The Lone Wolf of Equestria

by JNKing


Chapter 16: Common Ground

Logan limped along the dirt trail he had found. His time in the forest had allowed him to discern certain scents, and from the vestiges of his memory, he managed to pluck out Celestia’s scent, making out a faint trail that she seemed to use regularly to get to and from Ponyville. The scent was hard to read, but Logan’s determination paid off, and he soon found himself following what could only be described as a scent of sunlight and sparkles, hopefully taking him in the right direction to where she had stolen him.
As he came across another town, he noticed a few ponies giving him curious looks. A single hostile growl dissuaded their curiosity, and they left him in peace.
Except for one; just outside the town, Pinkie stood, her eyes shut, and her hooves up like she was meditating. Logan halted in his tracks; she was right on the road ahead, and from the looks of things, she was only moving to breath.
His eyes darted from side to side. No sign of her friends, but his heart didn’t stop pounding. His ears flattened and he let out a warning growl. Pinkie didn’t even flinch at the sound.
His growl sounded louder.
Not a peep or a wince came from the pink mare.
Giving one more growl as a warning he was not to be trifled with, Logan began to inch closer; moving to go around her. His growl heightened in pitch as he drew closer and closer, yet she seemed to be in her own little world.
His growl fading to a huff, Logan strode past her, but kept his eye on her. She hadn’t moved; it didn’t seem possible that such a normally hyper mare could sit so still, even with what had happened between them. She was up to something, and he knew it.
But before he could start up his growl again, she finally took a deep breath… and spoke.
“You were right,” she said, with conviction and determination.
His growl ceased completely. His ears and tail perked up. Pinkie paused, her own ears flicking nervously, but she pressed on.
“What Princess Celestia did was wrong, and Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were wrong to attack you the way they did.”
She paused again, and Logan swore he heard Twilight scream. But the sound was distant; far away from them. And it was drowned out by Pinkie’s voice again.
“Dashie… I love her, but her fighting you was wrong.” Pinkie turned around. “Princess Celestia collaring you was wrong… and…” she bowed her head in shame. “Me shooting you was really-really wrong.” She sighed. “We’re used to being the ones in the right, and we didn’t think about how it must have felt for you.”
Logan’s ear flicked.
“I don’t know about the others, but I just wish you knew how sorry I am for all of that.” She looked down. “Especially for my own mistakes.”
Logan’s ears flattened at her use of the word ‘sorry.’
“Sorry you did it?” he asked, “Or sorry you got called out for it.”
“Sorry I did it,” Pinkie insisted, her voice cracking, “Why would I just be sorry for getting called out for it?”
“I said I was sorry for breaking my promise,” he said. He shook his head, “And you shot me, right after you claimed to forgive me.” His tail tucked and he glanced away, his ears drooping. Then his gaze hardened, and he turned his back on her.
“It made you think that I was still holding it over you?” Pinkie asked.
Logan didn’t say anything, but he didn’t walk away either.
Pinkie looked down, ashamed. “I guess I thought the same thing you’re thinking now. That you were just trying to make yourself feel better.”
“That’s why I don’t say sorry that often,” Logan said, “So many people just say they’re sorry so they’ll feel better about themselves, instead of making it clear they want to atone.” He looked up, “When I say it, I want it to mean something.”
“And I crushed that?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Logan looked down, his own ears drooping. “I mean, if you weren’t going to accept forgiveness from me, then why should I accept forgiveness from you?”
“But I did forgive you,” she whimpered, “I didn’t want to hurt you or make you feel betrayed.”
“Why should I believe you?” Logan replied. “Why should I trust your word… when your actions spoke way louder than you ever could.”
Pinkie was silent for a minute.
“What I did was wrong.” She repeated, on the verge of tears. “I was just thinking about how it would startle you. I didn’t think about what might have happened to you; how scary getting shot could be for wolves.” She looked back down at the dirt. “All I could think was that you didn’t know what a Pinkie Promise was; how sacred they are.” She sighed. “I should have realized how different wolves are from ponies.”
Logan waited until she was done. When he spoke, it was in an even tone. “Even among wolves, loyalty and honesty are huge. We’re expected to keep our word on promises and things like that. Even if I didn’t know how sacred a Pinkie Promise is, it was still wrong for me to skip out like I did.” He looked back. “I really did regret that.”
Pinkie grinned a bit. “Aw, thanks, Logan, but I already forgave you for that. We all make mistakes.”
“Didn’t stop you from shooting me,” Logan growled before he could stop himself. He let out a bark of frustration at Pinkie’s sad look and stomped away.
“Logan?” Pinkie asked. Logan still didn’t look at her, but this time, his body was hunched; more shame than anger. “Logan, please… if you want me to…?” He looked back as she indicated her arms, and jumped up in shock before she could suddenly pull out some sort of knife or something to cut herself with.
“No,” he said instantly. “Don’t do that to yourself.”
“But why?” Pinkie asked, now confused. “I thought you were still mad at me?”
“I’m not that cruel, Pinkie Pie,” he said, slightly irritated, “I’m just…” His ears flattened, and his own voice started to crack. “I’m tired of always being the one in the wrong; the one that people can look down on and mock for being different.”
“Wolves do that?” Pinkie asked, horrified.
“Not wolves, humans,” Logan replied, “Ever since my grandma’s days. It’s in their nature to want some sort of power to hold over you. And no matter how hard my kind fought, Earth was always human territory. Best I’ve done is don’t let my mistakes show. Don’t show fear; look pain and death in the eye and make it blink. And only show regret when it’s with someone who’ll understand.”
Pinkie’s mane fluffed up a tiny bit. “You really trusted me to apologize like that?”
“I thought I could,” he mumbled. “Too bad I was wrong.”
Pinkie flinched at that, and her mane promptly deflated. “I’m sorry for betraying that.” She paused. “And… I know you hate that L-word, but… your dad…”
Logan looked away.
“I didn’t mean to make you remember that. And… I’m also sorry if saying that you ‘love’ him is insulting. To us, it means that you care a lot about him; that you can’t imagine life without him. And, if it means something more… hurtful, in your world, I’m…” She sighed. “Well, I suppose saying 'sorry' over and over isn’t going to be enough. So, you know what? I can start by helping you find Canterlot.”
“Canterlot?” Logan asked.
“It’s where Celestia lives.” Pinkie pointed up at a castle, set into the side of a mountain.
“Huh,” Logan noted.
“And when we get there,” Pinkie continued, “I’ll talk to Princess Celestia myself. I’ll beg, cry, even get the other girls help if I have to. But I won’t stop until she at least tries to send you back.”
Logan’s ears perked up completely, and he turned back to her. “You’d… be willing to do that for me?” he asked.
“If it helps,” Pinkie insisted. “I wanted to be friends, Logan. I wanted us to go on adventures together, like me and my friends do. But I don’t want you to be miserable here.” She looked down at her heart. “Even if it doesn’t mean anything to you, I’m the Element of Laughter. Of Joy. And it always makes me sad to see anyone miserable or hurting. So… if getting you home will make you happy, then I’ll do it. And even if Celestia can send you home immediately, and we don’t get a chance to talk again before she does, then I want you to know that it was great to know you. Even if we had some rocky parts in our, well…”
“Friendship?”
Pinkie winced, like she expected Logan to start saying how they weren’t friends, but he didn’t. His tail just started to wag, and he gave a small smile.
“I do have one question, though,” Pinkie noted.
“Yeah?”
“If Princess Celestia can’t send you home,” Pinkie paused, trying to gauge his reaction. “What would you think about that?”
Logan sighed, his smile fading. “Pinkie, before I answer that, I want you to know something.”
“Uh-huh?”
“I don’t hate you.”
As Pinkie’s jaw dropped in relieved shock, Logan held out a paw.
“Don’t let it get to your head,” he warned. As Pinkie visibly kept herself calm, Logan continued, “I don’t hate any of you guys. Except for Celestia... for obvious reasons. But… I don’t belong here. No matter how nice you guys are; no matter what you do to make me feel welcome… my place is with my own kind. And whether that’s here or on Earth, I don’t belong anywhere else except with my pack.” He looked down. “My dad may be gone, but I still have my Mom. Carol. Darius. I don’t want to lose them too.”
Pinkie was silent for a minute, but then nodded. “I understand that,” she said. She looked away. The two were silent again for a moment. “They’re lucky to have you,” she added with a smile.
Logan smiled at that, and the two continued on their journey.
“So…” Logan asked, “How are you getting us to Canterlot?”
"Shortcuts," Pinkie declared, unfurling a passageway under a stone. "You'd be able to find your way there, but it'd take a really-really long time. This way, we'll be able to meet up with the others.”
“’Others?’” Logan asked.
“Oh, duh,” Pinkie said cheekily, her old cheery attitude returning, “I forgot to tell you. Twilight and the others raced off to Canterlot in case you ran there. They’re probably waiting for us right now.”
"Huh," Logan pondered. "They really think I'd be able to make the journey?"
"If there's one thing we've learned about you, Mr. Logan," Pinkie replied happily, "It's that you live, breath and probably eat determination."
Logan snickered, though his tail didn't untuck. "Well, then," he said, glancing at the passageway with trepidation. "I better be ready for another round of 'yell at the wolf.'"
“Don’t you worry, my furry friend,” Pinkie declared, her color returning, “Fluttershy’s definitely on your side, and I’ll make the others see reason.” For emphasis, she unfurled a massive ribbon with the word ‘reason’ written across it. The act got Logan’s tail to wag again.
“Alright then, Pinkie Pie,” he said, restraining a slight chuckle. “Let's see where this 'shortcut' takes us.”
Pinkie tapped her hooves together in glee, and bounced into the passageway, Logan following behind her, though he kept an uncertain glare on her. They landed in a dark tunnel. Logan's eyes narrowed, staying on Pinkie in case she suddenly turned around and tried to... he wasn't sure. Skin him or something.
They walked for about a second before Pinkie got a new glint in her eye.
“Back to the pack,” she noted, “Did any pony ever mention that rhymes?”
“Does it… need to rhyme?” he asked uncertainty.
“Nah,” Pinkie admitted, “But if you were named something like Mac, or Jack…” She paused, then gasped. “Back to the pack, Werewolf Jack?” Pinkie nodded, bouncing again, “I LOVE it!”
She started singing:
Gotta get back; back to the pack; yeah, Werewolf Jack. Watch out! Jack-Back! Smack-Whack-bah-Back; back to the pack; back to the pack, yeah, Werewolf Jack!”
She paused, glancing at Logan, before he shrugged, tilted his head up and started singing along with her.
“Gotta get back; back to the pack, yeah, Werewolf Jack! W-Watch out!”
Together, the mare and the wolf bounced down the tunnel, singing and howling together. And as they headed for Canterlot, Logan felt a certain weight lifting off his chest. Like he had been holding something back for so long, and now it was finally free.

#

Logan was half sure he was walking into a trap. That Pinkie was just going to take him right back to the others so they could yell at him some more... at best. Sure, he could just walk away, but something else told him that Pinkie wasn’t the type to outright lie to him. Plus, if she was telling the truth, he could actually have a real chance at seeing his pack again.
And as it turned out, going with her was the right call: in less than ten minutes, he found himself staring up at the gates to Canterlot.
“Halt!” one of several guards yelled, a few holding spears pointed down at him.
“Hi there!” Pinkie called up to them with a wave.
“The Element of Laughter?” another guard asked.
“Yeah,” Pinkie said, “We’re here on official Element business. The other Elements should be waiting for us.”
The guards glanced at each other, but the biggest one gave a nod.
“Let em through!”
The guards lowered their spears, and the gates opened for Logan.
Logan soon found himself looking down a massive street lined with stalls. Ponies – mostly unicorns – were walking about, a few shooting curious glances at Logan before turning their heads away.
Yet there were five ponies that didn’t turn away. Five very familiar mares that walked towards them.
Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash still looked slightly irritated, but as they locked eyes with Logan, the irritation faded to regret. Fluttershy and Rarity’s gazes were just concerned.
Fluttershy raced for them, but before Logan could stop her, Pinkie raced between them.
“Girls,” she said. “I talked to Logan. Like… really-really talked to him. And…”
Logan stopped her with a paw on her shoulder. She glanced over at him, but he gave her an assuring nod, trying to ignore the guilt in his system, before standing next to her.
“I didn’t ask to come here,” he told the mares. “I had no desire to be taken from my kind. That was on Celestia.”
His claw lowered, as he saw resigned irritation again flash across Twilight’s eyes.
"That being said,” he continued, his stance becoming less defiant, “What Celestia did wasn’t on you guys. Granted, you guys had your own problems, but I shouldn’t have blamed you for her mistakes on top of everything.”
He turned to Twilight.
“Sparkle,” he began, “I understand Celestia means a lot to you. And I appreciate your attempts to make sure my pack knew Celestia’s intentions.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Even if you were rather odd about it.”
As Twilight’s irritation faded, she sighed.
“Yeah,” she said, “I’m sorry for how I acted. I really enjoy learning about others, though… I guess I need to work on actually getting to know others, rather than just learning about their species.”
“Well,” Logan replied, “Hopefully, that lesson will stick.” At Twilight’s nod, he turned to Rainbow Dash, and the two glared at each other for a moment. As Pink glared at Dash as well, Dash glanced away from him first, giving a small sigh.
“I’m sorry for fighting you, dude,” she admitted, “Even if you were being… well… it wasn’t right for me to escalate things like that.”
Logan nodded. “Defending your pack,” he admitted. “That’s respectable.” His eyes narrowed. “Attacking in the name of your pack, though? Not so respectable.”
Rainbow Dash huffed, but nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “’M sorry for that.”
Logan gave a cautious nod, and turned to Applejack.
“Apple Bloom is lucky to have you, Applejack,” he said, “It’s not easy losing parents.”
Applejack just shook her head.
“It ain’t,” Applejack said softly. “I wish I hadn’t given you a reason to run away with what happened with Celestia and all.” She looked up at him with big green eyes. “I’m truly sorry for that.”
Logan nodded before turning to Rarity. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, unsure of what to say.
“Your jacket was amazing, Rarity,” Logan finally said, “I wish I hadn’t thrown it away.”
Rarity gave a knowing grin. “Well, you don’t think I would throw something that meant so much to you away, did you?” she asked, before unfurling his jacket from her saddlebag, and handing it back to him.
Logan accepted it with a nod. “Thank you,” he said.
With their peace said, Logan turned to Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy…” he began, but she raised a hoof.
“I understand, Logan,” she said softly, “I was never angry or frustrated; I was just sad that you seemed so lost and alone.” She looked down. “I… don’t have the best relationship with my parents. Or my brother,” she added with a sideways look. “I’ve always considered Twilight and my friends my pack. And I’m sorry if that…”
“If they’re your pack, then you shouldn’t have to feel sorry,” Logan said, “It was… naïve of me to think that every pack was the same.” He nuzzled her softly. “You deserve to have people you care about.”
As Fluttershy resisted the urge to hug him, Logan finally turned to Pinkie, who looked like she was trying not to fly into pieces.
“And Pinkie Pie…” Logan said, before taking a huge breath. “I thought you were holding my mistake over my head, but it wasn’t fair for me to do the same to you.” His ears flicked as he lay a paw on her shoulder. “I really despise pranks… and I’m not that interested in parties or cakes… but I do forgive you.”
Pinkie’s mane somehow fluffed up and deflated in the same moment. Ultimately, it opted for its usual fluff, and she gave a soft “Thank you,” in response.
Logan turned back to the others.
“So… yeah,” he concluded. “This doesn’t give you guys permission to walk all over me, but I’m sorry for how I acted.”
Twilight nodded. “And we’re all sorry for how we acted too.”
“And we’re going to make up for it,” Pinkie added with a look at the others, “By talking to Princess Celestia.”
“We are?” Rainbow Dash asked, before a nudge from Fluttershy caused her to straighten. “I mean, yeah, we are.”
Logan tilted his head. “You don’t all have to if you don’t want to.” He glanced in particular at Twilight. “I may not like Celestia, but I know you care about her, Sparkle. I don’t want to see you get in trouble with her.” Twilight shook her head.
“It’s not fair to say you were completely in the wrong,” Twilight admitted, even though she still looked conflicted about it. “It’s like you said; I care a lot about Princess Celestia.” She gave a huge breath. “But none of us thought about how you were feeling.”
“I’ll admit,” Rainbow Dash said, “If I got yanked from my friends and family by some higher power, I’d probably be pretty upset too.”
“And…” Pinkie offered to her friends hopefully.
Twilight smiled at her friend. “Yes, Pinkie,” she said, “We’ll take you to Princess Celestia; and we’ll ask her together if she can send you home yet.”
Logan’s tail wagged, though his head ducked slightly. “Despite… everything?” he asked, briefly noticed an odd music in the air.
“We all make mistakes,” Twilight assured him, “But learning from those mistakes helps us grow and better ourselves. Not just you, but all of us. Ponies and wolves.”
Then, to Logan’s surprise, the music swelled, and Twilight began to sing.

“I never claimed to be perfect, my mistakes are all written in ink.

None of us claim to be perfect, and I’m sorry if that’s what you think.

Our flaws have to make us special; they bond us and keep us strong.

Our flaws are what brought us together, so don’t worry – there’s plenty wrong.”

Suddenly, all six mares jumped into a group and sang together.

We’re not flawless; we’re a work in progress,

We’ve got dents and we’ve got quirks, but it’s our flaws that make us work.

Yeah!

We’re not flawless, we’re a work in progress

So, tell me, what flaws you got too, cause I still like what’s flawed about you.”

Rainbow Dash then stepped up to the center.

“They say I’m a big shot,” she sang, “That my ego’s the size of a whale.

“My confidence comes off as cocky, but it gives me the courage to fail.”

Rarity stepped up.

“Sure, I can be a drama queen; a bit stuck up, it’s true.

Yet perfection is all I seek; the best I can offer to you.”

The ponies jumped back together, as Logan tilted his head, his tail wagging as he started bopping with the beat.

We’re not flawless; we’re a work in progress,

We’ve got dents and we’ve got quirks, but it’s our flaws that make us work.

Yeah!

We’re not flawless, we’re a work in progress

So, tell me, what flaws you got too, cause I still like what’s flawed about you.”

Next up was Pinkie, who bounced into the center.

“Ponies think I’m all bubbles and laughter; that I don’t seem sincere.

I might jump around a little too much, but I’m just so happy you’re here.”

Next was Fluttershy.

It took me a while to be confident; to really come out of my shell.

I’m so glad I had friends like you; to pick me up when I fell.

Again, the group jumped together.

We’re not flawless; we’re a work in progress,

We’ve got dents and we’ve got quirks, but it’s our flaws that make us work.

Yeah!

We’re not flawless, we’re a work in progress

So, tell me, what flaws you got too, cause I still like what’s flawed about you.”

This time, as Applejack jumped in, Logan jumped to her side.

“Yeah, I can be hard-headed at times,” Applejack sang, “There’s such thing as being too honest.”

Logan cut in,

“But wolf and pony compare,” he howled, “In that they always do what they promised.”

The other ponies stared at him in awe as he took center stage.

“My loyalty to my pack made me blind,” he admitted, “Stubborn and too hard to quell.”

Twilight walked to his side, putting a hoof over his back.

“But nobody has to be perfect,” she assured him,“By now don’t you know it so well?”

This time, as the group came together for the final chorus, Logan stood alongside them, foreleg in foreleg with Pinkie and Fluttershy, as they howled their last stanza to the sky.

We’re not flawless; we’re a work in progress,

We’ve got dents and we’ve got quirks, but it’s our flaws that make us work.

Yeah!

We’re not flawless, we’re a work in progress

So, tell me, what flaws you got too, cause I still like what’s flawed about you.”

#

As the song drew to a close, they were unaware of Luna watching them, a hopeful grin gracing her snout.