Time was running out; any minute now the farmer would either find me, or send for help. No matter how you rolled the dice, I needed to find a temporary safe haven. To do that, I needed to buy myself some time.

Seeing as I was lost, I stopped to see what my options were, [i]"I could get a sharp rock, and hold the farmer hostage until I can get to a proper hideout, but the odds of that working are pretty slim".[/i] As I was thinking to myself, I was also scanning the area around me. Thinking out loud, I continued, "The dirt here is pretty dry, and I don't see many clouds in the sky. An open flame could light this place up like the Fourth of July. Worst case scenario: I get caught in the flame and burn to death, but I have to stay positive. Where would Abraham Lincoln be if he ran away every time someone threatened him with death by fire?".

I snapped back to reality when I found a road with a sign that pointed in two opposite directions. The first direction read 'Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville', while the other read, 'Everfree Forest' on the opposite side.

Knowing that the tools I needed were probably in the farmhouse, I decided to go in that direction, and hope that the farmer was gone.

On my way, I absentmindedly tore an apple off one of the branches and took a bight. I was then shocked by the flavor of the apple and couldn't help but vocalize my opinion, "Blek, I'll be doing these ponies a favor by burning these apples down". Despite the subpar taste I reluctantly grabbed and ate as many as I could in preparation for a life on the lam.

[hr]

Finding the farmhouse I oh so sneakily made my way to the farmhouse window, and to my relief it was empty. "Hmmm, I don't have to fight my way in, but that probably means they went to the authorities," I said to myself, "I guess I have less time than I thought".

I quickly entered the house and looked for the kitchen. Glancing around the humble home, I saw a fireplace with a couch and a rocking chair around it. [i]"Bingo,"[/i] I thought to myself, as I rushed toward it. Getting closer I saw the pictures over the fireplace. One was of the pony I had just met -and what I assumed to be her family-, smiling and having a good time. Here I was trying to destroy everything they cared about. [i]"How could I be so monstrous, so cold hearted that I would burn everything they knew to a crisp. I think it's time I left-"[/i]

Then I noticed that within the picture, they were under an oak tree, and having a picnic, as if to mock me with the nightmare that repeated over, and over again while I was in stone for who knows how long. Memories of that terrible nightmare raced through my mind. Anger soon followed which became apparent when I smashed the photo to the ground, and rushed to find what they used to ignite the wood in the fireplace.

I found a match box next to the other tools, took a short spear-like metal tool -meant for prodding burning wood- in preparation for a long journey, then ran back to the path with the matchbox in hand.

I then gathered some old twigs and dried leafs in two piles: One at the base of an apple tree that connected to the whole orchard, and the other at the base of the farmhouse. I took a match out, struck it on the box, and set it on the pile. When the first pile caught fire, I did the same for the other.

Without looking back, I ran to the road and tried to put as much distance between the fire and myself as I could.

As I ran on the road I saw the apple trees becoming less common and more spread out, until they stopped altogether to give way for a clear field. Then I saw the back of a sign and looked on its other side. The sign read 'Warning, you are entering private property. if you continue it will be trespassing!'. I breathed a sigh of relief, slowed down to a lazy walk, and started to eat the apples I had stored in my pockets.

[hr]

As I finished marching up a hill that was obscuring the path ahead, I saw a thick forest of which I assumed to be the one the sign was talking about.

The forest had a river running through it, and not too far within it, were ancient ruins of a once great castle.

Excited about a new shelter, and possibly a new source of food, I rushed to the entrance. When I stepped into the forest, I felt strangely safe, and nostalgic, as if this was my home that I dearly missed. Despite the much darker surroundings, I felt as if any corner I turned, I would find a friend.

Then I heard a loud howl from just in front of me, followed by some loud barking that shattered my sense of security.

In response, I quickly parted the bush that was obscuring the scene to see a clearing. In that clearing was a gorilla shaped creature, with bright golden fur, a canine head with very human eyes, thin legs that ended in paws, and thick arms ending in hands, but in place of fingernails were short claws. The thing was surrounded by six large wolves seemingly made of wooden branches, but moved just as smoothly as the wolves I was familiar with.

When the cornered 'creature' saw me it switched from barking to calling out "help!" in a voice much deeper than my own. That was all the motivation I needed to intervene.

I crept behind the largest of the wolves, and surgically thrusted the metal tool I took earlier into its neck. With a sickening crack, and a heart wrenching whimper the wolf hit the ground. Then the other five quickly turned to face me.

I expected a fight, but instead, they ran away as fast as they could. Instead of questioning it, I marked it off as my usual brand of good luck.

I turned to the 'creature' to ask if it was okay and saw it bowing down to me. Instead of my original question, I asked "Is this how you always thank people?"

"No, you are the man of prophecy. I am paying my respect," the 'creature' eagerly explained, "I am Brunoce, you saved my life, and I am in your dept. How may I serve you?"

"I could use a place to stay," I responded "Do you know a place where I can sleep?"

"The other Diamond Dogs are to the east. They would be honored to meet the man of prophecy," Brunoce suggested.

"Good, on the way you can tell me what this prophecy is about," and with that, we were on our way.