Jewel of the Everfree
Chapter 3: Predators
Previous Chapter Next ChapterA white-runed dome appeared in the air, with wind gusts creating a circular barrier of dust and debris rising up and around the floating bowl.
"Wahhhh-OOF!" Hiss! Cough! Gasp!
Rarity was spat out of the concave, and landed hard on her chest; getting the wind knocked out of her. She tried to stand while coughing and gasping for breath, only to let out a choked yelp, and rolled onto her flank. She could feel a sharp pain in her left hind leg, and remembered Applejack hanging onto her hoof, futilely trying to save her life.
Applejack's incredible Earth Pony strength left Rarity with a sprained fetlock.
She stayed grounded for the moment, trying to catch her breath, while taking in her surroundings. It was a heavily wooded area with thick trees and brush in all directions. Celestia's sun pierced through the forest canopy, causing the seeds, pollen, and dust in the air to glow like tiny motes of light. A lack of wind made the various particles look as though they were gently floating in the shafts of light. Together, it all created a beautiful scene of nature.
Now that she could breathe normally, Rarity attempted to stand again, this time minding her injured leg. Once on her hooves she tried putting weight on it, which hurt, but not as much as she first feared. She took a few cautious steps, gingerly placing the tip of her hoof on the ground before setting the rest of it down. Rarity felt as though she could trot, but probably not very far; nor very fast without a bit of rest in between. Rarity looked above her for any sign of the spell which brought her here.
Wherever 'here' was.
"Twilight," she rasped and cleared her throat. "Twilight...? Starlight Glimmer...? Okay I'd very much like to come back now, please. I would really appreciate it, darlings...Twilight?"
Nothing but the ambiance of the wilderness answered her: birds squawking, locusts chirping, and the punctuating sound of cicadas in the distance.
"Well it was worth a try..." She pouted, and pivoted around, while hopping on her good legs to get her bearings. The sun was high in the sky indicating it was around midday. She looked at her cutie mark on her flanks and saw it was back to normal. Though she felt sad that some ponies somewhere were going through a trying time with their friendship, and here she was stranded in the middle of a fore-.
Rarity's heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened in fearful realization.
"No... no no no, no." She whispered harshly, while looking around in alarm. Not wanting to believe she was where she thought she was. But in the back of her mind she knew - in a way - exactly where she was. And fought to disprove her mind's eye.
She was deep in the place Ponies should not go. The place where even the outskirts of which harbored dangerous beasts that eat Ponies!
The Everfree Forest.
Rarity's heart raced as she hobbled her way through the thickets, stopping every few minutes to lean against a tree and give her injury a rest. She looked back to check on it again, and lifted her hindleg. Her fetlock looked fine even though there was an ever present ache. Rarity winced when she tried bending it again, and recieving another spike of pain for her efforts.
While she rested, she'd mentally argue with herself, asking if whether or not it was a good idea to leave the area she first appeared. Rarity knew how Starlight's spell worked, they could use that and the Map to bring her back home! So it didn't matter if she left. Especially when they can bring her back anytime, anywhere, right? At least that's how she understood it, still... Best to not leave anything to chance.
Rarity looked in her saddlebags and pulled out a red ribbon. She tied it to- What? Oh. Sorry. She left a cinnamon colored ribbon tied to the branch above her every time she needed a rest. Leaving a sort of fabulous breadcrumb trail.
Rarity knew enough about camping and nature between Applejack and Fluttershy to know she needed to find a place where she could be easily found. There was still the problem of actually being spotted, assuming she finds a suitable place for rescuing. She decided to file that thought away for later. Rarity may not know fire spells like her two magic-talented friends, but a few sparks from her horn and a little dry brush should do the trick.
Navigating the thickets proved challenging, but Rarity did her best and endured by picking the clearest routes she could find, and going as far as she could without causing further injury to herself. Which was also a challenge in, and of itself. She could step over most obstacles in her path, though the constant hurdles of timbers and growth made each little effort feel like climbing a mountain.
She eventually got stuck on top of a large, fallen tree trunk. The ground was much lower on the other side; giving it a longer drop going down than it did going up. The thick brambles around the trunk would've taken longer for her to navigate around rather than going over, or it looked that way before she got up there.
Either way. Going around wasn't an option, now that she was already up there, and could get a good look at the surrounding area. She thought about her predicament, while mentally testing a few ways she could go about getting down. All while shifting her body left and right atop the apex of the trunk; mock testing a few of her solutions.
Eventually she decided on her idea of lowering herself backwards, while hanging onto the trunk with her hooves.
"Mm-mmm-mhh." Rarity lowered herself while stretching out her right hind hoof, and flailing it around; trying to feel for the ground. She felt her delicate belly rubbing against the rough tree-bark, leaving fresh scrapes on her soft hide.
"Gasps! AH! OoF! Hiss! Aarrgg!" After losing her grip she attempted to claw her way back up the tree. Her smooth hooves were unable to find purchase, and she quickly descended with a few flecks of tree-bark falling with her. Rarity also misjudged the distance, and landed a little more forcefully than she would have liked. The fall was far enough to frighten her instincts into action, automatically sticking out both her hind hooves in an effort save the rest of her body from the plunge. Her injured leg buckled a moment after her hoof impacted the ground, causing her to land hard on her left side.
"Sssssh, haaa... Sssssh, haaa... Sssssh- Grrrgh!" The pain in her fetlock was unbearable, as she cradled it while hissing through her teeth and exhaling out her mouth.
She did this over and over, until the painful feeling ebbed to a dull ache.
'I need to be more careful, if this keeps up I'll become lame and need serious medical attention! I doubt I'll be lucky enough to find another Zebra like Zecora out here. All things considered...'
As she lay there and thought more about her predicament, she knew she'd be fine once she could find a safe place to recover. Preferably a place where she could be rescued, and there was no telling how long that would take.
"Ssshhh, aaah, i-it's okay Rarity jus-s-t a minor set back." She hissed through gritted teeth, trying to tend to her throbbing appendage.
"Any moment now Rainbow Dash is going to swoop down and take you right home! Why I wouldn't doubt if that filly wasn't combing the area looking for me right now, AhHA!" she laughed trying to convince herself everything was going to be okay, even checking the sky for a rainbow contrail. "I'll bet she can cover the whole Everfree forest in ten minutes flat!" she said with a crooked smile still looking at the sky and waited a few minutes... When nothing happened, she laid her head back down, and pursed her lips looking worried.
Ponies had complete control over their world, however the Everfree Forest was the antitheses to that world. It was a wild and untamed place, a thorn in the side of the Pony race who've tried to mold the world to their liking. Even if it was mainly to keep themselves safe. The forest was vast covering a quarter of the country the Ponies named their home. It sheltered an uncountable number of unknown creatures, many of whom could make a small snack out of a full-grown mare.
In leymare's terms it was a very bad place for a Pony to be, especially one who was alone and injured.
Feeling disappointed at her rainbow friend's tardiness. Rarity started getting up again, digging deep inside herself, scrunched up her face and pressed on.
"Fine then Rainbow Dash--huff--i-if you won't rescue me then I-i-'ll jus-t have to do it myself, and I'll nnngghn-ever let yo-u live it down no-knowing I beat you h-home with one hoof tied!" Rarity exclaimed with conviction as she put one hoof in front of the other while hopping on her good hind leg. Her white rump bounced out of the thicket every few seconds as she went deeper into the wilderness, her gait resembling that of a three-legged caterpillar.
Her croup occasionally bobbing over the undergrowth that surrounded her, her white rump was like a shark fin breaking the water, which were the green ferns that submerged her.
Rarity trotted for hours. Her white coat, though marred by the brambles and occasional tumble, was still a striking contrast to the verdant pastels of the Everfree Forest.
A white diamond in a sea of green.
Using the back of her pastern, she wiped the sweat away pouring from her brow. The humid climate made the heat stifling, the air thick and heavy. Which made her every breath, a laborious chore. Her mouth felt pasty, while her throat was dry. Rarity was feeling hungry, thirsty, agitated, and exhausted. The hot weather quickly sapping her strength.
"Great idea Rarity let's just give one of Twilight's enemies a chance to prove herself by trying out one of her spells! The same spell she used to try and destroy all our lives out of spite! All just because you felt sorry for her! Well when I get back she's the one who's going to be sorry! And Twilight too! She was the one who kept saying it was safe, Element of Magic my dock! If she thinks I'm still going to teach her proper royal etiquette after this, well then she's got another thing coming!"
Her tiny white body moved among all the plants like an ant searching for bounty. Having to double back a few times only to do so again when her direction was blocked by thick brushwood. Trying and failing to push her way through it caused her resentment to grow.
"Oh! Wait! I think I get it now! It's all a joke isn't it!"
"Aha! AHahHaHa! Ohhh Twilight! Youuu got me! Making me think you can't teleport me back! Oh! Ho! Ho! Thaaat's a good one! Did you, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash come up with that?! Ahehehaaa" She sighed.
"I swear if this is a sick joke I'm going to- Chickachikchicka!" Rarity's ears perked to the sudden sound of loud rustling nearby, and immediately stopped in her tracks.
She listened with wide eyes while independently swiveling her ears around like radars, trying to locate the source of the noise. Her eyes widened further as fear gripped at her heart, and her muscles tensed; though she dared not move, unsure of whether to run or hide.
A brown winged blur loudly fluttered out of the brush, ambushing a small patch of clovers just feet in front of Rarity.
"UahHAHA! Ahhhhhahaha! AHH! Uah!" Rarity closed her eyes and reared up kicking, screaming, and stomping at the ground to ward off the attacking beast. Then--switching tactics to confuse her assaulter--dropped flat against the ground and cowering with both hooves covering her head.
Moments passed as Rarity laid there shaking uncontrollably, before she was brave enough to move again; wondering why she was still alive and uneaten. She cracked one eye open, then the other, while peaking through the gap between her hooves at her surroundings, then down at her assailant.
"Huh!?" Rarity was stunned to find a wolpertinger in front of her, and not the sharp-toothed monster she imagined had come to gobble her up.
Wolpertingers were wild rabbits with smaller horns than a jackalope. However, wolpertingers also had a pair of wings on their backs to help them climb fruit-bearing trees. To say they could fly would be a stretch, but when threatened they can accomplish short bursts of flight to escape predators and avoid danger.
The little creature was unfazed by Rarity's efforts to defend herself and continued to happily munch on the delicious plants while it watched her with its big brown eyes.
"Doooohhfff! Don't you know it's rude to drop in unannounced!" Rarity growled at the tiny ball of fluff, while puffing up her red-tinted cheeks and pouting angrily at the little creature.
The critter only cocked it's head in confusion, before flutter-hopping away.
"Wait, come back, I didn't mean it!" Not wanting to be alone again, she picked herself up on shaking legs and followed the miniature chimera. They traveled a short distance to a tiny stream barely three hoof-widths wide, and only a hoof-length or so deep. It's crystal clear water washed gently over the smooth rocks and roots of the nearby plants and trees.
Rarity eyed the water. It's presence reminding her of how dry her mouth and throat felt. It'd been hours since she last had anything to drink, and lowered her head to the flowing stream with trepidation, only to immediately raise it back from within an inch of touching the water. Rarity did this several times, before stomping her hooves in frustration. Annoyed at her standards of cleanliness, which mentally blocked her from the refreshing liquid. The thought of all the dirt and nasty things which must be in floating in there, kept her from what was sure to be an invigorating refreshment.
"Oh, buck up Rarity! You aren't going to make it back to your friends if you collapse from dehydration." The great possibility of her words scared her, but she pushed those feelings aside for the moment. Focusing on what she needed now. "You'll just have to make do with what you find! Like this water for instance, even if it is a bit... dirty," She squeaked, as her face grimaced.
She lowered her head again, with her mouth feeling pasty. She licked her dry lips, before taking a sip from the stream. The cool liquid touched her lips, washed over her mouth, then finally soothing her dry throat. The feeling was next to pleasure.
"Mmm-mmmh, Gah. Oh, my, that is refreshing; I feel better already." Rarity mewled as she continued to drink, making gulping sounds as she did. She'd stop occasionally to take a breath, only to gently dive back in. Half suckling and half lapping at the water, being careful not to touch her tongue to the bottom of the shallow pool. She felt her water had enough minerals already, and would hate to accidentally add more directly from the source.
With her thirst quenched she took a quick look around, and noticed her new acquaintance was busy eating some berries from a nearby bush. Her tummy growled at the sight of the vibrant colored fruit, and magically picked a few of them. Floating them into the stream to wash.
Eager to solve her second problem, she took a bite of the now 'clean' fruit, and 'mmm'd' as it's sweet juicy flavor exploded in her mouth. "Oh, goodnessh I could get ushed to thish!" she said with her cheeks half-full of the sweet treat.
She took the time to check herself over. There were leaves, sticks, and bits of dirt stuck in her mane and tail. She magicked out a few burs that clung to her coat, which irritated her hide and caused her to feel itchy. She looked disheveled, her mane was sticking out in places and she could swear she had bags under her eyes. She whimpered while levitating out what she could, but knowing only a proper bath would do the trick.
'I guess that spa date is going to have to wait...' She thought, while grooming herself.
Looking at her surroundings she felt this was a good a place as any to catch a bit of rest. Her tiny companion was busy drinking from the stream, no doubt washing down the berries he just ate. Rarity wondered what else she could eat out here.
"Barely a day in the wilderness Rarity and you're already thinking like a cave-pony. What would your colleagues in Canterlot think?!" She wondered about her friends back in Ponyville too, hoping she'll get to see them again soon.
Rarity removed her saddlebags, her back sore from carrying it for so long. Then found a comfortable-looking spot near the stream. Setting them next to her and laid down on her belly, which stung from the scrapes she received hours ago. Placing her forehooves in the soothing water. She contemplated opening up her saddlebags, but knew there wasn't anything she could use at the moment, other than her hair brush, but she didn't want that to get dirty too. So she 'brushed' the thought instead.
She still needed to find a place to be rescued, and the thought of having to bed down for the night was as unappealing as it sounded. "Well if Zecora can live in this dreadful place then surely, I can too, if for a single night at least! That is of course if I have to..." She said with a bit of confidence, though silently wishing she really didn't have too.
Rarity counted the minutes while she soothed her aching hooves in the cool water, which where just a bit too big for the stream. Nevertheless, she enjoyed what little relief it brought her. Rarity rested while watching her little buddy continue to forage and drink around her. Even jumping on her back just to immediately hop off when Rarity stirred, "Ooh!" surprised at the sudden contact.
"I think I'll call you... Monty. Doesn't that sound nice?" She cooed to the little critter. Who turned to face her, rearing up on his hind feet, then bobbing his head up and down while wiggling his cute little nose. Rarity wasn't sure if he agreed or just searching for more food. Either way, it made her laugh.
"Hmmhmph! I think so too." She cooed gently. That was the last thing she said for awhile until the aches in her body dulled, and she felt rested enough to continue. She put her saddlebags back on and continued her journey. With every movement feeling as though there were thousands of tiny rubber bands breaking inside her tight muscles.
Rarity had followed the brook for about an hour before an obstacle caused her to temporarily abandon it. She tried to keep a mental note on where it was in case she needed to find it again.
"Huff! M-mmmffph!" Rarity pushed herself off the tree she was resting on and walked to the next one in her sights. Eventually falling into a pattern, she would pick a tree ahead of her and went as far as she could before taking a break. She kept this up for a couple more hours, her progress declining with every endeavor. Her legs felt like they were made of wet noodles and shook with every step, her body felt dirty and ached all over. Rarity felt she truly was on her last legs.
She tried her best to keep up with Monty, who curiously stayed with her even when she had to alter course for one reason or another. He was currently being quite selfish and impolite. Leaving her behind, and not listening to her whining- I'm sorry, complaining.
"I mean really, is it too much trouble to mobilize the entire Equestrian Army to come look for me?!" Her mood had soured over time. As a result, she was making easily avoidable mistakes which made the venture much harder on her. Once she didn't pick up her right fore hoof enough and ended up clipping a root sticking out of the ground, causing her to lose balance and stumble a few feet. Which forced her to put weight on her injury, sending sharp pains up her leg. It only served to feed into her foul mood, resulting in an ongoing cycle.
"AM I ASKING FOR TOO MUCH HERE?!" She shouted to the sky. Her loud voice spooked the nearby birds, causing them to fly away from their roost and escape through the canopy. She kept going for what felt like an hour, but may have only been a few minutes.
"My hooves are killing me! I'm tired, and hungry, and thirsty! I wanna go home and take a warm bath! I wanna lay on my bed and put my head on my comfy pi-hill-low!" She whined. Yes, she was definitely whining now.
Her movements had declined so much that she was barely making half-steps. It was nearly dusk, maybe an hour or so away, and now she had three more problems that had returned on top of the two she already had. She still didn't find shelter and never stopped to rest since she left the stream, pushing herself to find something she could use as a shelter before nightfall.
After seeing the sun hanging low below the canopy, she felt she could go no further. She looked at her surroundings, the image of her sleeping here on the ground entered her mind.
"I have to spend the night...alone...in the Everfree Forest..."
The weight of her own words caused her hooves to shake, before falling back on her rump. The very real possibility of never seeing her friends again flooded her mind. She never felt alone before, so exposed and unsafe. Sure, she's faced Diamond dogs, monsters, and villains before, and felt scared while fighting them. But she also had her friends by her side. They were what gave her strength, who pushed her to be her best.
Without them... she wasn't going to make it... Her eyes watered, and her lips quivered, as she prayed to the sky.
"Oh dear Creator, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Twilight, Starlight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, everypony please...Get me out of here! I promise I'll be twice-NO! Four times the Element of Generosity I was before. I'll sell all my dresses at a fraction of the price! NO, WAIT! I'll give them away to homeless ponies, and to others in less fortunate countries!" She bargained with tears streaming down her cheeks, she sniffed and sobbed for a few minutes until her friends entered her thoughts again.
This time she thought of all the good times they had, of their smiling faces, of all the laughter and jokes! Her family and Sweetie Bell, there was so much left to teach her! Of the times they would have together, the times they will have together! She dried her tears and pursed her lips with determination etched on her face and a fire stoking in her heart!
"NO! Feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do anypony any good Rarity! Now your friends and family are looking for you, and it would be disdainful of us to let them down by giving up!" Rarity stated with determination. The thought of returning to her friends and family strengthened her resolve.
"Plus it's not all bad, there're plenty of sticks around here to make a fire and, ooh, I believe I could make a lovely little stick hut, wouldn't that be grande!" Rarity said nostalgically, as her courage returned with every word she spoke.
"I can see it now 'Rarity the Everfree Survivor' --NO-- 'Everfree Conqueror'; I like the sound of that! If that's not bold, then I don't know what is."
"Monty! We've got work to do, darling." Rarity's voice sang. Her little animal friend would be all the company she'd need until then, now if only she could find him.
"Monty?" She spotted him climbing up a tree, pumping his little wings for all he's worth before clambering into a hollow. He poked his head out for just a moment to look down at her before quickly hiding again.
"Now what's got him all frazzled? The poor thing looked frightened." Rarity moved to pick herself up off the ground and maybe attempt to coax him out of hiding.
Just as she started to put weight on her front hooves she noticed odd indentations in the ground. There were so many of them, and of all the same pattern too. It looked awfully familiar, it was kind of like Winona's paw prints only hers were tiny compared to these. Rarity placed her hoof over one and guessed it had to be four times the size of her hoof.
"Oh my Celestia, that's a-"
OWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAROOOOO-
Rarity's head snapped towards the haunting sound and slowly splayed her ears back in fear. The eerie howl resonated throughout the forest, as if answering her thoughts. Rarity could feel its sheer volume suffocating her as it passed through her body, the deathly wail turned her blood to ice as her hair stood on its end, and could swear her spirit temporarily left her body.
"Dire Wolf..." Rarity squeaked in fright, as if mentioning their very name would cause them to appear before her.
The most fearsome predator of the Pony race, of all Equestrian races. Carnivores that can think, plan, and execute together as a team. Easily three times the size of the average adult Pony, Dire wolves are bigger, stronger, and smarter than the average wolf. Timberwolves are easily turned to splinters, whenever they get into territorial wars with their far superior cousins, and as you know wolves-
ARHWOOOOOOWOOOOOOOOOOOAROOOO-
ARARWOOOAROOOARAROOOOOOROOOOO-
OOOOOWOOOOOOOOWOOOO-
-always hunt in packs.
She could already hear and feel the thuds of their heavy paws hitting the ground, the growls and snarls were also getting closer.
Rarity gathered her wits and tore off in the opposite direction; ignoring her screaming muscles and injured leg, as fear and panic consumed her.
Her primal instincts shouted at her to run, run, RUN!
The sun was less than a half hour away from setting, the base of the orange-yellow sphere was barely touching the horizon. Rarity feared every shadow that moved believing it was the beasts that were hunting her, monsters that were going to eat her. Her heart was thundering so loudly in her ears that it was all she could hear.
Rarity ran up to the perimeter of a deep creek who's concave formed a jagged 'U'. The large brook had a moderate amount of water running through it which muddied the area. The bank straight across from her looked too steep for her to climb, she stopped for a moment just short of the edge and looked for an easier path to cross. She didn't have much time. It would be dark soon and the wolves were right behind her.
Rarity took a quick look behind her before jumping into the mud and water without a second thought, her hooves sank alarmingly fast in the soupy earth, causing her to trip over and roll in it. Kicking and thrashing a torrent of muddy water everywhere as she fought to stand again. Every jolt of her legs sent lightning bolts through her, the pain fueling her instinct to run harder. However, the strain and the exhaustion were taking its toll, once on the other side she struggled to make it over the shortest ledge she could find. Her body rolled and dragged across the muddy bank as she tried desperately to jump over it.
Once her hooves found purchase she dragged herself over the boundary crawling as far as she could with her fore hooves. Mud, grass, and leaves caked her hide all over, even her beautiful purple mane and tail, which stuck to her body, weren't spared the atrocity. She took a moment to catch her breath but not for long, the howls and barks were getting closer.
The wolves had reached the creek, the four carnivores walked back and forth sniffing the air and ground searching for the scent of their quarry.
They were confused for a moment until the pack leader, a Black coated wolf, snapped at the Red furred runt of their group. The runt raced down the left side of the creek. Black then growled at the Grey furred member, and he broke right. Only the leader and the White furred 'second in command' were left. White sniffed at the air and ground where Rarity had crossed earlier, then took a step in her direction. Black noticed this and systematically bit, clawed, and snapped at White for breaking rank.
The two powerful beasts reared on each other, both with maws wide and bared teeth, each one trying to dominate the other for leadership. The fight was over as quickly as it begun, with Black securing his rank another night.
Rarity heard the nearby scuffle and fought to drag her aching body to a tree whose roots formed a cage-like barrier underneath it. She managed to squeeze inside just in time to see the two wolves bound over the edge where she climbed up just a minute ago.
They sniffed while moving around where she laid earlier, Black took off leaving White alone to continue scouting the area. Rarity held her breath as she watched the large predator serpentine across the path she crawled from. She could hear the beast's sniffing as it progressed towards her sanctuary. Rarity shut her eyes and dared not move nor make a sound, all she could do was listen to its every breath. The wolf was just a couple feet from her as it's searching nose came closer and closer, the sound of its inhaling becoming more deafening until it was all she could hear.
Her heart was racing as she silently prayed for a quick and merciful end, with the beast right outside her hiding place. Its breathing became slower and deeper.
Sniff-sniff-sniiiiif! The white wolf started to poke its snout inside Rarity's cage.
OWOOOOOOOOOO-
The white wolf snapped his attention in the direction of the howl and darted off.
"Gaaaahhh! Huff! Huff!" Rarity counted to ten before finally allowing herself to breathe, and took deep gasping breaths of air; nearly unable to hold it any longer. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as its rhythmic beats slowed, before she let out choking little sobs.
"I want my mom--sniff! I want my dad--sniff! My sister--hic! My friends--sniff! I wanna go home--sniff-sob! I wanna go home right now. Hic-sniff-sob-sniff... I hate this place--sniff-cough!" Rarity whimpered and cried with eyes full of tears, and held herself while gently rocking back and forth inside the confines her sanctuary. Her thick tears cutting furrows through the muck below her eyes and cheeks, which fell dirtily to the ground.
Rarity had never been more afraid in her life. She had truly come close to death, and it frightened her. She continued to cry silently, and beg to be with her friends and family.
After sniffling and clearing her dry throat, Rarity felt she stayed in her refuge for long enough, and decided it was best to get as far away from there as possible. She checked to see of the coast was clear before squeezing through the roots and falling on her belly, which still stung from the abrasions she received earlier that day. She looked at her hooves, chest, and flanks, and grimaced. She was covered in a thick layer of everything. It pained and disgusted her to be so dirty, but she realized she was fortunate, for she smelled like dirt which was all that protected her.
So for now she called a mental truce between her and her war on uncleanliness. Though she still felt repulsed as she wiped a bit of the 'protective layer' off her face.
The sun was minutes away from setting, Rarity looked around to see where she should go when something odd caught her eye. Rarity looked up to the tree she was hiding under and right there, a little more than three pony heights up was an arrow carved into its trunk.
A carving like that means tools and a tool means ponies! Or at least somepony for sure! What!? Yes, I know it's confusing but officially every race be they Pony, Donkey, Griffon, or Minotaur are still somponys. Funny I know.
The carving was pointing away from where that howl came from earlier. Which works out smashingly for me! Rarity thought the farther from those wolves she gets, the better. She followed its direction keeping her eyes open for other markings as well as any sign of her pursuers, she didn't have go far until she found another one. It had a slightly altered course from the previous one, it still took her away from the direction the beasts went, so follow it she did.
She could feel her heart beating in her ankle, and took a moment to look at it after the third arrow pointer she found. It looked worse than it did earlier, no doubt all the rigorous exercise she just went through was the culprit. The swelling had a visible bulge around her poor fetlock. There was no question she would need weeks of recovery before it was safe to trot on again, thinking of it as a well deserved vacation she was going to have after all this. Until then she treated it as delicately as she could.
"Once this is over I'm going to tie my parents down and leave Sweetie Bell in charge, then I'll be the one on vacation for once!" Forget leaving Sweetie Bell in charge, I'd rather just take her with me then they can look after the boutique! She added as an afterthought and couldn't wait to see her little sister again.
I don't wanna see you ever again! The painful memory that surfaced made her stop. She knew her sister didn't mean that. It was just in the heat of the moment... Regardless, her lips quivered and a single tear still managed to escape her.
"I swear I'll make it back to you Sweetie, and together we're going to fix this! I know you must be worried sick about me."
The sun was almost completely below the horizon. The dimming light gave the forest an increasingly ominous atmosphere. All manner of insects came out of their burrows and started to swarm in their respective pods. Lucky for Rarity her 'protective layer' also helped immensely with that as well, though it was far from perfect as she proved when she'd occasionally slap her cheek with a hoof or whipped at her flanks with her tail. Her body was sore all over and the debris which clung to her, though grateful as she was for it's protection, gave her a constant feeling of discomfort.
Rarity pressed on finding one marker after another, it turned into a fun little game for a short time until she found the tenth one. It was on a tree that Rarity thought looked like a giant carrot sticking from the ground. Her stomach growled at the thought, great now she wanted a carrot-dog badly. The 'carrot tree' grew on top edge of a short rocky cliff which jutted out enough to create a shallow cave.
The carrot-tree had a completely different mark on it. It was a circle with two lines, one horizontal and the other vertical, crossing each other in the center, with neither line going beyond the circle.
She'd never seen a symbol like that before.
Rarity kept her eyes on the strange emblem as she walked closer to examine it, wondering what it could mean. The dried sticks and leaves littering the ground made tiny snapping sounds as she slowly trotted over them, her eyes still locked on the strange symbol. The ground must of been wet as she felt it sag under-hoof. Oh well, more mud couldn't do any more harm could it?
The cliff was about four Pony heights tall and arched all around her forming a horseshoe shape. Rarity currently stood in the top-middle of its contour with the carrot-tree above her. She looked around the large space and believed this is where she would have to stay for tonight.
"Good a place as any in the Everfree I suppose..." Rarity said begrudgingly, while thinking of her soft bed back home. Either way, she was looking forward to a long night's rest.
The sun had finally set, plunging the Everfree into darkness, only to be illuminated again later by the ghostly white light of Luna's Moon. It's luminous surface highlighted everything in a white silhouette.
Rarity heard something stirring behind her, hopping around to see what it was. Her eyes shrank to pinpricks. Her four knees started to tremble, and she nearly peed all over herself at what she saw standing just a dozen yards from her.
The black wolf.
"Gasps! AAAHHHHHHHH!" Rarity shrieked, while hobbling to the back and along the contour of the shallow cliff.
She was unable to move anywhere without getting closer to the predator, and started to hyperventilate.
Black was crouching by the open mouth of the horseshoe-like cliff face, blocking her only escape, his maw was pulled back in a snarl showing off his sharp, glowing white teeth. Black jerked his head and let out a short, powerful growl-bark. In a moment the rest of his pack jumped from the shadows and stood behind him.
She was trapped! Did they follow her, or did they just now get here? It didn't matter, she needed to find a way out now!
Black approached slowly up the middle of the arch, as the leader he would get the honor to taste her flesh first. His presence was terrifying as Luna's moonlight gave the wolf a silvery silhouette over its ebony coat, and his crimson eyes shone like rubies in the pitch black of his face.
"Get away from me you beasts! Get away!" She shrieked, pelting the wolf with small stones using her magic. Only succeeding in irritating the big, bad wolf, and receiving a deafeningly sharp growl-bark for her futile resistance. Her heart trembled at the black wolf's response, panicking as he stepped forward. Unable to defend herself, Rarity prayed for her friends to rescue her; screaming for somepony, anypony , to help her.
"HELP! SOMEPONY HELP ME, PLEASE!"
GASPS!
"TWILIGHT! GET ME OUT ! PLEEEASE!"
GASPS!
"I'M BEGGING YOU!"
GASPS!
"HELP ME!"
GASPS!
"PLE-HE-HEASE!" Rarity's weakening voice cried over and over, her dry throat quickly gave out as she cowered down with nowhere to go.
Her tears fell freely, knowing this was going to be the end.
The other wolves fought over who would get leftovers, after a quick snap from Black they stopped, and the dark wolf continued to inch ever closer its prey.
Rarity knew the wolf was going to tear her apart, knowing it was going to hurt. She was going to be eaten alive. It was going to be a bad death. A painful death.
Rarity pressed herself harder against the dirt wall of the shallow cave, trying to put as much distance between herself and the killer before her. Rarity was shaking in terror, while staring at the dark wolf with her pinprick eyes, so afraid she could barely breath. All she could do was watch as the black wolf licked his bared teeth, and continued to inch towards her step by step.
Black was just inside the opening of the horseshoe, and slowly lowered his rear, savoring every moment of his soon to be kill.
Rarity watched this, knowing the beast was about to attack.
Black let out a sharp growl before he charged her at full speed. Rarity shut her eyes and awaited the end.
She could feel the raw power the beast pressed into the earth with every stride. Rarity didn't know what possessed her to open her eyes in that moment, but what happened next she will never forget. Black only made it a few yards from her before the ground disintegrated beneath him! The air filled with a cacophony of snapping twigs and popping limbs, quickly followed by a pained yelp.
The earth had swallowed him whole.
The other wolves were cantering around back and forth, yards away from the pit, looking confused as well. What had happened to their leader? Did the ground eat them now?
The white coated second in command cautiously approached the pit between him and the prey.
Rarity did the same and was just as curious.
Rarity and the white wolf both looked into the hole to see what became of their mutual 'friend', and Rarity immediately regretted it. From what little she saw it looked as though poor Black had been impaled upon several spears when he fell.
All Rarity could see was red, everything was red.
The younger wolves weren't too happy about what just happened, baring their fangs at the little pony, blaming her for this transgression! White whipped around and tried to assert dominance over the others, but only managed to stop the red runt. Grey had whipped around White and the pit, half wall-running along the horseshoe and charged at Rarity once he had a straight shot.
"Ooh, noo; not this again!" Rarity dismayed, while hobbling along the cave's contour in the opposite direction, before tripping and falling on her side, her vulnerable belly exposed towards the maw of the charging beast.
"GAAAHHH!" Rarity screamed, while kicking out her hooves to protect herself, as the grey wolf pounced at her, then landed hard on the ground, with its shoulder digging into the dirt. The wolf's limp body stopped a scant few feet of her.
Rarity stared in disbelief, while trying to understand what just happened. She examined the body of the grey wolf from where she lay with her mouth agape and wide unbelieving eyes, then noticed an arrow sticking out from the back of the wolf's neck. Its fletching was a dead giveaway. No pun intended.
The two remaining wolves were already engaged with her rescuer. Red had two arrows sticking in his flank already, the rust colored wolf was crying, whimpering, and whining for help. White pranced, licked, and sniffed around him confused as to what was happening, and of what to do. Rarity could barely make out a large figure in the darkness as it hid within the trees.
Rarity's defender dropped from his perch and held something up, or maybe it was him--like it was a part of him--though she couldn't tell at all. She started to feel very sleepy and tried to fight against her tiredness. She wanted to thank her hero. It was only the polite thing to do.
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!
White jumped in the air dodging the small barrage and shot off into the darkness when he landed, leaving Red to fend for himself. Rarity could barely keep her eyes open, her head swimming in fatigue.
"Take that you ruffian, and don't come back!" Rarity croaked out in a dry, scratchy voice. Watching as the white wolf ran away with its tail tucked between its legs. She took a bit of pleasure at seeing the wolf scared for a change, before she collapsed from exhaustion.
She struggled to hold herself up by her elbows, half-laying on her side, and looking towards the brave soul who saved her. The figure was crouched over Red, and was wiping something that shined in the moonlight on the still form of the rust colored wolf.
Her protector had a gait like that of a minotaur as he approached her. His build was even similar to that of one, but also not of one. As he neared her, she noticed he was significantly less bulky than one too. The dark silhouetted figure of her liberator checked the pit before looking her way with his glowing white eyes. Rarity laid fully on her side, too tired to keep herself up as her champion stood over her.
"Ththhank y-youuu f-for-" She barely managed a croaked whinny, before closing her eyes and surrendering to the darkness.