My baby brother

Chapter Three The Yellow Eyes

"Maybe that wasn't such a good Idea, its so cold here. It's like a whole new place, I've never been here maybe I should go back...No I can't this is and easy walk. I just have to fallow the path."

Applebloom wasn't as carefree as she was coming in to the forest. Every sound was a threat in her mind. Her mouth held the flashlight, sweat was rolling down her chin as she heard branches break a couple feet to the right of her. She held the the flashlight shivering jolted her body to the left and pointing it at a bush. It wasn't windy and birds were not chirping. It was amazing how dark it was in the forest.and how it looked more like an untouchable area from the ponies life style changes. Applebloom jumped at every whisper, of every creek and pop within the darkness. She started thinking about Her family and how she will make it out of the forest with her chin high and mighty. Then she felt a cold light touch on the nape of her neck that sent the coldest shivers down her back. It sent lighting sparks throughout her body running through her blood. Applebloom screamed not even looking back, dropping the flashlight, and running in completely thick darkness. That held creatures with big eyes, ears, and minds that were controlled by their stomachs. She ran dodging every tree and once she could see it, she began to hear something chasing her.

Its warm moist breath grabbing at her tail. The yellow filly moved left and right trying to shake whatever it was that was chasing her. She felt its paws swing at her back hooves, she bucked and kicked it in the bottom jaw. She heard a large a large crack and felt blood splatter. It rained all over her tail and back legs. And although it cried and stopped hunting her, she felt the ground become wet and uneven it was very slippery. She than lost her balance, and fell on all four of her legs tumbling but still moving pretty fast. Uncontrollably, she slipped off the the soap like ground and fell down smacking her body into the river a few feet below. Her lungs had the wind run out of them. She fainted and sunk deeper in the river.

Applejack was worried. Her sister was not seen since lunch, and now that it is dark she began thinking shaky thoughts. Big mac said not to worry, he was washing the dishes inside their home. He does not wash dishes that often, but when he is washing he ends up breaking a plate or two. Not meaning to but his massive hooves carry a lot of power. Applejack walked up to him and helped scrub of the hard plates, that Big mac couldn't get the dirt of. Without breaking the plate anyway.

"It's not like her to just storm off and not come back, shouldn't we go look for her?"

Applejack asked him. He wasn't looking at her but he said what he meant when he answered her.

"Surely you have seen how saddle sore she had gotten about the whole cattle run? You know how she is with her friends trying to get their cutie marks and all."

"You're right,brother, you know, maybe I should give her a real talk about the cattle run, still... I feel something odd about her just runnin' off like that."

"Don't be Applejack. I betcha shes just with Zecora or maybe Sweetie bell. Somepony who will,will understand her. Ponyville is a safe place. What trouble could she ever get herself into?"

Applebloom was out of the river safe for now. She awoken out of the river oddly, but near it. shivering, sniffing, and bleeding. The fall had thrown her body in rocks cutting her legs and scraping them. The fall had also made her lose the one thing she held close to her. Her mothers bow. The mud had started grabbing at her legs sinking dirt within her wounds. She dipped her front hooves in the cold water and watched the trail of blood and dirt run away along with the river. She had just realized that what was chasing her was a young bobcat. But what she didn't know is that she could barely escape two yellow hungry eyes, when in fact there was four watching her at this very moment. After cleaning the dirt off, she thought about starting a small fire. And then she could follow the river back home. Applebloom learned how to make fires by her older sister but its still hard to do. Plus she was never able to make one by herself. Let alone with wet bleeding hooves. She still had to try something. She grabbed the closest barks and sticks she could work with and tried to get a spark. The area Applebloom was resting at was were the river was were the river was calmly running by her reassuring her that everything will be fine.

The sticks she was holding, has yet to light a single spark or even smoke. She was sweating, begging for warmth. Like the blankets Granny smith would make for her. And comforting feelings Zecora's home had, anything to get her nerves to clam down. It was going to be a long cold night. But what Applebloom wanted more then ever, was some pony to guide her home. Applebloom was still badly wounded she wouldn't be able to escape anything that would want to gobble her up. The only thing that would protect her would be... fire. Applebloom could feel the sticks heating up. But heard a "cah-plunk" with in the river. As if something had fallen in like she did. She stared at the river trying to see movement. But by doing so she lost the heat of the fire. It was painfully cold again, so Applebloom went back to making a fire.

"Please, please please please please! I don't want to die a little filly! I miss my friends! My family I just want to go home!"

She screamed in tears. She laid in an area where the grass was brown and gray but stringy and tall. Trees looked hunched and branches look as if they are reaching to grab a leg or two. Creeks and whispers became louder within the night. The only light ever seen is a group of fireflies by the river that come and go. Applebloom payed no attention to them. The crickets sounded as if they were all singing the same song but the lyrics where made up as they go along. Frogs joined in, too this tune but everyone silenced when an owl played its part. Applebloom didn't mind the frogs or insects but the drop dead silence had killed her. She heard something creeping closer and closer. She can feel the sticks and smell smoke. A small flame started on the branch and grew. She could see golden eyes crawling in the grass. Her legs throbbed in pain. There was something that ran by her. They're teasing her wanting to make the most of this kill. She could hear them laugh at her. She could hear them lick their lips and stretched out there claws. Applebloom made amber and cinders around the stick it grew. Not to big but enough to hold a small torch. And enough to scare off the cats. She swung it near the closest one. Her eyes glaring in fear and heart feeling as if it where to burst out. Only to reveal a river otter was looking right back up to her with the same look.

"...Oh its just an..."

She was not able to complete her sentence the otter ran under her and attacked a bobcat who was just about to jump on her, hold her down and break her neck. The otter screamed in the cats ears and bites its eyes. The bobcat, only a year old jumped back in confusion swinging the otter of its face then rising both of its claws to tare the thing off of his face. Swiftly, the otter recoiled from the young cat and ran back in to the river before the cat could even touch him. The cat as well ran off, but in the opposite direction. Amazed, Applebloom stared with the torch in her mouth. She almost dropped it when the otter came back pushing some sorta cloth on her bleeding leg. It was her bow, and the otter was trying to help her.

"...Thank you...why are you doing this?"

Otters are not ponies so, simply Otters can not speak to ponies but they could understand each other better then most animals. The otter was young too, but it seems he has no family. What might of happen is that he was lost, or they were killed...maybe even hunted. But what was important was that he was alone, and desperately wanted to talk to someone to connect. The otter swam in to the river and came back with and odd plant like leaves with calming scents like lavender or sage. Carefully wrapping it around each hoof of Applebloom. The otter did not leave it just sat by her and stared almost saying:"Please don't leave me."