Roots of Fear

by ChronicleStone

Chapter 2: The Haunted Wood

“Spike? Spike, wake up! You sleepyhead, open those eyes!”

He groaned and turned onto his side. It hadn’t been enough that she had kept him up all night doing some late studying (again!), and now she wanted him to get up at who knew what hour this was? “Can’t a guy get some sleep?” he yawned.

“You can catch up on your sleep later today,” the voice returned. “Don’t you remember what today is?”

Spike rolled onto his stomach and reluctantly opened an eye. It took him a few moments to focus on the calendar pinned to the wall. “Tuesday?” he said, turning to the voice.

A purple unicorn stood at the foot of the stairs, her beloved book-laden saddlebags thrown over her back. She smiled sympathetically as she looked at him. “Aw, Spike, did I keep you up last night?”

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, but I guess I should be getting used to it by now. Isn’t it a bit of a regular occurrence now?”

“I was actually working on a night-light spell so I could read without keeping the lights on and keeping you awake,” she responded.

“Twilight, the light last night was the brightest I had ever seen it. You couldn’t have worked on it in the daytime?”

“I can’t tell how bright it is in the daylight! I need the darkness to gauge its potency.”

Spike brought his claw up to his forehead and groaned. “Are all of our conversations this ridiculous, or it just me?”

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, ignoring Spike’s sarcasm, “today’s the day we’re going out to help Zecora gather some more plants for her potions. I’ve always wanted to be able to take some notes on her concoctions and methodology. It would do wonders for my studies. I’m sure Princess Celestia would be thoroughly fascinated with her work.”

“Yeah, sure,” Spike said, only half-alert to the conversation. “Can I sleep on the way there?”

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment. “And I suppose that would involve hitching a ride?”

“Well, since we’re both going that way…” he prodded.

“Oh, alright,” she said, using the magic emanating from her horn to lift him onto her back. “Just don’t snore.”

He awoke to the steady jostle of Twilight’s clopping. He stayed still for a moment, reluctant to commit himself to the realm of consciousness.

“Glad that you could come back to us.”

Spike turned his head towards the head of the mare. She was still facing forward, prancing along as if she had noticed nothing. “How did you know I was awake again?” he asked.

“The snoring stopped.”

“Oh. Sorry.” He sat up and stretched again. The dark outline of Everfree Forest was rising before them, and Spike felt an unnerving chill run down his spine. “Hey, Twilight, doesn’t the forest seem just a bit…I dunno…creepy?” he asked, the last few words coming out almost hesitantly.

“It’s an old forest, Spike. It was here before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, and that was a thousand years ago. In all my studies, I’ve never seen anything that actually dates it,” she responded, her voice trailing off, as if recalling books from long ago. “The royal house of Equestria once dwelt there, but after moving to Canterlot, it was mostly abandoned. I know of a few times that there have been expeditions that have tried to go back in and repopulate it, but they all ended up moving outside the forest. Even Ponyville was started on the edge of the forest, and if it wasn’t for Granny Smith, then it might not have survived in the first place.”

Spike blinked vacantly for a moment. “Uh, thanks for the history rundown, Twilight, but you really didn’t answer my question.”

“If you’re asking me if I believe in the superstition that the forest is haunted, then no, I don’t think the forest is ‘creepy.’ That’s just an old mare’s tale,” she replied with a snort.

Spike took a moment to look ahead again. The individual trees were becoming clear to see, along with vines hanging from their limbs. The shadow of the edge of the forest stood in sharp contrast to the sunlit fields they were traveling over. “But…you’ve been in there before…several times, even. You saw all those creatures when you went to get the Elements of Harmony. And there was the time all of you ran into that patch of…poison joke! Hahaha!” he laughed at the memory. “Flutterguy and Twilight Flopple! Oh, that was funny…”

Twilight’s head whipped around, bearing a warning glance back at the young dragon. He returned a look of sheer innocence, but his playful smile disappeared. “Spike, there are strange things in all areas of Equestria, not just Everfree Forest. A few incidents are nothing to get all skittish about.”

“A few?!” Spike shouted, jumping to his feet and nearly losing his balance as Twilight continued her pace. “What about the manticore? That dragon I ran into that one time? Oh, and the Ursa Minor! And there was the cockatrice that turned you to stone! Even the parasprites came from Everfree! How can a place with all that…stuff…be natural?”

Spike heard Twilight sigh. “It just doesn’t seem natural to us because no ponies live there. I’m sure Zecora thinks it’s just perfectly fine, because she lives there.”

“But remember how all of the ponies in Ponyville were afraid of her because she lived in Everfree. I’m telling you, that’s just creepy.”

“And I’m telling you, it’s just some silly superstition!” Twilight protested, frustration rising in her voice.

“Haha! You’re so much fun to tease!” Spike laughed.

Suddenly, a very weightless feeling came over him as he involuntarily was lifted from his perch and placed onto the ground. “You’re awake now. You can walk,” he heard Twilight say as she continued on.

“Boy, someone’s feeling testy,” he muttered under his breath.

They continued up to the forest’s edge in silence for several minutes, when Twilight suddenly stopped cold. Spike’s sense of unease had been rising, and he absent-mindedly walked into Twilight’s leg as he was glancing around nervously.

“Hey, what gives?” he said, rubbing his head.

“Sshhh! Look over there!” she said, gesturing with her horn.

He took a glance toward the direction she was indicating. In a patch of long grass just be the eaves of the forest, there stood a pale blue pegasus. His mane and tail were a split mix of navy blue and a silvery grey. A pair of saddlebags, similar to Twilight’s, were slung across his back. He knelt down, apparently inspecting something on the ground.

“So it’s a pegasus. Big deal. This is Equestria, Twilight,” Spike said.

“But I’ve never seen him before, and we know everyone in Ponyville,” Twilight replied, tapping her hoof on her chin.

“Well, he’s a pegasus. He could have flown here from anywhere,” Spike offered.

“Then we should go warn him.”

“Of what?” Spike asked. “You seem to think that Everfree Forest is perfectly normal.”

“I never said that. But even if I don’t agree with you, there’s one thing you were right about—Everfree Forest is no place for the unwary.”

As they approached, Spike couldn’t help but feel extremely suspicious of this new pony. Even a pony that had never been to this part of Equestria should have better sense than to venture near Everfree Forest. The place had an unwholesome aura about it that made those nearby uncomfortable.

When they were within twenty feet of the stranger, he suddenly stood erect and turned back to face them. Spike yelped and jumped, taking cover behind one of Twilight’s legs. But the danger he feared never materialized. The stallion appeared calm, but curious, to the arrival of the companions. He had bright blue eyes that almost seemed to glow against the dark of the woods beyond. He watched the two of them approach casually, almost as if he had been expecting them.

Twilight was the first to speak. “Hello,” she began simply. “I don’t think I’ve met you before. I’m—”

“Twilight Sparkle,” the pegasus interrupted in a smooth, but somewhat business-like voice. “I’ve seen the murals and tapestries depicting your victories over Nightmare Moon and Discord in Canterlot. You’re well-spoken of.”

“Oh, well, thank you, um…” Twilight gently prodded.

“Sky Streak. I was just thinking a few nights ago of how great it would be to meet you someday. I didn’t think the opportunity would arise so quickly,” he said, his voice warming and a smile emerging at the corners of his mouth.

Twilight blushed a little, and Spike stepped out. “And surely you’ve heard of me, then?” he said, puffing his chest out and trying to appear important.

Sky Streak arched an eyebrow and shifted his eyes around in thought. “Can’t say that a name comes to mind,” he said at last. “But I’m willing to try and learn a new name today.”

Feeling a little deflated, Spike still pulled himself together enough to fill the request. “I’m Spike, Twilight’s assistant and royal scribe.”

“In training,” Twilight added. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Sky Streak, but I have to warn you that you’re on the edge of Everfree Forest. It’s a dangerous place to everypony, especially if you’ve never been there before.”

“Oh, I know. It’s actually where I’m headed.”

Spike’s jaw nearly hit the dirt. “You’re going INTO Everfree?! Has everypony lost their minds?!”

Sky Streak looked at Spike, surprised by the sudden outburst, but Twilight quickly stuffed a free hoof into the dragon’s mouth. “And why are you going in there?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

“Oh, uh…” the pegasus stammered. His hesitation only lasted a moment, but Twilight took note of it. “Let’s just say that I’m running an errand for several important ponies.”

“An errand into Everfree? Auugghh, why do I even try?” Spike muttered, bringing his claw to his forehead.

“Not a popular place, huh?” Sky replied. “Can’t say that it looks overly inviting from the outside.”

“Well, we’re going inside to help a friend, too. Care to join us? If you’re going that direction, that is,” Twilight asked, somewhat eager to have the continuing company of this stallion.

He shrugged. “I really don’t have any clear direction as to where I’m going, or what it is exactly that I’m looking for. But I’m not opposed to traveling with you. I’d actually rather consider it an honor to travel with one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” Spike gave him a dirty glance. “Oh, and her assistant, of course,” he quickly added.

“It’s settled, then. Glad to have you along, Sky Streak,” Twilight said with a bright smile.

“The feeling is mutual,” he replied with a nod of his head.

Author's Note:

Hey, I can use canonical characters! It's not just my OC!