The Gateway

Yawwwwnnnnn

Waking up, I can see the sunlight streaming through the tent's opening and outside I can hear the birds chirping away merrily, creating a morning choir. Getting on my hooves carefully, as to not upset my previously found balance, I walked outside my tent. Judging from the sun's position, it was about 7:30, with plenty of time to get ready. Preparing another fire less meal, I decided that unless the Overmind had something planned for me, I would get those rocks. I had meals that could be prepared without a fire, and I wouldn't starve, but most of those were meant more as snacks, and not actual meals. Most of my actual meals were either better with fire or unsafe to eat raw.

After finishing my breakfast, I set about gathering some decently sized sticks to begin my plan. After gathering a couple of them, I stuck each in a rectangle. Although I would've preferred an oval, collecting enough sticks to accurately make one would be pointless. Planting my last stick in the ground, I jumped in the air when I heard a familiar voice.

I see you've been doing quite well, and if I didn't know any better, I would say you were making a track. Well, actually, I do know better, as I've been here the whole time, but nonetheless. I assume you are building it to train your body, perhaps to get across a conveniently placed river to get some rocks, something this side seems to be sorely lacking. I wonder how that happened

So you purposefully put the only reachable rocks on the other side of the river I couldn't cross yet, really? That just seems like a silly way to test me. The only possible thing you could see from that was if I'd take the initiative to try to get them myself, or if I'd wait.

That is precisely why I did it. I could have given you rocks, and just told you to train your body later, and you would likely do it, but it's was all about wether you'd take the initiative. It was a test to see if you would still rely on yourself even when I could easily do it for you with little effort on my part. Plus, it gives you some extra motivation to actually train, as you still need to get those rocks by yourself. A fire is a vital part of your supplies, and like I said before, you will receive no further help for this task from me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things I have to attend to that can't be delayed any longer. Until next time.

Ok, so no help getting the rocks, was kind of expecting that, but still a pain. I guess it's time to train. Woohoo, go me. Anyway, training, right. Warming up, I started to walk around my makeshift track a couple times, going faster each time, until eventually I was going at a fast walk. Speeding up as I went around, in a couple of minutes, I was going at a slow jog. In 10 more minutes, I was going at a regular jog,and after a combination of walking and jogging around the track for an hour since I began, I was going at a slow run.

If I was still human, I would easily be able to outrun my new top speed, but I would definitely be able to cross the river soon.

It's kind of ironic really, I'm disguising as a shapeshifter disguising as a pony. It's actually kind of silly if you think about it that way. It gets even better if the Overmind is in control, because then you have a being disguising as a human disguised as a shapeshifter disguising as a pony.

Anyway, I should probably take a break, and see if I can get those rocks. It would be nice to get them before the sun came down, as I'd have to wait until tomorrow to cross the river.

Thirty minutes later, I was standing at the edge of the river.

The river was far from dangerous, in fact, it was one of the more tame rivers I've seen. It was going fast enough that if you lost your footing it would start to sweep you away, albeit slowly, but not fast enough that it posed a very high chance of sweeping you off your feet in the first place. The water went about to my knees, joints? Still not sure on changeling anatomy, but my knees if I was still human. It is about eight feet wide in all, and it seems to be perfectly straight the whole way down. The footing looks pretty safe, so I should be able to cross it if all goes well.

Taking my first step in, I realized that the river had a slight pull, but not enough to be too debilitating. It should be easy to cross if I move slowly.

Carefully putting the rest of my legs into the current, I started to move forward at a walk. After a minute of shuffling my way across the river, I made it to the other side. Looking around for the rocks, I see them over at the beginning of the apple trees. Moving over to them, I realize something that I should have thought of before I crossed the river; how was I going to get the rocks across?

I couldn't carry the rocks across; I could make it with four hooves, but carrying the rock in one foot would disrupt both my balance and footing, ensuring I would fall. I didn't have any other way of making it across either, unless I spent more time here. The only way to get across with the rocks would be to fashion some sort of backpack, but there wasn't anything that I cold really use. Unless... It just might work, if I do it correctly.

Walking back across to the river, I go through my supplies and pick up my rope. After tying it around my midsection I wade across the river back to the rocks. Looking around the trees, I find two almost identical branches, and carry them over to the river. Getting more shorter stick I break them so that they are all as long enough to go across my midsection horizontally, except for the two longer ones. Laying the two large sticks in the same direction, I start to lay the smaller sticks between them, tying it all together with rope, and making sure that the rope would end in the middle with plenty of extra. Tying it around my midsection, what I effectively created was a platform on my back that could hold the rocks no problem.

Going around tossing as many rocks as I could onto the platform without it being a problem, I set off across the river. After a couple more trips, I had enough rocks to make a fire, and just in time too, as the sun would be going down soon. Taking off my makeshift platform, I set it by the entrance to my tent and start to make my fire.

After digging a small ditch with my hooves, I position the rocks around it. Putting some small kindling in the fire, I set it off. After a couple of tries, one of the sparks catch and the flame is set ablaze. Putting some small twigs onto the fire, and moving to bigger and bigger pieces, by the time the sun was almost about to set, I had a roaring fire crackling merrily by my shelter.

When the stars came out and lit up the night sky, my fire was dying down, I had my first cooked meal since I got here, and for the first time since getting here, it seemed like just any other day adventuring through some remote forest.

Losing himself in the moment, the only sign the occupant of the tent was alive was the rise and fall of his chest and the faint sound of snoring.