//------------------------------// // 3 You are not alone // Story: An unexpected turn // by starlight-stream-mlp //------------------------------// An unexpected turn - Chapter three - You are not alone The portal swallowed Starlight. It felt like diving into a pool of light. He pinched his eyes and tried to keep the light away from him with his hooves. As comfort replaced fear, Starlight's face softened. Slowly opening his eyes he saw...beams. They dashed past him, but when beams came directly in his way, they curved around his body, so they were hardly touching him. These beams also filled the space with a cosy, comforting warmth. At first, everything overwhelmed the young colt. Stunned he kept looking at him and his surroundings. Later on his way, Starlight tried to understand what was going on. This space felt surreal, even more, overwhelming and yet familiar. The journey would come to an end soon. A little dark point grew bigger and bigger. His heartbeat increased, fearful sweat built up with every yard he went forward. He could recognise an entrance. A stone fundament built the solid base. Stone on top of stone was placed precisely, embedded in cement. The very top of the entrance had a bust of a goat with faun horns and crow wings neatly emplaced behind its shoulders. The creature looked like it was complete and graceful. The edges were sculptured beautifully with twirled forms and shapes and a familiar aura. Was that Termio? After passing the arc, he abruptly felt the ground under his hooves again. After falling on the ground, Starlight felt hurt on his forelegs. The pain still in them, he took a look around to see, if anything looked familiar. It looked pretty similar to the Everfree Forest, yet it seemed so strange. To his surprise, Twilight laid by his side. She got little cuts from falling on the ground. Blood was running from the injuries. Starlight's first reaction would be to help her. With shaking hooves Starlight searched for bondages in his saddle bag. Since everything was organized neatly, he didn't need to think about where to search much. Questions ran through Starlights mind. “Why us!? Why Twilight and I? What should we do now? Couldn’t it  be anypony else?...”   To calm down, the stallion took a long, deep breath. Then he started to clean the wounds in order to apply the bandages. Twilight was knocked out, she barely noticed anything. Knitting both ends together he nodded in agreement about his preparation work previously at home. The next thing, which obviously ran into his mind, was to find a place to hide. He had no idea if there were threats at all. The huge boulder of responsibility, he got placed on his back was painful, yet it allowed him to stand up and pull Twilight on his back.  She woke up and opened her eyes. “Mm... Where are we? Ouch! My legs. I just can remember, that we were at Zecora’s house and talked about Termio. Is she alright? Where are we? Is that the Everfree Forest? I don’t have a clue what to do.” Starlight looked at her. A calming sound leaving his lips. “Look; I neither know what happened, but we have to find a safe place. This is our first priority right now. Afterwards, we can think about what happened. Do you agree with me?” Her nodding needed no big explanation. Starlight started carrying Twilight through the darkness. Her light-spell helped a lot because the light reflected from their surroundings. Noises of creatures echoed through the forest. Neither Starlight nor Twilight ever heard such screams before in their entire life. Chills ran down their spines, as a cold breath touched their neck. It seemed like someone spied them. The moonlight’s reflection in the predator's eyes looked quite familiar, to Star’s experience with some Timberwolves. - Back in the days, Starlight Stream went into the Everfree Forest either to cry or to think about things that bothered him. Never faced with a Timberwolf these days, he was listening to them howling. He just thought they needed some comfort, but that was just a trick to get him even deeper into the forest. After he realized where he had stepped hoof in, Timberwolves surrounded him already. They haunted him, thirsty on pony blood. Starlight ran as fast as his little hooves brought him forward, but could not really get rid of them. After falling over an old root, his knee got injured. Panting in fear Starlight looked into the glowing eyes of a Timberwolf. His last thoughts were dedicated to his young life and his family. He almost accepted the fact, that it was time for him to die. Completely unaware something knocked a Timberwolf over. Like in surprise, Star saw this striped pony coming. She jumped over him and put one of the Timberwolves on fire using a torch in her mouth. After the Timberwolves got defeated, this striped Pony helped to stop Starlights blood flow and the sprained leg. He was so thankful for that day and got to know Zecora for the first time. -------------- The screams woke Starlight out of his daydream. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and awarded him with strength. He galloped through the tight forest as fast, as his injured body let him. These screams, they seemed to haunt them like Timberwolves. Starlight continued galloping despite his exhaustion and the memories running through his mind. Exhausted, but glad about what laid in front of them, Starlight's adrenalin rush came to an end. They reached a glade with high grass and a little cave. A lake was near it,  covering lower spots of the forest. It seemed so peaceful, too peaceful. Carefully moving through the grass, Starlight was looking around tensed, to be sure no danger was facing them. The screams got quieter, the more they headed to the cave. After reaching it, he rolled Twilight off his back and tried to help her, but she seemed to need no help. “You know a healing spell for your injured legs, don’t you?” Twilight blushed slightly, but headed with the answer, “I already used the spell on my legs. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t dismiss the opportunity for you, to help me. Starlight just rolled his eyes in pity about the princess. So, we got here to find and defeat Termio, right?” Something in her sentence seemed to be off. “We don’t have to immediately defeat him, just because he appeared to us as a ghost. I am sure he just needs help. I also..ouch, my leg...I also hope you remember what Celestia told you?" Twilight used a healing spell to heal his forelegs and wounds. "I do. But what if he tries to harm us? What if he is not the “thing”, he seems to be. I don't want to…. Uuuggggh! My head hurts. I don’t like to get pushed into such situations. I just want to get home as fast as I can. I want my ordered life back, not ‘THIS’. Even though this would mean being a bored princess again. These three cutiemap adventures with Rarity, Spike and Octavia were enough for a while." "And I always dreamed to explore the world. But I got stuck with my job. That wasn't easy at all. I mean, I like my job and all, but when you have no time for exploring places, where are the fun and the enjoyment of life anyway?" “I see your point, but why didn't you just tell your patients that you will be gone for a few days? Or even better, why did you never tried to teach others your practices?" "Because they would never put as much effort into their work as I do. I do not just heal others wounds. I listen to them, give them advice and give them a helping hoof." "I see." Suddenly, a rustle scared both Ponies for a bit. Then they headed simultaneously, “WHO IS THIS?!” The rustling continued, and I, a tiny pony came out of the high grass. Someone could describe me as smaller than a filly, yet I looked like a mature one. I really differentiated according to these two other “ponies”. My rump had four legs like them but they ended in two hooves for each one. The head of a pony was the only identical thing. The mane and tail were tousled, the coat had a tan brown-ish striped pattern and the ears were much smaller. Equipped with a belt for some simple tools I held a spear in one hoof. I fumbled around with it. “Kakuyaw mga dumuloong” was my shout. Starlight grinned. “Aww. that’s so cute. What do you gonna do with that little spear in your hoof?” I jumped forward and fumbled with the spear even more. “Balik uban kanimo higante nga” “Ok, ok. Easy. I don’t want to make trouble with you.” “gikan” A few dozens of mine came out, everyone has a little spear in their hooves, directed towards them. Twilight whispered, “Starlight, I think we should follow them.” “Do we have any other options?” “We always have options, but when weapons are in the game, it is better to follow them.” “Lakaw na!” I went ahead of them, waving to follow. Behind us, 20 others were watching them, spears in their hooves. Together, we were walking down a deep and dark path through the Jungle.