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Art (c) Jailbird
My Little Pony (c) to Hasbro","writing":"Chapter Ten:\nInto the Woods\n\n\tThe Everfree Forest never seemed darker than when it was under the glow of a green moon. Periodically a green shaft of light cut through the thick sky of foliage overhead, but they were so few and far between that most of the hike was spent in darkness. Everyone kept to themselves, their voices low as they wound through the brush. Twilight wondered if they were lost in their own thoughts as well. Big Mac carried Maude, who remained surprisingly upbeat even after being bitten, which was good because it managed to keep Pinkie optimistic.\n\n\tRarity too was in a strangely optimist way considering how things have gone this eventing. She would chime in about how much she missed this or that, but would often finish it with an upbeat musing. Braeburn would periodically say something to Big Mac would just grunt a 'Eyup' back at him. Twilight noticed that everyone was making a concerted effort to keep things light.\n\n\tThe same couldn't be said for Twilight, she was being consumed by her guilt. The thought that she was continuously putting her friends in danger with her poor decisions was eating at her. She hung her head and filed to the back of the group. It didn't help that she missed Shining Armor, and Spike. To make matters worse her feet hurt from walking, her stomach was sick with concern, she was still soaked to the bone, and she wished that she'd been able to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator before she left home, not that she had much of a choice.\n\n\t“Hey Sugar Cube,” Applejack's warm words eased her back to reality. “You've been mighty quiet for awhile. You doing okay?” Twilight flinched when she felt Applejack's warm hand in hers. She'd managed to grow numb enough to not notice how cold she was.\n\n\t“I'm alright, just thinking about...” Twilight didn't look up from the tangled brush and roots at her feet. She avoided looking at Applejack, the idea of look into her eyes made her feel all the more guilty. She just pretended to watch where she was stepping.\n\n\t“More like dwelling on it, if you ask me.” Applejack teased, “Twilight, listen her, you can't blame yourself for all the stuff going on. You have no more control over Discord than any of the rest of us. Shoot, things happen that's just how it is. Besides you're doing exactly what you're suppose to be doing.”\n\n\t“I know, I...just can't help but feel responsible for not telling you all the truth earlier on, for not finding a safer path for the the others to follow. All of this could have been avoided.” Twilight stopped moving when she felt Applejack tug her close.\n\n\t“Hon, if you live with that kinda thinking, then it's Celestia's fault for bringing Discord to Ponyville. We can pass the blame to whoever we want, but what really matters is that it's all in the past. Worrying about it now is only gonna make things worse for yourself. You're our princess, you have our support, but more importantly you're our friend and we'll follow you straight to Hades if we have. But right now we need you to be a hundred percent.” Applejack locked her fingers behind Twilight's neck letting her arms dangle. An easy smile finding it's way to her lips.\n\n\t“Thanks Applejack, I really needed that.”\n\n\t“Anytime, Sugar Cube.” Again Applejack took her hand and lead her along.\n\n\tThe rest of the group was barely in sight, if it hadn't been for Rarity's brilliant white fur worked like a beacon in the dark. The group rounded a patch of trees disappearing into the bushes and just like that their shining beacon was gone. Applejack quickened her pace pulling Twilight along behind her an urgency in the way she stepped around the underbrush. Twilight was so focused on Applejack's mannerism that she'd almost missed the rustling of the bushes next to her. It startled her so hard that she reeled, pulling away from Applejack's hand falling backward into the sharp thorn bushes. “Twilight!” Applejack yelled, wheeling around to see where she'd fallen.\n\n\t“Shut up you guys.” Rainbow Dash's whisper was only slightly quieter than her normal speaking tone. “There are timberwolves right over there.” A blue fur covered hand poked out of the bushes, pointing somewhere to the east.\n\n\tTwilight fought to get up from the bushes, the thorns tore her clothes, cutting little slits into her hands and face. When she finally managed to free herself, she let her gaze follow Applejack's. There in the dark shadows of the forest she could see several sets of glowing yellow eyes peering back at them. “What were they waiting for, why weren't they moving?” She kept her voice barely a whisper.Twilight felt a chill move through her, goose flesh pricked her entire body. Something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what.\n\n\tThe bushes to the left, the direction they'd come from started rustling. Twilight could hear the sharp sound of Applejack sucking in a lungful of cold air before whispering. “We gotta run, y'all.” Applejack grabbed Twilight's hand again and pulled her to follow. The rest of the group shuffled out of bushes following at a brisk pace. Even before they could all clear the brush, the bushes behind them exploded, another group of timberwolves gave chase. Twilight glanced towards the trees where she'd seen the glowing eyes, but they were gone. That's when Twilight realized what was going on. The timberwolves were trying to flank them, while the group behind them was herding them directly into the trap.\n\n\t“We have to go right!” Twilight yelled, feeling Applejack immediate change direction to what Twilight had told her to do. Ahead of them, in the direction they'd been going before, the bushes erupted with the other group of timberwolves. They were snapping and growling, so close that Twilight could smell their earthy pine scent. She could see them, the same milky glaze to their eyes. They'd gotten infected somehow and were hungry to share their gift with anyone or anything they came across.\n\n\tThe closest timberwolf lunged, it's teeth bared, thick sap like drool dripped from it's fangs. Twilight winced waiting for the bite to sink into the flesh of one of her extremities. “Look out.” Rainbow Dash barked, then there was a heavy push right between Twilight's shoulders sending her flying into Applejack. The both of them tumbling into the bushes ahead of them. Rainbow Dash's painful scream followed closely behind, forcing Twilight to whip around seeing a timberwolf piled on top of Rainbow Dash, her arm was trapped in it's powerful jaw while it shook her violently. Blood rained down all over her and the ground around her. For an instant Twilight was certain she heard Rainbow Dash's bond snap.\n\n\tApplejack sprinted towards them planting a hard kick into it's side of the timberwolf, Twilight could feel it's side cave slightly, heard the snapping branches of it's ribs. The force of the kick strong enough to send it flying into a nearby tree splintering it. After Big Mac set Maude in the grass he charged into the fray, standing beside his sister. He snatched a timberwolf out of the air. It snapped it's teeth in his face, wriggling to get closer to the stallion's face. Big Mac flinched away, lifting the wriggling beast above his head before bringing it down hard over his knee, snapping it's wooden spine, then he tossed it away like it was nothing.\n\n\tScootaloo and Fluttershy pushed their way through the commotion trying to get Rainbow Dash to a safer place next to Maude, who was being guarded by the vigilant Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Braeburn rushed in front of them picking up a heavy branch, before swinging wildly at any timberwolf that got too close. At one point he was reward by a heavy thunk, catching one right upside one of their wooden maws.Pinkie Pie scrambled across the ground scooping a rock from the dead leaves beneath her, she brought it down onto the head of a lunging timberwolf in a spray of thick green blood. \n\n\tSweetie Belle's scream pierced Twilight's ears. She searched the dark desperate to find her, expecting to see a timberwolf hounding her, or having her pinned at the base of a tree. Instead Twilight found that that the filly had unknowingly backed into a shadowy figure wrapped in a cloak. The figure simply slid her fingers through Sweetie Belle's hair in a soothing fashion. Then the figure sidled around the young pony, moving towards the timberwolves, each step was elegant and confident, like a shadow gliding across the ground. The only things that could be seen from under it's hood were a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The folds of the figure's cloak parted, a green glistening axe slid out. It's cloak fluttered outward as it swung the axe in a wide arch the shimmering blade struck the closest timberwolf enveloping it in a green flame. As the cloak settled down around the figures body, Twilight managed a glimpse of the figures body. She saw the bare breasts of the female pony, her black strips painted over the white fur of her body. Not a pony, but a zebra.\n\n\t“Beast of foul reckoning drum, away into the night you must run, failure to heed my warning thee, then your doom I will bring.” A smokey voice called from the shadow of the hood. She swung the axe down again this time it struck the ground sending a wave ancient green flame across the grass. \n\n\tThe timberwolves slowed their assault, their eyes moved from the smoldering remnants of their once pack mate to the mysterious figure that now moved towards them. When the figure struck down another one of them, the wood of it's body again being consumed by the green flame. The remaining timberwolves started their retreat. Two by two they slunk away into the shadows of the forest, disappearing as quickly as as they'd come.\n\n\tEveryone approached the figure, gathering their scatter numbers back into the safety of the stranger's green glow. They stood quietly, trapped in their awe as they looked to her to make the next move. Twilight concluded that the others didn't know who she was, before she could reveal the figure's identity. Apple Bloom pushed her way through the line of ponies a wide smile passing her lips. “Zecora!” She called out, lunging at the figure wrapping her arms around the figure's midsection.\n\n\tThe figure pulled her hood back, dark black and white beaded dreads fell all around her face. The once golden eyes faded to their original teal hue. A smiling face found the little filly, who was clinging to her. Zecora traced her fingers tenderly through Apple Bloom's red locks. The gesture caused the little filly to squeeze even tighter. Zecora looked up from Apple Bloom, her eyes tracing around the gathered group that lay before her in a semi circle. “Why do you wander in these woods? Away you go as fast as you could. This place is dangerous, far more than you know. Lingering here will be your doom, so go.”\n\n\t“We need your help.” Applejack stated, looking back at Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy worked to tie a piece of Big Mac's t-shirt around her arm. Leaned against Pinkie, wiping the sap blood from her face. Twilight could see the flesh around her eyes starting to swell.\n\n\tZecora frowned and shook her head, her dreads sloppily bounced around. “Bitten they are, infect it's true. For them, there is nothing that I can do.”\n\n\t“But...” Applejack started to say, when Twilight interjected.\n\n\t“We know how to stop the curse and we'll be more than happy to share it with you. All we're asking for is shelter for just a little while.” Zecora pursed her lips tight taking a moment to consider her decision.\n\n\tWhen she finally spoke, her words were strained and wary. “The truth. I believe, that you speak. It is the same truth that I seek. But madness, I think, is what brings you here. There is no sanctuary for you, I fear.” Zecora stepped away from the filly letting her finger's glide along Apple Bloom's jawline until the touch was broken. She backed away into the shadows of the woods. \n\n\t“It's Discord! He's the one behind it.” Twilight yelped in a final moment of desperation to halt the zebra's retreat.\n\n\tAs Twilight was hoping, this news caused the zebra to slow her pace, glancing back over her shoulder. “Discord is to blame you say? Follow me to my home, this way. We shall devise a plan to make him pay.”","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Chapter Ten:
Into the Woods
\tThe Everfree Forest never seemed darker than when it was under the glow of a green moon. Periodically a green shaft of light cut through the thick sky of foliage overhead, but they were so few and far between that most of the hike was spent in darkness. Everyone kept to themselves, their voices low as they wound through the brush. Twilight wondered if they were lost in their own thoughts as well. Big Mac carried Maude, who remained surprisingly upbeat even after being bitten, which was good because it managed to keep Pinkie optimistic.
\tRarity too was in a strangely optimist way considering how things have gone this eventing. She would chime in about how much she missed this or that, but would often finish it with an upbeat musing. Braeburn would periodically say something to Big Mac would just grunt a 'Eyup' back at him. Twilight noticed that everyone was making a concerted effort to keep things light.
\tThe same couldn't be said for Twilight, she was being consumed by her guilt. The thought that she was continuously putting her friends in danger with her poor decisions was eating at her. She hung her head and filed to the back of the group. It didn't help that she missed Shining Armor, and Spike. To make matters worse her feet hurt from walking, her stomach was sick with concern, she was still soaked to the bone, and she wished that she'd been able to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator before she left home, not that she had much of a choice.
\t“Hey Sugar Cube,” Applejack's warm words eased her back to reality. “You've been mighty quiet for awhile. You doing okay?” Twilight flinched when she felt Applejack's warm hand in hers. She'd managed to grow numb enough to not notice how cold she was.
\t“I'm alright, just thinking about...” Twilight didn't look up from the tangled brush and roots at her feet. She avoided looking at Applejack, the idea of look into her eyes made her feel all the more guilty. She just pretended to watch where she was stepping.
\t“More like dwelling on it, if you ask me.” Applejack teased, “Twilight, listen her, you can't blame yourself for all the stuff going on. You have no more control over Discord than any of the rest of us. Shoot, things happen that's just how it is. Besides you're doing exactly what you're suppose to be doing.”
\t“I know, I...just can't help but feel responsible for not telling you all the truth earlier on, for not finding a safer path for the the others to follow. All of this could have been avoided.” Twilight stopped moving when she felt Applejack tug her close.
\t“Hon, if you live with that kinda thinking, then it's Celestia's fault for bringing Discord to Ponyville. We can pass the blame to whoever we want, but what really matters is that it's all in the past. Worrying about it now is only gonna make things worse for yourself. You're our princess, you have our support, but more importantly you're our friend and we'll follow you straight to Hades if we have. But right now we need you to be a hundred percent.” Applejack locked her fingers behind Twilight's neck letting her arms dangle. An easy smile finding it's way to her lips.
\t“Thanks Applejack, I really needed that.”
\t“Anytime, Sugar Cube.” Again Applejack took her hand and lead her along.
\tThe rest of the group was barely in sight, if it hadn't been for Rarity's brilliant white fur worked like a beacon in the dark. The group rounded a patch of trees disappearing into the bushes and just like that their shining beacon was gone. Applejack quickened her pace pulling Twilight along behind her an urgency in the way she stepped around the underbrush. Twilight was so focused on Applejack's mannerism that she'd almost missed the rustling of the bushes next to her. It startled her so hard that she reeled, pulling away from Applejack's hand falling backward into the sharp thorn bushes. “Twilight!” Applejack yelled, wheeling around to see where she'd fallen.
\t“Shut up you guys.” Rainbow Dash's whisper was only slightly quieter than her normal speaking tone. “There are timberwolves right over there.” A blue fur covered hand poked out of the bushes, pointing somewhere to the east.
\tTwilight fought to get up from the bushes, the thorns tore her clothes, cutting little slits into her hands and face. When she finally managed to free herself, she let her gaze follow Applejack's. There in the dark shadows of the forest she could see several sets of glowing yellow eyes peering back at them. “What were they waiting for, why weren't they moving?” She kept her voice barely a whisper.Twilight felt a chill move through her, goose flesh pricked her entire body. Something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what.
\tThe bushes to the left, the direction they'd come from started rustling. Twilight could hear the sharp sound of Applejack sucking in a lungful of cold air before whispering. “We gotta run, y'all.” Applejack grabbed Twilight's hand again and pulled her to follow. The rest of the group shuffled out of bushes following at a brisk pace. Even before they could all clear the brush, the bushes behind them exploded, another group of timberwolves gave chase. Twilight glanced towards the trees where she'd seen the glowing eyes, but they were gone. That's when Twilight realized what was going on. The timberwolves were trying to flank them, while the group behind them was herding them directly into the trap.
\t“We have to go right!” Twilight yelled, feeling Applejack immediate change direction to what Twilight had told her to do. Ahead of them, in the direction they'd been going before, the bushes erupted with the other group of timberwolves. They were snapping and growling, so close that Twilight could smell their earthy pine scent. She could see them, the same milky glaze to their eyes. They'd gotten infected somehow and were hungry to share their gift with anyone or anything they came across.
\tThe closest timberwolf lunged, it's teeth bared, thick sap like drool dripped from it's fangs. Twilight winced waiting for the bite to sink into the flesh of one of her extremities. “Look out.” Rainbow Dash barked, then there was a heavy push right between Twilight's shoulders sending her flying into Applejack. The both of them tumbling into the bushes ahead of them. Rainbow Dash's painful scream followed closely behind, forcing Twilight to whip around seeing a timberwolf piled on top of Rainbow Dash, her arm was trapped in it's powerful jaw while it shook her violently. Blood rained down all over her and the ground around her. For an instant Twilight was certain she heard Rainbow Dash's bond snap.
\tApplejack sprinted towards them planting a hard kick into it's side of the timberwolf, Twilight could feel it's side cave slightly, heard the snapping branches of it's ribs. The force of the kick strong enough to send it flying into a nearby tree splintering it. After Big Mac set Maude in the grass he charged into the fray, standing beside his sister. He snatched a timberwolf out of the air. It snapped it's teeth in his face, wriggling to get closer to the stallion's face. Big Mac flinched away, lifting the wriggling beast above his head before bringing it down hard over his knee, snapping it's wooden spine, then he tossed it away like it was nothing.
\tScootaloo and Fluttershy pushed their way through the commotion trying to get Rainbow Dash to a safer place next to Maude, who was being guarded by the vigilant Rarity and Sweetie Belle. Braeburn rushed in front of them picking up a heavy branch, before swinging wildly at any timberwolf that got too close. At one point he was reward by a heavy thunk, catching one right upside one of their wooden maws.Pinkie Pie scrambled across the ground scooping a rock from the dead leaves beneath her, she brought it down onto the head of a lunging timberwolf in a spray of thick green blood.
\tSweetie Belle's scream pierced Twilight's ears. She searched the dark desperate to find her, expecting to see a timberwolf hounding her, or having her pinned at the base of a tree. Instead Twilight found that that the filly had unknowingly backed into a shadowy figure wrapped in a cloak. The figure simply slid her fingers through Sweetie Belle's hair in a soothing fashion. Then the figure sidled around the young pony, moving towards the timberwolves, each step was elegant and confident, like a shadow gliding across the ground. The only things that could be seen from under it's hood were a pair of glowing yellow eyes. The folds of the figure's cloak parted, a green glistening axe slid out. It's cloak fluttered outward as it swung the axe in a wide arch the shimmering blade struck the closest timberwolf enveloping it in a green flame. As the cloak settled down around the figures body, Twilight managed a glimpse of the figures body. She saw the bare breasts of the female pony, her black strips painted over the white fur of her body. Not a pony, but a zebra.
\t“Beast of foul reckoning drum, away into the night you must run, failure to heed my warning thee, then your doom I will bring.” A smokey voice called from the shadow of the hood. She swung the axe down again this time it struck the ground sending a wave ancient green flame across the grass.
\tThe timberwolves slowed their assault, their eyes moved from the smoldering remnants of their once pack mate to the mysterious figure that now moved towards them. When the figure struck down another one of them, the wood of it's body again being consumed by the green flame. The remaining timberwolves started their retreat. Two by two they slunk away into the shadows of the forest, disappearing as quickly as as they'd come.
\tEveryone approached the figure, gathering their scatter numbers back into the safety of the stranger's green glow. They stood quietly, trapped in their awe as they looked to her to make the next move. Twilight concluded that the others didn't know who she was, before she could reveal the figure's identity. Apple Bloom pushed her way through the line of ponies a wide smile passing her lips. “Zecora!” She called out, lunging at the figure wrapping her arms around the figure's midsection.
\tThe figure pulled her hood back, dark black and white beaded dreads fell all around her face. The once golden eyes faded to their original teal hue. A smiling face found the little filly, who was clinging to her. Zecora traced her fingers tenderly through Apple Bloom's red locks. The gesture caused the little filly to squeeze even tighter. Zecora looked up from Apple Bloom, her eyes tracing around the gathered group that lay before her in a semi circle. “Why do you wander in these woods? Away you go as fast as you could. This place is dangerous, far more than you know. Lingering here will be your doom, so go.”
\t“We need your help.” Applejack stated, looking back at Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy worked to tie a piece of Big Mac's t-shirt around her arm. Leaned against Pinkie, wiping the sap blood from her face. Twilight could see the flesh around her eyes starting to swell.
\tZecora frowned and shook her head, her dreads sloppily bounced around. “Bitten they are, infect it's true. For them, there is nothing that I can do.”
\t“But...” Applejack started to say, when Twilight interjected.
\t“We know how to stop the curse and we'll be more than happy to share it with you. All we're asking for is shelter for just a little while.” Zecora pursed her lips tight taking a moment to consider her decision.
\tWhen she finally spoke, her words were strained and wary. “The truth. I believe, that you speak. It is the same truth that I seek. But madness, I think, is what brings you here. There is no sanctuary for you, I fear.” Zecora stepped away from the filly letting her finger's glide along Apple Bloom's jawline until the touch was broken. She backed away into the shadows of the woods.
\t“It's Discord! He's the one behind it.” Twilight yelped in a final moment of desperation to halt the zebra's retreat.
\tAs Twilight was hoping, this news caused the zebra to slow her pace, glancing back over her shoulder. “Discord is to blame you say? Follow me to my home, this way. We shall devise a plan to make him pay.”","pools_count":0,"title":"My Little Pony: Friendship Means Family Chapter 10","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"text/rtf","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"0","rating_name":"General","ratings":[],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"f","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"0","views":"30","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}