Many have speculated what the first 'A Moment with Doctor Wolf' was. Most agree that the Doc's first moment would be with Fluttershy, seeing as that was one of the first he publicly announced. I like to go back further, to a time where he was not 'Doctor Wolf' but more simply 'Wolf'. A time when Mother was not blamed for crimes of treason and betrayal, but a time where tempers still ran high due to the chaos reigning around us.
It was, however, a time of forgiveness.
And this is where our story begins.
Mother always told me that wolves were large beasts, almost as big as a full-grown pony! She also said they had razor-sharp teeth crafted to eat animals such as mice and sometimes the occasional deer. When I was younger, I saw these creatures as monsters, those who would chase after a young filly such as myself in the of the night to eat our toes. But Mother always reassured us that wolves were good and understanding, being children of the Night themselves. I still saw them as dangerous, but I supposed I shouldn't have really said anything - being a changeling myself.
But now I understand why she had said those things.
In the days that followed my filly form acquiring a cutie mark, Mother told me a story about a friend she had met many seasons ago. She did not give him a name, nor did she elaborate on him after that, but I could tell he was very special to her. And that seemed to be all that mattered. So, for you to understand, I will tell the story as Mother told me.
Being a princess was never a very interesting task. After the fall of Discord, there were petty crimes and grievances against a pony's neighbor or some pony need funding to rebuild their house or shop. There nothing particularly exciting about that - especially when Celestia was already taking care of those things. So Luna was pushed to the side-lines, sending out the Royal Guard for various tasks that had to be much more enjoyable than lazing about the castle. Of course, she was 'safe', but it was about as lovely as watching paint dry.
Luna had been growing increasingly more agitated with the situation she was in. How was she supposed to be a princess - a ruler of the realm - when Celestia was doing everything. Her sister was doing all the work, from helping ponies with destroyed finances to aiding with the building of medical facilities for those who were wounded because of the draconquis' reckless actions. Eventually, it was just too boring to stay in her tower. She had to get out.
So one night, after the moon had been raised and her sister was fast asleep, Luna had 'escaped' from the castle. Without the presence of a guard or escort, the younger ruler of Equestria was free to do as she pleased! She could walk among the ponies, meeting all the little foals who decided to play in the moonlight! She could listen once more to the calling stars or she....
Could investigate what that sound was.
A noise had reached the royal's ears, a noise that she hadn't heard before. It was almost haunting, like a long and low cry from a father who had lost his children. It sounded very sad to the princess, which was not something she liked to hear while she was admiring the night she had brought to her subjects. Should they not marvel at the beauty of her stars? Why wouldn't they love the presence of her gorgeous moon?
The alicorn flew closer to the sound of the cry, tossing her head and turning directions every so often. Each time she thought she had gotten close, the pitch of the cry seemed to change and stay that way for a little longer. This was odd to Luna, seeing as somebody with that many tears should probably not be alone for any amount of time.
It took the princess quite a while to find the source of the sound. And by the time she found the said source, her wings were aching from all the flying she had done. But she couldn't Celestia going all this way for a...
Dog?
Yes, it did seem like some sort of dog. Her pale head was tilted up, crying ever-so-loudly to the moon that shining brightly down upon him. He didn't even seem to notice Luna as she trotted forward - slowly, as not to startle him.
"Fair creature, why must you wail at the moon?" She asked, feeling very hurt indeed. "Do you not like the light in which she brings?
The canine stopped his wail, turning his bright eyes to the much larger pony with the faintest of smiles.
"No. I.... like the moon." He replied haltingly, almost as if he were thinking very hard about the sentence he was attempting to say. After all, the language the equine was speaking was nothing like his native yips and barks, and it was harder to converse in a language that was rather foreign to you.
"It's.... very pretty."
Luna smiled back at the creature reluctantly, not knowing exactly what to think. He had teeth that shone in the light, though he seemed no older than a child. It was very confusing to a pony who had only been around those of her own kind all her life.
"Yes, she is lovely, isn't she." The princess gulped, folding her legs underneath her as she settled next to the dog - wolf, in fact. He seemed so very content, even with a stranger by his side. Was he used to ponies? Where had he come from? Canines were so very out of place in Equestria, especially those which such long pelts. Perhaps he was from a place beyond the Equestrian borders? Luna refrained from asking these questions, however, seeing as this was a mere foal in her eyes - a pup? In any case, she was sure he didn't know his origins.
She nearly jumped as he spoke again, his voice growing clearer - almost as if he was becoming more sure of himself.
"I... like the stars too. They are very nice."
The princess tilted her head, following his bright gaze to a cluster of stars that made up one of her favorite constellations. It was the star pattern known as Gemini, though not many ponies knew or cared about that. Perhaps this creature would be more attentive.
"The pattern you are looking at is called Gemini, The Twins." She stated, although it might have came out a little too snobbish for most. But the wolf didn't seem to mind, as he just nodded in a sort of wonder.
"Stars have... names?" He asked of his new companion, his speech slowing down once more. Luna peered up into the sky once more, biting her lip to see the beginning of a sunrise. Had she been out that long? She glanced down at the pup, gasping to find he had fallen asleep on one of her hooves.
Now that just wouldn't do.
The princess carefully slid the slumbering canine off of her, pushing herself off the ground to catch as much speed as possible. it was going to be quite a while until she got back to the castle...
Luna did not forget that fateful night, nor did she plan to. Every night, after everybody was asleep in their beds, the princess would sneak out to meet her new-found friend. And every night, she would teach him of the stars and of their names. He never seemed to tire of these sessions, and he even seemed to look forwards to seeing the princess again. It warmed Luna's heart to find a friend as loyal as this wolf was, even though their meetings kept getting pushed later and later.
Back in the castle, Luna was beginning to be called upon for more and more. New kingdoms were springing up, meaning the princess had to meet each and every ruler that came to Canterlot to establish their ruling. It had taken a toll on the alicorn, leading her to even forget that she had other plans with the wolf some nights.
But the wolf held firm.
Every night he would wait for his friend, never doubting and never moving. He would just wait. Sometimes hours would drag on and on before Luna showed, and in those cases he would talk to the moon. He would tell the shining object all that he had learned and all they he still wished to know. After he was done, he would curl up, feeling a bit better. He knew the moon could not reply, but it felt good knowing what his pony friend symbolized would always be there.
One night before Luna was to head off with her sister to check on the Crystal Empire, the alicorn had a special necklace made for her friend. She had one of the Canterlot blacksmiths forge a small circle of gold, pressing Luna's royal sigil into the soft metal. And under the sigil, she had the blacksmith hammer out two words:
ROYAL INFORMANT.
The wolf had seemed confused at this gift as Luna placed it around his neck. But the alicorn merely smiled at him, pressing the length of her horn between his ears in an affectionate sort of way.
"This gives you access to the castle at any time you want. This means you can visit me whenever you need, yes?"
The canine smiled, throwing his paws around the princess' neck. He always knew she would always be there for him.
Mother said she never forget that wolf, and that she even attempted to find him after she was brought back from the moon. She says she is happy that he found his place among the Equestrians of this land, that he has found his place. Perhaps one day, she'll even find the courage to talk to him again. But for now, she says her memories will do and that the moments spent with the Wolf were some of the best she has ever had.