Ent Of The Everfree

by Note Of A Ghost

Chapter 3: The Old World

Author's Note:

RECAP:
The main 6 and Spike found a lovely spot in the Everfree to set up camp, but were attacked by a manticore that had glowing green eyes. Saved by a mythical ent, the group call for Celestia and Luna to join them on an adventure to help this anchient being. Wandering deep into the forrest they come to the ruins of a city, once inhabbited by ents. Grey Willow (the ent) leads them to what they can guess is a scolar's archive and tells them of the trouble he faces. The veil between the realm of the living and the realm of spirits has been torn and is harming the forrest Grey is protecting. The group come up with a way to translate the anchient language of the ents to find out more about their problem. They send Starlight Glimmer with Grey back in time to somehow obtain a translation, But as soon as they leave those remaining find themselves in trouble as a new tear in the veil apears right outside and spits out a hand full of evil spirits that attack.

One of the creatures took advantage of the ponies recovering and charged straight for Applejack with it's razor claws poised for striking.

Instinct took hold of Applejack and she tried to raise her arms in defence. The claws came down only to be deflected by a translucent, blue wall. A quick glance behind showed Rarity with the same coloured aura floating around her hands.

"Whew, I owe ya one!" Applejack cheered before twisting her body to the right, bringing her right knee to her stomach as she did. Finishing the spin with the deliverance of an almighty kick of the gods right to the creature's chest, sent it skidding along the floor to the feet of it's friends.

The other three monsters charged forward with much the same show as the first. A chair slammed into the face of one of them, courtesy of Rainbow Dash, while another was assaulted with a torrent of blue bolts, slowing it to a halt. The Third creature reached out for the back of Celestia's neck and sliced at tremendous speeds. A loud grazing sound came from the point of impact as the claws had struck the incredibly tough scales of the young drake who had dived in the way. unfortunately his desperate act wasn't accurate enough to miss Celestia and he knocked her off balance, also breaking her concentration. The sphere of Magic distorted and warped, causing strain on the other two alicorns. Celestia was quick to act and poured her magic back into the sphere, bringing back it's stability.

Getting back to his feet, Spike looked over where he had been cut to see scratches with a small bead of blood. "Those are sharp, you bitch!" Spike exclaimed as he grabbed the back of the beast's head with his left hand, reared back his right arm with his own claws drawn before shoving his hand with all his might into the creature's face.

Spike's fingers sunk in deep and the creature started thrash about in his grip as a mist-like, black liquid spewed out from the wound, saturating Spike. Once it ceased all movement, it started to glow in the same sickly green as the Tear before it exploded, forming a puddle of goo where it once stood. Stunned from the light, Spike lost balance and tumbled at Rainbow's hooves just as she was launching a powerful kick. In an act of desperation, she was able to redirect her attack, but pure luck befell her as she ended much like Spike, on the floor with a very intimidating creature standing over them.

Rarity saw the two and knew if she didn't help them they could end up in a bad state. Taking a moment to charge a recently studied spell in her hands. She could feel the power course through her hands and gather between her palms forming a small, glowing ball of magic. She threw her arms forward launching a small, electrified beam into the creature before her, just as it threw its arm out to strike hitting her in the arm. the beam incinerated a hole through the creature and it trashed about screeching before it too, exploded into a puddle of goo.

Rarity whipped around to face the beast wailing on Spike mercilessly as he protected Rainbow from being struck. His scales may be tough but even they weren't doing so well against the intensity of these attacks. She charged the same spell, feeling her magic drain for her reserve and into her fingertips. This was surely the last time she could cast this. With the spell fully charged she threw her arms forward, only to be shoved to the ground with Applejack now atop her, both groaning from the collision. What little of the beam was cast struck forth, hitting it's target barely, but enough to stun it as it stumbled off of Spike.

Spike was obviously hurt as he hit the ground beside Rainbow on the brink of unconsciousness. After watching Spike take those hits for her, a fiery rage grew within her chest and she launched into action. She placed he hooves below her while still crouching. Her wings spread and with an immense push, she flew shoulder first into the chest of her opponent. The two went Barrelling for the wall which cracked and crumbled under the impact, the impact that left a sore Rainbow laying in a puddle of black ooze.

As the final creature exploded below Applejack's hoof, there was a second boom. Rainbow got to her hooves and ran over to the window where she saw the tear in veil change.

"Something is happening out there." She stated, causing the rest of the ponies to look at her.

"Are more of those things coming?" Applejack asked as she nursed a now unconscious Spike. "Fluttershy, can you help me over here." Fluttershy obeyed and uncurled from the corner and rushed over to Spike's limp form.

"No, I don't think so." Rainbow replied.

"We should use this time to barricade the door!" Rarity suggested weakly. Rainbow nodded and went to work.

"I'm sorry Applejack, I should've helped." Fluttershy apologised as she opened a first aid kit from her bag.

"It's alright, Sugarcube. We handled it just fine. Plus, we can't have the only pony here who knows first aid to get hurt now can we?" Applejack said, calming the distressed Fluttershy. Applejack got up to help with the barricade but as she did she noticed Rarity not looking so flash. "You okay, Rares?"

"Hmm, oh I'm fine, darling. A little exhausted is all, I'm not use to using this type of magic." Rarity answered.

"Alright then. Sit down for bit, if more of them come you can bet your hide we'll need you."

---

Meanwhile in the past

---

The seemingly endless swirling came to a halt and the pink morphed into the room Starlight was just in... only cleaner. A second look around the room and it was clear the spell worked. A deep sigh escaped Starlight's lips.

"Back in time... again." She mumbled.

Grey turned to her and could see this was bringing back some unpleasant memories. He figured it best to leave the subject for later as there were higher priorities.

"It would take time... to search each book... for any differences." Grey stated.

"Yeah, time we don't exactly have." Starlight added. "So what's our plan?"

Grey didn't answer, instead he just stood and stared at Starlight, making her slightly uncomfortable. A few light thuds came from behind the door and both of them turned to face it. The door handle twisted and Starlight's heart rate quickened.

The door creaked open to reveal an Ent. Starlight took notice that this one was not like Grey, it was shorter, and a lighter colour.

'How do I tell apart genders? Starlight wondered to herself.

It also had very thick rimmed glasses sitting atop a short, stubby nose. A baby blue cloth was hung over it's left shoulder and connected again at it's right hip. This Ent was carrying a book and refused to look up even as it shut the door with it's foot. The being stopped in its tracks before slowly raising it's head to meet with Starlight's gaze.

Starlight could feel it curiously look her from head to toe. That was until it dropped its book and it's right hand shifted to a small and sharp spike. Panic grasped Starlight in it's greedy fingers as she failed to move. The Ent went to step forward but stopped abruptly.

"You. Will. Not. Harm. Her!" Grey stated viciously as he moved in front of Starlight, his own arm as a spike, but his was longer and wider, much like a lance.

Starlight took a quick breath but couldn't calm just yet. She has no idea what kind of damage a fight between two mythical beings could entail.

The other Ent took a moment to process what was happening before it collapsed to one knee with his head down. It spoke in a foreign tongue with... fear?

"Grey? What's it saying?" Starlight asked hesitantly.

"The language... of the forest... Unfortunately... I do not... speak it." Grey turns back to the ent. "Why... do you bow... to me?"

The other Ent looked up at Grey, quizically. It took him a moment but he cautiously rose before wandering along his bookshelves and pulling out a book. Flicking through a few pages the Ent then looked back to the two. Grey was still protecting Starlight.

"Thou Speaketh the tongue of ponies?" The Ent asked, shocking the both of them. a translation already exists.

'This makes things easier.' Starlight thought to herself.

"Atrocinerae, thou do not know how thine is?" He continues. Grey can't find a response. "This concerns mineself of the future. Salix art a prestigious branch the family Salicaceae, Atrocinerae being..." The ent pauses for a second before referencing his book. "The... second for... the throne." Silence fills the room. Starlight can't believe what she's hearing, Grey is royalty... ent royalty. She had no idea ent society was so similar to that of the ponies. Her thought were cut short, though.

The Ent flips though a few more pages before holding a stern stance. "Atrocinerea. Thou art traitorous. What reason have thou for bringing a pony here?"

"He's not a traitor." Starlight started, stepping out from behind her living cover. "We have come from the future and we need a translation between out languages to save our home." It seemed like a reasonable explanation.

The Ent flipped though more pages, back and forth.

The atmosphere grew thick as they waited for a response.

"Thou needeth proof."

Starlight thinks for a second before moving to the side to reveal the small, floating ball of magic. The ent is stunned by what it's seeing. It wanders over closer to the ball, examining it with a keen eye. It reaches out an arm and moves it's hand around the ball before pausing, wondering. It places its hand on the ball and the pink magic warps and flows up the Ent's arm, though the groves in It's bark and up to it's eyes where they fill the sockets, giving it bright pink eyes. The Ent pulls away his hand and the colour fades, leaving the ball as it was beforehand.

"Who thou art maketh it simple to believe..." the Ent said.

"That's a relief..." Starlight stated with a sigh.

"What Is it you..." The Ent is cut off by clumsily tripping over the rug and launching the translation book from his hands.

The three of them watched the book soar across the room, each one feeling the gental caress of panic as the book lands straight on top of a lit sconce, setting the book on fire.

Grey leaps into action and pulls the blazing book to safety, but his efforts are for naught as each page has suffered dearly.

"Of course that would happen, I mean why not? What have we done to desearve this?" Starlight wonders aloud as she paces back and forth with her hands covering her face, the distress very clear.

"This... complicates... things." Grey stated, staring at the singed book in his hand.

Comments

[LordMentat]

Wow now this is a treat. Welcome back.

[Jhtmar]

IT'S ALIVE

[Crescent Glaive]

This be a goodly surprise

[Spc jacko]

Holy cow, it's been a minute.

[wendell hodges]

Very interesting my friend