//------------------------------//
// VIII 
// Story: Twilights Journey: Escape Equestria 
// by Merotik 
//------------------------------//

From what could have been a three day journey took Twilight an hour thanks to the transportation she built. It was shaky, un-sturdy, and made Twilight vomit (twice), but it got the job done. The forest landscape had now changed to long fields of grassy plains. The further Twilight traveled, the more dry the grass appeared. After Twilight had traveled twenty five miles, she began to slow at the sound of running water up ahead. Once close enough she saw a river and stopped her transportation close to it. She hoped off of her transportation and walked up to the rivers edge. 

Twilight opened the straps to her saddle bag and levitated out the folded map. Once unfolded, she looked to the drawing of a long river that stretches for miles, then looked to the river in front of her. This river was the border line to the San Palomino Desert. Twilight chuckled happily as she refolded her map and stuffed it back into her bag. After strapping it shut, she tossed the bag off of her back and proceeded to take a drink from the river. She stopped shortly after feeling a growling pain in her stomach.

'I can't drink on an empty stomach. Maybe I can find a place nearby that sells food' thought Twilight, as she took the map out again. She unfolded it and looked for the nearest civilization. The river started at Los Pegasus which was near the ocean, and since that was over a hundred miles away, Twilight immediately disregarded the option of going there. The river extended east until it connect with the edge of the Everfree Forest. From there the river separated into two directions. One going east which would enter deeper into the forest, and the other would go south leading straight to Appleloosa. She could take that path, but that would mean entering into the Everfree Forest, even if it was only the edge. She figured she could just cut through the desert and head straight for Appleloosa, but there was the risk of heat stroke and getting lost.

Twilight sighed, "I wish I could have just taken a train to Appleloosa, if any of them were still working". Twilight didn't know which way to take. If she followed the river she would have to enter the Everfree Forest. If she cut through the desert she could get lost, that and she hasn't eaten or drunken anything for who knows how long (Twilight didn't know how long, time was still broken. She was really getting mad at Discord for switching the sun and moon back and forth. The sun was up now, but it had switched four times on her way here).

Twilight's stomach growled, and she knew she had to make a choice and leave immediately.

"Going through the desert is faster, but going through the Everfree does seem like a wiser choice. Hmmm . . . which way should I go . . . you know what, buck this" Twilight turned to her saddle bag and pulled out a small purse. She levitated a bit from inside and started spinning it in midair. One side of the bit had Luna's cutie mark, while the other side had Celestia's cutie mark. "If it lands on Luna I'll go through the desert, if it lands on Celestia I'll go through the Everfree" said Twilight as she tossed the bit into the air.

It spun as it was thrown. It reached as high as it could, then dropped and landed in front of Twilight. Twilight looked down to the bit and saw that it had landed on Celestia.

"Alright, guess I'm going through the Everfree" said Twilight. She placed the bit and the map back into her bag and placed the saddle bag onto her back. After she strapped it shut, she gulped as she realized she was going to have to enter into the Everfree Forest, alone.

"I-I've been in there before. It shouldn't be all that bad! What's the worst that could happen?"

At that moment, the sun had switched places with the moon, leaving the grassy plains dark. Twilight could hear wolves howling in the distance.

Twilight sighed, "I hate you so much Discord . . . "

She tried to ignore her stomachs loud growling as she began walking along the river towards the Everfree Forest.