1: Morning Breaks
Splash! The cold water that was poured to him was enough to wake Plistry to death. “What the hay!?” The culprit of the crime was no other than Zap, who was hovering on top of him carrying a pail. “What did I ever do to you?” he asked. “Well, I’ve spend hours waking you up, but you seem to be immune to my tricks. So I’ve decided to just splash you some cold water.” The parasprite smile, trying to look innocent. The whole castle revealed itself in sunlight, its magnificence shone like the sun itself. Plistry shook his whole body, removing the droplets of water in his coat. “Where’s Wind and Dawn?” he asked while putting his top hat on his head. “Oh, Dawn and Wind are looking for breakfast, which is-” “-Fruits!” Wind inserted as both him and Morning Dawn entered the gigantic castle carrying an assortment of fruits. There were apples, pears, blueberries and some other stuff Plistry couldn’t recognize. As they laid the food on the floor, everypony’s tummy rumbled. “What are we waiting for, let’s eat!” The top-hatted pony announced. They all lavished the fruits, which tasted very delicious. Zap quickly ate most of the apples, much to Wind’s disappointment. “Hey, those were mine!” he complained. “Well, you can’t control a parasprite’s hunger. Good thing I’m not finishing everything.” Wind could do nothing but grunt, so he got the blueberries instead. Plistry concentrated on the pears, which he seems to be enjoying. Dawn got most of the peach, the fruit that Wind was planning next to eat. While they ate, Plistry snuck in some stories, like one of his random adventures at his stay here in the Everfree. “So you mean that there’s a manticore who has a grudge on you right now?” Dawn asked curiously. “It wasn’t my fault I stumbled into him.” The earth pony defended. “Zap and I were lost that time, so we tried to pass every path we could try.” Zap couldn’t resist but comment. “It’s still your fault. You were the one who told us to go right.” “Because the left was full of scary trees!” He replied. Their bickering continued until Dawn broke it. “Okay ponies and furballs, we better hurry if we want to reach our schedule.” After finishing the hearty meal, they packed all of their things and went out to the castle. “I would love to explore this castle more,” Plistry said. “Yeah, me too.” Wind joined Plistry’s sadness. Zap landed on Plistry’s head, resting in happiness while the others walked. “Don’t you worry. Maybe one day I‘ll bring you both here.” Dawn encouraged. “But for now, we have a more important thing to do. They set foot on the forest once again, ready to face a new adventure.
2: The Darkness in the Day
“…and that’s what happened to Elemenopy, the creature who lived somewhere between the land of Eytozi.” Plistry gave them a story about some weird creature to entertain them as they walked. “That was scary, especially when Elemenopi fought Quares and Tyuvi. I’ll never get that thing out of my head,” Wind said, with genuine terror in his eyes. “You never run out of stories, do you?” Dawn remarked. Plistry smiled at her. “Well, if you’re an adventurer extraordinaire, you’re always ready for some story.” Zap grunted on top of Plistry. “Tell me about it.” As they continued to walk, something very peculiar happened at the whole place. All of a sudden, the place became darker. “Well, this isn’t on the map,” the unicorn said with worry. The trees became thicker and thicker the deeper they went, until somepony shut the sun’s light. Darkness. All darkness. Nopony could see a thing, even the faintest of light. “Everypony, stay where you are!” Dawn commanded. There was a long shriek, then rapidly stopped. “Wind, Plistry, Zap, is anypony there?” she asked. Still no reply. Using all of her might, she casted a light spell, making a faint light at the tip of her horn. She looked around the dimly lit forest glowing in a feeble shade of violet. There were trees all around, but there were no signs of the three. “Come on, this isn’t funny.” There was a long pause of silence, with only her heartbeats echoing in the darkness. She knew there was something wrong with the place. Don’t panic. Use the information you know to solve the problem, she thought in her head. “Okay. One, the trees here are so thick that sunlight doesn’t enter. That’s kind of weird. Two, there was a shriek, probably coming from Plistry. It was the same shriek he made when he first saw Wind. I can assume that Wind and Zap are with him right now. So the most reasonable thing to do is to get out of this forest this instant.” She gulped, wishing that the three were safe. She followed the dirt road, not minding the ominous darkness engulfing her. “I can do this, I can do this,” she encouraged herself. She tried to make the light in her horn stronger, but did it in vain. “Never mind that.” As she continued walking alone, she saw a faint light from a distance. “Could that be sunlight?” She dashed to the source of the light. Indeed, what she saw was the exit. Her eyes took a long time adjusting to the change of brightness, but paid off as she saw the familiar view the forest. “Yes!” she rejoiced. Then, something hit her mind. “What about the others?”
“AHHHHH!” Plistry shouted as he dragged Wind and Zap along with his escapade to the dark-filled forest. Running so fast, they literally burst out of the dark forest. As they came back to the welcoming view of the forest, Wind tried to halt their exodus. “Wait, why are we running again?” Plistry looked at them both, with terror in his eyes. “I…I…saw a…a…a GHOST! It had dark, green eyes and a freaky blue body, and it was fly-” “-Hold on, idiot.” Zap stopped him. “Green eyes, blue body, flying…That’s me! What, you think I’m a ghost!?” After contemplating the events that just happened, he realized that the parasprite was right. “Now that you mention it, it actually looked like you…Well at least we’re out of the dark” Wind looked around, knowing that something, or somepony, was missing. “Hey, where’s Dawn?” “Oh no! We left her at the dark forest!” Plistry exclaimed with discomfort. “Should we go back?” Zap suggested. The earth pony thought about it for a moment, coming up with an idea. “Okay guys, I know this is crazy, I know this won’t end well, but I have a plan…”
3: The Rhythm of the Forest
“Plistry! Zap! Wind!” Morning Dawn repeatedly shouted. She has been turning around the forest for minutes, but she has never seen any signs of the three. “This is impossible…” She wanted to give up. She could escape, leave them be in this forest. Yet she knew that she can never leave a friend in need. “…but I must continue.” She got the map from her saddlebag and tried to device a scheme. “If they get out of the forest, they should just be somewhere in the perimeter.” She sighed, knowing that she already did that for 4 times. She looked up in the sky and saw the sun hovering just above her head. Well, it’s already afternoon. Suddenly, a spasm of pain hit her stomach. She realized that the fruits weren’t enough to last a whole day. “Better find something to munch on.” Luckily, she found an apple tree just beside her. Giving all of her strength, she bucked the apple tree. Not a single apple fell on the ground, much to her dismay. She then tried to pick them. Sadly, she wasn’t tall enough to reach any apples. “Oh, for the love of…” tot tororot tot tot tot tot. The familiar sounds of a trumpet could be heard. It was followed by different instruments, harmonizing as a single song. Trying to get a clearer resonance, she followed where the music led her. The closer she came to the source, the more she recognized the music. “Well, isn’t that jazz?” After walking at a reasonable distance, she found out where the music is coming from: An old shack. The music that played inside of the shack was rather inviting. “Like what Canterlot says, thieves rarely plays jazz.” She gathered up all of her strength, ready to approach the portentous shack. A “Music meets Magic” were the words that replaced “Welcome” in the welcome mat. The door was painted yellow, with a sign of rust and decay. Torot torototot tot tot tot went the trumpet as it was played in a jolly tune. She took a deep breath and knocked the door twice. The music suddenly halted. The wait was unbearable. The door sluggishly opened, and revealed 6 ponies holding various types of instruments, including Plistry, Zap and Wind. “What the…” “Well howdy, mah friend. Welcome to the Everfree forest jazzzz band.” A yellow colt with a slick orange mane greeted. His cutie mark was a trombone, similar to the instrument he was holding right now. Plistry came in to clear things up. “Rhythm, meet my friend Morning Dawn. Morning Dawn, meet my friend Rhythm.” Wind, who was holding a tambourine, quickly rushed to the unicorn and hugged her tightly. “I thought you were gone! Good thing Plistry’s plan worked!” Dawn looked at him curiously. “And WHAT was his plan?” Zap butted in to answer that question. “His plan was to play jazz all over the forest, so you can hear it. I can’t believe it worked.” A white mare came near Morning Dawn. Her blue mane was much more of a mess than Dawn, even with the challenges she faced She had a double bass instrument as a cutie mark. “So you’re the missing friend of Plistry? Bet you lost your way to the thick forest, eh?” The researcher quickly snapped at her. “I did not. It was them who…Wait, who are you?” The pony laughed. “Oh, I forgot to present myself. I am Harmonica, one of the jazz players here.” She extended a hoof to Dawn, which she gladly accepted. “Hey guys, why don’t we gather ‘round that table to talk?” Plistry suggested. “You’re right, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” Dawn replied.
“…And that’s about it.” Plistry explained everything starting from the “ghost” he saw to how he saw this shack from afar. He already also introduced the band to her. Rhythm was the trombone player while Harmonica was in-charged with the double bass. A blue stallion with a dark blue mane called Chord was the pianist of the group. Falsetto was a mare who was said to be an expert at the drums. She had an indigo coat with a cool yellow mane. “So, Mornin’ Dawn, if ah’m right, yah with Windy here needs ta get out of this blasted forest for some appointments?” Rhythm asked. Dawn nodded. “You see, it’s very important for us to reach there on time.” Plistry offered her some hay from the table. “You know what, I bet you’re hungry from your travel. Eat some hay!” The unicorn gladly accepted it and finished a whole plate quickly. Everypony joined her eating, hungry from playing all day. Suddenly, the earth pony stood up a stool. In his hoof was a trumpet which he spun. “Okay you guys, I’m gonna play a song!” The jazz band livened up and got their respective instrument. Chord went on the piano, flexing his hooves for another performance. “Let’s do this!” he shouted in a low baritone voice. Plistry smiled as he concentrated on his crowd: Zap, Dawn and Wind. “Since we’re in a forest, I’ll play the “Adventures of the Everfree” song!” Blowing his trumpet, he gave out a lively tune, which was then followed by the others. Torot torot torot torot went his trumpet as the merry band played with harmony. Zap danced along with the music, mesmerized by the wonderful song. “What are we waiting for, let’s DANCE!” Wind shouted as he dragged Dawn with him. Letting the music flow through her, the researcher swayed back and forth, following Zap. Wind danced all around, loving the music they played. Everypony enjoyed the momentary happiness in that old shack at the Everfree.
“Thanks for the food and the music again. It was fun,” Dawn thanked the band as the adventurers were in their doorsteps. “It was no problem. It was also fun for us to entertain a group for so long,” Harmonica replied. Wind was a little distraught that they were leaving. “You ponies sure you don’t want to come with us?” Rhythm smiled at the filly. “Don’t worry about us, kid. Ya’ll better be leavin’ right now if yah want to reach Canterlot on time.” Zap was at Plistry’s hat, tired from dancing. Top-hatted pony came near the trombone playerand shook his hoof. “Thanks for everything.” Rhythm went inside the shack for a moment then came back with a trumpet at his hoof. “Thank yah for playin’ with us. It was ah mighty pleasure for the band. And as a sign of our gratitude, we wanna give yah this trumpet.” “Really?” “We only give our instruments ta those who are rightful to have it. And we know yah are one of them ponies.” With tears in his eyes, Plistry gave him a big hug. “Thank you, my friend,” he said. Rhythm returned the hug and gave him the trumpet. “Now you ponies better get going. But don’t forget to visit!” Harmonica requested. As the four walked away to their destination, Dawn uttered a reply. “We sure will!”
4: Revenge of the Manticore
Going back to our main protagonists, they were back on their track. Morning Dawn was at the front of the pack, still in-charged of navigation. Zap was on top of Plistry, enjoying the view of the forest. Plistry continued telling stories to the group, which Wind enjoyed listening to everytime. “Okay everypony, the map says turn left.” Dawn led them to a jungle of trees, which was followed by a lake. “What’s the next location on the list?” the earth pony asked impatiently. Dawn giggled a bit then gave him an answer. “Nothing, actually. It’s just some more walks, maybe hours, till we reach Ponyville. We’re somewhat a bit early.” “That’s encouraging,” Zap said. As they continued walking, a bush in their side started to shake. “Oh please tell me it’s not another filly,” Dawn commented. Plistry looked around the place. “I guess it’s time for a stick.” Wind laughed for a second, but stopped when the bush shook stronger. They all waited for something to happen, like something jumping out of it. Dawn was half expecting another filly, coming from her experiences with bushes. All of a sudden, the shaking stopped. “Well, that’s odd.” Then, out of nowhere, a monster leaped out of the bush. It scared the living daylights out of Plistry and Zap, who knew who the creature was. Dawn looked fascinated, seeing it. “Well, isn’t that a manticore?” she said with excitement. The earth pony and the parasprite took some steps backward, trying to escape. The researcher looked at them and laughed. “Don’t worry, manticores are naturally passive creatures, only attacking if it is in hurt or you attacked it directly.” The both chuckled nervously. “Yeah, and that’s what we’re scared of.” As the manticore looked at them, its eyes locked on the two. Wind remembered a story Plistry told. “Wait, didn’t you tell us in the castle while eating fruits that-” “-There’s a manticore who has a grudge on us.” Plistry continued. “Sadly, you’re right.” The manticore was now preparing to attack the two, its nose flared every time it remembered the past events. “And since it’s our lucky day, it’s the same manticore we-” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when the manticore charged on them. “Everypony run for your lives!” said Plistry while running away from the creature. Wind and Dawn ran in a different direction, but wasn’t followed by the beast. It roared as it increased its pace, going for the kill. “Faster Plistry, FASTER! Think of a brilliant plan!” Zap shouted as he flew with the pony. “Wait, how did we escape the manticore last time?” Plistry asked. The manticore was now closing in, much to Zap’s dismay. “We jumped to a lake!” he replied. Without a warning, the manticore jumped above their heads, overtaking the two. It was now at their front, trapping the two to move forward. “I’ve got it!” The earth pony announced. Zap was delusional; their situation was impossible. But he knew Plistry always had a plan in every adventure, which miraculously works most of the time. Now it was time to prove himself. The adventurer took a step forward to the manticore, though still cautious of the danger. The manticore was about to bash the pony when he quickly grabbed the trumpet from his saddlebag and played a song. It was a charming song which enthralled the beast, dropping its paw from attacking the two. Reaching the events, Wind and Dawn were surprised to what they saw. “What the hay is he doing?” Dawn asked curiously. Without uttering a word, Zap signaled them to just go along with the earth pony. “Well, okay,” Wind replied. He got two sticks and started beating a stone, using it as a drum. Dawn looked around for something to use as an instrument when she decided to just shut up and see the events unfold. Plistry and Wind continued to mesmerize the beast when Plistry signaled the others to continue waking away, including Wind. “What about you?” The filly asked. Zap came in to fill the question. “Don’t worry, he knows what he’s doing,” he whispered. As the three slowly went, Plistry gradually changed the song from a lively tune to a lullaby. It forced a yawn to the manticore, who slowly went to sleeping position. Come on, just a little more, he said in his mind. The manticore slowly closed its eyes, making Plistry lower the volume of the trumpet. After a while, it started snoring, clearly deep in sleep. The top-hatted pony gave a small sigh, then tucked his top hat. “Experience plus 5.”
5: Camp Cave, Part 1
“Why is he sooo long?” Dawn complained. “Don’t worry, he’ll come around,” Zap replied. As they continued waiting, Wind saw something at the tip of his eyes. “Hey, there’s Plistry!” Plistry was running to them, carrying a trumpet in his saddlebag. As he reached the three, Dawn congratulated him on his skill. “Whoa, where did you learn to play the trumpet like that?” The earth pony snickered, patting her on the back. “I learned this from my mother, who taught me this to waste time when I’m lonely.” Zap returned to his rightful place, in Plistry’s head. Wind suddenly jumped on Plistry’s back without warning. “Can you teach me how to play the trumpet?” he begged. “Well, sure kid! But let’s first concentrate in the task at hoof.” Wind nodded, then went back to the ground. Zap patted the earth pony’s head. “What did you do to that manticore?” “I played a lullaby that mother used to play for me. Works every time,” he replied. Dawn cleared her throat to catch everypony’s attention. “Okay, ponies and furballs, we’re closing in to our destination.” She looked at the sun’s glorious lights display as it started to set in the horizon. Time sure does fly fast, she said in her head. “Well, as you all know, we can’t travel in the night. So we’re going to camp.” Wind looked at her with worry. “Camp? But where? There seems to be no ancient castle for us to sleep on.” The unicorn placed the map at her saddlebag, keeping it for later. She looked around, finding a place with a roof, when she found a perfect place to stay. “Well, we’ll be staying at a cave!”
There was a gigantic cave just a few walks from them. As they stood at the cave’s foot, everypony felt a dab of shiver. “You guys sure you want to stay here?” Plistry asked anxiously. Zap knocked the pony’s head. “Oh come on, idiot. This is the ONLY place where we could stay.” Dawn nodded, agreeing with the parasprite. “Yeah, and what’s the danger in staying?” The adventurer laughed nervously, wishing that everything was just a joke. “You know guys, I’ve had experiences with caves. And every single experience was awful.” Wind butted in in their debate. “It’s not scary, it’s FUN going in caves. I’ve been taken in one once, and there were plenty of crystal and stuff.” Plistry snickered. “Oh, caves in a forest are a very different thing than caves elsewhere.” Dawn suddenly trotted inside the dark cave. “Well I’m going in.” Wind followed her, leaving Plistry and Zap alone outside. As the two looked at their backs, the gloomy aura of the forest sent a chill in their spines. It was already night, and most creatures in the forest are nocturnal. “Hey, wait for me!” said Plistry as the duo went inside the cave.
Using her magic, she illuminated a part of the cave. Even with all of her efforts spent, she couldn’t light up the whole place. “Well, sorry everypony. That’s the only magic left in my system.” Wind squinted to look further down the cave, but failed. “Now what?” he asked. Plistry sat on a rock, which was rather uncomfortable. “It’s still early. What should we eat for the night?” Dawn looked around, somewhat wishing that there was food just lying on the floor. “Um, do we starve?” the filly suggested. The unicorn tried to show them that there was still hope. “Don’t you worry. There’s always food in the jungle. We just have to look.” “But who’ll look for food?” he asked. As the winds grew stronger in the cave, everypony felt that if they don’t act fast, they’ll all freeze to death. Out of the cold-driven night, Plistry got an idea. He stood up and started picking up sticks in the corner, and placing them all in the center. After being contented from what he collected, he got two stones and started rubbing them. “Come on…just some more,” Plistry mumbled as he continued on his work. “Hey, I’ll help you,” Wind said as he also got two stones and followed the earth pony. Dawn heavily sighed, looking at the efforts of the two. “Watch and learn.” She went near the pile of sticks, pointing her horn at it. Giving all of her efforts, she deeply concentrated on her spell. Suddenly, a spark of fire came from her horn, igniting the sticks. It produced light that lit up the whole cave. Its heat radiated on them, acting as a safe haven from the cold, dark night. “Yeah, magic,” Plistry said at Dawn. Zap enjoyed the campfire’s heat, bathing himself from the warmth it gave. The parasprite then remembered something. “Hooray, there’s heat and light. But what about dinner? I’m starving.” The earth pony quickly stood up and raised his hoof. “I’ll volunteer to look for food. Zap, coming with me?” Zap quickly went at his head. “As always.” Dawn looked at them with anxiety. “Are you both sure you want to do this? I mean, you know it’s dangerous in the night.” Plistry stared at her with confidence in his eyes. “But danger is my, um, nickname. Plirazeto Aperdaneto Tartera Qualagetrotry Fleyas, aka danger.” Zap knocked his head. “Nopony calls you danger.” “Well they better start now.” Dawn slapped his face, wishing that he will take their situation seriously. The adventurer patted her back, ensuring her that he’ll be fine. “I’m an adventurer extraordinaire. I always have a plan. And that plan always works.” She sighed, giving up the fight against him. “Okay, you do it. But be careful.” Plistry, along with Zap, exited the caves, waving a hoof at the left party. Wind looked at the two go away. “Do I have to stay with the most BORING pony in Equestria!?”
6: Cockatrice on the Loose
The wind blasted a powerful gale, knocking the duo to stop. “So, what’s your plan?” Zap asked Plistry sarcastically. He replied with a dab of laughter. “To wait for a plan.” The parasprite grunted. As a crack could be heard from afar, the two jumped. “Okay, better start looking for food before it gets too dark.” It was somewhat impossible for them to look for food, as the feeble light of the moon only shone a part of their path. “I wish I brought some light,” Plistry said remorsefully. But they had no choice; they already took a step out, and it was irreversible. With his sharp eyes, Zap saw what they were looking for: a tree nearby that looked like an apple tree. “There! Food!” Plistry congratulated his partner. “Good going there, champ.” As they went closer to the apple tree, they noticed that it wasn’t a normal apple tree. Yes, they had the shape of an apple, but its color was spectacular. Except of being covered with a shade of red or green, it was colored with rainbows. “Is that…safe eaten?” Zap asked the pony. Plistry’s eyes glared with the fruit’s magnificence, being mesmerized by the display of spectrum. “I don’t care if it’s safe eaten or not, but I know that the rainbows never betray us!” He started picking up the fruits one by one, placing them all in his saddlebag. While picking the rainbow-colored apples, Zap noticed that something in the bush is moving. “Um, Plistry? We better get out of here. The bush is moving and I don’t think it’s a fi-” A very weird thing popped out of the bush. It was neither a filly nor a manticore, but a creature with the body of a winged snake and a head of a chicken. Zap wasn’t able to control himself. He laughed and rolled on the ground, thinking that the creature was a joke. “Wha…And I thought that finding a filly was funny!” The creature, unimpressed by the parasprite’s actions, stared at him. “What the hay are you doing?” All of a sudden, his body froze like stone. No, he literally was a stone. “Zap, are you okay?” Plistry asked. The statue didn’t reply. “Oh no! Zap’s a stone!” As the monster posed to attack him, the earth pony’s mind was rushing for an answer. “Can’t use a stick in this situation.” The creature now targeted the earth pony. What looked like impossible, he had a brilliant plan in his mind. “Hey, chicken snake, want some?” Plistry showed it the rainbow apple from his saddlebag. The creature stopped and looked at the apple with hunger in its eyes. Gotcha, he thought. “Yes, you want this?” He moved the apple to the side, which the creature’s head followed. “Can you turn my friend back to life?” The creature took that as command, quickly turning the parasprite back to his old self. “Uh…what happened?” he asked Plistry. The pony didn’t mind him, concentrating on the problem at his hoof. “Here, chicken snake. Now CATCH!” He threw the apple far away from them, making the chicken snake go for it. “Now Zap, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” The duo ran away from the tree, going back to the cave.
7: Camp Cave, Part 2
“Hey…guys I’m…back in…the cave,” Plistry said while trying to catch his breath. Zap rested above Plistry’s head, dog tired from their escapade. “What happened to you?” Dawn asked curiously. “Do you have food?” Wind inserted. Throwing his saddlebag in the ground, Plistry revealed the rainbow apple. “These are Zap Apples, A special kind of apple that can be only found in sweet apple acres! The jam that is made from this apple is an Equestrian delicacy. But how did you get this?” The earth pony fixed his top hat, which was slightly crooked. “Zap found a tree which he thought was an apple tree. When we looked closer, they were with the colors of the rainbow.” Wind spread the apples on the floor. “Why don’t we start to eat? I’m starving, all because Dawn taught me something about donuts.” “Not donuts, Down months!” she defended. They all laughed as they started eating.
“Wait, you were attacked by a cockatrice?” Dawn asked the two who just finished their share of apples. “So, it’s called a cockatrice. I used an apple to distract it.” Plistry gave a yawn, sleepy from their adventure. “I guess it’s time for me to hit the hay,” he said as he quickly dozed off to sleep. Zap followed his partner, using his head as a bed. Wind joined the two, too tired from Dawn and her lectures. Using Plistry as his pillow, he did his best to feel comfortable. That left Dawn all alone in the dark cave. There were pieces of charred wood in the campfire, its flame all burnt up. “Well, I guess it’s time for me to sleep,” she said as she found a comfortable spot in the cave and slept like she has never slept before. “Tomorrow, everything is going to be perfect.”