//------------------------------// // Reason // Story: Perception // by fateswriter //------------------------------//       Equestrian was at war. The skies rained fire and the streets screamed. The rhythm of the fire ball impacts was like the scattered baseline to the Symphony of chaos. Ponies everywhere were running or fighting. The hell spawns that left the green fire pelts black like tar and full of holes in different places. They wrecked  havoc since released in the sky, destroying all life and order in sight. In fear of death many ponies tried to run while others hid, my mother being one of those unseen. Some made the escape while others were burned at the instant or picked off by the holed ponies littering the skies like flies. My mother held me close while my little brother shivered in fear between us, Our current shelter a fallen table. The city of canterlot was dying before us, as Our home turned into a battlefield.      Our shelter, the table, was stable at first. However the content wear and tear on the make shift shield was beginning to show, and while we were in no imminent danger (at least within this point of view) we needed to move fast. My mom nudge my for leg for my attention then grabbed my brother and placed him on her back.  I watched as she slowly arose and stepped outside our failing fortress. She looked both ways across the ruble that used to be a small diner, then sprinted across. At first I was confused, why run that way. Our home was in deeper in town yet she went towards th reserved greenery. Then I realized. ‘we can hide in the forest reserve!!’     I watched as she ran to a corner of a broken building, a loud boom that echoed causing the rubble to fall on my shivering brother. She inched around the corner and saw it was safe, turning to give me a signal.  It never came.   A changling that had been hovering had spotted her from above. In haste it charged at my mother at full force, a green shine coving it's speed. I closed my eyes in fear, the shrieks and screams that stained my ears were my only indication of the state of my family. I was alone. I looked up, only to be ingrained with an image that I could never unsee. I wanted to cry. I wanted to die. I wanted to kill.  Shaking my head in anger and sadness, I focused on the new task I had. I knew I had to avenge my family but I couldn't do it now, no I was to small. It had to wait. But I knew my motive. I slowly left the table and ran over to the bodies that formerly were my mom and brother. Tears left me in mourning, but I did not cry. No now was not the time. So instead I faced towards the forest and ran, the haunting sound of bug wings encouraging me. I ran fast, the wind making my hair whip angrily against me. The sound of wings approaching sent fear through me and I yelled as I was tackled to the ground. It turned me around, it's ever green eyes pierced me. I watched as it lit it's horn up to attack me, then a jolt woke me. In rage I lifted my forehoof and pressed it to its face until my hoof ached. When it jumped off me in pain I took that moment to get up, only ever hesitating once, thinking I could finish it off.  A growl left my throat as I convinced myself to leave. As I stared at the ever enhancing forest and waited till it's darkness covered my being to turn again. I glared as the changling searched for me before flying away in defeat. I kept myself low but ever vigilant, my hatred fueling my adrenaline enough to beat even the most season hunter. I glared hard for a few seconds before turning to walk further within. The sound of leaves and Twigs beyond my feet.   My hooves ached, one more than the other. I had been walking in the deep evergreen ever free for what seemed like ages. Well if ages were what seemed to be five sun cycles. The world around me was dark as if it knew no color. A pang when to my stomach once more as I continued on. Everything had begging for me to stop moving, my legs shaking each step hesitating more than the latter. I pressed forward however, searching for an answer, a possibility or hope of my comeuppance. After I glanced the last red rays of the evening sun leave for slumber, I lost hope. My ambition was gone, my anger in failing ever raging. I kept moving through the ache as a punishment. I had failed. I failed not only myself but nirvana, my mom. I failed astro, my brother. And I failed the unknown, my father. Don't know how exactly I did that last one but I was sure of it. It was my fault. Every step I pressed sent shock waves up my legs, to the point where I wished I'd been walking on glass instead. Not to mention the ever violent growls of the beast within my empty stomach. My vision blurred, my tongue long gone dry the world began to circle, but I pressed forward. I kept going, I think I made it six more steps before I fell on a twigg, face first into the ground. My muzzle stung. Turning my head to the side I stared long and hard a the trunk of what looked like a rubber wiggling tree.  Contemplating getting up. I decided instead I'd stay there, preparing to live just long enough to see the sun rise again before joining my family between the stars. I laid there, each pressing moment I grew weaker, my breaths more shallow. I was calm, all was calm, until the sudden twig cracking and the deep growls of a feral creature approaching resonated the forest.  Weakly I blink, and suddenly I'm face to wooden muzzle with a timberwolf. I blink again and more appear, jaws dripping with what I hope is evening dew. Out of fear of growing numbers or watching myself get ripped apart I hesitated to blink again, but inevitably I had to. However no real changes occurred this time. The wolves stood in front of me, about five in a curve behind the one in front. The wolf in question sniffed at me, occasionally nipping harshly at my fur or mane. In desperation I decided to give my best growl to ward him off. This made him jump back and tilt his head in confusion, before letting out a barking rattle. At first I'd thought I'd angered him and that I'd be dinner in a few seconds, until I saw the other follow suit. The rattle had a harshish tone to it but seemed surprisingly jovial and after a while of listening I could tell. They were laughing. The leader stopped his barking after a moment to inspect me again, pushing my weak body with his hard nose. I looked among the crowd of wolves for answers, and observed that about four of them were looking towards me belly up, while the others didn't seem to care. Taking this hint, I begrudgingly turned myself off my belly; waves of ache hitting me full force as I moved myself. I tried to lift my hooves to resemble their paws bit I was to weak. Their leader, sniffed me one more good time before trotting off towards the mini pack of hunters, perhaps to discuss my demise. When he trotted back, the left over adrenaline rush kicked in and gave me the strength to let out a very dry raspy cry for something, anything. I tried to form words but they were lost to me. The leader leaned his muzzle down towards my face, and as I closed my eyes in defeat I felt a hard press in a circle on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see the leader nuzzling me, in a way my mother once did. I looked up, expecting to see cold yellow eyes but instead got warm  hazelnut. As gently as possible he picked me up and placed me on his back made of ash wood and started walking. In a direction I didn't know of. I closed my eyes, the sound of oak paws following behind me my lullaby of a tale soon to come. One of a pony and her pack.