Silent Nights in the Everfree Forest

The leaves rustled faintly. The trees whispered excitedly to each other in a chorus of their foreign language, sharing unknown secrets.

But she could understand them.

Fast, flying hooves pounded the ground, effortlessly navigating the perilous maze of various vegetation. A white form, a blur, raced through the tangle. She laughed giddily, a larger, bulkier form behind her, nearly matching her. The two forms playfully darted around each other, both laughing happily. They swiftly met suddenly, the feminine form tackling the masculine one, each sharing a giddy laugh, as they exchanged affectionate nuzzles.

"H-Heh.... I had to have won that!" Exclaimed the white, female unicorn.

She had a black, crisp, clean shirt on. Her ears adorned two pearls, small and shining. Placed on either flank, was her cutie mark, a pair of swords, crossed. Her mane and tail were a mess. Not like she cared. This was a forest, not a beauty pageant.

"No way!"

The dark, larger male unicorn had exclaimed, laughing as he was pinned to the ground by the female, wriggling around, doing so in a playfully fake, futile manner. On *his* flanks, however, a star held it's spot.

"Gerroff!"

He laughed, as the young mare nipped at his neck. She let out a laugh, nibbling more despite his giddy pleas for her to stop.

"Well then, who won, hmm?" Said the mare in a taunting tone, slightly flirtacious as well.

"Me!"

He laughed, his reply only rewarding him with more love-nibbles from the mare, in which in laughed wildly at, squirming and laughing, the couple soon resolving into a close embrace, their colorful eyes closed, heads resting on one another's shoulder.

"....I still won." Said the mare, giggling in the faintest manner.

"Dream on, Cassia." Replied the colt, with a slight hint of playfulness.

She giggled, before bestowing a kiss upon the rough fur of his cheek, which earned a light blush from him. She giggled once more, looking into his eyes, an abyss of mysteries contained within them. She knew every single one, as did he. He gazed back into her own eyes, before the two's moment of loving admiration ceased, and they returned to their warm embrace, like two great swans, their noses lightly pressed to one another's. Cassia was the first to speak.

"Star.... We should get back home.... the Village is probably wondering where we went...." She looked at him, her head half-cocked, standing over the stallion whom she loved.

He nods, thus their fun, friendly frolic in the woods ended, as they stood, alone, but not quite alone, in the Everfree forest. Vivid plants, blood red, lime green, sky blue, littered the forest like flies on a hazy, summer day. Faint rustlings of leaves, obscure animal calls, permeated the air with their chorus. The forest was nothing but a stereotype to anybody whom hasn't lived there before. Cassia has been here since she was born. She knew it wasn't anything like what outsiders though, but rather, a powerful force of nature, frightening those whom haven't experienced much out of their homes, safe within the seclusion of their walls, the friendliness of the city, safe from the dangers of the unknown. Fear instigated lies, stories, myths, and tales. To nearly anybody, a trip to the Everfree was considered insanity. But these unicorns did so just fine.

Cassia jumps off her mate, nudging him to roll over, and stand up. She always 'babied' him like this, and even though she knew he could do it himself, she liked to help, much to his dislike at some points. She giggled, leaning on him when he was upon his hooves, bumping flanks with him, before laughing more, and trotting off towards her village, with am eerie certainty of direction, humming a song as her mate followed in suit.

"No!"

He spit at his captor, a menacing growl escaping his lips.

SMACK

"NO!"

Several, brutal smacks were issued from the wooden stick.

He panted heavily, blood gushing from his mouth, coating his fur in it's sticky coating, matting it down, the rough, blue fur slowly turning purple.

"Where is it?" A gruff voice inquired once more.

"I'm not telling you." Snarled back the binded stallion.

"Very well, Mister Vereal" Replied the voice again, before a shattering thump  was issued with the stick.

Silence.