//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 - Spiritual Reunion // Story: Tails of Innocence // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// Tails of Innocence - Chapter 12 - Spiritual Reunion 15 Years before Nightmare Moon’s Return The Everfree Forest, home to numerous wild and dangerous creatures, filled with wild magic and freedom, a place that even ponies didn't try to tame. Here the strong devour the weak and everyone lives by their own rules. How long had it been since the elemental spirits experienced such a life? After centuries of being imprisoned in amulets, forced to possess ponies and live among them, it felt both alien and refreshing to once again live by the laws of nature.  Not that experiencing life through the senses of living creatures was all that bad, but it still felt too different. The fear of one day not finding another host and spending eternity trapped inside an object haunted them every night. Today, however, it has been more than a decade since a mighty and kind kitsune granted them freedom. Another day when water spirits could interact with the freshwater of a lake or the muddy waters of the swamp. Another day for earth spirits to explore underground tunnels and interact with the earth itself. The fire spirits didn't stay in the forest for long though, quickly leaving in search of a volcano, dessert, or other sources of intense heat. Most wind spirits headed for the nearby hills and mountains in a search for stronger wind currents, though staying away from Canterlot Mountain for obvious reasons. This particular wind spirit didn't mind staying in the Everfree for its love of creating music from rustling leaves. Juggling one leaf with its wind, then a hundred, proved to be more entertaining than it expected, and there were bits of wild magic in the air to be felt.  Of course, meeting various creatures was an interesting distraction from time to time, as it had to occasionally escape or defeat those who attempted to eat its magic.  It took some time getting used to living as a free spirit again after centuries of living inside ponies, but progress had been made. Its new life was interrupted nine years ago as it caught the wind of a newcomer in the forest, a powerful one. At first, it decided to stay away from this power, as did its fellow spirits. Messing around with beings with strong magic had ended poorly in the past and no one wanted to take any chances. Still, there seemed to be some familiarity in the magic, as if they had encountered it before. As its curiosity grew, the wind spirit had finally gathered the courage to spy on this newcomer.  Best case scenario, this creature would not be as hostile or as dangerous as they feared.  Worst case scenario, it would warn the other spirits about the danger and what to expect. Of course, stealth played an essential role in it, and a strong wind wasn't exactly quiet. For this, it had to become a breeze. Unfortunately, unlike real air, its body wasn't invisible as others saw it as a green tornado with two limbs and shining blue lights that resembled eyes. From one bit of cover to another, it flew through the forest, hiding behind leaves and inside bushes as they camouflaged its presence. It had to move slowly and remain calm though, keeping its winds as calm and as silent as possible. A rustling bush would certainly attract unnecessary attention. ”Thank you miss Zecora, my mommy and daddy will love these.” The spirit flew to the upper part of the tree, peeking from behind the leaves, which started rustling louder and louder. Wind from its body intensified upon a sudden realization. The one they avoided, the newcomer and new powerhouse that appeared in the Everfree Forest was none other than Kyuubi! But why had she been living for years in this hostile place? Was this kind and noble creature banished by the ponies? But why? Kyuubi wasn't alone though as she was in the company of a pink filly, who waved farewells at a zebra. Next to the filly were three large bags with some bottles filled with an odd liquid sticking up from them. It made sense though. Zebras were often praised for their alchemy skills in books about foreign cultures, though such literature was quite rare.  It seems that a zebra has settled down in this dangerous forest. That's quite unexpected. How did it survive? the spirit thought as it watched the zebra return to its tree home, which seemed to serve as some sort of shelter. A bit of smoke coming out through the window indicated the brewing of new mixtures. Wait, why is there a filly here? She's in even greater danger. More and more questions formed in the spirit's mind as its attention focused on Kyuubi. As the kitsune turned around and walked left and right, taking long and slow steps with her large paws while scounting her surroundings, it became clear that she had grown up considerably since their last encounter. Not that this kitsune was small before as she was slowly surpassing even the princess in terms of height, but now she looked like a giant; giving many predators of the Everfree a run for their bits in sheer size. What if the ponies demanded her banishment because they were intimidated by her size? Fear was often a reason behind isolationism or hostility after all. Another difference was the amount of magic the spirit could sense. In the past, this kitsune wasn't standing out all that much, but now her magic was no less than triple that which had made her a force to be reckoned with.  Wait, didn’t she have four tails? Now she has five. She is growing so fast. The spirit calmed down, restraining itself as the rustling and movement of leaves calmed down as well. Kyuubi glanced in its direction for a moment but did not seem to notice anything out of ordinary, its camouflage had worked. ”Miss Foxie, leave this to me!” Kyuubi stopped walking and looked down, glancing at the filly.  The little earth pony grabbed three ropes between her teeth and pulled the bags, drops of sweat fell down her forehead a moment later.  The kitsune stretched her long paw, moving it behind the bags. The filly released the ropes and bumped into the paw with her head. ”Don't help, I want to do this on my own!”  Kyuubi rolled her eyes and lay on her side, perching her chin on her forepaws, from the corner of her eye watching the filly who wrestled with the large bags. The little pony was walking backward on her trembling legs at a rather… underwhelming speed. From the moment the filly reached the rear paws of the kitsune, it took her three minutes to finally bypass her head. Although not known for their patience, the wind spirit observed the scene as patiently as it could, gathering its courage to talk with the mighty savior of spirits. If I reveal myself, I may scare the filly. What to do? It glanced at the pony, comparing her size to the bags it pulled. Earth ponies are well known for their stamina and physical strength, but to pull three bags twice her size, all filled with bottles with potions. That's at least fifteen times her weight. She seems a bit stronger than an average filly. Will you kindly reveal yourself? I know you are there. The wind spirit looked at the kitsune, who kept staring in its direction, the mental message no doubt coming from her. Its camouflage was busted. Like a breeze, it descended towards the kitsune, revealing its windy form which caused the filly to flinch. Kyuubi smiled at the filly and gestured with her forepaw. Whatever she told the pony calmed her down in an instant. ”Are you one of the spirits that Kyuubi freed? Oh, that's so... cool. Wait, you are a wind spirit. I will call you Windy. Nice to meet you, Windy!” The wind spirit observed the enthusiastic filly, caught off guard by her warm smile and energetic tail flaps. Why is this filly so fearless? It lowered its limb, touching the filly's forehead in order to send a mental message, Nice to meet you too. You are quite brave to be in this place, young one. ”Of course I am brave. I am the daughter of two amazing adventurers! My name is Lily, Lily Longsock. Hey, your voice was that of a mare, so I was right calling you Windy. Do you like that name?” Sure… I had a different name in the past, but this one sounds nice so I don't mind. May I ask you some questions? ”Sure, ask away!” Windy lowered herself. Aside from communicating, touching the filly allowed her to sense magic similar to Kyuubi's. There was a connection between them for sure. Little Lily, can you tell me why are you in this forest with Kyuubi? This place is very dangerous.  ”I am carrying Zecora's stuff to the dusty old castle and Kyuubi is escorting me.” She gestured at the bags, turning her head as she temporarily separated herself from Windy's limb. ”My mommy and daddy will love it there, and Zecora's medicine will make them healthier.” Kyuubi added, We are moving to the ruined castle of the Royal Sisters. It has served as a shelter for only me before but is spacious enough for a large group. It can accommodate many ponies and I won't need to go outside of the Everfree whenever I want to meet with Lily's parents. Windy moved her limb, once again touching Lily's forehead, asking in concern and confusion, Why are you and your parents moving to the heart of this dangerous place? Most ponies avoid this forest like a tornado. Is this because they are adventurers? ”It's a long story.” Lily stood on her rear hooves, trying to support her forehooves against the spirit, only for her hooves to go through the living wind and land on the ground. She giggled and continued, ”In short, Kyuubi kept purifying me from my curse over and over, but it kept coming back. After she grew a new tail, she managed to turn my curse into a blessing. She is my savior and bestest friend, and I want to be with her and grow stronger.” Curse, growing stronger, what are you talking about? Lily pointed at the gigantic fox. ”Ask Kyuubi for the full story. I am going back to get my bags. They won't deliver themselves.” The spirit watched as the filly grabbed the ropes, once again pulling the large bags through the path between two long lines of threes, heading towards the bridge, something that would no doubt take a few hours at this speed. Furthermore, if this filly refused Kyuubi’s help, it wouldn’t surprise her if she refused to use a cart, making this task harder on herself on purpose. She flew over to the large kitsune, wondering what kind of curse Kyuubi was dealing with. Curiosity was at its peak. The kitsune lowered her head, allowing Windy’s limb to touch her forehead. Soon, the telepathic exchange of information has begun. I can't believe you have been hiding in this forest all this time. I am so... sorry! What for? asked Kyuubi as she kept walking, the spirit now perched atop her head. She levitated over a bottle of water to the struggling Lily, who released the robes and grabbed it, drinking eagerly. Kyuubi lay down further on the path, waiting for the filly to catch up while keeping eyes open and ears raised in search of predators. For not assisting you. You have done so much for us, yet we failed to recognize your magic. You struggled for survival in the wild, you weren't used to it and we hid from you in fear. It is alright, I forgive you. Besides, Zecora helped me adapt and taught me many useful spells. She raised her fifth tail proudly, moving it closer to her face before stroking it. Thanks to my newest tail, I can control my inner magic, using it to boost durability and resistances inside my body. What's more, I can heal toxins and poisons, making my healing capabilities so much greater. She looked at the filly, pointing at her. Now that Lily possesses part of my magic, she can do more than an average earth pony. Once she grows strong enough, I want to ask Zecora to teach her how to control her inner magic. But we still should have helped. We owe you our freedom. Just say the word and we will aid you any way we can. I appreciate it, Kyuubi replied, but as you can see, I am doing fine. Though I wouldn't mind a little help with cleaning. The castle is a mess and I want to get at least some of it in shape. Say no more, I shall assist immediately. Windy pointed at Lily. But there is one thing I don't get. You said that after you turned that curse into a blessing, she lost all her powers, yet she seems a bit stronger than an earth pony her age should be. What's up with that? Kyuubi smiled, giggling. That's true, she lost the power granted to her by the curse, but my blessing offers something better. Meaning? I turned her curse into a blessing three months ago, but it didn't extinguish her desire to search for thrills and to push herself. Kyuubi tapped her chin. I think two months ago she lifted a one hundred kilogram rock with her hooves and started lifting random weights ever since. Both kitsune and the spirit watched as the filly collapsed, breathing heavily while lying flat on her belly. After a minute of resting, she stood up, grabbing the ropes and continuing her struggle. A week later she lifted a stone twenty kilograms heavier than the last, and a month ago she carried nearly two hundred kilograms on her back. I mean, I know that earth ponies grow stronger the more they train or work, but their training becomes less efficient the stronger they get. This isn't the case for Lily. Each day that she trains hard, she seems to lift greater weights at linear progress. Windy leaned down, now watching the filly while touching Kyuubi's cheek. Are you saying that she has no limits, or rather that there's no telling where her limits lie? Precisely. She may start from scratch, but she has an amazing resolve and I wish to nurture her talent. Aside from physical strength, her durability also seems to increase at a quick rate whenever she hurts herself, which sadly happens often. That is where my healing comes into the picture. You keep an eye on her so you can heal her. Figures. You were always caring about others. I truly admire your resolve, Windy praised. Thank you. What I am most excited about is helping her learn inner spells. My blessing seems to allow her to learn magic that a normal earth pony can't control, and I would truly love to see what she can learn. She lowered her head and sighed. Besides, there's not much else I can do and I love her company. I would hate to hurt her though, which frightens me. Hurt her, oh, you mean like with Sunset Shimmer. Didn't it happen only because you exhausted your magic? Kyuubi's chin hit the ground with a loud thud. That's the worst part. I know I should keep Lily at a distance, but I fear she will injure herself if I take my eyes away from her even for a moment. Until she is strong and durable enough, I need to be nearby to keep her safe and healthy. She sighed, then followed up with a tired scowl. I constantly monitor my magic reserves and watch my every step. I… I can’t allow myself to repeat my past mistakes. Windy nuzzled Kyuubi with its body, sending a pleasant chilling wind to cool her fur. I may not know you for long, but from our last encounter, I can tell that you are forgiving and peaceful. Have trust in yourself. You think of yourself as a dangerous storm, but in reality, you are a most pleasant breeze.  Tell that to Sunset Shimmer. I doubt she shares your beliefs.   Windy looked at Lily for a moment, who had just finished another break. Oddly enough, after each break, the filly pulled the bags a little faster than before. Willpower and determination were the limiting factors, and Lily certainly didn't lack them. Kyuubi. The princess raised you into a wonderful, mighty creature. I am sure you can raise this filly into a powerful, mighty pony. In fact, I would love to teach her wind magic... assuming she can learn it. It would help her a lot with mobility. Kyuubi raised her head, nuzzling Windy in return as her muzzle passed through her form. Wow, nuzzling the wind is hard. It is a bit ticklish, but I appreciate the gesture. Windy bowed to the mighty kitsune, one who was now the ruler of this forest in her eyes. Even if there were larger and mightier beasts that lived here, she knew that Kyuubi would surpass them one day. I get the impression that it will take a few hours before Lily reaches the castle. I will go ahead and blow the dust away. Sure, see you there. Kyuubi smiled warmly, waving farewell with her large paw. Windy hovered over the beaten path, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction and purpose. If Kyuubi was indeed living inside the castle, she was more than willing to make it presentable and clean. After all, a mighty and kind kitsune who will one day become the mightiest being in this forest, deserved the most royal of accommodations.