//------------------------------// // — Chapter Five — // Story: Finding Friendship // by Kamen-Zero //------------------------------// Journal entry number three hundred and forty-four. May 20. Year 1,011 on the Grand Celestial Calender. The past three days have been a very nice change of pace. Ponyville is a far cry from most of the other villages and townships Spike and I have passed through on our travels. A small country town of happy smiling ponies just blissfully living their lives. There's a certain beauty to be found in the mundane, and this town encapsulates that in just the right way. Not too crowded, not too loud, just a peaceful patch of land located in scenic central Equestria. One of the workers at the hotel we stayed at has been a delightful divergence from the normal status quo as well. While a bit overbearing at all certain times, it was nice to be given a reminder that there are legitimately good people in this world. Something that I had almost forgotten, much to my shame. Though like all things, this visit must come to an end at one point or another. And I only paid for the three nights, and I'd rather not spend any more money after the last supply run. This pit stop has been endearing, to put a word to it, but it's time for us to move on. Even though I've found myself enjoying the period of rest and rejuvenation, this town's close proximity to Canterlot has been a constant source of anxiety buzzing in the back of my mind. It feels like a lifetime since I last set hoof in that city. And much to my own shock, I've been starting to get a little homesick. To the point where I've legitimately considered just popping in to check in with everyone. And I'm sure a certain someone would love to see Spike again. But I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Besides, we still haven't found what we started this journey to find. And I don't want to go home empty-hooved. So instead, Spike and I will be heading South of town at the break of dawn, back towards the Root of Harmony that had brought us to this place. I haven't quite figured out where we'll go yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something. I always do. --- The Forest Time Forgot --- The trees of Everfree began to glisten and shine as the sun peaked over the horizon, due to the fresh layer of moisture caused by a rainstorm the previous evening. The local woodland creatures were starting to venture out of their respective dens and burrows, while those of the nocturnal variety began to settle in for their turn at sleep. Birds of various breed and color also began to sing amongst themselves as the rest of the forest came to life around them, only adding to the ambiance of this tranquil environment. A rejuvenated Twilight Sparkle casually strolled through the awakening woods, the squishing of wet dirt beneath armored hooves came in time with each step she took, her concealing cape lightly fluttering in the gentle morning breeze. Compared to some more recent outings, the cloaked alicorn felt truly at peace with the nature around her. Though this serenity was occasionally interrupted by sudden snorts and snores coming from one of the bags on her back, originating from a young long dragon that had been unceremoniously scooped into the pack earlier this morning. She had elected not to disturb his slumber, a young creature like him needed his sleep after all, and she doubted he'd be happy about being up this early against his wishes. Deeply inhaling the fresh damp morning air of the Everfree Forest and letting out a long content sigh, Twilight couldn't help but feel a strong sense of euphoria as she strolled through the woods. Disaster had been turned into success, in some way or another, and things were finally back to normal. Or whatever the equivalent of "normal" was for an alicorn and dragon backpacking across the world was, at least. But even still, no matter how hard she tried to stay optimistic about what could be in store for the next, there was still one question that prevailed in the furthest reaches of her mind. What now? Regardless of how "normal" things seemed to be again, the dragon incident earlier in the week had significantly changed things. The two had been poking about in that ecosystem in search of dragons, or the "Dragon Kingdom" that Spike had claimed to have heard about before the disaster struck. And while this had been the first time they had actually seen a dragon, this hadn't been their first search for the mighty fire-spewing reptiles. Not by a long shot. Now, normally, seeking out dragons and their various offshoots was considered to be a very bad idea. But the two of them had a very good reason for engaging in such behavior. Long dragons, as Twilight had dubbed them in her infinite creativity, were proving to be a very rare and elusive species. Most were entirely unaware of their very existence. And to the very few who did know of them? Spike was the only living specimen. Found as an egg, seemingly abandoned in the middle of nowhere, nobody even knew what they had found at the time. No nest, no den, nothing. Just a lonely unidentified egg that had been brought back to Canterlot for study. That's why he and Twilight had ventured forth into the world and the unknown, to see if they could possibly find out anything about the young one's origins and heritage. And as Twilight reminded herself of her mission statement, a select few words from a few days ago came to mind. I don't wanna look for dragons anymore. What was Twilight meant to do with that? Was Spike being truly sincere when he made that claim or was it just a reaction caused by the admittedly frightening experience? It had been the first time Spike had ever seen a dragon in person, it only made sense that reality defied his expectations. But what of their self-given quest? If the long dragon had truly forsaken his desire for knowledge on his kind, what was Twilight to do? Where would they go? The immediate—and obvious—answer was to go back to Canterlot. And the immediate reaction was a stern, external "no" from Twilight's own mouth. She didn't want to go back to the nation's capital. Not yet, at the very least. The alicorn didn't even know for sure if her draconic ward was even fully serious about his statement. Since making it, he's had time to calm down and rationalize his thoughts. Spike was many things, unintelligent wasn't one of them. Twilight had spent quite a bit of time making sure of that, and his vast progress in the linguistic arts was something that filled her with pride. Both in her teaching ability, and his capacity for knowledge. A loud thunk suddenly rang out through the woods, startling every bird in the immediate vicinity and causing them to scatter to the winds. The source of this loud disturbance? An alicorn too lost in her own thoughts to watch where she was going, who managed to walk face first into an old-looking tree, getting her horn stuck in the thick wood as a result. A grunt of combined irritation and pain was quick to accompany the thunk, followed by the sounds of a shifting saddlebag. "I'M UP! I'M UP!" A startled Spike cleared out, popping out of the sack in a manner reminiscent to a terrifying children's toy. His head flung itself too and fro as he attempted to get his bearings. "What I miss?!" Irritation was swiftly replaced by embarrassment and shame as Twilight felt her friend's gaze fall upon her. "... You walked into a tree again, didn't you?" This wasn't the first time she had been so careless as to walk horn-first into something. There were many upsides to being an alicorn, one of which was enhanced physical strength and durability. Though this was often a setback for those who had a tendency of losing track of their surroundings. And when one walked into something that wasn't very structurally sound, such as a tree that was reaching the end of its lifespan, it leads to situations eerily similar to this one. "N-No..." Twilight muttered as she began to wriggle her horn free of the decaying wood. "... It insulted me." The young dragon crossed his forelimbs as he leaned against the lip of the pouch. "The tree insulted you?" "Yes." "So you stabbed it with your horn?" "... Yes?" Finally free of her self made prison, the embarrassed alicorn turned to look back at the dragon sitting in her pack. Though that didn't last long as he hopped out to stretch his slender frame. The conversation ended there, much to Twilight's relief. After allowing him a moment to stretch and yawn away whatever drowsiness he had left, the two continued side by side down the path Twilight had chosen. "So, where to next?" Spike asked casually as if that wasn't a currently impossible question. Twilight had already spent quite a bit of time this morning pondering the conundrum, so much so that she had caused that embarrassing accident. It was absolutely infuriating, seeing as how Spike's wellbeing was the very reason she was asking herself this. And now he was actually doing it himself. But that realization gave birth to an idea just insane enough to work. If Spike got her into this mess then surely he could get her out, right? "Well... where do you want to go?" She did not do a great job of hiding the unease in those words. At all. A cocked brow and a confused stare were turned in the pony's direction. "Uhh... what?" "Where do you want to go?" More confidence could be heard in her tone this time around. "... I've been the one leading the way this whole time, and it hasn't really gotten us anywhere... And after what happened last time? Maybe you should plot the course for a while..." Hesitation was subtly shown on the small dragon's face, followed by concern and then a vague expression of some form of anxiety. This confirmed to Twilight that the young one was at a loss as to what they should do now. The two continued to walk in relative silence, only the sounds of the forest around them keeping some form of noise in the air. And despite the peaceful atmosphere surrounding them, an aura of suspense floated around the two oddities. After some time, Twilight suddenly broke the silence. "Do you want to talk about it?" "... Talk about what?" Spike's voice wavered, ever so slightly, but it wavered. "Anything. Where you think we should go next, what we should do when we get there..." Twilight paused for a scant moment, briefly considering her next words with great intensity. "... About what happened the other day?" Spike winced. "What about it?" "Well... what was it like? Seeing a dragon for the first time?" It was a loaded question for sure, but it was better than leaving him to his own thoughts any longer. A few days was long enough to let him stew on it. "I'm... I'm sure it wasn't exactly what you were expecting, huh?" Once again, silence persisted. And like before, it lasted an uncomfortably long time. "It was... interesting," Spike finally responded with a slight chuckle, "I wasn't expecting it to be so... big." Several quick, sudden exhales followed that last word. Almost akin to another laugh, but Twilight could tell that it was something else entirely. "It was scary," Twilight continued in an effort to get Spike to open up, "You don't have to hide it. I was scared too." "... You were?" "MmmHmm," she took several steps closer to the young dragon, "There were a few moments where I thought we weren't gonna make it." Another lull made itself known in the conversation, loud deep breaths radiating from Spike's flaring nostrils. This newest pause gave Twilight another chance to think a few things over, bringing her to the conversation's inevitable outcome. "It's... okay... if you want to stop looking for other long dragons," she spoke slowly and deliberately, doing what she could to not choke on the words. "We can go where ever we want to." Wide eyes were pointed at Twilight, bright green orbs that had proven to be weapons of mass destruction in the past. "No! I mean... no, it's fine," his tone shifted considerably after his initial reaction. After another deep breath, the serpentine dragon continued his thoughts. "I mean... I still want to know if there are any out there..." The alicorn's eyes narrowed. "Do you at least want to take a break? A longer one, I mean. We've been at this for nearly three years now, we're not in any hurry." "That would... be nice. Thanks." A heartwarming smile finally returned to the reptile's face as the sun continued to rise far in the East, and the two's short-term destination came into view. The crystalline archway that had thrust the two of them into this corner of the world only a few days prior. Completely untouched by the foliage around it. "Oh hey, there's the root thingy." The humming resonance of magic rang through the air as Twilight once again donned the medallion that made using this natural relic possible. A very rare and powerful artifact, gifted to the younger alicorn by Equestria's Queen herself. The amulet predated the Grand Celestial Calendar, one of several used by the Royal Family since the beginning of recorded history in conjunction with a particular spell to swiftly traverse this world and beyond. Every alicorn had one for their own use, all three of them, a gift that was given to her on the day her and Spike's journey began, alongside a short poem that activated the ancient magic. "In times of need and in times of urgency, all roads are linked by the Tree of Harmony. Where ever it is you may roam, with this relic, you are never far from home." Her voice still rang in Twilight's ears to this very day, a constant reminder that as long as she had this amulet, Canterlot would always be just a short walk away. And while there was some comfort in knowing that she could go home at almost any time, the tone in which the Queen had spoken was ominous. Almost foreboding, really. Like she knew that something would happen, and Twilight would come running back home. But she hadn't in nearly three years, and she wouldn't do so yet. With a huff and a grunt, Spike managed to climb his way back into his saddlebag based perch. And after a few moments of shifting around in the larger-than-expected pouch, he swiftly poked his face back out, the flap resting atop his head like a mysterious hood. "Ready when you are." "We still don't have a destination," Twilight pointed out as the amulet was placed around her neck. "The offer is still open if you have any suggestions." A claw was placed against his lower jaw in contemplation, serious consideration being placed into this responsibility. "Hmmm... haven't had mangos in awhile... Hollow Shades?" How Spike had managed to single out a township in Seară was beyond her, especially since she had a pleasant chat with a nearsighted sarosian just the other day. She didn't recall telling Spike about it, but she might have now that she was reflecting on it more. But regardless, the time the two had spent in the quiet little country was pleasant, a retread of that particular piece of the world wouldn't be so bad. Besides, now that Spike had mentioned it, mangos did sound pretty good right now. And there were few other places in the world with fruits of such high quality. So the destination was set. Spike fully received back into the saddlebag at Twilight's request, and the alicorn began mentally reciting the short incantation. Her horn lit up with a magical aura that slowly stretched down to the relic that hung from her neck. Unlike the last time she had tried this, Twilight had ample time to prepare the quick ritual and properly pick a destination. Her mind's eye locking firmly on the township of Hollow Shades. The magic within the amulet would do the rest from there, reaching out to the nearby tree root and forging an ethereal path to the root closest to the desired location. And nothing happened. Not even a tiny spark of arcane light. There was absolutely no reaction from the crystal root not five feet away from where she was standing. Twilight's ears perked as she stared at the natural wonder with a bewildered look. "That's... not supposed to happen..." "What's up?" Spike popped out of the pouch once again, curious as to why they were still here. "It... didn't work?" "... Did you do it right?" Twilight scoffed at the very implication that she cast a spell wrong. "No, Spike. I did it the exact same way I always do it. It just... didn't work." "Bad reception, maybe?" The next several minutes were passed by Twilight trying every trick in the book to try and get the spell to go through. Casting it in the old tongue it was written in, reciting the incantation backward, inciting it backward in the ancient tongue it was written in, still nothing. Eventually, Twilight was found herself forced into a corner. it was only now that she felt it necessary to envoke the most sacred and ancient methods of restoring and activating spells connected to magical items such as this. A truly ancient art only known among a select number of elite sorcerers and mages, taught to Twilight by the Queen herself. A powerful rite only to be used in absolutely dire situations, like this one. Percussive maintenance. Spike honestly couldn't believe what he was seeing. After watching his best friend mutter some cryptic language he didn't recognize for a few moments, she suddenly starts thwacking the priceless and ancient artifact against the crystal root, growling the word "work" in time with each impact. The clinking of metal against crystal rang throughout the woods, gathering the attention of a few wayward critters who were brave enough to investigate the unfamiliar sound. Even they were confused as to why the disguised alicorn was partaking in such odd behavior, moving on shortly afterward upon realizing there was no danger to be had. After letting this go on for far longer than he logically should have, Spike finally let himself be heard. "Uhh... Twilight?" "What?" The frustration in her tone was obvious as she kept smacking the Tree of Harmony's root. For a moment, he considered not pressing the matter any further. But the long dragon was feeling particularly brave at the moment. "... What are you doing?" "Percussive. Maintenance." "... Is it working?" Twilight finally ceased her futile attempts at fixing the ailing amulet with a defeated sigh. "No, it's not." No matter how long she pondered on it, it still didn't make any sense. The only possible explanation she could come up with would be that her improvised trip earlier in the week had done something to the medallion. But even then, that answer wasn't logical either. This was some of the most powerful magic in the world Twilight was dealing with here, magically connected directly to the Tree of Harmony itself by a spell written by the first-ever alicorn in conjunction with Starswirl the Bearded himself. No force in the world could overwrite such power, not even the spirit of chaos itself. Something that powerful, that connected to the very foundation of the world, doesn't just stop working after one minor incident. But as the pony continued to lament over the loss of such a powerful magical item, the sun itself intervened in her affairs. A glint of light uncomfortably shone in one of her eyes, prompting her to turn her attention to the amulet itself. The very same as it had always been: a round black metal base covered in elaborate golden curls that invoked the appearance of ivy. In the center of it all sat a single black gemstone that contained the magic used for this spell to work properly. "Wait a second... don't tell me..." With newfound irritation as she squinted at the dark rock, Twilight began to cast a new spell upon the travel trinket that she honestly should have tried first. A spell designed for analysis of various artifacts and objects, most commonly used by botanist when trying to determine if a newly discovered plant is edible or not. But the spell had other uses, as Twilight was currently demonstrating. And as she completed the charm, a nearly manic laugh escaped from her. Considering what he had just witnessed moments before, Spike was more than a little worried about what that laugh meant, sinking further into the pouch as a result. "... What is it?" With the earnest smile of someone who was willing to laugh at their own mistakes, the cloaked pony turned to the young dragon and presented the magical item. "It hasn't recharged yet!" Her laughter continued in the form of a far less deranged sounding chuckle as she slipped the relic back into her bag. The magic used in this transportation spell was powerful, yes, but it was not without its limitations. One such limit was its inability to be used in quick succession, as each bridge made expended the charge within the amulet. It was designed in such a way that it would recharge the expended energy over time, the further the distance traveled, the longer it would take before it could be used again. And it seemed that the haphazard escape she made had drained it significantly so. After the magic she had just used upon it, she knew that it would become useful again with time. The problem was, there was no way of telling just how long that would take. "Looks like we're gonna be walking for a while," Twilight spoke with a relieved sigh as she stepped past the inactive magical gateway. It wouldn't do them any good to just wait around and let it recuperate, it could be months before they could use it again, and both of them now had a vast thirst for the sweet sweet flavor of mangos. And so, the two resigned themselves to walk. Not all the way to the foreign country, not by a long shot. But far enough to find a coastal town where they could purchase passage to the nocturnal land. Of course, there was no way of telling how long that would take either, but at least they had something to do aside from just sit and wait. As the sun continued in its journey through the sky, Spike and Twilight were given ample time to enjoy the quiet nature of the nature around them. Eventually, Spike ventured his way out of the saddlebag once again to satisfy his own curiosity. Never straying too far from his guardian, the long dragon began to pass the time by just exploring and investigating whatever caught his fancy. A few of the more sociable woodland creatures returned the curiosity in kind, wishing to know the nature of this unknown guest in their habitat. Words could not describe how delightful it was for Twilight to see him happy and active again. Speaking of, the young alicorn had her own way of passing the time. Aside from keeping a watchful eye on Spike just to make sure he didn't aggravate something he shouldn't have, Twilight allowed her mind to wander far beyond the confines of this forest. When one spends most of their time walking from place to place, one often has plenty of time to think and contemplate. And aside from answering questions from an inquiring dragon every now and again, Twilight had the perfect opportunity to leisurely float along in the stream of consciousness to see where it would take her. It was only now that she realized that she never figured out where she had heard the name "Everfree Forest" before. She had planned on asking some locals in town if there was anything noteworthy about this collection of trees, Pinkie, in particular, would have probably been more then willing to answer any and all of her questions, but the topic had simply slipped her mind until just now. So she was left with no other alternatives but to try and recall the reasoning herself. Well, I definitely haven't been here before. I'd remember that library if I had been, Twilight rationalized, her eyes still locked on the frolicking long dragon. We are pretty close to Canterlot, maybe I overheard a merchant or something talking about it. That sounded about right. Being the capital, Canterlot was a hub for tourists and travelers as there was no end of sights to be seen within the beautiful city. The theatre, the art, the music, the scenery and architecture, the food, everywhere you looked there was something worth looking at. It was a cultural hub as much as it was the political seat of power. And being a city constantly filled with visitors from all around the country, it made sense that a local would overhear a conversation or two about where they came from. Well, that wasn't much of a riddle now, was it? Twilight asked of herself in a disappointed internal drone. Now what am I going do with my time? A bored sigh resonated from Twilight as the day continued along. At some point, she even found herself mindlessly humming the catchy tune she had heard from Pinkie Pie any number of times. That mare still confused Twilight, even now. She was just so friendly, almost overbearingly so, and was a near-constant source of company during the three-day sojourn in Ponyville. The earth pony had managed to perfectly straddle the fine line between endearing and irritating, creating an odd feeling that Twilight couldn't put into words. The other citizens seemed to be in the same boat as the alicorn, with the only difference being that they had time to get used to her. The general consensus, as far as Twilight could tell, was that Pinkie was generally liked around town. The only real complaints being about her volume, which was understandable. Twilight found it fascinating that someone like that could just exist, and was at least glad that she had gotten to meet such a unique individual. That pony would definitely have a few stories told about her, that's for sure. "Hey, Twilight?" Spike called out, breaking the pony's focus. He was further ahead down the naturally made path, staring at something obscured by a cluster of close trees that blocked Twilight's ability to see whatever had caught his interest. "What's up, Spike?" She called back swiftly. He probably had another question about an unfamiliar plant or animal. The flavor of the day, it seemed. "Do trees move?" He glanced back to Twilight for a mere moment, the wonder showing plainly on his expression. "Not like in the wind... but, like, actually move?" Well that's unexpected. Twilight was earnestly caught off guard by the left-field question. Far from the ones the young reptile had been asking up to this point. But it wasn't a question Twilight couldn't answer, not by a long shot. "That might be an ent," the academic pony called back as the distance between them became shorter and shorter, "They're docile creatures. They won't hurt you as long as you don't hurt them." Maybe that's where Twilight heard of the Everfree Forest before, she suddenly figured. Ents were sufficiently rare, especially in Equestria. There were only a few known locations in the world where they made their homes, those forests being protected as natural landmarks by Equestrian law. Twilight had never seen one in person before, and this looked to be a prime opportunity to fix that. "Oh, that makes sense!" Spike smiled with a nod as he continued to look at whatever creature had caught his attention. But that smile slowly went back into a frown, seemingly beginning to doubt Twilight's claim. "Wait. Just checking, but do ents look like dogs?" No, no they did not. That alone was enough to raise several red flags as the alicorn began to gallop. "Spike," she quickly called out to her friend. But the young one didn't need the warning, for just as she had called out for him the nimble dragon narrowly leaped out of the way as a set of oaken jaws clamped down in the space he had previously stood. And as Spike swiftly ran to the safety of his alicorn caretaker, Twilight was finally given sight of the creature he had found. A moving tree that looked like a mean dog was not the worst way to convey the creature's physical appearance. If nothing else, it was only a bit of a vague description. Someone of a much more verbose individual would take note of the fact that the entity was far closer to a wolf than it was a domesticated canine, growling through tightly clenched wooden fangs. Whatever this particular being was, Twilight could tell that magic played some roll in this animal's biology, given the glowing green carvings that could be seen on a vast majority of its body, and the two gleaming orbs of light that sat within two hollow sockets where eyes should have been. Curiously enough, the markings weren't runic in nature at all. Just looping curves of various lengths and thicknesses, looking more like aesthetic carvings than anything with purpose. Speaking of, the wooden wolf in its entirety looked to have been carved by some unknown sculptor, like a statue given some twisted mockery of life. Twilight found herself asking if this entity was a natural phenomenon or something that had been created by some external intervention. But now wasn't the time to play twenty questions. "Wh-what is that?!" Spike shouted as he dashed behind Twilight, only barely poking his head out from behind her to keep an eye on the malicious woodwork. There wasn't a chance to dwell on the question, as the wooden wolf was quick to lunge forward fangs first again. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't friendly. Twilight didn't have time to think, survival instincts kicking in and forcing a reaction out of her. Her horn was swiftly engulfed by magenta light, and in an instant, the carved canine was engulfed by a beam of raw arcane might. No finesse, no spells, no restraints, just a burst of raw unfiltered magical energy. If one were to look close enough, something akin to an expression of sincere regret could be seen on the wolf's face as it jumped headlong into Twilight's attack. Soon enough, nothing was left of the beast aside from a segment of blackened earth and a small flicker of whatever magic had been used to animate it left to float away and disperse without anything to contain it. Twilight let out a chuckle as something of a joke came to mind. "Dust. It's a pile of dust," she laughed lightly again at her own attempt at dark humor, stumbling for a moment to catch her posture. That particular method of solving the problem was more than a little excessive, and it had taken a fair bit of stamina to muster up that level of strength. Spike's eyes went wide with wonder and shock at the magical display that had just been shown to him. But astonishment soon caved in as his brow furrowed, and he glared up to Twilight. "Why didn't you do THAT to the dragon?!" "Because the dragon was significantly larger," Twilight answered through a deep breath. She usually wasn't one to resort to violence in most situations, she wasn't above making use of such tactics in the face of a life or death situation. And an unknown, hostile entity rushing her and Spike with fangs at the ready? That seemed like a life or death situation. She just wished, in hindsight, that she hadn't been so reckless with how she did it. Unleashing raw bursts of energy like that was a surefire way of draining one's stamina rather quickly, even for an alicorn. Accepting the explanation after a short moment of rationalization, Spike hesitantly stepped over to the scorched patch of land and began to poke and sniff about. Anyone could tell that he was still left with some questions about what their mysterious assailant was. And frankly speaking, many of those questions likely overlapped with Twilight's own. Twilight knew quite a lot of things about the world, the creatures that lived in it, and the magic that said creatures had learned to harness. Far more than anyone her age should reasonably know, the result of a lifetime of studies and dedication. But that thing that they had just encountered? Not a clue. Whatever that creature was, the alicorn didn't know anything about it other than the facts that it was wooden and hostile. And if it weren't for the fact that she knew she could disperse them with ease, she would have been very hesitant about proceeding further. "We should keep going," Twilight began as she seized Spike in a telekinetic grip, quickly helping him to crawl back inside the saddlebag, "Wolves tend to hunt in packs." A stifled gasp from the dragon was the only reply Twilight was given as she began to hurry along through the Everfree Forest. Eyes ever vigilant in search of any more of those hostile hounds, ears perked to catch even the faintest hints of their inevitable approach. But even with her guard up, the young alicorn was quickly caught off guard as the sensation of a hefty piece of wood slamming into her side overtook everything else. Thankfully it wasn't the side in which Spike's saddlebag was on, so the young dragon wasn't in danger of being squashed by the impact, but the danger of the situation was still very real. The pony managed to use the tackle's momentum to leap away, landing on her hooves and sliding along the dirt ground as her eyes locked onto the newest attacker. Another wooden wolf, perfectly identical to the one Twilight had previously obliterated. There was one noticeable difference though, namely fact that this interloper was not nearly as bold as its predecessor. This one brought friends, two more of their ilk emerging from the bushes, growling and snarling at Twilight and Spike in a clear sign of intimidation. "Stay back!" Twilight's voice echoed out with an authority befitting of an alicorn. But the warning was lost on the mindless beasts, the one that had tackled her leaping forward again. And like the first wolf, this one was met with a similar fate. This time though, Twilight's attack was voluntary. Controlled. The monster was still reduced into ashes, but the ground around it had been left unharmed. "I said, stay back!" The alicorn stamped an armored hoof into the ground, her nostrils flaring as she glared at the remaining two beasts. But the canines did not show any fear at the sight of their kin being reduced to ash. If anything it only served to further enrage them. And as the alicorn prepared herself for another assault, her eyes caught sight of something that would serve to further complicate this issue. The small cluster of unrestricted magic that Twilight had seen escaping from both of the creatures she had already exterminated began to descend from the skies above. It slithered and writhed like a serpent, worming its way into one of the nearby trees. The green mist vanished into the wood as the plant's bark began to ripple like water. Much to Twilight's horror, yet another member of this wooden wolf pack emerged from the distortion, the tree withering ever so slightly as it did. The new arrival gave a gesture akin to a snicker as their eyes met. Almost as if to ask "remember me?" And in those short few moments, one of Twilight's questions regarding the nature of these beings was answered. They were definitely made by some external force, without a doubt, given their apparent immortality. With this development came the realization that brute force would be a waste of time. Eventually, their regenerative powers would wear her down and make her an easy kill. But brute force was very rarely Twilight's preferred modus operandi, and her academic mind quickly began to formulate a plan of escape. That plan was thrust into action far sooner than anticipated as two of the three assaulters rushed the alicorn. Caught off guard, she quickly leaped into the air and used their craniums as makeshift hoof-holds to further propel herself into the air. It was now that Twilight wished that her wings weren't held back by her cloak and saddlebags, but she had made do with hoof and horn plenty of times in the past. Today would be no different. The third wolf attempted to intercept her airborne escape but only ended up being dusted by a burst of magic for the third time today. The particular spell Twilight had chosen this time around had a bit of kick to it, usually mitigated by being cast with all four hooves firmly on the ground. But in mid-air? The force was enough to propel her in the opposite direction with the cloaked pony elegantly flipping through the air before taking a ten-point landing several yards away, well past the other two foes. Twilight wasted no time in running from the futile fight, no longer along the path she had been following up to this point, with the two remaining wolves soon giving chase as their comrade began to reform once again. Excited by the commotion, Spike swiftly popped his head out of the jostling pouch with childlike wonder in his eye. "When did you learn THAT?!" "No idea," Twilight panted back, more so focused on the sound of the barking of wolves that was surely gaining on her, "Get back in the bag!" She didn't give him time to reply, pushing him back down with a magical shove. Rude, yes, but he was far safer in the enchanted pack then he was out here. It also served as a reminder that he was indeed with her this time. After the scare after the dragon incident, she wasn't willing to take any chances of losing him. The immortal forest dwellers seemed to be smarter then they looked as they began to flank Twilight on either side, their third companion keeping the chase going strong from behind. Once the two side runners were parallel with their prey they began to drift closer and closer in a pincer maneuver. With a wooden enemy on either side and a third one gaining from behind, Twilight knew that she would need to act fast if she didn't want to be torn into. With the magical precision of a prodigy, an orb of magical light was flung in front of her that ceased moving in an instant. The pony leaped over the self-made hurdle and delivered a swift kick to the condensed mass of energy as she soared past, launching it squarely into what had to be the unluckiest of the wood-made trio and rendering it into ashes once again. But that was only a temporary solution to one-third of the problem. The two hunters flanking her were still in the midst of their own scheme, though Twilight was already on working on her own countermeasure to this situation. Using their own disregard for their own safety against them, she waited patiently for the two pursuers to get into lunging distance. And as expected, the two both leaped with open jaws aimed at Twilight's throat in unison. She couldn't help but smirk as her horn flashed as their attack progressed, vanishing in a burst of light. The two wolves collided with a loud thunk, knocking them off balance and causing them to fall to the ground with heavy thuds. Twilight, meanwhile, reappeared a fair distance ahead and kept on running. Despite the setback, the monsters were back on their feet in record time and returned to their vicious pursuit. "I can't believe that actually worked!" Twilight shouted at herself, finding it hard not to laugh a little as she kept on running. The situation was beyond frightening, only a fool wouldn't be afraid in this situation, but she would be lying if she said that there wasn't some form of enthusiasm coursing through her body at the moment. Some sense of accomplishment at thwarting her attackers so flawlessly, at least so far. So far being the key phrase in that statement. For you see, in that brief moment of indulging in her own satisfaction, Twilight had let her guard down. She had also failed to consider the possibility that these wooden beasts could choose where their bodies were reformed. And it was in this moment of brief celebration that the wolf Twilight had blasted into smithereens several times already chose to make its comeback. With some unbelievable accuracy or luck, the angered wolf managed to beat all the odds and catch Twilight by one of her hind legs. The thick cloak and armored suit she was wearing were more than enough to stop the sharp fangs from ever greeting her flesh, but the canine's grip held strong as it sharply jerked back in the opposite direction Twilight was headed. Falling to the ground with a loud groan, the jerking motion she had been victim to was the straw that broke the camel's back. While Twilight had been harshly forced to stop, her saddlebags kept on going as they soared overhead. In their unplanned flight, there was a moment were several items ended up being flung from the cloth containers. One such "item" was a purple scaled long dragon, who collided with the dirt floor with a thud and a grunt. Any feeling of accomplishment was replaced instantly by a crippeling sensation of pure undiluted fear. So much so that she almost failed to register that the wooden monster still had her hind leg in its jaws, violently shaking and chewing at the protected limb in a desperate search for flesh and blood. And that fear only grew as she heard the other two attackers make their way back into the fray. "RUN!" Twilight had only ever screamed that loud one other time in her life, her cry easily carrying for miles. There was no thought put behind that action what so ever, only the terror-driven need to save his life. There was a moment where the long dragon didn't take the advice, not wanting to leave his friend behind. But upon seeing that there were two more of them swiftly approaching, and taking the shortest of moments to recall that Twilight was more than capable of fending these things off on her own, Spike made the calculated decision to flee the situation as his guardian had suggested. And just as Twilight had screamed much louder than she normally did, the small reptile dashed away as fast as his legs could carry him. Which, despite his size, was actually considerably fast. With the potential of Spike being mauled by these wolves removed, for the time being, Twilight finally gave notice to the beast knawing at her hind leg. By now there was a tear in that segment of the cloak, but her armor still heald strong. Even wood enchanted with life was still just wood, and couldn't possibly hope to penetrate a suit designed to repel swords and arrows. But the constant jerking and shaking motions were still an inconvenience that prevented the alicorn from standing back up. And thus Twilight used her other hind leg to deliver a swift kick straight to this beast's head with as much force as she could muster. The clash of metal-clad hoof against wood rang out and the canine's cranium shattered like glass into hundreds upon thousands of tiny splinters. Its body went limp as the mysterious arcane force responsible for giving this being life leaked out of its frame, floating once again into the boundless sky. In a moment of clarity, Twilight reached out with her own magic in an attempt to dispel this force. But the smoky green mass slipped and wriggled out of her clutches, continuing to rise without a care for her attempt. It was now that the other two wooden adversaries had caught up with the alicorn, one stopping to confront the magical pony with the second dashing past in pursuit of the fleeing long dragon. Twilight was not prepared to let either of these creatures continue with their violent intents, and thankfully still had enough mental fortitude to come up with a plan. These wooden beings, based on what Twilight had seen thus far, could regenerate their bodies using the trees of the forest if their current ones became unusable. Now the obvious solution was to incinerate every tree in the Everfree, something Twilight was fifty-fifty on whether she could actually pull it off, but that would only lead to a slew of new problems. But her second idea? Much more likely to result in success. As the first of the wolves slid to a halt before her, and just as the second dashed past, Twilight's horn unleashed a particularly powerful variation of a spell normally used in the creation of frozen delicacies. The mild Spring air in the general vicinity, for a brief moment, was as intense as the coldest of Winters. A layer of frost covered the ground and coated the trees as the arcane burst expanded outward, creating a perfect circle of white within the lush green of Everfree Forest that stuck out as much as one would expect. And as for the vicious sculptures? Each one was now trapped in what could only be described as a miniature glacier, perfectly frozen in place. Twilight took a moment to not only catch her breath but to observe her work. The glowing green carvings began to glow brighter and brighter as if trying desperately to escape from their prisons of ice to no avail. Through her deep breathing, Twilight offered the trapped creatures a cocky smirk. She might not have been able to kill them, but it seemed that trapping them was an effective substitute. She might have caused a bit of excess havoc on the ecosystem, and karma was likely to catch up with her later for that, but there were more pressing matters on her mind at the moment. Quickly recovering what little stamina that she could, Twilight took off running full tilt after her dragon. She didn't even stop to collect her fallen possessions, but instead just magically scooped them up as she ran past. One or two possessions might have been left behind, but possessions could be replaced. Spike could not. Heavy regret wracked her mind as she dashed, as her hasty command to run had been entirely pointless. But it had kept Spike from getting caught in that blast, and the alicorn used that as an excuse just to get her mind back on track for the time being. Thankfully, Spike's trail was easy enough to follow. The dirt was soft and loose, and the reptile had left distinctive claw marks that acted as a metaphorical trail of breadcrumbs leading straight to him. But Twilight wasn't the only one who could follow this trail, and soon enough she could make out distinctive pawprints running alongside the dragon's own. She had only incapacitated two of the three, after all, the third being given the opportunity to regenerate a new body once again. Only serving to further motivate her, Twilight pushed her body to its absolute limits. The pony couldn't see either the wolf or the baby dragon, only the trails that they left behind, and that put a tightly woven knot in her gut. After a short period of time that seemingly dragged on for an eternity, the twin pairs of tracks lead the alicorn to seemingly an exit in the forest. "Spike?!" Twilight screamed despite the searing sensation from her throat, further unnerved by a lack of an answer. "Where are—?! WHAO!!" Just as she cleared the last of the trees, stepping back into direct sunlight for the first time in hours, the cloaked pony only just barely managed to stop in time before careening off of a very steep drop. There was something of a dirt slope just underneath the ledge that leads all the way down, acting as a means of safely getting to the bottom, with two grooves recently carved in. Spike and the wooden wolf had likely fallen off of this cliff and tumbled down to the bottom. Following these new paths with her eyes, needing another moment to catch her breath, Twilight's eyes became as wide as dinner plates. The astonished alicorn locked her gaze on the structure sitting in the distance, and for a brief moment, nothing else mattered. She finally remembered where she had heard of the Everfree Forest before. "That's... Warden's Keep" Sitting in the bottom of what she could now see what something of a canyon surrounded by the Everfree Forest sat what had once been some kind of stronghold. Tall stone walls that had been broken down by the ages surrounded what was once a castle. Now nothing more than a collection of walls and towers that refused to topple. Gutted and left to rot, the local flora had begun to overtake the landmark giving it a greenish hue from this distance that conveyed a significant amount of time. An impossibly tall tree had forced itself to grow in the center of the keep, hiding what had once been a fortress from the sun in a green-tinted shadow. Twilight honestly couldn't believe that she was actually looking at this place with her own eyes. Everyone in Equestria knew what this ruin once was, and what it meant for their history. Once upon a time, long before the founding of the Grand Celestial Calendar, Warden's Keep had been the seat of military power in Equestria. With its remote location hidden deep in a vast forest, it made for the perfect training ground for new recruits. Or for launching a surprise attack on any invading force that managed to get this far into the country. But in relatively more recent history, Warden's Keep had fallen to just such an invading force during Equestria's last great war. And in the last months of that tragic conflict, Warden's Keep had been where the invading forces of Seară made their last stand. Warden's Keep was where that war was ended, definitely and absolutely. Warden's Keep was where the person who would one day be known as the Mare in the Moon became what she is today. These ruins were the only blemish that remained from those dark days. Left as a grim reminder of the lives lost, on both sides, in the conflict with Seară. And a reminder of the fallen alicorn who had led the nocturnal nation in that time. How Twilight could have forgotten any of that was beyond her, but in her defense, a thousand-year-old war wasn't exactly her top priority. "Twilight?! Where are you?!" Spike's voice suddenly rang out from within the canyon. Very far away, but still clearly audible. Anyone could hear the absolute terror heald within the voice. There was no time to ruminate on the nation's history now, the desperate cry from her friend was enough to drag her back down to reality. Without hesitation, Twilight hopped down the cliff and onto the slope below, sliding on her hooves down toward the valley. Now also wasn't the time for fear or doubt. Right now, the only thing on the alicorn's mind was getting to her friend before that wooden monstrosity did. Failure was not an option, it had never been for her, and she refused to let that change now.