Deer tastes bucking fantastic.
That was the only thought in Twilight's mind as she laid back, belly full for the first time in a week.
"Are you done mistress?" Bark Back asked as he approached the sated Twilight.
The haze of Twilight's mind was beginning to clear, and she was now beginning to recognize the shocked expressions across the faces of the surrounding pack.
"Um..." she looked back to the remains of the deer. She felt like she was going to burst but it still looked so appetizing... "Yes, I'm done."
"Very well." A wave from Bark Back brought the rest of the wolves leaping on the carcass. They ravenously dug into the meal.
As Bark Back himself approached the feeding frenzy the other wolves showed him deference, leaving a path to the choice bits.
Twilight watched as the remains of the deer were quickly consumed and the pack of wolves sated their hunger.
She waited patiently until the pack had finished, but in her newly regained clarity, she remembered the real pressing question: what was the "burning one".
When only the bones of the deer were left, the pack dispersed, forming a ring around the perimeter of the den. The ambient murmuring of the den immediately died down to silence as Bark Back rose to speak.
"Mistress Burning One, we now fully accept your right to rule, and can now share with you the greatest prophesy of our kind: the prophecy of the Burning One!"
"Finally!" Twilight thought, "What 'prophecy' is so important that they couldn't even tell it to ME! The one it's about!"
As if to answer her unspoken question Bark Back continued, "We are sorry that we could not tell you of this sooner, but it is one of our kind's greatest secrets. You will soon understand why."
Twilight was surprised by the reverence being given by even the littlest of the den cubs. Apparently this story really did hold a lot of weight amongst the pack.
Bark Back began, “This prophescy has been passed down from the beginning. From when the first magic of our kind took form amongst the branches. You will doubtlessly have questions, I will answer them in time. For now I ask that you hold them; the prophecy is a short one.
It goes as such:
'When the one who burns walks amongst the pack,
The White Hunter shall return to her crusade.
Forsake the past.
Defend the den.
Glow embracing essence.
The White Hunter will be defeated,
And within her cities shall the woodwolves feast eternal.'"
He waited a moment letting the words sink in.
"As you can imagine, we feared if the ponies knew of our destiny they would have hunted us to extinction far before we could fulfill it." Bark Back continued, "It was only by the careful protection of this secret, and avoidance of the Speakers, that we were able to defend it for so long."
Twilight shook her head an opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it again without making a sound.
She sat a minute and just stared ahead, like her mind was a million miles away.
The pack watched their unmoving mistress with growing worry.
Eventually she shook her head again and stood up.
"I need some time to think about this." she said resolutely, walking into a deeper portion of the den where she knew the others would not follow.
Some time passed before a cry from the den entrance brought her running back out to the main den area where the others had mostly taken to sleeping off their meal.
"Mistress!"
Twilight arrived to see two of the hunters, one of which was carrying a struggling pony in its teeth by the scruff of the neck.
"Mistress, we found this one snooping around near the entrance to the den. What should we do with her?" the one who's mouth was not full of pony-fur asked.
The pony's struggling stopped as she laid her eyes on Twilight.
"Mistress!" This time it was not one of the hunters who spoke, "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Put her down." Twilight told the wolf carrying the blue mare.
The wolf obeyed, but kept close.
"Mistress!" she happily cried as she ran up to flip onto her back before Twilight.
The submissive greeting was awarded with a short rub before the mare flipped back on to her hooves.
"I missed you so much mistress!" She exclaimed, hunching down, tail wagging, a playful bounce further conveying her excitement. "It's been so long! I thought you might have been caught or something!"
Twilight couldn't help but smile at the all too foal-like admiration and pride shining in the mare's eyes.
"No, I just had some problems back home and had to...
"I know! After you disappeared leaving us inside the big tree, the colorful pony dragged me back to the kennel!" a shudder shook through her at the memory, "It felt like forever before he broke me out again..."
"He? ...Catcher? He broke you out?"
"Yeah! As soon as we were out I came looking for you... but I got... uh... lost in the woods... for a while..." No longer exuberant, now her tail was tucked and she was cursively glancing away.
"Exactly how long were you lost?
"Not long..." her head was almost facing the entirely opposite direction of Twilight by now.
"Really? Then you won't mind that we have no food for you?"
The tail, previously tucked away, fell droop-down as the rest of her froze.
"...no..." she said meekly, "...I- I caught something to eat... In the forest..."
Her attempted cover-up wasn't fooling anywolf, but just to make sure, her stomach growled loud enough that some of the elder hunters ducked fearing an ursa attack.
"Well, if you're not hungry then what was-"
"Alright!" she broke down begging on the floor, "I'm sorry I lied! I'm starving! I haven't eaten all day and I couldn't find anything in the forest! I thought I could find food and bring it to you, but I couldn't even find anything to eat myself! I'm a failure of a hunter! Please don't let me starve!"
"Now calm down, I wouldn't let you go hungry..." Screw Loose’s ears perked up, "...but there is no food for you here, and we'll have to go near town to get it. They may think of us like animals, but that would only give Fluttershy more reason to feed you."
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I READ IT TO FAST!
2839811 srry
I think Celestia is the "White Hunter" and that once she is gone the wolves will eat the ponies in "Eternal Feast"
2839933 just don't tell anyone if it is a spoiler and its not a problem.
2839829 Oh come now, that's too easy. I have a theory, but I'm gonna hold it for now.
Only one error with your spelling that I could see.
It's prophecy not prophesy.
What kind of ancient timberwolf can't spell prophecy right? Then again, it seems Twilight can't either.
Well,since there is no Dark tag here, I'm going to hold my presumptions on there being such an ending. Though I must say the prophecy is foreboding yet still rather...open ended.
2840478
Neither of them care about the spelling at this point, as it's been spoken, not written. However, we readers do care, as everything in this world is written for our enjoyment.
2839829
Or Twilight will negotiate a ceasefire between ponies and timberwolves and timberwolves will be allowed in towns, where they can eat pony foods for the rest of their days.
That's the thing about prophecies, all vague and carefully worded so you can take it just about any way ya want.
Need more! Nao!
The White One could also be Rarity or Shining.... both of them could have had a checkered past with timberwolves ...
2841590
Or it could be Celestia.
Neither Shining or Rarity have crusaded against the Timberwolves, so they can't return to their crusade.
Celestia also rules Equestria, so it could be said that she owns all of it's cities.
Not to mention that last I checked Shining isn't a her.
2841725
I have read plenty of fics where Rarity is a secret ninja assassin so i cant quite count her out yet ...
There are plenty of other white ponies out there who could be the Crusader ...
The white hunter will return to her crusade?
forsake the past?
Celestia must have made a pact with the Timberwolves in ages long past, after attempting to eradicate them. Now that her student is one of them, she will return, only to have to face her own student in (most likely) battle.
2842140
I hope not. I can not imagine a possibility much more grimdark than that
2841590 Or Sweetie, they never really tried for that "Monster Hunting" Cutie Mark
Also, DAMNIT! I swear, I fucking hate being psychic. I predict things up to two minutes away in stray thoughts, and the best animes are ruined because I saw the ending in a dream. Pisses me off.
awesome, and,.... damn. So, I'm guessing Celestia is the "White Hunter" and that means twilight has to choose between her new pack or ponykind.
2844698
I can.
2847156
it well be like the ending of farcry
WARNING: FARCRY 3 SPOILERS
2860169 Farcry 3's ending, where the character had to choose between returning to the society he knew could never accept him for what he had to do, or stay on the island, losing all remaining ties to civilized life? Or do you mean one of the other Farcry's?
It would be an Interesting ending... BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE OVER YET!...
Sorry... lost my... cool there.
I was trying to think of how this could turn out for the better, when I realized...
HOW AWESOME WOULD A FIGHT BETWEEN CELESTIA AND TWILIGHT (who is on FIRE) BE?!?!?
I could see the lead up. Celestia is taking up some crusade to defeat the Timberwolves she thinks are holding her student captive. Twilight comes out to stop her. She continues fighting the wolves, when Twilight tells her to stop. She refuses, claiming something like, "These are foul beasts! I should have rid myself of them the first time!" showing she has a history with them. She prepares to destroy the chief, Bark Back, when Twilight steps in front of her, " I won't let you do this!"
"Stand aside, Twilight."
"No. These wolves helped me when I was lowest. When even my best friends thought of me as a monster, they supported me." Twilight didn't know that only Rainbow was angry, and that they were all looking for her. She thunks they're all after her. "This is MY PACK, and I'm not going to let you destroy them."
"These savage creatures are murderous and bloodthirsty, and I should have eradicated them long ago. Now, STAND ASIDE." Celestia shouts as she telekinetically throws Twilight out of the way. She steps forward, looming over Bark Back, horn glowing a bright gold, when she is suddenly tackled to the ground. "AHHH! Twilight! How dare you?!"
"If you want to kill them, you'll have to go through me first," Twilight says, smoke starting to rise from her back.
"Then it is as I worried... you are to far lost to instinct. You are one of them. They have corrupted you. Now I shall finish them." She turns back to Bark Back, but is struck by a blast of magic. She turns to see to flaming wolf standing before her.
"I said, you'll have to go through ME first!" Twilight barks.
"So be it." Celestia charges, sword in air.
Twilight leaps, claws pointed.
Um... wow... I got a little carried away there. Not to mention that has the characters COMPLETELY OOC, but still, it would be a cool scene. Flaming Wolf Twilight vs. Burning Crusade Celestia!
No way to really end that event on a light note, but it would be cool.
Though, we don't even KNOW that Celestia is "The White Hunter." How funny would all these comments be if she's NOT?
2862527
Yeah that one, it seems like it's the path the story is going, but the story can still go for quite long even if twilight makes one of those choices, or maybe you could have a story with alternative endings. That sounds fun.
'When the one who burns walks amongst the pack,
The White Hunter shall return to her crusade.
Forsake the past.
Defend the den.
Glow embracing essence.
The White Hunter will be defeated,
And within her cities shall the woodwolves feast eternal.'"
1: twilight joins the pack.
2: celestia.
3. not sure what this means.
4. do i even need to explain this one?
5. perhaps celestia, attempting to revitalize twilight.
6. celestia defeated by twilight who has turned rabid.
7. the wolves shall feast.
4373167 Good idea. I think 3 meant some secret from the past.
4373167
I think that 3 maybe refer to Twilight past species, probably mean that forget who she was, embrace what she is now
Yay! Screw Loose is back! Hurray!
Okay, I know that many ponies have trouble deciphering prophecies so I will try to guess (educatedly) about what will happen. WARNING AS IF I AM RIGHT THIS WILL BE A SPOILER
Line 1: When the one who burns walks amongst the pack: When twilight joins the pack, which just happened
Line 2:The White Hunter shall return to her crusade: Celestia trying to finish something she started long ago
Line 3: Forsake the past: Obviously mean 'forget the past' which possibly refers to Twilight's once being a pony
Line 4:Defend the den: I have a feeling this will mean a battle takes place
Line 5:Glowing embracing essence: I have absouletly no clue...Didn't the wolves refer to the ponies as having a 'glow'? Maybe the ponies are the glowing and the essence are the wolves? idk
Line 6:The White Hunter will be defeated: Celestia dies....Maybe
Line 7:And within her cities shall the woodwolves feast eternal: The timber wolves eat all the dead ponies forevermore...
How close am I???? Really close? Far off? I like doing this, I do it with every prophecy I hear/read
*Alondro slowly stands up from the computer. He goes to the planet Melchior 7 and harvests the special mahogany from the 300 foot-tall fire-breathing trees and forges a desk using the ancient blood rituals of the Melchior people. Then, with the desk now nigh-indestructible and capable of bending the universe itself, he proceeds to slam his head against it for 72 hours with such force that the planet is shattered to rubble by the shock waves.*
And that about sums up my opinion of this.
It's CATCHER, not DASHER. I HATE it when people randomly change characters names and never mention it again...
4554333 Of COURSE that's what the prophecy means. Hudoy! What, are there actually people who would actually not be able to understand that? Seriously? I wouldn't want to be them...
5044329
Very much this. Dasher is one of the Guards from Just an Everyday Princess. Right author, wrong story
5066326
5066460 Get owned, Twilight!
(Think about it for a bit and you'll get it)