Centaur Warrior

The Everfree Forest, a truly wild and nearly undocumented stretch of forest and woodlands, which ponies know very little about, and of the things that are hidden within its borders. The only well-known things about the forest is that the vegetation grows on its own, animals fend for themselves, the weather operates on its own merits, and that the royal sisters Celestia and Luna once used to live in the forest in their old castle. Which now lies in ruins, and is taken over by the forest’s vegetation.

Many times over the years some brave, or possibly foolhardy, ponies venture into the woods to document and discover what secrets the forest has, but many either give up on their exploration when the forest proves to be to, wild, for them. Or in the more rarer cases, these ponies end up having their lives taken by the creatures, and monsters that live in the dark gnarly woodland, or succumb to some of the dangerous plant life that inhabit the woods. Never to be seen ever again. So for the past three hundred years, before the return of princess Luna from her thousand year banishment on the moon, no pony has dared to venture into the forest for any reason. unless they were either mad, desperate, or reckless thrill seekers, or just mischievous foals that thought going to the forest would be fun.

But today though, deep down in these woods, a brand new life form has appeared. The only one of its kind in the whole world. and this new being would soon meet the inhabitants of this world, ones that will change its life forever.

~~~~~

Beyond the Everfree’s western border, there lies a town called Ponyville, a nice little place that has a sizable population of ponies, with a few other species that visit the town from time to time. Recently the town has gotten a bit more, livelier ever since last summer. Which was certainly one for the record books, as not only did the lost alicorn princess return from her banishment on the moon, but a group of mares have been having one unusual yet eventful adventures after the other. But today we’re not focused on those ponies, instead we find ourselves on the very edge of the Everfree’s border, just on the very edge of the towns large public park. Where a group of foals were standing. The group was consisted of five fillies, which were comprised of three earth ponies, one pegasus, and one unicorn, and it seems that they were all in a heated discussion.

“So are you going to do it? Are you going to get the ball, or are you going to chicken out.” The pink earth pony filly, who was wearing a very frilly dress that was equally pink, said to the yellow earth pony filly and the pegasus and unicorn in a mocking tone.

“No! We’re not chickening out!” the pegasus filly, who was wearing a purple and black hoodie and shorts, said in a defying tone while glaring at the pink filly. “We’ll show you that we’re not afraid of the Everfree.”

“Yeah!” the yellow earth pony filly, who was dressed up in blue overalls and a red shirt, said as she stood by her pegasus friend. “Just you wait Diamond Tiara, we’ll show you that we’re not afraid to go into the forest.”

“Then what’s the hold up?” the grey earth pony filly, who was dressed in a grey sweater and long pants, said in an equally mocking tone as she re-adjusts the glasses resting on her muzzle. “You better go find the ball fast, otherwise a monster will come and get ya!”

The yellow earth pony, and orange pegasus, didn’t reply to the grey fillies taunting and just abruptly turned, and marched towards the forest. As the two fillies left the bratty pair behind, the white unicorn of the group looked more hesitant than the others, but after a minute of just standing in place while looking back and forth between each group, the unicorn filly followed after her friends as they closed in on the forest. As the trio enters the Everfree they stopped for a brief moment, as they started to hear ominous noises coming from deep within the woods, causing the three bipedal equines to shiver in momentary fear. But the fillies gathered up their courage, and continued to make their way deeper into the woods. and as they did so, the fillies started to look around bushes and trees, searching for the ball as they tried to not be scared off by the forest’s eerie noises.

“Girls, I don’t see the ball anywhere.” The unicorn said as she stays close to her friends, clutching the back strap of the earth pony’s overalls.

“Maybe we should go back.”

“And have Diamond Tiara laugh at us all because we got scared before we find our missing ball. No way!” the pegasus said as she brushes aside a low hanging branch, allowing her, and the other two to walk through.

“Besides, the ball couldn’t have gotten too far.” The earth pony said as she looks through another bush. “So the faster we find it, the faster we can leave.”

The unicorn gave a nervous sigh, but relented as she left her friends side, and started to search for the groups ball. Which was kicked from the park into the forest. Although where it landed in said forest, was proving to be a somewhat difficult task, as they couldn’t find the blasted thing. But the three fillies were determine to not only find the ball, but to also show up the two snotty fillies that were also playing in the park, and called them chickens when they said they would go find their missing plaything. Ten minutes have gone by, and the three foals have traveled much deeper into the woods than they thought they had, and still the fillies still haven’t found their ball, and the pegasus and earth pony were starting to get a little frustrated, while the unicorn was only growing more anxious than before.

“GAH! Where is that bucking ball!” the pegasus shouted as she kicked a tree in irritation, only to recoil as she hugs her leg and rubs the spot that she kicked the tree with. “Ow.”

“I can’t find it either.” The unicorn said as she emerges from another thick bush, her dress and coat covered in leaves.

“Can we go back please? We’ll just tell Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon that we couldn’t find the ball.”

The unicorn bemoaned as she brushed the leaves off her clothes. The pegasus decided to agree with the unicorn, as she was coming up empty handed and only getting irritated that she couldn’t find a single ball, however the earth pony wasn’t about to throw in the towel just yet. And as she rounded around a large tree with a hole in its side…

“I found it!” the filly cried out as she found the bright red ball lying beside a small hedge. The pegasus and unicorn rushed over to where their friend was, and found her crouching down and picking the ball up.

But as the filly was about to stand back up, she came face to face with what looked like a thick log sticking out of the hedge…a log that snorted out a foul, moldy and dead wood smell! The filly scuttled back in surprise, and disgust of the foul odor, falling right onto her butt as she and her friends watch as a large, burly timberwolf came walking out of the hedge. Its right paw stepping onto the ball that rolled towards it, popping it with a combination of its weight, and sharp wooden claws. The three fillies could only stand, or sit, in fear as the large arbor lupine fully emerges from the hedge, which was only followed by two other timberwolves. Smaller than the first one, but just as fearsome looking, with sap dripping from their jaws as their sickly greenish yellow eyes glared at the fillies.

When the three wolves have emerged from the hedge, they began to slowly encircle the fillies, who all bunched up together, each one keeping an eye on a different wolf while also looking for a way to escape. As the fillies tried to find a way to escape from the circling wolves, one of the wooden lupines lunged at the trio, causing the fillies to scream in a panic as they ducked and lept out of the way. Causing the wolf to collide with the larger one. With an opening now made, the three fillies ran off as fast as they could, except they were heading deeper into the woods instead of heading back the way they came. But the wolves quickly gave chase as they ran after the scrambling fillies.

~~~~~

In a different part of the woods, the screams of the fillies caught the attention of another creature, one that was hunting a large stag. The moment that the creature heard the screams, its head swerved around, trying to pinpoint where the screams were coming from. Which only took it a few seconds to pinpoint where the noises were coming from. Once it had the shrilling cries general location pinned, the creature galloped through the forest, weaving through the trees as it heads towards the sources of the screams. Which were being accompanied by howls and barks.

~~~~~

The three fillies continued to run as fast as they could, their lungs burning and their legs aching as their hooves stomped on the grassy terrain. While the wolves chased after them snarling and barking, howling even as they closed in on the three fillies, their panting breaths heaving as they dashed through brush, and jumped over fallen trees.

“I…I can’t…I can’t keep running—AGH!” the unicorn cried out as she tripped over a small uproot, causing her to tumble onto the grassy floor.

“Sweetie Belle!” the other two fillies cried as they skidded to a stop, and rushed over to their fallen friend, helping her to get back to her hooves. However the wolves caught up to the trio, and they slammed into the three foals with the force of a heavily loaded cart!

The larger timberwolf overshot its own jump, and ended up a good dozen or so feet from the others, who tried to sink their teeth into the fillies. Sweetie Belle was able to protect herself by creating a small shield, but it was only big enough to block the wolf from the front. While the other smaller wolf was wresting with the earth pony, who was using her above average strength to keep the wolf from clamping its jaws down on her, but the wolfs teeth were digging into the fillies hands causing them to bleed, and pulse with pain.

“Get away from Apple Bloom!” the pegasus shouted as she used a large branch to swat the wolf off her friend. Clonking the wolf on the side of the head, the pegasus sent the wolf skidding off to the side, allowing her friend to escape.

The pair then rushed over to Sweetie Belle, and like the other one, the pegasus used her branch to send the wolf recoiling. As the wolf was knocked to the side, Apple Bloom dropped to her knees as the pain in her hands started to flare up, luckily her unicorn friend was able to use some basic healing magic. while the unicorn was healing her injured friend, the pegasus stood between them and the wolves, who were all gathered in front of the filly, snarling, and barking at her as she stood her ground, shaking slightly as she held her branch like a club. But when the wolves got to close, the pegasus started to wildly swing her branch about, trying to scare off the wolves, but the larger one effortlessly clamped its jaws on the branch. Snapping it in half with one bite!

Now with their only means of protection gone, the pegasus was tackled by one of the smaller wolves, biting and gnawing at her hoodie while the fillies head slammed into the floor, hard. Leaving the pegasus wide open for the other smaller wolf to attack.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both cried out as they reached out for their friend, while the wolf lunged at the pinned filly, who could only raise her arms in defense as she waited for the wolf to pounce on her, and tear her to pieces.

But just as the wolf was in mid-pounce, something came flying out of the tree line, creating a wind slicing ‘swoosh’ sound as it races through the air. Then in an instant Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, watched as the head of the timberwolf was knocked clean off its body…as a shimmering blue object slammed into it! after the wolfs head was knocked off, the force of the blow from the flying object caused the body to be flung a good few feet back. not even a moment later, and the fillies and the two other wolves saw something come bursting out of the woods, and ran straight for the wolf that was keeping Scootaloo pinned to the ground. With one swift motion, the ‘thing’ spun around, and kicked the wolf off of Scootaloo, the attack making a sickening crunching sound as the wolf was sent flying! Once the smaller wolves were dealt with, the fillies focused on the thing that came to their rescue, and what they saw would be ingrained into their young minds forever.

Reared up on its hind legs, the three fillies saw a huge four-legged creature, staring down at the large timberwolf who was barking back at it. they couldn’t fully see its features, but the creature looked like it was a pony, at least, a part of it did, the top part. But the lower part looked like a four-legged hooved creature, with a long bushy dark brown tail. the foals then watched as the wolf leapt high into the air, trying to attack the creatures upper body, but the creature used its front legs to easily kick the wolf away. But the large lupine didn’t give up so easily. It again jumped up towards the creature, who this time used the glowing blue bow it was holding to counter attack. However the large wolf spun in midair, and with the grace of a cat, the wolf managed to latch onto the creatures jacket and haul itself onto the creatures back.

The creature then started to buck and thrash about, trying to elbow the wolf off itself. But the beast was able to dodge most of the blows, and which ever strike it did take, it sunk its claws into the back of the creatures lower body. Causing the creature to grunt in pain, fueling its attempts to get the wolf off itself, and it did so by jumping up into the air causing the wolves body to lurch up. then with one swift spin of its upper body the creature elbow strikes the wolf square in the face, sending it reeling backwards! Now that the wolf has let go of the creature, it spun on its hooves when it landed back on the ground, and after recoiling its left arm back, the creatures arm shot out a second later, and hitting the wolf square in its face again. But the force of the punch was so strong that the timberwolf’s body shattered into pieces, scattering all over the place. Including where the fillies were, where they each got struck in the head by a large piece of wooden debris.

After the fillies were struck in the head by the remains of the timberwolf’s body, they all collapsed to the ground as they started to lose consciousness, but before they blanked out they saw the creature crouch down next to them, and spoke in a young masculine voice as it looked at the trio.

“Shit! Are you three alright?”