A Hostile Welcome
Two weeks.
It had been nearly two weeks since Nax had first entered the Everfree Forest and it did not look like he would be leaving it any time soon. He was hungry, dirty, tired, and frankly beginning to become delirious. As Nax’s mind began to wander on his current circumstances he realized that this feeling of hunger was completely understandable, as he had not fed since before the battle and a changeling needed to keep up their strength. True, he had found things to fill his stomach in these woods, random fruits and the occasional vegetable, but such things could do nothing to quench his natural stockish need to feed; and even if he had wanted to, there was no one who willingly lived in the Everfree Forest to feed upon.
As far as rest was concerned, he was, again, in the Everfree Forest. What was easily one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. Just about everything in here wanted to eat him (or at the very least kill him). Thinking on such things, there was admittedly a part of him that wished he had just followed his orders and stayed with his regiment, but Nax knew that that was now impossible as the resolve to his own self-imposed exile would make any argument for return quite futile, among other things.
No, his best bet at this point was to just keep walking and pray to the Dark One that he would not be found...by anything dangerous at the very least.
So busy was he thinking that Nax was completely oblivious to the fact that he had foolishly wandered straight into the heart of a nest. Ignoring the broken shells and tracks sprawled all around him, Nax continued his little internal discussion unabated.
Suddenly Nax’s senses were drawn to a feeling of unmistakable rage emanating from behind him. On instinct, he quickly summoned a reserve of his precious strength to evade and turn to his would-be assailant; only to be rewarded with an enormous, angry manticore leering at him. It had attempted to swipe at his head with its massive yellow paw, but Nax’s quick reflexes had managed to knock the beast off balance with its own monstrous weight at the miss. With a little time to spare due to his adversary’s clumsiness, Nax promptly gauged his surroundings with renewed focus, and immediately realized his rather ignorant mistake.
Recovering from its missed attack, the manitcore again attempted to protect its young and eviscerate the small ugly creature that had so rudely invaded its territory. Now able to see the manticore even if only vaguely, Nax hastily moved out of the way of the monster’s paw. But the dizziness of fatigue overtook him once again as Nax was unable to see that by evading his opponent’s latest strike, he had unintentionally placed himself directly into the path of the creature’s stinger. With a swift and vicious swing, it brought the great weapon directly down upon its intended target.
As the stinger pierced Nax’s flesh, a fiery searing pain began to overtake him. He could feel the beast’s venom entering his body as it lifted him off the ground. Old battle pains swiftly returned as the effects of the poison began to take hold, forcing his body to begin seizing up on him.
Thinking frantically, Nax quickly bucked his legs against the manticore’s tail, pushing himself not only off the stinger but a decent distance away from his assailant.
While the burning pain of the manitcore’s venom still plagued him, Nax was at the very least free.
He began to run as fast as he could away from the predator, fighting off the effects of the venom. He heard behind him that the manticore was quickly on his heels. At this particular juncture, Nax truthfully did not care for his specific destination. Rather his attention was focusing on the hope that his attacker would tire before he did. His feeble attempts at flying were for naught, as fatigue had made him too tired to even lift himself off the ground - let alone take flight.
As Nax continued his breakneck retreat, his vision began to blur and the sharp distinct shapes of the forest around him began to merge into muddy browns and greens. The venom was quickening its assault upon his body. If he didn't escape this accursed forest soon…Nax’s mind quickly expelled such thoughts as he continued his ceaseless vacation.
Then as if the Dark One himself had willed it, the muddy browns and greens of the Everfree Forest gave way to a distinct, blinding, and sudden white followed by much the brighter green of a pasture and the seamless blue of a cloudless sky.
Nax had found his way out at last.
Knowing that the manticore would not follow him out of the darkness of the forest, Nax unbegrudgingly collapsed onto the soft green grass beneath his feet. Between his fatigue and his hunger, and the venom of the manticore; Nax’s energy had been all but sapped.
But his work was not yet done. He needed a disguise before he could rest. If someone unfriendly found him as he was now, they would likely kill him while he slept (if he even woke up at all). In disguise, even when unconscious, he could at least keep his shape; though that could only last so long without feeding. Nax quickly poured through possible looks. Hundreds of colors, shapes, and builds passed by his mind’s eye; bodies tall and small, fat and skinny, ones with long hair and short hair. He looked over each choice quickly and decisively before moving on to its successor. He needed to be very picky and very careful as he knew he could potentially be in the form for a very long time.
As his mind finally began to fade and grow dark, Nax's mind, now reeling between memories, dreams, and figments, at last decided on a choice and with the last of his strength changed into his new form. He had not the time to check his handiwork as the transformation had finally sapped him beyond measure and Nax eyes surrendered to his fatigue.
As the world began to dim however, his eyes caught sight of a enormous white blur, a creature in his face making a most peculiar squeaking noise. Behind the white blur, there was a smaller yellow one which was approaching him almost hesitantly. Before he could get a clearer view however, his eyes finally closed in unconsciousness and Nax’s mind was at last allowed to wander.
Back to the day when this strange journey of his had begun.
Back to the Battle of Canterlot.