//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - The Beast of Everfree 
// Story: The Equestria That Never Was 
// by desertbat 
//------------------------------//

I found myself alone in the Everfree Forest - not sure how that came to be and wondering where Discord was. While I walked around to see if he was up ahead, I couldn't help but notice how silent the forest was. The constant sounds of growling predators and screeching birds were now absent, along with any sign that anything resided in the proximity. Fear was normally always present in me during these situations, but, at that moment, I felt strangely calm. 

It was as I made it past some thickets when I saw a trail of pink mist. At any other time I wouldn't have thought about following the unknown, but for some reason, I felt like it called for me to follow it. The mist appeared to stretch a longer distance than I expected - taking me on a path I hoped to lead to a sanctuary. 

Eventually, the mist led me to a large cavern with glittering gems visible in the depths. While observing the outside of this impressive underground beauty, I noticed another trail of mist, as if it had led another to this very location. I shouted into the cavern but got no response. Suddenly, I heard a voice from within the cave - telling me to help set her free. I could feel unwillingly being drifted away from my surroundings, but not before I heard the most encouraging words. "I need your help to restore Equestria. Free me and the others. The other one is on her way here with some friends to do the same."





My eyes shot open and I lunged myself up in a state of confusion - almost forgetting where I was. Was that just a dream? I thought to myself. Or was that a new vision? What did that voice mean when she spoke of another one? Could she have meant...I should ask Discord about this. He might understand this better.

As I got up, a delicious smell caught my senses which I followed. The wonderful aroma led me outside the cave and, as I expected, it appeared to now be the night. On the ground, I noticed a pile of fresh fruit in a basket - I assumed the fruit was for me. Taking a few out to eat, I noticed Discord by the fire eating what at first looked like a cooked chicken, but after closer inspection, I could tell the tail was as long as a snake. Recalling the creatures in my dreams, I realized he must have killed a cockatrice that passed by - a creature with the head of a chicken and a reptilian body.

"It's nice to see you're up," he said without even looking my way. "You should be sure to eat as many fruits as you can. You'll want your strength up. Unless you feel like trying some cockatrice? I'm pretty sure bat ponies are able to eat meat."

That really did smell good, but because he said he was pretty sure and not that he knew I could eat meat, I didn't want to risk upsetting my new pony stomach. "Um...no thanks. I'll stick with fruit for now." I sat by the fire and enjoyed my breakfast. I could tell I had some apples, but a few fruits I picked up looked completely alien to me. I tried it anyway and was amazed at how juicy and sweet it tasted. I finished my fruit rather quickly, while Discord seemed to be taking his time with his meal. Suddenly the sky changed from night to day, then to what seemed like dusk. "What? What was that about? I thought they had their own sides for day and night."

"Yesterday was just a good day." Discord stated, "The day-night cycles are never very consistent....not anymore. Each sister constantly fights for their time to dominate the whole sky. Though enough about that, did you sleep well?"

Fortune seemed to be going my way, I was given the perfect opportunity to ask what I needed, and so I began. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I was wondering if you could help me understand this dream I had?" Discord nodded in approval.  So I told him about the dream in as much detail as I could and he seemed very interested in it, which I took as a good sign."

"Hmmm...everything about it seems like signs of a vision. Though I wonder who, or what was calling you. Hopefully, we'll come across this mist - it sounds like a power that could assist us." We finished eating what we could and then Discord placed a leaf on my back. Before I could ask why the leaf turned into a saddle bag and he stuffed them with the leftover fruits from the basket he left for me. "Just in case you get hungry." I couldn't help but give him a smile and, noticing this, he gave me one back. Who would have thought in such a short time we would already become good friends. "So, while we keep walking, why don't you tell me more about yourself. I told you most of what you need to about me, but I don't know much about you."

It wasn't until he said that I realized I never did tell him much about how I really got here. "I'm sorry, with everything that's happened it wasn't something on my mind. I guess it would be good to talk more about myself - I'm sure we're going to be spending plenty of time together. How about I tell you the events that lead me here? I mean. if you want me to?" With a nod of satisfaction, I told him more about my time on Earth, with Violet, and the story that brought me here as we continued onward.





To my surprise, I had been talking non-stop to Discord about my life, and he seemed interested the whole time. I could only guess that with all the years he probably spent alone, he found it nice to have someone else talk to him for a change. "And I guess that's pretty much how I got here. Next thing I knew I was a bat pony in an Equestria I never knew." Discord lowered his head after that last statement, probably feeling ashamed of what he did and possibly feeling responsible for my situation. I tried to chuckle a bit to lighten the mood, but that seemed to do nothing but make it feel more awkward.

At this point, I figured now would be an okay time to beak the ice on what I thought about him. "Look, Discord, I know I'll never be able to replace that bond you could have had with Fluttershy, but I want you to know I do consider you a friend now." That statement seemed to not put a smile on his face, but a look of surprise.

"Really?" He began with a lamenting aura. "After everything I've done to this world? The fact that I practically trapped you here? You know after our little fight yesterday, I figured you merely wanted to tolerate me to see the only pony you love. I wasn't expecting to ever be considered your friend....and certainly not so soon."

It was upsetting to see him like this, so I placed my hoof on him for comfort. I made sure to look him in the eyes for what I would say next. "Well, when I first arrived, you could have just left me to die out here...and if you didn't assure me Violet was here, I would have gladly accepted that fate, but you've protected me this whole time instead and shown me that you value my well being. Not only that, but you made it clear that you want to undo the evil you have caused. Look...I'm sorry about lashing out at you, even if you feel you deserved that, and, if you want, I would gladly be your friend."

The next thing I knew, I was being picked up and wrapped in a big hug - a few tears hit the top of my mane. "Thank you. I never realized how much I wanted a friend till the day I had a glimpse of the paradise lost, but now that I've been offered...I feel I don't deserve it." He suddenly squeezed tighter and all I could do was tap his back. Discord noticed my struggle and let me go - allowing me to take large breaths of air. "Oh," he said with a nervous chuckle," sorry about that." 

My condition was back to normal and I gave him a light smirk. "Don't worry about it. So, bud, do you think we're getting closer to my beauty?"

"To tell the truth, not only do I think we're getting closer, I think she's getting closer to us."

That comment surprised me a bit, but then, I should have thought of the possibility of her wandering around. "That's great news! Which direction, Discord?"

"If we take..." We were suddenly interrupted by multiple howls - all of them heading our way.

"Timberwolves? A pack of timberwolves? Can you even take down a pack? I don't know where to hit them, but I'll help you fight them as best as I can."  Large roars could also be heard with the howls now, and I started to feel less confident.

"Not just timber wolves," Discord stated," from the sound of those howls, I would say manticores are also part of this pack?"

This was certainly making me nervous now. "Manticores? You mean those huge lions with bat wings and a scorpion tail?"

"Yes, actually. I must say, I'm impressed, Dessie. You sure know your wildlife." Suddenly, I found myself being coiled in Discord's tail as he climbed a tall tree close to us. "We should be safe up here."

"Won't they just climb the tree to get us?" I worryingly asked.

"The Manticores, normally would, yes...If they were hunting us." I gave Discord a puzzled look, which he responded to. "You see, little Dessie, they are the ones being hunted." 

We both looked down and spectated many timber wolfs and manticores running as fast as they could, and then we saw the stragglers - too slow or too tired to keep up. What we saw next, though, was a creature I had mostly forgotten even lived in Everfree - an ursa minor - a giant bear shaped like the cosmos and cub to the dreaded ursa major. It swung its mighty paw at a small pack of timber wolves and reduced them to toothpicks. Then it ran towards a cornered manticore and struck it with a killing blow. Neither one of us made a sound as we watched what was considered an apex predator become devoured like simple prey. Eventually, the ursa minor left and all that was left of its prey was a blood stain on the grass. "Well," I whispered, "that could have been bad for us. When do you think it'll be safe to get back down?" 

"Not sure. We're in luck though - most of the time when an ursa minor is roaming this far out, the mother is out looking for her cub." As Discord finished saying that, I noticed a bear behind us - ten times larger than the ursa minor, and with teeth like a saber-tooth cat. I shook Discord furiously to get his attention - it didn't take long. "What's wrong little Dessie, still sca...." It was at that moment Discord subsided that confidence and felt the same level of fear I had. The ursa major's violent roar shook us out of the tree and we ran for our lives. We hoped the thick forest would slow the beast down, but it did little to the creature that was easily gaining on us. To make matters worse, we appeared to be coming up to a cliff.

As we continued running, Discord picked me off the ground and had apparently grabbed hold of a long vine. Without hesitation, he swung off the cliff. We almost made it to the other side when the ursa major narrowly missed us and cut the vine with its razor claws. Discord and I both fell - each holding a side of the vine. The vine caught us on a log protruding from the rocks and we both swung opposite directions and found ourselves tied to it. "You know, Discord," I said with relief," even though we're stuck like this, I'm just glad I'm not a meal for that creature."

"Same here, Dessie." He said, completely out of breath. "Don't worry, by the way. We'll find a way out of this." Right when he finished saying that, the log we were tied to came out of the cliff and we fell to the bottom. Lucky for us the bottom was a flowing river, or so I thought. Discord was able to see what was coming up our way. "Oh no."

Those were the last words I wanted to hear at that moment. I signed internally and asked the obvious question. "Are we about to go over a waterfall?"

"Yep," he said nonchalantly.

I had just cheated death a few seconds ago. During that time, I didn't really see a problem with having another go at it. "Do you think there are sharp rocks at the bottom?"

"Most likely," I heard him say, just as nonchalantly as before. 

The adrenaline must have been flowing furiously in me because I could only respond with three determined words. "Bring it on."