Author's Notes:

My first story

Evil, terrifying, monstrous, unnatural, forbidden. These were just a few of the things that came to mind when one thought of the Everfree forest.

The Everfree forest was a place of evil to most ponies. A place where everything functions on its own, without the help of the princesses for even they could not touch it. It was a place where the most vile of creatures lived, waiting for their next meal to wonder hopelessly into their grasp. It was a place both feared and hated for being so different from the rest of the world.

For me, it's a safe haven.

I was only five years old when it happened. I suppose it was luck that lead me to the Everfree Forest. Whether that luck be good or bad is up for debate. I ran through the unforgiving forest with tears running down my cheeks. Blood oozed from the many cuts on my body, obtained from the branches and shrubs that nicked at my skin. I'm not sure how long I had been running or even where I was going at the time. I just wanted to leave that town and never look back.

Eventually though, I got tired. My legs were aching and my lungs burned like fire. Reluctantly, I rested against a dead looking tree. I took a moment to catch my breath before breaking into miserable sobs. I hugged my legs and wailed into my knees, wrapping my wings around me while being careful to avoid my horn.

Caught that did you? Good, I was hoping you would. Before you ask, no, I'm not an alicorn. Well...not completely anyway. I'm a baticorn; a cross between an alicorn and a batpony. We're actually called bat-alicorns but I like baticorn better.

The differences between alicorns and baticorns are subtle but there. As our name suggests, we have leathery bat-like wings as opposed to the feathery mess of alicorns and pegasai. Our fur is also darker than the average ponies and I'm not even gonna get into our fangs. They're cool and all but they hurt like Tartarus as they grow.

I cried and cried until I eventually ran out of tears. At some point, It begun to rain during my misery, as if the forest itself was showing its sympathy. It was oddly comforting in a way. I sniffed and stared into a puddle that formed next to me. My jet black fur was matted and bloodied and my short black mane was a mess. My crimson eyes were bloodshot and still leaking a few tears. I looked at my black tail and noticed that it was in an even worse state than my mane. I could even see a few branches sticking out of it.

A pained groan snapped me out of my...inspection. It was deep and guttural, like a monster from the deep which, in this forest, it very well could've been. I tried to ignore it at first but it just wouldn't stop. I covered my ears and shut my eyes tight, desperately trying to block out the noise. I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much, it just did. It was like listening to someone being abused while you sat in the next room, unable to do anything about it. Alas, I could not purge the sound from my ears. Eventually, my heart couldn't take it anymore. I got up and followed the sound deeper into the forest, keeping my wings wrapped around me for warmth. It didn't take long for me to find the source of the miserable sound but when I did, I nearly peed my pants. There, laying on its side, was a large manticore, a female judging by it's lack of mane. I was about to make a run for it when she turned her head towards me. Something about her eyes made me freeze in place, not out of fear but….understanding. Her eyes...they revealed so much. She was terrified of me, scared that I would probably kill her simply for being a predator like most ponies did.

We stared at each other for a solid minute before I noticed a puddle of blood beginning to pool at her side. I gasped and ran towards her out of instinct, nearly throwing up when I saw the wound in her side. There was no doubt about it, the was a pony made wound. It was no wonder she was so wary of me.

I felt a pang of sympathy for the poor creature. It wasn't her fault she had to eat meat to survive and yet here she was; feared and hated by all of equestria for something she never chose in the first place.

‘Just like me…’

I felt something in me begin to change. I would not let her die simply for being different. I narrowed my eyes in determination as I concentrated my magic into a healing spell. A black aura with a red outline enveloped my horn as I placed my hand over the wound. There was a bright red glow that flashed for a second before fading, leaving the flesh good as new. Before I could even sigh in relief and exhaustion (I was never very good at removing wounds and healing spells were by no means easy, especially for one so young), the manticore jumped to her feet and tackled me to the ground. She stood over me, her face just a few inches from mine. I waited for her to sink her teeth into my neck, not like I had anything to live for anyway…..

She stared at me for a bit before bring her head even closer and sniffing me. Confused but glad (more or less) to be alive, I did the only logical thing that came to mind.

I sniffed her back. I was five okay, I didn't even know what logic was yet.

I guess I must've passed some sort of test or something because she suddenly started licking my face, causing me to giggle (again, I was five) uncontrollably. This continued for a while until I heard a loud thunderclap echo from the sky. I pouted and opened my mouth to say goodbye to my new friend but was cut off by her suddenly hoisting me onto her back. She let out a mighty roar as she took off into the forest, not stopping until we came upon a cave. She sniffed around, making sure the area was safe before stepping inside, gently setting me down. I giggled as I watched her shake the water off of her fur before mimicking her yet again. She then layed on her side, lifting her wing invitingly at me. Feeling my fatigue begin to finally catch up with me, I didn't hesitate in accepting her invitation. I sighed as she wrapped her wing around me, cuddling in her surprisingly soft fur before feeling my eyelids close against my will.

As the years passed, many of the forest animals became my friends. No, they were more than my friends. They were my family. Some of them even bowed to me as I passed.

I realised that the Everfree Forest wasn't as unforgiving as I thought. It was a lot like me in a way. It was hated and feared just because it was different. People called it scary and dangerous but that simply wasn't the case. It took care of me, nurtured me...loved me as much as I loved it. It was like a mother to me.

It also opened my eyes to the evils of ponykind. I cried my eyes out every time I found a creature killed by hunters or a section of the forest destroyed by ponies. When I turned ten, I decided that enough was enough. I began training my magic as well as teaching myself how to fight. I quickly learned that I had an affinity for dark magic, using it to scare ponies out of the forest or most times, just flat out kill them.

Now, I didn't kill EVERYPONY who entered the forest. I always left at least one surviver. Not out of mercy mind you, but rather for publicity's sake. After all, the way I see it; the more survivers, the more ponies there are to warn others to stay away from my mother. Can't have ponies coming in looking for their lost loved ones now can I? The animals would get so fat.

When I turned eleven, a cockatrice gave me a crown it stole from a local blacksmith. When I put on, every creature in the forest bowed, officially crowning me as the new prince of the Everfree forest, a title I gladly accepted.

I am...actually, i don't even remember my name any anymore. Nowadays everypony just calls me...Colt.

Very well then. I am Colt, proud prince and protector of the Everfree Forest. And this is my story