//------------------------------// // Vivi Day Three: Everfree Forest // Story: To Live Again // by _No_One_Remains_ //------------------------------// I haven’t slept a wink since the night before last. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so focused on Mr. 33 and Mr. 111. If they really are here in Equestria, then imagine how many of the others are here too! Not knowing for sure if they really are here, or if they even remember Gaia, is driving me crazy! I have to find out before too much longer or I may just die of suspense… But anyway, because I couldn’t sleep, I got up sometime before sunrise and decided to take a walk. I see now that that was a horrible idea, but hindsight’s always 20/20, right? It was fun while it lasted, but things quickly went from good-to-bad as Boco and I was looking at all the flora in the forest. I’m perfectly fine now, but I could’ve been in worse shape if that nice zebra hadn’t been gathering her own supplies. … I’d been tossing and turning all night, my back starting to ache from lying on the small couch. I finally got fed up with being bored, so I rolled off the couch and headed right out the door. This time, Boco came darting up to me as soon as I left the house. I remembered the pepper he had eaten the day before, and decided I wanted to go into the forest and look at the plants. Boco leaped up on top of my shoulder and chirped happily away as we walked through the tree line and into the suddenly-creepy expanse of darkness. A shiver went down my spine, as if an omen of something bad happening. I ignored it though, because I was probably just being paranoid. With a reassuring chirp from the baby chocobo, we ventured onward. It didn’t take long for me to regret my idea. After walking for not even ten minutes, I’d already gotten tangled in a large mess of vines. It took Boco a few minutes to peck me out of the trap, which left him exhausted and me terrified. I decided it was time to go back home, because I didn’t want to get stuck again. The only problem was… “…Which way is home?” I adjusted my hat nervously as Boco spun in each direction. He tried to sniff out the chickens back at Fluttershy’s house, but couldn’t catch a scent. “K-kweh…” he chirped in fright. I looked all around for signs of any path we might have made, but everything looked the exact same. I began to panic, my heart racing in total fear. I mumbled, “This was a bad idea, Boco…” He chirped affirmatively. I stomped a foot and pointed forward. I told him with a tone of feign-confidence, “Onward, chocobo!” With an excited chirp, he led the way deeper into the woods. We went on like this for a few minutes before finally realizing that we had gone the completely wrong way. Now we were in even less familiar territory, with bigger plants and a creepier atmosphere. I stopped to sit at the base of a large tree, away from all of the other colorful plants. I had no idea what to expect from this weird forest. The best I could hope for was that it wouldn’t completely petrify like the Evil Forest in Alexandria did… Of course, our comfort didn’t last long. While we were kicked back against the large tree, I failed to notice something slithering on the ground. By the time my eyes caught it, it was already too late. I’m not sure what the creature was, but it looked like a snake. Except it had a head like a chicken. Anyway, the thing pecked Boco on the side, sending the baby bird into an adrenaline-fueled panic. In the instant, he went darting away from the tree with a loud screech. I saw the thing following after him, and immediately hopped to my feet. I broke into a dead run in the same direction as Boco, hoping to catch him before the thing did. Luckily, I managed to outrun the thing and stumble upon Boco in a large hole in the ground. The bad news is that I actually stumbled upon him…and fell into the hole. A few seconds after my landing, the thing that chased us showed up at the top of the hole, as if mocking us. The baby chocobo fluttered his wings and chirped at the creature, trying to scare it off. I regained my senses just in time to watch the baby chocobo turn to stone. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but he just petrified out of nowhere. I started to panic again, fresh from the last time. I looked up at the creature and reached out a hand. “Fire!” I screamed as loud as I could. From my hand burst a ball of flames which shot directly toward the creature. Just before it made contact, the ball of fire began to petrify. So did my hands. In fact, the stone slowly moved along my body, until all that was left was my head. I didn’t understand how the fireball turned to stone, but I didn’t have much time to think about it. I was quickly running out of time to do anything. All of a sudden, I saw the creature go flying away from the hole. A gray-and-white striped pony poked its head into the hole and called out to us, but I couldn’t tell what it said. After a few seconds, I noticed the stone on Boco begin to crack and peel off. The same happened to me. In no time at all, we were both back to normal. While my heart kept pounding pretty hard, I was relieved to be saved. I looked up to find the pony dropping a rope ladder into the hole for us to climb out with. Boco didn’t waste any time at all, using his claws to grip the rope and escape the pit. I took my time, trying to figure out who the mysterious pony was. The pony chuckled, “If not for your shout, you would be stuck. Perhaps you just have very bad luck.” She had a strange voice, different from the rest of the ponies I had met. It was more exotic, with a deeper tone. Her mane was done up in a Mohawk, with golden bangles around her neck and on one of her arms. I finished climbing the ladder and sighed, “Thanks for the help Miss. We were almost goners. What was that thing?” I dusted myself off as the pony started to roll her ladder back up. Boco chirped, “Kweh!” in thanks. The mysterious pony chuckled, “That was a very dangerous cockatrice. They are creatures who prey on far more than just mice…” She waved a hoof around enthusiastically, placing the ladder into a large pack on her back. “What’s your name Miss?” I asked her, picking Boco up from the ground. “Zecora is the name I go by.” She looked at the sun coming up over the horizon through the tree line, and suddenly adopted a panicked expression. “I’m afraid I’m running late, so I must fly!” I watched as she checked to make sure her items were all in the pack before she took off deeper into the woods. Boco chirped impatiently, staring toward the horizon. If we could see the sun, then we should be close to the edge of the forest, right? Anyway, that’s the logic we used to decide where to go next. I’d had enough of that scary place in the hour I experienced it. … I just wish I could’ve talked more to the zebra in the forest, but she seemed busy, so we just left before we got caught in another trap. You should have seen Boco once we finally got back to Fluttershy’s pen. He was so happy he went on a mad dash into the chicken coop, chirping wildly. I’m glad he’s here with me, now that I think about it. I bet if Mr. 33 and Mr. 111 are actually here, they’ll be excited to see him, too. After all, they are the ones who cared for him and hatched him. Not to mention he’s saved my life at least twice now. I guess I’m feeling nostalgic now. I think I’m done writing for a while. I feel like I’m starting to miss Gaia…