How Lily got her "creepy" super strength

by Hyper44


You did not!

On the edge of Ponyville there was a small quaint little house that blended in with the rest of the homes. From its front yard you could see the town hall rising above the buildings and from its back yard you could see the Everfree forest in the distance. The couple that called it home made their living from knitting clothing, particularly socks that were shipped to ponies who lived in cold regions. They were known as the Longsock family. They had recently moved into the town with their three children. The two oldest were following in their parent's hoof steps. Their youngest daughter though, Lily had an unusual talent, not just in her family but in general. She could handle sharp, prickly things without getting hurt. Nopony knew how she did it. She didn't know how she did it but even though it was not the most useful talent she liked it. It was quite nice after all to be able to walk through a thorn bush and without getting pricked. She had realized her talent when she had rescued a baby hedgehog and raised it. How she loved that little hedgehog that she named Prickles. He was so sweet and cuddly, cuddly for her. There was one thing though that she did not like about him. He had a bad habit of wondering off and getting into trouble. Most of the time he crawled under something big and heavy and then got stuck. She was always having to dig her way under houses or go find help. He did this so much that she had given him the last name Pricklebutt and used in on the days that he got into trouble. Today was another one of those days.

"Pricklebutt!" Lily called as she walked around the house and peeking beneath the foundations. "Pricklebutt come out this instant!" She demanded squinting into the dark. There was no response. "Uuuggg! Where did you go?" She stomped her hoof and began walking around the yard trying to think like a hedgehog. She paused and rubbed her chin with a forehoof. "Let's see, twice I found you under the house. No, make that three times. You crawled under the neighbors house a couple of times but only got stuck once. They've already said that they haven't heard you running around under their house anyway. There's the tree that you like to tunnel under only I've already checked there. I didn't see you under the rocks in the garden."
Lily paces around the house towards the house still thinking deeply. She stopped suddenly and sniffed. It was a faint but very sweet smell. She knew exactly what it was. Everypony who lived on this end of town did. Every summer, deep in the Everfree forest copious amounts of berries would ripen. There was no other berry like them. No other berry was so sweet and flavorful but there was just one problem. They would only grow in the Everfree and you had to compete with monsters to get them. Monsters are not so keen on sharing.

Lily turned her head to the forest while remembering the last time that she had seen little Pricklebutt. This morning he had been sitting on the windowsill and breathing in the sweet smell. His little pointy nosed face was covered in a dreamy smile.

"Oh you did not!" She said scanning the ground as she walked in that direction. She hadn't thought much about it this morning because she was certain that he knew better than to go there but sure enough she spotted little hedgehog prints leading towards the forest. "You did." She sighed. "Oh, no. Please stay safe until I find help to come find you."

Lily started to bolt inside but froze in mid-step. If she went for help she probably would not ever find her dear pet hedgehog. Not many ponies would willingly go into the Everfree forest. Even fewer would go into it after a hedgehog. Of those few who would be able to find him? There was only one who might and that was the element of kindness but she would be terrified to go. She might if her friends came but none of them would allow a filly to accompany them into the forest.

Lily looked back and forth from her house and to the forest. She shifted her feet around and chewed her lip. She so did not want to go into the Everfree but she was not going to lose her hedgehog. The best pony for finding him was her.

"Hey mom, Pricklebutt wondered into town and I'm going to go find him." She called to the house. "Then I might go over to Dinkies to play." She added to give herself extra time since she would have no idea how long this would take except quite awhile. Without waiting to hear her mother’s reply she took off along the outskirts of Ponyville. Once she gained a little distance from her house she turned towards the Everfree. Her hooves pounded the ground as she charged towards the forest. She wanted to get inside the trees as fast as she could before anypony spotted her. As she neared the forest she encountered a fallen tree in her path.

"Nothing is going to stop me!" She declared and jumped aiming to leap over the log. Her hind hoofs caught on it and she was sent rolling in the dirt. She skidded to a stop under the shade of the forest. She raised her head and shook dirt out of her mane.

"Success is falling down nine times and getting up ten." She said getting to her hoofs. She looked up at the looming trees above her head and cringed as much of her zeal faded. "Pricklebutt you’re really in trouble over this," She called as she started forward while scanning the ground for his prints.