I could feel the sun’s bright rays behind my eyelids. I tried screwing my eyes shut tighter to block it out, but the light was being too stubborn. I grumbled as I rubbed my eyes and began to stretch. When I opened my eyes, I was a little confused when I saw the wooden walls around me, but once the memories of last night flooded my mind, I was immediately gripped with terrified shock.

I shot up from my sitting position, only to hit the low ceiling and fall back down cradling my head. I managed to crawl up to the open window to get a perfect view of the sunrise.

“Shoot,” I muttered under my breath. I overslept horribly. I turned my attention back to the room to gather my bearings. My hatchet and the basket were lying scattered across the floor along with a half-eaten apple. I tossed the fruit out the window in disgust and began packing up my belongings.

Walking out in the broad daylight put an uneasy feeling in my gut, but I had very little say in the matter. This treehouse was still on the barn’s property, after all, and I didn't want to come across that behemoth of a pony again. Something told me that I wouldn’t get another lucky shot if we ever crossed paths again.

I slowly rose back up to my feet, careful not to hit my head on the low ceiling again. Sunlight poured in through the windows, making the room much easier to navigate. I gathered my supplies, running through a quick mental checklist, and crawled back down the latter.

The main room looked much more different in the light. Now that I could see, I was careful not to break any more of the toys that littered the ground. A few drawn posters hung on the walls. This place must have been some sort of hangout for some kids. I was about to reach the door when an odd sound hit my ears. I hesitated, my hand hovering above the handle, straining my ears in case I heard it again, and I didn't have to wait long.

It was a brief, sharp noise, lasting not even a second. It sounded faint, but there was no mistaking what it belonged to. I rushed to the nearest window and looked out to see a small, brown canine walking through the orchard with its muzzle to the ground. It lifted its head up to release another bark, and two other ponies appeared behind it. The first had an orange coat with her blonde mane and tail done in a ponytail and a stetson resting on top of her head. The other was a large crimson pony with a short orange mane and tail. A thick lasso was wrapped around his body.

"Ah, crud," I breathed. "Not now." They were getting closer to the treehouse. It wouldn't be too long until they were upon me.

You need to escape.

"Really?" I asked in mock shock. "I thought I was just going to sit here so we could negotiate." A dull ache formed in the back of my head; I thought I could sense the agitation of the voice. A small smile managed to form on my mouth despite the situation.

I glanced back out the window and weighed my options. I doubted I could outrun the ponies, much less the dog. If I tried to make a break for it right now, it would be a matter of minutes before I was caught. There had to be some way to stall them long enough to get a better head start. I turned around and scanned the room for anything useful.

There wasn't much to work with. The whole room was practically one big mess of small toys and drawings. My eyes fell upon a small table set across the room, and an idea flashed in my mind. I quickly ran across the room, trading my belongings for one of the chairs, and sprinted back up to the door to wedge the chair between the door handle and the floor. It seemed to be the right size to jam the door. Without wasting another second, I pulled the chair back out, gathered my belongings, and noisily clattered up the latter.

I raced up to the sole window in the upstairs room. It was small, but appeared to be just large enough for me and the chair to fit through if I curled my body up. If memory served correctly, this window should be directly above the front door, too. I ran the plan through my head a dozen times, gradually feeling more and more confident about myself. I might just be able to pull this off.

A loud bark broke my train of thought. I looked down from the window to find the dog in front of the ramp flanked by the two ponies. Its muzzle was earthbound again, sniffing at the apple I had thrown out just moments ago. I hid myself behind the wall, peeking my head out just enough to watch the scene play out.

"Good job, Winona," Applejack said as she trotted up to the half-eaten fruit. "This here apple still looks fresh. The creature must've been through here recently."

The large pony observed the apple and gave an approving nod. "Eeyup."

"Come on, we must be hot on his trail," Applejack said, a newfound energy seeming to surge through her. "Let's see if we can catch this varmint." She let out a sharp whistle. "Come on, Winona. Time to go." Her words were ignored, though, as the dog raced up the ramp and started clawing at the door. The two ponies stared at it in confusion. "Winona," Applejack called, a little louder this time. "We need to hurry. That trail's probably cold." The dog responded with a loud bark and continued scratching away at the door with a small whimper.

"We're never going to find that thing at this rate," Applejack grumbled. "It's probably gone by now."

"Unless it never left," the larger pony suggested.

A brief moment passed where they simply stared at each other, then they both carefully crept closer to the treehouse. I pulled my head back and closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself. I could still hear their heavy hooves hitting the ramp as they ascended. The scratching suddenly stopped, and an eerie silence fell on the orchard.

"I'll go in first," I heard Applejack whisper. "If it tries to jump me, I want you to rope it up."

The door creaked open, the sound deafeningly loud in the still building. I could hear Applejack's soft, cautious footsteps underneath me. There were a few seconds of silence where all I could hear was my racing heart. A series of heavier footsteps soon followed. I stole a glance out the window in time to see the large pony's scruffy orange tail enter the doorway. I took in a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Sheesh, it looks like a twister went through here," Applejack commented.

"Or a monster," the other added.

"Well, with our little sister and her friends, it'd be pretty hard to tell," Applejack replied with a forced laugh. "Do you reckon it's still here?"

I gathered up my supplies and wits, deciding that now was as good of a time as ever to make my move. I drew my hatchet back and swung it at the window with all my might. The blade sunk straight through, causing a spiderweb of cracks to erupt across the glass with an earsplitting shatter. I bit into the handle of the hatchet and hugged the chair and bucket close to my chest. I barely had time to register the loud "What in tarnation?!" from below as I rolled through the broken window.

I landed on my feet with a myriad of glass shards around me. Without thinking, I slammed the treehouse door shut and thrust the chair underneath the door handle. I gave two swift kicks at the chair's legs to wedge it deeper into the door and took off into the orchard. There was a loud thud behind me, but when I craned my neck back the chair appeared to be doing its job. There was no telling how long it would last, though, so I took as much of an advantage as the head start would allow me.

It took a few minutes of running for me to realize that I still had no idea where I was going. This farm could have gone on for acres for all I knew, and I was probably nowhere near the edge. There was a large hill not too far from me, and I readjusted my course to climb it. Maybe once I reached the top I could find out where I was going.

I steadied my pace into a jog going up hill, not wanting to tire myself out. I was beginning to sweat a little, but the cool air was helping to cool me off. There weren't as many trees up here as the rest of the orchard, so the view was fairly clear. Rows upon rows of trees spanned out in every direction. Off in the distance I could see a few of the town's buildings poking out from the tree tops. My gaze shifted to the left and saw nothing but trees; however, the trees further back didn't look anything like apple trees. A wave of relief washed over me at the sight of the tall, dark trees. I didn't think I would ever see the forest again.

There was a faint bark from the direction of the treehouse. The ponies must have escaped. I glanced down the mountain where I came from but didn't see anything. It didn't mean much, though; they were probably still on my trail, which meant I needed to get a move on.

I raced down the hillside toward the forest. There was a straight stretch through the trees roughly half of a mile, and a small white fence marked the end of the farm. I steadied myself at a quick jog, keeping my eyes trained on the fence. A countless number of trees passed by me, and I was already starting to pant about halfway through. By the time I reached the fence, I was fighting for my own breath, but knowing that escape was right at my fingertips pumped my system with more energy.

The fence was barely half my height, making hopping it a simple task. I stole one last glance behind me to check my pursuers' progress. They had already reached the base of the hill and were chasing me in a dead sprint. I crossed the small dirt path that separated the fence from the forest and gave them a cocky smile and wave before slipping through the bushes.

As I weaved through the trees and bushes I could barely contain my excitement. I did it. I actually did it! The food I had gathered would probably only last me a few of days depending on how I rationed it, but even that little fact didn't faze me. I felt invincible. I had to fight back the laughter that was threatening to escape from my wide grin, and even then a small burst of it managed to break free every now and then.

After a few minutes of wandering around, I finally stumbled upon a trail. It was narrower than the path I took to the town and didn't even seem remotely familiar, but I was sure that if I kept following it then something would click. I slowed my pace down to a casual walk, thinking that there was no way the ponies would be able to catch up to me now.

A fork eventually came up in the road, both paths leading in completely opposite directions. I stood in the middle of the intersection and looked down both ways. They both appeared to curve in the same general direction after a while, which didn't help my case in the slightest. I found a small, flat rock at my feet and covered one side with a thin layer of dirt.

"Heads I go left; tails I go right," I muttered to myself. I balanced the rock on my thumb, flicked it into the air, caught it, and slapped it on my wrist. I studied the face and shrugged. If chance said that I was to go left, who was I to argue with her?

The trail was no different from the one I had just traveled. I didn't know what I expected though, perhaps a large sign that would point me where I wanted to go. After a few minutes of traveling, the trail I was on showed no signs of merging with any larger paths, and I was beginning to question if I was going the right way. I was about to turn back around when a faint sound caught my attention. I froze in mid-step and waited until the noise came again.

There was a heavy rustling in the bushes up ahead. It sounded like something big was coming. I dashed behind the nearest tree and stared in shock as a lion emerged from the bushes. Or, so I assumed. As it took a large, deep yawn, two monstrous, leathery wings unfolded from its sides. It flexed it scorpion-like tail, and my eyes were glued to the large stinger at the end.

It froze in the middle of the path and sniffed at the air. A low growl escaped from its clenched teeth, causing a chill to course up my spine. I retreated further behind the tree as it swept its gaze in my direction, and I feared that my beating heart would give away my position. When I managed to work up the nerve to look around the tree again, however, I couldn't find it anywhere.

My mind was going into overdrive. That thing shouldn't exist. It shouldn't be possible for it to exist. Manticores belonged in stories of myth, not in reality. Then again, neither should unicorns or dragons or pegasi. I shook my head in disbelief. Regardless of the details, I couldn't stay here any longer; it wasn't safe. I still didn't know where it was, though.

A thought suddenly flashed through my head, taking most of my breath away with it.

I slowly bent down, stashing the bucket of food beneath the cover of a nearby shrub, and crawled back up to my feet. There was a soft crunch somewhere off to the side, just barely audible in the stillness of the trees. I could feel cold sweat racing down my back, sticking to my shirt. My grip tightened on my hatchet, which was already getting slippery from sweat. My eyes flickered up to the tree in front of me. The lowest branches weren't too high up. If I jumped they would be within arm's reach. I tensed my legs, crouching slightly, and in one fluid motion leaped for the nearest branch.

There was a loud crash behind me. A deafening roar resounded throughout the forest. The moment my fingers wrapped around the branch I used my momentum to carry me to the next. The tree shook beneath me as something struck where my foot had just been. I cried out in shock. By the time I had climbed the fourth branch I pressed my back against the tree and stared down.

The beast was staring at me with eyes filled with animal hunger. It stood on its hind legs, using its front to prop itself against the tree. A splintered stub jutted out of the tree where the lowest branch had once been. It let out another roar, and my hands suddenly clamped over my ears. I could feel something wet on my hands sticking them together.

The manticore slowly crawled back down on all fours. A small wave of relief washed over me, and I allowed myself to breathe a bit more normally. The relief suddenly morphed into dread though as the beast snapped out its two large wings.

"Ah, shoot!" I jumped to a nearby branch and used it to swing across to the other side of the tree. The branch I had previously occupied shattered as the hulking yellow mass of the manticore slammed against the tree. I scurried up to the higher branches, trying to put as much distance between myself and the chaos beneath me.

The tree shuddered with the weight it was never supposed to bear. When I looked down I saw the manticore thrashing against the branches. There wasn't enough room for its wings to work, but it was still determined to find a way up to me. It clawed at the tree for all it was worth, snapping branches in the process, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't find any purchase.

It scrambled back down to the forest floor, glaring at me with annoyed eyes. I was busy holding onto the branch next to me for dear life. I could still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The beast let out one last roar before it turned and walked away, its tail flicking in agitation.

I sat there for a while in shock as my senses slowly came back to me. The first to come was a dull pain in my hands. I glanced down to find them scratched up and covered in blood. I must have scraped them when I was swinging across the branches earlier. I was beginning to feel lightheaded, too; although I wasn't sure if that was from the recent attack or my height. I rested my head against the tree's trunk until my pulse calmed back down to a steady pace and took in a deep breath.

"Alright," I said to myself after a few minutes passed. "Let's not do that again."

As I rested on the branch I stared out through the leaves. I realized that I had made it nearly halfway up the tree in my flight. I could almost see over the tops of some of the others already. A sudden curiosity took me over, and I found myself climbing further up the tree with the hatchet clamped between my teeth. My hands screamed in pain as their raw skin had to grab onto the rough branches again, but I ignored them. This would be better for me in the long run.

I climbed as far as the branches would allow. The branch I stopped on was a bit too thin for my comfort, but it was holding my weight fairly well so far. I was high enough to see over most of the forest now, but I wasn't sure if that would be enough. A heavy breeze shook the tops of the trees, and I hung on to my tree for dear life.

"Come on," I muttered as I scanned the top of the forest. "Where are you?" They swayed again, and something grey poked out of the vast sea of green in the distance. It was only a little larger than a spec, but the longer I stared at it, the wider my smile became. "There you are," I smiled at the small tower.

My eyes lingered on it a little longer as I memorized its location. I climbed back down as carefully as I could. The manticore knocked many of the branches off during its frenzy, making footholds near the bottom of the tree hard to find. I hesitated when I hit the last branch and searched the area for any signs of the beast. It wasn't anywhere in sight, but that didn't help ease my mind. I counted five minutes in my head before I dropped down to the earth.

I went to the shrub where I stashed my food and let out a sigh of relief. It hadn't been touched during my absence. I pulled it free from the shrub and was about to leave until something moved in the corner of my eye. I whirled around on the spot to find Applejack galloping toward me. She came to a sliding halt a few meters away.

We stood in silence, sizing each other up. She stood alone with none of her companions in sight. She looked the same as the last time I saw her, the only difference being the lasso that was draped across her back. Her friend must have given it to her.

"Y'all got a lot of nerve stealin' from my barn," she accused, breaking the quiet.

"And you have a lot of nerve waking me up," I retorted. The trail we were on was thin, but there were numerous places to hide off to the sides. I shot a quick glance across the trail to see if there were anymore threats, but she was the only pony in sight. If it was just her, I could probably handle the situation. "So, where are your friends?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Don't matter," she spat. "Ah can handle a no-good, two-bit thief myself. Now, you're gonna return what you stole and come back with me to Ponyville. Am Ah clear?"

"You know, it's not exactly wise to hunt someone down on your own, especially when they're armed," I pointed out, twirling the hatchet between my fingers for emphasis. The mare didn't seem fazed, however. "But if you want the food so bad," I added, putting the bucket down behind me, "by all means, come and get it."

The birds above us continued to sing their songs, unaware of what was unfolding beneath them. Time seemed to slow as we stared at each other. She whipped her tail out, and the lasso, which appeared to be tied to the end of her tail, followed as if it was an extension of her body. I shrugged off the rope that was draped over my body, feeling liberated without its constant weight on my shoulder, and it fell to my feet with a soft thud.

She crouched down, and her tail began to rotate quickly in a tight circle, the lasso mimicking the motion until it was high in the air. I drummed my fingers on the handle of the hatchet in anticipation. The trail was too thin to maneuver around easily. It would be hard to dodge her lasso, but perhaps I didn't need to.

Applejack flicked her tail, and the lasso whipped forward at frightening speeds. I shot my left arm in the air and pulled it to my side the moment it fell over my arm. There was a slight jerk as the rope tightened around my left wrist. I flashed Applejack a toothy smile and lunged at her with my hatchet at the ready. She dodged to the right as my hatchet dug into the earth, and she raced past me. There was a sharp tug on my left hand, and before I knew it the world was sent spinning as my arm twisted me around to keep up with the rope. I stumbled forward to keep up with the momentum as Applejack came to a sliding halt. A knowing smile formed on her lips.

Our fight quickly became a game of tug-of-war. We stood as far apart as the rope would allow, each trying to find some sort of leverage to gain the upper hand. Applejack craned her neck back to grab the rope with her mouth and gave it a strong tug. The sudden force was too much for me, and I began tripping in her direction. She took advantage of my sudden lack of balance and went on the offensive.

In three bounds she quickly covered the distance between us. As her forelegs touched the ground, she spun a full one-hundred eighty degrees and compacted herself to unleash what was sure to be a powerful buck. There wasn't much time to dodge it, and I was falling straight into it, so I tried to angle myself to the side as I fell. One of her hind legs grazed the right side of my chest. A sharp pain flared at the contact, but it could have been much worse.

I scrambled up to my hands and knees and lunged at her as she tried to regain her balance from her attack. I managed to pin her down to the ground and struggled to keep her in place. She squirmed around beneath me, trying to kick at me with her legs. Every now and then one of her hooves would make contact, but she didn't have enough force behind them to do any damage. I flashed her a smirk, which she quickly matched with a scowl.

"Ah'll have to admit," Applejack said with a strained voice. "You're a lot tougher than you look."

"Right back at you," I returned, struggling to keep her in place. "Bet you're regretting coming here alone."

A faint howl filled the air, catching us both off guard. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember why. Applejack gave me a knowing smile. "Not just yet; it looks like the cavalry has arrived." She took in a deep breath and shouted with all she had, "We're over here!"

I quickly moved my hand to cover her mouth, but it was too late. Her echo carried off in the trees. A blanket of eerie silence fell upon the forest.

Another faint howl quickly sounded. Then another, and another. It wasn't long until the air was filled with a dozen different howls. A wave of realization struck me, filling my veins with ice. It had only been a couple of days since I'd heard those howls, but everything that had happened in between made me nearly forget.

It is time to leave, the voice said, cutting off my thoughts. Finish the pony and run.

I stared back down at Applejack, whose eyes were just as wide and frightful as mine. Before I had a chance to do anything, she grabbed onto the collar of my t-shirt with her free foreleg, and before I knew it our heads were on a collision course. Pain erupted from the front of my skull, and stars darted in what was left of my vision. I staggered up to my feet and back away from her, my hands were clasped around my pounding head. Something sparked in the back of my mind.

I was already back on top of her before I realized what I was doing. My hands snaked underneath her still-stunned body and hoisted her off the ground. I threw her back to the earth with a primal cry, and her green eyes widened in shock as her body struck the ground.

My vision quickly began to clear up as the headache subsided to a dull throb at the front. Applejack remained on the ground, her body splayed across the dirt and gasping for breath. I took advantage of her stunned state and rolled her over to her side. Her lasso was still tied to her tail, and I quickly began to wrap it around her. She didn't offer any resistance at first, but after a few seconds passed she seemed to realize what was happening and offered a weak resistance. It didn't matter at that point, though, as she was nearly fully restrained. I tied the final length of the rope around her back and dragged her to the base of the tree.

"You ain't gonna get away with this," Applejack spat out as she struggled.

"I'm pretty sure I just did," I dully pointed out. I stood back up to my full height and walked back to the bucket of food a few yards away.

"Big Macintosh'll find you!" she called out. "And when he does —"

"I think he'll be more concerned about saving his friend," I cut her off. I examined the contents of the bucket carefully, making sure everything was still as I left it. "Speaking of which, just where is he and your mutt?"

"Don't matter," she retorted.

I quickly covered the distance between us and bent down to meet her. My hand grabbed her by the jaw and forced her eyes to meet mine. "Actually, it does matter," I snapped. "Because as much as I would love to save my own hide, I want to make sure yours doesn't become dog chow first. Am I clear?"

Applejack stopped struggling for a moment and studied my eyes. Her body relaxed, but the steely look in her eyes stayed constant. "We got separated a while back," she finally admitted. "We heard the manticore before we saw it, but it didn't help us prepare. It scared Winona off as Big Macintosh and Ah were wranglin' it. Ah told him to go get her while Ah kept searchin', and it wasn't too long until you climbed outta that there tree. He should be back any minute."

"See? That wasn't too hard, was it?" I asked. Appljack let out a grunt and began struggling again. I reached for the bucket and pulled out a bright red apple. "Now, don't take any of this personally," I started. "But I can't have you telling your friends where I'm going."

I pried open her jaw and shoved the apple inside. A surprised squeal escaped from her mouth, but the apple was lodged in before she could make too much commotion. I dragged her squirming form out of the trail and rolled her onto her stomach. "If I were you," I whispered as I leaned close to her ear, "I would be very selective about how much sound I want to make. There's no telling how close those wolves are, and I'd rather not come back and find that you had become worm food."

She stopped struggling but whipped her head back to give me one last glare. I hid her behind a tree, making sure her body was as concealed as possible. Once I was satisfied with my handiwork, I made a beeline for the castle. A small pit of guilt formed in my chest for leaving her tied up like that, especially after hearing those bone-chilling howls, but it had to be done. Hearing the timberwolves' howl had set me on edge, and the sooner I got back to the castle, the better. Besides, I was sure she would be alright. After all, she said her friends weren't too far behind. Perhaps they would stumble upon her first.

I pushed my way through the dense foliage of the forest, hugging the bucket close to my chest. I kept my ears perked to catch any more odd sounds, but the cacophony of leaves slapping against me and soil crunching beneath my feet drowned out any other noise.

I stumbled upon another trail and allowed myself to catch my breath. Overexerting myself wouldn't be in my best interest, especially now. I tried to visualize a map in my head. If I were to pace myself, I should be able to get to the river at least in about fifteen minutes. A small sigh escaped my system. I needed to get moving; I was ready to get some rest.

The sound of a growl behind me dashed all hopes of rest, though.

My blood froze in my veins, and my body became rigid. A faint rustling sounded behind me. It was close. I turned around in time to see a brown form erupt from the bushes, and before I even had time to register it, my body was already on the run.

A loud, familiar yapping echoed through the woods as the creature chased me. I was struggling to keep up with my feet as I ran. The bucket of food was weighing me down, but I was too terrified to think about dropping it. I felt something snap at my leg, and before I knew it, the earth was rushing up to meet my face.

Something clamped onto my foot, and a surprised yelp escaped me. I could feel the sharp teeth trying to dig into my skin, but my shoe took the brunt of the damage. I twisted my body around, expecting to find a living mass of vines and wood at my feet, but what I found was no timberwolf. It was canine though.

"What?" I asked in disbelief, anger festering up inside of me. Winona didn't seem to notice, though, and continued to chew away at my shoe. "You scared the heck out of me!" I shouted. I wrenched my foot out of its mouth and gave it a good kick to push it away. It stumbled backward in shock and started barking through a feral snarl. I wasn't paying it much mind, however, and I turned my back to it to think.

So, that's two of my chasers found, I thought to myself.

Where's the third? the voice finished.

There was a faint rumble in the forest, like heavy feet trampling the ground. I didn't notice it until it was too late. By the time I turned around, I barely had enough time to see the red pony before he plowed into me.

The world became a flurry of motion as I spiraled across the trail, only coming to a halt when my body connected with something hard. I felt as if I had been hit by a car. My body was sore from where it hit the tree. It took me a moment to realize I was sprawled across the forest floor on my back. When I tried to roll over, though, something pushed me back down on my back and pinned me to the ground. A red stallion's face loomed over me with a disgruntled frown, and a pressure began to build on my ribs.

"Big Macintosh, I presume?" I wheezed under the weight of the red stallion's hoof. I locked my hands around it and attempted to lift it off my chest, but it wouldn't budge. "Something tells me there's no second guessing as to how you got your name," I added with a smile. The pressure on my chest increased, and I winced in pain. "Not in the mood for jokes today?"

Macintosh shot me a look, and that was all the answer I needed. I released my grip on his hoof and held my hands up in surrender. Without taking his eyes off of me, he addressed the dog.

"Winona, go find Applejack and bring her back," he ordered. "He ain't gonna run off this time." The dog let out a small whine but obeyed nonetheless and jumped into the bushes. I tried to squirm my way out from under Macintosh's hoof again, but it was pointless. I needed a different strategy.

"You know, if you really want Applejack here, you might want to send more than that mutt of yours," I pointed out. "Last I saw her, she kinda had her hands tied." I coughed as Macintosh put more of his weight on me. If I didn't have his attention before, I definitely had it now.

"What did you do to my sister?" he growled.

"Sister?" I asked. I supposed I should have guessed. It made sense, after all, but that didn't stop the stakes from rising any higher. I felt a crack somewhere in my ribs, and my vision blurred with pain. "I didn't do anything to her. We had a little fight in the woods. At most I only left a few bruises on — Ack!" I was starting to see stars where his head should have been. I could hear a few more pops in my chest. "Okay, okay! Poor choice of words!" I cried out. "I left her tied up by a tree to buy myself some time!"

"Time for what?" Macintosh pressed.

"To escape!" I spat. "You must've heard the howls, too. I know they're coming, and I don't want to be anywhere near those wolves when they get here."

I could see the cogs turning around inside his head as he thought. Fighting to escape from under his weight was pointless, and now I was battling to suck in a breath. This couldn't keep going on for long.

"You're coming with me," he finally said, lifting his hoof off of my chest. It didn't do anything to help my breathing, though. It felt as if something was pressing against my lungs. I wasn't even sure if I could stand up. "Tie yourself up, too," he ordered, waving his hoof at the rope that was still slung across my torso.

"Are you kidding?" I asked with a faint laugh. A small flare of pain erupted from my chest. "I'm not going back there. I'd rather die by you crushing me than become dog chow."

The earth seemed to shake beneath me as Macintosh stomped back up to me, and for a moment I feared that that was exactly how it would end then and there. He put a hoof on my shoulder, pressed down, and leaned his head in close. "Either you're coming voluntarily, or I'm gonna make you," he said.

I was about to make another retort until I saw the fire burning in his eyes. It wasn't filled with the rage I expected, though, but with fear, the fear of losing his sister.

"Look," I sighed. "I'm not coming with you, no matter what you say. And you know I'll only slow you down if you make me." I lifted a hand and pointed into the trees. "She's in that direction. You better hurry, though. Her clock is ticking."

He didn't respond at first but instead searched my eyes for any sign that I was lying. There wasn't any, though, and when he realized that, he lifted his hoof off of my shoulder. "So help me," he warned. "If I get there and she isn't where you said..."

"Then you're free to do whatever you want next time you catch me," I cut him off. He hesitated one last time and drove his hoof into my shoulder. I swore loudly as white hot pain erupted from my shoulder. My hand shot up to grab it as if squeezing it would somehow numb the pain. In the background, I could hear Big Macintosh thundering in the direction I had pointed. I was alone again.

I slowly crawled back up to my feet, careful not to agitate any of my new wounds, and retrieved my hatchet and bucket from where I dropped them. My breathing was shallow. Every time I tried to take in a deeper breath, I felt a pain in my chest. I had to reach the castle now if I wanted any chance of healing.

Why did you help him? the voice rang in my head as I trudged through the trees.

"What?" I asked. The sudden question caught me off guard. I shook my head, trying to remember it. "He was scared of losing his sister. I didn't want him to go through that."

Why? it persisted.

"Because I might not know what it feels like to lose someone in my family, but I know some people who might," I answered. My thoughts drifted to my family, wondering how they must be dealing with my sudden disappearance. "I don't care who they are," I added. "I don't want to put them through whatever my family is going through."

The voice didn't seem to have anything to add, and I carried on the rest of my trek in silence.

The gentle sound of flowing water soon filled the air, and it wasn't much later that I broke through the trees to find the river. A wave of relief washed over me, and I dropped to my knees before the peaceful river, dipping my hands into the water to wash the grime off. A sharp pain shot up my arms as the torn skin of my hands rubbed against each other, but the coolness of the water seemed to numb the rest of my hands. A dull ache pulsed through the rest of my body, begging to be soothed as well. I felt as if I could just lay down and float wherever the current took me.

The small moment of peace had to end, though. I still wasn't safe on this side of the water. With much reluctance, I gathered my supplies and crossed the river. It was difficult keeping the food above the water level, but I managed to reach the end without dropping anything in the river. I made a mental note to find some way across the river without having to swim. Getting soaked every time I wanted to go somewhere probably wasn't good for my health.

Like last time, it didn't take long to find the castle. A small smile crept up on my lips at the sight of it, and it only grew the closer I got. I pulled open the large wooden doors and made my way to the tower as if I had walked through the halls a thousand times. I raced up the steps, stopping only when I reached the door to the throne room at the top and breathed in the autumn air.

This was it; this was my new life. A life of sneaking off in the middle of the night and stealing food whenever needed. I opened the doors and crossed the room to meet the ruined throne. A life of survival. A life where all odds were stacked against me. I turned around and surveyed the throne room. A life of solitude.

I sat down on the throne, my smile a fraction smaller than before. I never really was the sociable one in my group of friends, and they used to joke about it. Of course, I always knew they were joking and laughed with them, but I really did enjoy their company. And now I was all by myself in a large ruined castle with no one to talk to.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. Now wasn't the time to start thinking like that. I was still going to search for a way back home; there was no telling what was going on with my friends thanks to my sudden disappearance, or my family for that matter. I had to find a way back, not just for their sake, but for mine as well. But now wasn't the time for that. Now was the time to celebrate.

I grabbed the vial of potion Zecora had given me from the base of the throne and lifted it up in the air as to make a toast.

"Cheers. To my new life," I announced to the empty room. "A life of stealing under the cover of night and searching for a way home during daylight." I took a large swig of the potion, shuddering as the sour liquid sloshed down my throat and worked its magic.

To our new life, the voice chimed in. I eyed the bucket thoughtfully and withdrew an apple.

"And to the strange voice in my head!" I added with a smile. "Who knows where I would be without you?"

A chuckle rang throughout my head. A good question, indeed.

"I'm sure this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," I said as I took a bite out of the apple. The rest of the day was spent rationing my harvest. Every now and then I would pull out a random vegetable from the pile and nibble away at it. I eventually struck up a conversation with the voice in my head. I no longer cared if I was going insane; I had someone to talk to now.

A new life... One filled with insanity and misadventures. I had a plan. Now all I had to do was survive.