> Serena > by Sugarcube66 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the overgrowth of the Everfree Forest, where plants and animals live and thrive without the nourishment of the ponies, a cloaked figure trotted through the near dead trees. Nothing of her could be seen, other then her hooves which were caked with loads of holes yet they did not pour any blood. The only blood was coming from the figure's head, the copper stuff splattered on the ground and seemed to leave an endless trail behind the pony. Yet despite their pain, they didn't stop running. They knew that if they stopped, they would be in the scent of any hungry woodland creature. ''G-gotta k-keep g-going.'' said the pony in a weak voice, the voice however confirmed something: the gender and potential age of the pony beneath the cloak. She seemed to be a filly between the ages of 8 and 12. The most likely age being that of a 10 year old filly. She saw figures coming at her from the skies, luckily they had yet to see her but she quickened her pace anyway. She weakly mumbled as she ran ''G-gotta g-get a-away f-from t-them. C-can't l-let t-them see me.......I c-can't go back.....'' She tripped over a loose branch and stumbled over her weak legs. Her hood fell off revealing a dark gray filly with a black mane. Her ear were ripped opened and blood rolled freely through both it and from a hole in her forehead, where a horn had obviously been ripped from. Her eyes were sealed closed with fright, but she eventually looked up and saw some figures. She cowered, hoping not to be seen and thankfully she wasn't. Her bright pink eyes watched as the group left the area. She managed to let out a light sigh, but she didn't settle down. Her eyes were still full of fear. She tugged at her hood, pulling it back over her head, but her eyes were visible. She closed her unusual eyes, they were pink for starters and they had no pupils whatsoever. Most ponies would class her as a creature known as a changeling, but she was very unnatural even for changelings. Most changelings, to begin with, have blue eyes and pale blue wings, while she had pink and pale pink wings. They aren't known to process manes, only tails and this small web feature that seemed to be what they classed as their 'manes'. ''C-come on...'' She tried to force her hooves up but the holes widened causing her to wince in pain. She clearly wasn't used to the gaping holes that all changelings processed. She continued to wince, till she finally made it to her hooves. She panted, before preparing herself for even more running. ''N-need ta keep g-going.'' She then began to run, she knew that staying in one place for too long was dangerous and she wasn't one to risk her life just to breathe. The little changeling continued to run through the forest, hoping to keep away from her followers. She didn't want to go back to her old life of bullying and being mistreated for being different. Blood, sweat and tears rolled down her face and landed on the floor, as she ran through the near dead trees. Keeping her pink eyes facing the skies, she watched in case of the figures returning to catch her. There was no sigh of any of the figures she had seen earlier, but that didn't give her much hope. She was terrified for her own life, not of the wilderness around her. She was more scared of the ponies looking for her. Night fell across the land, as Luna's moon rose into the sky. The filly knew that her chasers wouldn't continue to look for her after dark so she managed to sigh with relief. She however decided to continue moving, she couldn't stay in one place for too long in the Everfree. She walked for what seemed to be hours, but it was actually only about a hour. She panted and continue to become weaker and weaker, till her vision began to shift between blind and being able to see. She rubbed her eyes and tried to say one of the trees of the Everfree, but found it blurred for a few minutes then vanished from her sight all together. She groaned, whining from her weakness. She was weak, bleeding and couldn't see because of her pain, she definitely wasn't in the best of positions to be wandering through the Everfree Forest. She groaned for a few more minutes and her eyes rolled back in her head as her legs gave away and she hit the ground. The cloak fell off her, revealing her fully gray coat with the exception of the shell on her back that was a bright pink. Coming off the shell was a pair of pink wings, but neither of them looked like they were in the best conditions for flight. They were torn, even more so then normal changeling wings. She weakly mumbled. ''...H-help...'' Before falling into unconsciousness. Silence filled the forest, yet the filly, despite being out cold, hoped for help. Little did she know that her wish would actually come true sooner then she originally thought. Squeaks and whistles filled the forest air, as a small black bunny with antelope antlers ran up to the filly. The creature, which was known as a Jackalope, bunnies with antlers. They were often kind, but very scared of ponies so they tended to hide. But this little one seemed to have no fear as it sniffed the changeling filly. The little Jackalope, a small female, sadly frowned and snuggled into the filly's side, trying to warm the filly's cold skin and keep her safe till help arrived. The small Jackalope continued to frown as the filly only got colder but she fell to sleep with a small hope that help would arrive, sooner then later.