The Knight of Everfree.
"Hhhhu hhhhu" a young mare was breathing heavily while a Ursa roared in front of her.
"Indigo we are trapped! There's no where to run."
"I know Midnight but..." he replied as the Ursa slowly closed in on them both, the roar piercing their ears.
"What's with that tone...? You're not thinking anything crazy now are you?" She said while observing Indigo's patterns ready to jump in at any moment.
"Midnight... One of us needs to get Cobalt out of here. I'll distract it, this is a fight we cannot win." he replied his body shaking from exhaustion as if his very being would give out at any moment.
"You can't! we leave together or not at all!" she replied with a look of concern.
"We don't have time to argue about this. Take Cobalt and get out of here!" he shouted.
"But Indigo..."
"I know... but we have no other options and I'm not about to let it take you or Cobalt from me... No matter what the cost." he replied with his ears lowered knowing that this was likely his final moment with his family.
"Promise me you'll stay alive Indigo!" she said, while quickly shifting Cobalt onto her back, though he was still unconscious and wounded. She galloped towards the deeper section of the forest but the Ursa suddenly shifted in an attempt to cut her off, only to be knocked off balance by Indigo ramming the Ursa's leg. Roaring the Ursa swiped it's claws launching Indigo into a nearby tree, his armor cracking from the sheer force of the attack. "Aghhhh!".
"I won't let you!" He recovered into a full gallop and rammed his helmet into the Ursa's other leg.
"Indigo!!" the distraught mare shouted.
"Go now! You don't have much time it won't be stalled for long!."
Brushing the mist in her eyes away, Midnight carried Cobalt into the forest depths, passing many trees along the way, had they not lived here so long she'd have only lost her way. Time went on as the distance between herself and the Ursa's location increased, hoping that it could not track their scent she crossed through the shallow stream below the forest's canopy.
"Rain?" She thought to herself, her breath heavy from exhaustion. The rain only increased in activity as it began to drench the surrounding forest, but something just wasn't right.
"At least it can no longer find us." She said sighing with relief as she laid Cobalt gently down on the grass.
Indigo, please be alright... She thought to herself, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of trouble. Though the mare's rest would not be for long.
Midnight's ears twitched in various directions, she could make out faint footsteps in the distance. Strangely though it was not from any specific point, but rather from multiple sections of the surrounding area.
It's not the Ursa, it's neither slow, nor is it loud... Her thoughts pondering at the possibilities of what it may be.
"Indigo?" she hoped which only alerted the creatures, who gradually moved towards her location, each step less faint than the last. It wasn't long before her expression lost any former hope it once had. A flash of lightning revealed the glowing green eyes of many timber wolves.
"They're surrounding me slowly..." she said with a solemn expression on her face, readying for the worst. She knew ponies weren't exactly high on the food chain especially ones in this forest. But she wasn't about to let them step away unscathed. Not with someone so important to her nearby.
They Continued their approach towards the mare, she carefully stood above Cobalt and assumed a defensive stance. She pushed her hind hooves into the ground slightly to maintain her balance. It was either them or Cobalt, but she knew that would never happen, not to one so young.
"I will die before I ever let you near him!!" she shouted as one timber wolf tried latching onto her hind legs. She bucked it into another wolf which on impact collided with the tree behind it. Angered, the front wolves charged at her attempting to destroy the weakened links in her armor. Adrenaline rushing she twirled throwing the wolves onto the ground their bodies rolled as their faces impact the dirt multiple times.
Slowly the pack recovered, and began circling their prey once more. Acting in coordination, they attack all at once. Midnight quickly resuming her stance covers Cobalt with her body standing just above him, all while pulling her helmet down to guard her face. She prepares to defend an all out attack in an attempt to take the brute force of it, hopefully blocking Cobalt from harm. The wolves ram face first into her armor though some get through, managing to bite the already torn links of the armor itself.
"Eahhh!" in one final counterattack Midnight bucks, spins, and throws the wolves off of herself, some yelping as they hit the ground. Slowly the wolves begin limping away from the battle, acknowledging their defeat.
"Hhhhu hhhhu, some of them hhhhu got me..." adorned with injuries, she scanned for any signs of a possible retaliation from her predators. Something still wasn't right, though they seem to have left the area, she can still sense them out there. As if they're waiting for any sign of weakness, any chance to reclaim their victory.
"W-hy are they just sitting there?"
Suddenly a bone chilling howl unlike no other assaults her ears. Her heart sinks at the sight of its origin, as if any manner of hope was just taken from her. The injured wolves scattered to make way for a gigantic wolf standing just beyond the trees. It was much larger than any wolf she had ever seen in the forest.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." She whispered as teardrops rolled down her face "I just don't have anything left.".
She grabbed Cobalt's mane with her mouth and quickly threw him onto a nearby tree, safe from the danger below.
"Forgive me, Cobalt. I don't think I'll be here when you wake up," her voice shakes, as she closes her eyes.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours, but The young colt showed no sign of waking, the sun was rising above the forest canopy.
Though a chilled air swept throughout everfree, the fresh dew had only begun to form in the forest depths. Rain had left not one scar, as if time itself swept away all that had happened the night before.
A small filly wandered the forest playfully humming a soft melody as she walked across the forest's bed, it was unlikely she knew the dangers of the forest being just a young filly and all. Her mane was a cherry blossom pink with lighter shades across her tail. Her coat exhibited a blueish green tint, but her eyes glistened with a light turquoise blue. "The forest is so nice today." she smiled inhaling the crisp air. She never knew why ponies always avoided this place. To her it was just another silly playground that she loved to run around in. She always heard the adults say the forest isn't natural and that big scary monsters would gobble her up. Whatever they meant by natural.
She didn't believe monsters existed though. The colts always tried to scare her at school with all those silly stories. But no, to her this wasn't some scary forest. It was her special place in the world. No matter what the other ponies said about it.