//------------------------------// // Chapter One- Destiny Awaits // Story: Legends Of The Everfree // by MLPxMaestro //------------------------------// Legends Of The Everfree: Chapter One- Destiny Awaits: There was a nip in the air at the time of night it was, three in the morning, and not a moment too soon. Geronimo could’ve sworn he heard the noises the locals have been talking about. A Bat Pony’s screech is more distinct than a regular bat, much louder that’s for certain. “Psst! Hey…Pris, you hear that?” stopping her in place right next to him. “What, your stomach?” she chuckled. Stopping that moment in the Everfree Forest was like time had stopped, nothing could be heard for a while now. They heard rustling within some of the trees as they proceeded through the thick vegetation, but couldn’t make out as what it could’ve been? Geronimo then brought out his map stowed away in his hat, and quickly spreading it across the mildly damp forest floor. “You’re going to ruin our map you know right?” Dr. Terra situated her glasses a bit. *Grumble* Geronimo’s stomach could be heard then growling, the echo being carried through the dense forest. “You’re hu-” “Dang it Pris I know I’m hungry! I haven’t eaten for almost a whole day now.” him unaware of how just loud he spoke at that moment. “Well I have some snacks i packed if y-” “I’m fine, I’ll eat when I find the rumored location.” He interrupted her again. For another hour they continue into the darkness with nothing but a torch lighting their way. Timberwolves wouldn’t bother to mess with them, since they were afraid of fire. As they ventured further into the forest however, something didn’t seem right. “Is this place even documented? I don’t even know where the heck we are?” Geronimo states looking all around him, but nothing signifying they were into uncharted territory yet, making Pris feel a bit uneasy now. “Um…Gero?” she called him for short. “Yes, something wrong?” pointing the torch back in her direction now. “Do you have a feeling, well…” she then looked back off into another direction. “Like we’re being watched? Pfft, that happens everywhere we go Pris, hah!” “I know but this time just feels so…different. Don’t you feel it too?” With her saying this, it caused him to stop and take a closer look around them. “Yeah you’re right, it’s not like the feeling we’ve gotten before.” He replied. Just as he said this, a rustle could be heard in one of the trees just up ahead of them. “What the?!” he shined the torch over to the area where the noise was coming from, but he was too late as for what it could have been. “Let’s keep moving forward okay? This is getting kind of weird. Do your little glasses adjustment thingy you always do and let’s move on.” “Ahem? I beg your pardon?” “Oh…sorry, I could’ve sworn that a big shadowy figure was right behind me, probably just my imagination.” He replied to her again. “Hmph, I was going to scan this small area over here.” She gestured. “But sure, let’s keep-.” She was then interrupted by him again, as she felt a firm grab on her tail. “Mother of Celestia!” he yells out, barely keeping himself balanced, but losing it immediately afterward. “What are you- WAAAAAAH!!!” she and he end up then falling into a deep waterhole, luckily missing some sharp rocks that guarded the entrance and parts of the hole on the way down. The waterhole was luckily deep enough for them both so they wouldn’t be injured on the way down. With them both coming back up to resurface, Geronimo spews out water all over Dr. Terra’s face, causing her to lose her glasses again just as she managed to barely keep them on. “Oh…my bad.” He stares off whistling in another direction. “No comment Geronimo, you are truly a brave explorer. One who fearlessly grabs onto tails and takes them with you to places they have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE THEY ARE!” she raises her voice, causing a long extended echo throughout the supposed empty place. “Um wait a sec…you just echoed?” “Duh, of course I…wait a moment, I did echo didn’t I? I didn’t know we were in a cave? It’s just so dark down here, I can’t see my hoof in front of my face.” Their chatter continuing as they paddle around the waterhole, trying to find land until… “Wait…do you hear something?” he stopped, as he luckily managed to feel wet rocky land. “If it’s your stomach again, I could care less.” Dr. Terra replied in the total darkness. “Well…okay that too, but…uh oh.” With that said, they hear what sounded like a huge swarm of bats heading straight towards them, but sounding like it was coming from all directions. “Aw heck naw!” Geronimo now starting to freak out as to what would happen to them next. But Dr. Terra didn’t do anything really, but simply waded in the water, and listened to the sound. “Wait a second, that doesn’t sound like no ordinary bat, it sounds…larger!” she says within her mind. “Gero? I don’t think these are ordinary bats, they sound a lot larger.” “Oh great, pony sized pony eating bats, what’s gonna happen next huh?! Am I gonna become a kabob for them too?!” Simple lamps to their big surprise, illuminate the entire area from where they’re currently in, and what they see drive them to nothing more than speech impediments…or for Geronimo that’d be the case anyhow. “B-b-b-bat p-p-p-ponies?!?” Geronimo’s hoof shivers as it points at them. Full of shock, seeing all of those amber eyes directly locked onto the two of them in curiosity, but also full of unthinkable excitement that what they both came for after all of these- “Quiet narrator! We just made history here you know!” Dr. Terra exclaims. Oh, my bad…