What Howls at Night

by A Mysterious Pony

Change is Good... Right? Another Part 1

"AAAAaaaaahhhhHHH!!!!!!!!!!" the Crusaders grabbed onto each other for dear life as the huge, heaving timberwolf leaped out from some shrubs in the distance, growling and snarling in the light of the moon.

"Grrr Ooo Arr! Aaahhh Wrr Ooohhh!" the beast's head shot up towards the unusually large and glowing moon.

The Crusaders almost got whiplash to how fast they repeatedly turned their heads to each other from the wooden monstrosity. In an almost telepathic way, they silently agreed with each other on a plan. "RUN!!"

And run they did, they ran together, as a group, much to Applebloom's urging. They ran as far and as fast as they possibly could from the wooden wolf.

Sweetie Belle started to think while she ran for her life from the most deadly predator in the Everfree Forest.

Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh!Ohmygosh! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! Wait a minute. She stopped almost instantaneously, facehoofing her now hoof-printed forehead. "Girls, wait!" Scootaloo and Applebloom stopped and looked back at Sweetie Belle incredulously, wondering if their friend had lost her mind. "I can just teleport us home, or at least far enough away from that timberwolf!"

"You sure 'bout that, Sweetie Belle? 'Ah mean look at where teleporting got us so far." Applebloom used her hoof to scratch a sudden itch spreading to the nape of her neck, looking sheepishly away from the horned-pony.

Scootaloo shuffled on her hooves, visibly nervous and sweating with fear. "Well, I'll try anything right now. That timberwolf isn't slow, you know. "

"Alright, here goes!" Fluttershy's house, Fluttershy's house, Fluttershy's house!!" a tiny, green spark lit up from Sweetie Belle's horn, then a large cloud puffed around them, encasing them for a few seconds, then poofed away.

"What 'appened?! That timberwolf could be right on our trail by now!" Applebloom was panicking now.

But, Scootaloo was even worse, she was rocking back and forth with her head in her lap, freaking out.

"It's okay! Twilight said that might happen. I just need to concentrate harder." Sweetie started speaking in a hushed tone, knowing the timberwolf couldn't be far.

"Well, ya better hurry it up, 'ah think d'uh timberwolf is right around the corner!"

"Okay, okay! Don't pressure me!" Sweetie focused harder than she'd ever focused on anything in her whole life. "Al-most ...got it!" Sweetie Belle felt the same tingling in her horn again. Why won't ..that ...go ....away?! She closed her eyes and tightened them, finally she felt the ground move beneath her, and heard flashing and a popping noise. She opened her eyes without looking at her surroundings and jumped in joy. "I did it! I did it! I did it!" As she was jumping for joy, she finally registered that she was somewhere else, but she was alone. Oh my gosh! I must've teleported Scootaloo and Applebloom to Fluttershy's house without me! Hey, maybe I teleported farther away from the timberwolf, though!

"Aaaaahhh-Wrrroooooohh!!!!" Or maybe I teleported even closer to it!

---

"We have to find them, it's already dark. We don't have much time." she looked up at the bright moon which provided light to see, but the grey, slow moving clouds moving towards it, were inevitably going to block possibly their only way to finding the three little frightened fillies.

Fluttershy got off of Twilight's back clumsily and mumbled something to herself. "Oh, my! I hope they're going to be alright. The Everfree Forest is dangerous, but at night....with all those predators ...it can be ...*Gulp* ....deadly." probably not wanting to hear it from her own mouth, she whispered the last part, just enough for anypony to hear her.

"That is why we're going to save the girls before those animals get to them first." Twilight lit up her horn, using the same spell she did when Fluttershy turned into Flutterbat, a beam of light shot up, presenting her cutie mark in the night sky. "Fluttershy, before we go, I need you to, I can't believe I'm saying this, but to tell Discord to get help, and by help I mean the rest of the girls. Hurry!" Fluttershy nodded and took flight, she flew back into her house. "And bring a flashlight! And some first-aids!"

---

"Ugh! Where is she!" Twilight stamped her hoof on the ground in anticipation and nervousness. She looked over to the cottage to see the lights were still on. Finally, she saw Fluttershy fly out the backdoor of her house with a flashlight and three mini first-aid kits. "Finally! Come on, let's g-!" Twilight was cut off as a bright flash and popping noise sounded above her. Next thing she knew there were two objects that were on top of her back, pinning her down slightly. "Wha-huh!?" she turned her head to see a purple tail in her face. "What?! Scootaloo?!" said filly whimpered in response.

"And Applebloom!"

Twilight looked to her right, catching a glimpse of Applebloom's pink bow. "Right. Applebloom?!" A grunt was enough for a reply. "Ugh!" Twilight levitated both fillies off her back, by their tails. "Now, answer me th-wait. Where's Sweetie Belle?!?!" Twilight moved the floating Scootaloo and Applebloom to the side and looked down, left, right, up, forward, and backward. Sweetie Belle was no where to be found. "Scootaloo, where's Sweetie Belle?! Uh, are you okay?" Twilight looked at said pony and saw that she was weeping, no, crying. "Scootaloo? Since when do you cry about stuff like this? Come to think of it, I've never seen you cry before, I've heard you've cried before, but I've I didn't believe it."

Scootaloo sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hoof, then let it drop like the other. "I'm not crying because of that, I'm crying because you yelled at me." Twilight sighed, then she put on a apologetic smile. "I was just ....worried over where you two were, and I'm sorry I yelled, but now I'm worried about Sweetie Belle. I need to know where she is. Do you know where she is? How did you girls get here, anyway?"

"I-I, I d-don't know. Sweetie Belle said she was going to teleport all three of us out the Forest, and she did, m-minus her, though. *Sniffle, sniffle*." Scootaloo started whimpering again.

"Eerrr! Let ...go! We have to save Sweetie Belle!" Applebloom struggled and strained, trying to free herself from the Unicorn's magical grip.

Twilight switched her attention over to the squirming Earth pony and squinted her eyes in skepticism. "Save Sweetie Belle from what exactly?"

"A timberwolf!! Come on! We gotta go now! Before it gets 'er!" Applebloom tried swinging her front legs to hop out of the magic, but only succeeded in swinging herself back and forth. "Can you please let go, so 'ah can save mah' friend?"

"No. You're not going to go after her, especially now that I know there's a wild timberwolf after her. Fluttershy, change of plans. Go inside, clean these two up and watch them, make sure they don't leave the cottage." Twilight sat Applebloom and Scootaloo in front of Fluttershy, who had long since stopped flying.

"Right. Come on girls , let's go inside and wash up." Fluttershy started nudging them towards the cottage's door, but Applebloom slipped passed the Pegasus darted passed the Alicorn, and started towards the Forest.

It only took about a minute for Twilight to figure out what just happened. "Ohhhh, no you don't!" Twilight caught Applebloom in her magic before she could run back into the Forest. She glided the defiant, yet loyal, filly back over to Fluttershy, who was hugging the crying Scootaloo. "Applebloom! Stay here! I'll find Sweetie Belle and bring her back. So don't worry, we'll find her." Twilight explained to Applebloom, who was put on the ground gently and dusted off, looking angry, yet sad.

"I'm not worried about you finding 'er, 'ah know you'll find 'er. I'm jus' worried about whether ya' find 'er alive." with that said, Applebloom turned tail, and walked back into the house with her head held low and her strides slow.

Fluttershy, who had watched the whole scene unfold, glared at Twilight slightly angrily, but took in a deep breath before giving her a look of agreement. "Find Sweetie Belle first, I'll talk to you about what happened now, later. Just go." Twilight Sparkle would have said something back, but a deafening scream from the Everfree Forest pierced through Scootaloo, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle's ears, before she could. "There's no time to argue! I'll be back, stay here!" that said, Twilight Sparkle shot off into the Everfree Forest, kicking up loose dirt as she went deep into the heart of the most dangerous place to be at night.

---

"Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Where am I?! Where am I?! Where am I?!" Sweetie Belle was running, no, galloping, for her life right now. She was tiring herself out fast, though. She also wasn't looking where she put her hooves as she sprinted. Her front, left hoof caught on something. It was some ancient-looking, twisting roots poking out of the ground, no doubt from an old, rotting stump long forgotten by whoever cut it down. "Oomf!" was what came from her mouth as she fell tummy first into the Everfree's black dirt and moss-covered rocks. Her front two hooves pushed downwards, sending her upper body upwards towards the night sky. Lifting her back legs to stand straight, she soon realized she couldn't. Her hind hoof was tangled in the old roots she tripped on before. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no! Not now! C'mon! Err! Ah! Won't budge!" As much as she tried to dislodge her hoof, it was like the branches grew even more taut, especially with all her struggling.

SNAP!

"*Gasp!*" Maybe if I stay really quiet, it won't know I'm here.

"*Sniff, sniff*. Grrrrrrrrrrr." the wooden wolf uttered it's low, guttural growl, making anypony who heard it know that it wasn't a warning reply.

Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet! The Everfree Forest, the darkest, scariest, coldest place in Equestria. It is also the oldest. And old places always have something broken. CRACK! Eyelids wide and adrenaline coursing through her veins, Sweetie Belle's whole body froze except her eyes which down to see the broken and squashed remains of a twig under her hoof.

"Grrraaarrrrwlll......" CRUNCH... The sound of fallen leaves being crushed by wooden paws and torn by splintering claws. The wood predator squinted his eyes. He locked his own with the eyes of his prey. He smelled fear. Just how he likes them.

Sweetie looked in horror as the beast of the forest stared her down with it's unearthly eyes. "No, no, no, no, no! Stay! Stay! Bad boy! NO! AHHHHHHHH!" The beast leaped, pouncing down on the poor unicorn. It swung down its heavy head, trying for its prey's neck, to end it quickly, but yelped as it felt itself being lifted by some unknown force. He looked around, catching sight of another potential snack. Purple fur was dark making the flesh nice and pink. The carnivore licked his lips in anticipation of his next meal.

The purple chicken leg spoke. "You stay away from her! You're not eating anypony tonight!" Twilight had the wolf caught in her magical aura.

The timber felt himself thrown into one of the many black trees in the Everfree Forest. "Whimper...." He rose from his spot at the bottom the tree. He looked down at the broken off hind leg the purple one had dislodged from his body, he waited for it slowly retract back into place. He looked for the one who had hurt him. He was mad. He saw the purple poultry getting his marshmallow out from the twine of roots. His dinner and dessert was escaping. Now, he was angry.

---

Twilight wasted no time. She teleported over to the horrified Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle, are you alright?! Sweetie Belle?! Alright, I can see you need time to register this, so I'll help." She grabbed Sweetie in her arms, trying to pull her free from the old tree roots. "Don't worry, Sweetie Belle. Nothing will harm you while I'm here! Ommph!" She was knocked over by the wild wolf, losing her grip on Sweetie Belle. Twilight was ready to give all she got to it. However, timberwolves weren't stupid. They've dealt with ponies before. He took his hard, wooden paw and threw it down to the purple pony's forehead, just below the horn. Twilight gasped as she felt the powerful and excruciatingly painful sensation she took from the blow. She passed out from pain. The wolf was ready to eat. THUNK! He shook his head. The rock that flew into it laid by his new prey's head.

"Leave her alone, you--you--you termite head?" Sweetie Belle, now thawed out from her frozen state, stood bravely upon a boulder half in the ground that wasn't there before.

"Arrroooohhhhhh!!! Grrrrrrrrrooaaaarrr!!!!" He didn't think when he ran from the purple pony to the offending one, he just knew he wasn't going home with an empty stomach.

---

"Uh-oh..." Sweetie turned to run. She ran as fast as she could in one direction. "I should of thought this out more!" The loose dirt being kicked up from her running hooves was causing a dust cloud to form. It was getting harder and harder to see where she was going. Am I even going straight anymore? "Ah!" Stupid rock! I'm running for my life here! She got up and wiped the dirt from her face.

Grrrrrrrrrr.........

She heard the growl again. The same growl, but still threatening nonetheless. Yellow eyes revealed themselves from the thick clouds of dust. "*Gasp!*" Sweetie Belle moved as far back as she could, hoping the wolf would somehow vanish if she backed away from it. She backed up 'til she felt an object preventing her from moving backwards. "Huh?" She turned around and saw the object. Sweetie looked closer and saw a very interesting detail.

~~~

A white unicorn with a two-tone mane stood her ground on a foggy clearing in the Everfree Forest. Albeit, trying to find home and avoid any meetings with unfriendly creatures.

"HEY! TIMBERWOLF!! COME AND G-GET ME, YOU OVERGROWN T-TWIG!" Or, maybe she was just trying to get herself killed.

Sweetie Belle was anxiously looking over her shoulders every now and then. She walked back and forth across a distance. Not too short to make it look like she pacing, but not too long to lose track of where she was.

Groooooooh.... AROOOH!! The wolf leapt out of the murky air and landed with a dull thump. His front paw came crashing down on an unsuspecting rock and smashing the used-to-be father of three into tiny, little pebbles. He wasted no time. The monster charged at his prey.

Sweetie Belle yelped, jumping up and, somehow running through the air. She ran straight, knowing when to jump and what rock to avoid, after all, she wasn't pacing around for nothing. She could come up with a decent plan if she wanted to. "*Yip!*"

The predator grinned and gave chase.

"*Huffing and puffing*." Sweetie ran harder than she ever had or ever could. Left ....right. Left, right. Jump! Right, left!" It was, like, she had memory map she drew into her mind. Hey, *huff, huff* I'm good at this! I should try out for track! And then she looked back.

"*Grunting*" The wolf was right on her tail. Literally, he was about two feet away.

Sweetie upped the speed, she was going so fast was gliding through the air was the logical reason she could up with then that could explain how she was going that fast. Faster... faster... FASTER!

The timberwolf was panting with delight, he liked fast food. They always put up a good fight before going down. One pounce, one good jump would put an end to all this nonsense. But where's the fun in that. He kept his pace, but snapped his jaws to frighten his food and get its adrenaline pumping.

Then, the prey jumped. And the wolf saw why. "*Whimper*"

Smash!

Sweetie Belle smiled as she turned around. The sight wasn't pretty, but at least it was safe, at least for her. The backside, tail, and hind legs were poking out from the hole of the rotting tree stump.

The timberwolf grunted and growled while trying to claw his way out; the soft ground crumbling under the might of his huge paws.

"Ha! That's what you get! You don't try to just eat anypony and expect to not get away with it! Take that! Or as Rarity would say, 'Hmm!'" Sweetie left to go find Twilight back in the clearing, but when she turned to leave she heard a cracking and crunching noise. She meant to turn, but the wolf was too fast.

Whoosh!

Sweetie Belle cried out in a short scene of pain. It wasn't that it hurt so bad she couldn't bear it; it was that it happened so fast, so unexpectedly, that she hadn't anticipated a swipe from the trapped wooden wolf.

It hadn't escaped. It simply loosened itself slightly, letting one of its hind legs go farther back than it thought it would. When he felt its prey's presence, he striked. Slashing her on some part of her body, he knew he would never know, but better to leave a reminder, so it would.

---

Sweetie Belle limped over to the right of the middle of the clearing. She strained to come close enough to Twilight. "Breathing, but totally unconscious. Better than the former not being there." She finally had lost the strength in her body to move any further and collapsed less than half a foot away from the purple Alicorn. "Come on. Just a little more... " A tiny spark emerged from her horn; using the little consciousness and energy she had left, she thought one thing, one tiny, little word. It was an unimportant word, never really used a lot, but it meant so much right now to this little filly, anyone in this situation, in fact. It was...

The Everfree Forest's only clearing was once again clear. It's only visitors in a long time disappeared with a 'Pop!'; but you never leave anywhere and not take something with you.

~~~

Comments

[Kifstopher]

A very enjoyable story. I hope you're planning to continue it.

[skyward rainbow]

plz post more

[Switchlock]

You... are gonna update this story soon, right? I mean, Nightmare Night just passed, and this story totally fits that theme... Please tell me this story isn't abandoned.

[A Mysterious Pony]

5223258 Nah, it is not abandoned, but i do have school and activities and clubs and such. I am working on the next chapter; I am also finishing a short story that is based off of a short horror-story my E.L.A. (English or Language Arts) teacher read to the class. So there's that... don't you worry, don't you fret I'll finish my chapter story even if we never met!

Hay There, Ms. Derpy
Hay There Ms. Derpy Equestria: Fallout parody

Good times, good times...

[Switchlock]

5224390 Yay!

[roker12]

are you going to continue this?

[A Mysterious Pony]

5251822 Yes, yes, of course. But, I don't know when.

[roker12]

5254662
need help?

[MitchellTF]

Is deadfic dead?

[A Mysterious Pony]

5561705 No, I'm just... I don't even know. The more I live life the more I realize how-how hard it is? Eh, but I have a chapter chapter almost done. I'm just... thinking...

[MitchellTF]

YAY! The fic isn't dead! *Smiles brightly*

[A Mysterious Pony]

5563661 That's all I really want; to make someone smile.

[The Omega Directive]

I like, ANOTHER!

[Headlock1_0]

This story started out too awkward for me to read, but I couldn't just stop and risk missing something good, so I decided to sort of...skip some parts. Now in this chapter it's much less cringe-worthy, but then it's over (unfinished) before it begins. Please, at least start this story moving somewhere again. It's been what...a year?

[A Mysterious Pony]

6199567 Sorry, man, I kinda went into depressed phase and just overthinking Life and everything about it. I understand you: wanting something to go somewhere because entertainment and distractions is the only way to blind ourselves of this miniscule existence we live and the cruel, evil, dark world we wish to escape and search for something more. And the only questions left to ask are, "What are we searching for?" And, "What will we do with it?"
----
Sorry, I haven't been active for a long time.

"A smile is a mask." And mine is very overwhelming.
____

Don't forget to look for me in the papers, or, in this world, the internet.

13 YEAR-OLD LOSES MIND, How She Finally Cracked

[Headlock1_0]

6227179 Whoa. I'm confused here. Are you that far down the metaphorical pit of depression? Are you trying to say you're just giving up on life? That's what your message leads me to believe. Believe me, I've been there...depression. Heck, I'm still fighting it. Just try not to dwell on the negatives. I feel like a hypocrite saying this because I struggle to practice it, and I know it's far easier said than done, but look for the good things in life that you can be thankful for. I don't know if I can give much else in the wise words department. I just hope you don't make a horrible mistake that you may not live to regret. When suicide is involved, no one wins.

Best wishes God bless.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that a smile doesn't have to be a mask. But I know that it's a lot more that way when you're depressed.

[A Mysterious Pony]

6227469 Nah, I'm not that far down, but thanks for your concern. I guess the world isn't that cruel; just 99% of the world. And about that suicide bit, meant to say this in the first sentence; oh, well, I know well enough that no pain could ever make me take my own life. I probably just feel down because my family are all working and the only living thing I can talk to is my dog; though, only when I'm really bored.

Although, I heard of some girl who is suicidal, was in my art class, emotionally depressed into hurting herself, and I'm most likely going to have the same classes with her in high school.

Is it a bad thing or good thing that kind of want to become her friend and help through whatever that's putting her down? Seems like she needs someone to keep her stable and happy.

Just need some advice or yes or no answer with explanation. Feel free to ask other people on this site; they can answer, too, I don't mind. Thanks!

[Headlock1_0]

6242673 It's good to hear that you would never take your own life. I was worried there for a bit.

As for befriending that girl at school? Go for it! It's nice of you to want to help. I should warn you though to be wary about how much negativity you're exposed to though. When you're already depressed, being around other people that are depressed can (not saying it will, just that it's possible) make you feel worse. If she is absolutely impossible to cheer up, then don't push yourself so hard that she pulls you down with her. Some people WANT to be sad all the time, for whatever reason. In that situation, I suppose you should give the person support, but make sure you're not giving all the emotional strength you have. You still of course have to take care of yourself emotionally.

About the lack of company, I would offer my hand in friendship, and maybe I kind of still am, but I don't think I'd be able to keep you much company. I have a handfull of friendships I'm juggling and trying not to drop, and some that I want to rekindle and such. If you want to PM each other sometimes I can do that. But at this point I think that's all I've got. I'm not always good at quick replys either.

[A Mysterious Pony]

6242872 Thanks, guy. I finally got a lot of great, incredible friends this and last year, but I don't really hang out with them that much. I talk to one of them more than all of my other friends. Hehe, she always "angry" whenever I don't, playfully, say we're best friends. I guess I'm sick of interacting with others because when I was younger no one interacted with me. Then, someone actually tried to be friends with me last year (we're friends, now). I guess, my personality really started to develop. I'm not that bitter elementary schooler anymore. I'm an average middle school to high school kid.

Again, thanks! Also, question: Is 10th grade Geometry and 11th grade Chemistry hard? I don't know if you're in it or already did it or never had it in your curriculum, just a question. I'm going to both in 9th grade and the Common Core subjects, all honors. I gotta prepare myself! !,!

[Headlock1_0]

6244366 Well, Geometry wasn't very hard for me to understand, but I never took Chemistry. I'm not sure why, but I don't think it was required.

Thank you for sharing and it's been good talking with you.

God bless you in your future and maybe we'll talk again some day.

[A Mysterious Pony]

6245313 Same to you! And thank you! By the way, I don't think I'll be making stories for a bit.

I'm into anime! #animephase

[Headlock1_0]

6247213 Nice, I went through that. I still watch some, but not as much. It's too bad you won't be writing as much, but we all have our interest phases. Enjoy your anime and I'll hopefully talk to you again some day.