Extinct Species
by
Careful Watcher
Overview: Wolves
The wolf is a creature lost to time, which I shall explain later on, but suffice to say they are dog-like in many attributes- pointed muzzle with prominent canines, four clawed padded paws, a fur coat of varied coloration (though usually dull as opposed to the bright colors of ponies), pointed ears and a thin, furred tail. A predator and carnivore, the wolf ate meat, and was well adapted to its role. A very social animal, they would travel and hunt in groups of between 5 and 20 called packs, making quick work of any animal that was alone, be it pony or other prey.
In the days of our ancestors, wolves were possibly the greatest threat to ponies, and the most feared as well. Even ponies today will instinctually seek companionship upon hearing a howl; safety in numbers, as they say. In the time of our ancestors, it is without a doubt that many ponies met their end in the jaws of these extremely efficient pack predators.
It is also around this time that we see the first signs of dogs, of the domestication of wolves. Ponies, ever empathetic, would often adopt wolf pups when circumstances orphaned the poor creatures, and would raise them, often as though they were their own foals. Those who did found that these domesticated wolves identified the ponies as their ‘pack’, and proved to be extremely loyal, caring, and helpful companions. And so, the great partnership between ponies and dogs was born, which has continued to this day; but I digress.
In the ancient world pre-Unification, it is thought that wolves in their many variations inhabited many forests in respectable numbers, ranging from the icy tundras of the Crystal Empire down nearly to the lush tropics of the Lacandon Rainforest. Seven different species of wolf have been identified, each uniquely adapted to their chosen environment, be it the cold and icy tundras of the Crystal Empire or hot and humid jungles that dominate the land past the Macintosh Hills.
Perhaps the most terrifying canine during this time was the Direwolf. It bears special mention here; whereas the wolf was a relatively normal, if predatory, animal, the direwolf was a creature twisted by the evil of Tartarus into something more monstrous. Larger than a pony, strong, supernaturally fast, the direwolf was a true terror in the ancient world, having been twisted by the likes of Mephasm and Tirek to serve as their minions. It is said that Princess Celestia fought against entire armies of these creatures to defeat the likes of the Lords of Tartarus; from the oral stories and myths of that time, we should count ourselves fortunate that the Princess has sealed them in Tartarus along with their masters.
The rise of true pony civilization in the Tribal Era brought about great changes to the wolf’s way of life. With the advent of the written word, we can begin to trace the path of the wolf through history.
Wolves slowly became much more cautious of ponies during this time; part of it was no doubt fear, for the early ponies in those days would organize hunts to slay the wolves out of a sense of self preservation. The result was that wolves moved away from population centers, and it is theorized that wolves began to actively avoid what they considered a dangerous species— though this did not stop them from attacking lone ponies when they were hungry.
The Windigoes brought the wolf to near extinction, as it did with everything else in the world. Evidence and fossils suggest that the species of wolves that were not adapted to cold climes died at this time, as so many other species did. However, wolves that lived in the icy north, most notably the species known as the Grey Wolf (or by their more common nickname, ‘Timberwolf’), found the change of climate dramatically expanded their normal hunting range, and the populations increased.
The Grey Wolf was a species nearly as large as a pony. With thick, typically off-grey coats, they were well adapted to the cold and were one of the few species that increased in number during the time of the Windigoes. With the Unification of the pony race and the defeat of the Windigoes, the Grey Wolf found itself with an extensive range of temperate climate, and became the primary predator of Equestria, living in the woods of most of Equestria. With the advent of true civilization, and the beginning of true record-keeping, the Grey Wolf became synonymous with the term ‘wolf’, and the majority of depictions of wolves today are based upon their look.
The Grey Wolf survived and thrived up until the time of Discord. The tales of Discord’s reign outside of those who fled to the Everfree are fragmented, but there is enough information that was remembered after sanity was restored to the land to learn of the fate of the species.
It appears that Discord heard the name ‘timberwolf’, and decided to see if it was true. When the Grey Wolves he met were not to his liking, he decided to make the name literal, and turned the species into wood. We recognize these wooden wolves as the timberwolves that haunt the woods of Equestria to this day.
Sadly, it would appear that Discord was remarkably thorough in his transformation, and additionally did not distinguish between the Grey Wolves and wolves of other species. It appears that no real wolves survived the troubles of Discord; there have been no accounts of a live wolf since the time of Discord, and no fossils of flesh-and-blood wolves since that time.
At this time, the wolf, and all its feral family, are extinct. The only remaining member of the wolf family is the domesticated canine, the dog.
Before, the so much waited meeting, and now this?
You taunt us!
...... I've got to say was a really interesting piece of world building all the same.
Nice expository, never thought of the timber wolves of possibly being discords doing. New Headcanon. Can't wait for more.
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Midna is in the story?
Welp, I know what I'm reading on my day off.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-
Stupid Chiffhanger
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I know. but it had to be done. Or else you still wouldn't have the chapter. As it is, I'm working on the next, but progress is slow because I have a different story with many fans that I have been putting off since January, so I really needed to buckle down and write that.
That said, I am writing the next chapter. Probably not going to get published this week though unless I suddenly find a LOT of free time.
While this is a very good story so far, there are two parts I am very leery about. One has already happened multiple times, while the other has a very high chance of showing up in the future. These two parts are about two of the Mane Six, namely Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie is what I refer to when I say it has happened multiple times. Too often do authors play up the very minor fourth-wall breaking and Pinkie Sense to an absurd extent, to the point that she actually knows she's in a fanfic, or what will happen later on in the plot. While your Pinkie isn't that bad (yet), I am worried about Pinkie Pie somehow "knowing" that Link is a good guy. So far this is minor, and it could easily be explained as Pinkie having a good feeling about him, seeing that this mysterious wolf has helped them out. But from how you wrote it, it sounds like she "knows" as in fourth wall breakage. If your Pinkie does go down this route I will seriously consider dropping this otherwise good fic, which would be a shame.
Fluttershy is what I refer to when I say I am leery of what might happen in the near future. Now that Link is wounded, he'll definitely be brought into Ponyville and cared for. There will obviously also be an interrogation, which Twilight has already mentioned getting Fluttershy to participate in. Now, what issues could I have with Fluttershy in this fic? The Stare. While admittedly it has had some impressive showings in the show itself, a lot of authors wank it to the extreme. Anyone and anyTHING seems to fall victim to her disapproval in stories that wank the Stare, sometimes even giving her literal mind control powers. They seem to forget that it has failed on occasion, and even then Fluttershy very rarely has the need to use it. She only uses The Stare under extreme duress, and it's more to calm down a raging beast than control it. Finally, the only time she used it against a fully sapient creature it outright FAILED. I really hope you don't wank the "Flutterstare" because that would be another major turn-off.
Avoid these two pitfalls that so many others fall into, and your story will continue to shine like the Triforce.
Okay, maybe that metaphor is rather extreme.
To be honest, your headcanon about why things are the way they are in equestria, Discord's meddling in nature and all, makes a lot of sense.
Also this story is amazing, but take your time with each chapter. i'm certain your gonna make it something even more amazing!
You have now just made me one of Discord's haters. Congratulations.
Direwolf!! Youtube knowledge ftfw!!
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Damn it, Discord!
Nice interlude! A well-thought-out and well- developed headcanon that fits the story and the FiM-verse.
And on top of that, I didn't spot any errors! Well done.