This is my curse. My atonement. Yet, it isn’t as bad as I’m making it. Maybe I should try to make a friend...yes. A friend! And, I know just the pony!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the inky depths of Everfree forest, where the sunlight rarely touches down. A lone auburn stallion trots about, humming to himself his deep blue mane bouncing as he ventured deeper into a place that fills ponies nightmares. His only companion, A saddle bag filled to the brim with herbs and note books, his tools of his trade rested on his back. His tune echoed through the harrowing trees that most ponies would swear seethed hatred and death. This stallion, however, knew his job and its dangers all too well.

A familiar roar pierced the air, followed by the scampering of a flock of cockatrice clucking and squawking loudly, all looking quite terrified as they fled past the stallion leaving feathers in their wake.

“What could have them so worked up?” He chuckled to himself, unfazed by the ring of the roar. The stallion picked up his pace, he recognized the roar. “Ursa Major,” he reminded himself. “Possibly female.” In his mind, several possibilities scorched his mind. What could be causing her pain? It’s not mating season, hibernation isn't for a few months...then what?

The roar sounded again, this time louder, shaking the statuesque trees and slightly cracked with pain. A sure sign that he was getting closer. Maybe she got into a territory fight?

The stallion came to a cave opening, an awe striking, massive pinkish coated Ursa Major lied at the mouth of the opening. It’s bloodshot, hungry eyes locked onto the approaching stallion. The ursa major stood on its hind legs, adding to its already staggering girth.

The stallion looked up at the creature, his violet eyes narrowed as they scanned its being for any sign of a wound or blood at least
“Nothing...” He whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. The metallic tang of blood wafted into his nostrils, he looked to the ground and saw a bloody saliva drenched cockatrice carcass surrounded by feathers.

The nightmarish monstrosity winced then lowered it’s head to the pony. The stallion could clearly see the pain the creature was feeling reflected in its now docile, wide eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, setting his saddle bag down, slowly edging closer to the notorious predator.

The ursa drew back a bit and growled then winced, placing a paw over it’s mouth. The possible source of its pain.

From the shadows, not too far away, something curiously eyed the stallion as he worked. “As he always is.” A voice quietly giggled.

The ursa’s mouth opened, unveiling rows of jagged, bone crushing teeth accompanied by a rank odor far worse than the smell of the half eaten cockatrice. At this point, anypony else would be miles away, however he was in too deep, showing submission would mean death.

The stallion poked his head inside, slowly swiveling his head about keeping a keen eye out for anything out of the ordinary, aside from the gagging scent.

After several fruitless laps of looking into fragrant darkness, the pony took his examination to the next level and went to a place ponies only go once. He stepped inside the creatures mouth.

“Can I get some light in here?” He called out, his voice echoing inside the creature.

The ursa rose up,opening a gap in the trees allowing better light to illuminate the inside of mouth of the beast for the miniature doctor inside its mouth.

The light revealed more: bloodied fangs, yellow and black tinges on the teeth. Among all that a small protrusion caught the stallions eye. He approached the gap between two of the ursas teeth and saw a small cockatrice bone painfully impaling the creatures gum line a small pool of blood around the area.

Once down, the stallion gripped the bone in his teeth. “This is gonna hurt!” He said through gridded teeth. Before the ursa could react, he jerked his head back snatching out the bone causing the ursa to roar in pain sending the pony inside barreling out into a tree.

He groaned, shaking a hazy feeling from his head. He found the world around him upside down, his tail tickling his nostrils and slightly covered in saliva as well as his mane and most of his coat.
“Aw pipe down ya big baby!” The stallion chided, blowing his tail from his face and getting to his hooves.

“The animals speak highly of you, doctor.” The velvety soft voice giggled.”The creatures sing your praises.”

“Oh, well that’s nice of them, isn’t it?” He responded without giving thought to the source of the voice.

The voice giggled again, this time from all around. As if the forest itself was amused by the antics this stallion.

The ursa turned it’s head and snorted. The pain in it’s mouth gone, it turned its attention back to its half eaten prey and downed it in one snap of its powerful jaws.

Content now, the ursa gave it’s minuscule saviour a bright smile, then lumbered back into its dwelling, it’s thunderous steps gradually fading the deeper it got into the cave until everything fell silent.

His job finished, the stallion smiled and retrieved his saddle bag, setting off to alleviate his wanderlust.

The stallions ears perked and twitched. He fully acknowledged the voice now. Curiosity, more so than fear possessed him, his head slowly swiveled about.
What pony in their right mind would... His thought stopped there, he chuckled. As if I’M one to talk.
“Who’s there?” He called out. His heart began to race, ideas flooded his mind, ideas of a mad pony. No pony would ever come this deep into Everfree. Not without one serious purpose, anyway. Maybe it’s some form of talking Timberwolf?

His eyes met with wide sparkling blue eyes amongst the darkness of the trees, the ones that had been watching him so intently as he tended to the ursa. Something was watching him. Yet, the eyes offered a warm, milky sort of comfort, like a mother to it’s foal.
“I’ve been watching you for quite some time, Hollyfern.” The voice giggled.

Hollyfern smirked, whatever it was that was speaking with him obviously had intelligence. Throwing caution and any common sense to the wind, he quickly trotted over to the eyes, however they disappeared.

“Don’t be afraid!” He called out. Maybe some form of bat? He thought to himself. Wait, no I didn’t hear any screeching, nor wings for that matter. He scanned the darkness again for any sign of those sparkling eyes.

“Aren’t you afraid?” The voice asked, echoing from all around him. ”I could be trying to kill you, you know.”
“You say you’ve been watching me for quite awhile,” the stallion began. “If you were gonna kill me you already would have!”

Silence. Even the wind died off. The forest felt completely different without the ambiance of the forest he grew to know and love. It was as if the forest had ceased to function, that or the absurd thought it was thinking about what the stallion just said.

“I expected such a response from you!” The voice giggled. Those wide eyes appeared again in front of him. His nose touched something, he could feel something...hard. Something wooden.

The trees creaked back by themselves letting the sunlight through illuminating something simply stunning.
“My...Goodness..!” The stallion gasped reeling back in awe. Hollyfern’s eyes widened at the creature before him, his jaw dropped.

A mossy green alicorn, a wooden body, her mane and tail resembled a tranquil flowing stream of water that lapped at the ground around her, butterflies adorned her neck in a bright colorful necklace of several different colors. Fresh grass sprouted in the area around her hooves, it was as if just her being there brought life to everything in her immediate area. Flowers bloomed where her cutie mark should be, in every sense of the word, she looked like a trotting part of the forest.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” he chuckled as he examined the pony closer, cocking an eyebrow. “Did Dash or Pinkie put you up to this? Are You that pony, Twilight Sprinkles or something?”

“No!” She giggled. “I suppose you could call me, Everfree.” To prove her point, she melted away into the foliage, leaving no trace she was ever even there, the trees above shifted back into place returning the shadowy feel that he adjusted to.

Bewildered, Hollyfern trotted about, his head whipping around for a sign of the now unbelievable pony.
Then again, there is always the possibility I have officially gone insane. He chuckled to himself.

“You have not gone insane, Holly,” Everfree’s voice giggled, echoing through the trees.

“I did not.” She replied, forming in front of him again beaming a soft smile. “You just told me.”

“What--oohhh.” He nodded laughing as he facehoofed himself. “Clever! I see what you did there.”

“I cannot say anypony knows of my existence, save for that zebra,” Everfree said with a sad sigh, the flowers around her wilted, the flowing stream quieted and the wood that made her body darkened. “I cannot recall the last time anypony has ventured this far into my depths...”

“Wait wait wait...” Hollyfern said shaking a hoof as he processed what was just said. “So...if you are the forest...and I’m INSIDE you...” His eyes shot open, he felt painfully aware of the grass under hoof he trampled. “I-I’M so SORRY!” He staggered back only to find he stepped on a rose. He made a break for a near by tree then clung to it for dear life.

Everfree rolled her eyes and giggled. “What are you doing?” She melded with the ground again.

“D-Doesn’t that hurt?” He stuttered, still hesitant to touch the ground.
“NOT AT ALL!!!” She playfully shouted, her face bursting forth from a branch in the tree.

Shocked, Hollyfern’s body struck taut, the only noise from him was that of a goat. He fell from the tree and landed on his back, his body froze in the position of clinging to the tree.

“Omigosh!” Everfree gasped, quickly appearing next to his side as a head in the ground only. “Did...did I break him?” She sniffed. Her mane and tail disappeared altogether. Water formed in her eyes, as bouquet of several flowers bloomed around Hollyfern’s body. “I’m so sorry...”

“Pfft. Takes more than that to put me down!” Hollyfern chuckled as he got to his hooves. “If I’d have known you’d be so sensitive, I wouldn’t have done that. Sorry Eve.”

“Eve?” The mare echoed, cocking her head to the side. “Who is that[/]?”

“Oh, it’s you.” Hollyfern shrugged. “Beats calling ya Everfree all the time, right?”
“Eve...” She repeated.
“Something the matter?” The stallion offered.

“Oh, nothing,” She shook her head, casting her gaze off into another direction. “It would seem I have a few guests” She added, a look of worry came about her mossy face.

“How can you tell?” Hollyfern asked, straining his ears as they swiveled about. “I don’t hear a thing.”

“Oh they are miles away,” Everfree responded, waving an oaken hoof dismissively. “Though I should hurry and watch over them, they appear to be traders, it is my duty to protect those that venture here.”

“How are you going to make it th--” The stallion looked about and found himself alone, talking to nopony in particular. “Eve!” He called out, only to have nopony respond. “Oh well that’s just peachy.” He groaned. “Have I REALLY been talking to myself this WHOLE time?” I might have to check in with Redheart next time I stop by Ponyville.
------
On the trot back to his home, Hollyfern’s hooves moved in a stoic manner. Instinctively, he knew how to get home. However, his mind replayed his almost ethereal encounter with the forest.
Was that all delusion? The fresh scent she gave off was unforgettable, the scent of an endless field of flowers. The smooth yet warm feel of her wooden body, and those wide deep blue sparking orbs. It all felt and seemed too real to be the workings of his own mind. And if she wasn’t, then where’d she go? Where..?

He replayed her giggled several times in his mind. She was almost like a dream, or rather a perhaps the delusions of the stallions mind.
I swear...sis will think I’ve finally gone off the deep end...

"I suppose I could grow used to that stallion," Everfree whispered as she wastched the stallion from a distance. "But, for now I will remain as his guardian. Always watching over him. May he always trot in peace."

This Forest Home

by Hollyfern

This Forest Home