My Name is Matt

A month.

Good luck out there, Matt. If you need any advice, I'm still allowed to talk to you telepathically. I know that you don't know much about this world. If you want to ask me anything, I can guarantee I'll have an answer somewhere in my library., Twilight said to me, through my brain - an ability we have both recently discovered, if not in the most pleasant of ways.

Thank you, Twilight. I appreciate the help. See you in a month, I guess.

I didn't want any more distractions. I blocked off all incoming telepathy signals, and strode off into the forest. The blazing hot sun beat down across my back and I soon began to sweat. I placed the torch in my pocket and carried my spear. I'd make something to hold it in later. It was around six feet long, made with a sturdy wooden shaft and a sharp stone-like blade. It wouldn't break any time soon, as far as I was aware. As I entered the trees, the canopy blocked the sunlight bar a few spots, and I was plunged into semi-darkness. The grass brushing against my feet and the soft whistles of birds were the only sounds I heard. I decided too get off of the beaten track - find somewhere more suitable for settling down, making a small shelter of sorts. Maybe it would do me more good to make a small platform on a tree, stop the animals on the ground getting to me. As far as I knew, the creatures in this land were deadly. It didn't look like many ponies went in the forest, so I assumed it was in some way dangerous.

Turning left into the longer grass, I soon found a small opening with a large patch of short grass, like it had been cut. Trees surrounded it. A sharp crackling startled me and I jumped into the air a short ways. Looking down, it was just a log that had been embedded into the ground by something. I looked around the clearing. A small stream ran down one side, a soft swishing noise emanating from it. Okay, a source of water. A fairly large tree with thick, long branches protruded from the rest of the forest. I could use the one branch that leaned further into the clearing toward me to settle down. A nice clear part of the clearing with no trees hanging over it seemed perfect for a fire. I'd want to look around more, maybe make a little quiver and a water pouch from something, but this looked like a great place to stay at night. I found some longer sticks laying around and cut sharp tips into them to mark out where I'd be staying, and to use in an emergency, and placed them into the ground around the clearing. By the time I'd finished, the sun was around an hour from setting, from what I could tell, so I ventured back out into the thickly vegetated jungle to find a source of food and some materials to make things out of.

Soon into walking, I found a large bovine-like creature sitting in the long grass. I'd assume its meat was eatable, and I'd rather not have taken my chances with the plants. Sneaking up to the animal, I raised my spear, ready for an attack or to attack. As I got close, I realised that it hadn't seen me - it was facing away. I stayed down, ready. Then I pounced. A scream filled the air before I put it out of its misery with a slice to its neck. I felt bad about it, but if I was going to survive a month in a deadly forest, I was going to need it. Grass swished around me. Something had heard this cow-like creature crying out. I disregarded it. Getting as much leather-like skin as I could, as well as meat, I ran back to the clearing. Something had followed me, I was sure of it - but it was smart enough to not rush in after me.

Working through the night, I made a pouch for my spear to fling over my back and a small water bottle for myself, as well as, with the spare pieces, a vest to put over my shoulders - in case anything attacked me. It could stop a claw or a short knife, but weighed a lot. By the time I had done making these, it was fairly late into the night. I took the rest of the leather and laid it over the long branch, settling down for what I assumed would be a short night. It wasn't.

Matt.

I tossed and turned in my sleep, the interruptance annoying me whilst I laid there.

Matt, you have to wake up. I think something is going to attack you - maybe more than one.

Ugh.. go away.. just.. want sleep...

Matt, listen. Wake up, now. You have to run.

Listening to Twilight's voice, I turned over and got my torch out of my pocket, scanning the ground with my light. Shit.

Matt, run.

Yep!

I leaped out of the tree, a screeching behind me.

Swish-swish-swish. Thunk-thunk-thunk.

It had fired something at me. The projectiles had hit a tree next to me.

Twilight, it's firing something at me! What is it?!

They're called Crocoaci. Keep running. It fires needles out of its skin, three at a time. One hits you, you go crazy. Don't let it touch you in any way.

Lovely.

I kept running. And running. I could still hear it behind me. Every ten seconds or so, it would fire another three needles that would hit somewhere close to me. I had to come up with a way to kill it before I ran out of energy. As I ran, I formed an idea.

Swish-swish-swish!

I turned.

Thunk-thunk-thunk!

I ran. I raised my spear, preparing. The small creature backed away, but it couldn't run backwards as fast as I could forwards. Just before I was within hitting range, I realised something. It stopped.

Swish-swish-swish!

I slid. I saw two wide sharp spikes fly over my face. Only two?

Thunk.

I jumped up and over the creature and brought the end of the spear down on top of it. Turquoise goop sprayed to every side from the wound.

Ugh.

Is it dead? Are you sure nothing hit you?

I looked down, checking myself. A spike protruded from my impromptu jacket. I pulled it out, not knowing if it had hit me or not. I'd not felt any pain.. A hole lay through it. Checking the shirt underneath, there was a small prick in that, too.

Matt?

Twilight.

A long pause.

How deep does it have to go?

Oh, my. Matt, you need to get something over the wound. Quickly. Get a leaf or something. It has to go a fair way to have mental effects, but it'll hurt a lot. Put water and a cover over it. Make sure it doesn't get infected.

Fuck, fuck fuck. Do they.. do they travel in packs? Do they travel in packs? If there's more..

Wait, wait, wait. I need to look through the book.

I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU TO LOOK THROUGH A GOD DAMNED BOOK! THIS IS A MATTER OF BLOODY LIFE OR DEATH!

Matt, stop worrying. They don't. Calm down, it'll only get worse. You need to get to sleep before the pain hits, or it'll be almost impossible for you to sleep.

I walked, stumbling, to my tree. The pain was starting. A dull pang in my chest, strengthening with every heartbeat. I winced. Lay down.

Twilight?

Yes?

A single tear fell down my cheek. My chest burned. It hurts.

A lump formed in my throat. Being in this forest, laying down in pain, twisting and turning, trying to get rid of the pain, reminded me of how good sitting with Rainbow on the cloud was.

Matt...

I blinked twice. Tears streaked down my cheeks, dripping to the leather below me and running off into the darkness.

Twilight, listen to me. Is there any way I can talk to Rainbow? Please.

I can grant her the ability to talk, but not for long. I understand.

Please..

Matt?

The voice washed through my head like a painkiller, sending warmth through my body from my head to my toes. The pain was dulled.

I miss you already. I don't know if I can spend a month in this hellhole.

Matt, come on, you have to. I'll be waiting right at the edge of Ponyville for you when it's over.

I am never letting you out of my sights when I'm back. Never.

I can put up with that. I could almost hear her giggle. Are you in pain?

Not any more. Just.. talk to me. What's happened since I've been gone?

It's only been a few hours, haha. We got back to Ponyville. On the train, everypony was feeling down, I'm telling you. We all know more about the forest than anypony else, there are a ton of things that are out to get you. At first we weren't sure if you were gonna survive. But you're strong, you can do it.

I closed my eyes, and smiled for the first time in days.

We all went back home. I've been sitting with Twilight, somehow she's been able to monitor you. That's how she woke you up before.. whatever it was attacked you. Are you sure you're okay?

I'll live.

Okay, Matt, I can't hold it up much longer, you two are gonna have to say goodbye. It was Twilight.

I love you. Rainbow.

I love you too, Dashie. Whatever happens, don't panic. Please, if something goes wrong, just carry on and pretend you never knew me. I'm not worth fretting over.

Don't say that, you're everything. I love you. Goodnight.

I drifted to sleep. And so was Day 1 in the Forest. 29 to go.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville

I love you. Goodnight.

"It's gone." Twilight said, fatigued.

"Twilight, you make sure he doesn't die. If he does.." a single tear ran down the rainbow pony's cheek. "I don't think I could carry on. I don't know what it is, but I love him. Don't let him die."

"Rainbow... no matter what he did... no matter how unforgivable... I could never break a friendship off, and I can never leave somepony.. or somebody to die. Go home. Forget about him, he'll be absolutely fine. I'll watch over him, you'll see. It's late." Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash. "Go."

And so she did.

"I'll watch over him.." Twilight said, her eyes drooping already. It was late in the night, or early in the morning, she had no idea. She'd exerted herself that day, through chasing the human, travelling all the way to Canterlot, and upholding a complex spell allowing her friend to talk to Matt for just a few minutes. As much as she cared for the friendship between her and the human, and the love between Rainbow Dash and him, she simply could not stay awake for much longer. It had been one of the most tiring days she'd ever experienced. Somewhere in the night, a clopping was emanating from her window. She trotted over, closed it, and turned off the lights, creating another vision of Matt's location, sapping on her energy more, drop by drop. "Watch.. over.."

The vision faded, and vanished completely from sight. Twilight had fallen asleep. There was nopony to watch over Matt that night.