The Story Of Zolziac

by Trainboy

4: Meeting Grandmother

Zolziac looked at the large castle that stood before him. Shaking a little. Fluttershy put a gentle wing around him.

"It's not that bad" she said "Celestia is real nice, there's nothing to be afraid of"

"I wasn't afraid" Zolziac said hurriedly "I was just taking it in"

Fluttershy giggled and Zolziac made his way up the steps and into the castle town. As he strode down the streets, ponies pointed and whispered to one another. Zolziac didn't hear all of it, but what he got was...

"Look! Fluttershy's got another one"

"Poor dear, walking into a busy place like this"

"Is that the biggest dog you've ever seen?"

"I hope it doesn't bite"

"How does she feed it

and...

"I sure hope he doesn't eat ponies"

By the time that Zolziac and Fluttershy had walked up to the big, brown castle doors, the whole of Canterlot had heard about the 'Mysterious Wolf' that was roaming the streets.

Fluttershy asked for Celestia, and a huge, white Alicorn stepped out. She was so tall, Zolziac almost fell over backwards just to look at her.

"Fluttershy?" said Celestia, she looked down at Zolziac "Who's this?"

Zolziac gulped

"This is Zolziac" said Fluttershy "He's come to meet his grandmother"

"Anique?" Celestia said in surprise.

"I think so" Zolziac said, "I never met her"

"Oh do come inside" Celestia beckoned, holding the door open.

Fluttershy strolled happily inside. However, Zolziac remained reluctant for a few minutes. This Alicorn seemed friendly... Too friendly. Perhaps she was trying to lure him in, before turning him tame. What if her and Fluttershy were working in unison to turn him tame. He stopped, and slowly crept in, around the door. Celestia smiled.

"You don't have to be afraid of me" she said "I won't hurt you"

This lightened Zolziac's mood a little, but he was still cautious. The room had a fireplace and armchairs. It also had a rug, which Celestia said he was welcome to lay on. When he was curled up near the fireplace, she sat down with Fluttershy and started.

"So your grandmother is Anique" said Celestia. Zolziac nodded.

"He's come from the Everfree pack" said Fluttershy.

"They have a law which says that you can't become tame. So i want to meet my grandmother, so that she can show me where she went wrong and can help me to avoid going down the same path" Zolziac explained.

Celestia looked at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to become tame?" she asked

Those words rang in Zolziac's mind. He had been right, Celestia just wanted to tame him. But she wouldn't succeed. He leapt up and snarled loudly. His teeth bared and his hackles raised, he looked almost ready to attack her. He snarled and leapt towards her in a menacing way.

"Now Zolziac" said Celestia "Stop It!"

She released a large fireball at Zolziac, which somehow seemed to seal his lips. This was exactly what Zolziac didn't want. He was obeying her command. He was submitting to her authority, he was becoming Tame!

He tried all sorts of things to open his mouth, but nothing worked. His lips remained sealed. Fluttershy then spoke up.

"I think we'll take that as a definite no" she said sweetly.

Zolziac would have bitten her head off if his mouth wasn't closed.

"He just needs a few minutes to calm down" said Celestia "Wait and see"

An hour passed, and Zolziac was getting more and more tired. He struggled one last time before he collapsed on the floor. He had become exhausted, and didn't even have the energy to stand anymore.

"Good" Celestia continued "I think you may meet Anique before we do anything else"

She stood and called. Zolziac recognized the call, it was the same that his mother had used to call him, when he was a pup.

"Yes Celestia?" came a voice.

Zolziac looked. There she was, she was a light grey wolf with black ears. He kept his eyes open for a second before blinking... and falling fast asleep next to the fireplace.

He woke up in the same place about five hours later. Fluttershy and Anique were talking, and Twilight, Applejack and some other ponies were talking to Celestia.

"He's awake!" one of them called, when they spotted Zolziac's eyes were open. Anique looked at him.

"So you're the pup who wanted to see his grandmother" she smiled.

Zolziac slowly nodded.

"Wow! You came all this way?" said a Blue pony "Pleased to meet ya. I'm Rainbow Dash"

Zolziac slowly stood up. Applejack offered him help, but Zolziac snarled loudly. So she backed down.

"Why are you so sensitive?" Anique asked

"Because" Zolziac explained "It's a well known fact that, ponies touching you, is the first sign of becoming tame"

Anique thought for a few minutes.

"Come with me" she said "I have a feeling your pack have been deceiving you"

Zolziac curiously followed. The castle turrets were white, but they turned a dark grey against the late night sky. Anique continued to walk along the long castle walls.

"You know, i expected a lot more from someone like you" Anique said "I've heard a lot about you from your parents. Sounds like Shamak has enrolled you into the Alpha and Beta school."

"He has" Zolziac said, puffing out his chest in a proud manner "Shamak says i'm his star pupil"

"Sounds like fun" said Anique.

"Just one question" Zolziac paused "Why did you become tame?"

Anique paused.

"Because of the feeling that comes with it" she said "You can have food, warmth, shelter, happiness. Everything that the wild doesn't offer"

Anique sat on a turret facing the moon. Zolziac sat directly beside her.

"So you became tame, just for that?" he asked.

"Is that all you came to ask?" she asked "I wish to hear of your friends in the wild. Tell me all about them"

So Zolziac explained to her all about the Everfree pack. Anique was a very good audience, she paid attention in all the right places, gasped when needed, and when Zolziac told her about his adventure with Harinka, she even asked if he knew Harinka was okay.

"Well, that's what i've been up to" Zolziac finished "But did you really become tame just for the benefits?"

Anique looked up and smiled.

"Not just that" she smiled "But because i also love Celestia, and i love a life like this"

"Why?" Zolziac asked

"Because Celestia is so generous to us" Anique explained "And we don't have to worry about hunting our own food either"

"Why?"

"Because the food is brought to us" Anique said "We don't have to worry about going hungry or thirsty, because all our needs are provided for in advance"

"I'm not sure i get it" Zolziac said, looking up at the moon.

Anique looked at Zolziac's mesmerised face. She smiled lovingly.

"Tell you what?" she said "You can stay with me until this time tomorrow. I can introduce you to my flock"

"A ... what was it?" Zolziac said.

"A flock of sheep" Anique explained "I help herd them in the fields over there" she pointed her paw in the direction of the hills.

"You mean you herd lunch?" Zolziac asked. Anique laughed.

"No" she laughed "They're not lunch, they belong to Celestia, as do all the sheep in Equestria."

Zolziac lay that night, in front of the fireplace. His grandmother lay fast asleep on the armchair. Zolziac looked at the dancing flames, thinking about the tame world which he had experienced the past day. It didn't seem all that bad, but he was worried about what Shamak would say if he said he'd found the tame world really nice. He lay in front of the warmth, before drifting off to sleep...