My Little Red Trotting Hood
The leaves whistled as the crisp autumn wind blew through them in the shadows of the Everfree forest. Buttercup Pudding was trotting through the Everfree forest on her way to give warm, delicious apple treats, straight from the Apple's farm, to her beloved grandma. She also wanted to show off her new red cape, but she didn't want to appear show-off-ish.
She slowly made her way through the bend of trees, cautiously scanning in every direction. It was no secret that the Everfree forest was home to strange, dangerous and wild creatures. How a timid little pony like Fluttershy could live so close to the nightmarish place was beyond her. She recalled what had just happened moments before.
"Buttercup, honey?" her mom called from their kitchen. "How would you like to visit your dear sweet grandma today?"
"What do you mean mom?" Buttercup asked; she loved visiting her grandma and hearing about life in equestrian before her time.
"Well, I just picked up a bushel of apples from that sweet little filly down at Sweet Apple Acres, and I have errands to run, so I need you to deliver them to your grandma."
Buttercup felt a chill go up her spine and shivered. Her grandma lived in the heart of the Everfree forest, the scariest, most terrifying place in all of Ponyville. Usually her mom went with her so she didn't feel scared, because she knew she'd be protected from anything. This was the first time she had to go alone and the thought almost made her want to rush back to bed and pull the covers over her eyes.
"Well, sweetie?" her mom said, interrupting her thoughts, "I would really appreciate it if you did." She asked in a voice that sounded like she was asking, but Buttercup knew she was really telling her to.
Buttercup sighed and reluctantly agreed to the task. She really hated the thought of going through the forest but she tried to convince herself it would be worth it. She thought of all the fun times she had at her grandma's house: She would hear fascinating tales of what her grandma did in Canterlot before she moved to Ponyville, she would eat a bunch of fresh baked cookies that her grandma always made when they visited, and her grandma would always gently rub Buttercup's stomach as she laid down with a tummy ache from eating too many cookies.
"Okay," her mom interrupted her thought again. "Here's the basket full of apples. You remember the way to your grandma's place, yes? Good. Very good; please be careful, dear; the Everfree forest is full of strange, dangerous and wild creatures, so go straight to Grandma's and back. Oh, and one more thing: it's very chilly out, so wear your new red cape; see what your grandma says about it," her mom said, and then left the house without even waiting for an answer.
A loud rustling from a bush behind her brought Buttercup back to the present. She gasped and started to back away; her eyes never left the bush for a moment. Just then, something shot out the bush at lightning fast speed. Buttercup screamed and started to run away; she only stopped when she realized that the big scary creature was a small harmless bunny. Her heart was racing and her breathing was heavy as she tried to calm herself. A slight smile grew on her face as she approached the "monstrous" bunny. The bunny turned and saw her; it stood frozen except its nervous shaking, clearly more afraid of her than she of it.
"No need to be afraid, little one," Buttercup said in a gentle and loving voice. "Here, you can have this if you want." She took out an apple slice from the basket and nudged it over to the bunny. The bunny eyed the piece of fruit for a moment before snatching it and darting away. "Oh my!" Buttercup exclaimed, startled at the bunny's sudden movement. She sighed a deep long breath before continuing on her journey.
She kept trotting through the forest; her eyes dashing back and forth, her ears listening, scanning for any sound. She came to a clearing where she decided to take a break. She put down the basket and laid in the warm sunlight that bathed the clearing with peaceful serenity. Buttercup sat there, thinking about what things would be like when she got to her grandma's. She imagined her grandma opening the door with cookies in hoof with a story on the lips. Sure she had a friends in Ponyville, everyone did. It was easy to have friends when you lived in a small town with someone like Pinkie Pie, but the best moments in her life came from her family and more importantly, her grandma. She was in such deep thought that she didn't even notice her eyelids close, or that she fell asleep.
She jolted up from her nap in a panic. She wasn't able to tell where she was until a few moments later when she started getting her wits back. Oh no, Oh no! She thought, as she went to check on the apples. Only a few of the slices and two full apples were missing; obviously some woodland critters got a tad hungry while she snoozed, but she thanked Celestia that there was still plenty of apples left. Her feeling of joy quickly gave way to fear as the next problem fell on her. She looked around and realized that her sanctuary in the sun was now a pitch black nightmare. She quickly picked up the basket and continued off in a hurry.
This is sooo not good! She thought, as she did her best to dodge tree branches while running as fast as she could. My mom is probably worried sick about me. She thought about what to tell her mom when she decided that honesty was the best policy, and just to apologize for it. She was in such a rush to get to her grandmother's house that she forgot to watch out for the wild forest dwellers. She quickly realized her mistake as she came to a screeching halt. There in front of her stood a giant timberwolf.
"Why hello there, my little pony," the timberwolf said, his voice held a calm, but malevolent tone. "What do you have in that Charming little basket there? She could tell from his voice: he wasn't interested in the basket.
"I have some apples I need to bring to my sweet grandma." She did her best to keep from shaking and keep a strong tone in her voice. Neither worked, as she could feel her bones tremble with fear at the sight of the timberwolf. Her breathing grew stale and her heart was beating out of her chest; she could almost feel tear drops stream down her face. "You can have one if you want," she said, hoping the timberwolf would accept the apple and move on.
"Only if you have one with four legs and no spine," the timberwolf joked in a sharp tone. As soon as the words registered in her ear, she winced and let out a tiny scream. He laughed as if he was playing a game with her, but the game was life, and it was her own at stake. She took off running in a direction away from the timberwolf; never once looking back or trying to hear the sound of him chasing her.
"Run run, my little pony. But I'm quite famished, indeed." He let out a blood curling yell, followed by a howl that drained her body of blood entirely.
She ran and ran and just kept running. The coolness of the breeze did little to cool off her body or help her breathing. She only stopped running when she realized that she had strayed from the path and was now lost. Buttercup looked around trying to find anything that could give her some indication of the way to go. She slowly moved forward not knowing where to go, or more importantly where the timberwolf was.
After what felt like hours and no sign of any timberwolves, Buttercup finally regained control of herself. She was suddenly filled with relief, when she spotted a tree with a hoof print on it. It was a print she had made with her grandma when she was just a filly. She knew it meant she was close to her grandma's house. She walked forward, trying to steady her heart rate and drive the fear from her mind. Buttercup pulled back a tree branch and grinned from ear to ear. She finally made it to her grandma's house. Buttercup ran down towards the house; the faster she got there, the faster she could wake up from this nightmare. She knocked on the door and slowly entered as it creeped open.
"Grandma?" Buttercup asked. "Are you home?"
"Yes, come in dear," a sick and quiet voice replied. She didn't really recognize the voice, but she thought her grandma was just ill.
"Grandma?" She asked as she entered the room. "Is that you?" Buttercup was talking to a lump in her grandma's bed, covered mane to hoof in a blanket. "I brought you some Sweet Apple Acre apples."
"Oh, thank you, dear. Just bring them over here," the lump answered. Buttercup hesitantly moved over to the lump and laid the basket by the bed. "Just one last thing, dear," said the lump as Buttercup was walking away.
"Oh? What is it, Grandma?" Buttercup asked, afraid of what might happen next.
The timberwolf jumped out from under the blanket. "I'm still hungry!" he said with a cruel, twisted smile.
Buttercup screamed and backed up…Right into a wall. She was shivering fiercely, and could hardly form a coherent sentence. "Wh-wh-what di-did you do t-to my gr-gra-grandma?"
"I got hungry waiting for your apples, so I thought I'd have a snack while I wait." The timberwolf beamed as if he accomplished a great task.
At hearing his answer, something snapped inside Buttercup. She was no longer afraid of the timberwolf; her concern was now saving her grandma. She lowered her head and pounded her hoof against the floor. She charged at the timberwolf and ran headfirst into his stomach. The timberwolf gagged, and out of his mouth came Buttercup's grandma still sleeping soundly.
"W-wait!" the timberwolf pleaded, backing up from the angered pony. "I was joking. Just joking, I swear. Come on, you never heard the 'I ate your grandma' joke?"
"Leave now. And leave me and my family alone!" The tone in Buttercup's voice was serious. She was tired of being afraid, tired of being afraid of him. The timberwolf ran out of the house; this time it was him who didn't look back. Buttercup put her grandma on her bed, and laid down beside her, dreaming about tomorrow