A Pup Named Fenrir

by MisterEdd

Triple Threat

The very next day, you can imagine Fluttershy's shock upon waking up to find a hairy lump peeking over the side of her bed. Following the cupcake splurge and the subsequent venison feast, I'd hit another growth spurt, now standing so tall that the average pony's head barely reached my chest. It was a mercy that Fluttershy knew nothing of my activities the other night. Knowing the kind-hearted mare, she'd probably have a heart attack if she knew what I did to add the extra inches. Before I returned home that night, I'd bathed extensively in a pond deep in the woods, removing all traces of gore from the buck and no one seemed to be the wiser.

Other than a bug-eyed stare and a remark about "growth hormones," Angel said nothing of my new size, possibly out of fear of any carnivorous repercussions. I can't blame him; if I were a rabbit, I'd be scared of me too. The stares continued and while the Hunger persisted, begging me to avenge myself upon the offenders, I managed to retain my composure and did my best to ignore them. Two days passed and still no word from Winona. She was absent from the pet meetings, the official explanation being an increase in farm work due to it being cider season.

After a quiet breakfast, Fluttershy informed us that she had some business to attend to and left for Twilight's, resulting in Angel and I taking a walk to Sweet Apple Acres. Or rather, I walked and Angel once again took his spot on my back, only this time he had to use a step ladder just to get on. We made our way to the apple-farm, with Angel now using my excess fur as reins, giving them the occasional snap followed by a deep-voiced "Mush!" I indulged his tomfoolery, saying nothing on the way there and this lack of a reaction appeared to take the wind out of Angel's sails. By the time we arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Angel demanded that I let him down and he hopped through the rest of the way.

Out of the group, only Winona and Owlowicious were there to greet us. Gummy had gone to Phillydelphia with Pinkie Pie for some kind of baker's convention, Opal was at an all-day pet-spa, and Tank was helping Rainbow Dash train for the Wonderbolts. How helpful a turtle could be in aiding a pegasus performing aerial stunts was beyond me. Maybe it was some kind of a cutesy owner-pet emotional support thing? At least I didn't have to listen to Opal talking.

"I do hope everyone is having a lovely morning," Owlowicious cheerfully postured with an outstretched wing. "I started the day with a light snack of poetry..."

Winona was behaving very withdrawn, speaking little and keeping her distance. I caught her watching me out of the corner of my eye a couple of times, a sort of fascination behind her gaze as though she was trying to decide if she should fear me or be in awe. When I turned to look at her, Winona gave me a small ghost of a smile and proceeded to listen to Owlowicious' literary diatribe. Just what was going on inside that head of hers? I swear, females are the same regardless of what world they're from.

"...and, of course, Lord Byrein's 'Childe Hayrold's Pilgrimage' is an undisputed classic, describing the disenfranchised and hopeless ponies of a post-war society. The world-weary and disillusioned attitudes of both the poet and the viewpoint character both paint a portrait of-..."

Winona's ear perked up. "Huh? Wha' was tha,' Applejack?! Ah gotta go!"

She hurried off in the direction of the barn, leaving the rest of us puzzled.

Owlowicious blinked at us. "What the deuce was that about?"

"Hold on. I'll be right back."

I left just as Owlowicious continued his lecture, much to Angel's chagrin. Pushing open the slightly ajar barn-door with my snout, I entered and soon found Winona lying on a haystack. She jumped up at my approach but soon settled into a seated position and gave no objection when I planted myself on the floor in front of her. I didn't know what I could possibly say to her and she seemed to have the same dilemma. The minutes ticked by and neither of us spoke until:

"Ah ain't mad at ya. Ah ain't scared neither."

"Then why have you been so distant?"

Winona took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Th' truth? All th' things ya told me, it was jus' uh lot t' think about. Here Ah am listenin' t' this story 'bout ya bein' uh mass-murderin' death-machine inna whole 'nother world. Then ya die an' wind up here an' yer jus' this cute li'l thang. Ya go from eatin' folks an' burnin' up uh planet t' playin' wi' fillies an' giving back-rides t' bunnies."

The more Winona talked, the more she began to make sense. She'd been presented with one image of me and told about another, causing her to have difficulty reconciling the two conflicting views. It was then that I realized something important: I too wasn't sure who I was. There was Fenrir, Scourge of the Nine Realms and the Great Devourer, and Fen, the overgrown pup and friend to fillies and rabbits. Was I always going to have to struggle in differentiating between the two lives?

"I can understand where you're coming from. I don't know which I am either."

I could see the wheels turning in Winona's head. "'Cause of th' whole reincarnation thang?"

I nodded. "In my previous life, I was nothing more than a monster, one that decided to destroy and kill without distinction after having spent centuries locked up. I thought that because others were cruel towards me that answering it with more cruelty was the answer. Now I come here and the ponies show me kindness and compassion. Where once I had no rules, now I'm developing restraint."

"Ah'm sorry." Winona peered up at me remorsefully. "Ah'm didn't consider yer feelings in all this. Ah should've considered tha' you'd be freakin' out too. It's gotta be tough t' live wi' such an awful big secret an' act like yer someone else all th' time."

"I'm just trying to live each day, that's all. Fluttershy and the others are going to find out the truth sooner than later and I don't know if I'm supposed to be scared or relieved."

Winona's paw found its way over to mine. "Well, if they do, it ain't gonna be from me."

"Thank you, Winona."

She nodded, giving me a lopsided smirk. "Sure thang, Fen...rir."

The barn-door burst open and the CMCs came charging in at full-speed.

"Ah told ya he was in...whoa nelly!" Applebloom paused to gander at me. "Ya got big real fast!"

"He's ginormous!"

"Gargantuan!"

Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle. "I think you just made that up."

"What? I did not. It's a real word. Look it up."

"Anyway," Applebloom continued. "Wanna come wi' us, Fen? We're visitin' Zecora t' help her pick some herbs."

Zecora? Oh yeah, the zebra I met when I first came to this world. Honestly, I'd forgotten all about her. As she's a bit of a recluse, she tends to stay in her hut and no one sees much of her. It was good to know that she at least had some friends to come and visit her from time to time.

"To be continued," I murmured to Winona, following the fillies outside and around the barn. I barely missed her tossing me a little wink. Yeah, I'd say things were getting better between us.

The four of us kept to a better lit part of the Everfree, the path we walked being a smooth dirt road that was a straight-forward route to our destination. It felt strange to be heading back to the beginning, especially given that it seemed to have happened so long ago. I wasn't the same wolf that I was a couple of weeks ago, both figuratively and literally, having made friends and even found a place of acceptance. I wondered what the old me would think of who I was now and if he'd approve.

All signs point to no.

The CMCs alternated between trotting and singing and idly chatting while atop my back. We soon came to a fork in the road and Apple Bloom advised me to take the left as it was the path that would guarantee our arrival. However, Scootaloo argued that the right was the quicker and safer option. Sweetie Belle, acting as the mediator, elected to flip a coin to decide which path to take, with the result being the bit landing on heads and Scootaloo doing a victory dance. Turning right, we entered onto a wide, bumpy pathway, one with thicker trees on both sides and a noticeable lack of ambient wildlife sounds.

"Uh, Sc-Scoots? Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Of course I'm sure, Sweets! I've taken this way before. I'm pretty sure."

"'Pretty sure'? Tha's not really reassurin' t' me."

I caught a distant crunch, like a foot snapping a twig. Sniffing the air, I took notice of a spicy, feline-esque odor. However, it was one I was unfamiliar with as it was mixed with two other scents, one a strong, rancid musk and the other smelling like something wet and dusty. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly. I growled and the fillies ceased their squabble to take notice of my discomfort.

"Fen? Wha's wrong, boy? D'ya smell somethin'?"

My head snapped to the right side of the path as something parted the tree branches. At first, it appeared to be a large tigress, her tusk-like fangs jutting out of her mouth like daggers. When she fully emerged from the treeline, I found the head of a she-goat growing out of the left shoulder like an overgrown tumor. Adding to the bizarre sight was the shaggy, cloven-hoofed hindlegs and the green-scaled tail ending in a viper's head, which was hissing and flicking its forked tongue. All three heads were gazing insidiously towards Apple Bloom, their shared grins speaking of malicious intent.

"It's a chimera," Apple Bloom breathed unsteadily. "The one from the Flame Geyser Swamp."

"Well now, it's been a while since we last saw you," the tiger head said in a faux-amicable manner.

"Indeed it hassss, hassssn't it, sssisters?" The snake head whispered. "Ssssso niccccce to sssssee you."

"We missed you," the goat's head bleated pleasantly. "And look! You brought some friends."

"Wh-what is a chimera doing in the Everfree?" Sweetie Belle mustered to ask.

"Hunger," the tiger head answered as-a-matter-of-factly. "Not much to feast on in the swamp."

"But cccccertainly more choicesssss here," the snake head snickered.

"At least choices that are nice and plump," the goat-head sneered.

Placing myself in front of the CMCs, I raised my hackles and emitted a low growl.

"These fillies are off-limits. Leave this place at once."

"Ooo, look, sssssisters. They have a guard-dog."

"And a big one too," the goat-head observed with a twinge of fear in her voice.

The tiger head, however, was unimpressed.

"We have no quarrel with you, Wolf. Give us the fillies and we'll let you leave."

Firmly planting my paws, I growled, "No deal. Harm a single hair on their heads, and I will rip you to pieces."

"Was that a threat?"

"No. That was a guarantee."

The tiger licked her lips. "Then I suppose we'll start with you first."

The chimera leapt in a blur of orange and black stripes. Barely evading the outstretched claws, I ducked and used my back and shoulders like a battering ram, catching the chimera on her underbelly and knocking the wind out of her. She tumbled sideways through the air, corrected herself and landed on her paws, skidding to a stop in a half-circle facing away from me. All three heads rotated simultaneously to glare at me, all humor evaporated in favor of burning hatred. I snarled, exposing my teeth as I snapped at her, serving as a last-time warning to walk away.

Turning herself around, the chimera released a bellow and raced towards me. I accepted the challenge, bounding at my foe and we met in a furious collision of teeth and claws. I sank my teeth into the tiger's neck, the goat head answering the attack by gnawing on my shoulder, biting hard enough to draw blood. I scraped and clawed at the chimera's chest until she released me, rolling under the beast to avoid her swiping claws. When I sprang to my paws, the snake head darted over and bit me on my undamaged shoulder, each fang like a roofing nail being hammered into my flesh.

Growling my way through the pain, I grabbed the snake's neck in between my teeth and shook, prying her loose. My shoulder tingled, a tremor shaking my right foreleg as a burning sensation shot through the skin and muscles like a lightning bolt. Venom! Why didn't I account for the viper head? The chimera's demeanor changed, their countenances more haughty and celebratory. The three broke into a chorus of sadistic cackling, their laughter hurting worse than the venom.

"What'ssss the matter, o mighty wolf? Where issss that blusssster from before?"

"You look tired," the tiger smirked. "Relax. Lie down. Sleep."

"Don't worry about the fillies," the goat cooed mockingly, eyeing the CMCs maliciously. "We'll take extra good care of them."

Enraged, I dove at the chimera, biting both the tiger's and the goat's necks in a mad frenzy. The chimera responded by smacking me with her paws, the curved nails accompanying a few of the hits. Seizing my left shoulder with her teeth, the tiger head lifted me up, exposing my underside to her claws. Rivulets of battle-sweat oozed from my chest and belly, staining my fur with streaks of crimson paint. The chimera then hurled me like a rubber ball, sending me crashing into a tree trunk, a snapping sound echoing in my ears as I tumbled to the ground in a bloody heap.

Wincing, I began to draw myself back up, biting back a yelp as I took stock of the damage. A couple of my ribs had to be broken or otherwise cracked, a wound on my forehead poured into my right eye and left me effectively half-blind. My right foreleg was nearly completely paralyzed, the skin reddening and the site of the bite mark had swollen to the size of an apple. I was hit by a wave of nausea, the urge to puke my guts out rising exponentially by the second. I was leaking blood all over my body and I didn't know what would conquer me first, the venom or the blood-loss.

The chimera, meanwhile, had just cornered the CMCs, one paw raised above Scootaloo's head, ready to deliver a killing blow.

"Fen!"

At the sound of Apple Bloom's shriek, I threw notions like "pain" and "sickness" out the window and charged the chimera once more. She turned just as I leapt onto her back, biting and clawing at her flesh, doing anything to keep her focus directed towards me. The snake coiled around me, squeezing my ribs and I couldn't stop the howl of pain from escaping. She threw me to the ground, allowing the chimera to grab me with her paws and repeatedly slam me into the dirt. Rolling onto my belly, I begged my legs to move and with great effort, they obeyed and I steadily rose.

"Run!" I shouted to the CMCs and though they couldn't understand me, they recognized my pleading gaze and with great reluctance, turned and fled the way we came in. The chimera moved towards their direction but I hobbled in her way. They all gawked at me as I fully stood up.

"How is he still standing?" The goat marveled.

"It doesn't matter! Inject him again!"

Once again, the snake rushed towards me, her fangs catching me on my undamaged side.

"Now sssssee how long he ssssstandssss now!"

I was afraid, the realization that this was a battle that I wasn't going to win becoming as clear as day. Having nothing left to lose, I prayed to whatever nameless gods of Equestria for a simple request: if I died fighting the chimera, then let it be so that Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo get away safely. I didn't want forgiveness or adulation, peace or rewards. If they granted me this last boon, then I could die a warrior's death doing something good for once.

I was going to battle this freak to the bitter end. No matter the number of heads, this was an opponent like any other, so I just had to find a way to defeat her. As the primary head and body were those of a tigress, I considered that the tiger was the main source of blood and motion so that was the main target. However, I'd never be able to land a severe enough blow with the snake head keeping me at a distance. But what if I crippled it?

KILL...KILL...KILL...

Hello, Hunger. Good to see you again.

KILL...KILL...KILL

My eyes prickled, my vision turning crimson while red smoke rushed out of the edges of my eyes. A well-spring of rage and bloodlust overtook me, filling me with nothing but unbridled fury and a desire to utterly destroy whoever was standing in my way. There was a roaring crackle as my green and black aura appeared, writhing around my body like a wildfire. Tiny red staves floated out of my core and around the edges of the aura, each one radiating a deep red and vibrating with power. The chimera's heads laid eyes on me, faces flushed with bewilderment, their faces trembling with every step I took.

"What-what is he? What is he?!" The goat head shrieked hysterically.

"Get a grip!" The tiger head snapped, then turned to the snake head. "Again!"

Obediently, the snake-head complied, biting my other shoulder. I staggered briefly, then brushed it off and resumed my unflinching gait. The stings meant nothing, not when there was still this piece of trash to throw out. Don't get me wrong; I could still feel the impact, it was just that the pain didn't bother me.

"Stop him!"

I tackled the chimera, my jaws latching onto the goat head's neck. The chimera clawed at me, her claws raking open my tissue to liberate the blood beneath it. The snake struck again, this time on my left foreleg. Seeing that I continued my assault on her sister, she tried for my back, then my neck. She drew back in fear, her mouth hanging wide in alarm.

"You ssssssshouldn't be ssssstanding! Thisssss isssss imposssssible!"

The snake lashed out, only this time I caught her neck in between my teeth and twisted around so that I stood behind the chimera. Pulling with all of my might, I lifted the chimera off of the ground and jerked my head to the right, sending her crashing to earth. I then jerked my head to the left, striking the ground with her before repeating the process two more times and tossing her through the air. She struck a tree hard enough to split it in half, sending the top half toppling over. I opened my mouth and allowed the snake's head to bounce and roll in the dirt, her slack eyes rolling backward.

KILL...KILL...KILL...

The chimera raised its tail, the end where the snake head once was now gushing blood uncontrollably.

"Sister! You will pay for that!"

The tiger head unleashed a powerful roar, one full of indescribable outrage and sorrow. If I'd cared at that moment, I might've felt sorry for her but I had no sympathy for anyone that wanted to harm innocent foals. I readied myself as the chimera lunged at me, dodging her wildly swinging claws, ducking under her blows to clamp down on her throat. Biting harder than I ever have, I tugged until the skin ripped and the throat came loose. A curtain of blood dropped down the front of the tiger head's neck, the torn muscles opening and closing as she gasped for breath.

Losing its primary source of energy, the chimera toppled over, leaving the goat head as the last survivor. She watched me with an unblinking gaze, her face one of incomprehension. A series of shuddering breaths escaped her lips, tears racing down her blood-spattered cheeks. The goat-head silenced her hyperventilating by swallowing with a loud click.

"Wh-what a-are you?" She whimpered pitifully.

"I am the last thing you will ever see," I stated coldly before bringing my front paw down, crushing her skull like a melon. "I told you to walk away."

Once my vision had cleared, my legs buckled and I collapsed, my limbs now completely useless. I heaved and expelled a torrent of vomit, the smell immediately hitting me as I lay paralyzed.

"Fen! Fen!"

I recognized the voice but I couldn't see who it was as my vision had gone blurry. My chest ached, my breath coming out in wheezing, ragged gusts. Everything inside me felt as though a giant hand was crushing my lungs from the inside. I must've blacked out because the next thing I knew, someone was holding my head, a familiar hoof stroking my snout. Blinking slowly, the mist subsided and my eyes focused on the visage of the weeping yellow pegasus.

"Mother?" My throat was raw, my voice coming out in a strained whisper.

"Yes, it's me, Fen. I'm here."

"Mother...I'm...happy you're here..."

"Please, help him!" Fluttershy begged in between sobs. "Do something!"

A secondary voice joined in:

"For a chimera's bite, it takes only one. No matter how strong your wolf, to the venom he will succumb," Zecora intoned gravely. "One sting is easy enough to heal but six is far more than even I can deal."

"Please, you have to-..."

"Mother...thank you..."

"For what?"

"For giving me a beautiful life..."

"Don't you dare say your goodbyes!" She was shaking me now. "Don't say goodbye!"

Before the mist returned, there was a flash of white and a shower of sparkles. I heard voices but their words were too muffled to make out. The next thing I knew, everything went dark.

Comments

[vustrunreyth]

"Please, you have to-..."

"Mother...thank you..."

"For what?"

"For giving me a beautiful life..."

"Don't you dare say your goodbyes!" She was shaking me now. "Don't say goodbye!"

Before the mist returned, there was a flash of white and a shower of sparkles. I heard voices but their words were too muffled to make out. The next thing I knew, everything went dark.

how... how DARE you....

make me feel my emotions.....

[Mortefleur]

oof ;_;

[Fireeaters]

It'd be a dick move if this was story complete

[MisterEdd]

11099810
I know right? No worries though. I'd never do that to myself or my readers.

[chibilink]

Well I hope the shiny lights are him getting transformed or otherwise healed by harmony or something. The poor thing needs help. D:
Somebody help him with that curse, let him be happy. D:

[The A I]

Poor fenrir, surely things can only get better from here

[Sub-Zero]

Nooo not wolf anyone but wolf

[Darksoul85]

not fen please let him live he trying to be happy and Fluttershy is crying please let her be happy

[robotic]

Oh no thats no good

[Fnorfensuld]

♪ Yeah I'm awesome, ♪
♪ Take caution, ♪
♪ Watch out for me, I'm ♪
♪ The last thing you'll ever see! ♪

[horsepoweryt]

To be continued

sorry but I gotta do it