It’s getting dark now. I really want to find somewhere to stay. At least some sort of roof over my head would be nice. Ginger continued wandering through the forest, looking for potential spots to sleep. All of the trees provided little shelter, and the forest was getting darker by the second.
Great… It’s getting worse. It’s dark now. At least it won’t rain. After all, that would improve my day. She looks up to see if there was indeed any rain, and none came. Alright, I can’t sleep in a tree mostly because I can’t climb up there. Maybe a cave would work, if I could find one. I don’t think making a shelter would be good. I don’t know what nasty things are around at night, but from what I learned in class, caves are usually empty this time of year.
Eyes seemed to sprout from the forest walls as the darkness closed in around Ginger. The distinct sound of a hooting owl was audible, but otherwise, the cries of dozens of animals mixed together into the noise of the true Everfree. Ginger slowly lost confidence in her abilities to stay alive. It’s dark and I still haven’t found a place to sleep. I really don’t know what I will do now. I know there are owls here, but they are unlikely to help me. They have their own problems to deal with. I need to find a cave.
Ginger watches some of the plants, which seem to glow and brighten the forest, making it a world she had never seen before. She could almost see as well as she could in the day. What is this? My classes never taught me about this… And Fluttershy was one of the ponies who went into the Everfree. I guess they didn’t go deep enough…
Looking at one of the plants, she sees that it is a small black bud with a glowing tip. Not wanting to touch it, she breathes in and blows on the flower. The bud bends a bit but returns to place. She drops a leaf on it, to see if it will close or explode. Yet again, nothing happens. Why am I so strangely attracted to this flower? It doesn’t act like any of the other flowers, which use such sweet smells to bring me in… no, this is more like magic. Maybe I need to touch it to send a signal home! I knew they would find me I just knew it! They probably weren’t able to send a search party on the ground because I am too deep in so they got a couple unicorns to make these flowers! I’m ready!
Ginger touches the plant, which stings her hoof. Ginger cries out, “Ow!” Alright, alright, it was necessary; it might just need to make sure it is me. Don’t want some clever manticore getting a free meal do we? No matter the pain, so long as it gets me home. Back to my friends… Whispers begin to emanate from the forest. Ginger cannot make out what they say, but they increase her worry. She shifts her eyes from between the growing bud, and the edge of her vision, where the whispers seem to come from. The bud eventually reaches the size of a large flower, and bursts, leaving a large green orb in its place. The orb floats, and beckons to Ginger to follow.
Okay, so it doesn’t shoot in the sky and tell them where I am. I guess they don’t want other animals to find me too? Staying still in the forest can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing… Ginger looks as if she had just realized something. I must follow the orb because it will lead me back to town! Or at least the closest one where ponies are waiting for me to come out of the forest!
Ginger runs after the orb, which is now whizzing through the forest. With her new-found confidence, the whispers die out. Ginger struggles at times to keep up, but that is because of the occasional root. The sounds of animals slowly die out as she follows the orb father and farther. By now she is sporting several more bruises, but is fine otherwise.
In front of her, and where the green orb had entered, is a large cave, wide enough for a couple of ponies to go through. She enters without a doubt. Well, I guess the orb doesn’t want me wandering through the forest… hehehe… I know they are coming to get me… they wouldn’t leave a filly in the forest. They know I have to be here. Where else could I be?
Moving through the cave, things get weirder and weirder. The walls seem to become covered in some strange green slime. Strange clicking noises seem to come from deeper in the cave. Fear begins to crawl up Ginger’s spine. She shivers for a moment, trying to dispel the fear, thinking that this is where she is supposed to go. A voice calls out, her friend Archer whispers to her, “Come deeper, we are all here… waiting for you. We’ve missed you so much. Come back…”
Ginger smiled, “Yes! I am finally home! Archer! Where are you? I’m coming!” She gallops deeper into the cave, the clicking increases in volume getting louder and louder until Ginger cannot even hear herself think anymore. Strange eyes line the walls, which follow her movements. She sees Archer, sitting at the end of the cave, on a small throne.
Archer says, “Sleep now Ginger. You are safe. You have gotten everything you desire, you are home now. Sleep, and your wildest dreams will come true tonight.”
Ginger’s eyes seemed to grow heavy, her weariness catching up with her. The clicking died down until it sounded like the ocean. She could hear her friend, and that was all she needed. I can sleep now. I am finally home. All I could ever want. This was a great adventure.
Just before closing her eyes a final time, she hears the roar of a fire, and sees her friend turn into some sort of monster from her nightmares. The thing was cloaked, if only for a second in green fire, in the same color as the friendly orb that brought her here. It had holes in its hooves, and it was completely black. The fangs seemed to curve like knives to Ginger. Her eyes shot open, and she looked around the room in fear. Fear had awakened her senses to this nightmare.
Countless ponies trapped in green cocoons, squirming, made Ginger wet the floor. She almost began to scream, instead turning around and running. She could hear her friend’s voice calling to her from behind, “Don’t leave, we can be together forever, just like you wanted. They won’t look for you. I am the only one who cares anymore… I… I love you. Please don't leave. We only want what you want: peace. They are happy now. They live their wildest adventures, their greatest desires... We only want you to be happy. That is what we can make you”
Ginger could no longer hear the monster with her friend’s voice as she screamed. Hooves and other monsters like the one on the throne shot out of the walls, shambling towards her, asking for love, demanding it.
The end of the cave was in reach, the monsters gaining on her, changing into her friends, family, calling to her to slow down, to wait, and to sleep. She kept galloping, her heart broken, and her fear at a maximum.
She broke out of the cave, into the night. She stumbled through the forest, only seeing more glowing green buds, beckoning her touch.
Moving through the forest, she hid at times, waiting for the sound of her friends to pass. She was beginning to cry, leaving a path of blue buds in her wake. She could eventually hear the sounds of the forest again, the cries of many different animals. She tripped on a root, and fell under a tree.
She climbs out, and cries. I almost fell for it. They were so like them. All I wanted to do was go back home. What did the monster say though about them not caring? I know they care, they will find me, I know they will.
Her tears finally dried, and a small patch of blue buds grown where the tears had fallen, she moves back to the tree. This could make decent shelter. It was pretty roomy down there. I can gather sticks to make it seem as though the tree is whole, and there is nothing underneath it.
Gathering sticks, she sets about her work creating her home away from home. The sticks were leaned against the open spots, and eventually her work was finished.
Now, is the next step… fire. It is kind of chilly outside so fire would be nice right now… Or maybe a fireplace like back home. I know that they are looking for me… but what did the monster mean? Is there truth in the thing’s words?