The Legend of the Everfree

by Shadowmane PX-41

Forces of Nature

Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, the Rainbooms, and the Shadowbolts ran through the forest, nimbly stepping over roots and leaping over streams and plants to escape from Gaia Everfree, who was mercilessly pursuing them with her eyes glowing red.

"Lirozka amala!" Gaia swung her arms to each side, sending waves of roots out frmo the ground to cause little hurdles to try and trip the girls up. She often created them right at the girls' feet to get them right when they least expected it.

"What is this thing, and why does she want us dead?!" Sugarcoat asked as she evaded the roots being spawned by Gaia.

"Don't know! Just keep running!" Sunset Shimmer shouted as she evaded a ball of green energy launched by the being. "She can't chase us forever!"

"Stop running, Treekillers!" Gaia Everfree yelled out as she weaved green streams of energy in between her fingers and launched them at the trees, causing the branches to extend and swing back and forth to try and swat the girls back. "You're only going to make it worse for yourselves!"

"She thinks we're Treekillers?" Twilight Sparkle slid underneath the slapping branches and ran deeper with the other girls. "Why? What makes her think we're with Miasma?!"

"Well, whatever the case, she's trying to kill us, so we should try and get away before we ask any more questions!" Rainbow Dash jumped over a stream but saw that it suddenly got wider. The splash flustered her, and her pace dropped. "Don't let her get you!"

"Ya think?!" Sour Sweet gnashed her teeth as she somersaulted over a tree trunk and ran over more tree roots.

"Congreidlaren!" Gaia swirled the energy around her hands, which were now balled up into knuckles. She shot the energy forward, sending a pulse across the ground that acted like a miniature earthquake. "If you wish to destroy the Everfree Forest, then you shall know its' power first!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Applejack tried her best to run properly, but the force of the earthquake was throwing her rhythm off as she constantly had to balance herself on the shaking ground. Because of this, Gaia was getting closer and closer to her. "Look out, girls! She's got a whole bunch of tricks up her sleeves!"

"Kraidraven!" Gaia hugged herself, causing the grass itself to grow higher and higher, until the girls had no idea where they were going. Gaia wanted to make the girls run into the trees, so that she could swoop down on them and destroy them with all of her power.

"Whoa! What is this?!" Lemon Zest started pushing the grass aside as she continued to run from Gaia. "Why can't we see anything ahead?"

"This thing must have powers that not even we know about..." Sunset Shimmer scratched her chin as she barrelled through the grassy maze. It was then that she ran right into a tree and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hah! Gotcha!" Gaia heard Sunset crashing, and she dropped into where it had happened. She pinned Sunset to the tree and glared at her with fire in her eyes. "Who are you? And what foul witch sent you to destroy my world?!"

"I could say the same for you!" Sunset poked Gaia in the chest. "Thinking that we're Treekillers? We're not associated with those freaks! We'd never want to destroy the Everfree Forest like they do!"

"Then why in Ecoloris's name were you just watching me kill them, waiting to ambush me like some kind of forest predator?!" Gaia made a claw out of her right arm. "Naughty little brats like you should learn to keep your heads out of business that's not yours to comprehend!"

Well, I guess this is it... Sunset thought as she closed her eyes and braced for Gaia Everfree to deal the finishing blow. I'm so sorry, girls. I didn't mean for it to end like this!

"Sundra! Graem bordra denblarik!" Gloriosa shouted from the treetops, causing both Gaia and Sunsets to turn their heads towards the nosie.

"Gloriosa?" Gaia understood what Gloriosa was saying perfectly, and she hesitated in unleashing her power on Sunset.

Gloriosa leapt across the treetops and landed nimbly beside Sunset Shimmer, causing the grass to shrink back down to its' normal height, revealing the other Rainbooms and Shadowbolts, who were now running to the sight of Gaia and Sunset.

"Gaia. These are not the enemies that you wish to fight," Gloriosa pleaded to the tree being and watched her red eyes turn a shade of blue.

"Whatever do you mean, Gloriosa?" Gaia put a finger to her chin as she watched Sunset Shimmer rejoin the rest of the group. "They were watching me destroy the other Treekillers, just waiting to ambush me like some kind of territorial dogs!"

"Ecoloris and I have examined these girls to be the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts of Canterlot High and Crystal Prep." Gloriosa stepped next to Sunset. "This is the one. This is the Sunset Shimmer that daddy prophesized would save the forest from the Treekillers."

"Rainbooms? Shadowbolts?" Gaia tilted her head to the side and eyed up all of the girls. "They are nothing but mere toddlers! How can they possibly defeat demons such as the Treekillers?"

"We've dealt with magical stuff in the past." Applejack put her hands to her hip. "Sunset Shimmer became some kinda monster herself at the Fall Formal, then the Dazzlings showed up for the Battle of the Bands, and then the whole nonsense with the Friendship Games happened where Twilight got consumed with magic and went evil."

"The trials..." Gaia then stumbled back when she realized what Applejack was talking about. "The very trials that Ecoloris said were a sign that the chosen ones would rise to save our world..."

"Yeah, Gaia. These are the girls that daddy was talking about." Gloriosa walked up to her and gently stroked her face. "You just got them mixed up for more of Miasma's men. And that's not their fault. They were just curious about what was going on here."

"Forgive me." Gaia floated towards the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts and kneeled before them all. "My name is Gaia Everfree. I am a spirit that has roamed the Everfree Forest ever since Ecoloris arrived. I am a natural being made up of an amalgam of different bits of foliage, have all of the powers of nature at my disposal including animal and plant control, and you, my dear girls, look absolutely beautiful." Her eyes now shone a verdant green colour as she cast the girls a smile.

"Well, thank you." Twilight stepped forward and showed off her friends. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, this is Sunset Shimmer, and these our the rest of our friends." She took a deep breath and pointed to each of the other girls. "Rainbow Dash, Indigo Zap, Pinkie Pie, Lemon Zest, Applejack, Sugarcoat, Rarity, Sunny Flare, Fluttershy, and Sour Sweet."

The other girls simply waved to greet Gaia.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, girls." Gaia stood back up. "And you could not have come at a better time. The Treekillers are pushing their advance at a steady pace, and despite my great power, I fear that even I will exceed my limits in trying to stop them."

"With powers like earthquakes, grass mazes, root hurdles, and all sorts of other nature powers, I'd say you've got nothing to worry about." Rainbow slid forward and wrapped her arm around Gaia's shoulders, accidentally stinging herself on Gaia's leafy body. "Ouch! Are those stinging nettles?"

"Yes. A handy tool for preventing the Treekillers from getting close to me, but useless against their fire-breathing tools of destruction." Gaia glowed a bright shade of orange and transformed the leaves into a different kind. "Perhaps you'd prefer normal tree leaves. Or, I could change them into tea leaves, bush leaves, palm tree leaves, maple leaves, whatever floats your boat, really."

"I have so many questions about you, Gaia." Sunset watched Gaia use her magic effortlessly.

"I know you do. But here is not the place for talking." Gaia wrapped her own arm around the girls. "Follow me. There is much to discuss."

"So, what do you think of my friend, girls?" Gloriosa asked as they all began to walk deeper into the forest. "Told you she does things differently to me."

"Yeah. You weren't kidding around, Glori." Pinkie Pie smiled at Gloriosa. "She's kookier than you, and you were pretty kooky."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Gloriosa looked straight on as the girls disappeared into the darker areas along with Gaia.

---

"So, you were created by Ecoloris to defend the Everfree Forest, correct?" Sugarcoat and the others had been walking for a mile, and she still had so many answers she needed to know.

"Yes. Ecoloris was a powerful and wise being, but even in his old age, despite his magnificent strength and otherworldly magic, he is unfit to fight the Treekillers with how they just keep coming back with bigger and badder machines." Gaia flexed the fingers on her right hand. "So, to account for this little problem, he created me, a sentient amalgamation of the Everfree Forest to stand guard, as a representation of the forest's majesty and strength."

"With the power to create earthquakes, cause tree roots to appear out of nowhere, and make grass grow to incredible sizes, he must've put a lot of energy into creating you." Sunset Shimmer looked at Gaia's body.

"He did. And it was so much that it almost destroyed him as a whole." Gaia looked on into another vast stretch of trees and shadows. "He managed to hold on, though, and I have been serving him and the forest ever since, standing guard, protecting, healing, and defending the Everfree Forest from the dark forces that wish to tear it down, or use it for their own heinous purposes."

"So, you know about us?" Lemon Zest shot a wide grin at Gaia.

"Yes. I know about the Rainbooms. Broken to begin with, divided by greed, and then inspired by the holy angel known as Sunset Shimmer, they are the forest's last hope against this monstrous witch Miasma." Gaia nodded. "I also know about you, Shadowbolts. Despite the rather unfitting title that Abacus Cinch slapped onto you, you are destined to play a much greater role in the lives of the chosen ones than you know."

"Huh? Like what?" Sunny Flare shrugged.

"Just like the Rainbooms, you girls embody the six elements of the Magic of Friendship." Gaia Everfree waved her hand, showing the Cutie Marks of the Rainbooms and the Shadowbolts. "Honestly, Loyalty, Kindness, Generousity, Laughter, and Magic. There is light, and there is darkness to these six elements." She waved again, causing dark shadows to hang below the Rainbooms' marks and fall over the Shadowbolts' marks. "Divided, the light and darkness has different traits. But, combined, and the Magic of Friendship reveals its' TRUE power. A be-all and end-all to any conflict plaguing the world."

"So, what does this mean for us, exactly?" Indigo Zap raised a brow at the question.

"If both light and darkness can work in harmony to maintain peace, then the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts can work together to defeat evil." Gaia made the marks disappear. "In a more dumbed-down version of it, you six girls will fall under the Rainbooms' training to maximise your potentials with the six Elements of Harmony. You will be the apprentices, and Sunset Shimmer and her friends from Canterlot High will be your teachers."

"What?!" Everyone called out together, including Gloriosa.

"I cannot explain any further. However, I can do this..." Gaia Everfree flew ahead of the girls and lit up one of the tips of her fingers, tracing a massive circle of blue light. With a thrust of both of her hands, she turned the circle into a blue portal. "This will get you all back to your camp safe and sound. Use it, and complete the Trial of Hope. Only then will I find you again, to reveal to you the Power of the Everfree that shall save our world."

"The Trial of Hope." Sunset Shimmer nodded as she approached the portal. "Raise enough money to save the Everfree Forest from Miasma's bankruptcy documents."

"Exactly. You may use any means necessary to rake in the money, just as long as you have it and use it to overthrow Miasma's plans and get people to stand up against her." Gaia Everfree nodded again. "If you have lots of supporters fighting to save the Everfree Forest, as well as the wealth to overturn her fees, then you will safeguard the forest from her vile ways, and she will be restricted in her options."

"Then, we drive the beast out of our world for good, thereby saving the forest, all of its' remaining trees, wildlife, and animals, and effectively rendering New World's plot slowed down!" Gloriosa threw her arms into the air with glee. "It'll be great!"

"Yes, Glori. It will." Gaia gave Gloriosa a small hug before she looked at the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts again. "Go now, before it's too late. You'll need all the time you can get to safe the Everfree Forest."

The Shadowbolts and Rainbooms all looked at each other and nodded themselves before they formed a line and hurled themselves through the portal all at once. As they did, the portal closed behind them.

"The question is, though, are you sure that they can finish it?" Gloriosa asked Gaia once the portal disappeared. "There are only four days left until Gloriosa bulldozes the forest, and they've only just started their plans."

"Don't worry about it, Glori." Gaia picked Gloriosa up as she would a baby and carried her off. "The Rainbooms and Shadowbolts are very capable beings, and I know from Ecoloris's word that they have the power to defeat evil and save what remains of our beautiful little forest."

"Yeah... but I'm still not so sure..." Gloriosa looked around at the wilting leaves on some nearby trees. "Miasma's been hitting us harder and harder the more we've interfered, and soon I worry that she's gonna be coming in with some kind of giant anime mech to try and stomp us out..."

"Well, if that is the case, then we shall prepare for that day," Gaia said. "Besides, that portal has not only taken the Rainbooms and Shadowbolts back to Camp Everfree, but it has also unlocked their TRUE potentials as being worthy of the Magic of Friendship." She once more cloaked herself in the darkness as she carried Gloriosa to the Housetree. "We are all counting on them. I hope that they do not let us down..."

Comments

[Stardust_Shade]

and the plot thickens further! Creative use of the shadowbolts, obvious but an interesting take I never thought about...nice...very nice...this is gonna be goooooood...

[Luna_Lovegood]

I worry that she's gonna be coming in with some kind of giant anime mech to try and stomp us out..."

Does Gloriosa even know about anime?

[FourShadow]

Hm... interesting. I like it.

I like this Gaia Evefree better. Much more interesting, and she actually stops to listen to what they have to say before they take anything too far.