The Everfree forest; home to the most dangerous creatures in Equestria. Beyond Bugbears, Ursas and Timber Wolves there were things far more dangerous then I ever could have imagined in my worst, most horrifying nightmares. Tree Jellies, deadly, venomous Burrow Bats and the twenty foot tall giant, flying Sasquatch they called Nara Shima which could silently swoop down out of the sky, catch even Bugbears in its talons and easily crush a skull with it’s foot long fangs before swallowing it whole.
Yeah, I was well aware of these things but avoiding them was easy enough as long as I was cautious and wary. That’s all it took, really, so living in the Everfree was no big deal as long as I was careful and kept on the move.
That was mildly annoying, always having to move from place to place, never being able to settle into any kind of permanent home. Things like Bug Moss and Nits made it impossible.
Yeah, Nits were tiny, almost invisible to the naked eye. Like a cross between an ant and a spider their enormous colonies were constantly on the move. Like tiny piranhas they would swarm over and devour anything that got too close.
Bug Moss was just as dangerous but lived in the trees and masses of them would drop on and instantly consume anything that stood under them for more than a few seconds. And, like the Nits they moved from place to place. So, no permanent home.
But, as much as I hated moving around it was better than being eaten alive in a nightmarishly slow and agonizing way by Nits or Bug Moss or finding myself trapped and suffocated in the sticky, gooey mass of a Tree Jelly.
Now, you may well ask why I chose to live alone in such a dangerous place as the Everfree and that would be a perfectly reasonable question.
If the truth be known I hated Equestria and everything about it. Sure, I’d known about it before I’d ended up here, had heard about it from friends who were totally into it but I never wanted to be here, never would have left Earth if I’d had any choice.
How I got here was and remained a complete mystery to me. Was I brought here by magic, or by some strange convergence of cosmic forces? I didn’t know and I didn’t care. I just wanted to be gone from it. Sure, I’d gone to the princesses to see if they could find a way to send me back but they couldn’t. Everything they tried failed and, so, here I was living in the Everfree forest just trying to make the best of it and not get killed.
So, there I was sitting at my campfire one night trying to make the best of yet another shitty day when the snap of a twig caught my ear. Instantly alert I leapt to my feet, grabbed the closest thing - a burning brand - from my campfire and began carefully scanning the darkness.
I stood listening, focusing, taking in every little sound. Nothing. Was it just my imagination? Was my mind playing tricks on me? Possibly but not likely. Also I knew the sound I’d heard was no trick, I’d actually heard it.
There! Again! The sound of a small branch snapping under the weight of... What? I whipped about to face the sound. Holding my torch high I peered intently into the darkness.
What stepped out of that darkness to face me filled me with such terror I almost shit myself as it stepped closer to the light of the camp fire.
A... Pony? No! Sure, it was shaped like a pony but it looked nothing like anything I’d ever seen.
First, it was far larger than even the largest ponies. It was tall with long, slender legs. I estimated that if it stood on its hind legs it would be over seven feet high!
It’s black coat was sleek and shone dully in the campfire light, its wild and unkempt tail and mane a deep charcoal gray and the hair on the ends of its ears ended in long, wild tufts.
Two long and curving red horns stood out from its forehead ending in vicious points. Two long fangs protruded from beneath its upper lip, ending just below its lower jaw but the worst were its enormous glowing red eyes which now glared at me.
It took a step closer.
“Stay back!”, I shouted, trying to sound angry but failing. I whipped my torch back and forth in front of me, trying to scare it. The thing didn’t even blink as it took another step closer. It seemed to be studying me with it’s horrifyingly cold eyes as if trying to assess how dangerous I might be.
Terrified I stumbled backwards, almost falling. Seeing my fear it took a few more wary steps toward me, it’s eyes sweeping over me, continuing to study me.
I glanced at my spear leaning on a nearby tree. Could I leap fast enough to get it before the thing was upon me? I considered my chances for a few seconds.
Then, before I could react the thing reared up on its hind legs and, spreading four enormous dragon fly wings flapped them furiously blowing me to the ground.
It was on me faster than I could blink! Standing over me now it pinned me to the ground with its forehoof, bringing its face close to mine. All I could do was lay there trembling like a leaf. Again it appeared to be studying me.
I shut my eyes tight and expected the worst. I shit myself as terror overwhelmed me.
Just then the soft touch of something tapping my face. I opened my eyes to see a long, black forked tongue flicking out of its mouth, touching my skin before disappearing again.
Was it... Tasting me? Trying to decide if I was edible?
Taking as deep a breath as I could with the weight of this thing’s hoof on my chest, I sighed and resigned myself to my fate. This was it. I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.
I felt hot breath and the hairs on its muzzle touch my cheek and all I could do was imagine the thing opening its maw to take its first bite. If I could have shit myself again I would have.
“You can’t be here!”. The low, rumbling growl hit my ear like the boom of a bass drum. I snapped my eyes open to find its fiery red eyes so close to mine they were all I could see.
“Mine!”, came that low growl, again, “Mine! This is my territory! You’re intruding! Get out!”
My mind reeled. Was I hallucinating or did this thing just... Speak to me?!
“Uh... What?!”, I squeaked
It pressed the tip of its muzzle against my nose.
“Get out!”, it growled louder.
“Uh, yeah! Sure! Whatever you say!” I tried to speak more normally but the knot in my throat prevented it. Again all I could do was squeak.
Just then that tongue flicked out again. I shut my eyes tight as it lapped my face. Maybe the thing was going to eat me after all?
Maybe it was because my mind reeled and I was insane from terror, maybe it was because the thing was three times my size and because there were no weapons in reach but the only thing I could think to do in that moment was to cautiously reach up toward it, try to pet it?
It turned its head, sniffed my fingers and seeing no danger looked back at me.
What was I doing? Was I now so insane from terror of immediate death that I’d completely lost my mind? My hands trembled violently as my fingers touched its cheek, began to slowly, softly stroke it.
Suddenly, it looked just as surprised as I was in that instant but then its expression softened, the fire in its eyes faded along with its rage.
It closed its eyes, sighed and leaned into my touch, began moving its head like a cat wanting to be petted. I began scratching its face and head more firmly, began scratching the base of its ears, stroking its mane. Was it me or did the thing just coo?
Just then it collapsed, spread eagle, on top of me. I could barely breath but barely breathing was better than being dead. I continued petting the thing. It laid its head on my shoulder.
“Can’t... Breathe”, I gasped. It either hadn’t heard me or was ignoring me. I did the best I could to keep from being suffocated and continued petting and scratching the thing.
“Mmm!”, it cooed, “Nice”
Instantly it leapt to its hooves and, standing over me, stared down at me again. Was it me or was the thing drooling, now? Oh, man! This was it! I hadn’t saved myself but had only bought myself a little time and nothing else.
“Mate with me!”, it growled, its words an order rather than a question as drops of drool splattered on my face and head as I raggedly gulped deep gasps of air.
“W-what?!”, I blurted, shocked and still gasping.
“Mate with me!”, it repeated more firmly now as it drew its face down close to mine.
Oh, man! What had I done? In my insane terror and panic I’d thought only to try to calm the thing in the hope that it would ease up enough that I could slip out from underneath it and escape. But, now... The thing thought I wanted to mate with it? I stared at it.
It stared back at me confused, now.
“You don’t want to mate with me?”, it asked.
“I... Uh...”, I blurted, trying to get to my feet so I could run.
“If you didn’t want to mate with me then why did you arouse me by starting a mating ritual?!”, it roared, furious now.
I’d managed to stumble to my feet and, still breathing hard, tried to slowly, cautiously turn, ready to make my escape. I sprinted away as fast as I could, pumping my legs for all I was worth. An instant later I heard its hooves pounding rhythmically on the ground behind me, gaining on me rapidly. Within seconds it was on me.
With a snap of its teeth it grabbed my collar and lifted me from the ground, my legs still pumping. I struggled desperately to free myself as it turned and started walking back with me toward the forest darkness. I was caught. There was no escape now.
It growled at me through clenched teeth as it carried me off.
“You’re either going to mate with me or I’m going to eat you but one way or the other I will have my satisfaction!”, it hissed as we continued off into the night.
“But, I don’t even know if you’re male or female and I don’t do guys! My gate doesn’t swing that way!”, I squeaked, more terrified than ever.
“So! You are male!”, it hissed. I nodded. What else could I do?
Dropping me to the ground it spun its rump to me and raised its tail. I caught just the briefest glimpse of its jet black vulva as I was blasted by a stream of piss so powerful it almost knocked me off my feet. Coughing and spluttering I desperately tried to wipe it off me feeling like I would puke from the stench.
“There! I have marked you! You are mine, now!”, it hissed triumphantly as it turned back to me, grabbed me by the collar and started carrying me off, again.
I felt the rhythmic blast of its hot breath on my neck as the thing carried me in its teeth. I was really feeling that death would be better than what I was probably going to face, next. No, I couldn’t stand the thought of it going any further.
“Kill me”, I muttered in desperation.
The thing dropped me, tilted its head and stared at me for a moment.
“Kill me!”, I screamed, leaping to my feet and punching the thing in the face.
Its head snapped to one side from the force of my punch but it seemed completely unharmed as its jaw dropped and it stared at me, now.
Insane, furious, desperate rage filled me as I swung at it over and over, trying to hit it, to drive it off. It easily ducked my punches but started backing up anyway, not from fear or pain but from sheer bewilderment.
“I don’t care if you kill me!”, I screamed, still swinging uselessly on the thing, “I’m sick of this life! I’m sick of living alone in the woods, I’m sick of living in Equestria! I just want to go back to Earth and be finished with all of this crazy shit! I can’t do that so just kill me! Kill me and get it over with!”
Exhausted from my effort I fell to my knees, buried my face in my hands and began weeping, wanting nothing more in that moment than for this insane nightmare to end even if it meant my death.
I don’t know how long I knelt there crying like a baby but something happened after a while, something that surprised me so much that I stopped weeping.
I felt something touch my shoulder like an odd hug then shift. I opened my eyes to find the thing laying in front of me, nestling against me, its face against mine.
Realizing I’d stopped crying it lifted its head to look at me. its face was now soft, sympathetic, its eyes welled with tears.
“I thought I was the only one who suffered in this world, hated it so much I didn’t want to live, anymore”, it said quietly.
My mind reeled and my head spun more violently then before. I felt dizzy from the extreme stress of it all.
It reached out a foreleg, swept me toward it, held me close burying my face in its chest as I felt its huge tears splatter on and run down my back.
It pulled its head back to look at me, scan my face looking for signs of... What? I didn’t know. I just stared.
“I am Bloodfang”, it said softly, its voice quivering.
“What are you?”, I asked, when I could finally find my voice.
“I am a Dracochan, a halfling”, it said, “half Changeling half Draconequus and I am not welcome in either of those worlds nor am I welcome among the ponies.”, it sighed sadly.
Just then the thing sprung to it’s feet, it’s face hardening.
“Enough of this mewling like kittens!”, it growled, staring down at me with hard eyes. “Come!”, it barked.
I looked up at it for a moment before rising to my feet. Seeing a chance I turned and started to walk off, just wanting to get away from the thing, find a pond or stream and wash the filth and stink from my body.
“I have marked you! You are mine!”, it growled a warning. I ignored it and kept walking.
The roaring buzz of massive insect wings and it was in front of me, barring my way. “I have marked you! You are mine!”, it growled more fiercely this time.
Just then something in me snapped. My life was enough of a nightmare without this, too.
“I ain’t nobody’s bitch!”, I roared as I punched the thing on the side of its head as hard as I could. It blinked, stumbled backward and fell on its haunches. I stepped up to it, struck it again. This time it growled a whinny of pain. Enraged I kept stalking forward, striking it, as it struggled to back away. I kept advancing, ready to strike it again.
It stared at me, a look of fear on its face now as it scrambled backward trying to keep away from me.
“I ain’t nobody’s bitch!”, I shouted again, pointing at it. Turning I stalked off.
I mumbled furiously to myself and fumed. All I wanted now was to find that stream, get clean and be left alone. I stormed into the dark woods, forgetting just how dangerous that forest was at night.
A second later a roar as I felt the searing agony of talons ripping into my shoulders, felt myself lifted from the ground. Terrified and in agony, I screamed as I looked up to see the gaping, fanged maw of a Nara Shima racing toward my head.
This was it! There was no escape from a Nara Shima. I shut my eyes tight, grit my teeth and waited for the end I knew would come a second later.
Even as I felt the hot breath of the Nara Shima on my head the roaring buzz of insect wings, a thick, wet thunk like the sound of twin swords plunged into flesh, a squeaking roar and then a sensation of falling as I felt the Nara Shima release me. I opened my eyes and screamed again when I saw that the two ton Nara Shima was falling, tumbling, just above me, ready to crush me when we both hit the ground.
Then the feel of forehooves sweeping me up and carrying me off as pain drove me into the black maw of unconsciousness.
...
I awoke moaning as searing pain filled me, felt a gentle touch on my left shoulder, the feel of something thick and warm being smeared on it, causing me to wince in more pain.
I opened my eyes to find myself laying naked on a thick, soft pelt rug in the back of a large, gloomy cave. I looked down to see that I was clean, had been washed. The Dracochan, Bloodfang, loomed over me, dabbing a thick greenish brown paste into my wounds.
It smiled when it saw that I was awake.
“You’re an odd little pink monkey”, it said, as it continued to tend to my wounds, “I did not expect you to be so strong, nor so fierce.”
It reached up, touched it’s bruised and swollen eye, looked back down at me again. Apparently I’d hit it harder than I thought.
“You have my respect”, it said as it returned to tending my wounds, now gently applying the paste to my right shoulder. It surprised me how gentle, how tender the thing was being, like a mother tending to its child.
“You saved my life?”, I asked.
“I marked you. You’re mine. Do you think I wouldn’t protect what’s mine?”
“I don’t belong to anyone”, I said. I winced as Bloodfang applied the paste with a firm tap while ignoring my words.
“I’ve stopped the bleeding”, it said, “this paste will help it to heal faster.”
I tried to sit up but was stopped by the fierce pain in my shoulders. I slumped back onto the pelt.
“You’ll need to remain still for a few more days”, it said, “otherwise you risk reopening your wounds.”
“Why’d you save my life?”, I asked. Bloodfang stared at me confused.
“I marked you. You’re mine”, it repeated.
Finished applying the paste, it began to wrap my wounds in thick, broad, rubbery leaves like bandages, gently tying them off with strands of animal tendon.
Finished, it walked away, returned a moment later holding a large piece of raw meat.
“Eat this”, it said, dangling it in front of my mouth, “It will help you to regain your strength.”
“What is it?”, I asked.
“It’s from the Nara Shima that attacked you. I killed it. They are dangerous but they’re also good to eat. Quite delicious in fact”, it said, holding it closer to my mouth. It smelled slightly rancid. I turned my face away in disgust.
“I can’t eat that! It’s raw!”, I said, wrinkling up my nose, “You’ll have to cook that thing.”
“You’re an odd little pink monkey”, it said, then, “I have no fire here.”
Ignoring the pain I struggled to sit up then to rise to my feet. Bloodfang stared at me alarmed.
“No! You must lay down! You must rest!”, it insisted, trying to urge me back to the pelt, “You will reopen the wounds! Then you will bleed to death!” it looked deeply worried and concerned.
“Why the fuck is it so important to you to keep me alive?”, I growled at it, angry now. It looked at me with a pained expression.
“I don’t want to be alone”, it said, staring at me with sad eyes. I bit my lip and forced myself to the center of the cave, dug a shallow pit with my heel and looked about for sticks of wood.
Just then Bloodfang scowled at me. it stormed over to me, swept me up in its forehooves, carried me back over to the pelt where it unceremoniously dropped me onto it apparently forgetting my injuries.
“If you insist on having fire at least let me do it!”, it growled angrily at me as it strode out of the cave. As I listened I heard sounds like timber being torn in half and splintered. Bloodfang returned a short time later with a bundle of kindling, some logs and some round stones that it carried with magic. It dropped them near the center of the cave.
It continued digging the pit with its hoof where I’d left off, lining the edge with large, round stones. It laid sticks and then a few logs into the pit.
Lowering it’s head, it’s twin horns began to glow. A moment later a black rimed bright red beam shot from them. The wood burst into flames.
“There! Are you happy now, Monkey?”, it glared at me.
“I will be if you take some of that meat and throw it on the fire, let it cook”, I said, “then I can eat it.”
“I am not your... Bitch!”, it said, repeating what I’d said to it, “but you are wounded so I will do it.”
The Chanequus tore a large piece of meat from the Nara Shima carcass with its teeth, carefully laid it on the burning logs. A moment later I found my mouth watering as the cave was filled with the smell of cooking meat.
Later, it trotted out of the cave, returned a moment later carrying a large, broad thick leaf in its teeth, using that to take the hot meat from the fire, it then laid the leaf down, put the meat in it and began tearing off pieces with its teeth.
“What happened?”, I asked. Bloodfang looked at me as if I’d gone daft.
“I just cooked the meat the way you wanted”, it said, sounding annoyed.
“That’s not what I meant”, I continued, “I mean, you said you had a family, a mother and a father. Why aren’t you with them now? What happened?”
Bloodfang closed its eyes, its brow furrowed and its face darkened and it was clear it didn’t want to think about what I’d just asked.
“Well?”, I asked, insisting. It glared at me, its eyes flashing a warning. I ignored it.
“Did something happen to them?”, I asked.
Bloodfang looked at me angrily but there were tears welling in its eyes.
Its ears drooping and hanging its head it came up next to me, lay down and snuggled close to me laying its head on my stomach, it licked its lips a few times before closing its eyes.
“I am not alone anymore”, it sighed, “I marked you, you are mine, now. It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me anyway”, I insisted, again, “If nothing else it’ll help pass the time.”
Bloodfang opened its eyes, glanced up at me, closed them again with a sigh.
“They are dead”, it said softly, then, “My father and I loved each other very much. He was very good to me. My mother grew jealous of our relationship so she killed him. I killed my mother in revenge for what she did to my father so I am alone.”
Horrified by what I’d just heard I also felt myself deeply moved in spite of myself.
Ignoring the pain in my shoulders I gingerly reached up and began softly stroking its mane. A moment later I heard it softly coo, enjoying my touch. I started to reach for its ears to scratch them.
“Do not touch those unless you wish to mate”, it said softly, its eyes still closed. I quickly jerked my hand back, winced at the sudden rush of pain in my shoulder.
So. It’s ears were an erogenous zone, maybe? That must have been why it demanded I mate with it when I scratched them.
I began stroking its mane. As I did so I felt a gentle rumbling pass from it’s body through mine. Was it purring?
...
I awoke feeling an urgent need to piss. Bloodfang’s head laying on my stomach didn’t help. Unable to lift my arms because of intense pain, I began rocking back and forth to wake it.
“Get up! I have to pee”, I said loudly. It opened its eyes and looked at me sleepily, yawned, rose to its hooves then lifted me from the pelt, helping me to my feet.
I ran from the cave to a nearby bush, sighed loudly as I felt relief.
Turning, I found Bloodfang standing in the cave opening, an odd smirk on its face and a twinkle in its eye.
“You’re a well endowed little pink monkey”, it sneered, staring down at my crotch and licking its lips.
“Rick! My name is Rick!”, I growled as I started past it into the cave.
“Very well... Rick”, it hissed, sneaking up behind me and running its tongue up my back from ass to neck.
“Hey!”, I shouted as I whipped around and stared at it. Perhaps I should have jumped back a few steps because no sooner had I turned then it lowered its head to crotch level. It’s tongue shot out, wrapped itself around my cock and pulled it quickly into its mouth.
Bloodfang wrapped it’s lips tightly around my cock and started sucking me off.
Startled I pushed its head away hard and backed away. It looked up at me with a sad, hurt expression, its ears lowering.
“I thought you funny little pink monkeys liked that?”, it asked.
“Rick! My name is Rick!”, I insisted again as I turned and stormed back into the cave.
Looking around the cave, I found another pelt and, laying back down on the one on the floor, covered myself with the one I’d just found. It wasn’t much protection but at least it would serve to keep its eyes off of me.
It stepped in a moment later, glared at me.
“I marked you! You’re mine! I saved your life! Why won’t you let me mate with you?”, it growled.
I stared back at it, baring my own teeth. It then occurred to me that it probably didn’t look the least bit scary to the Chanequus. It continued to glare.
“If I let you mate with me then I might start to like you and the second I do that you’ll probably suck my soul out and turn me into a zombie or something!”, I growled back at it.
It blinked, pulled itself up to its full height, glared at me even more fiercely.
“Fool!”, Bloodfang roared at me loud enough to rattle the cave walls, “If I could do that do you think I’d be hunting meat?!”
It looked me up and down with a look of disgust before turning and storming out of the cave.
I facepalmed as it stomped away. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Really! I realized that if it’d been able to do that I’d probably have been a zombie long before this.
Feeling like a total idiot now, I carefully rose to my feet and went in search of Bloodfang.
I found it a moment later laying on the ground, its face buried in its forehooves, sobbing quietly.
Crouching down next to it, I cautiously reached out and touched its mane, began softly stroking it. Bloodfang stared up at me, baring its teeth menacingly.
“I’m sorry”, I said gently, “I didn’t know you couldn’t do that.”
It’s expression softened, it laid its face back on its forehooves again.
“I can’t change shape, either”, it sighed, “some changeling I am, huh?”
Feeling horrible for what I’d done I continued to stroke it’s mane, trying to be comforting.
“We’re the same, you and I”, it said, “we’re two monsters trapped in a world we hate and where we don’t belong and can’t escape from.”
I winced. Her words stung me more deeply than I ever imagined such words could. Was I really a monster? Back on Earth I was just another guy, a line back on the college football team, a passable athlete with passing grades with a few girlfriends, looking forward to graduation the following year. It had never occurred to me that I would be considered a monster in this world but it made sense and went a long way to explaining why so many ponies I’d met looked at me with disgust while they walked past either glaring at me or trying to ignore me.
“I guess I’m not the brightest hairless pink monkey on Equestria”, I joked, hoping it would make Bloodfang feel better.
It looked up at me with tear swollen eyes, the slightest touch of a smile tracing its lips and, for the first time, I got a glimpse into the soul of this creature and I found myself even more deeply moved. From that point on I would no longer think of Bloodfang as ‘it’.
...
I woke up a few days later feeling healed and well enough that I thought I’d try something. Gently moving the sleeping Bloodfang’s head from my stomach, I rose and quietly began looking around the cave. Then it hit me; I wouldn’t have to look for what I was seeking, just find and follow the stink.
That worked and before long I located my filthy clothes piled in a corner, a hoard of flies buzzing happily over and around it. I carefully picked the pile up and grimaced in disgust from the stench. Holding them as far away from me as I could I carried them to a stream that Bloodfang had shown me the day before and dropped them in then had to jump in after them to keep them from being washed away by the current.
I worked for half the morning, the pain in my shoulders growing worse with each passing moment but I pushed on wanting to get my clothes clean if I could since I really didn’t care to go on running naked in these woods.
Done, I slumped on the bank of the stream sweating and panting, just as exhausted from pain as from the work I’d done.
Just then I heard the soft pad of hooves coming up behind me. I turned to see Bloodfang stepping up to me, her head tilted, a curious expression on her face.
“Why do you put those on your body?”, she asked, nodding toward my pile of wet clothes.
“They keep me warm, protect me from bugs, sun, things like that”, I said, grabbing the wet pile and rising to my feet.
She looked at the clothes for a moment but said nothing as she watched me spread my shirt and pants out on a branch to dry.
“Are you hungry?”, she asked, “There’s still some Nara Shima left. Otherwise I’ll hunt.”
I smiled at her, began foraging through some nearby plants, being careful to completely avoid a fairly large patch of Poison Joke. Yeah, I knew what Poison Joke was, had found out the hard way once when I’d touched some, turned purple and sprouted four extra arms and eight new toes. It took Zecora a week to cure me from that shit and I was glad when it was over.
I returned shortly, my arms full of various leafed and root vegetables I’d found. Bloodfang sniffed at them, looked at me.
“You’re going to eat that?”, she asked, wrinkling her nose up.
“Yeah”, I shrugged, “it should be better than week old Nara Shima.”
I headed back for the cave. Bloodfang following silently behind.
Back at the cave I put some fresh logs on the fire, waited a while until they caught then put the root vegetables on the logs to cook. The leafy things I happily ate raw.
Bloodfang stepped over to the Nara Shima carcass, sniffed at it, wrinkled her nose in disgust. Picking it up in her teeth she carried it outside. A moment later I heard the roaring buzz of her wings as she flew off.
...
I was gingerly pulling the now cooked root vegetables from the fire when I heard the buzz of Bloodfang’s wings as she returned, then heard the soft clop of her hooves.
I leapt up and stared at her in horrified shock as she entered the cave. She was carrying the bloodied and quite dead body of a pony in her teeth.
“What the fuck have you done?!”, I shouted, horrified.
Bloodfang dropped the carcass, stared at me in confusion.
“I brought food”, she said, nodding down at the body.
“It’s a fucking pony!”, I screamed, beside myself with horror.
“They are my enemies, therefore they are food”, she said as if she were telling me it was raining.
I ran a hand through my hair, began pacing the cave floor frantically. I paused, bit my knuckles, began pacing again, stopped.
“They’re intelligent! Sentient like us!”, I shouted, spinning to face her, “We can’t just kill them! They have... Families! Other ponies who love them! How could you do that?!”
Her face darkened as she scowled at me in disgust.
“They are enemies therefore they are food”, she repeated.
I felt my stomach knot with nausea. Suddenly feeling the need to get out of there I ran from the cave. Just then I thought of something. I ran back in just long enough to find and grab my sandals, ran back out again.
A moment later I was grabbing my now dry clothes from the branches where I had left them, began quickly putting them on. I cringed as I wondered if Bloodfang had started eating that pony, wondered how much time I’d have to escape into the forest before she noticed I was gone.
I turned and gasped, shocked, to find Bloodfang standing in front of me, now. She was staring at me. She looked confused I tried to walk past her. She held out a forehoof, stopped me, continued to stare at me.
“Why does this bother you so much?”, she asked.
“They’re ponies! You just don’t kill ponies”, I frowned.
“They’re your enemies, too. Why does this bother you so much?”, she asked.
“It’s murder!”, I shouted as I spun to face her, my face red with anger. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you about what murder or what a crime is?”
She looked at me, her face sad.
“Yes”, she said quietly, “but I’ve been alone for so long, through so many moons that it got to a point that it didn’t matter to me, anymore. Only survival did.”
Again I tried to walk off, again she stopped me by standing in front of me, not letting me pass. I turned and started walking the other way. She followed.
“I won’t do it, again!”, she said. I ignored her, kept walking.
“I won’t!”, she repeated more loudly, then, “Rick! Please!”
I faltered then paused, sighed deeply, turned to face her.
I was surprised to see her head hanging, her ears drooping. She looked contrite.
“I am... Sorry”, she said softly. I looked at her for a moment.
“Why are you willing to do that, to not kill ponies anymore?”, I asked.
“Because it displeases you”, she said, raising her head to look at me, “I do not want to displease you I want to like me. I want you to stay with me.”
I shut my eyes tight, pinched the bridge of my nose. I wondered how many times she’d done this, taken the lives of ponies just to fill her belly? The thought sickened me.
I couldn’t take this. I ran off into the woods as fast as I could. I didn’t even bother to look back to see if Bloodfang was following me. Nothing. No sound of buzzing wings, no pounding of galloping hooves. I slowed to a walk.
As I walked on the image of her face filled my mind. It was the image of her crying the day before, telling me that we were both monsters. I stopped. She was right! I was a monster in this world so who was I to judge her for what she’d done? After all, as far as everypony was concerned, I really was no better than her. Or was I? I wondered.
Then it hit me; did I think that just because I was human and she wasn’t that I had some kind of moral obligation to point out to her what I saw as a crime? Was I being morally superior? Wait, how could that be? It wasn’t just me. Ponies felt that way, too, didn’t kill each other the way Bloodfang had killed that one pony for food.
Had I been alone for so long that I was now becoming like Bloodfang? If I was then how much longer would it be before I was killing ponies for food, too? The thought terrified me.
I turned and started back for the cave.
...
I returned to find Bloodfang laying on her side, her breath coming in fast, ragged gasps. I ran over to her thinking she was sick. It was then that I saw the large, jagged branch sticking out of her chest.
“What did you do?!”, I gasped, crouching down beside her, reaching out to pull the stick from where it stuck from her body.
“I do not want to be alone”, she gasped raggedly. Her eyes looked dull, she looked close to death.
I began frantically moving around the cave looking for... What? I wasn’t sure until my eyes fell on an old piece of wool like pelt laying near the wall.
Running over I grabbed it, ran back to Bloodfang. Finding another stick I put it between her teeth.
“Bite down on that!”, I shouted to make sure she heard me. she did.
I grabbed the stick and pulled it quickly from her body. Blood spurted from the wound. I took the piece of wool pelt and stuffed it into the hole the stick had left behind. Bloodfang was looking weaker by the second.
“Why did you do this?!”, I screamed, both angry and horrified. She winced.
“I did not want to be alone again”, she gasped.
“Didn’t you stop to think that maybe I didn’t want to be alone, either?”, I shouted. She turned her eyes toward me.
I crouched down beside her again.
“You’re right! We’re both monsters in this world. We don’t belong here! But that doesn’t mean we have to act like monsters, to live like them! We can be better than that!”
She eyed me. her eyes were growing duller, her breaths faster, more shallow, more ragged. She closed her eyes.
“Don’t you dare die on me!”, I screamed, “I don’t want to be alone anymore, either! I... I need you! I need you so I won’t be alone!”
I looked around the cave for the greenish brown paste she’d used on my shoulders. Finding it, I ran back to her, pulled the wool from the wound, began packing the paste into it. Within a moment the bleeding slowed. After a moment more it stopped.
Her breathing grew stronger, more regular. She opened her eyes. they were a little clearer. A soft smile touched her face but she still looked dangerously weak.
“Fight, damn you!”, I shouted, “Don’t give up! Fight! Stay alive!”
I was frantic. I realized I didn’t want this strange creature to die. She was the only real friend I had on this world and I wasn’t about to lose her if I could prevent it.
Then I remembered our meeting just those few nights before. I stood over her, pulled open my fly, took out my cock and started pissing on her.
“You are mine! You belong to me, now! You will not die!”, I shouted, “Don’t you dare die!”
“Silly pink monkey”, she groaned softly, “Only mares can do that.”
I stared down at her embarrassed. Okay, so I did it wrong but at least it seemed to work.
...
I stayed awake as much as I could for the next three days, keeping vigil over Bloodfang, watching to make sure she didn’t get into any difficulties.
Even if she had what could I do? I couldn’t take her to a hospital. If she’d succumbed to her wound and died then the only thing I could do was hold her and try to comfort her if she did die.
On the morning of the third day she opened her eyes and I was awakened from my nap by the sound of her gingerly rolling to an upright position. I blinked, smiled sleepily. She smiled at me, her strange, red eyes sparkling.
“How’re you feeling?”, I asked, wiping the sleep from my eyes but glad to see her awake and upright.
“Better”, she said. I felt relieved. We were past the worst of it.
“Thank you”, she said, “We’re even now. I saved your life, you saved mine. You’re free to go if you want.”
“Are you shittin’ me?”, I asked, surprised, “after what we’ve been just been through do you really think I’m going to walk away now?”
She leaned her head close to mine, kissed me on the end of the nose.
“No”, was all she said.
