//------------------------------// // Prolouge: A Stallion's Tale // Story: Everfrees and Equines // by Codexwriter476 //------------------------------// The night sky was clear as it could ever be; a rather unusual sight for this region on the world. Being in the untamed Everfree Forest anything unusual is rather common here. There must have been millions of stars spanning the emptiness of the cosmos. Gentle breezes of winds whispered through the stocks of wheat standing tall alongside the mighty pines beyond the dirt road, which lined the property. Timber wolves howled beyond the south ridge, towards the bright light of the moon. Truly, there was no greater marvel than a crystal clear night in the valley. The brown and white farmhouse seemed to reflect the moon’s gazing beam to further illuminate the darkened patch of land as well as accompanying the lonesome lamp hanging aloft the rafters of the covered porch. Small moths fluttered around the light, much to the annoyance to an elderly pony resting underneath. He didn’t seem to care much about it now, as he stared out onto the fields before him and a silo in the corner of his eye. He looked beyond to the dimmed horizon of the township over the mound. The town of Everfree proper; where he conducted his trade as the town’s farmer. He, however, was past his prime. His coat had started to fade from his once dark burgundy and his black main now a shade of gray. The blue eyes nearly matched the night sky under this light while his spectacles reflected the porch light back. As the crisp air filled his aging lungs, he grunted softly on each exhale. He wanted to rest but he felt it was not yet time to do so. His loving grandson had forbid him to do so until it was time. He couldn’t help but smile at this “promise” as his eyelids slowly crept down. “Grandpa!” A young voice disturbed the silence. The old pony’s eyes darted open and towards the doorframe. Standing in the threshold was a young Pegasus colt with a black spot over his left eye. His white and tan coat was ruffled in some places, his brown mane to match. He seemed to be pouting at the old pony. “Grandpa, you promised not to rest until I said it was alright to. You promised.” The colt said as his stubby legs trotted across the wooden planking towards him. “I was only to take a little nap. I’ve worked long and hard today, same as you.” The elder replied wrapping his worn front right around the colt’s back. “You should be in bed with your sister. Young ponies such as you need it.” “I’m not young anymore Grandpa Coalwood. I’m a big colt now and I wanted to see the Princess’ moon.” The young colt replied looking towards the moon. The old pony gave a sigh. He must have been talking with the Equestrian traders traveling through town again and reading that old pony’s tale his father sent him for his birthday. No wonder the other colts and fillies at his school were teasing him. There were times that he would come to the farm with two black spots instead of his one, all because he was standing up to them for something he believed in. “I see that there eye of yours is healing up quite nicely.”Coalwood said. The colt looked up to him, then away with his head hung low. “They kept picking on me just because I wasn’t born here.” He said. “They kept taking my lunches, saying that it was some form of tax for coming to school each day.” The colt wanted to cry, but he didn’t want to feel even weaker. Coalwood pulled the colt closer and patted his back. The colt stuffed his head into his coat and softly cried. “There there, Whip lash. It’s alright. Don’t let them school mates of your get to you. Old habits die hard out here. Besides, I and many others felt the same long ago.” Whip lash lifted his head off Coalwood’s coat. His eyes were as big as saucer plates and small streams of tears began to disappear. “Really?” “Really.” Coalwood paused. “I never told you about how North Everfree started, did I?” “Teacher said that North Everfree started when it won its Inde-indepe…” Whip lash struggled on the word. “Independence.” Coalwood assisted. “Yeah, that word. I can never say it though.” “You get it eventually. Now, what your teacher said it correct, but that’s only what was written in them text books we received as a good gesture from Equestria.” Coalwood replied. “So, how did the North Everfree start?” Whip lash asked. “It all started nearly two centuries ago, before I was born into this world.” Coalwood started. “Ponies have always feared the Everfree Forest due to its unnatural nature, terrifying creatures and many other dangers. Now you know from your father that the weather was controlled by Pegasi, but not in the Everfree. Ponies were spooked that the weather moved and operated on its own. One day, a brave group of ponies approached the Princess and proposed an expedition into the Forest.” “Why would they go into the forest? Wouldn’t they get gobbled up by the monsters?” Whip lash asked. “These ponies were head strong and would even face death in order to map the forest and possibly settle within, to prove that the forest could be tamed. The Princess allowed them to do so and established their charter, stating that all explored lands be part of Equestria. It had taking the ponies months, even years to fully chart out the Everfree Forest. Eventually they reached the Western Seas, where the land was fertile for growing food. However, the ponies were not the first to reach the seas.” Coalwood continued. “Who beat them to the seas?” “One the opposite bank of the Valley river were Griffon explorers from the Kingdom to the north. They had claims to the land as well, for they wanted access to a sea port. Eventually the Griffons gave up their claim and headed further up the coastline, allowing the ponies to lay claim to the valley they were in. There they spent months trying to perfect the region to match that of Equestria. They had succeeded in all but the weather, but it was a success none the less. “They returned to Canterlot as heroes and delivered their claims and results to the Princess. In return, she allowed them to settle the land and proclaimed it as the Everfree Province.” “But weren’t ponies afraid of the forest?” “Only the hostile regions that the explorers mapped out. The Everfree province was the only hospitable region that ponies could settle.” Coalwood finished. “That’s what the books at school said, but why aren’t we still part of Equestria? I thought ponies liked Equestria.” Whip lash asked. “I was about to get there. Please be patient, I am an old stallion after all.” Coalwood groaned softly. “Now then, It was a century after the explorers founded the land…”