//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: The Monster 
// Story: The Story of Zeta 
// by Z-A-C 
//------------------------------//

It has been a full day since I left my village. The tears have been shed last night, and now it was time to move on, or try too. All the memories...I can still remember my fifth birthday. "The tribe was doing better in those days." I sighed and shook my head. There's time for this later. Now I must move forward and make it to Equestria. Last time I checked, I was two thousand miles from the Equestria. "I would have an easier journey if I were born in one of the southern tribes." I grumbled. According to the map, Equestria is directly south from where I am now. It also says that there is no direct route. I decided to stop by other tribe villages as I came across them. Maybe they would help me with food and other supplies.

I have not been so lucky as to come across another village yet. It has been a mile since my last rest. I am not making good progress. I decided the I will stop only at night or if I find a village and it's close to night. But it is still mid-afternoon and no sign of another village, so I will not be resting any time soon. It's a boring journey, and I have resulted too singing. I also need to be wary of my food and water consumption. I should be fine for now I think.

Another three miles have passed, and still no sign of another village. I didn't know the tribes were so spread apart. The map says nothing about where the tribes are, but perhaps I should take a break. It is starting to get dark so I might stop for to today. Now all I need to do is find a good place to stay the rest of the night. There are stories of monsters that roam these lands at night. I don't know if the stories are true but I do not want to find out. I see what looks like an abandoned hut, I will go investigate and see if it is a suitable place to stay.

"Not unoccupied! Sorry, sorry! AAAHHH!!" There were insect like ponies in the hut. I ran as soon as saw them. I looked behind me and they were just hovering there. I stopped and turned around. Two of them looked each other and shrugged. One went back into the hut while the other one slowly landed, still staring at me. It then looked around and then back to me, and spoke.

"It's not safe out here at night. You can take shelter with us." It's buzzing voice was a little disturbing to me.

I glared at it. "How do I know I can trust you?" There then was a terrifying roar from somewhere in the distance.

"I don't think you have a choice! Hurry!"

The roar sounded again and I ran towards the hut. The insect-like pony cast some kind of spell to deter the monster. It was apparently successful and soon it joined us. I looked around and there were two insect ponies, including the one that was outside, and one pony. I sat as far away as I could from them. One of the insect ponies walked over to me, I tried to back away.

It sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Doppelganger, but you can call me Ganger for short." This one had a more feminine voice. She pointed to the one in on the right of the pony. "That's Mimic, he's the one that got you to come in here." She pointed to the one on the left of the pony. "That's Double," She pointed to the pony. "And that's...um...I forgot. What's your name?"

"What are you doing with the pony?"

"Not one for manners I see. Fine, she was out here when we happened upon this...um..."

"Wasteland." Mimic finished Ganger sentence.

Her eyes widened and she looked at him. "Shh! I'm trying not to offend him!"

"Worry not then." I said. "I live in a tribe four miles north of here. The deserts are as he say they are."

"Oh...okay then. Yes, wasteland. She was actually staying here before us." I looked at the pony mare, and she nodded, confirming that what they told me is true. Ganger noticed me staring at the pony. "I don't think she can speak."

"Hmm is that correct?" The mare nodded. "I see, are you lost? You're a long way from Equestria." She shook her head, and brought out a mini black board from her saddlebags and wrote something on it. When she was done she showed me. "Volunteered?" She nodded her head and erased the word. "So you're with one of those groups that send ponies to help struggling tribes?" She shook her head and wrote something else. "Were? What happened?" She wrote three words that made why she was stuck here and why she couldn't talk become clear. "Oh...my...um well..." She nodded and started to cry. I walked over to her and hugged her. The words she wrote were: Died, eaten, and watched. The poor thing is still in shock. She must have watched her friends die and be eaten alive. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.





It was now morning, and we were preparing to leave. "So where are you headed?" Ganger asked me.

"Equestria." The pony's perked up. "I've been exiled from my tribe." I shook my head. "What about you three?"

"We were thinking about continuing north."

"Nothing for you up that way. You would be run out of any village you enter."

"Please," Double said. "We're Changelings. We'll just change into one of you zebras."

"I suppose that could work, but I still advise you against it." I looked at the pony. "And what of you?" She wrote something down. "Stay here huh? You would better luck going with them or me." She seemed to think about that and wrote something else down. "Come with me? Hmm... I only have enough food for me but you look like you need it more then I do. And I have enough water for the both of us. I have no objections." I smiled and looked at the Changelings. "Are you still going north?"

Double and Mimic nodded. Ganger didn't look as sure. "I don't know guys. If he's from the northern area and said there's nothing up there, I think we should listen to him."

Mimic shrugged. "Do what you want, we're going north." I shake my head at their arrogance and open the door. Only to quickly slam it shut. Mimic raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"The monster from last night!" I whisper-yelled. "It's still out there!"

"What? No way, those thing are only nocturnal." He said as he walked over to door. I shook my head rapidly, but he opened the door anyway. "Oh...no." Was all he could say before he was grabbed by the monster and taken out of the hut. I kicked the door closed and told everyone to get back. Ganger was with the mute mare and Double and I were in front of them. Mimics screams stopped and then everything fell silent.

"I don't like this." Double growled.

"Neither do I. Too quiet." I felt a tap on my flank. "Not now." I said as calmly as I could.

"Uh," Ganger said. "It's the pony."

"What does she want?"

"She said that...oh, she said that is the monster that ate her friends."

"I guess it liked how ponies tasted," Double said. "Because it followed her."

I glared at him. "It seems to like changelings as well." My eyes widened as I saw the monster appear outside of the right side window. Double was the closest one to that window. "Double, watch out!"

He turned to the window and saw it but it was too late. The monster's arm flew through the window and grabbed him. I grabbed his hoof and pulled as hard as I could, that is until I heard a sickening crack-like sound. Double had been ripped in half. I let go of this half and backed away quickly. I looked over at the remaining two, and saw Ganger was watching in horror and the mute mare had her eyes closed. The monster's other arm broke through the wall and grabbed Ganger. And then everything stopped, and I heard the voice from my nightmare.

"All of this needless death. I know it makes you mad. You can save them, you know."

"H-how?! I'll do anything! How can I save them?!"

"What do you mean, how? All you need to right now is walk up to the arm and kick it. And then learn how to make this happen again."

"Just walk up?!"

"And kick it, yes. Time is stopped, or rather, going really slow. You see, you're the one that's moving fast."

"Everything else is slowed down?"

"Yes!" He growled. "Now go over and kick it!"

"O-okay." I walked over to it and nothing was happening. I reared up and brought all of my body weight on the arm.

"Or do that." The voice said. "That also works. Nice work but now you're on your own for awhile."

"What?!" And then everything starting moving normally again. The monster shrieked in pain and dropped Ganger. Who quickly grabbed the mute mare and ran to the opposite side of the hut. Failing to get out of the way, the monster grabbed me. It brought me outside and roared. I really had a good look at it now. It was insect-like, but no where near being a Changeling. It was dark green, almost so dark it looked black. It had a mouth full of sharp teeth with mandibles in front of it. The rest is near indescribable. It truly a horrific sight to behold.

"I'll give you a hint." The voice said. "Open your right eye."

"How will that help me?!"

"Just do it!"

I did as instructed and the monster let go of me and back away a couple of feet. "S-stay back!" It hissed in response. "I-I mean it!" And then something clicked in my head. I don't know how it happened, but I know that I was either going to die or not. Then only thing I can do is... "I will END you if you get any closer!" ...fight. It felt up to the challenge and stormed towards me. I bucked it when it got close enough. Too my surprise, it seemed to actually have an effect on it. It  stumbled back and roared again. "Go away!" It hissed again but stayed still. "I said go away!" I ran up, jumped and bucked it's head. It shrieked in pain again, and ran away. I looked at the ground and it was leaving a trail of bright green blood. I looked back up and it had disappeared from sight. I sighed in relief and closed my right eye, when I did I collapsed.

After awhile of laying on the ground, I heard the others slowly walk over to me. Ganger asked if I was okay. I nodded, stood up, and asked her the same thing. She said she was and asked where the monster went.

"I don't know, but it is wounded." I heard the tapping of chalk against a board. "Do I think it will come back? No, at least not for awhile. We should get moving though," I looked at where the sun was in the sky. "It's almost passed two."

"Okay." Ganger said. "Are you sure you're okay though?"

"I think so."

"Okay then..." She said with unsure voice.

"Onward to Equestria!"

"How far away is it?"

I pulled out my map. "Hmm...about...one thousand nine hundred ninety six miles away from the border." I looked at them and both of them had their jaws dropped. "Yes, yes I know. That's why we should get going." I then collapsed again. "Or not." I grumbled.