The Kings of the Everfree

It was the eve of the Grand Galloping Gala, and Angel Bunny was not happy. He'd been handed off to an old lady, a little kid, and...Well, Big Macintosh was alright, but Angel and the other pets were being holed up in the Apple family's barn, where there was plenty of room for them, while their owners went off to a party. He wandered around in circles, glaring at the two female pets in hopes of keeping them away, until it occurred to him that he had a friend here. He hopped over to Gummy, the gator with his mouth wrapped around a support beam.

“We gotta get out of here.” Angel said. Animals, of course, could not speak. Their language consisted of a few vocalizations, body language, expressions, and more than a little of the ambient magic present in every last bit of Equestria. That special wavelength of magic, flowing through the world, allowed nearly any animal to understand any other. To Angel's knowledge, only one pony had any access to that flow of energy at all: His pony. Fluttershy.

“I don't know. Kind of nice. Got plenty to chew on.” Gummy replied, gnawing toothlessly. “Plenty to eat. Some company.”

“The only company worth a damn here is you, Gums. All I know about the owl is that he won't come down from the rafters, and Winona has no sense of personal boundaries.”

“I think you're forgetting someone.” Opalescence purred from behind them.

“Oh, right, thank you.” Angel nodded to her, smiling, before turning back to Gummy with his standard glaring expression. “And the cat's a total bitch!” Opal gasped at this and turned her head up as she walked away.

“...Fair 'nough.” Gummy removed his mouth from the wooden beam. “How do we get out, and where are we headed?”

“...I've always wanted to see just what's in the forest.” Angel began checking the walls until he finally found a crack big enough for a small bunny. “I don't think you'll fit through here...” He could easily have the time of his life on his own, but Angel didn't just like Gummy. He respected him. He wouldn't leave him behind.

“Go get caught. Pony opens door to bring you in, I slip out, you go back out the crack.” Gummy told him, blinking asynchronously. Angel nodded and squeezed through the hole. A few moments later, the door opened, and Gummy snuck past Big Macintosh, who was holding the little rabbit by the scruff of his neck. When Angel slipped out the crack again, Gummy was there waiting.

“Hop on.” The gator said, facing the forest.

“I can walk on my own, Gummy.”

“Cold night. I'm exothermic. You give me heat, I'll give you a ride.” He told the bunny. Angel shrugged, not really sure what exothermic meant, and climbed onto the gator's back. They slowly made their way forward, through the orchard, to the Everfree Forest. In the dark, peering from between the trees were two dozen glowing eyes. Shadows around the eyes resolved themselves into solid shapes as they drew closer. The Timber Wolves stared at the encroaching creatures who neither slowed nor changed their course.

The moment they stepped through the threshold of the forest, one of them lunged forward, jaws open, to pick the bunny clean from the gator's back. It was surprised, however, when it's jaws closed, to find the bunny not within them. It looked up, Angel having jumped off of Gummy, but before it had a chance to react, Angel brought his fluffy foot down to bear on his attacker's face, bouncing himself back into the air with his powerful leg. The Timber Wolf's head plummeted toward Gummy, who knocked it clean off of the magical creature's body with a strike of his tail. Angel landed smoothly on Gummy's back, and they continued moving in, the Timber Wolves staring and snarling at them. They thought for a minute, and Angel climbed down. They began snapping the pieces of wood that made up the felled magical being, causing a yelp of pain with each one.

They wouldn't kill the wolf. It would be able to reassemble and the wood would repair itself over time, but they hadn't brought the fire they'd need to kill one permanently. The other wolves stared in terror. These intruders had effortlessly and brutally beaten down one of their own. Two more attacked and met similar results. The rest backed away from them, terrified. They resumed their trek into the forest.

“You thinking what I'm thinking, Gummy?” Angel asked, his eyes still angry, but his lips curled in a smile.

“Next time, bring matches?” There were several yelps of fear. Apparently, the Timber Wolves could understand them.

“I don't think that'll be necessary.” Angel replied. “But no...I was thinking we could rule this place.”

“...I like living with Pinkie.” Gummy mused.

“We'll still live in Ponyville.” Angel assured him. “But this whole forest is gonna bow down to us by the time we go back. And—hang on.” he hopped off of Gummy and wandered over to what appeared to be a snake tail sticking out of a bush. There was a cock's comb sticking out as well. He pointed at the tail, grinning wickedly. Gummy secured his mouth on it and yanked just as the Cockatrice emerged, having planned to petrify them. Gummy swung the would-be ambusher over his head, smashing it into the ground over and over.

The Cockatrice stood, dazed and beaten. Angel grabbed it by its neck and began slapping it over and over. “That's for planning to mess with us. Tell your friends what happened here. Warn them what happens to those who defy the...um...Gummy. Lil help?” He asked, unable to think of a name.

“Kings of the Everfree?”  They shared a long, serious look, grins spreading wide on both their faces.

“That's right. We're the Kings of the Everfree.” He released the Cockatrice, who stared, not with intent to harm, but with an incredible sense of fear, and, oddly enough, respect. Before it fled, it bowed deep to the both of them, knowing it had fully intended to kill them, and that they had been fully capable of killing the Cockatrice in retaliation, but chose mercy. It would do as they ordered, and as they continued their way in, over the course of hours, they noticed a large group of magical creatures amassing around them, staring from between trees, and looking out from the undergrowth.

Some looked on in wonder, the stories the Cockatrice and Timber Wolves had shared amazing them at the way these two small beings handled themselves. Others believed it to simply be a joke. One such non-believer was a fierce manticore. It stepped forward, teeth bared, wings extended, tail poised to strike. It walked straight up to them, looming over the bunny and gator, and let loose a powerful roar. Angel kicked it right in the jaw, its teeth closing painfully around its tongue. The manticore cried out and fled, its tongue bleeding from several holes, some of which had punctured clear through.

The rest of the crowd continued to watch them, not paying any mind to the manticore that had attacked them. they stared in awe and deference. The new Kings had a sense of otherworldly authority. They had no reason to believe that the manticore would not devour them both, but not only were they unbowed, one of them had swiftly and decisively stricken the beast and sent it running scared. They were two of the smallest things in the whole forest, barring only the parasprites, but their presence was unequaled.

Gummy climbed up onto a large rock, surrounded by their new kingdom's citizens, and Angel climbed off of the alligator to address them. “Never forget who controls this forest. You're all only allowed to kill to eat, or to avoid being eaten, and the eating part's only if you're strictly carnivorous. Not one of you has the right to kill for territory. After all, you're all on our land.” As Angel concluded his address, the two of them surveyed their subjects, and shared a high five for the ages as the sun crested the trees, framing them perfectly.

“...They'll be back home in a few hours.” Gummy told Angel, noting the sun.

“And so will we.” Angel smiled.

“We've got a lot more work to do,” Gummy said, Angel climbing back on. “We've got a lot of attention and some respect, but not a real kingdom."

“In due time.” Angel said, smiling. “In due time. But for now...” Angel sighed with satisfaction. "This has been the best. night. ever."