Scotch woke up and stretched with a yawn. She was warm and comfortable. But...where was she? She blinked in the light of hundreds of candles as the fog of sleep slowly peeled back. Her gaze fell downward onto what she had been sleeping on. Cookie. Who was laying quite still, apparently asleep. At least, his eyes were closed so she assumed he was sleeping. Surely he had to sleep, so surely that was what he was doing. “Cookie?” She nudged him gently with a hoof.
His eyes shot open and he stared blankly at candles. Then he blinked and looked up at her. “Yes?”
She looked at him as she got down onto the floor. Probably was a bit rude to try and hold a conversation while sitting on somepony. “Uhm...” We can't just stay here forever, we'll starve... We have to move on, see if we can get through the forest. “I think we should get going...”
He stretched out on the floor, yawning. “Going where?” he said, as his head tilted to the side.
There was a brief hesitation. “Well, I was trying to head through the forest...to get to the other side.”
His head slowly slumped to the other side. “Through the forest? Why?”
“I...I don't know. It was just the best plan I had thought of.” In fact now that she thought about it, it wasn't a very good plan. Try and go through the dangerous forest in the hopes that there's something worth all the trouble on the other side.
Silence filled the room, before Cookie nodded and smiled. “Alright.” He stood up and hit his head on the table. He didn't move for a moment and then sat down. “Ow.” He rubbed the back of his head.
Scotch put a hoof over her mouth, trying not to laugh. “Are you ok?” she managed.
“Yeah...I forgot we were under the table...” He moved out from under it this time before standing up straight. “But...what did you think you were going to find on the other side of the forest?”
She hesitated, looking at him. “I...” She looked down at the floor, and then up at him again. “It's a bit silly to be honest...” She sighed.
He tilted his head to the side slightly. “Silly? Why would it be silly?”
“I...well...” Her hoof kicked vaguely at some wax on the floor. “I though that I might...I dunno...find a home, or something...”
“A home?” His head tilted further.
She stared blankly at him and then sighed again. “Yes. A home. A place to live. Somewhere I...I don't know...belong, or something...it seems so silly now.”
“I don't think it's silly,” he said as he smiled at her. “Not silly at all. Everypony wants somewhere to belong.” His brow wrinkled slightly. “But why on the other side of the forest?”
“I don't know...” She sighed heavily, staring down at the candles. “It seemed like a good idea at the time...but I'm starting to think that it isn't...”
“I think it was,” he said, smiling again. “If you hadn't, I'd still be alone, though I didn't know I was.”
She smiled a bit, looking up at him. “Yeah...and I'd still be...stuck where I was.”
He grinned and nodded. “Exactly. Now, come on, let's go. No point sitting around here anymore.”
They both moved towards the door. “Though these candles are...so weird...it's probably magic that keeps them lit...”
“Probably. But I dunno. It could be ghosts or something.” He smiled at her. Nothing seemed to frighten him at all. But it would be nice to find out what he was.
Then a thought dawned on her. “Oh. I never told you my name, did I?”
He paused and stared blankly at the ceiling. “Nnnnnope.” He smiled back at her. “What's your name?”
“Scotch Muffin,” she said, and he got a thoughtful look on his face.
“Scotch...Muffin...well, I like muffin's, I think...but what's scotch?” His head tilted to the side as he stared at her with that confused look on his face.
“It's...” She hesitated and then sighed. “It's an alcoholic drink and also a type of candy.”
He paused, looking at her. One could practically see the gears turning inside his head. “So...you're an alcoholic pastry, or a candy pastry?”
There was silence for a moment and Scotch wondered if he was trying to be adorable, or was it just natural? “Yes...I suppose that I am.”
A grin spread across his face. “Awesome. I'll hafta try scotch. Or some other kind of alcoholic drink. What other kinds are there?”
She hesitated and then shrugged. “A lot.” They came out the back of the palace and she looked back up. For a moment, she could see the window of the candle room and just for a moment she could have sworn that there was somepony in the window. But it was gone the second she blinked and she couldn't be sure it was ever there.
“Just a lot?” His brow wrinkled as he thought that over. He looked at her and then up at the palace. “Whatcha looking at?”
“I...” She shook her head, and turned away. “It was nothing...I think...” That had been a bit disturbing, but this forest was full of ridiculous things. Although...she had slept in that room. She shuddered. “Let's go...this place is creepy.”
He tilted his head to the side as he followed after her. “Why is it creepy?”
“I...it just gives me the creeps. It makes me feel uncomfortable.” She looked back at the palace a moment and then back ahead.
“Uncomfortable?” He tilted his head slightly. “Well, I suppose that the floor is a bit uncomfortable, but you slept atop me.”
She couldn't help the blush that crept onto her cheeks. “Ah...yes...sorry about that.”
Again, he grinned. “I could not protest. You looked so comfortable...and I don't mind. It was...comforting.”
He was gazing off into the distance with a fairly blissful expression when she looked at him. “Well...you are quite warm...”
“Am I?” he said as his gaze traveled to her.
She cleared her throat, and nodded. “Yes...anyways...I...suppose we go this way?” There was what was left of a road that stretched off into the distance.
“Yes!” He trotted happily ahead a bit. “To adventure!”
A smile crept onto her face as she watched him. “Yes. Adventure...” She took a deep breath. And hopefully somewhere safe and not so creepy. Cookie's happy demeanor seemed so off from the area around him. It was like he carried his own little torch and things just brightened up around him.
They walked for quite a long time, it felt like hours to Scotch. It was like this forest really was never ending like stories said, but books also said that there were places on the other side. “Little filly...” A shiver ran down her spine and she looked behind her. Surely it could not have found her already?
“Hm?” Cookie stopped, looking around. “Who's that?”
“Did you make a friend little filly?”
Cookie's face scrunched slightly as he thought. “Where are you?” he said as he looked around.
There was silence for a time and Scotch was hopeful that it may have left. After all, she wasn't alone now. “Where are you?” the voice repeated.
His face went blank a moment and he blinked. “Right here, of course. But I don't see where you are.”
“You want to see?”
Scotch moved closer to Cookie, looking around. “Cookie, I think we should keep moving and ignore it...”
He looked at her. “But that would be rude. Wouldn't it?” He turned back to the bushes. “Yes. It's only right to see who you're speaking with.” He smiled blissfully again. “Right?”
There was silence again. Was it hesitating? Did Cookie make it unsure of itself? Scotch clung to this idea. It didn't know what Cookie was either and wasn't sure if it should come out. Maybe it wouldn't come out. Maybe it would just leave. The voice didn't sound friendly when it spoke. “Who are you to ask such a thing...”
“Cookie,” Cookie said simply, grinning. He had the air of someone who obviously thought he had won something. Scotch couldn't help but smile.
But there was silence in return.
He frowned slightly. “You're not very nice. Wont answer my questions. Wont come out. You're rude.” He suddenly started walking on and Scotch scrabbled to follow after him.
Fear. It wanted to be feared. But Cookie didn't fear anything, or probably didn't understand what fear was. “It's been following me for a long time.”
“And you haven't seen it?” He looked at her as they walked. She shook her head. “That's rude.” He used that word as though he had just discovered it's meaning.
She couldn't help but smile, and nod. “Yeah. It is rude. Following a little filly and trying to scare her is very rude.”
“I don't think I like...whatever it is,” he said with a stiff nod. “But there's no need to be scared. Just cus something is scary, doesn't mean you should be scared of it. Just means that it's scary.” He gave her a smile. In fact, he was so occupied looking at her that he wasn't looking where he was going and walked straight into the door.