//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Hesitance // Story: In the Background // by Harold_Genhi //------------------------------// “I still can’t believe I am coming along with you into the Everfree Forest to find some might-exist alicorn.” I grumbled as Vinyl whipped about her room excitedly snagging what she called her, adventure gear. I had whole-heartedly agreed to come with her the night before and even heard that Ditsy was going to tag along, which I hoped she wouldn’t have. I knew just as everyone else how dangerous the Everfree Forest was, except for Vinyl it would seem. She jumped about her room, still grabbing little items of possible importance. “You better pack Tavi; we are going on an adventure!” Vinyl grinned, placing her glasses atop her head. “Couldn’t we look for this alicorn somewhere less dangerous?” I hesitantly asked. Vinyl grew solemn as she neared me. “But I thought you said you were coming.” She tossed a pouty face at me⎯ I couldn’t say no to a pouty-Vinyl-face. “I’ll get my things.” I grumped off, losing again to those eyes again. Bah! I packed two small bags that I could sling over my back and a slightly bigger bag for necessary food supplies. A crash downstairs alarmed my senses as I jolted out my door and looked at the door to see Ditsy laying on her back, feet still sticking straight in the air with what seemed like the entire bakery of muffins. “Ditsy, is that all you are packing? Muffins?” I just couldn’t understand what went on inside of Ditsy’s mind at times. It almost seemed like she can only think of muffins, or maybe her mind is a muffin. I shook my head at the thought of a perfectly cooked muffin resting inside of her skull. “No! I also brought my bubble blanket.” She pulled from a side pouch a blanket covered in a bubble design. “I also asked another one of my friends to join us.” I’ve never seen Ditsy as giddy as she was now. A green unicorn walked into the room, smiling ear to ear and looking about as to try to find the owner of the house. She peered down at Ditsy and the mess of muffins scattered across the floor. “You and your muffins.” She giggled as her horn was filled with a brilliant light sending the muffins up into the air and back into Ditsy’s bag. I felt more out of the loop seeing as even the newest guest had magic on her side. The dream of having something as magical or uplifting as magic or wings had always haunted my dreams and blessed many of my nights with the sense of weightlessness, no worries and without the feeling of the world constantly on my shoulders. I wanted at least a day of peace, a night of flying, a heartbeat of a dream come true. I slowly made my way down the stairs causing the attention to be drawn to me, the green pony still grinning, but with a bit more happiness seeping through. “Wow! I never thought I’d be standing in the house of Octavia.” The grin never faded or faltered. I didn’t think I was some sort of exclusive show or pony and had to look at Ditsy to see if her reactions were the same, but I couldn’t get anything from her seeing as her head was crammed inside of her bag, her rear sticking straight up into the air. I guess we won’t be having muffins on this journey. “You could have just knocked.” I answered. I am sure I would have answered and let you in here.” I chuckled feeling pride fill my heart. The unicorn looked around the room. “I expected it to be a bit more classy, but this seems pretty average to me.” “That would be because I am average, I just happen to play a cello.” I shrugged. “I didn’t catch your name.” I extended my hoof to shake. “I am Lyra!” She pronounced, proudly. She snagged my hoof and shook my entire body roughly. “It is an honor to meet you.” Another grin was flashed. “Please. The honor is all mine. I have been to a few of your lyre concerts and I’ve been deeply jealous of your ability.” I admitted, remembering her name and appearances. “I’m Oct-“ “Hey Tavi! Where’s the toothpaste?” Vinyl yelled from above. “Check in the medicine cabinet where it always is!” I shot back. “You two manage to get along?” Lyra questioned. “It wasn’t so much sunshine and butterflies in the beginning, but our love for music has us quite close.” I admitted. “Tavi! I can’t find it!” I moaned in annoyance and left my guests without a word. “Are they always like that?” Lyra looked at Ditsy. Ditsy pulled her head from the bag, covered in a fine dusting of crumbs. She plopped on her rear and grinned, “Yes.” Vinyl slid down the banister to see the guests, passing me on the way up the stairs. Vinyl gave her regular informal greeting and had known whom Lyra before even dismounting from the banister. The medicine cabinet held only a few items and sitting on the bottom shelf sat the toothpaste. Shaking my head, I cocked my head back to the door. “I found it!” “Already? Where was it?” “In the medicine cabinet!” “Which one?” “The only one?” I began to question if I was talking to Vinyl still. I pulled the tube out and saw a piece of paper fall from underneath of it. I stared at it, curiosity quickly taking over as I questioned as what Vinyl was planning with the piece of paper. Check under the sink. I obeyed the paper and checked under the sink to find a wooden box with a lock on it. My legs slowly moved me out of the bathroom and to the top of the stairs. She looked up at me grinning from ear to ear, her eyes hidden behind her glasses. “What is this?” “It is a gift for you from me.” Vinyl smiled. “But it’s locked.” I tugged on the lid. “I know!” She chuckled slightly. “After we have our little trip, I’ll open it for you.” She winked. “But why would you- Incentive to make me come?” I almost groaned at how much effort she was going through to get me to go on a fruitless adventure into the Everfree Forest. “That and you forgot something silly.” Vinyl laughed. “What is that?” I questioned, my mind quickly trying to figure out what exactly I had forgotten. “Our anniversary! It’s been another exciting year living here with you.” Vinyl chuckled. We had always made an exchange of gifts since after her defense of my cello and when we began to tolerate and meld our ideas together. It had always been a private matter seeing as some people assumed that we were- “I didn’t know you two were dating!” Lyra filled in my thoughts. “We aren’t dating.” Vinyl and me retorted in unison. Lyra smiled at the unison and only nodded. “Sure… I figured that was why you stopped seeing the Piano Pony.” Lyra winked. My face began to burn, not with rage or annoyance, but with embarrassment. How many people knew about that little debacle? “His name was Albion Grand; we just couldn’t see eye to eye on some things.” I didn’t even feel sad for him or down about the idea of ‘us’ anymore; he was merely an acquaintance in the band again and we worked well through the break up. “I could see you two hooking up.” Lyra winked. My vision turned to Vinyl who broke her gaze from me, her mouth and complexion had almost dropped to a serene state at the words, but she could have been thinking that the subject was being pressed too far. I leaned on the latter as I heard her the tone to her voice. “Now, now, Lyra. You know us. Best of friends all the way.” My heart felt strange hearing it, feeling almost uplifted and drug down at the same time. I figured it was just the moment and knowing that Vinyl and me had formed a strong friendship over the years. There was never a dull moment with her, and apparently I did the same for her, which surprised me the first time she said that line to me. I remember the frequent occasions that we had ‘camped out’ in the living room just to try something different, something I would have never done if she didn’t drag my mattress and sheets down the stairs. I was mad at her for only a heartbeat. Afterward, I was laying with a smile spread across my face, telling stories about my life to Vinyl around our makeshift fire, which consisted of a flashlight turned up at the ceiling. They were pleasant until, with the saved up money I acquired over the few jobs, I added a fireplace into the living room. That night, I found my bed completely undressed and checked the living room to see an actual fire. It was in that night that a bond between Vinyl and me was formed. We had both looked each other, her sitting in front of the fire, her fiery eyes looking at me, as I stood in the doorway enjoying the heat coming from the fire and her eyes. I believe that both of us knew what formed from us sitting around that fire, but neither of us would admit it to the other, unless it was only I. The years only brought us closer together, but a limit remained between us and we both upheld it to a tee. The stairs had helped my memories return to me over the past few days as I walked out to onto the ground floor. “So are you going to open it for me?” I looked at the lock and at Vinyl. “I’ll open it. Only after we return from the Everfree Forest with the inspiration that you need to finish that masterpiece of yours.” “You really think he is real?” “As much as I believed that Nightmare Moon was real, and look how that turned out.” The white unicorn winked at me. “But this is different. There aren’t even any historical records of this pony in existence. “ “You did research about Eyn? I am glad to see you are onboard.” “Yargh!” Ditsy acted like a pirate. “Yargh!” Lyra added happily, slightly dancing on her front hooves. The three different books, the only three books about the existence of such a pony, were sitting in my room, read from cover to cover. I had read each the night before and, as much as they fascinated me, and allowed me to write another piece of my song, they seemed far-fetched. “The Everfree is dangerous. I need don’t think we need to risk it just for the sake of my music writing.” I challenged. “Listen girl…” Vinyl pulled me aside. “From the point I’ve known you, you have never been stumped when writing new music. It always came naturally to you and now you can barely get two notes out of yourself. Something is up and it isn’t just your career. Something inside of you has broken and there is no medicine for fixing it. This is your life and this will save it.” She grinned as if it was no big deal. “Now come on, grab your bag and get ready.” The tone of her voice shocked me, but not as much as the truth that hit me from behind. I had always had my fair share of writer’s block, but it would quickly fade away in a few minutes and I’d have a finished piece committed to memory in front of me. The time I had spent already was unnatural given my skill before, and maybe there was something to be concerned about. There had to be another way instead of going into the Everfree Forest. “I don’t even want to hear it. We will be safe. We won’t be going in that far, just take a look around and see if we can figure anything out.” The white unicorn gave me her usual disarming smile before walking back up the stairs to grab her bag. There wasn’t a moment when I wanted to somehow convince her not to go inside of the Forest, but I knew that once Vinyl had made up her mind about something that she would go alone if she had to, and there was no way that I could let her do that without me coming along to keep her in check. “You two aren’t worried?” I turned to Ditsy and Lyra. “Not really. This won’t be the first time I’ve been in the Everfree.” Ditsy answered. “I’m just excited to finally be able to at least see a small portion of it.” Lyra proclaimed. I began to wonder what Ditsy meant that it wouldn’t be her first time inside of the Everfree Forest. “How many times have you been in the Everfree before Ditsy?” I had to ask. “I go about twice a day usually. Zecora places quite a few orders and I get bored with taking the same path so I take different paths.” And it doesn’t scare you?” I felt my pride failing as I was shown that Ditsy knew the Everfree more than me. “Not if you know what to expect. Don’t look at the cockatrices, disturb the hydras, startle the Ursas, or insult the dragons.” “That can’t be all that is out there…” I zoned off trying to think of something that Ditsy had forgotten. “Well the manticores are in hibernation. There are trees in the forest. I almost forgot about those sneaky creatures, always jumping out of nowhere and hurting my head.” She rubbed her head as if remembering every time she had collided with one of the many trees in the forest. “Tavi! I grabbed your stuff.” Vinyl startled me as she tossed my pack, which felt heavier onto my back. “And added a few extra supplies.” “Hopefully no more gifts. I still need to get you something.” “I can’t wait to see what you got me.” I didn’t want to tell her that I had forgotten about it and that at some point I would have to pick something up, maybe that new techno vinyl at the record store. I promised myself that I’d pick it up after we were finished with this little escapade. “I think you will like it.” I figured she’d enjoy it and that I just hadn’t bought it yet though I knew I was going to get it for her. “Can we get going soon? I can’t wait to see how it’s like in there.” Lyra almost sounded too happy to go into such a dangerous place as the Everfree. It grinded my teeth slightly just at the thought of how I must sound like a broken record constantly repeating my fears about the Everfree Forest every few seconds. I decided to just stifle my concerns and just hold myself more alert than usual. “Are you ready Tavi?” Vinyl wondered. I could only sigh at what she was asking me and as much as my head told me no, my heart wanted to give her a chance. I decided to follow my heart for once, but I could only nod seeing as if my mouth opened I would have groaned about how this wasn’t a good idea at all, especially with Nightmare Night being only a few weeks away. If any of us even became sick it might prevent us from having some safe fun. My thoughts were halted as I realized that I hadn’t nodded like I had planned on doing. “Of course.” I was surprised my words didn’t say no. Maybe deep down I was just as excited to go inside of the Everfree Forest like everyone else, but I just didn’t want to show it. We walked to the front door, Lyra and Ditsy trotted out first followed by Vinyl. I was the last to exit, looking back at the house that sat in darkness. I hoped everything would go well and I could come back to these warm and comforting halls. The sense of security would be overwhelming when I returned and I’d just have to hug the floor and my pillow in my room seeing as I’d be spending the night on the ground that night. I guess it fit that after so long that Vinyl’s and I ‘campouts’ would eventually lead to a real campout in the woods. I tried to keep all of the happier prospects in my head and keeping enough belief inside of me to even imagine what Eyn could look like and how an actual campfire with the dark woods and smell of fungus affect how Vinyl would look. I wondered if she would still look the same and give me an identical look the first time we had shared our first fire together. I grinned slightly at the thought. “Come on Tavi! Get your butt out of the door and lock it up. You are burning up daylight!” I heard Vinyl yell behind me. I agreed with her subconsciously. I had stalled for far too long and we were going if I liked it or not. “Goodbye house. Goodbye cello.” I felt pathetic giving my cello a farewell, but it felt appropriate. I softly shut the door and turned the lock letting it click the lock into place. Vinyl’s horn lit up as all of the windows closed together and locked on her command. Another click was heard as another lock slid into place in the door. I turned around only to see the path to the Everfree Forest stretching out in front of me, climbing over the hills and exiting the town and disappearing into the thicket of old and bent trees that reached out from the wood line in an attempt to snag any clumsy or foolhardy pony that decided to walk within their grasp. My body breathed in hard before I let in and, before long, I was trotting next to my friends, talking to Lyra about her lyre concert and different elements of music. It helped put my mind at ease. I needed all of the comfort I could get.