//------------------------------// // "...You better find something to eat before night comes!" // Story: Autumn // by Domaldo //------------------------------// Deep in the Everfree, Robert’s POV After I found that… thing in the river, I didn’t know what else to think. Sure I’ve heard about creatures that live in water that are big and dangerous and stuff, BUT WHAT WAS THAT!?! I decided to follow the river, but I kept my distance. Another encounter like those might give me a heart attack! *grumble* I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hungry. As I continued through the forest, the trees started to get more apart, and I liked that. It meant there was another clearing up ahead, and a big one, I could feel it! Almost an hour later I found it. It looked like a castle, a BIG castle. It also looked deserted, for the walls were cracked, the vegetation surrounding every rock they could find. That and, well, it looked like it went through a bombing, for the roof was nowhere to be found. The two things that still stood proud and undamaged were a couple of towers, one in the front right, and one in the back left. As I came closer, I noticed there was a gigantic ravine separating me from the ruined castle, only an unsafe-looking wooden bridge connecting the castle to the rest of the forest. That’s when I noticed the berries, by Darwin they were everywhere! Honestly there was little to nothing stopping me from gobbling them up. Crossing the fragile bridge, making sure to not plummet down to my death, I made it to the other side of the ravine, where the many bushes of delicious looking fruit stood, oh and also the castle. I took one of the berries and tried to examine it. I was no botanist, so I couldn’t tell right off the bat if they were poisonous or not. However, botanist or not, I was still a scientist. I took the plant apart, and began to examine everything it had to offer, and test if any part made my skin itch or my mouth irritated. I should’ve boiled them if I’d wanted to have the least amount of germs as possible, but my last experience with water almost got me eaten. Since it wasn’t obvious the berries where poisonous, I began to eat them. Then they got delicious… *NOM* *NOM* *NOM* NOM* *NOM* *GULP* “OOH THAT’S THE STUFF!” I just ate all of the possible berries in the bush, and also took note of how hollow it was. It looked like I could curl up in a ball and hide in the bush, and no one would be able to see me. I then moved to the next bush, and ate all of its berries as well. I really needed some sort of pouch to carry some stuff, because just putting these in my pockets seemed like a horrible idea, especially since I was wearing my fancy black pants. Then an idea hit me. It felt like it was both my own, but also from someone or something else. I looked down at my clothes, then my hair, finally my amulet and wondered. I was hesitant at first, but eventually allowed the idea to flow into my mind. It felt odd, but right at the same time. I knew what I had to do. But first, I wanted to fill my st- *GOOBLEGOOBLEGOOBLEGOOBLE* “GAH! WHAT THE HECK!?” *thump* “Ow…” I grumbled out as I fell on my back. Oh what now!? A giant turkey!?!? What’s it do-? !!! “Stupid bird! Stay away from my berries!” I shouted, chasing it away from my precious food. *Gobble* *Gobble* *Gobblegobble* *Gobble* “Get back here bird!” I kept running after the oversized turkey, but it was faster than me, so I lost sight of it. “Well, there goes my protein filled dinner…” I kept walking in its general direction hoping to f- “Hey it’s right there! And it’s just… standing there…?” I muttered to myself. Hehe, stupid bird. I thought before dashing towards the orange feathered gobbler. “HA, NOW I GO-” *thack* Huh? Why is the ground all white and sticky? … Has that giant bag of spider webs been there the entire time? Erm, ok just walk away, slow-*thack* *HISSSAAAHHGGG* !!! THAT SPIDER IS BIGGER THAN BULLDOG! I thought as I tried to move away, only for my feet to be stuck to the ground. “What should I do, WHAT SHOULD I DO!?” I said as I panicked. Come on foot, get out of the webbed floor AND HELP ME RUN! *HISSSSS* *thack* *thack* *thack* *thack* The sounds of the spiders walking towards me rang in my ears, begging me to run, hide, do something! GET OUT OF THE WEB AND RUN! *GOBBLE* *GOBBLE* *GOBBLE* *DEAD* Did… did the turkey thing just died…? NO, STOP getting distracted and FOCUS! *munch* *nom* *munch* *bite * *gulp* Almost there, JUST A LITTLE LONGER! My left foot was out, but my right one had me pined to the webs. *HISSSSSSSS* “THERE!” I said triumphantly, and turned around to see how close the spi- *HISSSSSAAAAAHHHHGRRR* “I HAAAAAAATEEEE SPIDEEEEEERS!!” I screamed whilst running for my life. Everfree Forest, Main Six, Afternoon As the mares walked through the forest, they noticed how the trees’ appearance had changed slightly, as well as other leafless trees which had screaming faces on them. No matter how much Pinkie laughed and sang the leafless trees stood with a permanent expression of pain. “Since when does the Everfree normally grow these awful things?” Rarity asked nopony in particular, all the while examining the not so common trees. “Also since when do we dig graves in the Everfree saying ‘Milk, Eggs, and Bacon’? That’s a little weird doncha think?” The pink mare asked, completely unfazed by the fact they just entered a graveyard littered with strange stale looking flowers. “GRAVES!?” Everypony and dragon exclaimed, a few more panicked than others. “M-m-mmm-ma-aa-ay-b-bb-be ww-we sh-sh-should he-ea-ad ba-ack?” Stuttered the shy, yellow pegasus, worried for their safety. “I don’t know Fluttershy, we need to press on if we want to find whatever Princess Celestia thought was dangerous enough to threaten Equestria,” replied the lavender unicorn. “Besides, if anything tries to hurt any of us we’ll kick its ugly flank!” Said Dash, sure of her knowledge in flank-kicking. “Although ah agree with Twilight, it’s getting very dark and ah don’ wanna sleep in the forest,” the farm pony warned the group, not too exited in camping within the Everfree, especially if whatever the Princess wanted them to find was there. “Alright, if it’s ok with the rest, I think we should hea-” Twilight began to say, until the noise of leafs shuffling and sticks breaking caught her ears. “Um, wha-at was th-that?!” Asked the small dragon, panic evident in his voice. “Is somepony out there?” As if on cue, the ponies heard frantic steps as something tried to escape. “QUICK! Before it runs away!” Everypony galloped, hoping to catch up with whatever was watching them. Robert’s POV, Dusk Well, that happened. Sure let’s throw in GIANT SPIDERS into this forest, why not!? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SPIDERS!!! I thought, almost out loud, as I walked trying to catch my breath. “Ok, just… calm down, its ok, you outran it and its hive, it’s alright, it’s goi-” … *whimper* I stumbled upon a tombstone, surrounded by strange, and frankly evil, flowers. It seemed like it had been here a while, the letters engraved on the smooth stone slightly faded but very much readable. I felt my mind spin slightly as I stood before it. …Why is there a grave with my name on it in this forsaken forest…? *shuffle* *muffled talking* *laughing* “what the…?” Ok, something else is coming, calm down, and breathe, ok? Ok. I hid behind a tree, which had a face and looked like it was screaming in agony. This place was just doing wonders to my sanity now wasn’t it? I couldn’t see what was happening, but someone was coming, it sure sounded like a bunch of girls, and one of them was laughing. Curiosity took the better of me as I dared to look at the source of the sounds. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. … …No… …Just… …Just no… “Are, are those multicolored talking horses?” I barely muttered to myself. … “Those are, indeed, multicolored talking horses…” It seemed they were looking for something, and I could’ve bet my skin it was me. I didn’t care how cute and cuddly they looked; I wasn’t risking meeting them, not yet anyways. It was getting really dark, I couldn’t stay here for longer, and I needed to make a campfire fast! I began to move out of the wa- *thump* *shuffle* *crack* “oww…” I fell on my face this time… and I was pretty sure they heard me. With little to nothing else to do, I got back on my feet and began to run for my life. I heard them shout something, but I was far too occupied running away from them.