Lyra had awoken feeling quite dizzy and very disorientated. Her right front hoof ached. She looked upon it. There was a small bandage around where the wound must have been. The bandage was grey and old, most definitely not the best of healthcare. She looked around. She was lying on her stomach next to a dirt road. There were no birds singing and there was utter quiet. She Bend her rear hooves in an attempt to get up. As soon as she began distributing weight towards her front hoof the pain shot up. How did she get hurt? She couldn't remember anything. She tried to rise once more. This time applying her weight to the rear of the body. It was quite a crude way to try and get up and once again she fell. The dirt in her nose had made it itch and she had no choice but to sneeze. A loud echo followed on, but there was nothing else. "Strange" whispered Lyra, "Wouldn't the sneeze scare away some kind of a creature?" She took no more time thinking and again she tried getting up. This time the attempt ended with a success. She raised her saddle bags using the healthy hoof and began trying to fit the strap round her chest. Her adventure then continued further north. She took a small detour around the mountains and continued onwards. She felt as though she passed this place before. The forest and the road all seemed too familiar. Shaking off the uneasy feeling she maintained the pace. "Right hoof, left hoof, right, left, right, left" She was now beginning to repeat the routine in her head.
The sun was now high in the sky signifying noon. Lyra made a short stop and looked at the mountains ahead. Either she'd have to climb over or follow the track to the side. There was no real reason Lyra decided to head north. According to Twilight, south was a sea known as "Eternity's Crossing," west was the land of Buffaloes and east there were "Tramplevanian Alps." She simply picked what seemed to be the easiest route. Even if it meant getting to the Griffin kingdoms. She decided to spend the rest of her noon sitting in the shade of trees.
When the time came to set off Lyra starting packing up. She began by collecting the books she had been reading. Forgetting her hoof was hurt she winced in pain and dropped the saddle bag. Out of it came a small note ripped up.
- Lyra, I can guess you will attempt to go and search for your fantasies. I understand that there is nothing to stop you. Hopefully you are reading this while still near Ponyville. Even if you do meet a human or a human fant....
Rest of the letter was ripped of. The writing reminded her of Twilight. It must have been Twilight. Who else would know about Lyra's human obsession... Apart from Bonbon. "Bonbon would never write something like that. She knows nothing and is still probably mad at me." Lyra thought to herself. She quickly put the note back into her back along with the books and decided to forget about it in the meantime. Her plan was to head North East towards what was known as Forsaken Forest.
She looked up to the thickly growing trees. the trees were so close together no light seemed to enter the forest. Lyra felt some sort of a strange force seemed to drag her into the forest. She suddenly forgot how hungry and tired she was. She continued onward towards the forest. Now engulfed by the greenery and darkness she maintained the pace. Every now and again tripping over a tree root, but quickly regaining her balance. Her walking still needed some work, but in the few hours she managed to gain quite the experience. The calling seemed to come from deeper the forest. Her heart was racing, her mind was confused. She didn't know what was going on.
Soon she had come to a clearing. Here the sun shone brightly with its afternoon rays. There were a few smaller rocks around in a circle and a single flower in the middle of the plain. Lyra as though suddenly realising what had happened fell to her front hooves. She winced in pain at the hurt hoof and collapsed completely. She looked up. There was a tall figure in the shadow on the edge of the clearing. It was much to tall to be a pony, but its posture and hooves said otherwise,
"Heartstrings, you have destroyed the sanctity of this place. The wound of the witch spoils you, and yet you dare enter this place." The powerful male voice rang out. Lyra was shocked at hearing her completion pronounced by the stranger. Her completion... All ponies were given two names. The public name, and a completion. The completion was meant to be either given by a partner of their choice, or received at birth. To then be told only to those the pony was attached to. It was a way to tell. Whether a relationship was serious or not. Only Bonbon knew Lyra's name. Lyra gazed at the tall figure. It began approaching her. "My kind cannot tolerate your taint. You will be punished." Lyra's fear crept up, who was this. Was it another pony? Like Princess Celestia? He (as Lyra assumed) had no wings. No horn. He wasn't an alicorn then. Could it be that he was a horse? Horses are not that popular around Equestria. After the alicorns first came to Equestria; the horses ran to plains or forests. Rumours exist that some of these horses had knowledge of humans, that they took some of the teachings found in human books and lived their lives alike.
"Are you a horse?" The question sounded funny in Lyra's mouth. It seemed like such a stupid question. The figure remained still, as though set in stone. Lyra remembered something from her books. A creature called Druid. Supposedly it was a human that could shape-shift into different things, and lived in the forests. Honouring nature and creatures. Was this horse a druid in fact.
"Heartstrings. I will allow you to live. Know that you will not remember our encounter, but as a fit punishment for tainting this forest, from this day on; you will be unable to set so much as a single hoof in any forest. You will be unable to harm any creatures or plants, and finally. You are cursed to forever feel rejected, the way we do." Lyra once again shocked at the horse's words. It was all utter madness. Lyra didn't understand what just happened. "Begone!" the horse yelled and Lyra once again compelled by some strange force began to march out of the forest. As she reached the outskirts, she burst into tears and collapsed losing her conscience almost immediately.