Feel the Warmth

Bringing his cupped hands up to his face. He slowly tilted his hands over the top of his head. Letting cool water wash down his face as it wetted his nonexistent hair before falling back down into the rushing river. Some of water beads up before rolling down the nape of his neck, causing him to shake his head lightly and clench his teeth as the cooling touch of the water sends shivers down his spine.

Looking down, he stares at his reflection in the crystal clear water. Wincing as the bags underneath his eyes become more pronounced the moment his gaze meets his reflection. The whites of his eyes looking like cracked porcelain as veins stretched from the iris' until they disappeared beneath his half closed lids.

Giving a sigh, he lifted himself from the ground, quickly bending over to pat away the loose grass blades that stuck to his pants.

"Damn I'm beautiful," he muttered before turning on the spot and proceeding to walk away. His dirt stained white sneakers sinking into the grass with a whisper with every step. Freezing, he stops mid stride, the feeling of electricity running up the back of his calf causes his eyes to widen. Not a second later he begins to jump and shriek as he struggles to undo the belt of his pants. After a moment frantic dancing and yelping, he rips the leather belt from his waist and tosses to the ground. Hopping on one leg as he tore the pant leg from his body before switching legs and removing the pants all together. Now in his underwear and grey hooded sweatshirt, he begins to wipe his legs down with the palms of his hands. His breathing ragged and forced.

When he sees nothing, he turns his gaze to the very pants he was wearing not a second ago. Stretching a leg, he proceeds to lift the waist of his pants with a single sneaker and kick the pants even further away. Jumping once more as the pants begin to hiss. Before he can do anything else, a mass beneath the light brown fabric he called pants begins to move. Snaking its way out of the right pant leg, a large mud colored... something, reared its head. Two antennae whipping at the air as the mandibles clicked and gnawed, the eyes like small grey beads stared at him. As if just spotting him, its head snapped back before it turned around and dashed away. Disappearing into the brush of the forest as its seemingly infinite dagger-like feet pushed it further and further away.

"What in the name Satan himself was that?" He mutters to himself. "And why the fuck does it exist?" Sighing, he walks over to his pants. Bending over, he lifts them up with a grunt. Satisfied that they were now vacant of any potentially life ending creatures.

"Hello? Is anypony there?" A voice calls out. Even though it echoed through the clearing, it was more of a terrified squeaking than anything else.

Snapping his head around, he tries to find who ever spoke. Only to be met by greenery and the twisted bark of the trees.

Oh shit. He thought to himself. Pulling his pants up around his waist, he turned and began to run alongside the river. Away from the clearing and away from the source of the voice. His feet leaving the grass as mud began to replace the ground underneath him. His sneakers being stained more and more the further he ran down the riverside.

As Fluttershy entered the clearing, baskets in tow. She turned her head from side to side, scanning the small field for the one who had screamed. Fluttershy sighed in relief as the field seemed to be vacant. The only noise she could hear besides her own beating heart was the rushing water of the river. Giving a small smile and shrug she began to turn away, only to be stopped as a glint of light caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Turning back to the field, she trotted out to the shining object. Raising an eyebrow at what she saw.

It was some sort of long black rope, the end of it was adorned with odd metal parts. The rope itself shined with a dull glean as the black material was glossy as if it was coated with a slime. While the metal rectangle and rod seemed to shine as bright as the sun it was reflecting. Picking it up in her mouth, she craned her neck and dropped the rope into a basket.

Turning back, she left the clearing from the same way she came in. Her soft yellow fur becoming shrouded in darkness when the branches overhead become thick with leaves. Blocking out the sun entirely as she journeyed back home. She was late as it was and she couldn't keep her friends waiting any longer. She planned to make a tea with the flowers in her basket, something new. Some of them were flowers she had already tried, they were fine, but she wanted to make something special. It wasn't often that her friends and her got together. What with each of them having their own responsibilities.

"Ooh, maybe I'll put some of these in the sandwiches," she thought aloud to nobody in particular. As Fluttershy trotted through the forest, she began to hum to herself. A small tune to help calm her nerves.

After some time passing, Fluttershy came to the edge of the Everfree. The joyful cries of her animal friends noting her return. Smiling, Fluttershy began to climb the hill that separated her and home. Rays of light spilled over the top of the hill. Casting a shadow that engulfed her and the rest of the slope.

Ponyville was abuzz with a vigor that didn't fit the small town. Sure the town had its fair share of excitement here and there, being a hotbed for monster attacks and such. But celebrations were always something everybody planned for.

"Oh darling, you just have to teach me how you make this!" Rarity said with a single sip of her tea. "It's absolutely heavenly."

There were murmurs of agreement among the group of friends as they all took a drink from their cups. The only one who didn't take a drink was the one known as Fluttershy. Who only hid her reddened face behind her pink mane. The praise getting to her.

Lifting a cup to her mouth, she took a sip of the tea. It was something special for the occasion but that didn't stop her hoof from shaking in embarrassment at the praise. "Okay," she murmured. Rarity gave a squeal of joy as she got up from her place on the large blanket and trotted over to her yellow friend. Looking in the basket as she began to ask the questions she had.

"Oooh I can't wait!" Pinkie Pie yelled with a tooth filled grin. "Isn't this exciting?"

"Sure is, Pinkie," Applejack said with a nod. Giving a smile before continuing. "Not everyday that we get to have a get-together like this."

"It's even on the same day of one of the best celebrations ever!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"One of the best?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "What about Nightmare Night and the pranks we do?"

"One of the best!" Pinkie replied.

"Hearth's warming eve?" Twilight asked. Laughing as she did so.

Turning her head, Pinkie's gaze rested on Twilight. "One of the best!"

They all joined their pink friend in laughter. Once it died down, the groups collective gazes were all drawn to the blow glow at the corner of their eyes. When they all turned their heads, they all looked at both Rarity and Fluttershy. The former of which was holding a large rope in her magic, the rope levitating inches away from her face as she inspected it.

"What's that?" Pinkie asked.

Rarity's face twisted in thought. "Fluttershy said she found it in the forest before she came back."

The group turned their heads to Fluttershy, who only nodded before speaking up. "I was collecting flowers when I heard somepony scream. I went to see if they were okay and I couldn't find them, I found this though."

"So what is it?" Rainbow Dash asked as she turned her head back to Rarity.

"Well, it's obviously a belt of some sort. Some ponies have loose fitting clothing that requires something like this to keep everything close. Although, it is on the big side for a pony, you could probably wrap this around three or four ponies. What I want to know is the material it's made from." Rarity lifted the belt away from her face before turning to Twilight. "Twilight dear, do you know a spell that can tell you what this is made from?"

Twilight shrugged. "I could give it a try. I don't really know what I'm looking for though," she said before taking the belt in her magic.

"What is it made from? Like what are the materials used in making it?"

"I'll try." Twilight said.

Bringing the belt before her. Twilight concentrated on the glossy black material. The stitching would switch from side to side like some kind of art work on the belt itself.

"There's the thread that–"

"Twilight, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm looking for for the shiny flexible material the entirety of it is made from."

Nodding, Twilight focused on the glossy material in her magic. Trying to think of what it could be. That was before her magic told her what the belt was made of. Her eyes widened as she began to stare at the fashion statement that was being held in her magic. The blood draining from her face as her stomach began to swim.

"Twilight? You okay there?" Applejack asked. Raising a hoof to place on her friend's shoulder.

They all jumped when Twilight's magic canceled out. Letting the belt land between them with a 'fwump' as it landed on the blanket.

Twilight turned her head to look at Fluttershy. "Where did you say you got this, Fluttershy?"

"The Everfree...?" She mumbled, unsure of what to do. Unsure of what to do about her friend's behavior.

"Twilight? Dear, what's wrong?" Rarity asked. "What's got you like this?" She asked, taking the belt in her magic.

"The belt is made from cow!" Twilight said quickly. Swallowing a moment later as she tried not to vomit.

There was nothing. None of them could say anything. They were all hoping that what their friend said was just them hearing things.

"Care to repeat that, Twilight?" Applejack asked with a nervous chuckle, her face conveying no emotion whatsoever. "It almost sounded like ya said–"

"It's cow skin!" Twilight yelled. The world spinning around her as bile rose the back of her throat. Burning her mouth as her eyes began to water.

There was a moment of silence before Fluttershy collapsed onto the blanket. Now there were no birds chirping. No whistling winds. Nothing. It was as if the world itself froze at the revelation.

"Oh hey." A voice spoke through the silence.

Turning their heads to the source of the voice only caused the silence to return with a vengeance as a tall creature was slowly making its way towards them. None of them dared to move. Fluttershy, who was unconscious. Rarity, who was open mouthed and wide eyed, as if she was trying to find out what was going on. Applejack, who hid behind her hat with tears rolling down her cheeks and onto the blanket they sat on. Rainbow Dash, with a luck of utter disgust written across her face. And Pinkie Pie who only sat there, mane deflated with neither a smile nor a frown.

"My belt." The creature said as it took the item from Rarity's magic. Looping it through the clothing on his bottom half before latching the metal bits closed. Bending a knee, the creature gave a toothy grin to Rarity, who's horn was still lit.

"Good horsey... unicorn... thing." He patted her curled mane with a claw.

Before anyone else could do anything, a loud crunch reverberated from the creature. Its eyes going wide as it lowered its gaze to Applejack. Who had her hind hooves just above where the creature's knee met his torso. It's eyes watering before it got up from its knee and began to sprint away. Clutching its side as it ran away from the group.

Oh God. He screamed internally. His chest hot with a searing pain, it was as if someone had decided to drop a ball of molten metal on his chest. Oh God. He repeated. The tears welling in his eyes as they blinded him. Raising his free arm, he wiped them away with a sleeve.

Looking back, he tried to see if those things were chasing him. The air caught in his throat. It may not have been all of them, but it was the one that kicked him, and the blue one he had seen. Before he could turn his head back and focus on running, the blue one took to the air, spreading it wings and going into a dive towards him.

He couldn't react fast enough before it hit him. Causing him to trip on his own feet as he slid face first into the dirt below. The dirt and rocks tearing at the left side of his face as small pebbles embedded themselves underneath the skin and the dirt rolling into his eye. Rolling over, he felt the thing attached to his back. Getting up from the ground, he jumped and went to fall on his back. Trying to land on the creature attached to him.

He gave a pained scream as he landed on the side the tiny horse had kicked. But he couldn't stop. Getting up again, he noticed that the blue one that had been on his back was now on the ground, unconscious, or dead, he didn't care. He turned and continued his run. Mud streaming down his face as his tears and the dirt mixed, only to turn into a dark crimson as it mixed with the blood that poured from the dirt clogged cuts on his face. Looking around, he tried to find a place to hide. Spotting a giant yellow dome to his left, he began to run with a renewed vigor. The large building inside the dome seemed to a place that would hold events of some kind. As he approached the yellow-tinted wall, he raised a hand up to it trying to see if he could get through before the orange one caught up.

When he found that his hand fell right through, he rushed into the dome. Approaching the door to the building itself and giving the handle a push as the wooden door creaked and groaned with quick whines cutting them off. Closing the door behind him with his back to the wooden surface, he slammed it shut, the resulting sound echoed throughout the building.

"Ha," he coughed. This only to lead up to even more laughter, the tears blinding him once more as he did so. Once again, he raised his free arm and wiped them away. Gasping for air, he wheezed and tightened his grasp at his side as his chest was set ablaze. Slumping to the floor, he slammed the back of his head against the door behind him. Groaning with a lump in his throat between every knock of his head.

"Don't cry," he whispered to himself. "Please don't cry," he said, his words getting slurred as the world around him began to buzz. His body getting heavier and heavier before he ended up falling on his uninjured side. His right hand still clutching at his side. "Please cry," he murmured. The world getting brighter and brighter before the light engulfed him. Swallowing him whole as he loss consciousness.