• Published 19th Jul 2014
  • 8,290 Views, 245 Comments

The Wolf's War - Blazing47s



When a huge black wolf mysteriously appears in Equestria, he brings with him an evil that nopony could have seen coming. After befriending the mane six, the black wolf must stop the approaching tide of evil before it is too late.

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A Little Disappointment *Revised*

Author's Note:

So, I have some bad news to go along with this chapter. The thing with the beta reader fell through, so I actually don't have one. Darn.
But have no fear! This story will continue! As promised, here is the March chapter. As usual, comment about any mistakes you may find. I fear this chapter may have quite a few. Enjoy!

Zant had never met any being coming close to his personality before. His expectations, while not incredibly high, were at least positive. If any place held something that thought along his own lines it would be Tartarus. So it was, when he entered the gates, full of hope and excitement, he was almost immediatly let down.

“You should enjoy yourselves more, or at least try to do something,” he scoffed, crossing his arms. “This place is great! And yet here you are, squandering it with all this screaming and gnashing teeth.” Zant was standing in front of one of large magical cages that stood everywhere in this grey dimension. Most were about twice as tall as he was, and a good deal more around, with a large dome shaped top and a door set into the front. It had the normal metal prison bars going all the way around it, humming with magical energies. The cage stood on a small floating platform a small way off the main path, and was the home of quite a few small creatures.

They resembled spiders, each a little smaller than Zant’s palm. They were a sickish yellow color, and oozed a smell of pus and rot. There was no visible head, instead, there was just a large mound sitting atop eight long legs tipped with wicked claws. The creature closets to Zant stopped, and turned to face him. A slit opened on the top of the pod, and it hissed, the mouth tipped with jagged red teeth. It flung itself at the bars, but was thrown away by a bright flash of magic. Hundreds of the creatures swarmed about inside the cage, flinging themselves against the walls with futile abandon, hissing and screaming with the shocks of magic.

Zant sighed and turned away, hopping back towards the main path. The small motion carried him an impossibly far distance, and he landed daintily on the walkway. He had tried communicating with many of the creatures in the floating cages, to no avail. At best, they had ignored him, and at worst, they had tried to kill him, though their efforts had been in vain. Here were the kindred spirits he had been looking for! Killers, murderers, creations of dark magic that shared his view of the world! Yet all of them overlooked the paradise they rested in because of some silly cage.

Zant did indeed think that Tartarus was a near paradise. The cold air, the freezing winds and blasts of random magic, just waiting to be tamed. It reminded him of his first childhood, where he learned magic. If the creatures overlooked the cage, they could play about with the almost infinite magic in the air. Sure they couldn’t escape, but seemingly real illusions were all too possible in this place. One could live an entire life within their own conscience here, and never know it was not real! His musings were interrupted by a familiar cold presence in his mind. It seemed weaker than normal, as if it was having a hard time coming to him. Shrugging this off, he listened to the words of his mistress.

“Hello again, my pawn,” She purred. There was a tingling sensation in his eyes, and he knew that she was looking through him. “Very good,” she said, sounding a bit surprised. “You have made better time than I anticipated. How are you finding Tartarus?” She asked.

Zant thought for a moment. “Disappointing,” He said curtly, summing up his thoughts with a single word, something he had been thinking a lot lately. A flash of agreement went through his mind.

“Yes,” His Mistress replied. “But onto more important matters. You are nearing the doors of which I told you about before. You will reach them within the day, I suspect. I have a few instructions for you,” He felt a nudge forward on his conscience. “Walk, I will tell you as you draw closer to our objective.

“Yes Mistress,” He replied with a bow, and he continued to walk.

Large rocks are in every dimension. It is nearly impossible to find one without them. They also happen to be incredibly convenient hiding spots, even in a place like this, and from a creature such as Cerberus. So it was that Zant got his first look at the three headed beast from behind one such rock, a large one that happened to sit in the perfect position and distance from the doors to let him hide himself and his magical aura from Cerberus, but also to observe. Zant’s mistress had warned him about the creature, the guardian of the gates. What such a creature lacked in smarts, it made up for in sheer magical and bulk. Zant could feel it’s aura from where he hid, and he could see its physical prowess with his normal eyes plain as day. It stood higher than he did by a couple feet, an incredibly large height for any canine. Black fur did nothing to conceal the mass of rippling muscle and sheer power that made it up. The three jaws dripped saliva, and the six eyes roamed over the landscape as the heads swiveled back and forth.

Zant ducked back into his hiding place as one gaze came to close to him. His mind turned the problem over in his head. How to do this? He went over his vast repertoire of spells, turning each option over in his mind, before selecting one that he deemed best to use. Condensing his magic into a single point, he leaned his head out from behind the rock, waiting for the right time. Just as one of Cerberus’ head went in his direction, he released the spell. Cerberus saw him right as he did this, but its eyes only had time focus before the spell hit home, directly into its forehead.

The effect was nearly instantaneous. Cerberus froze in place, and its body started to shake. All six eyes rolled back into their respective heads, and the saliva was replaced by greenish foam that rolled out of the three mouths. Zant cackled as he stepped from behind the rock, gleefully watching the agonizing seizures that racked Cerberus’ body. Zant had never felt so good! The power that his mistress had given him had exceeded his own estimations, and he was riding the magical high for all it was worth. “Oh, little Cerberus,” He giggling as he drew closer to the shivering beast. “Only you can harm those doors that you guard,” He cupped the chin of one of the heads, uncaring of the green foam that ran over his hand and forearm. “I have something that I need you to do.”

------

The Ponyville Inn was one of the largest buildings in town. Tourism was actually fairly profitable in Ponyville, mostly because of the famed Everfree Forest in such close proximity. The staff were well paid and well trained, but more than a few of them stopped and stared. Measured Fact looked up from his position on the small table in the foyer, eyeing the ponies. He took another bite out of his bagel and went back to looking at his notes and the infuriatingly high stack of paperwork he had had express mailed to him at the hotel last night.

His flying stunt last night had drained his magic at a considerably extreme rate, and so this morning he had employed a small spell to help him regenerate this lost energy faster. It would drain the abundant magic from the air at an accelerated rate and use it to temporarily boost his own magic until his natural stores could be replenished. The unfortunate side effect was the wisps of green magic twirling off from every part of his body, dissipating into the air. Still ignoring the other ponies in the room, Measured Fact ran a hoof though his unruly hair, frowning. The Golem reports from the Gates of Tartarus were worrying. Cerberus seemed a little agitated than normal, but that hadn't been the problem. Something was happening, of this he was sure. The Gates had been breached again, according to the reports, only an hour ago. It was a small hole, only letting a meager amount of magic through, not even enough to levitate a needle through by unicorn standards, but it was worrisome. Something, no matter how small, had happened. Should this breach get any wider, any number of creatures on the other side of the Gates would be able to escape. Fact took another bite of his small breakfast, and sipped his coffee.

Luna was currently residing near the doors, keeping a close eye on them and Cerberus, should anything happen. He knew there was nothing he could do but wait here in Ponyville and analyze the reports, but he still felt restless. Deciding that he was doing nothing productive in here, he stood and shuffled the reports into a neat pile, levitating them into his pack. He walked up to one of the staff who had the good graces not to stare. “Put this in my room, if you please. Room 13.” He said, floating the pack towards the unicorn. The pony nodded, taking the pack and trotting off into the depths of the hotel. Fact turned in the other direction, strolling casually out of the front door. With his absence, the life in the hotel gradually went back to normal.

Fact stepped out into the sunlight, squinting slightly as he looked around. He was happy to note that the green wisps of magic that came off his coat were nearly invisible in the bright light. Conveniently enough, the hotel happened to be right in the center of town, a good location for his purposes. Most of Ponyville was silent, most ponies still sleeping at the early hour, but Fact could hear and see a bit of motion down the road to his left, towards the center of the town. He trotted in that direction. The tan stallion took time to admire the rustic style of architecture as he passed; something not very common in the larger cities in which he generally resided. The brightly colored walls and the straw roofing were pleasant aesthetics. Fact started to see more and more ponies as he neared the town center, mostly mares trotting about in a businesslike manner.

The reason for the bustle soon became apparent; the town square had been transformed into a sort of market, with numerous ponies selling their wares out of small stands. The day was still young, and a couple of the business ponies were still in the process of setting up their stalls and wares for sale. Fact spotted a familiar orange mare, and trotted over to the stand she occupied.

“Well howdy there, Mr. Fact!” Applejack said as she spotted him, with a large grin. She leaned her front legs on the top of the counter, looking at the tan stallion. “What brings you here at this fine hour?”

Fact’s eyes roamed the stall. A large wagon filled with red apples sat a small ways behind Applejack, and a couple of piles sat close at hoof, in case of a customer. The stand was a small wooden affair, not much to look at besides the large sign in the shape of an apple. “Not much,” He replied. “Getting a feel for the town.”

“Well, if you’re getting’ a feel for Ponyville, you need to get a feel for the original Ponyville apple!” Applejack held up one of said red fruit. “These here apples have been grown in my family orchard since Ponyville’s foundin’!” Applejack directed a shining smile at the tan stallion.

“Nice sales pitch,” He commented.

“Thanks!” The orange pony replied. “So will ya’ buy somethin’?” She asked hopefully.

“I am sorry, but I must decline,” Fact answered. “I currently have no bits on me.”

“That’s a shame,” Applejack wilted, before perking back up again. “Oh, I forgot! Pinkie asked me to tell ya’ to head over to Sugar Cube Corner. She said somethin’ about asking ya’ some questions.”

“Oh?” Fact tilted his head. If he remembered correctly, and he knew he did, than Pinkie Pie was the pink pony who had seemed extraordinarily happy at last nights meeting. He shrugged. “All right. I currently have no plans today, I don’t see why not. Where would I find Sugar Cube Corner?” Sure, Fact had memorized the layout of the town, but that was from an aerial view, just the streets and such. He had no knowledge of where each business was.

“Just head that way,” Applejack waved a hoof down one of the more densely populated streets that branched off from the main plaza. “You’ll know it when you see it. Looks like a huge ginger bread house.”

“Thank you,” Fact said as he trotted off.

“See ya’ later!” Applejack shouted back.

Fact did indeed know Sugar Cube Corner when he saw it. It was perhaps the single strangest building he had ever laid eyes on, and he stood in front of it for a moment, taking it in. How did it still stand up with structural integrity with those materials used in its construction? Last Fact checked, gingerbread was not a stable building material. Fact was having an internal argument on whether or not he should actually enter said building, when a pony stumbled out of the front doors. The dark stallion dropped heavily onto the bench resting nearby. Recognizing him as the guard whom he had met yesterday night, albeit briefly, Fact decided to go over and talk to him, at least to stall a little bit before going inside Sugar Cube Corner.

Dusk looked up sleepily as Fact trotted over. The Night Pegasi’s armor was off, and he still felt uncomfortable, and it showed in his shifty body language. The bright sun stung his sensitive eyes, and his ears were flattened to the back of his head in annoyance, mostly at himself. He ran a hoof over his face, feeling the sagging bags under his eyelids. The orange highlight in his mane and tail seemed a little duller than usual, as if to reflect the way he was feeling.

“Hello,” Fact said cheerfully. “Dusk Light, correct?”

“Just Dusk,” Dusk replied. “You’re Measured Fact right? I hope you forgive me if I don’t bow.” He made a motion to his body.

Fact chuckled. “No, that’s alright. If I may . . .” He paused. “You look like crap,” He stated bluntly and a bit cheekily, his eyes roaming over the Night Pegasi.

Dusk barked out a laugh. “That’s an understatement,” He said. “I am trying to match my sleep schedule with you normal ponies’, but that is proving to be more difficult than I expected.” He yawned as if to punctuate his statement. “Even with my training, staying up for this many hours straight is tough.”

Fact looked away from Dusk to once again eye the building they were talking in front of. “This is where you live now?” He asked. “Forgive me if I don’t envy your position.”

Dusk sighed, but smiled lightly. “It’s actually not so bad. Pinkie Pie is nice, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the ones who own the place, are generous and kind. The place smells like sugar all the time though.”

Fact turned the thought that popped into his head over in his mind. Though he had no frame of reference for this particular pony, he assumed that his guess was fairly accurate. “You seem more informal than I was expecting. Yet you seem to be forcing it a bit. Why?” He guessed, hoping that he hadn’t been too blunt.

“Well, between you and me, stallion to stallion,” Dusk ran a hoof through his hair. “Put yourself in my position. I’m a loner, always have been. Most Night Pegasi are,” Dusk looked to Fact, who nodded to show he was following. “We never really have many friends, especially those outside the guard, who are mostly stallions.” Fact’s eyes lit up as he started to understand, yet he motioned for Dusk to continue. The stallion obliged, but his words were softer, as if suspicious that someone might overhear. “And here I am, a stallion who has had very little interaction with the opposite gender, assigned by my princess to live and die for six very beautiful mares should it be required, and to keep them safe in any way possible,” He looked up. “You getting it so far?”

Fact ran through his memories of the Element Bearers, and could see Dusk’s point of view. Each was certainly attractive in their own right, and a stallion who had never had that exposure would be in a difficult position, like the one Dusk was in at the moment. “You hope to get a relationship out of this,” Fact said, and Dusk ducked sheepishly. “You think you might actually have a shot, which you probably do,” Dusk blushed slightly at the compliment, and Fact continued. “You want to be more informal to try and fit in more with the Element Bearers. You will be around them all the time. . .”

“Can't fault a stallion for hoping. I am living with one now,” Dusk finished. “You see my point?”

“Yes,” Fact paused. “And though I might not be the best one to give this advice, and it’s a bit cliché, I would say to just be yourself. Forcing anything won’t help.” He offered, a bit lamely.

“I know,” Dusk sighed. “It’s just hard.” He shook his head. “Anyway, you should probably go in,” He said, waving a hoof at the entrance. “Pinkie was looking for you.”

“What for?” Fact asked curiously.

“I can’t tell you,” Dusk replied apologetically. “She wanted to tell you herself. You should probably get going, she might blow a fuse if she has to wait any longer.”

Fact sighed, looking at the large doors a little ways away. He had a feeling that he was going to regret this.