The Winterhoof Chronicles - Part 1
Hey folks, Winterhoof here with a brand new chapter series for ya. I'ts been in the making for quite some time now and i'm finally ready to unveil my story ^_^ Enjoy the first chapter of The Winterhoof Chronicles, The Forbidden Forrest
Forbidden Forest
I had always wondered about the dangers my father warned me about. I'm speaking of the dangers inside the Everfree Forest. My father had ventured through when he was a young colt, but he never talked about it. Even when I asked him, he would always say, "You're too young Winter. When you're older maybe." All the older ponies were scared of the forest, but no one would tell me why. I'm seventeen for Celestia's sake!
I was an unruly colt; rebellious, tenacious, adventurous. I didn't have many friends, but there was one who I did spend alot of time with. She was a unicorn, and quite something to look at. Not real tall, but slender and athletic. She had white fur mixed with patches of brown. Her mane and tail were white, and she had a patch of brown right across her right eye that went down to her cheek. She stood out from most of the ponies here, which is why I like her. She's different like me. Everypony calls her Patches. We would hang out quite a lot at school. I'd talk to her about my dreams of trekking into the forbidden forest...she was quite against it.
Sometimes I would go off to a hill overlooking the edge of the forest and stare at it for hours hoping I'd see something, or hear something; but I never did. I wanted so bad to just go to the edge of the forest, but it was drilled into my mind by my father and all the older mares that the forest was to be feared. Just what was it that everypony was so afraid of?
One day I was kneeling down in the grass atop the hill as I always do. Dark clouds had filled the sky, no sun to be found. The pegasi must have their hooves full to move enough clouds to blot out the sun. It was dawn; quite an eerie setting really. And then I heard it. That one thing that I was waiting for, but it wasn't what I was expecting...Singing; a mare's voice. The most beautiful voice I'd ever heard was coming in the direction of the forest.
"Young colt, young blood, I desire so much.
Come here, come closer, and retire to my touch."
It was tantalizing. I stood up and began to walk. The closer I came to the tree line, the louder the singing became. The singing drew me closer...and closer. The edge of the forest was within throwing distance when something grabbed me by my tail...It was my father.
My father is a very strong Pegasus with black fur, tail, and hair. He can be intimidating just to look at and I expected a scolding when I turned around to see him. But there was a look of terror in his eyes. He was looking around in all directions as if he knew something was coming. I'd never seen my father so scared.
"Look away from the forest Winter, and do not look back," he said, with a shaken voice.
My father wrapped his wing around me and we started walking away from the forest. But the singing was still there. I wanted to look back, but my father's wing was blocking my view. The voice wanted me to stop, it wanted me to turn around and look back. But all of a sudden, the singing stopped. Then my father stopped and stood still; too still. He was frozen, but not by fear. A statue he was...turned to stone. I tried to free myself from my father's wing, but it was wrapped too tightly around me. There were figures coming out of the forest, but I couldn't see them well for there was a haze in the air. I tried again to break free from my father's wing when something let loose this horrific sound. I high pitched screech that sent shivers down my spine. Finally I budged free and saw my father in whole; a cold rock in the shape of a Pegasus. I fell to my knees and tears came to my eyes. I could not believe what was happening; it was no dream. You can't feel pain in a dream. My neck was red and bleeding from my father's grip. Tears fled from my eyes and something was approaching.
As I turned I made out a figure in the fog, but could not keep my eyes open. My eyelids grew heavy as if something was putting me to sleep. Then I heard it again, the singing. It was coming from the figure approaching me. I barely made out what it was before something grabbed me from behind. When I looked up to see who it was, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was my one true friend...Patches.