Things were relatively quiet in the Everfree Forest. That is, even considering its often chaotic mysterious nature in tandem with the creatures that lurk there, big and small. All that could be heard was the twittering of birds, and the occasional wind breeze softly moving the leaves on the trees, giving a calming aura to the forest. Yes, all things considered, it was quite a nice day.

Sand Clover did not think it was a nice day.

Being chased through some random spooky forest by monsters he had considered to be local myth,- made up by adults attempting to scare their foals into not wandering off into said spooky forest - was certainly not his favourite way to spend his past-time. And to top it off his coat was drenched in sweat and he was generally exhausted from running the PREVIOUS day from the evil ponies who were in leagues with the ponies who had toppled his almighty family swearing they were just worried ponies trying to offer assistance to a young frightened colt.

Nope, didn't help in the slightest. Feeling one of the beast's jaws snap at his hindlegs, however, gave him just that little mental boost (and a very, extremely cool masculine scream to top it off) he needed to stop worrying and continue running; enabling him to take notice of tree he was about to crash into, narrowly swerving to its right and sending the unsuspecting Timberwolf hot on his tail crashing into it with a THUD.

"Not that any of that mattered anymore" he thought. "Even if I am his majesty Prince Sand Clover, RIGHTFUL heir to the royal throne of Neighgypt, my legacy will still end in the woods of who knows where, in who cares what."

This sombre thought saddened Clover a little, yet it didn't seem to make him give up altogether, as he continued to gallop through the ever expansive woods. He clenched his teeth and grunted yet again as his coat scratched against but another thorn bush for what seemed like the 5th time in the span of just a few minutes.

"What the Hay! do they worship thorn bushes in this place?! that's like the 100th I've ran into!"

Despite slightly raising his mood with this thought and taking his mind off the fact everything in his body ached and pained, Sand Clover - despite being an earth pony - was no super pony. His movements soon became sluggish and tired, until by chance he reached a clearing in the seemingly enormous forest. Gasping for air with fear in rhythm with his every hoof step, he retreated to the centre of the clearing to put some distance between him and the pursuers.

Not seeming to want to give him even a second of solace though; 3 figures leaped out of the shaded underbrush, hastily approaching him. Fear panged through his heart, and his movements froze as his fight or flight response kicked in. It was then, he better look at the snarling creatures who were eyeing him with hunger.

They were everything the local's had talked about and worse. Practically looming over even adult ponies with their height, it did not help Clover was still but a young colt of 13. Each member of the pack bright green eyes, that stared into his very own; watching for any sort of slight movement in case he decided to forget his lack of stamina and make a break for it.

As the name implied their bodies where made entirely of twigs and other various debris one would usually expect to find in a forest and while back on the dunes he had encountered many a giant dune scorpion lying in wait amongst the sands, these seemed to instead permeate a darkness about them as if their very centre was evil to its core. He longed for the days to return where he and his brother ventured out without their mother's permission beyond the walls of the palace, onto the outskirts of Caircolt and watch the trade caravans trot in and out of the bustling city.

"That all seems like so long ago now..." he mused sorrowfully, tears beginning to well in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I could never be as great as you, father." He spoke out loud without even realising it, his voice cracking in between words.

Even now his childlike hope, or perhaps naivety, he prayed for a spectre to jump out of the overgrowth at the creatures that were now practically feet away from him, and vanquish the dreadful monsters. He knew it something like that had to happen like in the scroll's he read back home... it had to!

His fear wracked head whipped around the clearing, scanning for his would be saviour.

"Please!" he cried out loud. causing the 2nd closest and youngest approaching timber wolf to flinch "Somepony! Anypony! SAVE ME FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS UNDER THE SUN!"

Despite his fathers teachings that a royal of high standing such as himself should never have to plead for help or "ask" for anything of lower-born ponies, he seemed only to take more notice of the beast now inches away from his face; peering into his very soul. But he knew that someone would help him. Wildflower Wind would suddenly dive out the bush wielding his diamond encrusted scimitar and show these worms how it was done back on the dunes. The world wouldn't bail on his Royal Holiness Sand Clover now!

It totally fucking did.

As realization started to dawn on him, in all his hopelessness and grief, in what he thought was his last moments on Equus before he was devoured by this terrifying amalgamation of nature, the colts yellow tanned saddlebag started to glow much to the bemusement of the Timberwolves.

The last thing the great Prince Sand Clover remembered seeing was the open jaws of the timber wolf above him, just seconds before they came crashing down onto his battered nape.
But such a happening never occurred.

It was quite a nice day in Ponyville.

Outside the library ponies had already begun their daily commute, setting up stalls to selling their various goods to customers, or enjoying the fresh morning air sitting lazily in the park bench as Lyra was doing. Twilight paused. She took note of how she was again sitting in a rather odd manner - in a way what could only be considered as weird. Dismissing the thought she instead turned her telescope's attention to a different part of town: where Rainbow Dash was trying to ignore the Crusaders attempts to get her to take part in whatever hair-brained scheme they had concocted to obtain their marks they coveted.

She fell back away from the telescope and lazily collapsed onto her side. In her mind she was set for the rest of the morning. she had her mug of coffee with cream, a few sparse books hoofpicked from her library including a thesis on some form of rock creatures from the crystal empire and nopony trying to bug her. All in all things were looking pretty swell.

"Yeah, I suppose it is quite nice today." She murmured happily.

Author's Note

Here it is, my first attempt at fiction ever. Can't say I'm incredibly pleased with it but we gotta start somewhere right?

Pls give me feedback I want to not be shitty at this :(