Delaying the Inevitable

Chapter 5

Two more weeks passed and I had finished reading the three books I got from the library. Only one spoke of the burnt library, but it didn’t say when ponykind figured that out. But what was remarkable though, was that the front page showed the date the book was written on, which was approximately two hundred years ago from today. That must mean that this book had been written around about the same date the other book was. Of course there are a couple of years in between, but it didn’t even talk about the mistake the other writer made. It was strange, seriously strange. But besides that, I still haven’t got any more information on where that library could possibly have been located at.

And about those threats they gave to me, a couple of ponies like the librarian, the principal, guards and magicians kept on asking how I was doing with my studies. Most of the times I lied to them by saying I’m now just busy learning what we are covering during the lessons, but of course that’s not true at all.

It was Tuesday and the history lessons just finished. As always, we went to Bourgon’s. Just when we sat down on a spot, Bourgon got to us and asked for our orders. I still kept with my standard hayburger, hot saddle or tartiflette, but Shade has begun eating many more new things from the menu like roasted oats and so forth. After taking our orders, Bourgon didn’t leave yet, he wanted to ask me a question: ‘Omega, I’ve heard you wanted to start an excavation for your history lessons?’

I scanned the room by moving my eyes around and then continued: ‘yes, most preferably about Starswirl. And it seems not many ponies like that.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Well, since like a couple of weeks ago, they are constantly worrying themselves I would form a threat because of it.’

Bourgoun looked at me with his mouth open and his eyebrows forming a confused frown: ‘that’s silly?’

‘It is. But anyways, why did you ask me that?’

He pointed with his hoof to a stallion who was busy drinking soup at another table and Bourgon began to speak: ‘you see that pony there? He is a big adventurer from Eastern Equestria and since like four months ago, he started exploring the Everfree Forest. He has apparently found an interesting ancient building just lying there, ready to be discovered. And he is looking for a pony to accompany him.’

We were silent for a while because I was thinking about it. Then Bourgon continued: ‘it isn’t particularly anything Starswirl related, but it might still be interesting, wouldn’t it?’

I nodded: ‘yes, this is probably my only opportunity to ever start that expedition.’

I looked at Shade, he moved with his leg to signify it’s alright if I would leave him for now. I stood up from my chair and got to the stallion. He was a pretty large earth pony and had a brown beard and a gray-yellow fur. He noticed me and I sat down in front of him. There was a brief silent until I started greeting him: ‘Hello, sir. My name is Omega Flame and I’ve heard you were looking for a companion on your journey through the Everfree Forest. Is that correct?’

The stallion cleaned off his mouth using a towel and then continued: ‘yes that’s true,’ he had a really big accent, a typical eastern Equestrian one

‘My name is Navorse, I believe you came here to ask if I could take you with me to the Everfree?’

‘Indeed, I would like to visit that ancient temple you apparently have discovered for a project at my university.’

‘Now I hope you realize what will await you if you would enter the Everfree, right?’

I thought about it for a while, but honestly I didn’t know much about the Everfree Forest, barely anypony does. So I nodded no. He drank a bit more from his soup and then continued: ‘many dangerous creatures lurk in the darkness below the high trees like hydras, manticores and ursa majors just to name a few. Now don’t you worry about them, with me by your side, they won’t do much harm. But you still have to be aware of the threats that lie ahead because even I don’t know everything yet.’

That sounded pretty dangerous, but I didn’t decide to abandon the plan yet: ‘I am ready to take that responsibility.’

‘Alright, kid. Then I would like to meet you at the Canterlot southern walls this evening.’

‘Of course,’ I responded. I left his table and walked back to Shade.

‘So, what did he say?’ Shade asked immediately.

‘He seems to be alright with it. I thought it would take longer than this, but he made his decision fairly quick. I’ll have to meet him at the southern walls this evening though.’

‘For what?’ Bourgon came into the conversation.

‘I don’t know, maybe to set up the plan?’

‘So no studying this Tuesday evening? That’s new,’ Shade added.

It was pretty dark already so I decided to get to the wall now. He didn’t tell me an exact hour, but he must be there by now. I walked up the spiral stairs inside a tower of the southern wall. Then, I walked on the wall all the way until I saw a pony. It was Navorse who was standing there eating an apple. I got next to him, he was looking at the Everfree Forest which got lit up by the twilight. I looked at it as well.

After a silent moment, Navorse began to speak: ‘that forest is probably the biggest secret to pony kind, yet it is so close by the capital city of Equestria.’

I heard him biting in the apple and then he continued: ‘I have visited the forest two months ago, but swiftly I found out that you cannot simply get there all by yourself. And for many days, I have stayed here in Canterlot to wait for a brave pony to accompany me. And I guess you will do the job.’

Again, he took a bit from the apple and that was his last one before he threw it all the way down the cliff.

‘When do you have time to go there?’ He asked.

‘Next week is good for me.’

‘Great, we will meet here again at night-time. Until then,’ and he stayed there, looking at the horizon. Twilight faded away and the Everfree forest was covered in the darkness of the night. I left the wall and got back to my home.

And now it was Tuesday next week again. I had been silent about my journey to the Everfree Forest for the whole week long because I was a bit too scared that they would find me suspicious again. And they have already tried to sabotage me: the librarian said that the books about Starswirl had to go off the shelves for ‘examination’, guards are constantly keeping an eye on me and they sometimes even take a book out of my bag without me noticing it. It is weird and it is uncomfortable.

But now we were in the aula and history lessons just ended.

‘You come to my home for studying?’ Comet Shade asked: ‘I mean, now that I finally got to my seven meters, magic can rest for now.’

‘Oh yes. Shade, remember that earth pony from at Bourgon’s?’ I said while getting down the stairs.

‘Yes?’

‘We both decided to leave towards the Everfree Forest today. So when it will be getting dark, I’m going to the southern walls to meet him once again.’

Professor Veral caught that conversation and interrupted it: ‘are you going to the Everfree Forest?’

‘Yes, I will. For my year project.’

He didn’t stop interrupting me: ‘but, but… you don’t know the dangers of the Everfree Forest!’

‘I know them very well, I’ve read a book about it this week.’

He walked closer to me: ‘and with just one book, you feel yourself assured?’

‘Of course.’

‘Oh my Celestia, you don’t know what fate you will face. If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.’

‘Look professor, it is going to be all fine. I’m going there together with a trustworthy adventurer, he knows everything about the dangers.’

He got silent for now and I tried to use that time to get going, but then he started talking again: ‘well, it seems I cannot convince you with this one, but you will regret not listening to me.’

I opened my mouth to say something again, but Shade pulled at my leg to signify I should just leave it. I got out of the building, back to my home and stayed there for the evening, packing up all my stuff like some paper and quills, spare clothes and food and water. My bag didn’t weigh light at all, but it was bearable. When that was done, dusk fell and I got outside back to the southern wall where Navorse was patiently waiting for me. He also had a large backpack with him.

‘Are you ready?’ He asked.

‘I am,’ I answered.

‘Fine, then let’s leave Canterlot and get to the Everfree Forest.’

We walked down the wall again and got to the nearest exit. It was a large gate on the eastern side, guarded by some guards. Navorse got closer to the gate and he got halted by the guards.

‘Excuse me, please wait here,’ one of the guards told Navorse and they made a sign to me to get over there.

‘I believe you must be Omega Flame, isn’t it?’ The guard spoke to me when I approached him.

‘Yes, it is.’ I was already expecting what they wanted to tell us.

‘For what purpose do you both want to leave Canterlot this time in he evening?’

‘Just leave us alone, we’re not here to do any harm,’ Navorse said in a frustrated voice.

‘Then for what purpose are you leaving?’ The guard kept asking.

‘We are leaving to explore the Everfree,’ I quickly said.

Both the guards and Navorse looked at me.

‘Is that so?’ The guard asked yet again.

‘Yes it is, we are going to the Everfree Forest for an expedition.’

The guard got to me and started talking: ‘haven’t we already warned you enough?’

‘But I don’t see what this has to do with Starswirl or any of my studies?’

The guards looked at each other with a questioning face.

‘I am sorry, but we believe we cannot let you go.’

‘What is that for nonsense?’ Navorse shouted.

‘It is an order.’

‘By whom then?’

‘Princess Celestia.’

‘And she is limiting my own freedom?’ I shouted to the guards.

‘This has nothing to do with your freedom, this has to do with our safety. The safety of Equestria.’

Navorse started to neigh: ‘I’ll show you some safety!’ He kicked the guard who was the closest to him against the gate’s wall.

‘And if anypony here is going to do something stupid like that again, there’s plenty more where that came from!’

The guards helped up the fallen one and then came to a conclusion: ‘very well then. We believe you won’t even be able to survive the forest for more than a couple of hours.’

We finally got through the gate to the outside. The only way to get down to the same level as the Everfree Forest is by using the long stairway down. The stairs themselves were not the problem, it was the length.

‘You really didn’t have to hit him,’ I told Navorse.

‘That was the only way to pass through. I don’t know why they tried to sabotage us going outside, do you?’

‘I don’t know, ever since I started reading many Starswirl books and asked questions about it, they began behaving themselves like that.’

‘Hmm, that must mean there is something fishy going on.

‘I am not expecting Princess Celestia to be part of all of this, so I should inform her about this, shouldn’t I?’ I asked Navorse.

‘Maybe, but let us first get to the Everfree Forest, we will set up a little camp somewhere in between the trees.’

We arrived at the outskirts of the forest. The plains were easy to cross, but the forest seems not to be pony friendly. We walked inside, the first trees were not that large, but they got taller and taller once we got deeper into the woods.

‘Here is an open spot,’ Navorse noticed.

We collected wood and began making a fire. Navorse had some vegetables with him that he cooked inside a pot above the fire.

‘Up till now, the forest has been kind with us, but that will change soon enough. We will have to try and do most of our travels during daytime so we can minimise the dangers that can occur.’

I looked at the fire and the vegetables inside the pot.

‘What might happen during night-time? I asked.’

‘Don’t worry, I have tents with me to sleep in at. As long as we stay in there, nothing will notice us. Speaking of the tent, let’s set it up now.’

He opened his bag and took another, smaller bag, out of it. I helped him set up the tent straight. It wasn’t really a big tent, but it was alright.

After that, we ate the vegetables. They were nothing in comparison with the food back in Canterlot, but it was nutritious and that is what counts now.

After that, we didn’t waste too much time and got to sleep immediately. The fire was out and there was no other light source near us.