AJ returned a few minutes later with a large pouch held in her mouth, which she dropped in my hands. The pouch clinked as it landed, it was full to the brim with golden coins that held the faces of the two princesses. I pulled open the flap on my back back and dropped the pouch in and said, "Thanks, Applejack."
AJ just gave me a confused look and asked, "Ain't ya go'n ta count 'em?"
I just smiled and said, "Nah, I trust you. Besides we'd be here all day if I were to do that."
"I can understand not wanting to waste time." Dash chimed in.
I was about to make a comment to Dash when an ear piercing scream came across our ears. I was off running towards it while AJ shouted, "Applebloom!" and Dash, "Scootaloo!". I had every ounce of adrenalin running through my veins as I shot between apple trees, running towards the source of the scream. I then put my entire soul into reaching them as I heard a wolf's howl.
I arrived to see a timberwolf pouncing towards three fillies. I just put everything I could into jumping at the wolf, and managed to tackle it out of the air. It yelped out of surprise once it found itself on the ground, but It had no time to make a sound as my elbow came down on its skull. There was a loud crack and a squish as its head split. At the same moment I put a shield around the fillies using my magic. I rolled off the now dead timberwolf and got to my feet. There were still three more wolves circling the four of us, so I focused some of my magic around my fists to make them appear as though they were on fire. Then I just shouted, "Get your wooden hides outta here before I torch you lot!"
It had the desired effect as the remaining wolves tucked their tails and ran off into the Everfree. After I was certain that the timber wolves were sufficiently far I dispelled the shield around the three young fillies and asked, "You three okay?"
"Yeah!, I coulda took 'em though!" The orange pegasus filly with the purple mane reported.
The yellow filly with a pink bow in her red mane shot back, "No ya couldn't Scootaloo, ya were just as scared as us!"
"Yeah. although I didn't expect him to be here." The white one white unicorn filly with a pink and purple mane said.
I raised any eyebrow at that one and asked, "So you three the ones who found me?"
"Yes, we did!" The three cheered. Then they paused for a moment before the yellow one asked, "How'd ya know?"
I just smiled and replied, "Well, Applebloom, I didn't, I just took a guess based on what little information I had."
Applebloom's eyes grew wider and she asked, "Okay, but how'd ya know mah name?"
I suppressed a laugh and returned, "Again, I just did a guess, your sister shouted the name, and you sound alot like her."
"Okay if you're so good at guessing names, then what's her name?" Scootaloo questioned while pointing at the white one.
I knew her name was Sweetebelle, but I didn't want to freak them out, so I shrugged and said, "Sorry Scootaloo, but I have no information to guess her name with."
I nearly defecated myself when I heard Twilight say, "Of course you do, It the same way you knew who Luna was when she first came to you in your dreams. And how could you kill that timberwolf?"
I paused for a moment with a look of pure guilt on my face. After a moment I slowly gathered myself and smiled before saying, "Well to answer Scootaloo's earlier question, the young unicorn mare's name is Sweetebelle. She, Scootaloo, and Applebloom, are the main members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a group crusading to find their special talents so they may acquire their cutie marks. I know this because of a show called My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic. That show is surprisingly similar to this world especially with the names of characters within this world. However there are key differences, such as this timberwolf, which I killed, BY ACCIDENT. For in the show they are just wild magic that enchants logs to become the form of wolves and attack anything that moves, however this one appears to be a wood based, self-mobile, carnivorous plant. There may be other differences in this world. That is a reason, other than the fact it freaks people out, that I am not immediately using the information provided in the show. So, any other questions or complaints?"
I was catching my breath while the four just sat there looking at me, the CMC gave me just a blank stare, Twilight however had a look of guilt on her face. I also saw AJ and Dash in between the trees staring at me, just as blank as the CMC. After I had caught my breath I let out a long drawn out sigh and then with my hands above my head and said, "Or if you want to freakout you can do that too."
Still receiving nothing but blank stares I stood up and approached the timberwolf. As I got closer I saw the horrible damage I had done. The entire right side of its face was caved in and it was leaking sap everywhere. I knelt beside it with tears going down my face, It was the first time I had killed anything more significant than an ant or a fly. Then I said to the corpse of the timberwolf, "I know you were just trying to get a meal, but. You chose the wrong target, I'm sorry I had to kill you, but I will not regret it. I did what I did to protect the community I wish to become a part of. The least I can do is bury you in the Everfree and hope you'll understand."
Then I stood up and turned to AJ, who had her hat off holding it to her chest and said, "AppleJack, You should get those three inside," I pointed to the CMC and continued, "And I need to borrow a shovel."
She didn't say a word she just nodded and gathered up the three fillies whom I had just saved and walked back to the farmhouse. After she was past the treeline Twilight sat next to me as Dash hovered of my head. Their looks of fear and disgust gone. Replaced with looks of forgiving and sadness. We just sat there staring at the dead timberwolf for quite some time, just pouring our feelings of sorrow into the poor creatures body.
When AJ returned I lifted the timberwolf over my shoulders and took the shovel. Nodding my thanks to her I followed the tracks left by the timberwolves until I arrived at the Everfree. Once there I started my grim task.