Fifteen Daysby UnluckyReaverChaptersDay NineBonus Chapter: Fifteen Weeks LaterPrologue: Day 17Day OneDay TwoDay ThreeDay FourDay FiveDay SixDay SevenDay EightDay TenDay ElevenDay TwelveDay ThirteenDay FourteenDay FifteenDay SixteenEpilogue: Day 17Day NineWhen Dash woke, she found herself alone. Relax Dash, this isn’t the first time that's happened since crashing out here. Rainbow reminded herself. Strider’s probably off taking care of… stuff. As she settled down to wait for Striders return, Dash noticed that the bandages on her foreleg had disappeared. “That's odd.” Dash muttered. “Did Strider take them off?” Looking over her shoulder, she found the the bindings on her wing and hind leg were also gone. “Ok, that's just weird.” Carefully testing her wings, Dash found that there wasn’t any pain. A smile quickly spread across Dash’s face as she flapped her wings harder, this time actually getting airborne. “This is great!” Dash exclaimed. “Now that I can fly, it's going to be so easy to get back home!” Just before she shot up above the canopy, Dash was struck by a terrible realization. “What am I doing?” she scolded herself. “I can’t just take off and leave Strider wondering what happened. I know I’ll wait for him to get back, then I can fly up above the trees and guide us back to Ponyville.It’s a brilliant plan!” Making herself comfortable, Dash waited for her friend to return from his “business”. After several long and boring minutes, Dash was thoroughly bored. “Ugh! Where are you? Seriously, how long does it take?” she complained loudly. As time wore on, Dash slowly went from inpatient to worried. “Maybe something happened? Maybe he’s stuck or hurt or something. I should probably go look for him.” Slowly gliding through the trees, Dash searched for any sign of where Strider could have gone. “Where the hay is he!” Dash exclaimed after an hour of fruitless searching. “I don’t get it! He should be here! He couldn’t have just disappeared.” She kicked a nearby tree in frustration only to instantly be caught in several vines. “Oh, come on!” Dash shouted and reached for her stone knife only to find that it wasn’t there. “Just great, now I’ve lost my knife.” Dash groaned. As she searched for where her knife could have fallen, she noticed that the sheath was missing as well. “When did I take that off?” Dash asked herself. “I don’t remember taking it off.” Without the knife, Dash was reduced to struggling against the vines until they broke free. As the last one gave way, Rainbow let out a small victory cheer, before resuming her search for Strider. As the sun began to drop below the horizon, Dash finally found Strider. He was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring out into space. Rainbow called out to him, but Strider either didn’t hear her, or ignored her. Calling out to him louder this time, Strider again didn’t respond to her. Just as Dash was about to yell his name for the third time, she noticed that the ground around Strider was starting to crack and come loose. Fearing that her friend was about to fall to his death, Dash pumped her wings hard only to be met with a loud crack and a face full of dirt. Ignoring the pain, Dash let her suddenly broken wing dangle at her side and ran forwards, only to see Strider disappear as the ground gave way beneath him. “NO!” Dash screamed as she bolted upright from her makeshift bed. Before she could take stalk of what happened, Dash felt something grab her shoulder. Turing to see what it was, Dash found Strider looking at with concern. Rainbow instantly wrapped her forelegs around him. “You’re alive. It was just a dream, just a dream.” Dash repeated over and over as Strider gently wrapped his own arms around the pegasus. Bonus Chapter: Fifteen Weeks LaterAuthor's Note And total sequel bait... Bonus Chapter: Fifteen Weeks Later Life after her adventure in the Everfree Forest eventually returned to the normal type of hectic for Rainbow Dash; Wonderbolt practice, filly mentoring, and the occasional friendship problem. Occasionally her thought would drift to the Everfree and Strider. She found herself wondering what happened to him once he returned home. She hoped that he made it back to where ever he was from safely, and that maybe, one day, they would meet again. Deep in the Everfree, a strange black stone that stood straight up out of the ground began to shimmer and ripple. The forest went silent as everything seemed to freeze as a tall bipedal figure emerged from the stone. Prologue: Day 17Rolling out of the hospital bed, Rainbow Dash quietly crept through the halls, hoping not to draw anypony’s attention. Ducking around corners, into rooms and behind counters the pegasus eventually made her escape from the sterile building and into the bright afternoon sun. With a gentle flap of her wings Rainbow rose into the air, enjoying the feeling of being airborne only a brief moment before racing off to her house. Landing next to Tanks basket, Rainbow found it empty. “Well, I have been gone a long time.” she said to herself. “Fluttershy is probably looking after him.” Rainbow turned and raced up the stairs to her bedroom. Going from wardrobe to closet to dresser, Rainbow gathered all of the things she thought she would need or would be useful. Pulling on her packed saddlebags, Rainbow head back down the stairs to her front door. “Sorry pal, I can’t come get you just yet; I have to find somepony else first.” Rainbow said to Tank’s empty basket. With one last look over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash left Ponyville behind her and entered the Everfree Forest. Day OneRainbow Dash was putting the final touches on her new trick; her goal was to perform the sonic rainboom, then reverse direction and cause a second one, essentially creating a sonic rainboom within a sonic rainboom. The air pressure around her increased as Rainbow made the final turn; however the loud boom that accompanied the turn was not the sound of Rainbow completing her trick; it was the sound of her being thrown violently off course. Tumbling through the air, Rainbow Dash desperately tried to pull herself out of the uncontrolled dive she was in. Pain shot through her wings every time she tried to use them, her legs dangled below her, useless. Looking towards the ground, her eyes widened in horror as the canopy of the Everfree Forest was racing towards her. Raising her forelimbs to protect herself, she closed her eyes and braced herself. Rainbow Dash could feel herself striking the few series of branches, forcing the air out of her lungs and her eyes open. A series of greens and browns passed before her eyes then she came to a sudden and violent stop. As she tried to stand, Rainbow Dash found that two of her legs gave out immediately; looking herself over, she could see that one of her legs was at a strange angle, and the other one had a long gash. In addition, one of her wings was hanging limply at her side. Panic overtook the Pegasus as she realized that she was now stuck in the middle of the Everfree Forest without any way of getting out. “WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?” Rainbow exclaimed, desperately trying to figure out what to do. A roar interrupted her train of thought. Looking up Rainbow saw a large lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail; a manticore, only this one was much larger than the one they faced during the Nightmare Moon incident. Dash tried to get to her feet once more, only to find her legs still didn’t want to work. The manticore pounced forewords knocking the Pegasus through the air for several feet where she collided with a tree. As the world slowly faded, the manticore moved in for the kill. Just before everything completely faded, Rainbow saw something else enter the small clearing, when it seemed to shout at the manticore then everything went black. Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance and reached for her pillow, only to find it missing. “Stupid pillow! Where did you go?” With her eyes still closed she began to feel around for her missing pillow only to have her hoof come in contact with the cold earth. “What the hay?!” the blue Pegasus exclaimed, her eyes shooting open. Looking around, it took several seconds for her eyes to adjust; “It’s night? When did it become night? And why am I outside, in the... Ever…free…Forest…” Dash’s eyes widened in horror as the memories came rushing in. “That would mean…” She turned her head to look herself over. She was lying on some sort of makeshift bed made from something she couldn’t quite recognize. Both her broken leg and wing had been placed in splints, and her other wounds were bandaged. “Who did… wait, there was a second…” The Pegasus trailed off when she noticed the small fire and the form that was next to it. Since it seemed to be sitting it was hard for Rainbow to judge its full size; the creature looked like nothing anything she had ever seen before. It was fully clothed; had a short, light brown mane, had tanned skin instead of fur on its strange face, and its small gray eyes were studding her carefully. When it reached out for the bag that was beside it, Rainbow could see that its forelimbs looked similar to Spike’s but lacked the actual claw. From her position on the makeshift bed, Rainbow watched as one of the creature’s forelimbs reached into the bag, searching through it for something. As it pulled out whatever it was looking for, the creature returned its attention towards her. The cyan Pegasus’ jaw dropped when it did the last thing she was expecting; it began to speak. The creature’s voice was deep, and spoke in a strange harsh language that Rainbow didn’t recognize. He, the Pegasus guessed that the creature was a he, paused as if waiting for the cyan mare to answer him. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say big guy.” Dash said bluntly. The creature looked at her for a moment, then spoke again only this time he pulled an apple from the bag. It held the apple out for a moment, then tossed the apple so that it landed near her front hooves. He spoke again as he pulled out another apple for himself. Rainbow looked over the apple for a few moments; deciding that if this strange creature really wanted to do hurt her it would have done so by now, the Pegasus picked up the apple and took a bite. Looking up, Rainbow could see that the creature had placed a half eaten apple next to him, and was pulling something out of the fire. Having shared meals with Gilda in the past, Rainbow recognized what it was almost immediately. The mare watched in both horror and fascination as he went from eating the apple to eating the cooked flesh of something that was once alive. “What do I do? I’m stuck here with something that eats meat! What if it eats ponies… what if its planning eat me?!” Rainbow said starting to panic rising once more. Trying to stand, her injured legs quickly gave way from under her. “Oh man, I can’t run, can’t fly… I doomed!” Dash looked around for something, anything to help her, when it suddenly hit her. “Gilda ate meat and she didn’t eat ponies… maybe this thing is the same.” Cautiously Rainbow turned to look at the creature only to realize that it was watching her. The creature spoke again then tossed another two apples at the Pegasus. Dash looked at the apples then up at the creature but it had already turned his attention back to the fire. Maybe it… he just thought I wanted more food and wasn’t freaking out. Rainbow told herself. Yeah, that’s probably it. Rainbow watched as the creature pulled something new from the bag then stood. Seeing it at full height for the first time left Rainbow Dash in shock; it was tall, taller than Big Mac, possibly as tall as the princess. It walked towards her on two legs much the same way as Spike did. Moments later Dash found herself looking up, staring into the creature’s eyes that seemed to shine with a predatory intellect. After several long seconds, Dash found herself compelled to break her gaze; to her surprise the creature seemed to smile then sat down next to her. Rainbow watched the creature for any signs that it might attack; instead it began to fiddle with whatever it had taken out of the bag. Curiosity eventually got the better of her, and the Pegasus shifted to get a better look at the item; it was white and had strange brown lettering on it, the creature removed this part to reveal a foil layer underneath. Once opened, Rainbow recognized what it was, a chocolate bar; the creature broke it in half then held out one of the pieces towards the blue mare. Well, it hasn’t tried to eat me yet, so… Rainbow told herself as she took the chocolate. The creature turned his attention to his own piece, seemingly ignoring the Pegasus. I don’t get this thing at all; one moment he’s giving me food, the next he’s ignoring me. Dash thought as she bit into the chocolate. Not bad, had better though. The creature finished his piece and stared at the fire for several moments before doing something unexpected; it began to sing. His voice was deep but gentle; Rainbow felt herself slowly drifting off as the creature sung it's strange lullaby. Day TwoRainbow Dash woke as the light from the sun filled her eyes. As she slowly opened them, she took a quick look around; the creature was no longer sitting next to her but was emptying the bag from the night before. She hesitated for a moment before speaking; “Hey… ummm, I’m not sure if you can understand me or whatever, but can I have one of those?” Dash pointed at an apple lying on the ground. The creature looked at her for a moment, then at the apple she was pointing at. Picking it up, the creature brought it, and the now empty bag, over to Dash. Giving Dash the apple, the creature crouched down and began to draw in the dirt. Looking up from her apple, the creature pointed at her, the drawings, the bag, and then finally himself. Confusion spread across Dash’s face as she tried to figure out what the creature was telling her. The pictures showed a crudely drawn four legged creature, then the creature in a bag, then the bag on the back of a two legged creature, and finally the four legged creature in a house. “Are you saying you want me to get in that bag so you can carry me home?” Rainbow asked and pointed at the bag. The creature smiled gently, moved the bag closer to her, and held out one of its forelimbs. Well, it’s all or nothing time. Dash said to herself, then place her hoof in his hand. “Alright, big guy, you win, carry me home.” The creature stood, gently lifting Rainbow as he did. The creature slowly lowered her into the bag; Alright, moment of truth. Rainbow thought, fearing that the creature was about to close the bag on her; instead he left the top open and lifted it onto his back. Rainbow placed her forehooves on the creature’s shoulders as it slowly stood. Dash let out a sudden yelp as the creature shifted the backpack slightly before saying something and then starting off. Rainbow found the gentle swaying of the bag surprisingly relaxing as the biped carried her through the forest. The creature’s slow but steady pace through the Everfree displayed an odd level of comfort of his surroundings. Zecora lives in the Everfree, Rainbow Dash reasoned, maybe he’s like her and knows his way around the Everfree. He hasn’t asked for directions, not like he can, but he does seem to know where he’s going. The creature seemed to have limitless stamina as continued to walk throughout the day, not even stopping to eat. Instead it simply ate while it walked. Rainbow, still riding in the large bag, carefully chewed on the apple it had given her. Her normal, enthusiastic approach had earned her an angry growl from her companion when she let the apple juice drip onto his neck. As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, the creature finally stopped. Setting Dash down, the creature set about making a small campsite for the two of them. “I’m gonna have to call you something.” Dash thought out loud. “Hmmm… ‘Guide… something’, no, that doesn’t work. ‘Forest’, nope. How about...wolf?” Dash’s thoughts tailed off as a timberwolf howl echoed through the trees. The creature stopped what it was doing, and scanned the trees around them. Remaining motionless for several long seconds, Dash waiting for the timberwolves to close in on them. The creature, however, seemed satisfied with their safety and went back to work. “Seriously, you’re not afraid of the wolves?” Rainbow asked, only earning a brief glance from the creature. “I’ll take that as a no.” After a few more minutes of work, the creature had managed to light a small fire. “Oh, I get it.” Rainbow said. “They’re timberwolves, they don’t like fire.” Pulling the bag that Rainbow was still in, the creature drew her closer to the fire. Neither spoke as they watched the flames flicker in the night. Finding the the gentle glow relaxing, Dash slowly drifted off to sleep. Day ThreeRainbow Dash woke as the sunlight managed to pierce through the leaves and shine directly into her eyes. Attempting to stand, the remaining drowsiness that she felt was immediately replaced with pain as her legs refused to support her weight. Taking a quick look around, Dash realize that she was alone. “Did… did he just abandon me?” Rainbow asked out loud. “Why would he do that?” Taking a moment to check her surroundings again, Dash found that the creature’s bag and a small pile of food were both sitting next to her. “Ok… his stuff is here… maybe he’s just… oh.” Dash blushed, realizing what the creature was probably doing. After a few moments, the creature stepped out from behind several bushes. “Oh… hey... ’morning.” Dash said as casually as she could. “So.. ummm… Hi?” The creature nodded and spoke a few words. “Look… umm… do you think you can help me over to the bushes?” Instead of replying or acting, he gave her a confused look. “You…” Dash pointed at him, “Me…” pointing at herself, “Bushes.” pointing at the bushed. The creature watched Dash’s movements closely, then nodded. Gently picking Dash up, he carried her over to the bush in question. Setting her down, he waited for Dash to do something. “Dude, little privacy.” Dash complained, pointing a hoof at him. He looked at her hoof for a moment before a look of revelation came to his face. His face flushed slightly before he moved away from her and the bush. Dash wanted to think that the rest of her morning would have gone better, but it didn’t. It only took a moment for her to realise that the small pile of food was all that they had left. The creature spent the rest of the morning wandering in circles. Dash shifted and groaned in annoyance, she wanted move, fly, run, something other than being jostled around in some bag. “Oh, come on!” Dash groaned. “Just pick them! They’re berries!” The creature ignored her outburst as he inspected the plant, only to sigh and leave it behind them. As the creature’s start and stop pace left Dash longing for the gentle stride from the day before. As evening drew upon them, Dash found herself watching the creature fiddle with the bag as it was trying to figure out a way to carry both her and the food he had foraged. She was grateful that he had found food for them, but the sight of what he had eaten out of that old log was probably going to haunt her dreams. Seriously though, I get that he’s hungry but that was just awful. Dash said to herself. And they must have wriggled all the way down. “Strider.” Dash called out, drawing the creatures attention. “That’s what I’m gonna call you, Strider.” The creature just gave Dash yet another sympathetic look. “Strider.” Dash said again, this time pointing at him. The creature looked back over his shoulder to find nothing there. “Strider.” Dash said yet again, still pointing a hoof at him. This time he seemed to understand what she was trying to do and began to point at object, waiting for her response. “Strider.” Dash affirmed when he finally pointed at his own face. “Strider.” Strider nodded in confirmation, then touched the top of Dash’s head, and spoke a single odd sounding word. “So, now that we’ve named each other, what happens next?” Dash asked, only earning a confused shrug from Strider. Day FourFrom her perch on Strider’s back, Dash found that the Everfree Forest seemed to lose it’s threatening atmosphere. It had changed from something dark and foreboding to something full of potential adventure. From the old castle, to the tree of harmony, to the mirror pool, Dash found herself wondering what other mysterious things were still hidden deep in the forest. A small smile came to her face as she envisioned this turning from a nightmare ordeal to a Daring Doo style adventure. Dash was snapped out of her daydream when Strider suddenly stopped. Dash could feel all of his muscles tense as scanned their surroundings. “Is something up?” Dash asked but found her mouth clamped shut. Dash let out a muffled groan in protest, but was met with an annoyed growl from Strider. Time passed at a crawl as Strider studied every tree, every bush, every branch, twig, and leaf. After what seemed like hours to Dash, Strider released her and started walking again. Traveling at a slower pace than before, Strider kept a wary eye on their surroundings. As the day continued on, Strider would continually stop and scan the forest around them, before changing direction. Other times, he wouldn’t stop but randomly turn, or double back on his trail. As the afternoon rolled in, Dash clued into what was going on; something was following them. Dash felt her anxiety grow by the minute, knowing that something was out there and not being able to see it was maddening. Ok Dash, you can get through this. She told herself. You’ve faced off against monsters before. Manticores, bugbears, changelings, heck even Tirek and Discord, and everything turn out fine then. Of course you had your friends with you then. Dash scolded herself. And could fly, and run, and fight, and wasn’t stuck in a bag on somepony’s back. This sucks. I can’t just wait here, I have to, need to, do something. A blur and the sudden feeling of spinning brought Dash’s focus back to her surroundings. Before them was a creature that was part tiger, part goat and had a snake for a tail. “Not many things can dodge our pounce.” the goat said. “Doesn’t matter, defiance makes the meal all the more delicious.” the tiger countered. “And look, it has a little pony for desert.” the snake added. Strider’s muscles tensed as the chimera crouched, for several long seconds both stood perfectly still. Then, in what Dash could only describe as rainboom speed, both moved. The chimera launched itself forwards, at the same time Strider jinked and spun to the left. Dash stared wide-eyed as the tiger claw pass by her face, barely missing her. Dash felt another lurch Strider took of through the trees. The chase was on as the chimera pursued hem through the trees. Dash glance back over her shoulder at the monster, always just a little behind them but never actually able to catch up. Despite the chimera’s speed, Strider seemed to have the advantage in the forest, his bipedal form was far more adept to maneuvering through the undergrowth than the quadruped that was chasing them. As Strider rounded the tenth tree, Dash glance back over her shoulder yet again; the distance between them and the chimera seemed to have grown. No, Dash said to herself, that can’t be right. There’s no way he can outrun a chimera. Dodging around the fifteenth tree, Strider’s pace was unrelenting, showing no sign of fatigue. The chimera, however, seemed to be slowing. Another few trees went by, and Dash found that the distance between them was definitely increasing. Feeling Strider suddenly slow down and hearing the sound of his steps change drew Dash’s attention downwards. Nope. Was the first thing that came to her mind when she saw that they were on top of an old log that spanned a ravine. The log groaned and cracked under their weight as Strider tried to cross before the chimera caught up to them. The chimera seized the opportunity that had presented itself and redoubled its efforts. A pouncing chimera and a loud crack from below caused Rainbow’s heart to stop. On instinct, Dash tried to open her wings when she felt herself fall, only to have pain shoot up through her injured wing. The look on the chimera’s faces changed from triumph to terror as it passed over its intended target. A sudden jolt shot through Dash as Strider stopped their descent. The chimera wasn’t as fortunate, letting out a terrified scream as it plummeted towards the bottom. Groaning, Strider pulled himself and Dash over the ravine’s edge and back onto the forest floor. The pair laid on the ground, Strider half on his side and Dash as a much too small big spoon. Neither moved or spoke for several moments until Strider started to laugh. It started as a slight chuckle, but in second it had transformed into a full outburst. Dash quickly joined in when everything that they had just been through started to sink in. There the pair stayed, laughing at their near-death experience until the sun began to drop below the horizon. Day FiveSpurred on by the previous day’s events, Dash was determined to start walking again. She tried standing on all four hooves, but couldn’t manage more than a slow hobble on her injured legs. With a small sigh, Dash glanced back at her wings. Not like they’re doing any better. Dash said to herself. Rainbow looked over at her traveling companion. Strider, for his part, never complained about the slow pace Dash had set as she limped along. Instead, he seemed to understand what she wanted, and let Rainbow have the space she needed to try, yet stayed close enough help when she stumbled. Despite some setbacks, Dash felt reinvigorated; she had hope, she was facing this challenge head on, she was going to get through this, she was going to get home to her friends, she was… going to faceplant. Pain shot up through Dash’s muzzle as she connected with the ground. She let out a small groan as she laid there before Strider gently lifted her up and placed Dash back on her hooves. “I’m alright.” Dash said as Strider looked her over. “Didn’t break anything this time.” Strider gave Dash a reassuring smile, spoke a few strange words, then patted the pegasus on the head. Dash smiled back as the two of them resumed their journey. Huh, kinda reminds me of what I do to Scoots when she crashes. Dash thought in the moment before a sudden revelation caused her to stop in her tracks. Wait, does he think I’m a filly?! Day SixFor the fifth time since they got up Strider paused and studied the sky. From her perch on Strider’s back, Dash easily followed his gaze skyward. “I don’t get it.” Dash said. “What are you looking for?” Strider muttered a few words before continuing on. “What’s up there?” Dash demanded. “You keep acting like something is going to fall out of the sky. Is it bad? Are we in danger? Come on, give me something!” Strider sighed, muttered a few more words, which did nothing to help ease Dash’s mind. “Yeah, I guess I should have seen that coming.” Dash dejectedly muttered. Realizing that she wasn’t going to get an answer out of Strider, Rainbow turned her attention skywards in hope that she would see whatever it was Strider was looking for. Some time later, Dash’s attention was earthward once again when Strider stopped. Dash peered into the cave that had caught Strider’s attention, but didn’t see what he was interested in; to her the cave looked empty. Before Dash could question Strider about his actions, he carefully took off the bag and placed it and its occupant onto the cave floor. “So, what now?” Dash asked. Strider spoke a few words, emphasizing his point by pointing at Dash then straight down. Rainbow nodded in understanding, feeling fairly certain he wanted her to wait here for something. Returning the nodd, Strider left Dash in the cave and disappeared amongst the trees. For the next few hours Strider came and went from the cave, leaving Dash behind to watch over the ever growing pile of things he was collecting. Poking through the pile, Rainbow wonder what it was Strider was planing. The odd collection of leaves, sticks, roots, berries, and rocks didn’t hold any answers. Strider reentered the cave as a sudden gust of wind blew across the opening. With a sigh and glance out of the cave, Strider set about his work. First setting a small fire near the entrance before turning his attention to the rock he had gathered. Selecting a rock he could easily hold, Strider scraped it across a large flat stone. Once satisfied with his work, he then carefully propped both stones next to the fire so they would touch the flames without falling into the ash. A loud rustle came from outside the cave, drawing Dash’s attention away from Strider and to the opening. As the sound grew louder, Rainbow could see large raindrops making their way through the canopy. “Rain?” Dash asked. “You knew it was going to rain. How?” Strider gave a single syllable response that she hoped was an answer and not scolding her; the idea of either seemed preposterous a second later. Strider, for his part, didn’t seem to be paying the exchange and mind; instead he moved on to the next part of his project, collecting as much rainwater as he could. Once he felt that he had enough water, Strider gathered up the roots, leaves, and berries. Carefully cleaning each one in turn, it wasn’t long until he had them all washed and sorted. Withdrawing the two stones from the fire, Strider use them to slowly grind the roots and berries into a paste. Dash watched as Strider worked, curious as to what he was doing. As he worked, Dash found the steady sound of the stones grinding together oddly relaxing. Then, to Rainbow’s surprise, a new sound joined the rhythmic stones, Strider had begun to sing. It wasn’t loud, in fact Dash wasn’t certain that she wasn’t hearing things at first, but as time went on she could easily make out his voice. The song didn’t seem complex, it's short and repeating verses, steady rhythm, and simple harmony gave it more of a chant-like quality. Finishing both his work and the song, Strider moved closer to Dash. Gently taking her foreleg, he carefully unwrapped the bindings. Once free of the wrap, Dash flinched when the cool air touched her exposed skin. “You shaved my leg?!” Dash exclaimed. Ignoring her, Strider continued to work; pouring the cold rainwater over her leg so that he could clean the area around the long gash. On instinct, Dash tried to pull her leg away when he touched the sore area, but his firm grasp and a stern look told Rainbow that it would be easier if she stayed still and let him work. Once Dash let Strider perform his work, she found the process strangely relaxing. She could feel his touch on her leg, first going from top to bottom, then in circles. So lost in the odd feeling of his touch that it took Rainbow a few moments to realize that Strider was smearing the strange paste he has made onto her leg. Next, Strider took the cleaned leaves and placed them over the paste. Finally he rewrapped her leg, chanting another strange song as he went. Rainbow pondered if his chanting was some kind of strange magic; she had heard about Zecora’s potions and mystical abilities. Maybe the two are somehow connected. Dash thought. I’ve never heard Zecora speak in her own language. As Dash pondered the possible connections between Strider and Zecora, Strider moved on to Dash’s other injuries. Checking the splints on leg and wing was far more uncomfortable. Needing to check that Dash’s bones were still aligned, Strider resorted to squeezing the limb in question. The process seemed to drag painfully on, every poke, every prod, every squeeze was worse than the last. Rainbow let out a sudden scream of pain when Strider forced the bones in her wing to shift. Giving Dash a sympathetic glance, Strider finished retying the splints. Dash watched as Strider moved away from her and over to the far side of the cave. Sitting near the fire, he absently poked at it with a stick, doing his best not to look at Dash. Testing her wing, Rainbow found that most of the pain had subsided. She knew what Strider had done, and why he had done it, but she wasn’t certain that it made it better. She watched as he idly played with the fire, trying to hide the sad expression on his face. Dash wondered what was going through his mind; somepony all alone, for Celestia knows how long, before finding a friend, and then having to that friend as the only way to help them. With the worst part being unable to give an apology or an explanation as to why, and unable to comprehend any words of understanding or forgiveness. Dash knew that everything he had done since they met was to help her, even if he couldn’t tell her why. She wondered what he had lost, and what he would be giving up to help her. She wondered if anypony was looking for Strider. Did he leave any friends or family behind? Would they be out searching for him? Or would they not bother and declare the idea a lost cause? Or maybe no one would notice his absence and his disappearance would go unnoticed. The image of her friends and family overjoyed at her return popped into Dash’s head. Would Strider get the same reaction when he returned home? IF he returned home? Where was his home? Strider was so strange, so unusual, so unlike anything she had ever heard of, Dash wondered if it was even possible for him to return home. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he was stuck here in this forsaken forest without the ability to get back to where he was from. Only then to have hurt the only being that had shown him any form of kindness or friendship. Dash slowly and carefully hobbled her way across the cave until she was next to Strider. Nudging his arm out of the way, Rainbow leaned against his torso. “It’s OK.” she said softly. “I understand.” Strider didn’t say anything, instead his arm so that it gently wrapped itself around Dash. Day SevenDash slowly limped around the cave in a futile attempt to stave off her boredom; the rain had continued throughout the night, and was showing no sign of stopping. Eventually she plopped herself down next to Strider, who was passing the time by literally banging rocks together. Watching him work, it quickly became apparent to Dash that, like everything else she saw him do, Strider had a very clear goal in mind. With each strike, the smaller stone chipped away at the larger one until a distinct shape emerged. Once he was satisfied with the shape, Strider scraped the worked edge against a large stone, refining the edge even further. “So.... this is your plan?” Dash asked. “Sitting here, playing with rocks?” Strider set the the rock he was working on and produce both the chipping rock and a longer, thinner rock. He spoke a few words and held them out so Dash could take them. Rainbow looked the items over for a moment or two before taking them. After a brief tutorial, Dash was soon absorbed in her work. The simple task with a clear goal was a pleasant distraction from the last week. Strider would periodically look up from his own work to watch Dash, giving her the occasional, usually unintelligible, tip. Eventually, he showed Dash how to use the large stone, covered in grit and a little water, to hone the knife’s edge. See that Dash had understood him, Strider took a mostly round piece of wood and put a split into one end with his stone. Setting both stick and stone to the side, Strider collected long strands of the vines that hung from the cave’s mouth. Removing any leaves and tendrils, he carefully wove the vines together. Dash subconsciously slowed as she watched Strider, impressed that he had enough strength to chip away stone yet dexterous enough to perform precise tasks. Sliding the stone into the notched wood and binding it in place, Strider finished assembling the axe. Realizing that she had been staring at Strider, Dash quickly returned her attention to the knife she was supposed to be working on. Passing the knife of the slab a few times, Dash risked a quick glance over at Strider, who was now busy etching a series of strange symbols into the axe’s head and haft. Noticing that Dash had stopped working, Strider stopped his own work and turned his attention towards the pegasus. Looking over Dash’s work, Strider nodded in approval. Giving Dash some of the woven vines and a short piece of wood, Strider instructed her on how to attach the blade to the handle. “So, what do you think?” Dash asked, presenting the finished product. Strider carefully took the blade from Rainbow and slowly turned it over in his hands. Testing the bindings and finding them to his liking, Strider retrieved his engraving stone and carved several strange symbols into the blade and handle. As a finishing touch, he found a feather that Dash had shed during the night and attached it to the bottom of the handle with a small vine. Placing the knife to the the side, Strider collected some bark and the remaining woven vine. Dahs watched as he bound the bark together, creating a simple sheath for the knife. Moving next to her, Strider held the sheath against Dash’s barrel. Trying her best to hold still as he worked, Dash allowed Strider to tie it in place. Finally he slid the knife into the sheath, then spoke a few words. Dash looked at the knife that was now hanging from her side, a sense of fulfillment and pride rose up as she did. This was something that she had made, something that only through her, and a little bit of Strider’s, effort was made. “It...great.” Dash smiled, guessing at what Strider had said. Author's Note Ok, is it weird that Fimfiction's spellchecker doesn't like the word "Strider"? Because it doesn't. Day EightAfter spending two days sitting in a cave, Dash was ecstatic to find the rain had stopped some time during the night. Strider seemed to be equally as pleased as his steps seemed lighter, filled with an optimistic energy. Even the Everfree itself seemed different, no longer dark and oppressive, but filled with a vibrant energy. Today is going to be great. Dash told herself, pumping hoof into the air. “Today sucked.” Dash groaned. Strider let out an annoyed huff between picking burrs out of Dash’s mane. “I can’t help it if it sucked.” Dash protested. “Because it- ouch! Hey that one hurt!” Saying nothing, Strider gave the pegasus a stern look as he tossed a burr with several long rainbow hairs still attached aside. “Seriously, be careful. I may not fuss over my mane like Rarity does, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when you pull it out.” Strider muttered a few angry words and pointed to his arm. “Look, I said I was sorry for getting you stung by those hornets.” Strider sighed and went back to his work, occasionally wincing as he did. Dash turned to face Strider, placing a hoof on his knee. “And about the river. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just… I don’t know.” Placing his hand on Dash’s hoof, Strider gave the mare a sympathetic look. “It’s been eight days. Eight days. I never imagined that this forest would be so big. I always thought that when I got in trouble my friends would be there to save me. I don’t know if they can, or are even trying to find me at this point.” Dash’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I must sound pathetic.” She continued. “Here you are in the same boat a me, but you’ve been nothing but helpful; and the one time I try to help you I just end up making things worse. I just want to be back home, back with my friends. I just… I just don’t want to be here anymore.” Strider lifted Dash off the ground and cradled her. Gently rocking the pegasus, Strider began to sing a soft lullaby. Dash found Strider’s actions oddly comforting, being held in the strange creature’s arms gave her a sense of security. As if it didn’t matter what she did, Strider would always be there for her. Day TenSetting Dash down, Strider worked to clean a small spot for them to camp for the night. As he worked, Dash let out a small yawn, surprising herself at how tired she was. Her mind wandered to her friends, wondering what each of them might be doing; Pinkie would be dealing with the the last customer rush before, Fluttershy would be tucking all manner of small critter into bed, Twilight probably wouldn’t be aware of the time and lost in some book, AJ and Rarity are probably trying to get their sister to turn in for the night, Scootaloo would be… A sudden rustling in a nearby bush snapped Dash out of her musings. She took a quick glance over at Strider, who was scrutinizing the bush as he slowly made his way over to her. Taking his cue, Dash slipped further into the bag and braced herself. As Strider gripped the bag’s straps, both he and Dash watched the bush intently. Dash’s anxiety grew as the bush shook again. She could sense Strider’s muscles tense as he waited for what ever it was in the bush to show itself. The seconds dragged on as the thing in the bush seemed more content with tormenting them rather than show itself. The bush gave one last shudder as the creature sprang forth. Strider didn’t move, or flinch, or react in any way other than freezing in place. Dash stared, unblinking, at the creature as it made its way towards them. Both Strider and Dash watched as the creature stopped in front of them, and started to eat the clover they were on top of. Dash and Strider looked at eachother then started to laugh. The sudden outburst spooked the creature and it darted off into the undergrowth. “A jackalope.” Dash said, trying to collect herself. “We were scared of a jackalope.” Day Eleven“What’s up? Why are we stopping?” Dash asked. “It's not even noon.” Strider set Rainbow down without bothering to respond. “Is there something here? What’s so special about this place?” Dash looked around, and found that they were in an old campsite. “Wait, is this your campsite?” Moving a branch out of the way, Strider drew Dash’s attention to a large stone slab jetting up from the ground. “What is that?” Dash asked as she approached the stone. Although the stone itself was black, Rainbow could see herself in its polished surface. Strider moved away from the stone and sat down. Brushing some leaves and twigs out of his way, Strider began to draw in the dirt using a stick. Sitting next to him, Dash watched as he worked. The first image was of a simple figure, a biped with a circle for a head and lines for its body and limbs, inside a square with a triangle on top of it. Next, he drew the same figure with trees around it. After that was the figure standing in front of a circle, then the figure touching the circle, then a new circle with the figure on the opposite side as before. FInally he drew the figure meeting a second one, only the second figure was a quadruped with two extra lines rising out of its back. Dash looked between Strider, his drawings and the stone. “Is… is that what happened to you?” she asked. “Is the stone what brought you here? Why not use it to go back?” When Strider didn’t give her an answer, Dash tried again. “You.” she pointed at him. “Stone.” She pointed at the stone. “Home.” Strider seemed to understand her this time, and walked over to the stone. “Hey! Wait!” Dash yelled as he reached out and touched the surface. “So, it doesn’t work anymore.” Dash stated when nothing happened. With a heavy sigh, Strider sat back down next to Dash. “Don’t worry,” she said, wrapping her good wing around him. “If we ever get back to Ponyville, I’ll have Twilight whip up some portal opening magic for you.” Day TwelveEver since they left their camp site Strider's pace was noticeably slower, frequently looking back over his shoulder, debating if he made the correct decision to move on. Finally the indecision was too much for him and he stopped moving forwards. Quickly scanning their surroundings, Strider took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Strider stood silent for several long minutes. Dash quickly found herself wondering what he could be thinking about; was he having second thoughts about moving on? Did he think that they should have stayed at the rock? “I know you can’t really understand what I’m saying, but I think you made the right choice.” Dash said in an attempt to reassure Strider. “Like I said last night; once we find Ponyville, Twilight will be able to get you home.” Strider slowly exhaled as he reopened his eyes. Taking hold of Dash, Strider held her so he could look directly into her eyes. “It's going to be fine.” Strider studded Dash intently, scanning her for any sign of deceit. After several long seconds Strider returned Dash to the bag and started to walk once more. As he went Dash could tell that any doubt he had was gone. Day ThirteenDash shivered as the temperature continued to drop. What was a pleasant morning had slowly turned into cool afternoon. The light mist that was pooling between the trees was steadily growing into a dense fog. “Stupid Everfree weather, doing whatever it wants.” Dash grumbled. Paying the nether the pegasus or the fog any heed, Strider continued onwards. “Shouldn’t we stop before it gets too late?” Dash asked. “I mean, I’m fine. Nothing to worry about. Not that you do either, but maybe we should?” Strider didn’t respond, nor did he stop; instead he continued walking, ignoring the fog that was pooling around his legs. The afternoon turned into evening, Strider uncharacteristically continued walking. “You sure you don’t want to stop? It is getting dark.” Strider responded with a single word and pointed into the distance. Ahead of them, rising above the trees and surrounded by fog was an old ruined castle. The sun was almost below the horizon when Strider pushed the old castle doors open. “This is great.” Dash told herself as Strider went about setting up a small fire. “We’re so close. We should be back in Ponyville by noon tomorrow.” Strider glance up at Dash as he managed to light the small fire. As Dash scooted closer to the flames, she realized the oddity of her surroundings. She wondered why the restoration project she and her friends had started stopped. Bits? Time? Effort? In the end, Dash decided that it didn’t really matter, Twilight had her own castle now, and she and her friends moved on with their lives. Dash thought back on Twilight and the others, how they had joined together here in this room to confront Nightmare Moon and saw the power of friendship. Dash found that it seemed fitting that she would spend the night here with her new friend before introducing him to her old friends. A smile came to Dash’s as she thought about the future, tomorrow she would be back in Ponyville and this whole ordeal would be behind her. Day FourteenShortly after Dash woke, Strider carefully removed the wraps and splints on her wing. Under Strider’s watchful gaze, Dash gave her wing a few tentative flaps and a moment later was gently gliding around the room. Putting more force into her flaps, Dash soon rose up over the crumbling wall only to drift down and land on top of it. The joy Rainbow felt of having her wing back disappeared as she looked out over the Everfree; the fog covered Everfree. With a small groan, Strider pulled himself up to the top of the wall and sat next to Dash. He looked out at the fog for a moment, then spoke as he pointed at the sun then at a spot higher in the sky then made a waving motion towards the fog. Dash nodded, understanding what Strider was trying to tell her, and settled down to wait for the fog to disperse. By noon, the fog had refused to disperse, and Dash was steadily growing anxious to get moving. Sensing her unease, Strider gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Gesturing towards Dash’s wings, and the sky, he said a few soft words. Dash pondered over what he could have meant for several long moments. “No,” she finally said with a smile, “I stuck with you for this long, it doesn’t seem right to fly off on you now.” Day FifteenDash was violently jerked awake as she was pulled across the castle floor. “What gives?!” she demanded, looking up a Strider who was now carrying her as he rushed towards the door. When Strider didn’t answer, Dash looked back and saw a pair of glowing eyes in the still ever present fog staring back at her. “The pony of shadows is real!?” Dash examined. Dash brought her attention back to what was in front of them when Strider suddenly changed directions. Out past the doors, Dash could see several more sets of eyes glowing in the fog. Before she had any time to process what was happening, Dash suddenly found herself in the air as Strider threw her over one of the broken walls. As Dash managed to catch herself, she saw Strider climb over the same wall, and a moment later the two of them fled into the fog. Moving through the dark, fog filled forest was anything but easy. Numerous times Dash had collided with, or been entangled by branches and vines, the pegasus could only imaged what it would be like if she didn’t have her wings and was forced to run across the uneven ground; and to make matters worse, everywhere she turned, Dash could see the glowing eyes following her. As Dash circled around the seventh tree, she suddenly realized that Strider was no longer with her. As she frantically scanned the area for any trace of him, Dash noticed that the fog was finally beginning to thin, and the first rays of Celestia's sun began to shine over the horizon. “Finally, something going right.” she smiled. “Now, all I have to do is find Strider and get back to Ponyville.” Her excitement quickly turned sour as she realized that the fog was not dispersing, but was gathering in a single spot. A spot with angry, glowing eyes. As the fog coalesced it slowly took on a pony-like form. It’s head, torso and tail were all there, but its legs simply stopped just below the knee, tailing off into vapor, giving the creature a haunting, ghost-like visage. The creature opened its mouth as if it was screaming, only no sound came out. A second fog-pony appeared next to the first, and was quickly joined by a third. As the three fog-ponies spread out to surround Dash, the pegasus drew her stone knife. “Rainbow Dash isn’t the kind of pony that goes down without a fight.” Dash said around the knife in her mouth. The three fog-ponies suddenly all charged forwards simultaneously. Instinctively Dash ducked and shot forwards. Rolling as she when, Dash’s knife grazed the lead fog-pony. Landing hard, Dash spun to face the creatures. Studying her foes, Rainbow realized that the cut she had made had actually damaged the creature; the wound remained visible and whips of fog slowly bled out from it. Realizing that she had a way to fight the fog-ponies, Dash readied herself for their next attack. The wounded fog-pony rushed forwards while the other two held back. Colliding with Dash, the two tumbled across the ground. The fog-pony bore down on Dash, trying to bite her. Squirming in the creature’s grasp, Dash lashed out with the knife in an attempt to end the fight quickly. As she landed on her back, Dash blindly thrust the knife upwards and somehow connected with her foe. Her opponent's weight vanished as the fog-pony dissipated. Rolling to her hooves, Dash quickly scanned her surroundings only to find that she was now alone. Even though she was unsure of where the other creatures might have gone, Dash didn’t let fear creep into her thoughts. Instead Dash focused all of her energy into finding her missing friend. Weaving through the trees, Dash flew through patches of lingering fog. While she was in the fog patches, Dash could feel the fog-ponies watching her. In the clear spots, there was clear signs of a struggle. The upturned dirt, broken branches, and occasional splattering of blood fueled her desire to find Strider. Entering a small area where the fog cleared, Dash found Strider; trapped between three of the fog-ponies and a long drop over a cliff edge. Before she could react, the fog-ponies all launched themselves forwards. “Strider!” Dash screamed as the fog-ponies connected and knocked her friend backwards over the cliff. Putting all of her energy into one all or nothing flap, Dash launched herself forwards. I’m not going to make it! She screamed to herself. Just as Strider passed out of her sight something wrapped itself around one of Dash’s hooves, Strider had miraculously managed to grab hold of her. Straining under his added weight, Dash flapped her wings as hard as could, but it was to no avail; and soon the pair were falling. Risking a downwards glance, Dash could see the river racing up towards them. As she tucked her wings in, Dash felt Strider wrap one of his arms around her. A moment later, they hit the water. Despite both their efforts, the impact and current pulled the pair apart. As she tumbled through the water, Dash watched in vain as Strider was pushed towards a series of large rocks before losing sight of him completely. Choking on the water as she tried to breath, Dash soon found the world around her getting darking. Her hooves failing, in a futile attempt to swim against the overpowering current. Her hooves brushed up against something, and she instinctively grabbed a hold of it just as the darkness overtook her. Day SixteenA loud ruckus caused by her animal friends woke Fluttershy early. Slowly rolling out of her bed, Fluttershy’s thoughts turned to Rainbow Dash; her friend had disappeared over a two weeks ago, and nopony had been able to find a trace of her. A loud squawk from outside drew her back to the moment. “Don’t worry. I’m coming.” Fluttershy called out softly. Exiting her cottage, she could immediately see what the problem was; a large log was trapped under the small bridge the led up to her home. “I suppose I’ll have to ask the Beavertons to move it.” As she turned to leave, a rainbow flash caught her eye. Looking under the bridge itself, Fluttershy found Rainbow Dash clinging to the log. “Thank you for coming, Princess.” Doctor Horse said as he let Twilight Sparkle into his office. “It’s no trouble Doctor, and please call me Twilight. Although I’m not sure I understand what this is about though.” Twilight replied. “As you know, after you brought Ms. Dash here, we took a series of scans and images to determine the extent of her injuries.” “Are you saying that something showed up? Does she have some kind of terrible internal injury? Is she going to be alright?” Twilight panicked. “Do not worry, Ms. Twilight.” Doctor Horse reassured her. “Your friend is fine. Apart from a minor case of hypothermia and exhaustion from being in the water for so long, she’s fine. Which is the problem.” “I don’t follow. The problem is that there is no problem?” “Her x-rays showed that one of her wings was recently broken. As well, there were indications of several large lacerations. All of which were healed, before she went into the water.” “Are you saying that between the time she went missing and when she was found somepony else had treated her?” “That is indeed what I am suggesting. Probably not a pony with extensive medical training, but one with knowledge on field medicine. Perhaps a medic within the guard.” “But, who?” Twilight questioned. “And why was Dash alone when Fluttershy found her?” “Only Ms. Dash can answer that.” Doctor Horse replied. “But we do have two clues to our mystery pony’s identity.” “Two?” “Yes. One, the pony in question has some basic medical training, and the name ‘Strider’.” “Strider? I don’t think I know anypony by that name.” “Neither do I, but the nurses have told me that Ms. Dash has been muttering that name in her sleep.” “Princess, you need to look a this.” Detailed Study said he held out a knife made of stone. “What am I looking at?” Twilight asked. “This knife was found on your friend, Ms. Dash.” Detailed explained. “The stone itself is unremarkable, but it is held to the hilt with throttlevine, an extremely dangerous plant.” “I think I read about it when I was doing some research on the Everfree. Isn’t it supposed to contact when picked?” “Indeed it is. When picked, it takes on wire-like properties. Many ponies that stumble into it learn why it has such a dangerous reputation.” “So, somepony was able to use the throttlevine’s properties for their own benefit? Fascinating.” “That is not all.” Detailed Study said, turning the knife over to reveal a series of runes engraved into it. “Are those…” Twilight trailed off. “Yes, and they are active.” “How? Runic magic is an art that was lost before Discord’s reign.” “I know. Something very strange is going on Princess.” Dash slowly opened her eyes. Immediately noticing that she was no longer in the Everfree but in Ponyville hospital. “When… how did I get here?” Dash wondered aloud. Looking around, Dash quickly found the call button. A minute later nurse Redheart entered the room. “Good morning Rainbow Dash.” Redheart smiled. “How are we feeling?” “Umm, fine, I guess.” Dash answered. “How did I get here? Last thing I remember was falling into a river.” “Your friend, Fluttershy, found you outside her cottage. She carried you across the entire town.” “Seems like I’ve been carried a lot lately.” Dash muttered. “What was that?” Redheart asked. “Nothing… just, was I alone?” Dash asked. “Was there anypony with me?” “No, you were the only one she found. Was there somepony with you?” “Yeah, some...pony. Do you think you can find Twilight for me?” “Of course, Rainbow. Just relax and I’ll be back in no time.” Rainbow watched as the sun slowly set, barely listening to what Twilight was telling her. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but there is no sign of this ‘Strider’.” Twilight explained. “It's been a long day and I have to recall the search parties before it gets too dark.” Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “We’re not giving up on your friend Dash. The Everfree is just too dangerous to go stomping through it at night. One morning comes, the search parties will head out again.” “Thanks Twi, I just…” “What is it?” “I just feel like I should be the one out there looking for him. I mean, he carried me through that forest, treated my injuries, kept my spirit up, even if it was to his own detriment. He did so much for me, and just before we make it to Ponyville…” Dash trailed off. “I know, you told me about what happened at the river.” “He probably thinks I’m lost, or stuck, or maybe even dead…” “Dash, if there is one thing that you told me about Strider is that he’s a survivor.” Twilight said confidently. “If he was able to go through so much while you were with him, he will have survived this.” “I...he…” “He’ll be fine, Dash. Get some sleep. The search parties will head out again tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” Epilogue: Day 17“Rainbow Dash…” Twilight muttered as she flew over Ponyville. “I’m sorry, Princess. She must have snuck out.” Redhead had told her. “Where are you going?” Twilight pondered. “I just feel like I should be the one out there looking for him.” Dash said. “Oh no.” Twilight realized what Dash was planing. Picking up as much speed as she could, Twilight raced towards the Everfree Forest. Rainbow flew low over the river that led from Fluttershy’s cottage, scanning every inch of the bank as she went, looking for any sign of her friend. If he wasn’t washed down to Ponyville, he must have gotten out of the river at some point. Dash reasoned. After a few hours of searching, Dash found herself at the spot she and Strider had fallen into the river. “Did I miss it?” Dash asked herself. “No… maybe? Think, Dash, think; If I was Strider, and I was separated from my friend and had just climbed out of a river, where would I go?” Dash thought about it only for a moment or two before the answer came to her. “Go back to where we were last together!” Dash exclaimed as she shot into the air. In less than a minute Dash has arrived at the old castle. At a quick glance Dash could see their old campsite, but no Strider. Dash went about searching the area for any signs of activity but couldn’t find any. The only thing Dash could find was a rune covered stone axe. “Where could you have gone?” Dash asked aloud. “Where could-” Dash’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud pop coming from behind her. “Rainbow! Thank goodness I found you!” Twilight called out as she rushed up to her friend. “Twilight? What are you doing here?” Dash asked. “No, nevermind. I need your help.” “My help? Dash, you should be back in Ponyville resting. Not out here doing whatever it is that you are doing.” “Maybe? But this is important! I need you whip up some magic and find Strider!” “Dash, I can’t just use my magic to find somepony. It doesn’t work that way.” Twilight said as she placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “If it did I would do it in a heartbeat.” “But Rarity knows a spell that can find gems, isn't this the same?” “I’m sorry Dash, but it’s not the same. To find a pony, you need something that belonged to that pony;” Twilight explained, “and not just anything. It has to be something of importance to that pony. Something that they would want back; and we just don’t have anything of his.” Dash spirits sunk as she listened Twilight; Strider had fallen into the river with her, anything that he owned would have been washed away with him. If we only had something of his… Dash thought, if we hadn’t fallen off of the cliff, if we weren’t chased through the forest, if those things didn’t attack us… “... we wouldn’t have had to run.” Dash muttered. “What was that?” Twilight asked. “Huh? Just thinking out loud.” Dash forced out a chuckle as her eyes darted around the room. Dash’s attitude suddenly changes as she raced across the room. “Hey Twi, you said if we had something of his you could track Strider, right? What about this?” Dash asked holding up a stone axe. “It just might.” The trail let them deeper into the Everfree, the two ponies flew through the trees for hours, until they finally arrive at a smooth black stone jutting out from the ground. “I don’t get it.” Twilight groaned. “The trail just ends at this stone.” “It’s fine, Twilight.” Dash smiled. “How is this fine? The spell just end at this rock!” “Yeah, come on, let's get back to Ponyville and I’ll tell you all about it.” Looks like we both made it home after all.
Day NineWhen Dash woke, she found herself alone. Relax Dash, this isn’t the first time that's happened since crashing out here. Rainbow reminded herself. Strider’s probably off taking care of… stuff. As she settled down to wait for Striders return, Dash noticed that the bandages on her foreleg had disappeared. “That's odd.” Dash muttered. “Did Strider take them off?” Looking over her shoulder, she found the the bindings on her wing and hind leg were also gone. “Ok, that's just weird.” Carefully testing her wings, Dash found that there wasn’t any pain. A smile quickly spread across Dash’s face as she flapped her wings harder, this time actually getting airborne. “This is great!” Dash exclaimed. “Now that I can fly, it's going to be so easy to get back home!” Just before she shot up above the canopy, Dash was struck by a terrible realization. “What am I doing?” she scolded herself. “I can’t just take off and leave Strider wondering what happened. I know I’ll wait for him to get back, then I can fly up above the trees and guide us back to Ponyville.It’s a brilliant plan!” Making herself comfortable, Dash waited for her friend to return from his “business”. After several long and boring minutes, Dash was thoroughly bored. “Ugh! Where are you? Seriously, how long does it take?” she complained loudly. As time wore on, Dash slowly went from inpatient to worried. “Maybe something happened? Maybe he’s stuck or hurt or something. I should probably go look for him.” Slowly gliding through the trees, Dash searched for any sign of where Strider could have gone. “Where the hay is he!” Dash exclaimed after an hour of fruitless searching. “I don’t get it! He should be here! He couldn’t have just disappeared.” She kicked a nearby tree in frustration only to instantly be caught in several vines. “Oh, come on!” Dash shouted and reached for her stone knife only to find that it wasn’t there. “Just great, now I’ve lost my knife.” Dash groaned. As she searched for where her knife could have fallen, she noticed that the sheath was missing as well. “When did I take that off?” Dash asked herself. “I don’t remember taking it off.” Without the knife, Dash was reduced to struggling against the vines until they broke free. As the last one gave way, Rainbow let out a small victory cheer, before resuming her search for Strider. As the sun began to drop below the horizon, Dash finally found Strider. He was standing at the edge of a cliff, staring out into space. Rainbow called out to him, but Strider either didn’t hear her, or ignored her. Calling out to him louder this time, Strider again didn’t respond to her. Just as Dash was about to yell his name for the third time, she noticed that the ground around Strider was starting to crack and come loose. Fearing that her friend was about to fall to his death, Dash pumped her wings hard only to be met with a loud crack and a face full of dirt. Ignoring the pain, Dash let her suddenly broken wing dangle at her side and ran forwards, only to see Strider disappear as the ground gave way beneath him. “NO!” Dash screamed as she bolted upright from her makeshift bed. Before she could take stalk of what happened, Dash felt something grab her shoulder. Turing to see what it was, Dash found Strider looking at with concern. Rainbow instantly wrapped her forelegs around him. “You’re alive. It was just a dream, just a dream.” Dash repeated over and over as Strider gently wrapped his own arms around the pegasus.
Bonus Chapter: Fifteen Weeks LaterAuthor's Note And total sequel bait... Bonus Chapter: Fifteen Weeks Later Life after her adventure in the Everfree Forest eventually returned to the normal type of hectic for Rainbow Dash; Wonderbolt practice, filly mentoring, and the occasional friendship problem. Occasionally her thought would drift to the Everfree and Strider. She found herself wondering what happened to him once he returned home. She hoped that he made it back to where ever he was from safely, and that maybe, one day, they would meet again. Deep in the Everfree, a strange black stone that stood straight up out of the ground began to shimmer and ripple. The forest went silent as everything seemed to freeze as a tall bipedal figure emerged from the stone.
Prologue: Day 17Rolling out of the hospital bed, Rainbow Dash quietly crept through the halls, hoping not to draw anypony’s attention. Ducking around corners, into rooms and behind counters the pegasus eventually made her escape from the sterile building and into the bright afternoon sun. With a gentle flap of her wings Rainbow rose into the air, enjoying the feeling of being airborne only a brief moment before racing off to her house. Landing next to Tanks basket, Rainbow found it empty. “Well, I have been gone a long time.” she said to herself. “Fluttershy is probably looking after him.” Rainbow turned and raced up the stairs to her bedroom. Going from wardrobe to closet to dresser, Rainbow gathered all of the things she thought she would need or would be useful. Pulling on her packed saddlebags, Rainbow head back down the stairs to her front door. “Sorry pal, I can’t come get you just yet; I have to find somepony else first.” Rainbow said to Tank’s empty basket. With one last look over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash left Ponyville behind her and entered the Everfree Forest.
Day OneRainbow Dash was putting the final touches on her new trick; her goal was to perform the sonic rainboom, then reverse direction and cause a second one, essentially creating a sonic rainboom within a sonic rainboom. The air pressure around her increased as Rainbow made the final turn; however the loud boom that accompanied the turn was not the sound of Rainbow completing her trick; it was the sound of her being thrown violently off course. Tumbling through the air, Rainbow Dash desperately tried to pull herself out of the uncontrolled dive she was in. Pain shot through her wings every time she tried to use them, her legs dangled below her, useless. Looking towards the ground, her eyes widened in horror as the canopy of the Everfree Forest was racing towards her. Raising her forelimbs to protect herself, she closed her eyes and braced herself. Rainbow Dash could feel herself striking the few series of branches, forcing the air out of her lungs and her eyes open. A series of greens and browns passed before her eyes then she came to a sudden and violent stop. As she tried to stand, Rainbow Dash found that two of her legs gave out immediately; looking herself over, she could see that one of her legs was at a strange angle, and the other one had a long gash. In addition, one of her wings was hanging limply at her side. Panic overtook the Pegasus as she realized that she was now stuck in the middle of the Everfree Forest without any way of getting out. “WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?WhatdoIdo?” Rainbow exclaimed, desperately trying to figure out what to do. A roar interrupted her train of thought. Looking up Rainbow saw a large lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail; a manticore, only this one was much larger than the one they faced during the Nightmare Moon incident. Dash tried to get to her feet once more, only to find her legs still didn’t want to work. The manticore pounced forewords knocking the Pegasus through the air for several feet where she collided with a tree. As the world slowly faded, the manticore moved in for the kill. Just before everything completely faded, Rainbow saw something else enter the small clearing, when it seemed to shout at the manticore then everything went black. Rainbow Dash groaned in annoyance and reached for her pillow, only to find it missing. “Stupid pillow! Where did you go?” With her eyes still closed she began to feel around for her missing pillow only to have her hoof come in contact with the cold earth. “What the hay?!” the blue Pegasus exclaimed, her eyes shooting open. Looking around, it took several seconds for her eyes to adjust; “It’s night? When did it become night? And why am I outside, in the... Ever…free…Forest…” Dash’s eyes widened in horror as the memories came rushing in. “That would mean…” She turned her head to look herself over. She was lying on some sort of makeshift bed made from something she couldn’t quite recognize. Both her broken leg and wing had been placed in splints, and her other wounds were bandaged. “Who did… wait, there was a second…” The Pegasus trailed off when she noticed the small fire and the form that was next to it. Since it seemed to be sitting it was hard for Rainbow to judge its full size; the creature looked like nothing anything she had ever seen before. It was fully clothed; had a short, light brown mane, had tanned skin instead of fur on its strange face, and its small gray eyes were studding her carefully. When it reached out for the bag that was beside it, Rainbow could see that its forelimbs looked similar to Spike’s but lacked the actual claw. From her position on the makeshift bed, Rainbow watched as one of the creature’s forelimbs reached into the bag, searching through it for something. As it pulled out whatever it was looking for, the creature returned its attention towards her. The cyan Pegasus’ jaw dropped when it did the last thing she was expecting; it began to speak. The creature’s voice was deep, and spoke in a strange harsh language that Rainbow didn’t recognize. He, the Pegasus guessed that the creature was a he, paused as if waiting for the cyan mare to answer him. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say big guy.” Dash said bluntly. The creature looked at her for a moment, then spoke again only this time he pulled an apple from the bag. It held the apple out for a moment, then tossed the apple so that it landed near her front hooves. He spoke again as he pulled out another apple for himself. Rainbow looked over the apple for a few moments; deciding that if this strange creature really wanted to do hurt her it would have done so by now, the Pegasus picked up the apple and took a bite. Looking up, Rainbow could see that the creature had placed a half eaten apple next to him, and was pulling something out of the fire. Having shared meals with Gilda in the past, Rainbow recognized what it was almost immediately. The mare watched in both horror and fascination as he went from eating the apple to eating the cooked flesh of something that was once alive. “What do I do? I’m stuck here with something that eats meat! What if it eats ponies… what if its planning eat me?!” Rainbow said starting to panic rising once more. Trying to stand, her injured legs quickly gave way from under her. “Oh man, I can’t run, can’t fly… I doomed!” Dash looked around for something, anything to help her, when it suddenly hit her. “Gilda ate meat and she didn’t eat ponies… maybe this thing is the same.” Cautiously Rainbow turned to look at the creature only to realize that it was watching her. The creature spoke again then tossed another two apples at the Pegasus. Dash looked at the apples then up at the creature but it had already turned his attention back to the fire. Maybe it… he just thought I wanted more food and wasn’t freaking out. Rainbow told herself. Yeah, that’s probably it. Rainbow watched as the creature pulled something new from the bag then stood. Seeing it at full height for the first time left Rainbow Dash in shock; it was tall, taller than Big Mac, possibly as tall as the princess. It walked towards her on two legs much the same way as Spike did. Moments later Dash found herself looking up, staring into the creature’s eyes that seemed to shine with a predatory intellect. After several long seconds, Dash found herself compelled to break her gaze; to her surprise the creature seemed to smile then sat down next to her. Rainbow watched the creature for any signs that it might attack; instead it began to fiddle with whatever it had taken out of the bag. Curiosity eventually got the better of her, and the Pegasus shifted to get a better look at the item; it was white and had strange brown lettering on it, the creature removed this part to reveal a foil layer underneath. Once opened, Rainbow recognized what it was, a chocolate bar; the creature broke it in half then held out one of the pieces towards the blue mare. Well, it hasn’t tried to eat me yet, so… Rainbow told herself as she took the chocolate. The creature turned his attention to his own piece, seemingly ignoring the Pegasus. I don’t get this thing at all; one moment he’s giving me food, the next he’s ignoring me. Dash thought as she bit into the chocolate. Not bad, had better though. The creature finished his piece and stared at the fire for several moments before doing something unexpected; it began to sing. His voice was deep but gentle; Rainbow felt herself slowly drifting off as the creature sung it's strange lullaby.
Day TwoRainbow Dash woke as the light from the sun filled her eyes. As she slowly opened them, she took a quick look around; the creature was no longer sitting next to her but was emptying the bag from the night before. She hesitated for a moment before speaking; “Hey… ummm, I’m not sure if you can understand me or whatever, but can I have one of those?” Dash pointed at an apple lying on the ground. The creature looked at her for a moment, then at the apple she was pointing at. Picking it up, the creature brought it, and the now empty bag, over to Dash. Giving Dash the apple, the creature crouched down and began to draw in the dirt. Looking up from her apple, the creature pointed at her, the drawings, the bag, and then finally himself. Confusion spread across Dash’s face as she tried to figure out what the creature was telling her. The pictures showed a crudely drawn four legged creature, then the creature in a bag, then the bag on the back of a two legged creature, and finally the four legged creature in a house. “Are you saying you want me to get in that bag so you can carry me home?” Rainbow asked and pointed at the bag. The creature smiled gently, moved the bag closer to her, and held out one of its forelimbs. Well, it’s all or nothing time. Dash said to herself, then place her hoof in his hand. “Alright, big guy, you win, carry me home.” The creature stood, gently lifting Rainbow as he did. The creature slowly lowered her into the bag; Alright, moment of truth. Rainbow thought, fearing that the creature was about to close the bag on her; instead he left the top open and lifted it onto his back. Rainbow placed her forehooves on the creature’s shoulders as it slowly stood. Dash let out a sudden yelp as the creature shifted the backpack slightly before saying something and then starting off. Rainbow found the gentle swaying of the bag surprisingly relaxing as the biped carried her through the forest. The creature’s slow but steady pace through the Everfree displayed an odd level of comfort of his surroundings. Zecora lives in the Everfree, Rainbow Dash reasoned, maybe he’s like her and knows his way around the Everfree. He hasn’t asked for directions, not like he can, but he does seem to know where he’s going. The creature seemed to have limitless stamina as continued to walk throughout the day, not even stopping to eat. Instead it simply ate while it walked. Rainbow, still riding in the large bag, carefully chewed on the apple it had given her. Her normal, enthusiastic approach had earned her an angry growl from her companion when she let the apple juice drip onto his neck. As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, the creature finally stopped. Setting Dash down, the creature set about making a small campsite for the two of them. “I’m gonna have to call you something.” Dash thought out loud. “Hmmm… ‘Guide… something’, no, that doesn’t work. ‘Forest’, nope. How about...wolf?” Dash’s thoughts tailed off as a timberwolf howl echoed through the trees. The creature stopped what it was doing, and scanned the trees around them. Remaining motionless for several long seconds, Dash waiting for the timberwolves to close in on them. The creature, however, seemed satisfied with their safety and went back to work. “Seriously, you’re not afraid of the wolves?” Rainbow asked, only earning a brief glance from the creature. “I’ll take that as a no.” After a few more minutes of work, the creature had managed to light a small fire. “Oh, I get it.” Rainbow said. “They’re timberwolves, they don’t like fire.” Pulling the bag that Rainbow was still in, the creature drew her closer to the fire. Neither spoke as they watched the flames flicker in the night. Finding the the gentle glow relaxing, Dash slowly drifted off to sleep.
Day ThreeRainbow Dash woke as the sunlight managed to pierce through the leaves and shine directly into her eyes. Attempting to stand, the remaining drowsiness that she felt was immediately replaced with pain as her legs refused to support her weight. Taking a quick look around, Dash realize that she was alone. “Did… did he just abandon me?” Rainbow asked out loud. “Why would he do that?” Taking a moment to check her surroundings again, Dash found that the creature’s bag and a small pile of food were both sitting next to her. “Ok… his stuff is here… maybe he’s just… oh.” Dash blushed, realizing what the creature was probably doing. After a few moments, the creature stepped out from behind several bushes. “Oh… hey... ’morning.” Dash said as casually as she could. “So.. ummm… Hi?” The creature nodded and spoke a few words. “Look… umm… do you think you can help me over to the bushes?” Instead of replying or acting, he gave her a confused look. “You…” Dash pointed at him, “Me…” pointing at herself, “Bushes.” pointing at the bushed. The creature watched Dash’s movements closely, then nodded. Gently picking Dash up, he carried her over to the bush in question. Setting her down, he waited for Dash to do something. “Dude, little privacy.” Dash complained, pointing a hoof at him. He looked at her hoof for a moment before a look of revelation came to his face. His face flushed slightly before he moved away from her and the bush. Dash wanted to think that the rest of her morning would have gone better, but it didn’t. It only took a moment for her to realise that the small pile of food was all that they had left. The creature spent the rest of the morning wandering in circles. Dash shifted and groaned in annoyance, she wanted move, fly, run, something other than being jostled around in some bag. “Oh, come on!” Dash groaned. “Just pick them! They’re berries!” The creature ignored her outburst as he inspected the plant, only to sigh and leave it behind them. As the creature’s start and stop pace left Dash longing for the gentle stride from the day before. As evening drew upon them, Dash found herself watching the creature fiddle with the bag as it was trying to figure out a way to carry both her and the food he had foraged. She was grateful that he had found food for them, but the sight of what he had eaten out of that old log was probably going to haunt her dreams. Seriously though, I get that he’s hungry but that was just awful. Dash said to herself. And they must have wriggled all the way down. “Strider.” Dash called out, drawing the creatures attention. “That’s what I’m gonna call you, Strider.” The creature just gave Dash yet another sympathetic look. “Strider.” Dash said again, this time pointing at him. The creature looked back over his shoulder to find nothing there. “Strider.” Dash said yet again, still pointing a hoof at him. This time he seemed to understand what she was trying to do and began to point at object, waiting for her response. “Strider.” Dash affirmed when he finally pointed at his own face. “Strider.” Strider nodded in confirmation, then touched the top of Dash’s head, and spoke a single odd sounding word. “So, now that we’ve named each other, what happens next?” Dash asked, only earning a confused shrug from Strider.
Day FourFrom her perch on Strider’s back, Dash found that the Everfree Forest seemed to lose it’s threatening atmosphere. It had changed from something dark and foreboding to something full of potential adventure. From the old castle, to the tree of harmony, to the mirror pool, Dash found herself wondering what other mysterious things were still hidden deep in the forest. A small smile came to her face as she envisioned this turning from a nightmare ordeal to a Daring Doo style adventure. Dash was snapped out of her daydream when Strider suddenly stopped. Dash could feel all of his muscles tense as scanned their surroundings. “Is something up?” Dash asked but found her mouth clamped shut. Dash let out a muffled groan in protest, but was met with an annoyed growl from Strider. Time passed at a crawl as Strider studied every tree, every bush, every branch, twig, and leaf. After what seemed like hours to Dash, Strider released her and started walking again. Traveling at a slower pace than before, Strider kept a wary eye on their surroundings. As the day continued on, Strider would continually stop and scan the forest around them, before changing direction. Other times, he wouldn’t stop but randomly turn, or double back on his trail. As the afternoon rolled in, Dash clued into what was going on; something was following them. Dash felt her anxiety grow by the minute, knowing that something was out there and not being able to see it was maddening. Ok Dash, you can get through this. She told herself. You’ve faced off against monsters before. Manticores, bugbears, changelings, heck even Tirek and Discord, and everything turn out fine then. Of course you had your friends with you then. Dash scolded herself. And could fly, and run, and fight, and wasn’t stuck in a bag on somepony’s back. This sucks. I can’t just wait here, I have to, need to, do something. A blur and the sudden feeling of spinning brought Dash’s focus back to her surroundings. Before them was a creature that was part tiger, part goat and had a snake for a tail. “Not many things can dodge our pounce.” the goat said. “Doesn’t matter, defiance makes the meal all the more delicious.” the tiger countered. “And look, it has a little pony for desert.” the snake added. Strider’s muscles tensed as the chimera crouched, for several long seconds both stood perfectly still. Then, in what Dash could only describe as rainboom speed, both moved. The chimera launched itself forwards, at the same time Strider jinked and spun to the left. Dash stared wide-eyed as the tiger claw pass by her face, barely missing her. Dash felt another lurch Strider took of through the trees. The chase was on as the chimera pursued hem through the trees. Dash glance back over her shoulder at the monster, always just a little behind them but never actually able to catch up. Despite the chimera’s speed, Strider seemed to have the advantage in the forest, his bipedal form was far more adept to maneuvering through the undergrowth than the quadruped that was chasing them. As Strider rounded the tenth tree, Dash glance back over her shoulder yet again; the distance between them and the chimera seemed to have grown. No, Dash said to herself, that can’t be right. There’s no way he can outrun a chimera. Dodging around the fifteenth tree, Strider’s pace was unrelenting, showing no sign of fatigue. The chimera, however, seemed to be slowing. Another few trees went by, and Dash found that the distance between them was definitely increasing. Feeling Strider suddenly slow down and hearing the sound of his steps change drew Dash’s attention downwards. Nope. Was the first thing that came to her mind when she saw that they were on top of an old log that spanned a ravine. The log groaned and cracked under their weight as Strider tried to cross before the chimera caught up to them. The chimera seized the opportunity that had presented itself and redoubled its efforts. A pouncing chimera and a loud crack from below caused Rainbow’s heart to stop. On instinct, Dash tried to open her wings when she felt herself fall, only to have pain shoot up through her injured wing. The look on the chimera’s faces changed from triumph to terror as it passed over its intended target. A sudden jolt shot through Dash as Strider stopped their descent. The chimera wasn’t as fortunate, letting out a terrified scream as it plummeted towards the bottom. Groaning, Strider pulled himself and Dash over the ravine’s edge and back onto the forest floor. The pair laid on the ground, Strider half on his side and Dash as a much too small big spoon. Neither moved or spoke for several moments until Strider started to laugh. It started as a slight chuckle, but in second it had transformed into a full outburst. Dash quickly joined in when everything that they had just been through started to sink in. There the pair stayed, laughing at their near-death experience until the sun began to drop below the horizon.
Day FiveSpurred on by the previous day’s events, Dash was determined to start walking again. She tried standing on all four hooves, but couldn’t manage more than a slow hobble on her injured legs. With a small sigh, Dash glanced back at her wings. Not like they’re doing any better. Dash said to herself. Rainbow looked over at her traveling companion. Strider, for his part, never complained about the slow pace Dash had set as she limped along. Instead, he seemed to understand what she wanted, and let Rainbow have the space she needed to try, yet stayed close enough help when she stumbled. Despite some setbacks, Dash felt reinvigorated; she had hope, she was facing this challenge head on, she was going to get through this, she was going to get home to her friends, she was… going to faceplant. Pain shot up through Dash’s muzzle as she connected with the ground. She let out a small groan as she laid there before Strider gently lifted her up and placed Dash back on her hooves. “I’m alright.” Dash said as Strider looked her over. “Didn’t break anything this time.” Strider gave Dash a reassuring smile, spoke a few strange words, then patted the pegasus on the head. Dash smiled back as the two of them resumed their journey. Huh, kinda reminds me of what I do to Scoots when she crashes. Dash thought in the moment before a sudden revelation caused her to stop in her tracks. Wait, does he think I’m a filly?!
Day SixFor the fifth time since they got up Strider paused and studied the sky. From her perch on Strider’s back, Dash easily followed his gaze skyward. “I don’t get it.” Dash said. “What are you looking for?” Strider muttered a few words before continuing on. “What’s up there?” Dash demanded. “You keep acting like something is going to fall out of the sky. Is it bad? Are we in danger? Come on, give me something!” Strider sighed, muttered a few more words, which did nothing to help ease Dash’s mind. “Yeah, I guess I should have seen that coming.” Dash dejectedly muttered. Realizing that she wasn’t going to get an answer out of Strider, Rainbow turned her attention skywards in hope that she would see whatever it was Strider was looking for. Some time later, Dash’s attention was earthward once again when Strider stopped. Dash peered into the cave that had caught Strider’s attention, but didn’t see what he was interested in; to her the cave looked empty. Before Dash could question Strider about his actions, he carefully took off the bag and placed it and its occupant onto the cave floor. “So, what now?” Dash asked. Strider spoke a few words, emphasizing his point by pointing at Dash then straight down. Rainbow nodded in understanding, feeling fairly certain he wanted her to wait here for something. Returning the nodd, Strider left Dash in the cave and disappeared amongst the trees. For the next few hours Strider came and went from the cave, leaving Dash behind to watch over the ever growing pile of things he was collecting. Poking through the pile, Rainbow wonder what it was Strider was planing. The odd collection of leaves, sticks, roots, berries, and rocks didn’t hold any answers. Strider reentered the cave as a sudden gust of wind blew across the opening. With a sigh and glance out of the cave, Strider set about his work. First setting a small fire near the entrance before turning his attention to the rock he had gathered. Selecting a rock he could easily hold, Strider scraped it across a large flat stone. Once satisfied with his work, he then carefully propped both stones next to the fire so they would touch the flames without falling into the ash. A loud rustle came from outside the cave, drawing Dash’s attention away from Strider and to the opening. As the sound grew louder, Rainbow could see large raindrops making their way through the canopy. “Rain?” Dash asked. “You knew it was going to rain. How?” Strider gave a single syllable response that she hoped was an answer and not scolding her; the idea of either seemed preposterous a second later. Strider, for his part, didn’t seem to be paying the exchange and mind; instead he moved on to the next part of his project, collecting as much rainwater as he could. Once he felt that he had enough water, Strider gathered up the roots, leaves, and berries. Carefully cleaning each one in turn, it wasn’t long until he had them all washed and sorted. Withdrawing the two stones from the fire, Strider use them to slowly grind the roots and berries into a paste. Dash watched as Strider worked, curious as to what he was doing. As he worked, Dash found the steady sound of the stones grinding together oddly relaxing. Then, to Rainbow’s surprise, a new sound joined the rhythmic stones, Strider had begun to sing. It wasn’t loud, in fact Dash wasn’t certain that she wasn’t hearing things at first, but as time went on she could easily make out his voice. The song didn’t seem complex, it's short and repeating verses, steady rhythm, and simple harmony gave it more of a chant-like quality. Finishing both his work and the song, Strider moved closer to Dash. Gently taking her foreleg, he carefully unwrapped the bindings. Once free of the wrap, Dash flinched when the cool air touched her exposed skin. “You shaved my leg?!” Dash exclaimed. Ignoring her, Strider continued to work; pouring the cold rainwater over her leg so that he could clean the area around the long gash. On instinct, Dash tried to pull her leg away when he touched the sore area, but his firm grasp and a stern look told Rainbow that it would be easier if she stayed still and let him work. Once Dash let Strider perform his work, she found the process strangely relaxing. She could feel his touch on her leg, first going from top to bottom, then in circles. So lost in the odd feeling of his touch that it took Rainbow a few moments to realize that Strider was smearing the strange paste he has made onto her leg. Next, Strider took the cleaned leaves and placed them over the paste. Finally he rewrapped her leg, chanting another strange song as he went. Rainbow pondered if his chanting was some kind of strange magic; she had heard about Zecora’s potions and mystical abilities. Maybe the two are somehow connected. Dash thought. I’ve never heard Zecora speak in her own language. As Dash pondered the possible connections between Strider and Zecora, Strider moved on to Dash’s other injuries. Checking the splints on leg and wing was far more uncomfortable. Needing to check that Dash’s bones were still aligned, Strider resorted to squeezing the limb in question. The process seemed to drag painfully on, every poke, every prod, every squeeze was worse than the last. Rainbow let out a sudden scream of pain when Strider forced the bones in her wing to shift. Giving Dash a sympathetic glance, Strider finished retying the splints. Dash watched as Strider moved away from her and over to the far side of the cave. Sitting near the fire, he absently poked at it with a stick, doing his best not to look at Dash. Testing her wing, Rainbow found that most of the pain had subsided. She knew what Strider had done, and why he had done it, but she wasn’t certain that it made it better. She watched as he idly played with the fire, trying to hide the sad expression on his face. Dash wondered what was going through his mind; somepony all alone, for Celestia knows how long, before finding a friend, and then having to that friend as the only way to help them. With the worst part being unable to give an apology or an explanation as to why, and unable to comprehend any words of understanding or forgiveness. Dash knew that everything he had done since they met was to help her, even if he couldn’t tell her why. She wondered what he had lost, and what he would be giving up to help her. She wondered if anypony was looking for Strider. Did he leave any friends or family behind? Would they be out searching for him? Or would they not bother and declare the idea a lost cause? Or maybe no one would notice his absence and his disappearance would go unnoticed. The image of her friends and family overjoyed at her return popped into Dash’s head. Would Strider get the same reaction when he returned home? IF he returned home? Where was his home? Strider was so strange, so unusual, so unlike anything she had ever heard of, Dash wondered if it was even possible for him to return home. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe he was stuck here in this forsaken forest without the ability to get back to where he was from. Only then to have hurt the only being that had shown him any form of kindness or friendship. Dash slowly and carefully hobbled her way across the cave until she was next to Strider. Nudging his arm out of the way, Rainbow leaned against his torso. “It’s OK.” she said softly. “I understand.” Strider didn’t say anything, instead his arm so that it gently wrapped itself around Dash.
Day SevenDash slowly limped around the cave in a futile attempt to stave off her boredom; the rain had continued throughout the night, and was showing no sign of stopping. Eventually she plopped herself down next to Strider, who was passing the time by literally banging rocks together. Watching him work, it quickly became apparent to Dash that, like everything else she saw him do, Strider had a very clear goal in mind. With each strike, the smaller stone chipped away at the larger one until a distinct shape emerged. Once he was satisfied with the shape, Strider scraped the worked edge against a large stone, refining the edge even further. “So.... this is your plan?” Dash asked. “Sitting here, playing with rocks?” Strider set the the rock he was working on and produce both the chipping rock and a longer, thinner rock. He spoke a few words and held them out so Dash could take them. Rainbow looked the items over for a moment or two before taking them. After a brief tutorial, Dash was soon absorbed in her work. The simple task with a clear goal was a pleasant distraction from the last week. Strider would periodically look up from his own work to watch Dash, giving her the occasional, usually unintelligible, tip. Eventually, he showed Dash how to use the large stone, covered in grit and a little water, to hone the knife’s edge. See that Dash had understood him, Strider took a mostly round piece of wood and put a split into one end with his stone. Setting both stick and stone to the side, Strider collected long strands of the vines that hung from the cave’s mouth. Removing any leaves and tendrils, he carefully wove the vines together. Dash subconsciously slowed as she watched Strider, impressed that he had enough strength to chip away stone yet dexterous enough to perform precise tasks. Sliding the stone into the notched wood and binding it in place, Strider finished assembling the axe. Realizing that she had been staring at Strider, Dash quickly returned her attention to the knife she was supposed to be working on. Passing the knife of the slab a few times, Dash risked a quick glance over at Strider, who was now busy etching a series of strange symbols into the axe’s head and haft. Noticing that Dash had stopped working, Strider stopped his own work and turned his attention towards the pegasus. Looking over Dash’s work, Strider nodded in approval. Giving Dash some of the woven vines and a short piece of wood, Strider instructed her on how to attach the blade to the handle. “So, what do you think?” Dash asked, presenting the finished product. Strider carefully took the blade from Rainbow and slowly turned it over in his hands. Testing the bindings and finding them to his liking, Strider retrieved his engraving stone and carved several strange symbols into the blade and handle. As a finishing touch, he found a feather that Dash had shed during the night and attached it to the bottom of the handle with a small vine. Placing the knife to the the side, Strider collected some bark and the remaining woven vine. Dahs watched as he bound the bark together, creating a simple sheath for the knife. Moving next to her, Strider held the sheath against Dash’s barrel. Trying her best to hold still as he worked, Dash allowed Strider to tie it in place. Finally he slid the knife into the sheath, then spoke a few words. Dash looked at the knife that was now hanging from her side, a sense of fulfillment and pride rose up as she did. This was something that she had made, something that only through her, and a little bit of Strider’s, effort was made. “It...great.” Dash smiled, guessing at what Strider had said. Author's Note Ok, is it weird that Fimfiction's spellchecker doesn't like the word "Strider"? Because it doesn't.
Day EightAfter spending two days sitting in a cave, Dash was ecstatic to find the rain had stopped some time during the night. Strider seemed to be equally as pleased as his steps seemed lighter, filled with an optimistic energy. Even the Everfree itself seemed different, no longer dark and oppressive, but filled with a vibrant energy. Today is going to be great. Dash told herself, pumping hoof into the air. “Today sucked.” Dash groaned. Strider let out an annoyed huff between picking burrs out of Dash’s mane. “I can’t help it if it sucked.” Dash protested. “Because it- ouch! Hey that one hurt!” Saying nothing, Strider gave the pegasus a stern look as he tossed a burr with several long rainbow hairs still attached aside. “Seriously, be careful. I may not fuss over my mane like Rarity does, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when you pull it out.” Strider muttered a few angry words and pointed to his arm. “Look, I said I was sorry for getting you stung by those hornets.” Strider sighed and went back to his work, occasionally wincing as he did. Dash turned to face Strider, placing a hoof on his knee. “And about the river. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just… I don’t know.” Placing his hand on Dash’s hoof, Strider gave the mare a sympathetic look. “It’s been eight days. Eight days. I never imagined that this forest would be so big. I always thought that when I got in trouble my friends would be there to save me. I don’t know if they can, or are even trying to find me at this point.” Dash’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I must sound pathetic.” She continued. “Here you are in the same boat a me, but you’ve been nothing but helpful; and the one time I try to help you I just end up making things worse. I just want to be back home, back with my friends. I just… I just don’t want to be here anymore.” Strider lifted Dash off the ground and cradled her. Gently rocking the pegasus, Strider began to sing a soft lullaby. Dash found Strider’s actions oddly comforting, being held in the strange creature’s arms gave her a sense of security. As if it didn’t matter what she did, Strider would always be there for her.
Day TenSetting Dash down, Strider worked to clean a small spot for them to camp for the night. As he worked, Dash let out a small yawn, surprising herself at how tired she was. Her mind wandered to her friends, wondering what each of them might be doing; Pinkie would be dealing with the the last customer rush before, Fluttershy would be tucking all manner of small critter into bed, Twilight probably wouldn’t be aware of the time and lost in some book, AJ and Rarity are probably trying to get their sister to turn in for the night, Scootaloo would be… A sudden rustling in a nearby bush snapped Dash out of her musings. She took a quick glance over at Strider, who was scrutinizing the bush as he slowly made his way over to her. Taking his cue, Dash slipped further into the bag and braced herself. As Strider gripped the bag’s straps, both he and Dash watched the bush intently. Dash’s anxiety grew as the bush shook again. She could sense Strider’s muscles tense as he waited for what ever it was in the bush to show itself. The seconds dragged on as the thing in the bush seemed more content with tormenting them rather than show itself. The bush gave one last shudder as the creature sprang forth. Strider didn’t move, or flinch, or react in any way other than freezing in place. Dash stared, unblinking, at the creature as it made its way towards them. Both Strider and Dash watched as the creature stopped in front of them, and started to eat the clover they were on top of. Dash and Strider looked at eachother then started to laugh. The sudden outburst spooked the creature and it darted off into the undergrowth. “A jackalope.” Dash said, trying to collect herself. “We were scared of a jackalope.”
Day Eleven“What’s up? Why are we stopping?” Dash asked. “It's not even noon.” Strider set Rainbow down without bothering to respond. “Is there something here? What’s so special about this place?” Dash looked around, and found that they were in an old campsite. “Wait, is this your campsite?” Moving a branch out of the way, Strider drew Dash’s attention to a large stone slab jetting up from the ground. “What is that?” Dash asked as she approached the stone. Although the stone itself was black, Rainbow could see herself in its polished surface. Strider moved away from the stone and sat down. Brushing some leaves and twigs out of his way, Strider began to draw in the dirt using a stick. Sitting next to him, Dash watched as he worked. The first image was of a simple figure, a biped with a circle for a head and lines for its body and limbs, inside a square with a triangle on top of it. Next, he drew the same figure with trees around it. After that was the figure standing in front of a circle, then the figure touching the circle, then a new circle with the figure on the opposite side as before. FInally he drew the figure meeting a second one, only the second figure was a quadruped with two extra lines rising out of its back. Dash looked between Strider, his drawings and the stone. “Is… is that what happened to you?” she asked. “Is the stone what brought you here? Why not use it to go back?” When Strider didn’t give her an answer, Dash tried again. “You.” she pointed at him. “Stone.” She pointed at the stone. “Home.” Strider seemed to understand her this time, and walked over to the stone. “Hey! Wait!” Dash yelled as he reached out and touched the surface. “So, it doesn’t work anymore.” Dash stated when nothing happened. With a heavy sigh, Strider sat back down next to Dash. “Don’t worry,” she said, wrapping her good wing around him. “If we ever get back to Ponyville, I’ll have Twilight whip up some portal opening magic for you.”
Day TwelveEver since they left their camp site Strider's pace was noticeably slower, frequently looking back over his shoulder, debating if he made the correct decision to move on. Finally the indecision was too much for him and he stopped moving forwards. Quickly scanning their surroundings, Strider took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Strider stood silent for several long minutes. Dash quickly found herself wondering what he could be thinking about; was he having second thoughts about moving on? Did he think that they should have stayed at the rock? “I know you can’t really understand what I’m saying, but I think you made the right choice.” Dash said in an attempt to reassure Strider. “Like I said last night; once we find Ponyville, Twilight will be able to get you home.” Strider slowly exhaled as he reopened his eyes. Taking hold of Dash, Strider held her so he could look directly into her eyes. “It's going to be fine.” Strider studded Dash intently, scanning her for any sign of deceit. After several long seconds Strider returned Dash to the bag and started to walk once more. As he went Dash could tell that any doubt he had was gone.
Day ThirteenDash shivered as the temperature continued to drop. What was a pleasant morning had slowly turned into cool afternoon. The light mist that was pooling between the trees was steadily growing into a dense fog. “Stupid Everfree weather, doing whatever it wants.” Dash grumbled. Paying the nether the pegasus or the fog any heed, Strider continued onwards. “Shouldn’t we stop before it gets too late?” Dash asked. “I mean, I’m fine. Nothing to worry about. Not that you do either, but maybe we should?” Strider didn’t respond, nor did he stop; instead he continued walking, ignoring the fog that was pooling around his legs. The afternoon turned into evening, Strider uncharacteristically continued walking. “You sure you don’t want to stop? It is getting dark.” Strider responded with a single word and pointed into the distance. Ahead of them, rising above the trees and surrounded by fog was an old ruined castle. The sun was almost below the horizon when Strider pushed the old castle doors open. “This is great.” Dash told herself as Strider went about setting up a small fire. “We’re so close. We should be back in Ponyville by noon tomorrow.” Strider glance up at Dash as he managed to light the small fire. As Dash scooted closer to the flames, she realized the oddity of her surroundings. She wondered why the restoration project she and her friends had started stopped. Bits? Time? Effort? In the end, Dash decided that it didn’t really matter, Twilight had her own castle now, and she and her friends moved on with their lives. Dash thought back on Twilight and the others, how they had joined together here in this room to confront Nightmare Moon and saw the power of friendship. Dash found that it seemed fitting that she would spend the night here with her new friend before introducing him to her old friends. A smile came to Dash’s as she thought about the future, tomorrow she would be back in Ponyville and this whole ordeal would be behind her.
Day FourteenShortly after Dash woke, Strider carefully removed the wraps and splints on her wing. Under Strider’s watchful gaze, Dash gave her wing a few tentative flaps and a moment later was gently gliding around the room. Putting more force into her flaps, Dash soon rose up over the crumbling wall only to drift down and land on top of it. The joy Rainbow felt of having her wing back disappeared as she looked out over the Everfree; the fog covered Everfree. With a small groan, Strider pulled himself up to the top of the wall and sat next to Dash. He looked out at the fog for a moment, then spoke as he pointed at the sun then at a spot higher in the sky then made a waving motion towards the fog. Dash nodded, understanding what Strider was trying to tell her, and settled down to wait for the fog to disperse. By noon, the fog had refused to disperse, and Dash was steadily growing anxious to get moving. Sensing her unease, Strider gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Gesturing towards Dash’s wings, and the sky, he said a few soft words. Dash pondered over what he could have meant for several long moments. “No,” she finally said with a smile, “I stuck with you for this long, it doesn’t seem right to fly off on you now.”
Day FifteenDash was violently jerked awake as she was pulled across the castle floor. “What gives?!” she demanded, looking up a Strider who was now carrying her as he rushed towards the door. When Strider didn’t answer, Dash looked back and saw a pair of glowing eyes in the still ever present fog staring back at her. “The pony of shadows is real!?” Dash examined. Dash brought her attention back to what was in front of them when Strider suddenly changed directions. Out past the doors, Dash could see several more sets of eyes glowing in the fog. Before she had any time to process what was happening, Dash suddenly found herself in the air as Strider threw her over one of the broken walls. As Dash managed to catch herself, she saw Strider climb over the same wall, and a moment later the two of them fled into the fog. Moving through the dark, fog filled forest was anything but easy. Numerous times Dash had collided with, or been entangled by branches and vines, the pegasus could only imaged what it would be like if she didn’t have her wings and was forced to run across the uneven ground; and to make matters worse, everywhere she turned, Dash could see the glowing eyes following her. As Dash circled around the seventh tree, she suddenly realized that Strider was no longer with her. As she frantically scanned the area for any trace of him, Dash noticed that the fog was finally beginning to thin, and the first rays of Celestia's sun began to shine over the horizon. “Finally, something going right.” she smiled. “Now, all I have to do is find Strider and get back to Ponyville.” Her excitement quickly turned sour as she realized that the fog was not dispersing, but was gathering in a single spot. A spot with angry, glowing eyes. As the fog coalesced it slowly took on a pony-like form. It’s head, torso and tail were all there, but its legs simply stopped just below the knee, tailing off into vapor, giving the creature a haunting, ghost-like visage. The creature opened its mouth as if it was screaming, only no sound came out. A second fog-pony appeared next to the first, and was quickly joined by a third. As the three fog-ponies spread out to surround Dash, the pegasus drew her stone knife. “Rainbow Dash isn’t the kind of pony that goes down without a fight.” Dash said around the knife in her mouth. The three fog-ponies suddenly all charged forwards simultaneously. Instinctively Dash ducked and shot forwards. Rolling as she when, Dash’s knife grazed the lead fog-pony. Landing hard, Dash spun to face the creatures. Studying her foes, Rainbow realized that the cut she had made had actually damaged the creature; the wound remained visible and whips of fog slowly bled out from it. Realizing that she had a way to fight the fog-ponies, Dash readied herself for their next attack. The wounded fog-pony rushed forwards while the other two held back. Colliding with Dash, the two tumbled across the ground. The fog-pony bore down on Dash, trying to bite her. Squirming in the creature’s grasp, Dash lashed out with the knife in an attempt to end the fight quickly. As she landed on her back, Dash blindly thrust the knife upwards and somehow connected with her foe. Her opponent's weight vanished as the fog-pony dissipated. Rolling to her hooves, Dash quickly scanned her surroundings only to find that she was now alone. Even though she was unsure of where the other creatures might have gone, Dash didn’t let fear creep into her thoughts. Instead Dash focused all of her energy into finding her missing friend. Weaving through the trees, Dash flew through patches of lingering fog. While she was in the fog patches, Dash could feel the fog-ponies watching her. In the clear spots, there was clear signs of a struggle. The upturned dirt, broken branches, and occasional splattering of blood fueled her desire to find Strider. Entering a small area where the fog cleared, Dash found Strider; trapped between three of the fog-ponies and a long drop over a cliff edge. Before she could react, the fog-ponies all launched themselves forwards. “Strider!” Dash screamed as the fog-ponies connected and knocked her friend backwards over the cliff. Putting all of her energy into one all or nothing flap, Dash launched herself forwards. I’m not going to make it! She screamed to herself. Just as Strider passed out of her sight something wrapped itself around one of Dash’s hooves, Strider had miraculously managed to grab hold of her. Straining under his added weight, Dash flapped her wings as hard as could, but it was to no avail; and soon the pair were falling. Risking a downwards glance, Dash could see the river racing up towards them. As she tucked her wings in, Dash felt Strider wrap one of his arms around her. A moment later, they hit the water. Despite both their efforts, the impact and current pulled the pair apart. As she tumbled through the water, Dash watched in vain as Strider was pushed towards a series of large rocks before losing sight of him completely. Choking on the water as she tried to breath, Dash soon found the world around her getting darking. Her hooves failing, in a futile attempt to swim against the overpowering current. Her hooves brushed up against something, and she instinctively grabbed a hold of it just as the darkness overtook her.
Day SixteenA loud ruckus caused by her animal friends woke Fluttershy early. Slowly rolling out of her bed, Fluttershy’s thoughts turned to Rainbow Dash; her friend had disappeared over a two weeks ago, and nopony had been able to find a trace of her. A loud squawk from outside drew her back to the moment. “Don’t worry. I’m coming.” Fluttershy called out softly. Exiting her cottage, she could immediately see what the problem was; a large log was trapped under the small bridge the led up to her home. “I suppose I’ll have to ask the Beavertons to move it.” As she turned to leave, a rainbow flash caught her eye. Looking under the bridge itself, Fluttershy found Rainbow Dash clinging to the log. “Thank you for coming, Princess.” Doctor Horse said as he let Twilight Sparkle into his office. “It’s no trouble Doctor, and please call me Twilight. Although I’m not sure I understand what this is about though.” Twilight replied. “As you know, after you brought Ms. Dash here, we took a series of scans and images to determine the extent of her injuries.” “Are you saying that something showed up? Does she have some kind of terrible internal injury? Is she going to be alright?” Twilight panicked. “Do not worry, Ms. Twilight.” Doctor Horse reassured her. “Your friend is fine. Apart from a minor case of hypothermia and exhaustion from being in the water for so long, she’s fine. Which is the problem.” “I don’t follow. The problem is that there is no problem?” “Her x-rays showed that one of her wings was recently broken. As well, there were indications of several large lacerations. All of which were healed, before she went into the water.” “Are you saying that between the time she went missing and when she was found somepony else had treated her?” “That is indeed what I am suggesting. Probably not a pony with extensive medical training, but one with knowledge on field medicine. Perhaps a medic within the guard.” “But, who?” Twilight questioned. “And why was Dash alone when Fluttershy found her?” “Only Ms. Dash can answer that.” Doctor Horse replied. “But we do have two clues to our mystery pony’s identity.” “Two?” “Yes. One, the pony in question has some basic medical training, and the name ‘Strider’.” “Strider? I don’t think I know anypony by that name.” “Neither do I, but the nurses have told me that Ms. Dash has been muttering that name in her sleep.” “Princess, you need to look a this.” Detailed Study said he held out a knife made of stone. “What am I looking at?” Twilight asked. “This knife was found on your friend, Ms. Dash.” Detailed explained. “The stone itself is unremarkable, but it is held to the hilt with throttlevine, an extremely dangerous plant.” “I think I read about it when I was doing some research on the Everfree. Isn’t it supposed to contact when picked?” “Indeed it is. When picked, it takes on wire-like properties. Many ponies that stumble into it learn why it has such a dangerous reputation.” “So, somepony was able to use the throttlevine’s properties for their own benefit? Fascinating.” “That is not all.” Detailed Study said, turning the knife over to reveal a series of runes engraved into it. “Are those…” Twilight trailed off. “Yes, and they are active.” “How? Runic magic is an art that was lost before Discord’s reign.” “I know. Something very strange is going on Princess.” Dash slowly opened her eyes. Immediately noticing that she was no longer in the Everfree but in Ponyville hospital. “When… how did I get here?” Dash wondered aloud. Looking around, Dash quickly found the call button. A minute later nurse Redheart entered the room. “Good morning Rainbow Dash.” Redheart smiled. “How are we feeling?” “Umm, fine, I guess.” Dash answered. “How did I get here? Last thing I remember was falling into a river.” “Your friend, Fluttershy, found you outside her cottage. She carried you across the entire town.” “Seems like I’ve been carried a lot lately.” Dash muttered. “What was that?” Redheart asked. “Nothing… just, was I alone?” Dash asked. “Was there anypony with me?” “No, you were the only one she found. Was there somepony with you?” “Yeah, some...pony. Do you think you can find Twilight for me?” “Of course, Rainbow. Just relax and I’ll be back in no time.” Rainbow watched as the sun slowly set, barely listening to what Twilight was telling her. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but there is no sign of this ‘Strider’.” Twilight explained. “It's been a long day and I have to recall the search parties before it gets too dark.” Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Dash’s shoulder. “We’re not giving up on your friend Dash. The Everfree is just too dangerous to go stomping through it at night. One morning comes, the search parties will head out again.” “Thanks Twi, I just…” “What is it?” “I just feel like I should be the one out there looking for him. I mean, he carried me through that forest, treated my injuries, kept my spirit up, even if it was to his own detriment. He did so much for me, and just before we make it to Ponyville…” Dash trailed off. “I know, you told me about what happened at the river.” “He probably thinks I’m lost, or stuck, or maybe even dead…” “Dash, if there is one thing that you told me about Strider is that he’s a survivor.” Twilight said confidently. “If he was able to go through so much while you were with him, he will have survived this.” “I...he…” “He’ll be fine, Dash. Get some sleep. The search parties will head out again tomorrow morning. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
Epilogue: Day 17“Rainbow Dash…” Twilight muttered as she flew over Ponyville. “I’m sorry, Princess. She must have snuck out.” Redhead had told her. “Where are you going?” Twilight pondered. “I just feel like I should be the one out there looking for him.” Dash said. “Oh no.” Twilight realized what Dash was planing. Picking up as much speed as she could, Twilight raced towards the Everfree Forest. Rainbow flew low over the river that led from Fluttershy’s cottage, scanning every inch of the bank as she went, looking for any sign of her friend. If he wasn’t washed down to Ponyville, he must have gotten out of the river at some point. Dash reasoned. After a few hours of searching, Dash found herself at the spot she and Strider had fallen into the river. “Did I miss it?” Dash asked herself. “No… maybe? Think, Dash, think; If I was Strider, and I was separated from my friend and had just climbed out of a river, where would I go?” Dash thought about it only for a moment or two before the answer came to her. “Go back to where we were last together!” Dash exclaimed as she shot into the air. In less than a minute Dash has arrived at the old castle. At a quick glance Dash could see their old campsite, but no Strider. Dash went about searching the area for any signs of activity but couldn’t find any. The only thing Dash could find was a rune covered stone axe. “Where could you have gone?” Dash asked aloud. “Where could-” Dash’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud pop coming from behind her. “Rainbow! Thank goodness I found you!” Twilight called out as she rushed up to her friend. “Twilight? What are you doing here?” Dash asked. “No, nevermind. I need your help.” “My help? Dash, you should be back in Ponyville resting. Not out here doing whatever it is that you are doing.” “Maybe? But this is important! I need you whip up some magic and find Strider!” “Dash, I can’t just use my magic to find somepony. It doesn’t work that way.” Twilight said as she placed a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “If it did I would do it in a heartbeat.” “But Rarity knows a spell that can find gems, isn't this the same?” “I’m sorry Dash, but it’s not the same. To find a pony, you need something that belonged to that pony;” Twilight explained, “and not just anything. It has to be something of importance to that pony. Something that they would want back; and we just don’t have anything of his.” Dash spirits sunk as she listened Twilight; Strider had fallen into the river with her, anything that he owned would have been washed away with him. If we only had something of his… Dash thought, if we hadn’t fallen off of the cliff, if we weren’t chased through the forest, if those things didn’t attack us… “... we wouldn’t have had to run.” Dash muttered. “What was that?” Twilight asked. “Huh? Just thinking out loud.” Dash forced out a chuckle as her eyes darted around the room. Dash’s attitude suddenly changes as she raced across the room. “Hey Twi, you said if we had something of his you could track Strider, right? What about this?” Dash asked holding up a stone axe. “It just might.” The trail let them deeper into the Everfree, the two ponies flew through the trees for hours, until they finally arrive at a smooth black stone jutting out from the ground. “I don’t get it.” Twilight groaned. “The trail just ends at this stone.” “It’s fine, Twilight.” Dash smiled. “How is this fine? The spell just end at this rock!” “Yeah, come on, let's get back to Ponyville and I’ll tell you all about it.” Looks like we both made it home after all.
