Forest of Lost Foals

by Dusk-Spark

Ch. 11: "The pipes are calling."

Pipsqueak and Saphira kept on galloping down the road, how long had they been running? Who knew for certain? His chest hurt, he didn’t care. His hooves ached, he didn’t care. Every muscle in his body was telling him to stop, HE DIDN’T CARE!
Keep running despite the pain! Ignore the voice in his head telling him to slow down and surrender or kill Saphira! Pipsqueak wasn’t slowing down, the same couldn't be said for Saphira who had slowed to a stop.
Pipsqueak grinded to a halt, nearly tripping over from the sudden stop. “Saphira?! What is it?” Did that buck from earlier hurt her worse than Pipsqueak had realized? He tried not to think about Scootaloo right now. Maybe it was something else? If she was hurt how would she escape?

“Pipsqueak. I‘ve been thinking about it a lot; and what Scootaloo said before..." Her voice trailed off, touching the scar on her eye, "How did I survive, when no one else did?"

"Y-You hid in a hollowed out tree. That's what you told me."

"Did it really just…stop when morning came?”

“You said the l-l-lantern, it protects-”

“I was wrong, Pipsqueak. It‘s not afraid of the light at all. EVERYONE WHO WAS ATTACKED HAD A LANTERN! IT DID NOTHING TO PROTECT THEM!” Saphira looked back to where they ran from. “It followed me, all the way to Ponyville. Or maybe it WANTED me to go here. I don‘t know. I know you might think I have all the answers, but I DON‘T! I DON‘T KNOW, I make logical guesses, but I don‘t know everything! I do know one thing though, it wants me. I can hear its whispers creeping into my brain, telling me to do things…just like with Scootaloo, like with everyone else. How long before I start blacking out? Waking up somewhere I don't know? All of this, is my fault. I brought it here. And I'm so tired already...” The glow from Saphira's horn was fizzling, it was obvious that she was struggling against a magical burnout.

“Wh-What are you trying to say?” Pipsqueak asked, praying to Luna she wasn’t going to do what he thought she was going to do. This speech was just like-

“Go. Pipsqueak.”

She was gonna do it. The heroic sacrifice. She was gonna stay behind, fight it and give Pipsqueak enough time to escape. Well he was not about to let that happen! “You can’t! Everyone‘s gone now, it‘s just you and me. Please don‘t leave me out here alone!” He was only able to come this far because he was never truly alone. The few seconds back then when he WAS alone were the most terrifying of his life, he hated it and didn‘t want it to happen again. There was no way he could survive out here on his own.

"Die."

She touched her horn to his head, "Don't listen to the voice. Never listen to the voice. No matter happens, don't ever listen. Don't trust it. Don't believe it. Fight it every step of the way."

Pipsqueak couldn't control his sobs anymore, "Why are you saying these things? Saphira, don't go."

"…I’m sorry, Pipsqueak.” She planted herself firmly on the ground, she turned to see the green light gaining on them. “You can’t hear it can you? The music, the whispers. It‘s like…claws on a chalkboard all the time. Pipsqueak, the reason I came with you on this adventure. It wasn‘t because I thought we were friends, I came here…to kill this monster. There was only one way this story was ever gonna end. One of us was going to die.”

“Th-Then I’m staying too. I can help you fight!” He couldn't just let her fight alone, especially not in her condition! That kick from Scootaloo was obviously still bothering her, in addition Saphira had used A LOT of magic tonight. It was nothing short of a miracle she hadn't burned out when she teleported the three foals a few inches. How much magic could she possibly have left? Definitely not enough to take out the remaining 16 ponies AND the Pied Piper. Besides, what kind of friend does that?! No, he'd lost everyone already and he was not gonna lose another pony to this...monster.

Saphira trotted slowly towards him, she paced around him curiously, as if examining him carefully, then she spoke in a low whisper. “…No. You can’t.” Before he could react, she telekinetically shoved him into a hollowed out tree. “Good thing you’re so small.” She said as she set up a barrier. She could hear his anguished cries from the other side of the barrier, he banged on the barrier with his hooves for a few seconds before realizing how pointless it was. He fought back the tears as hard as he could. 'Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry!'

"Pipsqueak, look at me."

He shook his head, just stared down at the hooves.

"Pipsqueak, please. I'm sorry." She touched her hoof to the barrier, and Pipsqueak reluctantly did the same. “If I win, I’ll come back and get you…if I die. Well…you’ll know.” She turned to face the green light. “It’s…been fun, before all this happened. With you and Scootaloo, I mean. It was fun. I really would've liked to spend more time with everyone. Maybe get to know Applebloom and Sweetie Belle better, even Diamond Tiara looked like she was going to turn over a new leaf. I really wanted to go Nightmare Nighting with all of you." She opened her scarred eye, wanting him to see the truth (though it just raised more questions for the little foal).
She stared straight into his eyes, "Remember. Don't listen, don't let it in. Don't let it see your fear, push your emotions down and focus on the task ahead. You're small but you're stronger than you realize. You have the makings of a real hero. And heroes destroy monsters."

"Why are you saying these things?" He choked back the tears, he knew what kind of speech this was.

"Because, I am not a hero. I'm a scared little filly, about to do something I should've done a long time ago." And then with a sad, tear stained, genuine smile she told him; "Pipsqueak...stay alive, my friend.” With those last words, she galloped out of sight.

“Saphira!” He called after her, then he shut his ears when he heard the screech. A minute later: he saw the green light stop nearby.
He could hear a loud sniffing around the tree. He shrank into the back of the hollowed out tree, making himself as small as possible.
He could see a vague shadow on the ground, outside.
'Don't look this way...' It's ears(?) perked up, stared in the direction Saphira went and dashed in that direction faster than its large body seemed capable of moving.
. . . . . . . .
The silence was the worst part... “Saphira…no…”
. . . . . . . .

---

He didn’t know how long had he been in that hollowed out tree? He just couldn’t stop thinking about everything that happened. Everyone who died. He should’ve done something more, he should’ve tried harder, he should’ve-
His self-pity parade was cut short when the barrier blocking him from the outside suddenly started to lose it's color until it completely vanished. “Saphira?” He cautiously stepped out of the hollowed out tree. But he found no mane or tail of the red eyed, pale white Unicorn. If she wasn’t here, and the barrier disappeared that could only mean…
"No…” He wordlessly muttered. No time to rest though, because he just heard the screech from far off, and it sounded pissed. ‘Run. Run!’ He urged his shaking limbs forward, hitting his hind legs as he did.

He was sprinting faster than he’s ever sprinted before, his legs threatening to break under the constant strain. “Ms. Zecora’s hut, just hafta make it to ms. Zecora!” He heard the screech getting louder, sounding much more urgent. Go faster, go faster! He could faintly see the sickly green light off in the distance. Every once in a while, he’d look back and see a dark, foal shaped figure following behind him. “Ah!” He cried out, “Help!” He called but no answer came.

The forest’s foliage cut, and scratched his hide. But he didn’t stop, stopping meant death.
Stopping meant no one ever knowing what happened to the ponies who went into the Everfree Forest.
Stopping meant the sacrifice of Scootaloo and Saphira would be for nothing.
He could take a little bit of pain if it meant a lot more living. The voice in his head kept telling him to stop, to slow down, that it’s might not be so bad. No. He knew who that voice was.

"Don't let it in."

He couldn’t listen to it, he couldn’t let it tempt him. Something jumped out in front of him, he swerved to the side but tripped on a tree root, tumbled and fell flat on his face.

SHNK!

He felt something hard pierce through his hind leg. He tried to stand but a sharp pain stopped him, he looked down to see the gash along his hind leg. It hurt to move, regardless he tried crawling. ‘Not gonna surrender. Not gonna give up.’ He kept telling himself, even as the dark figures slowed their pace to a light trot, encircling him, trapping him. They were MOCKING him. He saw the figure in the green light casting a shadow over him, then he heard that screech. He wanted to be brave and look death in the face, one last time. Defiant to the end...but he was just a foal. He hid his head under his hooves, waiting for the inevitable. He just hoped it would be quick. He heard the screech, and then the crashing sounds. Crashing sounds? He opened his eyes to see blue fire was separating himself and the pale figures of his former classmates. The dark figures had turned their attention to a hooded mare tossing things at them.

“BACK! Go back to the Everfree. Lest you wish to tangle with the likes of me!” The heavily accented voice of Zecora boomed over the screeching and hissing. There was another explosion and he heard a pained howl, something wet splashed onto his cheek, the light started fading and he heard hoofsteps vanishing in the distance.

“…” For a while all was silent, Zecora trotted up to Pipsqueak, nudged his head with her muzzle. And smiled at him.

Pipsqueak could no longer fight back the tears, he jumped straight at Zecora! Hugging her tightly as he sobbed uncontrollably. Letting out all the pain, all the fear, everything come out before this wonderful, caring Zebra who wrapped her hooves around him. Ensuring him that everything was going to be fine now, he was safe, it's over.

"It's never over."