The Fog on the Other Side of the River

by tastetheRainbowDash

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Other, Fluttershy
Length: 2386

A pony living by himself in the Everfree has to deal with what's going on today.

Sometimes, curiosity takes hold of us, and we have no choice but let it lead to wherever we are going. Whether in life or in dreams, we are slave to the mysterious force. And now the ponies all over the world are looking to discover a myth. A myth as old as time itself. A myth that only one pony, and that one pony alone, knows is true.

Published 2012-11-15 04:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-11-27 03:24:38 UTC

The Myth

There are tales, tales as old as Celestia. Tales as old as Equestria. And tales as old as life itself. Some of these tales are tales of heroism, or legends. Not this tale.This tale is a tale as old as life, a tale explaining pain, and misfortune. This tale may not even be true. This tale, this very tale, is a myth.

Celestia has most likely to seek the truth behind this myth. Maybe some other pony has tried to discover hard core truth and fact into this myth, but to all, it's nothing other than an overly told fairy tale used to keep little fillies and colts out of the horrid Everfree Forest. The tale was of a dark lonely figure. The tale was of me.

I sit there, all alone in my forest all day, watching.

What do I watch for?

I do not know. That would have to be one of the questions I've been asking myself since I was a young gentlecolt.Actually, I do not even remember if I was ever such a colt, or even a colt at all!

As I sat there, I thought. Thought about how I could make my long painful days of loneliness easier to handel.

There was nothing. I could not do anything to make my life easier to live. I was doomed with a curse. The curse of being so obscure in my surroundings. It was never my fault that I had chosen to live in such a place. I actually enjoy it.

But the loneliness kills me deep inside.

Sure, there are animals surrounding me, but whenever I try to neigh softly at them, the get frightened and run off. Some creatures are not made to look as kind as a bunny, and I was one of those creatures.

I noticed something strange in all my years. everypony other than me could talk, eat, and see fine. That is,everypony but me.

Did I have some sort of birth defect? I honestly can say that I was different. I was too different. Is this why I feel attached to this side of the river? The side that nopony lived in? I guess so. I could be myself here, not that I really had a choice.

Finally, after sitting down for quite awhile, possibly a few hours, I stood up. At this point of the day, I was hungry. I slowly walked, due to the lack of explanation of why I should run, I searched. Searched for a berry or two. I found my favorite, Synsepalum Dulcificum, better known as sweet berries or miracle fruit. Each bite I took, the berries grew sweeter and sweeter. This is why I loved them so much. I felt like I could eat anything with these. And I could, Literally.

The best part about these fruits was that miraculin, a sugar substitute, sticks to your tongue to give a sweeter flavor to everything you eat closely after.

So I ate grass. Considering there were only about three perfectly ripe fruits. I was still hungry. Surprisingly, I eat a lot, for somepony as thin and slender as I. And for somepony without a tongue.Yet I can still taste.

For somepony with no mouth, I could still eat.

For somepony with no eyes, I could still see.

And for somepony with no nose, I could still smell.

And smell I did. There was a wonderful sent, carrying me off into the dark forest that was my home. For this scent was so old yet so new, I have smelt it only a few times before. It was the scent of fresh meat. Fresh young meat. I haven't had this since the years of the Princesses' castle was just across the river. And I have never smelt the smell over on this side of the river.

I ran. I ran at a full gallop to see where this scent would take me. The scent of fresh meat grew stronger, and finally, I could tell what it was. And it wasn't a what. It wasn't an it. It was two its. Two young ponies.

I kept running, trying to figure where the two ponies would be. Sniffing the air once again, I smelt their age. They were teenagers, old enough to be out of school and to have a job, but not yet old enough to have foals.

My curiosity grew. I could smell their gender, both female. This made all the more difference. I have no idea why, but mares just smelt and tasted better than males. It was just the way it was. But sometimes the male stallions did smell good. They usually end up tasting horrible.

I galloped faster towards the scent. Oh, my Princess, did they smell delectably good!

The final thing I had to sniff out before finding the two mares' location was their breed. They both smelled of the same breed, but as far as I could tell, I didn't know which race they were. I slowed a bit, before once again starting to jog toward the two unidentified mares in a light trot.

Getting closer and closer, I was getting hungrier and hungrier. These two would surely satisfy the hunger that the miracle fruit and grass could not. But one thing was confusing me. I still could not identify their race.

Still jogging over to where the two stood, I stopped. I could smell it now. The smell of feathers. That was why I couldn't identify their race. I'm around feathers everyday, and have been for my whole life. The two ponies were young, female pegasi! Pegasi were always my favorite. They're fiesty and they put up a good fight. I always win of course.

I came up to a clearing by the river. I didn't want to get too close that they would see me, but I wanted to get close enough.

There. Over to the right of the clearing was a small patch of trees that would conceal me quite well. Quietly trotting over to the trees, I pondered on the fact of what they would taste like.

But that was before I saw them. One was a light blue, like a petunia. Her mane was multicolored and styled in a colt-ish manner. The other was a pale goldenrod color, with a slightly curled light pink mane. I was surprised I knew my colors so well, for I have never ventured outside of my forest.

Then I noticed what the two were doing. The petunia one had a book. I could just make out the title, Myths and Mythical Creatures. The other was shrunken underneath a lone tree in the center of the clearing. Laid out in front of the blue pegasus was a set of shiny metal objects. I knew what they were. Knives.

The pegasi weren't lost as I thought they would be. They were hunting. For me.

I took an careless step back, and a loud crack was heard. I had stepped on a branch. The blue mare turned and stared right at me while the other shrunk behind her tree even more.

I turned around and galloped as fast as I could in the other direction.

Run, Run as Fast as You Can

I passed my trees in a blur. How could somepony possibly try to kill me?

Maybe it wasn't me that they were looking for.

As soon as this thought had passed through my head, I stopped. Dead in my tracks, i cocked my head to the side to listen.

No noise.

I tilted my head up to smell the air.

The scent was still there, very strong. But not as strong as it was when I was staring into the clearing.

I turned around.

Nothing. Well, nothing unless you count the numerous trees, leaves, and harmless woodland creatures.

I heaved a sigh of relief. They weren't hunting for me. The pegasi...

I stopped my train of thought. Pegasi...

I looked up to a pleasant sight of leaves and branches. What little space was left unoccupied, specks of blue light flittered through.

Satisfied that nopony, especially not the blue one wielding knives, was around me, I sat down.I was still hungry, but thankfully, I had sat down next to an apple tree filled with nice, plump, granny smiths.

I came to the conclusion to sort my thoughts through before I would do anything else or overreact like I did once again. But before I could think about anything, I was surrounded.

Rabbits, deer, and squirrels all ran to huddle around me at once, which was quite odd because they usually ran from me.

The animals parted to reveal a great buck, taller than even me, walking towards me. It was carrying something. A letter. But who would write a letter to me? How would they have known I existed? How did they even know where to find me?

More and more animals gathered, as if protecting me. I took the scroll out of the large buck's mouth, opening it.

I know who you are. And I know how to find you. But there is only one thing that you need to know. Unlike my friend, I am not hunting you. I am trying to save you. I have sent animals to try to protect you. From her. My name is Fluttershy. And try to keep safe.

I finished reading and looked up. There were more animals here than there were when I had started reading the mysterious not from Fluttershy.

My initial reaction was WHAT. Somepony was trying to save me. From her friend. And I had to guess that the friend was the one cowering underneath the tree.

Why would she want to save me? Why would anypony want to save me? I was a monster, a freak of nature.

More animals crowded around me. Why? They had never liked me before. To them, I was just a mere nuisance. Was this shy pegasus, Fluttershy, controlling them? Or did she merely just tell them to stay by my side?

I sat there, unsure of what to do. If I moved, would the animals follow? Will they stand up and hop out of myway as I walked through? I didn't want to take that chance. So I sat. I just sat and thought.

Then it hit me. Ponies were scared of me for a reason, right? A reason some knew not of until they have seen me. I strike fear into their eyes. Fear and hatred.

I stood up, confident in myself. I've lived with hunger for acceptance and yearned for its touch. I knew I could end it all today.

So, once again, I ran. But this time, I ran toward the mare who was trying to kill me. I also ran toward the mare who was trying to save me.

What would I do with her? Would I eat this so-called "Fluttershy"? Or would I just go to kill her rainbow maned friend? I somehow doubted that I would be able to do the latter.Mostly because if murdered her friend, she'd turn on me. My peaceful life in this forest would end. Everypony would be tracking me. Me, the one they call the Slenderpony.

Honestly, how could they even consider me a pony? Sure, I held the shape of a pony, though I had no mane. My tail was pitch black and wasn't really a tail, more like tentacles. I wore a suit, which kept its perfect shape and classiness, even when I scraped by bushes. My red tie was bright as ever. The only real difference was my face, that is, if I had one.

I thought about this Fluttershy character. She seemed shy, as stated in her name, and she also seemed... What is that word? The word is simple, yet strong. Powerful, yet settling. Generous? No. Loyal? No. Kind? No... Wait. Kind. That was it! She was kind.

Why would she even talk to the one she mentioned in her letter, known as "Rainbow Dash"? She didn't seem like she would care. If I took Fluttershy into my custody, would she avenge her captured friend? Would she believe that she was dead.

No, I couldn't imagine that. I was not, nor ever was, a bad pony. An evil pony. I merely did most of what I do out of hunger. Everypony has to eat, correct? I was no exception. Unless you consider eating with your mouth, where as I dissolve ponies into my body. And not just ponies. Fruits, vegetables, and many other things. I could practically consume anything. Literally.

My thoughts continuously came back to the topic of the two delicious smelling mares. If the one did end up finding me, how would I deal with her? Would I simply kill her? Take her soul, as some say? Or would I consume the mare?

Or would I... Keep her?

I admit it. This forest was lonely. There was nopony that could be my friend, not that anypony wanted a friend like me.

I finally concluded that no matter how good the mares smelt, that I would keep them. Either one, though if I kept that Rainbow Dash I would have to keep a close non-existent eye on her. Fluttershy would be a better choice, but most ponies have lives to return to. Not that I knew too much about having a life. I would actually prefer it if my life ended.

Then why was I so scared? I didn't want to die, and I knew I couldn't. Many have tried, and I murdered them in cold blood, sometimes even without consuming their carcasses.

I stood up, for once ignoring the little animals around me. Surprisingly, I didn't step on any. I started to walk, walk towards the little clearing the two mares were in. I didn't notice however, the footsteps behind me. Well, I actually did notice, but I didn't pay much attention to them. I kept walking.

About a minute of walking had passed, and I stopped my my little Miracle berry bush, to grab one on the go. Then it hit me. Literally.

I turned just in time to see a rainbow mane collide with my face and a little yellow face in the distance, crying.