"...and after they left, I quickly ran and helped him."
"...hhh..."
"...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have helped him earlier than---"
"...It's all right, sweetheart..."
!!!
That voice...! I know that voice... Slowly, painfully, I opened my eyes, and what greeted my hazy vision was the blurry white tiled ceiling. Before my vision could totally be clear, a slightly blurry yet very familiar face leaned over my sight. I wanted to reach out to her. I really wanted to, but I somehow could not feel my own body.
"M-mom..."
The sound of cough mixed with sparks of fire reached my ears, and in an instant, my vision went black, where the occasional white lightning flashes broke through the thick black blanket of clouds up above. A tear rolled down from my eyes, and I did not care. I haven't cried for so long, and now that I am, I don't care. I wanted to cry ever since I thought to myself that it was impossible to get back home. That was why I quickly accepted the possible way to return, even though I'm quite aware of how dangerous the Evergreen Forest is. ...or possibly is...
Another cough and sparks of fire reached my ears, and a faint green glow flashed on the corner of my eyes. My little drama could wait for a while as I turn my head to the source o--- "S-Spike!?" I yelled, and I instantly forgot how tired my aching body was. I leaped on all four hooves and immediately went to the purple dragon, who somehow dug a huge hole on the ground and inserted his head there. As I got next to him, I could hear his painful groans, before another cough comes out from him, and with it was green fire, and...I could swear I heard pieces of paper landing next to each other. I rubbed his back. "Spike...what's wrong?"
He groaned painfully, as if suffering from a very nasty stomach ache. I could not see his face, however. "Scrolls..." his quiet voice echoed from the hole. "...painful... ugh... h-help..." Another cough, another green flicker of flame, and another piece of scroll. "...using it... locate us..." and another cough.
Using it to locate us? I was about to ask what he meant when I faintly heard something slicing through the air from above. I looked up in time to see two unicorns with metallic armor and metallic wings flying and gliding pass us. At that time, I was thankful for the large leafy trees that would have likely blocked their vision from seeing us here down below. From that, I now understood. I then looked around, and I noticed how far we already are in the forest. I could not even find the remnants of the armor I wore, and the impact I did on the ground. Spike must have dragged us here for safety. I should thank him, and to thank him, I plan to help him with his current situation, but, how...?
His painful moans and groans continued after each scrolls forming from the green flames he painfully coughed out. I continued rubbing his back, though it's not helping him. I needed to think of something to help him as I noticed how frequent his coughing fit is now. He's only getting a few seconds of rest in between coughs, and I don't think he'll last much longer. I brought my two hooves on my chin, deeply thinking of a possible way to help the little guy. But what can I do? I have absolutely no idea about the fields of dragons and such! Gah, it's like he's turned into something broken, and a stupid idea popped in my head. What do humans do if their machinery is working abnormally?
"Sorry," I whispered to his ear before I lifted a hoof above and powerfully pounded his tiny little head. The force sent his entire head inside the hole, and his body was now flailing to get out. I helped him out of there, and placed him down before me, where he was glaring at me while rubbing his head with both his claws.
"What'd you do that for!?" he yelled at me, and noticing my stupid apologetic-yet-wide grin, his glare became worse. "That was painful, y'know! And it's not funny!"
"It is to me," I smiled weakly as I sat down on the ground. "'t least it worked."
He blinked at that, and blinked some more, and more. "I don't get it."
I rolled my eyes and chuckled weakly. "Scrolls?"
He immediately got the idea as his eyes grew large at the late realization. "Oh," was all he was able to say as he slowly turned around and looked down at the large number of scrolls in the hole. He chuckled weakly and nervously. "Eheheh," he scratched the back of his neck as he turned to face me with a weak smile. "Uh, thanks?"
I patted his hea---I moved my hoof to pat his shoulder instead. "No problem," but seriously, I didn't think it would work.
Spike then put a claw on his chin, deep in thought. "But you know, I still feel the magical wave of scrolls coming to me, but somehow...I can...control them now?" And to test his theory, he spits green flame and a scroll was formed. He tried another and another scroll appeared. He was smiling that he could now control one of his skills, and he was about to test again, until I stopped him.
"We don't want them to find out where we are, now do we?" I smiled weakly, and he nodded in agreement.
"Right, sorry," he smiled at me, and then his expression dropped to confusion.
I nodded, and I was about to stand up when my body shook painfully, and I then remembered how painful and weak my body is at the moment, and I then found myself lying on my side on the ground, and Spike was shaking my elbow.
"H-hey! You okay?" He asked, clearly worried of me.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," I assured him through my weak smile and quiet reply. "I'm still probably tired and all..." He seemed satisfied with my answer, though not entirely convinced. "I just need to rest, I think..."
"I don't know..." Spike shook his head slightly, and looked at one direction. "I don't think we should be staying here for long..."
I wondered why, and I wanted to ask, but I would prefer to see for myself. I forced myself into a sitting position and turned to where he was looking at. A distance away, bright orange-red-yellow lights were creeping through the trees. "F-fire?" I said, suddenly feeling some energy to run. I stood and tried stretching my hooves. "On my back, now," I said with authority, and Spike didn't seem to have any problems with that, but as he got on my back, I wondered why I offered him that. I'm a horse, but that doesn't mean I need to have someone be on my back all the time. Whatever, I need to get away before the fire reaches us. I saw one of the scrolls on the ground, the one that Spike summoned while he was experimenting on his ability. I picked one up with a hoof--no idea how--and gave it to Spike. "Hold that one for me, 'kay?" He arched an eyebrow, but nodded nonetheless. "Hold on tight," and with that, I started galloping to...I stopped. "Where's the---" Oh never mind. I'll find a way to the Everfree Forest later as soon as we're no longer near the fire.
---
In the Castle of Unicornia, a purple angry unicorn mare was staring through the glass window, and at the burning forest on the left-side of the War Plains far away. Beside her was a red earth stallion, who was also staring at the same forest. An armored unicorn then came and stopped before her. He bowed before he spoke. "Princess, the search team has withdrawn after they made sure that the fire will spread---" he stopped after large droplets of rain started to fall and hit the glass window. He turned and saw the entire black blanket of clouds making a downpour. "Uh..."
Twilight took a deep breath to try and calm herself. She then brought a hoof and rubbed her forehead. "I never thought that Spike would be able to find a way to control the scroll delivery spell..." she said with frustration.
"I'd like tah help, if you'd allow me, princess," Macintosh offered, but he received the unicorn's shaking head.
"No, but," she turned to him, "you can help me ease this frustration I'm feeling now," and she finished it with a sly smile, earning herself a stallion for use later on.
Just before she and he could walk back to her room, a green wispy smoke floated and stopped in front of the startled unicorn. The smoke circled and turned into green flame, and then formed into a scroll, which she irritatingly caught with her magic. Unrolling the scroll, she read the content, making her angrier than before as she tossed the paper against the glass window, managing to leave a small crack in the process.
Out of curiosity, Macintosh carefully tried his best to read the content through the corner of his eye. The large two words were very easy to read, even though the paper was lying flat on the floor.
---
"I know what the 'you' meant," Spike said as he threw the burned piece of wood that he used to write with, "but what does 'fu--"
"Zip it," I cut him off as I continued my run, "for the last time Spike, drop it. You're still too young to learn what that word means. Plus, I told you not to read it..." I don't normally swear, not unless my anger is out of my control. And in some cases.
"Your fault for making me write it," he countered, and I'm pretty sure he was smiling back there.
"Touché..." I sighed.