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# SnowAnon - Lullaby for a Lost Moth (WIP)

By: mothpone on Mar 11th, 2014 | syntax: None | size: 29.11 KB | hits: 48 | expires: Never
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1. >Shit.
2. >Why did you have to go and do this?
3. >All you wanted was a peaceful walk.
4. >In retrospect, the Everfree forest isn't the best place for that. But Ponyville is just too...
5. >...Crowded
6. >Well you know what they say.
7. >Hindsight is 20/20.
8. >It would have been a perfectly good walk too.
9. >If you hadn't gotten lost.
10. >So know where do you find yourself?
11. >Wandering aimlessly about the Everfree Forest.
12. >Oh, and it's getting dark.
13. >Fucking sun. Always setting at the worst possible time.
14. >You pull out your iPhone and tap the home hey.
15. >182- FUCK! you hit the 3!
16. >182- GODAMMIT!
17. >182- FUCKING FINGERS!!!
18. >You should have gotten this thing upgraded to iOS7 when you had the chance.
19. >Don't exactly have the chance anymore do you?
20. >1825.
21. >Finally.
22. >Your fingers flips the screen the the left a couple times, then taps the flashlight app.
23. >The camera light turns on and you shine it around yourself.
24. "Jesus fuck!"
25. >All around you.
26. >Eyes.
27. >Red eyes looking at you from the shadows.
28. >Following your ever movement.
29. >ThisishowIdie.png
30. >Commence running.
31. >Running cannot commence because Running.exe is already open.
32. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
33. >Okay. So you're running through the forest.
34. >Being pursued by all kinds of horrible nightmares.
35. >Terrible. Monsterous. Slimy. Evil.
36. >Oh god.
37. >As you run, you glance behind you.
38. >There's a set of light blue eyes floating right behind your head.
39. >Fun Fact. Running while looking backward is the leading cause of tripping in adults.
40. >Wheeeeeeee! I'm flyiiiiiiing.
41. >Whoops, no. Gravity works.
42. >You must have slide a good twenty feet on your face.
43. >Gonna have to measure the skid marks later though.
44. >Right now, pain.
45. >You roll over and grip your knee close to you, groaning in pain.
46. >The flashlight app on your phone is still going and the phone is laying on the ground.
47. >Thank you Otterbox for your amazing phone-saving powers.
48. >But the biggest deal right now is not your phone, but the being currently staring at the light.
49. >It looks like... A pony?
50. >But not quite a pony.
51. >Like, a mix of a pony and something else.
52. >It's a bit smaller than a normal pony and quite a bit fluffier.
53. >It has large cyan wings with different colored spots all over then and a sky blue coat.
54. >It's mane is a light pinkish red color with fluffy antennae sticking out from the top of it's head.
55. >And currently, it is staring absolutely transfixed at the light shining from your phone.
56. >You reach out and pick up the device and watch as the being's eyes follow the light.
57. >You wave it back and forth and the thing's head follows the phone.
58. >Tapping the home key, you unlock the phone and turn the flashlight to shine a from your screen.
59. >The camera light turns off and a dull glow begins to emit from the screen of your phone.
60. >The creature blinks and shakes it's head like it just came out of a trance.
61. "Hello?"
62. >It looks at you with wide, scared eyes.
63. "D-do you want the light turned back on?"
64. >It slowly nods it's head at you.
65. >You turn the brightness of the screen up and set the phone on a rock in front of you.
66. >Staring between you and the phone it looks confused.
67. >"But, the bright one."
68. >It sounds really dejected.
69. "Sorry. The battery's almost dead and I kinda need it to help me see later."
70. >At that, it seems to get a little less sad.
71. >"Oh. Ok. I like this one too."
72. >It stares a little harder at the screen.
73. >It's honestly kind of adorable. Like a kid with something it doesn't understand.
74. "So, uh, do you have a name?"
75. >It looks at you again and seems to contemplate something.
76. >"Yes. My name is Sen."
77. >So. Yeah.
78. >You're walking along a trail you completely missed about five minutes ago.
79. >With a bit of begging (And mostly the promise of turning the bright one back on) you convinced Sen to lead you out of the Everfree.
80. "So Sen. Uh, not to sound rude or anything but, what are you?"
81. >She turns to you with a confused look.
82. >"I'm a Mothpony, duh. Haven't you ever heard of a Mothpony before?"
83. >You sigh and shake your head.
84. "No, actually. No one has ever even mentioned their existence before. Are there more of you?"
85. >She stops and drops her head.
86. >Oh god, now ya done it.
87. >You can see tears hitting the ground.
88. >"Th-there are. *Sniff* Somewhere."
89. >Oh shit.
90. >"I d-don't know where."
91. "Did you get, uh, separated from them or something?"
92. >She sits down and starts to sob quietly.
93. >"A-about three days ago I was walking around a clearing and saw something off in the woods."
94. >You sit down next to her and set the phone in front of the two of you.
95. >"I went to see what it was and I found a cave. Deep in the cave I heard a sound, like a song, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard."
96. >Add siren caves to the list of things wrong with this world.
97. >"I went into the cave to try to find what was making the noise when I found a room. It didn't look like the kind of room you'd find in a cave. In the middle of the room was… Something."
98. "Something?"
99. >"I can't remember what it was. I only caught a glimpse of it before I blacked out. All I remember was it was really pretty. And when I came to, it was night outside and I couldn't find the clearing. I've been wandering around since then."
100. >You take in these details.
101. >Somewhere in the Everfree is a cave with beautiful music and strange rooms.
102. >You are currently sitting next to a lost Mothpony, whose species you didn't even know existed before today.
103. >Said Mothpony is crying.
104. >Said crying Mothpony is homeless.
105. "Welp. Only one thing for it then."
106. >With a small sniff, Sen looks up at you as you stand up.
107. >"What?"
108. >You reach down and pick up the fuzzy ball of sad.
109. "You're staying with me tonight and first thing tomorrow, we're going to find your family."
110. >Sen looks at you with genuine happiness.
111. >"Really?"
112. "Really."
113. >The small fur ball squeals and wraps you in a big hug.
114. >"Oh thank you so much Anon!"
115. >You turn back to the path ahead and begin walking, transferring the pony from your arms to your shoulders.
116. >You feel good.
117. >But now you have to figure out how to find Sen's family.
118. >Eh. You'll cross that bridge when you come to it.
119. >For now, you need to get home and get some sleep.
120. "So Sen. Tell me about Mothponies."
122. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
124. >You're lying awake thinking about what has just transpired.
125. >A new species of pony is currently sleeping in you house.
126. >Is sleeping on your wall.
127. >You look over at Sen once again.
128. >She's about four feet off the floor, softly glowing on the wall.
129. >Huh, bioluminescence. Who'd have thunk it?
130. >And she's homeless.
131. >There has to be a reason this happened.
132. >Some… Higher being fucking with you.
133. >You enjoy your peaceful life.
134. >No huge adventures. Just working day to day around Ponyville.
135. >Odd jobs usually, but they pay the bill.
136. >The sun is starting to shine in through the prism in your window, casting hundreds of rainbows throughout the room.
137. >Padding into your bathroom you make a list of the things you will need to do today.
138. >First. Gotta check some shit with Twilight.
139. >Second. Gotta buy some shit for the trip.
140. >Third. Gotta plan this thing. Don't want to just rush in without thinking.
141. >Finishing up with the daily SSS, you make your way to the kitchen.
142. >Sen is still asleep on the wall.
143. >It's freaking adorable.
144. >Breakfast is nothing too fancy. Just eggs, pancakes and hash browns.
145. >Heat up the oven a little bit to keep Sen's food warm.
146. >As you eat you get some more time to think.
147. >About the promise you made to Sen.
148. >What exactly were you thinking?
149. >Seriously, you have no idea what compelled you to help this random stranger.
150. >It was just, the way she looked.
151. >So… lost.
152. >Just like...
153. >…Best not to think about those kind of things.
154. >Now just gotta pass the time until Sen gets up.
155. >When in doubt.
156. >You pad into the next room and sit down at your piano.
157. >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoJP-iZYPmk
158. >You let your fingers run lightly across the keys.
159. >Slowly working the melody.
160. >Flowing around the room.
161. >A feeling of quiet bliss overtakes you.
162. >That feeling of calm.
163. >Of contentment.
164. >The world around you fades out, leaving just you and your friend.
165. >Making music.
166. >"That sounds really good."
167. >The sudden sound causes you to jump roughly 4 feet into the air and 2 feet backward.
168. >You topple over, sliding across the hardwood floor to stop at the feet of Sen.
169. >"Ohmygosh are you okay?"
170. "Owwwwww."
171. >Gonna have some serious road rash from that.
172. >You tilt your head up to look at the intruder.
173. >She's looking down at you, mild concern painted on her face.
174. "I'm fine, I'm fine. There's food in the oven for you."
175. >She looks relieved as she turns and trots into the kitchen.
176. >You turn around with a sigh and replace the piano bench where it needs to be and close the lid on the piano.
177. "Later on bud."
178. >Walking into the kitchen reveals quite a sight.
179. >Sen is trying to get the plate out of the oven without touching the oven itself.
180. >And failing miserably.
181. "Uh, having problems?"
182. >She looks at you with pleading eyes.
183. >"It's hot."
184. >You look at the setting on the oven.
185. >125º
186. >That isn't very hot.
187. >You walk over to the oven and grab the plate.
188. >Setting it on the table you turn to the oven.
189. >Flip it off and close the door.
190. >Sen's already halfway through the pancakes.
191. >Damn she can eat.
192. >"So Anon. What're we gonna do today."
193. >You sit down at the table across from her and begin to explain the plan.
194. "Well first, we need to go talk to Twilight. She's gonna want to know about you and I need to know some things about the Everfree."
195. >"What things?"
196. "Well… Stuff like edible plants and dangerous creatures. And I want to know if she's ever heard of that cave you mentioned."
197. "I also want to pick up a few supplies. A couple of tinderboxes, some freeze-dried food, a new lamp, you know, the necessities."
198. >You used to do a lot of camping before you came here.
199. >In fact, it was on a camping trip in Canada that you found the portal to Equestria.
200. >Purely by accident of course.
201. >You had your backpack with you when you fell through and just got lucky that it was mid day.
202. >Damned if any of these ponies had ever heard of a polyester tent.
203. >If only you had gotten to tell her…
204. "I also need to get some more rope."
205. >"What for?"
206. "You never know when you're gonna need some rope."
207. >It really was true.
208. >Sen's almost finished with her food now, better wrap this up quickly.
209. "And one more thing. I want to gather as much knowledge on Mothponies as possible. You didn't really explain much last night."
210. >"Sorry about that, I just don't know a whole lot myself."
211. >Well that couldn't be helped.
212. >But there has to have been someone out there who knows something.
213. >And you're not going into this unprepared.
214. >Last time you did that, you ended up stuck in another universe.
215. >You watch Sen finish up her food then you take the plate and set it in the sink.
216. >Grabbing you backpack you walk to the door.
217. "Come on Sen, let's get going.
219. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
221. "So let me get this straight."
222. >You're walking along the road to Ponyville with Sen on your shoulders.
223. >She's been telling you about her life in the forest and she just dropped one hell of a bomb.
224. "You've never have cake before?"
225. >This is kind of a big deal.
226. >From your observations here in Equestria, cake is up there in one of the main food groups.
227. >Seriously! These ponies don't know when to stop eating cake.
228. >"Nope. Never even heard of it. What is it?"
229. >Holy shit.
230. >As much as you want to get on with the planning and the shopping and such, this just can't go on.
231. >Time for a little detour.
232. >You take a left as you get into town and begin to make your way to Sugarcube Corner.
233. >This… is gonna be fun.
234. >As you begin to near your destination you start mentally preparing yourself for the task ahead.
235. >You start to jog.
236. >"Anon? What are you doing?"
237. >Getting closer.
238. >"Anon?"
239. >Impact in 3...
240. >2...
241. >1…
242. >You lift your leg and kick the door as hard as you can.
243. >With an almighty thud the door goes flying inward.
244. >The room is filled with shacked expressions as you yell at the top of your voice.
245. "Pinkie Pie! We have an emergency! Protocol ZZ Plural Three One dash Charlie!"
246. >Pinkie bursts into the room, practically vibrating.
247. >"Never had cake?! What kind of pony has never had cake?! I mean, it's just the best and…"
248. >At this point you decide to check on Sen who has crawled off your shoulders and is currently clinging to your back looking very frightened.
249. "You alright?"
250. >"What was that about?"
251. >You chuckle.
252. "Both PInkie and I have a special love of going over the top with simple things. She's actually the first pers- er, pony I've ever met who enjoys it as much as I do."
253. >You walk over to the nearest table and set Sen down.
254. "Wait right here."
255. >Running into the kitchen you find Pinkie already hard at work on about twenty different kinds of cakes.
256. >Grabbing your apron off the hook near the doorway you walk over to the sink to wash your hands.
257. >You've helped here many times before, usually during rush or a celebration.
258. "So Pinkie, where do you need me."
260. >30 minutes later you walk out of the kitchen.
261. >Sen has her back to you, looking like she's really uncomfortable sitting alone.
262. >You sneak up behind her and shake her shoulders yelling.
263. >"Hey Se-"
264. >Before you can even get the words out of your mouth a huge explosion of dust leaves you coughing and blinded.
265. >You wave your hand in front of your face to clear the air and look around.
266. >Many of Sugarcube Corner's patrons are once again looking at you with shocked expressions.
267. >"What was that for?"
268. >You look up to see Sen clinging to the ceiling, shaking.
269. >As she shakes, a fine sprinkling of dust comes off of her, falling to land on you.
270. "It was *COUGH* just a *HACK* joke."
271. >Sen looks down at you angrily.
272. >"Well it wasn't funny."
273. >She drops from the ceiling onto your head sending you toppling to the ground.
274. >Landing on the seat she turns to look at you again.
275. >You sit up and shake your head, knocking free some of the dust in your hair, sending you into another coughing fit.
276. "I suppose *COUGH HACK* I deserved that."
277. >"That you did."
278. >You jump to your feet as you suddenly remember your true purpose for being out there.
279. "Right then. Sen."
280. >She cocks her eyebrow quizzically.
281. "You said that you've never had cake, right?"
282. >"That's right."
283. >You straighten a bit as you prepare for the dramatic reveal.
284. "Prepare to be amazed."
285. >You turn and clap your hands.
286. "Pinkie."
287. >Pinkie comes out of the kitchen carrying a tablecloth in her mouth.
288. >As she nears the table you walk around to the other side.
289. >Pinkie stands on her hind legs and flips the tablecloth open over the table.
290. >You grab the opposite corners of the tablecloth and wink at Sen.
291. "Three…"
292. >"Two..."
293. "ONE!"
294. >You and Pinkie both rip the tablecloth straight upwards to reveal a table covered in different flavors and styles of cakes.
295. >23 cakes to be exact.
296. >You still can't for the life of you figure out Pinkie does that, but you've learned not to question it.
297. >Just leaves you with a headache.
298. "So Sen. Here you are. Dig in."
299. >Sen looks at all of the cakes in a sort of panicked way.
300. >"Th-there's so many."
301. >She tentatively picks up a fork and takes a small chunk out of a dutch chocolate cake with coconut icing.
302. >As the fork nears her mouth Pinkie leans closer and closer, staring with anticipation.
303. >Sen puts the bite into her mouth and the reaction is instant.
304. >Her eyes go wide and her pupils expand, her mouth slowly chews the bite in her mouth.
305. >Then came phase two.
306. >Gluttony.
307. >Holy crap, the only pony you've ever seen eat faster than this was Pinkie Pie.
308. >Speaking of Pinkie Pie, she's sitting on the floor with the biggest smile you've ever seen plastered on her face.
309. "So I take it you like cake huh?"
310. >The most you get is a grunt as Sen starts in on her second cake, a spice cake with cream cheese icing.
311. "I'm gonna go see Twilight about those books now. Pinkie?"
312. >She turns her head to you.
313. >"Yeah Anon?"
314. "When Sen's finished could you direct her to the library?"
315. >"Sure thing Nonny!"
316. >As you walk out of the building, a little melody gets stuck in your head.
317. >Humming away, you walk towards the Treebrary.
318. >Just walking.
319. >Plenty of time to think.
320. >God that's never a good idea.
321. >So brain, what random trams of my past will you decide to focus on today?
322. >...
323. >Nothing?
324. >Really?
325. >You pull out your phone and unlock it.
326. >You stare long and hard at the background picture.
327. >There's a picture of a man, a woman, and a small girl standing near a house, smiling.
328. >It's winter, and there's snow on the ground.
329. >The three in the picture are dressed warmly.
330. >How long have you been here?
331. >You reach into your shirt and grab the chain hanging around your neck.
332. >You lift the small band of gold hanging on the chain to eye level.
333. >It spins slowly in front of you as you feel a small tear slide down your face.
334. >Grabbing the ring, you turn it in your hand and read the inscription inside.
335. >'Forever Yours.'
336. >You choke back a sob, holding the ring close to you and continue your walk.
337. >It's been almost a year since you got sent here.
338. >If only you hadn't wandered off, then maybe...
339. >…Maybe you wouldn't have lost her.
341. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
343. About one year ago.
345. >You were standing on a tall rock in the Rockies.
346. >In your hands was a map of the area.
347. >On your back, a backpack full of supplies.
348. >And at your side was your beautiful wife.
349. >"Anon?"
350. >You look over to her, holding her own map, though her's looked like a bunch of weird shaped rings.
351. "Yeah?"
352. >She points at an area on her map.
353. >"It looks like this pass here will take us up to the saddle."
354. >You look over at her map to where she's pointing.
355. >It look right but it will take you about a mile out of your way.
356. >Whatever, no skin off your teeth.
357. "Alright, let's go."
358. >You begin walking, following a game trail worn through the underbrush.
359. >Walking and walking.
360. >Occasionally talking.
361. >Oh look! A deer.
362. >More walking.
363. >You feel a tug on your boot and stop to look down and see that your laces have gotten tangled in a small bush.
364. >Leaning down you disentangle the small string.
365. >Once finished tying the boot you stand and look ahead.
366. >Your wife is nowhere to be seen.
367. >She must've gone ahead.
368. "Better catch up."
369. >You begin jogging up the path.
370. >A short time later you come to a fork.
371. >Looking left and right you stand there, exasperated.
372. "Shit."
373. >Looking down for some kind of footprints to give you some kind of clue as to where she went.
374. >No luck. You're standing on thick stones.
375. >Pulling out your map you shrug off your pack you look around for a tall tree.
376. >Finding a tree of suitable size you begin your run-up.
377. >As you reach the tree you brace your foot about waist height and throw yourself upwards at the lowest branch.
378. >You grab ahold of the branch and swing yourself up.
379. >Hand-over-hand you climb the tree.
380. >Upon reaching the top you pull out your map and begin scanning the surrounding area for landmarks.
381. >Picking out a few, you find them on the map to figure out where you are.
382. >You whip out your compass to double check.
383. "Okay, so… That way."
384. >You point straight west.
385. >Dropping from the tree, perhaps a little too hard, you sling your bag over your shoulders and head off.
386. >A song pops into your head and you begin singing under your breath.
387. "So dance fucker dance, man he never had a chance."
388. "And no one even knew, it was really only you."
390. >About an hour later you're walking along, map in front of you, very confused.
391. "I think I went the right way… I should have caught up by now."
392. >You lower the map and look around.
393. >Sighing you fold the map and stow in in your pocket.
394. >You spin and begin backtracking.
395. >A rustling noise and a snapping twig rip your attention off the path to the left.
396. >You catch a glimpse of mint green.
397. >Your wife's jacket is the same color.
398. "Hun?"
399. >You step forward and the blotch of color runs off into the rush.
400. "Wait!"
401. >Running after her as fast as you can, you find yourself being lead far away from the path.
402. >Through the forest you sprint, wondering the whole time where she's taking you.
403. >Tripping over bushes, slipping on gravel, running head long into trees, yet you still manage to keep up.
404. >Across a small stream ahead you can see a clearing.
405. >You've been going for a while now and the sun is starting to set.
406. >In the clearing ahead you can see a soft glow.
407. >Your wife is nowhere to be seen so you slow to a fast walk.
408. >Pushing aside the brush in front of you, you enter the clearing.
409. >The glow you saw before was coming from a hole in the center of the clearing.
410. >Approaching the hole you look down to see...
411. >Something.
412. >You aren't sure what it is but it seems to be pulling at you.
413. >It looks like a swirling mass of stars, suspended in glowing water.
414. >You can smell a field, warm with summer and flowers.
415. >A cool breeze seems to be flowing gently from the hole.
416. >You look up from the hole and begin searching for your wife.
417. >Turning you see a small, mint green creature running towards you.
418. >It looks like a...
419. >Pony?
420. >But there's something jutting out of it's forehead, just above the eyes.
421. >It keeps running at you and it shows no signs of stopping.
422. >It jumps at you and you brace yourself on your back leg to catch the blow.
423. >It hits you like a sac of potatoes.
424. >Not really heavy but it pushes you back a little.
425. >It jumps from your arms and spins to look at you.
426. >"Sorry."
427. >Wait did it just talk?
428. >The thing on it's forehead flashes and you are sent flying backward.
429. >Straight into the hole.
430. >As you fall through the thing you feel a strange sensation across your body.
431. >It feels as if every atom in your body is being pulled outward from the center.
432. >Not painful, but not comfortable.
433. >Then there is a rushing feeling and a flash of light and you suddenly aren't falling anymore.
434. >You look down and around but find no ground or anything.
435. >It's like you're suspended in the air.
436. >There is a flash in front of you and the little green thing appears.
437. >"SorrysorrysorryohmygoshI'msosorry."
438. "Ah oh dear god!"
439. >You try to back pedal but just end up flailing around.
440. "Oh dear lord you're talking."
441. >It, she? It sounded feminine, looks at you incredulously.
442. >"Wel duh."
443. >It is only then that you realize your situation.
444. "What did you do?"
445. >She winces.
446. >"Ok, let me explain."
447. >You shiver.
448. >A talking pony is just, weird.
449. >"My name is Lyra Heartstrings. I'm a researcher into the theory of alternate or parallel universes. I hit a breakthrough recently and was able to travel to your world but, I may have just accidentally broken a rule."
450. "A rule? There are rules for inter dimensional travel?"
451. >She looks away sheepishly.
452. >"Yeah, rule number two. No contact with indigenous species."
453. >Ok, you could see how that would make sense.
454. "So, what exactly were you doing?"
455. >She looks back at you.
456. >"Well, studying. I was watching you, taking notes. Then you saw me and started chasing me and I panicked and oh no…"
457. >She stops and her eyes go really wide.
458. >Then she starts crying.
459. >Great. Just what you need.
460. "Whoa whoa, calm down. What's wrong?"
461. >She sniffs and looks back at you, tears strewing down her face.
462. >"I panicked *Sniff* and I threw you through *sob* the portal. And-and I don't know how to get you back."
463. >What?
464. >"Can't…get…back?
465. >She shakes her head, breaking down into more sobbing.
466. >Anger.
467. >Hatred.
468. >Loneliness.
469. >Emotions begin coursing through your body.
470. >But worst of all is the bone chilling fear.
471. >Fear for yourself, and your future, and of the unknown world you're about to enter.
472. >And fear for your wife, alone in the Rocky Mountains.
473. >You will yourself forward and reach out for Lyra.
474. >Wrapping her in a hug you shush her.
475. >She wraps her forelegs around your chest and sobs into your shirt.
476. "Shhh… It'll be fine."
477. >You keep trying to comfort Lyra as you feel the pulling sensation start again.
478. >Another rushing and a bright flash of light and you're sitting in a field with Lyra in your arms.
479. >She sniffs again and stops crying so you let her go.
480. >She stands and looks up at you.
481. >"So, you aren't mad?"
482. >You sigh.
483. "I'm mad, but not at you. It wasn't exactly your fault. You made a mistake and I can tell you're going to try your best to fix it."
484. >She wraps you in another hug.
485. >"Thank you."
486. >After a moment she back away from you and looks around.
487. >"It looks like we're just outside Ponyville. C'mon."
488. >Standing you follow her toward a small town.
489. "So where are we going?"
490. >She looks back at you and smiles.
491. >"Well we need to find you a place to stay don't we?"
493. Present day.
495. >You step through the door into the Treebrary.
496. >Twilight glances over her shoulder at you.
497. >"Hello Anon. How are you?"
498. "Fine, I just… Need to sit for a minute."
499. >You make your way over to the couch in the corner and plop you butt down on it.
500. >Twilight walks over to you, looking concerned.
501. >"What's wrong Anon?"
502. >You sigh.
503. "Nothing really, I was just thinking about how I got here and how long it's been."
504. >She looks at you, like she's trying to understand what you're feeling.
505. >"Anon, I…"
506. "Nope. Don't worry about it."
507. >You stand, resolve filling you again.
508. >You have a mission.
509. >You have a goal.
510. >You have no idea how you're going to accomplish it but by god you will.
511. "Twilight. I need books."
513. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
515. >"Mothpony?"
516. >You stand in front of a bookcase, quietly skimming the titles for relevant topics.
517. >'Magic and You.' 'The Art of Flight.' 'Ponynomicon.'
518. >What?
519. "That's what I said."
520. >You continue scanning for books.
521. >One jumps out at you.
522. >'Plants, animals, and oddities of the Everfree.'
523. >"Bullshit."
524. >Stop.
525. >Turn.
526. >Look honestly surprised.
527. >That's the first bad word you've heard any of these ponies say since you got here.
528. "What?"
529. >Twilight blushes.
530. >"I, uh. Sorry. What I meant to say is that that's impossible."
531. >You shake your head, pulling the book out of the shelf.
532. "Not impossible, just unlikely. And it's true."
533. >Twilight walks over to the shelf across from you and starts looking for a book.
534. >"It's not that I don't want to believe you Anon, I do, but."
535. >She pulls a book out with here damned telekinesis.
536. >"But the implications of something like that would be ridiculous."
537. >What implications.
538. >It's a new species of pony, not a world-ending monster.
539. "Uhh…"
540. >She flips through the book until she finds the page she's looking for.
541. >"Besides…"
542. >She walks back over to you.
543. >"They're just an old mare's tale."
544. >She lifts the book for you to see.
545. >The title on the page reads 'The Glow in the Woods."
546. >You skim the page.
547. >It looks like a story about a sailor who's ship wrecks on a beach near a forest, far from his home.
548. >He has no idea where he is or how to get back to civilization.
549. >After a few nights of wandering, he sees a glow in the forest.
550. >Investigating the glow shows that it was a strange creature.
551. >Like a "mix of a Moth and a beautiful mare…"
552. >Huh.
553. >You close the book and look down at Twilight.
554. "Well she exists, her name is Sen, and she's currently at Sugarcube Corner gorging herself on cake.
555. >You look at the clock on the wall.
556. >About 12:40
557. "And she should be along shortly."
558. >You go back to scanning the books.
559. "In the mean time, I have another question for you."
560. >"Shoot."
561. >"Have you ever heard anything about a cave in the Everfree that doesn't look like a cave, emits beautiful music, and has a strange pretty object in it that might draw a pony to it?"
562. >She closes her eyes and her mouth works like she's silently reading through a list.
563. >It's… Kind of fascinating really, how she remembers things like that.
564. >Her eyes open.
565. >"No, but Equestria is full of strange, wild, and unexplained magics that could possibly do those things."
566. >Well. That's not very helpful.
567. >You were hoping for something more than that.
568. >Suddenly you hear a knock on the door.
569. >Twilight walks over and opens it to reveal a very tired looking Sen.
570. >"Too. Much. Cake."
571. >She stumbles into the library towards you then redirects to the couch.
572. >Twilight looks like her brain just broke.
573. >As Sen crawls onto the couch you wave a hand in front of Twilight.
574. >She shakes her head and her eyes light up.
575. "Told you."
576. >Twilight immediately runs over to the couch, poking and prodding at Sen.
577. >Sen just groans and rolls over.
578. "Twilight, stop. There's a very good possibility that she just ate twenty three cakes."
579. >Twilight stops poking Sen.
580. >"Anon! Do you realize what this means?"
581. >You stop for a second and think.
582. "Yes. Yes I do."
583. >Her eyes light up again.
584. >"You do?"
585. "Yes. It means I have a small fluffy pony who needs a friend. Who needs help getting back to her family. And I need your help to do that."
586. >She stops, apparently thinking about what you just said.
587. >She sighs, shaking her head.
588. >"You're right Anon, She needs help."
589. >Twilight looks up at you.
590. >"And I'll do everything I can."
591. >You smile and pat her on the head.
592. "Thanks Twilight."
593. >She smiles back, then turns and rushes off, returning with a pile of books.
594. >"We need to get some info on the Everfree. Now I don't know much but these books…"
596. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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>Shit. >Why did you have to go and do this? >All you wanted was a peaceful walk. >In retrospect, the Everfree forest isn't the best place for that. But Ponyville is just too... >...Crowded >Well you know what they say. >Hindsight is 20/20. >It would have been a perfectly good walk too. >If you hadn't gotten lost. >So know where do you find yourself? >Wandering aimlessly about the Everfree Forest. >Oh, and it's getting dark. >Fucking sun. Always setting at the worst possible time. >You pull out your iPhone and tap the home hey. >182- FUCK! you hit the 3! >182- GODAMMIT! >182- FUCKING FINGERS!!! >You should have gotten this thing upgraded to iOS7 when you had the chance. >Don't exactly have the chance anymore do you? >1825. >Finally. >Your fingers flips the screen the the left a couple times, then taps the flashlight app. >The camera light turns on and you shine it around yourself. "Jesus fuck!" >All around you. >Eyes. >Red eyes looking at you from the shadows. >Following your ever movement. >ThisishowIdie.png >Commence running. >Running cannot commence because Running.exe is already open. "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" >Okay. So you're running through the forest. >Being pursued by all kinds of horrible nightmares. >Terrible. Monsterous. Slimy. Evil. >Oh god. >As you run, you glance behind you. >There's a set of light blue eyes floating right behind your head. >Fun Fact. Running while looking backward is the leading cause of tripping in adults. >Wheeeeeeee! I'm flyiiiiiiing. >Whoops, no. Gravity works. >You must have slide a good twenty feet on your face. >Gonna have to measure the skid marks later though. >Right now, pain. >You roll over and grip your knee close to you, groaning in pain. >The flashlight app on your phone is still going and the phone is laying on the ground. >Thank you Otterbox for your amazing phone-saving powers. >But the biggest deal right now is not your phone, but the being currently staring at the light. >It looks like... A pony? >But not quite a pony. >Like, a mix of a pony and something else. >It's a bit smaller than a normal pony and quite a bit fluffier. >It has large cyan wings with different colored spots all over then and a sky blue coat. >It's mane is a light pinkish red color with fluffy antennae sticking out from the top of it's head. >And currently, it is staring absolutely transfixed at the light shining from your phone. >You reach out and pick up the device and watch as the being's eyes follow the light. >You wave it back and forth and the thing's head follows the phone. >Tapping the home key, you unlock the phone and turn the flashlight to shine a from your screen. >The camera light turns off and a dull glow begins to emit from the screen of your phone. >The creature blinks and shakes it's head like it just came out of a trance. "Hello?" >It looks at you with wide, scared eyes. "D-do you want the light turned back on?" >It slowly nods it's head at you. >You turn the brightness of the screen up and set the phone on a rock in front of you. >Staring between you and the phone it looks confused. >"But, the bright one." >It sounds really dejected. "Sorry. The battery's almost dead and I kinda need it to help me see later." >At that, it seems to get a little less sad. >"Oh. Ok. I like this one too." >It stares a little harder at the screen. >It's honestly kind of adorable. Like a kid with something it doesn't understand. "So, uh, do you have a name?" >It looks at you again and seems to contemplate something. >"Yes. My name is Sen." >So. Yeah. >You're walking along a trail you completely missed about five minutes ago. >With a bit of begging (And mostly the promise of turning the bright one back on) you convinced Sen to lead you out of the Everfree. "So Sen. Uh, not to sound rude or anything but, what are you?" >She turns to you with a confused look. >"I'm a Mothpony, duh. Haven't you ever heard of a Mothpony before?" >You sigh and shake your head. "No, actually. No one has ever even mentioned their existence before. Are there more of you?" >She stops and drops her head. >Oh god, now ya done it. >You can see tears hitting the ground. >"Th-there are. *Sniff* Somewhere." >Oh shit. >"I d-don't know where." "Did you get, uh, separated from them or something?" >She sits down and starts to sob quietly. >"A-about three days ago I was walking around a clearing and saw something off in the woods." >You sit down next to her and set the phone in front of the two of you. >"I went to see what it was and I found a cave. Deep in the cave I heard a sound, like a song, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard." >Add siren caves to the list of things wrong with this world. >"I went into the cave to try to find what was making the noise when I found a room. It didn't look like the kind of room you'd find in a cave. In the middle of the room was… Something." "Something?" >"I can't remember what it was. I only caught a glimpse of it before I blacked out. All I remember was it was really pretty. And when I came to, it was night outside and I couldn't find the clearing. I've been wandering around since then." >You take in these details. >Somewhere in the Everfree is a cave with beautiful music and strange rooms. >You are currently sitting next to a lost Mothpony, whose species you didn't even know existed before today. >Said Mothpony is crying. >Said crying Mothpony is homeless. "Welp. Only one thing for it then." >With a small sniff, Sen looks up at you as you stand up. >"What?" >You reach down and pick up the fuzzy ball of sad. "You're staying with me tonight and first thing tomorrow, we're going to find your family." >Sen looks at you with genuine happiness. >"Really?" "Really." >The small fur ball squeals and wraps you in a big hug. >"Oh thank you so much Anon!" >You turn back to the path ahead and begin walking, transferring the pony from your arms to your shoulders. >You feel good. >But now you have to figure out how to find Sen's family. >Eh. You'll cross that bridge when you come to it. >For now, you need to get home and get some sleep. "So Sen. Tell me about Mothponies." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >You're lying awake thinking about what has just transpired. >A new species of pony is currently sleeping in you house. >Is sleeping on your wall. >You look over at Sen once again. >She's about four feet off the floor, softly glowing on the wall. >Huh, bioluminescence. Who'd have thunk it? >And she's homeless. >There has to be a reason this happened. >Some… Higher being fucking with you. >You enjoy your peaceful life. >No huge adventures. Just working day to day around Ponyville. >Odd jobs usually, but they pay the bill. >The sun is starting to shine in through the prism in your window, casting hundreds of rainbows throughout the room. >Padding into your bathroom you make a list of the things you will need to do today. >First. Gotta check some shit with Twilight. >Second. Gotta buy some shit for the trip. >Third. Gotta plan this thing. Don't want to just rush in without thinking. >Finishing up with the daily SSS, you make your way to the kitchen. >Sen is still asleep on the wall. >It's freaking adorable. >Breakfast is nothing too fancy. Just eggs, pancakes and hash browns. >Heat up the oven a little bit to keep Sen's food warm. >As you eat you get some more time to think. >About the promise you made to Sen. >What exactly were you thinking? >Seriously, you have no idea what compelled you to help this random stranger. >It was just, the way she looked. >So… lost. >Just like... >…Best not to think about those kind of things. >Now just gotta pass the time until Sen gets up. >When in doubt. >You pad into the next room and sit down at your piano. >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoJP-iZYPmk >You let your fingers run lightly across the keys. >Slowly working the melody. >Flowing around the room. >A feeling of quiet bliss overtakes you. >That feeling of calm. >Of contentment. >The world around you fades out, leaving just you and your friend. >Making music. >"That sounds really good." >The sudden sound causes you to jump roughly 4 feet into the air and 2 feet backward. >You topple over, sliding across the hardwood floor to stop at the feet of Sen. >"Ohmygosh are you okay?" "Owwwwww." >Gonna have some serious road rash from that. >You tilt your head up to look at the intruder. >She's looking down at you, mild concern painted on her face. "I'm fine, I'm fine. There's food in the oven for you." >She looks relieved as she turns and trots into the kitchen. >You turn around with a sigh and replace the piano bench where it needs to be and close the lid on the piano. "Later on bud." >Walking into the kitchen reveals quite a sight. >Sen is trying to get the plate out of the oven without touching the oven itself. >And failing miserably. "Uh, having problems?" >She looks at you with pleading eyes. >"It's hot." >You look at the setting on the oven. >125º >That isn't very hot. >You walk over to the oven and grab the plate. >Setting it on the table you turn to the oven. >Flip it off and close the door. >Sen's already halfway through the pancakes. >Damn she can eat. >"So Anon. What're we gonna do today." >You sit down at the table across from her and begin to explain the plan. "Well first, we need to go talk to Twilight. She's gonna want to know about you and I need to know some things about the Everfree." >"What things?" "Well… Stuff like edible plants and dangerous creatures. And I want to know if she's ever heard of that cave you mentioned." "I also want to pick up a few supplies. A couple of tinderboxes, some freeze-dried food, a new lamp, you know, the necessities." >You used to do a lot of camping before you came here. >In fact, it was on a camping trip in Canada that you found the portal to Equestria. >Purely by accident of course. >You had your backpack with you when you fell through and just got lucky that it was mid day. >Damned if any of these ponies had ever heard of a polyester tent. >If only you had gotten to tell her… "I also need to get some more rope." >"What for?" "You never know when you're gonna need some rope." >It really was true. >Sen's almost finished with her food now, better wrap this up quickly. "And one more thing. I want to gather as much knowledge on Mothponies as possible. You didn't really explain much last night." >"Sorry about that, I just don't know a whole lot myself." >Well that couldn't be helped. >But there has to have been someone out there who knows something. >And you're not going into this unprepared. >Last time you did that, you ended up stuck in another universe. >You watch Sen finish up her food then you take the plate and set it in the sink. >Grabbing you backpack you walk to the door. "Come on Sen, let's get going. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So let me get this straight." >You're walking along the road to Ponyville with Sen on your shoulders. >She's been telling you about her life in the forest and she just dropped one hell of a bomb. "You've never have cake before?" >This is kind of a big deal. >From your observations here in Equestria, cake is up there in one of the main food groups. >Seriously! These ponies don't know when to stop eating cake. >"Nope. Never even heard of it. What is it?" >Holy shit. >As much as you want to get on with the planning and the shopping and such, this just can't go on. >Time for a little detour. >You take a left as you get into town and begin to make your way to Sugarcube Corner. >This… is gonna be fun. >As you begin to near your destination you start mentally preparing yourself for the task ahead. >You start to jog. >"Anon? What are you doing?" >Getting closer. >"Anon?" >Impact in 3... >2... >1… >You lift your leg and kick the door as hard as you can. >With an almighty thud the door goes flying inward. >The room is filled with shacked expressions as you yell at the top of your voice. "Pinkie Pie! We have an emergency! Protocol ZZ Plural Three One dash Charlie!" >Pinkie bursts into the room, practically vibrating. >"Never had cake?! What kind of pony has never had cake?! I mean, it's just the best and…" >At this point you decide to check on Sen who has crawled off your shoulders and is currently clinging to your back looking very frightened. "You alright?" >"What was that about?" >You chuckle. "Both PInkie and I have a special love of going over the top with simple things. She's actually the first pers- er, pony I've ever met who enjoys it as much as I do." >You walk over to the nearest table and set Sen down. "Wait right here." >Running into the kitchen you find Pinkie already hard at work on about twenty different kinds of cakes. >Grabbing your apron off the hook near the doorway you walk over to the sink to wash your hands. >You've helped here many times before, usually during rush or a celebration. "So Pinkie, where do you need me." >30 minutes later you walk out of the kitchen. >Sen has her back to you, looking like she's really uncomfortable sitting alone. >You sneak up behind her and shake her shoulders yelling. >"Hey Se-" >Before you can even get the words out of your mouth a huge explosion of dust leaves you coughing and blinded. >You wave your hand in front of your face to clear the air and look around. >Many of Sugarcube Corner's patrons are once again looking at you with shocked expressions. >"What was that for?" >You look up to see Sen clinging to the ceiling, shaking. >As she shakes, a fine sprinkling of dust comes off of her, falling to land on you. "It was *COUGH* just a *HACK* joke." >Sen looks down at you angrily. >"Well it wasn't funny." >She drops from the ceiling onto your head sending you toppling to the ground. >Landing on the seat she turns to look at you again. >You sit up and shake your head, knocking free some of the dust in your hair, sending you into another coughing fit. "I suppose *COUGH HACK* I deserved that." >"That you did." >You jump to your feet as you suddenly remember your true purpose for being out there. "Right then. Sen." >She cocks her eyebrow quizzically. "You said that you've never had cake, right?" >"That's right." >You straighten a bit as you prepare for the dramatic reveal. "Prepare to be amazed." >You turn and clap your hands. "Pinkie." >Pinkie comes out of the kitchen carrying a tablecloth in her mouth. >As she nears the table you walk around to the other side. >Pinkie stands on her hind legs and flips the tablecloth open over the table. >You grab the opposite corners of the tablecloth and wink at Sen. "Three…" >"Two..." "ONE!" >You and Pinkie both rip the tablecloth straight upwards to reveal a table covered in different flavors and styles of cakes. >23 cakes to be exact. >You still can't for the life of you figure out Pinkie does that, but you've learned not to question it. >Just leaves you with a headache. "So Sen. Here you are. Dig in." >Sen looks at all of the cakes in a sort of panicked way. >"Th-there's so many." >She tentatively picks up a fork and takes a small chunk out of a dutch chocolate cake with coconut icing. >As the fork nears her mouth Pinkie leans closer and closer, staring with anticipation. >Sen puts the bite into her mouth and the reaction is instant. >Her eyes go wide and her pupils expand, her mouth slowly chews the bite in her mouth. >Then came phase two. >Gluttony. >Holy crap, the only pony you've ever seen eat faster than this was Pinkie Pie. >Speaking of Pinkie Pie, she's sitting on the floor with the biggest smile you've ever seen plastered on her face. "So I take it you like cake huh?" >The most you get is a grunt as Sen starts in on her second cake, a spice cake with cream cheese icing. "I'm gonna go see Twilight about those books now. Pinkie?" >She turns her head to you. >"Yeah Anon?" "When Sen's finished could you direct her to the library?" >"Sure thing Nonny!" >As you walk out of the building, a little melody gets stuck in your head. >Humming away, you walk towards the Treebrary. >Just walking. >Plenty of time to think. >God that's never a good idea. >So brain, what random trams of my past will you decide to focus on today? >... >Nothing? >Really? >You pull out your phone and unlock it. >You stare long and hard at the background picture. >There's a picture of a man, a woman, and a small girl standing near a house, smiling. >It's winter, and there's snow on the ground. >The three in the picture are dressed warmly. >How long have you been here? >You reach into your shirt and grab the chain hanging around your neck. >You lift the small band of gold hanging on the chain to eye level. >It spins slowly in front of you as you feel a small tear slide down your face. >Grabbing the ring, you turn it in your hand and read the inscription inside. >'Forever Yours.' >You choke back a sob, holding the ring close to you and continue your walk. >It's been almost a year since you got sent here. >If only you hadn't wandered off, then maybe... >…Maybe you wouldn't have lost her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About one year ago. >You were standing on a tall rock in the Rockies. >In your hands was a map of the area. >On your back, a backpack full of supplies. >And at your side was your beautiful wife. >"Anon?" >You look over to her, holding her own map, though her's looked like a bunch of weird shaped rings. "Yeah?" >She points at an area on her map. >"It looks like this pass here will take us up to the saddle." >You look over at her map to where she's pointing. >It look right but it will take you about a mile out of your way. >Whatever, no skin off your teeth. "Alright, let's go." >You begin walking, following a game trail worn through the underbrush. >Walking and walking. >Occasionally talking. >Oh look! A deer. >More walking. >You feel a tug on your boot and stop to look down and see that your laces have gotten tangled in a small bush. >Leaning down you disentangle the small string. >Once finished tying the boot you stand and look ahead. >Your wife is nowhere to be seen. >She must've gone ahead. "Better catch up." >You begin jogging up the path. >A short time later you come to a fork. >Looking left and right you stand there, exasperated. "Shit." >Looking down for some kind of footprints to give you some kind of clue as to where she went. >No luck. You're standing on thick stones. >Pulling out your map you shrug off your pack you look around for a tall tree. >Finding a tree of suitable size you begin your run-up. >As you reach the tree you brace your foot about waist height and throw yourself upwards at the lowest branch. >You grab ahold of the branch and swing yourself up. >Hand-over-hand you climb the tree. >Upon reaching the top you pull out your map and begin scanning the surrounding area for landmarks. >Picking out a few, you find them on the map to figure out where you are. >You whip out your compass to double check. "Okay, so… That way." >You point straight west. >Dropping from the tree, perhaps a little too hard, you sling your bag over your shoulders and head off. >A song pops into your head and you begin singing under your breath. "So dance fucker dance, man he never had a chance." "And no one even knew, it was really only you." >About an hour later you're walking along, map in front of you, very confused. "I think I went the right way… I should have caught up by now." >You lower the map and look around. >Sighing you fold the map and stow in in your pocket. >You spin and begin backtracking. >A rustling noise and a snapping twig rip your attention off the path to the left. >You catch a glimpse of mint green. >Your wife's jacket is the same color. "Hun?" >You step forward and the blotch of color runs off into the rush. "Wait!" >Running after her as fast as you can, you find yourself being lead far away from the path. >Through the forest you sprint, wondering the whole time where she's taking you. >Tripping over bushes, slipping on gravel, running head long into trees, yet you still manage to keep up. >Across a small stream ahead you can see a clearing. >You've been going for a while now and the sun is starting to set. >In the clearing ahead you can see a soft glow. >Your wife is nowhere to be seen so you slow to a fast walk. >Pushing aside the brush in front of you, you enter the clearing. >The glow you saw before was coming from a hole in the center of the clearing. >Approaching the hole you look down to see... >Something. >You aren't sure what it is but it seems to be pulling at you. >It looks like a swirling mass of stars, suspended in glowing water. >You can smell a field, warm with summer and flowers. >A cool breeze seems to be flowing gently from the hole. >You look up from the hole and begin searching for your wife. >Turning you see a small, mint green creature running towards you. >It looks like a... >Pony? >But there's something jutting out of it's forehead, just above the eyes. >It keeps running at you and it shows no signs of stopping. >It jumps at you and you brace yourself on your back leg to catch the blow. >It hits you like a sac of potatoes. >Not really heavy but it pushes you back a little. >It jumps from your arms and spins to look at you. >"Sorry." >Wait did it just talk? >The thing on it's forehead flashes and you are sent flying backward. >Straight into the hole. >As you fall through the thing you feel a strange sensation across your body. >It feels as if every atom in your body is being pulled outward from the center. >Not painful, but not comfortable. >Then there is a rushing feeling and a flash of light and you suddenly aren't falling anymore. >You look down and around but find no ground or anything. >It's like you're suspended in the air. >There is a flash in front of you and the little green thing appears. >"SorrysorrysorryohmygoshI'msosorry." "Ah oh dear god!" >You try to back pedal but just end up flailing around. "Oh dear lord you're talking." >It, she? It sounded feminine, looks at you incredulously. >"Wel duh." >It is only then that you realize your situation. "What did you do?" >She winces. >"Ok, let me explain." >You shiver. >A talking pony is just, weird. >"My name is Lyra Heartstrings. I'm a researcher into the theory of alternate or parallel universes. I hit a breakthrough recently and was able to travel to your world but, I may have just accidentally broken a rule." "A rule? There are rules for inter dimensional travel?" >She looks away sheepishly. >"Yeah, rule number two. No contact with indigenous species." >Ok, you could see how that would make sense. "So, what exactly were you doing?" >She looks back at you. >"Well, studying. I was watching you, taking notes. Then you saw me and started chasing me and I panicked and oh no…" >She stops and her eyes go really wide. >Then she starts crying. >Great. Just what you need. "Whoa whoa, calm down. What's wrong?" >She sniffs and looks back at you, tears strewing down her face. >"I panicked *Sniff* and I threw you through *sob* the portal. And-and I don't know how to get you back." >What? >"Can't…get…back? >She shakes her head, breaking down into more sobbing. >Anger. >Hatred. >Loneliness. >Emotions begin coursing through your body. >But worst of all is the bone chilling fear. >Fear for yourself, and your future, and of the unknown world you're about to enter. >And fear for your wife, alone in the Rocky Mountains. >You will yourself forward and reach out for Lyra. >Wrapping her in a hug you shush her. >She wraps her forelegs around your chest and sobs into your shirt. "Shhh… It'll be fine." >You keep trying to comfort Lyra as you feel the pulling sensation start again. >Another rushing and a bright flash of light and you're sitting in a field with Lyra in your arms. >She sniffs again and stops crying so you let her go. >She stands and looks up at you. >"So, you aren't mad?" >You sigh. "I'm mad, but not at you. It wasn't exactly your fault. You made a mistake and I can tell you're going to try your best to fix it." >She wraps you in another hug. >"Thank you." >After a moment she back away from you and looks around. >"It looks like we're just outside Ponyville. C'mon." >Standing you follow her toward a small town. "So where are we going?" >She looks back at you and smiles. >"Well we need to find you a place to stay don't we?" Present day. >You step through the door into the Treebrary. >Twilight glances over her shoulder at you. >"Hello Anon. How are you?" "Fine, I just… Need to sit for a minute." >You make your way over to the couch in the corner and plop you butt down on it. >Twilight walks over to you, looking concerned. >"What's wrong Anon?" >You sigh. "Nothing really, I was just thinking about how I got here and how long it's been." >She looks at you, like she's trying to understand what you're feeling. >"Anon, I…" "Nope. Don't worry about it." >You stand, resolve filling you again. >You have a mission. >You have a goal. >You have no idea how you're going to accomplish it but by god you will. "Twilight. I need books." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >"Mothpony?" >You stand in front of a bookcase, quietly skimming the titles for relevant topics. >'Magic and You.' 'The Art of Flight.' 'Ponynomicon.' >What? "That's what I said." >You continue scanning for books. >One jumps out at you. >'Plants, animals, and oddities of the Everfree.' >"Bullshit." >Stop. >Turn. >Look honestly surprised. >That's the first bad word you've heard any of these ponies say since you got here. "What?" >Twilight blushes. >"I, uh. Sorry. What I meant to say is that that's impossible." >You shake your head, pulling the book out of the shelf. "Not impossible, just unlikely. And it's true." >Twilight walks over to the shelf across from you and starts looking for a book. >"It's not that I don't want to believe you Anon, I do, but." >She pulls a book out with here damned telekinesis. >"But the implications of something like that would be ridiculous." >What implications. >It's a new species of pony, not a world-ending monster. "Uhh…" >She flips through the book until she finds the page she's looking for. >"Besides…" >She walks back over to you. >"They're just an old mare's tale." >She lifts the book for you to see. >The title on the page reads 'The Glow in the Woods." >You skim the page. >It looks like a story about a sailor who's ship wrecks on a beach near a forest, far from his home. >He has no idea where he is or how to get back to civilization. >After a few nights of wandering, he sees a glow in the forest. >Investigating the glow shows that it was a strange creature. >Like a "mix of a Moth and a beautiful mare…" >Huh. >You close the book and look down at Twilight. "Well she exists, her name is Sen, and she's currently at Sugarcube Corner gorging herself on cake. >You look at the clock on the wall. >About 12:40 "And she should be along shortly." >You go back to scanning the books. "In the mean time, I have another question for you." >"Shoot." >"Have you ever heard anything about a cave in the Everfree that doesn't look like a cave, emits beautiful music, and has a strange pretty object in it that might draw a pony to it?" >She closes her eyes and her mouth works like she's silently reading through a list. >It's… Kind of fascinating really, how she remembers things like that. >Her eyes open. >"No, but Equestria is full of strange, wild, and unexplained magics that could possibly do those things." >Well. That's not very helpful. >You were hoping for something more than that. >Suddenly you hear a knock on the door. >Twilight walks over and opens it to reveal a very tired looking Sen. >"Too. Much. Cake." >She stumbles into the library towards you then redirects to the couch. >Twilight looks like her brain just broke. >As Sen crawls onto the couch you wave a hand in front of Twilight. >She shakes her head and her eyes light up. "Told you." >Twilight immediately runs over to the couch, poking and prodding at Sen. >Sen just groans and rolls over. "Twilight, stop. There's a very good possibility that she just ate twenty three cakes." >Twilight stops poking Sen. >"Anon! Do you realize what this means?" >You stop for a second and think. "Yes. Yes I do." >Her eyes light up again. >"You do?" "Yes. It means I have a small fluffy pony who needs a friend. Who needs help getting back to her family. And I need your help to do that." >She stops, apparently thinking about what you just said. >She sighs, shaking her head. >"You're right Anon, She needs help." >Twilight looks up at you. >"And I'll do everything I can." >You smile and pat her on the head. "Thanks Twilight." >She smiles back, then turns and rushes off, returning with a pile of books. >"We need to get some info on the Everfree. Now I don't know much but these books…" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------