//------------------------------// // Rainbow Dash (II) Inherent Tenacity // Story: From One to Another // by DerpyMoreMuffins //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash woke up in a clean, brightly lit room. She was lying on her good side, and noticed her broken wing was wrapped up and held stiff by a cast. Her body was covered with bandages, with a particularly large and thick one on her left hind leg. A small needle was stuck into her right front leg, connected to a tube that extended from a bag that hung above her. Rainbow Dash felt lightheaded and numb, like her body was not even connected to her. With all the covering on her body, she could barely move. She also knew that without them she would hardly have better luck. Though she was too tired at first to realize it, she did recognize this place. It was the hospital in Cloudsdale, which had the best treating facilities for pegasi in all of Equestria. She knew she would be okay, now that she was here. She found herself unhappy nevertheless, and her thoughts stretched back to the forest. The animals must have suffered so much. Not to mention the fact there was a poor chick, stuck by itself in that nightmare. She had left it behind, despite her promise, and she felt her limbs trembling, and her throat burning. Her face twisted and contorted as her emotions churned about. She was unable to move, unable to express her anger. She would have yelled, but she could barely whisper. Eventually, she was left with nothing but a profound sadness and the sensation of tears brimming in her eyes. She could do little other than lay there and wallow in sadness. After a while she ended up just laying there, looking at the wall. Her eyes were dull, and her body still. She didn’t react when the door opened. A brown mare pegasus wearing a nurse’s outfit came in and walked to the side of the bed. She replaced the bag that was hanging above Rainbow Dash quickly and efficiently. The filly just looked at her all the while. The nurse was about to turn and leave when she saw Rainbow Dash looking at her, and though she tried to hide it, she was visibly shocked. She smiled widely, though her eyes were a little narrow and nervous. “Oh, you’re awake now, sweetheart?” the mare, looking at her. Rainbow Dash slowly nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet. The nurse looked at the door quick and said, “Your parents have been worried sick!” Rainbow Dash’s mouth opened in surprise, but it faded. She knew they would be here, but she had almost forgotten about them. She missed them so much after all. The nurse left the room shortly, leaving Rainbow Dash alone in the bright, anti-septic room. She had been away from home for a while, at Summer Flight Camp and then in the Everfree forest, but she never really thought about it. Now she didn’t really know what to think. She didn’t want to face her father after how poorly she had done. She had always wanted to be a good flier like him, and looked up to the Wonderbolts as role models. Thinking about it now, though, she was scared: afraid that she may have reached her limits. Thinking of the pegasi who had inspired her brought a sense of disillusionment upon her, and she soon remembered why. The Wonderbolts had ignored her pleas, and simply left behind all the animals without a care. Disillusionment crossed her mind as she thought about the event. It was a shattered dream and a broken promise. She looked at her broken wing and scowled. She heard some footsteps and immediately looked at the door. It appeared to be opening slowly at first, but it sped up and in an instant the whole thing was thrust open. A blue coated pegasus with a mane much like her own came in. Rainbow Dash gasped as she recognized her father, but then looked down at her sheets nervously. “Dash, are you okay?” he said, rushing to her side and sitting down. She looked at him after a moment. He was staring at her worriedly, his eyes not leaving her own for a while. She nodded slowly in response. “Hi… Dad,” she said slowly, with a cough. He frowned and shook his head, putting a hoof on her forehead. “You probably shouldn’t talk,” he said. “Doctors said your throat is in pretty bad condition.” He smiled at her, but she caught him for looking at her broken wing for just an instant. He took a seat on the chair next to the bed. “I’m so sorry about all of this,” he said, a shadow passing over his face. “Nopony should ever go through what you did.” Rainbow Dash apprehensively looked down at her sheets and nodded her head slowly again. Her father looked at her worriedly for a while, without moving or hardly twitching. He was a determined kind of pony who didn’t let distractions get in his way. He pursued his goals with a kind of fervor, and right now he was fixated on looking after his daughter. It was the kind of attitude that she tackled life with as well. As she sat in her bed, unable to move because of her wounds, she felt like she was still connected to the forest where she had attained them. It was an attitude she could not shake, no matter how she might try. Her father suddenly said, “They said your wounds are bad, but they will heal in time.” She looked up at him. He had a bit of a stern look on him, and continued, “You need to rest a lot though. I know you probably want to get back to your friends at camp, but it will be a while.” At the word she suddenly remembered her own friend, and she trembled and convulsed as far as her bonds would let her. “Fluttershy…” she coughed out, looking at her father pleadingly. He was a little taken aback at first, but he then began to smile. “Oh yeah, she was your friend, right? She was found in some place called Ponyville,” he said, and Rainbow Dash felt relief pour into her body. There was nothing she wanted to hear more than that Fluttershy was alright, though she was curious how she had been saved. Regardless of her curiosity, however, she felt happier than she had for a long time. Her dad looked at her inquisitively, as she began to smile. She looked at him in the eye for a moment, and she could see confusion. She supposed nopony knew what had happened that day, and she thought she knew why. Nopony was looking at them, nopony noticed Fluttershy fall. Suddenly her eyes began to burn and she lowly and inaudibly growled. “Did she have something to do with what happened to you, Dash?” asked her dad with concern. She looked up at him, and nodded slowly, trying to mask her chagrin towards the other ponies at the camp. Her father seemed to be thinking for a moment, looking up and into empty space with his forehead furrowed. He looked down at her after a while and asked, “She fell, didn’t she? And you tried to save her?” Rainbow Dash was rather surprised by the accuracy of his guess, and she nodded slowly. He smiled sympathetically at her and patted her mane, but it did little to dispel her mood. She saw him look quickly up at a clock in the room, and then back at her without a word. “You are very brave, but that would be hard on any little filly,” he said softly. “Don’t let it get to you,” he said knowingly, and she nodded, but she knew that she would never just let go. Though she was happy that Fluttershy was okay, she still knew she had failed to save her own friend, and that was a burden she had to carry with her. “Stay strong, but in bed, ok? I have to go back to work now,” he said with another look at the clock. She sighed but nodded. He noted he would be back to see her and that if she needed anything to just call a nurse, and then he was gone. Just as quickly as he had arrived, he disappeared. Though it was nice to see him, she was embroiled in passive fury that everypony could have been so negligent. After a while she was brought food, and she had not realized until then how hungry she was. The food was processed, mashed, and compact and she didn’t have a very hard time swallowing it. Though it was rather bland, and somewhat bitter, she got it all down within a moment’s notice. She knew real food was likely beyond her capabilities. Soon after that she fell asleep once more, her activities the past few days continuing to take their toll. As she slept, she dreamed of her peers, laughing and waving as they watched her fall beneath the clouds and to the earth, her wings nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until around noon the next day that she slowly woke, her consciousness coming in gradually. She was tired, but her muscles ached less, and her external wounds were closing up. Her throat felt clearer, and breathing no longer caused a burning sensation in her larynx. She had healed faster than she would have expected. As soon as she took a look around, she noticed a rather conspicuous display on the table beside her. There was a vase, in which were placed a considerable amount of flowers. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened at the colors, seeing red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet flowers all arranged together precisely. Placed against the vase was a decorative, yet simple, card. It was a get well card from her mother. Rainbow Dash figured she had visited while she was asleep, at some time in the night. She hadn’t been there long, but there was a startling lack of activity around her. Nurses only came in rarely, and she hadn’t seen a doctor. Though she heard little of the hospital’s staff, she could hear the voices and steps of many others throughout the hospital around her. With some effort, she propped herself up and took a look around the room. Other than the flowers, it was completely barren: a white and immaculate wasteland. She sighed as she viewed her body, which was in no condition to go anywhere. Even as she sat there and waited, there was only one thing on her mind. The door opened and she figured a nurse was coming in to change towels or something, but she was surprised when she saw her dad. He came in with a smile and confident gait. He seemed to have something sticking out of his saddlebag, but it was obscured from her view by his wings and she could hardly see it. “Dad!” she said, her voice not quite clear, but certainly audible, and not painful to her. His face lit up as he heard her voice, and he gave her a careful hug. He took a seat, and she tried to angle her head to see what he was hiding, to no avail. He sat there and smiled as she kept on moving her head, until she gave up and lay down in wait. His look was extremely smug, and Rainbow Dash was just so curious and distracted she began to become frustrated. She pouted and crossed her front hooves in protest. With a laugh her father said, “I got you something, Dash.” She whipped her head around and stared intensely at him as he brought the object out from his bag. She recognized it instantly as something she had asked her parents for: a Wonderbolt action figure. “It’s Spitfire, your favorite,” he said, as she gawked at it. “She’s one of the ones that rescued you!” “Oh, it’s great,” she said after a moment. “Thank you, dad.” He seemed a little shocked at her lack of enthusiasm, but he seemed happy nonetheless. She put the toy down on the dresser beside her with a smile, and looked back at him. Though he seemed calm, she noticed he kept looking at the clock and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he asked compassionately, noticing her change in attitude. She looked to the side and shrugged, but he pressed the issue. “Do you have to leave again?” she asked. Her dad looked down at the ground, and then back at her. “I’m sorry, Dash,” he said after a moment. “Everypony is busy right now, and your mother and I can hardly catch a break. But we’ll come and visit you as much as we can.” Rainbow Dash nodded, but she was still frowning, and her eyes were downcast. She couldn’t help but wonder why exactly everything was so busy though. She had nearly forgotten until she had seen the toy, but she could feel her mind being drawn away once more. She looked at her dad, and she nervously tapped her front hooves on the table next to her. Her dad looked at her inquisitively all the while. “I… um…” she started, but she couldn’t quite finish the thought. His gaze seemed to pore into her, leaving no room for hesitation. “I spent a lot of time in the forest,” she began again, this time with some fervor, “and the animals helped me a lot. But I think they are in trouble now, and I want to help.” Her father gasped and shook his head, asking, “What are you saying, Dash? The Everfree Forest is too dangerous!” He seemed strange, and Rainbow Dash was worried he might become angry. “But I came out fine, Dad,” she said. “I can’t say the same for the…” she began, but she was cut off by her dad. “You nearly died, Rainbow Dash!” he said, with a sharp edge to his voice. “Frankly, it’s a miracle you lasted as long as you did!” He seemed to be trying to maintain his calmness, but his anger was apparent. Rainbow Dash drew herself back and looked away. He sighed and looked at her. “Listen, the animals there can take care of themselves; they are different. I know you had a hard time, but you need to get rest, so you can go back to flight camp.” She looked at him for a moment, and then back down, and she slowly nodded. Her father sighed again and looked to the side. He was sitting, but he looked to be extremely uncomfortable. He began to look at her again, and his eyes were steel, and inescapable. “Just focus on getting rest, Rainbow Dash,” he said. “Forget about that forest. It’s nopony’s territory.” She nodded again, but only weakly. He stayed a while, but didn’t say anything at all. He left with a good bye, and a smile, and she smiled back. To her, the whole thing was empty and meaningless. After he was gone, she looked to the toy next to her. She picked it up and glared at it. She wouldn’t forget what they had done. Were it not for the Wonderbolts, she could have saved the bird and the other animals as well. She threw it under the table next to her with all the strength she could, and looked away. She would not give up on them, no matter what anypony said. The rest of the day went by slowly and uneventfully. Rainbow Dash wondered if she would ever see her mother, but through the night she never did. She had nothing to do, and still could not move. All she had were thoughts and intentions, and she made the most out of them. She slept that night without any dreams. Come morning, she noticed that her mother had left another card for her, and she pondered for a moment just when her mom was visiting. It must have been late into the night, for she knew that she had been awake for quite some time. She also noticed that the needle that had been in her arm was gone, supposedly having been taken out while she was asleep. She rested and waited. Her dad returned that afternoon for a few minutes, and he talked to her about her flight camp and how he knew she would be great someday, and all the while she smiled and nodded. He seemed to be wondering where the toy had gone, but he never asked about it. She had never thought she would be unhappy to see her own father, but she found his exit to be a relief. Despite everything he had taught her, she could not get past how fiercely he had dismissed her. Her father had always taught her to follow her dreams, but she couldn’t help but feel he only wanted her to follow his. The next day her father came back in and sat down, and he looked tired and ragged almost, as if he had been up the whole day and night. He smiled and waved at his daughter and sat down, but he didn’t do much more than sit there, and breathe heavily. Rainbow Dash looked down at her covers, and then at him. “Hey dad…” she said quietly, looking him in the eye. He looked back at her, and he seemed to wake a little, returning her gaze. “What’s up, Dash?” he asked with a wide, strained smile. She looked at him for a few moments, and away and then back again. “You said I should always follow my dreams, right?” she asked, and he waited a few moments, not necessarily surprised or stunned, but rather, just thinking. “You always should, Dash,” he said after some time of that. “Never give up on what is important to you. I remember when you were still a foal, and you told me you wanted to be the best flyer in Equestria.” When he said it, she saw a touch of pride on his face, and a sort of powerful nostalgia. “I don’t think I am any good at flying anymore, Dad,” she said. He was taken aback, but before he could respond she continued. “I can’t, and I don’t even want to. But I have a new one now, Dad! I want to be with the animals!” She looked him right in the eye, with the look of uttermost determination on her face, but before she knew he had matched it. “Listen Rainbow Dash, I watched you every day as you grew up, and I know what you are good at,” he began. “And even as a filly, you are one of the best flyers I have ever seen. You can’t give up because of one failure!” She shrunk back, but he did not stop. “You have to get back up! Soar faster than any pegasus has before!” He was not angry, but regardless his persistence frightened her. She had thought she had everything cleared, but her father raised a new doubt, and she didn’t want to face it. “I… I won’t give up, Dad,” she said. “They need me, I know it.” She looked away, hoping she would have the last word. After a moment, he still had not said anything, and she looked back at him. He was there in the chair still, but he was looking down and away from her, and she could not see his face. “Dash… I’m sorry you had to go through that all,” he said, his voice shaking and trembling. “But I know what is best for you. Please, can’t you trust me?” She looked at him, and for a moment she thought she might simply concede and go back with him. But then she remembered the sadness of the bird as it cried out for help, and she looked down. Her father got up and went towards the door, but stopped short of it. He turned around, and his eyes were full of tears. She was drawn into them, and for the longest time she could not look away. She could not speak, or argue, or even think. She just couldn’t bear that reality any more, and she looked away. When she looked back, her father had gone. So many thoughts churned in her mind that she could hardly bear thinking. Just as before, she was stuck in her bed, unable to go anywhere, or do anything. After a long time she simply could not bear to lay there anymore, and she threw off the sheets and got out of the bed. She found her body was fine, and her leg was as limber as ever. She supposed that it had never been damaged too badly; most of the wounds were probably superficial. Her wing was still far from healed, and still wrapped up in the heavy cast, but she found she couldn't care less. She paced around the room for the rest of the day, returning to her bed only when a nurse would come in. She looked out the window at the huge, majestic cloudscape of her home, and found neither pleasure nor pride in it. Eventually night came, and though her eyes began to tire, she did not sleep. Eventually a nurse came in and turned the lights off, and she pretended to be asleep. The facility went dark, and soon, as did the streets below. Rainbow Dash got up and took a few steps around the room, and then went up to the door. She took a deep breath, and then opened it and went through. All that awaited her was a dark hallway, unpopulated and unmonitored. She made her way through and down a flight of stairs, and eventually came up to a lobby that was dimly lit. To her chagrin, there was a pony at the desk, sitting down with a bored look. She fled the area before that pony could spot her, and looked around. There were no more doors around, and she began to expect she might have to make a break for it. However, before she did any such thing, she heard the receptionist talking, and she hid behind a wall. She couldn’t hear quite well, but it seemed that somepony was there for a visit, and would require an escort. She heard the two ponies begin to walk away, into the hallway where she had come from. She soon made her way across the lobby. She kept her ears attuned, and almost thought she heard her name, but disregarded the thought; the doors to the outside were right before her, and she went through them. The streets of Cloudsdale were empty and dark, but Rainbow Dash did not let her guard down yet. She stuck out like a sore hoof, and she couldn’t let anypony spot her. Every now and then she had to duck and hide from some passing pegasus, and to her they all had the same tired and haggard demeanor. Trying to shake off thoughts of hesitation or regret, she headed quickly toward her destination. Unfortunately for her, the cloud distribution facility was not as vacant as she had hoped it would be, as there were a few workers within talking loudly and working profusely. She ducked behind a small pillar, and listened. “Listen up,” said a heavy set stallion with a gruff voice of authority. “We still gotta send rain over all of Equestria.” The workers nodded and got back to work, though each of them seemed to have the same dull and tired look about them. She watched from the shadows as they began to move huge barrels of water to different ports in the facility. She heard some grunt talking and tried to listen. “Where is this water going anyway?” he said with a yawn as his knees shook under the weight of a large barrel. “Oh, didn’t you hear?” his coworker said. “These clouds are going to the Everfree forest.” The first pony nearly buckled over as a shiver ran down his body. “Everfree? Doesn’t that place have its own clouds?” he said with an incredulous look. “Nopony’s got business there…” His coworker shrugged as he loaded the barrel into a small cubby and attached a pipe to it. “Place got hit pretty hard. Either way, I’m glad only these clouds need to go there,” he said, and the two walked away from the port. Rainbow Dash watched them leave and snuck across the floor. There was a small door in the port labeled ‘do not enter.’ With some effort, she pushed open the heavy door. Outside she almost yelled when she found herself standing on a ledge on the end of Cloudsdale. She backed off, and leaned against the wall, trying not to look off the edge. To the side of her was an opening, behind which she heard some kind of machinery. There were a grinding and a sort of blowing noise, and then from the opening came a large cloud, thick and apparently full of water. She snuck over, taking as much care as she could to not fall. The cloud was beginning to move, but before it got away she jumped with all the power her legs could afford, and landed on the top. Rainbow Dash sunk into the soft, wet cloud. She stayed there for what felt like a few hours, taking a peek out over the ground every now and then. Eventually she floated over exactly what she had been looking for. The trees below were thick, yet some were bare and burnt, and it seemed the whole forest had an eerie mist over it. The cloud began to release its water and shrink, getting lower and lower. Eventually it skimmed along the trees, unable to stay high under her weight, and sunk below the cover of the forest. Eventually the cloud collapsed entirely and she fell a few feet, bracing her legs for impact as she landed on the forest floor. She took a look around. The leaves were thick, and the trees were tall. The ground was covered with leaves and twigs and all sorts of outreaching roots. She could hardly see ten feet in front of her through the thick fog that covered the area. The whole place seemed eerily quiet. It was the most frightening place in all of Equestria, and she was in the thick of it. Rainbow Dash looked ahead and walked with determination. There was only one concern she had, and she would fulfill it no matter what stood in her way. Though she could hardly see in the forest, she continued moving nevertheless. The forest seemed still, and unmoving. There was almost no sound, and this was in no way reassuring to the filly. The ground was hard against her hooves. Though it had been days, she could taste ash with every breath. It was as if the forest was still aflame. Rainbow Dash stepped around a tree when she heard a loud sound overhead. She looked up, but there was nothing there. She stayed there for a moment, looking at the cloudy sky, before she once again looked ahead of her. Though she couldn’t see anything, she began to hear some sounds from afar. She frowned and moved forward. Between the trees ahead of her she could see a soft orange glow, and she instinctively head toward it. In no time she reached a clearing, full of burnt and fallen trees. In the center there was a small fire, fed by the remains of a once tall evergreen. She took a step closer, and noticed the flame was rather isolated and confined. She wondered how a small fire like this could have lasted for such a long time. The flames were small, but were so bright they lit up the entire clearing. She was keeping her distance, but she felt the heat pressing against her face as if she were right next to it. The fire flickered and waved, but it never weakened. It had depths, the likes of which she could not fully understand. She sat there next to the warm fire, though the noises she had heard did not cease. Though it was part of the scion of this forest’s ruin, it brought her comfort, and warmth. She did not know why she stayed, but she did nonetheless. It lasted until she heard snapping twigs and the sound of hooves not too far from her at all. “Rainbow Dash!” yelled a familiar voice from the woods behind her. She froze, recognizing her name, and slowly turned around. The woods were dark, and she could not see, but she knew they were not empty. She was rooted to the spot, unable to act on her thoughts. She heard her name called again, and ducked in the clearing. Her hoof slipped and she heard a twig snap next to her. She winced and hoped she was not heard, but those wishes were dashed after only a moment. From the trees in front of her she noticed a figure approaching, and then entering the clearing. “Rainbow Dash!” said her dad as he got closer and wrapped his hooves around her in a hug. She sat there, unmoving, unable to bring herself to look at him. “Oh, Rainbow Dash,” he said, clinging to her. She felt tears drip onto her shoulder, but she did not move. “I found you… I’m so glad,” he continued, holding her ever tighter. Every regret and preconception she had rose as her father hugged her, and sobbed onto her shoulder. She could feel him tremble, his solid body weak and his heart fragile. This was not what she had wanted, she thought. She had hoped to get back to the forest, and leave her father and mother behind where she didn’t need to worry about them. “You were missing, and your mother couldn’t find you,” he said. “We searched all of Cloudsdale, but you were nowhere. I knew you must have come here, and I wasted no time.” He looked away as he explained this to her, and she could hear his ragged and irregular breaths. Suddenly he pulled her face up, and she was forced to look right into his eyes. “Why?” he asked, curtly, but she felt the question tear into her nerves. “Why did you come back here?” She looked away, and closed her eyes, trying to struggle and back away. She didn’t want to face him, but he had a hold of her, and he pulled her head toward him once more. His eyes were so full of steel; they seemed to pierce her, and gazed directly into her heart. Try as she might, she could not escape, and she had no answer for him. “I guess it doesn’t matter,” he said after a while. He loosened his grip on her, but not his gaze. “Come on Rainbow Dash, we’re going home,” he said, his tone inexorable. It was then she knew he was going to take her away, and render everything she had done pointless “No!” she yelled, slipping out of his grip with a burst of motion. She felt her bandaged wing chafe against his powerful legs, and winced. He shook his head and took a step forward. She tried to back up, but she was quickly cornered against a tree. She looked all around but could see no escape. Her father went to reach for her, and she pressed herself against the tree as far as she could. They both stopped and froze when a loud and pervasive howl echoed throughout the forest. It shook her very bones, and it sounded close. Fear clouded her thought, and she could hardly move. She could vaguely hear her dad yelling, and could feel him shaking her, but she was unable to respond. She heard the howl again, and this time she knew it came from right in front of her. She looked up, and saw her father standing in front of her, tense and unyielding. At the other end of the clearing, she saw a few creatures emerge. They were shaped like wolves, but made of wood. Their eyes were fierce and glowed green, and clouds of foul green smoke blew from their nostrils. A pungent smell filled the area. “Damn, timberwolves…” said her dad. “Rainbow Dash, we have to go, now!” he said, taking a moment to look back. She was frozen with fear, and he made a move to grab her. Before he could though, she heard a deep roar and the pounding of wooden paws against the forest floor. She screamed as loud as she could. The timberwolves were running at them full speed, and her dad whirled around in the air, unfurling his wings in the motion. He spun around and kicked the nearest timberwolf with all the force he could muster, and its wooden face shattered against his hoof. Another passed him and lunged for Rainbow Dash. She yelped as she ducked and rolled to the side, barely dodging the creature’s jaws. Her father flew into it in a blur, and the wooden wolf was scattered into various logs and twigs. Her dad turned toward her, his eyes wide and trembling. She could tell he was afraid something might happen to her, but she screamed as she saw a timberwolf approach him from behind. The foul creature bit into her father’s leg, and she heard him yell. She felt her heart jump, and she backed up, looking away. She heard a commotion, and a yell, and the sound of wood scattering on the ground. She backed off even more as she heard her dad calling her name, and a wolf’s roar. She looked forward, and saw him fighting them off, but there were still many wolves, and some ran toward her. Her father looked back and shouted, but he was grappling with a wolf. Her thoughts stalled, and soon ended, as she lost all her reason. The timberwolves were nearly upon her when she took off running in the opposite direction. “Rainbow Dash!” she heard echoing after her as she darted through the darkness. She was unable to react, or indeed do anything other than run. The wolves were behind her, she knew, pursuing with an unnatural persistence. She could hear the pounding of their stiff paws on the hard ground, and the smell of their rotten breath. She stopped next to a tall, darkened tree in the midst of darkness after running for a long time. As she stood there and breathed heavily, it slowly occurred to her what had just happened, who she had left behind. She nearly collapsed, holding herself next to the tree as she felt her feelings come back and well up. “No… no, no regrets,” she said, wiping her eyes, and swallowing her doubts. Her father was many things, but he was not weak. She could not let him monopolize her thoughts when she had a job to do. She shook her head and looked around, and suddenly it occurred to her that the area she had wandered into was familiar. Though there were burnt trees and ashen logs scattered about, it very much resembled a skeleton of the wood where she had been cast away from. She felt excitement come up in her heart, and she began to move. Though she had just been full of fear, she felt the familiarity of the area fill her with hope. She moved around the tree, and walked along a nearby stream. There, ahead of her, she saw a small cliff face covered with ivy. She felt her stomach leap as she walked toward it. Her breaths were heavy and labored as she parted the vines to open a small space underneath. Inside, there was nothing but an empty nest, and a few scattered twigs and seeds. She stopped and looked at it, shocked motionlessly. She knew what she had left here, but it was nowhere to be found. After a moment she came out and into the night, and opened her mouth to call for the bird, but she stopped. She had never given it a name, and she had nothing to call it by. The wide forest loomed before her and she had no idea where to look, or whether it was even still around. There was so much she didn’t know, and so much she couldn’t tell, that she was lost in a sea of doubt. She backed away into the den, shielding herself from the mystery of the night. She didn’t know what had become of her charge, but she did know she had lost it forever. She was alone in the forest, separated from her father by what must be miles of dark forest, with nothing but a failed quest. She threw herself on the ground, and tried to forget about him, but the thoughts would not let go. Even as she lay there and stared at the nest though, she was reminded of exactly what kind of place she was in. Her nerve would not shake, no matter what stood in her way. Like her father, she would not back down. As she fell asleep, her thoughts fell to the animals that needed her, and how she would help them. To be continued...