An American Werewolf in Equestria
Chapter 4 – Clothes make the Man
(Golden Oaks Library – Ponyville – a day later)
David felt the softness of the jeans and shirt he was wearing. Rarity had been kind enough to make a few sets of clothes for him, beyond the shirt, pants, and shoes he had worn to Canterlot yesterday. To be honest her clothes she had given him had been the one set he had been wearing, off and on, since he had gotten out of the hospital. He let out a sigh of relief as he walked around in the gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of shoes that felt similar to a pair of converse all-stars. The tan shoes fit well, but like an old pair of All Stars he had back home there wasn’t a whole lot of padding.
He didn’t mind though. He stretched and stood up. So far Twilight had been kind enough to let him stay here, but he needed to find a job and maybe get to work. He started to walk outside when he heard someone clear their throat. He turned around and saw Twilight standing at the top of the stairs.
“Where are you off to?” she asked.
He smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
“Well, I don’t really want to keep imposing…” he started before she trotted over to him and put her hoof on his hand.
“You and I still need to find a way to help you during your transformations,” she said.
“We could just lock me up,” he said.
She looked at him like he had two heads for a moment.
“I suppose we could lock you up, but hmmm… do me a favor. You see that table over there?” she asked pointing to a large table sitting near the corner of the library.
He nodded.
“Would you mind moving it a little closer to the other side of the library?” she asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to it. He expected it to be heavy. After all it looked like it could weigh a ton, but he found that when he could lift it with very little trouble. He walked it across the library and sat it down.
“Okay it’s moved,” he said.
“That’s why we can’t lock you up,” she said.
He looked at her strangely for a moment.
“Applejack and Big Macintosh had a hard time moving that table into the library for me. It was all they could do to keep from dropping it, and they only moved it from the cart outside to right inside of the library. You picked it up and carried it twice the distance, with no trouble, and didn’t break a sweat. There is no where we could lock you up, with the exception of the Canterlot dungeons, that would hold you,” she said.
“Then lock me in the dungeons,” he replied.
She shook her head.
“I won’t do that to you. I’ve seen pictures of the dungeons before. They’re terrible,” she said.
“Damn it I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said.
“And if we can find a way of stopping the transformation or controlling it we might be able to keep you from transforming,” she replied.
He shook his head and took a seat near her.
“Twilight, you’ve heard everything I know about werewolves right? All of the stories that had been passed down, made into books, and the like right?” he asked.
“Sure,” she answered.
“In all of those stories, and we have to assume that some of them are true, no one was able to control the monster,” he said.
“No, there was that one. You told me about it. It was the Wolfman. You said that the man who was cursed was able to hold the monster back because it was someone he loved. He was able to control the wolf. David, we might be able to do the same,” she said.
David looked at her. The Wolfman had been a movie, but the script writer had claimed to have done research into the legend of werewolves before making it, or at least that was one of the legends about the old movie. If he really did do some research it was a possibility.
“I don’t want to risk anyone’s life on a possibility,” he said.
“I think it will work, and we can contact my brother and sister-in-law. Princess Candice has some of the most powerful love magic in the world, and I know that she would be willing to help,” Twilight said.
David looked at her. He wanted to argue that it wasn’t a good idea, but the memory of the dream, and of what Luna told him seemed to stick out in his mind. She had said to hold the dream close. He had managed to stop the demonic wolves in the dream, so maybe it wasn’t impossible to do the same to the wolf.
“How do we get in touch with her?” he asked.
Twilight floated a quill and parchment over and began writing out a letter. He watched as she wrote line after line to this other princess. When she was done she had not only filled out one piece of parchment, on both sides, but had actually managed to fill out six pieces of them. He followed her as she walked up stairs and shook the little dragon who was trying to sleep.
“Twilight… it’s my day off,” Spike said.
“I know Spike, and I promise I’ll let you get right back to sleep after you send Candice this letter for me,” she said.
He looked at her grumbled and held the letter up. Without a second thought he breathed a breath of green flame and the parchment disappeared. He waited for a few seconds, and it almost seemed like there wasn’t going to be a returned letter. Feeling satisfied that he had did a favor for his big sister he started to lie back down when he belched a huge green flame and out came a large roll of parchment.
“Thank you Spike,” she said.
“Uh huh,” he said sleepily.
She opened the roll and watched as it fell to the floor.
“Dear Twilight. From what you told me it does sound like an emergency that I could help with, and little sister I would if I was able. However, at the moment I have my hooves full with the Crystal Empire. Shining Armor and I are currently reestablishing a functioning guard and army here. It only makes sense to do so since the Empire needs to have such things in place. After all, if history teaches us nothing else it does teach us the benefits of being prepared,” Twilight read the letter and sighed.
She looked at David who shrugged his shoulders.
“I will however help you out if you can meet half way, so to speak. Shining and I have both wanted to see our little sister again, and it would fill us with no small amount of joy if you would go ahead and visit us here. If you do that I shall do what I can to help your friend. I am afraid I have very little experience with werebeasts, but Shining has assured me that he and our new guard will do everything to ensure that nothing will happen. I trust him, and I know that you do too. I hope to see you soon sister, Princess Cadence,” she finished reading.
David looked at her.
“Another trip?” he asked.
“It makes sense, and Cadence is right. They do need to have a guard and army in place for the Crystal Empire. If we leave now we should arrive about a full day before the full moon,” she said.
“Twilight… I really don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said.
“I know, but right now this seems like the best option. Besides, the Crystal Empire is amazingly strong. I know any of the rooms they have should be able to hold you if this doesn’t work,” she said.
He shook his head as he followed the small alicorn. The more he thought about this the less he liked it. He would be putting everyone in danger. That was something he just didn’t want to do.
“Twilight! Hey Miss Study McStudypants! I brought over some tea and cake!” Pinkie Pie shouted.
David looked at her, toward the door, and back at her.
“How did you get in here?” he asked.
“Sneaky, sneaky,” she said.
“Seriously, how did you get in here?” he asked.
“The same way I always do silly, say, you want one of these cakes? They’re supper, extra, awesomely good… Woah… Twitchy tail, blinky eye, stompy feet, chompy teeth, fat tongue… I’ve never had a Pinkie sense like this before… I wonder what it means…” she said as David grabbed a cup of tea.
He took a drink and let out a contented sigh. It tasted a little bitter, like it had a familiar bite to it. He tried to place it when his head began screaming in pain at him. He dropped the cup and felt his heart racing, and suddenly everything was feeling like it was on fire.
“God no… No… Run! Run now!!!” he screamed.
Pinkie looked at him as he fell to his knees. His hands began to stretch out, claws began sprouting from under his fingernails. She backed up away from him.
“Twilight!” she screamed.
Twilight ran downstairs and saw David as he was in the middle of his transformation.
“Pinkie run!!!”she shouted.
She closed the door behind Pinkie and looked at David.
“It’s okay, I’m here with you. David fight it. You have to fight it,” she said.
“It hurts so bad… God why? Why?!!! Run! RUN NOW!” he screamed.
She watched as his face began to stretch out. His newly formed paws began clawing at his clothes and soon they were shredded. Within seconds there was nothing that even resembled David left. Instead there was a wolf sitting there growling.
“David… Please, it’s me…” she said.
A God awful how escaped him and he rammed the door. She watched as it gave way and he ran out of the library. Ponies everywhere began screaming and running for their homes and the closest businesses. She ran after him and watched as he started to run toward the country side. She kept up with him until he came to a house. It was something she had never seen before. The home looked run down, and if she was to take a guess she would have thought that it was deserted. He walked toward it and from inside she could hear someone yelling. She watched as David moved toward it. She could see his fur bristling as he got closer.
“Little flightless Pegasus… You’re going to make me a fortune. There’s a big market for little fillies around Las Pegasus,” a rough voice said.
“No… please…” a voice that sounded like Scootaloo whimpered.
“Go ahead and cry girlie. I don’t care. I’ve just got to break you in anyway, and you can get this crying business out of the way,” the voice said.
David howled and ran toward the house. Twilight followed him and saw him as he lunged at a griffin. It looked like a snowcap, a griffin similar to Gilda, but he looked rough, sort of underfed. The griffin tried to take off, but soon David had him by the throat.
“Call it off!” the griffin cried.
Twilight looked at Scootaloo who was lying crying on a mattress. Twilight untied her and brought her close to her.
“Did he hurt you?” she asked.
“Nuhuh,” she said.
“David… Don’t… Please,” she said.
David shook the griffin as if he was a ragdoll and tossed him into the wall. His paws held him down and drool began to drip onto the griffin.
“Buckin’ call this thing off! I’ll do anything!” the griffin cried.
Twilight put Scootaloo down and pushed her toward the door.
“Go find Rainbow Dash and stay with her,” Twilight said.
Scootaloo nodded and took off. She moved cautiously toward David.
“Please David… Don’t do this. You stopped him,” she said.
He turned toward her and his eyes seemed to be softer for a moment before a snarl crossed his features. She moved a little closer.
“Please… for me let him go,” She said.
He grabbed the griffin again and threw him hard into the wall. The sickening sound of something snapping could be heard and she knew the griffin had most likely broken his back. David turned toward her and pounced. She squeaked as he pinned her to the ground. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him.
“Please, David… You know me… It’s me Twilight… Don’t do this,” she pleaded. He shook his head, backed away and growled. She slowly got up.
“David…” she said before he turned and ran toward a window. She watched as he busted it out and took off.
She sat down and put her face into her hooves.
“Please don’t hurt anypony,” she whispered.
Hours later David groaned as he sat up. He looked around himself and saw what looked like busted up trees. He slowly stood and started walking. At first he had absolutely no idea where he was, but as he walked he noticed a farm ahead. He walked toward it and heard someone softly singing out in the orchard.
“Hello?” he called.
“Welcome to Sweet ap… Mother of Celestia!” Applejack said as he stood at her gate.
She hadn’t really seen him nude before. The last time she moved him he had been wrapped up in several of Zecora’s blankets. Now he was standing at her gate, trying to hide his nudity with his hands, and to be honest there was still a bit of it showing. She shook her head and walked toward the barn. She headed back with an old sheet and tossed it to him.
“Wrap up in that! Tarnation… Does Twilight know what you’re packing?!” she asked.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I guess not…” she said.
“Sis, did you hear? A big wolf thingy killed six timber wolves that had attacked Zecora! It tore them apart while she escaped!” Applebloom said as she came out of the Everfree forest.
“Now where did you hear that from Applebloom?” Applejack asked.
“From Zecora! She told me about it as I helped her mix up the potions she needed to spread on her wounds!” Applebloom said.
“Is that the thing that Twilight been messing with?” Applebloom asked.
“Hi,” David said.
“It can talk?!” she asked.
“Uh huh. Applebloom, why don’t you go ahead and get inside. I’m gonna walk him back to Twilight,” she said.
“So, care to tell me what happened?” Applejack asked.
“I don’t know… I drank some tea and then I sort of blacked out,” David said.