Timberwolf Study, The Full Dissertation

 

Part One:

>The cave is dank, your mane is more grease than hair, and you haven't talked to another sapient being in a few months- you gotta be Hermitnon

>And being an alicorn that lives out in the deepest part of the most dangerous forest in the country, you've come to a decision

>Timberwolves are fucking based

>Timberwolves don't sing songs about friendship and demand you do a 2 minute solo verse

>Timberwolves don't poke and prod at you and get upset when you don't remember their favorite songs from foalhood

>Timberwolves don't eat nothing but sugar and candy and apples

>(You're actually not sure what they eat, or what actual purpose they serve in the local food pyramid)

>And being an academic with infinite free time and no superiors trying to keep you on task, that sounds like the perfect project to work on as downtine when spellcrafting gets to be too tedious

>Tracking down some specimens isn't exactly difficult, there's like three major animals authors use to chase anons out of the forest and they're the main one

>Lousy with Timberwolves, the Everfree is

>Capturing them? Both easy and hard

>Easy in that waving a few spheres of flame around and screaming like a retard is enough to scare them shitless and corral them how you will

>Hard in that actually keeping them in your cave is difficult

>You had a cage ready at first, but surprise surprise, that shit's made of wood and they...

>You don't want to say ate it - more like, assimilated?

>The point is they're bigger now and increased size seems to make them more unruly

>Shit man you barely even got your specimens and you're already making new discoveries

>Probably

>Ponies are so fucking terrified of anything that isn't horse-shaped or under their direct control you doubt they've studied these things that extensively

>You fucking rule at this

>A bit more fire, a bit more autistic screeching, and some liberal use of a stoneshape spell you nicked from Twilight's diary/grimoire (along with the entire book), and you got an enclosure

>Now it's just a matter of poking and prodding at these things

>Fucking science

>Getting the obvious shit out of the way, it's time to figure out what these things even eat

>You kept them in their enclosure for a full day and aside from snapping at you a few times they didn't seem too bothered

>Pretty sure they don't eat ponies, they live fairly deep in the forest away from their prey, and Ponyville would probably be a lot more bearable if some of the residents were regularly getting munched on

>First test subject: a squirrel

>Bit on the lean side but as an added bonus it'll try and flee and give the hellions some exercise

>And goddamn do they want that thing

>Guess the urge to pick up small rodents by the neck and shake them viciously is just encoded in all canines, even if they are made of firewood

>But they don't actually consume it, just leave a mess

>Results: Squirrels are toys, not food

>Time for another approach

>Odds are good they didn't hold off on eating the squirrel because it wasn't enough of a meal, that's just not how predators work

>Gotta get those calories in where you can

>You can probably extrapolate that they just don't eat meat in general

>Second offering: insects

>Bit more of a pain in the ass, but you overturn enough rocks until you get that one scene from "The Lion King"

>Hopefully they find these things to be slimy yet satisfying

>And

>Fuck they're a lot more aggressive about killing those beetles than they even were the squirrel

>Real sense of urgency out there

>Maybe they try and burrow into them like they would actual trees?

>This is turning into a real bust

>A few days of failure and the Timberwolves you got aren't looking great as well

>Starvation, probably

>It's at this point your giant, meaty brain gets a thought

>Giant plant wolves

>Plant wolves

>Wolves

>No wait, go back one

>Plants

>Anon you fucking idiot they're plants and you've kept them in a dark ass cave for almost a week

>PHOTOSYNTHESIS, MOTHERFUCKER

>Moving them out of the cave isn't too hard at this point

>Hell forget corraling they're not even struggling that much, you can just dig a decently sized pit with magic and then levitate them into it

>It's slow going at first and you're pretty sure you're going to end this experiment with a heaping helping of firewood for the winter

>But some chance rain and the sunlight filtering in from the canopy of the forest do the trick with time

>So that's one mystery solved, at any rate

>Plus as a bonus you got essentially a moat of angry wolf plants near your cave just in case anyone wanders too close by

>Could be handy

>Though you're still left with the question of what purpose these things serve in the local ecosystem if they're not eating anything and just attacking whatever the Hell gets in their territory

>Something to try and look into for sure, but you've already spent a week on this and there were some interesting rituals stuffed in the back of Purple Smart's diary that you're curious about whether they even function or if she was just spitballing some ideas to experiment with

>And shit it's not like they're going anywhere or starve

>Sidequest: unlocked

>Now back to magic

 

Part Two:

>You got some moss growing on your left hoof, you've been eating nothing but homegrown carrots for the past week, it's gotta be Hermitnon O'clock

>And despite normally being able to do this shit in your sleep your last five ritual circles have come out as ovals, and you're one wobbly sigil away from setting this entire forest on fire

>Fuck it, trying out this Animate Furniture spell can wait a few days

>You don't know it yet, but you're sparing yourself the realization that you don't have any furniture to animate in the first place

>Timberwolf time

>Last time you fucked around with them you figured out what they ate - namely, sunshine

>it's like having a bunch of pet rocks that try and bite you

>Very convenient though, you heard that fucking Zebra screeching and shouting some invectives in rhyme a few days ago after almost tripping and falling into the moat

>Serves her right, this forest is huge, how the Hell does she manage to stumble into your neck of it?

>Fuck off

>Probably wants to talk shop or trade herbs

>Go find that shit yourself, lady

>Anyway, wood dogs

>Today's experiment is pretty straightforward:

>'How can I make these fuckers do things without the obvious incentive of food'

>Clicker Training only works because you give the dog a piece of food after the noise

>They associate the noise with food, so they do whatever you say to get it

>Can't really restrict their access to sunlight without killing them a little

>And that would just create mental connections that are less beneficial

>If food's off the menu then giving them something to play with might do the trick

>So here you are with a scurry of squirrels bundled up and shivering before your moat of Timberwolves

>It's... slow going

>The Timberwolves are interested in the squirrels, obviously, but they seem to be paying way more attention to them than your commands

>The back of your neck is starting to itch after a few days of little progress

>You're on the third day of zero progress when something finally breaks up the monotony

>A voice breaking through the serene backdrop of nature you're used to

>Soft and buttery, you probably wouldn't be able to pick it up without the enhanced senses afforded to an Alicorn

>"... And it's just past this brush, you said? Alright... I'm sure we can work something out, this is all surely a big misunderstanding!"

>Within a few moments the Pony behind the voice makes itself known, walking through the treeline

>It's that yellow one, you remember seeing her in the Library when you were scoping it out to nab Purple's grimoire

>Shutterfly

>She's currently playing host to a squirrel of her own, jabbering angrily while tugging on her mane, from which it's nestled in

>Their conversation drops dead when they see you

>Situated above a hole with gnashing wooden teeth peeking out, holding a number of squirrels in your magic

>"Annon!"

>Great, she says it wrong too - how does she even know (approximately) your name anyway?

>"What are you doing?! Those poor things are terrified! How could you be so cruel?"

>There's a lot more steel in that voice than you were expecting

"Training these mutts... or making an effort, anyway. These fucks aren't cooperating at all. I can't use food to gain their obedience so I figured, why not try toys?"

>Your admission drains the color out of the Pegasus's face, which is pretty impressive given that she's covered in fur

>The squirrel in her mane absolutely fucking loses it and starts flailing its little arms and jabbering at an increased, squeaky rate

>Did it understand you? That's a bit more sapient than you were expecting

>Either way, not a great idea on its' part

>As interesting as the scurry of terrified squirrels in your grip is, the Timberwolves are very interested in prey that's a bit more lively

>Such as the aforementioned pissed off Squirrel and equally peeved Yellowquiet that's launched into a pretty impassioned rant about the sanctity of life and how mean it is to dangle squirrels so close to the maw of death

>It's just annoying enough to get your attention off the Timberwolves and on her

>You're almost impressed by her ability to barrel over you and not let you get a word in edgewise, but your emotional capacity is mostly focused on being irritated by this sudden social event

>So imagine everyone's surprise when two of the fuckers manage to drag themselves out of the moat you made and start barreling for the Pony and her companion

>They're barreling for her like some bats out of Hell

>She's so taken off guard, going from passionate hippie to deer in the headlights

>You get your wits about you to realize that even if this butterhorse is being a pain in the ass you're not interested in watching her get mauled

>So you start cantering to get after them, take a deep breath

>And employ that lovely Royal Voice you've barely had a chance to utilize out here in bumfuck nowhere

"STOP."

>To yours and Flutterface's surprise, the Timberwolves dig their wooden paws into the ground mid run and skitter to a stop

>They turn to face you as you perform a similar maneuver, heads bowed and twiggy tails tucked beneath them

>That's the first time they've actually heeded your commands!

"Well shit, I was starting to workshop the theory that those ears were just vestigial and you used vibrations or something to locate prey. Good boys."

>Now it's just a matter of figuring out the exact factor that got them to behave

"Hey Yellow, what do you say to sticking around for a bit? Much as I hate to admit it I might need another body to tease out how to make this consistent."

>Silence

>You look up from your Timberwolves to find a conspicuously empty spot near the brush

>Fluttershy fucking booked it

>Either scared shitless by the beasts sprinting at her, or maybe you knocked her into the next zipcode with the power of your voice

>Both are just as likely

>Ah well, you're a big stallion, you'll figure this shit out with or without help

>Pretty quickly, in fact

>With another blast of the Royal Voice the Timberwolves meekly return to their moat, which you add a 'lip' to with the spell you used to make the enclosure in the first place

>Is it volume, then? Maybe those ears really are mostly for show

>Or maybe you're vibrating their bodies enough to compel action

>Further testing is required, but for now you're feeling confident you can nail the form for those ritual circles, now that you've succeeded at something

>Your good mood lasts all the way until a few hours later when the future comes to pass and you realize the closest thing you have to furniture is the pile of moss you sleep on

 

Part Three:

>It's a new day, you're looking for a new cave, and (you)'re still the cranky immortal wizard, Hermitnon.

>Why a new cave?

>Well, there may have been some miscalculations

>Laughing it off when that Zebra almost fell in the moat

>Stealing Purple's grimoire to see if she had any interesting spells you could crib

>Total mixed bag there, for every cool ritual it's like she purposefully piled in a bunch of dumbass cantrips to make up for it

>Why does she even have a moustache growing spell, what the Hell is this mare doing in her spare time?

>Most costly by far though was scaring the piss out of, and pissing off Yellowquiet

>Apparently blasting her into next week with the sheer power of your Thu'um is one thing, but using those squirrels as incentive for your training program is the kind of thing she isn't going to let go

>It seems that has left her with a bone to pick with you

>And when one of that group has an issue, it spreads like a virus until they're all dealing with it

>So when you heard voices traipsing around your literal neck of the woods calling out for you, now seemed like the best time to relocate

>Way too many ponies were getting a good idea of where to track you down for your liking

>And it gives you the opportunity to tackle another aspect of your Timberwolf study that required a bit more hoofwork than lazing around the cave

>Today's subject:

>'What the Hell are these things even doing out here'

>It's been on your mind for some time now

>Timberwolves don't eat food, so they don't necessarily need hunting grounds

>But they absolutely have territory, and a fucking ton of it, as you discovered before when hunting down your initial subjects

>So, cloaked in a potent combination of a chameleon spell and a cantrip to neutralize your scent, you traipse through the Everfree to observe the various nests the Timberwolves have claimed

>After a few hours you've already found some interesting common traits to their dens

>First off, none of the assembled wolves were at a size where you could comfortably dub them as 'Timberpups'

>Which makes some sense, you really doubt they have any working organs made out of wood pulp and bark inside them

>Finding that shit out proved to be a huge ordeal

>You can't dissect them, they seem very reluctant to staying dead

>And staying still is a pretty important part to the organ identification process

>Either way that means these things aren't boning to make more of them

>Bit of a ramble there, focus

>Secondly, you may have missed out on a vital part of their 'diet'

>Every den you've uncovered so far has been in the vicinity of something magical

>A small pack haunting the blocked off entrance of the Mirror Pool

>Scratch marks on the boulder seemed to suggest they really wanted in

>Another bordering a swamp you didn't like the looks of

>Especially those flowers floating on the lilypads

>The biggest congregation seems to be near that old rotting castle, however

>The sheer amount of magic emanating from the ruins makes your teeth hurt

>And an odd sense of... longing

>Regret?

>You've never explored the castle - beyond some scraps of civilization fully devoured by time and nature, it's pretty much the only hint that Ponykind ever actually settled in the Everfree

>Making it pretty much the most obvious place ponies might go to look for people squatting in the Forest, aside from the Zebra

>And her one-in-a-million luck finding a perfectly hollowed out living tree to dwell in

>Still

>Even if the other nests don't set you on edge, there's still the matter of them resonating with magic

>Do they use magic to sustain themselves? Does the ambient mana perhaps make them duplicate?

>And if either of those aren't accurate, then what draws them to such areas in the first place?

>You start to wonder

>This forest, this 'unnatural aberration' is over a millennium old

>What if you weren't the first magic-obsessed hermit to squat in it?

>Shit, you're not even the only one doing that right now

>The Zebra may not be magical, but her alchemy is a damn good substitute for a bit of horn waving and incantations in a lot of cases

>Maybe... maybe these dens weren't the result of natural migration by the Timberwolves

>But a very deliberate placement

>To what end, though?

>You've stalked the breadth of the Everfree and you haven't found any other neighbors beyond the aforementioned zebra

>Living ones, at any rate

>Did whoever set up these sentinels get ran out of the forest?

>Or did time simply do what it does best and take them out?

>Heavy shit, Hermitnon

>But that's the sign of progress baby

>One venture opens up new avenues to explore and get more answers

>For now though you have a secondary objective to accomplish

>And after bullying some bats out of a nice, cozy den

>You got yourself a new cave to call home

>Just shuffle around the moss a bit, carve out a new moat outside for future Timberwolf subjects

>and it's like you never even moved out

>Now...

>It would probably cause more problems in the long run

>But it would be really funny to steal some of Purple's chairs so you could get some use out of that Furniture Animation spell

>And hey, you still have that chameleon spell going

>Time to go out on the town

 

Part Four:

>Leaves in your mane? Mud on your hooves? Magic in your heart? That could only describe one Hermitnon.

>(Maybe others, yeah, but (you) guessed it right on the first try, good job)

>With a great 'umphf' you plop your form on your beloved moss pile, while the chair you swiped from Purple's library clambers over, ever so carefully so as to not spill the drink it's carrying in its' seat

>You got that thing fucking trained like a pro

>Knows how to ferry things without spilling, carries your magic supplies handily while you're mapping out your runic circles, and even better, doesn't fuck off for hours at a time trying to woo somepony to no avail

>You've taken to calling it Spike 1

>Just on the off-chance the genuine article ever shows up so you can piss him off

>Right now you're taking a bit of a breather

>This latest circle was complicated as fuck

>And you were pretty sure you were on the verge of another round of 'fuck everything to death with fire' when it came to carving out some of those runes

>Normally it's not that big of a deal, just wave your chalk around with your handy-dandy horn and make a sick ehwaz

>But this? This is big colt magic you're prepping

>The kind of shit you don't want to contaminate

>Hell even having Spike 1 active might be a risk of that, but having some actual creature comforts around the cave after a few months of nothing but moss and rock is such a novelty that it's hard to dispel the enchantment

>Plus now when you talk to yourself it's like you're talking to the chair and that's...

>Okay that might be a little more crazy than just speaking out loud to the stalactites on the roof of the cave

>But Spike 1's at least as expressive as the Carpet from "Aladdin", and that goes a surprisingly long way

>Anyways!

>Since you can't just use telekinesis to carve out your runes, you've been doing it the mudpony way instead

>Mouthwriting

>You tried wrapping the chalk to your hoof and doing it that way, but, issues

>First off, your writing utensil is to the left of your hoof instead of being held in it properly like a hand, and that created a weird disconnect in your movements

>Secondly dragging your frogs against the rough texture of the stone floor was irritating in a way you weren't expecting

>It's not something you notice during regular walking and trotting and such, but the difference in motion brings that shit to the forefront right away

>So, mouthwriting it is

>It's a little awkward getting all up close and personal with the ground like this, and you're lucky pony heads aren't designed more closely to the horses from back home

>Otherwise you'd have that great prey animal blind spot in front of you and this shit would be impossible

>Fortunately, it worked out, and despite stressing out over some of the more squiggly runes, you got your stage set

>Today's experiment? Good question, voice from the aether:

>'Figure out what is going on with these fuckers'

>You've got a hunch going here

>Timberwolves don't need to eat, they almost exclusively make their nests in places that radiate with magical power

>And they don't seem to be reproducing, not that they need to, since short of extreme exposure to fire most damage is something they can easily recover from with time, or assimilation: be that from regular old wood or combining together, Megazord style

>In short? There's no fucking way these guys are naturally occurring creatures

>You're fairly sure they're some sort of construct pieced together by a fellow hermitpony wizard from the past, set to stand sentinel over various places of interest in the Everfree

>Maybe they're set to overlook some of this past wizard's projects, who knows how many of the phenomena tucked away in this forest aren't just projects left abandoned

>With how terrified Ponies are of this place, it's the perfect testing ground for that kind of thing, as you well know and have been benefitting from

>And then the wizard just... fucked off? Got too into pondering their orb for so long they died of starvation? Got caught by a mob of angry peasants and destroyed for their magical experiments going too far?

>Who could say really

>Not the mystery you're currently working on unraveling right now anyway

>For now it's all about seeing what makes these creatures tick

>Without fruitlessly trying to cut one in half or whatever

>After a bit of rest on your precious moss pile, you let out a Royal Voice-backed command of 'come here', and sure enough, one of your subjects scampers on into the cave

>You've been working on that, too

>Screaming like a fucking lunatic isn't really conductive to keeping your current location on the down low, so taking control of your Royal Voice was a must if you wanted to use it to command the Timberwolves

>Still not sure why the most effective method of getting them to do want you want is 'be loud', but it saves you the time of gathering up squirrels that wasn't working in the first place

>So you took some time off from magic study and zoology to wander deeper into the Everfree to refine the Royal Voice

>Less volume, more bass

>Condensing that shit like you're trying to pack a month's long vacation essentials all into a single suitcase

>Being the fucking prodigy that you are, you managed it after a few days of terrorizing the local bird population

>And all without the magical equivalent of opening the suitcase and having your conditioner fire out like a bullet and smack you in the face

>Not that you're reminiscing from experience

>Unrelated, absolutely-did-not-happen tangent aside, your take on the Royal Voice compacts all that sweet magic so that you can compel your subjects without having to burst their eardrums in the process

>As evident by the bundle of sticks sitting on its' hindquarters, wagging their twiggy tail in anticipation

>These things are kind of ugly to be honest but they still manage to be a little cute sometimes

"Alright, lets get you on the circle, Fido."

>And it obeys, sauntering on over to the ritual circle and giving you only a brief moment of terror at the idea of its' wooden claws scuffing the chalk and having to redo parts of it, before that quickly becomes apparent that that fear was unfounded

>Good, good

>Time to get this show on the road

>Today's spell isn't one you picked up from Purple's grimoire - which, having satisfied yourself with the contents of and making your own annotations (and seriously questioning her wasting space in the limited pages for some of the more goofy cantrips), you kindly returned while you were in the midst of stealing more of her property

>Instead it's from a less personal spellbook - also from her home, but you were pretty sure it doubled as a library so really you were just checking something out

>Not stealing. Maybe.

>This ritual is the bread and butter of any spellcrafter worth their title, designed to break down enchanted items to understand how they were compiled

>Very handy for novices to be able to piece out how they were put together before they start trying to write their own enchantments from scratch and end up setting their manes on fire, or worse

>Very handy for masters to take apart their novices fledgling works and see how inelegant and bullshit their work is

>The Timberwolves are a bit more... 'lively', than the usual targets of these spells - enchanted armor, magic-infused gems, etcetera

>But it should still work well enough for what you're trying to do here

"TFARCLLEPS SIHT DNATSREDNU OT EM ELBANE ...EVAEW EHT EM WOHS ...THGISNI EM TNARG!"

>With an energetic recitation of the ritual script and a hard stamp of your hooves on the runes, the entire circle flares with light as the spell catches

>The Timberwolf, thoroughly ensnared by the power of your Voice, doesn't even fidget as it rises in the air

>And that's when everything goes sideways

>The spell explained that rather than just dumping a bunch of straight information in your head, as that had a great chance of overloading your brain and turning it to mush, most magical signatures had common 'sensations' that you could use to identify their origin school

>The icy chill up the spine associated with Necromancy, the odd minty sensation on the tongue that heralded Alteration, the creeping heat that crawls up the hooves from Destructive spells, the faint whispers in one's ears from Illusionary magic.

>You were feeling all of that, and more.

>The taste of freedom and the feeling of imprisonment, the sensation of purple and the sizzle of crimson, the smell of rebellion and the scent of order. All at once.

>You recognized this jumbled mess for what it was almost immediately

>Chaos magic

>And that was concerning, yes, but on top of all of that, ALL of that

>An overbeating HEAT.

>Like the Sun had come to visit and it was trying to stuff itself entirely in your cave like it was trying to make sure all of it met you

>And you were sweating like a hog prostitute in church

>Dead of night by the way

>It felt like your fur was melting and welding to your flesh

>Your mind was well on its' way to turning to goo

>Whatever you were touching, it was furious that you had the nerve to brush it with your magical sense

>And it just

>Wouldn't

"STOP!"

>With a roar of frustration and a great flare of your own arcane might, you seamlessly transition from observation to attack

>Dispelling magic was an important skill to learn, and learn fast

>Enchantments going awry, accidentally overloading cantrips, scribbling down a rune wrong and triggering an arcane cascade, there were plenty of ways your experiments out here in the Everfree could go wrong, and there was no one to help if and when they did

>So figuring out how to shut shit down was on the top of your schedule

>Safety first, kids

>Your hooves dig deeper against the stone as you struggle against the heat

>The fury of the Chaos Magic in the background almost feels secondary

>It's present and writhing and making a spectacle but it's content to just get its own freak on

>Maybe it's tired of being burnt too

>But you're grateful, you're not sure you could weave this dispelling invocation if you had to contend with it at the same time

>You're plunging deeper into the vast reserves of mana roiling in your soul than you've had to in months, here

>Blood flows freely from your snout and you can feel your eyes rolling back into your head

>Just as darkness begins to settle on the edge of your vision you feel the hitch in your brain as the invocation catches

>The heat condenses, seems to draw back

>And then EXPLODES in your mind

>The sheer mental shockwave is too much

>As you collapse though you can feel the temperature receding

>You fucking got it, baby

>After an unspecified amount of time in lovely pitch black dreamless sleep (maybe you should have swiped a clock from Purple's house too), you return to consciousness slowly

>Splayed out on the floor of your cave, the first thing you notice is the runic circle completely charred from the sheer amount of magic you were throwing around

>Secondly, your subject is still in the circle, though there's something... off

>Their stance

>It's, for lack of a better word, more animated than usual

>Timberwolves are fairly still unless they're actively chasing something to bite the shit out of it

>This one's tracking you with its eyes and moving its' head as you slowly raise to your hooves, fidgeting in place

>There's a brief moment of unease as you both stare at each other, and then its mouth opens

>And

>"Ann...on?"

>Hey what the fuck

 

Part Five:

>The mud that normally clings to your coat is cleaned, there's a scrunchy scowl deeply set on your muzzle, and your surroundings are significantly more civilized than usual. Despite all the odds, (You) are Hermitnon.

>And there isn't a time when you would most like not to be, but life is a series of concessions.

>It took several days to recover from your foray into studying the magical composition of the Timberwolf, and you spent it trying to piece together what the Hell you had observed

>And you didn't like your conclusion. Not one bit.

>The initial reading of all magics present in the subje... the Timberwolf wasn't nonsense. It flew completely in the face of your initial hypothesis, but the evidence didn't brook argument: having all the standard sensations present in a form was usually the evidence of a sapient creature, as the capacity for magic was present in the soul - you could scan an Earth Pony or Pegasus and get the same results, horns be damned.

>That meant that the Timberwolves weren't constructs fashioned by some sort of hedgewizard

>Oh no, worse - they were creatures that had been aggressively warped... by Chaos Magic

>That was a can of worms you weren't eager to explore

>You had met Discord exactly once and it...

>Wasn't much better than meeting the Royal Sisters, if you were being honest

>Beyond him being himself, ie a much more annoying version of the Genie from "Aladdin", there was a tenseness to him that you recognized after a time

>A sense of regret that you could practically taste

>And you were already sick of it after being overindulged by a certain pair of Alicorns

>So, you were holding off on that meeting

>On top of that awkwardness you weren't entirely sure if Discord would be so amenable after your encounter with Yellowface

>You were aware enough of that whole 'morality pet' situation to recognize giving them a wide berth for a time would be wise

>So, you chose another meeting you weren't looking forward to instead

>It didn't take you too long to realize you recognized that searing heat radiating off... whatever the fuck that spell was

>You had experienced it before, in varying levels of intensity

>The fury of the summer Star as rays of furious, scorching magic tried to disintegrate you for your insolence in stealing her brother's face

>The gentle Sun in spring using telekinesis to thoroughly wipe the crumbs off your face after a hearty royal banquet

>(You were fairly confident your tail's fur had never quite grown back right)

>Princess Celestia had done something to these creatures, and you were determined to figure out what

>Not so much an experiment today as an interrogation, but we'll title it like one anyway

>'Figure out what is going on with these fuckers'... Part two.

>You could simply get another Timberwolf and poke and prod at the spell that was surely wrapped around their soul, but you weren't especially eager to have to contend with it

>And the end results of doing so were... still something you were struggling with, to be honest

>Subconsciously, you cast a glance over to your right

>Amidst a veritable ocean of discomfort, you gained at least a little strength that your traveling companion was just as uncomfortable as you were

>Clad from ears to tail in a cloak made entirely of leaves you'd fused together, the hood enchanted to obscure them entirely, it was as if you were on a road trip with Death itself

>Which served perfectly to ensure that Ponies were giving you as wide a berth as possible as you stalked the streets of Canterlot

>Everything about this city made your withers tense and your teeth ache

>The white stone it seemed everything was mandated to be made out of was too bright

>The perfectly manicured lawns and placid skies were the height of the unnatural grip Ponies demanded over the very world

>The Ponies themselves were... usually a lot louder, a lot more obnoxious than this, keen on making themselves heard and known amidst their peers and those they designated their lesser

>Lot more of those 'lessers' than 'peers' to be honest, not that many of the citizenry here were

>Either way it was a quiet trip up to the Castle, stalled only by a Royal Guard's brief effort to get in your way, questioning your companion and what business you had with the Princess

>Had to break out the full wingspan and expand that chest tuft a bit but he got the message pretty quick

>No pleasantries right now, not even for the Royal Wagies

>Providence continues to pour in as you managed to catch Princess Celestia during her court's afternoon break

>You weren't big on the idea of causing a huge scene to get an audience

>Honestly, you'd done enough to these sisters

>The fact of which is right at the forefront of your mind as you settle into a chaise in one of her better sitting rooms

>That expression on her face hasn't changed one iota since you last saw it

>A knitted brow, a desperate gleam in her eyes

>She's excited to see you but terrified at the same time

>Either you managed to really learn body language out in the middle of the Everfree all by yourself for half a year or she's just that lacking in self control expressing herself

>"Allow me first to tell you I am delighted to see you again, Annon."

>You fail to stifle the groan in the back of your throat, and regret it when she flinches

"You know that's not right. But sure, great to see you. I hope you don't mind if I blow right past the pleasantries-"

>Not that there's many to be had here, though that errant thought manages to not tumble out of your mouth

"But I'm here with a purpose. I think you know full well where I've been for the past six months. You've certainly made your student aware that she should keep her eyes peeled for me, at any rate."

>The perils of using your spellbook as a diary

>Just a terrible way to keep your magical and personal secrets if it gets lifted

>The Princess doesn't have the grace to look abashed

>"Even if you were always at home in nature, An... Anon, the Everfree is a truly dangerous territory, which little in the way of guardians or oversight. I only wanted to ensure that you were alright, since you... did not care for the accommodations here."

>Real nice one-two punch there, making the effort to get your name right before reminding you of your walking out

>If you were actually a pony, you might feel bad

>Fortunately you just play one on TV

"You know full well why I left. You two couldn't stand to have to see this face every day, and it was making all three of us miserable. I'm not him. I won't be him. And you're distracting from the point."

>With a snort, you slipped of the chaise, pacing as you spoke

"Without that oversight and guardianhood, I've been free to study magic at my pace and study what I want to learn... for a given value of what was actually interesting tucked away in your student's grimoire."

>With the grace of an Olympic ice skater, you leap over her choked noise of surprise at your admitted theft

"But I've taken up a side project as well, to avoid burning out on that. Nature studies. Specifically, fauna. Flora? Maybe both, in this case. The Everfree is choked with Timberwolves, and I've been studying them. Their diets, their behaviors, population centers, all that."

>You take quick stock of the minor widening of the Princess's eyes and the slight increase of her breathing's speed

"I thought at first that they were constructs created by a wizard from the past to oversee the Everfree's more interesting phenomena, but when I inspected their magical makeup... well, my theory could still potentially be true, I'd just have to amend them being corrupted from something else. Something chaotic. That's going to be a pain in the ass to deal with, but I'm far more interested in why your metaphorical hoofprint is stamped so damn harshly on them, too."

>And it was definitely a 'them'

>You'd made sure to test a grand number of them for Celestia's hoofwork before marching all the way here

>Specifically by inspecting the largest pack, the group sequestered near the Castle Ruins

>Every last one of them, bearing souls scorched by her flames

>Celestia looked to be mentally debating herself, but came to a conclusion soon enough, which she punctuated with an audible sigh

>"I understand that you still don't remember much of the past, but I will try and keep this succinct. All three of us ruled this land and our little ponies together, but we did have our affinities. The Thestral and to a lesser extent the Pegasi flocked to Luna due to her mastery of war and her penchant for flight. The Unicorns rallied around me due to relieving them of the burden of the Sun, and my delving into the mysteries of magic, and the Earth Ponies, they were..."

>She swallows down what you strongly expect was going to be 'yours'

>"His. Annon carried the Earth with him where ever y-he went. His court was whatever prairie or field called to him that day, and his law was that of nature's. He held no real sway over the government, and he did not attempt to. His constituents were the plants and animals of Equestria, and he served them first and foremost."

>You knew this, of course

>Celestia and Luna had though trying to recap Annon's life would spark something in you

>Aside from an appreciation and some camaraderie with a fellow nature lover, it did not

>"When the time came to do battle with Discord, he did not take us seriously without the Elements. Our battles were frantic and desperate, and we did not realize the price we were paying until it was too late."

>Celestia pauses briefly to bat at one of her eyes

>You choose not to comment on it

>"The devastation that he did to the environment was palpable, but manageable. It wasn't until much later that we realized that our brother, so tied to the land as he was, was experiencing that corruption as if it was struck across his own breast. He succumbed to Discord's poison... but."

>At this point, she makes direct eye contact with you

>Even during your first, violent meeting, you don't think she wore an expression so serious

>"Annon did not fall alone."

>Ah fuck

>"While my brother tended to the needs of the land, he had his followers. Druids, Rangers. Earth Ponies who felt the call to join him in defending the wilds. They shared in his connection, far closer than we ever realized. As the Beast rose to rampage across Equestria, they shared in his fate. Noble ponies devolved into beasts, melded with the nature they so loved into something twisted. Feral."

>You exhale a breath you didn't even realize you'd been holding on to for the past few minutes

"Timberwolves. They became... miniature Beasts. Minions."

>Princess Celestia nods gravely

>"Correct. With such an influx of followers, it made combating the Beast even more difficult, as they would defend him - and even attack settlements themselves to distract from his main rampage. When we finally felled the Beast, we had hoped it would be a simple matter to deal with the Timberwolves, but... without their leader, they frenzied. It was if some part of Annon was holding them back."

>Well, this all sounds fucking terrible

>Though it does beg a few questions

"If they were so vicious, why do any of them even exist? And why do they only stalk the Everfree instead of trying to tear up the countryside still?"

>Celestia winces again

>"... Because I ensured that they couldn't do anything else, using the spell that's brought you here today. I was able to bind them all with a geas, to bind them to the Everfree Forest and ensure they could never stray too far. I forced them to perform the roles they had taken up in their previous life, patrolling the Forest and watching over the various magical sites that now had no guardian... and when Luna eventually fell as well, I altered the binding to make them custodians of our ruined castle, to ensure nopony attempted to rob it and make off with the inert Elements of Harmony."

>Your mouth is already opening to question why she would do such a thing, before you're cut off

>"I was weak. Grieving. I already had to kill my own brother, and now was faced with having to cull his most devoted subjects. My little ponies, even if they did have their preferences. It felt like truly wiping him from the face of Equestria, and I just... I just wanted to preserve something of him."

>You could kind of see the logic there

>Personally, you would've preserved something with less fangs and claws

>Maybe a journal made public or one of those stained glass murals she was so fond of

>But the pragmatist in you can find the value in 'preserving his memory' and ensuring that the magical forest full of deadly animals and powerful magical artifacts was still being watched over

"Well, that answers most of my questions. I still have at least one, though."

>With that, you gesture to your companion, who raises his clawed digits to pull down his leafy hood

>Presenting the Timberwolf you'd cleansed of the geas, though (You) probably figured that out dozens of lines ago

"Will you help me fix this?"

 

Part Six:

>You got some leaves stuck in your mane, your tail is knotted from wandering through some very clingy brush, and -

>Wait, hold that thought for a minute there

>Just gonna resonate your horn a bit harder and...

>Success!

>The pile of leaves condenses, atoms shift, and you're now the proud owner of a sentient bean bag

>The perfect companion for Spike 1

>Poor guy's been lonely lately, you can tell

>But man

>A transfiguration spell and a Locomotion enchantment combined into one cast?

>You fucking rule

>And thus surely, (You) are Hermitnon

>You wipe the sweat off your brow, satisfied with another display of your magic

>Studying up how to force those spells to work together seamlessly was like trying to shove a rock all the way into your brain

>But there's nothing quite as satisfying as it all coming together successfully

>This calls for a break

>Bit of sight-seeing, maybe a nice drink - it's probably past 5 O'clock, you never did get around to stealing Purple Smart's alarm clock so who could say

>Just as you're about to consider your options, as if just waiting for their cue-

>"Anon! The Manticore alphas are getting rowdy, I think there's going to be another territory dispute. Want to watch?"

>A puzzling pony asks as it enters your cave

>Clearly equine, but... rough around the edges

>Hooves just a little too sharp, eyes faintly glowing

>A lot more leaves in its' mane than yours

>That is to say, it's mane is made entirely of gold and red leaves

>A Timberpony

>Not the most imaginative name you'll admit but that was never your strong suit

"And now how could I say no to such a good time, Ember Brush?"

>With a quick cast of your Chameleon spell and a sensible chuckle, you set off with your leafy companion

>The past few months have been busy, to say the least

>Princess Celestia was all too eager to join in on your project

>One part guilt over the binding in the first place, one part just eager to be able to spend some time with you

>Whatever got her raring to go, having her cooperation would certainly be easier than having to manually unchain each and every Timberwolf from the geas

>You'd probably get better at it with time, spend a lot less time leaking your precious lifeblood out of your face and waking up on the floor, but...

>There was something in your heart

>A feeling, half-remembered like a dream you were rudely awoken from

>That feeling that urged you to put aside your reclusive nature and pride and just take the help

>That made you realize, these Ponies had spent the past centuries stuck outside of time

>Forced to patrol forgotten artifacts and ruins

>Not alive, but not dead either

>Just... golems, put to work until presumably the end of days

>Purgatory

>They deserved a bit of expedience

>But first, some pit stops

>Unchaining the Timberwolves from the geas would just have them all rush out of the Forest and start chewing up Ponies

>They needed more than to be slipped off the leash

>They needed purification

>Though even if the Elements of Harmony hadn't been fed back to the Tree, you doubted they could make a big enough Rainbow to hit all of them at once

>So, the next best thing

>Someone hitting the Rewind button a bit

>As you expected, Discord was pretty miffed by your treatment of Fluttershy

>Fortunately he still felt pretty bad about the whole 'killing you in a heinously gruesome way' debacle

>And you were flanked by Celestia, so he was even less eager to turn you into a potted plant or the color purple

>(That is to say the concept of the color purple, rather than changing your coat's color)

>But, yes

>Even better, he was willing to help out

>Set the scales more evenly so he'd have an easier time looking you in the eye

>Or in his case act like it was perfectly square and start brazenly acting like a bit of a prick like he did everyone else

>The things you put up with for ponies

>So much power in his claws and he chooses to express it by basically emulating Carrot Top of all comedians

>Prop comedy is lame as shit, man

>With his bullshit 'snap my fingers and get what I want' general spell it was foal's play to gather up the packs

>And during the process of draining them of the Chaos Magic you got the chance to learn more of it and about your now former subjects

>First off? Chaos Magic, for all its' seemingly phenomenal cosmic power, was still weaker than Harmony Magic

>The Elements would've surely cleansed the Timberwolves entirely, reverted them fully back to their original forms

>Discord was... mostly successful at best

>Their wolfish visages cleared to make way for more equine faces, and their limbs were there

>But the little things were stubborn

>Some had sharp, cloven hooves reminiscent of their former claws, manes and tails littered with foliage, if not outright replacing their hair, and eyes that glinted in the dark like the predators they once were

>A real grab bag of donut steels in the audience

>You were surprised to find that one of your earlier hypotheses were right... in a way

>The Timberwolves had been using the magic rich in their nests, but not to sustain themselves

>As you found out from the very distressing sight of some of the wolves just blinking out of existence

>Not all of them were "real"

>Formed purely of magic to shore up the numbers needed for the terms of their geas

>Some of the smaller nests were purely fictional ponies

>The majority of the Mirror Pool and Castle Ruins packs, genuinely cursed

>It left you with a much smaller contingent of Timberponies to deal with

>Still quite a bit, but not nearly as daunting before

>And deal with them you had

>Much like Luna, these poor souls were tremendously out of date

>You got plenty of 'Annons' and 'Princes'

>But blissfully, they were a lot more understanding of your situation

>Probably something to do with none of them being related to you by blood

>In a way, they felt like kindred spirits

>Ponies, out of time

>You, out of place

>With an appreciation for nature - real nature, not the bullshit outside the Everfree

>So it wasn't to any real surprise when the Timberponies elected to remain within the forest

>Things made sense here, and it's not like they were big on civilization centuries ago

>A society that had an even more aggressive stranglehold on nature without their Prince to direct the seasons and cycles managed to be even less appealing to them

>It was a pain at first

>Paths that were empty now featured Ponies

>Retreats into the parts of the Everfree that approached the concept of 'serene' now had the chance of being interrupted by being stumbled upon

>But the Timberponies didn't push

>They didn't insist that your time was theirs to tread on

>At best they would offer, and...

>You started joining them

>Stargazing, observing dominance plays by predators, birdwatching

>The kind of thing you'd enjoy alone before when destressing from magical studies

>But now with enthusiasts who knew when to simply enjoy the silence and when was a good time to point out facts about the constellations, or call when one Manticore was about to strike, or correctly identify a blue jay call from a red jay call

>Just like now, with your friend on the way to watch two apex predators try and rip territory from each other

>Ember Brush caught your eye and you shared a smile despite being mostly intangible

>And you felt a feeling of contentment in your chest that you knew wasn't entirely your own, but was very welcome

>Yeah

>Maybe company wasn't so bad after all