//------------------------------//
// Surprise! 
// Story: A Pup Named Fenrir 
// by MisterEdd 
//------------------------------//

Once the examination had been completed, Twilight ensured us that she'd do everything in her power to solve this mystery. Fluttershy was certainly hopeful but I wasn't so optimistic; based on my previous life's trajectory, I suppose I'd become a bit jaded. Okay, a lot but you really blame me? In spite of how positive things were looking here in Equestria, I still had that nagging feeling in the back of my head that everything was inevitably going to go wrong. Even Fluttershy's affectionate petting and murmurings of positive affirmations did little to calm my exceedingly restless nerves.

A plethora of questions flooded my mind, far too many to count and this irritated me greatly. It seemed that for every answer I received, two or three questions emerged to vex me. I was thankful, however, that Fluttershy continued to stroke my head and neck, her delicate and surprisingly soft hooves aiding to keep me from completely losing my sanity. I doubt she noticed the subtle glances Twilight threw my way every now and then, the alicorn's face speaking volumes of the suspicion she had to have felt. Would it just be easier to confess the truth, tell her and Fluttershy everything and just hope that they didn't spurn me or lock me up for future experimentation?

I know some of you are screaming, "Yes, oh my god, yes, tell them!" or "If it were me, I would've come clean by now!" Really? You would all tell them the truth if you were in my position? Well let me tell you, it's so easy to make that kind of call as an outside observer but until you've gone through what I have, you'd do best to keep your judgment calls to yourself. 

Spike, apparently being a little burgeoning chef, had baked me some "dog biscuits" based on a recipe he'd been working on. After trying a few-or dozen-of the treats, I found that I'd become instantly endeared to the little dragon. What? I'm a simple creature with simple tastes. Just give me some physical affection and food, and I'm practically yours. 

"Who's a good boy? Yes, you are!" 

Following the dog biscuits, Spike gave me back-scratches and bell rubs, his dexterous little appendages reaching through the thick fur to get at the skin beneath it. Ooooh woooow! Given that I'm surrounded by ponies, I'd almost forgotten how awesome fingers are at scratching those hard-to-reach areas. No offense to Fluttershy, of course but when it comes down to a contest of hooves versus fingers, fingers are going to win every single time.  

"Me, I am!" I affirmed, my tongue lolling out of my mouth. 

Picture this: Fenrir, Devourer of the Allfather and Plague of the Nine Realms, lying on his back while a tiny dragon rubbed his tummy. Should I feel bad that I don't feel bad? Who cares? Belly rubs!

"Fen, it's time to go!"

Curse it all!

"It's okay, Fen," Spike reassured me as I begrudgingly rolled onto my paws. "You'll see me again soon."

I made my way towards the doorway, though not before stopping to repay Spike with a long lick on the cheek. Hey, I know it's gross to you but please bear this in mind: despite my intellect, I am still, at a fundamentally instinctual level, a member of the canis family. This is how we show affection; it's not creepy or sexual, like some of you may think. Shove off. Honestly!

"Aw, you made a new friend. I'm so happy!" 

Fluttershy scratched beneath my chin, already causing me to miss Spike's nimble little claws. Speaking of which, he and Twilight were waving us off when we last saw them, before the door closed, an audible pop sounding off followed by a trickle of purplish light. Huh, well that was a tad odd but I merely chalked it up to Twilight just doing something magic-related and left it at that.

"Well that certainly took longer than I was expecting," Fluttershy commented as we once more made our way through the castle's hallways. In spite of her tone, however, I was then a little wary by the undercurrent of relief. True, she didn't seem to have planned on being here this long but she was far from upset about it. 

"But I'm glad that Twilight was so thorough."  

I regarded my yellow guide suspiciously but said nothing until we neared the exit. My old fears of betrayal had finally bubbled over like a boiling pot and I could no longer muster the strength to continue going without answers. I spared her a sideways glance.  

"Why do you sound glad that the examination was so long?"

Fluttershy stumbled a little but continued her trot, albeit a bit more shakily. 

"Wh-what do you mean, Fen?"

"I mean," I replied with a bit of a growl, "You said it as though you were annoyed but in actuality, you're happy that it worked out that way. Why?" 

Fluttershy slowed her pace, though continued her beeline for the door.

"Fen, there's no reason to raise your voice-..."

"Don't change the subject, Fluttershy. What's going on?" 

Her blue eyes widened, a shaking hoof pushing at the front door.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" 

"Do your friends have something planned for me?"

The mare froze in place, her breath coming out more rapidly.

"I...I don't..."

"Fluttershy..."   

I placed a paw against the door's surface. Fluttershy slowly turned to face me, her demeanor like that of a rabbit in a trap as the fox comes a-calling. Standing up on my hindlegs, I now towered over the pegasus.

"What are you hiding? Is it a trap? Are your friends waiting for you to give them a signal and then they ambush me so they can chain me up? Or stuff me in a cage?"

Fluttershy went from fearful to bewildered in an instant.

"Chains? Cages? Fen, what are you talking about?"

In my terror-slash-anger-filled haze, I didn't hear her.

"I'm not going back to that! I refuse to be locked up again! You can't make me!" 

FREEDOM...FEED...KILL...RAGE...

Tears stung the edges of my eyes.

"Not again..." I almost whispered, slowly dropping to all fours. 

Fluttershy's forelegs wrapped around my neck and like that, my rage dissipated.

"Please..." I wept. "Don't send me back..."

"That'll never happen," Fluttershy murmured into my chest. "You're okay. You're safe now. I promise."

I couldn't tell you how long we stayed like that. In many ways, I didn't want this moment to end. Words like "safety" and "love," which had always been foreign concepts to me, now had wrapped me in an invisible blanket as warm as the mare embracing me. Fluttershy couldn't possibly be capable of deception, not with the way she spoke to me, stroked my fur, or held me in her forelegs. Was this tightness in my chest truly love? Not the love between two mates but rather, the love one reserved for family, particularly for their parents.   

I'd say yes, it was possible.

When Fluttershy finally withdrew, I emitted a tiny whimper, then a cough to clear the nonexistent clump in my throat. I realized how badly I had wronged the poor mare and nuzzled her neck.

"I'm so sorry."

To her credit, Fluttershy wasn't upset by my outburst, more concerned and confused.

"It's alright, Fen. Something bad happened to you, didn't it? Some bad people hurt you?" 

I nodded, too ashamed for words.   

"When you're ready to talk," Fluttershy smiled encouragingly. "I will be there to listen."

"Thank you, Mother."

I hadn't meant to say that; the word just came out. Fluttershy stared at me with an expression of...I'm not completely sure, to be honest. Mind-blowing shock, perhaps?

"Fen..."

"Just pretend I didn't say anything."

I shoved the door open and lumbered past Fluttershy. 

"Fen, wait!" 

At the sound of her voice, my heel-dragging gait converted into a full-on charge. Why? Why was I so stupid?! Was I really so emotionally-starved that I clung to someone that quickly just because they were nice to me? I was a big, dumb dog with mommy issues, trapped in a world that I didn't understand. 

"Fen, stop!"

The frantic beating sound near me indicated that Fluttershy was airborne.  

"Fen!"

I couldn't look her in the eyes, no matter how desperately she pleaded. She couldn't possibly care for me like a woman would her child. I was just a pet, nothing more! I...didn't deserve love or happiness. I didn't deserve her.  

Fluttershy's cottage was still far away and I ran towards it as though my life depended on it.

"FEN!"

I halted, almost tumbling over. I turned to find Fluttershy touching ground, her wings splayed open like those of an eagle's. She took a moment to get her heaving under control before addressing me. 

"Why did you run away? Is it because you called me, 'Mother'?"

"I'm sorry! It just...came out! I know you're not my mother. She's dead."

I actually wasn't certain of that fact but given how Jotunnheim was one of the areas devastated by Ragnarök, chances were more than likely that Angrboða had perished. The dream that I'd had of her was nothing more than my desire to see my mother once again, to hear her voice and feel her touch. I looked at Fluttershy, ashamed that I projected my juvenile emotions onto her. My eyes dropped to the ground, unable to meet her kindly blue gaze. 

"I'm not angry with you. You just surprised me, that's all."

I raised my head. "Really?"

Fluttershy nodded and flashed me a radiant smile. "If...that's what you want to call me, then that'd be okay."

A smile soon developed on my face. "Alright."

After our little moment, we headed over to the sweets-shop, or "Sugarcube Corner," as it was actually called. Pinkie Pie was in need of some assistance and Fluttershy, being the dutiful friend that she was, volunteered to help her. Strangely, the place looked deserted: no lights, no ponies, no sound. Last I heard, this place was always busy, existing as one of the primary hang-outs of Ponyville, so it seemed very odd that it'd be vacant this time of day. Then again, to my limited understanding of businesses, shops were not always open so it was possible that Sugarcube Corner was closed.

"Pinkie said she needed help stocking up on a new item they're adding to the menu," Fluttershy explained as we arrived at the front door. "Could you go on it first? I have a bit of an issue with the dark." 

Given how she looked like she could be scared by the chirping of a cricket, I could believe she had such a fear. I nodded and pushed open the door with my nose. Before I knew it, I was struck by a blinding light.

"SURPRISE!"

I recoiled from the myriad of voices, stumbling into something hard, which I quickly deduced to be a table. Blinking away the spots, I found Pinkie, along with Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Spike, the CMCs and several other ponies I didn't recognize or bother to learn the names of were all standing with their arms held out triumphantly, large grins plastered on their faces. Even Winona and the other pets were in attendance, with Gummy sporting his usual blank expression and Opal looking bored by the whole thing. Bits of confetti rained down on me, each piece having been painstakingly cut into the shape of a bone. I couldn't read the giant banner hanging above everyone's heads but it didn't take a genius to figure out the message it conveyed.     

"Wh...what is this?"

Fluttershy giggled at my confusion, an act that would've infuriated me had it been anyone else.

"It's a party. For you."

"Me?" I surveyed the room in confusion. "But why?"

Pinkie, who had somehow teleported across the room, placed a foreleg around me.

"Remember how I told you that I was going to throw you a party? Well...here we are!"

How she could've possibly been able to tell that I was confused was so mind-boggling that I left it alone. "Pinkie just being Pinkie" seemed to save a lot of time.

Fluttershy pointed at the banner. "It says, 'Welcome to Ponyville, Fen!' It's to officially recognize you as its newest resident and it as your home."

"Home," I repeated. It was not a word in my vocabulary so it was quite alien. 

"That's right, Fen." Fluttershy kissed my cheek and once again hugged me. "Welcome home."

A catchy rhythm blared from an object I would later learn was called a "gramophone," a device for listening to music. Admittedly, I zoned out when Twilight, noticing my fascination, attempted to explain how it worked. All I knew was that it was "science," a type of magic that left me metaphorically scratching my head. Mercifully, Pinkie snatched Twilight away to participate in a dance-off...which Pinkie won hands-down. Seriously, I've never danced in all my life and even I'm better than Twilight.   

Lapping up some punch, I found my way over to the pets. 

"Hey Fen," Angel greeted, a half-eaten carrot in one paw. "Glad you could make it."

"Great party, ain't it?" Winona asked me.

"It's swell. Does Pinkie do this often?"

"Oh sweetie, ya have n' idea."

"It's what she's best known for," Owlowicious stated sagely. "Her special talent is merry-making."

I expected Gummy to launch into a pseudo-philosophical lecture on existence or whatever, but instead, he merely offered up this little gem: "Indeed. So the cutie mark says, so the pony must obey." 

 His tongue then darted out to sample a cupcake, the forked tips smearing his lips with icing. Opal let out an aggravated gasp and glared at the reptile.  

"Mon dieu, Gummy! Would eet keell you to show sahme cahmmon deening eteequette?"

"No, but why take the risk?"

Everyone but Opal laughed at this, myself included. Perhaps the alligator wasn't so bad after all. 

"Are you having fun?" Tank asked me in his deliberately-slow fashion.

"For my first party, it's good. Excuse me one minute." 

Sneaking through the rear entrance, I found a small patch of earth to sit down on and heaved a heavy sigh. Today was certainly one of emotional stops and gos. Any more excitement would probably kill me, or worse. A light breeze combed through my fur with the expert dexterity of a million tiny fingers. Although I was touched by Pinkie and everyone else's gesture I was thankful for the reprieve, simply enjoying the open air and the smell of grass.  

"Y'all okay there, Fen?"

I turned, discovering Winona walking over to take her place beside me.

"It's...a lot."

"Not used t' all th' attention, huh?" 

"I'm unaccustomed to positive attention." 

She leaned forward, studying me closely.

"Yah know, fer how young yah are, yah've got such sadness in yer eyes, almost like yah've lived fer a long, long time." 

I gave her a half-smirk. "I'm older than you think I am." 

"Old 'nuff t' flirt wit' li'l old me?" Winona asked, fluttering her eyelids.

"Oh, definitely much older." 

Winona then adopted a more pensive expression. "So when yah was tellin' me tha' yah was over two-thousand...yah weren't foolin'?" 

I bit my lip. Did I really want to let someone else in on my little secret? Angel hadn't ratted me out...yet, but I was still feeling uneasy about having a second confidante. Plus, Winona's owner was Applejack, who was apparently the physical embodiment of honesty. If asked point-blank, Winona might spill the beans faster than you can say "Ginnungagap."  

Then again, did being the Element of Honesty mean that you were forced to always speak the truth or that you could control how the truth comes out? I then recalled that, apart from Fluttershy, me, and the other pets, no one could understand Winona anyway so who could she tell? But what if Winona ended up talking to the others and word reached Fluttershy? Where would I be then?

Winona's hazel eyes began to bore into mine. Well, I guess it was time for a leap of faith.

"I was being completely honest with you," I finally admitted. "It's...a very long story." 

She reached over and placed her paw over mine.

"Would yah be awright wi' tellin' me?"

"I don't know. I haven't even told M...ahem, Fluttershy. Let's just say that I've had a rough life and it wasn't until she took me in that I've been happy. I don't want to lose it." 

"Well Fen, if yah ain't willin' t' risk wha' yah got, then is it really worth it?"

I grinned at her. "You're very smart, Winona." 

She returned the grin and inched closer to me.

"Thank yah, sweetie. An' yer quite th' listener, yes sirree." 

I scooted closer to her and lowered my voice. 

"Can I trust you to keep what I tell you just between us and Angel?"

"Really? Angel knows?"

I sighed, "Yes, the rodent kind of forced it out of me. But do you swear?"

"Cross mah heart, hope t' fly, stick uh cupcake in mah eye."

My left brow shot up. "Huh?"

"It means ah promise," Winona giggled, then began serious. "Ah promise Ah won't tell nobody." 

Sighing, I said, "My name, my full name, is Fenrir. Fenrir Lokisson."

"Tha's quite th' funny name."

"My father's name was Loki, so my surname is 'Lokisson'." 

I explained my backstory-leaving out the, shall we say, gorier details? As with Angel, Winona gave me her total attention, just as captivated by my tale as he was and I could swear I felt her moving closer and closer until we were rubbing shoulders. I told her about my parents, my siblings, the prophecy of Ragnarök, my time in Asgard, my imprisonment and escape, Odin's slaying and my own demise.  

"...then I woke up in the Everfree Forest, except now I was a pup. I found my way to Zecora's hut, met Fluttershy and she took me in. The rest you pretty much already know."

Winona jolted as though she'd been under a spell. 

"Wow...tha's, er, quite th' story."

Fear slowly crept in.

"Do you believe me?"

"Ah think th' scary thing is, yeah, I do." Winona stood up and took a few steps back. "Ah'm goin' get back t' th' party. We'll talk later, 'kay?"

"Wait, are we...are we alright?"

Winona sighed, then shook her head. "Ah need time t' think. Ah promise we'll talk again soon." 

I watched her depart sadly and then turned back around. I laid down on my stomach, watching the sun slowly dip behind the hills until, like my optimism, it had slowly retreated from view.