Author's Note

I am so sorry that I didn't write this earlier, but here it is, the trip he took.

The Journey

Turns out, falling down a cliff hurts. My back first hit the muddy cliff and I tumbled onto my chest, then I began to slide down the cliff. It was a steep cliff, mud-coated my once sleek body. The wind roared and was freezing as I accelerated down the cliff. The ground was unforgiving, I landed face first and slowly slid to a stop.

I groggily got up and shook off some mud. Then, I flopped back down into the mud. Rolling around in joy, it felt so cold and so wet! I feel like a little kid, I feel so good. I am free and I can feel, smell, and taste.

I got up and shook some mud off. I began running and made large splashes in big muddy puddles, splashing it everywhere getting myself even dirtier than I already was.

I briskly skipped, sending globs of mud in several directions, until I reached a river. The clear blue river slightly sloshed around and the sounds of flowing water replaced my muddy splashing.

I dove into the water, not caring about the how cold it was. The river was so refreshing, I submerged with a mouthful of water, spraying a light stream of it into the air. I didn’t feel dry at all anymore.

I quickly dived down again, this time opening my mouth and drinking as much as I could. The water slid down my throat, clearing up any dryness down my throat. The water was so delicious, a lot more than I remember it being.

I swam to the other side of the river and climbed onto the shore. I took in rapid breaths, before I spoke my first words in decades, “I...am...ALIVE!!!” my shout pierced the forest’s natural sounds, briefly silencing them before the chirps of birds and insects returned.

I took another deep breath and stride into the forest.

Birds chirped around me, in an almost harmonious tune. It was like nature had accepted me and welcomed me into her forest. The trees had a beautiful light brown bark, the leaves had a vivid bright healthy green to them.

The trees are all healthy and spread out. Like each of them are minding their own space, and giving each other their own space. Unlike most forests, the trees aren’t competing and the animals don’t fight for food. They are sharing and helping each other out. Heck, I even saw a squirrel giving another squirrel an acorn, it was loving.

I happily kept walking through the forest taking in everything. Suddenly, the grass shifted to a darker more depressing shade of green. I looked straight away and was startled by the sight.

Like a border, the grass changed colors in an almost perfect line. Beyond the darker grass, was a forest, but this forest was eerie and so depressing. Trees cracked and dark, some fall on each other, etched with scary looking faces. A low hanging fog loomed across the surface of the forest to complete it. No sounds came from this forest. It was a deafening silence at this border. It was dead and desolate, almost as if nothing lived here.

Yet, it seemed oddly familiar, like I’ve been here before. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I felt...at home over here. Like that other forest was a vacation, but this one was home.

I take a step towards the forest, crunching the brittle darkened grass, under my foot. And, I took another and then another. The forest was like a siren hypnotizing me to walk in. And, it worked, I was lured into that forest.

I snapped out of my trance and turned around to exit, but the opening was gone. It made no sense I had just walked through a gap in the treeline, but now all there’s only a wall of trees and twigs.

I feel the wall of twigs and it was solid. So, I went the only way I could go, forward.

I wasn’t skipping anymore, I felt on edge and alert, constantly stopping at every sound. It was almost like no life was here. I saw no leaves or lush green grass, just blackened mess.

But, why did it feel like home here? It’s almost inhospitable, it sucks here, why would I ever want to live here?

I sat down, leaning back on a tree, I groan, I needed to think this over for a little while.

Ok, so I bought a tail at a con and then was sent here, by a merchant guy. Wait, wasn’t it a facehugger? Forget it! A merchant sends me here. And I live here for a while before getting turned to stone by a rainbow by Celestia. Now, i’m free and wandered into this forest and am here now.

Wait, where did I live? It was shabby but was enough to suit my needs. But, I don’t remember anything else. Clearly, though, it is in this forest, I really can’t shake the feeling of familiarity here.

What really sets it off is the lingering smell of dew, but was mostly blocked out by the strong smell of ash.

Getting up, I take a breath and venture further into the forest.

As I walk I glance around frequently, trying to spot anything different. But this forest was like a pattern, nothing new was showing up and I was getting very irritated. I hated this feeling of powerlessness, I hated that I had no control over my situation.

I kept glancing around, until a faint stench caught my attention, just as I looked in the direction it came from, a gust of wind blew it away. Thank you wind, it really smelled. I brushed it off as a rotting plant or something and continued forward. The gust of wind continued, and it was a good change to the forest.

I kept walking, passing even more trees with angry faces. I stopped suddenly, I felt like I was being watched.

I looked around more periodically, before continuing to walk, more slowly this time.

The gust was blowing even harder than before, only adding to my concern. The feeling of being watched hurt, it was so strong and, an urge to hold my ground was screaming at me, I could not ignore it. I completely stop and get on all fours and raise my tail ready for anything.

The gust suddenly stops and nothing happens. I sigh in relief, I can’t believe I was that scared of nothing. I was about to get up, but the stench comes back, but much more thick. A green haze surrounds me, further adding to the eerie surroundings and it stinks really bad.

Suddenly, a large dog jumps out of nowhere and bites my neck, hard. I was caught off guard, reeling back the dog let's go for some reason. Giving me a good look at it, and it was made of...wood, different twigs fit into place to look like a dog. Though, that thing looks so familiar. Its mouth was full of smoke and it was whimpering.

When the smoke cleared, it’s maw no longer had teeth and it’s jaw looked melted.

A hiss caught my attention as I looked directly down. A tiny patch of grass was hissing with steam. I felt my neck and looked at the green slimy substance on my fingers. Right I forgot, acid for blood.

Another wooden dog exploded from the bushes directly behind, but this time I was ready and simply batted it away with my tail, rocketing it back into the forest.

Still, on all fours, I glance around and back at the spot that another dog was at, but it was gone. Several seconds pass and I grew nervous, every sound and rustle gaining my attention. My senses were in overdrive and my adrenaline was at an all-time high. They wanted an opening and I wasn’t gonna give them one.

The stench...lessons and the green haze slowly fades, before completely going away.

I sigh in relief, “Oh, thank the lord, they left.” I say, a great pressure releasing itself from me.

I wanted to lay down and let my adrenaline subside but no, I have used this energy to find a way out of here.

I got up, standing on two legs again, and began a jogging pace forward once again, but I got a little too into it and began running. Trees, foliage, and twigs rushed past me in a blur. I was having fun again, even in this creepy forest. Gleefully running, I breakthrough a clearing. I stop, staring at the end of the clearing.

“I-I know this place.” I say softly, trying to hold back my amazement, “It’s my old cave!”