Hard Life Growing Up

by Artistic Fox

Filly

Four years had passed and the creature was now entering a new stage of her life. Her body started to take a stronger shape, although still small, it allowed for her to hunt much easier. Her legs were stubby and short whilst her tail had become bushier than it used to be. Sneaking around had become difficult as her tail would constantly sway across dry leaves, making a noise and scaring her prey, holding it up too high gave her position away too.

She thought she finally had a method worked out as she crouched beneath a bush, watching as the unsuspecting rabbit pulled roots from the ground and began gnawing on them.

There was a sudden ‘snap’ in the bushes opposite her, it startled the rabbit that turned and ran in her direction. She pounced, leaping towards the rabbit but since it was already on alert, changing directions was easy for it as it turned again and ran away from her.

She chased after it, leaping through the bushes and grass. The rabbit was fast but as it needed to run in a sort of zigzag to avoid branches and overgrown roots, she was able to run over them, gaining the extra ground. There was an arch of a root with a bush, nearly as tall behind it.

Taking one last leap onto the tall root as the rabbit ran underneath, she kicked off with her hind legs, fore legs out stretched, ready to land on the rabbit on the other side. Instead she came face to face with another creature and crashed into it.

The two toppled over. Falling onto her stomach with this other creature landing on top of her, she saw the rabbit she chased run past them and disappear into the bushes.

“Look what you’ve done!”

She got up, tossing the creature off her back. She stood onto her hind legs and peaked over the bushes. The rabbit was far gone; there was no catching it now. Angrily, she turned to the other creature.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

The other creature got up and immediately scooted back, pressing her own back into the bush.

“I’m sorry! I was lost; I didn’t mean to get in your way…”

She put down her hooves and looked into the face of the one shouting at her and her eyes widened.

“Oh good, another filly. You know the way out of here don’t you?”

Taken aback, a little confused, what was a filly? Looking at this other one, she did notice similarities between the two. While they both had large and rounded snouts, short and stubby legs, she was taller than herself and her tail was, much better kept. Besides, that, she seemed to lack any bodily markings except a symbol on her flank.

“Do you know the way back?”

She repeated as she got to her hooves.

“Back where?”

“To the school…?”

She tilted her head in confusion, looking around for anything that could be considered a school. It was at that moment that the filly realized that this other filly was not like her, at least not exactly. It piqued her interest a bit.

“My name is Forest Hopper. What’s your name?”

She tilted her head again.

“What’s a name?”

“Really? It’s what others call you. What do others call you?”

“Well one of the other creatures in the forest said…” At this point, she got low to the ground and started screeching like a wild animal. “…Is that a name?”

“…No… it’s not…”

“Wait, so if I wanted to call you, I just say Forest Hopper, and you’ll come back?”

“Well, I won’t just appear but if you’re near me, I’ll come towards you, yes.”

Laughter rang out as she collapsed on the ground, laughing harder than she ever has in her lift.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re name is Forest Hopper… Ha ha ha… That’s so fucking stupid!”

Forest’s face glows a bright red before turning up her nose and walking off.

“Wait up Forest Hopper! I wanna see a school!”

She got up and started chasing after her, easily catching up and walking beside her. Although she was shorter than Forest, her energetic way of walking made up for the speed of travel.

Forest was quiet for the first few minutes before she gave out a sigh and turned her head.

“How long have you been here for? I don’t think I’ve seen you in town before and there’s not another one nearby at all.”

“Here? In this forest? As long as I can remember.”

“You’ve been living in this forest? Alone?”

“Yeah, don’t you?”

“No, I live in a house with my mum and dad.”

“What’s a house, a mum and dad?”

Forest gave another sigh.

“Forget the house, a mum and dad are the two that raised you, were you not raised by anyone?”

“Nope, I never had anyone. But I think I remember… someone. She felt soft, warm… but that’s all I remembered…I think.”

She turned her gaze back to the symbol on Forest’s flank.

“Why do you have stuff on your butt?”

“It’s not stuff, it’s a Cutie Mark. It shows up when you find your special talent, that one thing you do best. Mine is a tree because I am attuned with nature. Unfortunately I get to attuned that I lose track of where I am and get lost often.”

“So you’re name is Forest Hopper and you have a tree for a Cutie Mark?”

“Yeah… It’s odd that lots of ponies have names that happen to match their Cutie Mark quite often. Like their parents are psychic.”

“Pony?”

Forest stopped walking; looking down at the filly she was walking with. Only now did she really take in the features of this particular one. Her mane was messy, hooves and ears tipped black, tail bushy with a white tip and of course all the mud that matted down her fur all over the place.

“You’re a pony… I think. You look a little, different, definitely shorter.”

Forest began laughing but was immediately cut short.

“Hey fuck you!”

Forest stopped laughing and grunted.

“Where did you learn such language but can’t learn anything else on your own?”

“Fuck if I know?”

Forest’s gaze turned to her head.

“Know any magic?”

The confused look on her face gave Forest her answer.

“Never mind.”

Their trek through the forest finally brought them to a path. She had not gone this far before. She had everything she needed nearby, heading so far off seemed pointless, but curiosity did get the best of her.

“I know where we are now! Follow me!”

Forest ran off down the path. Breaking out into a sprint, she caught up easily enough but came to a grinding halt she the path opened up into a wide, open area. There were many ponies, at least 20 of them, all running around, playing with each other.

Stopping short of the clearing did not keep her out of sight for long as one other pony noticed her and pointed her out to the ones she was playing with. They too began pointing her out and soon, all of them were looking at her.

It was quiet. Just 20 pairs of eyes, staring at her. The idea of running ran through her mind but before she could turn, she was called out.

“Hey! Over here!”

Forest shouted, waving her hoof to beckon her closer. She started walking towards her, head low, avoiding eye contact. Whispers broke out among the crowd. Her hearing however was quite good and allowed her to pick up what they were saying.

“Who is that?”

“Why is she so dirty?”

“What’s with those marking?”

“Why’s she so short?”

She finally reached Forest who stood at a fountain, lapping up the water.

“Want a drink?”

The water shot out from a small ball in the middle of a bowl. As she leaned in to get some, it stopped flowing and disappeared. She stood back before leaning in again, waiting for the water to flow. She let out a growl before biting on the ball in the middle, her growls getting more intense as she grinded her teeth against it.

“Umm… you have to press the pedal.”

She let go of the ball, looking down at the base of the fountain and saw the pedal. A little hesitantly, she lifted her leg and placed it on the pedal as instructed. It suddenly dropped under her weight and she leapt back, startled.

A few giggles broke the silence from the crowd as everyone was still focusing on her. She got back up on the fountain again and stepped on the pedal. Water flowed once again and she leaned in and licked the water. Her pupils dilated, her heart pounded faster. The water she always found in the forest was murky and disgusting but it was all she knew. This water was clean and cold, it was the best she’s ever had.

She continued to lap at the water that never seemed to stop flowing until someone shouted out behind her.

“Oh cool, everyone look at this!”

All the ponies’ attention on her dropped as they all turned and began gathering around someone else. Forest grabbed her hoof and pulled her with her as she forced her way through the crowd, pulling her along with her. She was pulled up to the front where a colt stood, showing off his own Cutie Mark, a fidget spinner.

“Just got it last night. Probably the best Cutie Mark in the history of Cutie Marks if you ask me.”

‘This guy looks like a massive asshole.’ She thought.

“You look like a massive asshole.”

The crowd went silent again as the colt turned towards her.

“Who are you? Shorty!”

“Who are you? Fuck face!”

The crowd oohed and laughed. The colt was getting angry.

“I don’t need to introduce myself to some scrawny filly that looks and smells like they’ve been living in a garbage bin.”

“Fuck you, you piece of shit! I’ve taken down bigger prey than you before; I can take you down easy.”

The colt picked up a nearby rock from the ground and tossed it. Turning at the last moment to protect her face, the rock hit her in the shoulder. She had felt pain before. Stubbing her hoof, tripping and falling, but this felt different. She placed her hoof on her shoulder where it hurt, but the pain intensified. She removed her hoof quickly and looked down. There was a red stain on her hoof.

“Why don’t you go back to your bin you freak!”

The colt shouted, chucking another rock. She ducked, barely avoiding it before pushing her way through the crowd and running back for the forest.

“Wait!”

That was the last she heard from Forest among the laughter of the other ponies. She sprinted down the track, turning and charging through the woods, trying to get as far as she could. It was hard to see as her vision became blurry, tears streaked down her cheeks as she began to slow down, both from her blurred vision and exhaustion.

Thunder echoed through the forest as dark clouds began to form. Rain immediately began to shower and her dirtied fur became soaked almost instantly. She found a small alcove in a giant tree trunk nearby and headed for it, taking shelter from the storm. Amidst the sniffles, she gently began licking her wound. It helped in the past when she got hurt, she hoped it would help now but the metallic taste of metal was making it very difficult.

“Well, well, well. Look at the little foal. Why don’t you cry to your mum? Where is she huh? Bet she tossed you away cuz she didn’t want such a freak for a kid!”

“Fuck off!”

She growled, getting back onto all four.

“Get the fuck away from me!”

“Yeah right, like I’m gonna let some smug filly come in to my school, call me an asshole and take away my moment. You only get one Cutie Mark and you ruined mine!”

He tossed another rock. Lifting her leg, she managed to block it from hitting her face but the anger just rose. The colt grabbed another rock but as he was about to throw it, a green light erupted from the alcove.

Her eyes shut as the bright light invaded. There was a strange sensation running through her body, coming together on her forehead. She peeked through her hooves, finding the light had left. As she got up, she noticed something, the colt was gone. Did she scare him off with… whatever it was she did? Something suddenly moved from the corner of her eye. A mouse perhaps? She didn’t stop to let it escape; she pounced and caught it under her hooves.

Something was odd. Mice usually squirm a lot, they don’t just give up and they squirm all the way until her fangs come down on them. This one wasn’t moving, at least not much. She picked it up and held it firmly between her hooves. It wasn’t a mouse, it was the colt.

“What have you done to me? Let me go! I’m going to tell everyone what you’ve done!”

She was about to drop him with a familiar sensation ran through her. A loud gurgle erupted from her belly, implying her need for a meal. Her normal prey was always random animals, mice, squirrels, rabbits, anything she could catch, but she never had caught anything that spoke.

Something was telling her not to, but on the other hoof, every time she looked at this colt, she just felt anger. She hated this one and she knew exactly what to do with him.

His eyes widened as her jaws parted. His scream was barely heard as she pushed him into her awaiting maw. Now he was acting like a mouse, squirming and scurrying across her tongue, trying to pry open her lips. She flicked him over with her tongue, feeling him rub against her teeth. She brought them together, ‘Clack!’ she missed. He was squirming more, trying to avoid her teeth and forcing himself between her fangs and lips.

Her tongue easily scooped him out and placed him back on her teeth again. ‘Clack!’ he moved again, this time back onto her tongue. She tried to manoeuvre him back but he slid further away from the tip of her tongue, making it hard to move him. There was a sudden tickle in her throat, his leg? Maybe his tail? Either way she involuntarily swallowed, pulling the rather large meal into her throat.

She leaned down, coughing as the colt was slowly sucked down her throat. It was hard to breath but she continued to swallow, there was no going back now. With one last swallow, she felt her meal deep in her throat, enough for it to coax it along on its own. The sizable lump in her neck soon disappeared into her chest before the weight of food hit her stomach.

She had always ripped her meals apart, chewing before swallowing. It was just natural, after all the difficulty she had swallowing this one alive, but it gave a feeling in her stomach she very much enjoyed. It squirmed, wriggled, banged on her stomach for escape. She felt very powerful, it’s life in her hoof, but food was not meant to be released.

The storm didn’t look like it was going to end any time soon. The alcove in the tree was deep enough to avoid any splashing from the rain. Curling up in the corner, she began to drift off to sleep. The muffled screams and pounding inside her relaxed her as she dozed off.