//------------------------------// // Bits and Pieces // Story: Athanasia // by Joel //------------------------------// Everfree sat atop a mossy boulder in her grove, holding her knees to her chest as she gave herself a tight embrace. Like a statue atop its pedestal, she was unmoving, roots were beginning to creep their way up the rock, and onto her, growing unnaturally fast. Even when they made contact, the woodland spirit did not budge, allowing the sensation of another being to touch her, even if it lacked the warmth of a breathing creature. The days between her seeing her friends were always difficult. Before having met the mother and daughter, she would occupy her days cleansing parts of the forest, or tending to small areas to bring them back to their old glory, but lately, it just felt worthless. The Forest was fighting back with such intensity and ferocity, and the groves that were healed would soon succumb to the ever-persistent shadow which loomed above. Instead of wasting her time, she simply sat, waiting for the days to pass by. Photosynthesizing in the rays of sunlight which beamed down from the heavens above. Not that she could survive off only the radiation of the sun, she would need to eat at some point, but like many things, Everfree had lost the drive to act on her pangs of hunger until it became more dire. To put it simply, Everfree was depressed. She was losing touch with her surroundings as she continued to sit atop her sediment throne. Her visit to Ponyville had made her realise she wasn't made for social interaction with the normal populace. Rescued ponies she could handle, they eased into talking with her, not knowing who or what she was. For all they knew she was just a protective spirit in the woods, a ghost. Little did they know that she essentially was one. Haunting her residence, making the Forest one big haunted house. She took breaths, she ate, she drank, she even smiled, but there was an ever-growing hole inside of her, which never seemed to fill. And so, Everfree waited atop her boulder, and the roots continued their climb uninterrupted. Halting their persistent march when they reached the top half of her arms. Instead of flowers or leaves beginning to sprout, thorns began to erupt outwards, like a protective spiky shield from the outside world. Twilight Sparkle had received a letter from Canterlot, with a wax seal indicating that it was from both of the Princesses. She was surprised her last letter warranted the attention of both sisters but wasted no time in opening it. She blinked and reread passages, trying to ensure that these words were saying what was written. By the time she was done, she must've bored holes through the scroll with how intensely she scanned it. Both Princesses were coming to Ponyville, and while ensuring there was no danger, asked the Elements of Harmony to keep themselves on standby for when the two would enter the Everfree Forest - alone. No royal guards, no Twilight, just the two sisters. That zebra, she knew something was off about her, and the Princesses had seen it as a big enough issue to confront them themselves. Her mind raced as she thought of all the possibilities, maybe she was an ancient villain from before Twilight was born, maybe she was a new threat which was to be nipped in the bud immediately. She sent messages to her friends to come round to her castle/library, wanting to inform them of what was happening - and to be ready for anything. Celestia and Luna had informed the castle that duties would be put on hold for a couple of days while they dealt with a political issue in the Badlands - a white lie to ensure that ponies wouldn't be coming to summits to try to talk about issues, only to enter an empty throne room. It wasn't smart to leave the castle without at least one of them to handle things, but with a matter such as this, they decided it wasn't fair to send just one of them to meet their old carer. The two had known their parents, but they had passed very early in their lives, and the woodland spirit had essentially raised them in their absence. They knew Everfree would never call what she did 'parenting', but in all honesty, it's what it was. They had taught the sisters how to fly, had gone on adventures with them, and had fights with Starswirl when his lessons were too straining on the young fillies. They could both remember the yelling matches they would have and how fierce and angry the spirit's voice would become when she would meet her wit's end with the stubborn unicorn. Her yelling would shake the very foundations of the Earth, and it's a miracle the stallion survived into his old age. She never yelled in front of the sisters though, she would drag Starswirl by his mane or tail into a separate room or area of the forest, and then begin to dig into him. It was just an unfortunate side-effect that even out of sight, her voice could be heard from all over. And after it was done, she would return to the fillies with a smile on her face, and her hair only slightly razzled. There were also the times that she would choose to live in her pony form, a magnificent large Alicorn, a pale green coat, and a pastel purple mane which flowed in an ethereal wind. She couldn't use pony magic, but her own still worked perfectly fine, appearing as if it would come from her horn as she willed the earth to her own will. While Starswirl would have taken the credit for it, the two sisters knew that without Everfree's advice, they would have never been able to tame the celestial bodies after they had begun to malfunction in the sky. The two ruler's minds were swimming with distant memories and interrupting thoughts, what would the spirit say to them after all this time? The last time they had both spoken with her, they were both without the other. Luna had confronted the spirit as her mind turned dark, trying to find some reason for her accursed thoughts. Celestia had visited the grove shortly after banishing her sister to the moon, wanting some familiar comfort and redemption for her actions - and she had received neither. Everfree had barely been able to look at the older sister, and when she did, her eyes were red and puffy. Celestia had tried to hug her but reared back in horror as the spirit took a step back from the pony and her eyes went from sorrow to a very deep anger. She wouldn't forget the words she received that day, no, she figured she'd remember them for the rest of her life. 'It's been a thousand years, who knows what she'll think of us now?' The sun ruler thought. Being back at her sister's side calmed her turbulent inner speech, 'We're together again, that's what matters.' Around midday, the Princesses arrived at Ponyville. The two had gone straight to Twilight's castle, to not draw a crowd or raise any suspicions. There they met up with six collected ponies and began to inform them of what was happening. "Deep in the Everfree Forest, there are tales of a guardian of the woods. They've been written about in children's stories, as a protector of the lost, leading them to safety. These stories are true." Twilight, as one would expect, was writing all this information down, raising her head to ask, "The zebra, Everfree Winters, she's connected to them?" Applejack raised an eyebrow, never having heard the first name. "She did give off a crazy feeling, I knew the mare wasn't tellin' me everything." The farmer said, tilting her stetson back with a hoof. She and Twilight had discussed their meetings with the zebra to each other, trying to connect any dots - or at the very least, try and find the dots which wouldn't. Luna nodded, taking over from her sister. "The zebra is not just connected to them, we suspect she is them. She has the power to shift, and from what we can tell, she appeared as a zebra to not raise any alarms in Ponyville with her normal body. It's one not commonly seen. In fact, we suspect she is the only one of her kind." Celestia and Luna had never known for absolute certain that the spirit was the only human, but they had never found any evidence for the contrary. The two had gone on an adventure with the woman in the past, to try and discover more like her, and ended up with empty hooves. "Why would she show up now, Princess?" Applejack asked, turning towards the two after peeking at some of the notes Twilight had been scribbling down. Celestia spoke this time, "Twilight had written to us about how she seemed to be in care for a foal, a Dinky Hooves. The spirit has always been protective of the young, and we imagine that the Hooves family has become close to her." Celestia informed the group, taking note of the reactions of the less vocal. Pinkie Pie was, as always, bubbling with excitement. A possible new friend, a new party to plan, and more treats to bake. Rarity was silent, rubbing her chin with a hoof, imagining if her younger sister had ever met this creature. Rainbow Dash was uncharacteristically quiet, simply staring at the others. Fluttershy was hiding behind her mane, trying to recall if any of her animals had ever spoken of the spirit. "We will be going into the forest, to try and find its guardian. Many years ago, we were once close to her, and we hope to try and reestablish this bond. While we are away, we ask that whoever of you is closest to the Hooves' family try and find out any further information about their time with the zebra." Responding to Luna's words, Twilight and Rainbow Dash perked up. The purple pony had given magic lessons to Dinky before, as she was sometimes requested to make an appearance in the schoolhouse to help out, while the blue pegasus had worked with Derpy various times, and was an old classmate. Celestia finished off, "Good, we will not be gone too long, my little ponies. We shall aim to be back shortly after nightfall. If we have not returned by tomorrow morning, we ask that you come and find us. I will write a letter to you, Twilight, once we have met with her." "Are you sure you're not in any danger, Princess? I dread to think would may happen if you two are in any trouble." Rarity questioned, the two Princesses looked upon her with a calming gaze. They shook their heads as Luna responded. "We see no risk in this trip Miss Rarity, we are only wary that we may be caught up in our discussions and lose track of time." The group split up, and the two Princesses headed towards the Everfree forest, while the others planned on how best to approach the topic with the family involved. Once inside its borders, the two Alicorns anxiously looked around, and the younger of the two asked, "Do you still remember the old ritual, sister?" "I'll never forget it, Luna." The two looked to the sky, as the wind flowed through the leaves above them, the air was warm, and the smell of flowers drifted past. Springtime always brought a plethora of warm and pleasant feelings, and they each sang a familiar melody, hoping it would be carried to their old guardian. Everfree finally shifted from her seat. the vines falling from her as she looked up to the tree canopy. Someone was calling, but she sensed no danger, only an anxious tone to the words. She recognised the voices immediately, a little older perhaps, but they were her girls. She did not respond, trying to shake off her own feelings as she got up to walk to her stone desk. An aged mirror was resting against a large willow tree which stood behind the table. Looking at her face, she groaned as she saw how her hair had become tangled and frizzed in all different directions. Her eyes had large dark bags below them, and her skin was dry. Figuring the two who had called for her could afford to wait, she sat herself down on a homemade wooden chair in front of the mirror and table. She brushed her hair with a comb which had been a gift from a rescued foal many years ago. It was made from a chiselled from a piece of dead wood, and had a small 'thank you' engrained on its surface above the teeth. As she tried to tame her hair, she looked at the edges of the mirror. Pinned to the sides were various pieces of paper, all decorated with children's drawings, a foal with a ghostly deer, or masked biped. The newest addition was the drawing Dinky had done while in Everfree's ward, of the mother and daughter enjoying a picnic with the human, drinking from a mug. The oldest piece, however, crinkled and brown from its many years, was of three ponies, Two Alicorns, one with a pink mane, and another with a dark blue coat and a lighter mane. The third was wearing a wizard's hat and cloak. It was evident less effort was put into his sketch. Next to the trio was a drawing of Everfree, with long black hair which was exaggerated to fall just below her knees, a large smile drawn on her face, with her eyes both being little spirals. The woman touched the paper, hands drifting over those ancient inscriptions. She sighed as a bird landed nearby, and tweeted to her. The two interlopers were drifting further into the forest, not quite knowing their destination. Everfree equipped her mask and put on a tight chest piece made from plant fibre, some roots forming an x shape across her chest and stomach. Branches stuck out at irregular angles, giving off the impression of multiple limbs - and with the wearer's powers, they essentially were. Her trousers ended in ripped fabric, leaving her ankles and feet bare. This garb wasn't one she usually put on, only for times when she may be in danger. Not from the Alicorn sisters, but from any wild creatures attracted to their strong magical presence. Most knew better than to try and attack the woman, but some young and foolishly brave ones may not recognise who the alpha of this land was. She heard her call again, the younger of the two had tried summoning her, and Everfree could tell from the tone, she was a lot less sure of herself. Again, she didn't respond but she left the safety of her grove to try and find them before something else did. Luna and Celestia were lost. They knew of the existence of the protected hollow in the woods, but couldn't recall its exact whereabouts, and were left stumbling around in the dark underbrush. Their calls to Everfree had been fruitless, hearing nothing in return. They become growingly anxious about whether the mare spotted in Ponyville really was who they had thought - or that she simply did not want to see the pair. Nevertheless, they continued deeper. At the very least, they could pay the old castle a visit, and see how it had been fairing in the chaotic weather of this forest. Both knew they would leave this area feeling substantially worse if the only thing they were able to achieve was some sightseeing. "Sister, do you remember the songs Everfree used to play for us when we were young?" Luna asked. "I do, Luna. She would make all those instruments from hoof, you know." responded the older sister, turning to Luna with a smile. "From hand, Tia, not hoof." smugly retorted the younger Alicorn. "Now you sound like her." Celestia sighed, her face falling to a smirk as she remembered all the times their teacher would softly correct them, or push the buttons of Starswirl by interrupting him and rectifying his statements. The two trudged on. This area of the forest had shown signs of purifying magic, one they both recognised as Everfree's handiwork, but never could find a trail to follow. It was sparse, and it was evident the forest had been fighting back. Something had been wrong with the forest ever since they had both talked to its guardian last. A curse, some chaotic force, was placed on it - not by Discord's doing, but asking him about it wouldn't be a bad idea. Well, if they could put up with this pestering and jeering. The noises of the forest were putting the two on edge, a branch cracking in the distance, or a bird suddenly taking flight above. Constantly whipping their heads around to try and spot whatever had made the disturbance, sighing slightly as they saw a rabbit or small fox run into the distance. It had been two hours since they breached the forest. The castle wasn't too far off now, another 20-minute trek if they didn't get lost or sidetracked. Unbeknownst to the pair, they had a stalker in the underbrush. It had been silently following them for a while now, waiting for a perfect moment to strike. A young manticore. From the looks of it, it had only been on its own for a handful of months. Its stomach growled as it pursued its prey, having not eaten in days. It gazed upon the pair with hungry eyes as they walked into an opening in the woods - a more suitable place to attack, it did not know. The two ponies, radiating such immense amounts of magic, would keep the beast filled for a week, maybe two if it managed to saviour the meals. It pushed itself lower to the ground, waving its rear end higher, and just as the white one slowed down, it - Be Afraid. Suddenly, an entire group of voices yelled inside of its head. A deep booming dialect which felt more like bass than it did something conceivable, overlayed with a harsh whisper, that carried the weight of the whole world. The manticore whimpered, and the two ponies were suddenly aware of its presence. The pair staring at him, both lowering their horns in preparation for an attack, combined with the voices of God assaulting its mind, made the manticore flee in terror. It sprinted off in the opposite direction, huffing and puffing as it felt the eyes of something following. It paused once it was a respectable distance away, huffing as it tried to catch its breath. It froze as a figure approached from its side. Its arms were raised, and it lowered its body to the ground to make itself appear smaller. Its eyes were a pair of hypnotizing white spirals, and a wooden limb reached behind its back as it approached. The manticore, still traumatised from what had just happened, backpedalled. Suddenly, the beast's mind was invaded by the voice again. Shh, you're ok now. Those two aren't for you. The masked being stared at the living myth that stood in front of her and watched as it tried to locate where the voices were coming from. Its eyes landed on the woman and suddenly took a swipe at her with one of its huge claws. 'Well,' she thought, jumping back, 'you know what they say about being backed into a corner.' The manticore continued to swipe mindlessly, rearing up on its hind legs as one of the creature's wooded limbs brought forward something wrapped in cloth. Something that smelled delicious. It was slowly unwrapped, and once it was revealed, the biped stepped back. It was a chunk of raw meat. Or, at the very least, something that looked and smelled like it. The fear left the beast immediately, its hungry stomach deciding to take over for its brain. It took a sniff of the meal in front of it and then started to eat. Everfree smiled beneath her mask. The manticore didn't need to know it was a substitute piece of meat made from various plants. It was filled with the proteins it would need, by her design - it was something she would find herself eating ever since she became a vegetarian all those aeons ago. Her work done, she turned around, mentally preparing herself for what was about to come. The two Princesses had retreated to the abandoned castle nearby, suddenly aware of the threats they hadn't properly prepared for in these woods. They were both sat on the ancient stone flooring trying to catch their breath following their galloping to retreat from that scenario. "Sister, something scared that manticore off, and it wasn't us," Luna said between deep gulps of air, eyeing the white Alicorn opposite, who had her eyes closed as her head was pointed to the ceiling. She nodded her head slightly in response to the words, though whether she had actually heard them or not, Luna didn't know. Being the first to get back to her feet, Luna began to let her eyes wander around the castle's foyer. Shaking her head from uninvited memories of her return to the planet after the one thousand years she spent alone. Where once great stained glass windows filled the windows, there were now empty gaping holes to the outside world, ones which shrubs and creeping vines had used to invade the interior. A majority of the plant life was a dull dark green, almost void of life, but there were spots where beautiful blooming flowers had taken root, evidence of another who had visited these halls. Luna felt a smile grow on her face as she took note of the colours, there were daffodils and nightshades. The two flowers their old teacher had grown for them both when they were younger. Luna sat on her haunches to gaze upon them and smiled at her sister as she moved to her side to join her. They were silent, simply enjoying the moment of peace following the explosion of activity a little while ago. Celestia began her own inspection of the castle, taking note of the cracks and signs of destruction from a battle between the pair, and in the corner of her eye, she saw her. In the doorway to the entrance, there was a figure silhouetted by the light outside, making her almost seem like a shadow. Two glowing spiral eyes atop a horned mask betrayed the sight, however. Celestia poked her sister and nodded towards the biped as Luna turned to her quizzically. The older sister heard her gasp and saw little pinpricks of tears start to develop in her glistening eyes as she stared at the figure. It was her, their friend, their old teacher, their pseudo-mother. Everfree, the Guardian of the Forest. She did not move from where she stood, but her head turned as she looked at the two ponies. Her shoulders slumped, and a hand, which was quivering ever so slightly, gripped the bottom of her mask and pulled it off. "You girls have grown so much." A whisper so delicate it was almost drowned out by a gale of wind passing by outside. The Princesses stared at her face and saw that much like Luna, she too was crying. The ponies picked themselves up off the floor and slowly started to approach. Everfree wanted to flee, to become a bird and fly as far away as she could. So much had happened, so much time had passed. The last time she saw the two of them, she was angry and bitter. She said things she regretted mere moments after they had left her mouth and never apologised for. Were the two disappointed in her? To see what had become of the once-great woman, one who could shape mountains and move planets, now just a faded spirit. A woman too old for her own body, someone not worth the land she stood upon. A relic of times long past. They were here to tell her not to go to Ponyville again. That ponies shouldn't be around her, she was too volatile, too wild. A danger to the children she sought to protect. It was the only thing that made sense, why else would they have come? She gasped as the sisters were suddenly upon her, hugging her tight. Luna's tears were flowing now, little waterfalls falling from her snout, and Celestia was no better off. The pair sobbed into her chest, returning to their days of young fillies lost in the woods, who had been saved from a roaming Hydra by an alien creature wrapped in ripped clothing. The ponies continued to cry, and so did Everfree, wrapping her arms around the two. They were together again, all sobbing into a huddled cuddle. The two sisters had found their mother, and they were a family once again. A fire had been started in the castle, a little pit surrounded by some collected rubble from the collapsed walls. Celestia and Luna had lowered and raised their celestial bodies a short while ago, as Everfree watched with pride that filled the hole in her chest that threatened to swallow her whole in the morning. Both ponies had grown since she had last seen them. Celestia was now at eye level, while Luna just about reached her chin - not including their horns. After their crying session, they had all calmed down, simply looking at each other with puffy red eyes and smiles plastered on their faces. Everfree had nodded towards the castle lobby, and the two ponies watched as she collected some dried wood and twigs for a fire. They said nothing for a while, just giggling at the fact that they were all here, together again. Once the two completed their duties, Celestia finally spoke. "I told my student that we would be back shortly after the sunset." The white alicorn looked at Luna and could tell she was thinking the same thing - that neither of them wanted to leave after having just reunited with Everfree. The woman chuckled behind a hand. "I'm assuming that pony, Twilight? She seems like a real stickler for the rules." She put a finger to her chin, "You know, she reminds me of someone else." There was a mischievous glint in the human's eyes. Luna laughed, "Don't get us started, she's a big fan of Starswirl. She dresses up as him every Nightmare Night." Everfree's eyes flashed with joy as she imagined the old grout having a fangirl. "She would go quite crazy if you mentioned you knew him, Miss Everfree." The spirit raised an eyebrow, "Still Miss, huh?" Celestia giggled at the look her sister was receiving, who began to panic as she realised she might have misstepped. The woman had always had this effect on the two, she would pick out certain phrases they would say and delve into them and leave the two fillies as blubbering messes trying to explain themselves. "I meant no disrespect!" Luna cried, looking at her sister with pleading eyes, who just responded with a shake of her head, allowing the sister to dig herself out of the hole. "Would you prefer I call you teacher? Ma'am? Mother?" The Princess stopped, knowing that she had just dug herself even deeper. Celestia looked at Everfree, who had been smugly staring at Luna until her final words, where her smile dropped suddenly. The woman looked down, and flapped her mouth a few times like a fish, trying to find the right words to say. Luna was about to say even more but was silenced by a poke from Celestia. "Is that how you see me? Still? After all this time... I..." Everfree took a deep breath, "I didn't think you would still think of me like that." This time Luna was left speechless, and Celestia decided to speak for her. "Everfree, I know you never wanted us to call you that when we were young, but, you taught us so many things. More than just magic lessons, like Starswirl. You taught us how to fly, how to laugh again, you taught us we could still love. Our mother and father may be gone, but you're the closest thing we ever had to them, following their passing." She could feel her eyes threatening to erupt again, somehow still not drained of all the tears. "If anyone is deserving of the title, it would be you, if we are deserving to be yours." Everfree stared at the ponies in front of her. They were adults, women. But at that moment, as they looked at her with pleading eyes over the fire, she was whisked away into an old memory. There were three ponies surrounding a fire, all silent as they looked towards the human who was sitting on a fallen log opposite. "I'm sorry, girls, I really don't know how much help I'll be. This man, err, stallion, he would be a lot more suited to help teach you things. I wouldn't know where to even begin." A small dark blue Alicorn filly cried out, "But Miss Free! We want you! You're fun to play with, and you make us laugh!" The white filly next to her joined in, "Please! Starswirl isn't any fun! Can't you just stay with us?" Everfree looked at the three of them, Starswirl had harrumphed and turned his head away, but side-eyed the woman as he awaited her response. The two foals were crawling ever closer, hooves together, praying to the biped to stay with them. She liked her forest, she liked her solitude, and she didn't expect to be roped into this bizarre trio after having only met them a couple of hours ago when she heard the two girls screaming. Would she be raising these ponies? She barely knew the stallion, but even she knew that he wouldn't be able to help them with other skills. 'Ugh, why can I never escape the babysitting job?' Everfree thought to herself, remembering an old life. She groaned, running her hand down her face, looking down upon her crude wooden mask. She looked up at the group and opened her mouth to say - "Okay, girls." Everfree fingered the wooden knots on her mask, scrubbing away some dirt which had fallen in. The two Princesses smiled and leaned closer. "I... I think that would be okay with me." The woman looked at the two, remembering all their adventures, all their giggling fits at the jokes they made, or pranks they pulled on Starswirl. For a long time, she always imagined herself as an older sister. But, as they all grew up, she found herself feeling differently, which was further complicated by a young Luna choosing to call her 'mummy'. The trio laughed as they reminisced over the fire, thinking of all the times Celestia had tried baking, not quite following the advice of Everfree, or the times Starswirl would walk in to find the two foals sleeping on the woman, who had a storybook in her hands. Celestia suddenly gasped, "I forgot to send Twilight a letter!" Luna and Everfree gave each other a look as they watched the mare sloppily scratch out a note in a quill she pulled from thin air, and set it ablaze with a green fire. "The Elements of Harmony, I'm guessing you told them about me?" Everfree asked the younger sister, who was snuggled into her side, the human's arm wrapped around the pony. "Only the very basics." She replied, smiling as her sister panted from her sudden explosion of activity. "What did you say to Twilight, sister?" Celestia calmed herself down, and returned to her spot on the opposite side of Everfree, humming gently as a hand was placed behind her ears and began to scratch. "I told her we were safe and found who we were looking for." "My last meeting with her didn't go too pleasantly, I wouldn't mind being able to apologise to her and the cowgirl," Everfree snapped her fingers, trying to remember their name. "Applejack! Apologise to Twilight and Applejack." "What for?" Luna asked "For being me, I guess," Everfree replied, her voice lowering. The two sisters leaned forward and gave each other a knowing nod. "Well, how about we return to them now? I'm sure it will be a lot easier to meet them all if you have us at your side," Celestia said. The woman looked at her, her eyes shifting to stare at the Princess' pupils. Slowly, she nodded. The trio stood themselves up, Everfree groaning a bit as her back cracked. She kicked some dirt into the firepit, extinguishing it, and then used her powers to will a small tree sapling to sprout from the ash. Finishing her work, she looked to the night sky, taking in the sight of all the twinkling stars above. Luna beamed at her from below, happy to see her enjoy the sky she had created. "Hey girls," Everfree said, using a tone the two were very familiar with, "how about we play a prank?" 'There she is', Celestia thought, as smirks grew on the trio's faces. "Oh pray tell." "I'll need to use some of your magic, last time I did something similar I got a very bad headache." "I don't think she could've been more vague if she tried!" cried Twilight, who for the umpteenth time was rereading the scroll that had arrived thirty minutes ago. Rarity had been sitting next to her, not quite listening, but not quite ignoring the purple Alicorn. "Darling, they're the Princesses, I'm sure there's no need to worry." The white unicorn said as she inspected her hooves. Rainbow Dash had left to speak to Derpy shortly after the two rulers ventured into the forest, Fluttershy was outside asking some of the wildlife if they had ever met with the spirit, and the remaining four were left inside, with not much to do other than scan some ancient textbooks for any further information. The yellow pegasus had gotten some odd responses, the birds were being very secretive with her. One of them had slipped up and had let it be known that there was something inside the forest, but never expanded any further. She tried to bribe them with some birdseed but it was to no avail. She huffed into her hair and sat down on the grass, the stars were particularly beautiful tonight. She enjoyed her time alone listening to the sound of wildlife preparing to sleep, or the song and dance of nearby crickets. "Fluttershy, I hope all is well?" She yelped in surprise at the sudden visitor next to her, and shakily turned her head to see Celestia and Luna standing a few feet away. "P-Princess!" she squeaked out, "You made me ju-" She clamped her mouth shut as she spotted a third pony. Standing a bit further away, was the biggest pony she had ever seen. They must've been so tall that the top of Celestia's horn was at the eye level of this newcomer. Her eyes radiated a feeling of serenity, and Fluttershy's worries melted away as they looked at one another. Her horn was wrapped in some type of branch, which spread out across the entire body. It was as if they had stood still while a bush had grown over her. Her mane had been tied back into a ponytail by a flower which spiralled around the knot, but the ends of the hair were flowing, just like the two sisters' manes. She gasped again as she then spotted the wings ruffling on the sides of the pony. This was an Alicorn, one she had never heard of, and they must've been ancient from the size of them. In any other circumstance, she would have curled herself up into a ball, but this mare, she felt... familiar? "Element of Harmony, Kindness, I presume?" They had said, voice silky smooth. Fluttershy could have listened to it all day and imagined being lullabied to sleep. The pegasus nodded, still staring into their green eyes, which were like little whirlpools of life itself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, are the others inside?" The new mare nodded towards an entrance behind Fluttershy, who finally found her voice again. "O-oh, yes Miss..." She caught Celestia giggling to herself as Luna suddenly shuffled her hooves and looked down sheepishly. "Please, Miss won't be necessary, let's head inside and I'll introduce myself." Fluttershy bowed a little, feeling embarrassed as the huge Alicorn chuckled, but felt relief when a hoof brushed her cheek. She had crossed the distance between the two of them without making any noise at all. It was a caress she had only felt from one other in her life, her mother. Just who was this pony? The four of them entered Twilight's castle through a rear entrance and found the others in the library. All too distracted with their various activities to notice the new presence in the room with them. Celestia coughed into a hoof, and Twilight's eyes shot up as the anxiety drained from her body. "Princess, you're back! How did it go?" Straight to business, as was expected. The purple pony heard an unfamiliar giggle from behind the princesses, and her jaw dropped as her head ran through similar thoughts as Fluttershy's earlier. "You're right, Luna, they are similar." "Princess, who... who is that?" Twilight asked, scanning the mare at a distance. The others had joined her side, all with the same expression of bewilderment across their faces. "We'll get to that in a moment, is Rainbow Dash present?" Celestia asked, looking around for the missing pegasus. "She... She's talking to Derpy, she should be back soon." The newcomer raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as she looked at the white Alicorn expectantly, who blushed and lowered her head. Twilight had never seen Celestia act like this before, this new Alicorn was certainly imposing, but she had such an effect that the ruler of the sun itself acted like a foal whose hoof had been caught in the cookie jar. "We asked the Elements to speak to the Hooves family, to try and get some information about the situation." The Princess couldn't look the larger pony in the eye who continued to stare at her, a barely perceptible frown appeared for just a moment, before being replaced by a blank expression. "We'll discuss this later. For now, I think introductions are in order." The green Alicorn approached the group of five, and the size difference was much more on display when they were all within touching distance. "The Princesses here have told you of a spirit in the woods, a very old creature that resides inside." The group nodded as they followed along her words, enchanted by the delicate tone. "One that could have been masquerading as a zebra as they explored Ponyville." The tall mare's eyes met with Twilight's and Applejack's, both of whom felt an uncomfortable sensation of familiarity. "That zebra was me. I am the spirit of the woods." She paused, letting the information sink in. The purple princess and the orange earth pony's jaw dropped. "I do apologise for our dreadful introductions, you two. Let me start fresh." "The two Princesses here are both rulers of the sun and moon, and I have a similar quirk. While they can control the skies, my power is in the ground beneath us - nature is as much as me as your hoof is part of your legs." To show off her point, a nearby potted plant exploded in growth, flowers bursting from branches which weren't there moments ago. Pinkie Pie gasped and started bouncing in joy as she noticed how six of the flowers were the same colour as each of her friends. Everyone else, apart from the two Princess sisters, was speechless. "I am the mother of nature, I am Everfree." Luna looked at the mare, she had known she was going to act up a bit, but she didn't know how extravagant she would express herself. Not that she was entirely wrong, but she wouldn't have expected those words to ever leave her mouth. The green alicorn turned to her and smiled, her eyes filled with mirth. "These two are my progeny," Everfree spread her wings wide, draping them over the two sisters at her side. "They are... were... my students." Twilight's mind broke, this was big, no, it was huge- nay, it was colossal. Celestia herself was a student? I mean, she knew that she was young at some point, but to actually meet their teacher? She had so many questions, but her mouth could only flap, she didn't know where to even begin. It was at this moment, that Rainbow Dash finally decided to show up. Bewildered by the scene in front of her, she huddled up close to Applejack. "Hey, AJ, who's the giant?" Applejack looked at the pegasus, still not quite believing what she heard. "Ah... Ah think she's the Queen?"