An Adventures Tale In Equestria - Part 1: Thy Judgment Will Come

Chapter 18: Hide & Seek - Part 1 (NSFW)

Fuck those guys, I thought to myself as I jumped over a bush and into the forest. Seriously.

My brain was not in the mood to be babied, nor was my physical being. My overall being stung from the nasty wounds I had suffered at the mighty hooves of Pharynx the changeling.

Sure, the health regeneration powerup I had at my disposal could heal me in a pinch. However, not only would it cost me energy and time, but it entirely depended on how much damage I had sustained and how I felt.

For example, if I was in a good mood and had positive self-esteem like my dogs, my watch would help send the healing power faster through my bloodstream and throughout my body.

However, if my mood was anything but, the process would be slower and take up slightly more energy to do. Kind of a bad tradeoff, but I stayed positive nonetheless.

The amount of energy it would take for any injury was another story.

Usually, a small cut that could be bandaged up and healed in three days would take 1 energy point to heal within five seconds. However, a deeper cut that digs past the skin or a damaged muscle would typically cost 5-25 energy points, and something that damages the skeletal system would cost 25-50 points.

This depended on severity, but nothing could compare to the riskier injuries.

The costs start rising dramatically when we get underneath the skeletal system. If damaged, the digestive and endocrine systems could cost me 50-75 points. If the circulatory system or if God forbid, the respiratory system was destroyed again, the damage could cost me 75-150 points.

Notice, though, I left out one system.

“An important one.”

The nervous system.

Since it involves the brain, the system that keeps us alive is the worst to have damaged. And the point cost is the highest out of any other.

A whopping 150-250 points.

“Unbelievable. I take it you have experience with all this, and it's purely from fights?”

No, my mind chimed in. It's all experimental and totally self-inflicted.

“WHY?!”

Because I am the main character. And I had to figure it out before I risked my life in a fight.

“But why would it matter? Doesn’t your watch have a max point allowance of 1,000 points?”

I am glad you asked, my mind elated happily. In its beta era, the super watch maxed out at 250 points.

“Oh.”

Precisely, both sides of my mind said in unison. It was then upgraded to 500 points to compensate for potentially life-threatening injuries after Dr. Borealis discovered and implemented the health regeneration ability.

“He discovered it?”

Factitionally, my mind said. The original version was meant for weaponry and did not consider that Alexander would be horribly injured. It was only when the enemies started getting more deadlier in abilities did we realize we needed to upgrade.

“So not only are you practicing conservation, but you have to choose wisely under pressure?”

“Correct,” I said aloud.

“And now, with the massive boost to the super watch energy supply you gained when it struck the power grid in the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, it helps more with the amount of buffer you now have?”

Not quite, my brain stated. Alex can’t just waste his energy willy-nilly. As you said, conservation is the key to our success. If we waste it and then get into a huge fight, chances are we will sustain severe damage to our health that we wouldn't be able to treat immediately. Although, it hasn’t stopped Alex from sharing it with those who intended to hurt us. Ahem!

Oh, cry me a river, I thought in disgust. I didn’t just want to leave Pharynx there to die from a bacterial infection.

He wouldn’t have died, the left side said. Nacreous and Princess Celestia were right behind us. They're, most likely, taking him to the medical lab as we speak.

My mind rambled about focusing on survival and where we were headed, but I tuned them out for a moment and slowed myself to look at the luscious landscape I was traversing.

The Wandering Woods vegetation was beautiful. There were trees everywhere, and the atmosphere was soothing. The dim evening sky had turned to nighttime and made it much darker. That didn’t stop my eyesight from quickly adjusting and observing the woods for all they held.

“Wooow,” I said under my breath. “It’s…it’s peaceful here.”

I kept walking through the luscious bushes and by the towering trees, observing them with my mouth agape. I haven’t been exposed to a natural habitat like this since the hiking expedition outside GriffonStone a couple years ago.

Unfortunately for me, the peace was shattered when the scenery suddenly changed.

========================================<>========================================

“What do you mean by that?”

It just changed.

Like, quite literally, in the blink of an eye. The scene had shifted from darkness to bright.

A space of darkness to a large grassy field full of light.

The transition was so fast that my mind couldn’t contemplate it quickly. What was I even looking at? A wide-open grassy plane with a beautifully lit sun adorning the bright blue sky above me.

No wind.

Absolute silence.

A peaceful scenery.

What? the right side started to say. What the hell is this?

I don’t get it, the left side responds. Something seems off about this. Weren’t we in the Wandering Woods a second ago?

“Sounds like it to me.”

Am…Am I hallucinating?

No, I thought, shaking my head. That’s impossible. I can’t be dreaming…

I slowly walked through the patch of grass, taking in the entirety of this new world. Nothing but a clear blue sky overhead and a horizon filled with grass greeting me.

Where’s the twist? I prodded my mind. I know my brain. It happens all the tim-

“AAAAAAAAHHH!!”

Holy shit! my mind yelped.

“What was that, Alex? A random scream out of nowhere?”

Not at all. And it certainly wasn’t random.

It was mine.

The scream belonged to me.

My mouth had not opened, but something sharp had stabbed my left leg and jammed itself through the bone. Blood began spurting out of it and into the soil. What once was a field of grass had sprouted thorny stalks that caused my field of vision to get bloodier. The skyline lost its vibrant blue hue and now resembled a dark purple and bloodred setting.

What in the absolute fuck is this? my right side growled.

I looked around and realized too late that the grass hairs lying dormant below my ankles had started to rise up around my body. The problem was not them getting taller but what they were doing.

Stabbing me everywhere and piercing every part of my body, effectively destroying the skin that protected me. I watched as the tannish color of my skin slowly morphed into maroon, causing me to panic and scratch at it. I lost my breath as the prickly blades of grass kept stabbing through and into my upper body, puncturing my lungs, stomach, and heart.

Yet, somehow…I wasn’t dead.

My mind knew that something was keeping me alive.

Moreover, someone's doing this.

Show yourself, bitch! my brain cried out.

“Hahaahahaaha,” a voice sinisterly cackled, drawing my attention. “Oh, the misery….”

My soul nearly leaped from me as I stared back at a silhouette approaching through the mist. I tried to close my eyes, but they stayed open as the thing got closer.

“I!! Am your worst nightmare,” it said while uncurling its long, bloody tongue.

“W-w-w-wh-who…Who are you?!” I cried out in frustration as the scene turned cold and darker. The blades of grass finally surrounded my neck and swarmed around my head, stopping in place as the figure drew nearer.

No, my mind shivered as my eyes widened. Im-Impossible!

“I’m you, Alex,” the horrifyingly mutated version of my physical form said. It was like looking into a mirror with its cold, dull eyes staring back at me. Its mouth hung open and displayed a complete set of sharp teeth and fangs.

crack!

My mind couldn’t take it anymore. The nightmarish copy of my image was slowly crackling, and I kept hearing its bones morphing and cracking to adjust themselves. It was painful for my ears, and I wish it had never happened.

The damn thing wasn’t done, though.

“Don’t worry, Alex,” the phony human puppet whispered, drawing nearer to my face. Blood slowly slid from its mouth like a waterfall onto its slashed shirt. Two streams of black tears poured from the disgustingly personified monster’s eyes before jerking its head to the right swiftly, resulting in a loud snap!

“I’ll take good care of your precious hippogriff ONCE YOU’RE GONE!!”

shunk!

smack!

My head hit a low-hanging tree branch, causing me to fall onto my back. I grabbed at my forehead and tried to quell the pain, forcing a slow groan from my mouth.

“What did the figure mean by that?”

You still don’t get it, do you? both sides of my brain said annoyingly.

“Obviously, I wasn’t there. You haven’t told me the context ye-”

“HEY!!” a distant shout echoed through the forest. “I think I heard something over here!”

gasp!

My mind stopped and listened in. The sound of approaching hoofsteps made itself glaringly alarming, and I immediately stood up and ran as fast as my long legs would allow me to.

I couldn’t believe it.

The Canterlot Royal Army is here.

========================================<>========================================

sigh

Today felt like it had gone by too fast. The never-ending waiting and attention to tracking down and letting the human flee left a nasty headache in my head.

Nevertheless, I had safely made it to Canterlot, touching down right outside the entrance to no pony but a few guards. I entered the castle and slowly made my way to the throne room, mentally taking notes on what would need to be addressed tomorrow.

The nobles aren’t happy about Day Court constantly being postponed, I started thinking. They probably need something economically. Then there are the peace negotiations with the griffons that must be addressed. And the citizens surely have had enough of this saga betwee-

ahem! “Your Highness?”

“Hmm?” I paused my worries and looked down. To my surprise, Raven Inkwell, my right-hoof assistant, was in front of me with a worried look on her face. I shook my head and gave her a warm smile.

“Ah, good evening, Raven,” I responded politely. “How may I help you?”

“Apologies, Princess Celestia, but I am glad I found you,” Raven started to say, “There were a couple of things I needed to address to you.”

“Let’s walk and talk, Miss Raven,” I stated flatly, trotting down the halls toward the throne room. Raven Inkwell followed closely behind at my right side and began to read her notes.

“To start, the human, Alexander Walkerson, escaped and hasn’t been captured yet. The nobility themselves made it quite clear to me that this issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible…so many times…” sigh The mare placed a hoof to her temple.

“Yes,” I mumbled while exhaling. “I know that, Miss Raven. Beaten over the head too many times?”

“Very,” the mare stated before pulling out a list, “and so far, there are still some regions of Equestria that haven't received word of his escape. The printed posters are being distributed to all corners of Equestria,” the mare continued.

“Of course,” I replied before my thoughts spoke for themselves. What a brilliant idea, Shifting. Give Alex the knowledge that WE are tracking him and any creature can capture him, giving himself another reason to despise us.

“And as far as Emperor Nacreous is conce-” Raven stopped and looked up at me. “Speaking of which, where is the hippogriff Emperor, Your Highness?” I stopped in place, right at the fork before the throne room doors.

“He is taking Pharynx to the BadLands….”

“Your Highness?” the mare asked. Please, I begged silently, don’t make me repeat mysel- “I didn’t hear that very well. Who is he taking and whe-”

“I SAID!!” I yelled before catching myself and taking a few deep breaths. Then, I turned to the mare, who stared back at me, motioning for her to take all of this down.

I told Raven how Prince Thorax’s brother, Pharynx, had gone out to fight the escaped fugitive and that he was injured severely in the brutal altercation. “It seems like Pharynx bit off more than he could chew with Alex, but he should be alright. Albeit in critical condition, according to Dr. Borealis,” I finished with, noting my assistant finishing her scribbling.

“Okay. Sorry to prod on that topic, Your Highness,” Raven apologized, bowing her head slowly. The mare then asked, “I suppose he will not be able to make dinner, then?”

I slowly exhaled and nodded solemnly. “That is correct, Miss Raven.”

“I will forward the word to the chefs,” Raven said before slowly walking past me. “Have a good night, Princess Celestia,” she called out. The echoing pitter-patter of her hooves slowly died down in the large halls of the castle, and then…

Silence.

This feeling. It’s back.

Alone.

I quietly retreated away from the throne room and to the left. The path led me towards the dining hall, and I quickly galloped towards the doors. The guards saluted as I entered swiftly and shut the doors tight with my magic.

Once inside, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and headed to the dining table. I cannot believe I almost did that today, I thought to myself, shaking my head. What would’ve happened if I had fired that first shot?

You would have become me.

gasp!

I stopped near my seat and looked around. That voice, I thought silently. Could it be?

Yesss…It’s meee…Daybreakerrr…

“No,” I whimpered as tears started forming in my eyes. “No, you are not real….”

You only deny it because you know it’s true, Daybreaker’s voice cackled within my head. You had him right where you wanted him…If you weren’t so meek and afraid, you would’ve destroyed him and ended this pointless facade…

I kept standing there and took another deep breath. Finally, I slowly sat in the chair, prompting the kitchen door to fling open.

You will give in to your true self one day as your dear sister had, the voice said as it faded away from my thoughts. As Alex once said, ‘history does repeat itself….’

My eyes shot open. I hated that day so much, I remembered. It was one where Alex made an insensitive comment about Princess Luna and her past as Nightmare Moon, prompting her to confront him rather aggressively.

He later apologized for his actions, but the damage had already been done. I remember having to console Luna afterward as she sobbed in my embrace. She was tired of hearing about her horrible mistake and wanted it to end.

Alex later would say, “No one forgets those painful moments. I mean, seriously, look at the 2017 Houston Astros. They cheated into winning a World Series championship by using technology no other team had access to or had a defense for. PEDs are a prominent example in sports, but they not only pertain to sports.

Moments of terrorism, individuals hurting others with malicious intent, or people committing sinful acts against innocent lives. We don’t forget about those moments.”

I knew what he was getting at, but I still felt like he had gone too far.

sigh

As the chef approached with the plate of food, I again wondered whether or not to allow the Canterlot Army to continue their search for Alex within the Wandering Woods. It wasn’t safe out in that region, especially at night.

“Here you are, Your Highness,” the stallion chef said as he placed the plate before me. “I really do hope you enjoy i-”

“I need to call back the army.”

“Excuse me, Your Highness?”

========================================<>========================================

huff! huff-huff! huff!

Gotta run. Gotta run. Gotta run.

“Chase after him! Don’t let him get away!”

Shit shit shit shit shit!

My mind raced for the past few minutes as I sprinted through the Wandering Woods. While not looking back and running headlong through the endless forest, I heard the voices of the creatures chasing after me seemingly getting closer.

“I think I see him!” a voice echoed into the night.

Fuck, I thought. I don't particularly appreciate standing out like a sore thumb. Being this tall in a land of pastel ponies should be illegal…wait…Fuck!

I shook my head as I kept running. Yet, it never dawned on me how different I looked compared to every other creature in Equestria until I was introduced to them.

The introductory meeting was bizarre initially, as it felt like a press conference from my days as a basketball player. Held in the throne room of the Canterlot castle, a large table sat at the forefront of the massive hall. As I walked in, all eyes settled on my stature and how neatly I was dressed. Clad in a light gray suit, a fern-tinted shirt, a gray tie, and silver dress shoes, I felt so uncomfortable.

I caught myself and tossed the thought away. Now isn’t the time to think about it, my mind said as I kept my eyes forward and picked up speed. One leg in front of the other. Don’t stop!

“THERE HE IS!!”

Fucking outta here, my mind frantically stated. I gotta go!

huff!

I thought about the ponies chasing after me and compared them to trained sleuth dogs, who are able to sniff out what trajectory to follow. They probably could see through the nightly atmosphere and lock onto my frame easily. My brain decided to try something risky that could help me in my current predicament.

My body pivoted to the right and turned another corner immediately to the left. Then, zig-zagging throughout the forest terrain, I quickly darted around the trees and kept my feet from making a massive imprint in the soft soil near their base.

It felt like it was working since the supposed ponies’ voices started to die down in volume, but there was an unmitigated and unintended consequence it had: draining me of most of my physical energy.

No, my brain thought as I continued to sprint and weave past the trees around me. I cannot give up now. Keep going, Alex! Don’t sto-

trip!

“FuUCK!!”

crash!

My foot got caught on a tree branch that protruded from the ground, causing me to fall onto my stomach. Unfortunately, my hands came up too late to brace my fall, resulting in my face landing on the ground and my chin striking first with the rough ground.

My jaw rattled, and I immediately clenched it in my left hand. I got back up and began running again, only this time retreating to the left and keeping my eyes locked on the ground ahead.

My body hurt slightly from the impact, and my leg started to burn from the shocking pain. I then saw a light glimmering from a distance away and quickly rushed to the site. Could it be the end of this massive forest habitat and lead me to a more observable landscape?

Wrong, as usual.

“Way off?”

The place I had found was a coveted area of the Wandering Woods. The surrounding trees hid the alcove from sight, and the lake reflected any light into the forest from all angles. I walked over to the water’s edge, looked into it, and saw my reflection.

I removed my hand from my face and noticed the blood donning my fingers.

Goddammit! my mind cried in frustration. I cut it open. Again!

“Again?”

I put my hands into the body of water and slowly rinsed the blood off. Next, I splashed my face with the water following that and, most importantly, rinsed the cut underneath my chin. It didn’t stop the bleeding, but it worked slightly in cleaning it.

And as I sat back, thinking about the painful wound, I looked at my watch briefly. Turning the super watch back on, I glanced at the water for a second and then stared into it.

The ripples died down, allowing me to see a reflection of the moon cast on its glossy canvas. Finally, I looked up into the starry night sky, and that feeling of comfort returned to me.

I found comfort every night when I looked at the moon and appreciated its majesty. It was a remarkable and soothing site to see. Especially a full moon, where you can pinpoint all the tiny craters and markings that make up its surface. The relaxing aura and emanating glow made me feel relaxed and calm inside again.

"To put it simply?"

Gorgeous.

sigh “What would I do to be closer,” I said before my eyes widened.

“Spoke the idea into existence, huh?”

It dawned on me instantly. My watch had activated itself, and I was pretty sure that if the creatures I assumed were ponies had been chasing me this entire time, they should’ve caught me by now.

That is if they were pegasi.

A sneaky solution presented itself, causing me to speak to my super watch clearly.

“Mikey,” I confidently whispered, “activate the web shooters.”

“Request granted, Alexander.”

Please stop calling me by my full name, I groaned as I raised my right arm.

I pointed my right hand into the sky and made the flick motion with my wrist. A few seconds later, the string of webbing released from my wrist and latched onto a tree near the far side of the lake.

Here goes nothing, I thought, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

I finally pulled myself into the nightly atmosphere above the forest and disappeared from sight.

========================================<>========================================

fwip! shwup! fwip!

Can’t hear them anymore, my mind thought as I slung forward. Let’s stay up here and continue our way to the south.

Yeah, but I need a favor? Can we take a break soon, my left side said desperately. I need to go to the bathroom.

“Seriously? Now?” I muttered before realizing my mistake. Just like that, the feeling was reciprocated.

Man, fuck you, my right side countered angrily.

It was quiet within the forest as I glanced down below and spotted what looked to be a large tuft of bushes down to the right. A tree lay dormant within it, and my mind had already started its turn. The closer I got, the feeling kept grow-

“Skip!”

Indeed, my mind said, skip this, please.

[...]

“...”

“...”

Let’s continue our tale, the right side spoke up.

Agreed, the left side responded quietly.

Back on the run, I continued by swinging motion high above the forest floor through the upper area of the trees. Occasionally, I would peek above the tree line and into the sky above to confirm my direction and where I was.

The forest's southern edge was not clearly defined, but I noticed the Jackalope Slopes jutting out on the horizon. Unfortunately, I realized slowly over time that my arms slowly got tired, as was my body. This was where I knew I needed to rest for the night.

“Activate the night vision goggles,” I said into my watch while freely swinging in the air.

“Request granted. Please standby for fitting,” the voice replied.

The goggles slowly formed around my eyes and finally snapped into place, allowing me to view the forest more clearly. The green vision also had a built-in heat sensory feature, and I quickly turned around, looking into the woods to scan for possible creatures chasing after me.

Surprisingly, not a single creature was near my location. Instead, they appeared like tiny dots in the distance that grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing from view. Odd, I thought before turning around and continuing my search.

After a few minutes of scouting the forest, I located a tall, thick tree on a slight incline. It had a big hole that hollowed out the tree's interior toward the middle of it, and I ultimately decided that this tree would be my resting spot for the night.

Finally, my mind said in unison. Time to rest for the night and regain our mental energy for tomorrow’s shit.

I reached the enormous tree and landed on a branch underneath the hole. The branch I was on rustled and cracked from the weight I had placed on it, and I quickly grabbed onto the sides of the tree, sticking to it freely. The branch snapped and plummeted to the ground below, and I looked down and closed my eyes.

“Whew,” I exhaled under my breath. “That…was a close call.” My heartbeat slowed as I scanned the area one last time before making my way up the tree and situating myself above the tree hole.

Once I was in position, I slowly entered the hollow interior of the tree and slipped through. As my feet slid through first, I found it to be a comfortable size for me to fit into.

It worked a little too well, seeing as my head submerged itself within, and finally, the world I had been escaping from disappeared from my viewpoint.

I scanned my new hiding spot through my peripherals and closed my eyes, allowing my breathing to relax. My head tilted back and rested against the bark of the tree, followed by my arms and legs letting themselves loosen out a bit. The tree’s interior was slightly colder than the outer world, but I had to deal with it.

It’s time to rest, Alex, the left side of my mind said while yawning, causing me to yawn too.

yawn “It’s contagious, you know?”

Precisely, the right side stated in agreement. It yawned as well and emitted a soft groan. At least we can finally get some sleep for a change.

I didn’t want to tell the two sides of my mind as I closed my eyes, but I was not too fond of falling asleep while on the run. Any chance The Crown could get to track me while I’m at my most vulnerable is detrimental to our overall success. It also became the biggest reason I was once afraid of the dark.

The fear of being vulnerable to anything out there that could find me and possibly kill me without me having the ability to protect myself.

With rest forcing itself onto me, I mentally noted the journey ahead.

“This adventure is just getting started,” I murmured slowly, “and I’m not even warmed up yet.”

========================================<>========================================

It is time, I told myself internally.

“Good luck, Luna,” Shifting called out to me.

Thank you, darling, my mind thought happily. I calmed myself as my horn charged. Then, slowly, the magical landscape around me transformed, and finally, I was back in my dream realm.

“Good to be home,” I said, floating downward.

As I touched down onto the starry path and observed the dreamscape around me, I breathed a sigh of relief and began my trot. The dream bubbles danced around me and slowly settled into place as I passed them, looking for any potential nightmares.

Tonight, I specifically had my mind targeted onto one dream.

“It has to be here. I know it,” I said quietly to avoid disturbing the dream world's peaceful atmosphere. As more and more bubbles floated, some displaying tendrils, I decided that now was probably not the time, and I began to perform my duties as the Princess of the night.

Some of the nightmares were relatively manageable, the tendrils weak to my superior magic. Nevertheless, it allowed me to take brief moments to pause my activities and continue and search for that one wooden door.

Minutes passed and turned into hours as I spent my night in the land of dreams.

“He has to be hiding somewhere here,” I told myself silently. “It hasn’t appeared in its normal place like I had been anticipating the past few nights, so maybe he moved it somewhere else.”

For some inexplicable reason, Alex had the uncanny ability to move his bubble from place to place, which was odd for a creature to do. But his rationale turned into an event where he didn’t want to be bothered and shut us out.

The conversation I tried having with him only yielded a sense of guilt.

`”Just leave me alone, Luna,” the memory echoed. Alex’s hoarse voice silently flowed through my ears as his form shrunk onto the floor. “I said I didn’t want to be bothered, but you continue to press me.”

Alex turned to face me, and his tear-stained eyes glanced back.

“I didn’t mean it to be taken that way,” I stammered. “I just wa-”

“GO AWAAYYY!!”`

My head dropped as the flashback ended. I didn’t mean to hurt him.

I just wanted to help.

sigh “Keep your cool, Luna,” I told myself. “Let’s right our past wrongs with Alex.”

But as the night went on, the tendrils had quelled, and the dreams sat pleasantly calm. I couldn’t help but think that maybe the magic I had placed surrounding the Wandering Forest had an unintentional and inconsequential outcome.

I d-didn’t…I-I didn’t k-kill him, did I? I panickingly thought. I shook my head and dismissed the idea. No…th-that’s impossible…

My body said otherwise. Shaking with fear, it sensed the fear that I may have potentially destroyed Alex’s mind with the horrible nightmare I had conjured up at request. I didn’t want to do it, and I shouldn’t have gone through with it.

I was forced to do it.

I didn’t want to.

It wasn’t my fault.

I didn’t mean t-

“It’s meee.”

My eyes widened as a familiar voice cackled into the dark of the night. The dreamscape statically shifted for a brief second, displaying an empty void.

Not her, my mind thought worriedly.

Is she..?

The moon symbol appeared above me on the horizon and shone down onto the back of the dream cluster. The light it cast bounced off a bubble and reflected back into the moon.

“Wait,” I said before my jaw dropped. “THAT’S IT!!”

Of course, I thought as a smile spread across my face. How could I have forgotten?

“She can help me locate Alex’s dream,” I said.

Flying over the entire cavalry of dream bubbles adorning the dream realm floor, I quickly scanned the area for a specific dream bubble. I had only seen it a few times. Sure enough, it appeared from the cascading spectacle of dreams as a singular bubble.

A dream shell.

A SEAshell.

It belonged to a future ruler of Seaquestria and the Princess of the nation of Hippogriffs.

“Come on, Princess Skystar,” I whispered as I dove for the bubble. “Help me find him.”