A Trail Leading Home

by Hades Shadow 92

Ch. 10 - Tumble in the Trees

Chapter 10

-- Tumble in the Trees --

Leaving his daughter in the capable hooves of Starlight Glimmer, Trail Blazer made his way to the Everfree Forest. The forest was like it always was, foreboding and creepy. But after so many trips inside, Trail had gotten used to it. He had been to several places, both in Equestria and beyond, but this forest was something else.

As he made his way down the familiar path to Zecora’s hut, he wondered how Comet would get along with her lessons. He had never been a master of magic, so he had very little to teach her. And finding a magic teacher during his travels was near impossible. He was so thankful he had met Starlight.

“One must not get lost in thought. You are in the Everfree are you not?” The familiar voice of Zecora rang out as he had come to her hut without realizing.

“Zecora. Forgive me, I’ve got a lot on my mind.” Trail said sheepishly.

“Apologies are not necessary. May I ask why you look so wary?” Zecora asked.

“It’s Comet’s first magic lesson with Starlight. I just want her to be happy and succeed.” Trail said, his ears dropping a little.

“Fear not my friend. With Starlight’s help, her skills will ascend.” Zecora reassured him.

Trail smiled and after some preparation, both friends were ready to face the forest once more. Stopping at the edge of the tree line, Trail looked to Zecora.

“So, ready to show me these phoenix nests?” Trail asked.

“Indeed I am, come it is time we began.” Zecora answered.

They started through the trees, expertly weaving through the brush and the thick bushes. They had to keep the noise to a minimum, as to not alert the many predators of the forest. His job was to observe, not disturb.

After about an hour of moving through the forest, they came to a less dense path, with more trees and less brush. Zecora checked the nearby trees for signs that they were in the right place, and as she smiled, Trail guessed they were.

“Come, the nests are this way. Be mindful where you step if you may.” Zecora said, pointing north.

“So how close can we get without disturbing them? I don’t have much experience with phoenixes.” Trail asked.

“About thirty feet, but trust me friend, you’re in for a treat.” She answered.

She led him to a patch of bushes, moving inside and sticking her head out the other side. Trail followed suit and looked around. She tapped his cheek and pointed up. Trail looked up to see a sight that truly warmed his heart.

Two phoenixes were sitting in a nest, one sitting on an egg, while the other stood close. Both of them were magnificent. Feathers shining in the sun with their red and orange coloring, a sense of pride in the way they held themselves. Truly a marvelous example of the more tame species in this forest.

Trail quickly started to take notes, describing them in detail for their future section of his next book. Then came the details of their habitat, as they seemed to enjoy the thinner tree line as more sunlight shined through the canopy above. Lots of different types of trees around, giving plenty of variety for the birds to eat.

Suddenly, one of the birds' heads snapped in their direction, both of them frozen in place to not spook the creature. Strangely it felt like he was looking through us and not at us. His fur stood on end and the feeling of being watched came over him.

A low growl came from behind them, and we slowly turned to find a pair of red eyes staring back at them. Red reptilian eyes that seemed to glow in the shade of the trees. A roar erupted from the creature, making the two of them leap away.

As they made it out of the bushes, the creature came into view. The body was long, covered in greenish black scales. Fangs adorned its mouth, along with a forked tongue as it stood there, hissing at them. Scars could be seen around its body, symbolizing its age and experience. A creature that no pony wished to encounter.

“A basilisk! Watch out for its venom!” Trail yelled, pulling out his bow.

Zecora was shaking in fear, and Trail could not blame her. If it weren’t for the phoenix alerting them, this beast could have eaten them whole before they noticed it.

It roared again, striking forward with its fangs. They both dodged just in time, making it bite into a nearby tree. As they watched it remove itself, the tree began to dissolve under the acidic poison of its venom. Not many creatures could survive that poison, even with the anti-venom.

Trail readied an arrow, a standard one, firing at the serpent’s neck. It bounced off harmlessly from its scales. He cursed under his breath, frustrated from the toughness of its hide.

Zecora stayed behind Trail, not having any weapon to defend against such a beast. Normally she could stay undetected, but she had never encountered such a creature in these woods before.

“Zecora, run! Get out of here, I’ll distract it.” Trail yelled as he fired another arrow, hitting it just under the eye.

“I cannot leave you my friend, you will meet your end!” Zecora protested.

“One drop of venom and you’ll be dead within the hour! Better for you to go now!” Trail yelled back.

The serpent took its time dodging and blocking Trails arrows, not afraid in the slightest. It readied another strike, and Trail saw the opening he had been waiting for.

“Zecora, go!” Trail said, firing another arrow.

This arrow however exploded with a black gunk, landing on the eye of the snake. That caused it to jerk its head in another direction, hitting a rock instead. It wriggled in pain and frustration as the gunk had covered its eye.

Turning his head back behind him, Trail saw that Zecora had finally taken his advice and ran. Without having to worry about her, he could focus on driving this thing away. Unfortunately, his moment of distraction gave the basilisk a chance to quickly close the distance between them and coil around Trail, trapping him.

As the serpent wrapped tightly around Trail, it lifted him up slightly, glaring daggers at him with the one eye that wasn’t covered in the gunk. Trail’s blood ran cold as fear gripped him.

But as the serpent began to squeeze tighter, a rush of flame came from above, striking it in the head. It screamed in pain and dropped Trail to the ground. Trail looked up to see two birds flying in circles around the snake.

The phoenixes took turns getting the attention of the beast, and firing off more bursts of flame into its face. It grew frustrated and that gave Trail the time he needed to prepare something special for it.

He took an arrow with a clear talisman from his quiver, channeling his magic into the stone. It began to glow blue, the air around him dropping in temperature ever so slightly. A flash told him the arrow was ready.

Turning back to the creature once more, he readied the shot, aiming for the center of its long body. Taking careful aim, he fired the arrow, the impact against the beast’s hide scattering the talisman, unleashing the spell.

Frost and chilling winds blew across the area where the arrow had struck, causing the beast to scream again. Ice began to form on its scales, traveling up and down the length of its body. The cold blooded creature grew frantic as it began to slither away, plowing through the thick brush in its attempt to escape from the cold.

Trail’s breath was heavy and labored as he collapsed to the ground. His bow resting next to him as he tried to catch his breath. A flutter of wings made him look up and he saw the two phoenixes had landed next to him, staring at him.

“Um hello? Sorry for disturbing your nest.” Trail said to them.

They simply tilted their heads, cawing as they took to the air again. Trail watched as four feathers landed right in front of him. He stared at them, and looked at the birds. They sat in their nests, tending to their eggs like he was no longer there.

After another minute or so, he picked up the feathers and nodded a silent thanks to them. He made his way through the brush and eventually found Zecora after about fifteen minutes of walking.

“Trail my friend, it is so wonderful to see you again!” Zecora said, running over to hug him.

“I’m ok Zecora. Thanks to our phoenix friends back there. That was a close one.” Trail said.

“Your forgiveness I do implore, I have never seen that creature here before.” Zecora said.

“No need for that Zecora. Not my first time running into one of those. Though last time it was in a jungle to the east. Never imagined I’d find one here.” Trail said, looking curious.

“Creatures that large normally stay in the heart of the wood, perhaps it left looking for food?” Zecora asked.

“It’s possible another predator forced it out of its territory. Though not many creatures can challenge a basilisk. This may require some research.” Trail said, rubbing his chin.

“A task for another time. The lunch bell is due to chime.” Zecora said, motioning towards her hut.

“Is that an invitation?” Trail asked with a smirk.

“It could be, if you are still free.” Zecora said, smirking back.

Trail and Zecora made good time back to her hut, quickly preparing a meal of sandwiches and tea. Sitting together at her table, tales of past experiences became the topic of discussion.

“So you have survived a basilisk before, please tell more.” Zecora asked.

“Certainly. Like I said before, it was in the jungles to the east. My sister Zala and I were documenting the area, looking for rare plants for her brews. We did not expect to find the creature, but Zala then insisted we get a venom sample.” Trail said.

“You have mentioned this Zala before, she sounds like quite the mare for sure.” Zecora said.

“That she is. She and I grew up together, not as blood relatives obviously, but a bond nonetheless. Without her and Tala, I don’t know if I could have raised Comet by myself.” Trail said.

“They helped you raise your daughter? Your wife could not help with her?” Zecora asked.

“I don’t have a wife Zecora. Never have.” Trail said solemnly.

“I do not understand, was her birth unplanned?” Zecora asked.

Trail shuddered at the question, his teacup shaking in his magic. Zecora, realizing the pain her question caused, quickly moved to apologize before Trail lifted a hoof.

“You don’t need to apologize. But I don’t wish to talk about Comet’s mother. Please Zecora, I just can’t.” Trail said, his head still low.

Zecora wanted to say something, but decided against it, pouring him more tea and waiting for him.

He eventually perked up again and smiled at her, “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to darken the mood in here. Now come on, tell me some of your adventures here in the forest.”

Zecora hesitated for a minute, but eventually smiled back.

“Very well then, let tell you the time I faced a cocatrice hen.” Zecora said.

---

Late afternoon came quickly, and Trail Blazer headed home from Zecora’s hut. They had talked for many hours, who knew cocktrices were so protective of their eggs?

As he arrived at his home, he opened the door to find Starlight sitting on his couch reading a book. Looking up from her book, she saw Trail and smiled.

“Hey there Trail, have fun in the forest?” Starlight asked.

“Fun isn’t the word I would use, exciting definitely.” Trail answered.

“Oh now that sounds like a story. Do tell.” Starlight said.

Taking a seat with her on the couch, he told her about the basilisk attack, which made her worried if he got bit. After some assurance and how he managed to drive off the beast, she relaxed.

“Now that is quite the tale. I’ve never heard about a basilisk in the Everfree Forest.” Starlight said.

“Zecora said the same thing. We believe it was driven out of its normal hunting ground deeper in the forest. The problem is I have no idea what creature could scare off such a deadly monster.” Trail said.

“Hmm, true. A basilisk is pretty high on the food chain. Maybe it’s a new undiscovered creature. The Everfree is full of mystery.” Starlight said.

“Perhaps but I’d like to do some research first. There a library here, or can I use the one at the school?” Trail asked.

“Oh there is one in Twilight’s castle. You’re more than welcome to come do some research. Twilight and I would love to help you with that.” Starlight said.

“That would be mighty kind of you Starlight. I’ll be sure to swing by sometime this week.” Trail said smiling at his friend.

Silence came to the pair as they relaxed on the couch. Neither one said anything.

Trail finally broke the silence, “So, where’s Comet?”

“She tired herself out after our second round of practice, so I took her to her bedroom.” Starlight answered.

“That girl I swear. She always pushed herself, stubborn as a mule too.” Trail chuckled.

“Gee, I wonder where she gets it?” Starlight said, smirking at Trail.

“Oh hardy har har. Aren’t you funny Miss Glimmer.” Trail smirked back.

Starlight hit him on the shoulder as they broke out into a laugh.

After another round of silence, Starlight broke the silence, “So Trail, Comet showed me your family photo today.”

“Oh that one on the shelf there. Yeah that’s an old one. What about it?” Trail asked.

“Well she told me about her aunts and her grandmare, but I didn’t see her mother in there. When I asked about her, Comet said she never met her. Why is that?” Starlight asked.

Trail’s expression grimaced like at Zecora’s place, and he turned his head away.

“Comet’s mother is a touchy subject around here. I don’t like talking about her.” Trail said.

“Oh sorry. It’s just I can’t imagine a filly not knowing her mom. Did she die?” Starlight asked.

“No she didn’t! Now can we please just drop it!?” Trail said in a much louder tone.

Starlight flinched back at his sudden raise in volume, looking at him with worry and concern. He sighed and held his head in his hooves.

“I’m sorry Starlight. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just… hard to talk about that.” Trail said.

Starlight inched a little closer, almost shoulder to shoulder with him now. He turned to look at her and they seemed lost in the moment, blue meeting blue as their eyes were locked on one another.

After a second, both turned away blushing slightly, Trail clearing his throat.

“Right uh, thank you for helping Comet and looking after her while I was gone.” Trail said.

“Oh no problem. She’s a wonderful filly and will be a great mage I can tell.” Starlight said.

After yet another awkward silence, Starlight got up from the couch.

“Well I better be on my way. Spike should have dinner ready soon. We still good for coffee on Monday Trail?” Starlight asked as she walked to the door.

“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Trail answered, opening the door for her.

“Just try not to be late this time.” Starlight smirked.

Trail rolled his eyes as the mare walked out the door and gave one last wave before teleporting away. Closing the door, Trail couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t even know why.

Author's Note:

Hey guys, Hades here with another chapter.

Lots of action and some intense character moments. What is with Comet's mother and why won't Trail talk about her?

Comments

[burner181]

ch.3 and ch.6 have you introducing ocatavia, or two different octavias at least

[Hades Shadow 92]

10262388
Oh shit, I didn't notice that. Whoops XD
I'll fix that. No clue how I did that

[Xp45]

Me when reading literally all of this chapter: oh, thats neat and cute and ... wait a minute...

[Hades Shadow 92]

10264758
Lol. Why whatever do you mean?

[Xp45]

10264881
why nothing....

[Silver Dragon Blade Wing]

Regarding Comet's mother, my best guess is she left Trail and Comet for somepony (or creature) else or they parted on less than good terms. Either way I would guess she broke their hearts quite badly.

[Hades Shadow 92]

10266765
I've been leaving clues and hints about her. She will be important later. A nice theory though

[Silver Dragon Blade Wing]

10266797
Thanks, looking forward to what comes when its time.

[PonyofEntropy]

Really enjoying the story. Very nice. Added to my read list.

[Hades Shadow 92]

10308321
Thank you, I’m so glad you’re enjoying it ^^