In This Town

by iLikeMuffins

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Don't you ever feel like you want to leave everything behind?”

---

...I'm silent because I see many things. What, you ask? Like a running refrigerator. Those things give me the willies. Not to mention, they take away all of your food that you've stored inside of them, as if it were theirs to begin with.

I ain't joking with you. I'm serious. In this place, anything could happen.

☽ ♕ ☾

From the looks of it, it was still night. Probably around two or three in the morning.

Twilight was wide awake, and she knew Pinkie was too. “What's she thinking about that's allowing her to stay up this late?” Twilight thought as she bit down on the nails. “I've got to get that grimoire somehow...”

“Can't believe she's still awake,” Pinkie thought, not wanting to look at Twilight. The both of them knew that none of them were asleep, and they weren't planning on sleeping anytime soon. Pinkie clutched tightly onto her bag in her arms, “What would she need the grimoire for? First, she was against it. Now, she wants it?”

“Something doesn't seem right. People wouldn't change their mind that easily,” Pinkie was lost in her thoughts. She kept questioning herself on what would Twilight need the grimoire for, and why did she suddenly changed her mind about it after just a few hours?

Twilight let out a sigh, and Pinkie could hear it. Twilight mumbled something under her breath, though Pinkie couldn't make out the words she was saying. “She must be complaining,” that's what Pinkie thought.

“Okay, I've had enough,” Twilight said, standing up.

Pinkie turned to her friend, “Of what?” She asked, glaring straight at her.

Twilight crossed her arms, “I need the grimoire because it'll be able to bring us back to town as if none of this ever happened,” she said.

“Yeah, and I've told you I ain't handing it to you until we reach back home,” Pinkie said.

“Yes, I know. I understand,” Twilight said, grumbling as she did. “There was this black goo-looking thing... It said it could bring us back to town if I gave it the grimoire,” she admitted.

“Black goo-looking thing?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. It's not a joke. I'm serious I saw it,” Twilight said, pointing at Pinkie before she could say anything, “And no, I wasn't daydreaming.”

Pinkie opened her mouth, but shut it immediately after she opened it. She thought about what to say next before opening her mouth once again. “So, you agreed to it?” She asked.

“Kinda,” Twilight shrugged. “There wasn't anything about what would happen to us if I didn't give it the grimoire though... So we should be safe.”

Pinkie slowly nodded her head. “Yeah...”

“I want to go home as much as you do, so please just cooperate with me and just hand over the grimoire, will you?” Twilight asked, extending her hand towards Pinkie.

Pinkie stared at the hand and slapped it away, “I don't know what this goo thing is, but if it wants the grimoire, then I'm not giving it.”

“Stop being so stubborn!” Twilight shouted.

“I'm not!” Pinkie yelled back, standing up with her arms holding tightly onto the bag. “Whatever creature you spoke to wants the grimoire. The grimoire may be dangerous. Actually, grimoires are dangerous, in a way.”

“That's why we shouldn't have it! The thing said so itself, we shouldn't meddle with things we shouldn't know about,” Twilight said, closing in on Pinkie.

Pinkie shook her head and backed away. “No,” she said. “If we give that creature what it wants, it could destroy the world or something. I don't know about you, but I rather pick life against death.”

Twilight stopped and stared at Pinkie. She let out a sigh. “Guess you're right,” she said. “But I still want to go home to my parents.”

“And we will,” Pinkie said, still backing away. It could be a trick for all Pinkie knows, to gain her sympathy then snatching the bag away from her grasps once she'd loosen her grip.

Twilight fell onto the ground and curled up into a ball, “I really miss them.”

“And I miss mine,” Pinkie added.

“I want to go home.”

“So do I,” Pinkie replied.

That was the first time Pinkie ever saw a person cried in front of her. Pinkie didn't know how to react or how should she comfort her. So all she could do was sit by her side, keeping a good distance from her, still not trusting her fully. “We'll find our way out of here, without the help of that creature.”

“Will we though?” Twilight questioned.

Pinkie kept silent. She couldn't promise her friend anything.

☽ ♕ ☾

It was morning, and as usual, the children were preparing for school and heading to class... Except a few, who met up at Flutershy's house near the forest.

“Pinkie's gone?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, since last night,” Rarity nodded her head. “I'm really worried about her... What would we tell the teacher?”

“We just say she caught a cold or something,” Applejack suggested.

“Twilight's disappeared too,” Rarity added.

“She caught a cold too,” Applejack said.

“Two people catching a cold after just one day?! I bet the teacher won't even believe in that sort of sorry excuse,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Then what would yer suggest?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and stood proudly, “They fell and injured themselves.”

“That's what yer suggesting?” Applejack stared at Rainbow Dash blankly.

“Girls, girls,” Rarity stepped in between of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “This isn't time for a silly fight. Our friends have disappeared, and we had no idea where they could've gone. Should that be what we should be worried about?”

“True,” Applejack agreed.

“Uh, girls?” Fluttershy called out softly. “I think I may know where they could've gone,” she said with a soft smile across her face as she pointed to the forest, where a white bunny was sitting on the grass, pointing into the forest.

“The forest?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.

Fluttershy nodded her head. “Little Angel here told me that he'd seen Pinkie and Twilight heading into the forest last night.”

“Angel?” Rarity joined in, as confused as Rainbow is.

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy looked at the ground. She turned to Angel, the bunny, and motioned it to come to her. The bunny ran towards Fluttershy, and she held the bunny in her arms, “Meet Angel the bunny,” she said.

The three girls crowd around the bunny and stared at Fluttershy, dumbfounded.

“So... What ya trying to tell us is that... This little bunny told ya that he'd seen Pinkie and Twilight heading to the forest?” Applejack questioned.

Fluttershy nodded her head without saying a thing.

“Okay, it's official, Fluttershy's gone nuts,” Rainbow Dash said.

Rarity nudged Rainbow on the shoulder as hard as she could, making her lose balance for a little while. Rarity glared at Rainbow after she'd found her balance. “If the bunny said he'd seen them heading to the forest, then I trust it,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy smiled at Rarity.

Applejack shrugged, “Meh, it's worth a shot. That's the only lead we have anyway.”

Rainbow Dash glared at the bunny, and she felt the bunny glared back at her. The both of them had some sort of staring contest until Rarity walked in between them, preventing them for staring their eyes out any longer. “We shouldn't waste anymore precious time and begin searching for them,” Rarity said.

“What about school?” Fluttershy questioned.

“Oh... Right...”

“Just tell them we got injured and it'll all work out fine,” Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack rolled her eyes, “So the four of us suddenly got injured out of nowhere?”

“We'll attend classes, and search for them after school, okay?” Rarity said.

The three other girls nodded their heads, and begun making their way to school.

Class begun as usual, but without Pinkie and Twilight. “Do any of you know what happened to the two of them?” The teacher asked, but nobody replied.

Rainbow Dash had the urge to raise her hand, but got a glare from Rarity instead.

☽ ♕ ☾

“Today's class felt as if it lasted longer than usual,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she stretched her arms in the air. “I don't feel like doing anything after this.”

“Ah, ah, ah. Remember that we still have to search for Pinkie and Twilight?” Rarity reminded.

“Maybe they've already head home or something,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I would've gotten a message from Pinkie's relatives if they did.”

The four of them didn't took long to reach the entrance of the forest. Fluttershy was the first to walk into the forest, followed by Applejack, Rarity, and lastly, Rainbow Dash. “Angel said he'd saw them walked deep into the forest in this direction,” Fluttershy said as she pointed to her front.

“Great! An adventure!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, rushing to the front.

“I thought you didn't want to do anything?” Rarity asked, crossing her arms.

“That was before, now is now,” Rainbow Dash said with a laugh.

“Don't mind her, she's just being her,” Applejack said as she slowed her pace and patted Rarity on the shoulder.

“I do suppose you're right,” Rarity nodded her head, agreeing with whatever Applejack was saying.

Rainbow Dash ran ahead of Fluttershy, “See ya guys later!” She stuck her tongue out as she dashed deep into the forest, leaving her friends behind.

“It isn't safe!” Fluttershy shouted, but all that came out was a soft squeak. But it was too late, she couldn't even see Rainbow Dash no longer. “Oh...”

“It's fine, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, patting her friend on the back.

“It'll be her fault for losing her way,” Applejack laughed. “Ah even bet she'll come back running to us after a while!”

“Let's just keep going. If we go now, we'll catch up with her,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy nodded her head, and the three of them continued walking, clueless to what lies deep in the forest, and yet to see what Pinkie and Twilight had seen.

☽ ♕ ☾

Rainbow Dash slowed down her pace and looked behind. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, and nobody was chasing after her. “Haha! They couldn't even catch up with me!” Rainbow Dash laughed proudly. She wasn't even tired from all that running. “Guess I'll wait for them here,” she said as she sat on the ground and laid against a tree.

While waiting for her friends to arrive, she looked around her surroundings. She looked up and could barely see the sky, “No wonder it's dark around here, the leaves from the trees are blocking all the sunlight!”

Rainbow Dash was getting bored as she waited. Every second was a pain to her, and every minute felt as if she was grounded for a week. “What's taking them so long?” Rainbow Dash questioned, even though she only had been waiting for five minutes. She stood up and walked around in circles, “Where are they?” She grumbled.

After a minute of circling nothing but a stump, she fell back down to the ground and let out a long, loud sigh. “I'm bored!” She shouted, her voice barely made any echo through the forest. Should've expected that, since it's an open area, after all.

“I wonder what silly things Pinkie and the new girl is doing?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Knowing Pinkie, they may be swinging around vines from trees to trees, pretending they rule over the forest or something.”

Who knows what's Rainbow Dash is thinking about inside her brain.

“Yep. Swinging from trees to trees using just one mere vine... Like that guy from the movie... What's his name again?”

Nobody knows what was going on in Rainbow Dash's head.

“Oh right! It was Ta–”

Nobody. Nobody at all.

“Couldn't you at least contain your excitement for later? You're making us use up all of our energy before we could even start the search!” A familiar voice shouted. It belonged to Rarity. “You'd be surprised by how loud your voice is.”

“Took you long enough,” Rainbow Dash said as she stood up and dusted off invisible dusts that was on her jeans.

“Please... If you don't mind, please don't run off like that again... It's... Uhm... Not safe for you to enter alone,” Fluttershy said softly, almost in a whisper.

“Ya heard the girl,” Applejack said as she nudged Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. “Don't take off like that. Who knows what would happen to ya if we ain't able to find yer.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Now that we're here... What should we do?”

“I suggest we split up to search for Pinkie and Twilight,” Rarity suggested.

“But uhm...”

“Sounds like a great plan, Rarity!” Applejack nodded her head.

“It's not...”

“I'll pick this way then,” Rainbow Dash said, already getting a head start.

“Then I'll go over here,” Applejack said, picking the middle path.

“As for me, I'll go this way,” Rarity said before the three of them went to their own direction.

“Uhm... Uh... Guys...? It's not safe to go alone...” Fluttershy whispered. But the three of them already went away. Fluttershy let out a sigh, “Guess I'll go my own way...”

Fluttershy picked the path just in between Applejack's and Rarity's and begun her search from there. From time to time, she would hide behind bushes and trees and even curled herself up into a ball as she used her hair as a shield.

“They're just forest animals, Fluttershy... Remember that they're more afraid of you than you are of them,” Fluttershy kept telling herself that inside of her mind. She always loved animals, and she would be more than happy to meet them. The small, cute and cuddly ones. She wanted to make friends with a bear if she could, but she doesn't think she could handle it just yet.

“Another one of you pesky little kids.”

Fluttershy quickly hid inside of a nearby bush. “W-who... Who's there?!”

Whatever it was, the voice let out a sigh. “The first failed me, then comes a cowardly one. What's up with you kids nowadays with forests?” The voice questioned. “I don't understand how you humans work. First you're scared, second you're curious. Make up your mind, will you?”

Fluttershy whimpered inside of the bush. She was so afraid that she couldn't think of anything to say.

The same exact black goo which Twilight had met with slid in front of Fluttershy, and as if it had eyes, it stared straight at Fluttershy. “Ahhh!” Fluttershy screamed as she jumped out of the bush and fell onto the ground.

The voice let out a laugh, amused by Fluttershy's reaction, “You're so much more better than that Twilight girl. You show more emotion.”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy picked herself back up from the ground and walked slowly, yet cautiously, towards the black goo. “Did you just say Twilight?”

“Sure did,” the voice said. The black goo just melted to the ground, forming a black colored puddle. The puddle began to show a picture of what looked like Twilight. “Twilight, the girl who failed to meet my request.”

“Request?” Fluttershy questioned.

The picture faded away, returning back to darkness. “Nothing you should know of,” the voice said, avoiding the question. “Say... You're searching for them, right?” The black goo was changing its shape, forming a shape of a... Person? Or what it looked like a person.

“Let's make a deal.”

☽ ♕ ☾

“Rise and shine, sleepy head,” Pinkie called out as she shook Twilight awake.

“What time is it?” Twilight asked, still half asleep.

Pinkie looked up at the sky, she could barely see it, but it was still there. “Looks like it's around ten, probably?” Pinkie replied.

Twilight rubbed her eyes and looked at her wristwatch, “It's way pass ten. It's already eleven.”

“How was I suppose to know that?” Pinkie questioned.

Twilight pushed herself off the ground, holding onto a nearby rock for support. Her leg hurts, probably from all the running she did. “Isn't there anything here we can eat?” She asked, realizing none of them had eaten since yesterday night.

Pinkie shrugged, “Don't think so, but we could find something to eat.”

“Like what?” Twilight questioned.

Pinkie raised her arms in the air, “Mushro–”

“No.”

“Then what would you suggest?” Pinkie lowered her arms and pouted.

Twilight looked up at the trees, “This is a forest, there should be some fruits growing here,” she said as she looked down at the bushes, “Or berries,” she added. “And maybe we could even find a lake or a river nearby and get some water from there.”

Pinkie was surprised. Twilight was acting as if everything that happened last night was all just a dream, and it never really happened. “Are you feeling better?” Pinkie just had to get that question out of her head. “Thinking straight now? Doing fine?”

“Better than yesterday, to say the least,” Twilight said, her head lowered to the ground. “I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. It was really selfish of me.”

Pinkie shook her head, “I think if whatever that happened to you happened to me, I would do the same, so don't sweat about it.” Pinkie walked in front of Twilight and gave her a playful pat on the head, “Patty pat-pat!” And she began to laugh.

Twilight couldn't help but smile. “Come on, we gotta find something to eat before we die here,” she said, taking the lead this time.

“Yes, sir! I mean, ma'am!” Pinkie saluted before following her friend from behind. “I've never would've thought you would actually take the lead this time.”

“Eh... It takes a few things off my mind,” Twilight said. “It distracts me from thinking too much about what I want to think about, you can say.”

Pinkie just nodded her head lightly.

“This place is weird,” Pinkie spoke out loud.

“Sure is,” Twilight agreed.

“What other weird and strange things do you think we may come across next?” Pinkie questioned, waiting for Twilight's reply.

Twilight thought about it for a moment. “Certainly not that black goo thing,” Twilight said. “And hopefully, something that is not out to get us or eat us. Basically speaking, nothing dangerous and life-threatening,” she added.

Pinkie laughed for a short while, “We faced against the Timberwolves and somehow outrun them. I bet we'll be able to handle a few more strange, dangerous creatures.”

“And get torn to pieces before we could even run away from them,” Twilight added.

“That's morbid.”

Twilight shrugged, “Your fault for saying that first. Also, it's your fault for dragging me into this. I'm blaming you for everything.”

Pinkie pouted, “Meanie.”

“Odd, isn't it?” Twilight questioned after a few minutes of silence. “There's not one sight of fruits nor berries around here...”

“True,” Pinkie agreed.

“I now wonder if we would even be able to find a single piece of fruit in this place,” a Twilight said, beginning to lose hope. “No matter wherever we go, we couldn't seem to find anything. Not even a single fruit!”

“Maybe the mushrooms are edible?” Pinkie suggested.

“I'm not touching those things,” Twilight said.

Pinkie was already reading the diary, “It said that the mushrooms in the forest may look and smell bad, but it somehow tasted delicious,” she said. “We should give it a try.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and grumbled. “Fine,” she gave in.

The both of them stopped near a small patch of area where they'd spotted a bundle of mushrooms standing out. Twilight plucked the mushrooms and sniffed it, “It stinks,” she complained, holding it far from her nose.

“Just suck it and eat it,” Pinkie said, putting one in her mouth.

“How can you be so sure that they aren't poisonous?” Twilight questioned.

Pinkie, with her mouth full, and unable to answer, she held out the diary and showed her the page where it talked about the mushrooms. “Mushrooms which are purple in color are edible and tastes like grapes, surprisingly. Red tastes like cherries. Do not eat the green ones, they're poisonous. If you're touching them, wear a glove...” Twilight read it out loud. There were more, but Twilight had already more or less memorized which mushrooms are good and which ones are bad.

“Interesting,” Twilight said, staring at the mushroom she had on her hand. She put it inside her mouth and quickly chewed it. As the book had said, it tasted like cherries. “Fascinating,” Twilight said after swallowing the mushroom. “Never thought mushrooms would taste like fruits.”

“I know right?!” Pinkie exclaimed, already had a handful of mushrooms. “I brought a box with me, we could store these and eat them when we need to,” she said as she placed them inside the box and put the box inside of her bag.

“Good idea,” Twilight nodded her head and gave Pinkie a thumbs up.

“Well, we have to find our way out of here, somehow,” Pinkie said.

“Indeed we do.”

☽ ♕ ☾

That's all for today. It's already quite late, don't you think? Been sitting on this couch for more than an hour just to tell you this story, and I'm not even close to the ending yet! Geez, my legs are numb! I can barely feel them!

Oh, right. I found something, a note. Found it in my mailbox this morning, thought you may like mysteries and stuff, so here you go. It's some sort of cryptogram, I bet you can solve it. Don't worry about me, I've already solved it, so keep it for yourself. Been getting loads of these ever once in a while, my bin's filled with them!

Now then, I wish you a safe trip home. Come back within a week. I'm quite busy tomorrow, and the following day, and the day after... Have to pay a visit to my friend's place and take care of their kids. Haha! Part time babysitter. Boy, will I be a great babysitter... Actually, no. Honestly speaking, I'm not good with kids. Never was, never will be. So... Those kids are in for a playdate with hell.

☽ ♕ ☾

A note with a cryptogram written on it was given to you.
19-16-9-11-5

A simple code, even a kid could solve it.

Author's Note:

☪ The cryptograms would just keep getting harder and harder. It won't always stay the same. I enjoy the cryptograms. It's fun! It's your choice wether or not you want to decipher the cryptograms or not, for they don't really relate to the story. But if you wish to do so, go ahead. It may or may not tell you something that has yet to come.