Bark and Blood
Green magic swam around the twelve foot tall tree, clipping branches away and letting them pile down around the trunk. This magic, an almost violent green, contained sparks which appeared more like embers from a campfire than the usual small sparkles that unicorn magic gave off. The owner of the magic being a female Changeling was most likely what caused what Twilight Sparkle would be calling an ‘interesting anomaly’.
The tree split into four two-foot long logs and a four-foot log, each individual log levitating over to a cart just outside the back door to the abode that she shared with a Thestral guard who was watching her from the doorway itself. He’d been given leeway to do as much work as he needed from home to ensure that his charge –her- was protected from those who might do her harm. Besides watching her and ensuring that she didn’t hurt herself, he was currently waiting for the arrival of his lieutenants and day-guard compatriot, so that he could go over the week’s meeting.
Since Ruby had been assaulted, by a fellow guard no less, Stalwart had been sure to keep an eye on her as closely as he could without being intrusive. She was still showing some late symptoms of her severe beating, and he was making absolutely sure that she didn’t overexert herself or agitate her still-healing injuries. Being as underfed as she still was she would likely be healing for a good while yet.
Said Changeling turned to the pile of branches and leaves she had left in the wake of her wood-cutting and magically lifted most of the pile off to a wood storage shed that had been installed during the days she had been bedridden. It was for when winter finally fell, as even the magic of the Crystal Heart would not get in the way of natural seasons, and the branches could be used for kindling or minor fuel for the fireplace in the living room.
As her magic moved to engulf the remaining pile of loose twigs, sticks, leaves and branches, one of the guard, the day captain himself Captain Dawn Guard announced his arrival by yelling across the back yard to them. Naturally, as she had not expected the yell, Ruby’s magic jolted around the wood she was lifting when she gave a jump and startled yelp.
The bundle, now glowing eerily all on its own, moved.
“Oh no, not again…” She mumbled to herself sadly as the wood snapped and splintered, rearranging itself into a familiar shape which bounded towards her gleefully.
“Miss Ruby, are you alright?” Stalwart asked as he moved towards her. The bouncing animated wooden creature growled at him protectively before he stopped just short of being within hoof’s reach.
“I-I’m fine, Stalwart; he startled me is all.” She replied dismally while waving at Dawn Guard.
“Is that what I think it is..?”
She smiled up at him sheepishly as the little animated bundle playfully batted at a loose piece of gauze hanging from her neck, which was still bandaged from her beating. “If you think it’s a timberwolf pup then yes, it is.” She said nervously. “I’ve not made one by accident in years, and even when I did they were easy enough for me to undo, but I’m still feeling unwell from my head injury and I don’t want to risk trying. I could do something really, really bad.”
Stalwart Drone eyed the pup critically. “Timberwolves are predatory though, why is it so… friendly?”
She sighed. “Timberwolves are created the same way that I made this little bundle of sticks. Magic can do some pretty silly things when it surges. I’ve never let one get away from me, and most wild Timberwolves are descendants of ones like this little menace here having been turned loose by the original creator’s passing.” She grabbed the timberwolf by its back leg with her magic and lifted it into the air. “This little pest will be about as loyal as the Element of Loyalty herself until I can dispel it.”
“How do you keep it fed?” Stalwart asked, nosing towards it critically.
Ruby huffed at him. “It’s a plant, Stalwart. You fertilize it. Any fertilizer would do; other than that it just needs water and sunlight. I don’t advise us keeping it, really. They make for terrible pets because ponies can only see the beast and not the magic. As I said, I've not made one in years, and even when I did it was a better idea to dispel it than keep it. The ponies in town would have gone bananas if I had a timberwolf hanging around.” She shuddered faintly. “Coltorado had a field day when they turned against me, I can’t imagine what they would have done if I’d had a timberwolf companion; probably have burned it alive.” She hissed as the pup flailed about wildly and managed to hit her chest rather hard, aggravating her already tender injuries.
“I don’t think we can let you ‘undo’ it, ma’am,” the day guard captain commented from across the yard, “Technically it’s a living creature now. You’d be killing it, and the killing of a perfectly healthy passive creature without authority is inhumane and illegal.”
Ruby sighed and looked down at the excited and hyperactive pup irritably as it writhed in her magic to gnaw on its own paw. “I can’t just give it away, it’d come right on back the next day; I should know, I’ve tried.” She groaned. “You sure you want me to keep this little pest, Stalwart? Ah, stop that!” She snapped this last bit at the pup as it managed to collide with her again, the pseudo-canine stopped dead at her shout and began giving her what she thought was the creepiest puppy-dog-eyes ever.
“It’ll need some obedience training, but I’ve no problem with you owning a pet, particularly if it’s one that is as loyal as you suggest.” Stalwart said, stepping closer and poking the quiet yet curious creature of wood and twigs. “How would you advise we feed it? Fertilizer from the same place you got your trees?”
Ruby huffed and let the pup go. “That stuff smells, Drone; but if you’re really so interested in having this little pest as a pet, we have to feed it I suppose. High carbohydrate fertilizer with supplements from other sources would be best, as it’s sort of a tree and he’ll need lots of energy. I’ll have to check what they have myself to see if I can find something that would suit a plant like this, we may have to make our own.”
It was about now that Stalwart Drone, in a case of either total brainwave or confusion, asked a question which made Ruby stop all thought processes. “What gender is it even?”
She blinked at him for a moment. “Genderless.” She said confusedly. “It’s a plant; technically it’s both. It’ll flower once or twice during the spring, should give your bees something to do.” She looked down at the pup in a way that made it tilt its ears back. “But we are not having any offspring, so if it gets a gender it’d better both flower and do nothing or become a fruit-bearer; I am not handling any future pups.”
“Flower, huh? I suppose we can just call it female and assume that it’ll behave with some training?”
Ruby huffed. “It’ll do what I tell it to, basically; magical constructs typically obey commands.” She grumbled, glaring daggers at the timberwolf as if daring it to argue. “And if it doesn’t become the calmest and most obedient living stack of twigs, leaves, and sticks, then I’ll clip its flowers.” She groaned for a second after saying this, her throat protesting her continued use of her voice.
At her threat the wooden wolf cringed and nodded, shying away from her slightly.
The trio of equines –and one wooden wolf- all jolted when a shout came across the yard. “What in Equestria is a timberwolf doing all the way out here?!”
Captain Shining Armour hurried across the yard and lifted it in a bubble of magic, glaring daggers at the diminutive predator.
After a short and uncomfortable pause, Ruby found her tongue. “Y-your highness, she’s mine.” She managed to stutter. “I-I made her by accident.”
He gave Ruby a critical look. “You created a timberwolf?”
She nodded meekly. “They’re magical constructs; it’s something that just… happens. Ponies that use magic to manage tree trimmings and have a magic surge do it from time to time, though their creation is extremely rare these days... I don’t want to risk dispelling her, either; last time I tried that with stunted magic, the timberwolf sort of… exploded. I had spots in my eyes for days.” At this she coughed and levitated a glass of water from a table just outside the house over to take a long drink.
Shining Armour looked at the pup critically before lowering it to the ground and releasing it. “Very well, Miss Ruby, I’ll leave its care to you. Be sure to have it registered and tagged.”
Ruby chuckled. “She’s unlikely to want to leave my side ever, your highness. And other than potentially running off, which is a non-issue as she won’t, the only threat is theft, and who in their right mind would steal a timberwolf?”
The prince nodded. “You’ve got a point there; then again, who in their right mind would want a timberwolf for a pet?”
“I wanted to remove the spellwork that brought it to life,” she grumbled, “Stalwart insisted that I keep her, blame him.”
The prince nodded. “Very well, Miss Ruby, you may keep it.” He said calmly. “Ensure that it is licensed and kept control of; keep in mind that the guard will not protect a pet which has become violent, especially not a timberwolf.”
With a bow, Ruby replied. “Thank you, Prince Shining Armour.” She said before coughing faintly. She turned to Stalwart. “I need to go into town to get her some feed; since you won’t be able to escort me as you did yesterday for our trip to the castle, will it be possible for a guard to accompany me?”
“Take mine,” Shining Armour said before Stalwart could respond, “While I’m not supposed to be without a guard accompanying me, I’ll be within this building with the night, shadow, and day guard captains and their lieutenants, so I’m sure I can spare a corporal to accompany you.” He turned his head to the crystal pony guard standing just beyond the backyard’s edge, where the grass met polished marble sidewalk. “Tourmaline, get over here!”
Meekly the guard walked over, clearly giving Ruby and her young companion a wide berth, and saluted the prince.
“Corporal Tourmaline, this is Miss Ruby Swift; Miss Ruby, this is one of my guards, Corporal Tourmaline. She was selected for me as a Shadow Guard by my wife, and she will be accompanying you through town.” He turned to look at the crystal pony critically. “Corporal, for now you’re to follow Miss Ruby.”
“Sir, I don’t understand why?” Tourmaline voiced curiously.
Stalwart cleared his throat. “Miss Ruby is under guard protection, however she has no guards of her own; normally I would be accompanying her into town, but I am required here for this meeting. As such, you will be going with her to keep her from being abused by anypony, as well as to ensure that the opposite does not happen.” He gave Ruby an apologetic glance. “While we trust you, Miss Ruby, we are unsure about your love-feeding instincts, as well as the instincts of your new companion. Keep her on close watch, understood?”
Ruby nodded mutely, and then nudged the wooden dog with a hoof to get her attention. “Come on you bundle of sticks, we’re going for a walk.” She sighed when the beast gave a noise of glee and began hopping around her excitedly. “Yes, yes, this is all very fun. Let’s go.”
As she walked out of earshot, Shining Armour gave Stalwart Drone a strange look. “She’s almost rude to it, isn’t she..?”
“I don’t think she likes that she’s made it, sir.” The captain replied. “I’m not sure I should have pressured her into keeping it, either… I can’t protect her all the time, though-”
“So you thought that it could prove itself as a kind of guard dog and make your life easier?” Shining Armour interrupted with a grin. “You prove yourself captain material more and more every day.”
*&*&*&*
Ruby, Tourmaline, and the timberwolf wandered through the glittering empire, headed towards the market district. For what she was worth, Tourmaline tried to ignore the bouncing bundle of wood and energy as it explored its new surroundings. It wandered over to a fountain and took a quick drink of the glittering water within before returning to following its master, several leaves sprouting from its shoulders, ears, and tail. Now it rustled as it bounced, and it was slowly becoming very irritating.
The sound soon halted when Ruby and the timberwolf stopped outside of a garden store. The changeling appeared to be talking to the timberwolf sternly for some reason, but Tourmaline wasn’t particularly paying attention, content to survey the crowd. There were some interesting residents within the market district today. A gryphon mother and her chick entering the toy store across the road, a pair of Pegasus ponies looking about the fruit market next door to the garden store they were at, a group of mixed ponies following a tall blonde-maned white-coated unicorn stallion glaring at and approaching her charge-
Oop, that was important wasn’t it?
“Might I help you, citizens?” She asked, stepping between the group and Ruby.
“You could arrest that changeling for a start.” The unicorn snapped, to which several others agreed.
She sighed. “This changeling is a citizen of Equestria and cannot be arrested without due cause.”
“Due cause? How about the invasion of Canterlot?” The stallion sneered.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot arrest her. If you have issue with this, please feel free to bring it up with Princess Cadance at your convenience. I must ask you to move along, thank you.”
She then turned and followed her charge into the gardening store, the timberwolf bouncing alongside its master dutifully, still rustling like a tree in a gale. The trio wandered through the store to the organic fertilizers, of which a bag was slung over her back. She found herself thankful for her armour, really. A little further to get a large mixing bucket with a solid, sealable lid and a container of supplement plant nutrition were collected by her changeling charge and held on to until they paid and left the store.
A small walk later and they arrived at a stand selling herb bundles, at which Ruby purchased a large bundle of mint. One last jaunt through the area led them to a small registration stand, one of several set up across the Empire to ease the travel on those with young pets, and she had the timberwolf registered and a tag issued, which was literally stapled to the pup’s ear like an oddly-shaped ear stud. A complimentary pair of food and water dishes were handed to the changeling, and she thanked them before leaving the stand.
They then turned tail and headed back to the house from which they had come. Ruby seemed to be trying to appear small, almost cowering the whole way back home. She was limping slightly when they finally entered the back yard, and she took the bag of fertilizer from Tourmaline and placed it by the back door before wandering inside, taking the small timberwolf with her.
Tourmaline was a little confused at her behaviour; was she… afraid of being in public? She supposed so, having a basic understanding of what had led the changeling mare to the Crystal Empire in the first place. Heck, she had been in the hall of court the day that she’d arrived.
She followed Ruby into the house and found her down in the basement, applying polish to a group of wooden practice spears with a brush and a mask over her mouth and nose. Her pup was snuffling about the floor, snapping up chips of wood as she found them and gobbling them down as if they were the most delectable treat imaginable.
‘She works to relax.’ Tourmaline thought as she observed the changeling put a lid on the bucket of polish and stow it away in a cupboard. ‘Well, there are worse things to relax with.’
She turned back through the house to where she could hear the guard’s higher-ups conversing. She knocked on the door and waited for a response.
“Come in.”
She pushed the door open and stepped in. “It’s just me, sir. We've returned from town just now.”
The ponies at the table, which she noticed was covered in paperwork, all looked amongst one another as if wondering who would give her orders. Finally it was Stalwart Drone who answered.
“Very good, corporal; get comfortable and make yourself at home, but do keep an ear out for trouble.” He said firmly across the room. “Miss Ruby may require assistance, as she has yet to recover fully from both her injuries and her malnourishment, so please keep an eye on her.”
She snapped a salute and barked, “Yes, sir,” before closing the door and moving through the house to what appeared to be a family room, near enough to the basement for her to hear Ruby Swift if she shouted out for aid, but far away from the dining room enough to avoid hearing anything that the higher in command were discussing. She slid a book she had discreetly hidden within her armour out onto the couch cushion in front of her and flipped it open to the page her bookmark held for her.
“Now, Mr Long, where were we?” She mumbled to herself as she returned to reading the novel she was certain that her captain would be most displeased she had with her.
*
Ruby turned the spear she had resting atop a bed of nails for polishing so that the polish would dry smoothly –she would need to sand it down a little and re-polish it at least once more before she was done, but for now she could leave it be. The timberwolf had settled her snuffling and eating of wooden chips and scraps from across the floor having died down when she’d finished polishing half of the spears she had on the nail bed before her. Now the wooden dog lay resting on the floor beside her, the leaves she had sprouted having all curled up to conserve energy that would be otherwise wasted as no solar light reached her down here.
She had been surprised that Stalwart hadn’t pressed the point on how she knew what the timberwolf would be like, or how to care for it. She was thankful for it, too, as she didn’t particularly want to go into detail.
It would be hard to explain that she had owned a timberwolf in the past.
That wolf hadn’t lasted long, sadly; she’d only had it just under a year before the ponies from town had found it and hunted it down, tearing it apart piece by piece until the magic had faded and it was truly and utterly dead. They hadn’t known that it was tame; they had just assumed that, as a timberwolf, it had been feral and dangerous.
Oh yes, herbivores could be just as dangerous when faced with a purposed threat… she would know, she supposed.
After nudging the pup back up from where it lay, she walked back through the house to the back yard. To others she was walking fine; but neither she nor her new timberwolf were fooled by the act she put on. Walking hurt, and she was limping ever so faintly as she moved.
She pushed out into the bright sunlit back yard and moved the mixing bucket over to where a garden hose lay in wait for future use- not that she would be putting it to any right now. She then tore open the fertilizer bag and poured its contents into the bucket, followed by the large amount of mint she’d bought. The mint had no nutritional value for her wolf, but it should keep her breath from becoming too rank from her food. Letting her gnaw on a hardwood branch or two would help as well.
She took a large sturdy branch from the pile she had moved earlier and used it to stir the mixture, which began to at smell a little better than before. With the bone meal powder mixed in, she hoped that it would at least not reek badly when her wolf ate some.
Having finished mixing, she then snapped the branch in half and tossed the messy end to her wooden companion, who took to it like the stick were a gift from some sort of deity. The lid clicked into place on the bucket and after filling one of the bowls with water and placing it near the back door, she sat down to watch her wolf devour her treat.
The wolf had grown leaves from almost every vantage point she had, and they were wide and facing the sun as she all but inhaled the treat.
Today threatened to be a long, boring day.
*&*&*&*
Prince Blueblood tromped through the Crystal Palace with his head held high, not even wasting a dismissive glance on guards or servants in the halls. It wasn’t like they were worth his attention.
He reached the double-doors to the hall in which his adopted cousin held court over the Crystal Empire and spoke with the receptionist, a pretty mare that he wiggled his eyebrow at before taking his seat. Court was quiet today, and he would be able to see his cousin within a few minutes.
The receptionist hurried into the hall when the next petitioner swap occurred and whispered into the princess’s ear who was outside waiting for her. A momentary scowl crossed her face before she regained her regal smile and thanked the receptionist; she would handle this pain in the flank when it came.
Sadly the petitioner who was between her and her cousin only wished her to grace his Crystal Rose Wine with a taste and accept a gift of a bottle, which she humbly accepted and allowed one of her guards to take for her –one cannot just give edibles to a royal after all; it must be tested for potential hazards first. One could never be too careful.
Finally, with a respectful bow, the petitioner left the room and Princess Candance was left with the headache that was to come. She had a feeling she knew what her cousin would want, but he could be utterly unpredictable at times and assuming things with him left her open to surprise –a weakness he would exploit to the hilt.
Finally the doors opened and Prince Blueblood saunters in with the accompanying rhythm of hoof steps following him across the polished crystalline floor. Well, saunter was a kind word for his movement; Blueblood was a noble, and like all nobles with more power than brains –or possibly more teeth than brain cells in her opinion- he considered himself the most important pony in the room. As such, he didn’t saunter as much as swagger.
It wasn’t like she needed to be impressed by him, but she’d known him long enough to know that he could out-swagger the best of them.
She forced a smile to grace her lips, though she was gritting her teeth beneath them. “Cousin Blueblood, what an unexpected surprise.” She forced herself to say cheerfully, though within her own head she continued with ‘and an unwanted one.’ “Welcome to the Crystal Empire; what do you wish of the crown?” She then sighed audibly. “And please know that I am not here as somepony you can just use to step around Auntie Celestia’s rulings. If she has said no, I will say no.”
“Of course, Cadance,” Blueblood replied suavely, earning a disapproving glance from several guards, “No, today I bring dire news; a short while ago my colleagues and I encountered a changeling in the streets. After pointing it out to a nearby guard –who was of no help whatsoever- the creature was left free to roam. I believe you may wish to have the guard reprimanded or punished for disobeying simple orders involving dangerous threats to Equestria, as well as apprehend the monster so it can be removed.”
Cadance held her voice to respectable tones when she probed for more information. “Blueblood, did said guard say anything about the creature when you ‘pointed it out’ to them?”
Blueblood scoffed. “Foalish mare said something about the cur being an Equestrian citizen, but surely that is nonsense; such a monster would never be sheltered by-“
“Silence.”
Cadance had spoken not in a shout or with any anger behind it, but with such conviction and firmness that Blueblood had no choice but to heed the command.
“Guard, to me.”
Again, an issued command had been given and the guard in turn had responded. One she had been looking at sternly moved across the room and bowed to her before speaking. “Yes, my Princess?”
“Gem-channel to Stalwart Drone and request the movements of his charge for the last few hours immediately.”
“Yes, Princess.” The guard replied, turning away from the throne and heading into a side-room. Cadance turned to look down on her cousin sternly.
“It’s quite weighty what you have come to me with, Blueblood. It could mean the difference between a court marshal and dismissal and an Empire-wide changeling hunt, and a potential innocent being harassed for nothing.” She stated firmly, thoroughly enjoying the fact that he looked angry that she would speak at him as if he were but a common pony. “How has Canterlot been treating you since we left?” She asked, not really caring for an answer. She knew that if she didn't create some form of small talk then he would.
Blueblood seemed to chew his lip as if wondering if being snippy would be worth the trouble. “Auntie Celestia still kowtows to the demands of the common ponies while refusing my perfectly reasonable requests.” He said dismissively to which Cadance huffed internally. His ‘perfectly reasonable requests’ usually amounted to some outrageous demand that ‘common ponies’, which for him meant anypony that wasn’t a member of the royal family, would end up paying for or suffering because of and would serve only to inflate his already bloated ego. “And Auntie Luna has been too busy seeing to the affairs of some Guard she sent on a special assignment to find time to attend the soirees I’ve arranged for her to meet my companions.”
Cadance nodded, fighting off the need to rub her temple to soothe the headache she could feel growing beneath. Such an action would be seen by her cousin as offensive and rude and would open her up to a whole barrage of nonsense she didn’t have the pain tolerance to, well, tolerate.
Thankfully she was saved of any more awkward small talk when the guard returned and strode up to her throne and gave a salute. “Princess, I have a report;” he stated with a professional firm tone, “Captain Stalwart Drone has reported that upon the arrival of your husband, Prince Shining Armour, his charge wished to go for a short jaunt to the Market District to manage some errands pertaining to her new pet, a tame timberwolf pup which the Prince has sanctioned she may keep. She was accompanied by corporal Tourmaline of the Shadow Guard who, upon questioning, reported being accosted by a stallion matching Prince Blueblood’s description.”
Cadance smiled to him and dipped her head. “Thank you, sergeant; you may resume your post.”
After another salute, the sergeant returned to his position in the hall. Cadance then turned her gaze upon her adoptive cousin.
“Blueblood, I must request you to drop your complaints.”
“But Cadance!”
She held up a hoof to stem off his argument. “The changeling you have accosted is a citizen of Equestria under protective watch to ensure that she is not assailed by other citizens or her own kind. While my husband and I are both still suspicious of her, as would be expected of anypony who was the target of abuse as severe as what her kind did, we are reasonably comfortable that she is of no harm. She even provides wooden training tools for the Empire’s trainee guards, and my husband is overseeing their quality upon every shipment.”
Blueblood gave her a disgusted look, to which the guards nearby scowled angrily. “How can you tolerate that thing in the Empire? It could be an advanced spy, or an insurgent waiting for you to let your guard down!”
Cadance chuckled dismissively. “I hardly imagine that a trained spy or insurgent would live in Equestria for most of her life only to be driven out of her home and left to die in the wilderness.” She said. “I also doubt that such a solider would come to the ponies that they intend to plot against, starved and fatigued, and beg to be put out of their misery. Can we tolerate her to remain in the Empire? Yes, because she seems to have nowhere else to go, and we are certain that we can handle a single changeling. Do we trust her? To a degree; past hurts make truly trusting her almost impossible, but we shall give her the benefit of the doubt until she does something to break any trust we have.
“We, also, have her under constant guard –at least as of a few days ago in any case. So far she has been a model citizen, even under her peculiarities and the persecution she is under wherever she goes. I must ask you, also, to not spread this information to the masses beyond the Empire, for the safety of said changeling.” She smiled at the shocked look on her cousin’s face, imagining the chewing out he’d get once he brought this all to their aunt’s attention in his own way. “Now, if there is nothing further you request of the Crystal Empire, I bid you a good afternoon.”
Her cousin huffed and left, his hooves clattering against the crystalline floor loudly before the doors closed unceremoniously behind him. Cadance clapped a hoof against the floor firmly. “I request a short recess, unless there are no further partitioners.”
“None on list, your highness.” The receptionist replied curtly. “I believe that this was to be a short day in any case upon your request.”
“Thank you, Amber Scroll, after records have been filed for this day’s court, feel free to take the day off yourself.” She said with a friendly smile. Her hoof clapped the crystal floor beneath her again. "I call this session of the Crystal Court closed." She announced. Her eyes then turned on the orange coated and blue maned Pegasus guard standing alert just inside the door, one of her husband’s hoof-selected lieutenants Flash Sentry. “Lieutenant Flash Sentry, please accompany me through town.”
He saluted to her. “Yes, your highness.” He snapped, before following her step. “If I might, what are we headed out into the Empire for? I assume you selected me for flight, but I cannot imagine much other purpose to head out of the castle.”
She chuckled, “You don’t imagine I would like to have a relaxing flight after handling my cousin’s outburst?” She asked playfully. “You’re right though, I do have a purpose. I need to see my husband.
“I need to talk to him about a dog.”
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It's ALIVE!!!!
Oh yes, Its updated.
And what a glorious and cute update to boot
Ah, this just made my day
nice chapter, and even nicer pet... a pup.
would be fun to see bluelblood meeting him
I love this story, it's sort off heartwarming to me.
BTW. Calling wolf a 'dog' is degrading to him. Could you change those, if they weren't meant as an insult?
Its.alive? Its Alive! Hive Alive, its Alive! Lol, see what I did there? And little timber bloom hmm? Lol whatever I'm very happy at seeing this
Interesting take on the origin of timber wolves. They do seem to be magical constructs, so it's a reasonable explanation.
Funny title because bats tend to bugs
IT LIVES! I love the idea of the timberwolf pup! So cute!
Why stapled? why not just a collar?
4896042
Look up See a man about a dog on Wikipedia.
It's a turn of phrase that's been around since 1866 which means "I have to leave you now. There's something I need to do but I'm not going to tell you what." and, in this case, a variant of it is being used to evoke a grin by having it be literally true as well for a change.
4898526 Huh. Never heard that one before.
BTW. Why so many down votes people?
4898526
I... huh, I admit I've heard the phrase before, but that's not what I meant when I wrote the line. She's literally going to talk to her husband about the wolf.
4896042
And as for this? I'm sorry, let me take a moment here;
Canines don't understand the difference between calling them a dog or a wolf. You want to know the difference between REAL dogs and wolves? Centuries of selective breeding and domestication. Granted that it's a timberWOLF, and technically should be called a WOLF, it is also technically domesticated, and thus it can safely be called a DOG. I doubt that it could really feel that one name or another is 'degrading' to it.
Hell, it eats sticks, I could be calling it a woodchipper.
I don't mean to be rude, but this comment just... annoyed me. I owned a border collie for years, and she didn't care WHAT we called her so long as she got food, pets, treats, and was loved. We could have called her CAT for the whole seventeen years we had her and she'd have not cared a bit.
'Degrading to call a wolf a dog'. Far out...
4898612
That's why I thought it was intentional. Because of how that turn of phrase has come to be used, the unexpectedness of having to "see a man about a dog" in a very literal sense can evoke a grin.
4898612 Ok, you have a point, but it still sounds and feels weird to me. I won't bring it back again though, so no worries.
BTW. Any predictions on release date of next chapter?
4898630
allmystery.de/i/tf83ec3_BigMac.png
She literally called it a faggot, I love you right now.
4899507 That should be it's name!
4902463 Faggot the Timberwolf, has a nice ring to it.
4902508 That would be rather amusing. Of course people would get all offended though because of the other meanings of the word. Makes it very tempting to use words like that whenever possible just for the reactions to the other meanings.
And so the phoenix is reborn. IN GLORIOUS FLAMES!!!
4908225 I popped in to reread this...again. Makes me anxious for more every time.
Update?
Baby timberwolf... I want one.
I've really taken a liking to this story and will patiently wait for more.
*waits*
please write more soon
Don't address the bearers of the elements of harmony AS the elements of harmony!
Wait, the narrator's a character now?!
I think I'm starting to remember why I stopped writing for years not too long ago...
5459251
Sure, but feudal governments were a lot simpler too, with nobles raising their own armies, and even dictating their own laws and going to war with each other within a kingdom.
If a royal guard, which I assume is a professional soldier with extensive training, does something stupid like say no, are you really going to smack him with treason? Didnt you just spend a lot of time, effort, and money getting this guy up to snuff?
The royal guard arent a levy force, they are a professional military.
5459307
Yes and you need to make an example of him before others are foolhardy enough to follow in his footsteps. You're still looking at this with a modern mindset. Those days weren't nearly so forgiving.
5465993
Not necessarily.
During WW2, deserters and insubordination was normally punished with jail time. The only time when treason and insubordination was cause for execution, was when the person wanted to go to jail so he could get out of fighting. He was executed to make a point, and the General who ordered it hated having to do that.
5466138
still looking at it from too modern a mindset. WW1 & 2 are the early to mid 20th century, the feudal period in Europe is the 9th to 15th centuries. about 500 years off from being a valid example. I'd say try finding an example of such leniency from the crusades, but you probably wont, cause I doubt there were any. It was a world ruled by superstition and fear. The level of logic and leniency we take for granted today was non-existent, even the 1800s are Utopian by comparison in that regard.
Those in charge of law and order in those days believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law. Even the smallest offenses had serious punishments.
Acts of distention, insubordination, or desertion, were all treasonous actions in those days, no matter how minor.
5466537
I know I said that it would be treason for him to deny the order he was given, but let's look at this from a MLP standpoint using some of the examples you've given:
Yes, as the monarchy of Equestria is in charge, this would be a feudal system, but there are a great number of differences between true feudal and this. Democracy would still be somewhat in place, ponies would be voting in their representatives for parliament from the nobles who are running for the positions. The princesses are still in command, but for the minutia of running the nation it'll be left to parliament.
After running a nation for millennia, it would ease the stress of having to do so much paperwork. They're immortal, but they're still only two ponies.
HOWEVER, as the princesses are the leaders of their respective guard (Solar, Lunar, Crystal, and Twilight) they are in command. They give orders, they run the show. Add on the fact that these are the ruling leaders of the nation, and we have the simple fact that ignoring an order given by them would be tantamount to treason. How they see the disobedience is up to them. Ignoring an order for a good or Just reason would probably be fine; minor tongue-lashing for doing so, but otherwise fine.
We also need to factor in that they, themselves, are peaceful herbivores. Execution just doesn't follow the flow of who they are. It's what the old Earth feudal systems did, sure, but Equestria is a bit more modern than that. It's a sort of mixture between our modern society and the old feudal system, which makes it unique (and oh so deliciously flexible for a writer, omnomnom.)
But nah, he was given an order by Princess Luna, both the leader of his guard (and thus his superior) and the ruler of his nation. Y'all don't just ignore what they tells you because it's an inconvenience.
5466570
In our defense, we don't have your world-building notes, so we only had what popped up in the story to work from and were both trying to fill the gaps with real world examples while we debated.
Sorry...
5467566
Nothin' to be sorry for, if anything I was trying to avoid it becoming an argument. Maybe I should have left well enough alone?
*grins* I guess Shining is in....
The doghouse.
Write more soon.Keep this story alive
Is this story a comedy? Is it going to get funnier? the humour I have seen so far is a certain dry-wit, which is quite good really, but so far, not enough to justify the tag.
Still fun though, and well written. Please do more.
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/127/1/3/thor_and_mlp_meme_for_fimfic_by_ponpheonix-d64fsvg.jpg
5474273 love it
same thing to the author of this story
5404821 I must object to that first statement! Ruby most likely does NOT know the NAMES of the element bearers! She never had time to learn their names! Nor would she have cared! She would have been focusing on keeping herself alive!
5601985
Nnh, flimsy at best; she names Twilight Sparkle in the first chapter, for pity's sake.
I'm just going to argue that, despite knowing their names, perhaps she holds them in a higher regard, or because she's not friends with them, refers to them by honorifics? Like calling Princess Celestia 'Princess' instead of her name when in conversation with her.
Yeah, I know, that's flimsy too. It's still somewhat better than getting pissy at me for referring to them by title than by name, or for using 'buck' as a cuss.
I'm Australian; I have far better cusses that I could use if I felt like it, trust me.
5602017 eh. It works. :)
5601985 Of course she doesn't know the names of the Mane Six. What I meant to say was characters calling the bearers of the Elements "The Elements". Having characters say things like "talk to the Element of Honesty," instead of "Talk to the bearer of the Element of Honesty" has become one of my many pet peeves with MLP fan fiction next to using "buck" as a cuss.
I'm probably in the minority because both of these are widely accepted by readers and authors alike.
5604329
Sorry, mate, but this is a thing that happens.
Like Frankenstein's Monster being called Frankenstein.
5605287 Oh I can live with that. But since nobody in the show does it, it makes me feel uncomfortable.
I do hope there are more chapters coming, I have really enjoyed the chapters so far and look forward to more on your interpretation of the world - I quite like your timberwolf creation myth, and I would of course love to spend more time with the two main characters who both feel very real to me.
Please, Please, PLEASE MORE!!!!
I believe that should be "perceived"
It makes it sound like the princess is outside. Please add the green bit or a suitable substitute.
Partitioners? Hmm... is this some form of petitioner which requires something to be partitioned?
I love this, I hope you get a new chapter out.