Two Sides of a Coin (Chapter 2)

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”
-Desmond Tutu

>Time begins to slow down as you look upward at your assailant.
>It was difficult to tell if it was a pony or even a human. Against the light of the moon you see that it has the legs of a pony, yet is still somehow able to wield a bow.
>You hear the bow string let loose an arrow. Instinctively, you throw your torch at the attacker.
>Whether it is dumb luck or skill, you somehow manage to intercept the arrow. Both of them fall harmlessly to the ground.
>The aggressor falls gracefully to the ground but, with an unthinkable acceleration, it takes off into the fog behind you. It’s too thick to see through but you hear it running.
>It was probably getting ready to fire another arrow at you.
>Your best chance was to run into the forest and get something between you and whatever that thing is.
>As you run towards the trees, you hear an arrow fly past you and hit a nearby tree with a thunk. It misses you by a fly’s dick.
>Whoever it was, they couldn’t see any better than you in this fog.
>But among the trees, the mist was beginning to thin out.
>You hear the whistle of another arrow being fired at you. It manages to hit your pant leg and pins the material to the tree you are running past.
>Although you stumble at first, you pull your leg and you could hear the sound of your pants rip as you pull away.
>As you ran amongst the trees you kept reminding yourself:
>Zigzag and dodge. Zigzag and dodge.
>If you ran in a straight line you were dead. This way you’ll force it to come closer to you, then you can overpower the attacker.
>It didn’t matter where you ran right now; just as long as you stay amongst the trees, you’ll have a chance.
>You could feel your adrenaline pumping and, with the absence of alcohol in your system, you had more clarity. Although the woods were near pitch black, you could see everything that was before you and dodge it accordingly.
>Strangely enough, the arrows stopped flying.
>Above in the canopy you could hear something moving. It was chasing you from above.
>Digging your shoes into the ground, you take off in another direction to throw it off.
>You could hear the sound trailing off briefly. This was your chance to duck behind cover and catch your breath.
>Jumping into the thick undergrowth, you slowly and quietly pace your breathing. You didn’t want it to hear you.
>Your lungs burn as your throat cries out for water.
>But you had to stay still.
>Let it come to you, and you’ll catch it off guard.
>The forest was strangely quiet but the sound of your heart thumping within you felt as though your position would be given away.
>You hear the sound of something hitting the forest floor.
>It was a very distinct sound of hooves on grass, but it didn’t sound very heavy on the ground.
>It was getting closer.
>You had to be perfectly still.
>Your breathing almost stops.
>Through the darkness of the forest, you saw it moving into view.
>There was no denying it had hooves, but it was standing upright. Slowly, it walks the forest floor and glances all around trying to find you.
>It must know you went into hiding around here.
>Once it comes closer you’ll try to grab it, or at least take the bow away.
>As your assailant wanders ever so closer, you feel the adrenaline coursing through you once again.
>Steady...
>It was standing right next to you.
>Almost...
>You slowly reach your hand out to close the gap between you and your quarry.
>The moment of truth.
>Like a viper, you strike towards your target and you manage to grab the bow. The attacker immediately tries to pull away but it wasn’t as strong as you.
>Through its struggles and cries, you could identify it as a young female.
>As you attempt to wrestle the bow from her grip, you notice another pair of hands grappling it.
>You still couldn’t see its face behind that dark hood.
>What the hell was this thing?
>Either way, you had the advantage now that you had your hands on its weapon.
>With a mighty swing you easily send her off the ground and she loses her grip and goes sailing towards a tree trunk.
>She wasn’t done yet.
>Just as she is about to hit the tree, she manages to land on the side with her hooves and kicks off the trunk.
>She was a preparing to deliver a roundhouse kick; you use the bow as a shield and hold it fast against her kick.
>You hear the bow give way but it doesn’t break.
>As she lands on the ground she delivers a volley of kicks at you with her hooves. You back away from her attacks, but she was striking at you with incredible speed.
>With the bow you take a swing at her and manage to briefly stop her as she backs off, that’s when you got on the offensive.
>Lady or not, no one fucks around with you.
>You charge at her with your fist ready but she easily dodges. You follow it up with another strike and almost hit her but she manages to stay one step ahead of you.
>She delivers a kick to your hand holding the bow and manages to knock it loose from your grip. As the bow sails through the air, she runs past you in an attempt to retrieve her weapon.
>You grab her by the cloak and with all your strength, you swing her back and slam her against a nearby tree trunk.
>She falls limp to the ground.
>Anon: 1
>Crazy pony thing: 0
>You caught your breath as you let out a nervous laugh.
>Hard to believe that little thing could put up a fight. She was not quite as tall as you but she is incredibly light.
>But you could tell those kicks weren’t something to mess with.
>The ambient sounds of the forest came through to you once more. You look to the bow that was lying on the ground not too far from you, but your concern was with the attacker.
>Better see what you were up against before she woke up. That is, if you didn’t kill her already.
>As your legs begin to shake slightly from the after burn of adrenaline, you drop to your knees in front of the body. Turning the body over to get a better look, you see a thin wooden tube sticking out from the hood.
>You hear a thwip and feel a sharp sting hit your neck.
>You flinch backwards as she quickly gets up and makes a mad dash for her bow.
>Reaching to your neck, you pull out a small dart. What did she just drug you with?
>You get to your feet but already you feel dizzy. As you lurch towards her, you could already feel a part of your body go numb.
>The closer you got to her, the more you felt yourself slip. You reach into your bug-out bag and began to pull out stuff.
>The knife. You need the knife.
>You weren’t ready to go down yet, but as the drug works its way through your system, you weren’t sure whether or not this creature was planning on killing you.
>You drop the bottles of water and other supplies, trying to find the knife while still crawling towards her.
>A mix of drool and foam drip from the corner of your mouth. Your stomach begins to twist and turn in agony. You manage to utter a curse at her.
“Ffffuck... you...”
>You were just feet away from her. Your rage was the only thing that kept you crawling closer to her.
>Dropping the bug-out bag, you pull yourself towards her with one arm.
>She didn’t budge an inch.
>As you look up to her face, you saw it was human.
>A human with pony legs...
>The look on her face was that of contempt but also of fear.
>Fear of how so close you were to strangling her.
>As your arm begins to fail you saw her lift one hoof high into the air and bring it down on your skull.
>You black out.
>...
>Where did you go wrong?
>...
>You could hear a commotion.
>”You little bitch, I told you to not leave a mess in the kitchen!” You heard your father yell out.
>Running to the kitchen, you watch your father as he slaps your little sister and sends her to the ground.
>You’re frozen with fear.
>He looks to you with rage in his eyes like you witnessed a murder, “What are you looking at you piece of shit?”
>The next thing you knew he was barreling down on you with his fist.
>A surge of pain ricochets through your skull as your vision fills with light.
>As you came to, you could tell you were still alive. But something was wrong.
>You were looking upwards at the tree branches and the red scarlet sky as you were moving along the ground.
>Your hands and legs were bound and you couldn’t move an inch. Fortunately, you could move your head.
>The last thing you remember was being stomped on by...
>You look around and saw that you were completely wrapped up in plant material like leaves and vines.
>Then that would mean...
>Looking in the direction you were being pulled, you saw that it was the girl that attacked you. Several pieces of thick vines were harnessed over her shoulders and around her waist.
>On her back was your bug-out bag.
>She had you totally immobilized and was dragging you through the forest. But to where?
>This thing could’ve killed you but it wants you alive for some reason.
>Looking back up at the sky, you couldn’t tell if it was morning or evening. The crimson hue was deceiving, but the coolness in the air was a strong indicator that it was probably morning.
>You try to speak but instead produce a harsh cough. Never in your life did you think it was possible to be so thirsty and not die.
>Your captor stops and pulls off the vines. Reaching into the bag she pulls out a bottle of water and kneels down next to you.
>She carefully places the neck of the bottle to your lips and you feel the refreshing liquid saturate your mouth.
>You want more but she only lets you have a swig before capping it and putting it away in the bag.
>Managing to catch a quick glimpse of her face, she looks very young. Almost like a pre-teen.
>Something about her was familiar.
>Hauntingly familiar...
>Without wasting a moment, she quickly harnesses the vines to her and begins to pull.
>She was so small yet her powerful pony legs were able to drag you along the ground with relative ease.
>Half horse and half human.
>There was a name for them; you recall they come from stories in ancient Greece or Rome.
>Satire?
>No, it sounds a little different.
> Maybe it was satyr.
>You don’t remember these kinds of characters in the show, the closest thing is that minotaur guy from the one episode.
>You needed answers.
“Hey, where are you taking me?”
>She doesn’t reply.
“You’re keeping me alive for a reason. Why did you attack me?”
>There was no reciprocal communication going on here. Your temper begins to flare.
“Fucking answer me you dumb bitch!”
>She stops for a moment and turns her attention to you. Throwing herself on top of you, she unsheathes a small curved dagger and presses it firmly against your neck right up to your jugular.
>You stare her dead in the eyes. She too was staring you down with her brilliant amber eyes. With a calmer tone, you ask her again.
“Who are you and where are you talking me?”
>She pulls the blade away from your neck and hides it beneath her cloak. “To face justice.”
>Her voice was soft and young-sounding but also carried a condescending tone.
>As you continue getting dragged through the forest, you question whether there was any point in asking questions if she wasn’t going to clue you in.
>All the things that have happened to you so far were because of whoever the other Anon crossed when he was here.
“Listen, I’m not who you think I am. I’m not the old Anon that use to live here.”
>”I know you’re not.” She replies coldly.
>You are to face justice and this satyr knows you are not the old Anon.
“Don’t I deserve to know why I’m being held prisoner against my will?”
>”If it were up to me, I would’ve finished you off back there. And you know damn well why you’re in trouble.”
“Refresh my memory.”
>”Are you trying to play dumb or are some of you humans this stupid?”
“Just spell it out for me, okay?”
>”You are to face retribution for the murder of my father.” She replies callously.
>Yeah, something was definitely wrong.
“And what makes you so sure it was me? Are we talking about the same human that died over a month ago?”
>”You should know, you killed him before I was even born.” You could hear a distinct change in her tone, as if she was becoming upset.
“Well, I’m a lot of things but I’m not a murderer.”
>”You talk too much. Best you silence your tongue before I knock you out again.”
>Your head was still pounding a bit from that encounter last night. Probably better to get some rest and try to rationalize with this creature later.
>Being exhausted from last night’s fiasco, you found it wasn’t hard to sleep throughout most of the day.
>The thick canopy of the trees kept most of the sunlight and its heat off you.
>Aside from the occasional rock on the ground digging into your back, you slept through most of the day just fine.
>The sun was beginning its descent for the day and night was soon approaching.
>You wake to see that you were being pulled into a small clearing. This was going to be your camp for the night.
>The satyr leans you up against the trunk of a tree and removes the vines she used to pull you.
>Once she took off her hood, you could discern her appearance more clearly. Her hair was a mint colour with a white streak and was pulled into a ponytail.
>Under her cloak you could see the tip of what looks like a tail.
>She places your bug-out bag against a tree stump and walks around the edge of the clearing, picking up small sticks and dry leaves.
>Placing them in a small pile nearby, she grabs two rocks and begins to smash them together.
>”You know it doesn’t work that way unless you have the proper rocks, right?”
>She ignores you as she continues to strike the rocks against each other.
“Try checking the bag. There’s a fire starting kit.”
>The satyr begins to strike the rocks even harder trying to produce sparks, but frustration gets the better of her as she slams them into the ground and storms over to the bag.
“Just read the instructions carefully.”
>Rooting through the bag, she pulls out the kit and from it she draws out a short piece of silver metal with a smaller blade attached to it.
“That’s a magnesium fire starter; make sure you use it correctly.”
>You watch with a cringe as she slams the tiny striker against the rod and does not produce any sparks. The tinder would be more than enough to catch fire, but if she doesn’t listen, then you’ll be stuck in the dark without fire.
>She throws the fire starter to the ground in a fit of anger and goes back to smashing rocks together.
“Hey.”
>She continues to ignore you.
>”Why don’t you take a chill pill and listen to me?”
>The satyr gives an irate look at you.
“Scrape the small striker against the metal rod. Don’t smash them together.”
>Not wanting to listen to you was understandable, but the amount of frustration she was expressing was unusual.
“Don’t freak out over it, just give a few good scrapes and make sure the sparks land on the tinder.”
>Dropping the stones, she picks up the fire starter. With slow deliberate movements, she rasps the striker against the rod and you could see a shower of sparks hiss onto the tinder.
>She quickly leans down right next to the smouldering pile of tinder and blows gingerly to get the fire going.
>You see the orange glow grow bigger as it intensifies the colour of amber in her eyes.
>She sets out to add more wood to the pile and soon you both had a fire to keep you warm. As the satyr places the fire starter back in the bug-out bag, she begins to snoop through it.
>Pulling out the bags of food you had and a bottle of water, she sits next to the fire and begins to sample them.
>That little...
“If you want food why don’t you take that fucking bow of yours and hunt something instead of hogging all of mine?”
>With her mouth full, she glances over to you briefly before looking away as she continues to devour the rest of the trail mix.
“And you don’t think I’m hungry? That food was supposed to last me until I got to Ponyville!”
>You begin to struggle and try to rip your way out of your plant straitjacket. The more you thrash and writhe, the hotter you felt underneath.
>You had to stop because you were overexerting yourself and ran out of breath.
>Looking up to the night sky you realize that your pet goldfish is probably starving to death by now.
>If you hadn’t been to work for the last couple of days, would any of your coworkers notice?
>You hear the sound of hooves on grass approaching you.
>As you continue to look up at the sky, you see the satyr come into view looking down at you. “You’re not the one dragging your sorry carcass through a forest.”
>Kneeling down to you, she pulls out her curved dagger and holds the tip up to your face.
>”You just need to live.”
>With a quick thrust, she jabs the dagger into the trunk of the tree that you were leaning on. You never took your eyes off her for a second.
>She pulls the dagger out of the tree and on the tip you see a bug twitching. It looks like a cicada type of insect.
>Holding it up to your mouth you couldn’t believe she was going to feed you creepy crawlies for sustenance.
“Piss off, I’d rather starve than eat that shit.”
>Getting up to her feet she walks over to the fire and briefly holds the insect near the edge of the fire for a few moments.
>Pulling it away you could see the wings have singed off and the little morsel was steaming ever so slightly in the cool evening air.
>She holds it up to your mouth. “Eat.”
>You couldn’t ignore your stomach, but you weren’t ready to eat a bug yet.
>Your nose takes in a whiff.
>It actually doesn’t smell that terrible.
>With hesitation, you slowly take the bug between your teeth. You remember watching programs on TV how survivors will eat insects for nourishment and that they have quite a bit of protein in them.
>The satyr kneels down and watches you with anticipation.
>With a quick bite, you chomp down on the crunchy bug and were surprised to discover the taste and texture weren’t that bad.
>Its taste was mild and nutty like cashews and it was smooth like butter.
>”Good, now get some sleep. We move at the break of dawn.” She gets up and heads over to the fire.
>You shuffle yourself into as comfy a position as you could get. It was hard to sleep with the light of the campfire in your eyes.
>As time went on and the crickets continue to chirp, you slowly drift off into sleep.
>No matter what it took, you’ll find a way out of this.
>...
>During your slumber, your sense of smell became overburdened with a raunchy stench.
>You quickly wake up to see that the fire was a faint glow by now and the satyr was already up on her feet.
“What’s th-“
>”Shhh!”
>You hold your tongue in the darkness as you slowly look around. The smell was becoming more intense.
>Slowly she moves closer to the fire, takes a stick from the pile of wood and holds it in the hot embers until it ignites.
>You hear the chilling sound of howling in the air.
>It was close.
>And there were a lot of them.
>She swings around, peering to the edge of the clearing and into the dark forest. Dropping the torch to the ground, she draws her bow and arrow.
>You look around and begin to see green eyes dotting around in the darkness.
>You mumble to yourself.
“Aw shit...”
>Timber wolves.
>With slow deliberate movements, she turns around and keeps her eyes on them. You see them begin to move in closer.
>You hear their snarling as the rancid smell fills the night air.
>They didn’t seem to notice you lying against the tree, but they see the satyr for sure.
>She keeps her arrow held taught and aims for the biggest timber wolf, which is probably the alpha male.
>As if mentally linked, the packs of wolves charge after her.
>She jumps high into the air and fires off her arrow into the group below. You’re not sure if she hit something, but you could tell they were pissed.
>She is able to land on the grass and takes off away from the fire and the pack takes off barking and howling after her.
>As she begins to leap among the tree branches, the wolves start to jump up as high as they could.
>You look at the fire and realize you could use it to burn through the plant material that binds you.
>With a quick lunge, you toss yourself to the ground and begin to roll your way towards the fire.
>Even as the barking and chaos ensues in the background, you knew that as long as those wolves were distracted you had a chance to escape.
>You can hear yelping and painful yips from the pack. She must be doing something to try and ward them off.
>As you got closer to the fire, you notice a pair of green eyes staring at you from the edge of the forest.
>”Shit...”
>You watch as a timber wolf barrels down on you and sinks its teeth into your back.
>If it wasn’t for the thick plant material, the wolf might have actually started to rip into your flesh.
>As the wolf pulls and shreds the makeshift straitjacket, you try to roll away closer to the fire.
>You hear the sound of trampling hooves against grass as you spot the satyr making a mad dash at you and delivers a flying kick to the wolf.
>It instantly shatters into pieces of wood and timber and falls to the ground.
>As she continues to run back to the edge of the forest, the whole pack is still in hot pursuit.
>You feel the cool evening air touching bare skin. Your fingers were free.
>The bug-out bag was still there against the tree stump.
>Your knife...
>Without wasting a moment, you roll over to the bag and position yourself over it. You begin to feel your way through the contents until you grasp a cold metallic object in your hands.
>Holding it tight, you begin to move it across the thick bindings that held your wrists together.
>It works like a charm as you feel the blade cutting through. With a snap, your wrists are free and so are your arms.
>You set about cutting the rest of yourself free..
>It felt good to be free but now was the time to escape while the satyr kept the pack busy.
>You look to see that she was still running away from them, occasionally taking pot shots at them with her arrows.
>She was much slower now; perhaps her endurance was beginning to fail on her. Either way you had to go while you had the chance.
>Putting the knife back in the bag, you sling it over your shoulder and begin to run.
>You hear a scream.
>You stop to look and saw that her cape was snagged by one of the wolves. As she begins to untie her cloak, the others are immediately on her.
>Your heart stops for a moment.
>Just let it go and run away. She imprisoned you against your will.
>You watch as one of the wolves dig their fangs into her arm and streams of crimson begin to flow.
>She lets out an ear-piercing shriek.
>You instantly remember her...
>You only took your eyes off your sister for a minute. Next thing you heard was her screaming.
>A stranger began to drag her away.
>You ran up to him and protected her. Although he put up a fight, you felt you were close to killing him.
>Snapping back to the current situation, you realize you had to make a decision.
>Running past the campfire, you pick up the thickest piece of wood and charge into the pack of wolves. With a swing, you connect with several of them and knock them off the satyr.
>The timber wolves back off momentarily as you pull her up to her feet.
“Get out of here!”
>A wolf jumps at you but you greet him with another swing of the branch. The wolf shatters into small pieces.
>She gets to her feet and sprints away. You throw the branch at the pack before taking off quicker than you thought was possible.
>You didn’t know if you should follow her, but she was already out of sight.
>Running through the trees, you hear the timber wolves give chase. You could swear they were right on your heels.
>Although you had the incredible urge to look back, you had to focus on running.
>It didn’t matter where you went; you just had to get as far away as you could.
>You could see a faint glow in the trees ahead of you. You spot two shimmering red birds sitting in it.
>It was a phoenix nest.
>Grabbing a small rock, you quickly check it as close as you could at them.
>You manage to strike a branch close to them, which startles the two of them.
>Perfect.
>They spread their fiery wings and soar towards you.
>You dodge to the left and watch as the two birds swoop down towards the wolves. You could hear the commotion of birds squawking and dogs’ yelping as the forest was seemingly set ablaze by the conflict.
>Your plan was short-lived as you were forced against a tree with a blade at your throat.
>It was her again.
>She had the most livid look on her face. She was trembling as she clenches her teeth and breathing heavily.
>You hear the howling get louder as you realize there was more to come.
>Looking to her, she somehow knew what was at stake. She and you both take off together into the forest.
>For however long it took, neither of you stop for anything.
>The two of you kept running and running throughout the night until the morning light illuminates the sky.
>You don’t even remember when they stopped chasing you, but they were nowhere to be seen.
>Your progress was put to a halt by a wide, slow, winding river in front of you.
>Dropping to your hands and feet, you finally take in a deep breath. Your mouth felt thick with saliva and phlegm and you begin to cough and spit out the excess.
>The satyr collapses to the ground and rolls onto her back.
>Your arms give out and for a short while you lay on the cool grass, staring down the winding river and listening to the gentle lapping of the water.
>You felt beads of sweat forming on your brow.
>So thirsty.
>Crawling over to the stream, you look into the crystal clear water.
>You look like a mess.
>You dunk your face into the water and swish your head about just to feel clean again.
>It looks clean enough and you take in a mouthful of water and then some.
>You feel your belly swell with the cold liquid and your thirst was finally quenched.
>That probably wasn’t a smart idea.
>Your stomach begins to reject all the water and you instantly regurgitate it out of your body.
>As the morning sun shines down on your body you could feel the body heat within becoming unbearable.
>Time for a quick dip.
>The river itself wasn’t deep, maybe more than foot. You slide into the water and felt the cool water embrace your body.
>All you need was some soap and you’d be set.
>Sitting upright, you splash more water over your face. Just as you were about to remove your shirt, you hear the groaning of wood from behind.
>You turn around to see that the satyr was standing up on her two wobbly pony legs with her bow and arrow at the ready.
>Her breathing was erratic and her expression once again that of disdain.  You could see the subtle shaking in her stance. Her left arm that was holding onto the bow was covered in dried blood.
>You slowly stand up and face her.
“You’re not going to shoot me. You won’t take that risk.”
>Gradually you make your way towards her. She pulls tighter on the drawstring but was having trouble with her aim.
“You just might kill me.”
>She might be packing more of that drug substance, but if she did she would’ve used it by now.
“I don’t know who you are, but you got the wrong person. We can either talk this over or we settle this the old fashion way.”
>You stood before her as she points the arrow right up to your throat.
>Placing your hand slowly on the bow, you ease it off to the side gently. She didn’t even resist at this point.
>She must have been using her last ounce of strength because you could clearly see that she was losing consciousness and falls to the ground in a heap.
>You look down at her helpless frame as she lays before you.
>Stupid kid...
>Dragging her to a nearby tree, you prop her up against the trunk and made sure she was out of the sun which was already starting to bake the earth.
>You pull the hood off from her head. Carefully you remove her cloak. There she was wearing a kind of grey tunic underneath and, wrapped around her leg, was a sheathe that held the dagger.
>Drawing the blade, you examine the hilt and make of it.
>You gingerly draw your finger across the edge and felt how razor sharp it was.
>After a quick pat down, you couldn’t find any signs of the drug she used before. But now the question remains if you should take her weapons or not.
>Should you just leave her here and continue on your way to Ponyville?
>You had no idea where you were, but maybe your map could give you an idea.
>Taking her bow and dagger, you lay them out to the side for now.
>Looking through the bug-out bag, you pull out the map and scanned the EverFree Forest. There definitely was a river that ran through.
>Whether you were along that river or not, you couldn’t tell. There was no distinct landmark nearby that you could use for a reference.
>Best bet was to probably keep heading north until you found something, but would you be wasting time doing so?
>You examine the bag to see most of the contents were still in one piece but most of the food was eaten by that little glutton.
>Grabbing the empty water bottles, you go to the river and fill them up. You gaze back to keep an eye on the satyr.
>Heading back to the tree with the bottles, you remember the injury she has on her left arm.
>Upon closer inspection, you found she was sporting a few good scratches and bite marks.
>Laying her down flat on the ground, you grab a hold of her left arm and pour water over it. The dried up blood stains her arm again as it flows off.
>You empty the other bottle onto her arm and wash it off completely.
>Taking the first aid kit out, you grab all the necessary items and gave her arm a thorough inspection.
>The gash marks on the arm were kind of deep, but there were no major arteries severed, thankfully.
>Applying some iodine and salve, you wrap her arm up in gauze. You repeat the process of applying medicine on parts of the body that were scratched.
>It was only her left arm that got the worst of it, but she should be ok. Little squirt was able to arm the bow and hold the tension despite her injury.
>But where the hell did she come from?
>Did this have something to do with the previous Anon?
>Your wet soggy clothes start to become uncomfortable; perhaps it was time to lay them out in the sun.
>With your shirt and pants near the edge of the river you sit in the shallows and do a full body scrub. Even with no soap, you might as well try not to smell like crap.
>It didn’t take long for your clothes to dry.
>You glance quickly to the satyr who was still sound asleep.
>You took a small mouthful of the food you had left. It was rather odd but you remember the bug you ate last night wasn’t that bad tasting.
>You were probably just saying that because hunger was strong at that point.
>As you go to rest in the sunlight to dry off, it wasn’t long before everything was good to go.
>Dressing yourself, you sit at the edge of the river contemplating what to do next.
>You were so deep in thought that you did not even notice that she was awake.
>She had the perfect opportunity to ambush you as well.
>”Hey...”
>You hear the small voice call out from behind you. The satyr was slowly getting up to her hooves and leaves her weapons behind as she approaches you.
>You gaze back out towards the river and the forest that lays before you.
>She takes her spot next to you yet she was speechless.
>The human that supposedly killed her father saves her and doesn’t just leave her to die.
“How are you feeling?”
>”Fine...”
>There was an awkward moment of silence. Part of you was waiting for her to say something.
“Those wolves almost did you in. I could’ve easily left you.”
>She looks down to her arm and became somewhat defensive. “I would’ve gotten away just fine but-“
“It’s the cloak.”
>”What?”
“It’s that damn cloak you wear. Remember our little scuffle back there and how I grabbed you because of it? Those wolves did the same thing. I don’t care if you’re trying to pull of some sort of cosplay bullshit, you’re asking for trouble by wearing it.”
>”If I want advice on what to wear I’ll be sure to ask.” She snaps at you.
“For someone who was saved from the most gruesome way to die, you’re not really thankful.”
>”I will not say thanks to the human that murdered my father.” She mutters.
“You still on about that? Listen, I didn’t kill your dad, he died about a month ago saving Equestria from Chrysalis. I literally ended up here a couple days ago.”
>”Only because you ran away, but you were brought back here to face your punishment.”
>This was pointless.
“The way I see it, we have reached an impasse. If we go to Ponyville to meet up with Twilight and the others, she’ll tell you what happened to your dad.”
>If she is the spawn of the last Anon, then who was the mother?
“By the way, who did Anon bang to breed something like you?”
>Your face was met with a firm open palm slap. She stares at you with contempt.
>You couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
“Too personal? We’ll start with names, I’m Anon. Same as your father.”
>Slowly, you get up to your feet and stretch your arms out to the sky with a groan.
“It’s Hope. And we’re not going to Ponyville.” She firmly tries to assert her authority.
>Hope, that’s rather interesting.
“And why is that?”
>”I was told to not go to populated areas. The long way will take us around and back to the stronghold in the north. It’s my mission to safeguard your person.”
>It was good to know she wasn’t about to seriously injure you.
“And what if I refuse to go with you?”
>”Then you can expect a repeat of our little encounter. With you tied up and me dragging your sorry carcass.”
“How about this: if I can’t prove my innocence, then I’ll go with you. But if I’m not guilty, then you have to leave me alone.”
>The satyr crosses her arm across her chest thinking about your offer.
>She can think all she wants; you just want to get a head start on your walk to Ponyville.
>You walk over to your bug-out bag, make sure all your supplies were inside and slung it over your shoulder. With a compass in hand, you check to see which direction was north.
>The red arrow points down the side of the river to where the pine trees grew thickest.
>As you begin your journey, you look back to the satyr that stood at the edge of the river.
“Are you coming or what?”
>With a huff, she gaits over to her belongings under the tree, picks them up and quickly joins you by your side.
“How’s your arm feeling?”
>”It’s fine...” she grumbles.
>Things between the two of you were quiet for a short while, but Hope breaks the silence by asking you a question. “Why did you save me?”
>You recall that moment, seeing her being taken down by that timber wolf and hearing her screams of pain.
>It was a scenario that you have seen before and never wanted to see again.
>”If you think that means I’ll forgive you, then you are sadly mistaken.”
“If it were anyone else, I would have left them. But...”
>You look down at the satyr and her brilliant amber eyes stare back to you.
“I wasn’t about to let a kid like you die. I’m still asking myself if it was a good idea, considering that you’re going to take me to face justice for a crime I didn’t commit.”
>Hope was silent.
>The gentle lapping of the river soon turns into a steady flow as you progress further along the river.
>The tall pine trees brought on a sense of dread. There could be more timber wolves lurking here.
>You look at the compass again; the needle keeps pointing straight ahead.
“Wish there was a way to see what was ahead.”
>”I’m on it.” Hope drops her bow and cloak.
>You watch as Hope approaches the tallest pine tree nearby. Almost like lightning, she effortlessly scales the tree until she reaches the very top.
>Standing on one hoof, she holds a hand over her brow and gazes around.
“Be careful up there!”
>She sets her eyes on something in the northwest. With a hop, she descends through the branches of the tree, lands on the thickest limb and, using it like a spring board to slow her descent, she steps off onto the ground.
>”I’m not a kid you know.” She pouts.
“Sorry, just didn’t want you to slip and fall.”
>She rolls her eyes at you. ”I saw something out there past this rocky quarry; it looks like a small town. We can probably make it by sunset if we keep walking.”
“Have you ever been through the EverFree forest?”
>”Uh...” she begins to look off to the side and scraping her hoof at the ground. “Kind of...”
“What do you mean kind of?”
>”Don’t worry about it, let’s just focus on getting to Ponyville. The sooner I have my answers, the sooner we return to the stronghold.”
>She was rather dismissive about your question and it made you suspicious.
>Now was not the time to stand around arguing. Time was wasting and you hope Twilight and the others will help prove your innocence.
>As the two of you walk into the forest of giant pines, you could feel a drop in temperature.
>These woods were strangely quiet.
>Hope was staying ahead as you walk through the dark forest.
>God, what you wouldn’t do for a drink right about now. This whole ordeal was making you high strung.
>Without realizing it, you almost bump into Hope, who has stopped. Her arm was held out to the side to stop you from walking any further.
>You blink a few times and realize the forest came to a halt and right before you was a sheer drop into a valley below. On the other side was a forest, but it was impossible for you to reach.
>With that familiar sinking feeling, you stumble back, fall and instantly feel more secure on the ground.
>Hope looks to both sides along the canyon. Without saying another word, she walks back the way she came.
>You sit there looking at her.
“Do you know another way around?”
>After a few more metres, she stops and turns around facing the ledge.
>Digging her hooves into the ground, she takes off at breakneck speed. Like thunder in the ground, she kicks off the ledge with a mighty jump and sails through the air.
>She lands on the other side and pauses for a moment. Turning to you, she waves her hand. “Alright, now it’s your turn!”
“Are you shitting me? That’s gotta be forty feet across if not more, I can’t make that jump.”
>”Well I just did.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Get a running start and jump as hard as you can.”
“Humans can’t do that.”
>You look down into the valley below and felt a sweat coming on. But it didn’t look like there was a bridge anywhere in sight.
“I’ll just find another way across.”
>Hope was fuming. “Oh come on! I don’t have all day.”
“Just shut up and let me think!”
>Oh God, you want a drink so badly right now.
>As you look down the side of the valley, you notice a tall pine tree leaning slightly off balance.
>Without a moment to lose, you quickly run your way to the tall pine tree. Its branches were somewhat bare and it looks as if it was dying.
>Hope keeps up with you along the other side.
>Just maybe...
“Watch out, I’m going to see if I can knock this over.”
>Digging your feet into the ground, you begin to shove the tree with all the strength you could muster.
>It barely budges.
>With another push, you felt it was beginning to uproot. You groan louder and mutter to yourself.
“Come on...”
>You hear the splintering of wood as chunks of bark and debris shower you.
>One more shove.
>Taking a step back, you ram the tree and it finally gives. The pine tree was more than tall enough to cover the gap. Thankfully it was still strong enough to not break apart when it lands on the other side.
>All that was left to do was cross it.
>You place a foot onto the trunk and give it a quick jostle. The whole tree wobbles from the touch.
“Fuck me...”
>If the gap wasn’t so wide and the fall not so deep, this might not have been a problem.
>”Are you going to cross it sometime today?” Hope yells out to you.
“Just give me a sec...”
>You feel beads of sweat forming on your brow. Already in your mind you felt a panic attack coming on.
>But you had to go now and not delay.
>As you step onto the trunk, your legs shake violently and you feel yourself teetering off balance.
>Lowering yourself onto the log, you sat with legs hanging off both sides and held onto the log with your arms.
>Just inch along. Take it slow and steady.
>Each time to push yourself along the trunk it would bend up and down ever so slightly. You freeze in fear temporarily.
>It wasn’t even that hot out but you were already drenched in sweat.
>The stubs in the trunk from where there use to be branches prove to be a nuisance.
>Slowly, you maneuver yourself over them and around, making sure none of your clothes catch them.
>You finally reach the middle of the old tree and you made the mistake of looking down.
>HolyfuckitsalongwaydownshitshitshitSHITSHIT.
>You instantly latch onto a tree with a death grip, but your own shaking body was making the tree quiver more violently.
>”Are you done?” You hear a voice speaking right above you.
>You lift you head to see that Hope was standing on the trunk right in front of you looking down.
>Through your clenched teeth you scold her.
“Get off!”
>She merely giggles. “OK, I’ll just take a nap then. Wake me up when you make it over.”
>From there she performs a continuous back handspring along the trunk until she makes it to the other side. Her movement barely had any effect on the sway of the tree.
>With arms shaking, you push yourself off the trunk and begin to crawl.
>Although your stomach was somehow pulling off twists and turns, you try your best to keep yourself together. Just don’t look down.
>Your body wants to seize up, feeling as though you were going to fall any second, but you didn’t come this far to stop.
>But you couldn’t stop being scared of heights, no matter how hard you tried.
>You didn’t realize that you had your eyes shut tight if it wasn’t for the fact that you were greeted by Hope again that stood on the ground in front of you. “Now you’re trying to do it with your eyes closed? Show off.” She chuckles.
>Quickly, you get off the tree and take a moment to collect yourself as you lean over, taking in deep breaths.
>Hope leans over to look at you. “You seem a bit tense.”
“You think? I’m not good with heights.”
>”Well that’s no fun. You shouldn’t worry about what might happen. Just focus on something else.”
>Easier said than done, you thought to yourself.
>”We still have a ways to go.” She begins to walk off without you.
>Looking back at the valley, you feel your skin crawl. You continue to follow the satyr into the forest.
>Again there was some silence between the two of you.
>Part of your mind was occupied with thoughts of what to do if Hope refused to believe what she might hear about her father.
>As hunger sets in, you continue to ignore the pains. You reach into the bag and pull out the remaining measly morsels of trail mix and nosh on them.
“Thanks for eating all my food again, by the way.”
>”When you’re dragging a load through the forest that weighs way more than you, then you can complain.”
>That was something that did genuinely impress you.
>Her leg strength.
“To be honest, you’re pretty damn quick on your feet and strong if you were able to drag me.”
>She nods her head with a smug expression. “Mother said I was a born hunter. She told me it’s a gift that I need to make the most of.”
>Although she didn’t seem to be as physically strong as you, it was her legs that did most of the talking as you’ve already seen.
>The forest begins to thin out as you are soon walking through an open field. But just beyond this open field was a cliff wall probably scaling thirty some feet high.
>The wall seems to span for a long way in both directions, along the ragged top you could see thick plant vines growing.
“Think you can make that jump or should we just walk around?”
>”Watch and learn.” She smirks at you. Taking a few steps back, she runs towards the wall and kicks off the ground.
>She easily reaches twenty feet but falls short of the vines above. She falls back to the ground and you hear her grumbling.
>She looks up to you with a grin. “That was just a warm up, now I’m ready to get serious.”
>You cross your arms across your chest. This was about to get good...
>You watch as Hope makes attempt after attempt to jump up high enough to grab them, but she was always out of reach.
>She would try kicking off the wall, grabbing, running but all effort was for naught.
>Hope begins to breathe harder and falls on her backside looking up at the wall.
>Then you had an idea.
>You realized she was pretty light for her size; perhaps you could give her a boost.
”Hope, try this.”
>You stood near the wall and held your right arm out. She looks towards your arm. “Try what?”
“Jump on my arm and I’ll give you that extra boost.”
>”Are you sure it’ll work?” She looks up to the top of the cliff. You shrug your shoulders.
“Won’t know until we try.”
>She pauses for a brief moment and gets back up to her hooves. Taking a few steps back, she runs towards you. With a quick jump, she lands square on your arm and you immediately swing your arm as hard as you can upwards.
>You hear a small yelp of surprise as you watch her soar upwards and successfully grab onto the vines.
>She easily pulls herself up and disappears over the edge.
>It wasn’t long before a length of thick vines flops over the edge and you see Hope’s head popping into view from above. “Give it a good tug and see if it’s secure.”
>You pull gently at first and then use your full weight. The vine did not give.
>”Alright, think you can manage pulling yourself up?” She yells down to you.
“Not a problem.”
>You begin your ascent upwards with a steady pull from each arm.
>As you got about halfway up, you start to feel your nerves going awry.
>Hope calls down to you. “How did you get so strong anyways?” You instantly snap out of your worried state.
“Oh, I work in a warehouse.”
>”What’s that?”
“A place filled with heavy appliances. That’s all I do is lift heavy stuff.”
>You continue your climb to the top.
>”Well, I guess you’re not totally useless then.” She bursts out in laughter. Hope was a rather cheeky character in her own way.
>With a final heave, you pull yourself up with a hand from Hope. Strangely enough, you didn’t feel nervous anymore.
>”Feel better?” She kneels down next to you.
“I... I do.”
>It was an odd sensation; normally you would be a wreck after dealing with heights. But now you felt calmer as if you never experienced the climb.
>”See? All you had to do was take your mind off it.” She smiles and jumps up to her hooves.
>You sat there, dumbfounded for a moment, but quickly get up and catch up to her.
>By now it was late afternoon. You were a little behind time, but as long as there were no more distractions, you should make it by nightfall.
>There, beyond a small grove, you could see the rock quarry.
”How did you become so agile? For that matter, how did you even hunt me down?”
>Hope looked up to the sky, pondering. “Well, I don’t really know. Ever since I was little, my mother trained me on how to fend for myself. I guess it’s kind of a natural thing for me.”
>”As for how I tracked you, I just went in the direction that mother told me. I ran all the way towards the south, she told me if you were anywhere south of Ponyville, I would find you. But she instructed me not to go near that place. That’s why along the way I plotted a route that would take you and I back home without running into problems.”
>Apparently her mother had a way of knowing where you were. How was that possible?
“So, who is your mother? How did she know where I was?”
>Hope turns to you. “Does Lyra Heartstrings ring a bell?”
>You immediately knew right off the bat which pony that was. That’s why Hope’s hair colour looked so familiar.
>It seems that Anon must’ve crossed paths with Lyra at one point when he first got here. But why would he leave her?
“Can’t say it does. But would you tell me why your mother thinks I was the one that killed your dad?”
>Hope raises one eyebrow at you, as if to emphasize why she should have to explain something that you’ve done.
“Just give me the benefit of the doubt.”
>”I was told that when she was pregnant with me, a human killed my father. He escaped Equestria before he could be caught and has eluded justice for all these years. My mother was able to pull you back into our world so that we may exact retribution for our loss.”
“And all you have to go on is her word?”
>”I don’t see why she would lie to me. She is my mother after all.”
>Although you were not entirely sure yourself why Lyra thought you killed Anon, you know that Twilight will make it clear to Hope that something is not right.
“I’ll be sure to keep my end of the bargain, if I can’t prove my innocence, I will go with you willing.”
>”Well, maybe my mother got the wrong human. It’s possible, you know.”
>At least Hope was starting to get the picture.
>”But if you try to run away...” You see the metallic shine of her dagger come into view as she grins.
>It was hard to say whether this was her being playful or actually being serious.
>Just play it off as a joke for now.
>As you both approach the small grove, the sun was already on its way down to meet the horizon.
“Hope, how’s your arm feeling?”
>She holds it out, flexes her hand and twists her arm side to side. “A bit sore, but I’ll be fine.”
>Travelling through the thick collection of trees, it wasn’t long before you were at the other side and at the edge of the quarry.
>There in the distance you could see smoke and a small village.
>Not much farther now.
>Just as you were about to take your first step, Hope grabs you by the arm. “Shhh!”
>You lower your voice.
“What’s wrong?”
>Hope points over to a large boulder among a pile of small rubble. “Do you hear that?”
>You pause and try to listen for something. At first you couldn’t hear a thing, but then you catch the ever so faint sound of chewing.
>”Behind that boulder?”
>Hope nods and gestures for you to quietly follow her.
>Watching your footsteps carefully, both you and Hope tread softly closer to the large stone. The sound was becoming much clearer.
>The sound was akin to a voracious predator devouring the flesh of its helpless prey.
>You hear the wet sloppy sound of blood and gnashing of teeth. You held fast for a moment as you saw the splatter of red liquid spray out from behind the boulder.
>What kind of creature is capable of this disgusting eating habit?
>You look to Hope and point off to the side, gesturing if you should both just walk around and leave the creature be. It make take you longer to get to Ponyville, but it would be one less monster to deal with.
>Hope shook her head and slowly draws her bow and notches an arrow.
>She points to one side of the giant stone as if to tell you that the two of you will circle the rock and ambush the creature.
>Carefully, you reach into the bag and pull out the small knife and hold it steady.
>Nodding to each other, you both quietly walk around the boulder towards the monster.
>You couldn’t see it, but the sound was becoming more gross and sickly by the minute.
>It was now or never.
>Making sure your grip was tight and your aim true, both you and Hope lunge around the rock and pounce the creature.
>You were met by the sticky red face of a pony who shrieks as her mane stands up on end.
>The pony throws something at you and it instantly smashes into your face and your senses are drowned in the sweet stench of watermelon.
>You hear Hope yelling at the pony. “Don’t move!” There is an audible sound of her bow creaking as she pulls the arrow more taught.
>”Please, don’t harm me! Take whatever you want, just don’t ruin my beautiful face. It’s my biggest selling point.” You hear a feminine voice tremble.
>That voice sounds familiar.
>You pull off the hard rind of the watermelon prison and saw that it was a pony with blue coat, light coloured hair and a horn. It was Trixie, the boastful unicorn that likes to show off her so-called ‘great talents’.
>”Trixie does not wish to die so young!” she quivers before Hope, holding her hooves over her eyes. You wipe the watermelon juices off your face with your sleeve.
“Hope, put that away. It’s just a pony.”
>The blue mare instantly stands up, “Just a pony? You are in the presence of the all mighty, the show stopping, the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie!” Reaching into a burlap sack, she tosses what looks like small firecrackers into the air where they pop and explode with quick flashes of colour. She quickly strikes a pose to emphasize her glamour, despite the fact her face was still sticky with red juice.
>There was even a small fanfare to accompany her.
>Hope stood there with a blank stare while you had your arms crossing your chest. Trixie held her pose awkwardly, as if to wait for an applause.
>Regaining her composure, she wipes off her face. “Yes, well... I suppose not everypony can appreciate a talented pony when they see one.” She glances at you first. “Clearly you’re not from around here.”
“How perceptive of you.”
>”No, you’re one of those gangly two legged human creatures I see.” Her tone was rather matter of fact. This piques your interest.
“You’ve seen other huma-“
>But you were cut short by Trixie scuttling around Hope and seemingly dumbfounded by what she is seeing. “Now this I’ve never seen before!”
>She is, in a metaphorical sense, teleporting all over Hope to get a good look at every part. “The tail and legs of a pony but the upper body of a human.”
>Trixie stands back and rubs her chin with a hoof gingerly. As if struck by an brilliant idea, you see her face light up with enthusiasm. “Then it is decided, we shall travel Equestria and you two will be the opening act!”
“What?”
>Trixie slinks towards you. “But don’t hog all the limelight; it should be about how amazing I am.”
>You couldn’t help admire the figurative balls on this pony.
Sorry, but we’ll pass. We just need to get to Ponyville.
>”What a coincidence, that’s where I was heading as well.”
>Hope looks back to the messy scene by the boulder. ”What were you doing making all those noises behind that rock?”
>”Trixie was having herself a little snack before you two so rudely interrupted and gave me the fright of my life.”
>You look down at the half chunk of watermelon sitting on the ground with some of the delectable flesh still inside. Snatching it, you quickly sink your teeth into the fruit and guzzle down all the fruity juices.
>”Hey! Trixie was not done with that.” She barks at you.
>You toss the empty rind to the ground and wipe your mouth.
“Sorry, it’s just that I haven’t eaten any food for quite a while now.”
>You frown at Hope who responds by rolling her eyes but also playfully sticks her tongue out at you.
Trixie, have you seen other humans here?
>”You would be the first in a long time. Last one apparently saved all of Equestria from that nasty insect queen.
“Are there any around now?”
>”Aside from you, no. Trixie remembers being out north many years ago on my travels. There in the woods I saw one heading further up north.”
“Did you try to talk to him?”
>”Would you try to make contact with an alien creature you’ve never seen before?”
>Understandable.
“We need to keep moving. You’re free to come with us if you want.”
>”If you insist. But since you so rudely gave me a scare and ate my food, I think it would only be fair that you carry my things.”
>Her horn lights up and the burlap sack is levitating in front of you.
>A cocky smile grows across her face as she waits for you to grab hold. As much as you didn’t want to, you begrudgingly grab the sack and sling it over your shoulder.
>”Be careful with that, most of it is worth more than you.”
>Hope crosses her arms. “Are we done here?” She begins to walk to the quarry as you and Trixie follow closely.
>As your party travels down a gravelly path along the side of a sheer rock cliff, you notice several high piles of dirt and rock.
>The sky was beginning to tinge with orange, a sign that it would soon be dusk.
>Trixie was looking rather nervous.
“Something wrong?”
>”I heard this area was crawling with those nasty diamond dogs.” Trixie keeps looking over her shoulder at the piles of dirt.
>The name sounded familiar but you were sure they had nothing to do with timber wolves.
>Hope hears the remark and stops to ask. “What’s a diamond dog?”
>The ground in front of your party caves in and out jumps three monstrous looking figures. You drop the sack you were carrying from their sudden appearance.
>As the dust settles, you got a better look at them. Now you remember who these guys are.
>They have an obsession for jewels and they kidnapped Rarity once. They stood before you on all fours glaring at you and your crew.
>Hope has her hand on her bow at the ready. She looks to you but you shake your head. There was no need to cause trouble.
>If these guys want jewels, then they shouldn’t cause trouble for you. They were probably curious about you being on their home turf.
>You step forward with your hands in plain sight.
“Don’t mind us, we’re just walking through.”
>The diamond dog wearing a red vest, who you assume was the leader, slowly slinks towards you.
>He spoke to you in his gravelly voice. “No... My nose is not mistaken...” His nostrils flare up as he sniffs the air around you.
>You hold still for a moment, even as the large subterranean dog takes in your scent around your neck. “Something... rare...” The pupils in his eyes begin to dilate as if he was greatly excited by something.
>The bigger diamond dog stamps the ground with his paws in anticipation. “What is it?”
>Were they after your necklace?
>Then you remember the pendant has your birthstone in it.
>”It’s not from here.... Sssooo rare it is....” He begins to bring his claw closer to your neck to investigate.
>There was no way in hell you were giving up your necklace. Backing up, you group up with Hope and Trixie again.
>Hope takes a step forward. “That’s close enough.” She looks back to you and understands the situation clearly from what she gathers. “Just give whatever it is they want so we can keep going.”
“I’m sorry, but they can’t have it.”
>”Anon, it’s better to avoid confrontation. Just give it to them an-“ Hope was cut short by the smaller diamond dog of the trio who began to sniff at her intensely.
>”Ah... This one carries something rare too...”
>The leader lurches towards Hope and smells the air around her. Almost like an aphrodisiac, he has this euphoric look in his eyes. “Yesss... we must have it... Give it to us!”
>Hope steps back. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
>The ground next to her opens up as another diamond dog lunges from the ground and snatches her bow in its jaws. You could hear the wood snap like a twig as it bites down and breaks the bow in two.
>The dog retreats back underground, you saw that the biggest of the diamond dog was already barreling down on you. Hope was already being attacked by the leader and the smaller dog.
>You’re a heavy guy, but this diamond dog was impressive in its strength. He manages to lift you off the ground and toss you like a doll at the wall of the cliff.
>The air was knocked out of you as you slump to the floor, gasping. There you saw Hope reach for her dagger, only for one of the diamond dogs to swipe it out of her hand, where it skitters and falls down an open hole in the ground.
>You look for Trixie, but she was nowhere in sight. Figures at the first sign of trouble, she would run off.
>Hope begins to fight back with a flurry of kicks, but these diamond dogs were both tough and agile, as the leader was able to block the hits with his thick muscular forelimbs.
>Your knife. It was still in your bug out bag.
>As you scramble to reach into your bag, the large dog bellows at you and charges.
>Rolling out of the way quickly, he slams the rock wall with his fist. You got your feet quickly and ran full steam at him.
>With a jump in the air, you bring down both fists on top of his head. It looks as though it temporarily stuns him but he was just plain angry at you now.
>The diamond dog takes another swing at you but you manage you duck and weave past his fists. As he throws one straight at you, you quickly twist to the side, grab his fist and use the momentum of his punch to slam him into the ground.
>He instantly gets back up and tries to grab at you but instead you interlace your fingers with his and both of you are lock into place hand to hand.
>You feel every muscle in your arm and back tense up as the adrenaline courses through your veins. The power struggle felt as though it was lasting forever.
>You were tired and exhausted as it was, and you could feel the diamond dog starting to push your hands backwards.
>It feels as though your wrists were about to snap.
>Like a small flame bursting into an inferno, there was a burst of strength within you; the will to survive. You plant your feet into the ground and, with a twist, you swing the diamond dog off his feet and toss him towards the other two dogs.
>Hope catches this in time and responds by darting towards the airborne diamond dog and jumps over his ragdoll body.
>Just as she finishes passing over him, she brings her haunches together and kicks off the dog, sending him rocketing towards the other two.
>As the three bumbling dogs lay in a heap, you hear one of them whistle.
>The ground explodes around you as diamond dogs pour out of the ground. These were wearing plates of armor and wielding spears as their weapon of choice.
>The ground shakes as they surround both you and Hope. Their barking and snarling fills the air and you and Hope keep your backs together.
>The sun was beginning to fall behind the horizon. Whether it was in the light of day or the middle of the night, you were ready.
>With their spears at the ready, the diamond dogs charge towards the both of you.
“Shit...”
>Instinctively, you grab a hold of Hope and wrap your arms around to shield her from the oncoming assault and brace yourself.
>Everything around you stops as the air fills with a high pitched whistle. You look into the dim sky and so did the army of diamond dogs.
>Suddenly, the air erupts into loud shrieks as the air above fills up with bright lines of lights and explosions pack the sky.
>The bright flashes of light and loud sounds causes the army of diamond dogs to scatter in fear and desperately burrow back down into the ground.
>As the blasting above continues, you knew you had to make your escape now.
>Grabbing Hope by the hand, you quickly run with her across the rocky quarry and don’t stop.
>It was a long time since you held a hand in yours.
>You could almost hear her voice again.
>”Anon, where are we going?” Her voice groaned from exhaustion.
“Anywhere but home.”
>You held your sister’s tiny hand as you both made your way through downtown.
>"My feet hurt." she whimpers.
I have a friend that will let us crash at his place for the night, but we have to make it on our own after that.
>As police sirens blare past you and off into the distance, you couldn't help but wonder if your dad would even give a rat’s ass about the two of you.
>You quickly come to the conclusion that he can go die in a hole for all you care.
>You felt Annette let go of your hand as she squats down to the ground to pick up something.
>"Look!" Her grin reaches from ear to ear as she holds a penny up to you.
“Annette, don't let go of my hand. We need to keep moving."
>"Say again?"
>You mumble those words to yourself again.
>Hope waves her hand in front of you. "Hello. Equestria to Anon. Are you in there?"
>You stop dead in your tracks and felt your knees wobble before you fall flat on your rear to catch your breath.
>From behind, you hear the gallop of hooves on grass and see that Trixie is catching up to you.
>”Aren’t you glad the Great and Powerful Trixie is here to protect you?” You could see that smug grin of hers showing.
“Yeah, thanks for running off.”
>She was flabbergasted by your words. “I’ll have you know I used up the last of my best fireworks to scare off those mongrels!” She snobs you with a turn of her head.
>Maybe she wasn’t as ditzy as you thought.
“That was a smart idea, Trixie.”
>She glances at you before turning around ignoring you. All she wants to hear was some gratitude.
“Thank you.”
>”Thank you what?”
>Oh God, she was really pushing it.
“Thank you, Great and Powerful Trixie.”
>With a cocky smile, she pats you on the back, “You’re too kind. Now then, shall we be on our way? We should reach Ponyville by dawn.” She drops her sack of belongings beside you.
>You look to the night sky as the stars begin to shine brightly in the inky canvas.
>You look to Hope who was softly scraping her hooves through the grass. She had something that she didn’t want to give to the diamond dogs either.
“So, it was okay for me to give up something but not you?”
>Hope crosses her arms and doesn’t say anything.
“Mind if I see what they were looking for?”
>Hope pauses for a moment but reaches around her neck and pulls off a silver chain. From under her shirt you could see a small pendant.
>Looking at the pendant, you felt your heart stop as you couldn’t believe your own eyes.
>It was the missing half to your pendant, and right there on the other side was the red garnet.
>It was your sister’s pendant.
>The same piece of jewelry she wore the day she went missing.
>That surge of anxiety and stress hits you like a brick wall.
>She never came home from school that afternoon.
>You waited and waited. Called the school, friends, anyone that might know. Calling the police, you waited up all night for an answer.
>They went to see your father, a likely suspect, but after a house search and interrogation, they found nothing. The police concluded it was a kidnapping.
>For days, you talk to her teacher and the friends that saw her last.
>It wasn’t long before the case went cold quickly because of the lack of clues.
>It didn’t help that you lived in a shitty part of town where ‘these things happen’.
>You never forgave yourself.
>Depression had set in with a heavy dependence on alcohol to try and deal with it.
>But she was gone.
>Your little sister was taken from you. The only one in the world you had left.
>As you stare at the ornament, you felt a rage within you.
>How did this satyr get the exact same necklace as your sister?
>She better have some answers.
>You get up to your feet, quickly seized Hope by the throat and quickly slam her into the ground. You pin her down with your full weight.
>Holding her face firm with one hand, you hold the pendant close to her. She was resisting, but you held fast against her struggle.
“WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?”
>In your anger, you were squeezing her head tighter, making it difficult for her to answer.
>Trixie stood in shock, not sure what she should do.
>”I better get a goddamn fucking answer right now or so help me...”
>All you could see was red.
>If this bitch had anything to do with your missing sister, then nothing was going to stop you from killing her.
>Hope was trying as hard as she could to pull your hand off, but as you stare into her amber eyes, you saw a look of fear.
>Not fear as though she was caught, but rather for her life and the anger she saw within you.
>Like a vice, you loosen your grip on her head. “I got it from my mother. It’s a family heirloom.”
“Bullshit it is. I got this for my sister for her birthday. I have the other half.”
>You lean off to pull out your necklace and let it dangle off your neck over her.
>If Hope got this necklace from her mother Lyra, then she would be the one to talk to. You lean off Hope and watch her as she scrambles out from under you.
>It was hard to tell whether she was scared or disgusted by you. “This changes nothing, just so you know.”
“Let’s say I couldn’t prove I was innocent, there is still no way in hell I would go with you.”
>Hope gets back up to her feet. “So now you’re admitting that you lied to me?”
“You’re fucking damn right I am. But now, seeing as how you somehow ended up with my sister’s necklace, I’m interested in visiting your mother. I’m just dying to hear her excuse as to why she kidnapped my little sister.”
>”I know losing a loved one is hard, but you have no proof that my mother has done anything.”
“What the fuck do you know about losing a loved one?”
>”When you killed my fath-“
“Oh shut the hell up. You lost him before you were even born! What makes you think you know anything about losing family? She was only one I had and then... and then...”
>You felt that anger become overburdened with sadness at the thought of your sister.
>Falling to your hands and knees, you felt your lips tremble as your breathing becomes quick and short. Here you thought all this time that a sick child molester had taken her.
>Hope approaches slowly as you keep yourself together best you can. Kneeling down to you, she gently eases you to sit upwards and embraces her arms around you in a hug.
>The forest fell dead silent for that moment.
>”My mother told me humans do this to make everything feel better. When you held me like this when those diamond dogs charged I felt... safe.”
>You close your eyes and hesitate but you bring your arms around her as well.
>One minute you had her pinned to the ground, threatening to kill her, but the next she’s giving you a hug.
>It was hard to describe, but a part of you felt at ease. As if you were back home with your sister again.
>”I wish I could have my father here with me.” She whispers gently.
“I’m sorry.”
>Although a part of you never wants to let go, Hope breaks away and looks you in the eyes. “Let’s keep moving forward. We’ll both learn the truth once we reach Ponyville.”
>As you watch the satyr walk away, Trixie comes up next to you. “Is everything alright now?”
“Yeah... I’ll be fine.”
>”Good.” Her horn glows with magic as the burlap floats in front of you and is pushed into your arms. “Wouldn’t want my personal carrier to slack off.”
>Trixie trots off, but as she looks back you could see her winking at you.
>With your bug-out bag and the sack slung over your shoulder, the three of you continue through the EverFree Forest.
>Hope has taken up the front with Trixie following behind her and you at the back. The crickets would chirp their music throughout the night while a warm breeze wafts through the pine trees.
>Trixie lights up her horn to provide additional light as you travel through the dense forest.
>The pilgrimage throughout the night was rather quiet. You’ve lost too much time with all that has happened so far. But you weren’t sure if Hope was still resentful for what you said to her.
>You didn’t know it was possible to be this tired.
>The grass beneath your feet would make for a good bed right now, but you had to keep going.
>As the moon begins to end its own cycle, you could see the faint glow of the sun on the east side.
>Clouds began to form in the west.
>As the dawn finally came, so did the morning showers.
>The rain was gentle on your skin, but Hope puts on her cloak and robe. Trixie adjusts her hat and robe as well but also puts up a spell to shield her from the rain.
>You didn’t mind. It actually felt good that the droplets would wash away the sweat and dirt of your endeavors.
>You remember mornings like this. You could even remember hearing the rain tapping against the window.
>As you gaze out to the streets below, you heard your sister stirring from her sleep.
>It was late at night as you sat in the large window sill of the bedroom.
>Your little sister Annette sits up in her bed a rubs her eyes. “I can’t sleep...”
“Just try.”
>”Why do you get to stay up?” She pouts.
“I’m just making sure no one comes looking for us.”
>You stare through the wet glass and down the street. That certain someone was your father, or at least that’s what you would call him.
>Prick was a much more fitting name.
>All you had now was your sister and a rundown apartment. Your friend is working on helping you find a job so you can support yourself.
>Hopefully you can send your sister to school as well.
>As the rain continues to pour outside, you close the curtains. But even then the glow of the street lights still partially shine through.
>You sit down at the edge of the bed and began to rub your forehead before lying down on top of the covers next to your sister.
>”Are you scared?”
>You didn’t answer her. You turn your whole body to face her as she begins to cuddle under the blankets.
>As she begins to settle into bed, she gives you a reassuring smile. “Don’t be afraid.”
>You stumble over the wet grass and nearly bump into Trixie.
>”Watch it!” She snaps at you.
>Making your way past the brambles and dark trees, you see light filtering through the canopy not too far away.
>As the three of you break through, the morning light blinds you for a moment but you find yourselves standing at the edge of a beautiful meadow full of flowers.
>As the morning rain comes to a halt, the rising sun illuminates the small town of Ponyville.
>Although you felt a great sense of relief, you had a good feeling this was only the beginning.