Everfree Liberation Army

As the rebels approached the end of the forest their eyes were filled with excitement, after long years of being worked to near death by King Frethnk the merciful they were finally about to be free. Tears of joy left their tired eyes as the sunlight shone before them through the clouds, the promise of a new life just a few steps in front of them. Not even the wild and powerful winds that had been building up around them could silence the happiness of their hearts, children jumped and ran around the caravan of people as the adults sang and praised the gods for delivering them safely. Well, most of them.

"It's finally here!" Smiled the old court wizard. "We've made it! Despite all that we have lost! It's finally here!" Brethgurt was old, his long white hair ran down to his shoulders, his tattered leather robes were torn and stained with blood and sweat, his face reflected years of pain and frustration never revealed and finally cured. His blind eye, ever looking forward, ever vigilant, regained its former coloring as the spell which he had bargained for to keep his people safe finally ended.

"Don't get to excited about it Brethgurt." His war-hardened friend said to him from his left. "Who knows if those beasts will welcome us." Grunthar was by all means the exact opposite of Brethgurt, while the wizard read through mountains of old books and scrolls the younger warrior spent his time training, relying on his steel rather than mind for most problems. His body reflected upon this, as his face had a blind eye of his own, not caused by self sacrifice but rather by an angry husband with a dagger. His limbs and front torso were also fully covered in scars, some deep and disgusting, some small and unnoticeable.

"The inhabitants of Equestria should no longer hold a grudge against us, our past differences having been over for more than a thousand years." Brethgurt said slightly shaken by the truth behind his friends words.

The cheering continued as the group of rebels exited the forest and started camp.

Ponyville

The winds had started to calm down after several minutes of violent storms. The mayor had sounded the alarm, warning everypony to find shelter until further notice. Pegasi had to land and find refuge inside solid buildings, as cloud constructions could be easily destroyed by powerful enough storms, Unicorns employed their magic into strengthening buildings and keeping windows from shattering, Earth ponies used their strength to hold doors locked and avoid them from caving in. All ponies had a role to play in keeping the town safe, they had survived discords madness in a similar way, no storm could stop them from succeeding. Right?

As bad as everypony had it, Fluttershy survived through the worst. Living isolated from the rest of town meant privacy and a good environment for helping her small wooden friends. It also meant there was nopony there to help her.

"Oh my, please don't break, please don't-EEEK!" Fluttershy whimpered from inside her small cottage as the walls and roof were battered by the relentless winds, her windows had shattered and her body was covered in small cuts and bruises. She had tears running down her face, not for herself nor where they for her multiple small injuries. She had cried for the small critters she was not able to save, a varied collection of wooden creatures had been brutally mauled and killed by the violent storm. Their small corpses sometimes being tossed through her broken windows, leaving them sprayed around her floor in a most horrible manner, as if the storm was mocking her and her undying love for all animals. Fluttershy could do nothing for the small animals, she could only mourn their most terrible fate.

When the winds had ended their assault on the small town ponies finally emerged from their homes. Many sported bandages and bruises but none were badly hurt. Pinkie pie had been worried sick the whole time the storm raged. She felt Fluttershy needed help. She sped down the path to Twilights house hoping she was alright.

"Twilight! Twilight! Open up! It's me Pinkie!" She battered on the door, waiting for Twilight to open it.

"Thanks Celestia you're okay Pinkie!" Twilight said, as she opened the door, relieved that her friend was not injured.

"Twilight! come on! Fluttershy needs our help! Because you see, today when i was in my room because of the storm and duh, because i couldnt get out, i started to bake some storm cupcakes for the after storm party and then i felt that Fluttershy was in trouble!" Pinkie said in a rush, and then stopped and stared at her friend awaiting a reply.

"Wha- what do you mean?" Twilight said taken aback by pinkies sudden rush, although by then she should have gotten used to it.

"Ugh... Just follow me!" Pinkie rolled her eyes and then unexpectedly. "Bye princess hope you enjoyed the visit!"

Celestia, who had been hiding as to not be discovered away from her duties in Canterlot, was completely shocked by pinkie's sudden farewell, (nopony besides Luna and Twilight were aware of her visit) but had no time to ask as the pink mare dragged her equally confused friend into the street and closed the door.

Frethnkurt castle

King Frethnk was enjoying his favorite dish of venison, when the news reached him. The rebels had defeated his woodland border patrols and made their escape outside of his reaches of the forest.

"Incompetent fools!" He shouted furiously as he threw his wine across the table and into the couriers face. "Execute this pathetic waste of space! Immediately!" His voice resounded throughout his castle.

Screaming for mercy the courier was taken to the garden by two fully armored guards, swords drawn they exited the castle's dining room. The king was trembling with rage, he had not been so furious since he learned of the mocking title the rebels had given him, "King Frethnk the merciful" he muttered in rage at the memory, his fists ached with need to tear something apart, it had been too long since his sword had ended some pathetic peasants life.

"My lord? Would you like me to gather the lords?" His steward Nurthlik almost whimpered.

"Grow a backbone Nurthlik, and yes! Gather the circus of liars and boot-lickers!" And with his final insult he left for his chamber giving a look of pure hatred to any servants that passed by him. Four more people were executed that day, including the cowardly Nurthlik.

Away from the castle the army was getting ready for another dull day in town, training and patrolling the forest. They feared little of the surrounding area, it was magically protected by the Castle Conjurer, a young witch that was said to be incredibly beautiful.

After their flight into the Everfree forest a sympathetic unicorn that had fallen deeply in love with a man gave her magic to the man's daughter, in exchange for being transformed into a woman so that she could spend her life with the man she loved. Discord God of chaos granted her wish, the girl was blessed with magical abilities even superior to those of her now transformed step-mother, but the God never played by the rules. The unicorn mare was indeed transformed into a woman, but she was far from beautiful, Discord had turned her dream into a nightmare. Not being accepted by her lover because of her hideous aspect and not being allowed back into her Unicorn tribe she ended her own life.

The conjurer now maintained a powerful ring of protection around her peoples home, no magical creature could venture near it, only regular animals were able to cross the ring but they were not much of a threat, after time passed she noticed she could not age, she lived forever inside the castle gates maintaining the ring. In time her power became so great not even the princesses were able to detect the civilization inside the ring, and the ring just kept on expanding as her people prospered, which pushed magical creatures farther into the edges of the Everfree forest making encounters between ponies and beasts commence.

"You summoned us my lord?" The lords asked the king as they entered the castle and looked upon their ruler sitting on his throne.

"Aye, that i did." His somber gaze moving from lord to lord as he considered how to announce what he had planned.

"And, if i may ask, with what reason?" Asked a young man with short blonde hair from the left end of the seven lords.

"Lord Unflack" The king sneered with a wolfish grin. "Always the impatient one. And i have been recently informed... Also a traitor!" His grin disappearing, being quickly replaced by a look of insane hatred as he screamed his last statement.

Unflack surprised said nothing, surprised and insulted by his king's accusation.

"Don't play dumb with me! Your patrols let Gruthvink escape! And now his army has left the Everfree and into Equestrian territory!" Frethnk's voice had lowered but the poison in then had only increased. "Now the whole invasion is in peril because of your stupidity and incompetence!"

"But my lord! It was not our fault!" A beautiful young lady spoke out for her fellow noble. "The rebels were too many! The militias we sent to stop them never stood a chance!"

Now Frethnk was not angry he was irate "Be silent you filthy wench! How you became a lord after your useless drunk of a father passed away is beyond my understanding!" His shout was deafening and absolute, not another soul in the room dared oppose him.

"Gather the armies." His voice was tired and his throat ached. "We march at sunrise."

Ponyville

Rainbow Dash and Rarity had met Pinkie and Twilight on their way to Sweet Apple Acres, after a small chat and worried questions had been exchanged both groups went on their respective ways.

"Gee Rare, i wonder if Flutters is ok..." Rainbows voice broke the silence that followed the encounter with their two friends.

"I know, Applejack is a tough pony and she can take care for herself, but poor poor Fluttershy! I do not even want to think of what she must have gone through!" Rarity was worried about her friends but since Pinkie and Twilight were already on their way to Fluttershy's, she agreed to Rainbow's plan of heading to check on Applejack first.

"Yeah... The wind must have been pretty rough on her side of the town..." Rainbow's mood was gloomy, both of her friends were very important for her, but Applejack was the one pony she identified herself with the most, all the memories of their adventures and challenges swept over and over in her mind, and a single tear forced its way down her face, she really hoped Applejack was ok.

Fluttershy looked around trembling, she was terrified by what she saw, her house was horribly mauled. Glass covered the floor, wooden planks had been torn from their places, furniture and decorations were turned over or shattered, and many of her beloved animal friends were dead or injured.

As more tears emerged her pet bunny angel started pulling at her mane in a desperate manner.

"Oh Angel bunny... This... This is horrible!" She sobbed sadly. "What are we ever going to do? The cottage is gone and... and... My poor friends!" Fluttershy's crying only increased, much to the desperation of Angel. He had heard the footsteps from afar. Angel redoubled his efforts, he had to take his master away from the approaching figures.

Refugees

Brethgurt and Grunthar Approached what seemed to be a small destroyed cottage.

"I hope the owner is all right... For our sake and that of the others" Brethgurt was now very nervous, breaking the conjurers ring spell by crossing it had consequences, he knew that, but he didn't expect them to be so harsh. Now all he could do was apologize to the residents and hope they didn't condemn them. His army was almost starved and many soldiers had been lost, if the Equestrians branded them as enemies, they would have nowhere to go.

As the rest of the army and their families made camp outside of the pony village, Brethgurt, Grunthar and a small retinue of men approached the town to start diplomatic relations.

"This place is badly fortified." Noted Grunthar. "We could storm it in a second."

"Shut it! We need to think about gaining their trust! Not about that!" Brethgurt snapped.

As the small retinue continued forward a small Yellow-colored mare with a pink mane came out of her cottage with a small rabbit on her back.

*EEK* came the small terrified whimper from the newly appeared pony.

The soldiers backed away a few paces out of surprise and started unsheathing their weapons.

"Lower your steel men! At ease!" Brethgurt appeased the soldiers, then turning around to the mare he said...

"You ok little friend? Do you need help?" came the strange creatures voice, Fluttershy had never seen such a thing in her life before. But he was scary, his clothes looked torn and covered in blood, his mane was grey and dirty and his strange hooves were covered in scars.

*EEK* was the only thing she could muster before fainting in fear.

Twilight watched horrified as the beasts carried Fluttershy in their claws, she was covered in blood. Trembling she backed away and tried to think. "A levitation spell? no they could think she's escaping and kill her! An attack spell? no I could miss and in retribution they could harm my friend!" Her thoughts were running at the speed of light only interrupted when she heard an all too familiar voice and her fear was the only thing keeping her from a facehoof.

Pinkie saw her friend being carried by the strange creatures, she knew she had to act delicately.

"Hey there!" The pink party pony said happily as she hopped up and down on her spot in front of the newcomers. "My name is Pinkie! What's yours? Why are holding my friend in your hooves? OHHHH Wait! Those are not hooves! How do you eat? Or walk? Or scratch your mane? You have very weird looking manes by the way!"

Grunthar looked in slight amusement at the strange pony in front of him, she was pink and seemed full of energy, he immediately took a liking for his new friend. "Well hello there little fella! What are you doing here?"

Pinkie's smile grew larger. "I came looking for my friend! You see..." she drew in a very deep breath. "Today when i was in my room because of the storm and duh, because i couldnt get out, i started to bake some storm cupcakes for the after storm party and then i felt that Fluttershy was in trouble! So i told my friend twilight over there. Hey twilight!" Pinkie waved and twilight openly facehooved."That we had to help her, so we left and came here but we found our friends on the way so we stopped and talked a bit but then we left and found-" *Deep Breath* "-you guys here!" Her smile lasted for the whole explanation.

Grunthar was now also smiling. "You really are a live one aren't you kid?"

Brethgurt was slightly confused at his friends reaction, Grunthar almost never smiled, and now this strange pony almost made him laugh like a young one! After regaining his composure he called out to this "Twilight" The pink pony had mentioned. "Excuse me, miss Twilight? Could you please come down here? we need to have a word with your sovereign and one of your friends is wounded."

Twilight crawled out of her hiding place and trotted towards the creature that had called out to her, she was wary however and did not fully trust the stranger.

"Yes?" She stuttered slightly. "What do you want?" Her concerned look drifted from the mans face towards her unconscious friend. "Fluttershy!" She cried out and trotted over to her friend.

"Fwotwershhhhhhheeyyee..." Fluttershys head was in turmoil and the outside noise came to her distorted and slow, her eyes slowly opened revealing her concerned friend's face.

"Twilight? Oh good heavens its you! I had the most terrifying dream of all time! There was a storm and my cottage..." She stopped in mid sentence as another face came into view, this one was not of a pony, he resembled something nothing she had ever seen before, with the exception of a few primates she cared for, her eyes grew wide and her body trembled and shook with fear.

*EEK*