Prologue: A Night at the Bar
Prologue: A Night at the Bar
It was approaching midnight; the streets outside the tiny village bar were desolate and uninviting to anyone without cider blocking their common sense. A lone dog ran down the street, barking at some unknown animal that kept constantly darting in and out of the shadows.
The bar itself was nothing to look twice at. The windows were covered in smut, the wood extremely aged to the point of cracking, and the strong smell of alcohol wafted from inside the bar, contaminating the atmosphere outside the building.
The inside was just a grim and bleak as the outside. It was the only thing making it more inviting than the drunken, laughing ponies that considered this place their “home away from home.” A thin, yellow mist lingered in the air; the smell of apple cider was concentrated and potent, ponies drinking away the troubles that had accumulated over the day.
Closing time was approaching, the place nearly empty save for a couple of stragglers that were finishing their drinks so they could "get their bits' worth". The bar keep pony, an old colt with a graying coat and a white beard, was using a damp, old rag to clean out some recently-used mugs that were stained with cider.
Two earth pony stallions sat at the bar. The rosy tint to their cheeks and eyes, and goofy smiles on their faces revealed their intoxication. And if none of that was convincing enough, their slurred voices were.
One of the stallions had a much burlier frame than the other. His red-orange fur and mean-looking face gave him the appearance of a pony to avoid unless you wanted to get into a brutal hoof-fight. He leaned against the counter, his baggy, blue eyes staring into the equally baggy, yellow eyes of his much leaner friend.
This thinner stallion had an orange-cream coat, and looked a lot less intimidating. He didn’t look feminine in the slightest, but between him and his friend, he was very much the “mare” of the group. Meaning he often didn’t get into fights while his friend seemed to make a living off of it.
Then again, many mares were like his burly friend, so it would be more accurate to call the thin pony the reserved one and the burly pony the impulsive one.
The thin pony seemed to be a bit more relaxed as he listened to his burly friend ramble on about recent events in his life.
"So as I was saying, I got some from work yesterday and I walked in, you know expecting to see my wife's happy, cheerful face greeting me."
"Yeah, I understand that. So what, your wife wasn't there or something?"
"No, when I got home I opened the door to see her standing there."
"So she was there waiting for you?"
"Yes, but the cheerful face was absent."
The thin pony grimaced, "Oh, that's never a good sign."
"Clearly, so at first I thought that…I don't know maybe I forgot to meet her someplace for dinner or I forgot our anniversary or something mundane like that."
"I forgot me and Cream’s anniversary once."
“Yeah, how'd that work out for ya?"
"With a frying pan across my face and a hoof upside my flank." The pony started to laugh a slurred, drunken laugh, his friend joining in. Both of their cheeks were blushing as the alcohol in the cider worked its way into their system. Their body movements further gave their drunkenness away. Their slower reflexes when moving even a little bit, such as to grab the mug of cider that was mere inches in front of them, was all anypony needed to see to know the two stallions were intoxicated.
A couple of stools away from the two drunken friends sat a stocky, black pegasus. His white mane and tail, and his green eyes glistened brightly in the otherwise murky bar. On his back he had a leather saddle-bag. His cutie mark of a circular shield within a gold star, a silver spear slashing through it, stood out even more than the colt's mane and tail did.
He was alone, sipping some cider with one ear pointed towards the duo, eavesdropping on the two stallions’ conversation. He tightened his grip around the mug as he took another hit of the cider, grimacing as it slid down his esophagus and into his waiting stomach, not entirely used to the burning sensation of alcohol running down it.
He wasn't used to drinking and one cider was often enough to make him more relaxed exiting the bar than he had been entering. Even after all of the pain he went through, even after all of the horrors he's seen, he actively avoided alcohol as a means to drown his sorrow. Sure he had some now and then to ease the pain, like he was tonight, but he would never get drunk. Not even with his life in shambles, not even as he lay at the true “rock bottom” of his life. Not even as he wandered the streets of Equestria aimlessly, hoping to find someplace, anyplace, to settle down and leave his past behind him.
But he knew that was impossible. There was no way he could forget the pain he was put through, no way he could forgive himself for what he’s done, or what he blamed himself for causing.
He continued listening to the drunken blathering of the two obnoxious ponies, who were discussing their first-world relationship woes, further aggravating the pegasus and making him realize why he never got drunk off his flank. These two idiots wouldn’t have the tiniest idea of what true pain was if it smacked them in the face.
Once the duo of goofy stallions stopped laughing, the thinner pony cleared his throat to speak.
"So what happened then? Why was Bristol so angry anyway?" the thin stallion asked.
"Apparently she found out I've been seeing this other pony."
"Which one, was it Crystal Heart?"
"No; not her, she moved to Appleloosa, remember? I’m lucky if I get a bucking letter from her once a month."
"Oh yeah…she had a nice flank.”
“Oh I know.” the burly stallion laughed as he took another sip of cider.
“Was it Ice Wave?"
"No."
"Pine Breeze?"
"Bingo."
"Dang, that's rough man."
The burly pony let out a sigh; "Yep."
"So how did Bristol find out?" the thin pony took another chug of his drink, listening to his friend’s reply.
"Pine stopped by my house when I was a work, and Bristol was there...you can guess how well that went."
"Wow, that's just bad luck. But wait, why would she stop by your house uninvited? Didn't you tell her that you were married and Bristol was a stay-at-home mare?"
"No I didn't tell her any of that, and now she hates me too."
The thin pony whistled, "Ouch, double loss on that one, eh man?"
"Obviously, so she kicked me out and now I’m at a hotel until I find a permanent place to stay."
"Wow. So that’s it? It's over?"
The burly pony sighed and gave his friend a small nod, looking down at his half-empty mug apathetically. He didn’t look happy, but at the same time didn’t look necessarily upset either.
The thin pony, however, continued to play the role of the concerned friend.
"I'm…I'm sorry man."
The burly pony gave a small, nonchalant shrug. “Eh, things weren't working well with Bristol and I anyway. It was only a matter of time before one of us caught the other sleeping with somepony else."
As the burly pony took another long swig of his drink, the thin pony looked down at his hooves, trying to think about what to say. He clearly was uncomfortable being in the situation of conversation starter, especially given the circumstances. Once his friend had finished swallowing his brew, let out a small belch and wiped his mouth with the back-side of his hoof.
The thin colt finally spoke up. "So how is Clover taking it? I mean, being stuck in the middle of all this ‘adult drama’ must be rough for a filly like her."
"I’m not sure. I haven't spoken to her since yesterday morning, before I was kicked out."
"Think about stopping by to see her? Would Bristol let you? I mean, she is still your daughter."
"She probably would. But for now, I'll let Bristol take care of her. I’m pretty swamped right now anyway.”
"Swamped?"
"Yeah," the Burly stallion ran his hoof through his mane and turned to his friend, flashing him a smile filled with yellow teeth, "I'm going to see if I can find a pretty, young mare to start dating."
The black pegasus nearly choked on his drink. He looked over at the adulterous stallion, stunned that he could be so uncaring about his family, especially after what he just confessed to doing. Even if he did cheat on his wife with other mares, it was still surprising to hear him care so little about his daughter. It was like he didn't care at all that he had destroyed his family, something the pegasus could never forgive himself for doing, which is why he found himself at a bar in the middle of nowhere, a mug of cider in one hoof and his filled saddlebag over his back.
He turned his attention back to the conversation, which had just started up again.
"Oh yeah?" The thin pony asked as he took a sip of his drink.
The now bachelor pony grinned, giving his friend a nod that was a tad too friendly.
"Yep, now, I've got my hooves untied, and I'm going to make the most of it."
The black pegasus couldn’t contain his opinions anymore.
"By acting like an immature foal that can't commit to anything?"
Both ponies turned towards the black pegasus colt that was sitting alone at the end of the bar, his eyes staring down at his hooves as they rested atop the wooden counter. Slowly, his head turned towards burly pony he was addressing so that his vibrant green eyes landed on the confused pony.
The burly stallion stared for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the sudden interruption by this mysterious pegasus that had, apparently, been listening in on their conversation, and was now staring at him like he insulted his mother. After a few moments, the burly pony's expression of shock changed into a smile. He chuckled a little, a chuckle that was a blend of both genuine humor and disbelief at the current turn of events.
"I'm sorry; I don't remember asking for your input on the matter."
"I don't need it." The black pegasus snapped back almost immediately, though his voice showed no change in tone. It was still flat, yet stern and accusing. "When I hear somepony as stupid and ungrateful as you so ready to abandon his family because it's convenient to your wants and sick, lustful desires which, ironically, is the reason you lost them in the first place, I feel their ‘business’ is no longer immune from being criticized. "
The burly pony's smile was now gone, replaced by genuine anger. His comrade took a sip of his cider, not once taking his eyes off of the mysterious black pegasus.
"Do you think that you’re better than me?"
"Overall? No," the black pegasus said, turning his head back towards his drink. He started to raise the mug to his waiting lips, continuing to talk, "but I do think I have a much better understanding about taking things for granted than you."
The black pegasus tilted the mug towards his muzzle and began to drink. The burly pony could feel his heart-rate start to climb, his anger reaching the boiling point.
"And what makes you say that, stranger?"
The black pegasus finished taking his sip of cider and gently placed it back down onto the counter.
"Because I had a wife once; she was beautiful and kind and I loved with all my heart and soul. I also had two wonderful kids. And they were all taken from me.”
The pegasus sighed and rested his forehead against his hoof, his elbow resting against the counter. Memories of his family flash through his mind, making him smile.
“I often dream about seeing their smiling faces. The same smiling faces I saw when I walked through the front door of my house. It’s much like how you imagined your wife. The difference is that my joy came from seeing them happy, where if I were to guess, your joy came from a feeling of being worshiped."
The pegasus took another drink and continued, "Seeing my kids and wife reminded me that I had a purpose, and that others cared about me."
His smile faded as his family faded from his mind, “And I cared about them. I’d do anything to protect them."
The burly pony gritted his teeth, listening to the pegasus continue speaking.
"But I couldn't prevent them from being taken from me in the most gruesome, horrible way possible. Every night before I go to bed, I pray that someday we'll be reunited; that they aren't really gone. I continue to do this even after seeing their cold, lifeless bodies with my own eyes, sprawled out in front of our burnt home like victims of genocide."
The pegasus sniffled a little, the sad memory flashing into his mind. He then turned to the burly stallion, staring directly into his eyes.
"And then there are ponies like you, happily getting drunk with your friend while your family is very much alive. But what do you care, right? All that matters to you is sipping cider and fantasizing about finding some fresh, young mare you can sleep with one night only to never call back. So I apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation, but when I see somepony as unappreciative and thankless as you, I feel they need to be taught some humility."
The burly pony’s patience reached the breaking point. He stood up and strode over to the mysterious pegasus.
"Now look here you arrogant son of a…"
"I wouldn't do that." the pegasus said, looking directly into the stallion’s eyes. The stallion stopped moving and looked at his target in confusion.
"What?"
"I wouldn't threaten me; it's not a good idea."
The burly colt simply chuckled and shook his head before slowly making his way over, "Okay, listen here buddy. I'm a former, amateur buck-boxer so I know a thing or two about defending my honor against punks like you."
"You're an amateur boxer?" the black pegasus let out a few "tsk" and shook his head, "Dear King of Sutansia that's rich. You couldn't even give me the common courtesy of being an actual boxer; you think being second-rate makes you stronger than me. That’s an insult if I’ve ever heard one."
After shaking his head to clear his confusion as to the pegasus using the saying "Dear King of Sutansia" instead of "Dear Princess Celestia", the stallion reared his front, right hoof back and brought it forward, expecting to hit the side of the seemingly oblivious pegasus.
What he didn't expect was for the pegasus to quickly stop his hoof from making contact with his own face before slamming the stunned pony down onto the counter. The black pegasus pulled a dagger out of his saddle-bag and pressed it to the defenseless colt's cheek. The handle looked to be solid gold, shining in the otherwise dull bar, small engravings and markings covered it. One feature that stood out was the engraving of the word "SALUS" down the side of the handle.
But the trapped stallion was too dazed and confused to understand any of his surroundings, let alone a tiny word engraved on the handle of the blade pressing against his cheek.
"August Breeze!" shouted the thinner stallion, leaping to his hooves, ready to charge the black pegasus that held his friend down against the bar.
Noticing this, the pegasus placed both of his hooves firmly onto the bar, keeping the burly colt, August Breeze, in-between his chest and the counter as he was too dazed to do anything but watch the scene play out. The pegasus pushed himself up and use both of his rear hooves to buck the thin pony across the bar and into the wall at the other end of the room. The black pegasus stared at what he did, neither a look of joy or guilt on his face. He just looked angry.
"Apricot Flair!" the August Breeze shouted after regaining his composure. His face was then pressed back into the counter by the pegasus, who held a shining, silver blade against his cheek threateningly.
"Apricot Flair and August Breeze, huh? Those are interesting names for a couple of macho stallions like you two. What’s next, are you going to spray me with mace and try to kick me in the crotch?" The black pegasus said rather humorously, while having not the slightest bit of humor in his voice. Not a snicker or a sneer, rather his tone was one of both annoyance and anger.
Then the pegasus slowly lifted the knife away from the trapped colt's cheek and flashed it to him, "You see this?"
August nodded weakly.
"This is a blade given to the Captain of the Sutansia Royal Guard."
"Sutansia?" the colt mumbled only to have his face further pressed into the counter, effectively restricting his speech to mumbles and grunts as his cheeks squished together.
"And you know why I have a blade only a Captain of the Royal Guard would have?"
The stallion didn't answer, he just kept up his futile attempt at struggling as he watched his thin friend, Apricot Flair, slowly get to his hooves, his eyes narrowed in on the black pegasus that held down his friend. He scraped his front hoof against the wooden floor like an angry bull ready to charge. He then charged at full-speed at the black pegasus.
Right before Apricot made contact with his target, the pegasus reached for his still half-full mug of cider, grabbed it and brought it across Apricot's face. Apricot was sent back to the floor. His hoof covered his bloody nose. He lay on the ground groaning and spitting blood from his injured mouth.
August Breeze looked at his downed friend in horror as his oppressor leaned in close to his face so their eyes were mere millimeters apart.
"Because I was Captain of the Royal Guard."
With that, the black pegasus released the terrified August from his hold. He stared him down for a minute before trotting over to the counter, where the bartender was standing. The bartender's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open at the sight before him; two of his tougher customers effectively beaten down by a single pony, who didn't even seem to break a sweat.
The black pegasus reached out in front of the bar-keep, grabbing the cloth that was normally used to clean used mugs. He turned towards the still grounded Apricot Flair. Apricot looked up at the pegasus. The front of his muzzle was covered in blood. His swollen eye and cheek a sickening black-and-blue color.
"Here, your face is pretty bloody, might want to clean yourself up," the pegasus tossed the rag at Apricot, who caught it. The pegasus then turned to August, "and then ask yourself if a colt that can't remain loyal to his family deserves to have your loyalty."
Apricot's expression was shock. He kept staring at the pegasus, as did the few ponies still left in the bar whose evening was interrupted by the bizarre turn of events involving the odd bar-room fight. The black pegasus put his dagger back into his saddle-bag, tossed a few bits onto the counter for the bar-keep, and started to make his way to the door.
It was at this point that August mustered enough courage to speak up.
"Who in the hay are you?"
The black pegasus stopped and slightly turned around so he was still facing the exit while he managed to see August in his peripheral vision.
"I told you, I used to be Captain of the Royal Guard.”
“Yeah, then what are you now?”
The pegasus sighed, fighting back the tears as images of his family started to flash into his head. Finally, he replied.
“Nothing."
With that, he walked out, leaving a group of very confused, and two very beaten-up, ponies in his wake. The bar was silent as everypony, especially Apricot Breeze and August Flair, tried to make sense of what just happened.
Chapter 1: The Dark Rescuer
Chapter 1: The Dark Rescuer
It was a typical, bright and sunny day in Ponyville. The birds whistled happy, cheery songs. The enticing smell of baked goods wafted out of Sugarcube Corner and filled the street with its sweet scent, luring ponies inside like Hansel and Gretel into a gingerbread house. Ponies talked, walked, and conducted business at the many stands set up along the street.
Twilight Sparkle trotted down the road, humming a cheerful song as she went along. Every now and then she'd give a little nod to ponies that she passed by. She saw Pinkie Pie, who was outside of Sugarcube Corner in an over-sized cupcake costume. Upon seeing her studious friend approaching, Pinkie's blue eyes immediately lit up in excitement.
"Hey! Twilight! Over here!!"
Twilight giggled at her hyperactive friend.
"Hey there Pinkie Pie. Oh! Nice costume."
"Thanks! I made it myself." Pinkie Pie said proudly, tugging a bit at the fabric for emphasis, "Today we're having a sale; you should totally come in and buy some cupcakes or something! They're half off."
Twilight chuckled, "Maybe later. Right now I need to get ingredients from Zecora to make a potion."
"Oh, okay! Well, if you find time or if you're hungry, don't forget to stop on by!"
Twilight smiled and gave her friend a small nod, "Will do."
Pinkie Pie grinned, turning away from her friend and bouncing over to a group of school-aged colts with a grin on her face.
"Hey would you three like some of Pinkie Pie's freshly-baked treats?"
Twilight chuckled before continuing her jaunt through town as the colts uneasily backed away from the approaching Pinkie.
The cramped center of town slowly began to space out as Twilight reached the edges, giving her some breathing room. Not that Ponyville was overwhelming, but sometimes the square would give Twilight a headache. It was always so busy, and entering the less busy parts of town afterwards always felt good.
She continued walking when, suddenly, a loud "whooshing" sound came from above, causing Twilight's mane to blow in front of her, messing it up.
"What in the world?"
After using her hoof to straighten it out, she looked up to see her loyal pegasus friend Rainbow Dash zigzagging in and out of clouds, spinning some like tops and bucking others with her hind-hooves. Her odd flying left the lavender-colored unicorn baffled.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called out.
The cyan pegasus skidded to a stop and looked down at her friend.
"Oh...hey there...Twilight." she said in-between pants. "What's...what's up?"
"I could ask you the same thing, What in the hay are you doing?"
Rainbow Dash descended until her hooves touched the ground. She did so slowly, conserving her energy for later when she would continue her erratic flying.
"You mean...all of...this?" Rainbow Dash gestured up at the sky, remnants of clouds destroyed scattered the blue space.
"Yeah." Twilight said, but Rainbow Dash didn't answer. She couldn't seem to stop panting. Twilight noticed this, making her forget the question her friend had yet to answer as she moved on to another one.
"Are you all right? You seem really exhausted."
"Oh yeah...totally...I'm...say you wouldn't happen to have any water, would you?" Twilight shook her head and Rainbow Dash groaned, "Ugh, what does a pegasus have to do to get a drink around here?"
"Couldn't you just get some from a cloud?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Eh, it's pretty exhausting. I mean...I'd have to stomp on the clouds to...get the water, and that'd only make me thirstier."
"Oh. Well listen I was heading over to Zecora's, maybe she'll have something to drink that I can bring back to you."
"Okay, cool." Rainbow Dash said with a small smile, her breathing now slower, though still rapid.
There was an awkward moment of complete silence between the two mares. Twilight waited for Rainbow Dash to say something, and Rainbow Dash seemed like she just wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Both ponies looked away from each other, Twilight digging her hoof into the ground while Rainbow Dash blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.
"Listen I need to get back to flying. I'll see ya around Twilight." Rainbow Dash said with an awkward smile.
Before Twilight could respond with a proper "good-bye" or "see you later" or anything proper, Rainbow Dash was already up, back to beating up the clouds and doing angry zigzags through the skies.
Twilight suddenly remembered that Rainbow Dash didn't answer her question regarding her strange "flight routine". Twilight would have come to the conclusion that she was supposed to be clearing the skies for the day, but Rainbow Dash just seemed to be letting off steam, sometimes hitting a cloud and other times just kicking the air. It just seemed like she was throwing her hooves around like a maniac, hoping to make contact with some of the clouds without actually taking aim at any specific one. This bizarre flying led Twilight to suspect there was something more going on with her feisty friend.
But then she remembered Zecora, and decided to wait until later to talk with Rainbow Dash. She trotted off, completely unaware that her friend stopped flying for a brief moment to wipe something away from her damp eyes, both of which were blood-shot.
Her facial expression showed she wasn't her typical, cocky self. Instead, it showed a sadness that was completely uncommon for her, the rough and tumble, tom-boy mare. Eventually her facial expression went from sad to angry before she resumed her assault on the clouds.
Twilight continued on, only running into a couple more she knew well enough to say "hello" to. She also passed by Sweet Apple Acres and ran into Applejack, who was hard at work doing what she did best, bucking apples.
As they talked, Twilight noticed that Applejack was a bit on edge, like something was eating away at her. When she asked if everything was okay, Applejack said she was fine, when everything about her face showed she wasn't.
When Twilight brought up Rainbow Dash and her odd flying, Applejack's eyes went wide. Her face blushing, she hurriedly changed the subject to apple bucking, using Rainbow Dash's "kicks" as a transition into the changed subject.
Twilight was confused by both Applejack and Rainbow Dash's behavior, wondering what was causing two of her best friends to act so strangely. But once Applejack moved onto Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusader's latest "adventures", Twilight's was on the story her friend told instead of how strange she was acting. This involved their failed attempt at being "Cutie Mark Crusader Home Cleaners", a mishap that left the Apple Household in worse shape than it was in before they started.
It was like a mini tornado struck the Apple household.
This story was entertaining enough that it took Twilight's mind off of her friend's behavior and instead put it onto the image of the three blank-flank fillies standing in the middle of the Apple's house, shouting "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER HOME CLEANERS!!!" before creating a level of chaos that would impress Discord.
After talking for a good ten minutes with her country-mare friend, Twilight bade Applejack a good day continued off to Zecora's.
After about two minutes of trotting down a lonely, dirt-covered path, Twilight reached the edge of the Everfree forest. She stopped just outside of the main line of trees that led within the forest. An immediate feeling of dread filled her entire being, as she stared at the dark forest in front of her. Her eyes scanned from right to left, then from the ground to the sky, taking in the sight of the towering, twisting trees.
She never liked going through this unpredictable place, not even for a short while. It always made her feel uncomfortable, especially after she had been turned into stone by a cockatrice while making her way to Zecora's.
Just like she was now.
Sure, it usually was a safe and uneventful walk that she usually worked herself up about, only to have it be uneventful and safe, but she couldn't help it. There was so much chaos beyond the trees, so much unpredictability that she couldn't help but be somewhat anxious.
She knew that the length of a journey didn't matter, for sometimes the shortest treks can prove to be the most hazardous of all. Taking in a deep breath in through her nose and slowly exhaling through her mouth. She then put on her most determined face and entered the embrace of the mysterious Everfree, ready to take on anything.
Or so she hoped.
As Twilight continued into the forest, the beautiful chirping of song-birds started to grow quieter and quieter until she could no longer hear them. They were quickly replaced by the eerie sounds of creatures not too familiar to the unicorn. There were a few piercing screeches, a couple of echoing howls, and even one noise that sounded like a cross between a squeak and a growl.
With these mysterious sounds surrounding her, Twilight couldn't help but feel a growing anxiety. She made her way deeper and deeper into the Everfree, her usually stead-fast legs quivering with each step. The sunlight behind her had disappeared, the forest swallowing her up like a tasty meal. Darkness surrounded Twilight from everywhere but from above, where the tiniest bit of sunlight managed to creep through the canopy. The light shone off of Twilight's fur, giving the worried mare some comforting warmth. Still, the mostly dark surroundings made it impossible for Twilight to feel completely relaxed.
"Jeez, why can't Zecora live closer to the edge of the forest?"
She took a deep breath to calm herself, her legs steadying a bit as she continued on. So far, everything seemed normal. The darkness of the forest, the strange noises, and even the spooky and unpredictable atmosphere was nothing new to her.
But that's precisely what made the Everfree such a scary place, it was unpredictable. Things would be safe and calm one minute, only to have a manticore or a cockatrice to pop out of the shadows and attack the next.
Suddenly, Twilight heard what sounded similar to quick-moving, light hooves pounding against the ground behind her.
She turned around to look behind her, hoping to find the source of the sound. But she was met with the same darkness that surrounded her since she entered the forest. Puzzled, but unwilling to stop due to a single noise, Twilight turned her body forward and continued through the foliage, trying her best to suppress the nagging feeling that she wasn't alone in the dark forest.
She only got a couple of feet when she heard the same noise come from behind her. She quickly spun around to meet the exact same empty darkness that she saw before. Her breathing quickened and she felt herself start to panic. Slowly and carefully, she turned back around. She was about to proceed through the woods when she heard something else behind her, this time a low, malicious growl.
Tired of everything, she whipped around and stared behind her.
"W-whose there!?!"
Nopony came forward, nopony said anything to reveal their presence, the only thing that was clear was that something was following Twilight, and kept darting back into the shadows when she tried to confront it. She started to get worried, sweat running down the back of her neck. She felt like the trees were closing in around her, giving her an extreme feeling of claustrophobia.
She kept looking in the direction from where she came; knowing that turning her back to whatever was stalking her would be a very dumb thing to do. She knew that even if nothing revealed itself, she was being followed, and chances that it was a docile little bunny rabbit were slim.
But she couldn't just stay there forever, she had to press on. Acting like a statue would only make her an easier target for whatever was following her. Besides, it was only about another minute until she'd be at Zecora's hut anyway, and that would give her safety.
Twilight took a deep breath, composing herself before she turned around to continue on.
As soon as she faced forward she froze in terror, immediately regretting her decision.
She looked up to see the wooden bodies of four very famished, very angry-looking timber wolves. The snarling monsters slowly made their way towards the petrified mare. Their pupil-less, yellow eyes glared at her, as if to accuse her of stealing their food.
Or like she was their food.
She started backing away slowly. Her eyes like saucers, staring at the beasts that were menacingly approaching her.
It was odd to see only four timber wolves together since a pack usually had eight to ten. But this hardly made the situation any better for Twilight. Even a single timber wolf had the ability to rip the average pony to bloody shred in a matter of seconds. To make matters worse, those that traveled in smaller packs tended to be more rogue and more dangerous than typical timber wolves. She swallowed hard, realizing that having fewer wolves in front of her did nothing to lessen the danger she was in.
Twilight felt her back hoof bump up against a root that was sticking out of the ground like a mini arch-bridge. She let out a small yelp as she almost lost her balance, but managed to catch herself before she toppled over. She looked back up at the hungry wolves, drool dripping from their tongues, their eyes piercing into Twilight's own. She trembled, looking up helplessly at the beasts, towering over her like terrible deities, her fate in their paws.
She thought about running off, trying to escape them, but quickly decided against it. She knew they could simply chase her down in a matter of seconds. They then would devour the little pony like she was a hunk of fresh steak.
Twilight knew the only hope was her magic, the only defense she had in a situation like this. It would be near impossible to attack all four at once, so she knew that focusing on one or two of them at a time was her only chance. She pointed her horn at the quartet of beasts and began to charge up her horn, ready to fire.
"Come on, you mutts." She hissed under her breath.
She tried to look strong, to look brave in the eyes of the monsters. But the wolves didn't care. Even with the strong expression and the brave behavior, her eyes gave her away. The terror in the two violet orbs was clear as day to the timber wolves. They knew she was scared, they knew even with her "fighting words", she felt threatened and vulnerable.
Just how they liked their prey.
Deciding the time was right, the beasts began to charge at the mare. Twilight could see the hungry look on their faces as they drew closer, and closer, and closer.
But Twilight wasn't going to give up without a fight.
Right before Twilight was able to cast her spell, her body became engulfed in a dark shadow. Her horn's aura disappeared and she looked up to see something fly in-between her and the wolves. It was a black pegasus stallion, standing defensively with his wings extended, its face staring daggers at the befuddled wolves. He was like a shadow. Save for his blindingly white mane and tail, and glistening green eyes, he was pitch black from head to hoof, as dark as the forest that consumed them both.
He turned to Twilight, his body still facing the wolves but his green eyes focused on the nervous mare.
"Stay behind me!" he demanded, his voice drenched in authority and power.
Before Twilight had a chance to respond, the pegasus turned his eyes back towards the wolves. He reached his hoof into his saddle-bag and took out something that was silver and sharp, the tiny bit of sunlight that shone through the canopy above reflected off of the silvery object, illuminating it in the otherwise dark forest.
Twilight squinted to get a better look and noticed it was a dagger with a beautifully decorated handle.
Taking it with an extremely dexterous hoof, he pointed it directly at the snarling beasts. He firmly planted his hooves into the ground and propelled himself at one of the wolves. He latched to its neck and thrust the dagger into its flesh.
The beast screeched, but didn't die right off. It flailed around in a mix of agony and rage while his comrades watched, growling more and more at the sight. It only took a second for the other three wolves to run after the pegasus, who didn't notice the three approaching wolves until one of them grabbed his shoulder with his teeth and pulled him off of his friend. The pegasus fell to the ground, his knife landing a couple of feet away.
The pegasus let out a moan in pain as he pressed his hoof against his shoulder, feeling the warm trickle of blood as it seeped out of his wound. But he knew he couldn't stay there, he was in the middle of an attack. Any hesitation could cost him more than just his neck. Quickly, he looked up to see another wolf jump right at him, jaws open and teeth glistening in the moonlight. Just before the beast made contact with the pegasus, it was engulfed in a magenta glow and frozen in mid-air. Its jaws clamped and un-clamped rapidly, but only latched onto air. The pegasus watched in amazement as the beast was flung against a nearby tree like an over-sized rag-doll. A small yelp escaped the wolf's muzzle as his eyes closed and he went limp. Once the glow around it disappeared, the beast fell to the ground, unconscious and un-moving.
The pegasus turned to see Twilight's horn engulfed in the same magenta light that surrounded the monster moments before. He would have thanked her for saving his life, but the last two wolves caused thanks to be delayed. Even with his neck bleeding, streams of the red fluid running down his back, slightly tinting his fur maroon, he kept his attention on the wolf. He outstretched his wings and made a b-line at the wolf, eyes locked on his target, a black and white trail of light left in his wake.
He and the wolf collided, the sounds of jaws snapping echoed like hundreds of mouse-traps going off simultaneously. The pegasus grimaced and groaned at the feeling of the teeth puncturing his flesh.
The angry wolf bit every part of the pegasus that he could, from his leg to his already bloody neck, which only bled more profusely as the wolf clamped its jaws onto the wound. He grunted at the searing pain of having the dagger-like claws slash at his torso and sides as he and the beast wrestled on the ground.
But the Pegasus wasn't completely helpless. He did manage to the creature's face a couple of good slams with his hooves. He even gave the wolf a taste of its own medicine by literally biting back. He clamped his teeth onto one of its front legs, which felt like a thick tree branch. This did manage to elicit a yelp of pain from the wolf, but it didn't cause it to stop its assault on the pinned pegasus.
The Pegasus needed help, and fast. He wondered why the unicorn hadn't taken care of this timber wolf like she did the other one. After all, he was trapped and almost defenseless under the crushing paws of the beast.
That's when he heard her scream; he looked to his left to see Twilight running away from the last wolf, which hot on her heels. Her horn started to glow in an attempt to teleport away. But then the wolf snapped its jaws right at her back hooves, causing her to lose concentration on her spell, making the aura dissipate into nothingness. She couldn't manage to cast a spell when she had a wolf so close she could feel its breath against her flank. The wolf continued nipping at her like some delicious piece of food, making it impossible for her to attempt teleporting away.
Unfortunately, Twilight's focus being on the wolf also managed to distract her from what was directly in front of her. Namely, the large root that she had backed into before, which she failed to notice until her hoof was already caught underneath it. She let out a small yelp and was sent to the ground, dust flying everywhere as she skidded to a halt. She quickly tried to scramble up, but as soon as she tried to put pressure onto her hooves, a sharp pain shot through her front, right hoof. She fell to the ground and let out a grunt. She tried to get up again, but failed. The best that had once been chasing her so quickly, was now in pursuit at a much more leisurely pace, a sadistic grin on its face as it licked its chops at the injured mare.
The pegasus watched this in horror, and knew he had to do something. But he was trapped and the beast above him was just about to use its jaws to end him. The wolf came down, and he raised his hoof to stop the beast from reaching his head. He fought and struggled, knowing eventually the wolf would win out due to sheer size and the growing fatigue the pegasus felt, both from the scuffle and his massive blood loss.
That's when the glimmer of something silver caught his eye. The pegasus turned to his left to see his dagger lying on the ground nearby. Without a second thought, he took one hoof away from the wolf, temporarily giving him the upper hand, and hoping he wouldn't do anything before he had a chance to end this. The pegasus grabbed the dagger and quickly thrust it into the wolf's face.
The wolf didn't know what hit him, it couldn't have, the action was so sudden, so unexpected. The dagger went through its right eye, immediately penetrating the monster's brain. Blood started to gush from the eye-socket as the wolf collapsed to the ground, its tongue lolled out and it breathing ceased.
The pegasus heaved the wolf off of him, letting out a grunt as he was freed from the monster's weight. He sat up and looked in front of him to see Twilight backed against a tree, her eyes wide in utter terror as the last timber wolf slowly made its way to her.
Acting fast, the pegasus grabbed the dagger and flew over as fast as he could. The wolf reared up, about to end the little pony's life, when a dagger pierced the back of the beast's neck, cutting his spinal cord.
The wolf let out one, shrill shriek in agony before collapsing to the ground. Twilight screamed and put her hoof over her eyes as dust shot up from around the body. Slowly she lowered her hoof and looked up to see the pegasus standing on top of the downed wolf, his hoof on the handle of the dagger, his eyes tired-looking, his body shaking and wobbling, and his tongue out as he panted.
Twilight swallowed to moisten her throat so that she could speak.
"Um...thank you sir, for saving my life."
"No...no problem." the pegasus replied, giving her a weak smile. The blood loss was starting to weaken him to the point of near loss of consciousness. "What...what was a mare...like you doing in these parts...anyway?"
"I'm off to visit a friend." Twilight said, her eyes never leaving the pegasus' own silver eyes. The sunlight radiated around him, giving him the appearance of a divine savior which, at least to the still-shaken mare, he was.
"Uh-huh." the pegasus answered as the world slowly started to spin around him.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked.
"I'm...I'm..." the pegasus started before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Twilight let out a small eep as she looked at the downed pony.
"Oh my goodness!" Twilight said fearfully, making her way over to the blacked-out pegasus. She flipped his limp body over so he was facing up and pressed her ear to his chest. Once she heard the comforting sound of a "lub-dub", she let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, so you're not dead." she said to nopony in particular, "but you still need help."
Using her magic, Twilight levitated the pegasus off of the grass. With him floating by her side, she quickly made her way through the thick foliage to Zecora's hut.
