The Tribe of the Everfree Forest

Neon Zap sneaked around her den and out of camp. The black pony had grown to about the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but there was something different… she didn’t know how to fly. Her parents had kept their word and they had not taught her to fly, as was the tribe custom. Neon didn’t see why; she was a pegasus, shouldn’t she know how to use what she was given at birth? She knew other ponies in her tribe who were pegasus and unicorns that couldn’t use magic or fly, but did that mean that she also needed to not fly? Hooves quietly stepping on the fallen leaves, she trotted away, and then when she was far enough, she took off, heading toward her special place.

Raggedy mane flew into her face as she bolted toward her cliff. ‘Her’ cliff was on the eastern edge of the Everfree forest, over-viewing a town. It was called something, Horseshoe, or Horsecrab, something like that. Soon enough, she made it to the cliff and looked over the town. It was a nice town, with lots and lots of buildings. Neon sighed. I wish I lived there. Hey… maybe I can! She looked back at her small wings, flapping them. “I bet I can fly! I know I can!”

She edged back, getting a head start. Neon bolted, wings flapping, toward the cliff, wind brushing her eyes, making her blink. “Neon!!!” Neon turned her head to see the tribe leader, Snow Frost, standing behind her.

“Snow FroSSTTT….!” Neon had fallen off the edge of the cliff when she had turned her head. Neon fell, hitting her head against the rock, and hitting her right ear on the edge. Her ear burned like it was on fire. Neon yelled and shook, trying to stop her fall. She hit the ground like a rock, right ear bleeding, bruises developing on her flank. The last thing Neon saw was Snow Frost running down a path as fast as he could. Then she saw darkness.

Neon Zap stirred, awoken by the voices coming from outside of her den. Her ear still hurt, but she felt leaves wrapped around it to stop the bleeding. “Are you kidding!? She could have died! I think we should….” Neon couldn’t hear the rest, for it was being whispered.

“Mommy..?” Neon asked, her eyes darting around the den. Her mother came in.

“Neon Zap! I am very disappointed in you, young filly! You went jumping off a cliff! What were you thinking!?” Neon shrunk away from the scolding mother, ashamed of herself.

“I j-just wanted to try out my wings, Mommy…”

“Wings?” Fern raged. “Wings?! I have told you many, many times never to try out your wings because of the tribe customs, and look what you did! You shame our family, and hurt yourself in the process!” Neon felt her ear with her hoof. Taking off the leaves, she felt that there was a nick in her ear from where the rock had hit her.

“I’m sorry, Mommy!!” Neon started to cry.

“We have delayed your acceptance ritual until next week. I hope that’s enough to knock some sense into you.” Fern walked out of the den, steaming. Neon continued to cry. Her acceptance ritual: delayed! Acceptance rituals were something done to fillies who have stayed with the tribe and obeyed their rules for a certain amount of time. They would also give her the markings of a true tribesman, designs to be written onto one’s skin. And it was delayed. Neon Zap: shunned.