>Waking up to the sun in your face is always annoying
>Even more so when it’s bouncing all over the room because the floors, shelves, tables and roof is made out freaking crystal!
>Grumbling and tossing about, You throw the blanket lightly towards the wall and one of the corners droop out of the window
>Shuffling across the crystalline bedroom, and out into the halls, You trip and fall onto the floor
>Groggily, You look around
> “Good morning, Anon…” Spike nervously says, scratching his scales before asking “You alright?”
>You grab his claw, and he helps you up
“You all set for the big camping trip, bud?” You ask with a smile, looking at the young drake
> “Unfortunately, no. Twilight’s making me stay here while she’s going through.. What did you call it again?” Spike deflates while trying to remember, tapping a claw to his chin
“Shark Week” You say with a grim tone
> “Yeah, That! I’m not gonna question her, because the last time that we did when she was like that...” He trails off and you shudder in revulsion as you ponder what happened to that frog orange abomination that she blasted into oblivion in a fit of insanity
“It still bites the big one though, since I’ve got all of my stuff ready to go.” You say as you walk with Spike to the castle kitchen, your steps reverberating throughout the empty halls
> “Maybe some other time, then?” He says with a tiny bit of optimism in his voice
“Won’t be for a while yet then, after this AJ and Big Mac want me back on the farm to help them out before cider season hits” You tell Spike, before the growling of your belly makes itself known
“First things first, let’s get some grub” You say as you pick up Spike and put him on your shoulders, piggybacking him the rest of the way
>After a grand meal of gems, and mostly vegan stuff for You (thank the heavens for peanut butter), You walk out the front doors of the castle, your pack filled as you venture towards the forest
 
>It’s a damn shame that everyone else wasn’t able to go, it would’ve been a hella good time with the boys
>Big Mac sprained his back plowing the orchard, and Shining had his in a cinch plowing the other kind
>It’s not your business to know that stuff, but boy, Cadence is quite the squealer
>As for Discord, Fluttershy has him underhoof like a dog on a leash
>Nonetheless, You aren’t a quitter! The show must go on!
>Except that one time when you played the pony version of monopoly, and Glim-Glam had everyone in the gulag economically. Fuck that.
>So following the river that runs through the Everfree, You slog through the forest, avoiding the manticores, cockatrices and other foul beasties living within
>After a long while of getting caught running in circles lost, you make it to a clearing in the woods
>A long abandoned shelter, retaken by the nature surrounding it, with a pit lined with rocks and moss a few steps away, and a pile of rotten wood stacked between the trees
>This is home, or at least it was when you first came here on your terms
>A peaceful refuge from the howling chaos of the woods surrounding it, it was quite surprising to see that it still stood against the time
>Setting your bag down against the supporting poles, you got down to business reclaiming what was rightfully yours, cutting down the overgrowth and replacing the broken with the new
>The sun sets as you’re putting the final touches on the campsite and lighting a fire for the night
>Despite how spooky they say the forest is, you feel at home in it
>The controlled weather is nice and all, but it’s not really natural if you have to actively work to make it like that
>You bring your bag closer to the flame and rest on it, looking to the night’s sky.. and that’s when you hear the howls ring true across the night
 
>Remember how you said that these woods weren’t even that bad?
>It’s just a bunch of wolves after all, and they’re rustling around in the trees
>If the baying of the pack wasn’t bad enough, seeing nothing but glowing green eyes bob and fade in the undergrowth gave you the creeps
>Frozen in fear in the warmth of the flame, you scan all around the clearing
>You’re slightly relieved to see they aren’t coming any closer, but you feel as though it’s just the fact they’re eyeing you up for a dinner to come
>A strong gust of wind blows throughout the camp, and the sound of branches breaking and leaves rustling puts you even further on edge
>You hadn’t even noticed how fast you were breathing until heard those same howls from much, much farther away
>Soaked in sweat, You sit back down and watch the flame again as the sparks float up high and the firewood popping from the moisture drying out of it
>You don’t even notice yourself drifting off to sleep as the moon sets behind the horizon
>Waking up to the chirping of the birds and the sunlight slowly creeping towards you, you feel a lot heavier
>Wait, when did that bush fall on you?
>You do a double take as it opens up it’s eyes and looks back at you with vibrant green eyes
>Glancing down at it, the living wooden pony on your chest stirs and wraps it’s hooves around your waist
>You sit up and it looks to you pleadingly as it clings to your chest
>You sigh and scratch behind it’s ‘ear’
>Today’s going to be an interesting day for sure
 
>As you explore the forest with your pack in tow,  the deciduous pony follows along for the journey
>The two of you, stumbling and gliding through the thick underbrush respectively make a decent bit of head way, and eventually wind back up at the river
>You haven’t actually had anything to eat yet, so you roll up your pant legs and get a fishing rod out of your bag
>It’s rather relaxing being out here just fishing and chilling, despite all of the things creeping about in the woods
>Your little follower is quite content with just sunning itself and watching you try to fish
>After a short while, You get a bite!
>The slippery fish pulls with all it’s might, but you prove to be superior as you yank on your rod and pull it out
>Getting back on shore with the wriggling fish in hand, your petite admirer smiles and nuzzles your legs
>As you and it start to make your way back to the camp, your hand is itching, burning fiercely as you scratch at it, dropping the fish onto the forest floor
>Your diminutive friend notices your troubles and nuzzles your hand, relieving the pain
>Looking down at your hand, you move it around and drum your fingers against the air, albeit a little more slowly than you’d like
>As you and it start to continue on the return trip, you hear the leaves rustle and a feminine voice asking
> “Are you alright?”
>Yep, that’s it. You’re off the deep end now for sure
“I’m just dandy! Peachy keen! Never felt better!” You scream out to the forest, with your arms raised high to the skies
>Your companion cringes in pain, and the voice screams out “YOU DON’T HAVE TO YELL!”
>You feel rather dumb for not recognizing the fact earlier
>Even though her ‘mouth’ doesn’t quite move, the voice belongs to her
“Why didn’t you speak earlier?” You question her as your hand throbs dully as you rub it with the other
> “Why didn’t you listen? Nature speaks to all of us, you just need to heed it’s call” She retorted as she trotted around you
 
>Wow, that was really deep
>If your hand wasn’t sore and if you weren’t in a forest full of things trying to make you their breakfast, you’d take a moment and ponder
“What’s your name, by the way?” you question her
>“It’s been a while since anyone’s asked me that…” She muttered, her ears drooping as she kicked the ground lightly
>You put your sore hand in her leafy mane, and rub her head as you carry on to the campsite
>“I don’t quite remember, but Willow seems like the right thing to say” She says as she looks upwards to you
“Well, Willow.. It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Anon” you smile as you hold your other hand out in front
>She hesitantly holds for a moment, raising her ‘hoof’ towards her before committing to the shake
>When the two of you make it back to camp, the shadows of the trees have spread over it and the skies turned to an orangish hue
>Luckily you grabbed that fish after that cramp earlier, so you still have dinner for the night, after you clean it and take out the bones
>As you re-kindled the fire, Willow is visibly saddened by it’s rise and re-birth
>“Why must you do that? The fire still hurts all it touches” she said with a twinge of remorse in her voice
“Unfortunately, not all of us here have a giant coat of fur, or are living off sheer magic. I need the warmth to keep me alive, and to cook this” You answer, holding the gutted fish in your hands
>“I see...” Willow trails off as she looks over as you wrap it in leaves to seal in the flavour
>After your meal and the sunset, You and her sat and watched the stars come out
> “It’s not often that I find someone who can listen to us” Willow said as she laid in your lap, while fireflies lit up the woods
>You raise an eyebrow at that, stretching and yawning as sleep begins to take you
“To be fair, not a whole lot of ponies are willing to go in” You respond
>“Harmony isn’t just order, it’s a balance. You can live in harmony with the land without changing it, but it changes you”