//------------------------------//
// 57 - One of Us? 
// Story: Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Tree pressed through the branches, but they did not cling or scrape. They gently flowed around her, allowing her passage without opposition, so long as she remained on the path. Behind her, the forest showed no sign of her passing. "Who do you think is calling us?" Bright was quiet. "Druids?"

"Possibly."

There was a faint tone in her ears and Tree cocked her head. She could hear the song of the trees, but it wasn't being sung at her, nor was it natural. She didn't remember hearing such a thing indirectly before. It was like a chorus of singers bending the will of nature. She could hear little hints of other aspects being invoked, but she didn't know to what end. It was all very intricate and complicated, beyond her understanding. It was enough to know that nature itself was being coerced with a frightening level of skill and complexity.

A wolf stepped out before her and nodded slowly. "Welcome."

Tree tilted her head. "Trippy. Can all wolves talk? The last one I met wasn't very chatty."

The wolf looked at her impassively a moment. "No."

"Oh, sorry then. I didn't mean to harsh your buzz, man. Can--"

"Follow me." He turned and began walking away without listening to her words.

Tree did follow, but didn't cease her questions. "As I was saying, do you know where my friends are?"

"They are being tested." The wolf slunk under a log without delay. "They are interesting. We would see you tested, if such were practical."

"Why's that, man?" She hopped up and slipped down the other side of the log, following faithfully.

"You were told."

When the silence drew too long, she smiled a little. "Why not ask?"

The wolf turned to her suddenly, stopping. "You would submit yourself to be tested?"

Tree shrugged, but Bright answered for her, "possibly."

"You are an interesting pony." The wolf turned. "We are almost there, keep up." His steps became faster, and Tree had to accelerate from a walk to a true trot to keep up, but the wolf turned out to be true to his word, and they emerged into a clearing. The residents were more animals, staring at her intently. A badger, a beaver, and a huge bear.

The bear rumbled with a female voice, "You come before us willingly, a small mark in your favor. Others would have fled or fought us."

Tree looked over the collection of animals curiously. "Far out, man. Nice to make your acquaintances and such, but I really need to get back to my friends."

The badger rolled back its lips in a snarl before a female voice issued from it, "Do you even understand your situation?"

"Lay it on me."

The badger and bear swapped looks as the wolf joined them and the beaver stepped forward, "You are to be judged, with words, since the traditional test cannot be administered properly. Your mind is like a stone. Your druid's training wards you against the lures of nature, your pony nature rebuffs magic, and your unique mind is strong, even though you gaze at us so placidly." The beaver leaned forward as he stroked his chin. "If you were not going where you belonged, we would simply destroy you. In fact, there is one of you who does not belong, but is protected by a fell pony god from our testings. Tell us of him."

Tree seemed to take it all in, nodding. "Radical! You've been protecting the ponies?"

The wolf shook her head. "We should think not. A pony going the other way would be pressing where it does not belong, and would be destroyed just as swiftly. Rather than test, they would not emerge. We would have slain the human, but their god protected them. Tell us who he is."

The badger snorted. "One other we thought was human, but she has faint blood of pony in her. It awoke during our execution, and the truth of it became clear. A curious case, she belongs in either place."

Tree glanced left and right. "So a pony trying to leave, or a human trying to come..."

"Would be destroyed," completed the wolf. "Now stop delaying. Who is this man that prays to pony gods?"

Tree set a hoof at her chest. "We should totally meet each other first. I'm Tree Hugger. This is Bright Feathers." She pointed up at Bright. "We're happy to meet you."

"Possibly."

The bear exposed her sharp teeth. "You are in no place to argue with us. Though your mind is barred, we feel confident we could crush you if it came to physical tests."

"Who's arguing?" She tilted her head. "Like, chill out." She looked around a moment and saw the weed she wanted. She walked over to it and pointed. "Maybe some of this would set your minds at ease. There's no reason to be so tweaked out, man."

The beaver looked tempted, but his looking earned him quick glares of scorn by the others. The bear snorted. "You should, perhaps, be more 'tweaked out'. We hold your friends."

"Yeah..." She nodded slowly. "But you said you won't hurt them. Let's talk, druid to druid."

The wolf let out a slow sigh. "Yes, let us talk. Speak of this man, now. Stop leading us in circles."

Tree looked them over a moment. "I was hoping to get your names, but fine, man, you can keep that on the down low if you prefer. He's Paul, a good guy and a righteous dude. He came a long way to help us, and has to go longer still until we're done. He'll go back to his friends eventually with a truly radical story for them that'll blow their minds."

"He was quick to violence."

"He called to heathen gods."

"His mind was weak."

Tree waved off each thing. "He fights when he has to, man. He wouldn't start a fight on his own. When his friends are in danger, that's when he gets worked up. That's not bad, is it?"

The badger glared at Tree Hugger. "Most importantly, he does not belong on the other side of the forest."

Tree nodded. "He doesn't belong anywhere but with us until our quest is done, then he'll decide where to go next. He's a good guy, really." She put a hoof to her heart. "I swear."

"Your word means little." The wolf sat up. "Why does he worship a pony god?"

"Oh, well that was totally trippy. She came to him, but he coulda totally turned her down, but he didn't. She's the Moon Princess." She tapped her chin. "Maybe she knew this test was coming."

"Possibly."

"Gods know more than they should." The beaver clacked his teeth lightly. "They are dangerous, and not of this world. Others thought they could rise to their power by fleeing the world, but nature has the last laugh to give. What of you? Your song, as you would say, is just a bit off pitch, but you have embraced nature's hold."

Tree nodded. "I live up to my name, for sure." She reached for the closest bent tree and gently stroked it. "I totally grok trees, and I think they understand me. We dance to the same tune, ya feel?"

The bear nodded. "And would you bow your head to an offworld god that was not born to blood, does not age towards the end, or fears death in its own way? Would you accept one that defies and stands separate of nature itself?"

Tree tilted her head left and right. "I don't know about all that, but I met one. She was pretty laid back and chill. She showed me how to sing to the trees around here, and didn't ask anything in return."

The beaver grinned. "She will."

Tree blinked. "I guess I'll find out. Either way, please don't hold Paul's being a human against him. He couldn't help that. Even if we could make him a pony, that would be more against your order than letting one little human past. I told you, he's good, and I mean it."

"Very well." The wolf gestured into the trees. "We will let him speak for himself."

A path opened, practically depositing a bedraggled Paul to the ground with a loud grunt of exertion and pain.

Tree rushed to his side. "Stay right there, rest and let nature tend your wounds." A soft green glow of her magic swept into him, and he felt warm restorative power come with the urge to just lay there and let it happen, so he did.

"Tree, it's great t'see you. Uh, am I comin' in the middle of somethin'?"

The beaver nodded. "Something indeed."

The badger clucked her tongue. "Speak to us, human. Why do you pay heed to a pony god?"

Tree pet over Paul's back slowly. "He has to lay here until nature's song is done with him."

The badger shrugged lightly. "He can speak where he lays. Answer us."

Paul rolled to have them in view. "Well, hey there?" He looked confused. "Kinda came to me, in a dream, asked if I wanted her help, and she gave it. I reckon I owe her a bit of thanks."

The beaver laughed. "You owe her more than that."

The wolf looked to the beaver. "Are we killing him?"

The bear shook her head. "We shouldn't. I do not trust the hand of gods, but they have their inscrutable reasons. He's being guided to something, probably to die for their petty games. Let him die there."

The beaver nodded. "The lot of them... Did you see the test the plated one saw? She is a literal plaything of them. She is a walking example of just how foul the gods' touch can be."

Plated one? Tree tilted her head at them. "What's wrong with Fast Shadow? Is she alright?"

The wolf frowned faintly. "She is far from alright. Her very existence and every breath is a sin against nature. She spins wildly in the wheel of reincarnation, and that is fine and well, but that wheel is guided by another, and her soul is not permitted to grow and become new."

"Rather like us, really," noted the beaver with a smirk, gaining a glare from the others, but he didn't seem to care. "Her life, however long it may be will be that of suffering and pain. That is the fate of anyone who becomes the plaything of gods." On that, the others eagerly agreed, nodding and grunting.

Tree nodded slowly. "I'll talk to her, and check her, but she's a good pony, the best."

"Even the best make mistakes," noted the wolf, shaking her head slowly. "Even the best can fall."

Tree blinked at the cryptic message. "We all do. What about Maud? Where's my sister of stone?"