> Of Druids And Ponies
>  by Crackshot
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He watched carefully from a nearby tree as his quarry ventured further into the forest, no doubt tracking it’s own prey. ‘Disgusting creatures,’ he thought to himself ‘they have no respect for life of any kind.’ He waited until the creature was in prime position, then sprung his trap. He raised his hands sharply, causing a wall of vines to emerge from the dirt, cutting of his prey from it’s desired route. He dropped from his perch, traditionally offering the other being a chance at life. “Hold, orc! I know your purpose here, and will not allow it, as this forest, and it’s creatures, are my druidic charge! Turn back now, or feel the wrath of Gaia!” he yelled at a volume which insured he could be heard. He held his staff at the ready, in case his warning was not heeded. However, it would not be enough, as the orc turned to him, at the same time swinging it’s large axe for his head. He rolled back, then took the form of his namesake, a wolf, and charged the foul creature. He bit at the orc’s ankles, causing it to yelp in pain, and then dodged another blow from it’s axe and went for the throat. However the orc was smarter then he thought, as when he was about to bite down on the beasts jugular, it slid a knife between his ribs, and directly into his heart. ‘NO! I REFUSE TO DIE WITHOUT ENSURING THE SAFETY OF MY CHARGE!’ he thought, as with one last act of defiance, he tore the into the jugular he currently held in his mouth, and jerked his head to one side, tearing the orc’s throat completely out. He spit it out before returning to his human form. He attempted a healing spell, but knew it would not work, as his wound was to grave. Before he met his fate, he whispered a prayer to his goddess; “Gaia, do not mourn my death, as I served you well, all I ask, with my final breath, is that you bless the place where I fell…” he could feel his life slipping away. And then he felt nothing.

Then he awoke, to his surprise. ‘what foul sorcery is this?’ he thought. He pushed that thought away, and checked himself for wounds and to make sure he had all his belongings. His wound had healed, and he still had his staff and his armor. Calmed by this, he turned to asses his surroundings, which yielded different results. He knew the place he was in to be a forest, but not the one he was in when he fought the orc. ‘strange,’ he thought ‘this place… emanates evil… like there was a great battle here, years ago.’ he stood, and decided it best to find a place to rest. He walked in a random direction, collecting dead wood along the way, until he came to a cave. ‘well, this will do for now. I’ve slept in worse places’ he thought to himself, and began setting up camp.
********************************
Near the outskirts of the everfree forest, twilight sparkle and her friends had gathered at flutter shy’s hut to see how she’d been. It had been quite some time since any of them had seen her, and they had found it best to go visit her. “Oh no, I’m quite fine, really. Angel’s been sick for the past week, so I had to stay here to take care of him. But you’re all welcome to stay here for a while…. That is…. If you want to..” fluttershy said, with her characteristic quietness. They all settled into talk of the past week, and how they’d all been since the battle against discord. Rainbow dash was just starting another exciting, albeit overly exaggerated, story of how she performed death defying stunts, to the amazement and wonder of all of ponyville, when twilight and rarity both felt it. A powerful wave of magic, emanating from the forest. “you alright sugercube? Ya’ll  don‘t look so good.” said applejack, her voice thick with concern. “sorry girls, we’re gonna have to cut this short, I just felt a huge wave of magic coming from the forest, and I should probably go investigate it.” said twilight, to the woe of all her friends. “well if yer goin into the forest, we should probably all go with ya, we’ll find whatever it is faster with more ponies.” twilight nodded, and the six left the hut…. With the exception of fluttershy. “I think I’m going to stay in here…. That is…. If it’s alright with you…..” she said, he fear of the forest very obvious. “it’s alright darling, we understand, you stay here and we’ll let you know how it goes.” said rarity. And with that they departed, though if any of them knew the turn their search would take……. After they reached the very border of the everfree forest, twilight spoke up, “alright, rainbow dash, you fly above the forest and see what you can find, rarity, applejack, you two search form here, forward and to the left, go back to the hut if anything happens, pinkie, you’re with me. Everyone got it?” “yeah!” said rainbow dash as she flew off “yep” said applejack, “yes” said rarity, “oh yay!! Me and twilight are gonna go all spec. ops. On this shit!” said pinkie, as everypony who was there just stared at her, then brushed it off as pinkie being pinkie, and the search began. The search had been going on for about an hour when applejack asked; “so rarity, what’d ya think we’re gonna find out here?” “oh, I have absolutely no clue, but it has to have the magical power of princess celestia to have cause such a powerful shockwave.” then, before she could respond, a nearby tree fell, and would’ve fallen directly on top of rarity had applejack not bucked her out of the way. However, this caused the limb to fall upon her hind legs, breaking them both and pinning her to the ground. “GO GET HELP!” applejack screamed to rarity, who galloped away to find the others. A few minutes passed, and she no longer had the strength to stay awake, so she slipped into blissful unconsciousness. 
> Chapter 2
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She awoke in a cave, next to a fire. She was covered in a blanket that seemed hand woven from materials that would be found in the forest. She tried to stand, but a sharp pain shot up through her legs. “ah, good you’re awake. No before I continue, I must ask, do you speak?” asked a figure at the mouth of the cave. She hadn’t seen it standing there before, but figured it had brought her here. “yeah, I can talk. Names applejack, now do you mind telling me exactly what the hay ah’m doin here?” she said, her annoyance very clear. The figure chuckled a little bit. “Now if I were in your situation I wouldn’t exactly use that tone of voice, considering I saved your life. Though I also owe you an apology, as that falling tree was a trap I set to end any search for me by wicked creatures. I did not mean to endanger any of the local wildlife.” “now who are you callin’ ‘wildlife’? I ain’t no wild animal, ah’m a pony.” she said with rage clear in her voice. “my apologies yet again, I’m used to only finding creatures of the forest or those who hunt them in the forest. Though this is not the forest I inhabited before, and thus it is possible that I find myself in a new world. The possibilities with magic are, quite truly, endless. Oh! I forget myself, my name is wolves fang. It is a pleasure to meet you.” he said, taking a seat by the fire, which showed his face. He seemed old, his skin was weather worn, and his full brown beard was spotted with grey. He extended his hand for her to shake. She took it, though she was greatly confused. What was this strange creature? What was it talking about? Was he the cause of the magical shockwave that brought her and her friends into the forest? “I see a look of great confusion on your face miss applejack, please, tell me what you wish to know, I’ll do my best to answer.” she took a deep breath and said “well first I wanna know just how you saved mah life.” “alright, simple enough. I was out foraging for food, when I heard the tree fall, and immediately ran over to it to see what was pinned beneath. When I found you underneath I used my magic to raise the tree and carried you here where I tended your wounds, both your hind legs were broken and took several days to heal to this point, so I ask you don’t try to run anytime soon, as I would hate to have to repeat the process again, it is very tiring.” he said, and it was very obvious that his tending her wounds has taken it’s toll on him, he had bags under his dark brown eyes, which were bloodshot, probably from lack of sleep. “wait a buckin’ minute. You said several days? How long have I been here?” “well It took me a day to carry you here, and then you’ve been here for another three, so you’ve been gone a total of four days. Don’t worry, as soon as you’ve healed enough, I will escort you out of the forest.” “WHAT!! FOUR DAYS!! I can’t have been gone fer four days, my friends are probably lookin’ all over for me, and ah’ve got a farm to run, ah’ve got to git home as soon as possible!” he thought for a moment, then said “well, if you wish I could carry you back to your home, though after we leave the forest you will have to guide me. If not then you will have to spend another night here, then you will be able to walk out of here on your own.” she thought about it for a moment. Either way, her pride wasn’t coming out of this intact…. “well miss applejack,  I must say, you are much lighter then I would’ve expected.” said wolves fang as they exited the forest. It was the dead of night, as he had insisted on further healing her legs, and packing her some poultices to speed the recovery process. “hey! You callin me fat or sumthin’?” “oh, no, of course not, I will not be able to pass judgment on that aspect until I see more of your kind.” he said with a playful grin. He always was one of the more comical druids, making a joke whenever he got the chance. This time, however, it earned him a hoof to the back, as he was carrying applejack much like a hunter carrying a deer. ‘oh, the irony’ he thought. “anyhow, from here you must guide me, as this area is new to me.” she looked around, gathering their surroundings, then pointed a hoof in a seemingly random direction. “that way, just keep goin and we should be at sweet apple acres ‘fore sun rise.” “all right then, now, as to keep us from getting overly bored, why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself miss applejack? You said you had many friends, but have you a family?” he asked, honestly curious, as he had never really had someone to talk to that didn’t require him to use his magic. That and he had a feeling it would be a long trip without conversation. “yeah, I got granny smith, relation should be obvious, there’s Big Macintosh, my older brother, then there’s my lil’ sis applebloom. There’s members of the apple family all over equestria, but we run the apple farm near ponyville. How bout you? You got a family, or friends?” he felt his heart drop a little at the question. “No, if I ever had a family, I never met them, I was raised by the earth, odd as that might seem, and the closest I’ve ever had to a friend are the animals I once protected, though their companionship required me to use my magic to converse with them.” he said with a heavy heart. “but, I do not let it effect me to much, as I have a job to do, but I admit, the life of a druid can be a lonely one.” she felt bad for asking, as she could tell that this had caused him great pain. “aw shoot, ah’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask something that made ya upset.” she said, hoping to improve his spirits. “ ’tis not something for you to apologize for, you didn’t know, so you asked, There is nothing wrong with being curious.” he said, and he meant it, he found it odd when someone apologized for something when it was not their fault. “so, what exactly is a drewid anyhow?” she asked. “ah, it is pronounced druid, but we are people who swear an oath to the earth itself, to defend it and it’s inhabitants to the best of our ability. In return, we are granted great power, though we must be taught by an older druid. There are not many who believe it worth it, to leave civilization to defend nature. But then again, people are most of the problem.” “whatdya mean?” “well, I’ll put it simply, man kind is destroying our world, hunting animals to extinction, cutting down whole forests, and building cities in their place. Gaia is dying. So we druids do what we can to protect her, for what little it’s worth.” “that’s terrible!!” “yes, but there is not much we can do. In truth, I tired of the druidic ways. But then again, before I woke here, I wasn’t in much fit state to complain about it.” applejack decided not to ask about it. “so, miss applejack, te-” “just applejack works fine, sugercube.” “alright then, applejack, tell me a bit more of this world, you called it equestria? It seems…. Peaceful.” “well it is, for the most part. ah mean there’s an occasional scrap when somepony’s had to much to drink, and monsters comin outta nowhere and attackin us, but other then that, it’s more peaceful then yer world sounds.” “so far it is Now you should rest, it shouldn’t be much longer.” he said. He obviously wouldn’t have to argue with her, as she almost immediately fell asleep. When he reached sweet apple acres, it was still night time, about two in the morning judging from the position of the moon. He laid applejack in front of the door, wrapped in the blanket she was under in his cave, then turned to walk back to his cave.
Only to catch two hooves to the face. He went unconscious immediately, but one last thought went through his mind before he hit the ground. ‘I’m to old for this shit.’
> Chapter 3
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The next morning, Applejack awoke in her bed, eyes barley open, she thought she saw the shape of her friend Rainbow Dash. “Hey! You’re awake!” 
“yeah, ah’m awake. Whatr you doin here rainbow dash?” “well everypony’s been lookin for you, so I was flying around, doin’ my part, the most awesome part, when I saw a monster walking towards Sweet Apple Acres, carrying something that looked an awful lot like a pony. I immediately knew it was you, so I followed it. Then suddenly, it stopped and put you down, covered in some kind of blanket. I knew it was my only chance to strike, so I landed behind it and when it turned around, I bucked it right in the face!” ‘wait a minute,’ she thought ‘monster…. Carryin’ me…… blanket…. Bucked in the fa- oh sweet celestia no!’ “YOU DID WHAT!?” she yelled at the top of her lungs, her rage at her friend acting so thoughtlessly reaching new heights. “whoa! Calm down there Applejack, I thought you might be happier when I told you I saved you from a monster, geez.” “he weren’t no monster Rainbow Dash, he saved mah life! At least tell me you didn’t kill him.” “oh…. Ummmm…wow… didn’t know that…” “Did. You. Kill. Him?” “no, he’s out cold though, big Mac’s got him in the next room, making sure he doesn’t try anything.” “well then, I guess ah’m gonna have to go have a word with him to. I swear, sometimes it’s like you don’t think anything through rainbow.” she said as she got up, pleased to find she no longer felt pain in her legs, and walked into the next room. What she found in there was an unconscious wolves fang, strapped to the bed, while big Mac watched over him, ready to react if anything went wrong. “JUST WHAT THE HAY DO YA THINK YER DOIN!?” she yelled, causing big Mac to jump, “watchin’ this….. Thing. Makin sure it don’t try nothin. I don’t wanna take any chances if it ain’t friendly.” he said, “besides, if rainbow dashes story is anything to go off of, it banged you up pretty bad, so I figured it best to wait till you got up so I could check your side of the story.” she couldn’t really argue with that logic, so she grabbed a nearby chair, sat down, and told her side of the story. “well twi’ an’ rarity felt some kind of power surge comin from the everfree forest, so we decided to go check it out. We split into teams, pinkie and twi’, me an‘ rarity, with rainbow dash lookin’ from above. We’d been searchin for quite some time when all of a sudden, a tree starts fallin from nowhere, and rarity’s standin right in the the path, so I bucked her outta the way. She was fine, but the tree landed on mah back legs. She ran of to get help, but I blacked out. When ah woke up, I was in a cave next to a fire, then he walks in, says that he found me under the tree, moved it and had been tendin my wounds since. He offered to carry me back here, so I took him up on his offer. And now we’re here.” “though, as I said in the cave, the tree was my fault, I rigged it to fall on any intruder, and for that I’m sorry. Now, if you could please untie me, I would be most grateful.” both applejack and big Mac jumped at the voice. “oh, sorry, did I scare you?” “nah, just didn’t expect you to be up yet. I’ll get those ropes off.” said big Mac, as he untied the ropes binding wolves fang to the bed. “sorry bout that, didn’t know if you was friend or foe.” “no worries, forgive and forget, as the saying goes. Good to see you up and about miss applejack, though I wouldn’t recommend any manual labor for another couple days.” he said, and for once, she listened, not wanting to have to be carried again anytime soon. “anyway, you must be big Macintosh, am I right?” “eeyup.” “my name is wolves fang, pleasure to meet you. So, what now?” he asked, wondering if he should just return to his cave, or explore new world more. ‘well the odds of me finding my cave again are slim to none, and this world seems interesting enough. Maybe I could be of use to these ponies.’ as he wondered, Applejack had an idea; “Ah know! we should take ya tah see Twilight! She knows all kinds of funky magic, maybe she can find a way tah get ya home!” she said, seeming honestly excited. He pondered this for a moment. His world was corrupt, yes, but he had sworn a druidic oath, ‘but only to protect the innocent and creatures of nature. So, I could stay here and still keep my oath…..’ he thought. As he continued to consider this, Rainbow Dash finally decided to enter the room, curious as to just what was going on. She was about to speak, when Wolves Fang cut her off. “I believe that taking me to see this… Twilight, may be a good idea, mayhap she can explain just how I got here.” he said. Then he suddenly got a look of great dismay on his face, like he had lost something very important was trying to remember where he put it. “I don’t suppose any of you have seen my staff, have you?” he said, looking around franticly. Then Rainbow Dash became part of the conversation, saying, “oh, you mean that stick thing? It seamed kinda important, so I put it in the barn. It should still be there, unless applebloom decided to mess with it.” he looked at her, not having realized she was there until just that moment. “Why thank you, miss…?” “my names Rainbow Dash, I’m not really one for formalities, so just call me Rainbow.” she said, contemplating whether or not she should apologize. She ended up not having a choice in the matter, as Applejack spoke up, “isn’t there sumthin ya wanna say to mah friend here, Rainbow?” she said, her tone making it very clear that she was still upset. “Oh, yeah. Heh, sorry about, well, kicking you in the face last night. It really wasn’t cool of me, I know. We cool?” she asked, seeming very self conscious all of a sudden. ‘Hmmmmm, well, I could just forgive her, I mean, no harm done really, at least nothing I can’t fix…. Or……’ “So…..Wait a minute…..You kick me in the face whilst I am helping your friend, knocking me unconscious, then have me labeled as some kind of monster, which ends with me tied to a bed…. And you just expect me to forgive you?” he said, trying as hard as he could to keep a straight face. Rainbow dash was suddenly very downcast, thinking her apology had been turned down, and said “Well when you say it like that, I gue-” “Alright, then all is forgiven.” he said, cutting her off. Rainbow’s face was suddenly one of confusion, “wait what? Did you really just say that you forgive me?” she said, thinking she had heard him wrong. “Why yes I did. ‘twas an honest mistake. And besides, druids follow a strict ‘forgive and forget’ policy, so you had nothing to worry about in the first place.” he said with a sly grin and a slight chuckle. ‘gets ‘em every time’ he thought. “So, when do we depart to find this Twilight that you speak of?” he asked, anxious to get going as soon as possible. He had mad his decision, ‘well Gaia must have given me new life and brought me here with a purpose. Only thing left to do is discover what purpose that is.’ he thought, as applejack explained to him that they would be leaving after they had eaten. He agreed, content with how soon they would depart. Whilst Applejack mad them all something she called, “pancakes”, wolves fang decided to go to the barn and find his staff. However, it was not as simple as Rainbow Dash had made it seem, as it was nowhere to be found. He began to wonder if she had taken it and hidden it somewhere, just to spite him. “looking for this?” asked a voice coming from behind him. He turned to see the Pegasus standing there, his staff balanced on one of her hooves. “Why yes I am. Now if you would be so kind as to return it to me, I would be grateful.” he said, clearly very annoyed with her. She laughed at him, then turned to fly away, saying, “you gotta catch me first!”, and with that, she took off, flying high into the sky. He sighed, ‘well, to old for this shit or not, I must get my staff back.’ he thought to himself, as he began to chant a spell. Slowly he began to grow feathers, his arms turning into wings. After about three minutes, his transformation was complete, he had turned into a large, dark brown hawk, and took to the sky. Rainbow Dash obviously wasn’t expecting this, as she looked at him with a confused look, seeming unsure of what exactly had happened. He took this opportunity to simply land on one of her legs, saying “I have caught you, now let us land, that you may return my staff to me.” realizing now what had just happened, she groaned, angry that she had been outsmarted. As they landed, she dropped the staff so that she could speak. “That’s not fair! You….. I don’t even know what you did, but it’s not fair!” she yelled. He tried as hard as he could to keep from laughing as he changed back into himself again. This caused Rainbow Dash to look at him in pure awe as she watched his feathers and talons recede and his wings grow larger and sprout hands, his yellow bird’s feet turning back into human feet, protected by leather boots. Eventually, he stood before her as himself again. And he was laughing hysterically. “You should’ve seen the look on your face! Oh, completely priceless. Anyway, you never said how I was supposed to catch you, and if anything, you should’ve expected me to do that. How else am I supposed to catch a flying creature? Walking?” he said as his laughter began to die down, Rainbow Dash still giving him an evil look. “whatever, just take your dang stick, later.” she said as she flew away. ‘well, she certainly holds a grudge.’ he thought to himself as he picked up is staff to examine it. It looked no worse for wear, though it did have slight indentations and spittle on it where Rainbow dash had held it in her mouth. Content that it had not been damaged, he walked back into the house. “jus’ in time for breakfast! Ah hope yah like pancakes.” said Applejack as set down a plate full of them for him. They smelled delicious. As he sat down, he said, “I’ve never actually heard of pancakes before, so this shall be quite an experience.” Applejack looked shocked at this statement, saying “never had pancakes?! Well then, what the hay yah waitin’ for? Dig in!” he was one step ahead of her though, as he already had one of them in his hand and was eating it as fast as he could. His senses had not deceived him, as they were, indeed, delicious. He went through three pancakes before he realized that Applejack was staring at him. “ummmmm……. They’re great?” he said, confused as to why she was staring at him. Then out of nowhere she broke out laughing. that’s when he realized that his hands were covered in something dark and sticky. “What is this? It reminds me tree sap, it is so sticky!” he said, honestly not knowing what was going on. “it’s called syrup, sugercube. If ah’da known you was gonna pick ‘em up, ah woulda warned ya. Anyhow, when yer done eatin’ just wash yer hands off in the sink and ye’ll be fine.” she said when she finished laughing. He realized that he must look absolutely silly. Then he watched Applejack just dig her face into her stack of pancakes, and he immediately thought otherwise. When they had finished their pancakes, wolves fang went to the sink to wash his hands off while Applejack went to gather some things. He then realized he had no idea how such a contraption worked. He saw that it had two handles, one on each side, and a spout, where he assumed water would come out. Not wanting to bother Applejack with something as seemingly trivial as this, he decided to turn one of the handles, choosing the one on the left. He was met with success, as water began to flow from the spout. Proud of himself, he stuck his hands underneath the water falling from the spout, only to draw them back again immediately. ‘By Gaia! This water is scalding hot!’ he thought to himself. He decided to turn the left handle back to its original position, and try the other one. This time the water was cold, but bearably so. After a few seconds of holding his hands under the water, he felt content on how clean they were, turned the water off again, and grabbed a nearby towel to dry his hands. After a few minutes, Applejack reappeared, now carrying what seemed to be saddle bags on her back. “Well, ya ready to go? We ain’t got that much a journey, she lives in town, just down the road, but ah packed some stuff, jus’ in case, ya know?” she said, looking almost scared to go into town with him. “I am ready to depart, but I must ask, what worries you? You look frightened.” he said with honest concern. He did not wish to cause any problems, but he didn’t exactly know if she was worried about him, or something else. “Ah ain’t scared, ah’m just worried bout how the towns ponies are gonna take tah seein ya. Most likely thing is everypony freakin out, an’ the princess sendin in the royal guard. Ah don’t suppose there’s anyway tah sneak ya in though.” she said, and he realized that she had a point. If he just walked into town, all the ponies would panic, and then force would most likley end up being used to force him from the town. He thought for a moment about what form he could use to sneak himself into town. Then he had an idea. “there is indeed a way to sneak me into town. Wait here, I shall be back.” he said, and walked outside. He began to chant another spell. But this time, he began to grow fur, his hands and feet turned into paws, his teeth grew sharp, and his face turned into a muzzle. Satisfied with his new form, he walked back inside, and could not wait to see the look on Applejacks face. “what the hay? Looks like Winona brought back another stray. Git!” she yelled at him, much to his amusement. “well I do not know who this Winona is, but I suggest we depart soon, a I can not hold this form for long.” he said back to her, causing her to look at him very confusedly, “Wolves Fang? That you? What the hay happened?” 
“well, long story short, magic. I believe that explains it adequately. Now let us depart before I must change back.”


> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

while on the road to town, they would often share a story or two of their world on the way, Applejack reliving all the adventures she and the other elements of harmony had been on, Wolves Fang simply listening intently, occasionally commenting on one of her stories or telling one of his own, trying as hard as he could to stay inconspicuous and taking in the scenery. This world was truly beautiful, more so than his own. The trees still looked healthy, and though large patches of forest had been removed to make room for housing, they put nothing to waste, and took only what they required. There were flowers growing one the side of the road, and at random intervals beyond it, and all the animals seemed happy and carefree. However he didn’t have much time to appreciate such things, as like Applejack had said, the town was not far, and they were soon there. He could hardly believe his eyes. Everyone seemed so happy, more so than seemed natural. ‘but then again, when raised in a world of war, pain and strife, I suppose happiness in general is a fairly foreign emotion‘ he thought to himself. As they continued their walk through the town he saw ponies selling flowers and vegetables from stalls and shops. He had more faith in these ponies then in humanity, as while humanity destroyed their world, the ponies seemed to live in tune with it. It was truly inspiring. Soon they reached a large oak tree with a door on it. “well, here’s hopin’ she’s home.” said Applejack as she knocked on the door. Luckily, she was home, and had seen them approach. She opened the door, a smile on her face, “Applejack! You’re alright! Rarity told us what happened, but when we couldn’t find you, we feared the worst.” she said, obviously ecstatic that her friend was alive and well. “yeah, well ah had a bit of help, which is part of the reason ah’m here, can we come in?” Applejack asked, much to the surprise of Twilight. “We?” she asked, looking confused. “I don’t see anypony else with you.” 
“Did ah say it was somepony? Ah meant me and mah ‘dog’ Fang.”
“oh… Alright then, sure, come on in. Did you get a new dog?“ she asked as she closed the door behind them. “no she did not, for I am no dog. Give me a moment.” said Wolves Fang. Then he stood on his hind legs, and used his magic to turn back into his human form. “Ah, much better. Now, is it safe to assume that you are miss Twilight?”

“um…. Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle, uh, why do you ask?”

“Well Applejack here seemed adamant about bringing me to talk to you about….. Are you alright miss Sparkle? You seem ill.” 

“hm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine, I just…. What are you?” she asked him, obviously discomforted by his presence.

“oh yes, I believe an explanation is in order. I’m a human, my name is Wolves Fang. I am unsure of just how I came to be in your world, and Applejack told me that you would be able to help me figure that out. I am also a member of the druidic order, devoted to protecting the innocent and all creatures of nature, so you have nothing to fear from me.” he assured her, which put her slightly more at ease. “So, can you help discern how I crossed from my world into yours?” he asked, out of curiosity more then anything. If she could send him home, great, he could resume his work in the forest. But deep down, a part of him hoped she could not, as he had never had any true companionship, and here he was, in a world where the inhabitants seemed very friendly.  Then Twilight got over her initial fear of him, and answered his question.
“I might be able to, I’ve read a few books on inter-dimensional travel, but I’ll need some time, and more books. I’ll be sure to send a letter to Princess Celestia to see if she can help as well.” she said. He was about to thank her, but he was cut off by a scream from outside; “HYDRA! EVERYPONY GET INSIDE!” Wolves Fang immediately sprang into action, griping his staff tightly, he ran outside to face the beast, as Applejack yelled after him “WHERE DO YA THINK YER GOIN? DIDN’T YA HEAR THERE’S A HYDRA?”

He turned back to her and said “Why yes I did. And I am going to go handle this problem. Don‘t worry, I‘ll be fine.” he said, then ran off again into town, trying to find the beast that was causing all this panic. It didn’t take long, as after a few turned corners, he found himself face to face with the creature, a three story tall monster with three heads, each of them equally gruesome looking, one of them holding a pegasus by one of it’s hind legs, and would’ve swallowed it whole had he not intervened. Calling upon a spell he called magic tongue, which allowed every living being who could hear his words to understand them, and vice versa, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “HOLD BEAST! I SHALL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM ANYMORE OF THESE INNOCENT CREATURES! REALEASE THE ONE YOU HOLD AND TURN BACK NOW!” all three of the hydras’ heads began to laugh, giving the trapped pony a chance to escape and fly away. Then one of the heads turned to him and said,
“Well little one, we are glad you have humor, as we have not had a good laugh in quite some time. We will not leave, as our hunger is not yet sated.”
He sighed, ‘they never listen’ he thought to himself. “THEN GAIA DAMN YOU TO AN ETERNITY OF PAIN EQUALL TO THAT WHICH YOU HAVE CAUSED!” he yelled, as his hands were suddenly glowing, the right a dark earthy green, the left a fiery red. He lifted his right hand until it was aimed directly at the hydra, then cocked his arm back, as if about to punch something, then jabbed with his staff. This caused a flurry of nearby branches and vines to shoot towards the creature, wrapping around its legs, and tying its heads together, as if in a noose. They continued wrapping, around, and around, and around, until the hydra could not move, and could barley breathe. “I GIVE YOU ONE FINAL CHANCE BEAST! SURRENDER! OR I SHALL BE FORCED TO END YOU!” he said, hoping that after seeing his strength, the creature would listen and agree to leave. But, as he has known for quite some time, nothing goes according to plan.
“HA! You think these tree limbs can stop us? You are more foolish then we thought! In the time it would take to choke the life from us, we will have broken free!” said the hydra.

“I SAID NOTHING OF CHOKING THE LIFE FROM YOU, FOUL CREATURE.” he said, with a sly grin. He knew that tree limbs would not be able to hold a creature of that size for very long, and had planned accordingly. He glanced at his left hand, checking to see if the magical energies were still held there. He didn’t know very many destructive spells, as they were frowned upon in the druidic order. But he did know a few. He shot his left hand towards the sky, then quickly brought it down in a slashing across the part of his vision in which the hydra was trapped. From the sky fell a large ball of fire. Large enough to burn the hydra and singe some of the surrounding structures, but small enough to not to any real damage to the town. When it hit it’s target, it exploded, showering everything in the general vicinity with sparks. Including Wolves fang, whose armor and robes did not cover his whole body, and thus, parts of his arms were burnt, but it had the desired effect, the scorched hydra was screaming in pain, and was thrashing around in an attempt to run away. He decided the creature had had enough, and released it, bidding the branches and vines recede. The hydra ran off, back to it’s mountain home. After the beast had disappeared down the mountain trail, the resident ponies began to slowly come back outside, wondering just who had saved their town from certain destruction. They all looked around cautiously at first, but soon they began to cheer for their latest savior. He couldn’t hear them though, as the spells he had used took more out of him then he thought, and it was all he could do to stay standing. Everything sounded distant, as though he was on the outskirts of town. He didn’t notice Applejack and Twilight approach him slowly, both of them concerned for his well being. “Hey, sugercube, you alright?” asked Applejack. Wolves Fang slowly turned to them, obviously drained, as he was very unbalanced, and was even beginning to lean on his staff for support.
“No…” was the only thing he could say before he collapsed under his own weight. He heard someone scream for a doctor, and another ask if he was dead. But above it all, he heard one voice. One, very familiar, voice, whispering over and over again as he slipped into the void once again “Don’t you die on me. don’t you die on…..”

> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wolves Fang looked around. ‘I know this place,’ he thought, ‘but how did I get here?’ he began to walk, knowing this as his ancestral home, the manor he lived in as a child. What had his name been then? He could no longer remember, but he could recognize the portraits on the walls. One of his grandfather, his hair grey, but still a burly man, firm jaw, dark eyes, seemingly full of rage. Another of his father, mid-forties, but looking much like he did now, grey hair and weathered skin. The one thing that every portrait in the hall seemed to share was a look of rage. They all also seemed to be watching him, but that was how most artists made portraits. But as he continued down the hall, he could feel them staring at him, almost feeling like they were accusing him of something. He began to pick up his pace, trying to get to the door at the end of the hall, but it seemed to go on forever. He broke out into a sprint, trying desperately to get away from the portraits, but the more he ran, the farther away the door became. “How could you do this to me? ME! Your father! I gave you EVERYTHING! And this is how you repay me? BY THROWING IT ALL AWAY IN SOME SORT OF SELF RIGHTEOUS ACT OF RETRIBUTION? IS THAT IT? YOU THOUGHT YOUR ACTIONS WOULD MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?” yelled the portrait of his father, which seemed to be following him down the hallway. This made him run faster, hoping that he could escape this nightmare by speed alone. He tried to change into something faster, but his magic would not work. “oh, you think your fancy magic will save you, do you? Well lets see how that works out for you….” the portrait said as it faded away. Suddenly Wolves Fang ran headlong into the door. He opened it and ran through with out a second thought and without looking back. “I hereby find the accused GUILTY of all charges!! Gods have mercy on your soul!” this voice caught him off guard, he looked around to find himself in a court room, standing at the defendant’s pedestal. “No, NO! you don’t understand! I’M INNOCENT! I’M TELLING THE TRUTH! I‘VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!” he yelled as the guards seized him and began to drag him away. He fought with them as best he could, but to no avail. “I SWEAR TO THE GODS IM INNOCENT!! YOU MUST BELIEVE ME! PLEASE!”







“I’M INNOCENT!” he yelled, bolting upright. He was soaked in sweat. He looked around him, realizing that he was no longer in the courthouse of his nightmares, but what seemed to be a hospice. There were ponies fast asleep in beds to either side of him, some covered in bandages, others hooked up to strange machinations that would occasionally let out a sharp beeping noise. The lights were off, so he could not gather much more information. Suddenly he heard a frantic sound of hooves on linoleum, coming closer to the door on the other side of the room. He saw it crack open, and then suddenly blinded as the lights turned on. “Oh sweet Celestia, your awake! How are you feeling?” asked a feminine voice, dripping with concern.

“I’m fine, really. Just magic exhaustion. May I ask where I am?”

“Oh, you’re in the Ponyville Urgent Care, we brought you here after you collapsed.” the light was no longer as blinding, and he could now see that he was addressing a white unicorn, he couldn’t discern the color of her mane though. “I’m nurse Redheart. Now Twilight and Applejack seemed to know who you are, but they didn’t give me your name.” she said.

“My name is Wolves Fang. I appreciate your care nurse Redheart, was anyone seriously hurt during my fight with the hydra?”

“Thankfully, no. We’ve got a few ponies who are going to need to rebuild their homes, and one Pegasus whose thanking her luck stars she got away with little more then chewed up leg, when she should really be thanking you.” he nodded. And that’s when he noticed that Applejack was sleeping in a chair next to his hospital bed, her body slumped over to the point that, if he wished to, he would only have to move his hand inches to touch her mane

“How long as she been here?” he asked

“She hasn’t left that chair since we brought you in. She’s been real worried about you, best let her know you’re ok.” she said, reaching to shake Applejack awake.

“No. Let her sleep. I’ll be sure to let her know when she wakes.” he said. Nurse Redheart simply nodded and began to walk away,  when he asked “Nurse? How long have I been here?”, she turned to him and said, “You’ve been out cold for a little over a week.”, then she turned the light off as she left the room. Wolves Fang laid back down, grateful that he had not woken her, because then there would be no escaping the truth, she would discover his one and only lie. He opted not to think about it, and instead chose to get some more sleep. He soon fell into dreams of mares and apple trees.

The next morning, when he awoke, Applejack was still sleeping. He decided that now would be a good time to wake her, and grabbed her shoulder and lightly shook her. “huh? Wuh? Ah’m awake, ah’m awake.”

“It’s about time, you sleep like a hibernating bear!” he joked, earning him a kick to the shoulder.

“Like you got any room tah talk, Mr. ‘Ah’ll be fine’, you had me worried sick when yah just kinda passed out. Not wakin’ up for a week didn’t help none either, yah jackass.” she said, still beating on his shoulder.

“Well then, in that case maybe I should go back to sleep, at least the ponies in my dreams were less abusive!” he said, trying to defend himself from the flurry of hooves. “But, in all honesty, I am sorry I made you worry so. It took more energy then I thought, and in my age, that is energy I don’t have.”

She stopped hitting him, content with the apology, but now curious. “How old is ya, anyway?” she asked.

“I’m almost twenty-five.” he said, much to Applejacks disbelief.

“Yer kiddin me! How can ya be that young and look so dang old?!” she asked, more confused about this than anything else. How could he have grey hair at twenty-five?

“Well, in addition to the fact that some spells take more out of you than others, being a druid alone has it’s toll, and requires great amounts of wisdom and knowledge. Acquiring some of that knowledge ages you. Throw living in a forest into the mix, and you have yourself an explanation.” he said with a slight laugh. “Anyways, I believe I’ve had enough bed rest for quite some time. I need to stretch my legs.” he said as he slowly got out of the bed. His legs were extremely stiff, as was to be expected from a lack of movement for a week. Just then, Nurse Redheart walked in.

“Good to see you’re up and moving. I take it you’re feeling well enough to leave?’

“Yes Nurse Redheart, thank you. Come on Applejack, I believe we should pay miss Sparkle a visit, let her know I’m awake.” he said as he walked towards the door to leave. Before he was even five steps out the door, he was knocked to the ground by a blur of pink. “Hi! My names Pinkie! I saw you the day you were fighting the hydra, at first I was all like ‘oh my gosh, it’s a hydra!’ but then you showed up, and you were all like ‘Leave!’ and it was all like ‘make me!’ and then you completely kicked it’s butt with your awesome magic! By the way, what’s your name?” Wolves Fang didn’t exactly know what was going on, as the pink pony spoke to fast for him to understand. He only managed to catch the last sentence. “Uh, my name is Wolves Fang, pleasure to meet you. Now, would you please get off of me? I think you may have cracked one of my ribs.” he said, only half joking. She apologized profusely as she got off of him, sincerely worried that she had injured him, but after he reassured her that, even if his ribs were cracked, he’d be fine, she ran off. “What was that all about? I’ve seen skooma addicts calmer than her, and that’s saying something.” he said as he got up off the ground, checking his ribs for any serious injury. ‘Yep,’ he thought with a wince, ‘Definitely cracked. I’ll take care of that when I get the chance’ he turned to see Applejack giving him an evil look.

“Now I don’t rightly know what this ‘skooma’ stuff is, but it weren’t nice to compare Pinkie to some kinda addict.” she said, “Now, I’m gonna let it slide this time, but it happens again yer gonna be missin’ some teeth, ya understand me?” despite her size, compared to his own, he was actually very intimidated by her.

“Yes, I understand. I meant no disrespect, I was simply making a jest, and I assure you, it will not happen again. Admittedly, I didn’t exactly think that through before I said it.” he said, with sincere regret. Despite all his training and wisdom, he knew he still made mistakes. He was, after all, only human.

“Ah know yah was just tryin’ to make a joke, but I don’t exactly appreciate when somepony talks bout mah friends like that. It ain‘t nothing‘ personal though, trust me, I‘d do the same if somepony was talkin’ bout you like that.”  she said in an attempt to lift his spirits. She had to admit, she was a bit harsh initially, but at the same time she was being honest, as always.

“I appreciate that, but I doubt it will be necessary, as I don’t plan on making many enemies. Of course some will be made, it is inevitable, but I will try not to make to many.” he said, for the first since they met he was being dead serious, no hints of sarcasm, no subtle jokes. This worried Applejack to some extent, but she did not have time to express this as they were already at Twilight’s library. Wolves Fang knocked on the door, which was answered by a shuffling sound from within. When the door was answered, it was not by Twilight, as was expected by the druid, but by a small purple and green dragon. At first he seemed thoroughly bored, but when he noticed just who was at the door, his mood immediately picked up. “Hey! I know you! You’re that…. Thing, the one who fought the hydra! That was awesome! Anyway, my names Spike, what can I do for you?” he said, seeming very enthusiastic at the prospect of aiding his apparent idol.

“Well, my name’s Wolves Fang, and actually, Applejack and myself were looking for miss Sparkle, I don’t suppose you would know where I can find her?”

“Yeah, give me a moment.” said the young dragon, then he turned around and yelled for Twilight, telling her that the “Hero of ponyville” was looking for her. This was responded to by a slight gasp, and the sound of hooves moving quickly on wood flooring. Before long, Twilight was rushing towards the door, and, when she got there, unceremoniously knocked Spike out of the way.

“Oh sweet Celestia, you’re alright! I was beginning to think you’d never wake up, and then all my research would’ve been for nothing!”

“Thank you miss Sparkle, I missed you to. Really nice to know you were worried about more than your research.” he said, sarcasm thick on his tongue. 

“What? Oh! Oh, no, don’t get me wrong, I was terribly worried about you as well, just more so based on the fact that all this research revolves around you. Please, come inside, I’ll explain everything.” she said, stepping aside so that her guests could enter her home, concerned that she had offended Wolves Fang in some way. He noticed this, and laughed lightly, causing some pain to him, though he did his best to hide it.

“I was joking with you, relax.” he assured her, putting her somewhat at ease. “But, speaking of your research, how is that coming along? Have you discovered how I entered your world?”

“Actually yes, I believe I may have figured it out. But before I can confirm my theory I need to know something…”

“And what’s that?”

“Well actually, it’s a couple things. First off, what were you doing just before you found yourself here?” she asked him, much to his amusement.

“Well, if you must know, I was dieing, I had been stabbed, and not even healing magic could save me.” he said, with an uncomfortable laugh. This news, however, brought a much different reaction to the two ponies in the room, especially Applejack.

“What the hay!? So yer some kinda, zombie thing?”

“No Applejack, gosh, you’re almost as bad as spike when it comes to zombies. Zombies don’t exist. It simply means he was given new life so he could fulfill a certain purpose in our world. Anyway, next question. Do you have anything you feel you need to make up for?” she asked. This caused his heart to drop into the pit of his stomach. How could he explain?

“Applejack?”

“Whatdya need sugercube?”

“Could you leave us for a moment? This is something I need to explain to Twilight… alone.” the request shocked her. Was there something he was keeping from her? What didn’t he want her to hear? These thoughts ran through her mind as she agreed, saying she had business to take care of anyway. As soon as she left, Wolves Fang turned back to Twilight, a grim expression on his face. “Alright, before I say anything, I need you to swear to me that nothing I say goes any further. No one else must know of this, especially Applejack. If she discovered this, I don’t believe I could face her again. Do you understand?” he asked. She was confused, but understood how this must be important to him, and immediately went stated; “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Hey, I remembered to close my eye that time!”

“I’ll just assume that what you just did is a very solemn oath. Am I right?”

“Yes, if somepony does that, you should have the utmost faith in them.”

“Good, because I tell you this only out of necessity, but I hope I can trust you. I do have something I must atone for. A crime for which I have yet to pay…” he said, his expression becoming sadder and sadder as he continued.

“And what’s that?” she asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know.

“I…I…. I killed my father.”

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You did WHAT!?” she asked him, a look of shock and disbelief upon her face.

“Now you see why I was so eager to keep this between us? But please, don’t take me for some petty murderer. It was… an accident.”

“How in the name of Celestia do you accidentally kill your own father!?”

“Well, this will take some explaining. It was actually how I had discovered I had magical abilities. I was a lad of 12.……..

********************









“Jonathon! Jonathon Wolf-blood, come down here this instant!” he yelled. He was becoming tired of his sons seemingly endless shenanigans. At first it had been tolerable, but this was the final straw.

“y-yes father?” asked Jonathon timidly. His father was a very intimidating man, especially when he was angry. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but he was certain his father was going to blame him for it.

“Now, I know your mother is sick, and you need a way to vent your frustrations, but letting all the cattle free is intolerable! Do you know how much it will cost to replace them?!” he asked. Jonathon was shocked that his father would assume he had done it.

“I did nothing of the sort! Why do you assume I am to blame for everything that goes wrong around here?”

“You are the only one with motivation to do such things my son.”

“Oh, and none of your elven slaves do?”

“They are not slaves, you ignorant brat! The signed a contract!”

“One they could not read, father! Honestly, if you are going to defend such actions, at least try to use a better excuse!”

“Ignorant child! I have half a mind to strike you!”

“Why don’t you then? You know as well as I do, that is how these talks always end, so just get it over with!” Jonathans tone was becoming angrier with each passing word, which angered his father even more.

“HOW DARE YOU! I AM YOUR FATHER, AND YOU WILL SHOW ME RESPECT!” he yelled, drawing back his hand to slap his son. However, Jonathon was dead set on not letting the blow land. As his father brought his hand down to strike him, he caught it in a firm grip, much to his fathers surprise. “YOU UNGRATEFUL PEICE OF SHIT! RELEASE ME, THAT I MAY BEAT SOME SENSE INTO YOU!” he yelled. His son, however, could not hear him. He was lost in some sort of trance. Suddenly, he felt a hot pain on his arm where he was being held. Suddenly his entire sleeve burst into flames, catching both father and son of guard. 

“What is going on? Father, what happened?!” but his father was unable to answer, as soon he was entirely engulfed in flames. “Did I do this? No, no I couldn’t have!” he said to himself, not knowing what to do. He panicked and ran, not knowing where he was going, and not caring. Eventually he couldn’t run anymore, and he collapsed, falling asleep where he lay. When he awoke, he found himself in a prison cell, with a guard outside.

“Oh, you’re finally awake. Good, we were about to just dump your body outside for the birds. But now it seems we have to give a trial first. Speaking of which, that’s right now. Good luck, murderer.” he said, causing chills to run down Jonathans spine. The guard opened the door and ordered him to get up, which he did immediately, hoping cooperation would get him a lessened sentence. He was led to courtroom, a very large and ornate place. However, there were some things missing. Twelve to be exact. There was no jury, there was no legal arbiter for this case for either side. Only his story against the judges decision. He hoped it would be enough.

“State your name.”

J-Jonathon Wolf-blood, sir.”

“Do you know just why you are here before me today, master Wolf-blood?”

“N-No sir, I do not.”

“you are here to answer for the crime of murder, young master. You killed your father in cold blood.”

“WHAT?! I did no such thing! Honest! I’ll tell you wh-”

“SILENCE! We have witnesses to your kin-slaying, your word means nothing!”

“But I didn’t kill him!”

“Oh really? What proof do you have?”

“He burst into flames! I don’t know how, but he did! There’s no way I could have done that….. Unless….”

“Unless you are magi, mast Wolf-blood? I do believe that is the only way it is possible at all. In which case you are also guilty of witch-craft! I’ll have you burned at the stake, sorcerer!” yelled the judge. Jonathon cried. How could this be happening? Why did the gods see fit to punish him for no good reason? “I hereby find the accused GUILTY of all charges! Gods have mercy on your soul.”

“No, NO!!” he yelled as the guards took hold of him. “I’VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!!!” he thrashed against the guards, bashing them into walls, doing everything he could think of to escape. Then suddenly one of the guards gloves ignited. He had to release him to put the fire out. He took his chance to throw the other one into a wall and run for his life. He made it out the front door, then the archers began firing at him. Most of the arrows missed, but one of them managed to find its way into his left knee just before he ran out of range. He limped for days in the forest, not knowing what to do or where to go. Then he heard a voice. “Child, are you alright? Oh, no of course you aren’t, you’ve an arrow in your leg, and your running through the forest. Sit down, and try not to scream.” said the voice. Jonathon looked behind him to see an old man in earth colored robes standing there. He decided he had nothing to lose, so he might as well do as he says. He slumped down against a tree. He was confused though. ‘why would I scre-’ his thought was cut short as the old man ripped the arrow from him.

“By the gods, that hurt!” he said, trying his hardest not to yell. 

“yes I know. I’ve been in your shoes before. I sense a great power within you boy. And also great regret. I can offer you a way to redeem whatever wrong you have done and teach you to harness your power. The training will be difficult, but well worth the ultimate reward.” said the old man. He contemplated this offer. Learn how to control his magic and redeem himself for his fathers death?

“I want to know everything you have to teach me.”

> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your training is coming along well, young one. Though, soon I will no longer be able to call you that!” Said the master. That was the only name he knew for the old man that had found him about six years ago.

“Thank you master, your praise is much appreciated.”

“And very much so earned, my student. But now, it is time for you to take your final test.” said the master, a look of sorrow crossing his face. The boys face brightened up at the prospect of his training being over. He had often been told of the final test, but never what it entailed.

“I’m ready, master.” he said, looking determined.

“I am sure you are. Or at least that you think you are.” said the master, drawing a long steel blade, and handing it to his confused student. “This is a fine weapon. Take it my child. Take it, and strike me down.” he said, stretching his arms out. This request was shocking. He could not be serious… could he?

“Master.. I.. I do not understand! You have said that our duty is to protect the innocent, and here you are, commanding me to strike you down?” he said, eyes wide and beginning to tear up. The master was the only true parent he had ever had, his father being a cruel, immoral man, and his mother often being sickly. Then, his face changed to one of the utmost anger. “I will not slay you master. I refuse to.” he said, casting the blade aside. This caused his master to smile and laugh.

“You have learned much my student. You have remembered the most important lesson I have taught you.”

“Yes master, ‘do not do anything that conflicts with your morals. If someone asks you to do something you do not wish to do, goes against the code, or your own morals, refuse.’ I should’ve known this was another test master. But may I ask… how did you know I would not strike you down?”

“It is simple my child. I didn’t. I took a leap of faith. But now you are ready for the true test. Follow me.” said the master as he turned and walked away. His student was truly curious. He was elated, but nervous at the same time. He did not know what to expect. He looked around them, taking in the surroundings as they walked. The forest was truly beautiful this time of year. It was almost winter, and in this forest, the snow would often fall before the leaves did. He watched as a bird flew, landing on a branch covered in a thin layer of snow, knocking some of it to the forest floor. Soon, they had arrived at their destination. “This, my trusted student, is the sacred grotto,” said the master, pulling back a wall of vines, revealing an outcropping of stones, seemingly stacked in the shape of a temple, but without a ceiling or walls. “This is a place untouched by time. A place all druids go to when they face their final test, and discover their spirit animal, and druidic name… And also, where they are to meet their death. There is something I have not told you, my child.” said the master, drawing a quizzical look from his student. “You probably see me as an old man, far beyond his time. Truth be told, I am only a few years older than yourself. The final ritual causes you to age faster than others.” he said, looking downcast. “When a druid master finds his student, he knows his time is almost done, and teaches them all he knows. Then, during the ritual, all the knowledge he could not teach is transferred to the student. But that is not all that the ritual entails.” the student was now very worried. He was going to cause the death of his master? And what else did it cost to be a guardian of nature? “We druids pay a great price for our power. Some do not survive the ritual. The reason being that we draw some of the darkness that is part of the world… concentrate it…. And take it into ourselves.” he said, causing his student to panic.

“So in essence, we are creatures of darkness?! I do not understand!”

“Be calm, child. I understand how you feel, as I asked the same question of my master. We are not creatures of darkness. We take it unto ourselves so that others will not be corrupted by it. It is our greatest sacrifice, to live a life full of pain, and loneliness, in exchange, we get to give all we can to ensure that the rest of the world gets to live in relative peace, living on in legends for centuries. Though, the true reward, is knowing you gave your life to protect those you care for.” this didn’t help the student much, but he hadn’t come this far to turn back now.

“I’m ready.”

“I know you are.” he said, his hands glowing with a dark, shadowy energy. He touched his students face, many images flowing through his head. The last one he saw before his death took him was a wolf, howling at the moon. “Live well, Wolves Fang….” and with that, the master disappeared, his body turning into hundreds of butterflies, each flying in a different direction. But the student was incapable of taking in this sight, as the dark energies and overflow of knowledge transferred directly into his mind had taken its toll. His hair was beginning to turn grey, his skin becoming weathered. He lay on the ground, convulsing, frothing at the mouth, eyes rolled back into his head. Yet, somehow, he had heard his masters last words. Slowly, his hands and feet began to change into paws, each with four claws. His face slowly stretched, bones audibly cracking as he began to grow a muzzle. His teeth turned into viscous fangs, his hair to dark brown and grey fur, which covered the length of his now canine body. And then he was still. His ears were flat against his head, soft whimpers emanating from him. Jonathon Wolf-blood had died in this forest, six years ago. Wolves Fang had been born to take his place……..
**********************

“I didn’t awake until the next day, and was still in wolf form. I was dazed, both from the intake of pure darkness, and from the sudden intake of so much knowledge. But I was alive. After I returned to my human state, I found the masters staff, and took it as my own, as I assumed he had intended. From that day forward, I protected the forest and any innocents that passed through it. At least until the day I appeared here.” said Wolves Fang. Twilight was in a state of shock. There was so much information to take in at once, but now she understood that she had no idea what information overload felt like.

“Was your father really such a terrible man?” she asked, after a very long and awkward silence.

“He justified slavery with a contract, and when the slaves asked about it he beat them. When I would question the contracts, he would beat me. Any workers that questioned him at all had a tendency to disappear. He lied to everyone, especially me. He was evil, straight down to the core. No one mourned his death. Least of all my mother.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I would occasionally sneak out of the forest at the beginning, to see how all the people I had left behind were doing. During one of these excursions, I walked through the graveyard. I found both of my parents tombstones. My mother had died the month before I had been forced to run away. Father had always told me she was sick, and that she was with the doctor.” he said, looking down, hands shaking, angry just at the memory of how many lies his father had told him straight to his face. “What kind of man lies to his son about that? Not one to be respected, that is for certain.” tears were beginning to roll down his face and dripping onto the floor. Twilight was unsure of what to do, as she wasn’t exactly used to handling situations like this, and she was still shocked from all the information she had just received.

“Well, he’s gone now, so his evil can’t hurt anypo-, anybody, anymore, right?” she asked hopefully.

“No, his actions effected the lives of too many. He had brothers who were just as evil, and who no doubt inherited his estate. Evil is like men, you may destroy as many as you want, but two more will always take the place of each one.” he said, his voice seeming to be filled with a mixture of sorrow and anger. He had felt neither of these emotions in a long time, and thus it was awkward for him.

“That may be, but now you’re somewhere where there is no such evil! You can finally just relax, and enjoy life!” said Twilight, trying desperately to cheer up the somber druid.

“You don’t understand. A druid is not meant to relax and enjoy life. We give up that right to become what we are.” Twilights eyes began to widen as the truth of what he was saying set in.

“Do you mean…… are you……?”

“I am dieing, yes. I have been since the ritual. I’ve but a few years left, if I am lucky. I had hoped I could find a way to make more use of that time than I did most of my years. But it seems I have failed….” he said. He had failed his mother, his master, and Gaia. He had failed everyone. Here he was, sitting in a library, reliving the past when there was nothing that could be done to change it.

“No you haven’t!” shouted Twilight, snapping Wolves Fang out of his self pity. “Not yet, at least. You still have time, use it to live! Go out and enjoy life as best you can!” she said. He was beginning to see her point. True, he could not extend his life, as far as he knew. But he could live it.

“You are right miss Sparkle. I should use what time I have to be… happy.” he said, the beginning of a smile cracking his face. “And first things first, I should probably fix my rib. That Pinkie moves fast enough to break through brick!” he exclaimed, drawing a laugh from Twilight. His hand began to glow a bright green, and the room was filled with a peaceful, serene feeling. He put his hand to his rib cage, slowly guiding it over both sides as to make sure he left no wound un-repaired. After he was done, he got up, thanked Twilight for her help and understanding, and began to walk towards the door.

“You do know you’re going to have to tell Applejack about this eventually, right?” asked Twilight as he gripped the door knob.

“I’ll tell her when I think she is ready.” he said, then opened the door and walked outside. Deep down, though, he knew that she would never truly be ready for something such as that. no one would be. He was greatly saddened by this, but decided to tell her the first chance he got.

“Well hey there sugercube! Why tha long face?” asked a familiar southern voice. ‘That would be my luck, wouldn’t it?’ he thought to himself.

“It’s nothing, just thinking about how to tell someone something very important.” he said, turning to face her. What worried him most was that he had something else he had to tell her as well. He had felt this feeling before, when he was a child, so he understood fairly well. The only difference was that then he had these feelings for a fellow human. He wasn’t sure how he should handle this, how she would react, or which confession to start with.

“Well ya know what ya need? Some liquid courage!” she exclaimed.

“Liquid courage?”

“A couple shotsuh whiskey should do ya just fine.” she said, taking his hand and dragging him to a nearby bar. He had never consumed alcohol before, so he didn’t know just how much he could drink. But he was about to find out.

> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

aouthors note: sorry about the wait everypony, had a bit of writers block on this one. i know it's not the longest chapter in the story, but hopefully it will hold you over untill i get the next one out. without further adue, i give you a drunk Wolves Fang, hanging out with a drunk Applejack.

“Ssssoooo, Fang ole buddy…. Ya thinks ya got enouph in ya at go tell… whoever it was….. Whatever it was?” Said a very drunk Applejack. She began to laugh at the simple fact that she either wasn’t told either of those things, or just didn’t remember. Her guess was the latter.

“fffffffffwhat’re ya talkin bout? I was supposed to tell someone sumthin? Oh damn it, I knew there was sumthin I was forgetting….” said an even drunker Wolves Fang. From the moment he had walked in the bar, he had everypony buying him drinks. He was, after all, a hero. After he had a few, he started talking to everypony, making friends, making jokes, having an occasional smoke. He would also try to sing along with whatever song was playing on the radio, even though he’d never heard any of those songs before. Here he was, drunk off his ass, talking to the mare he had to make a couple confessions to, but too drunk to remember what they were.

“HAHA! Ah’ll take that tah mean you’ve had tooooooooooooo much…. Yer nuthin’ but a fuckin’ lightweight, ya know that?” she said, laughing harder than ever before.

“What did ya expect? Smah first time drinkin’!”

“Yer kiddin’!” she said, giving him a playful shove.

“Nope!” he said, laughing and smiling broadly.

“Oh damn, than ya can sure as hell hold yer liquor. Well, yyyyooooouuuu may have fergotten what ya were supposed to tell somepony, but I actually jus’ remembered….. I think.. Yeah, I definitely remembered.” she said, swaying dangerously on her bar stool, causing Fang to laugh. He had grown accustomed to being called by that during his time at the bar.

“An’ what, exactly, did yah jus’ remember?” he said, honestly curious.

“Ah got sumthin I gotta teeellllllll yyyyyooouuuuuuu…..” she said, her swaying stopped by her grabbing onto his shoulder. She was smiling just as broadly as he was, and laughing even harder.

“Oh really? Then pray tell, wha wouldat be?” he said, trying not to sound drunk for a moment, and failing horribly.

“Aaaahhhhhh….. like yooouuuuu….” she said, suddenly taking a more serious look to her face. He was slightly confused. What did she mean she “liked” him? ‘aren’t friends supposed to like each other?’ he thought to himself.

“Well ya know what Applejack? Ah like you to.” he said, assuming that was what she had meant.

“No no no no no no, ya ain’t understandin’ mee. Ah like you. Like…. How does ah explain it……” she trailed off, letting go of his shoulder with one hoof, causing her to lose her balance and fall, dragging Fang with her. They hit the ground with a loud thud, Applejack somehow finding a way to land his chest. They simply lay there for a few minutes, laughing hysterically along with the rest of the bar. After the laughter died down, Fang noticed that Applejack was staring at him, biting her lip slightly. He had no idea why, and it is doubtful he could figure it out, drunk as he was. Little did he know, there were many thoughts running through the head of the mare on his chest. She was mentally debating with herself. And losing. ‘Should ah do it?’ she thought to herself, ‘Ah mean we’re in a pretty decent position for it, but what if he don’t like me like that?’ she thought back to earlier in the day, when she had asked advice from a couple of her friends…..
*****************************

“Hey Rares, could ah ask yah sumthin?” she asked as she walked into Rarities shop.

“Well of course you can dahling! Now tell me, what’s on your mind?” she said, using her magic to levitate two chairs over for them to sit in.

“Well alright then. Well, thing is, I need sum advice….”

“Oh? And just what would you need my advice on?”

“Well, ya see, there’s this feller that ah like an-” she was cut off by Rarity gasping in shock.

“Oh!! You’ve come to me for romance advice, how exciting! Now, tell me, who is the lucky stallion? Is it somepony you met at the gala? Is h-”

“Now hold on there Rares, one question at a time.”

“Of course, of course, my apologies, this is all just so exciting! Now, tell me, what is he like?”

“Well, he’s a real nice guy, really knows how to make a gal laugh, and he always seems to be willin’ to help without a thought for himself. He forgives when he has no reason to, an’ always seems to understand where somepony’s comin’ from,, y aknow what ah mean?” 

“well don’t keep me in suspense, who is it?” in reply, Applejack mumbled something, just quiet enough for Rarity to not hear it. “I’m sorry, what was that dear? You seem to be doing an impression of Fluttershy when she talks to Big Macintosh.” She joked, earning her an evil look.

“Well, ah guess there’s no goin’ back now.” she sighed. “Ya remember when that hydra showed up in town, a week back?” Rarity simply nodded, wondering where exactly she was going with this. “Did ya see the feller that threw it out on it’s flank?”

“No, but Twilight told me what she knew about him, wh…. Oooohhhhh. I see now. Hmm. This may pose a few problems.” she said, causing Applejack to become worried.

“And why is that?” her eyes were slightly wider than normal.

“Well, for starters, he’s not even the same species, so that is bound to be awkward for one of you. Then there is the fact that he is, from what I know, very skilled with magic. So even if it wasn’t awkward, birds of a feather, flock together, as the saying goes. The next is that I am sure he is eager to return home, where he belongs.” while she knew the last one was nowhere near true, the others made sense. She became downcast, thanked Rarity for her advice and walked out the door. She was planning on just going back to the farm, and working to keep her thoughts from him, but getting run over by Rainbow Dash interrupted that.

“Sorry about that. I should’ve pulled up sooner.” Said Rainbow, apologizing for the incident.

“It’s alright. Ah’ll jus’ be goin’ now.” she said as she got up. Rainbow could tell there was something wrong.

“Hey, why the long face?” she asked. Applejack explained everything, from how she felt for Fang, to the talk she’d just had with Rarity. When she was done, Rainbow Dash, while she wasn’t exactly pleased with her friends choice of love, decided to give her some advice of her own. “Hey, don’t listen to Rarity, she  just doesn’t understand it. I mean, I remember back in flight school, a pegasus friend of mine hooked up with a griffon, and they worked out just fine. Same idea, just different couple, right?” she said, hoping to lift Applejack’s spirits.

“Ya know what? Yer right Dash. Ah’m gonna go tell him right now. Ah owe ya a drink.” she said, galloping off towards Twilights library.
******************************

And now here they were, drunk, laughing, and on the floor.
With Big Macintosh standing over them.

> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: alright people, really short chapter this time, but i hope y'all can forgive me for that. not gonna lie, writting a certain part of this chapter killed me a little inside.... you'll know it when you read it. anyway, hope you like it.




It took a moment for Applejack to notice him, but when she did, she sobered up instantly. “Now, Big Mac, this ain’t what it looks like…” she said.

“Applejack, ya know how ah feel about you drinkin’. Said Big Macintosh, who was extremely disappointed in his sister. “Especially when yer getting’ drunk with stallions. Ya know how that always goes.” he said, causing her to wince. She knew alright. It wasn’t until then that Fang noticed Big Macintosh.

“Oh! Hey there… umm… I apologize…. very sincerely…. But I can’t seem to remember your name….. big red pony. Have we met?” He asked drunkenly, causing Macintosh to sigh heavily. This was just what he needed.

“Eeyup. My name’s Big Macintosh. Ah’m Applejack’s older brother.” he said, eyeing Fang closely. He knew Fang had helped Applejack, and saved the town from a hydra, but when it came to Applejack, he was very protective. “Now, why don’t one of you explain tah me just what happened fer ya to end up on the floor…. Like that.” he said, indicating the fact that Applejack was spread eagle on Fangs chest.

“Ah kinda lost mah balance an’ fell over. Ah guess ah took him with me.” Explained Applejack. Macintosh wasn’t sure how that scenario ended with them in the position they were in, but he knew his sister was the very embodiment of honesty as well, so he had no reason not to believe her. Then he turned to Fang.

“If you do anythin’ tah mah sister, you’ll regret it. We clear?” he asked. He had made this threat many times, with no intention to follow through. Usually his sheer size made sure he didn’t have to.

“Clear asa river, Big….. Pony.” said Fang, to drunk to remember the name he had been told. Big Macintosh felt confident in his warning, and left the bar. Applejack breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and then got off Fang’s chest.

“Well, ah better get ya home…. Ain’t like ya can walk yerself right now.”

“Ai caan walk… just fine, thank you!” said Fang indignantly as he got to his feet, only to stumble and fall back to the floor. “But… a little help would be great.” Applejack could only laugh at him. That’s one of the reasons she liked him so much, he was always good for a laugh.

“C’mon ya big lug, let’s get ya back to tha farm.” she said, throwing one of his arms over his shoulder. She carried him out the door and down the road, him mumbling random nonsense the entire way. But then he said something that caught Applejack’s attention.

“Big red pony……….. Reminds me of my father….” his statement confused her. As far as she knew, he had no family. “Jonathon this, and Jonathon that, ‘why’d you do it Jonathon?’ when I didn’t do anything…… almost glad I killed him..” at this point she dropped him like a bag of stones.

“Ya killed yer own pa!?” sh yelled, but he didn’t answer. He was stuck in his own world. He didn’t get a chance to explain his actions to her as he had to Twilight, and even if he had been sober enough to try, she wouldn’t have listened. She left him there in the middle of the street, and galloped back home, tears stinging her eyes. She couldn’t believe that the man she had trusted and loved had lied to her from the very beginning, about his name, about his past, about everything. She cried all the way home, she cried when she burst through the door, and all the way up to her bedroom.

“Applejack?” came the voice of Big Macintosh through her door. “Applejack, what’s wrong?” he was worried about her. He had never seen her this upset about anything.

“He lied tah me, Mac…. About everythin’……. His name….. his family……. Everythin’.” she said between sobs, recounting everything he had said before she had left him. “Mac? Ya there?”

“Eeyup.” he replied. No pony had ever gotten her this upset about lies…. Then again, no pony had given her a false name. While Macintosh was thinking about this revelation, Fang was still drunk in the street, laying there, mumbling nonsense to himself. He had, however, sobered up enough to realize what had happened.

“Damn it, man! Why did you get drunk? You should have just told her then and there so that you’d have a chance to explain yourself!” he yelled at himself. Then he saw a familiar lavender figure approaching him.

“What are you doing in the street?” asked Twilight, as other ponies began to gather around him.

“Well… if you must know, I just drunkenly made a confession to Applejack, whilst she was carrying me…. And she left me here, due to the confession itself.” he explained, not wanting to get into detail about it with other ponies around.

“So you told her? I thought you said you’d tell her when you thought she was ready.”

“That I did…. But then I realized.. Is anyone ever truly ready to hear something like that?”

“Something like what?” asked Rainbow Dash, as her and the other elements of harmony, with the exception of Applejack, gathered around to see what was going on. Fang sighed, knowing he could not avoid the truth any longer. Twilight began to explain that she couldn’t tell them, because she Pinkie Pie Swore that she wouldn’t, but Fang cut her off.

“I’ll explain it.. Later. Not here, and not now.” he said as he stood back up. “Has anyone seen my staff?”

“Oh! Yes, you forgot it at the library, and when I went out to return it to you, you were gone, so I decided to hold onto it until you returned.” said Twilight. He simply nodded and walked with her towards the library.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That’s….. Messed up.” Said Rainbow Dash after Fang told them his story. They had decided that the best place for him to explain his past, and his current predicament, was Twilights library.

“Your father wasn’t a very nice person…… I mean, but you are……. eepp.” said Fluttershy.

“You know what we need to do to make you two friends again? THROW A SUPER DUPER YOUSHOULD BE FRIENDS AGAIN PARTY!!!” yelled Pinkie, producing streamers seemingly from thin air and throwing them about the room.

“How does she-” began Fang, but he was cut off by Twilight.

“Don’t ask.” she said, causing him to simply nod and ignore the defiance of all the logic he knew. “Now, Pinkie, I don’t think a party will help them. What they need is to discuss this like adults, so that she can understand what exactly happened.” she said, to which the other elements of harmony that were present nodded. Fang, however, was not convinced.

“I am not well acquainted with how the minds of your people work, but I doubt she wishes to speak with me…. However, if you believe it will help, I have no other choice.” he said, hanging his head slightly. He knew there was only one way him approaching Applejacks farm could end, for he vaguely remembered what Big Macintosh had said to him in the bar, but he would try anyway. He did, however, have a back up plan, in case all else should fail. “Twilight, do you have pen and parchment? I need to write something down.” he asked, and she replied simply by levitating it to him. He took the quill and parchment, and wrote something down, not telling anyone what it was, or why he was writing it. When he was done, he stuffed it into his vest, grabbed his staff, and walked out the door.

“Where are you going?” Asked Twilight.

“To go talk to Applejack… to explain things to her.” he said, not looking behind him. He kept walking, not looking back, not listening to the praise he received from ponies on the streets. They weren’t important to him right now. He needed to set things right, and that was all that mattered to him. He soon found himself at the entrance to Sweet Apple acres. He was only five feet past the gate, when he felt something bash his knee in, causing him to fall to the ground.

“That’s fer makin’ mah sister cry.” Said Macintosh. He then helped Fang back to his feet. “Now, ah know you saved tha town an’ all, but we don’t do business with no kin slayers, so why don’t you just go back the way you came.” he said. He had no respect for a man who would kill a member of their own family, as far as he knew, in cold blood.

“Listen Big Macintosh, I need to talk to Applejack. She doesn’t know the whole story.” he tried to explain, but Macintosh would have none of it.

“Listen buddy, ah don’t know the whole story either, but yer’s is the last face she wants tah see right now.” he explained to him, causing Fang to sigh heavily. He reached into his vest, producing the parchment Twilight had given him.

“that’s what I was afraid of, look, could you just deliver this letter to her, and tell me what she says? It’s important.” he said. Macintosh gave him a menacing look, but took the letter in his mouth and walked into the farm house. After a few minutes, Fang could hear muffled yells, items being thrown and broken. He was afraid that would be the response. When Macintosh walked back out, however, Fang was gone. Macintosh sighed, not knowing where he had gone, nor caring. He walked back into the farm house and looked at the letter, which currently sat, unread, on the kitchen table. Applejack had wanted nothing to do with Fang, and had told him to “Buck tha bastard up.”. Now, Macintosh was not the best at reading ponies, but he could tell that her reading that letter had been important to Fang. He decided that if Applejack wouldn’t read it, he would, just to see what all the fuss was about. He opened the letter and began to read. When he finished the letter he yelled. “Applejack! Ya might wanna read this letter!” he yelled, walking up the stairs to find her, letter in his mouth again. She sighed, not understanding why Macintosh was so dead set on her reading it. She read it, the words written on the page bringing her to tears. She dropped the letter and ran out the door, not even bothering to put her hat on. The letter drifted down, landing print up on the floor……….
  My dearest Applejack,

I understand your actions, but believe you should know the whole story before you make a final judgment. I killed my father, yes, but it was not intentional, and if it were, it would be highly justified. My father was a corrupt man, who did whatever he felt necessary to make money, from slavery, to murder.. I lied to you about my family history, yes, but only because the memories still burn fresh in my mind, after all these years, and still haunt my every dream. I did not wish the burden of my past to become yours. My name, before my father died, was Jonathon Wolf-blood. But the child known by that name died at the age of twelve. At least, that’s what I tell myself, anyways. After my druidic training was complete, I received the name Wolves Fang, as my spirit animal is the wolf. I hope this letter reaches you in good health, if not good mood, and that you think about these words deeply before you react. I wrote this letter so that, in the event that I could not explain these things to you in person, they could still be explained. I have asked the messenger to give me your response to this letter, in the hopes that I could know whether or not you will accept me, even with my deception. If not, then you shall never see or hear of me again.

With all the love in my heart
Wolves Fang.

> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: alright, really short chapter this time, but i hope you enjoy it anyway....  *sigh* we're almost there... all those lat nights and early mornings, have all built up to this.... this one pivotal moment... how will it end? i think i'll let you keep guessing on that one for a little while longer......

Applejack ran through town, asking anypony and everypony if they’d seen Fang. She got a different answer from each of them, as if they were leading her on a wild goose chase. One pony told her he was at the bar, a pony there told her he went to the flower shop, and most the ponies at the flower shop told her he was at the library. It didn’t make any sense. Suddenly, Derpy Hooves, the town mailmare landed in front of her.

“Why the long face?” she asked Applejack, who sighed.

“Well, ah gone an’ offended Fang, an’ now ah’m worried he might do somethin’ stupid. Ya got any idea where he went?” she saw no harm in asking. It’s not like she had anything to lose.

“Oh! I bumped into him not to long ago. He said he was going into the everfree forest, something about cleansing it.” she said before heading back onto her route. Applejack didn’t know what he could have meant, but it didn’t sound good. She ran off, heading towards the forest, bowling over quite a few other ponies as she ran. After she had been running for a while, the forest was in view. She could hear chanting from within it.

“”Fang!? Fang, that you!?” she yelled as she walked through the forest, trying to pinpoint the source of the chant. It was in a strange language that she couldn’t understand. “Fffaaannnng!? Ya here!?” she called out again.. Then she saw tendrils of what seemed to be pure darkness floating through the air. “Fang, ya crazy bastard, what the hay’re ya doin?” she whispered to herself, following the tendrils to their destination. What she found there was simultaneously mesmerizing and disturbing. It was Fang, chanting and spinning his staff and his body, almost as if in a form of dance. All the tendrils of darkness were moving towards him, slowly, and some of them were already going into him. He seemed to be in extreme amounts of pain, but continued what he was doing. Applejack had no idea what he was doing, but he did. He was channeling all of the darkness he had felt in this place upon his arrival into himself, thus cleansing the forest, while also taking his own life. This had been his plan, all along. If he was shunned, he would perform the ritual, removing himself from this world, while simultaneously making it a better place, if he was accepted, he would live out his life like a normal person would. “FANG! WHAT THE HAY’RE YA DOIN’?” she yelled at the top of her lungs, but he paid her no attention. He was lost in a trance, and words alone could not wake him from it. “Please Fang…. Ah’m sorry… ah shoulda waited fer the whole story before ah reacted, but please, whatever yer doin’, stop it!” she yelled to him again, again only met with chanting. She began to tear up, unable to believe what was happening. All of this, over a misunderstanding. It was unfathomable. As more darkness poured into him, he looked and sounded more pained, and seemed to slow down in his movements. He also seemed to be growing older, his hair slowly turning grey, his skin wrinkling. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She rushed towards him and tackled him, yelling. “Damn it Fang, ah love ya!” as soon as they connected, the whole forest was engulfed in a bright white light.
> present day.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, now i know a lot of you are going to be dissapointed..... but this is it. the end of our tale, and an ending i've been planning since the start. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as i did writing it, and who knows? there might be a sequel for this. we'll see.











“Daddy?”

“Yes my son?”

“What does any of that have to do with how you met mommy?” asked the young colt. He had been curious as to just how his parents met, and asked his father. What he had received was a tale of romance, adventure, and mistakes made. His father laughed.

“Well, I think I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.” said his father, getting up and trotting towards the kitchen. “So darling, what’s for dinner today?”

“fruit salad. Ya know, ah don’t think he’s quite ready fer that story. He’s only six.” said the colts mother. Every time the colt had asked her for the story, she had told him no. but this time, she had told him to ask his father, so he did.

“Well, it’s usually best to sate curiosity early, that way it does not grow into something else.” said the father, using his magic to steal a piece of fruit from the bowl and pop it into his mouth.

“Ya know, that excuse don’t really work in this situation.” she said, hoofing him in the shoulder. “That’s fer takin’ mah fruit.”

“Ow! well, no matter. I told him the story…. All that remains is to see if he can figure it out….” said the father, rearing up and stretching out before planting his hooves on the ground again. And that’s when the waiting ended.

“Papa! You’re the druid!” said the colt, running into the kitchen, an excited look on his face.

“Oh, an’ ah get no recognition? Thanks a lot fer tellin’ both ends’a the story there, Fang.” said the child’s mother, hoofing her husband in the shoulder again.

“Hey! That’s my bad shoulder there! Yes, my son, I was the druid. That burst of light? It made me into a pony. And that’s why you’re a unicorn, just like me.” he said, ruffling his sons mane. “and that’s why the farm has been so productive lately to. And I get no love for it at all.” he said sarcastically.

“No love, eh? That’s not what ya said last night.” said his wife jokingly.

“Please, darling, not around Apple Fang. He’s far to young for that kind of talk.” said the colt’s father very seriously. “Anyway, my son, it will be a while before dinner is done, so why don’t you go finish your schoolwork? I would hate to have my ramblings get you a failing grade.” he said to his child, who then nodded and went off to his room. He sighed contentedly and looked around his home. It was nothing fancy, but it was home. And that was all he needed. He turned to go outside and help his brother in law bring in the harvest, and took a look at his flank. No matter how many times he saw it, his cutie mark always amazed him.


A single fang, inside a heart shaped Apple.

> Anyone want a sequel? Well too bad, you're getting one.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, I haven't looked at this in a while. Looking back, it was probably one of my best, most highly rated stories ever. I was looking back on all my stories today, looking back on the things I did, the smiles I created, the tears I caused to be shed, the laughter both my readers and myself took part in along the wild rides of my career....

And you know what? I'm thinking about making a sequel to what is arguabley my greatest work. Whatever you may think about that, lay it on me...... After reading this preview. I hope you guys enjoy it, keep in mind that this is just a random Idea I had about five minutes ago, and will not exactly be in the finished product.

Oh, and I will also be changing the name of a certain druids son, just so you know.

"But Pa!" The young colt cried out, chasing after his father. "You're too old to go runnin' off like this!"

"Damn it boy, I don't have a choice!" the old, wizened unicorn called back to his son, stopping and turning around. "Everything's goin' to oblivion, and I've gotta help, in any way I can." he said as the colt caught up, barely breaking a sweat due to a lifetime of farm work.

"Well if you're goin', I'm goin' too!" he exclaimed, trying everything he could think of to change the mind of his elder.

"You're too young to be going on such adventures, son. Stay home, look after your niece and your uncle while I'm gone." The elder replied, embracing his only child in a tight embrace, both trying not to shed tears.

"Alright pa, I'll do my best." the child whispered through his tears.

"I know you will son, I know you will. I won't be gone long, I promise." his father whispered back, not knowing if he was telling the truth. "I'll find your mother, set everything right, and be back for dinner." he said jokingly as the embrace ended, tears streaking through his son's pale orange coat.

"I know pa. We all know you can do it." he said, backing up slowly towards the farm house in which they lived. "Ya'll go save ma. We'll be here waitin'." the child said, turning back towards his home as his father turned away. He didn't know if he held the strength required for such a thing, even with the help of his friends, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

As he threw up the hood of his cloak, he sighed. "Mother Gaia, give me the strength to defend my home." he whispered, walking down the worn dirt trail towards Ponyville.

And a giant column of smoke.

That's all you get for right now guys, just a bit of a teaser/rough draft. I hope you all enjoyed it, and look forward to the upcoming sequel. If you don't, well, I'll still be posting it for those who do want a sequel.