//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Revelations // Story: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Unexpected Turns // by Sedgewick //------------------------------// “Dead!? What do ya mean yer dead? Yer standing here talking to us!” Applebloom exclaimed, clearly unsettled by the revelation. “That is true, but what your kind defines as what is dead is a far different one than my own,” Dust explained, looking to Applebloom, a frown plastered to his face. “If that is the case, then explain ones fate,” Dust turned his gaze to Zecora for a moment before staring out the lone window of the hut. “When a pokemon dies, sometimes that’s it, they die, who knows what happens to those ones, but if a pokemon dies and they have enough sheer force of will, they may return to the land of the living, but as a dead being. A ghost if you will,” Dust turned his head to look at the other two with him. A mixture of emotions were evident in their features. Fear, curiosity, confusion and… sympathy? Zecora opened her mouth to say something but Dust cut her off. “I don’t know what happened for me to end up like this, let alone how I ended up here,” Dust looked from Zecora to Applebloom, neither knowing what to say at the moment in time. He let out a sigh and turned to sit in the chair in the corner again when he felt something touch his arm, prompting him to turn around. Before he fully figured out what was happening, Applebloom threw her hooves around Dust, pulling him into hug. Dust just sat there, staring at Applebloom before returning the embrace. They parted soon after, Applebloom just staring at Dust. “Ah thought ah would have fallen right through ya,” Applebloom said just barely above a whisper. Dust remained there, unsure of what to say, so he settled on a simple nod and began searching the room for Zecora. She had apparently excused herself from the conversation and went about looking for something around the room. She soon trotted up to Dust and Applebloom, dropping a book in front of them and opening to a seemingly random page. “I require you two, venture out and find this flower for my brew,” she said in her rhyming way of speech. Dust looked over the page to see that the plant she was looking for was something called a purple coneflower. He began reading over the page to himself until the book was abruptly slammed shut by Applebloom. “Ya got it, Zecora! C’mon, Dust, lets go!” She exclaimed, shoving the book in some saddle bags set near the door and putting them on. “Please go with her, keep her safe should danger occur” Dust turned back to Zecora and nodded. “Of course,” was Dust’s only response before heading out the door with Applebloom. *** It had been several minutes since the duo left Zecora’s hut in search of purple coneflowers. They looked to and fro, leaving markings on trees and other such things to find their way back. All was silent in Everfree, just like it had been when Dust first found himself in the forest. Never thought a forest would be this quiet all this time, Dust thought to himself. “How’s it like?” Applebloom suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. “How is what like?” “Ya know… being a ghost and all. Being… dead,” she questioned, seemingly wanting to take back the question immediately after. Dust glanced at her and then returned his gaze up front, thinking of how he could put it. “I’m not sure, really. I feel… empty. Like my entire being is just a shell,” Dust answered, though whether he felt that way because he was dead or because he had no memories, he didn’t know. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Don’t be. Knowing that I’m dead is as bad as things can get, I figure,” Dust reasoned. He turned to give Applebloom a smile but remembered how that worked out last time. He returned his attention forward yet again, his smile turning into a frown. CRACK Dust spun around, looking in the direction of where the sound came from. Bushes rattled around following after the first initial sound. Unknowingly, Dust’s right claw grew a few inches longer and turning from a deep purple to a jet black as he approached the rattling bush. He brought his right claw up while using his left to move the bush. He peered behind it to see nothing other than a snapped in half tree branch. He looked left, right and even above him but found nothing of interest. “Wh-what was that?” Applebloom stammered out, finally finding her voice. “I’m not sure,” Dust replied, making his way back to Applebloom. “What happened to your claw? It got longer and scarier…” she trailed off. Dust brought his right claw up, staring at it intently. “I guess I know what one of my attacks are then,” he mumbled. “Attacks? What do ya mean?” Applebloom asked, taken aback by what she heard. “I’ll explain it to you later. Right now, I think we should find these flowers and bail,” Dust suggested. Applebloom just stared at him a while longer before nodding and continuing down the path they had chosen. They continued on in silence, just taking in their surroundings more intently, as to make sure nothing sneaks up on them again. Despite this, Dust couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. He feared for what could happen. “Look! There’s a small clearin’ with what looks like those flowers,” Applebloom called out. Dust then realized that he had fallen behind, caught up in his thoughts and worries. He quickly closed the remaining distance between him and Applebloom and looked out over the clearing. Applebloom made her way to some of the flowers, pulling out the book she borrowed and looked from the picture in the book to the flower in front of her. “Yup, these are it,” she stated, using her mouth to gather the flowers and putting them into her saddlebags. Dust cantered over to Applebloom, taking the liberty to take guard and make sure nothing attacked. He hoped that nothing would jump them, he wouldn’t feel comfortable trying to fight in his unfamiliar body. He was more worried for Applebloom than himself, considering that he was already dead, but he had no idea what kind of creatures inhabited this forest or what they were capable of. “Ya think this will be enough?” Applebloom questioned. Dust turned around and peered into her saddlebags, noting several of the flowers bundled together. “Yeah, I think this should be fine, lets head back,” Applebloom nodded in agreement, making her way towards where they entered the clearing. Dust lingered a moment, looking behind at the clearing. “Why does it feel like I’ve been to a place like this before…” he trailed off. “Dust, you coming?” Applebloom yelled out to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned back and ran towards Applebloom, apologizing for the holdup. They backtracked, following the markings they had left, to the hut. “Do you live with Zecora, Applebloom?” Dust suddenly asked. “Nope! I live mah big sister and big brother on Sweet Apple Acres!” She answered enthusiastically. Seems her family bring her quite a bit of joy. Dust thought to himself. “I see. In that case, can ask you to do me a favour?” “What kind of favour?” “I want you to not tell anyone of my being here. I’d rather not attract unnecessary attention,” Dust stated. “Aw, but what about mah friends?” She whined, clearly disappointed that she couldn’t share this with her friends. “Especially your friends,” Dust stopped and turned to Applebloom. “Please,” he pleaded. “Oh alright,” Applebloom relented. Dust put a claw on her shoulder, whispering his thanks to her and returned to the objective at hand. They soon found themselves at Zecora’s hut yet again. Applebloom opened the door, barging into the humble abode. “We got them!” Applebloom shouted, dropping the saddlebags by the door and taking the flowers out. “Welcome back, I hope you didn’t mind the tracks,” she retrieved the flowers from Applebloom, dropping a couple into her brew. “It wasn’t bad, we managed,” Dust lied, climbing onto the chair in the corner. This really is a surprisingly nice chairhe thought. “Applebloom it is rather late, I’m sure your family awaits.” “Oh, ponyfeathers! Ah should’a been home ages ago!” Applebloom moaned. She darted for the door, swinging it wide open. “Wait, what are you going to do now, Dust?” She inquired. “Hm, I never thought about it. I guess I’ll stay here with Zecora, that is, if she’ll have me,” he looked to Zecora, who had been working on her brew ever since they got back. “I am fine with that, I’ll finally have someone with which I could chat,” she replied, looking towards Dust, a smile on her face. Dust returned his attention to Applebloom. “Well I guess I’ll be here then, but if you’re going out, allow me to accompany you,” Dust offered. Applebloom brought a hoof to her chin, appearing to think on it. “Okay, but we should hurry, lets go!” She darted out the door without much warning. Dust quickly jumped out of the chair and ran out the door as well, chasing down the foal. Applebloom slowed down enough for Dust to catch up, and catch up he did. Together they ran down the main path leading from, what Dust would only imagine a town, to Zecora’s hut. Dust could now see the break in the treeline, which lead into what looked like an orchard of some sort. “There’s the farm,” Applebloom panted out between breaths. Without the trees blocking out much of the sky, Dust got a good look at the moon above. It shone brilliantly, enhanced only by the stars that surrounded it. It was entrancing in a way at how amazing it was. He took a couple steps officially out of the forest but abruptly stopped when he heard shouting from the distance. Another feminine sounding voice. He glanced to Applebloom before reminding her. “Remember, don’t tell a soul about me,” then swiftly darted back into the forest, standing behind a tree a fair ways back. He watched on as Applebloom and what he assumed was her sister talking to each other. Well it was more like a one sided conversation with one yelling at the other. After a few moments of yelling, Applebloom’s sister made her way back to the farmhouse while Applebloom lingered a second longer, looking behind her in the direction of where Dust was standing and then galloped after her sister. “Guess I should head back,” Dust muttered to himself. *** The trip back to hut was filled with silence. Well, the kind of outside world silence, as Dust’s mind was running like mad, trying to make sense of what was going on. Before long he found himself standing on the doorstep to Zecora’s home. He reached out to open the door but stopped when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He glared in the direction of interest but found nothing worth noting. He finally opened to door, bringing his attention to Zecora, who was standing front of him with a book in her mouth. She dropped the book in front of him. “This was all I could find, perhaps it will explain what you defined,” she explained. The books title read “The Book of Equestrian Legends.” Dust picked up the book, making his way back to the chair he liked so much. He climbed atop it and opened the book, flipping page after page with nothing of interest. He kept skimming over pages, haphazardly turning then until he was nearing the end of the book. He was close to losing all hope until he found a crude drawing of a large dragon and what looked like a gateway behind it, followed by some writing. Legend says that there was once a dragon of white who opened a gateway. A gateway that led from its world to ours, with several strange creatures accompanying it. They used that gateway for days, even weeks before sealing it off and disappearing entirely. Some say that these creatures traveled to the ends of the worlds, seeking salvation, only to die in the process. Others say that there’s more to it than just an old pony folktale. Dust brought the book down, seconds from calling to Zecora but found that she was asleep on a bed not far from the chair he was in. “Guess I’ll have to wait till tomorrow,” he sighed.