//------------------------------//
// CHAPTER 14 [Part 1] 
// Story: EntiQuest [OLD] 
// by Sputniik 
//------------------------------//

Next morning, I'd been the first to stumble out of bed. 
Of course, I couldn't blame either of them; this morning was unusually chilly, although it was just a short way into autumn and the trees had just begun to tint orange. Normally, I wouldn't question the odd weather behavior since Equestria had much different patterns than I was used to. And including many other worlds I'd visited in my time had taught me that there had been so much more to study about natural climate changes in places such as the Nowhere.

So instead of thinking much further, I broke out of the bundle of blankets and shivered at the sudden burst of cold.

My last wonder was a furrow of brows, then I shook my head, and headed towards the kitchen to start breakfast. Maybe a little something on the stove could warm things up a bit.

Unfortunately, a closer look at the stove-top revealed that all four of the burners had been rusted over, in some ashy mess that obviously hadn't been scrubbed free of in quite a while. Or at least three of them. One of the burners were broken, somehow, and beyond my knowledge. I groaned aloud. How could anyone even break a stove burner?

And apparently there weren't any spells I could think of so early in the morning that could skip ahead this first step and get right to igniting the fire. I wouldn't have wanted to try out anything, anyway. 

Turned out, surprise, that I ended up hoof-washing the stove-top, and the plates on the inside that I had to pry open myself. Somehow the inside was completely demolished, as well. But I was not in the mood for kitchen cleaning. There was food to be made.



Less than an hour later, I finally managed to start up the oven-- successfully, I might add-- and two pans and a pot sat atop the stove, sizzling and bubbling with warmth, suddenly making the room seem a lot livelier. The two had eventually woken up to the scent of breakfast, I'd suppose, and headed to Ivor's storage to go fetch some old chairs. 

In just a matter of time, a small yet nicely fixed, wooden table was placed in the empty space between the house front and the kitchen, right before the window. Pillows padded each of the seats, and soon I'd set the table with four plates and mugs. Then while the boys had set themselves down to eat, and Dipper discarding his chair, something had finally hit.

I blinked, glancing towards the empty seat closest to the door.

"Ivor..." I murmured out loud, "Where the heck is he?"

Daniel must've heard me, as he cast a bare glance and shrugged, eyeing his plate tastelessly. His answer hadn't soothed my concerns in the least, though. 

"No, I-- You didn't see him at all yesterday?" I suddenly felt rising tension in the room already.

Daniel placed down his fork, holding up his left hand which he now had a black glove over, the only part of his hand visible was his fingers. "I did." Danny shrugged again, "He told me to go home."

"You didn't inquire anything about his leave at all?!"

"Didn't need to. Ivor said he'd be back by midnight, or something. Obviously, he needs to bring a watch."

While I didn't find this sense of humor to be funny in the least, Daniel was somewhat correct. But was it really possible for anyone to loose track of time so far off? Maybe he'd gotten lost. I didn't like the idea of the guy who lived in the woods to disappear in it, much less the idea of Daniel venturing out there in the midst of night, either. Or Dipper.

And speaking of which.

"I don't know, maybe he's just... taking care of things out there in the woods, or something. Whatever it is those crazy guys in the forest do," Dipper offered, poking at the air with a fork. "Really, what could a guy like Ivor be doing out there in the wilderness?"

I immediately found the hint of suspicion in his tone, and I couldn't have agreed more. Something was certainly off, and just about everyone could sense it. Although Daniel still looked a bit perceptive, it was still too obvious that even he had known something was wrong. I'd say in fact, Daniel knew something we didn't. 

I wasn't given the time to question him, though. Because Daniel had already spoken up. 

"He... gave me this key...." He removed his fist from his pocket, opening his palm where an old key sparkled from the reflecting light through the window. "Apparently, it was for the box he kept his gloves in. But I don't..."

Daniel paused, glancing over Dipper's shoulder, across the room where I could only place that he'd been glancing warily over at the beds. He closed his fist again, returning back to reality.

"I... The way he said it, just..." he groaned, grabbing a fistful of hair, "I know he was trying to tell me something."

That did it. I instantly perked up, nearly knocking over a dish as I finally mustered up my own courage to convince myself that I'd been right all along. Ivor knew something was going on here; I wasn't crazy after all!



You sure about this one, Princess?


The mare might've yelped, if only the exclamation hadn't caught in her throat as she found herself in a new setting she hadn't been before. 

Her sudden expression of shock was quickly replaced with rage. 

"You again." She narrowed her eyes, chest heaving as she realized her hooves hadn't been touching a surface. "Parasite."


You spit my name like venom, Precious Stone. But I gift you with the most worthy of names? But a shame.


The parasite sneered, sending a chill down the alicorn's spine. She knew it felt that. She knew it knew she was scared. Horrified. Afraid. Weak and fragile, and practically in the palm of it's hands.


"Wh-what is it you want, Pest," she hissed, "I-I'm not... afraid of you... anymore..."


You say this, but your heart beats like a beast paws against the forest floor, chasing down it's rodent?

Twilight stiffened.

I've only come to remind you of our little deal, Princess? Remember how fast the seasons fly by, yet time never moves...


"I-I still have time--"


Time is nothing, Princess. A deal will be a deal. Remember the tragic demise?


Twilight's blood had instantly run cold. Yet she perked up in question, while also fearing her answer, "What do you--"


The Almost-There, Princess! The parasite had exclaimed in what sounded like excitement, Oh, the fall of her was quite a downer, wasn't it? I had been there, Princess! And we all sat and laughed because then she was gone! 

They cry, 'For Shame!' but we cried out in joy, Princess! Then the starve was over! And then it came back, Princess, do you know why?

Twilight breathed, mouthing an empty response. The words just didn't come. 


Because we now need to find a new rodent to feast upon!

The black emptiness flickered until it had changed into a dark forest, with unnaturally tall trees that cast long, eerie shadows across the path where long, dead bushes arched over. Then there was nothing else-- it was all dark and murky, like infinite space all around her and the path and trees, as if beckoning her to walk down the trail as there was no other way around.

Twilight hummed in fear, pinning back her ears and dodging her eyes, waiting for the Parasite's attack.

Oh you do fear me much, don't you, Princess? The Parasite laughed, I should feel honored!

The tips of the trees suddenly burst with a bright, eerie shade of blue that even lined the shadows a new black and blue light. But the light hadn't comforted Twilight at all, as she only yelped, leaping back, only to feel her hindlegs touch nothing but air. 

She struggled to pull back up onto the invisible surface where the blue forest loomed over her, but her pants and cries for help were deaf to her own ears. She couldn't speak.

"PARASITE!" she finally choked out, her throat killing her now, feeling her voice vibrate off the edge. "You'll soon find yourself a prison in Tartarus!

"I SWEAR!" 

Don't talk to me like that, Precious Stone! You wouldn't want me to send you down there, would you?

It felt as if the entire world began spinning, as Twilight tried to swallow through the narrow tunnel of her throat, and glanced behind her. Only at the very corner of her eye could she see a murky bottom far, far down below, filled with green creatures that ducked in and out of the abyss like a swamp. She couldn't see them, but she could already feel needle-like teeth sliding down her neck.

"Let...." Twilight gasped for air, forelegs wobbling weakly, ".... me back... up there..." 

She growled lowly, as the voice refused to respond, although it's presence was still there. The mare huffed, kicking up a leg as one hind-leg barely scratched the surface of the base, allowing Twilight to heave herself up further. 

And finally, her hooves had found surface once again. It almost felt good to be back up there.

A clever and cunning one, aren't you? 

The creature had returned, sounding far more than pleased. Twilight snarled, glaring at her surroundings, well-knowing that the Parasite had been staring back through it's little world. 

"I'm finished playing these games," hissed Twilight, "And I'm not staying around to play, either,"

Her horn had ignited with a violet burst of energy, but faltered, as something had clouded her train of focus. It wasn't quite explainable, but there were suddenly patches in her head that she couldn't see through. She scuffed her hoof in frustration, muttering to herself as she just couldn't seem to place things.

You should keep my little reminder, Princess, the Parasite whispered in her ear, I am all powerful, and more powerful than you.

Twilight gasped, as her body was suddenly restrained by the Parasite, as a dark grey blanket wrapped around her. 


Do NOT underestimate me, Princess. I could simply kill you at any moment.


Twilight cried out, igniting her horn in desperate escape, as the empty space suddenly felt fearful, melting away the thick, inky, world around her as her eyes finally met reality again, as if she hadn't been gone at all.

She really hadn't, had she?


But Parasite, was certainly real.




Because she still felt those scratches on her neck.