I forced by myself to slow my breathing. Underneath the thick branches of the tree I was on a deer trotted by. Unsuspecting.

I pulled out my daggers and dropped down, as I hit the back of the deer I slammed one dagger into the back of its neck while slamming the second into the side of the head. It dropped to the floor, throwing me off. I rolled as I hit the ground, quickly springing back up to my feet. After checking the deer was dead I put my daggers away.

"Sweet! Finally, some food!" I laughed, grabbing the carcass and I began dragging it back to the base.

After gutting, skinning, cooking and eating most of the deer I decided to explore the Everfree in order to see what else had changed in my absence. I could also possibly find a common path animals take, so another food source, yay. As I trekked through the forest I delved into thought.

I should probably create some traps to catch food. Need some shit. And...okay. First thing's first, I need some food. Second, water, so find a running steam nearby. Third, find a nearby town and steal from it under the cover of night. Yeah, that should do me for the next couple of days, then I can focus on revenge. Need a survival plan before I can think of stuff like that.

I looked around, I was still quite deep in the forest, the trees had a strange loon to them, almost as if they had faces. And those face were frozen in the act of screaming in terror.

I shook my head. Place is trying to mess with my head. Can't let it do that. Need to focus. I made my way through the trees and came to a pathway. What's this lead to? Hmm. I decided to follow the path. A small while later I saw a hut.

"Someone's living out here?" I muttered. "Why would...?" I shook my head, "Feh. Forget it, I have bigger problems." Like the fact I keep talking to myself.

I turned around and set off on my exploration once again.

It wasn’t too long afterwards that I heard it. A scream. Filled with fear and anguish. I snorted. Serves whoever’s out here right. This a place the unarmed should venture. This forest is filled with monsters and unspeakable horrors.

Especially those whispers in the dark.

“HELP!!! SOMEPONY!!!” The voice cried again. Is...is she close? I shook my head. Not my concern

...But...isn’t that the voice of a filly?

Who cares?! I’m not the hero here! I never was. I never will be.

But...she had nothing to do with my imprisonment. Would I really condemn an innocent? A child?

I...I… I sighed. I’ll take a look. That’s all.

I crept towards the sound of her screams. Slowly. But why? I’m not going to save her...I…I’m not the hero of this tale.

I peered over a bush. There she was. A young filly. With a Timberwolf following close behind.

What am I doing? I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I’m not a hero.

...I should leave.

I…should really leave.

But my body refused to respond. I was frozen. If I left...was I no better than those Mino…

I shook my head and dropped to the floor. Why are things never simple?

I...I should ignore it. It's...not my business.

"Somepony! Anypony! HELP!!!" The filly cried out in fear and panic. Then a scream of pain, sending a chill through my body.

Alright. Okay. You know my weakness, that's fine. "LET'S FUCKING DO IT, HUH?!" I roared, leaping through the bushes, drawing my knives. The filly I heard was laying in the middle of a clearing, three large, bloody, gashes running across her right side, her yellow coat soaked in blood, with three Timberwolves circling her. As I landed back on my feet I ran at the nearest Timberwolf and slammed one of my daggers into its eye.

It's yelp of pain got the other's attention, if my roar hadn't already done that, and they turned and growled at me. I snarled back as I ripped my blade back and shoved the Timberwolf into the path other the others and leapt back. The Timberwolves surprisingly didn't charge me but rather regrouped and came at me all together. Great. They've gotten smarter. Of course, they're still dumb enough to try and take ME ON!!

Their scent of pine trees and tree sap was threatening to overpower my nose, I shook it off. This a fight, not a prissy little castle, I'm no snobbish whimp. They circled me, yiping at each other when one went to bite me. They're toying with me. They have the higher numbers, so shouldn't they feel confidant? No. They shouldn't. I'll tell you why.

Because I'm Blood. And I'm a fucking monster.

When surrounded by opponents that have the upper hand, you want to do the most unpredictable thing. In this instance, "ARRRRGHHHH!!" I charged the Timberwolves, sinking my blades into a wooden skull, sending it to the ground in pieces. I charged again, this time as I got close to the Timberwolves I vaulted over them, turning as I landed, placing myself between the filly and the beasts.

The two standing Timberwolves leapt as the third began to rebuild itself. I can't move, they'll land too close to the kid! I can't let that happen! I prepared myself for the impact. The first Timberwolf to reach me hit against my right shoulder. I almost fell under the momentum but I stood my ground and slashed my left blade against the underside of its belly. Yelping it fell off me, shocked but otherwise unharmed. It seemed I wouldn't be allowed to relax as the second Timberwolf slammed into me and sunk its fangs into my left arm, pain shooting through my arm, my hands twitched and my blades dropped to the ground.

The Timberwolf held onto my arm as if a chew toy. "Hey, wood puppy?" The Timberwolf cocked it's head in confusion. "You done goofed."

Blood all but exploded out of my wound, an impossible amount for a wound the size as the one it had given me. I felt my head go light and closed my eyes, as I kicked the Timberwolf off my arm. Everything went fuzzy for a second before I felt it. It's happening! Finally! Truly free again! HAHAHAHA!!!

I opened my eyes. The Timberwolves were staring at me and backing off. I chuckled as I clenched my fist. A fist now made of shimmering, flowing, blood. My body of flesh and bone was sleeping away on the ground at the moment. It's time for Blood to have his turn. I morphed my fingers into deadly claws before dashing forwards, grabbing a Timberwolf by the neck I didn't hesitate to tear it apart.

For you see, Timberwolves have this annoying little ability to keep coming back when you tear them apart. The trick is to destroy the heart. But the heart is not in the chest. No. The heart is behind the hardest part of a Timberwolves body. The neck. If you manage to destroy that, then you have a free shot of destroy a heart of twigs and sap. But you only have a second before the damage heals itself. Never hesitate.

So I didn't. Shoving my other hand into the crude opening I'd made I jerked out the heart and crushed it in my hand. The Timberwolf almost immediately fell apart into branches and moss. I didn't stand over my dead opponent, if it could even be called that, instead I turned to the remainder of the pack.

"Run." I whispered. They squealed like injured puppies before disappearing into the foliage. I spat, "Cowards. Could have at least let me tear their limbs off." I made sure they were gone before walking over to my body and 'diving' back into it, my small wounds healing shut as the last drop of blood re-entered my body.

I blinked before groaning, looking up at the forest canopy. "Need...need to get used to that again." I got to my feet. "...I'm an idiot. If someone had seen that...if she had noticed...I'm not going back!" I sighed and checked on the filly. Now I was able to get a closer look... My eyes widened. "N...no way..." I muttered. "That's...that's not possible! It..." I shook my head, now determined to help her.

Her wounds were...bad. The bleeding hadn't stopped. I placed one of my hands just above the wound and focused. While I am fully in control of my own blood, I could manipulate other creatures blood as well. But to a much lesser degree.

When I moved my hand the bleeding had slowed dramatically but blood still seeped out. I needed to get her help. But who?! And where?! Damn it, damn it! There's got to be... I remembered the small hut from earlier. There! There's got to be someone there!

I all but punched the door to the hut in my desperation. COME ON, COME ON! OPEN UP!!

"QUIT YOUR KNOCKING UPON MY DOOR, OR YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF BLEEDING ON MY FLOOR!!!" The door flew open revealing a female Zebra glaring at me before blinking.

"Yeah, hi." I growled. "So nice of you to finally answer."

"Forgive me, I have been in some duress, but that does not give me right to yell to clearly in such distress."

"Yeah, yeah." I shrugged.

"I have not seen one of your kind before, do you come from ancient lore?" The Zebra intoned.

I sighed. Brilliant. I don't have time for this. "I do not come from the past unfound, but rather I awoke deep underground." Eh. It's true. I just...left out a few significant details.

She blinked in surprise. "I did not expect you to speak in rhyme, in this day and age few very rarely take the time."

"This is your home, one from afar, it would be wrong, if I did not attempt to speak your tongue." Ask the damn question! ASK IT!!!

"Forgive my shock, one from beneath the ground, but I must ask, why upon my door do you pound?"

YES! "Upon your door I did wail, for I need your help to protect one who is frail. A young pony filly did this way come, but was assaulted by one of the...the..." I swore under my breath. "<Forget this! A filly's been attacked by a group of Timberwolves! I managed to fend them off, but she was injured!>" I shot out in Zebrican.

Her jaw sagged for a moment. "<I apologise, I did not know you spoke Zebrican. Tell me where you learned as we help her?>" She dashed across the room and slung a pair of saddlebags onto her back.

I ran out the door, the sound of hooves right behind me. "<A Zebra like yourself lived in this forest once, he taught me.>" I confessed.

"<I do not remember hearing of a Zebra living here before. The town seemed as though they had never seen one of my people before.>"

"<When he was here there was no town. 750 years ago. I have been frozen in time until very recently.>" I pushed through the trees and bushes that got in our way.

We couldn't talk any more for we had reached the area of the battle. "<Where is the filly?>" The Zebra asked.

I reached up into the tree I'd placed her in and pulled her down, placing her on the ground carefully on uninjured side. "<I placed her up high so she wouldn't be found.>"

"<It is as I feared. Apple Bloom.>" The Zebra muttered

I furrowed my brow. Apple Bloom? "<A friend of yours?>"

She pulled out a vial and poured it on the filly's wound. "<Yes. She is the reason the town accepted me. They were afraid I was a monster until she helped prove otherwise.>" She wrapped bandages around the filly's, Apple Bloom apparently, wounds. Tying it off she stood and hoisted the filly over her back. "<She needs a hospital. There's one in Ponyville, let us go!>"

I raised a hand before she set off. "<I...I can't. I'm not exactly had a good response from ponies before. I'll stay here in the forest. Goodbye...>"

"<Zecora. And I wish you luck, my friend. You are welcome to my hut at any time.>"

"<Terry. My name is Terry. Please, don't tell anyone of me. Especially my name, I give it only to those I trust. Do not betray that.>" She nodded and ran towards the town.

I stared for a moment before slamming my head against a tree. What the hell am I doing?! Playing hero?! Do I really think I'll be thanked or they'll warm up to me?! I sighed. Well...she's just a kid. I can't, no. I won't blame her! And...Zecora seems nice. Well...that's something, I guess. I turned and headed back to the cave. What a day. But my head was still abuzz with questions. Questions like 'Why did I help?', 'Do I want to get killed?!' and 'Could Zecora possibly be from the same tribe as my old shaman friend?'

But the most predominant one was about Apple Bloom. She is an Earth Pony, yes. But besides from that…

Why does she look exactly like Ritual?

Author's Notes:

Another picture by Apex-Jarico!