Teleportation felt really, really weird.
And I do not want to experience it ever again.
“Are you done yet?” I hear Applejack ask shakily from behind me.
I wipe my muzzle with a shaky hoof as I pull myself away from the poor bush that received the contents of my stomach. “Uuungh...” I groan weakly as I slowly turn to the mare.
Applejack winces. “Erm...” She scratches her nape. “You feeling alright there, Jay?”
I sit down and frown at her.
She winces some more. “R-right.” She coughs and looks elsewhere. “Gotta say though,” she attempts to change the subject, which I honestly don't mind. “You scared the living apples out of me, appearing out of that bright flash from out of the blue.”
“Sorry about that,” I reply weakly.
Applejack and I are surrounded by unknown trees and apple trees, right close to the pasture where she lives.
She smiles a weak smile. “Nah, don't worry about it.” She frowns a worried frown. “I take it that things didn't go well with Twilight?”
She must have heard from other ponies, probably from Pinkie Pie or from her brother, that I was looking for her. “You ... could say that.”
She nods. “Well, I don't rightfully know why you wanted to see her, but, no offence, you got what you deserve for meeting a crazy mare such as her.” She chuckles. “I wonder if that makes you crazier than her.” She shakes her head. “But I'm glad you're alright and in one piece, sugar cube.”
My ears twitch slightly, and I smile a little.
For some strange reason, hearing best pony address me as ‘sugar cube’ is really nice.
...I wonder if sugar cubes exist in this Equestria...
She looks over her shoulder, bucks the truck of a tree, and catches one single falling apple with a hoof.
“Here, have a bite,” she says, throwing the apple to me. “Gotta need to refill that belly of yours after, erm, emptying it.”
I nod a thanks before slowly eating the—mmmmmm—juicy apple with both hooves. It doesn't beat Seri's soup, but it definitely beats plain grass.
“Well, anyway,” Applejack says, catching my attention. “I best be returning. Gotta see if we still have a good enough harvest to deliver to the deer.” She nods and smiles before trotting away. “Gotta need their gems in case those blood-thirsty sky devils decide to show up again,” she grumbles under her breath.
I watch her leave, still munching on the apple she has given me.
... ... ... I should have asked her for directions to the Everfree Forest.
I sigh. Well, I can just walk up to her, or anyone in the pasture, and ask for directions ... when I feel a little better.
I sigh once more. Uugh, I feel so weak, even eating an apple feels like a chore. Teleportation is something I will never want to experience ever again for as long as I live.
...
... ...
... ... ...
It's ... really hard not to think about it, but why in the freaking hell did Twilight teleported me? She could have easily teleported herself to the Everfree Forest and fix everything.
...That would mean leaving me and the others to deal with those stone-throwing unicorns.
Another sigh escapes my pony mouth.
Sitting around here won't change anything, nor will it fix everything. I think.
At least I have a lead. The book that caused everything is in the Everfree Forest. All I need to do for now is to ask for directions, and off I go.
...What am I supposed to do once I do find the book, and slash or those who ‘activated’ the book?
I slowly shake my head. I guess I'll take these things one step at a time? Doesn't hurt to think ahead though.
Hm...
Throwing the apple core behind, I stand up on four hooves and trot towards the pasture.
...The Everfree Forest is a big place though. How in blazes am I gonna find the book while avoiding the dangerous stuff in there?
Twilight didn't think this through.
“How in blazes are you gonna find this thing while you avoid all the dangerous stuff in there?!”
Yep, Twilight definitely didn't think this through.
I wipe my face clean with a hoof before I reopen my eyes to give this pink and loud mare an angry look.
“Well?” she asks angrily in a kinda-sorta comedic way.
I take a breath and sigh. “Look, Pinkie. Just tell me where to go and—”
“No.”
I blink.
She sits down, crosses her hooves and shakes her head. “Nuh uh. Applejack told me what happened. No way am I gonna let you trot to another dangerous situation again!” She sticks her tongue out at me as a stallion walks by.
I wave a hoof to catch his attention. “Hey. Can you tell me where the Storm Forest is?”
He smiles and nods. “Sure.” He turns toward a direction and points. “Just trot straight there. It'll take a while, but once you exit the trees on the other end, you should see a large collection of low-hanging clouds.” He turns to me. “That's where the winged ponies live, and Storm Forest is practically their neighbor!”
I smile. “Thanks!”
He returns the smile, and then turns to Pinkie Pie. His smiling face morphs into fear and he runs away, his tail between his legs.
I blink and turn to the mare, who's giving the retreating stallion a death glare.
I stand back up. “Welp, I best be—”
Her glare made me choke on my own words. Quite literally.
Ignoring me and my coughing fit, she closes her eyes and sighs. “I'm starting to agree with Applejack that you are crazier than the crazy mare.”
“Yeah, well,” I say, pounding my chest a bit. “You best start calling me Crazy Jay.”
She snorts, but frowns. “You're really going, huh?”
“Unfortunately,” I say as I turn towards the direction where that stallion has pointed. “I need to get home.”
“That dangerous place is your home?”
“Er, no.” I shake my head. I look at her. “But like I said, I need to look for something in there. It'll help me get back home.” I turn my gaze ahead, staring at the trees bordering the pasture. “...I hope.”
“It'll take a while, he said,” I grumble as I swat these annoying buzzing mosquitoes away from me. “I've been walking for forever. Gah!” Goddamn that stupid branch! Goddamn these annoying mosquitoes! Goddamn this stupid darkness! I can barely see a freaking thing! “Shut up!” I yell as I hear an owl's hoot echoing on the trees.
I step and slip on something wet—
“Whoa—!”
—and land on the wet ground with a muddy splash. I slowly reopen my angry eyes, my annoyed groan creating a muddy bubble in front of my muzzle.
It pops, raining droplets of mud onto my face and eyes.