//------------------------------// // Chapter II // Story: Nighttime forever? // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// Standing on the edge of the forest, I gazed inside hesitantly. I kept it a secret but I was afraid of the dark. I shoved those fears down and edged into the forest slowly. “What do you think is waiting for us?” Golden Harvest asked as she glanced around her and the group. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “You can turn back if you want.” “Hell no. We’re staying,” Raindrops scoffed. “Wouldn’t be too loyal of us to just abandon you.” She flapped her wings eagerly. “I’m looking forward to kicking some flank.” The jasmine coated pegasus was easily excitable. “Hopefully we don’t fight anything,” Sea Swirl shrugged as she used her magic to illuminate the area around them. “I’m not a huge fan of violence. If we come across anything, we can just talk our way out.” “Maybe,” Roseluck sighed. “Maybe we can just run away.” “Or we face it,” I suggested as I trotted across a bridge. I was leading the way now and reading a map to the castle. A loud roar made me freeze and Golden Harvest ran into my flank. “Sorry.” “It’s fine. What the hay was that?” I demanded nervously. We had been hearing strange noises the entire time we’ve been in here. “I’m not sure,” Cloudkicker admitted. “Could be a Ursa Minor or a Major. Or a manticore. I hope not but it’s always a possibility. These woods ain’t natural.” “She’s right. It plays outside of Equestrias rules of nature. Not even we can manage weather over it,” Raindrops piped in. “It’s weird and kinda creepy.” “Let’s go to the top of that rock cropping and get a look over the land. Maybe we can see how close we are to the castle. If we’re close at all,” I suggested. I teleported us all up there. “So disorienting,” Roseluck moaned as she held her head. “Warning next time would be greatly appreciated,” Raindrops grumbled and glared at me. “That was awesome!” Cloudkicker laughed. “Let’s do it again sometime!” Golden Harvest leaned over the edge and vomited. Sea Swirl rolled her eyes and climbed to her hooves. “Maybe another time,” I said sheepishly. I gazes over the edge and my eyes widened. The forest was larger than I expected and spread as far as I could see. I could see a crumbling spire in the distance reaching into the sky. It wasn’t too fair but was still a good ways away. “Alright good news. I can see a part of the castle. Looks like it’s falling apart and very decrepit though.” “Can we teleport there?” Cloudkicker looked excited at me and Sea Swirl. “I’d fly but we can’t carry you all.” “Sorry I can’t. I could do it if it was just me but the others going long distance is very taxing on me. I could do it but I’d be useless for any fight,” I shook my head. “Okay,” Cloudkicker sighed. A loud rumbling sound came from the ground. It started off quiet before increasing and the rock outcropping we were on broke apart and started sliding down the hill. “Oh my Celestia!” Roseluck screamed. “Raindrops!” Cloudkicker shouted. “Grab Roseluck!” She gave a nod and swooped down and grabbed Roseluck, dropping her off in a safe place. Cloudkicker grabbed Sea Swirl and put her with Roseluck. Me and Golden Harvest were still sliding down screaming. She bit a vine and it jerked her around before she came to stop. I kept sliding down trying to slow down with my back hooves. I finally grabbed onto a rock sticking out of the ground with my lower half off. “I’m coming! Hold on!” Golden Harvest shouted as she slid down and laid on her stomach. “Let go trust me.” “Are you INSANE?!” I screamed. “I’ll die!” “I’m being completely honest right now. You’ll be fine. Okay?” Golden Harvest smiled at me. I took a deep breath and nodded, letting go and falling off the cliff. “Sweet Celestia!” I screamed and prepared to hit the ground. Two pairs of hooves caught me and I opened my eyes. Raindrops and Cloudkicker flapped their wings and dropped me gently on the ground. I watched Golden Harvest jump onto a closer rock and onto the ground. “How did you know Raindrops and Cloudkicker would catch me?” I asked curiously. I certainly hadn’t heard them flying down there. Maybe she had better ears than me. I did like my music really loud. “I trusted them,” she replied simply and trotted past me. “Where else now?” “We got to go over the hogweed bog and then head to the east,” I levitated the map in front of me and placed a hoof on it as the others crowded around. “Thanks Golden. And Raindrops and Cloudkicker.” “Not a problem boss,” Raindrops saluted with a smug grin. She randomly appointed me the leader of this little group and I’m over here thinking ”That’s an awful idea.” Guess that’s what happens when you did the most research. I didn’t plan on being it forever. “Should be right this way,” I shrugged and trotted forward. I was absolutely terrified of heights and let’s just say that whole rock slide thing rocked my world. I make myself laugh somedays. “Anypony else scared?” Roseluck said softly. “It’s getting darker and I thought that wasn’t possible. I can’t see my own hoof in front of my face.” I extended a hoof out and started feeling around for where she was. “That was my eye whoever just poked it.” “Sorry,” I mumbled and illuminated the area. “Can you see now?” A faint glow lit up our faces. “Yeah. Thanks Lyra,” Roseluck took a step forward and looked around. “Beautiful flowers in here.” She was right about that, there was a bunch of red flowers growing along with purple and white ones in the ground and all over the trees. “So beautiful.” Roseluck took a step forward and sniffed one. A nice smell started to fill the air that made me want to smell one of the flowers. “Uh Roseluck? Are you sure that’s safe?” Sea Swirl hesitantly asked. “This forest isn’t natural like the others said.” “Oh it’s just a flower Sea Swirl. It’s perfectly safe,” Roseluck scoffed with a dreamy smile. “I’m the flower pony after all.” She leaned in close and the flower attached itself to her face and she screamed. “Oh my Celestia!” Sea Swirl screamed. “What is that?” I quickly shot the flower with my magic and the plant exploded. Roseluck screamed again and hastily wiped the goo and petals off her face and scrambled back. “What on Equestria is wrong with this accursed forest!” Roseluck fumed. “This is evil. It used flowers against me!” “Are you okay?” Golden Harvest asked while struggling to keep a straight face. Now that I wasn’t as scared, it was kinda funny. “If I wasn’t so kind and loving of flowers, I’d stomp them feral evil things to dust!” Roseluck screamed. A large fly flew past and landed on a flower and we watched the flower lunge forward and swallow the fly and a bunch of crunching sounds came from the flower. “So gross,” Golden Harvest shoved a hoof in her mouth and turned greenish. I really thought she was going to vomit, she had a pretty weak stomach. “I’m okay now. That was horrifying. I thought it was just a normal rose!” Roseluck sighed. “Thanks Lyra.” “No problem. We should keep moving and we should stay away from smelling any flowers and other foliage. Anything could be deadly in here,” I decided. “I assume the sweet smell I smelled was a way to lure prey in for the flower to feed.” “I should have known that. I’m the flower expert,” Roseluck mumbled. “We can’t know everything,” Cloudkicker shrugged. “Trust me. I wish I knew everything.” “Like what?” Raindrops asked as we kept moving. Cloudkicker paused for a second in the air and pressed a hoof to her chin. “Oh I have no clue. Maybe how to make everypony laugh at all my jokes or how to be more funny that before,” she decided. “She’s the jokester of the group. Loves to make everypony around her laugh,” Raindrops explained at my confused expression. “Trust me I know. I work with with.” “Where you from Lyra?” Sea Swirl asked. “Canterlot. Me and my three friends came here to watch the Summer Sun Celebration this year. I’ve never left Canterlot until now,” I shrugged and kept walking. “Are you guys all friends?” “I guess. We all know each other around town. Cloudkicker and Raindrops know each the most out of all of us. But we’ve all had conversations with each other,” Golden Harvest shrugged. “I’d call us all acquaintances at most. My closest friend I’d say I have is Junebug.” “Ah okay. Interesting,” I mused. “Very interesting.” We froze at the sound of another roar. “Is it just me or did it sound closer than before?” Sea Swirl asked and edged closer to me. “It did. It’s probably tracking us,” Golden Harvest said helpfully. Sea Swirl glared at her. “Why did you have to say that?” She grumbled. “I’m an honest pony. I value honesty above pretty much anything,” she shrugged and resumed her trotting. “Do you smell that?” My nose scrunched up at an awful smell. Smelled like nasty water. “Let me fly ahead,” Cloudkicker shrugged and darted off into the sky and circled the area. “What do you think it is?” I mused. “It’s the bog you mentioned about an hour ago,” Cloudkicker landed in front of me and pressed her wings to her body. “We haven’t been walking for an hour have we?” Roseluck asked. “Maybe time goes by faster here and so does miles. After all, this place does operate outside of normal Equestria. It adds up,” Sea Swirl shrugged and stepped into the bog. “This place smells awful.” A bunch of stagnant water was to my right with green on the surface. I quickly deduced that’s where the smell was coming from. “Well at least we’re getting closer. The castle was a few miles away from this place to the east,” Golden Harvest grinned and started to cross the bridge. Her eyes went wide when the bridge started to shake. “W-What’s happening?” “Don’t move. It’s probably the monster that’s been tracking us,” Raindrops hissed. “Shouldn’t we run then?” I asked nervously. A large bird looking creature stomped into the clearing and my eyes widened. It clicked it’s claws on the ground and walked to Sea Swirl and sniffed. “Based on movement. I’ve seen one of these before. Just stay still,” Raindrops whispered loudly. The creature whipped it’s head over to her and flew over to her growling. She stayed perfectly calm and still as it sniffed her and blew her mane back. It stepped away and roared. Roseluck looked five seconds away from screaming. The creature roared again and took off into the sky till it became a dot in the distance. “Thank the maker,” I grumbled. “Those claws could have torn us to pieces.” “I know right,” Raindrops shook her mane and made a disgusted face. Roseluck sighed and stepped to her. “We can find a pond or clean water later and I’ll fix your mane,” Roseluck made a disgusted face of her own. Raindrops stared at her curiously. “You’d actually do that for me?” Raindrops asked. “Why?” “Everypony deserves a little kindness,” Roseluck smiled at her and patted her shoulder. “Especially my new friends.” “We’re friends?” I asked and stared as she started to trot away. “We just met.” “Well duh!” she tossed a smile my way. “Not just anypony would come into this Celestia forsaken place and not become my friend.” A warm feeling started to spread through my body. “Do you all feel that way?” I asked the others. They all looked to each other and shrugged, nodding. That warm feeling got warmer and I gave a smile. “Then let’s go find this mare and end this and bring back the day.” We all gave a nod and galloped to the east with Raindrops and Cloudkicker flying over us.