Author's Notes:

While writing this, I realised how amazingly TERRIBLE I am at writing Old English. If anyone can help me out with this then let me know. I apologise in advance for the terrible/awkward dialogue that Clover and Starswirl use.

I felt around in my cloak to see if there any hidden pockets or the like. Feeling a slight bulge to the left and near the front of it, I placed my hand inside and pulled out my phone, really surprised I still had it.

“What is that contraption?” Clover asked, pointing a hoof towards my phone.

“I doubt this would have any use now but, this is called a phone. I was able to use it to call my friends and family if I was ever far away from them but I somehow doubt I’ll get reception here.” I answered, turning it this way and that, pushing the power button on and off a few times. Nothing happened with it even though I remember it having full battery before I died.

“That is intriguing,” she replied, using that blue field of hers to multi-task and bend away a few leaves before we emerged onto what looked like a well-travelled dirt path. “This is one of the main paths throughout the Everfree.” Clover explained, trotting onto it and leading me down it. She seemed to know where she was going so I didn’t complain for the moment.

“What is that blue field you use to hold the basket in the air?” I asked her, pointing to said basket. When I had stood up earlier, I didn’t realise how short she was when compared to me but it looked like I had grown a fair few inches since going through whatever it is I went through to get here. If I included Clover’s horn in the height estimate, I would say she probably came up to my waist. If this is the average height of the main species here, then I’m going to have a lot of crouching to do.

“Magic. Doth thou not know what magic is?” Clover asked, stopping in the middle of the track to turn around and look back at me. Didn’t we just have this conversation?

“I’m a living skeleton, Miss Clever. Do I look like I know what magic is?” I asked her, then thought through it, and face-palmed, an audible thwack sounding out. “Don’t answer that. I only got to this … planet about twenty minutes ago. Every little thing here is new to me so I may need a crash course in pony history before we make it to wherever you’re taking me.” I said with a groan, realising I may need to do something to occupy my time while this coloured horse explained their history. From they way she gasped, I went to face-palm but stopped when I figured it wouldn’t be worth it.

“I would be glad to but it would be better if the both of us went somewhere a bit more comfortable.” Clover answered, a massive grin adorning her face. What fresh hell have I gotten myself into? This pony is a giant nerd! As I opened my mouth to speak, a weird, warbling screech caught our attention.

“What was that?” I asked curiously, a tiny bit of fear creeping into my voice at the unknown call.

“Thou wouldst not fly in daylight …” I heard Clover mutter before she took off at a run, forcing me to follow her in pursuit. I heard the screech again, making me pick up the pace. Soon, I was running quickly, fast enough that it felt like I was floating. Not paying much attention to it, I grabbed a hold of Clover and her basket full of flowers as I zoomed passed her and followed the path, ignoring her whimpers at being carried.

Eventually setting down at a massive castle, I let go of Clover and her basket. The screech was heard throughout the forest again but it seemed to be pretty far off. Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked over at Clover and found her to be looking inside her basket for something. “Whatcha looking for?” I asked, crouching down beside her.

“Good. All the different types of flora I collected are still here. How did thou get both of us here so quickly? We had a good couple of hours to get back here.” Clover asked, moving her hood from off her head to try and get a better look at me. Only a couple of hours out? How did I get here quickly?

“Only a couple of hours … I’ll have to think on that later. For now, what did you mean when you said, ‘thou wouldst not fly in daylight’? I asked her, wrapping my imaginary tongue around the awkward words.

“Halt! Who dare goeth there?” I cringed at the words, so glad that modern tongue simplified the language a fair bit. I turned my gaze from Clover to the guard that spoke, spooking him a fair bit at my, pardon the pun, dead look.

“You want something?” I asked him, straightening up to my fullest height. Clover quickly saw what was happening between us and answered for me. After a bit of arguing between all three of us, Clover finally managed to convince him that I was a safe entity. Whatever that meant but as long as I was safe, then it should be fine, right? Clover opened the door after giving a grim smile to the guard, and led me inside, expertly navigating her way around the castle until we arrived at one of the many non-descript doors we walked passed. What’s different about this one than all the others?

I soon found out when Clover nudged it open and lead me inside. I closed the door behind me after ducking my head under the door frame. The first thing I did when I got in the room was look up to see how high the ceiling was. It appeared to be a good enough height for me to stand up without crouching but I went to sit anyway, if only for it to be easier when speaking with Clover.

I then took a good look around the room and found it to be set up with many primitive looking science equipment, such as cauldrons, some sort of primitive tubes and I guess what was meant to pass as a Bunsen Burner. That was what took up the majority of the centre of the room, on an extremely large oak table. Arranged around the sides were a few cushions, two desks, one in the back left and one in the back right corners.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked her, watching Clover place the basket down and begin to snip the flower petals with scissors she held in her magic.

“Thou asked why I said the words I did. I want you to take a look at that tome.” Clover instructed, pointing a hoof towards one of the many books littered around the room. I got up and walked over to it. I picked it up and sat back down to try and see if I can read the language. What language was this!? It’s all just a bunch of scribbles! I recognised the pictures in the book though as supernatural creatures of myth and legend back home. So this was a book about mythical creatures? Very interesting.

After rapidly flipping through the pages and hearing some weird alchemical stuff going on in the background, I settled on a picture and tried to actually read the words. Within a few moments, the scribbles rearranged themselves into words I could understand, making me drop the book in surprise and shock. I must have said something as well for I heard Clover walk up next to me.

“Is something the matter?” Clover asked me, picking the book up in her magic.

“That ‘tome’ is not normal!” I cried out, pointing a finger at the book.

“Whatever dost thou mean?” Clover asked confusedly, tilting her head to the side.

“Well … it … the words rearranged themselves!” I protested, snatching the book out of her ethereal grasp and flipping through the pages once again to see if the same thing happened.

“They shouldn’t. This is Equestrian writing so there should not be anything magical about it.” Clover said, looking at the book upside down as I stopped on the same page as before. The picture I was staring at had the image of an incredibly deformed horse that stood up on it’s hind legs, had goat’s horns, large bat-like wings and a really skinny tail ending in a trident’s fork. It’s forelegs ended in razor-sharp claws, making it look like it stood on two hooves instead of all fours. I looked on the opposite page and found the words rearranging themselves but I did not drop the book this time even though my hands shook a little. Something she said bugged me though.

“Did you say Equestria?” I asked her monotonously.

“Yes. Is that a problem?” she asked, blinking owlishly at me.

“No, the name seems familiar though. Didn’t you say there was a Starswirl the Needed as well?” I asked, taking another good look around the room to see if this Starswirl was hiding somewhere.

“Bearded. My teacher was meant to be here, but I do not know where he is.” Clover corrected and I noticed her frown a little at the words in the book. “There. That is why I said those words,” she had pointed her hoof towards a passage.

I looked closely at it and read it under my breath. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was about the Jersey Devil.

“This … book …” I trailed off, flipping to the cover and then back to the page a few times before looking up to Clover, who had now busied herself with preparing some sort of concoction. “Is this a guide to mythical creatures?”

“No. A guide to real creatures.” Clover answered simply.

“What? So everything in this book is real?” I asked in a slightly high-pitched voice. Researching myths are one thing but to find out they are actually real is something else entirely. When did my life get so topsy-turvy? I think it was when I got beheaded. That would probably do it in for most people.

“Nearly. There is still one creature with no information. But there is a depiction of it on the final page.” Clover instructed. Out of curiosity, I turned to the final page and groaned, holding my skull in my hand as I gazed at it through my fingers. The picture was of a tall, spindly creature with thin, stork-like legs and slender arms. In one hand, it was holding the decaying head of a doll and in the other was a bag filled with an unknown substance. What looked like a top with a hood covered the upper half of its body while a roll of bandages were bandaged around the top part of its right leg. The most notable feature were the two glowing eyes.

“I know why you don’t have any info. He hides under children-foals’ beds and goes away whenever the light gets turned on or when an adult looks under the bed to see if their children were telling the truth.” I whispered to myself. If both the Jersey Devil and the Boogeyman are real then everything I’ve researched about is potentially real. That’s just great.

Hearing the door creak open, I snapped my head to it, only to find Gandalf trot in. The pony equivalent anyway. What I really saw walk in was a grey Unicorn sporting an impressive beard as well as a star-spangled cloak and hat. He stopped short when he saw me, blinked and turned his attention to Clover.

“Clover, did thou try thy hoof at necromancy again?” he asked Clover, leaving me slightly confused. Necromancy. Again? She’s done necromancy spells before?

“No, I did not. This creature appeared out of nowhere.” Clover replied, pointing to me. I waved at the both of them nervously, having no clue as to what was going on.

“Did it now?” Starswirl asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice. He turned his attention back to me and almost immediately trotted up.

“I’m not an ‘it’!” I protested to the both of them but what use would that do? I’m obviously a foreign creature here but that doesn’t give them the right to call me what they want to. At the very least they can call me a she!

“No, thou art not an ‘it’, but a she.” Starswirl agreed with me, surprising me to no end. I wasn’t able to give a straight answer though as at that moment, a surprisingly loud screech sounded just outside the window. “Clover, canst thou get prepared for an attack?” Starswirl asked his assistant, immediately backing away from the window.

“The same creature we heard.” Clover said, looking pointedly at me. She thinks I have all the answers? I had never heard that screech before! I even told her as such before she walked to the book and flipped through a few pages, pointing to the picture.

“A … harpy?” I deadpanned, looking at the title of the opposite page. Just how many creatures were in this book?

“‘Tis a most foul creature.” Starswirl commented. So not only is the Jersey Devil (or whatever alien counterpart it has) prowling the alien woods but there’s also a Harpy straight out of fucking Greek mythology? I've only heard of it in passing though so it may explain why I'm not extremely familiar with it.

“What do you expect me to do? I only just got here!” I told the both of them, slamming the book shut and standing up to my fullest height. I managed to shift my bones so that I could glare menacingly at the two ponies, feeling a hint of satisfaction at their scared looks. It didn't last long as my skull decided to re-assume its original bone structure.

“We do not expect thee to do a thing.” Clover told me in what she hoped was a reassuring voice but a slight tremble betrayed that fact.

“We expect thou to accompany us to see the Princesses.” Starswirl said bluntly. If he was scared by the scream, then he didn't show it. Without another word, he walked to the door and opened it, clearly expecting for me to follow him. Clover followed shortly after, leaving me alone for a bit. Why did everything suddenly get so complicated? I sighed and keeping a tight hold on my scythe, followed both ponies, cringing at the Harpy’s screech as I closed the door behind me. Hopefully the princesses didn’t rely on the ‘attack first, ask questions later’ method of speaking.