“The Everfree forest, a place, so mysterious and scary. No one really knows it's secrets nor it's actual size. It's filled with endless myths, legends and tons of-”
“Boredom.” Spike sighted.
“Ou c'mon Spike! This is the most interesting place in whole Equestria! No one, not even the princessess themselves are knowing everything about it!”
“Twilight... this is a forest. A normal, green and boring forest.”
“Hmpf, just be quiet and follow me.”
“Yes ma'am miss forest ranger!” He grumbled. Spike was still angry because I didn't let him go
to Rarity. Sometimes he's really acting like a little baby dragon! But whatever, there was something more important to do than caring about our lovesick Spike. Something happened to Applebloom that night and I had to find out what.
“left – Ponyville, right – Everfree Forest” We came to an T-shaped crossroad, the same were I met Applebloom a few month ago. This is where everything began. Oh Applebloom, I should have stayed with “NO!” Well, that wasn't important anymore, it was time to enter the forest once more.
Spike and I were walking through the huge entrance of the Everfree forest. After a few minutes, we were surrounded by huge trees and strange flora. Only a few rays of light were shining through the treetops, dark green grass rustled underneath our steps. I tried to remember the way, but it was quite difficult because everything in this forest seemed to look alike.
“Twilight it's so boring and cold in here, let's go home already.” Spike sighted.
“No Spike, not yet! It has to be here somewhere!”
“What has to be here somewhere?”
“The place where I lost Applebloom that night.”
“Oh I see. Aaaaand how does that place looks like?” That was a very good question and I hated the fact that I didn't knew it either.
“Well, uhm... there were trees and some bushes... and leafs?”
“... yeah, sure. You know what? I think you forgot the place!”
“NO! I know the place! It's... Oh, over there!” I finally found a place which was more than familiar to me.
“Holy... wow, that's what I call deep.” Spike starred into the deep, black emptiness in which Applebloom and I were starring that day.
“This is the abyss we've crossed that day, it seems to have no bottom and no other way over besides that trunk over there.” I pointed to the left were the giant trunk was laying, but it was gone since that day.
“Huh? But there is no trunk Twilight.”
“Yes I know, it disappeared shortly after we've passed it on our way out.”
“It... disappeared? How?” That was a really good question.
“I... have no clue. BUT that doesn't matter right now, we have to get over there somehow!”
“Maybe Rainbow Dash could fly over to build a bridge for us or something.”
“Yeeeaaah, OR we could use a other trunk as a bridge.”
“Well, that could work too.”
I looked around to find a fitting tree that I could use, but every tree seemed to be too small. That was weird, they were huge, really huge but not huge enough for the abyss. Where did that trunk came from that day?
“Twilight!” Spike shouted.
“Wha-” I turned my head to the right and held my breath. It was exactly the same trunk we've used that day... already placed over the bottomless gap.
“It's that trunk, but how did it came here again? It wasn't here a minute ago!”
“Okay I admit it, it IS a bit scary! You won, bye!” Spike turned around and tried to run away.
“Wowowow hold it Spike! You are coming with me, no complains!” I grabbed his scarf with my magic and pulled him back to me.
“Ou man!” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and made a frown.
“Don't be such a baby, come on now.” We continued our travel through the forest, after a while we arrived at that special place where I lost Applebloom.
“This is it. This is the place which was blocked by hundreds of trunks.”
“Hundreds? How does they even fit in here? The path is only about 2 metres wide!”
“But I tell you, it was a countless amount of giant trunks! There was no other way around!”
Spike looked around and started to embrace himself.
“Brrr that gives me the creeps. Let's go home!”
“No, not yet! Applebloom disappeared here somewhere and we're not leaving until I know what happened!” I walked ahead and looked around. The sun, which came through some places of the treetops, were giving me a better sight of my surroundings. It just looked like the rest of the forest, some bushes, many tall trees along the path, slightly dark grass on the ground... nothing suspicious at all! Following this path would lead to a shortcut to Zecoras home, in its opposite direction was the exit to Ponyville. The trees were standing so tightly together that no pony could get through there... so where did she go?
“Hihihi.”
“Huh?” I could swear I heard somepony giggling from behind one of the trees.
“Everything alright Twi... Twilight?”
“Follow me Spike!” I ran ahead, around the tree and...
“There's a secret path!” Spike gasped.
“So this is the place where Applebloom went!” I slowly went through the small void between the trees. It took a few minutes, but soon after we came to a small passage. Everything was still the same like before. The grass, the sun, the trees... no trace that Applebloom went through here.
“Twilight, please let's turn around and go home! I don't trust this place!” Spike jumped against my leg and hugged it tightly.
“Oh please Spike, you're acting like-” Wait a minute, he's acting like Applebloom!
“Hihihi” That giggling again! I ran down that passage, jumping over several stones and branches, getting closer to the voice echoing through the forest.
My pulse was rising, my heart started to beat faster, adrenaline rushed through my body. What ever harmed Applebloom had to be nearby! I could feel it! I-
“Applebloom?”
“Wa-? AAAH!” Shocked from the suddenly approached voice from the side, I tripped and fell hardly to the ground. I landed on the side, causing a moderate pain at my chest and right hoof.
“Ouch! DARN IT SPIKE!”
“Oh my! Sorry about that! I didn't meant to scare you nor to let that happen!”
“Huh?” When I looked up, I saw a green mare with a green mane standing in front of me. She seemed to be the same age and size like me. Her brightly green eyes were looking concerned, holding her hoof in my direction to help me up. What was a pony doing here after all?
“Here, let me help you.” I grabbed her hoof and stood up.
“Uhm, thank you very much.”
“You don't have to thank me, I mean, I was the one who made you trip in the first place.”
“Nononono it was my fault, I should have acted a bit more concentrated.” We were looking onto each other and began to laugh.
“Oh whatever, I just hope you haven't hurt yourself too much.”
“No, it's nothing serious.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
“TWILIGHT!” Spike appeared around the corner of the trees, sweating and deeply gasping.
“Oh hey Spike~” He ran in front of us and fell over on his face.
“Next time... please... tell me before... you run away like that... Twilight!”
“WOW A BABY DRAGON!” The strange mare went over to Spike and rolled him on his back.
”Uhm... Twilight? Have you changed your hair, fur... and eye color?”
“Spike, I'm over here. And let me guess, he is soooo cute and adorable?”
“Wha? Uhm, yes yes maybe, but in the first place he's really interesting!” She hastily examined Spike with her hooves, Spike himself was laughing like he got tickled.
“Interesting?” I asked her.
“Yes! I mean dragons themselves are really amazing creatures! Their behaving, their body, their nature itself... I could read tons of books about dragons each day!” The loves to read?
“So you like dragons and reading?” She stopped and turned herself back to me.
“Not only dragons, everything! I love to read about many things like strange herbs, animals and even medicine and first aid.” She looked totally excited talking about books... just like me sometimes. Hm, maybe she wasn't that strange at all, but there was still something around her which made me leery.
“What are you doing in the Everfree forest? I mean, it's not really safe in here.”
“Oh, I was searching for... something.” She looked to the side like she was in trance or something.
“So, what did you lose?” She remained quiet.
“Did it belong to you, a friend or family member of yours?”
“It's not an “it”, it's more a friend to be certain, but it's been a while since I saw her the last time.”
A friend? Did she mean...
“Is it Applebloom?” Her green eyes grew bigger and she started to brightly smile at me.
“You know her?”
“Y-yes I do, she's a friend of mine.”
“Thats wonderful! You don't know how long I was searching for her!” She seemed to be so happy knowing that I knew Applebloom, but why?
“Where is she? Please tell me!” Should I tell her? Maybe she was the one who made her like this.
“I-uhm.”
“OUCH! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU SUGAR-FREAK!”
“WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU LAZY BLOCKHEAD?”
Two male voices where approaching from behind, maybe friends of her?
“Who is that? We should check-” Before I could end this sentence, the mare ran in front of me and grinned.
“Oh that's okay, they're a few friends of mine. We were searching for Applebloom for a few month now and we are very tired. That's probably the reason why some of us are getting irritable.”
Hmm I didn't knew what to do. I couldn't just let them wander around in this cursed forest, nor could I trust them that easily. I thought about taking them back to Ponyville would be the best solution, although I would keep an eye on them.
“So, can you please tell us where Applebloom is? Is she allright? Did something happen to her?
Please tell us!” Her sad eyes were starring into mine.
“She's allright, don't worry. You can come with us to Ponyville, it's too dangerous in here.”
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! COME ON GUYS! I'VE FOUND APPLEBLOOM!”
So we turned around and headed back to Ponyville. Spike was silently sleeping on my back while that mysterious mare was walking next to me, her friends behind us.
There was still something strange around here, about that passage... something told me that
I had to come back later.
“Oh by the way, my name is Twilight Sparkle and this is Spike. What's your name?”
“It's Leafs... Three Leafs.”