Tyro's Tail

by RainbowsAreMagic

The Journey Begins

Chapter 12: The Journey Begins

Celestia's sun had risen. Today would be a day for action, Twilight knew. The Elements of Harmony would follow Tyro into the Everfree Forest, and perhaps find an end to this madness. She just hoped Tyro was up to the task. Zecora's potions were powerful, it was true, but she was still worried. Unfortunately, she had more important things to worry about. Tyro had not been himself this morning. Tyro had bolted down his breakfast, disappearing for a moment, then reappearing with the book Spike had been translating last night, along with the original text. The pony she had grown to know and lo—No! The pony she grown to know was missing, in his place standing the crazed pony before her.

"Twilight, this book still doesn't make any sense, even with the translation. It mentions the Elements, some dark power, a room filled with runes, and a door, but it never says anything of substance. It feels like it's... incomplete, somehow."

Twilight paused a moment, considering the possiblities. "Fine, we'll take it with us, and maybe we'll find out what's going on wherever you end up taking us. But there is no use going on and on about it now!"

Tyro stopped midsentence. "You're right, Twilight. I don't know what came over me. I need to go re-check my packs to make sure I didn't forget anything." He stood, calmly walking up to his bedroom, and disappeared within.

The morning's surprises were not over yet, however. Turning around, she spotted Spike doing something by the cupboard he used to store things in. He was filling an odd-looking bag with a number of unlikely objects. "Spike, what are you doing?"

Spike turned towards her proudly. "Well, were supposed to keep in touch with the princesses in Canterlot, so I've been packing writing supplies. I have blank scrolls, ribbons for tying them closed since we can't stop to melt wax, ink, extra ink, and half a dozen quills." Adding a small pile of gemstones into the bag, he added, "And a little something for me, too. Rarity made this for me last year, but I've never needed to use it before." With that he stowed the bag and was off doing something else in the library. Twilight shook her head and went on with her own packing.

Tick. The sun moved up in the sky. Twilight looked outside, horrified. Not this again!

It was almost time to go, and everyone was assembled in the library, except Spike and Rarity. Twilight wondered why, then just about died as she saw Spike enter the room, the bag from earlier now attached to his back through some sort of harness. Rarity saw Twillight's expression as she followed the dragon into the room, and grinned.

Tyro spoke up. "Now that everyone is all packed, let's do this!"

"And so the eight of us set forth, seven ponies and one dragon, to find a way to save Equestria and themselves."

"Pinkie Pie, would you stop that?" Fluttershy looked around grumpily. "It's bad enough that I have to be around you ponies without your narration!"

Applejack wasn't impressed. "Fluttershy, if it weren't for that Element you're wearing, we'd have left Your Grumpiness back in Ponyville, so why don't you just deal with it?"

Two ponies jumped as something stung their flanks. Turning, they saw Spike, tossing a gem up and down in his hand. And they heard Tyro, saying to Twilight, "you didn't think I gave him all those gems just for the book, did you? Every time he catches somepony acting against their element, he gets to have one. (That's also why I gave him all small ones.) Something is telling me he's going to be enjoying this."

Twilight grinned at him. "It's things like this that are why I l—why you're such a good friend," she said, trying to hide the substitution.

Tyro grinned back. "I feel the same way," he replied, playfully bumping his flank against hers.

Twilight blushed fiercely, suddenly glad she was in front where her friends couldn't see her face. "I'll get you for that," she mumbled under her breath, once she recovered her composure.

The red pony beside her mumbled back, "good, I'm looking forward to it," winking at her and making her blush again. Twilight glared at him silently, vowing revenge.

The Everfree forest began to close in around the ponies as the left its border regions. The relatively tame forest on the outskirts gave way to untamed wilderness. The road Tyro was following slowly thinned down into a trail, forcing the ponies to start walking single file.

Applejack was the first to ask the question everypony was wondering. "Tyro, do you actually know where we're going? At all?"

"No, Applejack. We just have to have faith that my instincts will lead us true."

Fluttershy mocked him. "Ooh, thet your instincts lead us true, huh? Truly lost, you mean." She continued to heckle at the stallion, but her mockery was cut off abruptly when she felt a sharp pain. A moment later, Spike picked up his thrown gemstone, munching on it happily.

"You get her, Spike!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "This is actually really fun to watch. Everypony getting their element all mixed up; what a—Ow! Spike!" The dragon grinned, then shrugged blamelessly.

Pinkie Pie sighed. "Spike, how can you possibly be having fun at a time like this? Don't you understand that—Hey!" She flinched as the gemstone stung her flank. ; suppose you have a point there, Spike. I need to follow my element as much as any of the rest of you need to follow yours."

Spike smiled happily. "That's the spirit, Pinkie Pie!" Then he tripped over a tree root, and everypony chuckled a little as he got up.

As the trail went on, it slowly became little more than a track through the underbrush, probably created by deer or elk, according to Fluttershy.

Tyro groaned as he saw a new obstacle in the way: a field of blue, star-shaped flowers going right across the path. Seeing the flowers, Rarity gasped. "Of all the worst things that could happen, this is The. Worst. Possible. Thing!" A red couch appeared, just in time for Rarity to dramatically collapse onto it.

"Rarity," Tyro yelled, "please don't tell me you brought that thing all this way!"

Rarity giggled. "Nope! I just magicked a flat rock to look like it." She stood up and the couch disappeared, to indeed reveal a flat rock next to the path.

Tyro stared at her for a moment then cried out, "Rarity, you're a genius!"

"Well, of course I am, silly. It took you long enough to notice!"

"No," Tyro explained, "we can use the rocks!" Everypony looked at him, confused, until his horn glowed and he lifted Rarity's rock, setting it down firmly on top of the flowers. "We can use the rocks to cross!"

Trying to save face, Applejack said, "Ah knew that was what he was gonna do." She got an emerald to her side for her efforts, and everypony chuckled.

"I think Spike disagrees with that assessment, Applejack," commented Twilight.

The group got moving again after crossing the irritating flowers over Tyro's rocks, only to find themselves in the deepest part of the forest. The magical taint of the Everfree Forest was strong there, and it showed. Trees grew into strange shapes, the soil was tinted red, and strange bushes rustled as their inhabitants fled.

Twilight was uneasy. "We should go back, Tyro. We're approaching the very heart of the forest, and this place isn't safe."

Tyro overrode her decision, however. "What we're looking for lies ahead. I can feel it calling to me." Twilight and Applejack exchanged worried looks.

"Tyro, this is the Everfree Forest, remember?" Applejack's concern got his attention. "This is an evil place. If there is something calling to you from this forest, it may not be a good idea to seek it out."

Twilight agreed. "There are greater dangers here than manticores and annoying plants. Many dark powers have been sealed away in these woods. If we let one escape, even accidentally, it would be terrible and Princess Celestia would never forgive us!"

Spike burped, a letter appearing.

Dear Twilight Sparkle & Co.,

Spike told me earlier that you have been looking for answers in the Everfree Forest. I've been watching over your progress from Canterlot, and I see that you are approaching the heart of the forest. Many dark powers have been sealed away in those woods. If you let one escape, even accidentally, it would be terrible and I would never forgive you.

Princess Celestia

"Now do you get what I mean?!" Twilight was even more agitated than before. "We can't go in there, we just can't!"

"We must," Tyro said, steel in his voice. "And we will."

Comments

[Gemini8910]

Lol Trollestia moment!!