Phase One - Long forgotten
I awoke with an unfmiliar feeling in my chest. That in itself was rather strange,
since I should not be able to feel in my current state. My bindings should be preventing that after all.
As I looked down on my body, I saw the source of this feeling. A crack has opened in the layer, that kept me bound.
Then I realised it. I could move my head again.
"No way! I can't believe it! I'm getting free! Yes, yes, finally!" I shouted out in glee.
Immediately afterwards my senses returned to me and I shut my mouth. After I scanned the area that I could observe I sighed in relieve.
"Nobody in sight, man am I glad. Now if this prison could just hurry up and collapse already. I don't want to find out if they heard me."
After another two minutes, my Arms were free and I started peeling down the stoney layer that covered me.
When I finished I supervised the Immediate area again.
"Same dungeon, but something feels... different." I thought to myself. I looked around some more and saw part of the walls and ceiling surrounding me had collapsed. "What happened here? ...oh no, please tell me she is alright!" I sped out of the dungeon through the halls of the castle as I took in the changes. "Everything here looks so broken. How long was I imprisoned?" I came to a window, which missed a large part of it's glas, and looked outside. I couldn't believe my eyes. What I saw was nothing like what I remembered. Instead of the peaceful castletown, that once resided here, there was nothing but a thick, dark forest. Not even ruins of the buildings that should be standing here remained. "How long was I out cold?" I couldn't help but feel depressed as I asked myself that question once more.
My silent pondering over what happened here and how long ago that was, was interrupted by the howling of wolfes and the terrified shriek of children. Not exactly having time to think about my actions, I already leapt out the broken window and was running in the direction of the cries. It didn't take long when I found them. Three fillies running away from a pack of six Timberwolves. No wonder they were crying out in fear. Though the scene before my eyes was rather strange.
While the fillies looked the same as everypony I remembered, bipedal with hooves instead of feet and completely covered in fur, the Timberwolves shouldn't be here at all. If my memories served right, the nearest Timber-Den resided at least a good half day march to the west of the castle. So why were these hunting not even twenty minutes from the castle grounds? I silently pondered this as I ran to the one wolf nearest to the fillies and kicked it in the gut.
It flew sideways a good two meters before chrashing into a tree and sliding down. It whimpered a bit before turning back to the pack heading into its midst. What many don't know is that these wolves have a sense for strenght, they aren't just some mindless beasts that attack anything they come across. after what they saw me doing to one of their own, they retreated to hunt for some less bothersome prey.
As I turned around to see what the wolves previous prey looked like, I caught a white Unicorn filly with a mane in light pink and light purple, that was fainting from the exhaustion. The other two, an orange Pegasus with purple mane, and a yellow Earthpony with red mane and a the biggest bow I have seen to date, were shaking in fear, when I took hold of the filly and began carrying her to the river, that should be nearby. The two snapped out of it and began to follow and shout at me as I was leaving. I simply ignored them, because tending to the fainted Unicorn was more important.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were sure. Today was the day. The day they would all obtain their cuty marks.
For that to happen though, they had to do something awesome. Thus they resolved to venture into the Everfree Forest, to gain their Timberwolf taming cuty marks.
So, in hope of finding a lost Timber wolf puppy, to train with, they got deeper into the forest than they were planning to.
After a while of walking throgh the dark forest and growing tension Sweetie finally tried to convince the other two fillies to leave the forest and go home. She accidently stepped on a twig, which broke and made the three fillies jump from the sudden noise. Both, Applebloom and Scootaloo glared at Sweetie Belle, who uttered a faint mumble as an apology.
When they heard the nearby bushes rustle and more twigs snap, the fillies grew nervous fast.
"What is that?", Sweetie Asked with a scared strain in her voice. "Ah dunno, but whatever it is, it doesn't sound friendly." Applebloom replied after hearing the snarl of a predator. "On mah mark we run in that direction she spoke quietly, pointing down the path they were going. The other two simply nodded to that. "Alright. One... Two... Three... RUN!" She yelled the last word as a pack of Timberwolves jumped out of the scrub. The fillies let out the loudest shriek they could, when they started running towards the former castle of the royal sisters. After crossing a cliff via a small bridge they turned around. They hoped to have lost the pack of wolves but were shrieking again, when they saw the wolves crossing the same bridge they did. After crying out again, they ran further towards the castle when they were stopped by another creature. They stared in fear at this new creature, silently praying it was not another predator.
This creature before them, was unlike anything they have ever seen on their little adventures. It could have easily been mistaken for a pony, if it would have been in the dead of the night. It stood on the average height of a grown Stallion, though it was as Slender as most Mares. Its' fur was completly white, except for those eye like spots on its' arms, legs and torso. It looked like it was made of stone. Complete with cracks all over the body. From the head it sprouted something like a Minotaurs Horns. They were much longer though and curved, so it looked like a broken halo, mounted on its head. At the end of its' legs were no hooves, but oval-shaped deformities it stood on.
The fillies could only stare in horror as the creature suddenly jumped forward.
So this was it. This was how they would meet their end. As the prey of an unknown creature and without having earned their cuty marks. The world really wasn't fair. The three closed their eyes, awaiting the creatures' strike, which strangely, never came. Instead they heard the whimper of one of the wolves, when it crashed into a tree.
Sweetie Belle was the first to open her eyes again, only to see the Wolfpack leaving and the creature turning around.
Then everything went black for her.
The other two crusaders opened their eyes just as the bipedal creature catched Sweetie Belle and prevented her from falling over. They couldn't move a muscle as the creature lifted their fellow Crusader on it's back and began to leave.
They snapped out of their fear and began chasing the strange being, demanding to release their friend.
After they reached the cliff, where the bridge they crossed earlier was, the creature suddenly stopped.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I arrived to where the river should be, and, lucky me, it was really there. Only problem was, that over the course of time I was imprisoned, the water dug a furrow into the ground. Now the water was a few hundred meters below a cliff.
"Damn, I didn't expect that." After I spoke out, I heard the other two gasp loudly. I turned around asked what the matter was when they suddenly took a step back from me. "Great, two scared fillies and one unconcious one. I think I need an adult here... wait I am an adult."
Hearing that the Orange one spoke up with a temper, "Hey! Who are you calling scared you monster. I'm not scared of anything." The other one being way more levelheaded responded to that with "Scoots, stop that! What if you make it angry?"
Hearing that I laughed out loud and replied with a simple, fatherly grin on my lips, "Such a comment wouldn't make me mad. Not in a thousand years. But more importantly, does any of you two know a way either out of the forest or to a river? I wan't to tend to your friend here and some water would be helpful. Judging by the depth of this rivers' cliff I was away longer than expected, so my knowledge of the area might be more than limited."
The two looked at each other, worry clear in their eyes and the yellow one spoke up, "Well, mister, there's a bridge over there we came across and Zecoras hut shouldn't be far off from there, if we follow the path that is."
I responded with a little chuckle and replied, "If that's the case, please take the lead."
As we began to traverse the forest I introduced myself to the two concious fillies: " By the way, before I forget it, I am Skeath, the shadow." There was no need to give them my full name for the time being.
"Wow, thats an odd name.", the Pegasus spoke, "Anyway, I'm Scootaloo." As she said her name, she struck a pose, which she must have assumed looked pretty heroic. I simply chuckled at her antics.
"Ah say, that really is an odd name.", the aother one spoke up," Ah'm Applebloom, pleased ta meet cha. The one on your back is Sweetie Belle."
"A strange name for an even stranger creature.", I responded, "It is indeed a pleasure to meet you all. So how far till we reach the hut?" I asked. I wouldn't want the filly to be in any danger because I couldn't treat her after all.
"Shouldn't be much farther." Applebloom responded with a smile, then I heard Scootaloo shout out:"There she is, hey Zecora!". I heard an unfamiliar and yet very familiar voice replying from the front.
"Well, well, what spy my eyes? And here I thought, I imagined those cries. Many beasts roam this forests' paths, though you don't seem to be in dread. What may have happened, that you could come here so calm, without even a scratch on your palm?"
The Zebra seemed to be shocked to see me at first but calmed down significantly when she saw who I was carrying on my back. "Seems like not all of you are feeling well. Though little Sweetie here is just exhausted, that much I can tell."
After a short introduction, Zecora Invited me and my little companions inside the hut, so that I ould lay down the still sleeping filly to rest.
I turned to the other two Ponies. "So, you two, what happened that those Timberwolfes had to chase you all the way to the castlegounds back then?" Even though I asked out of couriosity, and not out of anger, the fillies looked rather uneasy, with their ears pressed flat at their heads.
"Wait there is a castle in this forest?", Scootaloo perked up at this. I tilted my head in slight confusion at this response. "Of course there is a castle. It's where the King and Queen live after all. That reminds me, where are they? When I woke up earlier, the castle was in ruins. What happened, that could have done that?"
This time it was the fillies turn to be confused. "Sorry, Mister, but what King and Queen are you talking about?", Applebloom asked.
Author's Note
Well here it is. My fist chapter of my first story since ever. 
Hope you guys enjoy it and do feel free to leave your comments.
Any type of criticism is appreciated since it will help me to grow as a writer and create better stories for you. 
p.s.: rhyming is damn hard. If you try it in an unfamiliar language, even more so.
