//------------------------------//
// Day Two 
// Story: Fifteen Days 
// by UnluckyReaver 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash woke as the light from the sun filled her eyes. As she slowly opened them, she took a quick look around; the creature was no longer sitting next to her but was emptying the bag from the night before. She hesitated for a moment before speaking; “Hey… ummm, I’m not sure if you can understand me or whatever, but can I have one of those?” Dash pointed at an apple lying on the ground. The creature looked at her for a moment, then at the apple she was pointing at. Picking it up, the creature brought it, and the now empty bag, over to Dash.

Giving Dash the apple, the creature crouched down and began to draw in the dirt. Looking up from her apple, the creature pointed at her, the drawings, the bag, and then finally himself. Confusion spread across Dash’s face as she tried to figure out what the creature was telling her. The pictures showed a crudely drawn four legged creature, then the creature in a bag, then the bag on the back of a two legged creature, and finally the four legged creature in a house. “Are you saying you want me to get in that bag so you can carry me home?” Rainbow asked and pointed at the bag. The creature smiled gently, moved the bag closer to her, and held out one of its forelimbs. Well, it’s all or nothing time. Dash said to herself, then place her hoof in his hand. “Alright, big guy, you win, carry me home.”

The creature stood, gently lifting Rainbow as he did. The creature slowly lowered her into the bag; Alright, moment of truth. Rainbow thought, fearing that the creature was about to close the bag on her; instead he left the top open and lifted it onto his back. Rainbow placed her forehooves on the creature’s shoulders as it slowly stood. Dash let out a sudden yelp as the creature shifted the backpack slightly before saying something and then starting off.





Rainbow found the gentle swaying of the bag surprisingly relaxing as the biped carried her through the forest. The creature’s slow but steady pace through the Everfree displayed an odd level of comfort of his surroundings. Zecora lives in the Everfree, Rainbow Dash reasoned, maybe he’s like her and knows his way around the Everfree. He hasn’t asked for directions, not like he can, but he does seem to know where he’s going.

The creature seemed to have limitless stamina as continued to walk throughout the day, not even stopping to eat. Instead it simply ate while it walked. Rainbow, still riding in the large bag, carefully chewed on the apple it had given her. Her normal, enthusiastic approach had earned her an angry growl from her companion when she let the apple juice drip onto his neck. 





As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, the creature finally stopped. Setting Dash down, the creature set about making a small campsite for the two of them.
“I’m gonna have to call you something.” Dash thought out loud. “Hmmm… ‘Guide… something’, no, that doesn’t work. ‘Forest’, nope. How about...wolf?” Dash’s thoughts tailed off as a timberwolf howl echoed through the trees. 

The creature stopped what it was doing, and scanned the trees around them. Remaining motionless for several long seconds, Dash waiting for the timberwolves to close in on them. The creature, however, seemed satisfied with their safety and went back to work.

“Seriously, you’re not afraid of the wolves?” Rainbow asked, only earning a brief glance from the creature. “I’ll take that as a no.”

After a few more minutes of work, the creature had managed to light a small fire. “Oh, I get it.” Rainbow said. “They’re timberwolves, they don’t like fire.”

Pulling the bag that Rainbow was still in, the creature drew her closer to the fire. Neither spoke as they watched the flames flicker in the night. Finding the the gentle glow relaxing, Dash slowly drifted off to sleep.