The attack
Sweetie kicked a rock as she walked away, grumbling angrily at Zecora. Her thoughts continued to circle around themselves. First, she would try to find evidence that would prove she wasn’t this ‘Sweetest Belle.’ After failing that, she would try to find ways she could avoid fulfilling this prophecy. However, since she didn’t know the entire thing, she couldn’t stop it by doing the opposite thing. Then, she would try to rationalise her sister would never kill her, no matter the circumstances. The last one was easy to believe, but hard to back up. Zecora had just explained the last two days in four sentences.
It was then, as the cottage vanished around the bend in the path and she only had the glow of the moss once more that she remembered where she was. She lowered her head from the trees' baleful glare and her short, quick footsteps echoed through the forest. A loud crack caused her to jolt upright. The forest was silent except for her startled breath and pounding heart, both of which sounded too loud to her ears. She stood there for a while, unmoving, as her eyes scanned her surroundings desperately. After a moment had passed, she worked up the nerve to continue walking down the path. She couldn't help but cautiously peer beyond every tree she passed, wondering if something lurked in their shadowy recesses.
Her hoof falls were the only things that made a sound. They played a haunting dirge as they echoed into the depths of the forest. As she continued walking, eventually another sound echoed back alongside her own. It sounded like a scraping of some sort. She paused, tilting her head to try to find the location, eyes flicking around as she tried to look everywhere at once. She had to get out of here, but the sound came first. After a few moments she finally located it, it was coming from further down the path. Hesitantly, she took a single step, and then another. As she walked, the sounds became louder, slowly growing in volume until she eventually was able to distinguish what they were. It was something whimpering, and something growling in reply.
“S-Stay ‘way from me…” Sweetie Belle’s heart leapt into her mouth, and pushed her into motion. Turning her eyes off the path and taking a few steps inside, as fast a fear would allow, her eyes widened as her scream split the night. She cut it off a moment later, fear commanding her to be silent.
The shadow was back, but now she could make out some of its form. It had a pony's head, chest and forelegs of a manticore and vaguely equine hindquarters. The beast towered over her, even bigger than most stallions. It raised its head when she screamed, ears flicking back in pain, before running into the woods.
She then turned to look where it had been standing, and once again, she screamed as she saw a second shadow was her wounded friend, “Apple bloom!”
Apple Bloom opened one wary eye, and tried to smile through the pain. Dashing over, she then was consumed by the sight of blood. She was still for a few moments, before a dry cough from Apple Bloom broke her attention. She was hurt, badly at that. Sweetie Belle didn’t have the luxury of time to freeze up. She whimpered and forced herself to look at the injuries.
There was a very bad gash along her stomach, and that was where most of the blood was coming from. However one leg was bent awkwardly, stuck in a root. It had scratches along it too. Her hair and tail was badly matted, and she was filthy.
Forcing herself to keep calm consumed all of Sweetie Belle’s concentration. It was all she could do to force her eyes away from the blood. She slowly and, in an almost mechanical manner, locked her eyes with Apple Bloom's face. Her friend was scared, and relieved, but her expressions were slowly melting away as she began to grow less aware of her surroundings.
“Sweetie Belle? What’s going on? Why are you so sad?” Sweetie Belle sniffed at the faint words, and gently touched Apple Bloom’s nuzzle with her hoof. It twitched weakly.
“Heey…that tickles…” she whispered as her eyes closed and a soft sigh escaped from her lips.
Sweetie Belle blinked, tears beginning to flow again from her eyes, “Apple Bloom wake up!” Her stricken voice reached the injured filly, and Apple Bloom opened her eyes.
“Why, what’s wrong, can it wait until later I’m…so…sleepy.” Her eyes began to close again, but Sweetie Belle lurched forward and gently shook her awake. Glancing around rapidly she could only think of one thing to keep the filly awake.
“Tell me about our day today. Your sister wants to know what we got up to today!” Apple Bloom groaned at her words and then gave a nerve racking cough before settling down and talking.
“Well…ohkay…Sweetie Belle called us to tha clubhouse for…” as she spoke Sweetie Belle glanced around frantically for something to use to carry her. She needed to get her out of here. She could drag Apple Bloom but that would do more harm than good. She could try running for help, but what if the monster came back? She needed something else but what was there?
“And…And…then…we…” Apple Bloom’s voice faded into the darkness and Sweetie returned her worried gaze back to her. She tried rocking her again, but got no reaction. She was…so still.
“NO!” her anguished cry resounded along the path, tears streaming down her eyes. Closing them, she sobbed in open fear of not knowing what to do. She glanced down to the green moss and thought of Zecora, and suddenly a desperate idea sprung into her mind.
“O-Okay Apple Bloom hold on, I-I’ll get us out of here.” Sweetie Belle wiped away her tears and steeled herself.
“Apple Bloom is not going to die! I will save her!” Sweetie Belle felt her fear start to ebb away, replaced by steadfast resolve. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, then released. She paused, and then leaned down and focused her eyes on Apple Bloom.
“Levitate!” she ordered her magic, voice brimming with a metallic tone as it flowed up toward her eyes, they began to glow. Apple Bloom was surrounded by their glow, shaky at first but gradually strengthening. Sweetie Belle felt sweat drip down her forehead, and almost felt the spell break.
“Nononono!” Her voice, filled with anguish began to rise in volume as she strained to increase the magic flow and continue the spell. Her hair began to whip around in an unknown wind, and she began to buckle under the immense weight of the spell.
And then, Apple Bloom began to rise slowly from the ground. Sweetie Belle grunted and gasped for breath as she held the spell together. Pain lanced through her eyes and she cried out, but managed to maintain the spell. Then, with Apple Bloom in tow, she took her first step.
“Aaahow” she moaned in absolute shock, and understood why Twilight was normally still while casting powerful spells. The magic hurt with each step she took and she felt her own energy bleeding away, as surely as Apple Bloom was. She nearly lost the strands of the spell, her eyes half closing before she forced them back open. Pausing, she gasped for breath for a few moments and then refocused her concentration. Through sheer willpower, she took a second step.
“Are ya sure they went in here Twilight?” Twilight glared at Applejack, who glanced toward the Everfree, avoiding her gaze. Rarity ignored them both, her concerned gaze was only on the path as they waited at the edge.
“If they aren’t, the others will find them.” Applejack sighed, glancing to Rarity. She could feel her guilt over this entire situation racking through her body again. She hated what this was doing to Rarity.
“Light,” Rarity spoke, and both turned to look at the forest. Indeed, a bright green light had rounded the corner and was heading toward them slowly. It was far too bright to make out any forms, so they waited until it got to the edge, and paused before approaching.
“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity was the first to approach the dimming light. When it vanished completely, two forms were visible.
“No,” Twilight whispered, gazing in horror at the scene before her. A tired filly was gasping for breath, another filly behind her looking nearly dead.
“S-Save A-Apple Blooom…” Sweetie Belle spoke before collapsing, immediately unconscious. Rarity rushed to her sister and stopped her from falling to the dirt. She was utterly exhausted, but unharmed. Applejack had already rushed to her sister.
“Apple Bloom!” Her anguish cry reached all the way into the forest, where a Zebra turned her head towards the path leading away from her house. This Zebra knew the two fillies would live, and that their sisters would be rushing them to the hospital as she spoke. Stirring her tea she sipped it and mused silently.
“All who help this bell of death, will be harmed but won’t lose their breath.”
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2483268
Well, it's not tagged Tragedy, so I'm hoping for a nice bittersweet ending. I certainly don't see a happy ending.
2484477
Yep, and I'm actually very curious as to how it will be handled.
Oh my what a cliff hanger! I can't wait to see what happens next!
2535762
I'm on hiatus atm
2535905 I give you a compliment and all you can say is I'm on hiatus? How rude. Whatever then.
2535923
Sorry
Was that thing a werewolf? How... out of place. There hasn't been anything along those lines and it came out of left feild. I'm hoping it has something to do with the prophecy, otherwise it's just a shameless insert of what I assume by your username is you favorite mythological creature. Also it might add to the scene to mention something like "the radiant moonlight shining down through the twisted branches that make up the forest canopy". Sell it man. Rhyming is all well and good, and so is shock, but don't forget about dramatic build up.
Glad to see an update of course, and without any spelling mistakes that I could see on my first read-through. Getting better man.
2551466
Werewolves don't have hooves for hands
I did put it's name in there but my proofreaders told me to remove it
It's some kind of donkey crossed with a lion.
And seriously, a self insert!? Do you realise how insulting that is?
2551527 I didn't say self-insert
. You might want to re-read my comment.
2563135
Aka: A self insert of my 'favorite creature'(Which it is not btw.)
aka: A self insert.
2563443 Well what you read and what I meant are clearly two different things, so I'm sorry for unintentionally insulting you.
The thing wasn't even what I thought it was anyways. What DO you call that, is there a mythological basis for it?
PS Random fun fact because I'm chatty. Did you know in mythology coming from several time periods and cultures that there are other "were" creatures? Everything from werebears (like in Skyrim dragonborn dlc) to weretigers (I think originating from old tribes in africa or somewhere).
2564140
Yep, there's wereponies too
It was originally a Leucrota, but I think one of the pre-readers edited the description slightly.
256473 OML That is some crazy shit!
I hope Twilight brings that all to light in the next chapter, or maybe Rainbow Dash
. I think Dash knowing it from a Daring-Do book would make more sense, since Twilight doesn't bother with that "mumbo jumbo".
PS I even heard of a werechicken once. How dumb is that?