//------------------------------// // The Everfree Forest: // Story: Afterlife // by Star Sparkle //------------------------------// Apple Bloom and I had walked deep into the Everfree Forest and was close to Zecora, but right as I opened my mouth to talk to her, a stern voice I recognized immediately as Twilight’s, scolded ‘’Star Sparkle!‘’ My heart dropped. AJ then called ‘’Apple Bloom?!‘’ Both of us looked back and saw our big sisters and their friends as they stood over some blue flowers. As soon as I saw Twilight’s eyes, I knew she was angry and as her horn glowed, I did as well and AJ commanded ‘’You get back here right now.‘’ As I was lifted into the air, Zecora chanted ‘’Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke.‘’ As I floated over to Twilight, Applejack rushed over to Apple Bloom and got her on her back as she said ‘’Y-you keep your creepy mumbo jumbo to yourself, you hear!‘’ The other ponies agreed as they repeated ‘’Yeah!‘’ Over and over. ‘’Ha, was that supposed to scare us?!‘’ Rainbow mocked while Pinkie sang her song from earlier. As I floated by Twilight’s side, I said ‘’Twilight, I’m-‘’ ‘’I do not want another word out of you until we are back home… I told you not to go in here.‘’ Twilight responded still a mix between angry and disappointed. Zecora in the distance chanted further ‘’Beware! Beware!‘’ As she disappeared into the forest. ‘’Yeah!‘’ Rainbow responded ‘’Back at you, Zecora! You and your lame curse are the ones who’d better beware!‘’ I then saw AJ as she talked to Apple Bloom who was now on her back and afterwards Apple Bloom looked quite guilty. Pinkie sang her song again before Twilight who still ignored me said ‘’You gals, there’s no such thing as curses.‘’ Rainbow flew over to us as she said ‘’Well, that’s interesting to hear coming from miss magic pants herself. And besides, if you don’t believe in curses, then why are you so angry at Star for going after Zecora, huh?‘’ ‘’I told Star to not go into this forest, but she did and once we get home, she’ll learn.‘’ Twilight answered without so much as looking at me and continued ‘’Besides, my magic, real magic, comes from within. It’s a skill you’re born with. Curses are fake, artificial, fake magic. It’s conjured with potions and incantations… All smoke and mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power. They’re just an old pony tale.‘’ But as she finished the girls were already leaving Twilight, me in her magic and AJ with Apple Bloom on her back. ‘’Just you wait, Twilight. You’re gonna learn that some pony tales really are true.‘’ AJ said. I felt bad for encouraging Apple Bloom for going after Zecora and as AJ was about to go I yelled ‘’AJ wait! Don’t punish Apple Bloom. It was my idea to go after Zecora!‘’ ‘’Please Twilight! Star stopped before we entered the forest and if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t have.‘’ Apple Bloom called out. ‘’Thank you Apple Bloom, but that still doesn't excuse that she went in here.‘’ Twilight said. ‘’Mighty thanks Star, but the two of you should still not have gone after her.‘’ AJ said, but as nothing looked to be easier, Apple Bloom gave me a smile and I gave her one as well. Outside the forest we had caught up with the rest of the girls as Twilight asked ‘’Pinkie, will you tell Spike to walk home? I need to take this one home first.‘’ ‘’Sure thing Twilight.‘’ Pinkie cheerful answered and as we split apart, Apple Bloom and I waved goodbye to each other. On the whole journey home Twilight levitated me mid air, for all the ponies to see and I said ‘’Twilight, this is embarrassing.‘’ ‘’Then you will remember and what did I tell you earlier?‘’ Twilight asked, I knew I shouldn't answer and after a small period of silence Twilight responded ‘’Exactly.‘’ Once back home, Twilight closed the door and walked with me to the living room upstairs, only there she sat me down and asked ‘’Do you have anything to say for yourself?‘’ As Twilight looked at me I felt a bit scared and stuttered as I said ‘’I’m, I’m sorry.‘’ She lifted her eyebrow and asked ‘’Sorry for what?‘’ ‘’I’m sorry for sneaking out and going into The Everfree Forest, without telling you.‘’ I answered and looked at the ground in shame. As I looked to the floor Twilight’s hoof came and got my head up to look at her as she said ‘’Thank you Star, but I’ll still need to give you some sort of punishment. So… No more magic for today… And no cookie.‘’ Taken aback, I let out a loud ‘’What?!‘’ Twilight seemed to ignore that as she sternly said ‘’And unless you don’t want to do magic tomorrow either or have your cookie, then I would suggest that you comply. Do we understand each other?‘’ Still not happy about it, but I knew I wouldn’t win in an argument, so I said ‘’Yes big sis.‘’ ‘’Good, now go to your room and I’ll be there shortly.‘’ Twilight commanded, I did as she said and went into my room, got on my bed and lay down. From inside my room, I heard that Spike had returned and hoped he could relieve the boredom, I got up from my bed and as I heard him in front of the door Twilight called ‘’Do not go into her Spike! She is being punished for disobeying me.‘’ ‘’Can I at least talk to her through the door?‘’ ‘’No Spike, she has to learn that disobeying me will have consequences.‘’ ‘’Oh…Okay.‘’ He said with a disappointed voice and as he walked away from the door, I lay down again and waited for Twilight. After some time had passed Twilight came in and I saw she had a book with her as she said ‘’So, I did some more thinking and I want you to write a paper about why you shouldn't go into the Everfree Forest, do you have any questions?‘’ ‘’Um… Twilight, I don’t know how to write.‘’ I said embarrassed. ‘’Well…‘’ Twilight thought for a moment before she said ‘’Then I want you to read the first ten chapters, memorise them and after dinner I will ask you some questions and if you can answer all of my questions, you may use magic again, but still no cookie today.‘’ ‘’But, how can I read ten chapters in what, six hours?‘’ Twilight calmly said ‘’I believe you can read it twice in that time, so you better get started.‘’ I got the book from Twilight and read, I read a page at a time and reread it, I continued like that until I saw the page called chapter eleven and began to relax. My eyes went to the clock and I still had one and a half hours left to study, so I started over again and skimmed every page, after each page I closed my eyes and thought about what I read, as I tried to better remember. When the next page said chapter eleven, I felt a hundred percent ready for my test and used my magic again and Twilight called ‘’Star-ar, it’s time for dinner!‘’ ‘’I’m coming!‘’ I called back and walked into the living room. As Spike saw me, he looked at Twilight, she nodded and Spike asked ‘’Star, are you okay, did anything happen in the Everfree Forest?‘’ I smiled and said ‘’Don’t worry, I’m fine Spike.‘’ ‘’You’re welcome, but I hope you’re hungry, I made tomato soup.‘’ Spike said, I smiled at him and sat over by the table and began on my soup. After we had eaten Twilight asked ‘’Star, are you ready for the test.‘’ ‘’I am. I have gone through it two times, the first time I read all the pages twice and the second time, I read one page at a time and then thought about what I have just read.‘’ I said proudly. Twilight smiled softly at me ‘’I’m proud of you Star.‘’ Spike laughed a little as he said ‘’She’s studying just as hard as you.‘’ Twilight rolled her eyes, stood up and said ‘’Come on Star, let’s see if you’re ready.‘’ I nodded and followed her. At the couch Twilight said ‘’First, name 5 creatures that lives in the Everfree Forest.‘’ ‘’Timberwolf, Manticure, Cockatrice, Cragadile and Diamonds Dog.‘’ I answered. Twilight nodded and said ‘’Tell me something about all those creatures.‘’ I thought back on what I read and said ‘’Timberwolves are made of wood and can grow into different sizes, they are known for their smells and green eyes. Manticures are strong and dangerous, due to their wings and scorpion tail. The cockatrice is a half chicken half snake with wings and can turn its prey into stone. Cragadiles lives mostly in swamps and can easily be mistaken for rocks. Diamonds Dogs lives underground and collect gems, they are known to kidnap ponies to work for them.‘’ Twilight nodded in approval and said ‘’Good, you have really been studying hard.‘’  ‘’Of course big sis, I really want to do magic.‘’ I answered before I said ‘’And after reading about the Everfree Forest. I understand why didn’t want me to enter…‘’ I lowered my head and said ‘’... and I’m sorry I broke my promise.‘’ Twilight hoof came in front of my eyes and lifted my head to look at her, she smiled softly and said ‘’I forgive you little sis. But I think that tomorrow you should apologize to the girls for laughing at them.‘’ ‘’I will big sis, I only laughed because I thought they were joking.‘’ I answered, Twilight lowered her head to me and nuzzled me, which caused me to nuzzle back. As Twilight pulled her head back, she asked ‘’How do the clouds, animals and plants move in the human world?‘’ ‘’The clouds are moving with help from the wind, the animals, if not under the care of humans, they go free, but far away from humans and have to fend for themselves, for the plants they just growing by themselves.‘’ I answered as best as I could. Twilight thought for a bit before she chuckled and said ‘’I guess that's why you were so surprised by the pegasus moving the clouds.‘’ I nodded and she continued ‘’About your test, you passed. But I would still like it if you apologized tomorrow.‘’ ‘’I will and thank you big sis.‘’ I answered before I asked ‘’Can I go to my room now?‘’ She nodded, I hugged her and walked into my room. In my room, I walked over to my quill and laid down in front of it, closed my eyes. I felt my magic on my horn, as I didn’t see the glow, I felt like a wind that surrounded my horn. I began to feel the quill, its form, its weight, all its vanes, the metal and the dried out ink, I felt it all. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the quill, now engulfed in the pink glow and I stared at the glow. A knock came from the door and I lost my magic. As the feather fell to the ground Twilight said ‘’It’s time for bed Star.‘’ But I could only starred as the feather floated down until it laid in front of me, the door opened and Twilight came in and said ‘’Star, is something wrong?‘’ I turned to her and saw as she had a concerned expression on her face I said ‘’I’m fine, I just levitated the quill, but I don’t know how I did it.‘’ ‘’What do you mean?‘’ Twilight asked. I thought how I should explain it before I said ‘’First I used my magic on the quill, but then I saw the glow again and when you knocked on the door, I dropped it, but somehow it was in the air.‘’ Twilight thought for a moment before she said ‘’I’m not sure why it floated, maybe you did it subconsciously, it happens.‘’ Twilight paused and said ‘’Two days ago, you said it was hypnotic to look at?‘’ ‘’Yes and you said it would happen the first couple of times.‘’ ‘’I did, but do you know why you get in an almost hypnotic state, when looking at it?‘’ Twilight asked, I shook my head as I didn’t know the answer and she continued ‘’As our magic flows through us, it’s not unknown to us, it’s an extension of us, it’s our emotions. That is why you get hypnotized by it, you are not only feeling, but watching your emotions.‘’ She paused for a moment and allowed me take it in before she continued ‘’If you remember back to your magical surge, it was fear that unleashed it, but ‘trust’ that stopped it.‘’ I nodded in agreement before I asked ‘’How many times will it happen?‘’ ‘’It’s different for everypony, for me I believe about two weeks time, but I was also younger.‘’ Twilight answered. As I thought about my aura and it’s colour I asked ‘’But why is mine pink, when yours is purple and Princess Celestia’s is golden?‘’ ‘’Good question Star, but first, my aura is magenta, not purple.‘’ ‘’Ohhhhhh…‘’ I muttered. ‘’But anyway, your aura is normally related to either your eye color or your Cutie Mark, but it’s not a rule, yours might be from your coat or mane. As for Princess Celestia, she has the color of the sun, the same color as her Cutie Mark, while my aura get its color from my six pointed magenta star.‘’ Twilight said. ‘’Ohh…‘’ I said before I released a yawn ‘’But is there any difference?‘’ I asked as I rubbed my eyes. ‘’No, it’s mostly just for it’s appearance or else our dad would be as strong as Princess Celestia, but let’s get you ready for bed.‘’ ‘’Does he also have a golden aura?‘’ ‘’Yes, now come on, we would want you to be well rested, as of tomorrow we’re going to start preparing for the visit of Princess Celestia.‘’ As we walked I asked ‘’Is Princess Luna also coming?‘’ ‘’I don’t think so, how come?‘’ ‘’They’re both Princesses, so I guessed they would both come.‘’ ‘’Well I guess that would make sense, but I think it’s only Princess Celestia that will come.‘’ I nodded as she brushed my teeth. After a quick trip to the bathroom we were back in my room, Twilight lifted me onto my bed and said ‘’By the way, I wanted to give you this.‘’ She levitated out a pink bunny plush up to me and continued ‘’So when you’re in Canterlot, you will still have something to hold onto.‘’ I looked at the plush, then at Twilight and said ‘’Twilight, I’m too old for…‘’ But as I forgot my new age, I wanted to correct myself ‘’I mean-‘’ Twilight intervened and said ‘’I know I know, but try one night, and if you still don’t want it, then I’ll take it and if you wanna keep it, then keep it.‘’ I sighed and nodded, if it made her happy, why not. As Twilight sat as close to the bed as possible, I snuggled over to her and listened to her heartbeat, held the plush with all my legs and slowly I fell asleep.