• Published 1st Sep 2012
  • 924 Views, 15 Comments

The Fateless - Finnfinn



When your Cutie Mark is your prison, only those without talents are free.

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Race through the forest

Author's note: This is my very first fanfic and, as such, the first chapters won't be of great quality, however, I will eventually get better and maybe, if needed, rewrite the first chapters.
With that said, enjoy!
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Chapter 1: Race through the forest

"Oww" Apple Bloom turned around at the THUMP sound and sighed, knowing exactly what caused it. Sweetie Belle lay flat on the ground and rubbed her nose. "Am I bleeding?" Apple Bloom let out a frustrated groan and approached the dainty unicorn mare. "A little, but it'll stop." She answered. "Now would ya please stand up? How'd ya manage to topple this often, anyway?" Apple Bloom poked her horn. "You're the mare with the light, after all!" Sweetie Belle spit out some dust and gave her an annoyed glance. "Apple Bloom, running through creepy forests at night is not my super special talent." Her eyes softened and she looked at the ground, whispering to herself: "And I'm very grateful for that..."

Apple Bloom's mind drifted off, escaping from the eerie forest to Sweet Apple Acres and their old club house. Our super special talent... The red-maned mare shook her head. Ain't the time for memories now.

She gave Sweetie Belle a reassuring nudge. "So am Ah, but we are pretty far away from the Refuge and should be much farther ahead by now. Ah wanna be home by midnight so we can get some sleep, tomorrow's gonna be a pretty long day." Sweetie Belle stared at the ground a little longer, then stood up and shook off the dust on her white coat. "Alright, but let me fasten my saddle bags a bit, they keep chafing my back." Sweetie Belle turned her head around and pulled at a strap. "That should do it." Apple Bloom nodded and started walking towards their destination again, watching her every step as Sweetie Belle raised her glowing horn.

They hadn't walked far before a voice from above made them halt. "Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!" An orange shape crashed through the canopy of leaves showering the two mares with twigs and acorns. Now it was Sweetie Belle's turn to groan as she started to clean her coat again. "You really do like dramatic entra--" The orange pegasus cut her off with a gesture. "Sweetie Belle, no time for jokes. I have spotted a filly, a colt and a foal on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, not far from here." Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo in shock. "Marks?" Scootaloo shook her head. Apple Bloom threw off her saddle bags, Sweetie Belle's flying right after them. "Show us the way!"

Apple Bloom prayed to Celestia as the three mares ran through the Everfree forest. Hopefully they hide well...Oh please Celestia, don't let the Timberwolves get them...

The forest got thinner, they crossed a clearing with a small pond mirroring the beautiful night sky above. If they weren't in such a hurry Apple Bloom would've loved to take a break and look at the stars. Instead she leapt over the pond and dashed back into the forest. Now that the moon lit their way Sweetie Belle canceled the light spell to stay unseen. Apple Bloom turned her head and looked at the white mare behind her. With the bleeding nose, the fuzzy mane waving in the wind and the wild, determined expression she barely resembled the innocent filly she used to be. Struggling for you life really changes your very personality, Ah guess.

Apple Bloom perked up as she heard an all too familiar howling in the distance. The timberwolves! "Scootaloo!" she yelled against the wind. "The timberwolves have spotted prey!" Scootaloo didn't bother turning her head to answer. "I heard it, but we're almost there! Better be ready to buck some firewood, ladies!" Apple Bloom growled, too often had the wooden predators killed the little ones that fled into the Everfree forest. Not this time! Firewood's right, once I'm done with 'em that is. Sweetie Belle's horn was glowing again, flaring with a blue flame, ready to devour anything that its mistress would touch. Apple Bloom noticed a movement at the corner of her eye and risked a quick glance to the left. A timberwolf was tearing through the woods, occasionally revealing its glowing eyes through the undergrowth. "Sweetie Belle! Over there!" she shouted, the unicorn answering with a snarl that could rival the rough wooden creature to her left. Sweetie Belle veered towards it, her horn glowing even brighter, and crashed into the timberwolf, the creature howling in agony, then suddenly silent. Apple Bloom did not slow down to look after her friend, the white mare had proven herself in combat numerous times.

The border of the forest was right ahead, only few trees scattered on their path, allowing the two mares to move even faster. Scootaloo flapped her wings and flew above the trees, trying to spot the young ponies. "They are right there! By that tree!" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Scoots, we're in a bucking forest! What..." The earth pony collided head-on with a tree in this moment of inattention. Stars danced around her field of view as she collapsed to the ground. Scootaloo landed next to her. "Yep, right this one AB." The orange pegasus turned around to their little VIPs. The colt, a beige unicorn with black dots and an earth brown mane stood in front of a baby blue filly, also a unicorn, with a lemon-colored mane and a basket containing a light green foal. The colt pawed at the ground in a feeble attempt to look menacing. "We're here to save you, so it would be wise for you to stop threatening me. Can't save ya if I'm frozen with fear, you know?"

Apple Bloom stood up with slightly crossed eyes, sending the colt into his I-protect-my-sister-stance again. Scootaloo snickered as Apple Bloom's eyes returned to their usual positions. "I'm Scootaloo and this wannabe-lumberjack is Apple--" The pegasus mare was interrupted by a familiar voice, crack included. "Scoots! AB! We got some company!" The little colt and the filly clung to one another and looked at the incoming unicorn in fear. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and shouted an answer: "Belle, I'm trying to comfort our little friends here. Why did you invite your annoying friends to the party?" Sweetie Belle came to a halt, gasping for air and giving Scootaloo an annoyed look. "Sorry Scoots, but they insist on staying for dinner. You gonna help me cooking?"

Apple Bloom blew her mane out of her face. "Oh Ah'll cook somethin' alright, a nice buck sandwich. FORMATION!" The three mares took position around their protégés, Apple Bloom picking up a rock with her mouth. "They always hunt in packs, we have to make room for our escape, remember that! Knock out the first wave and then RUN!" Scootaloo nodded and took off, floating just above the ground. The friends stared into the dark woods, the tension increasing with every second. The little ponies kept clinging to one another, not making a sound. Even the foal was either silent or asleep. The three mares looked around nervously, recovering from the sprint and feeling the adrenaline rush through their veins. Apple Bloom could hear branches break and leaves crumble under huge claws. She bit on her mossy rock in a moment of fear as the bushes on the border of the Everfree forest came alive with yellow glowing eyes.

Sweetie Belle's horn flared up once again as four wolves came charging out of the undergrowth heading right towards the ponies. Apple Bloom threw the rock up in the air, turned around a bucked it at the nearest enemy with deadly speed. The projectile found its target, smashing the branches like twigs. The creature tripped and fell, the glowing eyes extinguished and the body reduced to a pile of debris. "Nice shot there AB!" shouted Scootaloo as she lifted one of the wooden predators in the air and let him fall onto a bunch of pointy rocks, the wood of the creature splintering everywhere. Sweetie Belle, in the meantime, had leapt on top of a wolf, struggling to get a clear path for her horn. A quick jab penetrated the head of the creature, setting it ablaze with light blue flames. The last wolf saw itself outnumbered by the three ponies and howled for reinforcements, but was cut off and sent flying into a tree by Apple Bloom's strong back legs.

The mares panted for breath a short while. Apple Bloom was the first to recover from the shock of the fight and gestured the colt to climb on her back. "We don't have time, c'mon gals, we need to get them to the Refuge!" Scootaloo shook her head and grabbed the basket with the foal, lifting it into the air with some difficulties. "Hurry up, I can't carry this thing all day!" Sweetie Belle hurried the filly to ride on her and perked up as the wolves' howls cut through the air again.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as six timberwolves came charging from the woods. "Oh, good, I was hoping you'd come to hurry me up! Belle, follow Scoots, I'll be right behind you!"

The three mares dashed for the Everfree forest, running in a wide arc around the timberwolves with their cargo squeaking in fear and the predators howling just a few meters behind them.