A change of worlds

The game of Hide and Seek had moved from the school to Ponyville proper it also became a game of Manhunt, or in this case Ponyhunt, now it was getting late the sun was setting, and I didn’t want to think about it, 'cause I knew Celestia would be setting it AND THAT’S NOT HOW PHYSICS WORKS!

“Thorn you ok?” Scootaloo asked in hushed whispers.

“Yeah I’m fine, do you see any of them?” Me and Scoots had ran in to each other when running and decided to hide together, I knew why, she didn’t have to out run them, just me.

“No looks pretty quiet. Should we keep going?” We had been looking for a better spot to hide after we got chased out of our previous spot.

“Yeah, over there might be a good spot to lay low.” I may or may not have been getting a bit too much in to this. “Keep your head down and move fast and an eye open for hostiles.” Okay I was getting way too much in to this.

“What a hostile?” Scoots asked raising an eyebrow, I was getting that look to often today.

“Never mind, just move.” As we started creeping across the street, it was empty of both foal and ponies this place was dead. “Where is everyon-pony.” Still need to get use to talking like that.

“Market is shut now, so everypony left and went home probably.”

“I FOUND YOU TWO!” Shouted a colt from behind us.

“Shit bolt!”

“No wait the game is over!” The colt shouted again chasing after us, I’m not falling for that, but Scoots did.

“Scoots what you doing!? IT’S A TRAP!” But Scoots still just stopped and faced the colt chasing us.

“No is not, everypony went home, now it’s just you two left, I’m going as well.” I turned to face him as well, seem like he was not telling lies, did make sense there hadn't been another foal for ages.

“Ah come on can’t you play a bit longer?” Scoots begged him.

“I wouldn’t bother, it’s not fun with only three.” I said walking towards the duo, I didn’t recognize the colt.

“Aww but it was so much fun.” Scoots whined on and on and on, I just stopped listening to her.

“See you around dude.” I said to the colt as he turned to leave.

“Bye Shady.” That who it is... No idea who that is.

“Who was he?” He looked familiar, but then again most of these ponies did.

“That‘s Shady,” I managed to work that one out myself Scoots. “He’s the photographer for the school paper.” Oh now I recognize him.

“Well I’m going as well, see you later Scoots.” I started to walk away before I noticed something, I had no idea where I was. “Um Scoots, where are we?”

“I told you the market.”

“Scoots that not helpful, I’m new here I don’t know where the market is.”

“Oh right. Tell me where you live and I’ll take you there.” She said beaming a smile at me, she was way too happy to just be walking some random colt home... Wait, I'm not going to do anything!

"You know that hill where I met you,” She nodded in response. “Take me there I’ll be able to walk back myself.” She deflated a bit after hearing that.

“Well ok, it’s close, this way.” She really did deflate, she sounded really disappointed, she turned and started walking down one of the many side streets, I just stood there and watched her leave before my brain kicked back in to gear.

“Wait up.” I ran after, I was getting better at this galloping thing, she didn’t even register that I didn’t follow her. “You alright?” I asked, since when did I become a fucking shrink?

“I fine just, well I just wish we could have played longer.” Now I know having a bedtime sucks but it wasn’t that bad was it?

“You sure? Seems to be a bit more that just that we had to stop playing together.”

“No that’s it I swear,” The look in her eyes said otherwise, but I barely knew the lass she wouldn’t tell me if I did push this. “I was just having so much fun." We waled in silence the rest of that way, she didn't cheer up at all. "Well here we are.” Looking around I recognized where I was, just over there was where I met Fluttershy, which means up that hill is where I going.

“Thanks Scoots.” I started to walk away in the direction of the hill. “Hey maybe I’ll see you tomorrow!” But she ether didn’t hear me or didn’t care, she was already walking away. But her walk, she wasn’t walk with a destination, she was just walking where ever her legs took her, I know that walk all too well. Those theories of her been homeless can’t be true. Can they? No someone must have noticed if a filly was living on the streets, Right?

As I watched her walk away, my mind trying to work out why she was so down, but nothing logical, not for a land of multicolored ponies. Before I noticed she had walk out of my sight and that left me all alone in a dark empty park, and if living in Glasgow taught me anything, the last place I wanted to be is a dark, empty park.

"I’m leaving, now."

As I was walking back to my ‘camp’, still not anywhere near what most would call a camp but it’s all I could come up with, I came to a realization. I’m lost, big time, I can’t find it anywhere I’ve been walking in circles, I’m sure, but still can’t find it. It wasn’t that far from the Ponyville boarder, I don’t think. God Dammit! I knew I should have left a trail.

I’ve been walking around for awhile now, the sun had completely set and the moon had take its place, The Everfree at night was always a little creepy, with it been autumn all the leave were falling or fallen, during the day it made for a lovely sight to see, the browns and reds really did look amazing, but at night, the bare tree made for creepy ass shadows, and groaned and creaked throughout the night, leading to many a time I woke up during the night thinking a Timber wolf was there. It wasn’t too bad as they said in the program what was it? The plants grow on their own, animals take care of themselves, and clouds move all on their own, you know it’s almost, normal... Almost. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t entirely scary, but after three Dead Space games a creepy ass forest it that bad, least there ain’t no necromorphs here.

As time went on I only got more and more lost, I had more than once stumbled back towards Ponyville, part of me just wanted to call it quits and find a nice alleyway to sleep in, but not yet. I had managed to find my starting point again, I just had to re-trace my steps, I don’t know why I thought it would work this time, didn’t the first five.

“Right there is that tree I walked past before, it never lead me back, so it’s not that way. Maybe this way?” Walking seemingly in a random direction, and the reason it seems like I was walking randomly, ‘cause I am. Night had claimed the sky now, the only light was what could make it through the tree branches, the night sky was light up with thousands of brilliant white lights, and the moon was lager that I had ever seen, it was moment like these that made me appreciate the freedom that I now had, living in a city I never got to see the night sky like this, it made the Everfree seem such safer than it really was.

As I wondered the forest gazing at the night sky the tree branches slowly, but steadily, became thinner until the branches disappeared, revealing the night sky in all it wonder, forcing myself to look at the ground to find out where I had wondered to, I discovered I was where I needed to be.

“About fucking time,” I finally found my ‘camp’. “Where the hell you been?” I knew it I wasn’t getting an answer but, not going to lie, I did scratch a face on to a rock, his name is Cortez. He was my only friend left.

I had a few thing to do before I called it a night, mainly mark the path back to town. I just need to drop this disguise... How the fuck do I do that?

“FUCK!”