//------------------------------// // TMP Prompt #153: Beneath the Harvest Moon [Nightmare Night] // Story: Tales of Little Consequence and Other Such Nonsense // by littlerobotbird //------------------------------// The Prompt: It came from the Everfree. Where is she? the little filly wondered, frowning as she stepped through the tangles of roots and fallen leaves scattered across the path. Gah, it’s so dirty and gross here! A tiny smile creased her lips. She’s probably terrified. She let out a quiet giggle before a distant howling set the fur on the nape of her neck on end and a shiver down her spine. I hope I find you soon, sis…it’s starting to get really, really dark… The sun had dipped beneath the horizon mere minutes before, but already the long shadows of sunset had been replaced by a suffocating twilight. It suffused the very air of the forest, filling her vision with the indistinct and the barely seen. It filled her subconscious with phantoms and figments, the weight of her own folly pressing down upon her. Her ears twitched at every rustle of branches, every snap of a twig, and every crackle of a dry leaf underhoof as she quickened her pace, eyes scanning the seemingly endless treescape for some sign of her sister. "Come on, Sweetie Belle," the filly whispered to herself. "It's just Whitetail Woods…nothing to be afraid of..." Another howl set her on edge as she glanced about. It seemed far off, but far off was still too close. Sis…why would you come out here? And on Nightmare Night of all ni— Suddenly, she felt a tremor beneath her, the ground shaking as the echo of her crunching hoofsteps ceased. Her eyes, previously on the foliage to her side, slowly, surely shifted to take in the shadowy figure set before her. Oh, sweet Celestia… Shimmering blue orbs stared down from the beast, built of branch and thorn. It pawed at the ground, carving a furrow through the dirt as a rustling growl drifted up from its throat, a twisting bush of a tail swaying behind it eagerly. A timberwolf... The filly halted, rooted to the spot as her hide trembled with terror. N-no sudden moves…be slow…deliberate, she recalled the lessons she had been taught for facing wild animals, but those had been for lesser creatures. M-maybe it works on these too… She shook terribly as she concentrated on her right hind hoof, making to take a tentative step back, away from the beast and towards safety. Sweetie had lifted her hoof no more than an inch from the ground when she cried out, the beast leaping towards her with an angry roar, maw opened to reveal a chasm of gleaming thorns. She immediately threw herself to the ground, hooves covering her head as she tried to make herself as small as possible, screwing her eyes shut as tight as she could as she awaited the worst. But it never did. Sweetie's eyes popped open, a chorus of growls and yips and cries coming from behind her. She twisted her head around to find that a pack of them had flanked her. However, their attention was not on the potential morsel of a filly but rather on the white timberwolf plowing violently through their ranks. Run… She watched in shock as the creatures tussled, the white one scratching and biting at any that dared come close to claw. Run. The white timberwolf bucked at one unlucky timberwolf, its hind legs connecting. The sickening crunch of branches snapping filled the air. The hay are you doing? RUN! The filly immediately snapped from her rigor mortis and lept to her hooves, galloping as fast as she could. The movement drew one of the beast’s attention as it gleefully gave chase. Sweetie Belle simply fled, curving and weaving through the trees, paying no attention to the fight she had left behind. Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running, she echoed over and over in her head. Her eyes widened as she saw the lights of Ponyville just beyond the trees, the edge of the forest and safety close at hoof. She heard it, just before she felt it impact her. That unnatural roar before she felt the bark-like flesh of its body scraping at her coat, thornclaws scratching at her as it tackled her, sending both tumbling through the roadside brush. Sweetie hadn't even the time to process the blow before she found herself on her back, staring up at that gaping maw. She felt stomach heave with fear and adrenaline, hind hooves kicking wildly at the beast before, just as suddenly as it had struck, it was gone. What? In its place stood the white timberwolf, growling as it stood between the pack and her, its attention focused squarely on the pack. I...what? She watched as the two groups snarled at one another before the pack reluctantly relented in its hunt, disappearing one-by-one into the woods to lick their wounds. Sweetie trembled as the white timberwolf turned to face her, but she relaxed as it leaned down to give her a quick nuzzle, a soft whimper like the gentle rustle of apple trees in an evening breeze emanating from it. Slowly, the filly stood, with the aid of the creature's careful nudges, and looked the creature over. Where the other timberwolves had been a mishmash of tree and brush, this one seemed almost carved. It seemed to have been formed wholly from chunk of birch tree, the only flaw in its otherwise white surface a trio of… “Sap?” Crystallized sap… set on its hindquarter... a trio, each of which was shaped like a diamond… Sweetie stared dully at it before glancing up into the glowing blue eyes of the timberwolf, her face a mix of shock and awe. “Rarity?” [Original]