Derpy arrived at her home early in the morning. Knowing that she had work to do as Ponyvilles and Equestria's many mailmares, she first went to accomplish her needed work of delivering letters. Albeit grudgingly so. Thankfully, her job requested little of her and once the afternoon had struck, one o'clock exactly, she quickly took off towards her home. Stopping by her house to prepare for a daring trip but anticipating some sort of adventure one may assume, she did so in hurry. Grabbing two muffins and a first aid kit she stuffed them in her pouch that wrapped around her mid-section and immediately left. Going straight for the Forest as though it shouted her name.
Once there, she carefully landed on the ground and closing her eyes, took a deep breath. Derpy flew into the forest afterwards, not withholding any more time to be wasted. The grey pegasus walked through the thick foliage with the sounds of sticks and leaves crunching underneath her feet. Derpy thought about simply flying through the forest but quickly rethought her decision of doing so.
It wouldn't be a wise idea as the dense foliage and suffocating plant life, gave little room for her fly. She could just fly over top of the forest, but if that were to be done, she would risk easily missing the door that she was so intent on looking for. Derpy continued, passing through multiple trees, sticks, hanging vines, and branches. She didn't know where she was going but figured that maybe if she kept looking she would find it....maybe.
As Derpywalked through the forest, the rustling of vines and leaves could be heard from time to time. Derpy thought nothing of it at first but couldn't help feeling as though something was following her. Derpy eventually shook the feeling, believeing that it was either the wind or the many birds and wild animals that called this place home.
She heard a scream.
Instincts immediately took over and Derpy quickly flew over to the source of the scream but she didn't have to go far to see a very familiar face.
"Ca-!"
She fell. Tripping over her own hooves, Derpy came towards the ground against her chin. Her eyes, spinning in her sockets.
The pale mare managed to begrudgingly pull herself from the sticky mud puddle. She had enough of getting her hooves muddied as already she had managed to step into two so far.
"Derpy?"
"What are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn't come?"
"I did but the thought of leaving you alone was too much. Especially through a dangerous forest. I came to see you off but when I realized that you were probably in already, I decided to go after you...despite my better judgement." She mumbled.
"Oh. Well, thank you. That was nice for you to do."
"Derpy, are you sureyou want to go through this?"
"Well I'm already here! Might as well go in!"
Carrot sighed. "I won't lie, I was rather curious as well."
"You were?"
"I've been thinking about it all night before I actually went to sleep and this morning. Its been bugging me. If you did find the door, you would go in it knowing you."
"No I wouldn't!"
Carrot gave her a face that screamed 'bull crap'.
"Alright maybe but it would be alot safer if two came along~! That way, if anything happens, we'll be there for each other!"
Carrot made a face to Derpy. She knew what she was trying to do but she gave in. Not by any effort of her friends but because she too secretly wanted to know the secret behind the door, to which none seem to know. After all, if any did, it would have been reported. Her own pride however, prevented her from stating such.
"FIne. I'll go with you. But don't think I'll enter through the door! Got it?"
Derpy smiled with glee. "Got it!" Derpy took off her small pouch that contained her two muffins and first aid kit and placed it on Carrot.
"H-Hey!"
"Here! Take this! It was slowing me down anyway."
Before the poor earth pony could get anything else out, her pegasus friend zipped through the forest, but not before getting a wing caught on something which abruptly stopped her in her tracks and caused her to fall.
She perked back up and gave an embarrassed smile.
Carrot laid her head down low as her face scrunched up into a frown. She stood annoyed...and defeated.
The rustle of vines and grass could be heard as pale and grey hooves crushed the leaves beneath it and other hooves moved from under the overgrown brush. The light of Celestia's sun was the only proof of its existence as the thick, heavy canopy covered the sky. Light beams fell through whatever cracks it could. Shining a pattern of rays down upon the trees.
Derpy flew fast in front. A couple of feet from Carrot whose eyes wandered everywhere. Taking in the uncommon sights. Most ponies avoided the Everfree Forest. It was foreign to them and rot with untamed wilderness. Clouds moved on their own, animals fended for themselves and plants, poisonous and not, grew to great heights and shapes. Realizing her distance from Derpy Carrot attempted to catch up to her.
"Wait up! Derpy!" Carrot cried out as she removed her hoof from a puddle of sticky mud. Making a slightly repulsive face before going to her side. They traveled without much of a word to each other but only to question where they should be going. Continuing to walk as they spoke.
"How deep are we?" Derpy asked.
"We should be in the middle of the forest.”
"I thought we'll see it by now though."
"Did we pass it?" Carrot looked behind her. Contemplating weather or not they did.
"I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."
"Maybe it isn't the time. Ya know? The Hundredth year."
"Scared Carrot?" Derpy joked.
"I am not scared. Merely...on edge."
"Yeah right. C'mon! Lets go this way!" Derpy flew ahead. A bolt of energy suddenly surging through her.
"Hold on Derpy! Wait!" Carrot jogged after her. Unaware of the prying eyes of the forest residents that lied gleaming through the thick brush. Golden eyes set on the two buds.
"I told you to wait!"
Derpy only chuckled at her friend's tenacious spirit. "You'll have to catch up with me first!" The next thing Carrot knew, the pegasus had flew off. Earning a low growl from the panting mare.
"Derpy I swear I'm never going to be your friend after-!" Carrot hoisted herself up out of the pile of dirt and dragged her hooves out of another puddle off mud. She cursed under her breath as she lost sight of the mail mare through the thick brush.
"I am going to kill her!" Once she freed herself again from the trappings of the forest, she went after her friend. Following the same direction the pegasus flew in. Angered by her unwanted playfulness and the fact that she had agreed to this stupid doing. She blamed herself for being a curious cat herself.
She'll never admit it, but her friend knew better. Carrot brushed the vines and overgrown branches out of the way, only to grow more agitated when an unsuspecting branch swung back and hit in her face. It left her in a star like daze which she shook off. With a stern look, she grumbled and moved onward. Not paying attention to her surroundings.
"Derpy?" She stopped half way through her walk and looked behind her. Having heard the rustling of a few bushes. Looking confused she shrugged it off and continued on. Only to be stopped once again by the few ruffled sounds of grasses and a low gutter sound.
"Who's there?"
Silence.
"Derpy, if it's you, come on out." Following the mare's command, a wooden paw stepped out of the green shadows. Not long, another timber like paw came out and before the whole creature revealed itself. Standing in front of the mare with it's head held low as it growled. Snarling and wanting like a predator entitled to it's prey.
Carrot backed up with a frightened look staining her visage. Watching as more wooden wolves, that defied the biology of nature, revealed themselves onto her. Growls and snarls filling the atmosphere around them. There were a grand total of six.. All staring closely at the scared pony. Waiting for a chance of movement and provocation.
Carrot bolted. Running and jumping ahead as she dodged the up rooted tree branches and onslaught of overgrown bush as adrenaline flooded her veins. The timber wolves dashed after her with all the instincts of a blood thirsty creature. Howling all the while. "Derpy!" she screamed. "For the sake of Mother Epona, answer me!"
Carrot took a swift glance back to see the timber wolves on her tail. It was times like this where she wished she too was blessed with the power of flight.. She nearly tripped over a ledge before she managed to gain her footing. Twisting her hooves and path so she could lose them until they were out of her sight. She smiled when she saw her friend gorging on an abandoned honeycomb that was dripping with honey. Her face, sticky and stained with the sweet liquid.
Carrot skidded to a stop.
"Oh, Hey Carrot!"
"You were here this entire time! I told you to hold up!"
"I was-"
"Don't worry about it! We gotta go!" The sounds of howls and growls could be heard close behind.
"Are those-?"
“Timber wolves!” Carrot exclaimed. Barely getting the words out through her hazy breath.
Carrot wasted no time to grab her friend by the hoof and dragged her along with wings flapping. They ran through the over grown bush as they attempted to dodge the oncoming predators on their tails. The timber wolves, master of their environment, easily bypassed the over grown bush and uprooted roots with great skill. Jumping, dodging, and ducking smoothly like a perfectly animated film. They howled, signaling the arrival of two others. "Should we turn back?" Derpy asked.
"We can't! There's too many of them!” Carrot panted. “We'll just be cornered!”
"We don't even know where we're going!"
"We never did in the first place! I'll rather be lost and safe than be ripped apart!"
With that statement, they kept running. Not paying any mind to where they we're headed or the need to stop. The timber wolves were only a few feet behind. Ready to attack and pounce at any given moment. They had nothing to defend themselves with. Only a small dagger which did well against creatures of flesh and blood but not those who carried no such thing.
"Ouch!"
"Carrot?!"
"My hoof!" Tangled thorn vines had latched onto her foreleg."At a time like this?" Derpy grabbed her under her hooves. Attempting to pull her out.
"I gotcha Carrot."
The pale mare hissed under her breath as the thorns scraped against her pale flesh. Tearing away the fur and staining the area red.
"Gently Derpy! It hurts!" Carrot winced. The pain tightening around her leg. Shooting stabbing like tinges up into her sides.
"Sorry! But I have to get you out of here!" Howls were heard close by and the two mares panicked.
"Hurry up!"
"I'm trying!" Before the rest could be dislodged from the mare's leg a timber wolf made its way towards them. It jumped up and broke through a few rotting roots that stood out. Demonstrating its strength. Something broke and the two mares could only watch as a tree came tumbling down on top of it. Splinters flew as few whimpers escaped from it before Carrot was freed. The timber wolf's flashy display, had earned itself an unwelcome end.
Carrot's adrenaline neutralized the pain the thorns caused as they checked the outcome. The tree was old and its roots were rotting away. The same roots it broke through was the last support mechanism for the tree. Its recklessness causing the beast's demise. Multiple howls echoed nearby.
“We can't stand around any longer.” Carrot stated. Hearing the sounds.
“We better go.”
“Right.” Derpy agreed. Flying in after her. The wolves continued their chase. Hot on their tails and backs. The two, in their rashness, tumbled out of the thick brush of the Everfree. Rolling onto the ground after tripping over a thick, uprooted branch.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah....just a bit startled. That's all." Carrot stood up on her hind legs. Brushing herself off. “Did they stop chasing us?”
Derpy pointed towards the forest. “Look.”
Carrot's eyes were directed back towards the forest, where the timber wolves were gathered. They seemed puzzled as though something was off pointing about the two mares. The beasts looked at each other and with low growls, reached a decision to head back into the forest. Not daring to go any further. Where they bounded to it or perhaps something was amiss that only they could sense? Whatever the reason, Derpy and Carrot were relived to have them out of sight and gone for good. Shall they leave, they'll take a different route than go back into that forest again.
“The castle of the two sisters.” Derpy stated. Earning a slight confused look by Carrot until she saw the old building in the distance. Right over an ancient bridge.
“Never been there before.”
“Neither have I.”
Carrot moved in front of Derpy. “Shall we?” and with a smile, galloped off. Crossing the old bridge that separated them from the crumbled building. Derpy followed in after her.
The castle was an ancient relic of the past. Before the modern time of Equestria. Testament to the ruling sisters long life and their faults. It was still filled with books of all types, mainly diaries of the staff who use to work there, and the old statues, wares and utensils that was used to upkeep the now barely standing artifact.
The poor castle stood as the fairytale story of the sun princess against the tyrannical Nightmare Moon. Her sister turned evil out of jealousy. Consequently being banished for the moon for a thousand years. It was destroyed in that ensuing battle. Now laying as ashes as to what bought forth Canterlot Castle.
The two mares walked through the place as they took in the old sights. Walls were cracked and an alicorn statue a little distance away was half gone and limping over in debris. Old books were scattered, stain and torn. Disrespect to the literature of old. Had Twilight been present, she would have lost it.
Light beamed in from up above as the entire top ceiling had been annihilated. Shining a welcoming brightness on the usually gloomy setting. Entrances to multiple dark halls lined the walls but Carrot felt no interest to walk into any of them. Derpy had wandered off again but she paid no mind.
She winced at the sudden sting of pain and looked down at her wound that had begun to scab but was torn back open from the fall they had. She sat down and grabbed the small first aid kit out of her brown satchel and went to work tending to it. Putting a bit of alcohol to rid any chance of infection (the burning sensation causing her to hiss) and a band aid to protect it until it scabbed fully.
Once she was done, her attention was directed over to the thrones of the two sisters. Marked over them was the torn, stained and faded tapestry of the rulers. Done in mideval style work. In between the two thrones however, was a large stone object that stood out. Pulsing through it like veins, was blue lines.
Derpy stood in front of it.
“What is that?” Carrot approached.
“A door of some kind.” she grew a smile. “I think we found it! The legendary door!”
“It sure is strange. Still...I doubted that we would find it but I stand corrected.”
Vines and grass covered that round shaped object and ice covered its bottom. A blue mist radiated from it that felt of magic.
Carrot stood next to Derpy. Both taking in the unimaginable sight.
“If it is the legendary door...” doubt, still clouding her voice. “It wouldn't be the first time a legend has came true.”
Derpy rubbed her hoof against the stone door. “I wonder how you open it...”
Derpy pushed herself against it. Grunting as the door did nothing special nor open. She gave it a few more shoves but it did little to budge. She was beginning to gain a quickened breath.
“It won't open. Does it need magic?”
“Well if that's the case, we sure don't have any.”
“Than what do we do?”
A lightbulb flickered over Carrot's head. “Knock.”
“Knock? What is that going to do?”
“You never know. It's a door isn't it?” Carrot stood in front of the door. Positioning her hoof. “Sometimes the most complicated things...” Carrot knocked three times. “...require only a simple solution.”
The door's blue, pulses stood still and shined a beaming glow. As though something had just been activated. The door's slowly opened as the ground beneath it shook. The stone door turning inward as Derpy and Carrot was being blown back by large gusts of cold wind and snow. Having to squint as a portal showed.
Derpy, going against all better instincts, ran in and long after, Carrot did the same. The blue hues on the door pulsed once more and the doors slowly closed shut. The structure beginning to fade away with the setting sun.