The small Pegasus filly galloped as fast as her little hooves could carry her. She could hear her pursuers trampling through the grassy field behind her. There were three of them; a two stallions and a mare.
"Hurry up, you fools! I will not be outsmarted by a child!" the mare shouted. She seemed to be the leader. The stallions sped up, as did the filly and the mare, who kept shouting. The filly charged towards a forest. The foliage was dense, and would force her to slow her pace, but she knew it was her only chance of escape.
She tore through the saw briers guarding the forest edge. The needle-point thorns grasped at, and a few tore, her solid black coat. Cockle burs and twigs tangled themselves in her sunset orange hair. While she only had to slow a little bit, the "Bad Ponies", as she and the others knew them, had to almost stop. She had the advantage of being small, and could fit through small gaps.
Presently, she came to a large meadow. She paused, considering her options. If she tried to cross the glen, the Bad Ponies would easily catch up, but if she went around, they could cross the meadow and cut her off. She could hear the crashing getting closer, feel the ground shaking with the pounding of large hooves. They were catching up.
"I gotta hide!" the filly whispered to herself. The crashing was almost upon her. At the last second, she spotted a log, leaping inside and going unnoticed as the Bad Ponies sped past her. After she was sure they were gone, she shot from the log, tearing off through the woods in a different direction.
~*~
Soon, the filly was able to slow down. She sat down to rest her sore legs. She was starving and exhausted, what with the adrenaline having worn off. Panting, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. Glancing around, she noticed the land she'd wandered to was rocky and barren, presenting no food or water.
"Another day without dinner." the filly sighed. She stared at the sky, hoping to soak in the moonlight only to find dark clouds had filled the sky. She stood with a groan, trudging across the rocky plain and into another part of the forest. The Bad Ponies were gone, she was sure of that. Carefully, she began her search for shelter.
~*~
Soon, the weary traveler came to a place where the trees weren't so close together, as if they were planted. The rain had begun to pelt down, quickly turning the dusty earth to mud. She slowed down for a brief moment, opening her mouth to catch some of the water in an attempt to quench her growing thirst. Then, eager to escape the rain's icy sting, she pressed on.
The filly had been walking for so lone, she felt she would collapse from the cold, if not exhaustion. Standing on shaky legs, she weakly lifted her head. A wave of relief washed over her. Up in one of the trees was some sort of shack. She found new strength, galloping up the ramps to the small building. Inside, it was warm and dry. The tired foal could barely keep her sunset-colored eyes open.
There was a red cloth on the floor. A blue shield-shaped patch was sewn on the bottom corners. A golden rearing pony adorned the blue. Using the cloth as a blanket, the foal gave into exhaustion , falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.