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// Chapter 21 – Search 
// Story: Fred Walsh: Diverted 
// by Baguettedood 
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Chapter 21 – Search
"It does make me wonder slightly: Does my presence in Equestria bring about the murder in others or something? Both times I've showed up, so has something trying to kill everything in sight. If this continues when and/or if I get back to Midgård, I will be thoroughly disappointed. Or insane, possibly both. I'm close enough to insanity as is now.

“I still think the Everfree forest is funny. Everypony is scared to all Inferno about what is completely normal to me. Ah, society.

"I once thought I could dual-boot this watch with Windows 8 if I get back around the time it comes out. I didn't really make it clear last time, but that was a joke."





The golden chariot descended from its journey all the way from Canterlot, and set down at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. The transport couldn't carry them inside due to the still-mostly uncharted terrain and since only one of the occupants could fly, Princess Cadance had to walk alongside her flight-impaired accomplices.

Princess Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor and Fred Walsh hopped off the landed carriage. The vehicle and its two pegasus drivers remained on the ground to return the team back to Canterlot later, yet they themselves didn't accompany the team inside.

“Back here again... I never really thought I would have to return to the Everfree Forest once more,” the human sighed and shook his head.

Shining Armor unrolled the map from his saddlebag. “We must be here,” he pointed to a new blue dot on the Northern edge of the parchment, with their target highlighted in red around the centre. The others noted their location in relation to a red dot elsewhere. The group set forth, vigilant for signs of trouble, in a loose formation. Fred was at the leftmost side, with Twilight next to him. To her right walked her brother and Cadance next to her husband.

With whatever time remaining, Fred continued to practise his magic as they searched the forest. He performed some narration while he did so. “The great Everfree Forest. Only beasts and demons lurk on the dirt of the wild. Not a single equine form in sight.”

“We're here, so that doesn't really work,” Twilight commented on the issue in his storytelling.

“We don't count,” he looked at her and replied. He returned to his topaz magic. After some attempts, the human managed to throw some magic out of his hand as he did in fright earlier. Once again, the yellow glow flew in an intricate pattern and descended toward the ground. Unlike the previous time, instead of simply leaving a scorch mark, it struck a nearby stick and set it alight.

“Oh, cacas,” Fred panicked. He quickly descended on the wood fragment and padded it with his arms before the flame could grow. The fire extinguished after a few hits. “I probably should stop now,” he laughed the event off with a smile. He picked up the stick to examine the scorch left, then left it in his right hand as he and the others continued on after some of their own laughter.

Some time later, the four halted to take their position with the map again. Since the last time they checked, DemonTrixie had moved a far way East, a bit closer to Ponyville, while they had been moving South. Shining Armor took the lead and had the team readjust their course to match.

Twilight needed to know something. “Why is this demon even after me?” she asked. “I haven't done anything to it.”

Fred searched his last two weeks' worth of experiences with the demon for an answer. “The cultists in 796 were after Celestia so Potens Daemonium could be enabled to take over Equestria.” Even though the others didn't use a gender-specific pronoun, he did. “Maybe he's after you as a way of getting to her. That's my best guess,” he replied.

“But then, why does it want Princess Celestia?” she poked for more answers.

“Other than world domination, I haven't got a clue. A better question to ask would be why are there malicious people and ponies, along with whatever other lifeforms?”

The unicorn mare pondered this question for a few moments. “That's a bit philosophical, don't you think?”

“Exactly why we can never find out,” he finished. 'Screw philosophy, it makes things so unnecessarily difficult.' “You two, any inputs?” he chose to open the question to the other two.

“We've only faced Potens Daemonium that last time two nights ago,” Shining Armor replied.

“Great, so that makes me the expert.” He didn't agree with the title 'expert'. He only fought the demon alongside the original STF the night it was summoned, and that was stealthily inside the ear.

Princess Cadance shifted her position in the search-and-apprehension party to speak with Fred about the morning after the last attack.

The human spoke first before she could get a chance to. “Sorry about threatening the insanity against you yesterday morning. Also, I lied. Not only do humans not have that kind of power, I would never have done such a thing even if we had,” he apologised.

“I shouldn't have kept knowledge of the topaz hidden from you in the first place. I'm sorry too,” she did the same.

The both of them nodded and moved back to their makeshift formation to contemplate the conversation. While Fred did so, he failed to notice himself chewing on the burnt end of the stick he picked up.

Twilight felt she should bring this to attention: “Why are you chewing on that stick?”

The human removed the charred end from his mouth. 'That's what she said,' “Hm, somehow didn't notice...” He paused and examined the wood. “Tastes like Jack Daniels, now that I think about it” He said and tossed the charred item to his left. The stick landed quietly on the grass.

“How's our progress going?” Princess Cadance looked toward Shining Armor. The unicorn took out the map again.

“That isn't good.” He looked up from the map. A red glowing entity in the form of a unicorn stepped noisily on the ground as it made its way toward them and Shining Armor's magic fizzled out. He noticed a green glow amidst all of the red. Everypony quickly took their fighting stances. They knew what was about to happen.