In the small town of Ponyville, there was a light turquoise unicorn. She had tousled cream-light turquoise and white hair, yellow eyes, and a Lyre as a cutie mark. She was known as Lyra Heartstrings.
Lyra was trotting to Sugarcube Corner for a snack. Although, lunch wasn’t all on her mind. Lyra was very interested in these creature called 'humans.' They only walked on two legs and stood up straight. Lyra found this very interesting. She had been doing some research, and had an idea on where she would find these ‘humans.’
“Hey Lyra! What can I get ya today?” an overly hyper Pinkie Pie said as Lyra walked into Sugarcube Corner. Lyra sighed, and as she did so some of her mane fluttered up from her breath.
“Hey, Pinkie. How about the special today?” the pink pony zipped into the kitchen, and Lyra sat down on the stairs to wait. She had also stopped by Sweet Apple Acres to pick up some apples and whatever else happened to be on sale. After this she’d tell Bon Bon and her other friends goodbye before she goes.
A few minutes later, Pinkie Pie came out with the biggest cupcake Lyra had ever seen. Lyra stared at it and said, “Wow Pinkie, you really outdid yourself on this one!”
“Well, it looked like you were going to be gone a while, so I made a super-cupcake just for you!!”
“Thanks Pink- hey, wait. How did you know I was going somewhere?” Lyra got up and walked over to Pinkie.
“Well, you do have a pretty big saddlebag, bigger than any I've ever seen. I figured big saddlebag plus slightly tired eyes means long trip.” Lyra just looked at Pinkie Pie and levitated the big cupcake into a bag, and placed them into her saddlebag. After making sure it was safely placed so that nothing got ruined, she turned around to leave. As she left, Lyra said over her shoulder, “Thanks again Pinkie Pie!”
Lyra walked past the farmers’ market that came every saturday, when she bumped into a tan stallion with a dark rustled mane and tail, blue eyes, and an hourglass cutie mark. The stallion knocked out Lyra’s book on the Everfree Forest. It just so happened that it fell open on the page that mentioned an old pony getting zapped into another world, where verything was like an advanced Everfree Forest.
“Oh I’m so sorry miss! Pardon me.” His eyes fell on the book. He looked at Lyra, who was still slightly dizzy from being knocked over. He picked up the book and put it in her saddlebag. He stepped aside and slowly walked away staring at Lyra and her book.
“Nice book by the way.” He walked away with a Grey pegasus following him.
“Okay... Some ponies are so weird,” Lyra said as she walked away. She spotted a blue unicorn and walked over to her.
“Hello Colgate!” Lyra said to a blue unicorn with dark blue and white mane and tail with an hourglass cutie mark. She was called Colgate, or Minuette. Colgate was her nickname.
“Hey Lyra! Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the Everfree forest to...” Lyra couldn’t finish her sentence. She was afraid Colgate would think she was weird to search for the 'humans.'
“Are you going after your creatures in the Everfree forest?” Colgate asked. Lyra blushed, for even she knew it was weird.
“Yeah. I just wanted to stock up just in case I’m gone for a while..” Lyra walked away as if to leave, but Colgate blocked her. Lyra tried to leave again, and yet again Colgate blocked her path.
“Would you like something, Colgate?” Lyra asked, already knowing she would say yes.
“Could I come?” Colgate’s eyes were so bright and expectant, Lyra couldn’t say no.
“Oh thank you Lyra! I’ll be as helpful as I can be! I’m only going as far as Zecora’s place though. Anything beyond that is too creepy for me.” Lyra rolled her eyes and walked on, with Colgate merrily trotting not far behind. They walked past Twilight’s library, where they met Bon Bon.
“And where are you two going?” Bon Bon asked before Lyra could say anything.
“To the Everfree Forest to-”
“To gather some poison joke for a test Twilight wanted to try! Ha, Isn’t that right Colgate?” Colgate was not pleased for being interrupted, but she caught on.
“Uh Huh..”
They said their farewells, and walked past Sweet Apple Acres, to Fluttershy’s cottage. Even past this, though, is where they met the Everfree forest.
“Here we go!” Lyra said happily as if she were going to a birthday party, instead of wandering into the scariest forest in all of Equestria. The two mares walked in and they headed off toward Zecora’s house. They watched the scenes, so very different from the flowers and trees from Ponyville.
They walked on and on, until they reached a twisty tree with a door and some windows. It had a few Exotic-looking masks and some bottles and packets hanging from string on the branches.
“This is Zecora’s hut,” Colgate said. “Mind if I go in to ask Zecora something? Then I can wish you good luck and all.”
“Sure. I’ll come with you. Maybe Zecora has something helpful for me,” said Lyra as she walked into the hut.
When the two mares entered the hut, Zecora was working over a simmering pot of something pink. Not wanting to interrupt her, Colgate and Lyra quietly stood by the door, watching as Zecora stirred and added something to the pot. When Zecora turned around, she noticed the mares for the first time, and was startled.
“I am so sorry, little mares. You two gave me quite a scare. I did not see you by the door. What is it you come here for?”
“Well Zecora,” Colgate said, walking farther into the hut. “Lyra is going farther into the Everfree to find these creatures called ‘humans,’ and I escorted her here.”
“Off to chase your dreams, I see. Do you have a theory?”
Lyra waited, not realizing Zecora was talking to her. Colgate nudged her.
“Oh! You were talking to me,” Lyra said, now embarrassed. “Yes, I do have a theory. I was reading some book on mythical creatures, and it said, ‘Most creatures unfamiliar to ponykind can be, or were found in the Everfree forest, or possibly beyond that.’ So, I thought, ‘Lyra, if you really want this, you’ll go looking in the Everfree!’ So here I am! I also read an interesting story about a mare who walked into an alternate universe.”
Zecora walked over to a shelf, and picked up an orange packet. She walked back to Lyra and gave it to her. Lyra grabbed it in her magic with a confused look.
“This may help you on your journey, but you must be sly. Using it wrong may make you cry. It will make you look like everyone there. Use it fast, do not beware. ”
Lyra accepted the explanation, although it wasn’t very helpful. She put the pack in her saddlebags. Colgate and Zecora were looking expectant so Lyra said, “Well I’ll be on my way now. Thanks Zecora. Bye you guys!”
She walked out of the hut and started walking north, where her research said the end of the forest would be. Lyra wasn’t careless. She was excited, but she managed to keep an eye and an ear out for trouble. She trotted along at a brisk pace, impatient to get to her destination- wherever it was.
It was early afternoon by now, and Lyra was warm in the slight sunlight through the trees. She looked around as she walked on. She thought out loud, “It sure is a weird place. It’s dark, even in the middle of the day. Bushes are teal, and even the trees are kind of teal. I’ve heard about creatures like the Timberwolves, and Cockatrice and Manticores, and I sure don’t want to run into them.”
Lyra stopped. She heard something. She froze in her tracks. Please don’t be a Timberwolf. Please don’t be a Cockatrice. Please don’t be a timberwolf. Please don’t be a Cockatrice! She thought desperately. A bush rustled, and Lyra closed her eyes tightly. She heard hoofsteps softly stepping behind her.