Sealed Fox: Lunar Sage

"CHAPTER 3: WELCOME TO PONYVILLE?"

Green for the link, black/grey to stop.

Written by HB_DS2013

Proofread by sunnypack

Overwhelmed once more by a pounding sensation inside his head, the stranger’s eyes fluttered open to the sight of wooden equine masks, various flasks hanging from the ceiling, other ones resting on several wooden tables attached to the walls, candles and a large pot. Taking note of a firm cot below him, he was greeted by the earthy scent of herbs greeted him along with the sounds of bubbles popping and dull hoofsteps filled the silence.

"The danger has passed, and the weather cannot be forecast." The rhyming voice had a masculine sound, but high enough to be feminine. "At the edge of the Everfree, where my hut lies. However, this is a complete surprise."

The boy flinched at the voice, startled by the striped horse standing in front of him. Towers of gold contrasted with the dark grey stripes in a sea of grey. Most horses he had seen in his life had various shades of brown and were incapable of speech.

"This ball is yours, am I correct?" Zecora spoke, breaking the silence while she set the dark blue orb on the bed. He nodded slowly and turned towards the orb, then towards his host with a curious expression; watching her pour spices onto the pot.

With the orb stowed away in his clothes, the mild scent of mushrooms pervaded the air; beckoning him to stay. A cyan light shone brightly, his eyes flickering for a moment. The unnamed boy looked around and stood. Torn between staying for breakfast and leaving outside, his heart won out. With gravity on his side, he crouched down and assumed a feral stance.

'Good. I still know some things.' He smiled to himself as he crept slowly and catiously, taking care not to be alerted. Once he was close to the door, his hand took hold of the door and slowly pulling the door closer, cringing from an audible creak. His heart pounded, now that Zecora heard the creak. Panicking mentally, he quickly opened the door and bolted!

"Where are you? I made some... stew?" Zecora looked around, perplexed with the shifting of dust and the absence of her guest. With no one else to share breakfast with, she returned to pouring out soup and went on to start on her own.

Much to his surprise, the hut behind him turned out to be a large, hollowed out tree. Most of the path ahead was covered by thick fog and a large bed of blue flowers. The boy’s chest started to glow a faint green, his vision shifting from normal to grayscale. With his dark blue body intertwined with a faint, green mist in a sea of grey, he took off into a sprint, rushing through roots and rocks and the occasional manticore. None of the denizens of the natural forest paid attention the dark blue blur flying past pillars of brown and seas of green running like a dog, eventually stopping at a patch of sunlight between a pair of trees.

Stepping onto the light, the boy was greeted by clear skies and houses with straw roofs. Next to him was a sign with letters of some sort written in another language and ahead of him were a sea of trees with red fruits. He also took note of a big house with leaves on top and a pale pink aura.

'So far, so good.' He grinned to himself as he took in his new surroundings. Until the green aura coalesced into an equine shape, and seemed to gather around his body somewhat. With the green aura coming closer to his general direction, he scanned the area and leapt into the closest bush. When he peered through, the sight in front of him prompted a wordless gasp.

The green aura emanated from a small, lemon-coated, amaranth-maned horse. He slapped his forehead and frowned as the hoofsteps grew louder. The shard around the filly's neck pulsed with increasing frequency and as he tried to sneak away, a pair of lemon hooves parted the bushes.

"Gotcha!" Applebloom yelled. "What-"

'-the heck!?'

Gold and gamboge stared at each other as the scent of leaves and apples mixed together in a cool, refreshing breeze. Silence pervaded the air. Creature and pony stood near the edge of the Everfree, a ways off near Sweet Apple Acres.

"Ahm not gunna hurt 'cha." Apple Bloom assured and stepped back. "Stan' up so ah can see what you are." The filly beamed and watched as he stood to his full height.

'Hurt me? I doubt it.' The boy frowned.

"Wow. Yer awful tall fer a new creature." Apple Bloom whistled.

'Then you're small for a horse.' He rolled his eyes and shook his head, giving Apple Bloom a flat look.

"That's because ahm a filly." Apple Bloom replied.

'Oh.'

"Anyway, ah don't think ahve seen yah 'round these parts." Apple Bloom commented. "What's yer name?"

'Uh... my name?' He pointed to himself.

"Yeah, your name." The filly grinned.

'Doe. John Doe.' John rubbed leaves off his clothes and crouched down to her eye level.

"Mah name's Apple Bloom. Nice tah meet 'cha." She reached out and stared in wonder as her hoof was wrapped in John's hands. They had a rough texture from numerous nicks and scratches, filled with a faint warmth from touching the forest floor.

"What's wrong, John?" The filly asked with concern.

'How are you able to understand me?'  John furrowed a brow and frowned while tapping his chin with his fingers.

"You mean this thing?" Apple Bloom grinned as she presented a familiar dark blue shard. John Doe gaped and shook his head, immediately presenting the orb. Both pieces shone brightly as if imbued with an ancient power.  Both pieces pulsed twice, his dark blue mixing with the filly's green. The orb radiated with the earth and its gestalt body shone with his dark blue aura.

"John, right?" He nodded. "How'd you end up in the Everfree Forest?" She raised her brow and lifted up her head, blinking at the towering figure of her friend.

'I'm... not sure. I remember running from something, a flash of green,  then a flash of grey.' He took a deep breath and scratched his head while rotating his shoulders.

"Running from what?" Apple Bloom asked.

'I think I was running from the guards.' John nodded, then tapped his chin and continued, 'Anyway, uh... The Everfree used to be bigger back then and the Royal Guard was chasing after me because I stole a lotta weapons and armor.

"Why would you do that!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "What about the grey flash?"

'Heck would I know! I was too busy running. John rolled his eyes and froze.

The scent of apples pervaded the air, the midday sun looming over Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh was nowhere to be found and Applejack can be seen bucking trees with her mighty hindhooves. Granny Smith snored like a hibernating bear in winter as she sat in her rocking chair near the main house. Apple Bloom breathed the scent of home while John Doe took in the acres and acres of trees. Nearby the duo was a tree filled with delicious, savory apples waiting to be bucked.

With wondrous curiousity and their mild scent, John opened his mouth to sample the mild and sweet mist, but the manacle on his neck flickered with a magenta aura. The moment the pink mist tried to enter his mouth, it scattered away from him and dissipated into motes of light. John closed his eyes, hung his head and gave a resigned sigh while his stomach responded with a loud growl. A loud growl that was followed by a faint bark. A seemingly faint bark that echoed through the farm.

A chilled spark flew up John's spine and his eyes shrank. He stepped back from the tree with a fearful look in his eyes and winced. It came from a brown dog with white splotches and semi-pricked ears.

BARK! BARK!

John gulped.