The Lone Wolf of Equestria

by JNKing

Chapter 14: Concerning Wolves

Author's Note:

Hey again,

My next chapter might be a bit later than usual; I got back to back shifts at my jobs, and won't get to my computer until later.

As for this chapter, this is a dive into Logan's species. I do want to note, all that he talks about is meant to be canon in the novel I've been working on. If something he mentions doesn't add up, please tell me: I intend to incorporate what he explains into my actual novel, and I'd like to know if there are problems with how the wolves work.
Additionally, I know that the 'Alpha and Omega' theory about wolf packs was disproven, but these guys aren't normal wolves. I sort of went in my own direction in how the wolf packs work. Please let me know if it works or not.

Finally, if anyone gets the reference I put in the title, I'll be really happy.

Thanks again, and hope you enjoy.

When Logan had promised to aid them in crusading, he had underestimated just how seriously they took this search. His ears almost remained permanently flared up as they brought him to their clubhouse, with charts detailing every single type of cutie mark they could try for.

“You weren’t kidding about this being your life, were you?” he noted nervously.

“Applejack’s always taught me not to lie,” Apple Bloom replied, “Or kid around.”

“So, what do you think, Logan?” Scootaloo asked, indicating the various marks, “Any of these look like something we could go for?”

Logan’s shocked look faded to more analytical as he surveyed the different attempts they had made. “You sure you can't get marks in this?” he admitted with a grin. He sighed at their deadpan expressions. “I don't know. You guys show rather impressive teamwork. Is there something you’ve tried that involves working together?”

Scootaloo paused at that, glancing down at their charts. Her widened as they alighted on a picture of a stage.

“What if we tried a dance group?” Scootaloo offered.

“Nah, we tried that already,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Oh, what about reporters?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Hay! No!” Scootaloo said, “After that Gabby Gums incident, I don’t even want to think about writing down stories.”

“Well…” Sweetie Belle glanced at Logan. “Logan, what kind of jobs do wolves get?”

“We don’t exactly have ‘jobs,’” Logan noted, “More like roles in a pack. They…” his eyes darted to the window.

“What’s up, Logan?” Apple Bloom asked.

He indicated for them to wait. His nostrils flared as he crept to the window, watching it like his pack had somehow formed outside. But there was no one there. Or was there?

“Excuse me a second!” Logan said before lunging out the window. A second later, some pony screamed.

The Crusaders bustled over to the window, only to find Logan standing over a very scared looking Twilight.

“Oh, Sweet Celestia! Logan!” Twilight stammered, “I was just… I mean I was only…”

“You having fun?!” Logan demanded, seizing a journal with several notes already scrawled down.

“No-well, I mean-uh-I-mean, yes, but…” Twilight scrambled to her feet as Logan started to walk away with her notebook. “Logan, no, I need that!”

“For what?” Logan asked, putting it down and flipping through the pages, “’Wolves don’t get jobs; they only have roles in the pack?’ he asked angrily.

Twilight paused. “You can read?” she asked.

Logan's ears flattened at her. Twilight covered her mouth.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn’t mean…” she tried to say.

“Where do you get off?” he barked, causing her to jump back. Though Twilight didn’t run away.

You can’t ask me to just sit in my library while you tell others about your race,” Twilight insisted.

“You are not entitled to that kind of knowledge!” he barked.

“Logan, for Celestia’s sake, this isn’t fair!” Twilight practically whined, “You’ve been here for three weeks, and I haven’t gotten to learn one thing about how things work on your world.”

“With good reason,” Logan replied, “Why should I hand over any information like that to an underhanded, indoctrinated mare with her head so far up her…?” He paused, his eyes darting to the Crusaders, who were watching the whole thing like a very passionate game of catch. A game that Twilight promptly continued.

“What else was I supposed to do?” Twilight demanded, “You won’t talk to me or any of my friends. You don’t even look at us half the time.”

“And who’s fault is that?!” Logan snarled, “Just because you’re too indoctrinated to see Celestia as the tyrant she is…”

“LOGAN, WILL YOU BUCKING STOP!” Twilight shrilled. She briefly covered her mouth, looking up towards a very shocked looking Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in horror. However, it did do the trick. Logan’s ears twitched, but he didn’t continue his rant.

For a moment, silence reigned.

“Please,” Twilight continued in a much calmer voice, “Think of it this way: let’s say Celestia opens the portal. She goes to your world; she meets your pack. Look what happened when we tried to talk to you.”

“You mean when I gave Celestia what she deserved and you guys ganged up on me,” Logan noted.

“She didn’t…!” Twilight forced herself to stop, “Exactly,” she calmly revised, “Now, imagine what’s going to happen if things escalate like that, and there’s more than one of you.”

“You’d have a much tougher fight on your hands, wouldn’t you?” Logan answered.

“Yes,” Twilight admitted, “And it would likely lead to a war. A war we would likely lose, because – fact is – we hate fighting. Rainbow Dash may be an exception, but we don’t like solving our problems with force and violence.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Logan replied with a roll of his eyes.

“Please, I’m serious,” Twilight begged, “How do we make sure we don’t start something we can’t finish?” Twilight sighed. “I’m not asking you to make us part of your pack, Logan. I’m not even asking to be friends anymore. I’m just asking that you show us how to talk to your pack without causing a massive fight.” Twilight’s tone took on a more pleading quality. “Please; don’t you want to go home? Back to your pack? Back to your mother?”

Logan looked away, his ears flattening, but his tail tucked, and Twilight looked away as a small bit of shame registered on his face.

“More than life itself,” he admitted.

“Then please,” Twilight pleaded, “Help me help you.”

Logan closed his eyes and sighed. But before Twilight could grin, he glared at her, and she covered her mouth.

“I don’t trust you,” he warned, “And neither will my pack.” He sighed. “But I’ll give you some pointers so we don’t all end up killing each other.”

“That’s all I want,” Twilight promised.

Logan sighed, and handed Twilight back her notepad.

“Are… you okay, Logan?” Apple Bloom asked as Logan led Twilight inside.

“Yeah,” he admitted, “Though… I’m gonna be giving you guys a little bit of a history lesson.”

“History?” Scootaloo asked, “Aw, c’mon; how is that going to help us?”

Twilight walked in. “History has a tendency to repeat itself,” she explained, setting up her notes, “Plus, Logan’s people work on different rules from our own. Understanding his ways could open up better alternatives for…” she had to pause as Scootaloo’s eyes started to glaze over.

“She means explaining how my kind work might be able to give you some ideas,” Logan translated.

“Oh.” Scootaloo still didn’t look happy, but she sat alongside Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Twilight as Logan sat before them.

“So,” Logan said, “How’re we kicking this off?”

“Well…” Twilight mumbled, clearly trying to keep her curiosity reigned in. “Let’s start with the basics: how is your government structured? Who's in charge? Or at least handles greeting foreigners?”

“I was curious about that,” Apple Bloom noted, “You said you have roles in the pack, but… what are those roles?”

Logan smirked. “My kind doesn’t have princesses, if that’s what you mean,” he replied, “We don’t have kings, or queens… in fact, we don’t even have an established government.” Twilight’s look of confused horror briefly got another chuckle out of Logan. “So, if you met a wolf, don’t ask to be brought to their leader. Because that’s a loaded question if there ever was one.”

“Why?” Apple Bloom asked, “Who leads?”

“Wolves run in packs,” Logan replied, “And those packs are led by two ‘Alphas;’ an Alpha Male and an Alpha Female. They both share power, and make a lot of the decisions for our group. Where we hunt, which packs we trade with and how resources are shared.”

“So, Alphas are like the princesses?” Scootaloo asked.

Logan shot another glare Twilight’s way. “In a sense, I guess,” Logan said, “Alphas are the parents of the pack. Brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, every member of the pack is family in some way, shape or form.” Logan shot a glare at Twilight as he continued. “An Alpha is also the strongest member of the pack; the mentor, and the leader. He or she doesn’t sit behind waves of minions; they lead the troops into battle. An Alpha is only followed because their pack knows they are strong, and will keep them safe. Not the other way around.”

Twilight’s glare started to match Logan’s, but she restricted herself to writing down everything he said.

“That’s rather risky, when you think about it,” Sweetie Belle noted, “What happens if your Alpha is hurt?”

“That’s why we have a ranking hierarchy,” Logan explained. “Packs of wolves are families; the parents are the Alphas. Their eldest children or their siblings – the aunts and uncles, if you will – are the Betas. If the Alpha falls in battle, they take charge. The strongest children, and the fighters of the group, are known as the Gammas. They take charge if the Beta-turned Alphas fall – though if they’re taking charge, then things have really gone downhill. And finally, the youngest and weakest members, who are often still in training or not considered strong or old enough to respect, are the Omegas.” He turned to Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom, may I use your family as an example?”

Apple Bloom nodded.

“You all know Apple Bloom’s family?” Logan asked.

“Granny Smith, Big Mac and Applejack,” Sweetie Belle recited.

Logan nodded and continued. “Consider it this way: Applejack, as the main authority figure and the face of her family, would be the Alpha. Grandmother Smith, as the advisor and highest authority after Applejack, would be the Beta, and would lead if Applejack were to get hurt and be unable to. Big Mac, for his strength and tenacity, would be the Gamma. And Apple Bloom, due to her still learning, would be an Omega. But!” he added before Apple Bloom’s face could fall. “Because she’s an Omega, doesn’t mean that she can’t become an Alpha. Rankings are only based on strength of the pack. When she starts her own family, she will become the Alpha Female of that future pack by right.” He winked at Apple Bloom, though she still looked miffed.

“Well, were there promotions?” Apple Bloom asked, “Could an Omega be promoted to just a Beta or a Gamma?”

“Normally, no; the best way for wolves to move up in rank is to leave and form their own packs when they’re old enough. Then, they should become the Alpha of their own packs by automatic right. But that doesn’t happen for a long time.” He put particular emphasis on ‘long.’ “And even then, they could just end up becoming the Betas if they just join a sibling’s pack. For you or me, Apple Bloom, the closest thing to a promotion would be an Omega becoming a Gamma.”

“How do they do that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“You prove your worth. You show that you’re tough, strong and can carry your place on the team. You prove yourself stronger than another pack mate, you take that pack mate’s position.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged worried glances. “You said you guys were family,” Sweetie Belle noted, “You don’t, like, hurt each other, do you?”

“A pack is your family, your team; your friends; your all-around community. To a wolf, especially young wolves, there is only the pack.”

“No kidding,” Twilight murmured, though Logan ignored her.

“We learn to survive together,” he continued, “And we make each other stronger for it. We’re not gonna be nice and cuddly all the time, but we’re never going to be like Diamond Tiara was.” He grinned at their expressions of relief. “The trust that is built between wolves in a pack transcends… well… anything really. To be considered ‘pack’ is an incredibly sacred form of trust; of acceptance.” Logan snickered at Twilight as she started scribbling like mad. “It is not something that is given lightly, and anyone that isn’t pack is to be treated as a potential enemy; at best, they’ll leave you alone. At your luckiest, they might be a good trade partner.”

Apple Bloom’s hoof shot up. He nodded at her.

“You mentioned that every family is a pack,” she said, “But, if there’s no government, how do you avoid fighting other packs?”

Twilight’s ears shot up at this.

“First impressions go a long way with our kind,” Logan replied, “We’re social creatures, sure, but we don’t trust easily, and it’s very hard to take back mistakes.” He smirked as Twilight gulped. “Usually, fighting doesn’t break out as long as you prove that you have balanced worth. Be too passive, and you risk the wolf pack attacking you to get what you have. But be too aggressive, and you risk a pack attacking you out of defiance. If you really don’t want to start a fight, you strike a middle ground; since wolves will usually worry about their pack more than themselves, offer something that benefits their entire pack, rather than just one. Then, give them time to give you something to trade back.” He glanced at Twilight as she noted that down. “The agreement of trade and exchange goes a long way in forming pack alliances.” He cracked a grin. “The best way to prove yourself trustworthy, though, is through combat; battling a common foe has often brought several wolf packs together.”

“How far can these pack alliances go,” Scootaloo asked, “Can two packs become, well, one?”

“It’s rare,” Logan admitted, “Considering that four Alphas would exist, but it’s not completely impossible. Way before my time, the White Wolf Shiva managed to unite several packs through their mutual hatred of a common foe – humanity.”

The foals went silent. “You… were at war with humanity?” Apple Bloom finally ventured.

Logan was silent for a moment.

“For a long time,” he finally said, “Wolves served as servants of humanity, under the title of ‘dog.’ Then, a being known only as Myst came for our kind. She uplifted the dogs, gave them… a terrible power…”

“Power?”

“Power that was terrible to behold, and triggered by the hatred of humans.” Logan shuddered. “It was… a lot to handle at first, but with it and Myst, dog gained back the title of wolf, and went on a massive crusade against humanity.” Logan paused, his expression briefly becoming pained. “However, packs of wolves don’t like being forced into one direction. And eventually, one wolf, the White Wolf, lost faith in Myst’s crusade, and chose to walk away. She faced resistance, but she proved that wolf packs don’t have to follow orders from those that aren’t their Alphas. She formed a faction that was dedicated to just staying out of the fight, and given time, she would have gained a lot of followers. But humanity was impatient and selfish; it wanted every advantage it could get. So, they went after the White Wolf, and when she wouldn’t aid them against Myst… they took her by force.”

Twilight gasped.

“After that, her followers, led by the Great Wolf Kodo, reformed under the Suns of Shiva. They weren’t aligned with Myst specifically – and Kodo was technically the only actual son of Shiva - but they wanted revenge for their leader’s fall, and were willing to do anything to obtain it.” Logan paused again, as if the memories were painful. “It wasn’t easy; the White Wolf allowed wolves to fracture and for packs to separate, but several large groups still formed, both under Myst and under the Suns of Shiva.”

“But you said there was no established government,” Sweetie Belle noted, “How could Myst and the Great Wolf start a kingdom if there is no kingdom?”

“Because my…” Logan paused and corrected himself, “Because the Great Wolf was never a King or a full ruler,” Logan clarified, “Just like his mother the White Wolf, he wasn’t comfortable with the idea of a single wolf being in charge of hundreds. None of us were.”

“But then…” Twilight’s head was spinning, “How did he command the Suns of Shiva?”

“Their allegiances were never concrete; they would agree to aid each other against common foes, and if necessary, the Great Wolf used force to show that fighting him was a bad idea. But none of the packs under the Great Wolf took his commands over the commands of their own Alphas; every decision made was a mutual agreement between the packs. And if one pack didn’t like the decision, they didn’t take part in the plan.” Logan looked at Twilight. “Packs are family,” he repeated, “And to a wolf… there is no king or queen or princess. There is only the pack, and the Alphas who lead.”

“Huh.” Twilight mumbled, writing this down as well, unaware of Logan giving her a pointed look. For a moment, the only sound was Twilight’s scribbling.

“So,” Sweetie Belle finally ventured, “How do the Alpha pairings work. Are they siblings, like the princesses, or…?”

“The Alpha females and alpha males are couples; the mother and father of their pack.”

“Oh,” his audience noted.

“And… what if one of them gets hurt, or... leaves?” Apple Bloom asked, “Do they… find someone else?”

“They can,” Logan said, “But oftentimes, you work so long with that other person, that taking a mate after just feels… insulting to their memory.”

“Because they still love them?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Twilight’s ears flared up as Logan tensed.

“’Love’… doesn’t even begin to describe how a wolf couple should feel for each other,” Logan said haltingly.

“Why?” Sweetie Belle insisted, “Love is the highest form of care you can have for some pony. Love is when you want to spend the rest of your life with that special some pony.”

Logan’s look of confusion caused Twilight to tilt her head.

“That’s what it means to you?” he asked, “To us, love is just the desire to… well…” he glanced at Twilight, who instantly understood what he meant and shook her head, silently begging him not to say more in front of the foals. “I don’t think there is a word in our language that can properly describe that kind of feeling.”

“Wow,” Apple Bloom noted, “It’s that intense?”

“It's that intense,” Logan replied.

Twilight looked down, her quill spinning in her magic grip. So much about him was making sense now: his aloof nature; his berserk attitude towards her claiming he loved his own father, even his grudge against Pinkie.

But with this understanding came a feeling of dread. If this was normal for most wolves… how were they going to get through to his pack?

Comments

[Foxbrony]

Man you really got me wanting more, can't wait until the next chapter. I especially can't wait to see how Twilight and the others screw up their interactions with Logan and he puts them in their place.

[SolitariLupus]

Needless to say, you got me hooked and checking for updates every day. Also, if this is the direction your story keeps going, you got a definite buyer from me when your book finally comes out.

[AstralFlare42]

What's your book called anyway?

[JNKing]

10527380
I'm still deliberating on names, but one possible name I've got is Of Scales and Fur. It's main premise is dragons fighting against demi-wolves (Logan's race) in a similar style to Aliens vs. Predator or Freddy vs. Jason, with humans trying to manipulate both sides to their advantage, and all three sides struggling to work with each other.

It's meant to be a character driven series, where stories focus on individual dragons, wolves and humans in their struggle to either become the strongest, bring peace to the land, or, in Logan's case, just try to survive in a world gone mad.

I've been struggling with writing the first book, but I'm hopeful that one day, I'll be able to get it published, and from there, I'll be able to write more, including Logan's story.

Thanks for your curiosity.

[One of Nine]

Wait a minute!!!

.... Shiva... Kodo?! Are the two series on your channel connected somehow?! Is the Howlite Howler a select past to the Lone Wolf somehow?

[JNKing]

10840702
Yes, in a technical sense.

Howlite Howler is essentially what would have happened if Shiva got sent to Equestria. She's still the Shiva that Logan talks about, same with Kodo. The only difference is that Howlite Howler explores the 'what if' of Shiva getting displaced, with most of her plot taking place in Equestria (it was a technique I used for drafting the book that's going to focus on her, which should come out within the year)

I've been trying to figure out whether to connect Shiva and Logan somehow, but I'm worried that might result in a paradox, since Logan's timeline is only possible if Shiva never went to Equestria and instead worked for Myst - whom I really want to write a story for as well, though progress is slow.

I'll keep thinking about it, but I hope this sort of clears up any confusion.

Thank you again for your support.