Chapter 2: Susque Deque
I had been wondering around for what felt like hours, but couldn't tell. I couldn't see past the thick trees and mist to get a glimpse of any sort of moon or sun. I felt like I had been walking around in circles, though all the trees look the same and there still isn't enough light to make out any decent details. After walking around a few more trees I see something leaning up against one, and got closer to look.
When I was only inches away. *snap* I stepped on a twig and froze. I didn't freeze because of the twig, I had stepped on dozens of them. It was what I heard afterwards; a low growl. The kind a big dog would make after being awoken from their sleep. But it wasn't a dog....or not one I've ever seen, its eyes had a dim yellow glow to them, and its fur was instead..bark?
Just met our first life form?
Yep.
Going to run away screaming?
Most likely.
Bring it on.
"FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"
POV change: Twilight Sparkle
Twilight had awoken a few minutes earlier and had gathered the elements and was at Fluttershy's cottage outside the Everfree, all present then asked why.
"Something strange happened last night and we're going to go and investigate" Twilight stated. Rainbow Dash was the first to respond.
"But why do you need all of us, you're the egg-head here couldn't you just do it?" she said. Next was Applejack.
"Dash has a point Twi, what could be so important that you need all the Elements?"
Twilight's eye twitched a bit at the 'egg-head' comment but replied. "I don't know what it was last night and neither does Princess Celestia. I'm bringing all of you because if it's dangerous we may need to use the Elements of Harmony. And besides, the Everfree forest is dangerous to begin with."
"It's alright Twilight we got you covered!" Everypony present then turned to Pinkie Pie, who had been naked a second ago was now wearing what appeared to be a ponyfied Sherlock Holmes outfit while holding a magnifying glass in her hoof over her eye. "We're on the case!"
Twilight stared at Pinkie for a second wondering how she put it on so fast and where she had gotten it, but quickly placed the thought in the 'Pinkie' file and continued. "Yes...well....lets get moving." Twilight said as Fluttershy whimpered at the back of the group, making her dismay known.
POV change: Thomas
"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" I shouted as the timber wolves trailed me. Yes, plural as in more then one. I had thought it had just been one......until I decided to turn around. Which if you've watched any horror movie would seem like the stupidest idea to do at a time like this. Though against my brains wishes in the back of my head I turn around and got a sight of the 3 pairs of glowing eyes trailing me.
"HOLY SH-" before I can finish the phrase that labeled this moment perfectly.....I hit a rock, not a stone that I would just stub my toe on, but a boulder, and man.....last time I checked I wore my nose on the outside of my face.
Earth, Y U NOT OUT OF WAY?!
I fall over gripping my, most likely, broken nose as the wolves closed in. Their mouths oozing saliva and their eyes piercing me, with there anger and hunger clearly visible in them. The largest one, who is no doubt the alpha, steps closer, remaining only about an arms length away from me, never breaking its predatory glare. It dashes at me, mouth wide open. I raise my arm up to guard, which its jaw then clamps down on.
I would have screamed but my body was in to much shock, and combined with the adrenaline pumping through my veins, it made quite the shit-storm cocktail. All I did was stare horrified at my arm as it started flowing red rain into the wolf's mouth and out onto the ground. I try shaking it off but only accomplished make the wound worsen. Panicking I flailed my free arm across the ground looking for something to smash its head in with, but found nothing. Not wanting to die without even knowing where I am or how I got here, I struck the wolf in the jaw with all the force I could apply, with a audible crack and whimper following afterwards. The wolf let go and passed out laying in a pool of my blood with a thoroughly shattered jaw. Going by survival instincts alone, I got up and ran, I ran and ran and didn't look back or slow down, despite the dozens of branches and thorns.
After a good four, five minutes of constant sprinting, I stopped. Too tired to even stand, I fell onto the grass beneath me. I had several cuts and scrapes from the obstacles, which tore my hoodie and shirt apart and my arm still heavily bleeding. I saw nothing but black, dark nothingness and openly welcomed it, I was too weak to care. I had no dreams.
POV change: Twilight
The six of them had just made it into the forest a few minutes ago and still all remained silent. The Everfree was always a strange and foreboding place, and it only got more dangerous as you went deeper. All but Twilight and Pinkie, who were looking for 'clues', were on edge, none of them have had any 'good' history with the dark forest and try to avoid entry as often as possible. But something always seemed to pull them back in. Was it just bad luck, destiny, or something.....darker, even darker than the forest they find themselves in....................probably just bad luck.
"Nothing over here, nothing over there." Pinkie said as she looked up trees and under rocks. "Ah ha!"
"Did ya find something?" questioned Applejack.
"Nope, just a rock that looks funny." Pinkie says going in to a fit of giggles afterward.
"PINKIE!" "Be serious, this is important!" Twilight exclaimed. "We have to find what made that strange light."
"Sorry" Pinkie said apologetically still recovering from her laugh attack.
Rarity spoke up. "Twilight, how do you intend to find this.....light?" "I think I speak for everypony when I say I don't particularly like the thought of wondering around blind in this horrid place."
"Ya Twi, it might be good to have a direction" Applejack said, agreeing with Rarity.
"The light had appeared somewhere around the west-side of the forest, near Zecora's I think."
POV change: Zecora
Zecora had just been collecting supplies for different potions and elixirs when she spotted a strange creature sprawled out in the dirt with a large open wound on its left arm. She had taken the creature back to her hut and healed the creature to the best of her abilities, but the rest was a process that would take more time and more than just herbs and bandages. The wounds in its arm were deep and would most likely not fully recover, and it had several other lesser wounds on it's torso and right arm, but it would survive.
"Quite the strange being, the kind one sees only dreaming." Zecora rhymed to herself as she continued making different mixtures and solutions.
POV change: Thomas
I had been out for about three to four hours from the graveness of my wounds and the extent of my exhaustion. I attempted to move to no avail. I remained still.
..................?
Brain?
404 - file not found
Fuck.
I try to move again, and fail. I try to open my eyes, which also fails. My entire body felt numb and paralyzed, I couldn't hear except for some muffled noises, a voice. I couldn't make out the words behind the voice clearly, in fact I don't think its English, but I could hear what sounded like.....hoof steps?
Where am I know? And why can't I move? Uhhg, my head feels like its been swimming in a vat of vodka.
"Ah, you have awoken. I feared your will had been broken." said a deep yet definitely feminine voice.
I try to speak but my mouth wouldn't move.
"You have been inflicted by a disease, I have supplied a antidote to ease." "Your wounds are deep, and for them to heal you must sleep." the voice said rhyming all the while.
I try to speak again, but all that escapes is a faint sigh.
"Your wounds will take time, but with a little rest you will be fine."
I slowly began to drift off back into unconsciousness as the owner of the voice continued mending my injuries.
Dafuq have I gotten myself into?
POV change: Twilight
Twilight and the others have gone pretty deep and have made a course for Zecora's, all the while keeping an eye out for anything odd.....well....odd for the forest anyway.
"Twi, ya sure there's anything in here, besides trees and critters?" Applejack asked. "What if ya just imagined the thing?"
"I'm sure of it, and how could I have just imagined something like a giant red flash?" Twilight ask quizzically.
"Maybe Luna accidentally let one of her stars explode." said Rainbow Dash, making Twilight give her a look.
"What?" "It could happen." Dash said defending herself.
As that conversation progressed they continued on their way to Zecora's, and on the way they say something which made them all freeze. Before them lay a dead timber wolf, atop a pool of blood with a broken jaw.
Everypony stood there silent not knowing what to say to the sight before them. Fluttershy shook in place teary eyed at the image. Rarity looked the most horrified and Rainbow looked ready to chuck.
"It's horrible!" shouted Rarity looking away from the scene.
"Wha....what happened?" questioned Applejack.
Twilight, eyes wide at the creature, looked at the sight more clearly; it didn't look like the blood was from the wolf, but from something else. There was no open wounds, just a deformed jaw. There was blood on the wolf's teeth meaning it probably got into a fight with something, and whatever it was it hit the wolf. Hard.
"I don't know...." Twilight spoke in a serious tone. "...But we're going to find out!"
Fluttershy, still shaken up a bit, spoke. "But-But what i-if it's dangerous, w-w-what if it does t-that to us too?" she said, fear making her studder.
"That's why we have the Elements, we'll be fine if we stay together." Twilight said trying to reassure her friends, which worked somewhat.
"I'm with you all the way, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said confidently.
"Same here, we can't let this hurt anypony." said Applejack.
"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted.
"This is being awful on my coat." Rarity complained.
While everypony made there way to Zecora's, a small 'squeak' of dismay escaped Fluttershy's lips as she followed after them.
POV change: Thomas
I had slept for an hour or two before waking up once again. Though this time I found I had feeling in my body and I could move, if only a little.
Brain?
Sup.
What's going on?
It would appear we have been taken in by some sort of native to these land, got nursed to an acceptable health, and then drugged to suppress movement so we don't reopen our wounds.
Seriously?
Yep, oh and did I mention she's also a zebra?
Oh......wait....WAT!
Ya, shit went down.
No. I mean. She.....she's a zebra?
Oh. That. Ya, no surprise that's what you was referring to.
And how do you know that she's a zebra?
*I
What?
*I, you said "And how do 'you' know she's a zebra?" instead of "And how do 'I' know she's a zebra?"
You refer to 'me' as 'you' so why do 'I' have to refer to 'you' as 'I'?
........Bitch, I'm fabulous.
*sigh* Well, enough of that.
Tired of arguing with myself, I try and sit up, which was not the best idea. Pain shots out through my entire upper body; mostly around my left arm. So I instantly fall back down, causing a 'thud' which alerted my zebra rescuer of my consciousness.
"You still have not healed completely, and should take it easy." Zecora said rhyming once again.
"Where am I?" I say, finding my voice.
"In the Everfree Forest I find my home, the forest in which you have so treacherously roamed"
"Have I gone insane?"
"I do not believe it is my place to say, but you do not appear to be anyway."
"Well, where I'm from zebras don't exactly.......talk." I state, believing myself to indeed be insane.
"I do not know where you hail from, but where I hail we talk a moderate sum."
"Well....umm.....thanks for helping me." "I'd repay you, but I don't really have anything."
"There is no need, you were on deaths door, it would be immoral to not help in your time of need."
"Th-Thank you." I say, finding it oddly kind, doctors back home would charge you a pretty hefty sum for saving your life.
"You are welcome." Zecora said, breaking her rhyme chain.
"I....I'm Thomas."
"Nice to meet you, Thomas." she says. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances."
"Ye-yeah.....same here" I say. "What's your name?"
"Zecora."
"Well thanks for saving me, Zecora."
With nothing else needing to be said, I lay there staring at the ceiling drifting back into the realm of dreams; still wondering how I got here, and what to do now.
POV change: Twilight
The six had finally made it to Zecora's after following the path......and the blood.
"It leads straight to Zecora!" exclaims Rarity. "I do hope she's alright."
"Well lets find out" said Rainbow Dash as she zooming up to the hut's door and knocking sternly. There was a moment of silence which was then followed by hoofsteps leading up to the door, which opened to reveal the zebra in question.
"Yes?" Zecora asked simple.
Twilight spoke first. "Hello, Zecora, we were wondering if you've seen anything.....strange." Next was Rainbow. "And we noticed this 'trail' leading up to your house" "Are you ok?"
"To answer your first question, I make a suggestion." she rhymed. "Come, maybe you have seen a being such as this, for I myself have not."
Twilight instantly became interested in the subject and wondered why that didn't rhyme. The six of them followed Zecora inside and beheld the creature before them, it slept silently on some layers of cloth placed across the floor.
"What is it?" asked Twilight.
"I never questioned the creature, but its appearance doesn't match any others features."
"Where did you find it?"
"It was passed out in the forest covered in its blood, I have brought it back here and have done all that can be done" "Its wounds are severe, but it will survive"
"The poor thing. It looks like its had a horrible time." Rarity exclaimed sadly, seeing all the bandages around Thomas' body. "We should bring it back to Ponyville, and tell Celestia about this as soon as possible" said Twilight
"That would be wise" "It is far too dangerous here with its injures" said Zecora, wishing the best for Thomas.
Moments Later
The six had made it back to the library and put the strange biped on the spare bed Twilight owned. Spike had gotten pen and paper out and was ready to write down the letter to Princess Celestia. While Twilight was ready recite her message.
"Dear, Princess Celestia
Today the Elements and I ventured into the Everfree Forest and discovered a new creature. We aren't sure if this creature has anything to do with the light I saw last night, but we will investigate further when it's awake. I will send another letter later when more information is gathered.
Love, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle"