//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 - Viper // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// I waited for lunch to be properly be over. I don't think that simply standing and thanking and leaving would be okay if the mood of the ponies were sour because of their topic about unicorns. I waited for almost half an hour before the ponies decided that it was time to get back to work. I thanked them, and Braeburn. "What's the rush, Gold?" Braeburn asked with a very loud voice, managing to catch a few ears nearby. "I need to go somewhere..." I replied lowly, trying my best not to pay attention to the curious eyes staring at me. Braeburn's smile vanished as he blinked a few times. "Home? And where else would it be besides Ponyville?" Huh, so the town was really called Ponyville. I wonder if Manehattan's here as well. Wait, did I say 'home'? I swear I didn't... "He's heading to the Everfree Forest and I'm t---" Whatever Spike was going to add was cut off by the ponies' loud gasps. They then started walking towards me and telling me of how crazy of an idea that is, how dangerous the place is, and some other things. "Quiet!" Yelled Applejack's voice, immediately silencing the area, and the crowd quickly made way for her as she marched towards me. "Is it true yer headin' to the forest?" She asked me as she stopped in front of me. This was a different Applejack, though. Earlier, she was angry and frightening, but now, she looks like she's...about to cry? "Take me with yah, please..." She pleaded, sniffling quietly. "Applejack!" Braeburn exclaimed, together with the surprised gasps of the ponies around. The mare shot him a glare. "Are yah out of yer marbles? That place is dangerous!" "Don't tell that to me as if Ah'm not aware of that fact." She replied flatly, and then turned to me. "First, y'all would stop me if Ah ever go there alone," he walked beside me, and wrapped a hoof behind my neck. "But Ah ain't be alone this time!" And I don't like where this is going. "Applejack," argued Braeburn, "this is nonsense!" "Oh?" Applejack shot back. "And simply forget 'em and move on is not!?" She hastily removed her hoof behind my neck and marched towards her trembling cousin. "Ah've been waitin' far too long, Braeburn, and it's about tahm Ah go and look for 'em!" She snarled, and after delivering her piece, she turned to me and walked pass me. "Com'on Brownie." Brownie? I turned and saw her marched towards the forest. I turned back to Braeburn and he was still looking quite terrified. I looked at the other worried faces, and none caught my attention that could turn this thing around. I sighed and turned towards Applejack. "Applejack!" Braeburn yelled, making the mare stop and turn to look at him. "But what about the farm!?" "Sell it for all Ah care! You comin', Brownie!?" And she continued towards the forest a few distance away. Before I could start following the fuming mare, I turned back to Braeburn and the others. "Gold Blitz," he said after a sigh, "please watch over mah couzin." He then stared at the said mare. "Ah knew this day would come, but Ah didn't think it would be this soon." He returned to me. "So please?" I nodded, just simply to finish the conversation. As I turned and started following Applejack, I repeated in my head that I have to stick with my task: to get to the old castle and return home. As much as I'd like to help Applejack out, and it could also be fun being with the pony I idolize the most, but I need to return home. I caught up with her and walked beside her, and decided to keep quiet. We walked in complete silence, and we ignored the light drizzle as we continued heading to the forest. We were only meters away from the edge of the forest when a shadow flew pass us. I planned on ignoring it, but an armored pegasus landed in front of us, blocking our path. "Applejack," Rainbow Dash spoke as she removed her helmet, "what the hay are you doing here?" "Outta the way, Rainbow," Applejack replied coldly as she walked pass the annoyed pegasus, "it ain't yer business tah stick yer nose on to." "Listen here, AJ," Rainbow hissed as she flew in front of her, "but it's my duty to watch over Ponyville, and that," she pressed a hoof on the earth mare's chest, "includes you." Applejack slapped her hoof away. "Then guess what?" She said as she walked pass the pegasus, "Yah can remove me from yer list tah make yer job a bit easier." "Don't be stupid! You know the forest is dangerous!" She yelled as she blocked my path. "Whatever the reason that is making you go there..." she quietly whispered to herself. Applejack stopped and looked at the pegasus. "Do Ah look like Ah care?" And she quickly returned walking towards the forest. "Gah, fine!" Rainbow snarled as she wore her helmet, "Go inside and die! See if I care!" She flared her wings open as she turned to face me. "Stop her, okay?" She whispered before flying off. Gee, I've been given a task to stop an angry mare... Joy... Applejack stopped near the edge of the forest, staring at the narrow pathway the trees were providing. I stopped beside her and scanned the forest. The trees are thick and tall. Roots were crawling sideways, up and down, making the available path difficult to navigate. "The Everfree Forest," Spike whispered, shaking a bit. I then felt his claw grabbing my ear, as he tried to get my attention. It was annoying. "Do we have to go inside there?" "Let go of my ear and I might reconsider leaving you behind." I whispered back as I tried make him see my glare. He let go and gulped. I shook my head slightly and turned to the mare. "Applejack, just so you know," she turned to me, "that I did not agree on helping you." "Ah know that," she quickly replied as she returned her attention at the forest, "but Ah wanna come with you. Wherever yer goin', I'll follow yah." "Why?" Spike and I asked in unison. "Because this is where Ah last saw mah sister..." Her angry features dropped to sadness once more. "Ah don't care if she's still alive or not. Ah just want to see her, and have her back..." I sighed quietly as I patted her shoulder. I can relate, in all honesty. A few years ago, I came back home where my youngest brother was missing. My parents were already going insane, running around town just to look for him. That was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I first went to the places where the two of us usually hang out. Seeing him not being there, I then tried going to the places he and his friends usually hang out. Eventually, I bumped into my younger brother, who quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the cliff which was outside of town, where we saw our youngest brother hanging for dear life. After we rescued him, I made him promise never to head out of town again. But he's a growing teenager, and of course, he broke that promise, though he was more careful now than before. "Let's go then..." I said slowly, bringing my hoof back on the ground. She nodded, and I walked pass her, leading the way. We walked through the path with clear difficulty. Minutes of walking, and I finally asked Spike to get off of me. He complained, of course, but what can I do? We continued making progress while making sure not leaving anyone behind, while I was leading the way to... "You have no idea where yer goin', ain't ya?" Applejack said as she climbed up an uproot. "S-sorry," was all I could reply as I helped Spike up. A sudden chirp from a bird up above caught my attention. It was a blue bird, but after I spotted it on a branch, it flew off. Oh well. "No reason tah apologize, Brownie." "I have a name, y'know." I said with irritation as I snapped a few low-hanging twigs out of the way. "And it's...Gold Bli-OW!" My mane got stuck on a twig. "The forest said 'hello' back," Applejack chuckled as she helped me get the twig out of my mane. I glared at her for a short moment before nodding my thanks. I turned back up ahead, and noticed our path is now a bit easier to walk on now. I'll just need to remove these vines that suddenly coiled around each of my hooves. I lifted a hoof to shake the vine away, but as I caught a glimpse of it, I froze in place as it quietly hissed at me. "Don't," Applejack quietly said, standing still as well, "move..." Snakes... Green, slimy, scaly snakes, coiled at each of my hooves...! I heard a loud snap of twigs from behind us, and soon was followed by an annoyed voice. "Stick together, he said, sheesh... Whoa!" Spike stopped in shock after noticing me and Applejack's current condition. We then heard a series of quiet hisses, making Spike turn his head around, and saw snakes, crawling towards him in every direction. He was starting to sweat in nervousness when quiet hooves touched the forest's floor a few meters before us. "Good job, my little babies," said the yellow pegasus with the most gentle voice and with the scariest of smiles. A blue bird then quietly landed on her head as she eyed our nervous states. And oh, Fluttershy's cute, but sadly, that cuteness is the one that's going to kill me today...