A/N: Hey everypony! I'm just trying out this here idea I had to see if I could get it off the ground. This is my first MLP fic, so feel free to say whether the characters are OOC at some point or if I don't have my pony facts straight, so I can fix it. Anyway, I'm not sure how fruitful this project is going to be, but I hope you enjoy my flailing around nonetheless. Also check my profile for a better synopsis of the story. Derp.
Chapter 1
The Everfree Forest was an anomaly, a blot in Equestria that spat in the face of science and magic, as it was known. Everypony from the highest royal scholar to the lowliest filly questioned the place, but in the end, they all agreed to one thing, and one thing only: it just wasn't natural. It wasn't a bad place, really, since the ponies that went in usually came out unscathed, save for the occasional parasprite infestation and an incident with a cockatrice once, but it was still intimidating to them. Over the years, the ponies learned to live side-by-side the looming foliage, not going in unless they absolutely must, and when they did, they stuck to the path.
But not everypony was put off by the rumors.
A little yellow Pegasus flitted through the dense plant life, getting stuck every so often and snarling every time she had to pull herself free.
Hmph!
Resigning herself to the fact that she would have to spend a good few hours that night grooming her mane of cockleburs, she scowled and accidentally whapped her head against a branch, blackened out from the lack of sun coming through the canopy.
Wings crumpling up in shock, she plummeted to the ground, hitting a soft bed of soggy ferns. She wasn't flying that high, so she wasn't hurt, but she was still dazed.
As the stars stopped dancing in front of her eyes, she ambled to her feet, blinking and wincing. She was starting to get a little scared, now, to be honest. She couldn't remember which way was back to town, and it was silent.
Unnervingly silent.
Despite the summer heat and her fluffy coat, she felt cold all of a sudden, and her previous vexation faded.
"M-Might as well keep going," she said out loud to herself, just to break the creepy quiet around her, but her voice just bounced back and spooked her. She lifted a hoof and plodded it down, moving forward in a mockery of what was supposed to be a walk. It was still so cold though, and so quiet, and she decided that maybe talking some more would ease her nerves, even if nothing ever replied to her.
"I'm not paid enough for this job, I swear… 'Hey, Hemlock,' said Nurse Redheart, 'you're like the scavenger pony, right? Can I hire you to go out and find some Heart's Desire so the pharmacist can fill an order for my patient?' Uggh! I was so stupid! And what's she paying me—like eight bits?"
And she complained on and on like this, until the darkness swallowed her up completely. The Pegasus Hemlock stopped in her tracks. It was even colder over here—it wasn't a delusion! It had to be subzero here, and that didn't make any sense. And the silence… and the darkness. It was a darkness blacker than any night. Shivering, she tried to choke out:
"Okay… maybe I should turn back… I'll just give Redheart back her money…"
But then her eyes widened in pure fear. No sound came from her throat. She formed the words and all, but every noise was stifled, and the darkness was oppressive but intangible. And… and… her legs and wings weren't cooperating with her! She wanted to run, but nothing happened.
No… no! Which way was up? Which one was down? Sideways? Vertical? What was gravity? What was existence?
She felt her own mind slipping away from her in that inescapable grotto, and terrified, she began sobbing, her own tears freezing to her cheeks.
And…
Orbs of brilliant light suddenly flashed out at her. They were red, pulsating masses, or at least she thought they were red, but it was more like some other color that didn't—or shouldn't—exist, and it was like an apple, sort of, or a strawberry, except she knew for a fact that the orbs were neither.
Were they even a thing?
Was she dreaming?
But no.
She could feel the obtrusive and unnatural cold penetrate her to the very bone, and those fruit… orb… things repelled yet attracted her at the same time, and the stark contrast they had against the blackness of her surroundings was something she couldn't make up.
She tried to move her hooves again—miracle! They could! But… no…! Why was her leg going that way? She didn't want to pick any of those hellish orbs! Against her will, her legs mechanically wrenched one of the fruits off its branches, or wherever it came from, and then she was very hot. She felt like she was being melted by the core of the sun, but that wasn't what finally made her wrench herself back in control of her own body and fly off as fast as she could, dropping the orb and flying through the forest with reckless abandon, letting herself get cut and bruised.
The darkness was alive, and it licked out at her when she held the orb. It was writhing like some kind of indescribable beast, and it wanted to pull her in, make her become part of it—she just knew it, she couldn't say why.
And so she flew, screaming and covered in a thin dabble of ice as that blackness lashed out at her and tried to pull her back in, and, and…
"It's your birthday! Hip-hip-hooray! It's your birthday! Now let's have fun and go play! It's your birthday…!"
"Uh, Pinkie Pie, you know it's not my birthday, right?"
"Oh, I know! It's just that I knew it was in one month and I was so excited I couldn't wait so I '…!"
"Pinkie Pie, you are so random!"
The six ponies gathered around the table at the bakery laughed at their pink Earth Pony friend's antics, most of all, the blue Pegasus in the middle, who sported a messy but gorgeous rainbow mane and tail. She had a big, hearty laugh, and it rang out over everypony else.
"Wow… I wasn't expecting this, Pinkie Pie," she laughed.
"Really, Rainbow Dash?" playfully quipped the purple Unicorn across from her. "Pinkie holds parties all the time!"
"Yep yep yep, you're right, Twilight!" squealed Pinkie Pie, rocketing from her seat to do a bouncy dance. "There's nothing more fun than partying with friends at Sugarcube Corner! Because you're all here, and there's the yummy cake, and all the candy!"
"Whoa nelly, sugarcube," said yet another Earth Pony, an orange one with a blonde mane covered up with a big cowboy hat, "calm down, there. Anyway, RD, are ya gonna blow out yer candles anytime soon, 'cuz I'm a might starved!"
"You have so little tact, Applejack," harrumphed a posh, white Unicorn sitting at the end. Using her magic, she poured herself a cup of tea and took butterfly sips, trying to be as elegant as she could. "This is Rainbow Dash's party, and she will blow out the candles upon her gateau when she pleases."
"Awww, horseapples, Rarity. An' what's a gat-oh? Is that one o' yer fancy words for cake? Can ya speak like a normal pony for once?"
"Um… can we not fight… please?" piped up the final guest quietly, a yellow Pegasus who demurely avoided eye contact with them.
"Well, there wouldn't be any fightin' if Rarity laid off!"
"Guys!"
The pony named Twilight, or, as she was less commonly known, Twilight Sparkle, clapped her hooves together.
"Let Rainbow blow out her candles when she wants to!"
"Way ahead of you, egghead!" laughed Rainbow Dash, sweeping her wings theatrically across the cake to extinguish the cake. Frosting blew everywhere, landing on giggling ponies—except Rarity, who whimpered at the cake on her hair.
"Mmm! Yummy!" squealed Pinkie, licking off all the frosting on her face in one sweep of her tongue.
Rolling their eyes good-naturedly at Pinkie Pie, the six ponies began to eat; some, like Applejack, devoured their slice without a regard to cleanliness, others, like Fluttershy, were neat and picked at their food.
Sure, they were all radically different, but that didn't hurt their friendship at all. That just brought them together closer, and that's how it would be forever.
"Great party, Pinkie," grunted Rainbow Dash between bites.
"No problemo! Just wait until your real birthday comes!"
"I don't suppose you guys got me any gifts, right?"
"Now don't git greedy, RD," lectured Applejack. "Yer gonna have t' wait for yer present, but sure as a rattlesnake in a wheelbarrow you're gonna love it!"
"Oh, can we tell her, Twilight?" whispered Fluttershy in that tiny voice of hers. "I just can't wait. See how excited I am? Woohoo."
"Yeah, can we, can we?"
Pinkie bounced up and down again, up and down.
"Well…"
Twilight tapped her hoof on her chin.
"If we told you, it might give you time to practice."
"Practice? For what?"
"Well, we all wrote a letter to Princess Celestia together so she could help us get you this… how would you like to audition for the Wonderbolts?"
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide and she squealed, immediately overcome with excitement.
"Oh… my… gosh! The Wonderbolts! THE best flying team in Equestria!"
"We know, Rainbow. It's your dream to be one, so we thought…"
"Do you know how hard it is to get a slot with them? I… I can't thank you guys enough. You're the best friends ever!"
"Hug?" mumbled Fluttershy.
"Hug! But just this once…!"
Too late. All of the ponies tackled Rainbow and laughed and embraced.
"Ohmygoshohmygosh thank yoooouuuuu!"
"Knock their socks off!"
"Show em' what yer made of!"
"And of course," added Rarity, "I'll sew you a fabulous new flight suit to show off in! You'll look simply divine!"
"Awww, this is such a beautiful moment," squeaked Pinkie. "Hey, do you guys smell smoke? I smell smoke and it's totally yucky and…"
The ponies stopped their revelry immediately and sniffed the air.
Huh.
Pinkie was right.
Smoke.
"Pinkie, did you leave the oven on?" asked Twilight.
"Nopey-dopey! Pinkie Pie promise!"
"Hey, I hear screaming!" cried Rainbow.
It was true. At first it just sounded like white noise, but then it grew more distinctive—screaming, terrified screaming from the residents of the town of Ponyville outside.
"There must be a fire outside!" yelled Twilight. "Rainbow, Fluttershy, go get the weather ponies and bring some rainclouds. We should get out of here… it's unsafe. Stay calm, everypony! It'll be over soon!"
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy barreled through the doorway, letting a great trail of billowing black smoke fill the room. The remaining ponies coughed and shielded their eyes from the incoming soot, groping about to get outside.
"All right, plan B," coughed Twilight, "it's a big fire. Very big fire. Help everypony out of town girls!"
"Right!" affirmed Applejack, holding her breath and galloping into the melee.
"Remember! Friendship can get us through anything, no matter how big!"
Giving a short shout, the rest of the friends followed behind Applejack.
So maybe they made the wrong choice.
But who were they to know that it was safer inside Sugarcube Corner than outside? Because something was coming, something unlike anypony had ever seen before…
Oi. Weak ending, but after writing this chapter, I'm a lot more excited about this story now. 'Til next time. RIN OUT.