//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Forgotten Son // by loststone //------------------------------// I really hope you guys like this chapter it was very fun to write and the ending is...well i`ll let you find out for yourselves. Have a good time reading! =) Also I'm sorry I haven't posted anything lately and sorry if there are a bunch of grammar errors. Bronze knocked on the bathroom door again trying to get the crying pony out. He slipped a piece of paper under the door that said. ”What’s the matter Twilight. Please come out your, scarring me.” Twilight shoved the paper back through the crack in the base of the door. “I’m sorry Bronze but I need you to leave right now.” He wrote something new on the paper and slid it back under. ”I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong. I don’t understand I have never seen a pony act like you are right now.” There was a long pause before she spoke up again. “Sniff…I plan this big experiment for over a month…sniff…and when the day finally comes…sniff…the pony that’s supposed to escort me and keep me safe, cancels and leaves. I finally acquired the necessary items and for what, to throw them away right when I’m so close to learning the secret behind reversing any type of spell.” Bronze sat there and listened to Twilight, he didn’t completely understand what she was talking about but he could hear the loss in her voice. He grabbed another piece of paper. “Well can’t you just reschedule the experiment?” “No I cannot the Gallsahvien salve that I bought only stays in a liquid form for two weeks before solidifying and it’s only harvested once every twenty years. You wouldn’t believe how much I had to pay for it. Now if you wouldn’t mind I would like if you left me alone” Twilight said with anger. Bronze knocked on the door again before sliding another piece of paper under the door. ”Well if you need somepony to escort you through the Everfree I could do it.” There came an unlocking sound from the bathroom door, the lavender pony came out wiping the tears from her eyes. “Y-y-you would do that for me?” Bronze nodded his head as he looked at her with his big tan eyes. “Oh thank you Bronze, this changes everything. I’m sorry you had to see me like that I’ve just been planning this for so long and when it was nearly taken away from me I just lost it.” Her cheeks turned a little red. Bronze gave her a reassuring nod ”So when do we leave?” “I was planning to leave after eating some lu-“Twilight was cut off by a loud whistling coming from downstairs.”I guess the water for the tea is ready.” She said smiling. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight and Bronze where at the edge of the Everfree forest, each carrying a pair of saddle bags. It felt weird to Bronze that he was going to reenter the forest he had spent so many years trying to escape, but Twilight did say that her magic would make sure they didn’t get lost. “Ok before we enter I need you to wear these.” She said pulling a pair of blue tinted goggles out of her left saddle bag. She pulled her own pair out and put them on, letting them rest just above her eyes.”These will help us locate the trees that I want to use for my experiments. I have enchanted them so that when we look through them they will allow us to see the pollen that the trees give off.” Bronze started to write in the ground. “What do you need this tree for anyway” “Well the experiment that I’m trying to test is the use of Gallsahvien salve on a special tree called the exorcist tree. It is rumored in the oldest books of Equestria that whoever touches the tree while under a magical spell or curse, that the tree will consume the spell and reverse its effects. But it is only temporary and the spell will return once the pony breaks contact with the tree. “That’s where the salve comes in. Gallsahvien salve is harvested from a rare berry called Vars’del that only comes into season once every twenty years. The salve will make any magical item it is applied to increase in power exponentially. If my theory is correct it should make the effects of the exorcist tree permanent.” ”Ok so shall we be off?” Twilight nodded as she put her goggles over her eyes, Bronze followed suit and was surprised how the goggles didn’t dim the light. Instead they seemed to increase the brightness of his surroundings. Twilight turned and faced the Everfree forest, she sighed as she moved forward into the darkness. Bronze looked up into the sky one last time before closely following Twilight in the search for the exorcist tree. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight let out a loud yawn as she sat down on a mat next to the fire, pulling out a book to read from one of her saddlebags. It was late in the day and Bronze and her had set up camp in a small cave they had found on the side of a small hill of boulders. It provided them with enough cover so that any passing animals wouldn’t notice them and if the animals had, they could easily retreat out of the cave and escape. Bronze had left twenty minutes earlier with a saddlebag to go scout for food he would survive on when he was still lost. He knew what he was looking for from what Ballahmar had told him was edible in the forest. When both of the bags where full with, he headed back to the cave with a joy filled expression on his face. As he entered the light of the fire Twilight looked up from her book.”You seem to be happy about something Bronze, mind if I ask what it is that has put you in such a happy mood.” Twilight said with a big grin on her face. Bronze looked around at the cave floor and let out a sigh, it was one solid piece of granite without any patches of loose dirt that he could write in. His happy expression soon turned into one of annoyance and anger as he unloaded his saddle bags and used the food he had gathered to spell out each word. He could only make one word at a time so he wouldn’t run out of materials. ”I…WISH…THERE…WAS…WAY…FOR…ME…TO…TALK…WRITING…A…PAIN” Twilight couldn’t help but feel guilty for not allowing him to bring his notepad so she could fit more books in his saddlebags. But she still giggled at how he was using food to communicate with her. “Sorry Bronze I’ll try and only ask yes or no questions from now on so you don’t have to use our dinner to talk.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was early the next morning when Bronze was awoken by something rapidly shaking his side. He tried to ignore it for as long as he could but it just grew more violent. “Come on Bronze get up there is something outside.” Twilight whispered with fear in her voice as she heard another snap from a breaking branch followed by a thud. ”Come on you big oaf.” She raised her hoof and brought it across his face as hard as she could. Bronze shot up after suddenly being slapped across the face. He worked his jaw a few times to try and get the kinks out before giving Twilight a very annoyed look. “It’s not my fault you sleep like a stone, but that doesn’t matter right now there is something outside of the cave.”She said with a low voice. At hearing that there was something lurking outside of the cave Bronze’s features immediately became serious. He slowly moved his way to the entrance and peered outside. There wasn’t anything there except the same old trees and forest around them. His eyes widened as his gaze fell on one of the trees that seemed to be moving in their direction. It stood on two stubby legs and towered at least seven feet above Bronze. With each step it made came the sound of breaking branches followed by a thud. It was made up of green vines and black bark that shifted and creaked with each movement. It had two arms that hung low ending with three knobby knuckled fingers that dragged against the ground as it walked. Its head was a small mound of moss with two vertical yellow eyes. “B-b-bronze what is out there?” When he didn’t make any movement Twilight slowly moved up next to him. She followed the direction his eyes were looking and let out a gasp as she looked at the hulking mass of foliage lumbering towards them. It turned its two deep yellow eyes that were slow and solemn, but very penetrating to survey the ponies. ”So you are the entity that my mistress had been sensing.” It said in a deep voice that sounded like the rumble of an erupting volcano. Bronze felt like his soul was being violated as its gaze fell on him. “H-h-hello I-I-I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is Bronze Night.” Twilight’s voice was filled with fear as the eyes turned to look at her. “If you don’t mind me asking what are you?” ”What I am doesn’t matter, but what I am here for is very important.” Twilight flinched as it spoke, the sound of its voice sent shivers down her spine. “And what is it that you are here for?” It lifted one of its massive arms and pointed at Bronze ”My my mistress Lady Green Bark charged me with one command, to hunt down a great magical disturbance that had appeared in the forest and bring it back to her. Now I have found it I will bring it back to her.” “Well then what are you pointing at Bronze for? What does he have to do with this disturbance that is in the forest?” ”He radiates the same magic my mistress has commanded me to find. Now stay still so I can transport us to my mistress’ sanctuary.” The creature commanded as it slowly moved its huge arms towards the sky and two orbs of bright green light floated around each of its hands. Before Bronze or Twilight could do anything a green light enveloped them and they could feel a pulling sensation. Twilight instantly recognized what was going on, she had experienced this sensation every time she would use her teleporting spell. Bronze on the other hand had no idea what was going on, he just looked in amazement at the green lights flowing around him. Suddenly he was thrust against the ground knocking the wind out of him, Bronze gasped as he tried to regain his breath. When the air returned to him it felt dry and tasted bitter as if it was filled with rot. “Behold my mistress’ sanctuary, see how it whittles away at the hands of time.” The deep voice of the creature said. “How it has changed since I had left a thousand years ago.” Twilight and Bronze looked around, they were in a massive cave with walls of rock that reached up to a small ragged opening in the top. A small beam of light fell through the aperture, illuminating a small withering tree on the top of a small hill covered with dead grass. All around them there were dead and rotting plants that gave off the putrid smell of a compost heap. “Now come with me so my mistress can observe you herself.” Twilight shook her head as she started to yell at the creature.” You teleport us off to some unknown location in this god forsaken forest then expect us to do whatever you ask, no we are not going anywhere till you answer some questions.” The creature just stood there looking at the little lavender pony, it waited a few seconds before letting out a sigh that sounded like the rustling of leaves in the wind. “Fine ask what you wish, but make it quick my mistress grows inpatient from waiting for such a long time.” “First off, why is this mistress of yours so interested in Bronze? Who is she, and more importantly who are you? Where are w-” The creature cut her off by putting one of its long fingers up to her mouth. “You ask many questions for one so small.”He said moving his finger away from her. ”Now I might as well tell you the story of my mistress from the beginning and hopefully it will answer your questions.” He paused and moved to a nearby rock and sat down on it.”My mistress’ story begins long before the creation of this land. She was a nomad wandering throughout this world for she did not have a home or a purpose in life. After three years of roaming through a grand wasteland she came across a sapling growing out of the ruin around her. Seeing how such a fragile thing could grow out of a place so filled with decay it filled her with hope. “She stayed with the tree and fed it magic for the next fifty years, watching as the landscape around her changed into a lush green forest. Thanks to the continuous supply of magic, the tree was soon bound to my mistress and her to it. She stopped aging and her magical powers grew exponentially. “When word of this new green land spread throughout the world more and more nomads came seeking shelter in her forest. The region was soon a populated utopia for all seeking help and Lady Green Bark welcomed them with open arms. But one of the nomads tried to take command of the new found land and with the help of his two followers. This Nomads name was Discord and his followers were the princesses that now rule this land.” ”Celestia would never help Discord, she was the one that had defeated him and ended his chaos filled rule!”Twilight yelled in defense of her mentor. “Would you please let me finish the story and let me tell you what really happened?” Twilight gave him a sign to continue. “Thank you now as I was saying Discord and the sister alicorns tried to take control of the new land. They had managed to take control of everything except the center of the forest where my mistress erected a barrier that held back the chaos that Discord brought with him. But creating that barrier damaged her magic, she could no longer regenerate it and she became unable to feed the tree. “At the time it wasn’t a problem because of refugees trying to escape Discord came to her warped and deformed from spells used on them in the chaotic world outside of the barrier. When they came before the tree it consumed the magic and returned them back to normal. So for the next hundred years the tree had a source of food to feed off of and was granted the name Tol’kie, or in this language the Exorcist Tree. The forest also gained the name Everfree because it served as a safe haven where anything could be free of Discords madness. “After the one hundred years had passed the alicorn sisters came to Lady Green Bark seeking redemption saying that they had only done what they had because they were bound by powerful spells to Discord. It was a risky decision to make but my Lady chose to believe them and brought them before the tree. Tol’kie stripped them of the spells that were binding them and with the help of my mistress they were able to imprison Discord in a stone prism. The land was freed and there started a prosperous age though out Equestria. “But nothing good comes without a price. With the land freed of Discord there were less and less creatures coming to the tree seeking to be cleansed of their magical deformities. As time went by my mistress soon became a myth and then was forgotten altogether. The tree grew weak and soon Lady Green Bark had to watch as her beautiful forest turned into a wild place that only the darkest of creatures would reside in. A thousand years had passed and the tree started to whittle away. “When the tree was on the verge of death Lady Green Bark sensed a great magic disturbance spread though out the forest. It was one of the most powerful spells that she had felt since she helped seal away Discord. With the last of her power she weaved two spells. The first was to create me, giving me the name Nardien, she gave me the charge of finding this great source of magic and to bring it to her. “The second was to infuse her very being with the tree itself so it could continue living until I had returned. That was a thousand years ago. I have been searching ever since but whenever I would get close to the source it would move again, but now that I have found it I can revive my mistress and the tree.” The creature fell silent as Twilight and Bronze tried to process all that they had just heard. After a few seconds of silence passed, Twilight spoke up again. “That explains a lot, but you still haven’t answered my first question what does Bronze have to do with all of this?” “Little Twilight can you not feel the magic radiating from the immense spell weaved around your friend here. I thought the unicorns of this world would have been able to feel such things as this.” Twilight then turned to Bronze and directed her magic towards him. Bronze just sat there unsure of what she was doing as her horn lit up and enveloped him in a purple light. After a few minutes Twilight released her magic and sat back scratching her head as she stared at Bronze. “I don’t feel anything from him, there are no spells on him.” Nardien moved up from the Rock he was sitting on and moved over to her.”Here let me show you what I see.”He said as he put one of his long fingers on the back of her head. The instance it made contact, Twilight’s vision flashed as the world around her grew hazy and grey. She turned her head towards Bronze and gasped at what she was looking at. It was like looking at a massive sun of colors that filled nearly the entire chamber, and sitting in the center was the oversized stallion. It was amazing how she could not sense such a massive ball of pulsing magic beforehand. Nardien broke the contact and moved away from Twilight. “Now that you have seen this great magic that has a hold on your friend can we please continue so I can revive my mistress.” Twilight sat there and looked dumfounded as she watched Bronze follow the creature up to the tree being illuminated by the hole in the ceiling. She was in the middle of trying to figure out why she was unable to sense the spell, when Nardien called out to her. “Little pony is there reason why you are dilly dallying when my master calls.” Twilight snapped out of her deep train of thought and caught up with the two as they were half way up the hill. Bronze looked at her and smiled, if he could talk he would have said to her I have a good feeling about this. Once they had arrived at the tree Nardien turned around and looked at bronze with his piercing eyes. “Now place you hoof on the trunk of the tree and my mistress will be revived.” Bronze looked at the tree, then Nardein, and back again before slowly moving up to the tree. It looked so fragile as if it would snap in two if he touched it. He let out a sigh and put out his hoof, while Twilight and Nardien backed away slowly as his hoof made contact. All three held their breaths as they waited for something to happen. They waited for a few minutes before Bronze took his hoof off of the tree and turned back to the two onlookers. Twilight let out her breath as a loud bellow came from Nardien. “Nooooo my Lady Green Bark I have failed you. It took me too long to find the disturbance and now you have receded far beyond the point of being revived.” The two ponies watched as the behemoth put his face to the ground and started slamming his great hand into the dead grass. Big green tears fell on the ground as Nardien wept over the loss of his creator. Suddenly Twilight remembered the reason that she and Bronze were in the forest. Her thoughts turned to the gallsahvien salve she had in the saddle bags back in the cave. “Nardien there may still be a way for us to revive your mistress.” He looked up from the ground and turned his stare towards the lavender pony. “If you can take me back to the cave that me and my friend Bronze were staying at we have a salve from a rare berry called Vars’del, it may just be able to call out the spirit of your mistress.” Nardien looked at her with doubt in his eyes as he started to cast the spell teleporting himself and Twilight back to the cave, leaving Bronze in the sanctuary by the tree. They soon returned with Twilight carrying all the saddlebags on her back. She levitated a vial of some sort of brown liquid out of one of the saddlebags on her left, and gave it to Bronze.”Now Bronze just let me cover your hoof with the gallsahvien salve and rub it on the Exorcist tree.” She said pulling a small cork out of the top of the vial with her magic. Bronze held out his right hoof and she tipped the vial, pouring the contents over his outstretched hoof. He turned around and faced the tree again closing his eyes as he put out his hoof. Nothing happened for the first few seconds, but then the results were immediate. He felt a surge of electricity run through his arm making him convulse. He tried to pull his hoof way but it was being pulled against it, as if the tree meant to suck the life out of him. Suddenly a flash of images rushed through his mind. He saw himself as a young colt again but had wings and a horn again. The sight of two orbs floating around a globe, one a miniature sun and the other a moon. A Forceful hoof pushing him down as it put leather straps around each of his appendages. The grinning face of a pony as it brought a cleaver down on his side. And finally, the flashes of two alicorns colliding with each other beneath a starry night as they exchanged magical blows with each other. Bronze fell over and lost consciousness hearing Twilight yell out his name as darkness enveloped him. Sorry once again for any grammer errors hoped you liked it! Oh yah...C is for cookie and that is good enough for me! lol ;)