//------------------------------//
// Seasons Gone 
// Story: The Ancient Heart of the Everwood Dragon 
// by Grey Faerie 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and the girls approached the west fields. They looked at the scattered trees and plants that marked the land battles between the farmers and the tree wraith.
"Should we clean up the debris, Twi? I don't want to be thrown and stuck through with a broken log," Applejack commented. Twilight eyed the mess. She felt rushed to lure out the beast already so she can take care of it. But Applejack was right.
"Yeah, let's clean up first," she sighed.
Spelled up rakes and levitation made quick work of taking apart the shattered barricades. Pinkie and Applejack muscled some of the huge logs towards the thicker parts of the tree patches. Rarity transformed the largest of the broken pieces into sawdust. Rakes ground into the softened dirt pulling twigs, leaves, and roots into piles. Twilight narrowed her eyes. She had been practicing with an age spell.
"Stand back, girls."
She pointed her horn and took a solid stance. The purple glow of magic lit up bright then struck out towards the piles. Slowly, the sawdust and other plant debris melted into dark browns. Twilight blew out a breath. She stood up tall and inspected the work. The piles of plant debris were now a bunch of compost on the ground. She looked around at the path area. The huge logs were safely out of the way. Twilight nodded. This was good.
"I think everything is ready. Are you girls ready?" Twilight said.
"Ha, what are you getting all nervous for Twilight? The thing might not even be around. Let's just get the field cleared." Rainbow Dash sped off to grab a sapling before Twilight could protest.
It pulled out of the ground with a ripping sound. Dark earth fell from the clumps on the tangled roots as Rainbow tossed it. The snapping thud announced the start of the clearing. Applejack gave a whoop and bucked at an older tree with all her strength. Its roots tore out of the ground throwing up a spray of dirt. Pinkie jumped up to swing from branches pulling the smaller trees over. She laughed as she fell on the soft dirt after it came down.
Rarity sniffed at the rambunctious display. She trotted over to an area with smaller plants. She smiled and turned the bushes into her topiaries. They stood up in a pot made of roots. Fluttershy came over and complimented at them. She had been left behind by her more energetic friends. She smiled shyly as she helped to move the topiaries off to the side. Twilight on the other hand, felt the sweat drip down her face. She strained from the force of pulling a huge old tree from the ground. It lifted up and she manuvered to float it to the forest line.
Pinkie and Applejack peeked at what she was doing. They realized her intent and ran over to dig a new hole for it. They did the same for the other trees too big to simply tear down. The field was now littered with the felled trees. Twilight walked around to make compost of the plants. The late morning sunshine was starting to heat up the air. Pinkie busied herself with hopping around over the still open holes. Fluttershy helped Rarity and Applejack with filling the holes back in. Rainbow and Twilight did a bit of raking to spread out the compost. In the end, the clearing was now, well, clear.
"Ooweee, look at that. I'd say this worked out faster than snow clearing in Winter Wrap up." Applejack stood proud fanning herself with her hat.
"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted. "I thought we were just going to pull a few weeds out. Not clear the whole thing! Wee, I wonder what they are going to grow here?" Pinkie hopped back and forth over the huge hole from the first tree Twilight pulled.
The trees of the forest moved, and a distinct dragon head rose up from it. The eyes of the tree wraith stared down at them.
"Ohhhh sss..." Rainbow Dash started. She cut off the next word in lieu of joining up with the other girls.
"I thought it wouldn't be around!?" Fluttershy shook.
"We thought is the main word there. We hoped is another word to use." Rarity said.
The mane six, Representatives of the Elements of Harmony, stood in line ready for battle. Twilight stood slightly in front and called out to the creature.
"We are the Elements of Harmony. I, Princess Twilight, demand to know your reasoning for killing ponies of Equestria. You will face punishment for the crime of murder." She could see it clearly in across the empty land.
It tilted its head at her. The rustling of leaves echoed to them. It seem to smile. Was it laughing? Or simply regarding her? Twilight scowled.
"What do you have to say in your defense?" She called out in her strongest voice. It was all justified anger and authority.
It stared at her.
The girls were tense with anticipation but they were starting to waver.
It still stared at them.
Twilight looked back over her shoulder to the girls. She tried to look confident but the wait was killing her. Should she do something? A speck of movement could be seen in the corner of her eye. Twilight snapped back to attention. She stared down the creature. But the movement was... on it? Yes, a purple speck could be seen climbing down the tree creature. It ran towards them.
"Spike? Spike! What are you thinking?" Twilight ran towards him as well. He crossed the clearing to meet her in a hug.
"Hey Twilight." He squeezed her. They parted and she looked him over.
"What are you doing?" She lectured. "Are you hurt? Why were you with that thing? What made you even go over here huh!?"
Spike reddened at the barrage. "It... well I... hey! This is Heartwood." He smiled widely and stuck out a hand towards the dragon. Twilight leaned over to look at the creature. She gave Spike an incredulous look.
"Heart Wood?" She raised an eyebrow. "You know this thing's name?"
"Yeah! She's real nice and she's a dragon too! She can talk. It's just been a really really long time for her. We met up in the forest. I thought she was going to eat me!" He laughed. "But then, she was telling me all about dragon lore and that she didn't mean to do harm to the ponies. She didn't know what they were doing or even what they were," he explained. His boyish smile remained.
Twilight looked at him with a bit of shock. "And how do you know any of this for sure? Why were you here at all, Spike? If I can remind you, the only reason I brought you here was so you can go to your comic book store. You were supposed to stay in your room and behave or stay with Helden Guard." Her anger lower her voice to growl.
Spike looked between her and Heartwood trying to explain. Twilight huffed heavily cutting him off. She looked back at the girls. Their moods seemed to be a mix of concerned and angry. Twilight looked towards the dragon in the distance. This creature had causes so much terror and harm to the town. Yet, here was Spike gushing about her.
She turned back to Spike with a look promising a later lecture. "I don't like this, but we need to talk to her and explain to her that she can't be attacking innocent like she did. It wasn't right." Twilight glared off towards the large dragon. "And tell her not to show up around towns anymore. It puts everypony in a panic."
Spike nodded sadly. "Alright, let me go talk to her." He ran off towards the dragon. Twilight looked back at the girls again. They were gawking at the dragon and Spike talking like old friends. Though, it was more like Spike doing all the talking. He talked up at Heartwood waving his arms, putting his hands on his hips, thinking. She nodded here and there. Finally, she made a couple of weird noises which made Spike smile and run back to Twilight.
"She said she understands. I explained everything and while she's still really sad that you ponies are tearing up the forest, since you're going to plant new stuff, it's fine. I did also tell her not to come too close, but the farmers should be told to steer clear of the forest next time they look for land. She doesn't want the trees to be killed."
Twilight sighed then nodded. "Let's go back then. If we've gotten everything cleared up here, we need to go back and tell the mayor. It's going to be hard to explain all of this to the townsponies. Especially the ones still in the hospital," Twilight said.
They rest of the girls agreed with her. They were a cluster of mummers about 'How are going to explain this?' and 'At least, this means no pony else will be getting hurt.'
Spike's felt a sense of unease as his smile fell. He look back and forth between Twilight and Heartwood.
"Ahh, Twilight! Wait! I ah..."
Twilight stopped and looked back at him. "Spike? What is it? Let's go." She nudged with her head.
"No. It's just... Heartwood has a lot to say to me. We had been talking and... I want to know more about myself."
She turned back to face him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"When we were in the forest, Heartwood called me an Arcane dragon. She spoke of a lot of different things most dragons don't even know. And then while walking here, she had offered to tell me more! She said that she even knew of an old Arcane cave around here! I want to go with her." He looked at her with bright eyes.
"No," Twilight said.
"What? What do you mean no? I want to go with her."
"I said no. You're in a enough trouble as it is and she's some tree dragon for pony's sake! I don't even know where to start with that. We don't know anything about this creature."
"I know more than you do! Besides, she knows a bunch of stuff all about me and my kind apparently."
"That could be just something she told you."
"That's not true." Spike felt his body shake. "I'm going with her."
Twilight laughed. "And what would you eat? When was the last time we even went camping? There are violent creatures in a forest. It's not a place for a baby dragon."
"I'm almost a teenager! I'm not a baby anymore." Spike's fist shook by his side. A baby. Must she always call him that?
"We are going back Spike. That is final." Twilight looked down on him. Her face was grim.
Spike ground his teeth. Twilight turned around and walked away. He looked back at Heartwood for one last time. She tilted her head. He quietly waved at her. His frown trembled. She blinked at him and turned away.





"Zere you are! I have been looking everyvere for you." Helden Guard stalked over to Spike. He was doing his afternoon rounds when he spotted Spike walking down Main Street. "It does not do one's heart good to vorry vere zeir friends have run off to. I vaited an hour for you at zee Training Grounds. I left and came back to spend my entire lunch zere just vaiting for you to show up! You veren't around zee town. Just vat do you have to say for yourself?"
Spike stared down at the ground. He was sniffing. Helden's frown lost its hard edge. "Spike? Vat is wrong?"
"I went to the West Fields on my way to the Training grounds this morning and met the dragon that had been tearing everything up. She's not what everyone thought she'll be like! She's kind and old and knows about my kind. I want to go with her to learn more. I feel like she has so much to tell me. But Twilight keeps treating me like a baby who doesn't know not to talk to strangers. She doesn't want me to go." His fists shook again.
Helden reached out a hoof and lifted Spike's chin. "She cares about you. She is your family."
"I know. It's just so frustrating."
"Vat is so important about zis? Zis is some old dragon you've just met right? Why do you feel zis is absolutely vorth going with some creature? She might be dangerous."
"You don't understand. I've lived my entire life with ponies. I've never wanted for anything. I've lived in a castle, with nobles, in a library and surrounded by friends who care about me. But it's the fact that they're all ponies. I feel like a pony in the wrong body sometimes. I feel... weird. Abnormal. I'm so different from everyone around me! But now there's a dragon that can tell me everything I could want to know and more! It wouldn't be like the time with at the dragon migration." He shook his head at the memory, "I want to know more about myself. I want... to feel like a dragon sometimes. I want to be able to feel a complete sense of myself."
Helden nodded. "I understand. Zis is vorth it zan?"
"Worth it? I guess."
"No, you must be certain. More certain zan anyzing. Your family are not going to be happy to know you ran off like zat. You are going to be leaving everyzing behind but you vill be coming back afterwards. Are the consequences you vill face be vorth zee trip?"
"Yes! It will be. I want to go. I want to know everything the ponies can't teach me."
Helden smiled and laughed. "Zen go back to zee inn. Pack your food. I have yet to see you today."
"Huh? Ohh," Spike grinned. "Yes, you never saw me."
"Yes, yes, and zere for couldn't have any knowledge of vere you vent or at all talked you into anyzing." He winked.
Helden turned around and quickly trotted off. Spike smiled. Would it be worth it? Well, how many times is he going to come across someone like Heartwood? He nodded to himself. He'll just have to deal with Twilight's wrath afterwards. This'll definitely be worth the lecture.





Spike laid on Heartwood's back. The sunshine warmed him just sooo right. He stretched his arms out. Spike looked up into the sky streaming by.
"So, what am I exactly? I'm still confused by the 'library of stone'."
"You are called a Crystalline dragon. Your element instills itself in gems and stone. You will understand what you will become one day when we go see the cave."
"Hmm, okay." He felt impatient. "What can you tell me then? Anything cool?"
"As an Arcane, you can instill knowledge into a stone. Each facet is a page of text. A breathe of flame brings forth the knowledge to the mind."
"Hhhuhhh. I don't get it." He sprayed out on her head. His pout was deep on his face.
She chuckled. It was like wooden chimes clinking. "Your flame can carry knowledge."
"Oh! Is that why I'm so good with the teleportation spell for the letters?"
"Hmm, letters. Knowledge on dead wood and ink. When you hold the stone, your kind blows its flame. The flame engraves the words into the stone's foundation. You hold the stone again, your flame is trapped inside now. It glows and you know all it knows."
"Oohh, I get it. It's like the stone holds the knowledge inside and when you active it, you know what's been written inside. Cool. What else?"
"Arcane dragons are small in nature. Their growth is by the amount of knowledge they have. A hoard of stone is equal to the prized libraries of other species. They do not grow wings. They have no need for such when they tunnel into the earth for stones."
"Oh, I've always wondered about that." Spike titled his head to look longingly at his bare back. Didn't all the other dragons at the migration have wings? They probably need them cause they migrate. Kinda like birds. He sucked in his cheek in thought. His kind most likely didn't need to migrate. I wonder what it'll be like to live underground. What about the diamond dogs?
He sighed.
"Well, what about you? What are you?"
"I am an Everwood dragon. A nature dragon. I felt the plants and the ground. I felt the cycles of the seasons. I know where the best soil is. I spread the seeds and convince them to grow tall."
"Cool. So, what exactly is this whole 'second death' you keep mentioning?"
"When a dragon reached the age for their first death, they are given a choice. They could either choose to die there with all of themselves intact or, they could choose the obtain Second Death. Second Death is a dragon choosing to return to their element. They decay and their body is replaced with the pure essence of their element. My body is turning into the forest. One day, I will obtain my second death. At that time, I will have added my magic to the element."
"Hmm, okay."
She nodded then went on. "I will become a tree one day, but, my magic will infuse with it. The lasting magic from my time in first death will mix with my element making it greater than it would have been on its own. The element left behind by a dragon after Second Death is as awe and great as the dragon it comes from."
"Wow, that's so cool."
He rather enjoyed laying on her head. It was all soft moss and twisting wood. He had tucked his bow and quiver into a bush by her left tree horn. His bag of gems was tucked in the branches. Spike felt a stone in his stomach. This was such a rare opportunity! He could bring back knowledge he hadn't ever come across in any of the libraries. But...
His heart was heavy. He had left a note for Twilight to find. Spike stared up at the passing sky. She just had to understand. This felt like something he had to do.





He was laying on the ground when the sounds of scuffling came. Spike sat up. Three wolves stood in the clearing.

They had stopped by a stream for Heartwood to 'replenish' herself. Spike had taken a dip in and was sunning himself in a nearby clearing. She had said they were only a short way from the cave. There were many mountains in the area. They had to be traveling north by the way the sun moved through the sky.

Spike slowly climbed to his feet. Growls and snarls echoed into the clearing as two more wolves appeared out of the shadows of the underbrush.  Drool fell from the front most one's mouth.
"My, what big teeth you have." Spike swallowed but a lump was in the way. Spike drew his sword. It shined all sparkly and new in the late afternoon light.
The front wolf snared again. The others spread out. Spike shifted his eyes around the clearing.
"Only point at what you are willing to kill. I don't want to kill you. You just want some food. But I'm not going to be a meal today. And you'll end up dead. Back off. Now."
His racing heart didn't help to steady his already shaking hands. His stomach felt hollow and nonexistent. Spike stared them down. Each growl sent a jolt through him.

Now? Now? Now? Now? Now?
When?
Come at me.
Leave!
Run!
Now? Now? Now? Now? Now?

The first one jumped at him.

Swing? Don't swing? Think. Stab!

Spike snapped his eyes shut the moment the wolf lunged at him, and stabbed blindly at where the wolf's stomach should be. His upwards made a strange sound and sent warm liquid running down his face. The heavy body of the wolf fell on top of him. Spike shouted and managed to push it off. He looked down.
The other wolves howled in frustration and ran off into the forest brush. The heavy thunk of Heartwood's footfalls filled the clearing. Spike could vaguely feel his unsteady breaths. He sat there breathing, unmoving and not looking away. It was something horrible, yet, he cannot stop looking it.
"I... I killed it."
The dead wolf was now laying in his lap. The blood dripped off his head and chest. Entrails leaked out from where the force of the blade had ripped open the soft belly. Spike panicked and screamed trying to push it off. He ran blindly away. Wind whistled passed his ears until he had jumped straight into the water.
"Hhhhaauuuhhhh." Spike gasped when he surfaced. "Ahhhhh!"
He wiped at his face and spat water out. The coppery taste quickly washed out. Spike felt a weight climbing out of the water. It was his scabbard filling with water. He tipped it over to dump it out. Spike stared up into the streaking sky. Rays of red and purple marked the ending of the day. The dark night sky looked prime to over take the light.
"Your metal." Heartwood dropped the sword by him. It plopped into the swallow water. Clouds of red and soft browns floated up. His hand still shook when he reached out for it.
"I killed it. I didn't want to." He curled up and held his legs. The sword rested in his clenched hand.
"We must go now."
He nodded. Heartwood lowered her head for him. He climbed up to his spot on her head. He could see the bow and quiver still rested in a bush by the left tree horn.
"I will tell you a story."
"Why?" Spike undid the belt for his scabbard. The sword rested in the green moss. Some water still dripped from them so he pulled out a cloth to wipe them down. It didn't look as shiny and new anymore.
"The cycles are many. Death is many. Many is life. I will tell you a story."
Spike sighed. "Alright."

Winter fell heavy on the forest. The wolf trekked through the snow looking for food. The pack was starved. Anything to be eaten had moved south. The rabbit was starved. He huddled under a snow covered bush. All that was to be eaten had hidden under the snow. The wind brought the smell of life to the wolf. It ran through the trees. The rabbit panicked and ran from its spot. It ran and ran until its breathe labored in its chest. The wolf gave chase still.
The rabbit came across a large wooden warren for another animal. Outside the warren stood the animal. It beckoned the rabbit to it. The wolf stopped and stared at the two creatures. Without its pack, it wouldn't be able to take them both down. The other animal carried the rabbit into the warren. The wolf howled to its pack and ran back.
The animal had the ability to harvest food for the cold season. It could not hear the screams of the plants as it cut them down. The plants did not know of harvest. It only knew of cold, sun, water and soil. The rabbit ate the plants. He could not here the calls of the plants either. But it seemed, the other animal could understand the calls of animals not like itself.
The wolves came back to the place the rabbit hid and waited. They howled at the warren.

The creature stood in the yard with the rabbit. The wolves called out to it.

Let us eat. It is food.

The rabbit called out to it as well.

Don't let me be eaten. I wish to go home!

The wolf cried out.

The winter is long. The prey all leave. Our pups need food.

The rabbit cried out.

I must return home! They are waiting for me. I am needed.

The creature realized it had interfered. It let the rabbit go and walked back to its home. What will happen must happen. The wolf can not talk to the rabbit just as the rabbit can not talk to the grass. Could you eat another while it cries out for mercy? When it speaks of children? To eat is life. To kill is necessary to eat.

"Even the plants cry out when they are torn apart by dull mouths. I can hear them but I do not interfere. The wolf will kill you or you kill the wolf. For we are all the wolf and the rabbit. We are all the rabbit and the grass. That must never be forgotten."
Spike looked down at his scabbard. He rubbed the smooth surface then pulled out a small knife and dug into the wood.