//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - Surreal Arboreal 
// Story: Amongst the Trees 
// by TopHatsAndTea 
//------------------------------//

Under the cover of the dense forest of the Everfree, dark and strange things lurk. Fruit bats flit from tree to tree, manticores hide in the shadows awaiting prey to pounce on, and even the mist seems to take a life of its own, choking the noise out of the air. Not a single sound can be hea-
“shiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
Oh. Well, maybe just one sound...

Jack tore through the undergrowth, running for his life, fleeing from an equally fleet-footed foe; a pack of wolves, made entirely of wood. Just a few moments before, he’d been congratulating himself on escaping from the ponies, and now I’ve got these bastards to deal with! What the hell is with this place?!
The woodland cleared a little, the naturally gnarled and bent woodland giving way to a small grove of apple trees. Jack paid little attention to this detail; all he noticed was the high up branches, just within his reach, and with some luck, out of range from his pursuers.
Speeding up, Jack leapt for one of the lower branches, and began to pull himself up. Just in time too, as the jaws of the closest wolf snapped around where his ankle would have been a moment ago. Pulling himself up a little higher into the tree, Jack congratulated himself briefly.
Damn, they’re persistent, Jack thought. Why the hell were they chasing me? It’s not as if they’d be able to digest me.... right? They’re just wood...  whatever they eat, it was damn good luck to find these tre-... the hell?
Not a few inches from Jack’s face was an apple. A rainbow-skinned apple that Jack swore he could feel energy coming from. 
Jack blinked. “Okay... I don’t think we’re in Kansas any more... What’s up with that...?” he muttered as he leaned closer to the apple, reaching out for it.
GRRRRR....
The hairs on the back of Jack’s neck bristled as a wave of fear hit him. By looking at the apple, he’d taken his mind off the wolves. One sat gazing up at him, a snarl on its twiggy lips, while a few padded around the tree impatiently. 
Well damn, Jack thought, I’m stuck now. Up a tree, and no way out, unless I can magically learn to fly in the next few minutes. His thoughts briefly turned to the axe tied securely to his travel bag, but quickly shook his head; attempting to cut down that many wolves with one tiny hatchet? I’d be swamped in moments and torn to pieces.
Slowly, Jack pulled his hand back from the apple. As he did, the main wolf who had been gazing up at him stopped growling. Jack looked at the wolf quizzically, then moved his hand closer to the apple again. Sure enough, the wolf started growling at his proximity to the apple.
“... Well this makes as much sense as anything else,” Jack muttered, “Wolves, made of wood, who for some reason don’t want me touching their rainbow apples... no one would believe me if I told them about this...”
Jack settled back in the branches a little. Well, I’m stuck here for a while, might as well get comfortable, he thought.
Slowly Jack’s gaze wandered around the clearing below, until something caught his attention; two of the wooden wolves had become bored with their vigil under the tree, and were busying themselves with the other apple trees, or, more specifically, the apples. A small number had fallen to the ground, and the wolves were carefully lifting them in their jaws and gathering them together. The smaller of the two waited until the larger had its back turned, then literally wolfed one down one of the windfalls. A moment later, the larger wolf rounded on the smaller, growling at it. 
They’re... farming these trees? Then that means... the blood ran from Jack’s face. I’m sitting in their crops. They weren’t trying to bite me to eat me. They were trying to keep me away from their food supply...


Half an hour later, Jack was still stuck up his tree. The wolves’ numbers had dwindled around his tree in favour of gathering what remained of the apples they could get to, but the largest of them all remained at the foot of the tree, gazing patiently up at Jack. It must be the Alpha of the group, Jack figured. The lone wolf’s unwavering vigilance was rather creepy in Jack’s opinion.
Jack’s gaze returned to the closest apple to him for the umpteenth time since he had clambered up the boughs of the tree.  Then back to the wolves. Then back to the apple. Slowly, a grin crept onto his face.
“Maybe...” Jack grinned. Slowly, he closed his hand around the apple.
GRRRRRR...
The Alpha started growling menacingly. Jack paid it no heed though, slowly pulled the brightly-hued apple from its branch... and dropped it down to the wolves below.
As the apple bounced briefly on the soft ground below, the wolves’ attentions were drawn to it. The Alpha sniffed it warily, growling softly at any that tried to get too close to it. Slowly, ever so carefully, it lifted the apple between its jaws and crunched it up. 
Jack suddenly found himself under the scrutiny of the peculiar eyes of the entire wolf pack. Gulping, Jack selected another apple, and sent it tumbling the same way as the last one had. Again, the apple was treated to some suspicion before the wolves pulled it to their stockpiles.
Jack silently congratulated himself. Okay, they’ve taken the bait, now how far can I throw the apples?
<What manner of creature are you?>
Jack looked around curiously. Odd... it had sounded like someone had just said something.
<Name yourself, creature. We have never seen such as your kind since we were mere saplings.>
Slowly, Jack’s gaze returned to the Alpha with growing confusion. The Alpha looked confused too, and tilted its head to the side quite quizzically, almost like a cat would.
<Speak, creature, we now you can. What was it you called as you ran from us? “Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit”? What manner of phrase is this?>
Jack’s jaw dropped. It was the wolf talking. In his MIND...





Jack grimaced as he came to. “What the hell just happened?” he muttered.
<If you are in need of reminding, you fell out of that Zap apple tree like a newborn chick trying to fly. Most amusing, really.> a graunching rumble reached his ears. It almost sounded like... laughing?
Jack’s eyes shot open as he recalled his predicament.
Sitting at his feet was the Alpha wolf from before.
Jack froze under the patient gaze of the Alpha. Somehow, though, the gaze seemed softer than before. The other wolves had also dispersed among the trees, returning to their gathering.
<Are you alright, fledgling? You seem ill at ease.> Jack frantically cleared his ear with one finger. Surely it couldn’t be speaking to him directly through his mind?
<Our apologies for chasing you as we did, but you must understand, we must protect our harvest with great vigilance.> the wolf leaned closer. <Now, what manner of creature are we to thank for helping us gather a few more morsels for our stocks?>
Jack stammered, “Uhh, J-Jack... h-human...”
<You are a Jackhuman?> the wolf looked at him curiously. <What a curious name. Is your species related at all to the Jackrabbit? You seem much too big for a rabbit. More closely related to the Jackalope, perhaps?>
Jack shook his head, still freaking out a little. “No, m-my name’s Jack and my species is human. Well, Homo sapiens if you want to be specific....”
<I can’t say I recognise that name. Are there many of you in these parts?> the wolf asked, quite casually.
“Uh, no, I think I’m the only one.” Jack murmured. The wolf bowed its head.
<Ah. my condolences for your loss.>
“Loss?”
<Why, the loss of your species, of course. Are you not the last of your kind?> 
Jack shook his head, wondering how he was speaking so calmly to a wooden wolf, of all things. “No, there’s at least seven billion of us. I just... don’t think I’m in the same world as them any more.”
The wolf jerked back in surprise. <Well, that’s certainly a bold statement. Seven billion, you say? And in another world? No wonder you do not smell of magic yet.>
Jack frowned. “Magic? Magic doesn’t...exist.”
The wolf snorted, laughing its guttural laugh again. <Doesn’t exist? And just what do you think we are held together with, sunshine and butterfly farts?>
Slowly, Jack made to stand up, shaking his head. “This is just too weird...”
<Says the monkey missing its tail that claims it’s from another world.>
“True... so, what do I call you?” Jack asked, “It’s not like I can keep thinking of you as Alpha Wolf.”
The wolf grinned wide. <Oh? Well, I suppose that’s true. Call me Rowan. Generally we name our own after the trees our heartwood came from, though sometimes we add other words relating to our past.>
“Your heartwood?” Jack asked, looking around for his pack. Fortunately, it had lodged safely in the tree’s strong branches. Rowan nodded.
<Indeed. A new Timberwolf enters into this world when enough magical energy has been collected by his brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, we have no way of collecting it directly from the world, so we must rely on more magical sources.> Rowan gazed up into the tree as Jack retrieved his pack. <These trees’ fruits are the easiest way for us to collect such energies as is necessary.>
"Right, I’m with you so far. So, you collect all this magical energy, and then you stuff it into a tree?”Jack queried, carefully checking over his violin.
<Well, not quite.> Rowan replied. <Magic requires a focus, a way of channelling it, to give it purpose. The ponies use their hooves, wings or horns, depending on their breed. We wolves “sing” our magic.> 
As if to demonstrate his point, Rowan howled, making Jack cover his ears at the sudden noise. Even through his hands, however, Jack could hear the telltale shifting of the pitch in the howl. Faint blue lines of light traced their way into the air from Rowan’s mouth and towards the farthest trees, which were bare of any leaves or fruits. As one, the pack joined him in his song. With each wolf's voice joining the choir, the trees were bathed in the soft glow of their magic mingling with the tree's own. Each tree began to spark at the tips of the branches as they became saturated with magic. 
After a few moments, the song ended, and Rowan turned to Jack. <With our help, these trees will produce a fine harvest in five day’s time. So too can we use our hard-earned magic to sing to life our new brothers from the wood of the forest, restore ailing trees, and much more.> 
Rowan eyed Jack. <It’s also how we’re able to communicate in this fashion, fledgling. One apple should give enough magic to last several days without problem. Alas, in recent times, the harvest has been poor for us; we are unable to get among the branches where most of the apples remain until their magic disperses, and without their magic we become naught but wood.> Rowan whined softly. <Our numbers have dwindled recently, and many of our kin have returned to mother Gaea’s earth once more...>
Jack stayed silent, taking all of this new information in. So that’s why they were so eager to protect these trees...
Rowan perked up. <But, perhaps we can renew ourselves, much as the forest does. I assume you are not going anywhere?>
Jack frowned slightly at this question. “I don’t think I am. Why?”
<Perhaps there is an opportunity here. You have already proven how easy it is for you to climb up among the branches and pluck the apples from the boughs.> Rowan straightened up. <If you will help us with our harvests, you shall have our protection in this forest. Believe me when I say, alone you stand no chance. Likewise, without your assistance, I fear we may succumb completely and fade. Why not then help us and improve your chances and ours significantly?>
Jack mused for a few seconds on the wolf’s proposal.
“...yeah, alright then. You’ve got yourself a deal.” Jack held out his hand. Rowan nodded, and did likewise with his paw.
Suddenly, Jack yawned, to Rowan’s amusement. <Tired already? Ah, I suppose being chased must have worn you out both physically and mentally. Come, we must find you somewhere to sleep that is safe...>



Half an hour later, Jack was wrapped up warmly in one of his camping blankets. The wolves had found an uninhabited cave nearby for him to stay. Still, Jack found himself shifting a lot, trying to get comfortable as the rocks and pebbles on the cave floor pressed against him through the padding he’d laid beneath himself. Around him, the pack slept, save a few who kept watch for the ever-present perils lurking in the darkness.
Eventually, Jack gave up and just lay there, looking out at the stars, glad of something familiar to him to hold onto. Maybe tomorrow we can find somewhere better to see them from, Jack thought, before drifting off into the embrace of his dreams.





Dear Princess Celestia,
I’m so sorry I messed up there was this creature and it left and it ran into the forest and it could talk and
Dear Princess Celestia,
Spike here. Twilight’s got herself all worked up again over some weird creature that turned up out of the Everfree forest. It collapsed in the middle of town on market day (big surprise – every time something happens around here it’s like everypony’s out shopping or something), so Twilight levat levite carried it back to the library with the other girls. It soon escaped though, out of a second floor window.
The strangest thing, though, was what it looked like. It walked upright like me, but it didn’t have a tail to balance it. It had paws and claws similar to me, only they were squishy and soft. The only hair it had on it was on the top of its head. It also was wearing clothes over itself too, and had what looked like saddlebags over its back.  Oh yeah, and it could talk too, but I didn’t hear what it said, and Twilight blushes whenever I bring it up.
Anyways, Twilight seems really worried about how it could have been a really important discovery, so could you please tell her something to calm her down?
Thanks,
Twilight’s No. 1 assistant, Spike
P.S. Peewee says hi.