I could only look up at the dark canopy of leaves above me. They did a spectacular job of blotting out the warm sunlight, each serrated edge of every leaf sticking together like the sandspurs that held onto my legs. I gulped hard as I felt a fell breeze begin to roll across the opening I had found, the evil leaves beginning to rustle at the wind's insistence. This was no place for a pony.
Lowering my gaze, I looked around at the clearing I was in. The ancient trees, sentinels of the forest, each towered over me, as if they had no other job than to intimidate me. The large knots and holes in their bark made an eerie mix of shapes, some producing what looked like faces of anger and sorrow. I looked around quickly only to see more of them, their branches reaching out like long claws, hoping to ensnare me in them. There was no way out, no escape from the forest.
Feeling my fear starting to win, I lowered myself to the hard dirt below me. Tears began to form at the edges of my eyes as I continued to scan the forest around me, trying to find any identifying mark of where I had came from. I was here because of my own stupidity and the thoughts stabbed at me. I should never have claimed I was fearless at school and should have said no to that colt who dared me to enter into here. Why was I so dumb?
The tears began to burn as I forced them back, trying desperately not to cry. There was no way I would make it back home now, not since I had lost my trail back to the edge. My work in marking the trees had been for naught, especially since I marked the wrong side of them. Why didn't I think of that? Of course I could see them if I was walking into the forest, but not behind me. I was so stupid for doing this, just so stupid.
Eventually, my will gave way under the pressure of the tears. The first ones were warm as they dribbled down my cheeks, followed soon by many others. I closed my eyes and sniffled to myself, allowing my self-pity to overwhelm me. I needed my mother and father now, even if it was just to hear them tell me everything was going to be alright. I could picture my mother's reaction when she heard the news that I was lost in the Everfree Forest, her wide and pretty eyes spilling tears as she charged into the forest, bent on finding me.
I cried harder at that, knowing she would be so upset. My father would be worse. I was his little princess and I knew he would stop at nothing to find me, uprooting every tree in the forest only to find nothing. He would shout my name into the forest to hear nothing but the echoes and animal cries return his calls. This was the worst day of my life.
Raising my head up, I tried to look at the forest once more. The tears blurring my eyes made it difficult to see anything, causing my lingering hopes to burn away. There was nothing around me; nothing but the brown, black and green of the trees. I turned to my left, trying once more to scan the forest, when I saw something.
At the far edge of the clearing, I saw what would become the most terrifying thing I would experience in my life. From the black space beyond the narrow opening between two of the biggest trees, I saw a pair of sickly green lights. They were not too far away and seemed to stay still, as if they were watching me. I perked up at that, my ears standing up and tears halting for a moment. Perhaps this was a way out? Did somepony hear me or come looking?
Elation began to build in my chest as I rose to my hooves, determined to find out who my savior was. Foolishly, I began to run towards the lights, a large smile splitting my face. It didn't take me long to reach the edge when I skidded to a halt, my previous joy evaporating like a puddle in Appleloosa. I could hear something breathing heavily, much more than a pony normally would.
Without warning, the green eyes darted to me quickly. I had no time to react as the lights rose into the air and exited the darkness, showing me what they really were. They weren't the glow of a unicorn's horn like I had hoped they would be. Instead, a massive body of wood flew in my direction. The green orbs I had locked onto were revealed to be the eyes of the creature, a large and powerful looking wolf made completely out of various tree branches and logs.
I had foolishly run right at one of the most feared creatures in all of Equestria. The name of the creature hit me as its body fell from the sky. I had run straight into a Timberwolf.
All I could do was close my eyes as I heard the wooden paws of the wolf impact the ground around me. The sheer force of its landing knocked me onto my back, my hooves weakly curling up in front of me. I felt a small gust of hot air blow against my neck and chest, meaning it's mouth was poised straight over them. When the wind left, the snarling began. It flooded my ringing ears as I cringed and curled up more. At that moment, I was sure of only one thing: I was going to be eaten.
The sound of the growling mixed with clicking wood as the wind drew away from my neck. I peeked out of my shut eye, opening it just a hair, to see the green orbs locked onto me. The wolf towered over me like the evil trees had, its mouth open and sharp teeth poised to strike. It reared its head back and let out an ear piercing howl, one that I could only shudder to. I had seen enough to know what it was planning on doing to me and I could do nothing in return.
I whimpered at that as my tears returned, spilling down my cheeks uncontrollably. I was so afraid of everything; knowing I was going to be eaten, the forest and, most of all, the wolf. I had never felt this much fear before and let myself cry. The howling went on for a few more seconds before the wolf stopped. In my weak state, I just lay there and waited for something to happen, whimpering and crying the whole time. I knew Timberwolves were merciless creatures who would eat you in an instant and I fully expected this one to prove me right.
However, nothing came as I shuddered and cried. I rolled to my side, a pathetic pile of fear, and continued to cry, waiting for the inevitable. That was when I felt what I assumed was its breath come back on my side, making me shiver more. It came and went repeatedly, moving up and down my side. I simply kept whimpering as I waited for it to bite, but the piercing never came. Instead, the breath drew away and the clicking of wood filled the air.
I opened one glossy eye and looked up, hoping it wasn't going to bite me as soon as I did. The green orbs were still there, staring into my pupil. They were no longer harsh and cruel, but glowed brightly, as if the wolf was not angry. I flinched and shuddered as I saw its snout move towards me, but the quick breaths began to blow across me face. I blinked and looked back up at the wolf to see its nose move quickly around my head.
I realized then what it was doing. The Timberwolf was sniffing me like I was a curious object. The nose moved across my face and up into my mane before coming back to my cheek. It sniffed twice more before its mouth parted slowly, a long leafy tongue darting out and brushing against me. The tongue was rough and scratchy, but it wasn't the sharp teeth that it snaked between. It licked right on the small trail my tears had carved on me, absorbing all the remaining water left there. I closed my eyes and gasped as the tongue brushed against the corner of my eye, but it left just as quickly as it came.
The wood clicked again and I risked looking at it once more. The wolf no longer huddled over me but sat in its rump, just like I would, and stared at me curiously. I was still shivering, but I managed to uncurl myself before another set of green orbs appeared behind it, followed by two more. Much to my astonishment, three much smaller Timberwolves emerged from the trees, each no bigger than me. They tilted their heads and stared at me in the same way the larger one did, each with their own curious look.
One began to yip as it left the safety of the larger one and scurried towards me, its eyes inquisitive. I flinched again and waited for it to bite me, but the wolf only nuzzled my belly. I reacted by swatting at it, trying to stop it from hurting me in my imagination. The smaller wolf simply yipped and backed up, panting happily and standing in a playful manner. I was still in fear of the larger one and glanced over to it, but the wolf simply watched as the smaller one tried to play with me.
Eventually, the other two smaller wolves came over, much more cautiously than the first, but they sniffed me and seemed to be interested in what I was. I eventually stood up and tried to walk away, but the wolves followed me, as if this was a game. I smiled weakly to them before the larger one rose to its paws and walked over to me. Fear began to fill me as it towered over and moved its snout to me. Maybe it wanted me to be entertaining to the smaller ones before eating me?
I felt the teeth clamp down around my tail, scaring me into screaming, before I was lifted into the air. I hung upside down, afraid that the wolf was going to bite me again, before it began to trot off into the woods with me hanging from its mouth, the smaller wolves in tow. They each yipped at me and bounded along as the bigger one picked up its pace, moving between the trees in a swift fashion. I swung around as my tail remained in its maw and yelped each time a tree sailed by me, but to my surprise, the wolf made sure I didn't hit any of them.
I wasn't sure how long the wolf ran with me, but each second was horrible to endure. My fear began to build up inside of me again as I thought about what it would do with me. It was probably taking me back to its den to eat me there, or possibly trying to lose the smaller ones so it wouldn't have to share. Tears began to sting my eyes again as the wolf moved faster, me swinging helplessly from its teeth.
As I began to think my fears were coming true, a bright burst of sunlight nearly blinded me as the wolf exited the forest. I blinked and rubbed my eyes a couple times before I could see properly. I gasped when I saw the place; the school I went to was just over a small hill, right next to the forest line I had foolishly entered. As I gazed at the building in the distance, I felt the teeth let go of my tail and I landed on the ground. I shook my head and turned back to the large Timberwolf, along with the three smaller ones at its paws. I was unsure of what to do until the big one lowered its snout and gave me a small push with it, directing me back to the school.
Shock and awe washed over me as I stared at the wolf, which looked at me with its green eyes. It had saved me from the forest instead of eating me like a ripe, plump carrot. I could not express how grateful I was to it, so I did the next best thing. As stupid as it sounds, I reached out and hugged the foreleg of the wolf, thankful it had found me in those terrifying woods.
A small growl came from it and the nose of the larger wolf began to sniff my mane again, causing the three smaller ones to come up and do the same. It should have been the scariest thing I experienced all day, but I was so happy, I didn't care. I eventually let go of the Timberwolf's leg and ran off to the school, turning back to see the four of them returning to the forest quickly. I couldn't explain the gratitude I felt for that wolf, but I never looked at Timberwolves the same way again after that.
'Even monsters can have a heart.' I thought as I ran back, the bell ringing from the school's bell tower.
