The world can sometimes be a cruel face to those that were born different from others . Greymane a child of a noble earth pony family was born different from others. His unsightly form frightened his mother until she passed out in the birthing room which startled the doctors. This foal was a green pony with brown spots near his flank that had amazing grey colored mane that almost seemed unearthly. Sadly he was born with a ghostly colored eye on his left and a normal brown one on his right. The dis figuration continues with his hindquarters which were smaller than his forelegs making it nearly impossible to walk.
Greymane was smaller than others in this respect compared to other foals his age. He was often kept at home in locked rooms so others wouldn't see him, for his parents feared their reputation would be ruined. This child could bare it all for he had a hero that he looked up to his older brother Bronze Tail. His older brother would spend time with him reading him adventures stories of far off places that would brighten his day every time.
His mother would avoid him most days only to yell at him to have proper manners like Bronze Tail. His father would bring home trinkets to appease young Greymane but the look of disgust in his eyes always confused him. Greymane would practice brushing and braiding his mane in the noble fashion of a warrior that was read to from his heroic brother the tale of the braided warriors. He would hear his parents arguing over what to do with him whether he was in the next room or the room above. These arguments would cause him to fall asleep with tears down his cheeks as the night fell over their home. Bronze Tail one day brought him wonderful and yet terrifying news he was going to join the royal guard to protect princess Luna. This made Greymane very proud but afraid this meant he would never see his brother again he felt this childish understanding.
"Brother why do have to go miss you badly." he spoke with feeling but horrible language for a foal his age.
"Don't worry buddy I am gonna protect the relic of the moon which is said to guide everyone's dream in their slumber," said the thoughtless brother as he only consider his dream but he continued "Surely it will watch over your dreams little brother."
"But brother what about our visits and story time?" asked the lonely foal pleading with his brother.
"Don't be so selfish brother the relic needs to be protected and besides I shall write you letters about my adventures." he spoke sternly but then he soften " I will send you books about the grand adventures of your brother captain Bronze Tail."
"Sorry brother for making you mad me sorry I will be better soon mom has a plan to help me." Greymane spoke with a hint of hope in his eye's.
"See brother I told you they would come around they can focus more on you now that I will in the guard," he hugged his younger brother gently " I need to pack up my stuff little Grey, I need to make it to the three thirty train or I will be late."
"Oh ok Bronzey I am gonna stare at the wall like mom says to build a focus you need to stare at the wall." said as the foal lost interests.
"Um little Grey I think mom is taking your lesson a little slow." causing Bronze tail eye to twitch at the thought of their parents.
"The wall is err good for me mom said so also our mommy and daddy is taking me to a vacation they said so." Greymane spoke proudly unknown to his parents reasons.
" If you say so little Grey I love you very much I am just gonna have a chat with our parents about this vacation." he leans in to give his little brother a full hug for a few minutes whispering how much he cares for him.
The day rolled on as his brother gathered his items to leave the family so he could continue on with his dream to protect his family and kingdom. Greymane would lay against the corner in his room staring at a blank wall attempting to wonder what his life will be like without his hero the great Bronze Tail. His mother came bursting into the room with her hooves full of gifts, as she smiled laying them around the room in a chaotic pattern. Greymane was crawling towards them as he attempted to walk his eye's lit up with glee like any foal would when presented gifts. She stood at the doorway smiling down as he opened each present, each one a new toy that he had seen the foals playing with outside the home from his window. He was making quite the racket since he never gets any gifts from his parents only his brother ever brought him gifts when he had the money to do so. His father entered the room picking up each toy placing them back into the gifts box's as his wife gave a mock scowl at his actions.
"Da I am a good foal I can clean this!" said Greymane defiantly.
"Son you made this mess and dare to argue with me I should take your special trip away!" his father scolded with anger in eye's.
"No da I am sorry I am bad foal I will do better promise." said the crying foal at his father.
"You better be a good foal Greymane me and your mother are tired of cleaning up after your mess." spoke the father as disgust rolled off his lips.
" Ill be better da me promise please let me go with mommy please!" cried out Greymane pleading with his father.
"Fine you can keep your trip, now go to dinner with your mother and I will clean this mess up." both parents stared him as he attempted to slide down the stairs falling every few steps making thumping sounds.
This brought a delight to the parents face every time as they would never raise a hoof to the child but this brought them a tormented joy. They sat around the table as he was placed in a special chair that would keep him from falling locking his body in place. The father would place the plates around the table slowly as his mother would brag about Bronze Tail. His mother got up to bring some fresh salad to each plate this brought a smile to Greymane's face as he never gets to eat at the table. He always ate in his bedroom away from every pony let alone get tasty fresh salad. His mother would smile hollowly at her son as she added a special seasoning to his salad the foal never noticed as he chomped on his meal. Both parents lectured him on manners as he was loudly eating his meal feeling very sleepy, strange he thought I took a late nap. The duo stared as their child fell asleep face first in the salad as a wicked grin plastered their face's.
"Finally we can finish the deal sacrifice our youngest foal at Lonely castle in the Everfree forest." spoke the father as a wicked gleamed in his eye's.
"Yes we can finally get rid of this pest and better yet it will benefit our darling Bronze Tail all the more with the blessing of Tirek," mother chuckled "But dear how will we explain this to Bronze Tail he loves his brother most oddly enough."
"Obviously dear an accident happened when we go to Everfree a terrible accident." father laughed cruelly.
"That should suffice dear with any luck Bronzey new job shall keep him from investigating his brothers death." mother was cackling to herself a bad habit she tried to fix.
"Ugh we better get this ... thing to the cart its gonna be night soon and the bearer of the relic of Luna shall raise the moon soon" his face full of disdain when mentioning the artifacts name.
" You are right dear ever since the artifacts were discovered, we the followers of Tirek have had a harder time with our holy rituals," her words rang with deceit " But surely tonight we can set a few things on course."
" My love you are correct ever since that shadow colored pony came around, he has helped us find the way towards Tirek," father was smiling as these lies fell from his mouth " His advice with this cursed pony is to sacrifice him to Tirek and we shall be blessed by his powers genius!"
Both parents nodded at each other as they loaded Greymane on a small cart to be hauled off in the direction of the forest. It was turning night as they entered Everfree forest, the stars sparkled a little extra bright as if they were winking upon the sleeping foal. The forest was growing dense with its powerful shrubbery hiding deadly eyes spying upon the cultist have got lost in the forest as they attempted to find Lonely castle when they heard howling in the distance coming ever closer. The duo began picking up their hooves to move faster as they blood ran thick with fear. The mother clearly out of shape was huffing as they pulled the cart, her eye's scanning the forest spotting what they both feared.
Stepping out of the darkness into the open moonlight was a five foot tall wolf made of the Everfree forest. His green glowing eye's haunted ponies like lanterns in the night. His body was covered in thick brownish vine's with green fronds covering his body like fur on any pony. The Timber Maw opened his mouth to howl revealing rows of jagged broken branches like teeth in a carnivore's mouth causing them to shiver in fear. The howl called more, many were coming out of the forest now seeking new prey for this nights hunt.
They both looked at each other whispered one word in a single breath "Timber Maws."
They looked forward seeing a broken castle in ruins laying upon the forest. Strangely the castle was not covered in any greenery naught even a leaf touched the broken stones. There was a slight wiggling in the cart with faint murmurs coming from the foal. A cold wind blew through the forest touching the parents causing them to shiver but not from the temperature. Fear ran stark naked through the parents as they planned their escape from the deadly sentinels of the Everfree.
"This is probably Lonely castle dear we should hurry up as we didn't bring the guard this time." said the father as he looked wildly about.
"Yes dear I am sure it is but I don't have the courage to slay my own child what should we do my love." spoke the conniving mother.
They both heard the howling of Timber Maws and then with a smile " Let the Maws handle our foaling for us surely this would count as a sacrifice"
"Ma where are we is this our trip?" spoke a groggy foal awaking from a stupor.
"Dear you have been a bad pony so me and your father decided to leave you here to become a better pony!" with that she started running away from the howling that was getting very loud.
"Son I will not see you again unless you become an amazing noble warrior that we could be proud of!" shouted the father while following the mother into the night.
"Ma please I will be good foal please dad I be better," Yelled the foaling as he fell out of the cart staring into the dark "Da where you go I am sorry ma please please I be good." sobbed the foaling as the wolf paws were heard thumping around the ruins.
Greymane was drained emotionally life got him and it was only getting worse as the Timber Maws surrounded the easy prey. Greymane stared at them feeling nothing in his chest but a faint heart beat he desired to be eaten by these creatures. They stood their as if mocking his inability to walk properly, rage was making its way to his legs as he made his own stand in an awkward stance. He glared at them shouting at them to no avail they watched hungrily when a harsh howl echoed seemingly from all around. The wolves parted as a large brackish colored Timber Maw came forth to stare at the foaling. This wolf was the alpha making her appearance above all the own mind sped up in moments as adrenaline rushed to his entire body he knew he have to run away from these creatures. But he knew he didn't stand a chance suddenly before he knew the wolf slammed his body sending him flying into the ruins.
His heart beating wildly nearly stopped as he fell next to a broken spear the point gleamed in the moonlight he imagined it was a gift fro. his heroic brother. The Timber alpha was struggling to crossing some invisible line into the ruins. Dark magical energies surged around the wolf giving it ghostly eye's that appeared similarly to Greymanes own cursed eye. Loud crackling sounds were heard as the Alpha forced itself into the ruins injuring itself to do so. The creature walked around the earth pony making it very difficult for him to keep up because his legs could not keep up with its speed. Tears were falling down his cheeks as he realized this might be his last time to be alive . A fierce anger burned in his heart for the first time in his life he bared the broken spear with a pegasus wing in prayer.
The brackish Timber Maw leaped at him from behind giving the Greymane a lucky chance to turn as he felt the branch teeth sink into his shoulder and the claws digging into his flank. His eye's grew heavy but before he went under he saw his broken spear stuck into the heart of the beast slaying it upon his body. The blood pooled around the wounded pony as he fell into the darkness with the sounds of howling his final words "did ya proud brothe..." The Timber Maws howled in mourning for losing their alpha but due to some odd code that they followed, they searched for the next alpha to join.
He felt itchy so he scratched his flank slowly opening eye's he was surrounded by the awe inspiring beautiful forest that was in full bloom with the sounds of many creatures. The itching lessened his head turned to look at his injury to see a fully healed scar of a beast slash where his blank flank was. His mind went blank trying to understand what had happened to cause this with a faint memory of last nights event. He shook his head a bit more to clear it when an idea struck him.
"Is cutie mark maybe" he said suspiciously while eyeing it.
Upon closer inspection it was a scar, no magic empowering destiny his heart felt sadness but refused to cry. Then a delicious smell hit his nose it was peaches his favorite fruit he could feel drool welling up around his lips. He stood up on all fours evenly, time stopped for a minute as he realized what he did. It was the impossible as he stared his at legs that matched evenly for a foal his size. Then his thoughts appeared like a different voice in his head must eat now. This startled him but his stomach growled telling him to get those delectably fruits. He took a few tentative steps which went smoothly, then he was walking like it was normal every day thing to do. Tears were welling up in eye's but he refused to shed them his thoughts spoke again faster danger eat quickly. He ran as fast as his hooves could carry him zipping across the forest this terrified him as he never ran before.
He felt a bubbling emotion that built up to his mouth bursting out in a loud laugh. The laughing stopped as he saw his prize a peach tree that was covered in hairy delicious treats that made his mouth water. Then fear hit his nostrils before it hit is brain he could smell rotting wood that reminded him of last night events Timber Maws. This was a different pack that he could remember, this was the truth but they stared at him and then the howling started. Greymane felt the his own fur curling outwards as his fear grew his thoughts returned grab peaches run faster to castle. The foaling reacted before the wolves as he snatched a mouth full of fruit dashing in a magnificent run back to the Lonely castle.
"Problem head voice where is castle!" he yelled at the surroundings.
Turn here and go behind that tree castle safe his thoughts spoke to him. This startled him but the howling was gaining on him he followed the voice directions which lead to him seeing the castle in the distance. Timber Maws were closing in on his hooves he felt more fear causing his heart to beat rapidly. More speed I give bearer vines began wrapping around his body turning into wood giving him a larger boost to his speed leaving the Timber Maws in the mud. His mind raced magic it has to be magic that give him such power he was confused and full of joy. He jumped off a ledge landing in ruins whipping around to see the pack stopping at the borders of the castle. They howled before leaving the area giving the pony a chance to breathe before he fell laughing on the ground.
"thank you mr. voice in my head I had the best day in my life..." his mind trailed off to realizing he was by himself now.
" Was I a bad pony mr. voice my parents said I was bad and thats why I was left here." he spoke solemnly.
There was no response from his thoughts as he stood there waiting. The weather changed in a minute from a sunny day to a stormy sky, as the rain pelted his body he moved underneath the damaged structure. He began thinking about his home life his parents left him because they said he was a bad foal so I need to be better pony he thought. His memories brought him back, to the many times his mother screamed at him to use his manners and be polite like his brother. Another memory surfaced as his father watched Bronze Tail sparring with other earth ponies he was smiling as he looked him. His childish mind brought him to one conclusion they will return to get him if he became a well mannered pony with his brothers warrior skill. The voice thought in his head eat more foal eat, Greymane turned to look into a pool of water that was swelling nearby. He was startled as he look like the Timber Maw he had accidentally killed a kind of pony version of it his mind screamed. He yelled at the water image of him to go away, the vines disappeared into the ether leaving a frightened foal at Lonely castle.
"Ah monster am now." he growled at water watching his disheveled appearance.