//------------------------------// // Book One: 160 Days // Story: Painted Mirror // by Lord of Turtles //------------------------------// His muscles burned, his feet throbbed, and his breath rasped as he ran. A bramble snagged his pants and tore a gash in the material. A passive part of his mind noticed, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Running was all his mind could focus on. The bramble was the first of many and he soon found himself passing through one of the scattered acres of the Everfree that was choked with the things. As he moved he whipped his staff back and forth, parting lengths of razored vines. Behind him he heard snuffs and grunts of effort as the hulking beast chasing him plowed through the thicket. He vaulted hard off of a log, sailing further than intended. He grimaced and twisted in midair to try and avoid a tree that was growing closer. He struck it hard with a shoulder, tearing his shirt and bruising skin. Balance lost, he hit the ground and went into a roll, somehow keeping a tight grip on his staff. He started to cry out but he swallowed it, replacing the scream with a low hiss. He clutched the joint, which was already feeling hot and raw. A sudden crack snapped his attention back to the creature pursuing him. A tree a short distance behind him was simply ripped aside as a chitinous monster barreled through. On pure instinct he hopped back, covering an amount of distance that startled him. His back pressed against a rock, halting his retreat. The beast covered the distance with long strides and rose to its full height before lunging, trying to close shelled paws over him. He couldn't see it, but he could smell the caustic stink of its musk and feel the wet heat of its panting breath. Blindly, he lunged the tip of his staff upwards and was rewarded by a hollow clunk as it hit the roof of the thing's mouth. The beast coughed and leaned back, trying the rid itself of the rod shoved in its mouth. He leaned into it and the creature rolled back, striking the ground with a great crash amidst snarls, hums, and growls. He took the chance and rolled back over the rock, staggered a little, then came up in a sprint. A part of his mind screamed at him how close the beast came to bearing him down and finishing him off in that one little moment, but he pushed that thought down as best he could and stooped into a loping run. A few seconds of running later and he saw a phosphorescent glow on a tree in the shape of an X. As soon as he saw it he put on the brakes and hopped to the base of it. He only had a few seconds to wait before the creature came thundering into the clearing, crying and roaring its fury. It scanned the area and saw him standing in the open, back to the heavy tree. The massive beast warbled something and broke into an immediate charge at him, wet carapace flashing in the meager light. The insect brain in the thing's chitinous skull figured out that going for the hug before was a mistake, a folly of instinct. It was simply going to bowl him over, trample him with its shelled bulk and be done with him. That was the creature's plan. Then it set paw on the patch of dirt before the man and it simply fell. The massive creature snapped any twigs and branches that fell in the path of it’s fall. The beast rolled once in the air and landed at the bottom of the pit with a heavy thud. It growled with pain and frustration. Warily, he moved to the edge of the pit and peered down at it. A thin shower of moonlight stabbed down, showing the creature rising to its paws and standing up at the wall of its prison. It saw him looking down at it and roared, rage giving it’s volume a purpose. Blunt, heavy claws ripped at the sides, letting loose a wash of soil and stones as it cried and screamed. The creature was livid, but still trapped. He let out a calming breath, a wave of relief drooping his muscles. His hand wiped at the dirt stuck to the beads of sweat on his brow. He muttered “It worked, holy... it actually worked. Wonder how long he'll be trapped down there.” Zecora melted out of the foliage, lightly stepping up next to him and looking down at the trapped beast. “In time, he will learn to claw out of the dirt, but for now- oh Raj, you're hurt!” Her eyes widened when she saw the oozing scratches on his upper body, as well as the dozens of incidental abrasions he acquired running through the Everfree at night. Raj waved her attention off. “We'll worry about it later. For now, let's go.” She hesitated, then nodded. She followed after him at a light jog, traveling along the path of destruction wrought by their pursuer. It didn't take long before they stumbled upon a tree that was entirely taken over by a yellow growth to the point the thing resembled nothing less than an enormous, waxen mushroom. Plants on all sides were torn away, chewed up to build the hive clinging to the branches, leaving a barren clearing in a wide area. Approaching the waxy trunk, the caustic smell merged with damp rot to create a uniquely foul stink. Zecora mumbled a few things in her own tongue, reciting instructional rhymes as she inspected a drooping section of the parasitic hive. She pressed a hoof against the substance experimentally and found a soft spot. She set jars underneath the sac and sliced it with a small knife, releasing a cascade of pungent, yellow slime. She coughed heavily and almost gagged. “Ugh, I have been harvesting Bugbear honey since I was a girl, but the smell always makes me want to hurl!” She pressed a hoof to her face and bulged her cheeks. A moment later the smell hit her companion's nostrils and he couldn't help but agree. He settled for breathing from his mouth and closed his eyes to hide from the sudden acid stinging that came to them. For a minute, there was nothing but the nauseating splash of the honey flowing into the jar and the background static of insects supping on their sweat. They both heard a wet, ripping sound come from above. Together they looked up to see a section of the hive twitching and shuddering, right above where the trunk split into a Y. “...Is uhh. Is that normal?” He asked, feeling a pit drop in his stomach. Zecora's eyes widened. “This is not great, it seems the beast has found a mate!” She started to backpedal, moving out from under the waxen overhang. A mass larger than both of them put together slopped to the ground, rolling away and spraying larva. With a groggy roar the female Bugbear stood on four legs, shaking a layer of goop and bug-juice from her chitinous hide. Raj flicked his staff up, pointing it at the giant insect “Quick Zecora, can these things be reasoned with?” She shot him a crazed look. “No! Bugbears exist for two things, and two things only: To guard their hive, and to eat the flesh of ponies!” He spat a curse and shouted “I'll distract it, get the honey!” He moved to the side, waving his staff and shouting to get the Bugbear's attention. The creature's multifaceted eyes followed his movement and a buzzing growl grew in it’s chest, louder and fiercer than anything her husband had mustered. Without the thick canopy blocking the moon, he could finally see this creature in full. It was the same general size and shape of a grizzly bear, but the similarities ended there. Instead of fur it had mottled plates of carapace with sickly green bristles of hair jutting between the layers. A cluster of glossy compound eyes bristled along its skull set over a lamprey mouth, a pair of twitching, grasping mandibles on either side of the undulating hole. He backpedaled, trying to create distance between it and Zecora. Before he made it twelve steps, the Bugbear was on him, swiping wide with a clawed paw. He dodged back, the edge of the claws opening a trio of tiny cuts over his sternum. He sidestepped the next swipe and shuffled back out of the thing's reach. The Bugbear reared up and lunged, its hind legs chewing at the earth. It was propelled forward, forelegs wide and mandibles grasping. A surge of fear struck him and he flexed his legs, launching upwards. Catching itself, the Bugbear had a moment to wonder where the intruder had gone before Raj landed directly on her back, cracking a wide plate with his staff. The sudden force drove her into the ground with a pained roar. He planted a hand on her back, feeling a tuft of hair and finding it to be more akin to cactus needles, and pushed off. He landed nimbly behind the creature and settled into a battle stance again. Lumbering to her feet, the Bugbear shook confusion from its insect brain. It lumbered around, seeing the intruder in her domain and charged again, bellowing rage. He nodded slightly, waiting for a moment. Just as he came into her reach, he dove to the side and into a roll. He looked up, expecting the see the beast rounding on him but saw nothing but moonlit night. The creature had gone running right past him. He had forgotten one thing. A pretty important thing. This creature looked like a bug, but it was also a bear, and bears protect their young. “Zecora!” The Bugbear was making a beeline for the Zebra, who was still occupied harvesting the goop from the tree. He broke into a sprint. “Zecora, run!” She looked up and her face washed over with horror, a jar slipping from her hooves and shattering on a root. She screamed and galloped, speeding away from the bestial insect. Through the thick undergrowth of the Everfree Forest at night, a Bugbear could bluster its way through swifter than his two legs could ever carry him. But over open terrain, Raj was faster. All he had to do is get close enough to strike a leg, get her to slow down. He was gaining ground, almost in reach. He could see the spot to hit, a soft spot right above the knee. He choked down on his staff, ready to swing. A cracking sound came from the Bugbear's back and a sextet of long, gossamer wings unfolded from among the plates. They beat at the air furiously, lifting the creature into the air. Raj gaped “It has wings? Why does it have wings?!” The Bugbear Mother didn't answer and started zipping hard at the fleeing Zebra, outpacing her pursuer completely. The beast closed on her, claws reaching when he shouted “Zecora, down!” The warning ended up saving her life. Her legs went out from underneath her, and her belly ground along the dirt, a grimace twisting her face. Fetlocks came up to cover her eyes. The grasping Bugbear roared with frustration as it zoomed over her prone form close enough to graze her mohawk. The wings snapped shut and it's claws dug into the earth, slowing it down. Pleasantly surprised by the lack of rending she was experiencing, Zecora pulled her head up to see the Bugbear less than two body-lengths from her prone position. She bolted upright with panicked speed and started to pull back, her flurry of hooves churning soil but unable to find any grip. The Bugbear grabbed hold of her mane with a scabrous claw and hauled her back, despite the Zebra's writhing and kicking. The creature lifted her up and grasped her flank. It raised the panicking zebra overhead and stood at full height. The Zebra's hooves flailed wildly at the air, a terrible fear burning in her eyes as the creature lowered her body to flexing hook-teeth. Screaming wordlessly, Raj flew at the thing like he was hurled from a catapult. Passing underneath Zecora, he drove the tip of his staff into the Bugbear's chest with enough force to crack the plate and impale her on the first few inches of blunt wood. Before it could even react he landed and withdrew his weapon, bringing the end into a looping swing that struck the creature directly in the face, cracking chitin and fang. The powerful strike blew the creature onto its back and released Zecora from its claws. She dropped a short distance and landed in an outstretched arm. Zecora stammered something fearful and scrambled away, not even bothering to look back at the creature that was seconds away from tearing open her gullet. He watched her go, taking guilty note of the weeping punctures on her flank. He glowered and turned back to the Bugbear. The creature was unsteady on its paws. It made feeble, pained sounds as it shook it's plated head, knocking loose a spray of dripping humour from dozens of cracks in its carapace. He let out a breath and lowered the tip of his staff. “I don't know if you can understand me creature... But I'm going to try anyway.” The Bugbear ceased shaking and stared at him, huffing slightly. He couldn't tell if it was comprehending him or if it was just simply wary of him now. Keeping his eyes on the monster, he continued “On the off chance you are a creature of intellect, I'm going to tell you this: I require that honey. I need it for reasons that I cannot explain. It is up to you if you let me have it, or if I take it from you.” The Mother Bugbear tilted its head like it was contemplating for a scant second before it answered with a roar louder than any it had released, strong enough to shake the ground and make ripples in the water. Rows of grasping teeth undulated and twisted as a lone mandible clutched at the air, the other hanging limply. Wings snapped out of her back and beat the air, accelerating her chitinous bulk arrow-fast. He stood ready, waiting, his staff steady and low. The Bugbear was close enough for him to see his reflection in her mottled hide when he made his move, gliding to the side fluidly. His weapon swept into a wide arc that dropped directly onto the nape of the Bugbear's neck with a loud snap. The creature's face hit the dirt and ground, trenching a wide furrow in the barren soil. Her momentum swung her body tumbling end over end as she slipped into an ungainly, bouncing roll for a dozen body-lengths. She slid to a stop against a small outcrop of stone, her jaw lolling obscenely and limbs twitching. Raj paused, watched, and breathed. The length of wood slipped out of his nerveless fingers and he slumped to the ground. His muscles were twitching and shaking, coming down from the high of combat with a weary grin. Palm pressed against his forehead, he called out “Zecora, it's safe. You can come out now.” Once again he didn't perceive the Zebra until she was right next to him. She was pressing her side against his shoulder. “The Bugbear mother gave me quite a fright. Raj my friend, are you alright?” He nodded, wisps of a manic grin still on his face. She cocked an eyebrow, an ear flicking, but didn't press. “Very well if you are certain, on this journey, I will close the curtain.” She started to trot over to the hive where a few jars of pungent honey sat, waiting to be collected. With that done they plunged back into the Everfree. *** They arrived at Zecora's hut in short order, encountering nothing more threatening than an owl and a few of protruding roots on their way back. Upon seeing her home the Zebra noticeably relaxed and let out a pleased sigh. She walked to the door and pushed it open with a hoof. As soon as it swung wide a brown blur zoomed out of the hut barking furiously. It skidded to a halt in front of Raj and leaned into his knees, panting and yelping. He smiled tiredly and knelt down “Hey Banjo.” The chocolate lab started furiously licking his face, tail wagging with enough force to swing his entire rear-end. Zecora chuckled “He seems to have missed you while we roamed, now let's hope he's not made a mess of my home!” She stepped into the building, gesturing for Raj to follow after her. The night outside the hut was muggy and hot, but the inside was absolutely stifling. A fire crackled merrily beneath Zecora's cauldron and a morass of green liquid sizzled and roiled at the rim, filling the hut with cloying steam the color of grass. Raj slid a stop under the door to ease away the smothering heat and dropped the knobbed staff against the frame. Zecora pulled one of the jars from her saddlebag and starts pouring it in the boiling liquid. She spoke around the jar “We will not need to bother the bears anytime soon, there is enough honey here to keep us both safe for many, many moons.” “That's good to hear. I do not want to fight that thing again.” He settled onto a stool vastly undersized for him and leaned into a wall. His dog set his head on his thigh in an demand for petting. The last of a jar slumped into the cauldron, turning the boiling jelly into a pool of glittering, jade colored oil. “Indeed, that beast seemed quite tough. My thanks you have, though it is not enough. I have made this trip often my friend, this time though I would have met my end. The one Bugbear I have dealt with on many occasion, but the female was a new part of the equation.” She grabbed a long spoon in her mouth and started stirring the pot. He frowned lightly “You'd have managed, I'm sure.” He pointed a thumb at the staff next to the door. “You want me to put that back where I found it?” She eyed the consistency of the brew for a moment before looking up. “Hmm, actually, you may keep it. I haven't had need of it in quite a bit.” He smiled at her, secretly hoping she would say that. “Thank you Zecora. That thing packs a wallop!” Zecora chuckled a bit. “Yes, Ironoak is no joke.” “I guess not. So the repellant will be ready in the morning?” “A few hours and it will, all it needs is to be still. ”She tilted a bucket of water on the cauldron's base, smothering the flame. “Now then, let me see to your wounds. They are unclean, and must be treated soon.” “I'm fine. Just need some sleep.” He stood up. She turned to him “Before you go, there is one thing you should know. A Bugbear's claws are filthy things, an infection they will bring.” She grabbed a small jar off her bench and set it in his hand. “On your wound put this paste and do so with great haste.” He inspected the little jar, sniffing the contents and finding them suitably foul. “Thanks Zecora.” The Zebra smiled at him warmly and ushered him out of her hut. He'd long since memorized the path well enough to navigate in the gloomy forest. In a short time, he strode into the small slice of the Everfree he had claimed for himself. Everything was as he left it, but he made a patrol to be certain. The firepit was cold and black and the laundry on the line was accounted for and stowed. His store of food hung from a net looped over a tree. He lowered it and checked to see if any of the Everfree's creatures had taken to it. It was secure, but he did note that there wasn’t but a little there. He realized that he needed to go foraging the next day. The camp secure, he then inspected his car. The front end was still crushed, wrapped partially around the trunk of a  large tree. He readied himself and popped the trunk, prepared to leap back but was relaxed when nothing emerged. A raccoon nested in there once weeks ago and he had been cautious ever since. He extracted a bottle of water and downed the entire thing in one, long draught. He cracked another and gave it to his dog, sucking down the other half himself. Until he had the chance, he hadn't realized it'd been hours since he had anything to drink. He replaced them and noted, annoyed, that he would need water as well. Raj applied some of Zecora's ointment on his multiple scratches, pasting over it with oily leaves he found in a swamp. It felt odd for certain, a sort of cold numbness. He couldn't decide if he liked it or not. He considered combing his hair, but the grime on his hands and the bandages on his limbs convinced him to just sleep with it in the patka. He promised himself that he would take care of it in the morning, but knew that he was probably lying to himself. With all of his chores done with, he set out for one last duty. He went far behind his car to a very curious tree. In truth, it was not just one, but two set more than a dozen feet apart, arching towards each other to form a perfect semi-circle half as tall as his sizable frame. That alone would be curious, but what he found even stranger was that the wood of the trees emitted a faint light, the color of ivory, enough to be seen from a distance. He's wandered across a good portion of the Everfree and he'd seen no other example of this tree anywhere else, only here, near his makeshift camp. He laid a hand on the bark and found it was still noticeably warm to the touch, slightly warmer than his skin. He remembered when it was blazing hot, too hot to touch with bare skin. It stayed that way for days. He sighed with a mix of relief and frustration that he hadn't missed anything. The last task seen to, he laid in the backseat of the sedan, pulling his bun of hair to the side so he could lay on his back. Banjo flopped beneath the dashboard, huddled under the deployed cavity that once held an airbag. In the very faint light, Raj removed the cap on a marker and drew a slash on the ceiling next to a forest of others. His sleepy mind occupied itself counting them, and the last thought that floated through his fatigued brain was that today was the four month anniversary of his entrapment in Equestria.