Much like the first time he had walked through the town of Ponyville, Jim received a number of wary stares from the town’s residents as he progressed toward Twilight’s castle. Part of him wanted to just glare at the ponies for being so scared of him. Seriously… how terrifying was he with three little fillies riding on his back? Despite his anger toward the fearful little ponies around him, Jim knew he had to stay calm, an act that wasn’t too difficult when he spotted the top of the castle in the distance. The closer he came to meeting with Twilight and the others, the more his stomach twisted.
Before long, which was not long enough in Jim’s opinion, the wolf and his three riders arrived on the outer perimeter of the Castle of Friendship. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack all stood outside of the front doors. For the first time, Jim started to feel more like his usual self as he took in their appearances. Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie seemed to hold expressions of uncertainty with hints of sadness in their eyes. Rainbow hovered in the air with a look of slight caution, though her eyes seemed to continuously shift between being conflicted and resolute. Rarity and Applejack, however, wore looks of disapproval.
Jim came to a halt about fifteen feet away from the group when Applejack took a step forward and held up her hoof. “That’s far enough, Jim,” she said firmly before shifting her gaze to the fillies on his back. “You three git down from there and go inside. This is a talk for adults.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look while Scootaloo’s wings slowly flared out in defiance. She puffed out her chest and opened her mouth to protest when Jim’s head lifted up and he looked at her. In his eyes she could see a gentle burning emotion, one that told her that she should listen to what she was being told. Her little body deflated slightly as she nodded quietly. Jim slowly lowered his body so that the three fillies could disembark from his back without much trouble and he silently watched as the three made their way past the six mares.
Once the three crusaders had entered the castle, with Scootaloo giving Jim one last glance before the doors closed, all the attention focused back to the werewolf. Twilight stepped forward and shared a brief look with Applejack. “I’ll take it from here,” she said quietly to the farm pony. Twilight turned her full attention to Jim. “So… Jim… Rainbow Dash says you have something to discuss with us?” she started off, a degree of hesitance clearly evident in her voice.
Applejack’s eyes narrowed slightly while Rarity’s brow lifted expectantly, though the two gave off the impression that they were already set in their opinion on any matter that Jim might bring up. Rainbow’s gaze finally turned completely to Jim as she was prepared to at least hear him out. Twilight simply eyed Jim with a sense of apprehension, as if she was thinking about something while she awaited the werewolf’s response. Pinkie and Fluttershy seemed to be happy to hear what Jim had to say, but they also noticed how their friends were giving off a mix of signals.
Jim looked on quietly for a moment as he gauged the expressions of the six in front of him. He was well aware of why each pony looked a certain way and they had their own rights to do so. If anything, he was a little surprised that the two sisters had not up and declared him a monster and that they didn’t even want to spare him a second more of their time. After all, he did just walk back into town with their younger siblings riding on him and the last time they had seen him had been after he nearly killed Scootaloo. He took in a long breath and slowly let it out before he began.
“First and foremost, I want to tell you all that I am deeply sorry for what happened. Secondly… thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” Jim said and bowed his head before looking back to the ponies. “I’m sure some of you have some questions… though I am willing to end this conversation now and leave for good if others would prefer that.”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed further as her anger rose a little more, but it was Rarity who spoke first. “Then you may leave, Jim,” she said and turned her head away from him.
Twilight instantly balked and Rainbow even gave the fashionista a surprised look. “Rarity, you haven’t even given him a chance to explain. Why are you asking him to leave without knowing his side of the story?” Twilight asked, shocked.
Rarity turned a frown toward her purple friend and gestured with her hoof toward Jim. “You were there when he did those horrible things, Twilight. I for one can’t see him as much more than another vicious creature from the Everfree. I’m even more concerned now since it seems Sweetie Belle managed to find him again, without any of us knowing. Can you imagine what might have happened if he had not been himself? Can you honestly say that seeing the three of them on his back didn’t make you wonder what could have happened and none of us would have known until it was much too late?” she asked heatedly. “Though I will admit to being thankful for his aid in helping Sweetie before, it does not change the fact that he lost control and injured an innocent filly.”
In an instant, Applejack’s anger subsided and she looked to the ground. It was obvious that she had thought something similar, but now there was more to her thoughts than before. Her gaze drifted back over to Jim and she noticed his ears folded back and his eyes to the ground, his expression seemingly void of emotion. Seeing that emptiness in his face made her realize that there really was something more to learn from him. She turned her head back to her friends. “Rares… ah think we should hear him out at least.”
Rarity’s mouth opened in shock as she looked to her fellow sisterly friend. She couldn’t believe the words that Applejack had just said, especially since just moments before Jim had arrived, the two had been in total agreement that they would not allow Jim near their siblings ever again. In fact, they had also agreed that they would tell Jim off and forbid him from being anywhere near Ponyville, even going as far as to force him to go back to Earth. “How can you even suggest such a thing, Applejack? I thought…”
“Yeah, well, ah was wrong,” Applejack interjected quickly. “You and ah were thinkin’ of too many ‘what ifs’ and not lookin’ at the facts. Yes he hurt Scootaloo, but she’s healed up real quick – even the doctors said that Jim’s spit made sure that her injuries had started to heal quicker than what was normal. She’s alive and well… and he did bring the three of them back here, even after what had happened in the cave. That should be more than enough to show that he’s not the monster we… we wanted him to be,” she said as her ears drooped.
As Applejack’s words sunk in for everypony, the mood began to shift. All eyes drifted either to the ground or toward Jim in quiet sympathy. Rainbow’s wings slowly stopped beating and she gently landed on the ground. Her rose eyes darted around a bit as she thought about everything that had happened. With a heavy sigh, Rainbow then looked to Jim. “Applejack’s right. He’s not some big mean monster. He was scary when he attacked Scoots… but that doesn’t mean that he’s a bad guy. Anypony can tell that he’s alright… I mean, he’s been pretty cool toward us outside of that weird thing that happened with the Elements of Harmony.”
“That’s right!” Fluttershy exclaimed, her eyes wide and ears strait up. “The elements acted strangely. Why didn’t we think about that before?” she asked and looked to Twilight.
Twilight’s ears drooped slightly and she hung her head. “Actually… I did think about that,” she admitted before she looked to Jim. “And I think that we aren’t the ones who should be receiving the apology.”
Jim’s ears perked up slightly and he slowly lifted his head to look at the lavender Alicorn. “No…” he said slowly. “None of you were at fault. You don’t need to apologize.”
Twilight shook her head. “You’re wrong, Jim. It was my idea to bring you there. And, to be honest, I had thought that you were dangerous. The Elements weren’t just to try and remove your curse… it was also to settle my mind and make doubly sure that you weren’t evil,” she admitted and hung her head again. “The fact that you are still here means that you weren’t evil, but it also shows that I was the real one at fault. The Elements did something… something that made you lose control. Because of me, you nearly killed an innocent filly.”
Jim sighed heavily as he shook his head. He had suspected that the magical cure was more than just a possible simple solution, but it was still hard to hear that the seemingly trusting pony was capable of having a hidden objective. That thought, however, was enough to bring a small smirk to Jim’s lips. So these ponies aren’t as openly trusting as I thought they were… there’s hope for them yet, he thought. An idea slowly developed in his mind as he looked between the six mares and Jim approached them. He stopped right in front of Twilight and he sat down as he looked her in the eyes.
Applejack and Rarity grew slightly nervous at Jim’s approach, but their caution quickly faded when they saw Pinkie and Fluttershy walk up to sit with him. They watched as the big, scary werewolf sported a kind smile for the two before he looked back to Twilight. “Twilight… if you want to know who the real person at fault is, it would be the one who put this curse on me to begin with.”
Twilight’s ears perked up and she eyed Jim curiously. “I thought you said you were born with the curse…”
“I was, but the precise truth is that the curse was placed upon me within moments after my mother gave birth to me. The way this curse is passed on, in cases like mine, is the infant is bitten by an Alpha. The trick is to introduce the blood and saliva of the Alpha into the baby at the same time. When the two fluids mix in the blood stream it causes the curse to manifest. If the manifestation is successful, the infant turns into a wolf pup during the next full moon,” Jim explained and his eyes suddenly filled with a distant sadness. “Those who do not turn are usually eaten by the rest of the pack. Only the ‘chosen’ are allowed to live, and that would have made them females to be raised into the next in line for breeding among the pack.”
Twilight and the others were shocked and appalled by the explanation. But before any of them could inquire, Jim added the final piece to the puzzle. “That was how the Alpha ran the pack… and he was my father.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Your… your father made you into a werewolf?”
Jim nodded sadly. “He did. I was one of the five children born during the full moon. Three of us had the curse manifest. The other two did not. I was raised as the middle child between my two brothers. We were all taught how to live as werewolves… but I was always the smartest of my siblings. Though my father did things to ensure the members of his pack never developed a means to ‘question’ the world around them, I never fell into that mindless conformity.” Jim sighed as he thought about his other memories from that time of his life. There was a growing sadness in his eyes as he recalled certain things.
Jim’s thoughts were derailed when he felt the warm embrace from Fluttershy. He looked down to see her kind smile and his body deflated as he returned the hug. The butter yellow pegasus nuzzled against his shoulder and whispered into his ear. “It’s alright, Jim. You don’t need to tell us anything else if it hurts too much. I’m just glad to know that you don’t blame Twilight for anything. And you shouldn’t feel sorry for what happened either. You were scary, but I could tell that you were doing your best to stop yourself.”
Jim sighed into Fluttershy’s pink mane as he gently shook his head. “I didn’t try hard enough. I could have overcome it before I hurt Scootaloo,” he said as tears started to soak into his cheeks. “I’ve never been able to stop it… I had gotten used to losing things important to me because of my curse, but when I realized that I could fight it this time I had already hurt her. I was too complacent…”
Fluttershy silenced Jim with her hoof gently pressed against his muzzle. She pulled away so that she could look at him better. “But you didn’t hurt her as badly as you thought. She only had a few cuts and bruises. I think that says a lot about how much you succeeded in stopping yourself. You should be proud and happy that she’s alive and in good health,” she encouraged softly.
The kind words from the petite yellow mare were too much for Jim to defend against. His sadness and regret crumbled away and he allowed a genuine smile grace his maw. He shook his head slowly again and chuckled quietly. “You’re way too nice, you know that?” he said.
Fluttershy smiled warmly and nodded. “Mhmm… it’s nice being nice.”
Jim chuckled again and nuzzled the top of her head. “It is… thanks.”
Fluttershy squeezed Jim a little more firmly and sighed happily.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group simply looked on with dopy grins and warm smiles. It was as if there had never been a vicious beast in front of them at all. Instead, Jim was just another misunderstood person that they just needed to get to know better. Not being one to miss out on a good hug, Pinkie joyfully jumped in and hugged Jim from the side. Rainbow Dash simply smiled, though she struggled a great deal not to hop on over and embrace the big guy as well. Rarity and Applejack stood side by side and shared a happy look with each other before they walked to stand closer to the werewolf.
Twilight, on the other hoof, looked on with a smile that slowly started to fade as something started to stir within her mind. She replayed the conversation in her mind again and her eyes narrowed in thought, her hoof slowly lifting up to her chin.
Jim noticed her expression and quirked his brow. “What is it, Twilight?” he asked.
Twilight looked to Jim and opened her mouth, only to pause before she spoke what was on her mind. She looked back to the doors of her castle before she looked back to him. “Jim… do you think you might have passed on your curse to Scootaloo?” she whispered.
Jim’s eyes narrowed dangerously and his body stiffened, much to Fluttershy and Pinkie’s surprise. They could feel his fear as it surged through him the more he thought about what had happened in the cave. Jim’s blood had been on Scootaloo’s body from when he had clawed his hand and grabbed her. He had licked her wounds, tasting both his and her blood. The conditions had been met, by all accounts. Scootaloo might have been infected by his curse. Jim gulped and he could feel his fur dampening as a cold sweat slowly soaked into it. His breathing picked up as his heart beat faster. Killing the little one was something he could have lived with, he was used to that, but passing on his curse was something he had never wanted to do. Ever!
Fluttershy reached up and gently caressed Jim’s cheek. “Shh, shh, Jim, it’s okay. Calm down please. You said that not all of the ones bitten would change. Besides, we don’t know if it will happen to a pony, right?” she said in an attempt to calm him down.
Jim’s breathing slowed a little, but his fears doubled when he recalled something he had recently learned. “You may be right… but don’t forget that my curse had traces of Equestrian magic in it,” he said as he turned a wide-eyed look toward Twilight. “Tell me you can detect my curse… please. I don’t know if I could live with myself if I passed on this repulsive curse of mine onto her.”
Twilight’s ears popped up and her eyes widened. She worked her mouth a few times before she closed her eyes and lit her horn. Jim’s body swiftly became covered in her lavender magical aura. The glow lingered for a long couple of moments before Twilight opened her eyes and sighed. “I don’t know if I managed to detect it… there is something there, but I’m not familiar with what it is. I think our best bet is to have the princesses look at this situation.”
Jim’s eyes widened further for a moment before he closed them and tilted his head down solemnly. His last meeting with them had not gone as smoothly as he would have liked. He doubted that Princess Celestia, much less Luna, would be pleased to know what he had done since leaving the castle. To make things worse, if he had passed on the curse, there was no known cure for it yet which meant he had possibly ruined the remaining life of the poor little filly. With a heavy sigh, Jim looked back to Twilight with regretful eyes. “Though I wish the circumstances were different, I agree. When you contact them… tell them that I will accept any punishment they deem fit for what I’ve done. I won’t run from this.”
Twilight nodded before giving Jim a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry, Jim. I don’t think the princesses will view you as the one at fault. After hearing everything thus far, I’m fairly certain that this will just be one big misunderstanding. In the end, none of us could have known what would happen, much less stop it.”
Sighing reluctantly, Jim nodded slightly as well. “Yeah… still doesn’t mean I like everything that’s happened. I still feel partly responsible. If I had never found out about your world I… I would have continued to live back on Earth and none of this would have happened.”
“They do say that hindsight is 20/20,” Twilight remarked. “But you really shouldn’t feel responsible for everything. I think everypony involved has some part of the blame. All we can do now is hope for the best.”
Jim nodded in agreement again. With yet another silent sigh, Jim turned his attention to the castle. His sharp eyes quickly spotted the purple mane belonging to Scootaloo through one of the upper story windows. His heart ached knowing that there was a chance that he had passed on a cruel fate to her, but as he looked on he decided that if that was the case, he’d be there for her. He would help her to cope with it… it would be all he could do to make up for it.