The sun faded behind darkened clouds. The once soothing melody of nature now replaced by the eerie sound of silence. Meadowbrook slowed her canter to a focused line of steps, her ears perked up high in case of hidden danger.
Her intuition was correct. Something insidious was upon the horizon, yet she had not the faintest clue as to what. The elegant narrowed path of the forest had become twisted, thick purple vines covered in thorns spilled out onto the road from deep within the darkness. She was quickly becoming disoriented, everything about the path turning into an enigma.
Meadowbrook slowed to a complete stop. Her exit from this nightmare valley blocked by the oddest sight, a towering wall of living thorns. The sickly vines slithered against each other in a devious dance of terror, ready to strike like a serpent if anypony dared to disturb it.
“By the stars!” Meadowbrook gasped in complete awe.
The mare turned around, ready to work her way backward. Yet to her frightful surprise, the vines had completely covered the path. The forest cast in a cloak of mystery, the exit hidden away from weary souls.
“Well, this is a prickly situation.” Meadowbrook huffed aloud, never noticing a vine latching onto her back hoof in a vice grip.
The mare screamed in horror being suddenly lifted off the ground. Her satchel slipped off before spilling out onto the forest floor, these horrid vines gobbling up her supplies in mere seconds. Meadowbrook thrashed in place a group of vines lashing out, soon constricting each of her hooves as they pulled her closer to the living wall.
“I'm not of the menu, sugar!” Meadowbrook watched herself draw near to her fate, the thorns of her makeshift chains digging into her flesh and drawing blood.
With no way to defend herself, she winced in pain for the inevitable feast to claim her. Only to hear the sudden whistle of a pony catch her attention. Blue eyes darted to the silhouette of a young pink pegasus, the child flying over to the wall draped in a filthy brown cloak.
“Leave her alone!” The filly screamed in anger.
The child removed a tiny dagger from within a hidden pocket. In a series of tiny slashes each vine binding, the healer was broken. Meadowbrook tumbling to the hard ground in a loud thud, the wall hissed in anger as a group of vines sprung out for the child.
“Back!” She yelled bravely chopping at the attacking plants, expertly defending a series of lightning-fast blows.
After losing a dozen or so limbs. The wall ceased to harass the two ponies, the filly zooming over to Meadowbrook’s side with a look of worry in her sparkling magenta eyes.
“Can you move!? Follow me!” The child nudged the mare roughly, darting off towards a tiny rabbit hole to the right.
Meadowbrook was dazed but not confused. Watching the filly vanish underground, just as the wall let a loud wail escape from deep inside. The mare had no time to waste, flinging up to her hooves she darted for the escape.
Dodging a few hissing vines that snapped at her flank. Even performing a running cartwheel through the dirt as she finally reached the hole. With a deep breath, she plunged into the claustrophobic little tunnel, the world fading to complete darkness.
“You kay ma'am!?” The child snorted sarcastically as she pulled herself out of the tunnel slowly, her cloak covered from head to hoof in the dirt.
“A bit frazzled but still among the living.” Meadowbrook groaned as her head poked out of the tunnel exit, her fiery mane completely let down and face plastered with filth.
“Mm-hmm! I'd be more than frazzled, you were a toad’s tongue away from being lunch!” The filly shook her coat wildly, a cloud of dust wafting into the sky.
“I'm eternally grateful for the assistance?” Meadowbrook kicked her slender legs behind her firmly, pressure building around her hips before she exploded out of the tunnel with a loud pop.
“Mayday! Since I got a petition for causin’ mischief!” The pegasus pulled her cloak down slowly, a bright blue mane washed over her eyes in messy waves.
“Mayday, quite a peculiar name! I'm Mage Meadowbrook.” The mare softly shook her own coat free of debris.
“Aren't cha that dere healer?” Mayday narrowed her magenta-colored eyes slyly.
“Why, yes I am!” Meadowbrook giggled femininely.
“Well since I saved yer flank, I s’pose you owe me.” Mayday gave a loud snort from her nostrils cutely.
“I fear anything of value I owned, is plant food right about now.” Meadowbrook sheepishly scrunched her tiny muzzle.
“Don't want yer stuff lady, I need cha’ to talk to my aunt!” Mayday rolled her eyes with complete sarcasm, her tiny hooves galloping off into a very secluded open path, hidden amongst the underbrush.
“Oh, is she sick dear?” Meadowbrook yelled out towards the child curiously, following behind her at a hasty pace.
Mayday slowed to a near stop ahead. Shuffling her little hooves as if in deep thought, those bright magenta hues full of vigorous youth, dampening with a sense of somber despair. Meadowbrook felt her lips purse into a frown, slowing to a walk behind the filly carefully.
With a tender hoof, the mare reached out to offer a touch of compassion to the child.
“Could say that!” Mayday easily dodged the touch, taking a few steps ahead.
“You see lady, she's tryin’ to kill me!” Mayday turned to lock eyes with the mare.
Meadowbrook could sense that this child was completely serious. Her face was full of hidden fear and uncertainty. Nodding with a feminine bat of her lashes, Meadowbrook began to follow the child once more.
Her mind filled with questions of this curious case.
Questions she intended to answer!
Both ponies soon vanished down the new path of mystery. Unaware that a pair of pink-tinted eyes watched carefully from the distance, a certain ghostly mare waiting until the perfect time to make an appearance.