.Alchemy Woods.
The dark is light enough
-Christopher Fry, 1901

Why did you ever convince yourself to explore this side of Equin, you think to yourself as you edge further into the brooding Alchemy Woods. Different from any part of Equin you've seen or heard about, you find yourself jumpy, scared at every noise, every whisper in the shadows. You can feel your heart, inside your chest, thumbing to a beat of terror. Persperation clings, damp and cold, to your forehead, and you wipe it with your sleave, stopping for a moment besides a large, very dead, broken oak, long fallen by the harsh blow of wind. Wide eyed, you look around in horror, as the dawning realisation that you are well and truly lost creaps in. The heavy canopy of trees above has forbidden the sun any access to this demonish place, so much so that the world around you looks to be set below a veil of night. Yet you know, outside the woods, the sun is shining boldly. You gaze in disbelief at the grey mist that rises from the starched ground, at the gnarled, broken trees, at the carpet of crisp leaves. It looks like the set of some twisted horror movie, you realise with a start. But worse than that, this is real.

You open your mouth to cry for help; maybe a passer by will hear you and come to your aid, if, indeed, any sane little pony would enter these woods.

"Help!"

The uprush of bird wing is the only reply to your calls. That, and the eerie sensation that something, very close, is watching you. Desperate, you grab a hold of the closest branch of the dead oak and hold it out at arms length in front of you. Every inch of your body taut and shaking, you spin around, unable to hide your back from any attacker. Shaking the branch, you utter, "Who's there?" and "Leave me alone!", followed by a rather desperate, "Help me, don't kill me...."

You turn again, your eyes settling on something in front of you. Did that branch just move? Or was it the wind? "W...who's there?" you utter, eyes wide, terrofied, holding the stick as far as you can reach.

As though answering your question, a purple pony approaches, snorting his greeting. He is a mountainous beast, with a heavy build and strong clydesdale hooves. His purple body and face is littered with scars and gnashes, and it is clear in an instant that getting away with your life at all meant you had gotten off lightly. A gold ring peirces his left eyebrow, while green warpaint covers his face in a very tribal way. As he approaches, he snorts his acknolagement, a frown on his face that seemed to naturally stay there.

"Explain yourself," he demands in a maliscious voice, lowering his head and offering you his best scowl.

"I....er...." you stammer, feeling for the first time scared of a little pony. If, indeed, one could call this pony a 'little' pony. You pull backwards, leaning against the broken oak from which you stole the branch. "I...I'm lost, I don't know..."

"We don't take kindly to humans here," he says, marching foward towards you.

"I....I...Sprightly told me to show you this," you stammer, fumbling in your pocket for the pony-pebble. It falls from your idle hands to the grey ground. The purple pony's eyes widen as he recognises the stone, and he pulls away, looking up at you.

"Hmph," he says, unwilling to admit defeat. "So you've met that Sprightly. Explains things. I'm Keltag." He turns tail and heads into the mist, before turning and casting a cool glance over his shoulder. "Well? Are you coming or do you want to stay out here and rot?"

Grabbing the stone, you make your way with this purple pony. Better the devil you know; you would rather be with a pony in these woods, than with some other, far more harmful creature. Even if the pony in question is a rather...disturbing beast.

Go deeper into the Alchamy Woods...

My Little Pony is © Hasbro
All original site content, such as the pictures and text, is © Selena EMA Thomas unless otherwise stated. Do not steal my art without permission!! I am registered with PAIN!!
All views here are my own. This is in no way a reprisentation of the 'official' Hasbro version of "Ponyland", but the way I see it.