Disclaimer: I hereby state that I in no way own "My Little Pony", and I attest that the corporation Hasbro is the owner of the stated franchise. I own naught but my own work.

"Forest Wolf" Chapter I

"I'm Fairly Certain That This is Impossible"

The moon was high in the cloudy night sky, shining its reflected light onto the dimly-lit forest below. The environment was warm, and dark, and humid; water had collected in ditches and atop leaves, running slowly down towards the damp soil. It is at the muddy floor of this environment that we find our unfortunate protagonist, a young man named Michael. Having turned 19 a mere month prior, he walks through the forest with a flashlight in his hand and a pack strapped to his spindly back. While the wisdom of being out so late, and in an environment such as this to boot, was questionable at best, there was a reason for his presence: spiders. Right now was an excellent time to locate both web-spinning and hunting spiders, because the droplets of water on webs would be easily spotted, and due to the nocturnal nature of many hunting spiders. In fact, Michael thought, he was in luck. Barely six feet away, his light's beam had come across a fantastic example of a wolf spider - certainly of the Hogna genus given its size, he thought. Standing on an open patch of dirt, the sizable arachnid appeared to have a legspan of about four inches, and was primarily shaded in dark browns. Noticing the light, she - based on the abdomen's bulk and sheer size - turned to face Michael, and her eyes almost appeared to glow. He retrieved a plastic container with a hole-filled, matching lid and turned back to the hunter. "I can't wait to show you to my friends tomorrow. They don't even think a spider can get to a size like yours, but here you are to prove them wrong." As he bent down, however, he noticed that the moon had vanished beneath a thick quilt of clouds, throughout which flashed ominous purple lightning. That alone would tell anyone that something distinctly unnatural was happening, but that was when the demon appeared. Chuckling evilly from his skull-decorated obsidian throne - that had arrived at the same time as he - the demon spoke.

"Ahahahah, so you are the creature I sensed! I certainly expected more than… this for a being of your power, however. You must truly be a well-trained and powerful mage to hide your signature this well, ahahahahahahah! But no mage, no matter their skill at deception, can escape from me, the demon lord Rak'thar'lop! Ahahahahah!" Michael began to notice more features on the "demon lord" as it spoke, like its skin, so close to being black but for the violet tint. Like the horns that curved sharply down to either side of the monster's maw, which was lipless and filled with ragged, black-stained fangs. Like the eyes scattered across its skinless body, all slitted and darkly violet. Like the sickly, necrotic energy blast gathered in the palm of its right arm, which faced him. "Now, before you cease to be a threat to my existence, I will grant you a choice: if you could go to any fictional universe, which one would you choose?" The spider had come closer and begun investigating Michael's foot, he noticed as he thought over the demon's bizarre question. He thought of one, finally, that he did not believe would see him to a quick death.

"I would like to go to the universe of 'My Little Pony', Rak'thar'lop." The demon laughed.

"Ah, you believe that you will be safe in such a world. Let me put your thoughts to rest; would I give you a choice if you would actually be safe in any of your options? I promise you, your choice will be as lethal as any other. But enough of this speaking, for it is time that you depart this land! Ahahahahah!" And it threw the shadowy sphere, reaching Michael in an instant. The last thing his eyes observed was a blindingly bright black void…

Michael's brain finally rebooted, and he began to observe the world around him, only to be greatly confused. How can I see all of this? The sky is clearly above me, but it's right above all these trees and bushes. And why can't I get up? He tried to stand, and he felt two legs respond, but they refused to allow him to get off the damp forest floor. Then, he realized something: he could feel more than just his arms and legs. In fact, he could feel several more limbs than a human could possibly have. Something in his brain told him to lift, and he felt four pairs of limbs stretch and respond. Three pairs were in his field of vision, one set of which was is the much better-defined area of his sight that he assumed was forwards. He jolted in surprise, though, when he saw that his limbs were armored and colored muddy brown, with black hairs projecting off them seemingly at random - sensory hairs. I'm a gorram wolf spider! But… large! Coming to grips with his nature, Michael began listening to the newly-added instincts in his mind, instructing him on movement. Finally, he noticed, he was hungry. He began to move forwards, but bolted so quickly that he was amongst the trees. Either these trees are tiny, or I'm pretty darn huge. Michael took careful steps after that, moving slowly and deliberately, though each movement carried him a notable distance. He knew that he was in some part of the My Little Pony world, at some time in the world… which meant that he could be anywhere warm and dark and humid. Let's see… Not griffon or dragon territory, those wouldn't support forests like this one. So, I'm probably at least in Equestria somewhere… this isn't the Everfree, is it? Depending on my size, I'm probably not an apex predator if that's the case. Michael's fears were confirmed, unfortunately, by the sight of a familiar stony ruin, one that he knew quite well from the pilot of My Little Pony. That's the Castle of the Two Sisters. I am in the Everfree, at some point after Luna's banishment! It's probably a safe hiding spot, though. I should go there. He set off towards it, and then he wondered how he would reach it. Wolf spiders are not good at climbing, and that fall would kill me. Is it possible to get over there? He circled the castle slowly, before he had a stupid idea. I can run absurdly fast, can't I? So why don't I just jump over there? Ahh, this could end badly, but I'm going to try it. Michael backed off to a respectable distance before streaking forwards, reaching brilliant speeds as the cliff edge neared. His hind legs straightened as the pressure inside each increased drastically, propelling Michael's huge body across the abyss and into the stone wall of his new home, creating a large spider-shaped dent as he landed. Good to know cartoon physics will apply to some degree, but I know for certain that this world is going to be hostile to my fairly squishy self. Michael's legs found purchase on the rough, vine-coated walls and pulled his body out of the crater, still managing to hang on to the stone despite his body's bulk. Right, magic. That throws my expectations right out the window, but it isn't a stretch to realize that it would have some bearing on my capabilities given the setting I placed myself into. Also, that demon put me in this situation because of magic in the first place. I wonder what else I might be able to do? Michael took some slow steps along the wall, careful to prevent himself from reaching dangerous speeds. Within a minute, he had arrived at a shattered portion of wall that would allow him access to the castle's interior. His front legs reached and bent to make contact with the inside of the wall before the rest of him followed suit. He took in the dark room, coated in webs and surprisingly well-preserved wood furnishings, and promptly grasped bits and pieces of rubble and wood for his own purposes - since he presumably can't burrow in solid stone, a home needed to be constructed by other means. Spinnerets on his narrow abdomen provided the silk needed for adhesive, and in some cases walls.. Once the ragged structure was complete, set as it was against a corner of the chamber to conserve materials, Michael settled in to rest and wait. After all, something edible would come by eventually… wouldn't it?

Michael's environment snapped into sudden focus as he processed his surroundings: dark, mossy stone, supported on two sides with wood and silk weave, and a hole directly in front of him. He was in his burrow, he recalled, waiting for food to pass by for an interminable time, but he hungered more than ever - it was time to employ more aggressive methods of locating something to eat. Soon, he discovered just what it was that disturbed him, however: outside his burrow was what appeared for all the world to be a cube of sickly green Jell-O he believed was quite larger than his abdomen. The minor detail of some random bones floating inside didn't escape him either. That is very bad. That means that monsters from Dungeons and Dragons could be appearing in this world, in which case I am totally fucked. Or, maybe it's just a coincidence, but I can't hope for that in this world. I don't think I have a hope of defeating it, but I'm so hungry that I don't think I have a choice! The gelatinous cube was oozing ominously closer to his burrow, so Michael had to act quickly. As it approached, he leaped at its surface and bit into it with his sturdy fangs, immediately noticing that it was attempting to envelope him. He pulled away with some portion of the thing, then threw himself away and at the door. Once on the ground, Michael skittered down the hall and out of reach of that particular nightmare. At least the blob I sucked out isn't killing me yet. I need to find somewhere where monsters on the ground have no hope of reaching me, while still offering prey for an opportunistic spider like me. Michael spent hours scuttling around the degraded castle, searching for his new home, when at last he stepped into a large hall, or perhaps a foyer based on the presence of large, open wooden doors at one end. Through them, Michael could see the Everfree Forest in all its dark terror. Not that in here is better, though. He set about making his home about two-thirds of the way up the wall, utilizing a particularly large crevice facing the front door as a base and expanding it with a crude sheet of webbing. The sheet also held together pieces of wood and stone to disguise itself to creatures that might desire a tasty wolf spider for dinner, or not wish to become a wolf spider's dinner. Once again, he settled in to wait…

Weeks had passed without anything passing through the foyer - now that Michael could measure time, he knew it had been more than six weeks - but right now, his attention was focused on something that would certainly sustain him. Across the rubble-strewn floor strode a brown, bipedal figure with strongly canine features, a being he knew to be a Diamond Dog. Sentient, certainly, but he wasn't certain that he cared too strongly about that at this point in time. The Dog was clearly focused on the floor, turning over rubble in an attempt to find valuables. You would think that they'd have been through here by now. Maybe this one is a loner? Michael's thoughts were suddenly silenced by more voices, though he couldn't understand the language. More Diamond Dogs entered the foyer, some equipped with archaic pickaxes and weapons. Michael's rage was stirred, however, by the presence of ponies in chains leading to the paws of some of the Diamond Dogs also searching the foyer. Conveniently, that removes any guilt I might feel for killing and eating them. Of course I don't know if I can kill that many, but they'll probably run in fear if I look scary enough and maybe kill one or two. Michael waited until the leading Dogs had reached his end of the foyer before taking action. During this waiting period, he had observed the Dogs handling their pony slaves strike them at least thrice each when they stopped working, which only served to anger him more. Soundlessly, he propelled himself out of his elevated home and onto the grizzled brown Diamond Dog beneath him. As his front legs pinned it down, he got a sense of his size compared to ponies and Diamond Dogs. Wow, I'm big. My body's probably equivalent to two or three ponies, and my legs are as thick as theirs but far longer. As the one he was pinning called frantically for help, Michael lifted his head before striking down with the huge fangs gracing his face. His numerous eyes registered the huge piercing wounds they made in its chest, wider than any spear thrust, as he pulled his crimson-coated parts out. This action further tore open the Dog's chest as it gurgled and choked while blood spouted from the great gashes. The rest of the Dogs began to flee, except the two with pony slaves. Michael assumed that they were unwilling to leave their rare prizes behind rather than actual bravery, but they were the best-equipped of the pack; both possessed cracked and rusty iron armor that covered most of their bodies, and their weapons had gemstones embedded in them. They had stuck the chains beneath a heavy rock so that they would be unhindered as they fought, and one of them sneered something unintelligible at the rest of the pack as they readied their weapons. As one, they shouted what he assumed were battle cries before slowly circling him. I don't think they've encountered a creature with a spider's field of vision before. They struck in a coordinated fashion at his sides, each aiming for a leg. As they moved, Michael did as well; at the sneering, coal-colored one to his left, he struck with two of his legs, throwing it backwards several feet. To the bulky, scarred grey Dog on his other side, he turned and bit down, his fangs denting its chest armor. That, fortunately, convinced the two that their lives were worth more than their slaves and they ran back to their pack before fleeing as a group. Michael regarded the two ponies with his shiny black eyes; they had no way of knowing that he was sapient, that he did not intend to consume them. If he approached, they would undoubtedly fear for their lives. How can I release them without incurring a fearful response? Michael lowered his body to the ground and took a tentative step towards the ponies, who immediately cringed back. When they moved, he promptly stepped back and laid down as best a spider can, with legs arranged in groups of two. For hours the three stayed in their positions, and then Michael tried to take another step forwards. The ponies had been conversing over this time, and Michael had studied their appearance: the first was magenta with a shaggy sunflower mane, while the other had a cream coat and tan mane. Both were disheveled and coated in dirt. Maybe I could bring them water? That would indicate that I'm at least intelligent. Following this idea, Michael set off into the ruin's depths in order to search for a supply of water and something to carry it with, though he was unsure as to how he would be able to transport it given his lack of hands. Paws aren't exactly meant to carry things either, but they managed somehow. Maybe I can too. He suddenly stopped as the sounds of clanking and hollow rattling reached him, coming steadily closer. Within a minute, Michael's path was blocked by several animated pony skeletons coated in ancient, bloodstained bronze armor and in some cases wielding long spears. The horde continued advancing down the compact hallway, providing Michael with no option for escape. Skeletons probably aren't going to be intimidated, either - they're undead. Michael slowly crept backwards at the same rate the skeletons approached, noting as he moved that there were ten of them. Each one appeared to be missing parts, whether it was a leg, a jawbone, or a section of skull, and they glowed with eldritch dark blue magic - presumably what was animating the bones. As Michael's back legs touched a stone wall and the bones kept advancing, he noticed that the hallway led off to either side of him and immediately darted down the corridor. The bones continued shambling, but they would never catch him now. As he went farther into the ruined castle, he encountered more ancient skeletons and discovered that they were easy enough to kill when alone or in pairs, but he ran the risk of getting surrounded when they became numerous. Running down a rough staircase, Michael encountered something odd: a locked, pristine golden chest sitting on a small plinth. What could it hold? This place is starting to resemble the Dungeon from Terraria. What's next, slimes? And as if summoned by his thoughts, Michael heard something jump and hit the floor with a small *splat*, and a large dark purple blob rounded the corner - a golden key was dimly visible at the center of the slime. Is this a joke? Prank or not, he decided to kill it. To this end, Michael stopped all movement and waited for the slime to get closer, as it slowly did. Once it was within reach of his front legs, Michael launched himself forward, body-slamming the slime and biting repeatedly with his fangs. His legs instinctively grappled the slime, though they were ineffective against the amorphous dungeon slime. After twenty seconds of sustained attacks, however, the slime collapsed into a pile of harmless goo and a shiny golden key; Michael quickly consumed its remains, then tried to pick up the key with one of his limbs. To his happy discovery, he found that it stuck to the end of his leg! Carrying it to the chest, he turned the lock and lifted himself up to look inside. Let's see: gold coins, a giant blue flail, and some random potions. Yep, this is definitely the Dungeon. Using his legs, Michael hefted the contents of the chest onto his abdomen and continued exploring. As he went further, he noticed that the ruins led rather deep into the surface, and skeletons were becoming more numerous as the temperature decreased. Most importantly, however, he had located a partially flooded hallway. His second pair of legs held two reasonably helmets that he intended to use as buckets, and he dipped them into the pool without incident. Now, how do I get out of here? Gah, I should have left a trail of some kind! Nevertheless, Michael began finding his way back, travelling upwards whenever possible and, after hours of searching, he arrived back as a new day dawned, pouring early morning light in through the doors. Michael scuttled into the foyer with his load, moving slowly to his waiting spot. He then settled in and waited for the ponies to awake…

A/N: How will Michael's guests react when they discover that he is intelligent? Will I ever expand on the whole magic demon business? And will I stop with the ellipses already? More seriously, I think I might be rushing the story a little. Please post your opinions; I cannot improve without your input!