The sun slowly descended behind the mountains while the moon rose in the eastern sky. Celestia and Luna were doing their jobs as usual, but Luna was in charge currently. The beautiful full moon on this night shone it’s reflected light onto the treetops of the Everfree Forest, a quite mysterious area full of unknown animals and strange plants. But there was also something else there. Or rather, somepony else.
In this forest a young stallion with a dark red striped coat, strange wings, and a silver mane watched over it’s inhabitants. No pony knew much about him other than that he was presumably born in this dangerous area. He was not often seen by many and had become a bit of a legend told to young fillies and colts to keep them from entering the forest…
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“Jelly! Come on! We’re almost there.” Yelled a young filly Unicorn behind her. She walked up to the entrance of the looming dark forest. “Wow. It never thought it would be so big!” A small squeak and some clopping of hooves came up behind her.
“Peanut… I don’t think this is such a good idea. You know we could get in big trouble. Imagine what your dad would do if he found out we were out here! Heck! Imagine what Blize would do if he showed up.” Said a small purple filly Pegasus.
“Blize? You’ve got to be joking Jelly. Every one knows that Blize is just a made of scary tale to keep us from coming here.” Peanut looked at Jelly and then back at the forest. She shook her flank and then quickly darted off into the trees. “Bet you can’t catch me!”
“Peanut! Come on that’s not fair! You know that I’m…” She started and then heard howling in the distance, “Scared of the dark.” Jelly gulped and slowly trotted into the entrance. Catching up to Peanut seemed harder than it should have been, but the tiny brown unicorn seemed able to dash at light speed. Jelly continued on the path through the dark forest and carefully glanced around her she did. The trees were twisted and gnarled into odd shapes and crows would caw loudly at her. “Maybe I should go back and… Wait for Peanut to get back. I’ll willingly admit defeat. I mean it is just a silly game. Besides… She can easily take care of herself.” Jelly slowly turned around and walked back towards the entrance. She heard a sudden flapping of wings and her mane stood on end. “It… It’s probably just a bird.” She muttered and continued back towards the entrance at a quickened trot. There was a loud clop as hooves hit the ground in the darkness. She trot even faster than before and as she started into a gallop there was a flash of crimson wings before her. She slowly looked up at the towering figure and stared into the face of a tall crimson Pegasus who had dark red stripes and was missing his right eye.
She let out a shriek and galloped back into the forest. The crimson pony hastened after her on hoof. It took him almost no effort before he finally caught up to her. He then picked her up under her belly with his snout and dropped her on his back.
“I’d suggest hanging on…” Said the mysterious Pegasus. Jelly didn’t reply for she was to scared and instead she just let out a whimper. The Pegasus then opened his wings and quickly soared above the trees. He scanned the forest area and then swooped back down into the forest below. He landed in an area where a small brown filly was being cornered against a tree by timber wolves.
“Peanut!” Screamed her purple companion.
“Jelly! Help!” As the timber wolves drew closer to the helpless unicorn, the crimson Pegasus dashed at one of them and knocked him out of the way. The other timber wolves quickly threw there attention to this mysterious stallion.
“Who do you think you are interrupting our feast like that?” One of the wolves growled at him.
“Who do you think you are praying on helpless children?” The brave figure replied. The wolf cackled at him.
“Fine. I guess we’ll have to eat you instead, hero.” With that the wolf lunged at the Pegasus and tackled him to the ground. Jelly fell off of his back and rolled to a nearby tree. She looked over at Peanut and scampered over to her.
“Peanut! Are you okay?” She asked hastily
“I guess so. But who is that?”
“I don’t know. As I was leaving the forest because I was scared he swooped down out of nowhere, picked me up and flew me to you.”
“Well he looks like he could use some help!” Peanut responded, standing up. She started rushing towards one of the wolves when a bright yellow Pegasus gracefully fluttered to the ground next to the crimson stallion.
“You leave him alone!” She said in a determined, yet soft voice. The wolf stopped attacking the other Pegasus and looked at the new arrival standing before them with her chest puffed out, her cyan eyes staring intensely at them, and her pink mane flowing softly in the breeze. Peanut opened her mouth in amazement.
“Isn’t that…” She started, but was interrupted by her companion.
“It’s Fluttershy!” Jelly gleefully shouted.
“I’m going to ask you one more time before you get hurt. Leave Blize alone!” Fluttershy took an offensive stance and gave an angered look at the wolf attacking him. The wolf paused a moment and then let out a howl of laughter along with the other four wolves.
“Wait… Let me catch my… Let me catch my breath!” The wolf breathed in heavily and then let out a sigh, “You think that we’re going to stop… Just because you asked us to? What makes you think that we’d listen to a weakling such as-“ But before he could say anymore, a pair of hind hooves kicked his head and threw him against a tree.
“I warned you.” She whispered with a smirk. The other wolves looked at Blize and then quickly scampered away. “That’ll teach those mean old timber wolves to mess with us pony folk.” Blize walked over to her with a smile on his face.
“Well look at that. Good ol’ reliable Shy coming to my rescue once again.” He put a hoof on her back and embraced her. “It’s been to long Shy. What are you doing all the way out her? And at night too.”
“Well. I got word that two young fillies had found their way out into the Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy said and then glanced at the Peanut and Jelly. “You two really shouldn’t be out here. You could get hurt you know.” The two fillies looked at the ground.
“We’re sorry miss Fluttershy… We were just curious to see what was actually inside this forest.” Peanut said as she kicked the ground lightly with her hoof.
“Well now you know that it’s very dangerous, so you can go home and tell all your friends that they should never try to come in here.” Fluttershy smiled at the fillies. “Now then. Let Blize and I give you a lift back to Ponyville.” She said and scooped Peanut up onto her back.
“Uh… Right. About that Shy…” Blize started.
“What? Are you worried that the forest will go into disarray without you to guard it? I’m sure it will be fine for a few minutes as we fly these two back home.” Fluttershy said, hovering in the air.
“It’s not that… So much as the fact that everyone in Ponyville is scared of me. You are after all the only other pony I’ve ever met.” He responded with a saddened look on his face.
“Oh Blize, I’m sure it’ll be fine if you just come for a second. Everyone is probably asleep at this hour anyways.” Blize looked at her solemnly and then let out a sigh. He trotted over to Jelly and scooped her onto his back. “You ready?” Fluttershy asked. He nodded and in a quick flash they were off into the sky, heading expodistiously towards Equestria’s farm town.
Close by on a cliff on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, a figure with red eyes watched the two ascend into the air bolt towards Ponyville. He looked over at winged figure standing next to him.
“Tell lord Auburn that we’ve found him… Tell him we’ve found… The prince.”