//------------------------------// // The mare who cried wolf // Story: Wolf in Wood // by Lord Despair //------------------------------// A few moments ago The sun broke through the horizon, bathing the world fully into another morning, like the countless mornings before warming everything it's light touches. The birds sing happily ushering the new day the sound of an caravan wheels cracked along the dirt road. A silver mane azure mare stuck her head out the window fondly watching the sunrise happy memories dancing in her mind humming a song that only her family knew till she noticed an very familiar town in the distance both the humming and her good mood came crashing down an sneer made itself known on her muzzle. Her horn flashed with a pink glow halting the caravan. Opening the door with her magic she stepped out and glared at the town, many of a bad memory burned they way across her mind her sneer deeps as she went back inside her mobile home her magic slamming the door behind her. ''Why is Trixie doing back here of all towns'' she asked her as she trotted over to the stove and started to finish cooking her stew ''Celestia must find humor in Trixie's misfortune of having her go back to the one place in all of Equestria that Trixie hates with passion'' she pause at the smell of her stew burning ''No not again! '' she tries to save what little unburnt stew there was in the pot but it was all for not, using her magic she magics the ruin stew out of the window leaving the blacken slop for the animals. Trixie sighs ''What's Trixie going to go do now for food'' she magic's the cabinets open recoiling at the sight of revealed empty cabinets The show pony sighs again ''Trixie's guess that there no way round it Trixie will have to go to town for supplies'' before adding under her breath ''Like Trixie really wants to set hoof in Ponyville again'' magicking an cloak onto her back she quickly step outside again yet this time she notice a nearby lonely river. ''Where did that river came from there was isn't an river here last time'' Trixie thought loud the river's water burble and eddy past an circlet of stoned outcrops. she went to turn away but for the strangest reason she was dawn to the mysterious river waters. ''It just an river Trixie nothing more nothing less '' remanded the mare turning away from the mysterious river only to feel something huge crash into her knocking her into the water the last thing she sees before blackness claimed her was the silhouette of an paw reaching out to her in the waters grasp................................ Oak's POV I cut my glowing eyes at the pale yellow mare... This Fluttershy the Sparkle spoke of, I had heard of this one. There's a story from a few months back that a she-wolf named Thorn-paws was approached by the same pony, the encounter did not end well. According to the reports, Fluttershy tried to talk to her, and by talk I mean the pony attempted to 'tame' Thorn-paws like she was a simple animal naturally Thorn-paws disagreed with the mare’s points, by almost sinking her fangs into the mare, only to be thrown back by a rainbow blur. Come to think of it, I was attacked by the same blur not long ago. Unlike the she wolf, however, I moved and acted faster, Thorn-paws seemed to be rather slow. ''I don't know if I can Twilight,'' said the yellow mare meekly '’I’ve spoken with many of the Everfree animals but I could never manage Timberwolves!'' Of course pony you think of us as animals you have only spoken with the fallen races of Antel Anice, yet those who still have powers of speech, like my race, refuse to speak to you ponies. I let out another low growl at the mare still I refused to say what was on my mind keeping to the age-old notion of silence. I am the first to attempt forging talks, but as long that horse is still here the only answer she’s going to get is my fangs of oak. “’Shy you need ta get that critter outta here, Rainbows hurt!'' Panics the very same mare that lead me here, the pale yellow mare whimpers, hiding behind her mane. ''Applejack calm down,'' ordered Sparkle in a caring tone before jesting towards the shy mare ''you're scaring Fluttershy.'' ''Applejack?'' I thought with an deadpan ‘‘An apple farmer who not only has the scent of apples also has apple in her name...the ponies are strange indeed.'' Sparkle speaks to the scared mare in a gentle tone ''Fluttershy please you have to try to convince the Timber wolf to return to the forest where it belongs.'' The yellow mare nods shyly causing a soft smile to form on Sparkle's muzzle before taking an gingerly step forward while I growl once more, this stops her only for a moment, stepping back she looks to Applejack and Sparkle they called Twilight questioningly. The two mares nod to her encouragingly and Fluttershy begins her canter closing in on me. When she was only a few feet away I too step forward with a warning growl as if telling her that was close enough. ''Hello Mr. Timber wolf, '' she gulps nervously ''um... I was wondering if you could go back to the forest… If that’s okay with you?'' My eyes cut further at the mare, a deep growl rumbled in my throat, lowing my head I prepared to scare her off with a false lunge. ''Oh what was that Mr. Timber wolf?'' said Fluttershy trying to read my movements her face lights ''Are you trying to speak with me?'' I raise a wooden brow ''How did you even get that from a lunging stance?'' ''Oh this is exciting!'' said the yellow mare gleefully before turning towards her friends ''Twilight the timber wolf is trying to communicate with us!'' ''It is?'' said Twilight in a surprise tone. ''What is it trying to say?'' Fluttershy’s face contorts with confusion ''I don't know, it's very unclear perhaps it just seems to unclear to me because I'm not use to the Language of the timber wolves'' ''What in the name of the forest lords is she thinking? In no way am I trying to communicate... This needs to stop.'' I mentally say as my claws unsheathe themselves again the thorn-like claws burying themselves into the earth drawing upon the Magic of the Earth, I could feel the trees, the dew covered grass, everything that was green. I could even feel the Antel Anice in the distance, the forest magic feeding my wooden body while my senses opened tenfold... Once my body was ready I made my move... Like Lighting my thorny claws raked across her barrel, painting her side into a shade of red mixed with yellow, creating a clay like color. I could hear her shriek and cries of pained shock as I sped past the ponies, ignoring their wails at the sight of the bleeding pony. All that mattered to me was the crack of my wooden paws beating across the earth. With each step the Earthen Magic strengthened my legs, I glide past both trees and dancing birds in the wind like a ghost of the past, the sound of thunder echoing in my ears. ''The ponies are giving chase'' I mentally laugh, steadying my pace, a plan well in my mind, one the ponies will not see coming ''Let's see how good their hoof work is.'' Taking a moment to look back, the glance revealing AppleJack with Sparkle bringing up the rear of the group chasing me. I began to zig-zag wildly followed by even more wild bounds, with both my leafy mane and branch-like tail whipping in the wind. ''AHHH'' I heard one of the ponies cry out, tripping over their own hooves, no doubt rolling into the tree line. Judging by the voice it was Twilight who fell ''Ha serves you right you Sparkle Witch!'' I mentally mocked ''Twilight!'' I hear Applejack from behind me, worry filling her voice ''Ya alright Twi? You’ve taken a bad spill!'' ''Gah, I'm going to feel that in the morning'' Shouted Twilight ''Applejack I'm fine, but don't let that Timber wolf get away!'' ''I'm on it Twi.'' Applejack yelled back, conviction in her voice, only for my tail, acting like a club, to slam into her face just hard enough to knock her out. I smile at the sound of dead weight hitting the ground. With the two ponies out of the game I slowed to a canter my glowing eyes nervously studying my new surroundings, or shall I say lack there of. I was so focused on disposing of the engaged mares I had left the safety of the trees, exposing myself out in the open. From cub-hood Timber wolves are taught to never leave the safety of the trees, for its within the trees where we not only have the home field advantage but we can blend into said trees, if we stay still long enough one would think we were a part of the tree. After all, an exposed wolf is a target while the hidden wolf is a hunter. ''Hey Bucker'' an voice in the air called followed by a rainbow trail “Taste the bucking rainbow!'' I didn't have enough time to react before the blur rammed into me. The mere force sent me flying; landing with a bad crack in my wood I felt sap seeping in the creaks. I let out a sap filled growl as I rose from the dirt my white orbs matching the rainbow pony's, glare for glare. The both of us spread our legs entering into lunging stance, she keeps her wings open trying to make herself bigger but that tactic does nothing except making her into a better target. ''Come on you walking fire hazard,'' taunted the mare ''come on and charge me!'' ''Something doesn't smell right'' I thought while holding my stance ''she wants me to charge her... This must be a trap of some sort. There's no other reason for wanting me to charge. Pegasi have very light bones, they can't take a charge from a full grown timber wolf.'' my instincts were telling me to attack but sensing the obvious trap again, I turned and ran, reconnecting with the powers of the Earth and plants allowing the ancient elemental power to take hold over a large section of my mind. I could feel the vibrations in the earth, so it was a trap, I sensed the heavy hoof steps of a very large pony galloping in my direction I couldn't sense Rainbow Dash, which only told me that she had taken to the sky once more... A sudden notion of retaliation hit me hard, the direction was I running led straight into town... Clever girl, tricking me into running into an extremely obvious trap, this has Sparkle’s mischief all over it I'm sure of it. Well two can play at this game, quickly retaking total control of my mind before the elemental power could take me over completely. I hid myself in a bush my form masterfully melting into the plant life. I didn't have to wait long in the bush before Rainbow Dash flew overhead; no doubt scanning the ground below while the biggest pony stallion I’ve ever seen was following the sky-bound mare. I gulp heavily at the sight of the large mass muscles that made that pony... That isn’t natural. No little pony should have that many muscles, I doubt an entire pack could attack him and live, his hooves alone are big enough to crush the thickest of skulls, only an alpha could take him down but even that would be pushing it. ''Dash do ya see em up there?'' shouted the unnatural pony up to the rainbow maned mare. ''Buck'' screams the mare her flying becomes more aggressive than she ''I think we lost him Big Mac'' ''He's a Timber wolf Dash, they can hide just 'bout anywhere the only way ta find one is when they find ya first.'' said Big Mac in simple wisdom. ''Dash we need ta hurry and git the girls to doc’s, Shy's gash doesn't look good'' ''Yeah I know but still I wanna make that walking hunk of driftwood pay for hurting Shy.'' threaten the flying mare ''Eeyup.'' said Big Mac, galloping back to Applejack picking up the knocked out mare like a rag doll ''I got Aj, ya git Twi, she banged up her hoof pretty good'' ''On it Mac'' said Rainbow abandoning the search for me in exchange to help her hurt friend. In the bush I watched the two ponies gather up their kin before leaving together. I dare not to make a move until both were far from my sight. Once I was sure they were gone, I quietly slipped from the bush, using the knowledge that the earth provided me, I set off in a direction that led away from both the Pony town and the apple farm. A part of me thought that the ponies had given up too easily and were setting up another trap, if that would to be the case again I ran...just to be sure. Sometime later Following the early morning sun, I traveled away from the Pony town my paws cracking along the Pony-made trail, trying to put as much distance between the ponies and I as possible. My mind coldly replaying my earlier actions, pointing out each and every error I committed. My actions destroying any chance of befriending those ponies, even if the Sparkle was there I should of acted like a civilized wolf, yet instead I let old hatred take hold over me. I have set back my goals by years with my attack on Fluttershy. I have no doubt that the ponies will tell the entire town about me... I cannot go back to that town; the ponies would be waiting for any wolf to show up, my mind joined bymy very instincts began to debate myself and the wisdom of attacking ponies this early in my plans. Soon the debate grew heated between the three voices in my body I was so focused on the arguing wills, I didn't notice I’d rammed into something until I heard the splash, the sound of the water splashing derailed the arguing wills long enough for me to see a mare sinking into the dark waters. Panic fills my systems at the sight of the mare, as she wasn't moving, I must of knocked her out when I ran into her ''I need to help her!'' I mentally cried thrusting my paws into the water pulling her from the waters grasp. Once freed of the water I drag her far from the river's banks my eyes studding her wet form, her coat was an azure color that went nicely with her silvery mane, she was gorgeous, her fur was like silk to the touch. Taking my eyes off her I noticed a nearby old rundown carriage ''Is that where she came from?'' I mentally asked myself, before noticing her slightly shivering ''She must be cold.'' Being made of wood I don't have to worry about the cold, minus losing my leaves during winter of course, but the wet pony on the other hoof would die. Without any real choice, I crawled up under the unconscious mare, placing her on my back, and set about entering the only nearby shelter. The old carriage.