Bond Remedy wakes up to another great delight: being home in his own bed. Applejack has always been a great sport and drinking buddy, and even though Bond Remedy isn't as heavyweight as she is, she’s always willing to help him home after a night out. As Bond lies in his bed smiling warmly, a sharp pain surges through his muscles and head.
“Hangover.” Bond utters, as he attempts to get up from his bed to fetch a toilet or sink he can hurl in. As he leaves his bathroom and stumbles towards the kitchen, he finds several photos strewn on his kitchen table. Clearly he’s been moping over them last night, as several shot glasses and an empty bottle of brandy lies around the pile. A lot of the photos are blurry, and dark, but mostly contain a dark grey pony doing various thing around Ponyville. It’s not something Bond Remedy is proud of, but it’s something he can’t help himself in doing.
Bond leaves his home; the late morning sun‘s rays against his eyes are like hot knives against his temples. With a sour mood, he heads towards the closest restaurant he can find. As he walks in to the thankfully quiet and modest environment, he sits down and looks at the menu. Bond’s face lights up as he looks up and down the menu, deciding which meal he’s going to devour in the next 10 minutes. At the corner of his eyes, he notices a pony approaching his table.
“I’ll have a BLT, please.” Bond orders, without looking up from his menu. “With a side order of sweet potato fries and I’d like the Broccoli grilled please. And just some water would be great, thank you.”
“It’s me you idiot.” the pony replies with a feminine but gruff tone. “Hung-over again?” the pony sits down across from Bond and grabs the menu from his hands without an opportunity for Bond to look up. His vision is a little fuzzy as he sees a menu covering the ponies face, but not her dark blue hooves and black tail.
“I didn't know you ate here Snooty.” Bond perks up a bit. It’s been a while since he’s had a hangover meal with a friend. Since most ponies in his state are generally as likable as Cranky Doodle on a bad day. “What are you getting?” Bond waits for a bit from no response. He looks around to see other ponies cringing at them, usually a familiar site and reaction from the smell of alcohol.
“I should have showered before I came here.” Bond goes to sniff himself. “Is it that bad? Everyone in this place is looking.” Snooty still doesn't respond as her hands holding the menu starts to tremble. Bond immediately knows something is wrong, and prepares to duck under the table, as Snooty slams down her menu on the table, and screams.
“ISN'T IT JUST PEACHY YOU HAD A GREAT NIGHT?! WELL SO DID I!” The room is absolutely silent, as Bond slowly raises his head from under the table to find Snooty Design with a very large black eye and a bloody bandage wrapped around her neck. As her jaw shivers from sheer anger, the bandage sags slowly down her neck to meet her shoulders. Whatever wound under the bandage only partially shows.
“Oh my Celestia!” Bond exclaims, immediately getting up from the table to administer Snooty. Snooty stays put, hesitating to trust Bond to see the wounds. “What happened to you? Have you gone to the hospital? What did they say?”
“I had Nurse Redheart take a look at the…” she stops suddenly and slowly scans her surroundings. The restaurant is completely silent and no doubt eavesdropping, awaiting to hear her story. Snooty grabs Bond hoof and swiftly leaves, kicking the door wide open. “I’d rather not talk about. Can we go to your place? I need medication anyway.”
“I could have some painkillers I suppose, didn’t the doctors give you anything?” Bond considers, but can’t help to smirk. He can probably already assume why Snooty wasn’t given any medication along with the fine bandaging job they’ve done on her neck. “I should have something at my house…”
Snooty didn’t talk until they reached Bond’s house. She was fuming, both from the pain, as well as every other incident she’s ran across earlier that day as usual. Bond opens his door and invites Snooty in. As she slowly walks in, she sneers after taking a short sniff.
“It reeks in here, and it’s a total mess!” Snooty carefully walks around some dirty laundry and a stack of papers as she turns a corner into a hallway. “I assume it’s this way towards your washroom?”
“Yea… just down and to the left.” Bond responds, as he cleans up. He does have a lady in his household after all; if he’d known he’d get a visit, he would have cleaned up a bit. “Life of a bachelor…” he mumbles as he picks up a dirty sock off the floor.
Bond slouches on the couch in his living room and drops his legs onto the coffee table, riddled with magazines and newspapers. The articles are covered in circles from highlighters and black marker, labelling jobs and ads for hiring. X’s also riddle the page over a majority of the label’s phone numbers. Bond has no problem working for Applejack, but the work is temporary, and surviving another 6 months without employment won’t be easy. He often considers moving back into his parents place, but it would mean he’d have to leave Ponyville and his friends behind.
A light shines at the end of the hallway, as Snooty walks out with a towel around her neck, and a bottle of pills levitating above her head. Bond begins to speak up, but silences himself. Considering Snooty’s situation, it’d probably be selfish of him to object Snooty’s wishes. Snooty sits down on a beat-up recliner a metre from Bond, as she just stares at him. Bond averts his eyes, as he fiddles with the newspapers and magazines that riddle the coffee table. To his regret, an adult magazine drops to the floor in front of Snooty. Bond looks nervously at the magazine, then up at Snooty, who hasn’t broken eye contact since she sat down.
‘Well?” Snooty asserts. Her look is condescending, but true. Her bottom hoof starts to tap impatiently. Bond bows his head as he apologizes and gets up to put away the magazine. Like a walk of shame, he walks over to a trash bin and drops the magazine inside. “It’s just that-”
“Not that you idiot.” Snooty voices. “Why would I care about what you read?” Emphasis is put on the word ‘read’, as to say Bond is mature enough to read what little articles are in such magazines. Bond just stands in the middle of the room awkwardly as Snooty crosses her arms.
“My wound.” Snooty says impatiently. “Aren’t you going to ask about it?” Something switches on in Bond’s head, as he moves quickly towards Snooty to look at her wounds. He turns on a nearby lamp and shines it towards Snooty’s neck and face to see a large swollen purple spot all along her left eye. Bond cringes for a second as he inspects it.
“You’re going to need some ice on this.” Bond assures Snooty, as he gets up.
“I’m fine.” Snooty turns her face the other way. She was never much for accepting help from others, always trying to be as independent as she can around others. But the idea of working as a group always intrigued her, even if she never showed it. She thought of it as great potential but only if people weren’t, as she puts it, hay-brained. Bond ignores her and opens his fridge to find an ice tray with a few ice cubes left. As he grabs the tray and breaks a few off, he hears whimpers behind him.
“Are you alright?” Bond questions as he turns towards Snooty and reaches for a handkerchief nearby. Snooty slowly tries to remove the towel from her neck to reveal a large gaping wound in her neck. Bond nearly drops the ice as he hurries towards Snooty, wrapping the ice in the handkerchief. He places the rag onto Snooty’s eye, while he examines her wound. Bond is no doctor, but several theories arise in his head about what’s going on. Bond squints his eyes and adjusts the lamp, hoping to find something different. The towel drops onto the armchair, still moist with blood, but not as much as the bandage. Snooty sighs deeply, muttering to herself.
“Why don’t you explain to me what happened?” Bond states, as he further investigates Snooty’s wound. Snooty can only close her eyes and sigh. Bond almost forgets to wait for a response, as he thoroughly scans the wound. He notices that the area isn’t swollen whatsoever, and the wound has several brown spots occurring. The wound is capable of drying, but it’s still an unusual case. Bond assumes that If the hospital checked it and found nothing suspicious, then everything should be fine. He looks up to see Snooty passed out, whether from the medication, the pain, or maybe just being tired. After all, last time he saw Snooty (only barely) was pretty late last night. He goes towards the bathroom to fetch his first aid kit, but not before seeing the bandage in the sink. Upon further inspection, the bandage’s bloodstains are also brown, but that isn’t unusual considering how blood dries. He picks it up as best as he can with his hooves and throws it into the trash. Opening the cabinet reveals several bottles of prescription pills Bond managed to sneak out of his job. If he’s going to get laid off, with what little pay he got, he’s taking some honoraries, despite how ironic the word would be.
As he carries the small package between his teeth and turns to turn off the light, he notices small specks on the ground. Assuming it’s dirt, he ignores it, stepping on it apathetically. Bond yelps a bit, dropping the aid case, as he checks his hooves.
Bond’s doorbell rings. Bond momentarily looks at his hooves until the doorbell rang again. Forgetting Snooty is in his living room passed out with a wound to her neck, he quickly ran to the door and opened it slowly. To his wonder, it was Applejack.
“Afternoon, buddy.” Applejack smiles as she tries to invite herself in. Bond steps in her way as a sweat falls along the side of his face. Applejack turns her heads slightly in confusion, and then adjusts her hat. “Mind if I come in? You have air conditioning is all, and Celestia has been awfully too kind in raising the sun today.” Bond pauses, to think. Can he trust Applejack? As far as Bond is concerned, Applejack doesn’t even know Snooty. Bond looks around nervously before remembering Applejack dropping Bond off at his house last night.
“Is there a problem, sugarcube?” Applejack asks, as she tries to peek inside curiously. “If there’s something you haven’t told me, or you’re hiding, have no fear. I can keep a secret, and that’s the honest truth!” Applejack smiles warmly, while Bond just anxiously nods and gulps. He makes his decision and starts to speak up, until the door bursts open, dropping Bond onto the ground. Applejack jumps backward as she looks on to see Snooty Deign, covering a majority of her face with a towel. She knocks over Applejack, half-running, half-stumbling through the streets. Applejack is about to call out until he notices Bond, and helps him up.
“What the hay is going on here!?” Applejack shouts, as she witnesses Snooty crashing past mailboxes and pass several mares and colts. Everyone just stops to stare, as she gets smaller and smaller in the distance. Bond immediately gets up and grabs Applejack as he gallops in the same direction.
“We have to chase after her!” Bond exclaims, as he notions everyone to move out of the way. Applejack hesitates before she follows closely behind, hoping to find some answers. Despite Bond and Applejacks attempts to gain their footing against Snooty, she only gets faster and faster. They zoom through Ponyville’s districts, even past Sugar Cube Corner. The chase soon turns chaotic, as Snooty haphazardly drives into ponies homes through the windows, crashes into market stalls, and tackles anyone unfortunate enough to be in her way. By the time they get to the town square, ponies are already bunched up, curious as to the commotion that is coming. Bond yells for everyone to get out of the way, but the ponies don’t move, as eyes shake, but their faces as still as statues. Bond and Applejack continue to holler for everyone to get out of the way, until Snooty shoots up into the air onto City Hall. All the heads of ponies turn as swiftly as Snooty jumps, to witness the situation. Bond can only look up to see Snooty standing over the crowds, almost majestically. Snooty hides her face with her hooves and looks around feverishly. For a moment she stops and looks towards the horizon. Before anyone could figure it out, Snooty shoots off, from roof to roof. Before Bond and Applejack could make their way first through the crowd, several police ponies arrive swiftly, exclaiming everyone to stay calm. Following them are several distraught and irate ponies, raging for Snooty to be caught and arrested. Applejack doesn’t notice Bond’s absence, as he shoots off towards Snooty, trying his hardest to stay on a path where he can see her.
“Where is she going!?” Bond questions constantly in his head. The idea of Snooty even jumping along the roofs of buildings, and even running despite her wounds doesn’t even matter as Bond, as he tries to keep his footing. The chase continues almost hopelessly until Bond reaches the outskirts of the town. Police as well as several angry ponies along with Applejack arrive shortly behind Bond as they witness Bond and Snooty’s sudden halt towards the Everfree Forest. It’s already apparent to Bond and Applejack that Snooty is not herself, but when Bond notices her wound has shifted into a large scar with a tough texture all around, he dreads for the worst. He takes a slow but long step forward towards Snooty, as she starts to breathe heavily, like a rabid animal.
“Snooty…” Bond maintains utmost caution and sincerity. Everyone in the area is anticipating something horrible, and even Applejack fears the worst. But despite the uncertainty of what events will unfold, Applejack takes a quick gander at the situation. Snooty’s mane is much more dull than she remember, and her mane not as dark. Random places of hair on Snooty’s coat are stuck up, like a cowlick. No one can see Snooty’s face or the front of her body, as the shadows of the trees that make up the Everfree Forest practically hide them.
“Ma’am. Are you alright?” a police officer asks directly. His hooves, as well as 2 other police ponies, are grasped firmly on their batons. One police pony in particular can easily be identified as a rookie, as he gulps audibly and looks nervously at his superiors. The other ponies have gone from angry to afraid, looking to Bond or the police to act. Bond continues to step forward, despite the police trying to get him to stop as subtlety as they can. For a moment, the breeze gets quieter and the birds in the air stop singing. A single breath could be heard, if not for the anxiety that hangs over everyone’s heads. Bond is right behind Snooty, sweating to the extent he ought to shower again. His pupils dilate and he takes one final breath as he places his hoof on Snooty’s shoulder.
Like a gust of wind, Bond is swept up into the air up and over the dark and looming Everfree. A variety of frightening noises crescendo as he flies in who-knows-where. Before Bond can calculate what just happened, a sharp pain stems from his wrist, along with lightheadedness. Bond can’t think, but only witness himself hurtling towards the deep parts of the Everfree Forest. Whether Bond falls into the forest, or passes out before doing so, Bond can barely see the crowd watch in utter terror and disbelief. The police officers stand absolutely still, wide-eyed. Some mouths are agape or completely shut, pupils are shrunk or entirely enlarged, and hooves are noticeably shaking or completely still. Regardless what the crowd’s reactions consist of, the front of Snooty far surpasses them all, as eyes as bright as the sun stare directly into Bonds, along with rows of large fangs dripping with a brown and red goo. The wind and trees soon whip past Bond’s head and body while a blood-curdling scream is heard. Bond falls through the rough patches of the canopy before he falls into several bushes. Despite the injuries Bond would have sustained, he lies amongst the leaves with only little sunlight remained from his fall, feeling absolutely nothing.
Screams and yells are soon heard very far off in the distance, as Bond takes in whatever information he can get in his almost immovable state. His memory is a total blank now, and the rough, poking brush he is lying on soon feels much like a bed. The leaves above him start to close almost magically, as if a curtain was being drawn. Bond’s vision starts to fade, as he contemplates and deduces what is happening. The dark Everfree Forest somehow gets darker, and Bond’s breaths get softer. The screams soon start to fade away, almost in sync with Bond’s vision, until he hears large ruffling and the sound of destruction coming his way. With a surge of adrenaline, Bond shoots up from the brush of the forest and looks for a place to hide. Despite the various places Bond overlooked, he decides on a large tree with a hole within it’s stump. Bond sucks in what air he can, and tries to squeeze himself inside. With Bond’s wrist most likely broken, it’s difficulty to push his way inside, until he grasps on a firm root with his other hoof and quickly falls inside. What Bond can only see is shadows zooming past all around outside. Bond backs away as far into the trunk as he can get, hoping to make as little noise as possible. The forest starts to make noise as the wind from before returns, almost to Bond’s relief.
Bond sits, alert, but terrified. He can’t focus, only hope. The forest is still as dark as Bond saw it before, and the wind entering the trunk of the tree makes a chilling shrill. Like a countdown to his doom, Bond takes each break of breeze as a sign. Will this be it? Is the creature still out there? Noises are completely unrecognizable in Bond’s uncharted surroundings. Cicadas could sound like terrifying beasts, branches brushing could sound like teeth gnashing, leaves fluttering could sound like trees falling. Bond has never felt as helpless as he’s ever felt in his life, despite his life problems. Any small thing, such as a key not working, to a faucet not dripping water, is nothing compared to this very moment. Claustrophobia was never an issue until this point, as the hole in the trunk grows smaller and the walls of the tree seem to close in. Snot, or tears, Bond doesn’t consider what is dripping down his face, and he holds his hooves up against his chest.
It’s been a while since the wind blew through the small corridor that houses Bond. No longer bearing the suspense, Bond moves forward as slowly and carefully as he can. He flinches after touching the walls. Looking down on his wrist, even in the dark, he can tell it’s swollen and needs treatment. He looks out towards the outside. The smell is unlike anything he’s ever smelt, as he cringes trying to handle it. He pokes his head out of the tree to see nothing. Bond doesn’t think, as he steps out of the tree and takes a gander at his surroundings. He immediately regrets trying, as any hope in his soul escapes. He’s lost, and there’s nothing he can do. The forest completely insulates Bond’s cries for help, yet does not insulate the climate. Bond closes his hooves around him, as he struggles to find direction. The sun is almost nonexistent, and the wind comes in every direction. Bond starts to consider any options he can get, trying not to be unrealistic. He knows of Zecora, but only through social circles. Rumours also spread about the old castle somewhere in the forest. Bond decides it’s too cold, and for once, finds comfort in knowing he has some shelter at least. He sits back into the tree stump and thinks. Bond is aware that he is at least more than a mile into the forest. Trying to make his way back to Ponyville, especially in his condition, is suicide and he’ll never make it out. Trying to find Zecora may be tricky, as he hasn’t any idea where she is in the forest. Bond deduces that he ought to be farther, considering Zecora would have to at least live a bit closer to Ponyville in order to gather her supplies she can’t get in the Everfree. Despite not even knowing the time, Bond’s heart beats like a stopwatch, and time is ticking. If something, Snooty, is out there looking for him, he’d have to find somewhere more safe and hidden. Bond then considers the castle. Despite stories about it being haunted, and what Applejack has told him, the castle is supposedly still intact remarkably. But he knows there’s something aloof about the place, as Applejack couldn’t tell him while snickering a few nights ago. The place has been abandoned for millennia… it couldn’t have some supplies there by any chance, could it? Bond doesn’t dwell on it too much, as being finicky in his situation isn’t excusable.
Bond tries to fix himself a splint for his wrist, but fails despite his efforts. He slumps against the back wall of the tree stump and sighs. The wind through the entrance of his shelter isn’t as intimidating as it used to be. The more Bond seems to spend his time in the forest, the more relaxing he finds it. He starts to think about his parents and his life thus far, and if any of it is worth staying alive for. He starts to think about Snooty, and Applejack, and every person he’s ever met in hi life. Every now and then a smile and sometimes a frown will creep up on Bond’s face as he reminisces. As he finds his eyelids closing, and his body relaxing, Bond listens to the various noises outside his shelter. Aside from the wind, he makes out cicadas, crickets, a frog’s ‘ribbit’ here and there, and the occasional bird. Surprisingly, a lot of what people say about the forest so far seem untrue to Bond. It only ever occurred to him at that moment, that if the forest really was as dangerous as the people of Ponyville claim it to be, then Ponyville wouldn’t be right beside it in the first place. Before Bond could think anymore, a sharp crashing noise is heard outside. Bond goes right back to anxiety-fueled nausea, as he closes his eyes and hold his breath. With one eye partially open, the entrance to his safe haven didn’t seem so safe anymore, as a dark figure stands before him. The upper half of the tree splits open, and flies, crashing somewhere behind Bond. Without any hesitation, and in a moment of desperation, Bond screams for help.
Bond’s screams echo throughout the forest as much as an echo can, but to no use, as Bond shakes and struggles to look upon his attacker, a creature whose silhouette stands as tall as the trees themselves, bright glowing eyes, and sharp fangs. The outline is rough and at parts seem to stick out. The creatures ears are extremely large, and oddly toothed looking. The creature drools what looks to be a thick and sticky brown substance, and the creature’s breath against Bond’s face is putrid and tear-jerking. Before the creature lunges, it stretches to a height much bigger than Bond anticipated, and lets out a loud, deep, and doom-filled howl.