WolfBane

Canis lupus, more commonly known as Wolf is a large canine of the species and are a race of savage, warlike fighters native to Scynia, a land of wild nature and extremes. One season the land of ice with cold weather and snow-swept, the next the sky is blackened with ash and lava flows dissect the plains.

Thus, the perfect environment for a young Wolf.

They are seen by their enemies (pretty much everyone else) as savage, violent, and crude, but they are the most successful species in the whole of Equis, outnumbering possibly every other intelligent species, with the sole exception being pony-kind. The Wolves are one of the most dangerous races to fight as they are as headstrong as they are fierce, the Wolves excel at close-quarters fighting, their warriors vying keenly for glory on the field of battle. The Wolves live to fight, and death holds no fear for them. The most interesting aspect of a wolf is they're mating-

"Hey, egghead! What are you reading!" A voice called from behind Twilight Sparkle, causing her to jump in surprise, her wings bolting up and knocking the book out of her hoofs.

"Rainbow Dash!" She yelled, turning around in her train set to see said mare hovering over her with a smug grin.

"What? Not my fault that you so jumped now is it?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with her usual snack before Applejack pulled to the ground by her tail. "Now Rainbow Dash, ya know it's right rude ta interrupt ayy mare's reading."

"Yeah, it wasn't very nice of you, Rainbow," Fluttershy said shyly, trying not to look like she was about to get into trouble.

"I do agree on that darling, that is a very rude thing to do to a lady," Rarity added, looking up from the magazine she was reading as Spike slept on the set beside her, his head resting on her back.

“Oh, come on it was a joke!" Dash replied, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I was just making sure that she doesn't go off the Twilight land."

"Twilight land?" She asked, deadpan.

"You know the place that you always go off to set up the open narration in a chapter." Pink Pie said, literally popping into the chapter and smiling at her friend. "Speaking of setting up the chapter? The guy writing this really couldn't think of a better way to introducing our character personalities?"

If it worked in the show, it can work here.

"Yeah, but we're like 200 words in and you still haven't set up the main conflict for the story."

Twilight and her friends give the pink mare looks of confusion as she seemingly was having an argument with no one before doing what they always do when it came to Pinkie inexplicable shenanigans. And that was to ignore it and just move on back to the actual conversation hand.

"Well, I for one don't understand why you want to read a book about those mutts," Dash said, landing back into her seat.

“Because I think it might be a good thing to learn about the culture and race we're going to meet.” Twilight countered, re-opening the book to the pages that she was on.

“What’s there to learn?” Dash said, crossing her front forelegs. ”That the Wolves are bigger jerks than I thought.”

Twilight just rolled her eyes at her friend’s ignorance. Sure the Wolves didn’t exactly have a…Great reputation in Equestria. But that’s why she was giving this mission by the princesses to build a better relationship with the newly formed nation.

“Princess, you want me and my friends to go to the Scynia? ”Princess Twilight Sparkle asked her fellow monarchs, sounding sceptical at such a request as she stood at the foot of the thrones in Canterlot. “Forget me if I’m not wrong, but I thought that wolves hate outsiders?”

“Yes, Twilight you would be right. The Wolves of Scynia do not trust those out of their race, especially our ponies. Though, I do not blame them for such mentality.” Princess Celestia responded, her motherly tone turning a bit sombre as memories of the part were seeping in.

After the death of High-king Njord Erikson, the empire of Scynia led to a messy transition of power in high-King Svaks Njordson the pleaser, who in fear Equestrian retaliation sighted the treaty of white, which forced them to give us all foreign holdings outside of Scynia and the releasement of the slave population back to their homelands. This act had affectively crippled the empire of Scynia and led to its fall. The last king of the Empire was killed by his own people for signing the treaty, caused an uprising within the empire and leaving it in warring states period for centuries. Something that Celestia did not want nor foresee happening. She wishes that Equestria could’ve helped but after Luna’s rebellion as Nightmare Moon and the de-militarisation, the kingdom was in no place to fight a war, much less a foreign war for a previous enemy and so, left them to their own device.

“Yes, the past does weigh heavily on us, dear sister.” Princess Luna added, standing beside her. “Which is why Princess Twilight mission is so important. We need to mend relations between the Scynians and Equestria.”

“But why now? After all the years why are we only doing this now?” Twilight asked, hoping that the princesses could shed some light on this matter. The other princesses looked at each other for a moment before Celestia’s horn lit up with magic as a crystal table formed in front of them. Looking over at it, Twilight could see that it was a map of Equis, specifically a map of the northern front of Equestria and the Scynia.

“Because there has been an interesting development in the region recently,” Celestia explained as Scynia lit up in blue on the map. “As you know after the Warring States period, the kingdom of Scynia was reformed by high-king Enhet, who closed the borders and started a period of isolation for more than 300 years.”

As she said that the map suddenly changed with Scynia now red and much bigger than before. “But after a sudden and violent revolution the old king was dethroned and a new one was instated under the newly formed The United Wolvin Federation of Scynia or Wolves Federation.”

“Well, what he likes?” Twilight asks looked at her former mentor. “ I mean the way you’re talking about the situation, you sound like you know him.”

“Yes, Sköll Hróðvitnisson, the new High-King of the Wolvin Federation is known to me, mainly because he has a particular interest in ancient Equestrian history and culture, and his want of overtures towards us for the first time in our species history,” Celestia explained, suddenly the map changed to show a large looking city rivalling the size of Canterlot. “His Head ambassador has sent a letter that asked something that not be done before in the history of are races.”

Princess Twilight tilted her head still not getting the point as Princess Luna levitated a small open latter with a red seal of two wolves facing the sun and moon.

“It’s best if you read it for yourself,” the night princess added as Twilight did what she said, her eyes widened as she opened it and read it out loud.

"To the eternal and forever beautiful princesses of Equestria, greetings from Ambassador Hermóðr of Scynia.

While it seems very presumptuous that I am talking with you. I and my king realised that you and others within Equestria know so little of what has changed that our Beautiful country has gone through. I have talked with the Scynia legislation and has agreed to have you and your sister as special guests at the Victory Day celebration parade, in hopes that you and the High-king can work out a trade deal that will benefit both parties. Should you be willing to accept, you and any plus one will be giving all expenses the VIP treatment as you tour our wonderful capital.

You will also have free access to the libraries, museums, and art galleries and get a first look at the latest goods that will be hitting the shelves long before anyone else does. Don’t worry about transit, as the railway will have already been completed a month before we send a private train to pick you up should you respond in the affirmative. I hope that this could be a precursor for you to come and formally meet the High-king in our homeland, he has been most interested in meeting you and the other princess as he will love listening to more stories of Alicorns and other mythical beasts. He deeply enjoyed such things.

Signed, Ambassador Hermóðr of Scynia.

P.S, The young Princess Maria Vallhund Hróðvitnisson has fallen in love with the exploits of your youngest and newest princess of Equestria and her friend and dearly wants to hear the stories of your exploits. And I promise that they will be in attendance. So, would you do it for the pub and at least let them come.

Beneath the body of the letter was a picture of the pup princess, wearing one of the most elaborate and expensive pink gowns Twilight had ever see on a child, with trimmed in two lines of pearls down the front and along the neckline and wings on the skirt, a pearl-hemmed and studded lilac petaled skirt with a row of great lace drops and trumpets each arranged like a four-leaf clover or cross on a nimbus, and a yellowish petticoat with a lilac band; a swirly tiara inset with pink sapphires. She couldn’t be more than 12 years old with a cute grin on her muzzle and bright eyes. Twilight smiled at the image before looking up at the princess with a new question in mind. “Wait, princess, this letter is addressed to you and Princess Luna, so why is it just me and my friends then?”

“Excellent question, Twilight.” Celestia smiled, impressed once again by her faithful student. “On any other occasion we would happily go to the Asgard, but due to the magic drain caused by Cozy Glow, we need to stay here to strengthen the magic hold on our world.”

“Which why you're asking me and my friends to go instead, right?” Twilight guess, to which Celestia nods. ”Correct, as Princess of friendship and element of magic, it is your job to act as a diplomatic bridge between the two lands.”

Twilight smiled at that and nod. It was a job that she was more than happy to take on. “Will we have our own guards?”

“The royal guards will accompany you on the train to the Capital then his own guards will take over and watch over you.”

“I still do not like such an agreement,” Luna muttered to herself. The lunar Monarch has never like the Wolves and had always thought very little about them even after a thousand years.

“Yes, I understand your feelings, dear sister.” The Solar Monarch addressed her sibling, but her eyes wondering off to stain glass windows. “But I Believe that there is no reason for us to worry. Twilight and her friends have proven time and time again they can come out any impossible scenario.”

Luna didn’t have a come back as she herself was one of the impossible scenarios they overcame. “Yes, I just hope that they will be safe.”

“I understand, Princesses. I will take care of my friends." Twilight state, less as a promise to keep them safe and more like a promise to keep them out of trouble.

"Very well then, the train will be ready soon and you will all be met at the station by carriages and escorted to the capital.” Celestia said, as in a small flash of magic seven tickets are merged. “You and your friends will be there for a longer amount of time. Everything will be tended to while you are gone. Spike will, of course, go with you and your friend’s homes and businesses will be taken care of as well.”

Twilight swallowed and looked to the Sun Princess. “We will do our best.” She declared, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she felt.

“I know you will. We have utter faith in all of you.”

Twilight was brought out of her thoughts by the sounds of the train stopping outside the station. The carriage doors opened as her friends grab their luggage as they were led by the guard out to the station. The station was huge, even larger than the one where they used to live. There were several platforms connected together with long walkways leading from platform to platform. With great statues of wolves standing tall along the walls, the place looked very imposing.

In the centre of the station was a group of wolves clothed in light black armour over a field-grey uniform with a face-covering helmet. While most of the elements only saw these uniforms as odd and strange compared to Guard back home, Rarity was the only one to notice how brilliant they were. The uniform was made from cashmere wool, rarer than normal sheep wool but it is finer, stronger, lighter, softer and approximately three times more insulating than its counterpart. The armour resembles that of the carapace of the pre-reformed Changelings, It was made up of 18 individual, overlapping plates which will be making incredibly thin compared to the Royal guards, gave the wearer a better sense of mobility at the cost of better protection. The troops quickly fanned out and surrounded the ponies, their eyes glowed light gold from behind the visors faceplate of their helms which resemble that of the Viking raiders of the past with its long horns connected to a round base.

The wolves stopped and stood at attention as a small wolf approached them, around the same size as Twilight but still a foot shorter than the other, wearing the same armour as the rest, although he did not wear the helmet instead showing off his charcoal black coat, green eyes with a pair of scars running down from the lower part of his eyes like that of teardrops. He wore no weapon however, the ponies could tell the black wolf carried an intimidating sense of power and authority despite his size.

It was very clear to the group that he was their leader.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, I am Prince Hati Hróðvitnisson, chief of the vargr Squadron, The second-supreme commander of the military, and the trusting advisor and younger brother of Hight-King Sköll of The United Wolvin Federation of Scynia." He bowed low and spoke slowly. “I welcome you to our station, we were waiting for you and your friends to arrive before accompanying you to the capital."

Twilight felt herself chapping under the titles, he was a very important individual and she was a bit at a loss on her to move forward without doing something that might be considered rude. Spike sensing his adopted sister's worries, stepped forward for her and turned to face sideways.

“I am Spike, Number one assistant and hero of the Crystal Empire. May I present Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and fellow Elements of Friendship, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.”

Whether or not Hati was offended by Spike’s actions, they shall never know as his expression stay cold and neutral before turning head to face the guards.

"We shall take over your protection from here on out, you are free to go.” He said and waved his paw dismissively as the wolves moved in and the guards gave way to them, moving back on the train before taking off and leaving them behind.

“This way.” Hati said, spun and started walking away as the mares following behind. ”Gather their things. Take them to the correct rooms or the Master will hear of it.”

Twilight looked back to see that true to his words, the Wolf soldiers were picked up their baggage (mostly Rarity.) and carried it as carefully as they could, quickly followed by the rest of the ponies. Hati led them through a twisty road that led through the station, past guard posts and wolf statues. Finally, they reached a large metal gate that opened to a large elevator.

"This is our expression to the surface, it is also the way most of our members travel to and from the station, if you would like to join us, please do so,” Hati said as the elevator doors opened and he led them in.

“So, uh Prince Hati will we be able to meet your King?” Twilight asked as the elevator started moving down. The black wolf looked over to her and only looked in her eyes, his eyes gave nothing away.

"My brother is out hunting at the moment, so we will have to wait until I return before we can meet him.” He said calmly, though his tone implied a sense of irritation. Twilight didn't know what to say, so she remained silent while they continued their descent. “In the meantime, you must be hungry from your journey. If you would like, a bath and food will be arranged as soon as we arrive at the palace. Of course, after your guard will show you to your quarters.”

“Guard?” Applejack said being the first to stepped up and addressed the Prince. “Why do we nee guards?”

“For your protection, of course Miss Applejack. Many wolves that live here in Asgard grow up with ‘rather wrong ideas about your kind’. So, in order to protect you properly, you and the other will have a minimum of three-guard with you at all times. They are there to protect you and see to it that your needs are met.” He said coldly before turning to Twilight. “The princess will of course have seventeen guards as is fitting to your station.”

Twilight blinked a couple of times, Sure she perform dignitary but even she thought that was a little excessive. “I’m sure that we are safe here, I don’t think there is a need...”

“It has been decreed by my brother and his will is law,” Hali said to her. His voice was sharp to stop any further argument.

“Y'all really think somepony will attack us here?” Applejack asked him, but Hati just shook his head. “No, no such thing will happen. Just remember this place is under the watchful eye of my brother. The guard is to ensure that you do not stray where you are not permitted and that you stay out of the way of others doing their jobs.”

The mares all started at the blunt response.

"Well, ah appreciate the honesty.” Applejack said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened to a long hallway. They walked along with it for a few minutes, until they reached another door on the left side of the hall. It was open revealing the outside world.

True to its name, Asgard was beautiful. It was a sight to behold. The cityscape was made up of massive stone buildings, each towering above the others, like Manehattan back in Equestria only larger. Everything was made of the same grey stone and gave an odd vibe of both futurism, alongside a sense of ancientness yet at the same time. And above said city on top of a hill, was a palace that would put even the most extravagant castles in the Equestria to shame. With multiple spires, long towers, turrets and fancy architecture, it was like a mix of several different architectures from several different centuries, all forged together into one magnificent work.

"Well, this is it," Hati said as he turned to face them, the elevator doors closed behind them. “The palace of the gods, Valhalla. The place where kings and their kingdoms are made."

"It's..." Twilight couldn't find the words to describe it other than beautiful.

“Big?”

“Beautiful?”

“Compensating?”

“Immensely?”

“Intimidating?”

“Hard on the eyes?”

“Not what I had in mind when I thought of this place,” Twilight admitted while looking around at the architecture. From her textbooks Twilight learned that the wolves were never the most artistic of creatures, making towns and villages out of the basis of materials. Even after the invasions into Equestria, this did not change as they mostly moved into already made settlement and made them their own. But what she saw here…it was like the wolves were challenged to make this place, and won.

“This place is sacred place for people," Hati said, following her gaze. "But yes, I suppose it is a bit imposing.”

“You can say that again,” Fluttershy said softly, head down and not wanting to offend the wolf.

"Indeed," Hati said, looking up at it. “Its creation supposedly dates right back to the times of the first high-king. Since then, it has gone through a few changes, none of which I liked, but it's always been the heart of our people."

"I can see that,” Twilight added. “ It's very... efficient looking."

"Thank you, princess. It was the work of several generations of builders. So, do you have any questions? Anything you're worried about?" The black wolf asked, turning his head to look directly at her.

"Well...," Twilight said, almost stumbling over her words. “It’s just.. How do we get there?”

After all the Castle was about the same distance from Ponyville was to Canterlot, way to far on hoof and she didn’t see any train tracks or any kind of way of getting there quickly.

"Ohh," Hati said as if he had just understood her question. “Right, it’s seams my brother wanted you to keep it a surprise uh?”

Before any of the ponies could ask what he was talking about, a large carriage pole up to them. “We’ll be travelling in this.”

The carriage was bigger than anything they had ever ridden in before and was made of purely metal, which gave it a very smooth Surface. But what mad the ponies gasp in surprise was the fact that the carriage had no one pulling it.

"This," Hati said as he motioned to the driver's seat, "is automobile. No one driving, the engine inside does all the work."

"That's... amazing!" Twilight said, eyes widened in awe of what she was seen. She had see this invention before back in the human world and while even if she wasn’t quite sure what all the technical terms were she had tried to build it here in their world with mixed results. So, to see a working model in the flesh created by those who didn’t have the hindsight was astounding her scientific brain. “Oh Celestia, I can’t believe this! How did you get the engine working! What fuel do you use? How fast can it go!”

Hati just stared at the girl with a blank stare before shaking his head and chuckling. “You can ask the ambassador that question.”

As he said that the automated door opened and a grey wolf in a black suit and tie stepped out. He looked at them and bowed his head. "Hello, guests. I am Hermóðr Hermod, the ambassador of the Wolves Federation.”

Twilight immediately recognised the name of the wolf who sent the latter. As he straightened up, she saw on his left foreleg he had a fancy ring with an interesting pattern made of gold and precious stones. “I apologise for not meeting you at the station, but the Prince had ordered me to the stay in the car.”

“Why is that?” Applejack asked, clearly unimpressed by the formal wolf. Said wolf gave a short chuckle.

“Well, the Prince merely wished to make an impression. Though I have to admit, he chose the most effective way." He motioned towards the palace in the distance. “Now then shall we be off then we have so much to do and so little time before the celebration.”

“Celebration?!” The ponies said, while Pink Pie yelled out in happy.

"Yes, celebration tomorrow night. The High-King wanted your first impression of the city to be a big one, so he has ordered a party in your honour."

"For us?" Fluttershy asked shyly, while all the others were surprised they were getting one.

"Of course for you, it's a pretty big event." The ambassador wolf said before turning back to the automobile. “Now then, we must be on our way. "

The ambassador wolf opened the door once more and waited for them to enter. "After you.”

The ponies and dragon complain with his wish, entering the car along with the wolves.

Well, most of them.

“It would appear that we don’t not have enough space.” Hermóðr stated as the main 6 and dragon deadpanned, watching the poor unfortunately wolves trying to get Rarity’s luggage on with no avail.

“You two,” Hati ordered, pointing to two other wolves, "Wait here, while we call a truck.”

The Wolves in question sign, happen that they don’t have to carrier them.

“Now then, driver. Let go, I want to give the princess and her entourage a Tour around Asgard.” Hermóðr said as the car engine started up and they were on their way.

None of them, you’re realising that they’re diplomatic mission was about to go sideways.