GREEN
390
1
2430 13.46 KB 397
2430 13.46 KB 397
Green Eyes
By Writefag_RouletteCreated: 2021-07-16 21:31:33
Updated: 2021-01-20 14:36:52
Expiry: Never
-
-
Green Eyes
-
-
>your name is Spike
-
>you are a dragon
-
>at thirteen years old, you are still considered a "baby" dragon
-
>why precisely you've woken up in the woods just now is beyond your understanding
-
>on the bright side, it looks like you didn't come alone
-
>you tap her on the shoulder to wake her up
-
"Applejack. Applejack, wake up."
-
>Applejack groans
-
>rolls over
-
>and her eyes crack open
-
>then she scrambles to her hooves
-
<"Who-wha-wher-wh-!"
-
>then she looks at you
-
<"Spike? Why are we about three days deep in the Everfree Forest?"
-
>you shrug
-
"I dunno. I couldn't even tell it was the Everfree til you said so just now."
-
<"Well I think it's the Everfree, at any rate. The trees don't get this thick in the Whitetail."
-
>Applejack looks up
-
<"Besides, I think I've been this way before."
-
>then she looks down
-
<"Eh, maybe."
-
>and back up
-
<"Probably?"
-
>you kick the dirt
-
"How can you tell? There's no trails here."
-
>she shrugs
-
<"Sometimes big ponies gotta head off the beaten path. You'll understand when you're older."
-
"Uh huh."
-
<"And anyway, I like to think I'm something of a woodsmare."
-
"So which way back to Ponyville?"
-
<"Eh, good question."
-
>Applejack licks her hoof and sticks it up in the air
-
>then she gestures in a seemingly random direction with her head
-
<"That way, I reckon."
-
"Pure woodsmare's instinct?"
-
>she shrugs
-
<"More or less."
-
>then she starts walking
-
<"Coming?"
-
>three days alone in the woods with Applejack?
-
>well
-
>it could be worse
-
>you could have gotten Fluttershy
-
-
>night time
-
>the first night
-
>Applejack offered to stand watch the entire night
-
>however, you've just been woken up by the sound of her snores
-
>so you guess it's your turn to stand watch
-
>she's a weirdly loud snorer
-
>you sit up
-
>it's dark
-
>you've read that dragons have excellent night vision
-
>you've also read that they don't develop this til their adolescence
-
>so, you know, their thirties at the soonest
-
>it's really dark
-
>it's funny, almost
-
>it's hard to imagine anything more frightening than a dragon in the dark
-
>in a way, you're the scariest thing out here
-
>you might be a little on the young side, but you're no creme puff
-
>you've got a thick hide
-
>sharp claws
-
>relatively big teeth
-
>in the distance, something rustles
-
>you flinch violently
-
>okay, so you're a little bit scared
-
>because what you don't have is night vision
-
>it's really, really dark
-
>so dark
-
>no matter how long you stare into it, your eyes just won't adjust
-
>you're sweating a little
-
>it wouldn't hurt to have a little light, would it?
-
>you let out a small stream of fire from your mouth
-
>for an instant, the clearing is bathed in emerald light
-
>it's long enough for you to spot a decent stick nearby
-
>you smile as you grab it
-
>firey breath is one thing you've got that probably no other monster in the Everfree's got
-
>no, wait, scratch that
-
>there are dragons living here
-
>big dragons
-
>real dragons
-
>didn't Twilight tell you that you're not a real dragon just the other day?
-
>okay, no, not thinking about that now
-
>in the distance, a pair of eyes opens
-
>just as green as your flame, and just as bright
-
>quickly, you light the end of your stick on fire
-
>in the light of your makeshift torch, the eyes vanish
-
>and Applejack goes on snoring
-
>you sigh
-
>it's gonna be a long night
-
-
>day two
-
>it was a long night
-
<"Who-wha-wher-wh-!"
-
>no sooner than she's awake, Applejack snaps to a mortified attention
-
"Morning, sleepyhead."
-
>she groans
-
<"I take it I didn't stand the watch all night."
-
"It's fine. I woke up."
-
<"You stayed up?"
-
"Yeah."
-
>she looks down
-
<"I don't like that?"
-
"Hm?"
-
<"Young folks oughtta get their rest."
-
"I'm old enough."
-
<"Besides, there's thing in these parts of the woods..."
-
"Applejack?"
-
<"Hm?"
-
"It was fine. Really."
-
>she blinks
-
<"All right. I trust you, Spike."
-
"I don't see why you wouldn't."
-
<"You're right. Forget about it."
-
>Applejack glances around the forest canopy, frowning
-
<"All right, then. Right this way."
-
>the day is surprisingly uneventful
-
>no monsters
-
>no gorges
-
>no rivers
-
>not even any big rocks, really
-
>you wonder if Applejack might have been wrong
-
>maybe this is just the Whitetail Woods
-
>but if she was wrong about the forest, couldn't she have been wrong about how deep you are in it?
-
>that's not something you want to believe right now
-
>besides, what about those eyes from last night?
-
>probably a timber wolf, right?
-
>and timber wolves don't live in the Whitetail
-
>right?
-
<"Hold on now, Spike."
-
"Hm?"
-
<"We'll break here for lunch."
-
"Uh, where's lunch at?"
-
<"Right here."
-
>Applejack plucks a hoofful of dandelions from the ground and munches on them
-
"What do I eat?"
-
<"Don't you eat rocks?"
-
"I eat gems."
-
<"Same thing."
-
>is it?
-
>you scour the ground for a rock of some kind
-
>finally, you find one about the size of a bit
-
>and proceed to nearly chip a tooth on it
-
"No. It is not."
-
>Applejack tosses you a clump from her growing pile of Everfree salad
-
>not your favorite
-
>but it should be edible
-
"Thanks."
-
>you eat your grass in silence for a while
-
<"Say, Spike."
-
"Hm?"
-
<"Does it seem like..."
-
"What?"
-
<"Does it seem like we ain't going anywhere?"
-
>you glance up
-
>and shrug
-
"I dunno. All these trees look the same to me."
-
<"But doesn't this look sort of like the spot we woke up in?"
-
"I don't... think so?"
-
>Applejack smiles
-
<"You're right, you're right. It's fine. Probably."
-
"Okay?"
-
>Applejack frowns
-
<"But what were you doing before you woke up here?"
-
"Uh..."
-
>fighting with Twilight
-
"Talking with Twilight?"
-
<"Friendly-like talking?"
-
"Uh... No?"
-
<"Okay. Okay. Well, I reckon we've stayed long enough. Let's get a move on."
-
"Applejack?"
-
<"Hm?"
-
"Do you know something?"
-
<"No, no. I don't know anything. Not really, anyway."
-
"Applejack."
-
<"What?"
-
"You're a terrible liar."
-
<"So what? Let's go."
-
-
>night two
-
>true to her word, Applejack nudges you awake in the dark forest
-
>her voice comes from somewhere nearby in the sea of pitch black
-
<"All right, that was most of the night. You shouldn't have to be up too long now."
-
"Thanks."
-
<"Now if you see anything weird, you come let me know, you hear?"
-
>you sit up
-
"I thought I saw a timber wolf last night. Does that count?"
-
<"A timber wolf?"
-
"Yeah."
-
<"You saw it? As in, you really saw it?"
-
"I saw its eyes. You know, all shiny and green."
-
>a pause
-
<"I don't think there are timber wolves in this part of the woods."
-
"Why not?"
-
>another pause
-
<"Never mind that. Let me know if you see any more... timber wolves, you hear?"
-
"Applejack."
-
<"Hm?"
-
"What is it you're not telling me?"
-
>a silence
-
"You said you trusted me."
-
>a sigh
-
<"I know. I do. And you got a right to know. It's just... I don't know how to say it."
-
"Say what?"
-
<"I just need some time to get my thoughts together. We can talk about it tomorrow."
-
>silence
-
>absolute, utter silence
-
>it's strange, when you think about it
-
>a forest, even a weird forest like the Everfree, should be full of sound at night
-
>bugs
-
>birds
-
>wind
-
>but tonight, there's just nothing
-
>a weird thought comes into your mind
-
>no sound
-
>no sight
-
>maybe this is sort of what it's like to not exist
-
>you told Twilight you wished that she didn't exist just the other day
-
>you sigh
-
"It's weird how a fight over chores can get so nasty."
-
<"It's not too weird. Happens to me all the time on the farm."
-
>you start
-
"You're still awake?"
-
<"Not for too much longer, I hope."
-
"You should get some sleep."
-
<"So you had a fight with Twilight?"
-
"I don't wanna talk about it."
-
>a pause
-
<"You're right. I don't wanna talk about it either."
-
>a yawn
-
<"It's just... I think something like this has happened to me before..."
-
"What?"
-
>and in the dark, silent forest
-
>the silence is broken by Applejack's snores
-
>you sigh
-
>and start looking for a stick to set on fire
-
-
>day 3
-
>when the lighting in the campsite is more gray than green, you put out the fire
-
>Applejack rolls over and sits up not long after
-
>for a while she doesn't say anything
-
>just looks down and frowns
-
>then she nods
-
<"All right. I said this sort of thing had happened to me before already, right?
-
"Yeah."
-
<"You got into a fight the other day?"
-
"Uh huh."
-
<"Probably went to bed that night feeling real bad?"
-
>you blink
-
"Well, sure."
-
<"Not like sorry, but just mad?"
-
"What are you getting at?"
-
<"You did, didn't you?"
-
"Okay, sure, fine, I did. So what?"
-
<"So did I. The other day, and when I was about your age."
-
"And you woke up here?"
-
>she nods
-
<"I got out all right, but it was the scariest thing I'd ever done."
-
"Pure woodsmare's instinct."
-
>she smiles
-
<"Ain't no such thing, sugarcube. But it is a... feeling of some sort."
-
"What kind of feeling?"
-
<"The kind of feeling where you're so scared and you miss your family so bad that you walk through a dark forest for three days and three nights without stopping."
-
"That kind of feeling?"
-
<"Well, I'm not so scared this time around, but it still feels like I'm moving toward what I want more than anything else in the whole world. It's that kind of feeling."
-
"And you think that kind of feeling is enough to get us home?"
-
<"I thought so, but there's one thing that's worrying me."
-
"What?"
-
<"This is the same clearing we woke up in yesterday. And the day before that."
-
"You're sure?"
-
<"I'm sure."
-
"Maybe we're just going in circles?"
-
<"I don't think so. I think it's some kind of magic."
-
"Magic?"
-
<"Spike, the thing I saw when I was little, the thing that scared me so bad I kept moving for three days straight... It had bright green eyes, but it wasn't a timber wolf."
-
>something tenses in your chest
-
"I don't think I want to know what it was."
-
<"It was something that looked like my own big brother..."
-
>you swallow
-
<"... Who I'd fought with just the day before."
-
>you try to chuckle
-
"Oh, come on. You're just trying to scare me."
-
<"I am trying to scare you. Because I think you're the reason we ain't going nowhere."
-
>you cough
-
"Well... what makes you say that?"
-
<"Spike. Do you miss Twilight?"
-
-
>night 3
-
>for the umpteenth time, you roll over in the dark
-
>do you miss Twilight?
-
>should you?
-
>so soon after the fight, it's easy to lie here and think about all the bad times you've had with her
-
>but there were good times too
-
>weren't there?
-
>it's harder to think of those
-
>how long have you been awake like this?
-
>it's obvious you're not going to get any sleep
-
>you sit up
-
"Hey Applejack."
-
>she doesn't respond
-
>but you figure she's looking at you now
-
"Why don't you go to sleep now? I'll get the rest of the night."
-
>but in the darkness
-
>there is silence
-
"Applejack?"
-
>you let loose a quick jet of flame
-
>you didn't spot her, but you did notice a nice stick
-
>you pick it up and light it
-
"Applejack?"
-
>but the clearing
-
>is empty
-
>dragons have an excellent sense of smell, don't they?
-
>you take a deep breath
-
>but if you ever knew Applejack's scent, you don't smell anything like it now
-
>as you wander about the clearing, you spot something shining in the dirt
-
>you poke it with a claw and sniff it
-
>it's water
-
>it's kind of salty, but it doesn't smell bad like sweat
-
>a tear, maybe?
-
>maybe that whole 'excellent sense of smell' thing is just for grown-up dragons
-
>like the night vision
-
>and Twilight's respect
-
>you shake your head
-
>and in the eerie glow of the green torch
-
>you are alone
-
-
>alone
-
>alone in the woods
-
>how long have you been alone here for?
-
>your stick is almost burnt out, and the flames are licking your claws
-
>it doesn't hurt
-
>but this never happened on any of the other nights
-
>shouldn't the Sun have come up by now?
-
>why is it still dark out?
-
>the flame begins to sputter
-
>there's no more wood for it to burn beyond what's in your grasp
-
>you drop the stick
-
>it hits the dirt, burnt end first
-
>the clearing goes dark
-
>perfect
-
>no nobody can see what happens next
-
>nobody sees you when you take a seat on the ground
-
>or when you flop down onto your back
-
>or when, for some reason, your face gets wet
-
>only baby dragons cry
-
>a real dragon could have flown away by now
-
>a real dragon could have burned down the whole forest on his way out
-
>only a baby dragon would sit here like this
-
>only a baby could feel so helpless
-
/"Spike?"
-
>you sit up
-
>that was HER voice
-
>and there in the woods
-
>is a pair of bright green eyes
-
>no, it's not a timber wolf
-
>it never was
-
>you can see that now
-
>those eyes are too big
-
>too close together
-
>only a pony has eyes like that
-
>only a pony's eyes don't glow
-
>''"Spike?"''
-
>you leap to your feet
-
>turn around
-
>and run in a straight line
-
>you stumble over roots
-
>smack into branches
-
>get caught in thick brush
-
>but it doesn't matter
-
>because you know you're running straight toward the thing you want most right now
-
>and you want, more than anything, to be home again
-
-
>in the darkness, you stumble and fall
-
>crashing through thick brush of some kind, you close your eyes
-
>and when you open them, it is no longer dark
-
>you're looking at a wood floor in a brightly-lit room
-
/"Spike! You're home!"
-
>you look up
-
>the door to the library hangs open behind you
-
>Twilight and Applejack stand smiling before you
-
>was all that some kind of weird dream then?
-
>Applejack winks at you
-
>no, probably not a dream then
-
"Yeah, I... guess I am."
-
>you stand up
-
/"I'm sorry, Spike. I should have gone after you when you stormed out an hour ago and tried to apologize, but I was too mad."
-
"An hour ago?"
-
>Applejack shrugs
-
/"Spike, I'm sorry for saying those things to you."
-
"I'm sorry too, Twilight."
-
>you walk over to her
-
>and wrap your claws around one of her legs
-
"I'm just glad I got to see you again."
by Writefag_Roulette
by Writefag_Roulette
by Writefag_Roulette
by Writefag_Roulette
by Writefag_Roulette