The Clydesdale

by Ocean Heart


A Short Walk Down a Long Path


Cold wind bellowed from the thick brush of the woods, the cloudy day turned into a heavy overcast as the day rolled on, making for quite the intimidating scene. Chance had the understanding that it would be a quick walk into some unusual woods, take some turns here and there and end up at this old castle... not a day trip to Jason's playground. Chance gulped audibly and really began to question what details the princess left out of the speech...

Chance stood on the edge of the forest, his legs shaking slightly and wishing dearly that the sudden winds would stop howling though the trees and creating ghastly images of creatures that might dwell in the wood. Twilight was obviously not eager to enter, but she hid her fears a lot better than the others. Chance wasn't all too eager to as well; once Twilight explained where the ruins were and what kind of things happened and still happen in that area, it didn't sound like the safest place for a pony that attracts attention like he does.. Fluttershy was hiding behind the giant pony and Rainbow Dash tried to shrug off the worry by getting into an argument with Applejack.

"I'm not making fun of him!" Dash shouted.

"Are too! You're putting all kinds of jitter into him with all the stories you keep making up!"

Applejack and Dash butted heads until they were forcibly separated by Pinkie Pie when she jumped between the two with her cheerful ignorance to their anger. The two huffed and glared in opposite directions, leaving it Chance to be the only one really grasping the situation with Twilight.

"So...why am I doing this again?" He said softly.

Dash lighting up and letting out a quick laugh.

"Ha! So the big guy is a scardy pony." She jeered.

Chance flattened his ears and started backing up, Fluttershy all too eager to back up as far away from the forest with him.

"Maybe this just isn't the safest idea...you said there was dangers and stuff, right?"

Twilight rolled her eyes and brought Chance back with a quick levitation spell, dropping him even closer to the edge and standing behind him to make sure he can't back down. The princess gave him a task, the last thing he could do is procrastinate or shirk his duty. So she needed to convince him of that...

"It's okay to be frightened, but the forest can only do so much against a pony of your size. Think about it..."

Chance looked deeper into the woods and felt a little confidence returning from Twilight's words, so he took a deep breath and looked back at the forest...the strength of courage stilling his shaking arms and making him feel ready to take the first step into the dangers...and after taking that first step...a bird shop from the trees and Chance let out a shriek a few octaves higher than he thought possible...

Dash just fell on her back and laughed, Chance felt terrible for losing all his confidence he had to enter the woods to a bird...

"Again with the girly screams!" Pinkie Pie added. "Listen, you need to just tackle this thing head on, don't think about it and just charge in there!"

Chance looked down at the mare behind him and tilted his head, jaw a little slack still from the scare.

"Huh...Just charge in? What if something stops me..?"

"Horsefeathers! Just run in yelling as loud as you can!"

"Pinkie...that might not be the best idea-" Twilight tried to say.

"Get pumped! RAHHHH!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing in the air around Chance.

It made him laugh at least, true, the dangers of the Everfree was something not to be taken lightly...but Pinkie kept cheering until Chance was cheering with her, Rarity getting a little giddy herself with Applejack and Dash both getting into it; Fluttershy was floating in the air now with a small smile, still behind Chance of course...

"Girls...I think-" Twilight said, still trying to reason.

Going unheard as Chance began stomping his hoof for just a moment, taking off full speed and disappearing into the woods faster than Dash could keep up with...the group went silent for a moment,unsure how to act...

"Yay!" Pinkie cried, charging off in his wake.

Now it was on...Dash gave Applejack a determined grin and took on a ready stance, the farm pony scoffing and doing the same; within seconds, the two took off in a race to the ruins. Rarity walked to Fluttershy, the mare still too afraid to just charge into the woods; bringing her gently to Twilight's side... leaving just three to walk...hoping that nothing happens to the other half of the group...

_ _

Chance almost forgot he was even in the most dangerous forest he ever encountered in while he was running; the wind felt indescribable, his body burned with life and he remembered how much fun it was to run back on the farm. The farm...did he really miss it that much...? Just running again made him realize...he wanted to talk to his friends; he wanted to talk to the farm hand. So much is happening around him,Celestia's words of "What he truly desires." started making more sense. Sweet scents of the wood fill his lungs and sweat began to drip down his head once he recalled....he had no idea where the ruins were. Thoughts distracting him to his footing and finding out the hard way that an exposed root was taking the spot he assumed was flat ground..

Chance was sent tumbling though a flowerbed, the giant pony causing a stir in the trees with his fall. Happy that he had a soft landing...unhappy that he still tripped and fell flat on his face. When he sat up, Chance spat out a mouthful of blue flowers.

"Gaugh...gross..."

Using a hoof to fix his mane back in place before he got up. With one look around, Chance smiled a little when he noticed all the flowers in this bed were the same luminescent blue; a little elegant and awe inspiring..

Chance plucked a flower up and looked at it more closely, wondering if any flowers back at the farm ever glowed like these...and after thought, he smiled and laughed a little, sticking it behind his ear and letting out a short laugh when he remembered the post cards of the humans with flowers in their hair looking happy...and at least they we're right about it making him feel better, just whimsical really...until the sound of the mare's echoed into range. Chance tossed the flower out of his mane and rushed to them, keen on not getting caught acting so strange when he was thinking on the past.

Pinkie was waiting for him with a worn out looking Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the two panting and doing their best to show some form of sportsmanship, be it a half smile or nudge on the shoulder.

"Hey! I told you the forest wasn't that scary!!" Pinkie shouted the second she noticed Chance walk into the small clearing.

The stallion shook his head a laughed a little, grimacing when his stomach felt a little off...

"Technically I was peer pressured into coming, meaning the forest is still very much as scary as it was before..."

The pink pony blew him off with a snort and a giggle, bouncing around in circles while...rambling on about something..

Chance felt his head swim, stomach getting worse and eyes starting to unfocus. Walking forward, only to stumble back when his sense of balance was thrown out the window.

"Woah...you okay, sugercube?" Applejack asked softly, putting a hoof on him to steady his standing stumble.

Chance was breathing heavily when he looked up at the sky, the sunlight sending him to the ground with a hard thud and bringing the world around him to a halt....