Rising Shadows

…Birds?

James snapped his eyes open, “The fuck.” He mumbled as he look at the forest around him. He was lying against a large boulder in a small clearing that was surrounded by massive, dark trees.

James' mind went into over drive. 'Why am I alive?' He thought as the memories of the firefight dawned on him. His arm shot down to his side too look for the wound but found nothing, only his t-shirt showed any indication of the wound as it was stained red.

Multiple thoughts whizzed through his head, 'Why isn't there a bullet wound? what happened to Mark, why the fuck ain’t I dead!'

James sat forward and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of everything that was going on. 'could this be hell?' he took another good look at the dark forest and the slowly fading day light. 'seems like it.'

A glimmer of light caught his eye. At his foot lay his pistol half submerged in dirt. He quickly grabbed the gun, “Everything looks fine...” He said as he inspected the gun. He removed the clip and sighed, there was only three rounds left.

“This just gets better and better.”

James rested against the rock and shut his eyes. 'how did it go so wrong?'

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

He quickly turned towards where he thought the noise come from. “Was that a scream?”

AHHHHHHHHHHH

He rushed to his feet and charged off in the direction of the noise. He crashed intotree line and clipped a tree with is shoulder, the impact shattered the tree. James stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at tree, it was missing a huge chunk out of the side.

“What the fuc...” Another scream got his attention and he ran.

James was pounding through the forest towards the scream. “Somepony! help me!”

'Did they just say somepony?'

James stopped at the edge of the clearing his mouth agape. A wooden wolf about the size of a small horse was snarling and growling at a small cave opening. James just stared 'It's made out of wood... the wolf is made out of wood.'

James looked on for a moment before raising his gun and took aim at the wolf's head. Just as he was about to fire a bush to his right rustled. He snapped his head to the side and his eyes went wide. Another large wolf was staring right back at him, hardly making a noise.

James' heart pounded in his chest. He didn't want to make the first move and miss as he only had three rounds left. 'Fuck it' he quickly swivelled to the side and brought is gun to aim. The wolf lunged at him and he opened fire, two rounds passed straight through its chest in a hail of shattered wood and splinters as it fell to the ground howling in agony.

James quickly backed away from the screaming wolf as it flopped around the ground in agony before taking it's last breaths.

James quickly turned towards the clearing again and looked for the other wolf, it was gone. James narrowed his eyes as he slowly walked out into the clearing. Keeping his head on a swivel he jumped at every sound, just waiting for the wolf to jump at him.

After a few moments of complete silence he moved towards the small cave opening. The opening had to have been only meter high and half that in width. He could hear a light whimpering coming form the cave, he bent and tried speaking in his friendliest voice “Anyone there? Don't worry I wont hurt yo...”

He stopped mid sentence when he noticed the cowering form in the cave. A small yellow filly with bright red hair and bow lay down with her hooves over her eyes shaking like mad. “Are you OK little one?” He asked as he slowly reached out to touch the small filly.

The filly moved her hooves from her face and looked up at James before going wide eyed.“Sorry mister human please don't hurt me.” she pleaded, backing even further into the small cave.

James stared on blankly trying to understand what just happened, then it hit him. “what the fuck!” He shouted as he stumbled backwards before falling straight onto his back. “You just talked, a horse just TALKED!”

This just made the colourful filly whimpered even more. “Please don't hurt me.” she squeaked.

James shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “Don't worry I wont hurt you.” He said as he tucked his gun in his pocket and slowly made his way back towards the cowering filly. She was crying now, tears trickled down her face as she held her eyes shut.

James reached out and placed a hand on her head, she flinched at the touch and cowered away even more. “Don't worry, I wont hurt you.” She slowly opens her eyes and looks up at the human. Her eyes were massive, they were a light mix of orange and red and seemed to quiver as she looked at the large man in front of her.

“Really?” she asked, her lip still trembling. James' heat stopped 'Oh god, she is so CUTE!'

“No I wont hurt you now what's you name little one?”

“Mah names Applebloom.” She said. “Are you really not going to hurt me?”

“Of course not. Why would I hurt you?”

“It's just that I’ve never met a friendly human before.”

James hummed 'At least there are other humans around here but they don't sound to friendly.'

“So little one are you going to tell me why you are in the middle of a dark forest all by your self?”

The sad look on her face returned “Ah cant go home.”

“Why not?”

She was on the verge of tears. “A human has taken over Ponyville, he's got my sister!” She began to cry again.

James was about to speak again but the sound of rustling bushed caught his attention and he turned, waiting for the wolf to leap at him. Instead of a wolf a large red pony ran into the clearing somehow and somehow managing wielding a large spear.

The Large pony stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of James standing over Applebloom, the pony's gaze hardened. “Get away from my sister!” he yelled in a southern drawl. Brandishing the spear as he approached.

“Whoa man! No need to get angry now I was just trying to help.” James said as he backed away from the small filly at his feet.

“Bloom are you OK?” He asked as the small pony ran up to him and gave him a huge hug.

“I'm fine.”

“Don't you ever run off like that again. What were you thinking!” Applebloom lowered her head and muttered an apology. The large red pony looked at James and grunted, “What do you want?” He growled as he pointed the spear in the humans direction.

James gripped the hilt of his gun and stared back at the red stallion, “Well I did just save her life.” he said motioning at the dead wolf just visible in the tree line. The large pony seemed to relax slightly at this but he didn't lower his weapon.

“Is that true Applebloom?”

The filly nodded

He looked back at the human before letting out a large breath. “OK come with me and stay in front. If you try anything I’ll stab you in the back. Is that understood.” James had an uncertain look on his face but the large pony just smiled. “Or you can stay in this forest all alone.”

That got James' attention “Lead the way” he said with false enthusiasm as he let go of the pistol and let it slip back into his pocket.

The trio set off into the dark forest, James was in front with Applebloom sitting on the back of the large stallion. James would receive a small poke in the back every so often just as a reminder of the spear pointing right at his heart.

They soon reached a old wooden bridge that extended over a large gorge ,much like the ones you would find in some adventure flick. After crossing the bridge at James expense as the bridge was much to small for the human they made it to a large abandoned castle.

The castles was nothing more than a ruin, almost the entire thing was caved in except the bone white walls of the main entrance and the large brown door.

We approached the large brown door, the large red stallion hammered his spear against it three times then it opened with a loud creak.

Upon entering the castle dozens of spears came out of no where, all pointing directly at James' neck.

“Whoa whoa whoa!

“Why did you bring that thing here!” A dark brown pony hissed at James as he pushed the spear even closer to his neck.

“Because he saved mah sister.”

“I thought you were smarter than this Big Mac! This has to be a trap and you led him right to us!” The brown pony said as he glanced at Big Mac.

“Just kill him and through him in the gorge” A random pony shouted before getting a murmur of agreement.

“We will let Twilight decide what we do with, him no get out the way.” Big Mac ordered as the ponies reluctantly withdrew their weapons and made a path for the tree of them. A small poke in the back from the red stallions spear made James jump before he started walking further into the castle.

As they walked James was met with stares of hatred and utter disgust. Murmurs about how they should just kill the 'monster' made him feel even more uneasy

They soon made it to a small set of double doors which two stallions standing guard opened at the sight of Big Mac. The room was small but had a large table in the middle of it with dozens of maps covering it. Four ponies were huddled around the map and were in a deep conversation about what the best plan of was.

“Twilight I found something rather interesting” Big Mac said as two of them walked towards the table leaving Applebloom on the floor next to the door.

“Not now Big Mackintosh we're busy.” The purple unicorn replied, her eyes not leaving the map that was in front of her.

James just looked on at the group of ponies, he wasn’t even that surprised at the appearance of the unicorn, I mean come on, wolves mad out of wood and talking ponies? It wasn't much of a stretch.

“I really think you should see this.”

“Fine what is it.” She looked towards us and her eyes went wide. Her horn began to glow purple and was giving of bright sparks as the glow quickly intensified.

“What is That doing here!” She screamed as the other ponies around the desk, all stallions, clambered for their weapons.

“Whoa calm the fuck down!” The human yelled as he took a few steps away from the purple unicorn.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned to Big Mac. “Why is That here!” She hissed.

“He saved Applebloom from a Timberwolf, and he didn't try to kill me the moment I saw him.”

The unicorns look of rage was slowly being replaced with one of curiosity.

“I take it humans aren't known for being nice around here then?” James quipped in only to get started down by both Twilight and Big Mac.

“You could say that.” Twilight said. Her voice was cold and filled with venom. “ Now tell me who are you.”

James thought for a second 'should I give them my real name? Fuck it!'

“My names James.” Her eyes went wide and a purple blast hit him in the chest sending him flying into the far wall.

“Seize Him!” She screeched as a half dozen guards rushed into the room and surrounded the  human.

A large white pony rushed over to James with a pair of steel handcuffs and clipped them on his arms. “OK got him.” Those were the last words that he would ever say as large black mouth grabbed him by the neck. The pony gave a blood curdling scream as he was lifted into the air by the large black maw.

The guards stumbled back at the sight of there comrades now decapitated head lying on the floor and the blood stained human in front of them.

Shadows Whipped around James, his once blue eyes were replaced with pools of black. The black shadowy mouth screeched as it bit through the handcuffs that secured him before turning its attention to the crowed of stunned and shocked ponies.

A dark chuckle escaped James' mouth as the large toothed shadow lunged at Twilight.