//------------------------------//
// The lessons begin 
// Story: The Hardest Lesson 
// by Exodus45 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight, Fluttershy, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Pinky Pie and Rarity all gathered on the edge of the Everfree Forest where the first way point of the map was listed. The map was exquisitely drawn. With the amount of detail put into the drawings alone would months if not years to accomplish. The pathway led a serpentine path through the forest. The ponies were happy to see that not only was Zecora's hut listed on the map, it was the first checkpoint. The one after was labeled Glee. After Glee there was a drawn sign with an arrow leading off the page saying 'To the COLC'. 

They had retrieved some supplies for the trip from the Royal Supply Depot.  The supplies included tents, packs, and food rations for a ten day journey. They were given a cart to haul their supplies which the six had agreed to take turns pulling, however Apple Jack was determined to pull the cart for the duration of the expedition.

The definition of 'The COLC' escaped Twilight. She studied the map intently to see if she could derive an answer from other information listed on the map with little success. From her studies of the forest in the library she knew that few ponies ever dared venture through the Everfree Forest and those who did seldom returned. What ever laid on the other side of the forest was shrouded in mystery still to this day.

Twilight stuck her hoof out to take the first step into the forest. She held it out for a second and then slowly pulled it back. Twilight had been on many of adventures with her friends before however none were ever as dire as this one. The stress was astounding as she contemplated leaving her friends in Ponyville. Twilight did not know what dangers laid ahead or if she would be able to protect her friends from them. With her eyes closed she hung her head limply feeling her eyes well up. She slowly turned her head to see her friends lined up behind her. They looked to her with smiles and voiceless support. “I...”, Twilight started to say.

“There is noting to say Twilight. We are here with you until the end”, Fluttershy said.

A wavering smile appeared on Twilight's face edged by a few tears, “Thank you, everypony.” Twilight took her first step followed by a second. With in a short amount of time she was running down the over grown path to Zecora's hut.

They could smell it long before they arrived at the hut. The smell of infected wounds and death hung thick in the air. Twilight was the first to see the carnage of what was left of Zecora. The bones from her chest were stripped bare leaving the exposed ribcage propped up on her four legs. Polls had been skewered through her front and rear legs along the bone exiting through a frayed hole in each hoof to maintain the rigidity of the legs. The head was removed from what was left of he corpse and impaled on a stake, her eyes, nose, mouth and ears were stuffed with straw. Inside of the ribcage was a metal box and the words written in dried blood on the hut behind the display read 'Open Me'.

The sight had turned the stomachs of the ponies and they quickly retreated back the way they came until they were out of sight of the display. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinky Pie took turns vomiting behind bushes along the path. 

“Why? She was not involved! Why would he do that!”, Twilight said between dry heaves.

“Stalic put it on the map for a reason. He wanted us to see it”, Rainbow Dash said. “Did you see the box?”

Twilight shook off the last bit of vomit and nodded. “We are going to have to get that. I am missing the next part of the map.”

Slowly and carefully, Twilight approached the hut again. She let out a loud belch from another dry heave when the vile display came into view. As she approached the corpse display she found that maggots had already been implanted in the exposed meat that was left on the legs. The dirt on the ground was cracking from the dried blood. She started thinking of a plan to remove the metal box with out disturbing the remains. 

Twilight tried to remove the box from the corpse with magic. Despite her best efforts the box would not move from it's location. Perplexed as to why her magic didn't work, Twilight sought out another way to extract the box. She saw a square handle on the side facing what would have been the front of the ribcage. Leaning in carefully she grasped the handle of the box with her mouth. A heavy iron taste filled her mouth either from the box or from the blood. With a quick tug the box dislodged from the ribcage tipping the display, spilling the maggots and putrefied meat.

Caring the box in her mouth the whole way, Twilight quickly rejoined the group of other ponies. She dumped the box out her mouth in the center of the group, jarring the lid open. Twilight looked on the ground at the spilled continence of the box. There was another piece of parchment along with six individually colored vials. Twilight levitated the parchment out from under the vials and read it out loud.

“My dearest Twilight Sparkle,

Ah, so you found my first lesson to you. Can you guess the value of this lesson? Nah, I am sure you re too busy having a good time. The lesson is I am dead serious about only you and your five friends tagging along on this trek of yours.

But every lesson has a good side to it! The vials in the box are for each of you. The colors match the color of your coats. Since it is hard to make shades out of food coloring, Rarity, yours is clear (don’t worry, I didn't skimp on the sugar). I know that you will all be good little ponies and drink the vials. It is not a trap, not this time anyway. Think of them as a communication device. I will be able to hear you just like you will be able to hear me. I would hate to have to teach a lesson on how to follow simple instructions.

So if you are looking for the next piece of the map, you are going to have to speak to Glee. By the time you got here I am sure he has done a good job at clearing out a path for you. I doubt that you will run into any woodland creatures, but hey, that is a good thing right?

So pop your vials (those of you with magic may have to help your friends with out thumbs).

Look forward to talking to you,

Stalic”

“I don't know if I want to talk to this jerk if he sounds anything like his letters”, Rainbow Dash said.

“We are all drinking the vials. I don't want any of you becoming a 'lesson' for this madpony”, Twilight said picking up the vial with purple liquid and removed the cork lid. She put the rim of the vial to her lips and tasted just a drop on her tongue. The sweet liquid had a slight grape flavor to it. It occurred to Twilight that this was all just a sick game to the pony they were dealing with as she drank the rest of the vial. She then proceeded to help Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack with their vials while Rarity helped Pinky Pie and Fluttershy.

“How do we know if it worked? I think I might need another! It tasted like candy”, Pinky Pie exuberantly said.

“Why don't you go and check Zecora's corpse for another vial Pinky”, Rainbow Dash snapped back at her. Pinky Pie recoiled back from what she said, remembering the circumstances of which they found the vials.

“AH SNAP”, a disembodied voice said. There was no clear direction from where the voice was coming from but that didn't stop the ponies from looking around. “I assure you Pinky Pie, they are working.” 

“Is that you Stalic” Twilight shouted setting up a fighting stance.

“Uh, no. This is Pizza Peat's. Of course it is Stalic! Who else could build nanorobots that not only pick up what you are saying but allow you to hear what I am saying? You think that kind of technology is easy”, the was a brief pause, “Or cheap?”

“Give us the cure, stop this madness”, Twilight shouted again.

“Now Twilight, you know you can't just ask a teacher for an A, you have to do the work first”, Stalic's voice chuckled. “Now I recommend that you get moving and stop talking with yourselves. There is a couple of princesses that need your help.”

Twilight looked to the rest of the group. Biased on the expressions, she assumed that they too had heard the conversation. She rolled up the parchment and shoved it in her saddle bag next to the map.

“Let's go talk to this Glee guy and get that map”, Twilight said with new found determination.

The group slowly approached Zecora's hut. The gore pile did not have the same shock affect on the ponies as it originally had. Although they had become desensitized to what had happened, Rarity wretched as she pondered what the liquid dripping out of the legs from the toppled display was. They briefly paused in front of the hut to silently pay their final respects. Twilight retrieved a spare blanket from the cart and laid it over the corpse before they continued.

Stalic had been right. There was a clear cut path through the forest from Zecora's hut. Trees and plants that lined the floor of the forest had been cleared to allow for a dirt path to be constructed. The canopy above was casting patchwork shadows on the ground obscuring random roots that rutted the path. Along the way they found remains of dead animals. It was too late to determine what they were. Rot had set in disfiguring any recognizable features. As they advanced along the path the piles of gore became more fresh, but the manner of which they were killed left them unrecognizable. 

Dusk had fallen over the ponies as they entered a clearing in the woods. Fresh gore piles were scattered all around the clearing with out a defined cause. On the opposite side of the clearing there was an opening that lead to a field on the other side. The ponies stopped in the center of the clearing and looked for Glee.

“Glee”, Twilight said almost in a whisper.

The sound of snapping twigs came from the right of the opening to the field. A large creature was pulling it's self down out of a tree. The creature moved in a sickly manner with jerky unsure steps. The raspy breathing could be heard from where the ponies stood. As it worked it's way to the center of the clearing the group got a clear look at the creature. It was an abomination with a snake's head, ripped at the seams violently stitched over with scars. The body was a patchwork of pony flesh stapled together with heavy gauge staples. The legs were those of large dogs stained red and clotted with blood. As it shambled over to the group of ponies it leaked a mixture of blood and black ooze that wreaked of hate and pain.

“Glee we need the map”, Twilight said slowly backing away from the creature.

The creature advanced towards Twilight unfazed by what she had said. The other ponies parted ways around the creature as it advanced. It did not take notice of anypony but Twilight and walked right into the middle of the group.

“Glee, we were told we needed to talk to you about the map” Twilight said.

With out warning the creature pulled back it's claw and swung it counter intuitively at Rainbow Dash. The claw sliced the thin skin on Rainbow Dash's chest. Blood formed a dome over the wounds and then continued to bleed from the lower part of the wound. Rainbow Dash reeled back from the attack with a scream of surprise and pain. She wobbled back and laid on the ground her wings unfurled laying on either side of her. Blood began pooling under Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow” Twilight shouted. 

Twilight focused her magic on lifting the creature. She was sure that she had managed to grab the entire creature but when she lifted it, only the staples lifted and left the abomination. The skin of the creature peeled off revealing a makeshift bone structure. As the skin draped off the creature writhed in pain making choking sounds as it thrashed wildly. As it swung around the blood mixture drained out of the creature. After a few short moments of suffering, the creature perished. 

“It should have just given us the map” Twilight said tearing up. Even though the creature attacked and hurt one of her friends, the actions that she took to kill it weighed heavily on her. Her attention turned to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow! Are you ok?”

The other ponies had gathered around Rainbow Dash. They had managed to stop the bleeding but she was still unresponsive. Twilight used a simple healing spell to help the blood coagulate and ease the pain.

“Twilight, we should camp for the night in the field. We don't know how RD is faring but rest would do her some good”, Apple Jack said. Twilight nodded in agreement. Rarity used her magic to lift Rainbow Dash out of the clearing and into the field. The other ponies busied themselves with setting up tents. 

Twilight walked over to the abomination and looked through the remains. It was clear that this creature was not born but constructed. The bone structure was held together with crude rivets, in some cases cracking the bones they went through. Some of the organs appeared to be heavily damaged; while others looked as if they were added as an afterthought, not connected to anything, just thrown in. What ever drove this creature to live could not have been pleasant spending what ever life it had in agony. 

There was a floating white piece of parchment in the slop of the abomination's innards. Twilight lifted it out. “The City of Lost Children” was written in black ink. The parchment was folded four times and upon unfolding it Twilight found the next part of the map. This part of the map was just as detailed as the other part. Also like the other piece of the map she had the path lead to another section which Twilight assumed she had to obtain. Unlike the other map there was an Inn outlined in the map with a drawn picture of the face of a creature that Twilight had seen when she went through the magic mirror to retrieve her crown from Sunset Shimmer. The inscription below the picture was “This man can help you”.

“I call this lesson: Killing is easy”, the voice of Stalic said. Twilight didn't respond.