//------------------------------//
// 35 - The Horror 
// Story: Ghost of the Everfree 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Three average mares. If the average mare also had a beaver? One of them smiled at Dry curiously. "So, you're from there? Everglow?" She waved at herself and her sisters. "We've been. Nice place." She turned her hoof back to herself. "I'm Rose, by the way. We're all druids, trained in Prisma.  You know what that is?"

Dry bobbed his head quickly. "Druids are natural spellcasters. There are very very few of them in the ether, but I know of them." He offered a hoof. "I'm a cleric, priest of Princess Luminace."

Rose met his hoof in a firm clop. "Luminace... I think Twilight mentioned them... Anyway hi!"

"Hi," burst out Silver, rejoining the conversation. "We came for a reason. We're making a club for ponies that cast Everglow spells, and you qualify. Wanna join?!"

Daisy inclined her head. "Hmm... Is it dangerous?"

Dry pointed at the tower. "Twilight will be there."

Lily chuckled softly. "That is not the assurance of safety you think it is... Sure, she usually works it out in the end, but getting there can be quite a trip."

Rose nodded at Lily. "Right? Still, she saved us from Everglow. It'd be kind of rude to snub her magic club."

Daisy raised a hoof, heat shimmering from it. "We're not as helpless as we used to be."

Lily hugged that beaver. "Not that we want to fight or anything... but we're not helpless."

Silver nodded softly. "Great. I'll let Twilight know you're coming. Say, since I think she's a druid too, do you know how to reach out to Tree Hugger?"

Rose perked. "Ole Hugger?" The three giggled as one. "Easiest way to reach her is to ask Fluttershy. Those two are thick as thieves."

Lily sat up, watching Silver Spoon. "I heard you got lost in Everglow. Glad you're back. Sorry for not saying that earlier... but if you're joining this club, you have to have magic too. What do you do?"

"It's alright." Silver pointed at Dry. "I'm like him. We both love Princess Luminace, praises to her and anyone who wishes to be a friend."

Dry dared to lean against Silver, and wasn't pushed away for it. "I am a cleric. She is a warpriest. There are small differences."

Rose's ears pricked right up. "Is that like our orders? I'm stone."

"Animal." Lily hugged her beaver for emphasis.

"Fire." Daisy clapped her smoldering hooves together. "Different paths, but all druids. You two sound like you're on different paths to the same basic thing too."

Silver hummed. "I never thought of it that way... Thanks. I'm actually happier, knowing we're closer than I thought." She squeezed her boyfriend firmly with one arm. "We'll go bother Fluttershy, see if we can't get Tree Hugger in."

The flower mares waved as the two headed off. Rose leaned towards the others. "They are so in love. It's adorable."

"Right!?" Lily burst into fresh giggles. "It was so cute..."

Daisy tapped her chin slowly. "I hope they aren't getting into trouble... Alright, let's get ready to visit Twilight and talk about magic things." With a noise of approval, they got to preparing.





Fluttershy opened her door. "Oh, Dry Whisper. Lovely to see you."

Silver cocked a brow.

"And you," Fluttershy quickly amended with a nervous smile. "We haven't talked as much... Um... Silver Spoon was it?"

"You got it. We're on the hunt for, like, all the Everglow spell users." Silver adjusted her glasses.

Dry took up from there, "And we heard your friend, Tree Hugger, is a part of that. So we want to ask her."

Fluttershy pinned an ear back. "Oh... I never went. I can't say I'm eager to change that... Still, Tree Hugger doesn't seem to have as bad a memory of it as I do."

Silver leaned in, peeing at Fluttershy. "If you were never even there, like, how do you have any memories of it?"

Dry nudged against Silver. "Don't make Miss Fluttershy uncomfortable."

Fluttershy took a deep, sharp breath. "It's alright... Everglow came here, don't you remember?" She was looking at Silver Spoon with that question. "They caused a lot of damage, and I was trying to help... I didn't go to Everglow, but I got to meet some of it... and it didn't go that well."

Dry shrank back. "Oh... I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't want to upset you. You've been nothing but kind to me."

Fluttershy reached to muss Dry's poofy mane. "You didn't do a thing wrong. Are you still taking photos?"

"I got a little distracted... but yes." He reached into his pocket, which was still a new thing, and casually produced the camera. Equestrian ponies had a built in bag of holding. That part was a pretty nice part of being an Equestrian pony. "I'm not using it as often lately... Did you want it back?"

Fluttershy put up her hooves, barring the approach of the camera. "It's yours."

Dry flopped to his haunches. "W-what? That... You are too kind, Miss Fluttershy. Isn't this artifact too... I can't accept that much of a gift!"

Silver threw a leg over him. "It's just a camera. It's not that expensive. And if you don't let her give it to you, I'll do it, and you wouldn't refuse your suitor's gift, now would you?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened, hooves dropping. "Suitor?!"

Silver Spoon colored faintly, realizing this was news to Fluttershy. "Y-yeah! Like... I'm suiting Dry." She waved between herself and Dry Whisper. "If that's alright?"

"That is more of a question for your parents." Fluttershy looked amazed more than anything else, gaping at the foals. "Do... you plan to get married?"

Silver waved that off. "Maybe later. Like, I know we're foals. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy a little practice." She rubbed her side against Dry's. "I like being girl/boy friends, and maybe we'll stick with it... Later."

Dry was beet red, squirming in place. "I'm enjoying being courted, even if I didn't see this coming. I admit, I'm not used to the idea of courting that does not end in denial or marriage, but I can wait. Silver Spoon is worth it so far."

Silver pawed at him. "Stop that! You monster." She pounced him, delivering a firm hug of approval for his words.

Fluttershy giggled softly. "Well... that sounds lovely. I wish you both the best of luck, in finding happiness and how you fit with each other. Now, about Tree Hugger. She'll stop by in a few days. Do you still stay at the clubhouse?"

Dry pointed, still laying on his back. "I'm living at Scootaloo's house with her aunts. They're so nice, giving me a place to stay. I get my own room!" His eyes shined, that still a nice thing to have. "You can lock the door."

Silver pawed at her pinned coltfriend. "Stop looking that happy about a door. If it wasn't completely inappropriate, like, I'd hook you up at my house. Then you'd be living in luxury."

Dry sat up, helping Silver to her haunches. "Oh goodness, no... I couldn't do that while we're courting."

"That's what I said." She gave a last gentle swat. "You're lucky I know Scootaloo, or I might get jealous."

Fluttershy smiled at the foalish antics. "I don't imagine Scootaloo is terribly interested." She wouldn't have thought Silver Spoon was ready yet, but that had been proven quite firmly. "Besides, her aunts wouldn't allow anything inappropriate."

Silver perked. "You met them?"

"Oh, my, yes." Fluttershy nodded firmly. "A lot of us grown ponies share in keeping an eye on Scootaloo, so I have plenty of opportunity to chat with them once in a while. It's been less since they've moved into town."

Dry inclined his head. "Them being closer gives you less chance to speak to them?"

"Strangely, yes." Fluttershy smiled as she thought back. "Now that they're here, they take care of Scootaloo more consistently, so the rest of us aren't called on as often. It's better for Scootaloo to have a stable source of supervision." She giggled softly. "Even if Rainbow Dash misses her Big Sister Watching Time."

Silver prodded at Dry's side. "If she didn't have an adult around, I'd be more worried about you sharing a house with her. It's not, like, appropriate for a filly and a colt to share a house by themselves. Downright strange... Unless they're related, of course."

"About Tree Hugger." Fluttershy pivoted back towards the original topic. "I'll come to Scootaloo's house, or point her there, when she stops by."

Dry bobbed his head and hopped up to all fours. "Thank you so much, Miss Fluttershy. Luminace smiles on you and the friendship you provide."

Fluttershy giggled softly. "Oh, well... thank you."

Silver began nudging Dry away. "See you later!"





"Dry!" He jumped, startled by the call of one of Scoot's aunts. "A pony's here to see you."

Dry hurried from his room to the front door. It was already open, and a pony stood there. Equestrian, of course, but also different. her hair was done up in big dreadlocks. She had a calm smile and her eyes were only half opened as if she were sleepy. "Woah... Your chakras are far out, colt."

He blinked at the new pony. "Hello?"

"Hey." She leaned in, taking a casual sniff of Dry Whisper. "Wow, you smell like that other place. Have you been to Everglow?"

Dry started. "It has a smell?! Um, yes. I'm from there." He rubbed behind his head. "Oh, Tree Hugger?"

"That's me." She pointed to herself as if that wasn't clear already. "Like, Fluttershy said you wanted to talk to me? What's up, Everglow colt?"

Dry clopped with a radiant smile. "Nice to meet you! I heard you're a druid. We're forming a spellcaster club, there." He pointed to Twilight's tower. "For ponies who use Everglow magic, like you and me."

"Far out." She looked to the tower and back to Dry. "You cast spells too? Wicked... Are they nice spells?"

"Very nice," he assured with a firm nod. "I can heal and support ponies."

"Awesome." She reached for his head, mussing his mane gently. "That's a really nice magic. I'm a druid, but you know that already. I commune with nature." She paused for no ready reason, gazing off into nothing. "Your nature is a little odd, colt," she said, breaking the silence as suddenly as it started. "Like, way far out."

Dry inclined his head. "Well, I am from Everglow... That nature and Equestria nature's not the same... but I'm not here to hurt anything."

"Nah..." She kept right on stroking the top of his head. "No way. You have a good vibe, just a different one is all. Who's going to be at that club, besides you?"

Dry pointed all the more firmly. "Twilight, the crusaders, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and Pinkie Pie. Oh! And the flower mares." He turned his point towards their stand, even if not in direct sight.

"Woah, cool." Tree drew her hoof back. "Rose and the girls? If they're there, I'll show up. They attract a fun time." She winked at Dry. "Even if they'd rather not." She seemed sedately amused at the flower girl's plight.

Dry blinked at that. "They said the same thing about Miss Sparkle."

"Which means having them all, like, together, means something interesting is even more likely to happen. Somepony has to be there to keep an eye on them, you know?" She nudged Dry. "You'll help, right?"

Dry smiled at that. "If I can, Miss Hugger. I'm hoping we can talk about magic." He brought his hooves together. "Maybe we can all learn some things."

"That sounds fun too. Plenty of reasons to be there, so count me in." She turned from the door. "I didn't know there were so many kinds of Everglow magic, like, far out. I want to see them all." Confident that going to the meeting would give her a chance to do that, she walked off with her sleepy smile.

Dry closed the door behind her. "That went well..."