//------------------------------// // 2,000 Years Ago // Story: Tales From Blackwood Forest // by Robobrony //------------------------------// Tales From Blackwood Forest 2,000 Years Ago My life was perfect, I had everything I could need to be happy. My parents were the king and queen of our tribe, which meant I was the prince. We lived happy peaceful lives, we worshiped both the sun and the moon. The sun for bringing light and life to the world, the moon for bringing beauty and peaceful rest. Saying that my parents ruled over our tribe wouldn’t really be right, it was more like the tribe looked up to them. Our tribe consisted of three branches of our kind. There were those who were bound to the earth but had a talent for growing food and plants, there were those that could fly and manipulate the weather, and there were those that had the ability to use magic. But there was one trait all our tribe shared, a different kind of magic, it was known as shadow magic, the ability to manipulate, control, and travel through shadows. Myself and my parents had all three traits of our tribe. The ones who wielded magic had two horns atop their heads that curved back a little. The flyers wings were similar to that of a dragon’s wings. Our home was a stone village rested in the heart of a deep dark and very large forest. We lived peaceful happy lives there and kept to ourselves in the forest, we never saw the need to venture outside when we had all we needed at our village. One other feature about our home was the fact that it was the only place really to find a beautiful flower known as a lunar lilly, it was named such as it bloomed every night when the moon shone, the outside of the pedals were a deep purple, while the inside was pure white and let off a white glow similar to the moon whenever they opened. Our tribe was like a family to me, we all got along and knew one another, and cared for one another. The young helped the old and sick. Because of our peaceful ways, we didn’t know how to fight, we never had the need to, our forest was a peaceful beautiful place with its large thick trees and beautiful plant life. Our peaceful paradise was not to last however. Tragedy struck one night. After the sun had set and we were all getting ready to rest for the night, a cry rang out at the edge of the village. Flames were forming atop the roof of a home, the flames started to spread, then the attack came. Creatures similar to us in form began to surround the village, some of them had wings too, but they were feathery, while some of them had horns, but they only had one straight horn atop their heads. They came out of nowhere and started attacking us, we had no hope to defend ourselves. Mother and father were afraid, father picked me up and placed me on his back, together, he and mother ran away as fast as they could to try and escape the flames that now consumed our once beautiful home. As we raced through the village, I chanced a look back only to see a tall slender figure hidden by the shadows, the only feature I could make out were its red red glowing eyes. It saw us running and pointed an appendage at us, soon, some of the creatures began to chase after us. Mother and father did their best to try and out run them, we had managed to make it away from the village but we would be unable to out run all of them, I tried to suggest that we fly away but father said that we would be over taken by the flyers. It was looking hopeless, we were goners, the pony creatures would over take us soon. Without warning, my parents suddenly stopped, my father picked me up from his back and placed me in a hollow dead tree. He looked down to me with worry evident on his face. “Son, I want you to stay here and keep yourself hidden, no matter what you hear, DO NOT come out of this tree, understand?” I was afraid, why was father leaving me in this tree. “Dad, what are you and mom going to do, please don’t leave me here.” I pleaded with them not to leave me. “Son, we know your scared, but this is something we have to do, we’ll lead them away so you can be safe, once we lose them, we’ll come back for you. Please stay here and I promise we will see you again.” Mother tried to comfort me. “Mom, please don’t leave me, I’m afraid.” My eyes were starting to water with fear. Father spoke to me again. “We know your afraid, but right now, I need you to be brave, stay here and keep hidden. We will come back for you.” “We love you son.” Mother said to me before they both turned and ran off, leaving me where they put me. I was terrified at this point, but I did as my parents instructed and stayed in the tree. Moments after they left, the ponies that were chasing us passed by, I pushed myself as far back into the tree as I could, ducked down and covered my mouth with my hooves. They passed by without noticing me as I watched their hooves gallop past. After a minute or two, I heard a terrible scream off in the distance, I recognized the scream. Fear welled up inside of me, I had to go see if my suspicions were correct. I crawled out of the tree and galloped as fast as I could to where I heard the scream come from. I soon came to the top of a hill, thanks to the moon still shining in the sky, I was able to see what was going on. At the foot of the hill, there was the group of ponies that were chasing us. They were gathered in a circle looking down at something. I froze in fear, thinking they would see me, I ducked behind a nearby tree at the top of the hill. I poked my head around and watched. The ponies soon began to head up the hill where I was hidden. I quickly tried to hide myself in the shadow of the tree and kept my muzzle shut. Thankfully, they passed by, heading back in the direction of my home. Once gone, I came out from behind the tree and looked down to the base of the hill. I could make out two figures lying on the ground. My breath caught in my lungs as I feared the worst. I slid down the hill and came to a stop at the base. I slowly made my way over to the figures, looked down and beheld what was before me. My worst fears were realized that night. My mother and father lay before me with blood coming from their nose and mouth, their horns were shattered and broken, their wings were torn up and rendered useless. Their legs were broken, their manes were a mess. My mother and father……..my parents…….lay dead before my eyes. My tears welled up, I tried to hold them back, but it was no use, I let out a hurt felt heart breaking wail at the sight as I flung my head up to the night sky and closed my eyes as my tears flooded out. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MOTHER, FATHER, IT CAN’T BE, you can’t leave me, please!” I cried as I looked back down to them, I cradled my father’s head in my forelegs, trying desperately to wake him. “Please father, get up, you can’t be dead you can’t!” I placed his head and walked over to my mother’s body. “MOM, please wake up, you have to wake up, PLEASE! DON’T LEAVE ME!” It was futile, my mother and father were gone. All the ponies of my tribe had been slaughtered, in my remorse, I tucked myself in my mother’s lifeless hooves and just lay there next to her cold body in utter hopelessness. “Mother, father, what do I do now, I’m all alone.” I said to myself. I don’t know how long I stayed like that with my dead parents, minutes……..hours, I didn’t care, all I knew was that my tribe was now gone, my home was burned down, and my parents…….my caring wonderful parents……were now gone. I was all alone now with no one to take care of me, I was still just a colt at the time, how could I do this, how could I survive on my own. My parents gave their life so I would live, I knew I had to at least try…….and that is what I was going to do. This is my tale of how I lived my life in the forest I called home, Blackwood Forest.