Hunting Hope 17

>Hope brushed herself off as she finally stood, fully dried, in the clearing once more.

It was time to move on.

>Seeing as this had been her father's clearing as well, she had two options.

>Hope thought back to the map that she had kept on her wall at home.

>Landfall was closest to Ponyville, and in a mysterious part of the Everfree forest that seemed to exist outside of the normal rules of the place.

>While the normal Everfree was full of monsters and creatures, the small area of land surrounding anon's landing pad was perhaps the strangest of them all, for it's one distinguishing feature.

Normalcy. Absolute normalcy.

>Nowhere in the entire zany world of Equestria was there such an absolutely mundane clearing surrounded by completely average trees as there was at this spot in particular.

>Perhaps even the unfriendly and seemingly cruel mass of life that was the Everfree forest had a good heart.

>Yet calling it normal or good was not entirely accurate.

>After all, out of the entirety of this world, anon had appeared here.

>Not only that, but there were myths that stated that this was the exact spot where the princesses, Discord, and even the windigoes had first appeared from.

>The round, grassy, well-lit circle was the heart of the forest, and perhaps more than that, a gateway between worlds.

>And no pony, even those who travelled the Everfree with impunity, dared stay here too long.

>With a skip and a shiver, as Hope's buoyant mood at the beautiful day crossed paths with the gloomy, fearful thoughts of her location, Hope picked a direction and began to walk.

>Her destination? An ancient, run down castle hidden behind the most sinister of plants and creatures.

After all, I've got a few days before they catch up.

Might as well live like a queen.

>Hope grinned at the thought of having an entire castle to herself, as she jogged through the rough and gloomy forest.

>More than that, however, Hope wanted to see its grandeur in person.

>Anon had spoken of the ancient castle in the dangerous forest wistfully on many occasions, remarking at the craftsmanship and similar designs to medieval human structures.

>He had been enormously excited about anything that reminded him of his lost world, and her mother as well.

>Hope herself, raised with such enigmatic parents, had decided early on that she wanted to become an archaeologist.

>"A musical one, of course!" a much younger Hope hat exclaimed to her parents as she held a book on Ipposology in one small hand and her father's pipes in the other.

>"I will play the songs of our ancestors!" She had exclaimed, anon and Lyra laughing proudly.

So long ago.

>While that dream was long gone, Hope remained interested in such relics.

And besides, who knew? Perhaps in a run-down castle in the middle of the mysterious Everfree, she would possibly, finally, escape detection.

Hah, as if.

>Hope snorted to herself, but the thought still nagged at the back of her mind as the castle came into view ahead.

Would it be possible that after all this running, she had finally found somewhere she could be safe?

 

>"Nowhere? What do you mean?"

>Rainbow Dash asked disbelievingly of an abashed, but gleaming, Rarity.

"Darling, I told you, and I have been trying this spell a dozen times at least! She's simply disappeared."

>"But Rarity," Twilight interjected impatiently, "You cast the spell without trouble yesterday. What could have changed?"

>"Could it be that she's injured?" Fluttershy piped up.

>"Ohr perhaps mohr of that weird musical mahgic?" added Applejack.

Rarity only lowered her head in shame, her finely-brushed mane covering her face in a remarkable imitation of Fluttershy.

"Alas, dears, it was none of those things. I couldn't tell where she was even then. I.... lied."

>"Rarity!" exclaimed Applejack, wide-eyed, "Why would'ja do such a thing?"

>Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the finely manicured hooves before her.

>"Ah don't believe it! The Element of generosity, acting so selfishly!"

"Wait, Applejack, it's nothing like that!" Rarity called out, visibly hurt by the insult.

"We all needed a break, whether you admit it or not! Our supplies were running low, and with Hope's strange magic it was clear that we needed to improve our information!"

>"That may be so, but ya should've told th' truth!

Rarity sighed. "You're right, Applejack. I'm sorry."

>Twilight took this break in the conversation of interject her own opinions, "Well, Rarity, it is true that we needed to return to get more information, but you should have told us that you couldn't detect Hope."

>"Apart from anything else, it is critical that we research why or how such a thing could have happened. Sadly, I don't know of any pony or book capable of helping with this, other than perhaps..."

>At the same time, Rainbow Dash spoke up, "If Twilight is stumped on a magic question, we go to the next pony up!"

>Applejack looked uncertain, responding "But ah dunno if she's got tahm fer us"

>Pinkie Pie bounced up excitedly, dragging all six out of their separate conversations.

>"We're going to see the princesses! Fun fun fun!"

 

'Ippos, or to use the modern spelling Hippos, is the Greek word for horse. Since archeology is a subset of anthropology, I felt Ipposology ready better than "Hippoology" or "Hip-ology"

Hippopotamus, you say? Hippos-potamos. Horse-river, or water-horse.

A decent length chapter, some story progression, and I managed to squeeze in a bit more background as well... and it's before midnight! Wow, I feel productive tonight!