Four days and and three nights it had been since Prince Frost ended up wherever he was - in the middle of some forest with nothing more than a stone head of the school jerk. It turned out Damien Trent was much more than some school bully though. Damien possessed some form of stone manipulation, a lot like how Prince could control fire. Prince trudged through the forest, his blue jeans now ragged and torn in places and his shirt even more so, which he already took off and left because it was useless, his white hair greasy from the lack of washing it, and the rest of him was incredibly dirty.

There were many burnt spots along the forest floor where Prince had either started a fire for the night, or killed an animal for food. Having lived in the city all his life, Prince didn't know the first thing about survival. Well, he knew about it, but he'd had no experience in it an didn't know how to carry out the survival tactics. He understood that he needed to kill to eat, but he didn't know how to prepare his kill to eat. He understood that he needed a shelter, but he didn't know how to build anything suitable, and neither did he know what to look for when in search of a cave, so he could only hope that he came across one without bats or bears or wolves in it.

The only reason he hadn't seen any predators out for his skin yet was because of his destructive fits of rage and grief and frustration that would burn everything around him in a burst of emotion. He still hadn't a clue as to where he was, but he knew that he was no longer in California. He tried to deny so many times what had happened between him, Damien, Nikki, and Darius. He told himself that what happened wasn't real - that is was all in his head. Yet, every time he opened his eyes, everything he saw around him told him that it had all indeed happened, and now he had to deal with its consequences.

After the first three days of denial, he finally gave into accepting that what he saw was real. He knew that what had happened five days ago was real and that Nikki had led him to this place. Whether she did it by accident or on purpose, he didn't know, but what he did know was that there was no apparent way back home, and it scared him.

Throughout the three nights he'd been stuck out here, he'd had dreams about Nikki and what she told him - that she had deeper feelings for him than friendship. But in his dreams, that's not all she said. She also asked is he was alive, and told him to seek out the Diadem. He woke up often confused. He'd dreamed that same dream each night he'd been there.

"Seek the Diadem? What's that supposed to mean?" Prince asked himself, kicking a rock from the ground.

Prince's throat was parched and his stomach growled for food. All he had to eat within the past few days were rabbits, birds, and snakes, none of which sufficiently sustained his body. He'd gone the entire day thus far without any water, which gave him a massive headache.

His ear twitched. The sound of running water reached him. A smile painted his face and he began running ahead towards the sound. The endless maze of trees suddenly broke at the bank of a wide, but shallow river. Prince fell to his knees and laughed. He'd never been so happy to see a river in his life. He scooped up some water in his hands. It was cold, but that was to be expected. Wherever he was, it was a lot colder than California. He remembered first waking up and feeling the cold morning air. The nights were even colder, threatening to freeze him to death. He could easily start a fire, but the wind too quickly put it out, and he couldn't maintain a fire in his sleep - not voluntarily anyway.

Prince sipped up the water cupped in his hands. The water was cool and the river was rocky, so he deemed it suitable to drink without side effects. He became a little more eager and stooped his head down, sucking in water like a pump. With several gulps down his parched, dry throat, he sat up and wipe the water dripping down his chin. He sighed with relief, though it was short lived when his stomach growled at him again. Prince put a hand on his tummy and sighed again, but in exasperation.

Just at that moment, something caught his eye on the other side of the river. Something was walking behind the treeline. His stomach growled again as he stood up and watched the creature. He couldn't make out what it was, but all could see was that it walked on four legs and it was rather small. Perhaps a faun? Prince shrugged it off and looked for an easy place to cross the river.

Just a little ways down stream to his right, there was a patch of stones poking out of the water. It was shallow enough there that even if he were to miss a stone, he'd only get the bottom of his boots wet, which were already water proof. On the other hand, if he misses a stone he could make a splash and scare his food away, which was not at all what he wanted.

He crept down stream as quietly as he knew how, keeping a glancing eye on his prey. It hadn't moved much, thankfully. It seemed to actually be resting, which was rather fortunate. He took one step out into the river, hopping from stone to stone with as precise movements as possible, keeping just as quiet.

He safely crossed the river and made his way back up stream after pushing back behind the treeline. He didn't want to stay along the bank where he could be easily seen. His footsteps were quick and quiet as he made his way back upstream to his prey. Nearing its position, he hid behind a tree, his heart beating faster with anticipation. He peeked out from behind the tree, his left hand ready to blaze. However, what he saw was not at all what he had expected to see.

Instead of a stray faun resting by the river, he saw what seemed to be a little equine sort of creature with a tan colored coat of fur, much like his skin, but also a rosy lock of hair complimented with a pink forelock off its mane, and its tail was much the same. As horse like as this peculiar creature was, it was also disproportionate to any other horse he'd ever seen, with its tiny muzzle, big eyes and even bigger head, short back, and a odd brand of a rose just barely in Springtime bloom on its flank.

Prince reeled back behind the tree. What in the world did I just see? he asked himself, not believing that what he thought he saw was real. I must he going crazy. Maybe this whole thing really is just a dream, he told himself. Many times he had said that to himself in the hopes that he may be right, but everything around him was too real for him to keep that denial.

He peeked out again, and the creature was still there. Not only was it still there, but he also noticed this time that there was a set of bags over its back. Prince shook his head. Maybe it was just some stray pony. Maybe its owner dyed its hair. Maybe it was deformed as well. Whatever the case, Prince was hungry, and whoever owned this pony was about to be one animal short. He needed to eat and he needed it immediately. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. It wasn't really like he hadn't seen more peculiar things. After his last fight with Damien, he decided that he might as well at least try to accept the unbelievable.
He changed his footing, but in doing to, overturned a stone by his feet. The stone clacked as it turned over, making him stop. Did he just give his position away? Surely not, he thought to himself. With all the other noises of the forest flitting around, there's no way it would have-

"Hello? Is someone there?" a feminine voice called.

Prince froze. Someone else was there to? He hadn't seen anyone around when he got to the other side. For that matter, he hadn't seen anyone at all for the past few days. Did that mean that if someone was nearby, then shelter was to? Furthermore, if someone was close, that likely meant that they were the owner of this peculiar pony, meaning that if he tried to kill it, he'd be in a load of trouble with someone else. His curiosity and hopes piqued, he poked his head out again. He didn't see anyone, but that odd pony was on its hooves again and looking around. Maybe it recognized the voice? Maybe its owner was calling?

Then he heard the voice again. "Hm, maybe I'm just hearing things."

Prince's eyes went wide. As he heard the voice, the lips of the creature moved in accordance to it. Had that rosy little equine actually spoke? No, that's not possible! I must actually be seeing things this time!

This he had told himself over and over for the past few days, and yet over and over he'd been proved wrong.

It spoke again. "Well, perhaps I've spent enough time here as it is. I'd better get back to town."

All of a sudden, Prince's heart skipped a beat. His mind fuzzed and he had completely forgotten about the pony or even that fact that it was talking. All he really heard was that there was a town somewhere, and by the sound of it, somewhere nearby.

Prince then shook his head, coming back to his senses. He had gotten a little too exited about hearing of a nearby town that he had lost his focus. He stood behind the tree for a moment too long. The pony passed by him, not noticing his presence until Prince accidentally let his knee brush against the creature's side. The pony's head whipped in his direction, its face suddenly painted with fear as it screeched and stumbled, falling away from him.

Prince himself was in a bit of shock. His brain seemed to be short circuiting. There was too much confusion happening too fast for him to understand anything of what was going on. Something snapped in his head and he suddenly shot forward and clamped his left hand over the pony's muzzle, making its screaming muffled. His hand was burning as his anxiety rose, making the fur on its muzzle become burnt and singed in a hand shape. Prince wasn't even sure what he was doing before he did it, but with his left hand over its muzzle, he lifted his right hand and brought it down on the creature's left temple, knocking it out cold. The pony's muscles went slack.

Prince just stood there for a little while, still holding the rosy pony by the face as a bitter smell came from the burnt fur. His heart hammering his chest and his breath coming in panted bursts. He stared at the pony he was holding onto a bit longer before letting it go, letting its head hit the ground hard as smoke fumed from its burned face.

"What the hell is going on..."

One Hour Ealier

Roseluck had just finished up with planting her white willows in the back of her and her sisters' shop. Roseluck and her sisters ran a flower shop, though it also somewhat doubled as a pharmacy for herbal medicines. Roseluck's sister, Daisy had a high fever that hadn't quelled for a week, and the fever had only gotten worse. As if to add to that, Rose didn't have the money to pay for a doctor. Rose had already gotten yarrow, elderberry, meadowsweet, and feverfew, meaning she only needed one last thing, and that was boneset. Unfortunately, there was only one place that she new to get some that was close by, and that was the Everfree Forest - the place of restless beasts and rouge weather. It wouldn't have been the first time that she had gone in that dreaded place to collect medicinal herbs, but she still never liked being there.

Rose had to ask Lily to watch the shop and keep Daisy in good health while she was gone. With Rose gone and Daisy sick, it would put a lot of strain on Lily, but being the oldest of the three sisters, she never hesitated to take the work load for them when ever she needed to.

Rose had put all that she needed in her saddle bag and was about to head off before Lily stopped her. "Rose, wait a minute," Lily called, walking up to her sister.

"Hm? What is it, Lily?" Rose asked, the door halfway open.

Lily went to the the coat rack and fished around in her jacket a bit before pulling out a six inch dagger. "Here, take this with you," he said, holding it out in her hoof for Rose to take.

Roseluck laughed a little. "Honestly , Lily, you really do worry about me too much. I'll be fine!"

"You say that far too often, Rose. There are beasts out there in that forest, you know, and most of them wouldn't hesitate to tare you apart."

"And you say that far too often yourself, sis," Rose rebutted. "Do keep in mind that there almost never any sorts of dangerous creatures near the banks of the Royal River. Celestia herself blessed the river to be a safe passage to all ponies, so I'm sure I'll be fine."

"All the same, please take it, just in case, okay?"

Rose sighed a smiled, saying, "Alright, I'll take it. Would you mind put it in the bag for me then?"

Lily sighed with relief, unbuckling her sister's bag and slipping the dagger in before buckling it back up tightly. "There, now you're all set to go," Lily said with giggle.

"As if I wasn't before?" Rose replied with a bit of snark. "Anyway, the longer I wait the worse Daisy gets, so I must go. I should be back this evening, and if I'm not, you can get help from Zecora." Lily nodded and Rose then headed off out the door.

Roseluck and her sisters lived near the edge of town and by the river, so all she really had to do was walk beside the river and follow it as she entered the forest. The forest itself was dark and unsettling with is unusual noises and peculiar flora and fauna. There was always something that kept her on edge. Even after having made similar trips into the forest before, and each time knowing that she was safe from manticores, or timber wolves, or hydras, or even cockatrices, she couldn't help but being jumpy at ever sight and sound. However, the Everfree was the closest and most easily accessible place where boneset grew, and she needed it as quickly as possible, else Daisy sickness would worsen all the quicker.

It had been about another fifty or so minutes of walking upstream on the river before Rose finally decided to take a rest. She hadn't found what she was looking for yet, which was unfortunate, because she'd already been in the forest for far longer than she would have liked or anticipated. Perhaps it would be better for her and Daisy as well if she placed an order from the Canterlot pharmacy. Either way, Rose was tired and in no position to keep walking into the forest. At that rate she might as well walk all the way upstream to Canterlot herself to by the boneset personally, but there was no way she was going to do something as crazy as that.

Rose sighed and laid down, opening up her saddle bag and pulling out a daffodil sandwich. She thought about how Daisy was doing and how well Lily was keeping the shop running. Lily was always hard at work regardless, keeping customers satisfied and working through the lines. Rose had always looked up to Lily, trying harder to be a little more like her, but she never could quite seem to make her rank.

Rose finished off her sandwich and licked her lips. She heard the clack of what may have been a stone on the forest floor. Her ears twitched and her brow furrowed. Standing back up, she asked. "Hello? Is someone there?" Rose looked around for anyone or anything nearby. She had a second thought about drawing the dagger that Lily gave to her, but then decided it was nothing and said, "Hm, maybe I'm just hearing things. Well, perhaps I've spent enough time here as it is. I'd better get back to town." Sorry Daisy, but the boneset will have to wait. With her decision made, turned back around and started walking back downstream to Ponyville where she lived.

As she passed by a thick horse chestnut tree, her side brushed up against something apparently sticking out of it. She turned to see what it was, and immediately yelped and jumped away, falling to the ground as she did so. Standing over her was a creature at least twice as tall as she was with a bare, muscular, naked chest, lacking any fur on it, only but a tuft of white hair atop its head. Its eyes were a piercing, icy blue, though its face was dirty. It wore only some kind of blue pants and boot as it stood on its hind legs in a bipedal position.

Rose screamed again, but the creature suddenly shot forward and clamped her mouth shut with one of its soft talon like appendages. The creature kept her mouth securely closed, disallowing her to make any noise. Her muzzle began to burn with pain as if it were on fire, and she began to squirm and scream with her mouth closed before she was hit in the temple and her vision went black.

Lily was exhausted. She had gone through almost ninety ponies who were buying flowers or herbs, and all the while she kept checking up on Daisy to make sure that she was alright. "Ugh, Rose, what's taking you so long?" she asked herself as she once again got back to the counter, reapplying her sales pony smile and attitude. "Hello, sir! What can I do for you today?"

Author's Note

Second chapter complete! So, I'd like to know what you all think, as well as whether you think the story is too rushed so far, or even perhaps too slow.