Chapter 7: Through the Phoenix Woods
For a while it seemed as if the two would wander through whiteness forever, eating away at their rations until they had nothing left. It had been a week since the two had met and began to wander the frozen wasteland, searching for a place they had little evidence to prove even existed.
Each night when the sun left the sky, North Star would use his magic to bring out the stars to guide their way, although doing so would always tire him out. Bladewing would watch in curiosity as North Star wasted his magical energy night after night, and soon she felt the need to speak up.
"North Star.... may I ask you something?" She asked as they walked along through the snow, she paused for a moment to kick some snow off her hoofwraps as North Star turned to face her.
"Huh? ...Of course, Bladewing. What is it?" he replied with his usual friendly smile, albeit a little tired from bringing out the stars.
"Why do you bring out the stars every night? The unicorns in Noveria are already doing it... you're probably not even making any difference with how difficult it is for them." Bladewing frowned, "You're wasting your energy, and it's making you tired faster... and that impedes our progress."
"I'm sorry..." North Star apologized quickly, causing Bladewing to roll her eyes at him and continue onwards.
"You apologize so quickly, North... are all unicorns so quick to back down from an argument?" Bladewing asked as she walked ahead of him, stretching and flexing her wings before tucking them back again.
"What? No." He replied just as quickly as before, stumbling over his words as he follows after her, "It's just... I don't want to make you mad or anything, we're friends."
"Allies." Bladewing corrects him seriously, "...Pegasi do not have 'friends'."
North Star lowered his head a little as Bladewing said that, he seemed to be taking one step forward and two steps back when it came to getting her to be less militaristic. He watched Bladewing continue onwards without him for a while before suddenly speaking up, "Wait."
Bladewing looked over her shoulder as he heard him speak, the wind flicking her mane away from her face so she could see him clearly.
"The reason why I bring out the stars at night... it's because it reminds me of home." North Star explained, causing the Pegasus to tense up a little, "When I look up at the stars, I feel something... maybe it's a sense of belonging, maybe it's something to do with my magic, or my markings," He looked down at his star-patterned markings which continued to glow and light their way, "...But it gives me some solace... it makes me feel safer, happier... so, I do it."
They two stared at each-other for a while, Bladewing opened her mouth to speak but North Star spoke over her, "And I'm going to keep doing it every night for the rest of our journey whether you like it or not. So just... deal with it, okay?!" his horn sparked angrily as he moved forward, walking straight past Bladewing and onwards towards an evergreen forest, "South-west is this way."
Bladewing watched him in silence as he walked onwards, though eventually she began to follow after him. Once again she found herself envying the unicorn, having a home he actually wanted to return to. She could wander the wastes forever and feel the same love she felt in the Cloud City. Silently she began to follow after him again, her wings tucked back and her eyes watching the snow for hoof-prints that didn't belong to her or her companion.
As two ponies took their first steps into the forest they began to notice the lack of snow on the ground, North Star's attention turned to the trees as they began to block out his view of the sky. He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, bringing out a light spell, though as the path before them was illuminated they realized something. Attached to one of the trees was a sign, it read: 'Tambelon: 4 miles'
"I've heard of Tambelon." Bladewing noted, walking up to stand by North Star's side as she looked up at the sign, "It's an Earth Pony colony... they've tried to stay out of the race power-struggle... I don't know if they even report back to Chancellor Puddinghead."
"Are they friendly?" North Star asked, beginning to walk along the path through the forest.
"It's hard to say... best we don't draw attention to ourselves." Bladewing replied unsurely, "Put out your light."
"But without it, we won't be able to see." North Star replied nervously.
"The path is clear, North Star... just turn out your horn." Bladewing told him again, reaching out and batting at the horn with her hoof.
"Ow! Watch it!" North Star yelped as his horn sparked and fizzled before the light went out completely, but as it did the two were lit by an orange glow from above.
"Is that your magic?" Bladewing asked curiously, looking around the treetops as she noticed they seemed to glow orange.
"No... the glow's coming from the trees." he watched the trees, filled with both curiosity and caution as he waited for Bladewing's thoughts on them. The blue Pegasus flew up into the trees, disappearing behind the leaves for a moment before returning and landing once more.
"Phoenix nests..." she told North Star, flicking her tail to get a few leaves off it, "This must be their mating grounds."
"We'll be fine then," the Unicorn said, breathing out a sigh of relief at the good news, "Phoenixes are generally passive unless provoked..."
The two continued on their way through the forest, the path lit by the glow of the Phoenix nests, occasionally they would hear the rustling of leaves in the treetops as one of the firey birds would return or leave it's nest.
"...I feel like I owe you an apology." Bladewing began as they walked, though North Star just avoided eye-contact with her as he walked ahead, "You're not a warrior... this is the furthest you've ever been from your home. I guess I'm being hard on you because I don't want you to die out here."
"I get it, you don't have any faith in me." North Star replied apathetically, "Nopony does... Princess Platinum said if I didn't come back in two weeks they'd just forget I ever existed." he looked back at Bladewing, "I'm guessing Commander Hurricane said the same to you too, huh?"
Bladewing paused for a moment to reflect on what she was told. That if she didn't return, her family name would be shamed and she'd go down in history as the most worthless Pegasi to ever carry a set of wingblades. "...Yes." She replied, sparing North Star the details as they walked, "...Something like that.... how have we been travelling?"
"A little over a week now. I have four days to get to the Everglade and get back... the more we talk, the worse our progress... let's just keep going."
The two continued through the forest, their path lit by the soft, warm light of the phoenix nests. They walked in silence, trying to avoid eye contact with eachother wherever possible, occasionally North Star would stop at a hole in the canopy to check the stars, and occasionally Bladewing would stretch her wings and take a moment to look around for trouble. Finally, their silence was broken by the presence of something other than leaves and phoenix feathers on their path..
A large bundle of sticks seemed to be laying in the middle of the path, Bladewing stepped up to them, only for North Star to step in front of her at the last moment, "I've got this." he told her seriously before turning his attention back to the sticks, closing his eyes as his horn began to glow along with his markings.
A soft blue light surrounded the sticks and began to lift them up, though North Star struggled to move them. Bladewing watched onwards as the unicorn continued to try, though as he did so.. a bright orange eye shone out from amongst the sticks and a low growl emitted from them, "...I don't think this is any ordinary pile of sticks..." North Star mumbled nervously, letting his spell end as the sticks started to shift and rise.
"...Oh no." Bladewing muttered, spreading her wings and taking on an aggressive stance, "North, get behind me!" she called out to him. North Star turned and fled back from her as the beast rose, letting out a howl and revealing itself as a Timberwolf, it's orange eyes going red with rage.
"Stars above, are you serious?!" North Star screamed out, Bladewing shoved him to give him a running start and he quickly took the hint, fleeing alongside his Pegasus companion with the Timberwolf hot on their tails.
"Why is everything trying to kill us?!" North Star yelled back at Bladewing, tripping and staggering as they left the path and went through the forest, As they fled North Star began to panic and ramble, "And furthermore, why are we running from something made of wood? WOOD! I have tables made of wood back in Noveria!"
"Just shut up and run, North Star!" Bladewing called ahead, the Timberwolf was rapidly gaining on them, being used to the forest environment, and was soon within pouncing distance. It leapt with a snarl, landing on Bladewing and biting into her wing, the wing blade not seeming to affect it at all. She screamed out in pain as the Timberwolf managed to draw blood from the bite, but she gritted her teeth through it, "RUN!"
North Star skidded to a halt as he realized that his companion was no longer following him, he looked back and narrowed his eyes. "No... I'm done running." he whispered, his horn glowing brightly, "I'm sick and tired... of always... RUNNING!"
In a flash of light a ball of fire shot from his horn, flying towards the Timberwolf and the blue pegasus it had pinned. Bladewing saw the oncoming fireball and managed to kick the Timberwolf off at the last minute, throwing it at the fireball and causing it to howl in pain as it ignited. Bladewing shakily got to her hooves and curled her injured wing before running deeper into the forest, "This way, quick!" She called to North Star, who was quick to join her while the Timberwolf was rolling around trying to put the fire out.
As they fled they heard more wolves starting to snarl and howl from the forest, the Phoenixes were spreading the fire that North Star had created, and soon the whole forest was ablaze. North Star skidded to a halt and looked around, realizing that no matter which way they went they'd be running into trouble, and then it hit him... "Fly us out of here!"
"I can't, that Timberwolf clipped my wing." she groaned in pain, coughing as the smoke of the forest fire began to surround them. North Star's eyes darted about before he looked to Bladewing, moving over to her and closing his eyes, "Hold onto me."
Bladewing hesitated at first, but as she looked around she realized this could be the end, and she didn't want to go out alone. She closed her eyes and wrapped her hooves around North Star, "...I'm sorry." she whispered.
"...There's no need to be." North Star replied, his horn starting to glow, "...After all the times you've saved me, it feels right I save you."
The trees began to crash around them, falling due to the fire, the Timberwolves stepped out from it, some ablaze and snarling in pain. Bladewing moved to fight them, but North Star held her to him, whispering to her. "Trust me."
A bright flash emerged from his horn and engulfed the two... leaving the the timberwolves, the phoenixes and the burning forest behind them.