The Guardian Of The Forest

by StormHoof32

The Dryad Of The Forest Speaks

Merlin opened his eyes as the light of the morning sun filtered through the leafy canopy above him. He stretched out his arms and yawned as his joints popped. Swinging his feet over the edge, he stood and began stretching as he bent forward and touched his fingers to his toes. To Merlin nothing felt better in the morning than a good stretch and there was evidence of that as he groaned. He could feel each muscle and tendon stretching as he went through his routine, each form more strenuous than the last.

After all despite his age, he had a younger body now and would need to keep it fit and healthy. What he didn't notice, or at least pretended he didn't notice, was a pair of aqua colored eyes from behind a veil of pink hair that had been watching him for the past fifteen minutes. He was glad she came again, as she had the past few mornings. Fluttershy seemed to have developed an interest in him as well after their meeting with her and her animal's. It had been a week since then and she would often patiently wait for him to finish his stretching before coming to talk.

The reason why she would wait and why she was sneaking blushing looks here and there was his own fault. In order to mitigate overheating when stretching or working out, Merlin would have his robe off and would be only in his drawers. Needless to say this was quite a shock for poor Fluttershy when she came to see him that first morning and Merlin had spent quite a bit trying to convince Angel that he hadn't made her faint on purpose. It had been a rather funny day.

With a smile he stood back up and snapped his fingers, causing a warm breeze to swirl about him. This was a nifty trick he had come up with once upon a time to keep himself clean. The warmed air would carry with it moisture that would wash away any grime, sweat or filth that stuck to his skin. With that done, he donned his robe and walked over to where Fluttershy was waiting for him.

"O-Oh, um good morning Merlin." She said with a light blush as he nodded and responded in kind.

"Good morning Fluttershy, are you coming with me into the forest today?" He asked as she began walking with him toward the darker part of the forest. Under normal circumstances she would be absolutely terrified of going in there. But ever since Merlin arrived, the forest had become a lot less threatening. Supposedly ponies had stopped disappearing in it and it was getting easier for Ponyville to source wood when needed from the outer edge now without issue.

She looked up at him and smiled. With how strong he was and how much of a connection to nature he had, none of the dangerous creatures wanted anything to do with the area. Especially after he had gone through the trouble of essentially creating a barrier using poison joke. Fluttershy still wasn't quite sure how it worked, and Twilight had spent the better part of the last week studying herself in her castle. That's why Fluttershy was with Merlin today, he had told her that if she wanted to learn magic like he had, she would have to come with him to meet someone special.

"Oh, um...yes. I want to be able to learn from you like Twilight does. I know I can't learn the kind of magic unicorns use but if I can learn nature magic and use it to help my friends then I'll do what I can." She replied, a slight nervousness in her voice as she stayed close by his side. The dark trees towered over them now in a dense cloister all around. They seemed like tall specters waiting for their moment to strike. Merlin ignored this however, he could feel out several miles in each direction via the roots of the trees he was in connection with. He would know if they were in danger.

"A noble sentiment, one that I think fits you rather well in fact." He said with a youthful grin as he stepped over near a tree and motioned her over. "I know you once found this place scary, in fact I believe many of Ponyville saw this forest as terrifying." He continued as he knelt down and took her hoof in his hand as he had her sit by him.

"To see that you face this place that once rooted you to the spot shows me that you have a brave heart, one that might possibly be able to call out to her." He explained as Fluttershy looked from him to the tree they were in front of. Aside from it's enormous trunk, it looked the same as all the other trees. However in the short time she knew Merlin she had learned that tree's have voices too.

"Close your eyes and place your hoof on her trunk or a root." Merlin said as Fluttershy nodded, closing her eyes. Her world was enveloped in darkness as she extended her right hoof, placing it flat against the bark. There were plenty of times where Fluttershy had felt a tree's trunk before, hanging out with friends in Applejack's orchard, or near her home. This one felt different, it was cool to the touch but something about it seemed warm. Almost as if it were more alive than a standard tree.

"This particular tree is home to a beautiful creature known as a Dryad. They are known as forest spirits and typically will tend to their wood with a vengeance. It seems this one went to sleep a very long time ago, and that is why this forest has become so wild." Merlin said as he placed his hand over her hoof, the warmth of it and the closeness causing Fluttershy to blush again. That stopped though when she felt a warmer heat flowing from him, through her hoof and into the tree. In her world of darkness she suddenly saw a prickle of light.

She watched curiously as it drew close, moving to the left and right of her vision almost as though it were appraising her. It circled around, and she felt her wings suddenly lift and then drop. She got a sense of amusement from it as it came back around to her front. It seemed satisfied and without warning it flew through her chest and into her body. As it did she felt a wave of that heat spread across her body, rejuvenating every cell it touched.

With a startled gasp she opened her eyes and stared at the tree, it's bark began to change from it's darker mottled brown to a brighter prettier brown. She watched this wave of color spread outward as it completely enveloped the tree, down to every last root and leaf. When it finished the bark began to shift and morph and Fluttershy stepped back with Merlin as they watched. As if from a pool of water, a pony that was made of the same wood as the tree stepped out and looked at them with glowing green eyes and a slight smile.

'Greetings, I am Sequoia. It is a pleasure to meet you after such a long nap' she said with a voice inside Fluttershy's head. She looked up at Merlin who was now looking back at her as he urged her forward. Fluttershy nodded and turned toward the beautiful Dryad. Her mane was made from the same leaves as the tree and they shook as a breeze came through and shook the tree.

"It's an honor to meet you Sequoia. You have a such beautiful leaves." Fluttershy said as she got closer. Sequoia nodded happily at the compliment and began circling her in the same way the light had done. Coming back around to face her, Sequoia surprised her with a hug.

'Oh your so cute!!! You look just like Florescent Blossom!' Sequoia said happily as she pulled back and locked eyes with her. At that even Merlin was curious.

"Florescent Blossom? Is this someone you knew in the past?" Merlin asked as Sequoia turned her gaze to him and cocked her head to the side.

'Yes, she was. I knew her before I took my nap. Who are you? I've never seen a creature like you before.' She said as she looked him up and down. With a gentlemanly grin and a bow he introduced himself, "My name is Merlin. I am a man with fairy parentage. I came here from another world."

Sequoia's eyes widened as she circled him too. 'Incredible, your bipedal instead of quadrupedal. It would be interesting to talk to you in depth some time.' she said before standing in front of Fluttershy. 'I think there's a reason why you could wake me you know' she giggled.

Fluttershy sat and blinked at her, "A reason?"

Sequoia laughed like a breeze flowing softly through leaves. 'Yes, nopony but Florescent could have awoken me from my sleep. After all she's the druidic priestess that put me to sleep in the first place so I could heal.' Sequoia said as she closed her eyes. 'Would you like to see what she was like?'

Fluttershy looked at Merlin and he nodded as she turned back to Sequoia. She gave a quiet yes and closed her eyes as Sequoia placed her hoof on her head, and faster than the eye could blink it was like she had opened her eyes. It was different though. The forest was more of a grove and it was bright and sunny. There weren't a whole lot of trees around, but there was one tree that she did recognize in front of her and that was Sequoia's tree.

It was smaller now than it was in their time, and she could see Sequoia standing there talking to a pony that made her jaw drop. It was like looking in a mirror. There stood a butter yellow pegasus in armor with long pink hair that had been braided back. Fluttershy got closer and listened as they talked.

"Sequoia I could really use your help. Commander Hurricane is gone now so they all want to put me in charge. I know I got the moniker Pansy during our campaigns for some of my more cowardly moments but they should know I can't lead. I can't do this." Florescent said as she looked with worry at Sequoia. She simply smiled.

'Worry not my dear child. You are a war priestess of the trees are you not? Did you not convince my sisters and I to work together to create this Sacred Grove for the Pegasi?' Sequoia said, her smile becoming a slight smirk. 'I know for a fact that I taught you better than that. Go dear Florescent Blossom. Show them who you truly are and that you will not fall before any who would seek to destroy this new country you and your friends have made.'

Florescent nodded with tears in here eyes. "Do I really have to put you and your sisters to sleep? You could join us you know." She said as Sequoia shook her head. 'We cannot. Helping you and your friends secure your country was a very large drain on our energy. We will need to sleep for quite some time to get it back. But should a descendant of yours ever come across us, I myself and more than likely my sisters too would be happy to aid her as we have aided you.'

With that it ended and Sequoia removed her hoof from Fluttershy's forehead. She opened her eye's and looked at Sequoia in awe. "I-I'm a direct descendant of P-Private Pansy?" Fluttershy asked. Sequoia laughed again as she replied, 'You are, and she really hated that nickname.' Before Fluttershy could ask another question however, she was suddenly surrounded by a wind that was lifting her up, it swept up leaves of the forest in its wake as they to swirled around her. She looked at Sequoia again and she nodded and lowered her head in a slight bow as there was a burst of light.

Merlin grinned as what was left in place was now Fluttershy but wearing a dress that seemed to be made of the forest itself. Thin straps that resembled twigs and branches held it on as the rest became what looked like a gorgeous trunk down to an almost black trim that looked to be soil. On her head now rested a tiara of flowers and each of her eyes resembled leaves of the deepest and clearest green.

That day would forever be remembered by the trees, as the Rebirth of the Druids.

Author's Note:

Whew, It's been a while guys! Glad to be back now that things irl have settled down again. It's amazing how hard it is to want to write when your so busy all the time trying to keep things from crashing and burning. But I digress, I hope you all absolute enjoy the chapter. I plan on having a lot more of the lovely Sequoia. After all someone has to teach Fluttershy how to Druid right? hahahah, Also there will be more flashbacks to come. You'll see when I get those parts out ;P

Anyway, have a wonderful day/night/afternoon/midnight everyone and I look forward to putting more out! <3

-StormHoof

Comments

[Fun1901]

Glad you are back can’t wait for next one

[Morphy]

Somehow I have a feeling Angel will not change at all or might become more full of himself now that Futtershy's promoted. But good on Flutter's, she always embodied the pagan mindset-- does this make her an official Druish Princess? :D (Ok, that was a bit of a reach for a pun)

[StormHoof32]

11658573
Haha, the pun might have been a reach but it still made me laugh XD. And we shall have to see what may happen with dear Angel. I have a plan XD

[redandready45]

You made meeting the dryad such an ethereal experience. Sequoia seems like such an interesting character.

[StormHoof32]

11663109
glad you enjoyed it :)