One Little Trip Through the Everfree
Most ponies would call me insane, I bet. To do something so crazy. Something like taking a trip through the Everfree Forest. But what made it even crazier, was doing it while it's two in the morning.
Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. I saw neither. But I could only guess that the crickets hid in the grass, while the frogs were somewhere around or in the water that laid under the small bridge that I just crossed.
On the hill, was a cottage. It would've been impossible to see if it wasn't for the light that illuminated from Luna's gorgeous full moon. The lack of lights shining from any of the cottage windows lead me to assume that the pony who lived there was either sleeping or not home. It was most likely the former, considering the time. Who was that pony again? Something-shy?
I shrugged it off, as it wasn't important.
I walked up the hill, walking towards the cottage. Then took a turn to the left. The turn lead to a path, which leads to the infamous Everfree Forest; one of the most unnatural places in all of Equestria.
I can tell that it was incredibly dark in there, judging from the sight of the entrance. It looked like a tunnel. A tunnel made up of trees and plants. There was no hint of moonlight in this tunnel.
There are things in there. Unnatural things. Ponies say that the Everfree has its own rules. That creatures in there hunt other critters. The plants grow by themselves. And the weather controls itself. All those thoughts are scary. But the scariest of those thoughts are the creatures. Manticores and timberwolves. A lion with wings and a scorpion stinger, and a wolf made of wood. Those are the two most common creatures seen from the Everfree. There’s also rumors of cockatrice and Ursa majors living in the forest.
I straighten my glasses and tapped the flashlight which was attached to my shirt. It’s probably a weird thing to imagine; a unicorn with a flashlight. One of the most basic spells you learn is the light spell. But I don’t have magic. I used to, but then something happened. Something that I don’t want to think about right now.
Anyway, ponies have told me of a witch doctor that lives in the Everfree Forest. A zebra. A master of potions. Maybe this witch doctor can whip up some potion to get my magic back.
Maybe.
I took in a deep breath and began to trot into the tunnel. The only things the flashlight illuminated were plants (mainly trees and bushes,) and a dirt road. Not only did it become a familiar sight, but also my ears were filled the same sounds. Frogs croaked and crickets chirped, just like outside of the Everfree. But instead of feeling peaceful, it felt like I was being watched. That’s probably because of the darkness and the sound of my hoofbeats.
Clip clop clip clop clip clo- sh.
Wait, sh?
I turn to the right and saw a bush. It was shaking.
My eyes widened as I began to back up. I considered my options. Run left. Run right. Or hide behind one of the trees.
Buck it! I turned back to the left and broke into a gallop. It was just like trotting but every plant zoomed by in a second.
Clipclopclipclopclipclop!
I dug my two forehooves into the ground to stop my sprint and stared at the split. Two roads. Each were identical, like two twins. One on the left, another to the right. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Left- because right is never right!
And here I was again; galloping on a path. Never visually changing. Trees, plants, and a dirt path. Occasionally, twigs and small rocks would appear in the dirt path.
The second gallop eventually came to a stop. But that was because my legs and lungs were burning. I took deep breaths as I sat in one spot. I felt like a sitting duck, but I needed the air to enter my collapsed lungs. To extinguish the fire that burned my lungs.
I waited for what felt like forever. And realized that nothing was chasing me. I made a gasp of relief. I decided to rest for a second, then began my trot again.
This was probably a mistake, was it? All I wanted is my magic back. But was this really worth my life? My magic? I was doing fine without my magic… But I’m so tired of the ponies who give me glances whenever I open a door with my forehoof, or if I don’t turn the page of my book with a levitation spell...
I took a deep breath. I didn’t go this far to give up. So I continued trotting.
The same image appeared and had the same sounds; plants and a dirt road, all moving by at the sound of my hooves.
Clipclopclipclop.
Then suddenly, darkness.
It felt like a minute. A minute with no breathing. I thought I was dead. But no. One cold gasp of air told me that, whispering in a calm tone, “Your lungs are still breathing.”
The light of my flashlight began flickering back on and finally went back into a steady beam of light.
“There are some weak batteries,” I mumbled. I only bought them today. Maybe it was the flashlight? It was around two years old.
The familiar of the sh made one of my ears flicker. But it didn’t come from my right. It came from behind.
I turned around and saw darkness. Just darkness. But when seconds went by, I saw two orange lights floating right next to each other. They were small. The size of pennies.
The glowing pennies then blinked. My eyes widened.
The pennies reacted to this by beginning to bounce up and down, occasionally disappearing for a second and reappearing. The pennies slowly became bits…
It was when I heard thuds that I decided to turn around and began to run.
Cool air blew through my eyes and into my mouth, making my throat sore from each breath. I saw the same thing; plants zooming by and one endless dirt path. There was a difference in the sound, however. Instead of just *clipclopclipclop*, there was *thumpthumpthump*. Each thump echoed louder into my ears.
I saw one final hope; some sort of a tree. This tree had a door. And windows. Windows that emitted light.
I ran straight for the door. I didn’t even bother knocking. I just pushed it open with all the strength my forehooves still had. It opened. I quickly ran inside and slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it… With a rusty old slide bolt lock.
“What are you doing in my hut? And why are you slamming my door shut?”
I turned around, and my eyes laid upon a zebra mare that looked rather displeased. Doesn’t look like she was sleeping, though.
Then I realized that she asked me a question. All I said was, “Orange dots… Chasing…”
The mare’s eyes widened. Even more when the sound of knocking emitted from the wooden door. Proper knocking, but loud. Like the police knocking at someone’s door.
The zebra ran off somewhere else and I looked back at the door, backing up from it. I couldn’t turn away from the door. I heard the sound of flasks being shuffled around, occasionally bumping into other flasks.
Those were noises of comfort. The comfort was destroyed by another row of knocks. Slow and hard.
Knock knock knock.
My heart beated heavily. The zebra tapped my shoulder and I looked at her; she was holding two vials. Each was filled with dark blue liquid that sparkled.
“Quickly! Drink this. I swear it doesn’t taste like piss!” She said desperately.
“W-Wait, why? What will happen if I drink this?” I asked.
“It’ll save your life. A warning though, you will feel like you’ve been stabbed with a knife.”
Stabbed with a knife? But it’ll save my life? Why should I trust this zebra? Well, there is one simple answer to that.
There were no other options.
I took one of the vials and popped it open with my mouth. I took one look at the liquid. Then I drank from it. I looked at the door.
Knock knock kno-
I fell to the ground and everything became pitch black.
Was I backstabbed?
I opened my eyes, hearing the sound of my own breathing. I suddenly remembered the events of last night and instantly got up. I looked around the hut and noticed some important details. It was now daylight. And the mare who drugged me sat in a chair while she looked at me.
“Good morning,” she said. “I am sorry that I couldn’t have given you a proper warning.”
I blinked and shook my head, then asked, “Wha- Why did you do that?”
She sighed. “That creature only attacks those who don’t sleep. If you were conscious, the price you would pay wouldn’t be cheap.”
The price I would pay wouldn’t be cheap? What? Does she mean… If I stayed awake, then that thing would’ve killed me? Why kind of a creature kills ponies who don’t sleep?
“It even got inside,” she said, snapping me back into reality. “It left evidence that it couldn’t hide.”
“Evidence?” I turned around and looked at the door. That rusty slide bolt lock. The part that was attached to the wall now laid on the wooden floor. That thing broke in, but that zebra and I were still here, breathing…
“Do you mind if I ask a question?” I turned to her. “Though I must warn you, my voice might be filled with aggression.”
“Aggression?” I thought out loud. “Why would you sound aggressive?”
“Well, maybe it’s because I have to ask you why you were running around in the Everfree Forest at three?! This is really confusing me.” Her voice was indeed filled with aggression and I really don’t blame her; running around in the Everfree at two or three really is a stupid thing to do.
“Uh, well, I was looking for you.” I scratched the back of my head, unable to look her in the eyes.
“Oh? Okay. But why not during the day?” She questioned, then added, “The Everfree is much safer when the sun is out. You would have had a much safer route.”
“Eh, um…” I began to sweat. Then I sighed and looked at her. “Look- deciding to come here wasn’t an easy choice! My magic doesn’t work. That’s why I came here. And I’m really ashamed of it. I didn’t want to be seen in broad daylight, and for ponies to recognize me as that helpless unicorn who can’t take care of himself. I didn’t want ponies to try to escort me, either.”
I turned around because I couldn’t look at her for the next thing I had to say.
“I know it was a stupid thing to do. But I’m tired of other ponies treating me like a child, or… Or like a helpless crippled.”
I heard the sound of hoofbeats approach me from behind. So I turned around and looked at the zebra.
“Thank you for being honest,” she said with a weak smile. Then she frowned. “But I am afraid to tell you that getting your magic back is not something that I can promise.”
I frowned and closed my eyes. “I was afraid of that.” I sighed. “I heard something about a potion. A potion that can give a pony magical power.” I turned to the door and began to trot. “It was my fault for getting my hopes up.”
She didn’t say anything, but I felt her gaze hitting the back of my head.
“Thank you for your time, miss,” I said as I looked back at her.
She then said, “I said I couldn’t make a promise, but a potion like that isn’t forbidden by the goddess.”
“What?” I asked, then slowly turned around. “Then what’s the problem?”
My heart began beating faster with hope.
“There is a rare plant that grows in the zebra land, at the parts with the most sand,” she said.
I blinked and gave a weak smile. “Thanks, miss. I must go now.” She waved at me as I went out of the hut.
I went back to Ponyville. The walk there was much more peaceful than last night. I even saw peaceful creatures, such as ducks and rabbits. Some followed me. Probably because they wanted to get out of the forest. I don’t blame them, really.
It was nice to see the town of Ponyville with the sun shining on it. I can’t believe my magic is worth more than the sight of the sun, to me. Should I really be this self-conscious about how ponies treat me because I don’t have magical abilities like other unicorns?
I laid on the grass and looked up at the clouds.
The zebra land. Am I really going to go there? Do I even have enough money?
Looking at the clouds helped me think.
Maybe I should just enjoy life while I have it.
