It was night time. Five ponies, and one dragon were hanging around a campfire in the woods. Listening intently to a story being told by the princess popstar. Pipp. It was apparently about three mares who got lost in the woods.
“Then, when the three young mares walked beyond those forboding trees… Hoping to find the campgrounds and reunite with their class.” Pipp gnarly told. With a scary voice as she held a torch under face. “They heard the howl once more. Not the howl of the wolf. The howlof the Wild Mare!”
Hitch was nervously looking down at Sparky who looked quiet concerned about the story. Hoping Pipp would not go too far with this scary story like he asked. He gulped a bit as he sat on his camping chair. Next to him was Zipp, sprawled across a log, witha marshmallow impaled on a stick. Roasting over a fire. Unline Izzy who was gulping down a bag of marshmallows like popcorn.
”We must get home soon! Cried Stormer.” Pipp was great at voice acting. She made the characters sound scared. Except for Pepper who did not belive anything. “Nonsense. It’s just a rumor! Pepper responded, making a mistake!” Pipp exclaimed before imitating the howl herself.
“The three mares hurried on. The howl getting louder every time! Sweat soaked their coats as they hurried through, hooves breaking leaves and sticks. One more howl was enough to make them run! Except for Pepper, who kept her pace, she thought it was someone from their class trying to frighten them… Like Billy who was known for pranks like this…”
“This is good!” Izzy commented.
”Wh-what happens next?” Asked Hitch.
Pipp smiled ready to tell the next part. “At that moment Pepper was alone. With the campsite lights in sight. She headed towards them. Knowing her friends was already there, hearing the howl once more. Fear struck her heart as she looked at the rustling bush. She was frozen, her legs were like jelly and her heart was racing.”
There was a dramatic pause.
Pipp jumped forward, as if she was predator pouncing on their prey. Making everyone jump at the sudden movement. ”Then she was ambushed! The last thing she saw had been the face of the Wild Mare before it was night-night forever!” She ended bitterly.“She was never seen again… Only one of the many victims of Wild Mare…” She then ended it with an imitation of the howl.
“Yikes.”
Sparky hugged Hitch tight. Whimpering a little. Sunny and Izzy clapped while Zipp smirked. Knowing she had based this story of an actual rumour that was apparently trending at the moments. She would not stop speaking about it.
“I think its time for bed…” Hitch responded. Hugging Sparky. Everyone agreed. Putting out the fire and heading to their tents. Pipp and Zipp sharing one with each other.
Zipp was suddenly woken up in the morning by a sudden noise, sounding distant. She groaned as she lifted her head. Hearing it once more. The howl that sounded familiar, the one from the story Pipp was talking about. She groaned as she rolled over on her mattress. “Pipp…” She groaned, lifting her head. “Pipp, quit it I-“ she then noticed the still lump in Pipp’s bed was Pipp, snoring peacefully. “Huh?” She groaned. Then shrugged figuring she was either imagining things, or Pipp was pretending to be sleeping.
Then she heard the howl once again. She lifted her head and looked towards her sleeping sister. “Pipp?” She groaned watching her sternly, the peaceful, quiet music. That was not enough to wake any pony up, but enough that Pipp would sleep to it. Her body was calmly going up and down as she was breathing. There was even a snore that come out of her muzzle. She did not move an inch as the next howl happened.
Zipp was a little puzzled. If it was not Pipp. Then who was it? Then groaning, she quietly grabbed a torch and quietly walking out the tent. Looking around. There was nothing but the noise of frogs, crickets and the wind. She took a few steps out into the cool night. Looking around for who could be pranking them. It can’t have been Hitch. It’d just not be something he’d do at this hour. It would more likely be Izzy. Slowly, Zipp made her way to Izzy’s decorated, colourful tent. Taking a quick glance through the window, hoping to catch her in the act.
Much to her surprise, the noise was not coming from Izzy. As she was clearly not making that howling noise when it happened again. Sounding a little closer than last time. Izzy did not move her mouth the slightest. Can’t have been her, or her phone that was off and on the chair next to her bed.
After checking it was not Sunny or Hitch. She had enough after hearing it again. She took out her torch as walked a few steps away from the camp.
“Any pony out there?” She asked. “This is not funny…” She said quickly, before shivering from a chill, she walked away as the wind rustled the bushes. She kept on moving, wanting to put an end on this hoax for once and all. It was already cold enough out here. “Hello?” She called out softly, staying alert as she heard the howl get closer to her.
She whimpered as she took a few steps forwards. Maybe this was not a good idea at all. “This is not funny…” She gasped as she shivered form a cold breeze. Soon hearing the howl once more. It was close. Her heart raced as she decided to head back to the camp. It would not be ideal if she went missing. She grumbled at herself for walking too far from the camp. She knows better than this!
Then she froze in her tracks as she heard the howl. Very close now, as soon as she noticed rustling nearby. She sped up, trotting quickly. Her heart was racing and sweat was running as she ran faster through the bush. Hoping to get there, she was breathing heavily as she heard hoof steps that were not hers.
She kept running, fear rushing through her body. Flying would be an option if the branches were not too low and close together. Flying here would not be a great idea. Going by rumours. This pony is a great climber. She panted as she just reached the area with the tents. She was finally here. Finally safe! Well, she thought she was.
She screamed the loudest she ever did in her life as she was slammed to the ground. Face first, looking back to she a shadowy figure. It was all a blur as the thing tried to bite her neck and she kicked it off in self-defence, shaking as she got up. Only to be pounced on, trying to kick away the beast, only for it to bite her ear. Making her eyes water. She did not notice the lights shining on them both. Then the figure bit her again somewhere else as she screamed out in pain. She did not notice the cries of her friends screaming out her name. The next thing she knew. Something sent it flying off her. In a heavy net it kept trying to break free from, despite it pinning it to the ground.
“Zipp!?” Pipp’s voice cried as she hugged her shaking body. Ignoring the smudges of dirt from a result of being slammed into the dirt. She couldn’t speak as she stood there. Shaking from the experience. Her heart was racing, this was not a hoax. There was something out there and it was ready to attack. How could she have been so foolish?
She thought all the howls in videos were made up. She thought the distant pictures and blurry close ups were costumes. Or photoshop. She closed her eyes for a bit, to try and process everything that had happened. It all happened so quickly. Her heart was still racing, it felt as if her surroundings were spinning as she tried to breath normally.
She was like this for a few minutes before she got up, she actually felt as if she was going to die. She gulped as she stood there, not noticing the tears coming from her cheeks as she stared at the creature stuck in the net. Hitch seemed to be keeping an eye on it. With heavy rocks on the outside of the netting to try and lower any chance of escape.
He stared at it in shock as it calmed own, feeling safe to have a closer glance at it. His friends soon coming to join him, with Zipp understandably not wanting to get too close.
“The-the Wild Mare?” Zipp muttered softly.
“It…” Sunny looked down at it as it hissed at her. “It’s a pony? Like us!”
”Well it is called the Wild Mare!” Pipp rolled her eyes, showing Sunny some videos and memes of it on her phone. Then she sadly looked at it. “I imagined it bigger. And more of a hybrid of a mare and some predatory animal…” She sighed. “That’s what everypony said about it.
The gang inspected it as it crouched under the netting that was holding it down. It seeming had given up on trying to lift or break the netting. It was designed to only be used in the situation where a dangerous animal invades the camp. So of course a pony her size would be unable to break it.
It was a young mare it seemed. It was hard to tell what colour its filthy mane was. But it appeared to be a light yellow and lavender. All ruffled in a mess. Her body appeared even harder to tell what colour it was. It looked brown, but that could easily be the dirt covering it. It hissed as it looked at Hitch as he pondered on his next more. This was not a monster. It was a pony!
But what was she doing out here like this attacking others? They couldn't leave her out here. It did not feel right.
”So… What are we gonna do with her?” Izzy asked Hitch.
We can’t really leave her out here…”Hitch noticed her wounds and sighed. Everyone agreed, wondering who she was.
It was not a surprise that Pipp was just about to reveal it to her fans.
“So… Pippsqueaks. We might have found the Wild Mare… Turns out uh… She’s completely real!” She then pointed the camera at the Wild Mare who was hissing and growing.
“Uh, Pipp. I don’t think this is the best time. She seems scared…” Hitch warned.
“Fine…”
The next day .
The four mares stood in the Brighthouse. Hitch had to leave earlier to do some important business in his office. Leaving Sunny, Zipp, Pipp and Izzy with the Wild Mare who was in a cage. For her own and everyone else’s safety. The friends discussed what to do with her.
“She is literally a feral animal!” Pipp exclaimed. “She is growling, hissing howling! The worst part? She is such a Mess!”
“Hey!” Sunny scolded. “I get what you mean. But… I think we can try to help her… Somehow.”
“Yeah… Like figure out who she is and why she is in the woods…” Zipp muttered. “Why she is acting like this?…”
“Yeah. That too…” Sunny agreed. “Maybe we should start by showing her that we are not a threat…”
Izzy grabbed a net in her magic, just in case of an escape attempt. Pipp gulped nervously was she watched, nudging Zipp to move forward. She was the one that the Wild Mare first met, anyway. She sighed, rolling her eye and slowly moved towards the cage, hoof on the latch as she looked down at it. She was scared of thinking of what could possibly happen once she opened it. She would hate to be attacked like the night before.
“Hey…” She said in the calmest voice we could. Wild Mare’s ears were flat as she watched. Whimpering a little as the door unlocked and opened. She was now cowering with her tail between her legs. Why was she scared now but last night, vicious? Most likely because she was caught so easily in her eyes. “Hey… We are not gonna harm you. Okay? We just want to ask questions.”
“Get to know who you are.” Sunny smiled before introducing herself. “I’m Sunny. That’s Pipp and that’s Zipp!”
Izzy nodded, “I’m Izzy and this net is totally unrelated to any of this, okay? Just holding a net for no reason!”
“And uh… Reveal Wild Mare the mon-“ Pipp said before getting a glance. “Was just a misunderstanding this while time!”
She did not move beyond shaking as it cowered in the cage. The group waited patiently for a few minutes with no difference. Besides she was now laid on her belly. It was sad to see a pony in such a state.
Izzy tried her best to convince her. “If we were going to hurt you. We’d have done it already.” She said in a soft tone. Getting a glance from Sunny who then shrugged.
Zipp groaned as a result. Looking back at it, she sighed and just inspected it before getting an idea. She quickly zipped to the kitchen and grabbed an apple. She came back and placed the apple on the floor in front of the cage.
“You must be pretty hungry! Have something to eat!” She smiled as she watched as the mare slowly inched towards the apple. Sniffing at it before kicking it away with her front hoof. She slowly took a few steps back after.
“Confirmed. She is not hungry!” Pipp exclaimed.
“Not helping!” scolded Zipp who picked up the apple and tried again. “You don’t like apples?” The mare looked at her, appearing not to trust her with the apple. “It’s just an apple, nothing else! Maybe you want variety?”
Then she watched as Izzy grabbed an orange and a banana and placed them with the apple. The two of them stepped back and watched as the mare slowly inched out of the cage. Soon revealing herself as she stood up. Looking at the banana in front of her. She bent down and sniffed it, before biting straight into it. Skin and all, much to the other’s surprise.
They didn’t say or do anything, besides Pipp who secretly filmed. They simply watched as Wild Mare gulped down the whole banana. Till there was nothing left.
“Eating the skin?” Questioned Izzy. “That’s a new and unusual way of eating a banana…” She smiled, trying to make the situation not feel so awkward.
Sunny wanted to correct this pony. But only watched as she went for the orange. Violently biting through the skin and gulping down a whole chunk. Lifting her head to keep an eye on the ponies before she took another bite. It was like she was starving as she violently gobbled up what was left of the orange.
Then she gulped down the apple. This time spitting out the seeds when she was eating the core. Leaving little to no waste of the fruit behind.
“You want anymore?” Sunny asked nervously. Watching as it got closer to her slowly. Sniffing her all around, ears perked up. Then she sniffed her butt like a dog would do. Much to her confusion.
“I don’t think that’s the best way… To uh… Get to know me…” Sunny responded. Slightly nervous. Wondering why she was acting this way. She slowly went to Zipp, sniffing her again. It all seemed fine, till her muzzle touched Zipp’s wing. She suddenly seemed alerted. Before anyone could react, she chomping down hard.
“Argh!” She cried out in pain before scolding. “No! No biting!” Zipp shouted in full volume. Holding her wing, the bite was hard enough ti hurt but no damage.
“Zipp!” Pipp exclaimed. Watching as it started to whimper and look at Zipp sadly. "Shouting at it won't show we are here to help!"
“C’mon, Pipp! She can’t just expect to bite us and everyone be okay with it! That hurt!”
“She doesn't know any better…” Sunny watched as Wild Mare hid behind Izzy. Sniffing her behind she did so. “I don’t think she even knows who or what she is…”
Everyone watched as Wild Mare let out a howl. It kinda sounded a bit sadder than usual. Zipp kinda felt a little bad for yelling at her, even if it was kinda deserved. So, she sighed as she looked at her. “Hey… I don’t know your name. But I am sorry for shouting…” The mare poked her head from behind Izzy and stared at Zipp. “You just got me by surprise but… But I want to help. I want to help you find out who you are… I just don’t really like being bitten…”
”Yeah! We are great at helping ponies!” Izzy exclaimed with a grin.
“But I think It’d be great for us to call you anything other than Wild Mare for the time being…” Sunny gave a nervous chuckle. “Any names you want us to call you for the time being?”
It appeared the mare thought long and hard about what she was going to say. She seemed a bit puzzled as she opened her mouth. As if she was trying to talk. It sounded pretty jumbled as she made a few noises. Trying to speak. Which made the ponies concerned. Had she never spoken before in her life?
It was like a baby trying to say its first word. Until she finally said something. “Grey.”
”Grey?” Sunny asked. “If that’s what you want us to call you for the time being, then okay!”
”What a nice name!” Izzy complimented. Wanting to make her feel less lonely, scared and more welcome. “It’s nice to meet you, Grey.”
Grey perked up a bit, feeling less scared as she saw the group of ponies. The orange one being the most friendly in her eyes. While the ones with the wings and horns still looked kind of scary. But seeing the earth pony being okay with being right next to them and talking to them gave her comfort. But she did not exactly trust any pony to touch her just yet.
“Ugh…” Pipp sniffed the air a little. “When do you think we’d be able to give Grey a bath?”
“I feel when she gets to know us and feels more safe around us first…” Sunny noted as she watched Grey walk around. Sniffing places in the Brighthouse. Stopping at a chair and raising a hind leg. It took a few seconds before anyone realised what she was going to do.
“Grey! No!” They rushed to try and stop her.
Sunny joined Zipp as they both led her into the bathroom. She started sniffing everything, getting alerted as Zipp called her name and pointed at the toilet. “This is where you do your business. You sit on top of it and uh… Do what you need to do. When you are done, you close the lid, because it’s more hygienic if you do that…” She then pointed to the top. “Then you press the button on top to flush.” She closed the lid and pressed the button to demonstrate.
Sunny them smiled as she pointed at the bath. “This is called the bath. This is where we wash up when we are dirty.”
Grey went into the tub itself and walked around, sniffing everything before coming out. It would be kind of useless to sniff everything if you were a pony. But they were gonna work on that later. Besides, if sniffing things made her feel comfortable in a different place, it was no big deal.
The two lead her into the kitchen. Where Pipp and Izzy were making lunch. Izzy was piling vegetables on a piece of bread while singing a song about piling vegetables on a piece of bread. While Pipp was live streaming herself do a popular sandwich recipe.
“How is it going?” Izzy asked.
”She seems more comfortable about this place..,” Sunny said with a smile. “A bit quicker than I thought. But I got the feeling we’ll need to wait a bit longer before we introduce her to other ponies.”
”And maybe teach her to say the few words…” She looked at her. “Her behaviour makes me feel like she was either lost or abandoned at a young age and had to fend for herself. It would explain her behaviour and her lack of knowledge of things that should be familiar…”
Zipp’s claim made everyone feel a bit sad as they looked at her. Hoping that was not the case at all. Who would abandon their child at a young age? Maybe Zipp might be wrong, but she had a point. She did only know a few words. Each one were one’s they’d learn at two or three. She also howled occasionally, as if she was calling out. Like a wolf.
Pipp put her phone down and looked at Grey who was taking some oranges. She had quick wiff. “Ugh… We better get her a bath soon. Mother is visiting tomorrow…”
”True… But I got a feeling she might not like it…” Zipp looked at Grey. “Maybe I can convince her it’s not dangerous…”
”You sure? She’s a bit jumpy?” Worried Sunny.
”It’s worth a shot.” She said before noticing Grey walk over to the couches before sniffing them. Then she proceeded to sniff a pink rug that was on the ground. It was round and had a yellow pair of wings on it. It had a nice fuzzy texture. They watched as Grey started trying to dig at it like it was dirt. Much it her confusion, nothing happened as she sniffed it again. Soon lying down on it and curling up. Closing her sleepy eyes. “Maybe when she’s less sleepy…”
Pipp watched, a little unamused since she had only brought that rug a week ago. Now Grey and her filthy fur was going to make it dirty. All she could do was sigh and hope she could wash it out. It was a custom, too.
”You know… I think she’s been through enough today. Why not let her be more restful for the rest of the day?” Sunny suggested.
Zipp nodded. Even if she had a scary first impression with Her. It likely wasn’t her fault. Maybe she was scared or thought she was food. Whatever the reasoning. She hoped that they would be able to help her. Somehow. She couldn’t wait to figure out the backstory of Grey.