The Everfree Forest, a place where magic runs free in everything uncontrolled, untamed, and purely wild. Jumping into the smallest creatures making them more, a rabbit into a genius of love and war. It's magic would turn a hydra into a queen, and a bear into a butler for a little Pegasus afraid to fly. For ages it has stood, surviving the wasteland of Discord, the rule of the two sisters and the fall of one and the battle that was the prelude to the mare in the moon. The wrath of dragons, the revolutions of ages, countless invaders countless defeats and still it stands strong. Being as it is has made many a scholar question how it came to be, the princesses admit it was there when they first founded Equestria, and Discord as good as admits this as well.
Some vines in the woods are in fact as old as the kingdom, some trees one massive symbiotic network with roots intertwining underground in a city without occupants; a kingdom without a ruler but the mighty Everfree itself. Rivers and gorges carve through it but over time the forest subdues them, the beasts within generally content to stay within it's borders and not wander into the realm of ponies and others. Though ponies build thier homes on the outskirts, and a few dare dwell within the outermost edge, none have penetrated deep within to it's heart not even the princesses themselves. For though the Castle of the Two Sisters lies deep in the forest, it is still by the inhabitants considered the outskirts, the innermost edge at best. Within the outskirts rests the Tree of Harmony, mother of the elements holder of the balancing sway of light versus the chaotic push of the dark. Nowhere but within this ancient forests embrace could such a tree exist, for nowhere but here do places of the eldest time still breathe as if new. Beyond it's borders the equines have sway, and further out the Griffons play, if we go further still Dragons we see; and ever we spread more beings there be.
In recent times a village has borne, by the edge of it's borders of bough and thorn. Respecting it's power while living beside it, the ponies themselves have long since learned how to become a part of it's system. To the Everfree they are the carriers without, carrying it's seeds and saplings to the edges of this land and beyond. It's fruit a farm has taken and grown, it does not welcome them but allows them their home. Ancient it stands terrifying to most, for within it loves creatures of myth and and an ancient host.
Within this land of leaves and shrubs, berries and flowers, birds of all colors and shapes and many a creature never before seen or to be seen again; there is an anomaly.
A type of creature that unlike the rest within is not a part of the whole, a parasite that uses the ancient forest to subsist and exist. These beasts do not aid the forest, they feed from it, using it's wild magic to exist in a sort of pseudo immortality, stealing it's branches and vines living and dead to reform again and again. Giving nothing back but always taking, this is how it is now for these parasitic monsters who prowl throughout and within. Feeding on the animals that would otherwise be eating by true beasts, not a magical anomaly of instinct and hunger. Not a form on autopilot that does not give back to the land what it devours, nor truly need it to live. A ravaging mystical fiend, whose eyes glow with the wisdom yet savagery of one who has lived too long yet not at all. Body formed by branches and vines, leaves and thorns, flowers and bramble, twisting into a lupine body that is just barely that. A slathering maw whose spittle is as acid, a essence that feeds like a leech upon the forest and it's victims. A scourge upon the forest, a scourge upon those within, a scourge upon the ponies without, the Walking Timbers and Howling Boughs.
There do you see them? See them hunting their glowing eyes tracing trails they alone sense and see? Their muzzles smelling life in all forms, each unique one a potent aroma like the finest perfume, to them it is but food and feast where to others it would be a plethora of knowledge. Such a gift to be given to such feral beasts, such vicious monstrosities, a waste of what was and could have been. The monsters so old their names have changed a thousand times over, the souls who cannot rest but subsist on the living in all forms, the Devouring Branches, Timberwolves.
This is the story of one, whom like the others knows not it's age, name, origin, history, or even time. For millennia driven by instinct, trapped within the constrains of a mind from which no escape was possible. Observing then dreaming, remembering then hunting, a tortured existence in a body that is not allowed to die. Memories of before conflicting with what it is now, knowing what it must do with what it's body desires, what seems to it like mere years has in fact been untold centuries. An ancient realm that is no more lives on within it, the memories of what lie at the forests core, though not the origin of the forest. An ancient promise, a sleeping phantom, a spell left incomplete, and magic will turn the key to begin the ballad anew.
Now let us begin.
A Princess has returned, a chaos god reformed, Magic has born itself anew in a vessel for eternity to mourn. The ancient feral fiend has been returned to the depths, an ancient insect queen has failed in her quest. The multiples of one have returned to the pond below, across the forest whispers speak of a time so long ago. And now it is upon us, awaken once more from your sleep, feel the creak of timber bones and wild magic do you weep.
Deep within the forest, resting in a cave, a large Timberwolf feels a shudder in it's frame. It's body wrapped in vines of color, body of the hardest tree, jaws of flora of all kinds, tongue of an ancient plant the forest no longer sees. It's claws are as of ironwood, it's eyes do truly blaze. Within an awakening soul long lost to haze, it stares into the forest it's mind slowly becoming clear. And with a yelp it begins to form words only the trees can hear, in a voice so long lost it no longer has a name.
Jaws open and out comes an impossible sound, whispers on the wind carry it up into the clouds. A princess is out studying the stage is clearly set, so as the words pass it's lips the world holds it's breathe. For with this one action it sets in motion all the rest.
And coming from it's floral jaws a voice so melodic and clear, echoes through the air both far and near.
"Where am I?"
Author's Note
This is the tale of Timber, one whose name was once known so long ago. The truth behind the Timberwolf kind, and what they left behind, a quest for something forgotten in memories beyond time. A promise thrice betrayed, magic turns the key in a day, and then begins the Ballad of how the Timberwolves became this way.
The general idea is that the Timberwolves are not what they seem, in fact you could say they are far more than they appear. Their bodies merely vessels for beings who in their fear, sought to save everything but sacrificed all they held dear.
Critiques welcome.
Twilight Sparkle
Above the Everfree beyond the realm of the trees and wood, memories of old, and timber wolves untold. High enough to remain clear from danger yet close enough to run a magical scan flies one of the elements of harmony.
Great lavender wings flap with less than practiced ease, feathers adjusting to minute changes in the air currents that run wild about the region. Studious eyes stare at a book where images, graphics, and numerical indications appear through a dark pink glow. The origin of which is the spiraled horn upon the Alicorn's forehead, draping around it while the rest flies upon the wind is a dark purple mane with bright pink highlights. Her tail flows behind her as she adjusts her course, rippling through the air. Upon her flank is a large pink starburst surrounded by five other stars, the mark identifies the studious mare as Twilight Sparkle Element and Princess of Magic.
Banking left she circles an area of the forest noting fluctuations in the magic of the Everfree, the reason she is here. A few weeks ago the Everfree started having strange magical fluctuations that to her knowledge have never occurred before in the wild forest. Any unicorn who was untrained and approached would receive a magical surge that was beyond their control, until they managed to get far enough away.
Her friend Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle had been one of the victims of this phenomenon, and claimed to have seen something during the surge itself. A cave with a massive well of magical energy, lights surrounding the outer ring of the forest, a pair of eyes pleading for aid, and timber wolves images of many timber wolves and then nothing. Twilight had reason to suspect this was just a hallucination brought on by the wild and fluctuating Everfree magic affecting the young unicorn. Regardless she was here to find the cause of the fluctuations. Being an Alicorn and the element of Magic, she was not affected by the surges to the degree a normal Unicorn would be.
Still as she flies over the woods following the magical fluctuation spikes in her specially made atlas book, she couldn't help but notice how many of them seemed to occur in a pattern similar to a circle around the forest edge. She knew as well as anyone the known Everfree was a tiny fraction of the forest's whole. And thanks to the Princesses she also knew they too had barely explored a fraction of it. The Palace of the Two Sisters wasn't even close to deep as far as the Everfree was concerned. And Twilight knew from experience the forest was far bigger inside than outside, normally it was at least. As she glances down at the trees below she notices it looks much larger than before, as if the Everfree was growing. But that wasn't possible, though it had never been delved into further than what the sisters called "The forests edge" there was no way it was growing in size. None of the trees were new, shaking her head she returns her focus to the atlas noting the spikes are increasing in frequency.
Following the spiking magics path with a slight adjustment of her primary feathers, she is too focused to notice a tingling around her. A buildup of wild magic lies directly in front of her, one much stronger than others in her atlas. Before the princess can react it surges, to the trained eye a burst of light green energy mixed with a blue arcing wildly around her. Though an Alicorn Princess she is no expert flier, and she has never flown through the middle of a magic surge quite like this one. An experienced flyer would have gone into a dive then glided to safety in the case of flying into a wild magic surge. Twilight Sparkle for all her talents isn't an experience flyer.
And as the surge mark shows on her atlas Twilight Sparkle feels her wings lock up, and she begins to fall.
"Ahhhhh No nonono this isn't happening!!" She shrieks in panic trying to flap her wings to no avail as she plummets downward, hooves flailing about in an undignified manner and barely keeping a hold on her atlas. Trying to focus through her panic she tries to remember what her flight teacher had told her to do in case of a wing lockup.
"Ok ok Rainbow Dash said normally a Pegasus would know how to call on the natural magic in them to unlock their wings. But I'm not a Pegasus no no no that's not it." Wracking her brain to remember the answer as she falls closer to the trees, seconds slowing to a near standstill as a result of her adrenaline fueled survival instinct kicking in.
"Think think Twilight you know this.. aha I remember Rainbow Dash said since I am an Alicorn I should be able to use my magic to artificially unlock my wings. All I have to do is focus on reinforcing my wings with my magic and."
As she says this a dark pink Aura glows around her wings, slowly coalescing closer around them forming what looks like a magical shell. The wings flare open as a result of the magic infusion to the muscles. Twilight glances down and sees she is very close to the tops of the trees below, maybe seconds away. With little time to think she pull her wings back towards her and points her body downwards, going into a controlled dive.
"Whooah whoa oh no oh no whew" Twilight shouts as her controlled dive takes her right through a small gap in the trees, opening her wings slightly she begins maneuvering around the boughs and branches in her way. Part diving part gliding she dodges pine cones and unusual fruits, and one very startled swarm of fruit bats. Adjusting quickly to ensure a safe descent, Rainbow Dash would be proud of her as she nimbly avoids hazards of the tree tops.
Finally breaching the bottom of the canopy of the Everfree she pulls her wings out into a full glide. Despite feeling slightly tired Twilight Sparkle can't believe her luck, and that Rainbow Dash was right about something involving magic. From down here the forest really does look bigger, the tree trunks wider with smaller saplings in between. Bushes of unknown varieties littering the ground, flowers with bright colors whose petals resemble tulips until you notice the spotting along them and the thorns on the stem.
Even the bird songs don't sound the same, it is as if this part of the Everfree is not the part she is accustomed to. Yet Twilight knows intellectually this can't be so, for this large of the section of the forest to not be known of is impossible. Even with huge sections unexplored this is too large of a region to not be at least indicated on maps somewhere. Gliding down she spots a clearing, her few experiences in this wild wood have taught her to be cautious and so instead of landing in the middle of the clearing she lands on the edge. As soon as her hooves touch the soft mossy forest floor she releases a sigh of relief she hadn't known she had been holding in.
Glancing around and a quick magical scan behind her shows no possible dangers, relieved she pulls her atlas back towards her. The book had survived the journey intact, though the pages show signs of wind shear and the cover tree sap. Glancing at the magical surge marking that indicated the great surge she had experienced, she casts a spell to find her location.
"Oh no no no.." She says in a quiet whimper as the icon indicating her location on the map, her cutie mark, is now standing right on top of the origin of the Magic surge. Glancing around she notices a cave at the edge of the clearing surrounded by brambles, broken tree branches, heather, moss and more. It's as if the area of the clearing by the cave is a cornucopia of flora, growing up the side of the cave opening is a type of flowering ivy she has never seen before. It's flowers colored black, blue, orange, and red, no wait that one was black before now it's white. The flowers shift colors before her eyes, over the cave opening partially obscuring the inside is a giant mass of flowering moss. Like an ancient curtain the moss of unknown origin seems to twinkle like a moonlit stream, light flickering up and down it's various strands of plant fibers like the ripples of water in starlight. Entranced Twilight Sparkle's jaw drops as she stares at the cave itself, noticing the runes that old roots and plant buildup are hiding beneath their ancient nests of vine and flower. They glow with a power not dissimilar to that which struck her while she was flying, and to her shock she can't read them, they are not written in any known language or any she knows at all. Taking a hoof step closer she pauses, focusing on the space behind the moss, she could of sworn she saw something move.
Timber..wolf?
To the Timber wolf everything is not as it should be, the moss covering the entrance to it's den should have been a mere embellishment. Instead it hangs down across the entrance obscuring the view from it's position, though sounds outside still make it through the ancient vegetation. A sound of something landing catches it's attention but not for long, after all it has other worries. The ground is too damp yet soft. It's claws knead it once and confirm that yes, the once light coating of mosses and soft ground cover has indeed grown wild creating a plush natural carpet throughout the cave. It's body feels like it is both dry and alive, and from it's memories as vague as they are it's nose wasn't this big last time. Actually last time it woke up it wasn't awake this long either, merely a few seconds as it hunted down a four hoofed creature with great horns upon it's head. Or well as it's body had hunted it and the wolf had been along for the ride.
Glancing back at the moss it notices another oddity, normally the moss does not shine like a stream. Nor does the cave light up with runes of a time lost to all but memory. The Timberwolf pauses, how does it know that? How does it know of the origin of the runes? Why does it know what runes are?
It's blazing eyes, flickering blue and green open wide at the thought, a shimmer of a memory teasing it's mind. Something about the Runes, they do not shine unless time has come. But time for what?
Something is wrong, every branch, every flower, every vine every magical essence and flora in it's frame screams. This body is wrong but it's right, this has been it's body for so very long. It is both right and wrong, but at the same time how long as it been?
The moss covering the cave entrance speaks of longer than centuries, longer than millennia. This particular species is the slowest growing of all hanging mosses, when it was freshly planted it only covered a small patch on the cave roof outside. It's slow growth is a way to conserve energy and life, making it one of the longest living plants in existence with an indefinite lifespan. For a species of Starlit Infinity moss to grow this large, the time it had been since it's planting was unfathomable. It was planted there to indicate to others that the timberwolf was here, in case..
The Timberwolf pauses yet again, floral vine coated wooden ears flicking back and forth bits of vine shifting in it's tail. This isn't like the other times it has woken up, it can seem to recall things it only remembered in that dream in between. Almost as if it's self in the long dreams and the Timberwolf who hunts in the waking world are no longer separate. If this is the case that means this is no ordinary waking. Stretching it's great body the Timberwolf shakes it's head, feeling in many ways for the first time every fiber of it's body. Experiencing the senses it has that make it one of the top predators of the Everfree. While mentally grabbing bits of memory that make it one of the oldest as well. Memories of what lies deep in the forests heart, it is all blurry to it's mind as if someone took a great gemstone with thousands of facets and covered it in cloudy water. Despite this it can still remember a few things clearly. The Starlit Infinity, it's memories from the other brief wakings, and a name. It is possible this name is not it's true name, at some level it knows it may not be close. However it is the name it remembers being called most as it briefly woke from the dream, Timber.
Many have called it this, mostly while fleeing from it in vain. Timber, it has a certain ring to it and in a way it is fitting. Glancing down at it's snout and jaw made of the hardest and most resistant woods, and it's claws of similar material. Most of it is not truly made of wood timbers, but the name still feels right somehow. For now at least, the wolf decides as it finishes it's stretch with a great yawn showcasing it's sharp teeth, it will be called Timber.
Another sound, a soft voice from outside the cave. Timber sniffs the air, that scent it is one it has not smelled in a long time. By it's memory it remembers a similar scent last reached it's nostrils due to those two large equines fighting further out by the forests edge. Their battle causing the smaller ones to flee. A few stumbled into it's territory, it did not hunt them but watched. These creatures were similar to the horned beasts it normally chased, however something seemed different. They were not as weak as they seemed, Timber had watched as they dispatched a small Manticore who dared attack them; or well put it to sleep with their horns. That had been a great meal in between the dream, soon after they had left Timber had returned to the long dream.
Curious as to what waited beyond the curtain the Starlit Infinity had grown to be, Timber slowly moves forward. Not crouched but still prepared to react, his long limbs tensed and mind alert. Shifting the curtain aside with his muzzle he sees the source of the smell across the clearing, a equine not unlike the two fighting ones. But this one is light purple with a dark purple mane with streaks like the pink roses that grow by the stream. It is smaller as well, perhaps not fully grown. As Timber exits the cave completely, the Starlit Infinity curtain flowing across it's back like a royal robe of the finest silk, it walks proudly out into the clearing. Taking a closer look at the equine as it's great limbs take it around the left side of the clearing Timber notices it is shaking, and it's horn is beginning to glow.
A memory of the Manticore falling asleep is all it takes for Timber dodge quickly in one great leap to the left. Where it had been moments before is a pink shining residue on the ground cover, which is a variety of mossy fern known as Shimmer Dust. Any magical attack that strikes is absorbed into the transparent leaves changing their color and effect.
Still facing the shaking equine Timber reaches out a paw, and the horn glows again. Quickly preparing it's hind legs and getting into a crouch Timber waits, it's jaw clenched and eyes focused on the equine's horn. It glows brightly and Timber launches itself into the air front limbs and paws outstretched and body twisting in air. Barely missing the wolf of the wood the magic hits the Shimmer Dust where it had been instead. Timber with it's paws outstretched and claws sheathed smashes into the equine from the side pinning it to the ground. It's horn glows again and the wolf of the wood lifts it's head up slightly, the mess of bramble and vine that makes up it's tongue snatching a flower from it's jaw. Chewing it quickly, Timber spits the flower mash at the troublesome horn. Within seconds the light dims and the equines eyes grow wider in shock and fear as it trembles in the iron grip of Timber.
Turning it's head to the side in an inquisitive way and catching the equine's gaze, Timber's blazing eyes take on an emotion that none can ever recall from a wolf of the wood. With pleading eyes it opens it mouth and instead of delivering a killing blow, a clear and melodic voice pleads. "I implore you hooved one, can we talk this out like proper folk, or do you insist on continuing with your pointless attacks?"
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight Sparkle's jaw drops, a Timber wolf has just spoken to her. Timber wolves don't talk, they are wild savage beasts who are a menace to all. And yet one has just pinned her, shown intelligence and did something to nullify her magic, and now is talking to her. She must be losing it or that magic surge got to her. Yup that's it, no way is a Timber Wolf talking to her. Let alone a very large Timber wolf, who is pinning her without claws to the ground; and came out of that unusual cave covered in runes.
Twilight's brain continues to run itself in circles as Timber just observes waiting for an answer, tail flicking back and forth. It has all the time in the world, no beast would ever attack it near it's den.
Eventually Twilight's brain on the brink of overload manages to focus enough to get out a few words. "Talking sounds nice, yes yes ye..." Her brain finally overloading itself, the purple Alicorn passes out in a faint.
Timber
Timber raises a wooden vine coated eyebrow, it never expected the equine to faint from being asked a question. Removing it's paws from the side of the now unconscious Twilight Sparkle, it sits down on it's haunches and watches the purple equine waiting for her to wake up. Perhaps this nervous, overly excitable, and slightly trigger happy equine can explain what happened with those others. And more importantly tell Timber how much time has passed. After all it can talk, well it can talk when it isn't blindly firing magic at others at least.
Author's Note
And Twilight meets Timber, after Timber wakes up and realizes it is really awake.
Yes this was intentional, while I was sick I thought long and hard about how Twilight would react to seeing a very large timber wolf after falling into a part of the Everfree she has never seen. I came to the conclusion she would not just talk, this is the result.
Timber is going to slowly become more aware as this story progresses, right now it (Timber doesn't remember it's gender) is effectively slowly waking up to exactly who it is. All that plant knowledge is important. For now Timber is a aware and sentient Timber wolf, or wolf of the wood, with really horrible foggy memories from the time before the long dream.
As for the wing thing, it's based on something you can do in real life with limbs. In real life if a limb "locks up" (muscles/nerves hyper tense or completely go slack so you can't move the limb) you can press certain nerve bundles to "unlock" them. Sometimes the limb won't unlock that way, so you can use a localized electrical shock (really low voltage) to try to force the muscles and nerves to loosen up/tense up to unlock the limb. I figured since Pegasi use natural magic to adjust air currents they would have some sort of way to naturally release locked wings, probably using their innate magic to trigger nerves.
In the case of an Alicorn I have as head canon their flight is more closely linked to magic since they lack the light Pegasus bones. So to unlock their wings they need a more concentrated magical shock.
Sorry this took a week, I got really sick right after the concert.
