Chapter 1
The sun rose over a forest casting its light on everything below. As the light from the sun lit up a hill you could see at the base there was a cave. If one listen closely you could hear the sound of light breathing of something inside.
As the sun rose higher and the wildlife woke up a beam of light went into the cave. The light hit the closed eyes of the being that called the cave home for most of his life. The being moved their head trying get the light off of them.
It didn't work as they were facing the cave opening. The light just shine on the other side of there face. On the ground you could see ash and the cold embers from a fire the being was sleeping on.
“Guess it’s time to get up.” The being said in a male voice. The eyes open to show his green slitted eyes. He breathed in a big lungful of air as he stood up on all four hooves. When he exhaled a small flame left his mouth and lit up the cave showing the rest of him. His fur was black as the darkest shadows. The hair on top of his head going down to his neck was a dark gray and covered part of his eyes. “Will need to cut my hair later.” He said and stretched out his body.
From his back came the sound of skin moving against skin. A pair of big leather wings stretched out to there full length. Flaming them a few times some ember fell off his body and was blown along with the rest of them around the cave. As he finished stretching out his body his tail came in to view. It was around the same length as his body. At the end of his tail moved around you could see a glint of the blade on it.
Done with stretching out his body he moved over to a pile of wood. From his forehead a grey light came from a horn as some of the logs and sticks moved from the pile to where he was sleeping. The wood arranged themselves into a camp fire. Once everything was was set the being moved to stand right next to it and drew in a big lungful of air to start the fire.
When he exhaled it wasn’t through his mouth but his nose that a orange fire shot out and light the wood. When the fire was going on it’s own he moved to another part of the cave. “There you are. Right where I left you.” He said as his horn lit up again.
From a pile of stone came what was left of a bear leg. Before going to the fire he dug at the ground. From the hole was a small chest and joined the bear leg in the air. He went back to the fire as he baked the bear leg with his inner fire. Sitting down by the fire he bit into the leg as the chest opened.
Inside the chest where pictures that were dear to him and at times where the only things that helped keep him sane for all the years he has been on his own. One of the pictures came out and he set held it in front of him. The picture was of a younger version of himself outside with his mother. The mare had a black coat like him with her main and tail being red with a green strip on the left side of her face and horn. On her rear was a picture of a flower.
He finished what was in his mouth and sighed before speaking. “Hey mom how have thing’s been?” As he looked at the picture he thought back to the day it was taken. ‘It was just before you died and I came to live out here in the Everfree.’
The picture flipped to the back to show some writing. Night Lily and her son Nightwing. He sent the picture back to the chest as he took a bite out of the leg. Another picture came out as he finished his meal. This one showed him and his mother with other five other ponies. He was wearing a cloak hiding his wings and tail. Two of the five were smaller than the adults and where brother and sister. One of the adults mares had a swollen belly and was leaning against a stallion wearing a yoke around his neck.
Nightwing flipped the picture over and read the writing. Hanging out with the Apple Family. “It sure has been some time since I’ve seen Applejack and Mcintosh. Maybe I could go and see how they're doing while I am out.” He said as he sent the picture back inside the chest and closed it. Getting up he walked over to the hole and put the chest back inside. Once the chest was back in it’s place he covered it back up and patted the dirt.
Leaving the spot Nightwing walked over to some crude clay pot and check the contents of each one. From one of the pots came some dried plants. “I’ll have to find some more herbs while I am out.” He said as he lifted the pot and walked outside. Nightwing walked over to the treeline in front of his cave and dumped what was inside. Once the pot was empty he went back inside the cave and put the pot back where it came from. Checking on the other two pots Nightwing found one empty and the other only having a few gems inside.
He grabbed them with his magic and ate them. “Add gems to the list.” He said after he swallowed them. Nightwing walked over near the opening to the cave and used his magic to lifted a crude leather saddlebag. Putting on the saddlebag he started walking out before he stopped.
“Might want to take care of that.” Nightwing said as he walked over the the fire. Standing by the fire he opened his mouth wide. The fire went from the wood and formed into a small ball just before his mouth. Once all the fire went into the ball it went into his mouth and he swallowed it. “That’s one way to put a fire in my belly.” He then walked out his cave and stood outside looking around.
“Smells like it’s going to be good day today.” Nightwing said after breathing in the morning air. Lifting his wing he flapped them till he was hovering in front of his cave. “Better get started.” And put more power into his wing as he started to fly up past the trees of the Everfree forest.
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Outside the boundary of the Everfree forest and some time later in the day there was a group of ponies working on their farm. However instead of them working on the apple trees that there farm was famous for they were instead working on one of their barns.
“Is that the last of everything?” Asked a yellow furred mare with her blonde mane and tail tied up. On her flank were three apples. She wiped her forehead of sweat and put her hat back on as she stood outside the barn next to a pile of things that were inside.
“Just one last chest sis.” Came a high pitch voice from inside the barn. From the door came a small pony followed by big pony carrying a chest on his back. The smaller one of the two had a lighter fur coloring them her older sister. Her mane and tail were red with a red bow in her mane. Unlike her sister she didn’t have anything on her rear. The stallion was bigger the the two sisters with a red fur with a blonde mane and tail. He was wearing a yoke on his neck and a had a piece of straw sticking out of his mouth. On his rear was a green apple cut open showing the inside.
As the stallion walked over to the pile as his youngest sister directed him where to put the chest. “Over here Big Mac.” She said and pointed to the spot. As Big Mac walked over to the spot there dog Winona came running up chasing a squirrel. The squirrel ran in between Big Mac’s legs with Winona following it. With the animals running under him causing him to drop the chest he was carrying.
“Winona get back here!” Yelled the older sister as Winona chased the squirrel through the orchard. She lost sight of them not after they went into the trees.
“Hey Applejack look at what was inside the chest.” The younger sister said from where the chest fell and broke when it hit the ground.
“What is it Applebloom?” Applejack said as she walked over to the mess. There were several things scattered all over the ground but what caught her attention the most was a photo album with a picture sticking out half way. What was showing was a black and gray shape of somepony she hadn't seen since before she got her cutie mark. Opening the album the page that the photo was on reviled her and Big Mac when they were younger. Applejack had bucket on her head and she was wet from what was in the bucket. She didn’t have a happy look on her face as she chased Big Mac and the other pony.
“Sis who is that?” Applebloom asked when she saw what her sister was looking at.
“That Applebloom is a old friend of mine and Big Mac when I was younger.” Applejack said as Big Mac came over to looked at the photo.
“What is he?” Applebloom asked as she tried to figure out what she looking at.
“I don’t remember what he was called but I do know he was half pony half dragon. Amt that right Big Mac.” Applejack replied as she handed the photo over the Big Mac.
“Yeap.” Was all that Big Mac said and looked at the photo.
“Why were you chasing Big Mac and your friend with a bucket on your head?” Applebloom asked.
“Because Big Mac and Nightwing dumped that bucket with old spoiled apple juice on my head.” Applejack said as the memory came to the forefront of her mind. Along with the three baths just to get all of the juice out of her fur.
“So did you catch them?” Applebloom asked her sister.
“I caught Big Mac but not Nightwing. The darn varment got away using his wings.” Applejack replied.
From off in the orchard there heard a Appleblooms name being called. “Applebloom you out here?”
“Over here Sweetie Belle.” Applebloom yelled back to her friend. Soon her friend came running out of the apple trees with a orange fur pegasus. Sweetie Belle was a unicorn with white fur and her main and tail coloured with pink and purple.
“Ready for some crusading Bloom.” The pegasus asked as her wing buzzed and lifted her into the air a bit.
“Can I go sis?” Applebloom asked her sister.
“Go on ahead Bloom. Me and Mac will finished up here.” Applejack said. Bloom went with her friends to go and aging try to find their cutie marks.
“Can you handle this while I take the album to the house Big Mac?” Applejack asked she grabbed the album.
“Yeap.” Big Mac said and handed the photo to Applejack. She put the picture back in the album and walked back to the house.
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Off in the wood near the orchard Nightwing was watching what was going on there and in the town near the farm. He had done this every now and them as a way to have some idea on what was going with some of his friends.
“What is Applejack’s sister and her friends up to this time?” He thought aloud as he watched where the three were going. In his time watching those three pull some crazy stunts. “Still haven’t figured out how they got that pet dryer.”
Nightwing had finished finding some new herbs and gems. He was almost found by a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail along with a small dragon when the two of them came to the gem field that he used.
He sat there and watched some of the other residents of the town of Ponyville and his former home when he was younger. “There goes the Rainbow again.” Nightwing said as he saw a rainbow streaked across the sky. He sat there for a few hours just watching and he saw the three fillies following a zebra into the Everfree.
Some time after that his stomach let itself know that it was hungry. “Guess that is enough for now. Better go and find something to eat” Nightwing got up and walk a safe distance from anypony see him flying as he hunted. He saw a lone deer walking around and dove. Landing on top of it he bit down on it’s neck and killed it.
He finished eating the carcass leaving behind little evidence of his kill. “Time to head home.” Nightwing said after he looked at the sky and saw what time it was. He decided to walk most of the way home to let his stomach digest his meal. While he was walking he was thinking about his life and the reasons why he was hiding out in the Everfree from all of his friend.
“It’s better for them this way them being around a monster like me. I’m just too different that I would eventually be driven out. Especially after what I did to Applejack and Big Mac’s parent’s.” He said as he came up to a path that lead the the zebra’s place.
As Nightwing was crossing the path he heard a few gasp from something to his right. ‘O no.’ He thought as he turned his head to look at what it was that spotted him. Nightwing’s eyes fell on the three fillies he saw early that followed the zebra into the Everfree. Just as he was about to speak the fillies made the first move.
“MONSTER!!!!!” All three of them yelled and ran off into Everfree away from him.
“Wait. Stop.” Nightwing yelled at them to try and stop them but he soon lost sight of them. Looking around the tried to find any sign of them but he couldn’t find anything to point him in the right direction. Suddenly he heard a high pitch yell followed by several howls.
“That had better not be Timberwolves.” Nightwing said as he ran in the direction the yells along with the howls were coming from. Coming up on the spot he saw the three fillies surrounded by a pack of Timberwolves. One of the Timberwolves started to advance on the fillies getting ready to start the meal.
‘No I will not let somepony else die because of me.’ Nightwing thought before he came charging out of the brush.