Am I nobody? Have I really lost my way?

Big Macintosh was in the middle of preparing for a party with the family coming to visit! He and his sisters Apple Bloom and Apple Jack had awoken early that morning, to begin their preparations. Apple bloom was sent off to begin her trek over to sugarcube corner where she would wake up Pinkie Pie! They had been planning this party for a while since Spike was feeling really down as of recently since he essentially was officially a grown up by equestrian standards! Spike was not to know of his own surprise party; Of course having the apples working on it would mean that it would be done in good timing with their work having been taken care of the day prior.

An elderly mare was rocking back and forth on her chair on the porch of the house nearby. Calling out she had a rather hoarse tone, "Hey Big Mac, Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom have arrived!" She hollered out as loud as she could while the siblings worked in the barn. AppleJack walked out to see Pinkie Pie carrying Apple Bloom on her back with a big smile spread on their faces! This was going to be a day that Spike was going to remember!

"Thats right!"

-ahem-

Anyways! The day resumed without any issues but during the preparations for the party there was a certain young drake that was heading out into the open world at the break of dawn. He seemed to be enjoying the brisk morning air at what he could tell was around 8am. He headed towards Rarity's Location due to prior engagements having been set the day prior and he knew Rarity was going to get onto him about being punctual if he didn't arrive in time.

Inside the Carousel boutique, a white mare with a rather elegant looking mane and tail of purple hues swayed side to side preparing for Spikes arrival. Having set some tea in the kettle to boil, seeming to go off just as she heard the sound of a knock at her door. She attempted to pull out some muffins for breakfast only to find that she had burned them,"Oh my, note to self remember to take the muffins out of the oven BEFORE an hour passes?"She stated to herself taking the oven mitt off, taking the apron off and dusting herself down she rushed to the door to open it. "Hello Spikey Wikey, My handsome young helper! Are you ready to eat breakfast and prepare for a day of venturing into the Gem tunnels that I discovered?!" She seemed to have a twinkle in her eye showing just how excited she was to see how many gems she could gain from this venture.
From what Rarity could see, Spike was wearing a purple jacket over top of a blue shirt and some long jeans that hung loose upon his legs with a tear in the knee. He had no shoes on though because from what he stated he never liked how they felt on his feet.

From Spikes point of view however, he saw her wearing a tight fitting red knee length skirt with a slit on the side, some rather interesting black and white high heels, with a black denim jacket and ruffled buttoned down top. The top few buttons exposed revealing a decent amount of cleavage to the average joe who would be lucky enough to gaze upon her lucky enough on this day. "Yea Rarity, I think I will be fine today honestly though I would have preferred to stay home but Twilight kinda forced me out. She said that I am not allowed to be mopey when my birthday was only 2 days ago, maybe doing this would help get my mind off things huh? I don't know being of age was something I hoped wouldn't happen so that way you all could continue to see me as I was and I could continue to enjoy the attention I got for being the little guy!" He walked over towards the dining room smelling the burned muffins and the water as Rarity quickly headed back to begin pouring their tea. "Another baking attempt gone wrong Rarity?" He spoke teasing her which only got him a scoff, "Why I never! At least I tried to make you something since your doing this for me!" She gave a cute little pout in which Spike always enjoyed seeing. "Your right, I should be alot nicer about that thank you Rarity for making me breakfast, maybe I could try one and see how it tastes?"

He started doing just that, raising one of the burnt muffins to his lips and taking a bite only to realize that the moment he did the interior tasted amazing! The exterior was burned but inside it looked like she tried to put butter in for a filling evening it out! "This is actually really good Rarity! I wasn't expecting butter in the middle! How did you do that without well you know what nevermind!" He continued eating the muffins, as Rarity got curious taking a bite only to begin eating a couple herself surprised by the looks being so deceiving. Well anyways, lets get going! Today is going to be a tough one the cave is nearby everfree so there might be some monsters inside! I hope you can protect me, Spikey Wikey.~" She spoke in a soft teasing tone, as she got up grabbing her bags before they both headed out. Leaving at least one muffin out onto the table that they couldn't finish.

While Rarity was taking Spike out to excavate gems, Twilight and Fluttershy headed over to help prepare everything for the party for the apple family and Spike. Twilight was the first to speak up though, "Hey, Applejack? You sure your family is going to be alright with us throwing this party for Spike as well? Seems kinda rude doesn't it that we would kinda tie them in together? I mean Spike is down yea but why?" The stetson hat upon her long golden locks was removed as she used it to fan herself down. She was wearing a checkered pattern shirt that seemed to go above her navel, with some shorts that hugged snuggly against her ass accentuating her figure. "Ah'm certain Sugarcube, ah already talked to the family about it, seems they don't mind since Spike has done so much for all of us! Thank ya for askin' but my family will be comin' by in a few hours so we would need to hurry up! Pinkie Pie, how is the baked goods comin' along?

Wearing only an apron, Pinkie Pie was using a cart she had brought from Sugarcube corner decked out with various mobile supplies and working oven and kitchenware. "Yup, yup, yup! The goodies are coming along great wanna try them! We got, cupcakes, cakes, tarts, sweet tarts, cherry changas! Even more are to come!" Blinking a bit at the hyperactive pony she seemed to be happy with her activities giving her a smile and a nod before getting back to work! Fluttershy was off outside, gathering up some critters to help with the decorations of the exterior, speeding things up considerably, Apple Jack was checking in on her, she would see that she was wearing snug Jeans and a light pinke shirt with some ruffles that Rarity had made. It was about as big and comfortable to her as her green sweatshirt, but Rarity insisted that she change her wardrobe a bit.

She was talking with some of the birds, as they set up some thin thread with various colored flags, along between two firm poles. "Alright, be careful now we don't want the thread to fall too low, we want the guests to be able to enjoy their entry into the party.... T-thanks you Mr.Woodpecker, for getting the holes set up for us to place the thread and weave it into! Alright, Harry how are the logs being set up over by the campfire?" The bear looked over giving a wave as he set down another log giving a small grunt as if to say that it was going well.

During the time of their preparation of the party, something else was going on in the waters of the everfree forest. A being shrouded in a cloak was running through the waters, seeming to have alot of scratches and tears on the fabrics. He seemed to have knowledge of this world since he had lasted this long, but how long is that? He had lost track ever since the sun raised in the sky. Maybe it was about a whole day now? He couldn't tell, he just wanted out. He finally seemed to have found a way to Zecoras hut.

"It would seem that my eye of dragonewt is out, time to return to my route." She seemed to be covered in a similar cloak to his own, of pure brown upon leaving, he snuck behind her hiding among st the brush and trees as he let out a cough upon getting closer. Immediately, she had turned around. At this moment, he was caught like a deer in headlights. She slowly began her approach of this individual only for him to begin running in another direction, her words growing distant as she shouted. "Come back, you are running towards the pack!" She began to run after him, quickly gaining ground as he began to maneuver around the bushes and trees like he had been all day. After a few minutes, the cloak had flown off used as a shroud as it covered her view and he had seemingly disappeared. Sniffing the cloak she looked up into the sky, "This creature, has different features." She sighed shaking her head as she headed back towards ponyville words whispered to herself as she held the cloak. "Lets hope he is not consumed, for that route he may very well be doomed."

-The shrouded figure-

"That was fucclimb ouking close! What the hell was all that about? If I remember correctly, Zecora is kind of a mystery in the beginning of the series but when am I?! Judging by that cloak, I am guessing maybe sometime in season one when they first meet her?" He was lost in thought, as he ran only to hear a growl of something all too familiar sending shivers of fear through his body. The growls began to surround him, as the moon was rising in the sky, as he saw eyes of gold and green, "Oh no... Timberwolves..." His scream echoed into the sky as the party back at Sweet Apple Acres was beginning to swing into full motion.

-Gem Mines Near Everfree-

Rarity, was watching over the entirety of the operation of mining this cavern out. It would seem that her sources were correct and this place wasn't mined out even halfway! She was appalled that such gems would go to waste in here. "What happened in here that caused the miners to leave? This doesn't seem like a place that is really scary or dangerous." Spike declared as he took a small break, sitting down and looking back at Rarity. However the moment he sat down it would seem that the ground began to crack beneath his weight and he fell through, "Woah!" When he fell there was a loud thud, as Rarity instantly gasped and ran over to the hole looking in, "Spike are you okay!? What is down there?!"

Rubbing his head as he slowly sat upright he looked up having fallen so he was laying flat on his stomache, his jaw slowly opened in awe. "Rarity... I think I found why this cavern was deserted! I think we may have a problem!" Rarity seeing his reaction shook her head, "Spike Climb out of there and lets head back, it is getting dark out. Maybe, you can tell me while we head back?" Spike doing as she said wiped himself down before he looked back at the hole, "Rarity that hole... Its very old... It has statues, and various items in there that don't seem to make any sense... On top of that there was a skeleton on a throne that I have never seen before!" Rarity, taking his words into consideration nodded while she placed her index finger to her chin in a contemplative and thinking motion. "We shall come back here with the others later, maybe Twilight would like to discover what this place has to offer..."

-Sweet Apple Acres-

As the sun was beginning to set, everypony in ponyville was gathering in the barn of Sweet Apple Acres, all discussing what they were going to do this evening. They all seemed to be really excited as this was a Pinkie Party thrown by the mane 6 so they were always a blast. However, Big mac was looking out into the sky, he had heard a scream from the everfree around 3 or 4 that just bothered him. After an hour and a half the sun was lowering making way for the moon and AppleJack looked up at the sky with Big Mac. "That scream still botherin' ya Big Mac?" Big Mac simply sighed as Zecora was coming over holding a cloak while wearing her own as she looked at the both of them. "Something strange is afoot, in the everfree there is a being who was cloaked. The timberwolves I fear he Provoked." With that Big Mac looked at AppleJack, "Eeyup!" Zecora looked at Big Mac and AppleJack as they all went inside. Big mac seemed to look back towards the ever free hoping that whoever it was managed to make it, noone should be in there this late let alone should ever have to feel the wrath of a pack of Timberwolves. All that Big Mac was, screamed at him as he shook his head and burst out of the barn towards the everfree while AppleJack screamed out. "BIG MAC!"

-Everfree Forest-

Panting heavily, he had been fighting these things for who knows how long! He had been so focused on staying alive that his adrenaline was beginning to wear thin as he had been bitten, scratched, and mauled in many ways. His clothes, mere scraps barely covering him to make him decent. He was holding a large branch of one of the Timberwolves, seeming to have defeated in and using it as a clawed club the Timberwolves simply began to regenerate once more. This time however he felt his legs beginning to shake as he fell to the ground losing feeling in his legs. One Timberwolf lunged form t he side while the other Lunged from the back, only for a loud *Thwack!* Could be hear both going flying into the others. He looked up to see a giant red stallion seeming to be fighting back against the wolves. With this, he felt his consciousness slowly fading until he hit the ground with a thud. The sound of hooves trotting towards him in the distance all he could hear while Big Mac fought. "What in tarnation?....."