//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Back to the Forest // Story: Return of the Ancient Mage // by Zoshe //------------------------------// The next morning Twilight Sparkle made her way to the edge of the forest. She needed to see Zecora about the Alicorn Amulet and make sure it was still safe. That wasn't to say her trip across town wasn't interesting. After her "lesson" with Whisper last night, she discovered that she could consciously turn the ability on and off based on how deeply she tried to look at something. It didn't work like a normal spell, which still needed to have form and intent behind it. However, it still gave her a mild headache if she kept it running for too long. Maybe it was something that got better with practice. She had quickly turned it off after leaving her home. As interesting as it was to see the little lights dancing all over everyone and everything, the glares she was getting from her neighbors made it pretty clear how much it unnerved everyone else. Twilight made her way to the edge of the forest that was closest to Zecora's home. However, she was surprised to find Rainbow Dash waiting there for her. "Hey Twilight," Rainbow looked a bit nervous. "You're heading to Zecora's, aren't you?" Twilight could tell just by looking at her that this was one of the few times that Rainbow was waiting for something. "Do you want to come with me?" She finally asked. Rainbow Dash nodded nervously, "yeah. I still feel kinda bad that I was so useless when Fluttershy was in trouble and I just wanna make sure you're ok." "Thanks Rainbow," said Twilight, giving her friend a hug. "I don't think you're useless though. Yesterday was just a very unusual situation." "That doesn't make me feel any better though," she said. "So I'm going to make sure you make it to Zecora's safely." "Thanks again," Twilight looked out at the forest. She started to wonder what the forest looked like with her new vision, so she flipped the mental switch she had discovered and... "Wow," she sat there just taking it all in. If the way the lights danced was anything to go by, then the forest was absolutely overflowing with magic. "You say something Twilight... Whoa," Rainbow jumped back as she looked at her friend's face and saw the glowing purple eyes. "That's so cool Twilight. When did you learn to do that?" "Last night," she turned her gaze on the pegasus. She could see the way the magic flowed through the cyan pegasus's body like a sea of blue stars. She watched the way the blue lights flowed down her back and made its way up into every wingtip. Rainbow recoiled under Twilight's gaze, "no offense Twilight, but that feels weird when you look at me like that." "Really?" Twilight asked curiously. "How would you describe it?" Rainbow gave it some thought, "it kinda feels like I'm exposed. Like you're getting way too personal. Sort of the same feeling I got when the Shade looked at me. Although his felt much stronger and kinda made me wanna hide." "Interesting," Twilight put a hoof to her chin and pondered. "So does it do anything or just glow and look intimidating?" Rainbow was shifting around Twilight and looking at her from different angles. "Apparently it lets me see the way magic moves in the world around me, or something like that. I don't know. This is all very new to me," she admitted. "Whoa," Rainbow looked shocked. "Never thought I'd see the day when Twilight Sparkle didn't know something. So how did you figure it out?" Twilight cringed as she remember her frustrating lesson from last night. "Let's just say it wasn't easy. Come on," she beckoned. "Let's get to Zecora's." The trip though the Everfree was far less eventful than it had been the day before. After a few minutes, Twilight had to turn the magical eyesight off again due to how bad the headache was getting. The forest was absolutely fascinating with the new perspective it gave her and she made a mental note to study it in more detail when she had more time. Zecora's home was a hollowed out tree very similar to the one that Twilight lived in, albeit a bit smaller. It appeared to be undisturbed except for the smell of something cooking wafting out from an open window. The place around her home was usually pretty quiet despite it being located in the Everfree forest. All they could usually hear around her home was the buzzing of insects and the croaking of frogs. They knocked and they soon found the zebra answering the door. "What is this I see?" The zebra greeted them with a smile. "It's two little ponies outside my tree." "Morning Zecora," greeted Twilight as she stepped inside. "I hope we're not disturbing you." "The day is young and your company is rarely a bore," said Zecora. "I hardly consider the intrusion a chore." Twilight looked back to Rainbow, who was just standing in the doorway. "Rainbow, are you coming in?" She asked. Rainbow took a few steps backward, "if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna just wait out here. No offense Zecora, but your home still kinda weirds me out." "I do not easily offend, for such wounds are hard to mend," Zecora said with a smile. "While so few are accepting of me, even fewer wander into Everfree." "Right... I'm just going to be out here then," said Rainbow as she closed the door behind her. "I'm so sorry, Zecora," Twilight apologized. "I didn't realize she was still uncomfortable out here." "I did not jest when I said I did not take offense," said Zecora. "But enough about me. What brings you to my residence?" "The Alicorn Amulet," started Twilight, the smile disappearing from Zecora's face at the mention. "Do you know if it's still safe?" "I would know if somepony had disturbed it's resting place, but why an interest in such a case. The trouble it caused has long since past, unless you now believe it shall not last?" Zecora inquired. "Me and the girls think the Everfree Shade is after it," she said. "Have you seen him around the forest?" "I'm not acquainted with the one of which you speak. However, for the last few days this week, a pony with a coat of gold wanders these woods in a cloak so old. I have kept my peace when he is near, for it is him the forest seems to fear." Zecora moved back over to stir the pot in the center of the room that was always bubbling with something every time Twilight had been here. "He's the one we're worried about," Twilight said as she sat beside the pot. "Although," Twilight had to sort out her thoughts a bit. "He didn't seem like a bad pony, just scary. I mean, he did save us from timberwolves. I'm more worried about what the corrupting influence of the amulet would do to somepony like him." "Do you know the reason for what he seeks?" Zecora asked. "For what you have seen of him seems to be limited to just a peek." "He did seem to want to avoid sharing anything about himself," Twilight reflected. "As for the fear he exudes, it may not be from evil that it intrudes," Zecora stepped away from her stirring and stepped over to some herbs on a nearby table. "A life full of either adventure or woe, can make the softest of hearts appear to be foe. He may just see it as his own burden to bear, and is not used to having others who care." "You think about this kind of thing a lot, don't you?" Twilight asked. Zecora gave a small chuckle and tossed a few more herbs into the pot before she resumed stirring. "I have much time to meditate on the facts of life, so it is not hard to imagine one who deals with strife." Zecora seemed to freeze for a moment, "I now have a new concern about your stay. Are you sure you were not followed here today? For the sounds outside my home have grown quiet. Usually the forest is stirring up quite a riot." Twilight grew still as her ears swiveled to catch the sounds of the forest that had been ever present on their journey here. She only found silence as her eye's narrowed to pinpricks. She was about to break the silence when... "Hey! Get away from there!" Came Rainbow's shout from outside. Twilight broke into a run as she scrambled for the door, Zecora close on her heels. She threw the door open and jumped outside and hastily began to look for the source of the shouting. "This isn't your house! Don't think you can be messing with it!" Came another shout from Rainbow. Twilight looked up into the branches of the tree to see Rainbow hovering close to a pony wrapped in a green aura and floating by the upper branches of Zecora's home. There was no mistaking who it was. The green cloak obscuring his features and the glowing green eyes were a dead giveaway. The Everfree Shade was rummaging around a bunch of various containers that had been secured in the upper branches of the tree. He seemed particularly driven with the way he was moving, like a pony who had a very good reason to get excited. "Stay back, Rainbow Dash. This doesn't concern you," the Shade said as he continued to look through the multitude of containers strewn throughout the branches. Twilight looked to Zecora, "it's up there isn't it?" She asked only to get a nod in return. "I do not know how he knows it is there," she said. "Of its presence, he should not be aware." "He can see magic," Twilight pondered to herself as she activated her recently acquired ability. As she looked up into the branches of the tree with her newly enhanced vision, her gaze passed over the Shade. What she saw made her blood freeze in her veins. She snapped her gaze to Zecora, "where is it? We need to get it away from here, now!" Zecora didn't stop to question what Twilight was doing with her eyes, but instead shouted up to Rainbow, "Rainbow Dash, if you would be so kind, bring me the box wrapped with twine!" "On it!" Shouted Rainbow as she zipped ahead of the Shade and scooped up something from the top of the tree. "Is this the one?!" She quickly flew down from the tree carrying what appeared to be just a simple package. She had only made it halfway down when the Shade leapt off the tree, hooves outstretched as he grabbed onto the other end of the box. Rainbow, not expecting to be carrying the extra weight of another pony, was pulled down to the ground in an awkward tumble of fur and feathers. Twilight, not wasting any time, teleported forward and lunged for the box. She managed to wrestle it away from them in the chaos and quickly teleported away with the box in hoof. Rainbow, having recovered from the shock, quickly jumped away and flew over to where Twilight had reappeared near Zecora. Rainbow looked at her friend and immediately noticed how pale Twilight face was looking beneath her magenta glowing eyes. "What's wrong Twilight? You look like you've seen a ghost." Twilight raise a hoof shakily as she pointed it at the form standing across from them. She had seen something in her magical vision. Something that chilled her down to her very soul. The Shade was shrouded in shadow, shadow that wrapped all around his body. However what really made it feel like her heart would stop, was the face she could see transposed over his own. Those eyes, that mane, and especially that horn, she knew who they belonged to. That face belonged to King Sombra.