My ears pricked up. I turned toward the sound. I had decided to take a walk in the Ever Free Forest tonight. It was a beautiful night and perfect for being outside. The stars were bright and moon shone down on my white coat. The breeze ruffled through my coat. I had decided to take just a short walk when I heard it. A scream. A filly by the sound of it. I turned towards the sound, but I hesitated. Mom said I should never leave the path. But someone was in trouble.
I shook my head and ran towards the sound. I ran through some poison joke and hopped over a fallen tree. I stopped as I came to Skulls Chasm. It was a giant drop off the edge of cliff that lead to a spikey bottom and deadly end. It was a part of the Ever Free Forest that everypony stayed away from. I wondered what had happened, then I saw. A small filly was clinging to the edge of the cliff. I walked over to her and looked over. She looked up at me and hope filled her eyes.
“Hey! Can ya help me out?” She asked. “Please, ah think I’m slipping!”
“Sure.” I said and put a hoof over the edge. She grabbed it and I pulled her up. She sighed as soon as she was back up and looked up at me.
“Who are you?” She asked. I paused. Giving out names was dangerous. But… she was just a filly. I was just a legend. No one would believe her.
“I’m Emerald.” I said. She smiled.
“That’s a nice name. I’m Apple Bloom!”
“Cool name, kiddo. Where’s your parents?” I asked. She looked down.
“They’re dead. But ah live with mah sister on mah farm!” Apple Bloom said happily. “Where do you live?”
“Here.” I replied. She frowned.
“You mean in the Ever Free Forest? You can’t do that! It’s dangerous!” Apple Bloom said. I bent down and looked her in the eyes.
“Look kiddo, I can’t live in your world. The Ever Free Forest is only safe for creatures like… me. To normal ponies, we’re known as monsters.” I said. She shook her head.
“You’re not a monster! You saved me!” She said. “I’ll beat anyone up who hurts you!”
“That’s reckless kid. I’m better off here.” I said grimly.
“But Ah still don’t see how you’re a monster.” She asked. I circled my tail around my side to show her. She gaped at it. “Ponies define by looks. I’m a monster.”
“Not to me. You’re my hero! Hey, do you think I could get my cutie mark in exploration?” She asked and looked at her flank which was blank.
“Maybe so. But if you’re an apple farmer, it’s probably going to be a cutie mark in apples.” I said and turned around to trot away. She followed me.
"How did you know ah live on an apple farm?" She asked me. I stared straight ahead.
"You smell like apples."
“Oh. Well, Ah don’t know mah way out of these woods, so could you show me the way out?” Apple Bloom asked. I nodded and we walked back onto the trail.
“So you live here?” She asked. I nodded.
“Yep.”
“What about Timberwolves?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I have one as a neighbor. Why?” I asked. She gulped and looked ahead.
“Aren’t they dangerous?”
“No.”
“But they try to eat ponies!”
“They’re hungry like the rest of us. And ponies aren’t normally on the menu. They only attack you when you wander into their territory.” I said as a bush next to me shook. “Huh?”
I pushed Apple Bloom into the bush and snuck into it. We both poked our heads out of it at the same time just in time to see Princess Celestia strolling down the path.
“Great.” I muttered. “You must be really important, eh?”
“Ah don’t think she’s looking for me.” Apple Bloom said. “Look.”
“What a nice night.” Celestia mumbled.
“I’ve gotta scared her out before she reaches our capital.” I hissed.
“What capital? What are you going to do to her?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Scare her out. You stay here.” I said and pushed her back into the bush. “I’ll be right back.”
I ran a few hoof steps ahead before jumping out in front of her, making the craziest face I could come up with and yelling. She barely flinched, but she did frown down at me. I stopped and looked up at her and for a second, we both stared at each other. She spoke first.
“Hello… my little pony.” She said reluctantly as if she didn’t know whether I was a pony or not.
“Hi.” I replied. She stared at me for a little longer before looking at the stars. I slowly looked up too.
“These stars are pretty tonight, aren’t they?” She asked gently.
“I guess.”
“They remind you that we all live under the same sky and no matter who we are, we are here together, untied as one.” She said. “I think it’s beautiful.”
“You’re so positive.” I muttered. “But what if someone doesn’t agree?”
“They still live under the same sky in the same world whether or not they agree.” Celestia said wisely.
“Er, right.” I said. “I guess that’s true.”
“It seems I have lost my pupil as well as my way.” Celestia said with a glance around. “I must find her as soon as…”
“Hold still!”
I turned around to see a purple unicorn pointing a brightly light horn at me. Celestia merely glanced at her with a chuckle.
“And there she is.” Celestia whispered.
“I’ll scare off this monster, Celestia!” She yelled. I was prepared to run off when Celestia stepped up with her horn lit in a yellow glow.
“Enough Twilight. This is a friend.”
“But…” She frowned at me before looking to Celestia as her horn sparked out. “She’s a friend?”
“Yes. Twilight, this is…” She looked at me as if she had wished she’d asked my name. “A good friend of mine. She’s not a monster and I do believe you’ve hurt her feelings.”
“Uh…” She trotted up to me and stuck out a hoof. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be too mad.”
“Hm.” I shook her hoof while Twilight looked up to Celestia.
“Why have I never met her?” Twilight asked. Celestia chuckled.
“You’ve never asked. Besides, being the best of friends, I never see her often. I think we’ve grown apart.” Celestia said with sad eyes. “It makes me cherish the times we’ve had together.”
“Not to be rude, but what is she?” Twilight whispered to Celestia as if I couldn’t hear.
“I’m Emerald.” I said and turned to her with a deep frown that had sunk into my face. “A longma.”
“Oh right.” Twilight chuckled. “What’s that?” She whispered to Celestia as if I couldn’t hear again.
“I can hear you!” I shouted. She grinned at me and I facehoofed myself and sighed at her.
“Part pony, part dragon.” I said. She nodded then thoughtfully stared me down.
“But that should be impossible, right? I’ve never seen a Longma…”
“Yeah. There are about fifty of us in all of Equestria because ponies like to ‘hunt’ us because they think we’re not one of THEM!” I shouted in anger and slammed my tail into the ground. The ground rumbled and Twilight looked at Celestia in disbelief. Celestia looked the same way for half a second before switching to an unhappy face and I almost thought I had imagined it.
“What?” Twilight asked with a look at Celestia. “No way, ponies wouldn’t do that; you’re a pony too!”
“Twilight, you don’t realize on how terrible Equestria is right now.” Celestia said calmly even though her voice shook. It was as if she didn’t believe it herself, but she continued anyways. “Everything may be fine for Ponyville, but for everypony else, we have many things to deal with such as the persecution of Longmas. I suppose it is partly my fault for not telling you how bad things really are.”
“And mine for not knowing.” I heard Celestia mutter.
“I never knew.” Twilight said in awe. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not at the moment. My friend here is the only Longma that I know of.” Celestia said sadly.
“How long have you guys been friends?” Twilight asked while she looked at us both.
“Oh about five minutes.” We both answered. She stared at us in surprise.
“You’re not serious?” Twilight asked.
“Oh I’m completely serious.” Celestia said with a smile. “I never knew Longmas existed but I’ve heard about them. This is the first one I’ve ever met! We’re going to be good pen pals! You’re going to have to write me!”
“Are you serious?” I asked, ignoring the comment about me not existing.
“Completely!” She said happily. “I would love to get a letter from you!”
“Alright.” I said, still unsure of whether she was truly joking or not. Twilight facehoofed herself as the stars twinkled above and I realized in horror that I never took Apple Bloom home.
“Uh oh.” I said backing away. “I forgot!”
“Forgot what?” Twilight asked.
“I promised a lost filly I’d take her home!” I said in horror. “Hey Apple Bloom!”
Apple Bloom came out of the bush with a tired look on her face. She must’ve fallen asleep in the bush. She looked at Twilight sleepily.
“Why are you in the Ever Free Forest?” Twilight asked in horror.
“It’s a long story.” Apple Bloom sighed.
“I’ll… walk her home.” Twilight said to Celestia and floated Apple Bloom onto her back with a little magic.
We watched her go before Celestia turned to me.
“I can’t wait to get those letters.” She said happily. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Okay…”
“And Emerald?”
“Yes?”
“Visit me sometime. Maybe we can talk about how Longmas are doing as a whole in Equestria. We all share the same planet after all. That means we should at least try to get along.” Celestia said and gave me a wink as she gave her wings a flap.
“Ok.”
“Bye.” She said and took off into the night sky. I watched her go with interest at meeting the Princess.
***
Princess Celestia soared over Equestria back to her castle. She stared at the ponies below, some of which were taking midnight walks like she was.
Oh how I did not know my little ponies were doing such terrible things!