//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Winds of a World Unknown // by ImperialBlade //------------------------------// “Those Pokemon sure went down easy. I'm glad I was nearby. I don't recognize this part of the forest”. Nora scratched her mane with a hoof as she looked around. Not a few moments ago she awoke in the forest and immediately searched for her friend. She heard a commotion nearby and went to investigate. She arrived just in time to see a pink haired equine Pokemon save her friend from being pounced on and then attempt to fly across the river with Kadin in tow. Seeing that the creature was slowed by the extra weight she rushed to defend them from the monsters made of bark and branches.  After seeing nothing in her immediate surroundings she turned towards the river and started to sprint gaining speed until she was just a blur, Quick Attack. She  jumped, using the speed of her attack to propel herself over the river and pursue in the direction she believed the flying creature took her friend. Although she might have to stop soon as the sun was descending quickly . . . almost too quickly. She would have to rest for the night. She could push on using her mane as a light source but that would be asking for predators to ambush her and getting turned around in another battle when her only clue to her friends whereabouts was a general direction was not ideal.  “Karrablast”, she muttered to herself as she prepared for a lonely night in an unfamiliar place.    ____________________________________ Fluttershy had reached her home past the edge of the wood and set to work on her new patient. She had removed the splinter and dressed his wounds as best she could while also preparing the medicine she had risked her life for. The toxin within the splinter she had removed was non-fatal and should leave his system in a few hours. After she had tended to her animal friends and stabilized her guest. She chose to take a closer look while he was sleeping off the toxins’ effects. The vibrant green creature in her care smelled faintly of fresh grass that reminded her of a sunny summer day. The top half of his coat was green while the bottom half was white and had a yellow flower shaped tuft of fur between his long ears. This appeared to be a young deer of sorts, although it looked quite different from the pictures she had seen in books she had borrowed from her friend Twilight.  As she stopped her observations and prepared herself and her animal friends for bed she recounted the day's events. She had rushed off into the Everfree after several of the animals had come to her with an illness that could only be cured with a herb she had only ever seen in the Everfree Forest. So she went to Zecora’s to acquire the necessary ingredients. The herbalist had warned her about going back into the forest as she likely wouldn't get out of the forest before dusk, but she feared that if she waited any longer it may have been too late. As she hurried back to her animals, all the noise she was making in the forest must have alerted the pack of Timberwolves and they started to chase her through the Everfree.  She had run into this stranger and he had defended her and gotten hurt with the paralyzing sap of the Timberwolves. She couldn’t just leave him so she had picked him up and tried to fly across the river to get away from the Timberwolves. She didn’t know how they had gotten away. There was no way she was fast enough to outfly the Timberwolves with her extra cargo weighing her down, but simply leaving him behind wasn't an option, she did remember loud sounds and maybe a voice behind her but her single minded focus on survival drowned out just about everything else. It must have been her imagination. Fluttershy looked at her savior one last time before going to bed hoping she would be able to thank him tomorrow.  ____________________________________ For the second time he woke up in an unfamiliar place. The sun was beginning to rise.  He looked around at his new surroundings. He appeared to be in a dwelling for creatures, multiple animals of various species were sleeping around the abode from ducks and ferrets to what looked to be a sleeping brown Beartic which in turn had other critters sleeping on its back. Although puzzled by that, there were no restraints or cages to be seen so he assumed they were all free to leave. ”No use hanging around, I've gotta find Nora before she gets herself in trouble”. Kadin got up from the couch on which he lay and made his way to the front door as quietly as he could. Tiptoeing around other sleeping critters that were in the way.  He quickly whipped his head around startled when he heard a loud sound from behind him. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he realized it was just the bear letting out a yawn and going back to sleep, oblivious to the deer making its escape. Kadin turned around and almost jumped into the ceiling until he realized what had spooked him was a white bunny that appeared to be glaring at him.  ”Umm, hey there”.  The bunny continued to glare at him. Kadin then attempted to walk around the rabbit to get to the door, but the rabbit got in the way. Kadin stared at the offending critter with a puzzled expression. The bunny somehow looked more cross than before, it then gestured toward the couch and crossed its arms expectantly.  Kadin realized then that he was bandaged in several places, them being placed so securely that he could barely feel them. “Oh you think that I'm hurt. I can assure you I'm fine”. The rabbit remained in his path. Suddenly sounds were heard coming downstairs. Startled, Kadin jumped behind some nearby fern plants in the house and activated his Camouflage ability which rendered the parts of him not covered by the plants mostly invisible. This he knew was probably an overreaction, but better safe than sorry. The bunny looked at him in surprise then contempt before hopping towards the stairs where he was greeted by the same cream colored creature that he protected yesterday. ____________________________________    “Good Morning Angel.” She then yawned tiredly and missed Angel pointing towards ferns that Kadin was hiding behind.  Angel huffed in exasperation. “Oh, your right Angel, I should get started on breakfast”. Fluttershy then flew to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. Meanwhile Kadin remained behind the ferns as the bunny repeatedly tried to get the beige mare’s attention.  After several moments there was a knocking from the front door.  “Fluttershy darling are you home”? A posh voice asked.  “If you're home, open up!”, called another voice through the door accompanied with more impatient knocking.  Fluttershy made her way to the door and opened it revealing her two friends Rarity and Rainbow Dash, the latter of the two flying past the timid pegasus and into her home as if she owned the place, while Rarity waited to be invited inside.  While Rainbow Dash raided her cupboards, Rarity explained the reason for their visit. “Oh I'm so glad you're ok Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash told me that you went into the Everfree last night”. As she began to inspect Fluttershy over for injuries, Rainbow Dash came out of Fluttershy’s kitchen with a bowl of cereal. Rarity rolled her eyes at her discourteous behavior. With a mouth full of cereal Rainbow Dash began to speak, ”Yea, Zecora came to Twilight’s library treehouse thing this morning and was kinda worried that you might have run into trouble on the way home last night but I knew you were fine. My friend Fluttershy is tougher than some spooky ol’ woods. Fluttershy blushed at the complement before Rarity spoke up. “Oh please, you almost flattened me bolting out of the library. And chew before speaking would you darling”. It was Rainbow’s turn to blush now.  Suddenly Fluttershy remembered that she was indeed attacked in the Everfree.  Her eyes widened as she realized that her patient was no longer on the couch where he should have been. She began to look around while the other two continued to speak. Angel once more tried to get her attention. “Not now Angel”, she replied and resumed her search. Angel facepalmed.   “Hey Rarity, now that we know Fluttershy’s ok I'm going to Applejack’s farm. Zecora said another zebra was heading in that direction. Get this Fluttershy, on the way to Twilight’s she saw signs that a zebra was going in that direction. She would have followed but she wanted to make sure you were ok first. It’d be cool to meet them, ya know because Zecora is the only zebra we know. And who wouldn’t love the chance to meet the fastest flier in Equestria”. Rainbow Dash said before flying out the door.  A moment later a green blur followed her out the door.  Rarity and Fluttershy, startled by the sudden green creature now in pursuit of their friend, looked at each other for a moment before giving chase as well.