//------------------------------//
// The Changed One- part 3 
// Story: The Changed One 
// by peacevic 
//------------------------------//

Ch. 3

"So why the Everfree?" Derpy asked. "Aside from the fact that it's really creepy." I couldn't help but agree as we trudged through the forest.
"There have been a significant number of events that occurred here, in the forest." The Doctor reminded his companion. "Events of huge physical and metaphysical importance. The emergence of the Rainbow Power, Discord's vines attacking the Tree of Harmony, even our own first adventure together during the Nightmare Moon incident."
"I'd say that was more Twilight's adventure than yours."
The Doctor ignored me. "These woods are a confluence of magical energies, and probably a weak spot in the universe to boot. The real question is, if you're human, why do you have an Equestrian style name?"
"It's not his real name."  Twilight informed him. "He can't remember his real name, and when he tried to say it that's what came out."
"Probably due to your brain's molecules adjusting to this world's vibrational frequency."
That tripped Derpy up. "What's a vibrational frequency?"
I put my hoof over the Doctor's mouth before he could answer. "Where I come from, there's something called String Theory. It says that everything in the universe, light, gravity, all the building blocks of matter, everything, is made up of tiny, one-dimensional strings. How quickly they vibrate, and whether they're open or closed loops, determine what they form. It would make sense that different universes would vibrate in different ways." I thought for a minute. "I'm just glad I landed in this universe."
"How come?" Was Derpy's next question.
"Imagine what would've happened if I ended up in a universe where the gravity was stronger than my body could take."
"Wow..." The look I got was awed, in a way. For some reason.
"Yeah, I know. Very messy."
Dery shook her head. "No, it's just... you just out-Doctored the Doctor!"
"I wouldn't say he 'out-Doctored' me." The Time Lord grumbles. "Besides, his body changed to match this universe, it'd probably change to match that universe, too."
Twilight leaned over to Derpy. "I take it the Doctor is the one who usually does the lectures?"
"When he's not asking ridiculously personal questions."
Twilight laughed. "Derpy, I can't believe you've been having crazy adventures under everypony's noses."
She gave Twilight a half-smile. "Yeah, it's been pretty crazy. And dangerous." The little smile vanished. "And scary."
"Come on, Derpy." The Doctor chided. "It hasn't all been scary. Remember when our bodies got all switched up?"
She thought about that for a second. "I guess that wasn't that scary. I don't really know what that was..."
Time for some planning. "I know we all think we'll find what we're looking for in the Everfree," I said, "but where? What part? It's kind of big, you know."
"Well, Twilight and the others go to the old castle all the time." Derpy pointed out. "So it's probably not there."
"Not necessarily. If this is something old then yeah, we probably would've seen it if it were at the castle. But if it's from the same dimension it pulled Verdant Spark from, it could still have holed up at the castle."
Twilight's words got me thinking. Thinking bad, bad, bad thoughts. "If it dragged me in its wake as it crossed, then it would have to be insanely powerful."
"We knew that already." The Doctor was still a little cross with me for stealing his thunder.
"Yanking me here is one thing. The right pony could pull it off with the right spell."
Twilight grinned at me. "I hope you aren't implying anything about me."
I smiled back, but it turned out more like a grimace. "Pulling me along with it, in its slipstream, means something more."
"What are you thinking, Verdant?" Derpy prodded.
"Where I come from, you three are stories. "Their looks said they knew this, and that I should get to the point. "Stories of love, hope, and friendship. Well, we have other stories. Stories of evil gods. Not mean or greedy, evil. Gods so incomprehensibly powerful that they bend reality around them, and drive people mad just by being seen. If one of them is here, I won't be getting home."
"If one of them is here, my friends will actually be able to help."
I sighed, more at my world than at her. "You don't get it, Twilight. You can't. And that is why this world is doomed if one of them is here. You're used to ponies acting in evil ways. Acting evil. These gods are evil. They're motivated by things we can't understand. Tirek and Sombra, they lusted for power. These things have power, they don't really need or want more. They... they're just evil. They won't be swayed by the power of friendship."
Twilight was silent for a while. We all were. Then Derpy looked around and shivered. "Great. As if this place wasn't scary enough already."
"Don't worry, Derpy." Twilight reassured. "Something that powerful, Celestia would've sensed it. All of the princesses would. Even me, I think."
"And it crossing would've sent ripples that the Tardis would pick up well in advance." The Doctor added.
I let that convince me. "You guys are probably right. I'm sure we're totally safe from evil-"
I was jerked into silence when something wrapped itself around my rear ankles and lifted me up.
"By Celestia!" I looked at what had grabbed me and recognized it as Derp finished shouting. "A hydra!"
How? How could something so big be so stealthy? I started struggling to unwrap the tongue that had trapped me, cursing the lack of hands. How was I supposed to get free without them?
The answer was, I wasn't. Two more tongues shot out and pulled my forehooves away. The blood rushed to my head as I hung upside down, and I started worrying about inappropriate things happening to me. Loopiness had chased away the fear of being eaten.
A blinding purple beam severed the tongue holding my back legs, saving me from that fate. Or any others...
I was swung back upright as the other two tongues held on for an instant longer before the pain registered and they recoiled. I dropped, stuck the landing, and immediately ran to hide behind Twilight, who had another shot prepared in case the hydra wanted to press the issue.
It didn't. Like any predator, it preferred easy meals. A few ponies running away from it was fine, but this one could hurt it. The hydra retreated into the trees.
The Doctor let out a relieved sigh. "I don't think we'll have to worry about him anymore."
Twilight turned to me, thoughtful. "You need to learn something..."