Broken Howls and Tattered Leaves

        I was standing amongst a field of wheat that seemed to go on forever. The golden grains shifted casually in the gentle breeze. I quietly motioned my hand over the grains, feeling tips tickle my palm. I knew I was dreaming, for I was a pure white, glowing, humanoid figure instead of my body of pine and moss.

        I felt content to just stand watch over this field for eternity as a guardian. Looking to my left, I saw what looked to be a group of spectral ponies playing amongst the tall stalks of wheat. Their laughter brought a smile to my face and I decided to try and approach them. They noticed my approach and gave me curious glances.

        "You aren't supposed to be here yet." An Earth Pony mare stated bluntly. "You don't belong here silly."

        "Why?" I queried. "Is it because I am human?"

        "No." A strange look passed over her face, like she was hesitant to say. "You don't belong in the Fields because you are still alive."

        "Still living?"

        "The Elysian Fields is the end of the Mortal Journey and is a place of rest for those who have earned it."

        At this point, a brown Unicorn stallion approached me and said simply. "It is not yet thine time. Thou still have many long centuries ahead of thee yet and thou art still bound by oath to serve thine Patron." The unicorn turned towards a cave that I had not noticed. It looked out of place in this endless sea of amber waves. "Come with me and return to the Mortal Coil."

        Intrigued, I followed him into the cave and into the tunnel of light. Although the tunnel got darker instead of lighter as I continued alone down it's expansive pathway. Back to the world of the living.

---==Unknown Location==---

Time Unknown, but presumed to be night

        I awoke in darkness. At first I thought I went blind, but found that I was just in a stone cell with no light. I panicked as I felt a familiar void in my chest. My souls stone had gone missing! I couldn't even feel where it was, it was like I was completely detached from it, it made me feel little more than a husk. Well I guess that was what I was now. A Husk.

        Interesting fact. The body doesn't need the soul in order to function. But when the soul is destroyed, the body usually will become something like a mindless drone. Seeing as I was still in control of my mental faculties, I had hope. I had seen a Husk before in my time in the Rainforest.

        The sound of rusty gates squeaking open broke my train of thought. The heavy looking, iron gate slowly rose and the entire cell shifted as I was tossed into a sandy arena where quite a few wealthy looking ponies and griffons watched me with eager anticipation. Some cheered while others took a more aloof position.

"MAAARES AND GENTLECOLTS! GRIFFONS OF ALL AGES! I NOW INTRODUCE THE SWIFT, THE FEROCIOUS, THE MYSTERIOUS... TIIIIIMBERWOOOOOOLF!"

The voice seemed to echo all about the arena as those who were cheering, cheered louder, and those who weren't, became interested. They all seemed to be awed by my size as I overheard several comments about the subject.

        "Wouldja look at it! It is huuuge!"

        "Woooow! Look at the size of those chompers!"

        "Don't look too strong, but then again."

        "Looks confused. Good. That will make it easier on the gladiator."

        And many more were circulating around as the announcer continued.

"And now, for the mare you all have been waiting for.... The fierce, the deadly, the sexy..... AZURE LAAAAANCE!"

        From the opposing side of the arena, a greyish-blue Pegasus mare with a wispy, curling, white mane and tail that looked matted to her body with sweat and blood and a cutie mark of a lance piercing a blue star strutted out and blew kisses to the stallions in the crowd. The audience went absolutely berserk with her shows of affection. She was wearing some sort of thin metal plates that seemed to fit her form, yet still show off some of her coat. Probably another way of provoking the audience.

        I knew what happened to me now. I was 'wolf'napped while I was sleeping all to fight in this bloody gladiatorial arena. From how everyone was reacting, I could only guess that they had no idea that I was sentient. They probably just saw me as another monster to be killed for entertainment. How wrong they were...

"Tonight, we have a special game for all of you. Tonight is the 500th anniversary of the fight against the monsters of the Jungles when Stalliongrad was still young!"

        Okay, that was good. I was still in Stalliongrad. All I needed now was a way to get out of here without hurting anyone.

"Tonight you shall see our gladiators fight against the different species from the Jungle. First up is this rare strain of Timberwolf. As you can see, he is much larger than the normal Timberwolf and is much more deadly. They say that they once were guardians of an ancient deity, but fell into darkness when their deity forsook them. Now they are little more than beasts who hunt ponies and feast upon their corpses!"

The announcer guy was really laying it on thick. If he even tried to study us, he would know that everything he was spouting was a complete lie. Not that he cared. I think his job is to make the 'beasts' seem more deadly than they really are.

"Can Azure Lance overcome one of the Jungle's fiercest predators and claim the prize of 5000 bits? This pony thinks so. So place your bets and lets get fightin'!"

        A bell chimed and Azure Lance strafed me as I stood still and gave her a curious look. Seeing this as a sign of weakness, she tossed her shorter throwing javelin. The javelin whizzed through the air and sunk into the sand at my paws. I huffed as I tilted my head and snapped the flimsy weapon in my jaws.

        This didn't seem to phase the able warrioress as she took to the sky and dive bombed me with her jagged lance. The thing looked sharp, but it was made for ripping as it came back out. The lance sank into my branches and came back out with naught but sticks and boughs that weighed her down. I roared in pain. The downside to not being attached to my soul was that my current body felt pain. And what a painful pain it was.

I just gave Lance a pleading look, but to no avail. She charged me again with a wild glint in her eye and flicked the lance at me again only to hit air. She looked surprised as I leapt over her head in a way that would make a gymnast jealous and landed behind her. She deftly spun with the lance as if trying to strike me with the blunt end, but I stopped it with a large hand made of wood and vines that I made from my body. Sand was not a good thing to try and grow something.

"Wh-what?" She looked at me with wide, surprised eyes and tried to pull the lance out of my grip. I pulled her closer and looked deep into her eyes and gave her a look that said 'I don't want to fight you' yet still was intimidating. She was scared, she thought I was going to kill her. She then smiled as a short blade was plunged into my chest. She pulled it out expecting to see blood, but I just winced and sighed. I opened my chest to show her that I wasn't like her. I had no organs to wound. She knew she was going to lose, she had no way to truly injure me and was now unarmed as I tossed the lance away.

"Go ahead and kill me monster!" She spat. Flinching at a blow that didn't come. I cocked a twig that passed as an eyebrow and replied.

Now why would I do that? Your death serves no purpose and I personally don't like killing. She didn't hear me, but there was something in the way she looked at me that she understood my feeling behind my words.

"Y-you aren't going to kill me?" She asked. "But if one of us doesn't the-" She was cut off as several large, burly Diamond Dogs in heavy armor came out of the gates and encircled us, spears pointed at us. They looked sharp...

A silent signal was given to the Diamond Dogs and they all rushed forwards and impaled us both. I looked on in horror and pain as Azure Lance coughed up large quantities of blood and slowly collapsed. I broke the spears that were embedded in my wooden flesh and cradled her with my large vine hands.

No no no no! Why?! Why did they kill you?! Shouldn't they have just let you go? I cried silently. No one could hear my wails and I felt alone as Azure's life force slowly seeped from her broken form. I could see the glowing mist leave her and I tried so hard to keep it from leaving her body with no effect. Sap slowly trickled down my muzzle as the Diamond Dogs stabbed me over and over trying to kill me. I couldn't feel the pain over the empty numbness from seeing the death of a sentient creature. Sure, I shouldn't be concerned, but for some reason I felt we had connected somehow.

Strong Oak had said something about it. He called it Empathy and it allowed us to connect with others on a level that most never feel. At this moment all I could feel from her was happiness. She smiled as she reached for something I could not see.

"Mummy...." She weakly gasped. Her body went limp and the connection was abruptly severed. I felt even more empty than I had only moments before. Tears of sap dripped down onto her face as I was dragged away from her lifeless corpse. The crowd was silent at this new, unexpected development. They didn't seem shocked, only disappointed at the fact that Azure Lance was just murdered in front of them.

        "Such a shame."

        "She was so young. Oh well, the next gladiator will be better."

        "That Timberwolf must be tame or something. Cause he wasn't very deadly now was he?"

        "I WANT MY BITS BACK! THIS WASN'T A FIGHT!"

        They didn't care about Lance, they had more gladiators willing to die for a few bits waiting for their turn to die. It disgusted me. How could ponies act like this? Griffons I could understand, but ponies? They were supposed to be peaceful creatures of love and harmony, but instead I found out that they were just so.... Human. I guess ponies and Humans had more in common than just sentience. Was this some sort of galactic norm? Does sentience come with sin?

        These thoughts passed slowly through my muddled mind as I tried to sort out my emotions. They had finally managed to toss me into a different cell with a window to the outside. Hope. If there was even the slightest bit of usable soil outside the window I could...

        Nothing. Just stone, grime, and waste. I could tell I wasn't in the market district anymore. I was more than likely in the Staliongrad version of the Slums, or the Black Market. Wasn't Equestria supposed to be a land of plenty? A land of peace? My guess was that Celestia was just good at hiding the rest of the world from her little ponies. Not the rest of the pony race, but only her ponies.

        I was going to have words with Celestia about this. Loud words, at least if I could speak that is. I was fairly certain that she would be able to hear me. You know, being a goddess and all that.

        It was few hours more before a large griffon entered my cell, flanked by two, burly Diamond Dogs in shiny armor. He gave me a look of disgust and said.

        "I know you can understand me mongrel, but just in case my point doesn't get across..." He pulled out a small, black sack with several glowing runes printed on it and grinned. He pulled out my soul stone from th bag and caressed it with a claw. I felt violated. My very being was being rubbed threateningly and I couldn't just attack him without it being harmed.

        "You cost me a large sum of bits tonight Wolf, but don't worry, I shall prepare you for tomorrow night." He grinned and pulled out a vial of blue dust. I recognized it immediately. Poison Joke. It wasn't pure pollen though. There was something else mixed in with it. I really didn't want to find out, but I had a feeling that I would.

        "Tomorrow night shall be the most glorious night of your life Wolf. You shall become my greatest gladiator. Herds of Ponies shall march up to claim the bounty on your head! 50000 bits to he or she that can kill the Timberwolf!" He grinned maliciously. "But we both know that you are hard to kill without your precious Stone. Kekekeke..."

        He tilted the vial and let a small amount of the dust to touch my soul stone. The effect was immediate. I could feel my mind slowly degenerating as I roared in pain. He and his guards left and locked my cell once more, leaving me to my drug induced rage. My reality was slowly losing it's cohesion and my sight was stained with red. I was losing control of my body and damned be the Pony or Griffon that got near me.

---==Round 2==---

The next Night

        Rage and fury. Relentless anger. I was furious at the world for shattering my dreams and showing me the gritty world it actually was. But not to worry, I was going to change it. I was going to purify the world in fire, then start again with just a sapling. Yes, that was what I was gong to do, but first was the matter of the Griffon standing before me in the sandy arena of death and desolation. Where Ponies, Griffons, and Diamond Dogs came to die.

        The Griffon before me had a slicked back look to his head plume, and his feathers had a greyish tint to them. He brandished a broadsword at me, and had a look of confidence in his eyes. Foolish idiot.

        He took to the sky, only to be chased by several thorned vines. He chopped at them, grinning at his small victory. Of course, he didn't see the large spike of wood shoot out of me like a balistae when his back was turned.

        The fight was over before it even started. I rushed up to his slowly dying form and ripped his throat out in a shower of glorious red blood. I couldn't eat it, but the act of ripping someone's throat out appealed to me for some reason.

        The young Griffon gasped his last, useless breath as I stared menacingly into his fading eyes. This felt good. This felt right. I was a predator and it was my place in the world to kill those weaker than myself. I howled in victory over the corpse of the young Griffon. He wasn't even 17 yet by my calculations.

"What an upset folks! It looks like the Timberwolf from last night has finally come to it's senses! That makes this it's first kill tonight! How many more will fall to it's monstrous fangs? Well, stick around folks! Cause we got more fighting on the way! Remember, whoever can kill it get's 50000 bits and the title of Grand Champion of the Arena!"

        What an annoying voice. What I wouldn't give to feel his blood trickle down my throat. The Guard Dogs came in through the opposing gate from me and pointed spears laced with pure Poison Joke and large torches. They collected the body and his effects and exited the arena once more. I could smell the fear in the air and it was euphoric. To see a crowd of raggity Ponies and Griffons watching me with fear made me feel like a monster. But then again, I was a monster. A beast in name and action.

        It wasn't long before the betting began once more and my newest challenger came out of his side of the arena. It was a trio of Ponies, one of each type. A crimson unicorn with a ashen grey mane and a fireball cutie mark, an orange pegasus with a green mane and a dark raincloud cutie mark, and the largest of them was the sea blue earth pony stallion with a white mane and a shield and lance cutie mark. The earth pony stallion glared at me with revenge in his eyes.

"Looks like we have a grudge match here folks! Shielded Lance, leader of the Ponies Three, is here to get revenge on the Timberwolf who slew his sister! Will he and his elite team of Monster Hunters be able to take down this monstrosity? Place your bets folks, cause we are going to have the match of your pitiful lives right here!"

        The trio split up with the pegasus taking the sky, the unicorn charging a spell and dashing to the righ, and the very large, and very angry earth pony taking the center. I didn't move. I had no reason to. I planted my roots deep into the sand, reaching the stone underneath, and drew upon the power of the Earth beneath me to solidify my position. I was practically a wolf shaped wall when Shielded Lance barreled int me. I lowered my head and lifted him and his heavy armor over my head, and sent him flying behind me.

        The pegasus came in swiftly behind him, flying at top speeds with a spear cradled in his fetlock. He made a jab for my eyes, only to miss and shove the spear down my throat eliciting a gurgled roar. I snapped the tiny spear and extracted the other end from my body. I only just pulled up my roots as the unicorn finished charging his spell.

        I barely dodged the hurled flaming ball of death and used the pegasus as a stepping stone, sending him down into the path of the fireball. The pegasus screamed as he was swiftly incinerated. The unicorn didn't have time to react and I pounced on him and bit deep into his crunchy spine. I slowly pulled the unicorn's spine out slowly, listening to his feeble cries for help. I cradled his still active spine in my jaws and growled before I ripped his spine, which was still connected to his skull, out of his body. I tossed the spine and head of the unicorn at the earth pony as he regained his footing.

        "You monster...." He said solemnly, saying a swift prayer to his fallen compatriots. He glared at me with a rage to match my own. Tears were streaming down his face now as he drew his own lance and held it steady using a harness attached to his side. He lowered his visor on his helmet and dug at the ground. The fool was going to charge me. This was almost to easy.

        I placed my roots back into the sand, although this time I grew them towards him as he charged me. He let out a mighty bellow right before thousands of small rot ends lodged themselves int his gut and lifted him into the air.

        He gasped an coughed up blood, glaring at me all the time. "This isn't over Wolf..." He spat, blood splattering the reddened sand. I ripped him t shreds before he could continue his little death curse.

Oh, I think it is little pony. I think it is...

        The crowd cheered as I howled in triumph, the gore still raining down, drenching me. I have never felt so alive in tht single moment than I had ever in my entire life. It was... orgasmic. Every fiber in my being was on fire and I wanted more, but the Guard Dogs had other plans. They tried prodding me into my cage with their puny spears and Poison Joke. I went along, but not without taking a few with me with a few root spikes.

        I was placed in my cage and dragged out of the arena, my howling filling the stands amongst their own cheers.

        Rage, Wrath, Fear, Gore, and Death. These were the only things I could think about. They were all I wanted to think about. I couldn't wait till tomorrow night. I was promised more ponies to slay. And Tartarus take me if I didn't get them...