//------------------------------//
// Get to the Vet 
// Story: A Pup Named Fenrir 
// by MisterEdd 
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The rest of the afternoon was quite uneventful, spent mostly in the shade conversing with my new...friends? Acquaintances? Potential future meals? Anyway, I found Owlowicious was well-mannered, if a bit insufferable, flexing his knowledge about educated topics like art and literature. Sure, rub it in my illiterate face, why don't you? Then again, at least he wasn't a total buzzkill like Gummy, whose negative philosophical musings and frequent non sequiturs made my head hurt. 

But by far, the worst of the lot was undoubtedly Opal. Every word that came out of her faux Prench mouth was like a spike being driven into my eardrums. Owlowicious and Gummy may've discussed topics that went over the rest of our heads but at least they knew when to wrap it up and allow others the chance to actually get a word in edgewise. Opal, on the other hand, had a mouth like a babbling brook: an ever-flowing cascade of words that steadily wore down everything around it. She droned on and on about herself or rumors she heard, obtained from her owner or a group of alley cats that hung out by the boutique she lived in. At least I was secure in the knowledge that I wasn't the only one suffering.

"Ahnd zen Roseluck tahld Rarity zat Bon Bon tahld her zat Lyra was laying down a trahp to cahtch a 'humahn', wheech wahs really just a hole cahvered by leaves weeth some sour cream ahnd onion hay-chips as bait. Poor Lyra is steell convinced zat zese 'humahns' are hiding out in ze Everfree Forest ahnd come out aht night to rearrange her cabinets. Wheech is cahmpletely reediculous, of course-..."

Winona, bless her heart, immediately put us all out of our collective misery. Of course, putting Opal out of her misery would've been preferable but I will take what few gifts I can get.  
  
"Yeah, tha's, er, quite th' story there, Opal. Very thought-provokin' an' such."

"Oh, zank you so very much, my dear," Opal beamed proudly. "You know, I've often been tahld zat I ahm a geefted stahrytellair."

Yes, I'm sure Ponyville owes you a debt of gratitude for your mouth's aid in keeping the local cat population from exploding by driving toms into jumping into oncoming wagon wheels.  

"Stories are the building blocks from which civilization springs," Gummy stated rather abruptly. "Every deed, every act, whether witnessed or recorded later on, is what drives sentient beings to take risks and thus supersede their predecessors. Nature is conflict and competition."  

I'd consider later eating the reptile or stomping on him, but his eyes just freak me out. 

They're just so...empty.

So Fen," Tank began. "What's your story?"

"My what?"

"Everyone has a story," Owlowicious elaborated. "Each of us has within us a tale, an account of where we've been and where we're going. Where are you from?"

"A forest far away from here. I used to live there with my mother, my brother and my sister. I don't remember much of it but I know we were happy." 

It was amazing how easily the truth slipped out of me. I thought that I was going to have to resort to deception but this was so much more effortless than lying. An old ache developed in my chest, a pain I'd not felt in centuries. Could this be regret? Funny, I wasn't familiar with the emotion, as I didn't spend much time thinking about my former life in Járnvið with my family.    

"Was it hunters? Ah heard there's-a poacher problem inna west." 

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied rather brusquely. As much as I liked holding Winona's attention, this was a subject I wasn't ready to get into. "It's in the past, so let it stay there."   

Angel looked as though he was going to say something when Fluttershy came trotting over.

"Hi everyone. I hate to interrupt you but we really must be going. Come on, Angel and Fen." 

I was thankful for the intrusion, as things were getting a little too heavy for my taste. Fluttershy waved goodbye to her friends while Angel and I said our goodbyes to the pets. I made sure to bid Winona a fond farewell, something that caused her equal parts flattery and disgust. I chuckled at this and threw her a wink as we departed, causing her cheeks to turn a delightful shade of red. 

One day, my dear, one day you shall be mine.

Instead of the cottage, however, Fluttershy brought Angel and I to some white brick building. I inquired about this and the yellow pegasus informed me that this was a veterinarian's office. Apparently, this was where animals who were sick or injured were brought to be healed. This was intriguing to me, as they not only had this kind of service but that it was available to the general public. It then dawned on me that something had to be amiss if we were visiting such a place.

Fluttershy shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with you, Fen. I just want to make sure you're healthy so we're here for what's known as 'a check-up.'"

I was a tad wary but I allowed her to guide me inside. 

While Angel flipped through a month-old magazine, Fluttershy carried me into a small examination room with blue wallpaper covered in bones. After a few minutes had passed, an earth pony mare entered the room, her white coat reeking from the scents of dozens of different animals. She had a yellow coat darker than Fluttershy's, her mane a light blue with a light grayish blue streak running through it. This must've been the "veterinarian" Fluttershy mentioned and though she had a kindly face and friendly demeanor, I couldn't stop fidgeting. Call me paranoid but I'd learned a long time ago not to trust others so easily. 

"Good afternoon, Fluttershy. What brings you here today?"

"Hello, Dr. Fauna. I found this wolf pup wandering the Everfree and I thought you could give him a check-up."

The mare pulled some kind of instrument out of her coat, which resembled a small metal rod with a black horizontal tube on the top. I shied away when she approached but calmed down at Fluttershy's comforting touch on my back. I couldn't see what was happening but Dr. Fauna apparently stuck the tube into my ear, for what purpose, I didn't know. She then scribbled something down on a piece of paper and next withdrew a tiny, thin piece of wood. Again, I tensed up but as before, Fluttershy rubbed her hoof along my back and I started to relax as Dr. Fauna prompted me to open my mouth. 

 "Say, 'Ah!'"

"Raghawahwah?

She stuck the piece of wood onto my hanging tongue and I couldn't help but shiver at the taste. Thankfully, it didn't last long and Dr. Fauna discarded the wood into a nearby trash-bin. She took more notes and turned to Fluttershy. 

 "In the Everfree, you say? That's odd. There are no wolves native to this area."  

"Zecora said the same thing. Fen here has apparently been wandering around alone. Do you know where he could've come from?" 

Dr. Fauna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "There are some wolf packs in White Tail Woods, Macintosh Hills, and the Unicorn Mountain Range. It's possible that his pack was moving and he became separated." 

The veterinarian prodded at my open mouth and this time, I decided to cooperate without Fluttershy's calming influence. Dr. Fauna inspected my teeth and gums, once again jotting something down. She took more notes as she looked over my paws and, to my own embarrassment, lifted up my tail to study my backside and genitals. Having collected the right amount of data, the good doctor nodded and scribbled at her notepad in a somewhat energetic manner. It was very rare times like these that I regretted never learning how to read. 

"That is fascinating..." 

"What is it, Doctor?" 

"You can tell a canine's age by inspecting their teeth. Notice how Fen's teeth are still a pristine white? This would make him approximately six to seven weeks old, and yet, judging by his size, he's at least three months." 

Fluttershy turned pale. "Is that bad?"

"Well, Fen could have some sort of advanced bone growth or a hormonal disorder. By all accounts, he appears completely healthy. I've never seen anything like this before."  

"What should I do?"

Retrieving a small sticky pad, Dr. Fauna began writing something down. 

"The cause may be mystical in nature; there is errant magic in certain areas of Equestria, which can impact the local wildlife. If this is indeed the case, I would suggest taking him to see a thaumaturgy specialist. In the meantime, try placing him on a nutritional management regiment. Some skeletal diseases can be handled through dieting and selective nutrient feedings. Try not to overfeed him, cut down on high-calorie and protein foods, and this should halt the process." 

Dr. Fauna tore off a sheet and gave it to Fluttershy. 

"He's still growing so it is important that both the type of food he's eating as well as the quantity of it are kept under wraps. There are certain meals that have the right amount of calories, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus. Avoid multivitamin supplements, added fat and sodium. Introduce more zinc and copper into his diet and he should be good to go." 

I had no idea what was coming out of that mare's mouth but she appeared to know what she was talking about and Fluttershy seemed to trust her so that was good enough for now.

"Thank you, Dr. Fauna. I'll let you know what happens."

We exited the examination room and were soon joined by Angel.

"So what's the verdict?"

I peered down at him. "I have a growth problem or whatever." 

"Well, you are getting a little big in the middle." 

That night, I dreamt of a roast rabbit turning on a spit.