change suppose to create peace among the Packs? This fighting will get us nowhere! What's the point of it? It's just a buffalo! There's no need to your tails tangled up in a knot!" Andromeda opened her muzzle to say more, but Fang stopped her.

"That's enough, Andromeda!" he boomed. "You're not a Head Elder. You wouldn't understand."

"The Power isn't as strong as it used to be!" Andromeda spat at the fighting Head Elders, hovering off of the rock.

---

"What exactly is the Power?" Dawn asked. "I don't think I've ever been told what it is."

All of the wolves stopped and stared at the white wolf. They looked at her as if she was absolutely insane.

"You... never heard about the Power?" Summer snickered.

Twilight continued to stare at Dawn they began walking again. "The Power is what keeps everything in balance. It's what makes the trees turn from green to brown to bare and back again each year. It's what gives us the animals for us to eat. It's what allows us to be born, give birth, eat, grow, breathe, and die. It's what causes everything, and it's controlled by our fallen ancestors."

"So... to sum it up... the Power is a supernatural force, which causes life, death, and everything in between? And... It's controlled by the spirits of dead wolves?" Dawn asked, relieved about finally finding out what the Power is.

"That's right," Twilight nodded.

---

"So what if I did?" Heather boomed defiantly. "The Power of Four is too strong! They would've found out eventually!"

---

Heather's words echoed in Dawn's mind. She remembered dreaming about the Elder's tragic death months after it had happened, watching her final moments, defying Rustle.

"Then what is the Power of Four?" Dawn asked cautiously.

Twilight's red eyes stared blankly at her, a dumbfounded look on his face. "What?"

"The Power of Four?" Dawn repeated.

"I've never heard of any specific Powers. Where'd you hear that from?" Twilight tilted his head in confusion.

"Er... No where. Just popped into my head," Dawn lied.

Twilight turned away as the group walked along. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, to the right of the towering mountains in front of them. They were mere miles away from the majestic beasts.

"Dawn? We should set up camp for the night," Riptide stated.

"Alright," the white wolf replied. "I need to take a load off."