A Life of Change

Into The Forest

The night air is thick and humid. Owls hoot, timberwolves howled, and crickets chirp.

The night came alive in the everfree forest.

A young pegasus colt waded through a swamp up to his underbelly. He was cold and needed a place to shelter.

Suddenly he thought to himself, "Duhh. Skuggor you're a pegasus. Use your wings."

So he unfolded his wings from his back, exposing two large feathery wings.Slowly he began to flap them, and rose from the mud.

He flew forward until he was out of the swamp. He then looked around for a place to bed down and rest. A tree was just up ahead thats lower branches hung down, forming a canopy.

Pleased, he flew over to the tree and landed in front of it. Folding his wings down, he moved forward under the canopy.

It was just a bit higher than he was, and he comfortably under.

Stomping down a patch of grass, he lay down, and started to rest, though in such an open place he dare not fall asleep.

It had been a few months since Skuggor had left behind his farm life, in search of his purpose. He was hungry, and tired, yet determined to find something in these woods.

Satisfied with his bed, he rested there for the night.

In the morning, the sun rose to warm the land, yet from under the canopy of the everfree forest, all Skuggor saw of the morning time was a few dots of light on the forest floor, that disappeared as quickly as they came.

Tired, yet somewhat rested, Skuggor rose from the floor, and continued the journey.

The Other One

After a long day of flying and walking through the woods, Skuggor needed a place to shelter. Looking around he spotted a cave.

He had been staying out in the open this whole journey, so he was relieved to see a safe place to stay.

Walking up to the cave, he slowly looked around for any animal that might follow him. Satisfied he was safe, he stepped inside the cave.

Inside the cave was warm, smaller than it looked, being about only 15" deep, yet a welcome place to stay.

Going to the back, Skuggor made a soft patch in the dirt and lie down.

Resting there most the night , Skuggor felt safe, and started to doze off.

Suddenly, he heard rustling outside of the cave, and a timberwolf howled, quite close to the cave.

Startled, he froze in place. Soon after, three timberwolves walked into the cave. Skuggor froze and tried hard not to breath too heavily.

The timberwolves looked right at him, but seemed not to notice him.

Puzzled, Skuggor looked around and notice the cave was very dark. On closer inspection, he noticed it seemed to be moving. Towards him.

Startled he looked back towards the wolves, and noticed their shadows to be gone. He looked around and noticed they were on the walls of the cave. Moving towards him.

Confused he looked at his hoof and didn't see it. Scared he started to freak out. The he realized that the shadows had covered him, and that was why the wolves didn't see him.

Confused, he realized the shadows moved around if he willed it in his mind.

Suddenly he had an idea. He stood up on his hind legs and spread out his wings to seem bigger. As he was still a young colt, he appeared somewhat small.

To compensate for the size, he bent the shadows around him.

The wolves looked up and whined in fear. Before them, Skuggor looked like a large pegasus the size of two stallions.

The wolves ran away, and Skuggor released the shadows back into the cave.

He started questioning what happened, and realized that his purpose in life must be to shape the shadows from the darkness of princess Luna's nighttime.

Suddenly he felt a tingling on both sides of his flank. Startled he slowly looked down to the sensation, and smiled.

On his flank was a picture of a moon, with a dark cloud shadowing over it. His cutie mark.

He then decided to leave the cave. Looking up at the sky saw the mysterious pegasus again arranging the stars. As it finished however, it began flying toward the clearing Skuggor was in. Slowly he backed up and pulled the shadows over him.

The pegasus landed and folded its wings. He was a young colt the same age as Skuggor. His coat was black, his mane purple with streaks of white. His flank depicted a picture of a dark moon with white stars.

The colt’s ears suddenly perked up and he looked around. Skuggor realized he sensed he was there.

Curious, Skuggor kept the shadows up to hide him.

The colt then flew back upwards. Still weary Skuggor kept the shadows and just watched.

He flew up to the stars and seemed to grab one. He then flew back towards Skuggors clearing.

Skuggor panicked. The light of that star would brighten everything around, except skuggor's shadows. He would look like just a ball of shadow in the brightness. Whats more, the darkness around would be shone away, rendering Skuggor incapable of producing more shadows to cast around, and he was not strong enough yet to make more roght then.

The colt landed, and as Skuggor expected, the area was lit up. The colt then looked over towards Skuggor and smiled. "Found ya. Whatever you are"

Facing defeat, Skuggor let go of his link between the shadows and revealed himself.

The colt seemed to look over Skuggor for a minute, then started to walk closer.

Timidly , Skuggor walked backwards and lowered his head slightly. The other colt seemed to notice his shyness and backed off.

The colt's smile seemed friendly as he asked " do you need anything? I have sone extra fruit if you want it."

Skuggor paused for a second and thought for a minute. He soon came to a realization. He hadn't gotten any food for the day.

With this fact he decided the offer would be helpfull. Wanting to accept, and about to agree, he remembered he was an independent pony. He had to honor himself and be strong.

According to this he made his decision. He looked toward the colt and tried to stand up proudly. He unfolded his wings to look stronger. "Thanks, but i don't need help from anypony i don't know." He tried his hardest to depict strength and pride, though he knew he looked hungry and weak.

Suddenly he gut moaned for food. Smirking at him, the other colt sarcasticlly said, " Well your stomach definetly doesn't need food. Right now it sounds lime you've eaten like a king for days." He then proceeded to take out some sort of blue green mango fruit, and take a bite.

"My names dark" he stated as he chewed the fruit, juices dripping from his mouth, " whats yours."

Embaressed Skuggor folded his wings and crouched to the ground. Sheepishly he replied, "Skuggor. I'm Skuggor."

Dark pulled out another strange fruit and rolled it to him while saying, " i could just see you wanted this Skoog, you haven't eaten in days."

Hastily Skuggor scooped up the fruit and took a bite. As he ate, dark asked "Might i asked why you're out here all alone?"

Puzzlingly, Skuggor looked up and replied through hasty bites of blue green deleciousness "i might ask the same of you."

Dark quickly shot back saying, "i asked first so you answer me first, then i'm an open book"

Skuggor sighed, wiped his mouth and said, "i'm from a farm a ways east of here. I lived with my mother and father for a while 'till i dun' realized that the farm life there wasn't what i wanted from life and i needed to leave. A couple of months ago i ran into the forest. I'm headin' west 'till i find a new place to stay. Now what 'bout you. Where you from?"

Dark nodded and replied, "Well i'm from a town thats name as long been since forgotten with my parents. The town was mostly deserted when my parents stumbled upon it. I would talk about my talent but you've already discovered that and i would ask you but thats been revealed as well."

Skuggor noticed dark was questioning something in his mind. But then heseemed to make up his mind, and asked, "Should we continue moving, or should we make camp and rest."

Skuggor thought about it and decided it would be a good idea to make camp. He looked up at Dark and said, "how about we make due with the cave i been stayin' in for the last few hours?"

dark nodded in agreement and said "sounds like a plan."

And so Skuggor turned around and walked into the cave.

That night Skuggor rested while Dark kept watch.

Not knowing then, these two had just began a long friendship, which would help them survive through the next few years on their travel through the forest, each on their own quest.

To be continued in

Part Three: A Home