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// The Thing of the Forest 
// Story: A Different Visitor 
// by AppealingOtter 
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The figure was dark red, with enough spikes to make it a distinguishable feature, whilst not having so many that it looked like a hedgehog. I stared at it, and it stared back with its gray pupils. It, like the ponyfolk here, stood on all fours, but it had a blankflank, and two devilish horns on its head, like a ram.
Without a doubt, those strange wolves had been stopped by this creature. So why was it leaving me alive? I sat upright and the creature stepped forwards, to assert some sort of dominance or control. "No, no, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." I spoke gently, standing up. It would have been awfully convenient to have Fluttershy around: the animal charmer. Instead I had to work with what I'd seen from her and her little critters. The thing in front of me was surprised by my speech. "Hey, did you see any big meteor? Go crash into the ground?" I asked, not like it was ever going to understand me, that would be ridiculous, but hey, it was worth a shot...
Hold on a second: the creature nodded!
"You understand me?" Nod.
"Can you take me to the crash?" Nod... but no movement other than it.
"...Will you take me to the crash?" It shook its head. For a few seconds I was silent, but then:
"...Can you speak Equestrian?"
Some bushes rustled behind me. Undoubtedly I must've leaped at least three times my own height, I was so scared. Twisting around, I saw a stripy pony - no, Zebra - standing behind me.
"Zecora! Oh, thank Celestia it's only you! I thought it was another scary monster!"
"You lurk in the night, and I must ask why? I always mistook you for a dragon more... shy."
"Um... who, me? Shy? Never. I was expediting for a study of Twilight's."
"Please forgive me, I don't mean to pry, but I thought she was at the party of Pinkie Pie." Zecora was onto me!
"Yeah, that's right! She doesn't know I'm in the forest, I was going to surprise her when she got back and I'd finished her studies! Please don't tell her I was out here." This was one of my worst lies ever. If Twilight ever found out that I had finished one of her studies for her... oh, she'd never let me hear the end of it!
"It is dangerous for you to travel this late out! My lips are sealed, but never again will I catch you about!"
"Yes, Zecora." It must be hard for you to make sense when you speak in rhyme all day. Zecora barely manages.
"One more thing I must ask you, that I hope you do not mind you telling me too. I heard in the dark your voice I knew alike, but I must ask, who were you talking to Spike?" It was only now that I noticed the beast had disappeared the second Zecora arrived. Quick thinking, Spike!
"What! Me? Talking to someone in the forest? Never! I'm all alone here. I, er... don't know what you're talking about!" Zecora looked at me for a minute, eying me up with suspicion in her glare. I didn't want her to think that I was crazy, but I think that my response had quite the opposite effect. After a few seconds, she turned away and began heading back to her home. "Zecora! Wait!" I caught up with her. "I'm... kinda lost. Please can you show me the way back to Ponyville?" She sighed, but turned right at the same time.
"You're lucky I found you in time, yes indeed. Some things here would eat you with magnificent speed." She growled threateningly. It was clear that she was deliberately trying to scare me to keep me out of the forest, and it was working. Throughout the journey back, I trailed her intently, merely a scale's width away from her at all times, examining the forest around us every second of the way. She did not care to hide her irritation for me, and I could swear that at one point she deliberately tried to nudge me into some poison joke. Lucky for me I know what the stuff is, and I steered clear of it... but there would be no hiding my journey from Twilight if the next day I was breathing confetti instead of fire.
There did not seem to be any creatures around us. At least, that is what I thought at first, until I noticed the spiky, dark red, horned figure that trailed us silently from the bushes. I didn't dare tell Zecora, as I was too frightened to speak, in case my voice attracted unwanted attention, but the thing of the forest trailed us all the way into Ponyville.
As quick as it had appeared the creature was gone, and Zecora was quick to follow. I made my way back to the library, when a familiar voice came from Sugarcube Corner: "What a great party Pinkie! I didn't expect me to stay up this late. I'd better get back to the library - Poor Spike must be tired out of his mind!" As far as parties go, I was aware that Twilight wasn't all up for them, but this time she seemed pretty genuine- Sweet Celestia! She was going to get home before me if I didn't hurry!
I was quick to climb the nearest house, and it was fairly easy. I had a plan ready: Jump across the rooftops until you get in jumping range of the balcony. Then jump in, lock the doors, close the windows, and get in bed before Twilight returned... sure, the plan was destined to fail, but hey! At least I could say that I gave it a shot.
The jumps across the rooftops were nothing compared to the branches, and I was far ahead of Twilight and nearing the library- shoot! Rainbow Dash was flying overhead on her way to her cloud house! She was going to see me! As fast as I could I dived across some more houses over to the clock tower, and leapt in, next to the bell. Peeking out I could see the library, and Twilight nearing it. Out of sheer accident, I slipped, grabbing onto the first visible thing: the bell. I tumbled out of the other end and gripped onto the side of a house climbed up, and leapt around to the library.
The leap across was too big, and I tumbled to the floor, but as I looked up, Twilight was too busy investigating the chimes echoing from the clock tower this late at night to notice me running around to the back of her, into the house. As quick as my reflexes would allow I picked up the ladder and barred it in front of the door, extinguished the near burnt-out candle with my claws and shut the windows, and finally scampered upstairs, jumping into bed, just in time for Twilight to break through the door.
"Spike? That silly dragon must've left the ladder in front of the door while he was tidying. I'll tell him off for it later..." She stopped for a second, like she'd heard something from me. The sound of her clopping along the floor had stopped, and I could tell she was listening again intently... what for?
...Oh. I always snore loudly while I sleep. Stupid me! It's not what she could hear, it's what she couldn't! Unconvincingly, I snored, but Twilight seemed to buy it. I guess she really was tired. Very shortly afterwards she went upstairs, and got in bed herself. Twilight eventually stopped tossing and turning around, which meant she had finally fallen asleep. I sat up, letting the adrenaline wash away from me, and realized how tired I really was. Despite the blackout from earlier, I felt like I hadn't slept in days.
Looking to the right, out of Twilight's window, I saw the now-fixed tree that had collapsed into the Library when Applejack and Rarity stayed over. Very faintly, I could see two white eyes sitting in that tree, examining me with very gray pupils, from a dark-red, spiky body... I rubbed my eyes and it was gone. Probably just my imagination.
I lay back in bed and stared at the ceiling. Deep down inside me, I knew it wasn't.