The Hanging Tree

by Chapter 13

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Dark, Fluttershy, Suicide / Self Harm, Horror, Violence
Length: 3322

"...Beware the Everfree. Beware The Hanging Tree." – Spade, the Wise, ealdorman of Heartville in Equestria, 512 PLR.

"To those who are foolish enough to wander the Everfree, know this: A blackened heart will find you hanging from it's canopy. But, to those who wander with a pure heart, remember: Follow the crow's death song. To those who know not where their heart lie's, a warning: Beware the Everfree. Beware The Hanging Tree."

– Spade, the Wise, ealdorman of Heartville in Equestria, 512 PLR.

Published 2020-03-11 20:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-04-12 04:02:28 UTC

Part: 1 - As The Crow Flies, So Does Time

Fluttershy held back tears. The sound of the poor wolf-pup’s cries of pain filled her mind, but she pushed them aside. She needed to focus. The small pegasus’s muscles strained. She put all her strength and weight into trying to pry open the bear trap. The poor pup had it clamped around one of its front paws. His father, Mr. Wolf, stood next to her. His face was filled with worry and concern. Fluttershy felt his pain, and the pups.

This wasn’t the first trap that Fluttershy had encountered over the past few weeks. The first time she had noticed one was by sheer luck. She noticed a slight glint not far into the cursed forest that bordered her home, and was horrified to find out it had been from a small jawed bear trap. Since then, she had taken time out of her day to patrol the outskirts of the Everfree. She had found, and removed, three already, but this one had been the first to claim a victim. Mr. Wolf had come frantically running to her hut, yipping and crying for help. It didn’t take much for Fluttershy to understand the situation, and had followed the concerned parent into the darkness of the Everfree forest.

With one final push down on the springs that held the trap shut, the jaws gave way just enough for the little pup to escape. Noticing this opportunity, Mr. Wolf sprang forward and grabbed the pup by the nape of his neck and pulled him free. With her job done, Fluttershy fell backward, the sound of metal slamming shut filled the air. Her tired eyes looked up at the dense Everfree canopy. Any bits of light that managed to sneak it’s way past appeared to be swallowed whole by the forest itself. It was dark, damp, and downright frightening. The only thing that had kept her from running strait back to her house had been her exhaustion, and the realization that she would need to search the area for more traps.

Fluttershy could feel the cold underbrush against her back. Her chest rose and fell with each labored breath. A sound caught the pegasus’s ear, akin to a branch breaking. It was then she remembered that she still needed to tend to the little one's paw. “Oh, I'm so sorry, I almost forgot to–”

Darkness.... and pain. Something had hit the back of the Pegasus's head, right as she was about to rise to her hooves. She fell, a horrible ring filling her ears. She hadn't passed out, but everything was fuzzy. Static. The world around her because a dance of colors. She wanted to scream, but she felt no voice. Only a gasp, which made her jaw hurt.

"What… do… her?"

"... don't… remove… behind…"

She could hear voices. They were fragmented. She tried to bring her hooves to her head. It hurt, and it was warm. Her body moved like she was submerged in water as she successfully brought a hoof to her head. It stung. It was warm.

"We can't just leave her here!"

The voices became clear.

"She's probably the one removing our traps. Because of this stupid pony, we're behind our quota!"

At the end of that statement, Fluttershy felt pain erupt from her stomach. Her body shifted and rolled onto her other side. All the air in her lungs vanished. She gasped. Wheezed. Desperate, she tried to get air back into her. Tears stung her eyes.

"Hey! Come on, Steal Trap! You don't have to kick the poor mare! Look, we can just drag her back to the edge of the forest and dump her."

"What if she saw us! What if someone else saw us! Like it or not, but ponies are gonna come looking for us the moment she calls the guards! Then, we're gonna lose our hunting ground. Or, worse, we're going to the dungeons!"

Fluttershy's vision cleared enough for her to see strait. She couldn't see much, her body too weak and disoriented to lift her head. She could see the bottom of what looked like cloak that almost fully covered two sets of hooves.

"Well, what the heck else are we gonna do! We’re not gonna kill her!"

"No, let's just leave her here. Let the forest do the dirty work."

"That's just as bad as killing her!"

"You're not thinking! We're royally bu—Aaaaah!"

Fluttershy saw a grey blur past over her moments before the scream. Through the outline of her sight, Fluttershy could see something clamped around one of the hooded ponies hooves. The pony screamed and flailed. Realization stuck. That had to be Mr. Wolf.

Had he come back to protect me?

Fluttershy watched as the pony tried, and failed, to get Mr. Wolf to release his grip. He growled with a protective overtone. The pony’s partner stood there in complete shock. He shook his head and recovered. Fluttershy saw a faint glow from beneath his hood. Her eyes went wide as an arc of arcane magic shot from beneath the hood. It struck Mr. Wolf. A howl of pain filled the air as he was thrown backwards, his grasp released.

New strength filled the Pegasus. She stumbled, but rose to her hooves. She flew past the pair and over to her injured friend. His coat smoked. He whimpered softly. Fluttershy looked over the wolf in detail and noticed a large burn beneath singed fur. It was bad, real bad. But, she could treat him. A plan started to fill her mind. She would need to remove some of the damaged flesh and make sure he didn’t go into shock. Then, she would need to apply some ointment to the area and—

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Fluttershy cried out in pain. Something grabbed her mane and pulled her away from her injured friend. More tears stung her eyes from the pain. Her hooves moved on her own as she tried to make it back to Mr. Wolf.

“No, please, I need to help him! He’s hurt!” Fluttershy cried out, only to be thrown back into a nearby tree. Her vision swam again.

“You stupid pony!" A voice screamed. "You've gotten us in deep trouble, meddling in other people's affairs. None of this would have happened if you had just kept to your damn self."

The yellow pegasus couldn't see past her own tears. Fear, sorrow, and concern filled her mind. She curled up herself as small as she could and repeatedly mouthed, "I'm sorry."

"Come on, this is just cruel," another, less threatening voice spoke up. "I didn't sign up for this. Listen, let us just cut our losses and split!"

Fluttershy heard a loud smack.

"We can't just back out! If they get wind of that, we'll be the one's hunted!"

The argument continued. Fluttershy tuned them both out. Her mind was filled with fear. She wanted to curl up so small that no one could see her. She didn't have the will to fight. She didn't have the will to get away. She wished she was as brave as Mr. Wolf. Then, she could save both of them. But, she wasn't. She wasn't that kind of pony. She was a selfish pony who would curl up into a ball and hope that someone would come to save her. She was a coward. She was—

Fluttershy suddenly felt cold. So cold, she couldn't help but shiver. All her thoughts of self loathing vanished in a single moment—all that remained was an overwhelming feeling of fear. Fear that dwarfed all her previous feelings. It was the feeling prey felt when facing an overwhelming predator. The pegasus kept her eyes shut, still tucked in a tight ball.

The air was filled with a crows death song.

"What in tartarus is that?!"

Fluttershy kept her eyes shut.

"G-get away!"

Something pounded against the earth.

"Run!"

Something snapped, like a wet log being broken in half.

"No, not me! I-I'll leave, I promise!"

A voice then cried out, before the same sickening snap.

The crows got louder. The thunderous steps got nearer. The fear and cold got coser. Fluttershy let out a low whimper—a cry for help. She flinched as her words were met with the loudest, thickest roar she had ever heard. It was like the thunderous crack of a falling tree. Her heart raced. Her body sweat. Her mind cried out for her to run. Her breaths became shallow as she began to hyperventilate. The sound of the crows became louder, as if an entire flock running rampant in her head. She went to scream—

But, everything suddenly stopped; the cold, the fear, the thunderous steps, the crows. Everything.

Fluttershy remained in her ball, the lingering fear rooting her in place. She went to let a pathetic whimper, but was met with the whimpered cry of another. The pegasus' eyes shot open. Her body, sore, rose as another instinct suddenly filled her system. To her surprise, and confusion, she wasn't in the forest anymore. No, she was just on the outskirts—dark, looming trees that marked the entrance to the cursed forest looked back at her. Not far in front of her lay the injured form of Mr. Wolf. Her mind screamed for her to run, to flee, but her heart won out as she ran over to the injured wolf. Carefully, she lifted him onto her back with the assistance of her wings. Once he was secured, she turned and ran as fast as she dared back to her cottage.

Part: 2 - Upon The Ears, A Crow Calls

"A word to the wise: beasts of a cursed nature should always be met with fear, not confidence. Pride can be a flimsy shield. A curse upon a beast is an unholy promise of power, fed upon by rage and anguish. Compared to that, pride cannot be a blessing. It is, in fact, a curse…"

– Heartstrong, the beast hunter, 341 PLR.

~ ~ ~

"... and that was when I had enough. I may be generous, but trying to fit every single minute detail this particularly…difficult customer had brought me to the end of my rope!"

There was a pause, followed soon after by a nod of light pink hair.

"I know there is beauty in complicated designs, but there has to be a limit! Less is more, but more or less the sheer scale of the thing cannot, and should not, cancel out the beauty of the attire as a whole!"

Once again, another nod, followed by the further rant from an exhausted fashionista. This was a pattern, repeated almost religiously amongst a particular pair of friends. While one held the conversation, taking it where she wished, the other would merely nod and and politely react when appropriate. It was an unspoken truth amongst the two that mirrored their personalities perfectly.

"So, Fluttershy?"

Pink hair bounced up in attention.

"I was wondering, and I don't mean to alarm you in any ways, but I must ask your thoughts on the recent, well…" An ivory white hoof danced in slow circles at the pony it was attached too searched for proper words.

"The poor ponies they found in the Everfree.." Came the meek reply.

"Ah, yes, what is left of the poor dears." There was a pause. "I mean, I've been wanting to bring it up, but I could never find a good time or way to do so. With you living so close by, me… well, all of us have been worried about you, especially with your, well, incident all those years ago."

These words rang hard on the pony they were said to. It had been over four years since the incident. Enough time to heal, but not enough time to forget. In truth, she probably wouldn't have been able to heal at all if it wasn't for timing. While she had been confined to her house for many weeks after the fact, Fluttershy had only been coaxed out by the town's mayor conscripting her talents for the Summer Sun Celebration. After that, her world had been such a blur of new and terrifying, yet exciting, adventures to the five ponies she considered family above friends. Such the experience had built the frail, shy mare into a pony who could deal with what happened.

And, now, it seemed to be happening again.

"I'm doing fine, Rarity. It's scary and all, but the guards now patrol the area regularly, and Twilight told me that they would make sure that nothing happens to me… and Applejack told me she was only a... holler away."

A tense, uneasy smile relaxed.

"I'm glad to hear that, dear," the purple maned fashionista replied. "Twilight had told me such, but I wanted to make sure for myself." She snickered. "Look at me, treating you like a child. I should have not assumed so much." She sighed. "It feel like yesterday when you were afraid of your own shadow—I sometimes get lost and forget how much you have grown."

A smile was shared between the two. A smile that held an understanding.

"Well, on that dower note," a chair squeaked. "I must be heading back to the shop. Despite my complaints, the ensemble must be finished, and I am the unfortunate mare to do so."

Another chair squeaked, and two friends wished their quiet goodbye with a hug. The venue the two had chosen for this week faded into the background as both made their way to their own destination.

It was a quiet walk home, something the cream colored pony enjoyed. In truth, it might have been what she needed. Despite her reassurance to her friend, her mind was not as at ease as she led on. It was not feer that filled her, but something else -- something the mare could not put her hoof on.

And that was why she needed the quiet.

Sorting through the emotions she felt was tough, but for an unexpected reason. Something was wrong. The thought of poor ponies being found in such a state terrified her, but she also felt something else. Something foreign. It was as if she had somepony over her shoulder whispering words into her ear.

Words that told her not to weep for the dead.

Whispered words.

Upon a wind.

A hushed, calm voice.

An... old voice.

The Pegasus stopped by the enterence of her house. A wind did blow, but it didn't call to her. It was just wind. It couldn't speak.

She shook her head, but her sight rested on the forest. A feeling came over her. The everfree was frightening. It was dangerous. Yet, her animal friends called it home. They thrived. They played. How can something so violent, holding so many secrets and dangers, be a home to a defenseless bunny? Or a skittish dear? Her even her, in a way. Her life came from the forest. Her friends, her wards, came from there.

She shook her head again, this time ending at her house. It was time for her to go home. For her to feed said friends. For here to unwind. For her to rest.

Her hooves did not move.

So many reason to go home. So many reason to walk through her door. Yet, why did the safety of her home not call to her? Why did she feel like it was not her next step in her day?

Why did the forest call to her?

Something had changed indeed. And, for some reason, she felt like the forest held held answer?

The Pegasus took a step. A step forward. Her door opened, and she walked in. She did her chores. She fed her friends. She fed herself. Her day done, she went to bed. Tomorrow would be tomorrow.

As she closed her eyes that night, a crow called. In a voice she did not recognize.

Upon that moon, the crow called, and everything changed.

Part: 3 - We Have No Mouth, Yet We Scream

The absence of light is rarely seen. It is impossible to truly block out. Even if one tries, it always finds a way. When the moon itself is high in the sky, and the sun is nothing but a distant memory, the world still shines. There is truly no such thing as the true absence of light. Like how cold is but the absence of heat—darkness, is yet the absence of light.

Despite all of this, and while it is never seen, it is often felt.

Darkness. An all consuming void that hides deep within the worst of feelings. Hopelessness. Fear. Sadness. Despair.

Death.

That is what one is feeling. Darkness

As the lever falls, so does a soul.

Does it rise?

Or…

Does it truly fall?

Question.

Questions, without context.

As they fall, a hope that they continue to fill the mind. It helps. It makes it easier to pull the lever. So heavy is it, the hoof that pulls the lever. As if the entirety of the body is submerged deep beneath the water. Or is it water? Blood. Blood, it feels like. Water is too pure. It cleanses. I washes away.

Blood is thicker.

But what do these thoughts mean? Why do they fill the mind? They are thoughts, but are they mine? Questions, once again.

So heavy. A burden. The burden. Held by many, upon the shoulders of one. This is life. As the world sins, they cast them upon the appointed few. Why must the many be guilty? Thus is the way, thus is my way.

Each step holds weight. Is it because of that which we carry? Or, is it because of that which we hold…

The world is one of silence. Nothing other then that which the one makes themselves. Yet, something holds our ears.

A crow.

Such smart creatures. Such just creatures. They stand before the guilty, and the innocent. The stand, they feed. Hey hallow upon them the promise of what comes next.

What does, is not their making.

What is, and what will be. That is what comes upon the lever. A pull. A promise. A guilt. How hard it is to fight a way one doesn't hold. Guild of those accused of crimes you don't know, actions one will never learn. But a sentence, one will always hear…

Guilty.

But, why? Why must they lose their hooves, and hover above the rest of us? Is it justice?

So many steps before them. Yet, we travel no where? Yes. We have seen all before. Something new may be before us, yet it always ends up behind us.

Endless steps. Endless wandering.

Mercy.

It's a feeling one always is asked, but rarly felt. The mouth lies, the heart tells true. This, is how we move on. Forwards. Always, forwards.

But…

But what was that?

A memory.

Upon the wind?

It was mercy. Called by one who never needed it… For those who would never get it.

Yes, a good memory. They were lose. They were then sent to be found. It was right. It was just.

Moments…

Moments, marked by a feeling. An ancient rule. We feel them. As they grow, as they change, we feel them. Through their eyes, we see. No longer do we feel.

Yes.

Memories.

A bird. A bear. A bunny.

We feel them. They feel me. I hold them. We are connected.

Yes, we feel it. A darkness that we hold, now shared by two. They feel it. We feel it. They live, they love. Thet learn. They grown. Thus is us.

We shall call.

So many steps, so many crows. A new noise is needed. Too many fall. One, must rise. As the lever is pulled, one must rise. It's far too lonely.

Come to me…

Fluttershy.

Author's Note

Woodlore.