Many story tellers have great stories to tell, this may or may not be one of them, that is for you the reader to decide. I the narrator an over used and un-imaginative writing tool shall start you through this journey, but fear not this story like many others will take shape and a life of it’s own shortly.  I suppose I should start this story at the beginning, but not the beginning you or I know, but the beginning for a young colt, his story starts here.

Off in the distance the chirping of birds can be heard and the blowing of wind, it‘s a biting cold wind. I-I can feel the wind flow over me and the ground beneath me… where am I?  A bright light engulfs everything, then colors come into being, as those colors take shape they form a familiar sight, lush greenery and an engulfing white.  A wooded area filled with many manner of flora covered partially in snow, oddly everything is sideways.  Is this… the forest?  A hoof floats into existence in front of the many plants, and in front of that clouds of vapor burst into existence only to dissipate moments later, and this hoof is blocking the view. That’s… mine?… I can move…  The hoof disappears and the world rights it’s self as it shrinks slightly.  How did I get here?

Over in the corner there exists a small pond frozen over,  as it gets closer a pony appears under the ice.  This pony has a tan coat with a green beard and mustache that looked out other details were fuzzy, his hair had the same green color but with yellow highlights, but all those details were drawn away by the colts eyes, the teal orbs looked like blobs in the iced over pond.  They look like kind eyes, I guess?  The pony thought as he stared into his own distorted reflection.

Breaking eye contact with his image the pony took in his surroundings.  He knew this was a forest but not what forest, or where he was in it.  Hmm where am I… might as well pick a direction and start walking.  That seemed as good a plan as any.  

The colt started to trot around the pond and stopped, peering around he allowed his head to stop in a direction. That way!  And with that he was off picking up a steady stride, after about an hour the colt could here growling, quickly he hid in some bushes.  

He waited for what ever had made the noise to leave, but there it was again.  It sounded faint but close, like it was right on top of him, the colt looked around in a panic leaving the safety of his bush.  Where is it!?! Why can’t I see it!?! The pony thought in a panic, trying his hardest to find his stalker.  The growling came a third time and with it pain.  It wasn’t sharp or tearing, but a dull rumbling sensation located in his… oh I’m hungry…

After shaking off that embarrassment, the colt went to look for food.  He didn’t have to scout far for he was surround by grass after all.

With a bit of digging he was able to uncover a few long strands of grass enough to keep his hunger at bay, but he felt his diet needed more ‘substance‘, and went looking for something else to snake on, hopefully with a better flavor than the bland grass.  Glancing around he found a patch of blue flowers that looked like dandelions.  Those look good but, too pretty to eat.  Turning his attention to a patch of wiled daffodils that had stubbornly sprouted out of the snow, he happily munched on the treat that the earth had so generously provided for him, epically considering the weather.  With his hunger satiated the colt went out again in his chosen direction.

Again he heard something this time it was not a growl but a rustling in the bushes,  the bushes weren’t very big, what ever was in there was smaller then the colt, well what ever it is, it’s probably more afraid of me then I am of it…  He thought as he walked passed the bush.  But two steps latter a blur had jumped out in front of him.  The colt could only make out a feathered head and a pair of glowing red eyes staring right back at him, what ever it was it didn’t want the colt out of it’s sight.  

The colt tried to back away from this strange forest dweller but found his back legs refused to move, they became stiff and numb… a feeling of terror creped up the colt’s spine but was gradually replaced with numbness, He wanted to run but couldn’t, panic over took the young pony and did the only thing he could think of, he shut his eyes tight to scared to look out at the world, but just as he did the crawling numbness stopped.

The creature sounded like an angry chicken and proceeded to act like one, as it pecked at the colt relentlessly.

All the young colt could do was bury his head in his front hooves to guard against the barrage of pecks.

Suddenly just as quickly as the attack started it ended.  The colt could hear the sounds of a scared chicken running away; he also regained feeling in his back half.  The good news was coming to an end when he heard a growling right behind him.  I just ate… the pony wanted to look back, Just RUN!  and with that he bolted, his four legs propelling him faster then he thought they could.

The choice to run was a good one for whatever was behind him had begun the pursuit, it’s powerful body breaking limbs off trees in it’s chase for it’s next meal.

If I’m smaller maybe I can loose it by weaving between trees.  The pony looked back to find a huge lion with wings and a scorpions tail bounding after him, Yep! DEFINITELY bigger than me!

Evading this thing was harder than the colt had anticipated; it just shoved the trees out of it’s way, uprooting them like weeds.  He did make ground on the creature, It must be running out of stamina, lucky me. With a final burst of speed the pony drastically increased the distance between him and the creature,  the colt was right it had gotten tired; it just stopped at the futility of capturing the faster pray.

The colt kept that speed for a while, running was somehow exhilarating, not only did it bring his body temperature up but he felt like he could run for hours, he felt like a foal again.  Upon catching his breath he could see that not only was he out of the forest but it was night out, looking around him he noticed a rocky landscape in the center was a small mountain, about ten stories high, it would be a decent hike up that, he thought to himself.

The night sky was magnificent, the stars twinkled in and out of existence seemingly winking to the inhabitants of the land, witch thanks to the shining of the moon and a few scattered shinny rocks peaking out of the snow the twinkles were returned.  At this time the pony thought I am lost? None of this looks familiar… I think I’d remember a place this beautiful.  But where do I go from here?  Looking around he didn’t find anything that looked like a sign or trail leading to civilization.  Maybe I can get a better idea where I am if I had a better perspective?

With that though in his head he begins climbing up a sturdy pile of rocks.  In the distance there were some more rocks, a few holes, lots more of those shiny stones… but nopony else.  Well this is disheartening… he thought as his face melted into a gloomy expression.

He climbed down nearly slipping on one of the loose ice covered boulders; hopping down the rest of the way like an uncoordinated billy-goat.  Looking back at the forest the colt thought I’m getting some distance from you, your dangerous woods!  And so he trotted off in the opposite direction hoping to find somepony else.

Trotting about for a half an hour the colt spotted a shining light in the middle of a field.  He strained his eyes to make out what it could be, he could make out what appeared to be another pony… a purple one or is that lavender, ahh who cares!… aaaand… two NO, three little ones… I think?  They all surrounded what looked like a… bird feeder?  A water bottle?  It’s hard to tell form here, but there was definitely a fire, and that‘s what the colt wanted the most with his fur feeling like every follicle was frozen.

In the middle of the field Twilight Sparkle was teaching the Cutie Mark Crusaders about astrology. They were dressed for the cold winter night bundled up in wool caps and scarves

“Now this one girls is the big dipper, this constellation is made up of the seven brightest stars of the Ursa Major,  you may realize that that name sounds like the large bear whose fur resembles princes Luna’s mane, it is also the larger version of the bear that attacked our town a while back some say that same bear was named after this large cluster of stars, quite appropriately too if I might add.” She continued her lecture not noticing her students weren’t nearly as interested in what she was about the talking about.

“Uuuugg…” Scootaloo groaned. “This is so brooooing, why did you ask Twilight if she would teach us this boring stuff Apple Bloom?” the orange pegasus complained as she fidgeted on her back tucking her wings in and kicking at the air in frustration.

“Twasn’t me, Sweetie Bell were tah one who said it’d be ah good idea” the farm filly retorted pointing a hoof at the snow white unicorn.

With the eyes of other two crusaders looking accusingly upon her; Sweetie Bell said the first thing that came to her head.  “I really liked her… telescope?”  the other two looked at each other, they shared the same look of disappointment, both of them heard that line one to many times, Sweetie bell knew that that line was getting old too.  “Fine; it wasn’t one of my best ideas, okay?  She offered and I-I just panicked.”

They all knew how ‘persuasive’ Twilight could be, they all simultaneously shivered at the memory the last time she ‘helped’ them.  Giving each other simultaneous looks they all started laughing.  

Twilight had continued the lecture unaware of the three fillies conversation, until they all started laughing, she had just finished explaining the process of matter being pulled into a black hole, she figured that they were laughing at the name.  “Yes girls spaghettification is a funny word, but it’s a real scientific term.” She said in a proud and studious manner.

Having been interrupted by the strangest and funniest part of the lecture the crusaders stopped laughing; only to start again even louder than before, the ridiculous word amused them that much at that time; especially something like that coming out of the mouth Twilight Sparkle.

Back on the other side of meadow the colt could hear the laughter, and thought to himself; foals laughing; that’s a good sign.  Although he was still hesitant; he had woken up in a strange place; sore all over, nearly pecked to death by a chicken and chased by a monstrous cat thing.  He was tired of taking chances, he thought it be best to lay low and observe for a little while longer, in case this was just a trick of some sort.  … or maybe I’m just being paranoid…  Ether way he sat there, just watching behind some boulders. I’m not doing any harm by just sitting here… but I guess it is kinda creepy… maybe I should go over to them… he motioned to get up. But then again a strange pony just waltzing to a group of foals and there caretaker in the middle of an empty field at night; he sits back down. Yeh that doesn’t sound like a psychopath at all… his mind changing again he gets back up, they do have a fire though… and maybe some food to share… putting sarcasm aside I should look around they may have come form a nearby town that way I can go to the town and seek help form them without seeming like a creep.

The colt had a back and forth like that for a while, long enough for three particular foals to come up with a plan.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had huddled up to talk while Twilight was distracted lecturing while at the same time adjusting her telescope trying to find a new celestial body to observe. “Listen girls were not going to get our cutie marks just staring at the sky, I say we try to get our marks in snow boarding.”  Scootaloo suggested to the other two.

Apple bloom was excited at the prospect of getting a snowboarding cutie mark, but Sweetie Bell voiced her concerns of doing that at this time of night, “we won’t be able to see where were going, and we might get hurt.”

“If we get our cutie marks in snow boarding that will be the one were suppose to do and be just fine.“ Scootaloo remarked; putting out any doubt in Sweetie Bells mind.

Twilight was about to begin her lesson on Taurus, but stories of such a 'romantic' bull would be unfit for the young fillies, this seemed to snap her back to reality.  She was so entranced by her own lessons she failed to noticed before now that the three young girls are gone.  Twilight began to panic “Girls!” she shouted, she waited but with no answer, looking around she quickly picked up their fresh tracks in the snow, and began the chase doing her best to catchup with the three little ponies.

Out in the distance just as the colt was about to sneak off he shouting from the the direction of the group he was observing, looking in that direction he noticed the lavender one running off, almost in his direction.  Ahead of her were the three smaller ones making there way towards that ten story mountain thing he passed by earlier.

Finally having the Cutie Mark Crusaders in her sights twilight teleported in-front of the trio in a bright purple flash catching Sweetie Bell off guard.  Twilight nabbed her with one of her forehoves, the other two split off and around the unicorn.  Apple Bloom was the next to be captured as a purple aura engulfed her and levitated her to Twilight.  Even with all of twilight’s efforts she could not catch the orange pegasus, as Scootaloo grabbed a large piece of bark with her teeth and used her wings to propel herself over the snow.

Witnessing the magick with his own eyes had astonished the colt.  What the heck was that!?!  he asked himself in amazement.  His awestruck would take a back seat when he realized what was going on.  The lavender pony was trying to keep the orange one form that mountain... she might get hurt! That thought ran through his head as he almost instinctively chased after the little foal.  But she was too fast, and he was too tired, by the time he made it to the base of the mountain she was already almost to the top.

Twilight Watched in horror as a strange colt came out of nowhere and started chasing Scootaloo.  Was he going to help or hurt her?  Her concerns were dubbed when she saw that Scoot had finally reached the top.

Taking her makeshift snowboard in her right forehove, she threw it in-front of her and began to ride down, yelling “WAAAAHOOOOOOO” at the top of her lungs.  Unfortunately this was enough to cause a much dreaded avalanche, both Twilight and The colt looked at the growing wave of snow in horror, Twilight could do nothing for Scoot, she had her hooves full with the other two foals squirming and doing there best to get away, they required too much of her focus for her to use any of her spells.

The Colt on the other hand reached down deep and found the strength to continue up the mountain. Scootaloo having the time of her life trying to outrun the avalanche didn't notice the colt midway between the base and the middle of the mountain as she passed by he grabbed her in his teeth by the back of the neck, and in the same fluid motion tucked her his chest and formed a barrier between her and the snow as it all came crashing down on top of them. The colt tumbled with the snow for a few meters but came to a stop as the rest of the avalanche buried him and the foal under the snow.

“SCOOOT!!!” Twilight shouted, barely comprehending what had just happened, as she saw two ponies get buried beneath at least a ton of snow.  She and now two scared fillies came rushing over fearful they would never see Scootaloo again, or at least alive.

Under the snow the colt had protected the young filly quite well, she was scared and shaking but unharmed.  He on the other hove could feel he had broken some of his ribs, they were throbbing almost pulsing, and his left hind leg wouldn't move at all.  He was getting even sleepy, this is bad...  can't even feel the cold anymore.  He knew that hypothermia would set in and he would go into shock.  Using the last of his strength he used his muzzle to dig up using his front paws to push himself up and his right hind leg to cradle the little filly.  Digging is such a manner made the cold feel like it was slicing it's way past his eyeballs and into his brain, the pain was intense  to say the least.  After about a meter of digging he could breath again, the fresh open air flowing into his nostrils, using his head he widened the hole enough to push the little filly through and out of the hole.  Then the world went dark, he could feel himself slipping away as he slid back into the hole.

Twilight had rushed up to the now unburied pegasus relived that she was breathing and now safe.  But the colt that had come to her rescue was still buried in the snow.  Using a large amount of her magic she instantly cleared away the snow from the colt in what seemed like an explosion.  She used her levitation magic to gently lift him out of the hole and onto flatter ground.  To her horror she did not see his chest rise,  “He's not BREATHNG!” she shouted. Next Chapter: Alive Estimated time remaining: 14 Minutes