Humans are such peculiar creatures. For reasons unknown, they appeared, much to the surprise of the other intelligent species that inhabited Equus. Nations gathered, and agreed that, being unable to return from whence they came, and having nowhere else to go, the humans would be given a decent amount land to call home. After that, the humans were mostly ignored. Thought of as a small fledgling nation with little to nothing to their name other than the novelty of being an alien species. That quickly changed as the humans quickly established themselves.
Mere decades had passed since their arrival and the humans had already demonstrated their ability to accomplish many amazing feats. They invented a self-propelled wagon, a device that allows the user to communicate with others instantly from miles away, established a seemingly infinite library of information that anyone could contribute to and could be accessed from their own homes, and they even sent a small team of explorers to moon and back! These are only a few of numerous feats of wonder achieved by humans. Many came from every nation around the world, practically lusting for knowledge of what divine magic the humans had that enabled them to accomplish such feats. To the astonishment of the entire world, the humans had none. They had come from a world where magic did not exist. Humans, instead, had to rely on their intelligence and knack for inventing alone to survive and flourish. Such a focus led to incredible technological advancement. For them, everything they had accomplished thus far was simply a rehash of previous accomplishments that they had already achieved before their arrival here.
Having come from a world devoid of magic, the humans were fascinated by it, and quickly incorporated it with their technology. The humans advanced even further, achieving a level of prosperity never before seen by anyone from their world or ours. However, only a few more decades later, that prosperity quickly turned to tragedy.
A great quake shook the world. The illustrious capital city of the human nation laid in ruins. A raging inferno consumed the land. An entire country was wiped off the face of the planet in an instant. The exact cause for such complete widespread destruction is unknown. It is theorized that by combining magic with their technology the humans were developing a machine that could bridge our world to theirs so that they may return to their true home. Such a feat would’ve required an incredible amount of magic, and a catastrophic accident must’ve occurred that released said magic all at once.
Having suffered such a devastating loss of life, humanity had little hope of recovery. What is now known as the Everfree forest sits upon what was once human land. The natural field of magic twisted and wild, forever altered by the cataclysmic event that took place there. The neighboring nation of Equestria attempted to tame the land, and restore it so that the few remaining humans could have a chance to reestablish themselves. Unfortunately, all attempts to restore the land had failed, and the surviving human population was too small and widespread to successfully repopulate. Eventually, what few humans remained passed away, claimed by age. Thousands of years had passed, and humanity faded from recorded history, forgotten…
The cracking of wood and clatter of splinters resounds through the forest. A lone timberwolf bounds through the trees, yipping in fear. It ran as fast as its legs could carry it to an undefined destination. It soon grew tired, and briefly paused under a fallen tree to check its surroundings. Everything in the forest was quiet, only the chirping of crickets and occasional hoot of an owl permeated the silence. At last the timberwolf could rest, confident that its pursuer had lost track of it. As it crept out from under the tree, it stumbled into a cloaked figure wrapped shadows. The very same being that the timberwolf saw right before its entire pack was wiped out. Sharp, glowing green eyes pierced through the darkness under its hood. The timberwolf stood frozen, baffled at how it had not detected the presence of the monster. For what seemed like an eternity, the two apex predators simply stood there staring each other down. Soon an audible clacking rang out as the timberwolf visibly shook in terror, the jumbled branches and bark that composed its body clattering together as it did. It whimpered, fearing for its life. Slowly, it descended to the floor, legs unable to support itself as it became wracked with grief. There was no point in trying to flee at this point, the timberwolf was far too tired to continue at a reasonable pace for escape, and the cloaked figure proved more than capable of keeping up otherwise. Reluctantly accepting it’s demise, the timberwolf placed its paws over its eyes, whimpering and howling as it awaited its doom.
Then, the cloaked hunter knelt down and placed a dark furred hand upon the timberwolf's head. Gently, it petted wolf. Bewildered, the timberwolf looked up at the hunter. The sharp eyes that bore into its soul mere moments ago had softened. The hunter's presence was now, somehow, comforting. The timberwolf stopped shaking, but still very cautious. The hunter sat cross-legged before the it, and continued to pet the wolf. It spoke. The timberwolf could not understand the sounds that came from the hunter, but it was still somehow understand the meaning and intent behind them. “Do not be afraid, you are safe now.” It was a simple message, and it had such a pleasantly calming effect. The timberwolf climbed into the hunter's lap, now at ease, and content with the hunter's presence. Still petting the wolf, the hunter began to sing. It was a soft, gentle melody. Cradled in the hunter's lap, the wolf listened to the hunters song. The two of them stayed like that for several minutes. The wolf's breathing began to slow, calmed by the hunters melody. Relaxed and at ease, sleep came effortlessly. Nestled in the hunter's embrace, the wolf slept peacefully. The hunter, noticing his audience of one had fallen asleep, ceased his song. He continued to pet the wooden beast in his lap for awhile.
“Rest easy. There won't be a need for you to fear anymore. Soon you will be free of your cursed existence and you’ll be able to join your friends and family.” the hunter whispered softly.
His hand began to glow as he continued to stroke the wolf's back. Wispy green flames sprouted from between his fingers, and crept over the slumbering wolf. The fire slipped in between the wolf's joints and cracks in its wooden body. Its breathing began to slow. The time between each breath grew longer and longer, until it stopped breathing altogether. The flames receded, leaving the wolf's body completely unscathed. The hunter continued to pet the wolf for a few moments more, before setting it's lifeless body on the ground.
Seconds later, a dark mossy smoke billowed forth from the wolf's body, coalescing into a cloud above it. Before the the cloud could dart away, the hunter stood and reached out with his hand, ignited with his verdant fire. As the flames licked at polluted mass, the dark cloud froze, a bright glow spreading from the point of contact. Soon the entire cloud was glowing brightly, and began to change shape. When the glow finally faded, the timberwolfs essence took on a more elegant form. The amorphous cloud undulated smoothly, and it's color had turned several shades brighter. The wolf essence twisted about itself as it examined its new form, before turning to the hunter. It floated over to him and wrapped itself around him in a gentle embrace. After a few moments, the wolf's soul released the hunter, and rose up above the trees before fading away.
Under the shadow of the hunter's hood, a smile crept over his muzzle, and his bushy white tipped tail slowly swished back and forth under his cloak.
