//------------------------------// // Pick a Flower // Story: Pick a Flower // by MeloBeat //------------------------------// The winds of the Frozen North blew every which way, kicking up mounds of white powder already resting on the frozen ground. It whistled as it went, singing an eerie tune to the vast and desolate land that seemed to only stretch on forever with no end. No creatures lived here, who would? The closest thing to civilization one would find in the area was Yak Yakistan, buried deep in the mountains, or the Crystal Empire, which was magically protected from the ice and snow. Both cities were miles away, reachable only by train, followed by an inevitable long hike. But of course, there was also the Frost Village. The tiny town, hidden by the snow, was not an easy place to spot. In fact, a good deal of it was shrouded by the pine trees that surrounded it. Still, the lights of this town called out to many a lost traveler on a stormy night, and became more of an unspoken refuge as time went on. In fact, it was so safe, almost no pony actually wanted to leave. The other townsponies didn't seem to mind much either. A good deal of the resources from this secluded little area came from the surrounding forests, chock full of countless plants and animals. A day was designated out of each week to go out and collect supplies for the town, but today wasn't one of those days. Even so, Olive Glow found herself crunching through the snow, goggles pushed down in front of her eyes to keep the icy flakes from hitting them. At her side hopped a rather thick-furred rabbit, his white coat blending in with the surroundings so well she found herself repeatedly checking to make sure he was still there. They walked in silence for a while, only the song of the wind filling the air, until they reached the gaping mouth of the pine tree forest. "We're here!" Olive cheerfully called out in a sing-song voice, her face stretching into a wide grin. Once they stepped through, it was almost as though they had been trapped in a whole new world. Due to resistance from the trees, not as much wind and snow passed through, and Olive deemed it safe enough to remove her eyewear. The forest's ground was covered in a thin layer of snow. At least, thin in comparison to what lay outside. An entire ecosystem fluttered and skittered around amidst the trees, undocumented creatures residing only in the Frozen North's few forests. The earth pony would have stayed for ages just looking at all of the beautiful organisms the trees had to offer, but she only had a single target in mind. Olive Glow and her rabbit continued down the frost-bitten trails, clambering over fallen and frozen logs and patches of black ice before finally making their way to a thick patch of flowers. They were unlike any seen by pony eyes before, with thin, jagged blue petals that looked as though they would shatter the moment something touched them. One could possibly mistake them for poison joke if it weren't for the stems, which were twisted and thick, black and covered in small yet lethal thorns. The most prominent factor about these flowers, however, were the golden beads of pollen that laced their way along the edges of each petal. Olive felt a thin smile creep along the pale yellow features of her face. "The Torpidity Flower. I never thought I'd find just one here, let alone so many simply sitting around like this!" Pulling the neck of her scarf up to cover her muzzle, Olive Glow reached over and plucked a flower from the snow, noting the shimmering powder that floated down from it. She held the plant up to her face, her gaze stern and concentrated as she ran her eyes across it, taking in every visible crack and line in the strange plant. "You don't mind, do you, Philomene?" Olive asked, turning to her rabbit with a cold stare that rivaled the air around her in intensity. Before Philomene could run or even squeak in protest, Olive had waved the flower over his head, resulting in a small waterfall of pollen falling onto his white coat. It didn't take long after that for him to be rendered almost completely comatose. The only indication that the rabbit was even still alive was the steady rise and fall of his body as he breathed. Olive Glow grinned as she dropped the plant and pulled her scarf back down to her neck, taking in the sudden smell of cinnamon and strawberries that filled the air. This was a revolutionary discovery! This flower had always been the stuff of rumours and legends -- what luck that she'd managed to encounter an entire group of it's kind on her first visit! "Of course, it wouldn't be as great if somepony else were to find them..." Olive said aloud, voicing her thoughts to the forest. "If somepony else were to find them and learn of their effects... oh, there's any number of things they could do..." She pulled a few thick leaves over to cover the patch, making sure not to leave a single opening. "...they might try and publicize their findings and this place would become a hub for researchers..." A few fresh mounds of snow went atop the leaves to make them stick out a little less. "...or they could even bring them to town and ruin everything I've been doing so far..." Pine tree branches were maneuvered in such a way that the snow mounds were partially covered. "...I'd be caught, then, and probably arrested for what I've been doing to everypony..." Finally, Olive brushed over her and Philomene's tracks with another large leaf she had found. "...we can't have that now, can we Phil?" Obviously, the rabbit didn't answer, still fast asleep in his hunched over position. Olive tutted as she picked up the bunny and draped him across her back like a blanket. "Look at you, always falling asleep in the most inconvenient of times. Well, don't worry not one bit! We'll come back eventually, hopefully sometime soon." She continued to cover up her tracks as she walked, looking around warily, as though suddenly afraid somepony had been watching all this time. "After all, we can't wait for too long."