//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Bullies and Surprises 
// Story: The Lone Wolf of Equestria 
// by JNKing 
//------------------------------//

As Luna returned to the waking realm, she felt a surge of conflicting emotions. 
That wolf had attacked her sister. He had bitten her, for Faust’s sake. And yet… all those memories. The pain and agony in his voice. Wasn’t she supposed to protect others from that type of treatment? To safeguard their dreams from the traumatic horrors of nightmares?
Luna was almost glad to be yanked from her thoughts by the greeting of her sister.
“Good morning, my sister,” Celestia greeted. In Luna’s haze, she hadn’t realized she had walked the path to the breakfast table even faster than before. “How was the dreamscape?” 
Luna’s ears flicked as she seated herself. “Well,” she admitted, deciding to jump right to the point, “I did notice dreams from a rather odd being in Ponyville…”
Celestia’s grin faltered. Luna’s heart started to skip a beat before Celestia replied.
“Indeed,” she said, “Another visitor has arrived in our town. A young wolf by the name of Logan.” 
“Aye,” Luna said, smiling faintly at a servant as she set a cup of coffee by her side. “A rather intriguing fellow, that one.” She pretended to sip the caffeinated beverage before her, though her eyes were locked on Celestia. “You wouldn’t suppose he… poses a threat, would you?” 
Luna’s heart only beat faster as Celestia’s eyes widened in horror.
“Oh, no, of course not,” Celestia said quickly, “The pup is a bit of a challenge, but nothing I haven’t handled before.” 
“Nothing you haven’t handled?” Luna asked, having to avoid spilling her coffee, “Sister, if his memories are correct, he… well…”
“Bit me?” Celestia asked with a chuckle, extending her neck, “Well, does it look like he left any lasting damage?"
“Well… no,” Luna admitted, wondering how on Equestria Celestia could be this biased about such a blatant show of hostility and disrespect.
“Then I don’t believe we have much to worry about,” Celestia said, before her gaze drifted away, occupied with deeper thoughts, “Besides,” she added, “I will not deny that I could have handled his arrival better.”
Luna said nothing, pretending once again to drink her coffee despite her heart racing frantically in her chest.
“Due to an error on my part,” Celestia admitted, “He was separated from his family; at the very least, beings of great importance to him. It affected his temperament. I didn’t respect his feelings enough, and he lashed out.”
“And then… you left him in Ponyville?” Luna prompted. 
“Twilight’s friend Fluttershy proved to be a very stabilizing force for him,” Celestia replied, her grin returning, “I daresay the young pegasus would be capable of taming Discord, considering how well she managed to handle Logan.” 
“I see,” Luna noted, wondering how she had missed the memories of Fluttershy taming such a seemingly violent beast. 
Celestia tilted her head at Luna’s guilt ridden silence. 
“Luna,” she began softly, “Logan may be ill-tempered, but he is far from a bad wolf. Right now, fear clouds his judgement; fear that was brought on by many early years of pain.” She looked down. “I can’t stand to see any creature in that kind of pain. Given the chance, I would have him stay; perhaps even become a companion to Fluttershy.” She sighed. “Yet, I also know that he likely will not stand by and wait for his family to be brought to him.”
“What do you intend then?” Luna asked. 
“To tread lightly,” Celestia replied, “Hopefully, Twilight will learn more about him, and perhaps a way to find his pack and discuss possibilities of an alliances will reveal itself. But until then, even the smallest misunderstanding between him and us could have the gravest of consequences.”
Luna took a long hard drink. If what Celestia said was true, Luna realized, then what damage did my brash attack likely do to him?

#

As Logan made his way to the bakery, he kept stealing second glances at Fluttershy. Something seemed off about the way she was acting; she was a far cry from the domineering mare that had been on his side against the thugs. Now she was glancing at him worriedly, and chancing looks around at the town, as if she expected someone to jump out and mug them at any second. Logan could hardly blame her; that dark alicorn still burned in his mind. Part of him wanted to believe she wasn’t real; that she was simply an incarnation of his own doubts towards ponies.
Unless she is real, and ponies – at the very least this ‘sister of Celestia’ - can enter minds, he thought worriedly. To deny a wolf the privacy of his own mind? What foul creature would be capable of such cruelty? 
But he couldn’t really think on that even if he wanted to; after how Pinkie Pie had reacted, he didn’t want to keep the pink menace waiting any longer than he already had.
The stares didn’t help. Once again, as he walked through town, ponies stopped to stare at him again. Twice as bad, since the other five mares were gone, and Fluttershy wasn’t exactly one to deflect stares. This time, Logan also heard whispers.
“Are we sure that isn’t some sort of timber wolf?”
“Maybe it’s friendly?”
“Are you kidding?! That thing looks like it eats nails for breakfast!”
“Without any milk?”
“Without any milk!” 
Logan slowly started to feel his anger building up again. Sure, they hadn’t seen anything like him before, but could they be a little subtler about it? He started glaring around at the ponies. It was worse than he thought: some of them had literally dropped what they were doing in favor of watching him. 
As he saw several dropped tomatoes roll away from one, something in him snapped.
“Alright, no!” Logan spun around and marched right for the pony that had dropped them; a mint green unicorn with a harp on her flank. She started to back up, but Logan kept storming over to her. As her flank hit the wall, several ponies gasped and backed off themselves. Fluttershy herself covered her eyes, whimpering. The mare looked around for help, but Logan had her cornered. 
“You got a problem with me?” Logan demanded. 
The mare flinched like he struck her, but she didn’t run. “N…Uh…” she stammered.
“Speak up!” he barked.
“No!” she yelped, causing everyone to flinch themselves. “No, I don’t.”
“Then why are you staring at me?” Logan demanded.
She shakily raised a hoof to point at his paws. “D… Do you have… well… I mean, are you…?” She took a breath as he backed off slightly. “You’re from Earth, right? The human place?”
“Why?” Logan said cautiously.
“So…” she looked down at his paws again. “Do you have… hands?”
Logan gave her a deadpan look that screamed ‘Are you serious?’He raised his paws. “Paws, genius,” he replied.
“Paws?” she muttered, disappointment flickering across her face. 
“Paws,” Logan repeated, wiggling the small digits. As he did that, she locked on his paws with a new look. She reached out with one hoof and touched his paw. 
“These are paws?” she asked, feeling at his paw, “They’re like hands… but tinier.” Her hoof pricked against one of his claws, “Oh, and sharp.” 
“Yeah, kinda necessary for defense,” Logan noted, “Like defending against certain horses that aren’t letting go. Right. Now,” he grumbled.
She didn’t comply, continuing to somehow grip his paw and keep him from yanking it away. 
“Paws…” she mumbled with a sigh, “They sound even cuter than hands.” She tilted her head as she noticed something else about his paws, even as Logan started to try and back away. “Wait... does this...?” 
Logan growled and yanked his paw back, “Knock it off!” he snapped.
That got through to her, as she finally let go, causing him to stumble backward. She looked back and forth with both guilt and horror etched on her face. 
“Uh… I…” she glanced at his paws one last time before running off.
Logan glared at where she had gone and spun around at the other ponies staring at him. Instantly, everyone turned away, looking anywhere except at him. Logan sighed, his ears flattening, while Fluttershy walked up next to him. 
“Sorry,” she whispered. He deflated at the piteous tone in her voice. 
“You don’t need to be sorry,” he muttered, turning away, “I just can’t stand this.” He glanced around again, his fur spiking when he caught a glimpse of dark blue, “It feels like I’m surrounded by enemies.”
“No pony’s going to hurt you,” Fluttershy promised, “They may be a little nervous, but… maybe once you give them a chance to get to know you, they’ll come around.” 
“But I don’t want to ‘get to know them,’” Logan said, “I just want to go back to my pack. Back to the ones I’m supposed to be around.” 
“Oh,” Fluttershy mumbled, dropping her hoof, “I didn’t know I made you uncomfortable too.”
Logan’s ears flattened at her display, and he sighed.
“Look,” he said, “I appreciate you looking out for me, but truth is… none of this feels right.” He looked around again. “I’m not supposed to be here.” He hung his head. “But… a wolf endures, no matter what. So that’s what I’ll do.” He turned back to where he was going. Thankfully, the thoughts of the other ponies fled his mind when he turned the next corner, and he found himself staring at the strangest contraption he had ever seen.
The building in front of him looked like a giant gingerbread house, even having a small cupcake perched on the top. But the scent that came from it…
Wolves already have heightened senses of smell, so the sugary sweet stench of the store hit him like an uppercut. It took all he had not to snap his head back like he’d actually been punched.
“Logan?” Fluttershy exclaimed in worry as he fell back, clutching at his nose, “Are you alright.”
“I’m fine, just…” Logan wrinkled his nose and flattened his ears as the scent of pure sugar continued to ravage his nostrils. “By the White Wolf, how do you guys live with that?”
“W-What’s wrong with it?” Fluttershy asked, glancing at the gingerbread house with confusion.
“That stench!” Logan insisted, covering his nose.
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, “That’s Sugarcube Corner; it’s a bakery.” 
“It’s… so sweet,” Logan insisted, “It’s like I’m breathing pure sugar…” He briefly paused as a thought occurred to him. “Does Pinkie Pie… live here?”
Fluttershy nodded. Logan huffed.
“No wonder she’s so hyper.”
“If the smell’s too strong for you,” Fluttershy started to say, “I could…”
“No,” Logan said, shaking his head despite the scent still making him want to cringe, “No, I’m good.” He forced himself forward, resisting the urge to gag.
Fluttershy watched him go every step of the way with mounting panic in her eyes. Logan wasn’t sure what was causing her to get so worked up, but his need for defiance drove him onward. He couldn’t be cowering and whimpering like he had against that dream monster. He needed to show strength. He needed to show that he wasn’t broken. He needed…
“Logan, wait!” Fluttershy said as he finally reached the door, “I should’ve told you, but Pinkie Pie made me promise…” She paused, looking fearfully at the bakery. Logan tilted his head and looked back at the window, where he briefly saw a pink angry face glaring at Fluttershy before it ducked out of sight. 
“What?” he asked, the sugar clouding his mind, “Is something bad in here?” 
Before Fluttershy could explain, Logan took a giant breath and nudged the door open, getting another blast of that sickly-sweet stench. At first, empty darkness greeted him. The building looked closed. 
But then the lights flashed on. And he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
It came flashing back; that same barrel pressed to his head. The humans trying to punish him for his continued defiance!
He let out a strangled scream before smashing into the gun, throwing the master aside. He had to be back in that field. But… wait! Where were the humans? 
No time to care about that; he saw dark blue again. It had to be that raging alicorn, come to punish him some more. Or maybe brainwash him like the Man of Shadows had done. He had to get out. He had to get his pack out!
But where was the cage door? Where was his pack? He spun around, seeing a closed door. He had to bash it open. He had to get to freedom. He surged towards the doors and busted them wide open. It was a tad easier than he expected, but he had no time for doubt. He could hear the screams of his hunters behind him.
Odd. They sounded suspiciously like they were calling his real name. 
They must have figured out his name! Names have power, and they hoped to use that power over him no doubt!
Logan barely had time to wait for his pack mates. He tore out onto the street, his nose seeking out any sort of sanctuary.
‘Show no fear and show no pain,’ his father had said. But what happened when there was a fight he couldn’t win? He poured on the speed, trying to stamp down his father’s words in the name of an escape he could muster. He tore his way to freedom…
Wait… why were there more buildings around here? He was supposed to be out in an open field.
Where were his pack? They had been right beside him.
Why were there horses everywhere?
Bit by bit, Logan’s senses returned to him. He slowed to a stop, the bakery and whoever had been aiming that cannon at him gone. But Logan could still hear their calls faintly.
“Logan!”
Logan ducked behind one of the houses as he heard galloping. He peeked out from the shadows as Rainbow Dash and Twilight rounded the corner.
“Dang, that wolf’s fast,” Rainbow Dash commented.
“Just find him,” Twilight said, “And be careful; if that was what I think it was…”
“What you think it was?” Rainbow Dash demanded, “He broke Sugarcube Corner’s door. Just hurled it across the street! I mean, how old is he? What was that?”
Twilight shuddered. “PTSD. Shining Armor told me that it affected a few guards after Chrysalis’ attack. He must have seen something pretty traumatic, and something in there triggered him.”
Rainbow Dash groaned, “I knew it was a mistake for Pinkie to use the party cannon on him. I mean, she fought Changelings with that.”
Logan covered his mouth, keeping his gasp quiet. 
“Let’s just find him so he can explain his actions,” Twilight said. 
They took off again, leaving Logan to fume in anger and rage. 
She shot me with a cannon?His mind thought mutinously. I apologized for the promise, and she just SHOOTS ME?!  
He had been a fool. These ponies weren’t his friends. His friends – his pack – were far away from here, in danger from very real cannons. Things that wouldn’t just leave a patch of already drying, sticky sweet batter on his shoulder. Things that would kill them. He needed to get back to them. He needed to… 
His ears pricked as he managed to make it out: a high-pitched keel of laughter. A type of laughter he knew only too well. 
The laughter of a human master enjoying his cruel treatment of a slave. 
The very thought of someone forcing their will onto someone else – even in this world - made Logan’s blood boil. His fur spiked and his hackles bared. His original thoughts still called for him, reminding him of his pack, but he forced them aside for now. Even if he found a way back, he wasn’t going to leave someone else in the same position. No one – not even these ponies - deserved that kind of treatment. 
Tracing the sound, he moved between the shadows of a house and tree, his nose and ears snapping out of the funk his panic attack had left them in to better track his target.
“Well-well-well,” he made out, “How obvious coming from a blank flank.” 
The moment the words registered, Logan felt like grabbing the voice’s owner and tearing their throat out. The vocal poison that stung his ears was laced with so much contempt, arrogance and – worse of all – smug overconfidence that it made him sick. 
He picked up his pace, and soon found the source under a tree across the street: a single, cream colored filly with a bright red mane and an even brighter red bow was cornered against the tree by two other fillies. One was silvery gray with a white mane, and the other was a light pink. The contemptuous voice, followed by another round of high-pitched giggling, was coming from the two fillies. Logan shivered in rage at the contemptuous cackling, before making his way closer. 
“Lame~!” the two fillies chorused, “But what should we expect, coming from a blank flank.” They tittered again, as their victim noticed Logan coming up behind them.
“D-Diamond Tiara,” the filly whispered, pointing behind them.
“Oh, what’s the matter now, blank flank?” one of the girls asked, “Trying to distract us from your rampant idiocy?”
“Well, it isn’t gonna work,” her crony replied. 
Before they could burst into another round of giggles, Logan let a guttural growl bubble up from his throat. 
He felt a stoic pleasure as the two bullies froze, their ears pricking up and their tails tucking between their legs. Slowly – insultingly slow – they turned around, their irises shrinking to pinpricks as they took in the sight of the wolf behind them. 
Logan may have been a pup, but he was still able to match height with the Mane Six. Meaning he was more than tall enough to tower above the fillies. 
He could see them begin to tremble. A wolfish grin spread across his snout. The motion alone was enough to send the grey one to her haunches.
“W-Who are you?” the silver pony whimpered, “P-Please don’t eat me!” 
“M-Mare up, Silver Spoon,” the other filly snapped, trying to control her own trembling. “This thing isn’t going to eat you.” She glared up at the wolf with a snobbish tilt of her head. “Listen here, dog…”
Logan’s ear twitched as the D-word reached his ear.
“…Let’s get something straight,” the pink pony continued to boast, “You lay an ugly claw on me or Silver Spoon, and my father will…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Logan stretched a paw out, and rested it right on Diamond Tiara’s snout. Despite himself, Logan’s thoughts couldn’t resist going, ‘Boop.’
For a second, Diamond Tiara stared at the paw touching her nose. Her face turned beet red. 
“How… DARE YOU!?” she shrieked, jarring his paw loose, “You’re gonna get it now! I’m going right to my father, and when he hears what you…”
SNAP!
They didn’t even see it coming. One minute, his hackles were bared. The next, Diamond Tiara had pulled a 180, shrieking her head off as his teeth snapped mere inches from the snout he had just booped. The two fillies took off down the road, screaming all the way. 
Logan watched them go with a growl, though his growl and expression faded as he glanced at the filly.  She was staring at him in fear, but also in a bit of awe. The fear dwindled as his lips hid his teeth and his expression became friendlier. 
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded, her mouth agape in shock. He glanced back at where the bullies had gone. 
“Why did you let them treat you like that?” he asked, “Why didn’t you fight back?” 
Her awed expression faded, and she glared down at where they had gone. 
“I-If I fight back,” her voice grew with confidence, “That just makes me as bad as them.”
Logan tilted his head, ignoring the pounding of his heart as he remembered; her voice was the same southern one he had heard when he first arrived. Apple Bloom, he remembered. 
“Don’t you have parents?” he asked, “A pack? Some pony that can help you?”
“Well, sure,” Apple Bloom replied, “But my big sister… she always tells me to ignore it; that it’s just teasing.” Despite herself, Apple Bloom didn’t sound convinced.
Logan huffed. “Sticks and stones can break bones, but words don’t hurt, right?”
She nodded.
“Well,” Logan said somberly, “They’re free to think that, up until words cause people to get depressed, lose faith in themselves… and do really horrible things out of hopelessness.”
Apple Bloom’s ears flared. “Have… you done that too?”
Logan’s ears flared. “You’ve already done something?” he asked. 
Apple Bloom fidgeted. “Well… they tease me a lot for not having a cutie mark.” She indicated her bare flank, where Logan vaguely remembered the others having some sort of odd picture. “So, I found this weird potion that was supposed to get me one. But then, it just kept marking me and marking me, and I got all these weird urges to keep doing stranger and bigger stuff until…” she shuddered, “I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it.”
Logan’s tail tucked in horror and sympathy. His eyes darted up, and he noticed Rainbow Dash high above the clouds. Any second, she would see him, and he’d probably have to contend with her hooves again. Despite that...
“Listen to me,” he said to Apple Bloom, “You are way better than either of those brats. And you don’t need a mark to prove that. Don’t ever let ponies or anyone else like them get to you. And don’t think that rules or regulations should keep you from being a pushover.” He pawed the ground before her. “If some pony tries to push you down, you push back. Whether you’re more comfortable with words or force, don’t let them ever make you feel like you’re less than what you are.” 
With that, he spun on his paw and walked away, his original objective returning to him.  He couldn’t stay in this place. He needed to get back to his pack.
“Wait,” the filly yelled. He paused. “W-Who are you? I mean, I know yer that wolf we found, but…”
“Logan,” he replied with a soft grin, “Name’s Logan. And you, Apple Bloom,” his tail wagged as she registered that he knew her name, “You’re a lot stronger than you think you are. Don’t let any pony tell you otherwise.” He turned a corner, leaving the filly staring after him. 
His walk quickly transitioned into a duck into cover. Rainbow Dash had sighted down on him. Even now, he could see her flying closer, her rose eyes sighted down on him like a homing missile. Logan backed up in his hiding place, already snarling in anger… before a golden aura enveloped him and yanked him even further back.
He tried to fight, but his limbs were locked in the field. He was pulled around another corner as Rainbow Dash looked around, confusion replacing the anger that had been on her face.
“Sleep!” a voice, very familiar, ordered Logan. Before he could say a word, his body responded, his eyes suddenly growing heavy.
His last thought was, Isn’t that the mint green unicorn with the tomatoes?Then everything went dark.