A collection of small rodents hopped into the morning sun amongst other mammals. The small clearing was host to lush fauna and a variety of small animals. It was surrounded by bushes, and small openings between each shrub to allow the small woodland creatures through unhindered. This provided a sanctuary for all the small animals within the Everfree Forest that came to rest. The rustling of bushes would act as an early warning system, and today, it would be put into use.
The small woodland creatures moved around to others and spoke in squeaks and squawks that they all understood. They cheerfully spoke in their simplistic language, that relied heavily on understanding emotion and body language to communicate a thought with just squawks and squeaks, which makes the language universal for all animals. They began eating the flowers that existed within the small clearing, blissfully unaware of the moving shadow that stalked them.
A group of three rabbits stood by each other, a meter from the bushes that lined the clearing. They each knew each other very well and were great friends. Two were brown, while the last one was white. The two brown rabbits were worried for their white friend because of his recent adventure up north.
“Hey Thomas,” the brown-hair turned to his white-furred friend. “Where’d you head to earlier? I saw you going north, through Hydra territory.”
“I came across a cottage up north near Ponyville. A birdie told me I could get well fed by a pony named Fluttershy, and boy, was he right!” the white rabbit replied with a content smile.
His brown friend who was chewing on a small white flower looked at his friend Thomas worrying about his well-being.
“You know better than to talk to strange birds, Thomas.” scolded the brown rabbit with a worried expression. “Remember what happened to Elisha and the Eagle?” he watched his friends wince at the memory.
“Yeah, but that was an Eagle! Not a Hummingbird, you dodo-brain! Besides, she had no reason to lie to me. So suck it Donny!” Thomas replied to Donny.
“Hey! No need to get so aggressive dude. He just asked you a question.” the other brown rabbit reacted, coming to the defense of Donny.
“Yeah, and you’re just too scared to leave the bush! Maybe instead of doubting me, you should come with me so I can show you!” the white bunny shifted his anger away from Donny and to his other friend.
The rustling of the bushes went unnoticed by all in the clearing, all with exception of one of the bunnies. Donny’s ears perked up and looked toward the bushes. The noise was so subtle that he almost mistook it for the wind. In fact, the rustling in the bushes also acted as the wind blew. It could easily mask a skillful predator.
But the brown rabbit wasn’t sure. After a few seconds of looking at the now-still bushes, the rabbit decided it was probably his imagination. Donny returned to his flower and the conversation at hand while the wind picks up again. This time the rustling of the bushes seemed more aggressive and he looks at the bushes again to see the source of the movement.
He didn’t have an ample amount of time to react before his head was enveloped with jaws. His nearby companions shared the same fate before they were able to get away in time.
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I crawled forward as the wind blew on the bush to mask my movement with the white noise. The wind isn’t that strong, but it’s enough to make the trees and bushes rustle slowly. Carefully poking my nose through the bush I was able to create a small hole to see through. On the other side were a couple of loud rabbits conversing with each other. The white one of the group seemed to be scowling at his concerned friends.
“Yeah, and you’re just too scared to leave the bush! Maybe instead of doubting me, you should come with me so I can show you!” exclaimed the white rabbit in the universal animal language that I somehow knew how to interpret into words.
I cringed at the sheer awkwardness of trying to hunt a rabbit that was able to speak about social issues through the movements of his body and the pitch changes of its simple voice box.
I then realized that the brown one closest to me, was looking in my direction and I froze and tensed my muscles for a chase. It took a while but he looked away back to his arguing friends and dismissing me as normal. I realized that I couldn’t hide forever and prepared myself for a hunt.
I quickly sprang out of the bushes and toward a group of three small rabbits. The first one was the one that almost spotted me. It would be wise to remove him so he doesn’t teach the others to be wary of my skills. I made sure I clamped down enough pressure to snap its neck. It was only now that the others began to notice.
With adrenaline coursing through my body, I let go of the rabbit with grace, by not stopping the movement of my body. I then clamped my teeth around its companion's neck. I felt a crunch in my jaws an I swiftly let go and looked at the third rabbit that has not only turned around, but has also just started to run.
I rushed after it the moment I had the previous rabbit out of my mouth. It was easy enough to catch up because of my longer legs and the rabbit's late start. Although despite my advantages, the rabbit got two meters away before I was able to grab its tail with my teeth. I lifted it into the air and let go, so the rabbit would stumble and try to recover, while I rushed toward its head. Its forelegs met the ground, while my jaw met its skull. A satisfying crunch was the result of my efforts.
I turned around with the rabbit in my mouth and brought it back to my two other kills. I began to tear apart the body and take out the intestines. I made quick work of the internal organs and threw out what I knew was bad. Or at least what I didn’t want to taste.
It’s been a while since I’ve showed up in this strange new world. Unable to talk, not like I wanted to talk to animals, unable to walk, and even unable to get over my lack of thumbs. Getting used to the ways this body moved, was the most difficult experience for me. But the initial shock of being in a new world was getting easy to get used to. After day three, I was used to it. But I still missed home.
I remember taking inventory of what I was after I had the small panic attack. But after learning more about myself-such as being a black wolf- I was able to figure out that the unnerving shadows of this forest made the perfect home for my dark body. I loved my sleek coat as I was easily able to sneak around the shadows without reflecting light. I was always cautious about the environment, and how it affected my coat. I also noticed after I woke up in this strange world I could barely smell myself. My body didn’t give off a defining odor, other than a small and almost unnoticeable scent of dog. I smelled a lot like the forest other than that.
My coat was soft and seemingly always naturally groomed to a point that dirt literally slid off my body. It was amazing to realize how impressive my biology truly was. But before that, when I hunted for the first time…
It was strange.
I knew what to do, I’ve been a hunter when I was human, only now I had to get much, MUCH closer. Thankfully, I knew how to track prey and I followed game trails. I also figured out where to find water easily enough. Wasn’t that hard considering the forest had highs and lows everywhere, and puddles were abundant in muddy areas due to regular rain.
I enjoyed my first hunt like never before. I relished in the blood of the small animals that I caught. But they were still small and I needed to adjust my hunting skills to attack groups at once. Being a hunter, you learn quickly to change to your environment.
I’ve ran into a pack of… wolves. I'm not sure if I can even call them that. Well I can say that I smelled them first, their breath seemed rancid, coated with the smell of death. But they were made of wood and the moment they saw me. They treated me with curiosity, and then surprisingly enough, respect. They began to approach me curiously and I took that as a signal to do the same. Not in a hostile way either. It’s like predators understand each other here, to some degree.
Later that day I was approached by what I assume was some sort of lion. I almost made a break for it before I noticed how it was approaching me. It didn’t seem ready to give chase. It looked a hell of a lot more curious than a hungry predator would look, so I stood my ground. It just smelled me, and I did the same to it. Then we parted ways. It was a strange, yet sobering experience. I had a new understanding of the circle of life.
But back to my meal. I learned a while ago that I can just eat the whole animal. But I decided to take the healthier route and just eat what I knew I could. I picked the meat off of the bones of the last rabbit I caught earlier that day. I was finally finished with my meal, and my sense of smell told me the wood wolves have picked up the scent of the dead animals. The love child of a lion and a scorpion was also on its way. They didn’t detect me, for obvious reasons.
I didn’t really fear their presence, but at times they unnerved me. Considering the wolves were in a pack I was not a part of, and the mutant lion was taller and stronger than me. It made them intimidating to be around, despite the respect they showed me.
I got up from my lying-down position and stretched. First, I straightened up my front paws and lifted my tail into the air. I then leaned forward, and made my front paws vertical while my hind legs straightened and stretched. Now all limbered up, I walked out of the bush. I was greeted by the amazing sight of dark and regular forest.
Joy…
Without much thought about my surroundings, I went to find water. My sensitive ears were swiveled toward my front while I panned my head left and right while walking forward. This allowed me to cover ground and listen for water until I found a game trail to follow. I was walking downhill in the dark woods and almost missed a small trickling sound as I panned my head back to the left. I stopped and looked toward where I thought it was coming from, and sure enough, I heard the same consistent movement.
I walked forward while scanning my surroundings. I now had a destination -as out of sight it may be- that I now was heading toward, and the priority now was to not become hunted myself. Despite the respect I’ve observed in other predators, I was still cautious of movements around me. I still kept to where the shadows hid me the most, to keep visibility down. I didn’t want to be spotted by just anything. What if there’s a good prey animal I wanted to hunt?
Well I just ate, so I’m full. But water is now my goal.
I continued on my journey to the potential stream, and within minutes, I was hearing the steady flow of water near a great grove of trees. They got thicker the closer I got to the sound, and soon I needed to weave in and out of branches and bushes. I was entertained to no end as I weaved in and out of the branches and fauna like a sneaky-sneak spy.
When you’ve been out in the wilderness for ten days, and you’ve found a way to feed yourself and get water so successfully, you can have time for other things, you would also probably try to search for some enjoyment as well. Such as weaving between branches. But I soon came up on an ending to the hedge maze, and stepped out into an opening.
In front of me was not only a small stream, but it connected to a small river. The running water was music to my ears. I haven’t seen a river since my first week here. I had to settle for watering holes or digging my own Indian Wells with my paws. Some standing water is just too germ infested for the stomach of a wolf. I silently thanked my digging abilities that were gifted to me when I got this body. My claws were more shovel shaped, slightly longer than the average dog. It was a useful perk in a survival situation.
I started to prance down to the edge of the shallow river and peered into the water for anything organic. I don’t want anything nipping at my nose as I drink. I then looked at my surroundings and other than rocks I was mostly alone. Except for some crawfish and a few turtles.
Wait.
TURTLES!
I happily slurped up water from the river below me and when I was done I lifted up my head and looked back at the small school of turtles. Turtles were one of my favorite animals, other than the dog, because of how slow and adorable some of them can get. Especially when they’re small. I rushed over to them and almost slipped into the river before bearing over a small turtle.
It tried to desperately get away -slowly- and I did what any other excited dog would do in a situation like this. Lick the FUCK out of him. I started licking the shell of the small turtle, while his friends looked on in horror. The small turtle pulled itself into its shell while I licked it furiously. My tail was wagging happily while I adored the small animal.
It seemed to not want to come out of its shell and I really didn’t care. I couldn’t express my happiness through words, so physical contact with the thing I adored seemed to make a lot of sense at the time. I knew that trying to eat a turtle would be in vain, as its shell would more likely break my teeth before breaking itself. Not that I wanted to. Turtles are cool.
Satisfied with my entertainment, I took note of the sun in this clearing. The sun was falling and I needed a place to sleep that was away from game trails, and dark enough so anything that would pass by wouldn’t second guess me and get curious. I decided to leave behind my entertainment -solemnly of course- and searched for a place to crash.
I walked away from the river while trying to build a mental map back to it. After spy-moving my way out of the thick bushes, I became one with the shadows of the gloomy forest around me. I began scanning for darker places to hunker down for the night. Walking through the forest was normal for me, despite the fact it was so creepy. The trees shifted in odd shapes along with the winding trails of animals. I walked for thirty minutes before I heard the muffled and consistent scraping of steel.
The sound confused me at first. But I realized it was like those spinning-stone grinding wheels used in medieval times, to sharpen swords and weapons. Well, I wasn’t sure if those went out of style because swords still existed in the modern day. That, and I don’t own a sword myself -not that I technically don’t own anything right now- and I don’t know anyone who has. I only know what they did back in the day to sharpen one, other than beat it with a hammer. I guess the wheel thing was for detail?
Naturally I went to investigate the odd and unusual sound. I was also excited. If that belonged to any other human beings, then I’d be able to be around some form of normalcy, before I die of my incredibly short life. I followed my ears to the strange noise and found myself almost having to wade through more bushes. I got closer to the sound, and found a path around a large hedge that was blocking my view of a wide clearing.
The hedges blocked the view of an entrance to a cave. I looked out in front of the cave and there was a bipedal creature sitting on a low chair sharpening a blade on the spinning wheel I identified earlier through sound. I was instantly excited about the prospect of being around intelligent beings again. Not that the animals that I hunted -or the hunters themselves- weren’t intelligent, but being able to talk to something that looks somewhat humanoid, is probably worth the trouble. Especially when this creature is wearing a jacket.
Surprisingly enough, the creature was wearing a collar as well. It was a spiked one, so I assumed it was a fashion thing. I stepped forward quietly, despite not meaning to. My paws seem to have some sort of noise dampening padding on them. Kinda counterproductive when trying to be noticed. Although before I even got close to the creature, I got a whiff of it. The wind was blowing in my direction and the scent I got was of a dog. A really smelly, ungroomed dog.
But a dog nonetheless. I paused for a moment when I realized this fact. I took note of its features to make sure my suspicion was correct. The lion looked strange, but this almost sent me back to the first day again. I soaked in the features while reminding myself that this is a different world. The ears of the grey creature were droopy and went to the height of its eyes. Its tail was short and stubby, but it was definitely a dog tail. Its front paws were massive, while its back ones were tiny by comparison. I saw his jaw seemed a bit wide but his teeth fit a similar build of my own. I have now confirmed to myself that this is a form of dog.
The collar now made sense in a way. However the jacket’s purpose remained elusive to me. I did notice however he looked like he was part of some sort of biker gang. So despite the awkwardness of his clothing, I found him interesting to look at. Although by no means was I checking him out. I decided that it was safe to approach the creature. Surely, I can outrun and outlast him while hydrated and full.
I started to boldly walk forward, not even attempting to hide myself. The dog seemed blissfully unaware of the world around him as he labored away, sharpening his sword. I got closer and I realized he had a spear at his side on the ground. I couldn’t see it before, because the metal tip was behind the wheel, and the wood blended with the light grey rocks. I was now three feet from him and he was still unaware of me. It’s not like I was behind him or anything. I was actually in his field of vision.
I got a better look at his face from this angle. He had a very pug-like nose, and his muscles were almost frighteningly massive. I noticed his eyes seemed to have a greenish tint that unnerved me in some way. He also had a few diamonds in his black jacket pocket. A sort of bling-reference that I took into account and began to think of turning back and leaving him alone. I assumed he’s possibly a pimp or some sort of black market dealer at that point. Possibly a private blacksmith.
But just as I was thinking that, he lifted the sword and gave it a scrutinizing look while squinting at the blade. He gave it a satisfied smirk and lowered it from his face. He suddenly became aware of me, and he yelped in surprise. I couldn’t help but try to pull my cheek muscles up to show a soft smile from amusement alone. I also was aware that my tail was wagging slowly.
He calmed and looked at me with a curious gaze. I almost jumped back in surprise as he spoke.
“Oh! What dog are you? You look...” he paused. “No, how you still alive?” he asked, looking excited. He swiveled in his chair so his whole body faced me while he wore a creepy, but friendly, grin. “Not possible, your kind extinct long ago! Ponies say so!” he exclaimed while throwing his hands out in the air when he said long.
I tilted my head in confusion of his speech patterns. The action was more of a subconscious act that I had little control over, and found strange when I realized I was doing it. I did the same motion when meeting the wood wolves.
His speech was something along the lines of some sort of broken English. As if it’s his second language, and he knows only the words, so he structures his sentences like the language he already knows, while fitting the descriptive words he knows in each sentence. Like if a Japanese kid only knew the English words, and said things like he was speaking Japanese. He would sound like a perfect master Yoda because he’d be saying things in reverse.
‘From Japan, I am. American, you are. Friends I’d like to be, so buddies that study we will.’ I smiled as I thought of that to myself. I found the similarities between that and his words. It made him more fun to be around, and I cracked a small smile.
He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his lower jaw. “Hmm, maybe pack will know what to do. You’re dog, like me, but legendary race. Let me summon my brothers.” he explained with his gravelly voice getting serious but he never lost the curious glint in his eyes.
He stood up on two legs -which startled me for a moment before realizing I noted the upright posture earlier- and I noticed his tail wagging excitedly. He breathed in heavily and puffed up his chest. He then proceeded to howl into the dark and deep cave we stood in front of.
“OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooh.” he started loud and trailed off softly.
For some reason, my body reacted to that and I felt like staying by his side for a little while. If I was farther away, I’d want to come closer to him. I quickly realized this was an animal instinct I inherited when I became a wolf. But I felt the meaning of the howl as a call to come to him for something important. But not malicious enough to warrant me to want to run away.
He lifted up his droopy ear to listen into the cave. I flicked my ears toward the cave entrance and found what he was looking for. Soft beats of paws were rushing toward cave entrance. I got a bad feeling in my gut and I wanted to enter the cave itself to hide. It was dark, and would be hard to see me if I did. Simply avoiding touching a creature that enters or exists should be easy enough.
My train of thought didn’t get too far as three more dogs with similar biker outfits ran out of the cave. On was moving on the side wall with a helmet on. None of them had swords, so I assumed whatever they were here for didn’t involve fighting. That relaxed me a bit. But I noticed the strange coloration of their eyes. The one on the wall had yellow while others had green and orange.
“Pack brothers, I was approached by this wolf brother.” started the one next to me.
“Oh yes, I see. What does he want?” replied the one on the farthest left curiously.
“Wait! I know that dog!” yelled the one who remained on the wall to our right. “Father spoke of a wolf like him. He’s a wolf that hunts alone. A pack of one!” he excitedly explained with a fascinated tone and features.
“OOoooh! Elder diamond dog knows what to do! Should we bring wolf brother to him?” asked the one in the middle with a missing canine tooth.
I was beginning to get confused by their reference to me as a ‘brother’. I’ve only just met them, and they already are treating me as someone they trust. I then did the one thing that was logical for me to do.
“What?” I spoke in the animal tongue.
Somehow I was able to pick up on what I was saying, even though I have no experience with the language myself, other than hearing small rodents speak it. My version of this animal language was a series of whines and nonaggressive growls. I was momentarily surprised by how fluent it felt, considering it was the first time I’ve actually tried it.
Surprisingly, each of their ears picked up and looked at me. They had confused expressions.
“What do you mean ‘what?’ pack of one?” asked the one that was previously sitting in the chair. “All dogs are brothers in some way, we have related blood, even when not same dog. We diamond dog!” he reasoned, pounding his chest. “You rare dog, and related to diamond dog. We can be pack brothers, if you choose.”
I was momentarily speechless -not a pun, I swear- and it took a few moments for my brain to realize that the dogs were actually responding to what I said. A deep inner part of me was joyously prancing about in my heart after I realized I could communicate with them.
“But you pack of one.” stated the one on wall. “If you be pack with us, you have to answer to pack, but pack also answer to you.”
“I-I think I’ll stay pack of one.” I answered, not wanting to become part of something I don’t understand.
“Ok then, wolf brother. But you must meet elder diamond dog. He is our father of many years. We must know more about you before you leave. Since you’re pack of one, it only natural that you are your own elder, and elders traditionally speak to each other, when packs meet.” stated the one that still remained on the wall.
It was actually getting old, and I was tempted to knock him down by nipping at his ankles. I then thought about his proposal and decided I should get some answers by someone who’s been around longer than the dogs in front of me. Actually didn’t the wall dog say he got his information about me from his father in the first place?
“Will you follow us to father diamond dog?” asked the one in the center toward me.
“Sure.” my vocal cords made a semi-bark noise.
“Yes, let me bring you to elder.” replied the one who called his brothers to the entrance of cave with his trademark broken English.
He motioned with a paw to follow him, and he got down on all fours.
“I can guard cave while you bring him to father.” added the one that was on the wall.
He jumped down and walked around me while upright. I ignored him while following the dog that was now moving quickly into the cave. I ran after him and his brothers followed suit.
I noticed that as the cave got darker, his eyes got brighter. I realized the color of his eyes actually glowed in the dark and they seemed to allow him to see in the dark cave. I felt jealous of this ability as I lost visibility. But I relied on my hearing and smell to find where I was. Surely to them I must have disappeared between them as I got into the darkness, so I knew they wouldn’t be able to find me if they tried to hurt me.
I did however get a little nervous as thirty seconds passed and I still couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t even echo locate anything, and if they wanted to kill me and failed I’m sure I’d get lost in my attempt to find the exit and die.
We then came up on a cavern with a small light. My spirit was raised as the sanctuary of the light got brighter. I also began to see the grey details of the cave around me and I noticed the gravel bellow my feet get harder and more ridged. That told me the rocks were getting bigger, and instinctively I slowed my pace as the others followed suit. Only they didn’t slow as much as I did and I started falling behind.
That is until one of the dogs behind me noticed this and barked deeply at the one in front. Who in turn responded by looking back and seeing me struggle with the ground. He politely slowed when he realized I wasn’t built to run in the dark and rocky caves.
Thankfully the destination wasn’t too far and soon we came upon a cubby hole where the dogs I was running with ran around in a circle and stopped in what I assume was a preplanned position around a small fire. A pile of wood was nearby. But there was an old and graying dog that sat in front of the fire with his eyes closed.
He looked… humble, wise, and… old. His eyes were closed, and he was shaking a little. He had a walking stick beside him that was idle and away from the fire. His muscles looked deteriorated, as if he was shriveling up from the years. His face was wrinkled and his eyebrows were overgrown and grey. He wore a permanent frown on his face from the way his cheeks sagged. He looked like he would be a very impressive… dog-like creature, if he were younger. Like an old, withered, and retired Olympic athlete.
And like many old people on earth. He was actually quite adorable to look at, despite how frail he was. I’m not afraid to admit that, even though I’m a guy. I find old people cute as some others who dedicate their lives to helping them might. The fact that he was a dog also added to that.
I stepped forward into the cubby hole, and the light of the small fire was absorbed by my coat. I cast a shadow into the cave behind me as the other dogs did when they paused in front of the fire. They looked at it as if they were mesmerized by the dancing flames.
“Sons.” started the elder in proper English. “What was it that Zander saw?”
“Father, we have a visitor with us. A rare dog that you spoke of in myth.” replied the dog that I met first.
“Oh Zander, you’re here with us?” the old dog seemed startled. “Hmm, my nose must be failing me.”
I noticed the solemn expressions of his ‘sons’ after he finished that sentence.
“Oh, don’t worry boys, I have a few years left.” he reassured as if he sensed their sadness. “Now you said we have a visitor. I don’t smell a presence of another dog. Although I do smell the fresh pine trees of the forest. Did one of you bring in another log for the fir-… oh wait? Fresh pine? They don’t exist here. Unless…”
“Father, A wolf of a pack of one came to us. He is elder and hunter; we convinced him to talk. You and he share information as elder do.” stated the newly identified dog Zander.
“What?”
The old dog lifted his paw and pulled up the floppy skin that fell over his eyes up. He scanned the room quickly and his eyes fell on me. His jaw followed suit shortly after.
“I don’t believe my eyes.” His old voice cracked, and he let go of the folds that held his skin up. “Ahem, sons, please leave us and dig for gems and iron. We still need to forge more swords to trade for females so our pack can grow. I’d like to speak with our guest in private, if you will.” he ordered his children.
“Yes father!” The dogs exclaimed and they all exploded into motion.
Within seconds the dogs left through the only entrance and exit. They separated down different passage ways and their scent lingered, but shifted. My eyes were now glued to the old dog in front of me and he smiled.
“It’s been a long time since the Kage Wolves disappeared. I remember when my father spoke so highly of them, when he saw one hunting far east of here. It was before I chose to break away from the pack and start my own. I was very ambitious back then, and I was admired by that ambition. Others tried to follow, but couldn’t be without their families for so long and returned home. I found a lone diamond dog female, and we had my sons. Now we reside here. My mate is gone, but my family is still strong.”
I couldn’t see the point in the backstory, but I sat through it anyway.
“But I’m forgetting my manners. My name is Powell. I am an elder diamond dog from a very smart family. What’s your name?” he asked kindly.
I was about to respond when I stopped myself. I didn’t want to give him my human name, and I honestly didn’t think I’d see all that much of these guys in the future. As they said, I am a pack of one, and I felt that if I became a pack with them I’d be too restricted. Exploring is always something I’d love to do in real life and even in the video games I played. It’s what really made Fallout my favorite game, alongside Skyrim and Assassins Creed 3. I basically get rewarded for exploring with new quests.
But the real problem with my name is how foreign it is. I’m human at heart. Just with the body of one of my favorite pack hunters. If I wanted to be called something, it might as well be catchy. But no time to think of a name now, I’ve only just been asked for mine.
“I don’t have a name, well actually that’s not true. I have a name, but it’s not something a wolf would normally be called. And I don’t want to give you a name I’m not sure of.” I whined and growled nonaggressivly in my animal language.
“Hmm. I see then. Well do you want me to name you? I’m a father of five, and I’m sure I can name a sixth child.” the old dog, Powell, spoke with a smile.
“What if I don’t want to be your child?” I asked. It came out as a series of whines.
“Well that’s not how it works. Are you sure you’re a dog? I’d think this would be common sense by now for every dog species. Even the Timberwolves have some idea of how we Diamond Dogs work.” replied Powell with a confused head tilt.
I quickly thought up of a cover story.
“W-well my mother and father… well I’m not sure what happened. I believe I got separated one day, There were there one minute, and then they weren’t.” I tried to whine solemnly. I believe it worked.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Now I understand your situation. Allow me to explain your race. You come from an Ezo wolf family. Ezo is what all dog species call unique and alone. Your species is a species that’s known for running off on their own and becoming lone hunters rather than pack hunters. It caused your race to dwindle in size because of how spread out you were. Mates couldn’t find each other so over time your race became rarer and rarer, until one day, you all just disappeared.”
I was ecstatic. He not only believed me, but now I can ask anything I want without raising suspicion. I began to grin and almost tried to stop myself, before remembering he couldn’t exactly see me.
“That’s depressing. But can you tell me more about this place? Where I am, the name of the forest.”
“You are in the Everfree Forest. A few miles south of a Pony village. This place is called Equestria. A sun Princess and moon Princess reside on a mountain top north of here. This forest is theirs, but they don’t use it because it’s too strange and dangerous to them. Diamond dogs thrive here. We are all over the world, but Ponies outnumber us greatly, so we aren’t the dominant race. But we are fierce fighters underground, so no ponies enter our homes with good reason.” Powell told me.
“Wait ponies? Actually, Sun and Moon Princess?” I asked in interest.
“Yes. The ponies are masters of magic and the weather. Pegasi control clouds, while the unicorns control the sun and businesses. Earth ponies are able to grow food and provide for the entire nation. It’s interesting when you think about their system. But the Alicorn Princesses, control the heavens.”
“What’s an Alicorn?” I asked, my curiosity with these new terms interest me.
“A pony with a horn and wings. They control magic and weather. Don’t confuse them with Pegacorns. Pegacorns have the same things, but Alicorns have the strength of an earth pony, and unimaginable power. Never anger an Alicorn. Although Pegacorns call themselves Alicorns, because they look like it. Only they don’t have the added benefits of being demigods.” he answered my question, rolling his eyes.
I was momentarily confused by this information, but I put it away as fact and let him continue.
“Now. There are other creatures like griffons, zebras and donkeys, but they’re not as important as ponies in this world. Diamond dogs have their own place in the world as the miners of the natural world. We sell to ponies and each other, and we at times move into pony towns. Big cities and what not…” he paused.
Big cities? He has my attention. I decided that it would be a good idea to go check out these ponies for a threat level analysis. Maybe I can coexist while learning more about them. Or decide whether or not I want to completely avoid them. Wait I have a source of information right in front of me. Why am I not using it?
“Is it possible for me to coexist with ponies?”
“Yes. But be careful, if you plan on it. Now I hope you know what a griffon and zebra are. Some occasionally visit the forest, and they aren’t uncommon.”
“What? Oh yes, I know what those are, don’t worry. Thank you for telling me these things. I’ve never had the chance to learn them myself.”
“No problem, brother. Now I believe we agreed to give you a name right?” he smiled.
“Oh right, that. Ok I guess I’m ok with you naming me. What do you think I should be called?” my whines and growls echoed around the room.
“Hmm let’s see…I shall call you…” he paused for a long time, losing himself to thought.
Long enough for me to actually believe he forgot I was here, to be honest. I started shuffling uncomfortably in place. I stood up and looked around the cubby hole. I just admired the grey walls and noticed the padded places on the floor where Powell’s children sat. I also noticed dog prince all over the ground. I was tracking the obviously pacing trail for a while, before he spoke up.
“Your name will be Blind Tooth.” he suddenly stated with a smile.
“Really?” I replied unimpressed from where I was.
Which was actually three feet from him.
“WHOA!” he almost had a heart attack and started questioning the name. “Well you’re very good at sneaking. Hmm maybe I should rethink your name.”
“Please.” I responded with little irritation.
“Hmm…” he paused again.
He didn’t take eternity to respond this time. He smiled widely, which looked like a mutated smile and frown combination, because of how floppy his cheeks were. He grabbed a hold of his walking stick and placed it under a small log and flipped it into the fire.
“You’re name will be Hush.” he exclaimed proudly.
“Hush? That’s… well creative but it feels incomplete.” I commented in my animal speak.
“You’re right. How about…Hushed Shadow?” he responded.
“See? Now that’s an amazing name.” I replied, happy with my new name. I repeated it to myself in my head several times so I’d remember it.
“Indeed it is, wolf brother. I’d like for my children and I to help you in your time of need. If ever you need something you can summon us with a howl. Wish to practice with us? I know you’re not a howler, because your voice doesn’t seem deep and developed.”
“Well I’d like to know more about being a wolf. If you know some things about it.” I asked curiously.
“Oh yes, brother. I know wolves as much well as I know dogs. I’ll summon my children for this. Ahem, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-”