Chapter 7: A Strange New Friend
Chapter 7.
A Strange New Friend.
Another year passed, and now Nicholas was at the age of eight, and the older he got, the more he explored. Nicholas often found himself traveling the woods, and even at times he would go and explore the Everfree forest.
His family didn't like it when he vanished for hours on end, but lately he simply felt he needed to. Applejack had gotten better, she was back to her old self, but she had went away. She kept talking about going to Manehatten, to try her luck in the big city. Although he would miss her, and he could tell she was conflicted about the idea, he told her to try her luck, and that her family would take her back in a heartbeat if it didn't work out.
That had been a few days ago, and although he felt a little sad, he knew she was okay, and of course she would write to him once she got settled in.
Nicholas dealt with this how he knew best, sharpening his skills. His toys started to look better and better, his skills at the violin had earned him praise from his music teacher, but now, he wanted a break. He loved doing all of these things, but this weekend he wanted to go back into the forest of Everfree.
It had been a while since he had last been there, not that he was naive enough to think it was safe, but he had learned a trick or two to avoid the worst kind of dangers. Most ponies feared to go in, the way things were out of the control of ponies, everything from the weather, to the animals, to the plants, scared most of them for some reason. Somehow, that lack of control drew him to the mysterious woods.
It was like an adventure, and on each trip he made, he went further and further in. Again, his family had forbidden him to even go near, and if his father was a lesser stallion, he would have probably struck him by now for disobeying. Thankfully most ponies were kind and gentle, and so never resorted to that kind of punishment, but the sad fact was, some did.
He did not like to break rules, but his curiosity would not allow him to stay away. He wanted to explore, learn more, draw the animals he saw, gain inspiration for his toys. In the seclusion of the woods, it was like his imagination could wander, and go free.
As the forest could be dangerous, he brought a few things just in case. In his belt he had his knife, his dad had allowed him to take it out, as he trusted him to use it responsibly. He knew it was a large amount of trust he had put on his kid, but Nicholas was very mature when it came to most things, and he had always shown to treat his knife as ONLY a tool, never a toy.
Other than that, he had also placed some rope within his belt, it hung from his left side along with the bag. Inside the back were two pencils, a water bottle and some biscuits. He had also brought a sketch book and a notebook, the sketch was to record the things he found interesting, the notebook was for ideas or observations.
If you think that is a lot for a kid to prepare, or do on his own, then I only have one answer for you kids.... Twilight Sparkle, oh, and P S, Cutie Mark Crusaders. Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway!
As he walked deeper and deeper into the forest, he started to hum a tune. He was not sure where he got it from, he knew he had never heard any pony hum it, but it felt familiar to him, and so, he simply kept humming it as he walked down the mossy and grassy trails.
By now he knew which plants to avoid, and he knew the places he had explored quite well, so he was not afraid of getting lost. He kept humming, still making sure to keep an eye and an ear out for any sounds of trouble. However, none came to his attention.
He could understand why most ponies feared this place, when you first got in, it looked gloomy and dark, it did for a good while, but he knew for a fact it would become lighter, he had seen it himself. Last time he had been here, he had been walking around for quite some time, right up until he spotted a small river. It was not very large, narrow, some places shallow, other places deep. It was narrow enough for him to jump over if he wanted, but he had not done so as of yet.
What was more fascinating however was the other side of the river, he could see the sun's powerful rays cut through the trees, lighting up the green all around, lighting everything up in it's warm light. The bright colors of the flowers, bushes and the trees, it was all something that lured the young Nicholas closer.
Nicholas had never been there, but today, he was determined to cross the small river and explore the unknown area!
~~N~~
It took about two hours getting to the small river, mostly it was because he needed to be careful and to find the correct path. Since he had only been there once before, he moved forward slowly. But now, with the sound of running water, and soon enough the warm light of the other side, he found himself back where he was the last time.
He looked to the other side, seeing a clear difference. That side looked more friendly, a beautiful place he knew ponies would like. His side on the other hand was more mysterious, dark and gloomy, but not without its shares of wonders and beauty mind you.
It was time to leap across, so, taking a deep breath, getting himself ready to go further than he had ever been from home. Steeling his nerves, he clenched his fists, took a few steps back, and then finally he ran. Picking up as much speed as he could, he leaped into the air, crossing the narrow river in one long jump.
He felt the soft moss under his boots as he landed, and as he slowly turned around, he saw he had crossed the river! He knew he could have simply walked over, but where was the fun in that? Life was an adventure, and to him, he had just crossed a grand valley filled with danger! Or at least, that is what he imagined.
Satisfied with his feat, he turned around and started to walk forward. It was just like he imagined it, the whole forest seemed to open up, the thick trees were spread out more, allowing more sunlight to come through, but still close enough to let the massive branches clover the most of the sky with it's green leaves.
It was so very peaceful here, so secluded and had a sense of calm. Starting to walk forward, he took in the beauty of the new forest landscape that was revealing itself to him. The more he walked, the more he started to relax. The trees were not standing so close here, it meant it would be hard for an animal to sneak up on him out here. There were lots of pretty flowers, bringing more color to the green cover that the moss and grass provided.
The birds sang in the trees above, and the critters played and ran along the branches. He smiled to himself, thinking that if ponies would ever come in here, then maybe they would start seeing the Everfree differently, but for now, he was content being the only one knowing of this little oasis within the dark forest.
There was only one thing, it felt like he was being watched...
~~N~~
He had walked for quite some time, his feet were a bit sore, but they didn't hurt. Finding a spot under one of the large trees, he sat down to relax and get a snack or two. He took his bag off his belt and placed it in front of him, pulling out his water bottle and took out a biscuit.
He chewed on the crunchy treats happily, leaning against the tree and enjoyed the green around him. He continued to munch on his snack when he suddenly heard a sound of a stick snapping. He turned his head around to look, but saw nothing. "Strange.." He wondered if it could have been an animal, then again it could have just been a branch falling from one of the trees.
He was about to take another bite from his biscuit, when he suddenly heard some weird scratching sounds coming from behind. This time he felt his hair rise as he got nervous and quickly moved and looked behind the tree, nothing. Again, it was strange, he could have sworn he heard something sounding like claws climbing a tree, like a squirrel.
This time when he looked back around, he noticed his bag seemed to have grown larger, and, alive? It was moving, but as he saw a little tail sticking out of the opening, he quickly concluded an animal had snuck in. As soon as he heard the small crunching sounds, he knew it was after his biscuits.
"Hey, stop that." He did not count on the animal understanding him, but maybe the sound of his voice would scare it off.
For a moment he thought it worked, the tail shot up into the air, becoming stiff, and the movements also stopped right away. Then slowly, it emerged from his bag, looking nervous and timid. As it turned to look at him, Nicholas at once knew he had never seen an animal like this.
It was furry, a snow white color. It's features were a little strange, no ugly, but it was foreign to him. It stood on two legs, it's feet seemed to assemble paws, but on it's arms was tiny fingers, they weren't long like his, but seemed to also form a sort of paw, but unlike its feet, it seemed to have functional palms, meaning it could grab and hold onto stuff, just like him.
It had two big pointy ears, and two large round blue eyes. It's facial features reminded him mostly of a cat, a tiny little nose, but with a mouth like his, and very expressional as it looked back at him with a mix of fear and nervousness. He gazed into its eyes, and he could see something he did not see in other animals, an intelligence that was beyond any simple animal.
Clearly the creature was young, he could tell it was smaller than it would be if it was an adult, maybe it was because it looked more fluffy, but that was his guess. Thinking quickly, he looked to the uneaten biscuit in his hand, and then slowly held it out to the strange creature.
At first it covered it's eyes, fearing he was going to hurt it, but Nicholas placed the biscuit down, then gave it a gentle push towards the creature and removed his hand. It opened its eyes, it's little nose moving as it started to sniff. Slowly, but surely, it moved closer, sniffing it some more, and then with a happy expression took the biscuit in both hands and took a large bite.
Nicholas swore he heard a yelp of delight coming from the small thing, and judging by the large smile on its face, he would say he was right. It continued to eat, sitting down on it's rump as it continued to enjoy the round treat.
He smiled to himself, finding the creature quite cute. "I wonder what you are, I have never seen someone like you before.." he said, not really to anyone.
But then suddenly the creature turned to him, it's eyes looking directly into his, and replied. "Is mise Mina. Is elf na foraoise mé." It said in what Nicholas could guess was a female voice. Though the gender interested him less right now, it spoke!?
"You, you can speak?" He asked in disbelief.
She nodded at him, looking more relaxed as it pointed at him and said. "Cad is ainm duit?" He had never heard a language like that before, and he simply tilted his head, trying to show he did not understand. She looked thoughtful, then pointed to herself and said. "Mina." Then pointed to him, and waited for him to respond.
Nicholas understood instantly, so he pointed to himself. "Nicholas."
The little creature, named Mina, smiled and started to speak. "Is maith bualadh leat Nicholas, cad é atá tú? Ní chapaillín tú."
Well, there was no way Nicholas understood any of what she said, but before he could let her know, he heard something that sounded like a massive explosion in the sky. "What the?!" He looked up, seeing some sort of rainbow colored wave moving across the sky.
Standing up to get a better look, he wondered what could have made something like that happen. It was beautiful, washing over the heavens like a colorful tidal wave of wonder. "Wow.." He smiled a little, shielding his eyes with one hand. Slowly, it started to vanish, and when it did, he returned his attention to his furry friend.
Only, she was not there anymore.
Nicholas looked around for a little bit, not understanding where she had gone to. "Mina?" He tried calling, but there was no answer. She was probably scared off by the strange explosion they heard, which reminded him, he'd better go home as well before it got too late.
He grabbed his bag, and quickly left for Ponyville.
~~N~~
It was evening when he finally returned home, the sun had been lowered and ponies were settling in for dinner. Nicholas knew his parents would not be too happy with him coming home after dinner time, but they also knew it was the weekend, and as he was growing up he needed to run free once in a while.
He opened the door to his house, the nice smell of tomato soup hit his nose. and he could feel his stomach rumble in response.
"Is that you, Nicholas?" His mother called.
"Yeah, sorry for being late." Nicholas called back and walked into the kitchen. He made his way over to his mother, and kissed her on the cheek. "That smells nice."
Rose Bright smirked. "Nice try, that won't get you out of trouble with your dad, young man." She chuckled and gave her son a quick nuzzle. "Where have you been all day?"
"All around." Nicholas replied as he walked over to the crib and smiled down at his little brother. "Hey Star Tail, having fun?" The little colt cheered as he saw his big brother, then continued to consume his toy with his mouth, sucking on it like it was a pacifier. Nicholas chuckled a bit. "Ho, ho, ho. Need any help mom?" Nicholas asked, glancing over at his mother.
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, can you get your father. I've already set the table."
Nicholas nodded. "Okay mom, just going to put my stuff in my room."
"Good." Rose smiled and then called after him as he walked up the stairs. "And wash your hands!"
"I will!" Nicholas called back down as he reached his room. There was not much to do, he did not bother closing the door as he just needed to get his stuff off and go get his dad, and wash hands of course. He unclipped the things from his belt, putting it on the table, then took off the bag and threw it to the bed.
It hit bed with a clear sounding thud, followed up by a little yelp. "Mew!"
Nicholas stopped. "Mew?" He looked to his bed, suddenly seeing his bag expand, then move around for a bit. Then suddenly it opened and out came the little creature he had met in the forest. "Mina?"
She scratched her head, mumbling something he didn't understand. "Ow, mo cheann.." Mina then turned to him, her expression turned to one of concern.
"Mina." Nicholas said again, walking over to her. "What are you doing in my bag? I thought you had run off?"
Her tail curled around to reach her tiny hands, and she started to fumble with it like a kid who had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. "Tá brón orm, bhí eagla orm agus chuir mé i do mhála.." Again with that language.
Nicholas didn't understand, so he frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry Mina, but I don't understand what you're saying.." Mina sighed, and looked down. "We got to get you back home." Nicholas continued. Mina's mood seemed to lighten as she heard that. "Although.." A glance out the window told him his parents would never allow him out at this time, and it would be too dangerous for him to wander the Everfree in the dark anyway.
Letting out a sigh, he sent Mina an apologetic look. "But it looks like we got to wait for tomorrow, Mina.." She looked disappointed, her ears dropping a bit. "Hey, it's gonna be fine, you can stay with me tonight, and tomorrow we go back to the forest, and then you can find your way home."
Mina brightened at that, her ears returning to their full size once again. "Oh, míle buíochas, Nicholas, míle buíochas!"
Nicholas chuckled a little, but then heard his mother call. "Nicholas?! Are you coming down to eat!?"
He had completely forgotten about dinner, but he quickly turned and called. "Coming ma! Sorry!" He turned to Mina again who gave him a questioning look. "I'll be right back, family dinner, you know. I'll bring you back some food, okay?"
Mina seemed to understand and gave him a small nod. With that handled, Nicholas quickly got out, closed the door, and of course, washed his hands.
~~N~~
After getting his dad, dinner began. His father sat at the end of the table, his mother on his right side, right beside Star Tail in his specially made chair. That way, Rose could feed him. Nicholas himself sat on Cutter's right side, quietly eating his soup.
It was pretty quiet around the table, his dad had not given him a lecture, maybe because he did not feel the need to do it. Suddenly however, his dad looked at him and asked. "Nicholas, are you okay?"
"Hm?" That question caught him off guard.
"With Applejack leaving for the city.. You must miss her."
Well, there was no getting around that fact, Nicholas did miss Applejack, a lot. Although, that was not really what was on his mind right now. He missed Applejack, but he knew he would see her again, and he would write to her, of course he would, though right now he had more pressing concerns.
For a brief moment he wondered if he should ask about Mina, try to see if they knew what kind of creature she was. Then again, It might not be good to worry them. If they found out he had been exploring the Everfree, again, they would get all worried and concerned.
No, maybe it was better to wait, maybe after he had gotten Mina back to the forest he would see what he could find out at the bookstore. Surely they had a book about the creatures living in Equestria.
"Nicholas?" His dad prompted.
"Oh!" Nicholas had been so deep in thought he had completely forgotten to answer his dad. "Sorry, yes I miss her, but I know I'll see her again.."
"Are you okay then?" His mother then asked.
Nicholas smiled a little. "Yes, i'm fine, just trying to get used to her not being here each day.." He shrugged. "Don't worry." That answer seemed to ease their concerns a little, but not making them vanish.
~~N~~
After dinner, Nicholas managed to sneak two buns for a snack, his mother never did mind, so he didn't bother hiding them. He came back to his room, quickly spotting Mina standing on his desk, looking over the figurine of Applejack. She looked fascinated by the wooden figure.
"That's Applejack, a filly I know." He smiled as he closed the door. "Got some homemade bread for you, if you're hungry." Mina jumped up in excitement and made her way over to the edge of the desk. He placed the buns on the table and she quickly started to consume them.
He in the meantime simply sat down, finding it cute her small satisfied noises as she enjoyed her food. After the first bun was consumed, she looked to the wooden figure, then pointed at it. "Pony, Applejack.." She said, then pointed at him. "Nicholas, cairde?"
Nicholas did not understand the last word she used, did she want to know what he was if not a pony? No, it was something else. "Uhm.."
She sighed, walking over to the figure, pointing at him, then at the figure, then picked it up and hugged it. After a second she let it go and repeated. "Cairde?"
"Uhm.." He thought for a moment, then coming up with a guess. "Friends you mean? Are you asking if we are friends?" Mina smiled and nodded. Nicholas couldn't help, but to smile as well. He then nodded. "Yes, best friends." She seemed happy with that answer, then let out a long yawn.
"Oh, are you tired? Well, me too." He said and sighed. "Let's go to bed." He made her a quick bed, using a small box and a lot of small blankets and scarves. Then he placed it on the nightstand next to his bed.
Mina hopped onto the bed, then went to the nightstand and inspected her bed. After a few seconds she nodded with approval and got in, snuggling up into a ball like a small cat. Chuckling at the sight, Nicholas got into his own bed, moving under the covers so he was nice and snug too. "Good night Mina.."
The little voice spoke from the makeshift bed. "Codladh go maith, Nicholas.."
She sounded tired, and he could not blame her. It had certainly been an eventful day. Exploring the forest, meeting Mina, seeing that strange rainbow wave in the sky. There were certainly a lot of things to write about to Applejack once he heard from her.
He smiled a little to himself as he turned off the lights, hoping it wouldn't be too long before he saw his friend again. If you know anything about Ponyville history kids, I'm sure you know that answer, hehe.
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And here I thought it was Pinkie, Bigfoot?
This is such a cute wholesome story. Me likey
Shut up!