A colt is found living in the Everfree forest by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He flips a coin to make hard choices in life. One minor thing by the way, he has two horns. Wait, what?!
A young colt is rumored to be running around the Everfree forest. The Cutie Mark Crusaders decide to investigate. Who is this colt? Where did he come? Why does he flip a coin to solve all his problems?
But most importantly, why does he have two horns, and what effect on Equestria will this have?
This isn't how the story began, but this is where it is going to start.
The bugs and the birds of the Everfree forest were making their usual sounds this early Saturday afternoon. The grasshoppers were chirping as they always do, and the birds sang their songs. All things considered, today was a beautiful day.
"Come on, Sweetie Belle, our cutie marks aren't gonna get themselves!" said Apple Bloom, hopping over a fallen tree trunk.
Sweetie Belle, out of breath, was walking at a slower pace. Tired from a long walk through the trees and grass of the Everfree. "I'm coming," she said, "I still don't know exactly why we decided to come all the way out here."
Scootaloo, the third pony of the trio, spoke up at this. "Actually, yeah, why did we come out here? I know it's obvious we're trying to get our marks again, but you still haven't told us what we were going to try and do."
Apple Bloom stopped walking, blushing. "Aw, right. I was so excited I forgot to tell ya'll," she said apologetically. Turning to face them, she explained, "I overheard some rumors at school that somepony saw a colt running around in the Everfree all alone and never came out. So I thought we should go try to find him, just in case he was lost." Apple Bloom smiled excitedly, rearing up on her hind legs, "We could get our cutie marks for heroism!"
"Really?! A colt out here all alone? He must be terrified." Sweetie Belle said worriedly.
"I mean we're fine; there are three of us and we can take care of ourselves, but a single colt by himself in this forest is crazy," said Scootaloo, "We have to save him!"
"Then it's settled, girls. We're gonna find this colt and bring him back safe!" Apple Bloom said, stomping her hoof in finality.
The trio of fillies jumped into the air and smacked their hooves together. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Heroes, Yay!"
"Aw, crap. Not again." The grey colt said in exasperation, "That's the third time in a row now."
He was looking down at his last animal trap of many he set up around the woods. It was empty.
It is true that herbivores can't properly digest large amounts of meat, but that doesn't mean they can't eat it at all. In fact, due to the amount of protein and iron one can get from small prey, some larger herbivores will occasionally eat a smaller animal if they have the chance to. They are sometimes referred to as 'opportunistic hunters.'
Being surrounded by plants, one would imagine he wouldn't need to search for food. You would be wrong. This is the Everfree forest. Finding plants that are not poisonous or won't give you diarrhea is quite rare. That's probably why no one has settled a town in the Everfree, to begin with. So, because of this rarity, you should understand why the lack of small game in these traps for three days straight would be discouraging.
With a sigh, he started heading back to his shelter. "I guess it's dried berry and nut salad again tonight. Might have to try fishing again tomorrow."
"Um, Apple Bloom, I think we're lost." Sweetie Belle said warily, "It's past noon too. Shouldn't we try getting back home now?"
Scootaloo, although braver than Sweetie Belle, had to agree, "Yeah, we probably should head back. We haven't had lunch either, so I'm kinda hungry too."
"We have to keep searching,'' Apple Bloom said, "He could still be out here!"
"But we still haven't found anything that says there is a colt out here, besides if he-" Sweetie Belle suddenly stopped talking before whispering, "Wait, do you girls hear anything?"
The three stopped talking, listening intently. They didn't hear anything.
The trio's eyes collectively started widening. The bugs and the birds of the Everfree and the sounds they made. They couldn't hear them. They couldn't hear any of them.
A low growl started growing from behind the shrubbery.
The grey colt was walking calmly through the forest while carrying his hatchet in his magic. It was one of the few items from his home that he had brought with him. It was quite lucky that he was holding it when he came to this place, wherever it is. Now though, it was a well-worn tool that he couldn't have survived without.
It was somewhat heavy even in his magical aura, but the colt could still swing it around with ease. It did have a hollow fiberglass handle after all. Still, it was only slightly less heavy than his maximum magical strength, although he had been practicing for quite a while.
His admiration of the tool was cut short by an ear-splitting shriek of terror coming from deep in the woods.
The colt stared wide-eyed in terror at the direction the offending sound had come from, not daring to move from his awkward half step position. Only when the screaming continued did he realize that someone was screaming for help.
He looked in his shelters direction than back toward the screams direction. "Whatever's over there is probably big enough to eat me." he said to himself, "It's probably big enough to eat whoever is screaming too..."
He didn't want to die, but If someone out there died because he was too scared... He didn't know how he would be able to sleep at night.
Not willing to have this decision on his conscience, he did what he always did when it came to these hard choices. He pulled out a coin and flipped it.
Heads, he runs back to his shelter.
Tails, he runs out into the forest to try and stop a supposedly large carnivore, that for all intensive purposes might kill him if he even looks at it funny, from eating a complete stranger that he has no relation to.
Slowly opening his eyes to see what side of the coin faced up, His face screwed up in a painful expression.
"Aw, Frag it!" The grey colt put his coin away then ran full sprint toward the screaming. He landed tails.
"Run, Sweetie, run!" Apple Bloom screamed.
Apple Bloom's earth pony strength and endurance let her run faster than the other two. Scootaloo's Light bones and pegasus endurance let her take up second place behind Apple Bloom. But Sweetie bell being already tired from walking and also being a unicorn, she started lagging behind closer and closer to the timberwolf chasing them.
The three ran past trees and through the brush, disregarding the cuts and bruises from the branches they crashed through.
They ran until they ran through some bushes, meeting a wall of dirt and stone. Scootaloo looked up the cliff face, "We're trapped!"
Turning, they saw the timberwolf stalk out from the bushes. It growled as Glowing green sap fell from its maw, sizzling on the ground.
"This is it, girls," Apple Bloom said, crying, "I'm sorry I got us in this mess."
The three bawled as the wolf stepped closer. It opened its mouth full of sharpened sticks and acidic drool, ready to bite down on their necks.
The wolf slammed face first into the ground as the left half of its face burst and shattered. A hatchet embedded in the rotted wood that equated a timberwolf's skull.
The trio watched in terror and shock as the small ax was ripped from the wolf's head and floated toward a grey-furred colt with two curved horns spiraling out of his temples toward the sky. The colt's orange eyes glaring at the wolf as it patched it's now missing left eye with small unbroken twigs. The wolf's bared teeth were returned in kind by the colt baring his own, his four canines on full display. The colt let out what could only be described by the girls as a hiss.
The colt barely contained his terror as he grit his teeth and hissed trying not to scream.
He just smashed his hatchet into one of those wood wolves' faces, and now it was going to try and eat him! It was times like these he questioned trusting a coin to choose what he should do in life. It was too late to change the past now though. He had to save these ponies or die trying.
'Heaven or Hell, here I go!' He thought before swinging his ax once more.
Swinging the hatchet side to side in a figure eight pattern like he practiced, the wood wolf backed up farther and farther until it had enough and pounced at the colt.
The colt dodged to the left and swung his ax across while screaming, cleaving off the wolf's right front leg.
The wolf, too damaged to fight, hobbled away as fast as it could whimpering. The colt, tired from the fight and from fear, dropped his hatchet and fell to his haunches in an adrenalin crash.
Gasping for breath, he said, "I did it." and fell unconscious in exhaustion.
The three girls huddled together, sitting unknowing what to do. They had just watched a two-horned colt with an ax cut apart a timberwolf in a one on one duel before their very eyes.
Scootaloo, mustering up enough bravery, slowly got up and approached the colt. He had an ashy grey coat and a two-toned firey mane. she remembered his bright orange eyes and four pointed teeth, but the one thing that she cared about was those two curved spiraling horns.
Looking to the other two crusaders, she said, "Girls, I don't think this is just some lost colt.
Redheart sighed. 'This had to happen on a Saturday,' she thought, 'Now I have to work today, on a Sunday. The one day I have off this week.'
She rubbed the bridge of her snout, wondering exactly why all these crazy things always happen in Ponyville of all the places in Equestria.
Letting out another yet longer sigh, Redheart muttered to herself, "No point in complaining about things I can't change, I guess. I have ponies to tend to." She made a mental note to later check how many vacation days she has saved up.
The hallway Redheart was walking down was one of the longer ones in the building. It was a pristine white, obviously kept tediously clean by the staff and, occasionally, herself. The ponies at Ponyville General Hospital and Clinic took great pride in their work ethic. A patient in their care was taken excellent care of. Personally, Redheart thought they were the best caregivers in the country, second to the hospitals in Canterlot of course.
Redheart stopped outside the door of the newest patient that was brought to them. Although this colt was a real doozy of a patient.
As she pushed open the door and shut it behind her, Redheart eyed the not-so-empty hospital bed warily. This pony was a true medical anomaly; his two horns being only his most notable point of discussion. Trotting over to the foot of the bed, she picked up the clipboard hanging there, it detailed the many strange peculiarities this strange colt had.
Redheart stepped over to the side of the bed to look at the colt as if to double check the already proven points on the clipboard. The colt had an ash grey coat of fur and a two-toned mane of two different oranges. The mane itself was a rare sight; the way it grew, the shorter hair is a dark hue of orange and the longer hairs tapering into a lighter hue of orange, was shockingly similar to the Wonderbolt captain Spitfire's mane. It was cut short somewhat roughly then combed over to his right before the tips waved up in some attempt to be classy yet remained casual.
Scanning over the papers again, she decided to check the one thing that all the staff had been avoiding talking about. The one thing that spooked even the hardened doctors that served here for years. The colt's teeth.
Redheart tentatively moved her hoof toward the colt's mouth to carefully pull back his cheek, seeing his very large pointed teeth. Canines weren't uncommon for ponies, usually only on pegasi and those of pegasus descent, but these were much larger than anything a pegasus would have. These were not fangs mind you, they were not long like a theastral's fangs, and did not extend out of the mouth. This colt's canines, both the upper and lower sets, were simply long enough to interlock with each other, as to allow the mouth to close, and were thick enough to make a subtle yet noticeable bump show through on his skin.
Redheart could only guess what they could be used for.
The colt snorted in his sleep, causing the mare to squeak as she jumped back in fear. Redheart leaned away from the child, wondering if he was about to pounce on her and bite her leg off for interrupting his sleep. Seeing that the colt just kept snoozing, she realized what she was doing.
She let out a nervous chuckle, "He, he. What am I doing? It's just a little colt. Nothing scary at all." Redheart cleared her throat and stood back up, having fallen in her attempt to get away from him.
She stood next to his bed once again determined to check the last two things of note, and then leave.
The colt had a cutie mark despite his young age. It was a simple mark; it was a picture of a silver coin mid-flip as it turned in the air, being followed by a broken line that showed its arcing path. Perhaps his talent was coin tricks?
The mare glanced at the clipboard. There was only one thing left on it that she cared to check. She turned her attention to his head.
She stared at his two curved spiraling horns; they shouldn't be physically possible, not naturally at least. They resembled a bull's horns with their placement, yet spiraled like a unicorn's, although in opposite directions.
The mare staff of the hospital gossiped quite a lot about the colt's horns. They speculated in many ways exactly how he had become this way, some wondered if it was a rare birth defect, others thought they were because of more sinister reasons, mainly black magic.
Redheart didn't try speculating as to the horns reason to exist, though. She had found that in her line of work, a nurse should never assume anything she didn't know for sure, else she somehow harms the patient she was trying to help.
Although, she did agree with one thing the staff had said. This colt looked like some kind of demon, and he scared her.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders decided that going into the Everfree forest without an adult would be a bad idea from now on.
"And just what were ya thinking!" Apple Jack admonished. "Y'all would have died!" Apple Jack couldn't understand why her sister Apple Bloom and her friends kept getting into trouble. Sure, cleaning off the tree sap, leaves, and sticks that attached themselves to them every once in a while was annoying, but it meant they weren't doing something dangerous enough to warrant more than a warning. This time, however, was different. "You could have been eaten by a Timberwolf!"
"Absolutely right, Applejack, the three of you put yourselves in unnecessary danger that almost cost you your lives." said Rarity, "The three of you should have come to us if there was really a risk some poor pony could be hurt. Instead, you put both that colt's and your own lives at risk." Rarity, despite appearing angry at her sister's foolishness, was horrified at what could have been. After all, if something happened to Sweetie, what would she have to tell their parents? The thought hurt her very soul.
Rainbow Dash was standing behind the other two mares and occasionally added her own two bits of disapproval. The truth is that she didn't quite know what to say. She didn't have any experience as a sister, being an only child. She did consider Scootaloo to be sort of an honorary sister though, so she tried to admonish her by playing off Rarity and Apple Jack. Rainbow Dash didn't want her only sister getting hurt, even if they weren't actually sisters.
The three fillies lowered their heads in shame and let out a collective, "We're sorry." They knew it was all true, and there was no point arguing with their sisters, especially when the older mares were so angry. It would just be a losing battle.
Applejack sat on haunches rubbing her temples. She was sure that her sister and her friends didn't mean to get in these situations, but she seriously questioned if the universe itself worked with the three to give her such a headache.
"Fine, I forgive ya, Apple Bloom," Applejack said, "But you're still grounded, same for the rest of ya."
Their noisy groans of complaint were halted by Rarity, "Agreed, again, Applejack. You three have caused enough trouble for one week." She spoke to Sweetie Belle with a frown, "Sweetie Belle, It's time to go home."
"But what about that colt! We still don't know if he's okay." Sweetie protested.
"I'm goin' ta see him at the hospital later today. Don't you worry none." Applejack said. "Now, get! You too, Apple Bloom, get on home."
Rainbow Dash took this as her cue to take Scootaloo home. "Don't worry, I'll make sure Scoots gets back home safely," she said.
"Good," Applejack nodded, "Now I'm goin' ta see how that colt is doing over at the hospital. See ya tomorrow." She left with a wave.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo started walking down the path that leads to Scootaloo's home. The dirt road had slowly flattened over time due to Scootaloo's use of her scooter. Flowers were scattered here and there on either side of the road. they were common during the summer months.
"You scared me, kid." Rainbow Dash said, her gaze not leaving the road ahead. Scootaloo looked up toward Rainbow, not expecting to hear that. "What you did didn't scare me. The fact that I wasn't there to help is what scared me." Rainbow looked into Scootaloo's eyes with her own pleading eyes, "Please, don't do that ever again."
Scootaloo puffed out her chest and said with a determined look, "I promise I'll never do anything like that again, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash smiled and pat Scootaloo's shoulder. "I'd appreciate that."
Applejack arrived at the Ponyville's General Hospital and Clinic much faster than she hoped. It was probably an hour till noon based on the Suns' position. It's not as if she had anything against the colt. It was quite the contrary. He's the one that saved her sister after all. It was just that, well, he gave her the heeby-jeebies.
She walked through the front doors to see the main lobby, clean as always. That isn't what she came to see though, and the mare at the reception desk knew that too. "Third floor, room C13," the mare told Applejack, Applejack thanked her, then walked to the stairs.
The walk up the stairs was uneventful, but despite that, Applejack's mind kept busy. She questioned what exactly she was going to say when the colt woke up. Would she thank him for saving her sister, or ask him why he was out there to begin with? Would she even be able to say anything to him? With his terrifying looks alone, she could barely stand close to him and he was asleep at the time.
Emerging on the third floor, Applejacks thoughts were interrupted by voices quietly echoing down the hallway, coming from an open door. Room C13.
Applejack trotted up to the door quietly and was about to knock on the doorframe to politely indicate that she was there. That is until a very loud, angry male voice yelled.