Counselor In The Forest

by RedBlack

Convenient Circumstances

In the dead of the night that now inhabited the Everfree forest, the singular sound of something growing very fast stood out.

Vines, as thick as an entire tree, grew from the ground, reaching out to the sky from right under the severed green pony. A few stayed near the pony, slowly connecting themselves with his body whilst the others grew further up.

Strands strayed out from the connected vines, penetrative the pony's soft skin and reaching inside. Those vines crawled inside the pony, slowly going out of sight. The mouth was lifted open from the inside as a piece of flesh from nearby was dragged back in. The lower half of the pony was connected with the upper half and sewed shut, completely ignoring the pool of blood underneath. The severed limb was seemingly glued back with nothing to hold it.

Those vines that grew high, came down bearing four fruits of assorted colors. A sky blue one, a pure white one, a wood brown one, and finally a light green one.

The vines inside his body connected the parts that were not, until they were left with the hollow eye sockets. As they grew out the empty eye sockets, they quickly stopped near the flesh plastered to the ground.

The vines shook, as if enraged or in fear before retracting back in.

Those that bore fruits held them above the body, until the vines inside quickly grew out and slapped them. The fruits fell to the ground as those that bore them shivered in pain.

They quickly turned to those that slapped them, as if asking why.

Those that slapped them pointed towards the pony's empty forehead, then to his empty back.

The response was the slow raise of the fallen fruits, as if they were negotiating a deal of some sorts.

The vines from the body sagged, reluctantly accepting the deal.

With that dilemma decided, the vines, all of them, held the fruits in their grasps as strands grew inside. Then they crushed the fruits. The crushed parts were left completely dry, not even a singular drop of moisture as they fell to the ground. The vines that were outside the body went inside, the same way the others had.

Then finally, silence once again descended the area.

Until.

A wave of magic swept through the area.

The body convulsed, glowing with the colors of the rainbow before finally settling on a natural green.

The pony gasped as he woke up. He coughed a bit as he spat out some dirt. With eyes that glowed a dominating green, he observed his surroundings before realizing something.

"Why is everything so, green?" He asked none in particular.

He was confused, until all of his attention was pulled inside.

With a slight groan, he gritted his teeth as he clenched his chest.

---

As Nightmare Moon bore her gaze at the rainbow colored beam that came at her, she tried to come up with a plan. But, knowing the power of the Elements, she knew that there was nothing she could do to fight against it.

"So don't fight it." She muttered to herself as she spread her senses to the max, trying to feel out even the tiniest bit of a familiar trace. "There!" She shouted in her mind as a grin overtook her face.

The smallest trace of one of her shadows, one made to take control of another. She wondered why it lived, but the urgency of her situation stopped all questions as she established a link with the shadow.

Just then, she felt a searing pain as she was hit by the rainbow beam.

With the Elements quickly erasing her, she left her current vessel, opting to lose most of her power by exposing herself rather than being eradicated completely.

Her senses numbed as she felt herself being seared alive, until she finally felt free as she was propelled towards the shadow using the link. Now, only a mist, she couldn't feel much as her body kept going and going. In the end, she felt the same weird feeling she had felt before.

Shaking in anger, and slight fear from almost dying, she gathers herself before she feels around her surroundings.

"What?" She confusedly asked herself as she looked and felt whatever was around her.

Seeing nothing but darkness, she tried to sense the shadow she had made a link with. Yet all that came back was silence.

"Ah, right. This must be from that stallion." She muttered before spreading her magic. "Huh." She was, however, unable to leave.

A tingling sensation came over her. Now without a physical body, she was left with having to use her entire, although misty, body to use her magic.

Fearful as she made countless attempts to escape, but all that accomplished was a growing sense of numbness that spread over her. Shouting once in annoyance, she opted to rather just take over than leave.

That, quickly proved to be her biggest mistake.

Suddenly, something gripped her. Despite her smoke like body, she could not slip out. She tried to move, but her bindings wouldn't budge. She tried to shout at it, or at least try to negotiate with her holder. But she couldn't even let out a peep.

Then finally, light shone down on her as her surroundings lit up.

She saw that her bindings were made out of thick vines, with each being bigger than her by at least ten-folds. Acknowledging that she could not move, she looked upwards at the light shining on her. A mixture of colors that all somehow gave off the same white light. Much to her horror, in the vast darkness and above the trailing lights, something came out.

Two eyes, made of a mystical light green magic, slowly opened as their gaze weighed down on Nightmare Moon.

The pure magic that came off of them, rushed towards her as she once again tried to escape. But it was futile. The magic fell down on her, unable to move as she screamed in pain from the searing pain that came with.

As the beam continued to contain her, her body slowly shed away the mist like appearance as her size decreased. From having the dominating size, big enough to be confused for a constellation, she was shrunk down to only a wisp.

As she finally stopped going down in size, the beam soon stopped as the eyes closed, hiding amongst the darkness once again. With the pain finally over, Nightmare Moon slowly regained her senses as she kept staring up. Relieved that the pain was over as she almost blacked out, only to sober up once she saw something on her vision.

"What?" She thought to herself. "I already left her though." She stared confusedly at the pitch black hoof resting on the ground.

Before she could inspect herself, she was once again lifted off the ground. This time, by seemingly nothing as she stared at the different colored lights.

"Blue, white and brown. Those are important colors, but what was it?" She silently asked herself as she stared at those colors slowly descending upon her.

Knowing that she could not move, she mentally prepared herself for more pain. Breathing getting slightly frantic, she just observed as those lights circled around her.

Finally, the first light reached her. She shut her eyes as she clenched her jaw, waiting for some kind of pain to spring out of nowhere. Much to her surprise however, was that all she felt was a small pressure on the base of her horn.

Slowly opening her eyes, she carefully watched as the white light went back upwards. Then, she watched as the blue light went to her wings. Again, with only the slightest of pressures, this time on her wings, the light went back upwards.

"Right." Her voice was coarse, and lacked the usual regality. "The colors of pony magic." She muttered to herself as she watched the brown light envelop her neck a slight bit before going back, leaving a necklace of sorts, made of wood in its place.

Nightmare Moon lifted her hoof to it, trying to see what it was but the necklace didn't budge. It was a lone branch, barely thicker than the usual horn that looped around her throat. There lied a singular leaf at the middle, acting as a centerpiece. As it sat snuggly around her neck, Nightmare Moon tried to lift it, only to recoil as the necklace seemed to tighten a bit.

"Didn't know earth pony magic had a kink for chokers." Nightmare Moon mumbles as she observed the necklace not going back to its original size. "At least it's not too tight"

Finally being released, she almost collapsed as she sat down with what little grace she could muster. Having fought and suffered under a concentrated beam of magic thrice in half a day, she was both mentally and physically exhausted.

"What now?" She asked herself as her ears folded in. Sagging ever so slightly, she let out a sigh as she stared upwards at the mixture of colors with light fear.

Then, her mind suddenly blanked as she was knocked out.

---

*Natural Remedy POV*

What the fuck! Why does my chest hurt so much?

I'm currently hunched over as I clench over my chest, silently praying for it to not be a heart attack. I've borne through more than enough painful experiences, but this hurt more than most.

I roll my body over and look towards the sky. It's morning.

Slowly steadying my breathing, I calm down and start to breath in a slower and more controlled pattern. Until finally, I find the sweet spot and just bear through the pain as I feel it slowly going away. Taking deep breaths, I had countless questions running through my mind, but the most calm one grabbed the most attention.

"I'm alive?"

Nightmare Moon is not a merciful pony. Besides, I already saw my body being split in half. I grimaced at that thought.

Shaking my concentration, a bush rustled next to me. With a slight jump, I take the axe out of the tree as I take a leap back, preparing to attack anything that comes through.

*Thud*

I release a breath of relief as I stare at the wooden paw that stepped out.

"Which one are you?" I ask as I step closer.

Then I notice something peculiar.

"You're, bigger?" I confusedly ask as it stood about twice my height.

The usual timberwolf stood about the same height as me, but this one was plenty taller than me.

As I became slightly wary, it all disappears as I feel the giant tongue go over my face.

"Ok, you were definitely part of the pack." I blankly tell them as I wipe my face with a hoof. "So, I assume you've a reason for running." I state as they sit down on their haunches.

Slowly twisting their body, they poke their belly with their snout a few times before looking back.

I only gave a bittersweet smile as I stare at her. I'd help her raise the cubs, but is this place even safe anymore?

*Thud*

Breaking both of us out of our thoughts, was the sound of something falling down.

I turned around rather lazily, mentally tired from the recent events. Then all of it vanishes.

She's here again? Did she revive me? Am I going to be her little toy or something?

Several thoughts, mostly negative, ran through my head as my body reacts before my brain. The axe was already headed towards her, out of my grasp as I had already followed behind it.

"What the?" She asked nopony in particular as she sat on the ground.

Then she looked at me.

My body raised alarms as the memory of her reflecting my attack before played in my head. My mind raced as I thought of multiple ways I could make this work, but they all seemed to end in failure.

Right then and there, I saw her face take the slightest bit of shock. Preparing mentally to be hit by magic, I thought to at least try to get a hit in. Then I stopped.

My eyes wide in surprise as I looked at her falling figure. The thrown axe embedded deeply in her skull. Her face, one of pure shock with wide eyes and an slack jaw.

I gave a few chuckles. I don't entirely know what part of this situation I had found funny, but I laughed.

I succeeded.

I killed Nightmare Moon.

There was huge smile on my face as I looked at her, still letting out a few bouts of laughter. It was hilarious.

A huge threat, one that haunted the entirety of Equestria and almost ruined the country in just a single week. Yet she died, just like that. Not by some powerful magic, not even by an army of ponies uniting together. A single axe throw.

Then slowly, the situation ceased to be worth celebrating. In the end, a hollow sensation filled me. I'd killed her, but, what exactly would that change?

I'll probably get some reward from Princess Celestia. Most likely some kind of land, at best I'd get a title. Probably Baron, could be higher since Nightmare Moon was a big problem back then. Somepony like her wouldn't be so stingy with rewards. What would I even do with that kind of reward though. I'll get a good life, sure, but would it really be that different from the farm? Even if it was, would the change be worth?

As the excitement wore off, I thought of my parents. I got my revenge, for both of them and everypony else she's either killed or caused the death of, but it won't bring them back. I could go and kill every single being that caused their deaths, but it would only that. They'd die, but it wouldn't do much.

Well, I doubt I'd ever regret killing Nightmare Moon. She's just too big of a disaster for me to be regretful of it.

Letting out a small sigh, I go to her limp body to pull out the axe. The wolf came out of a completely different bush as she stood next to me.

I let out a single chuckle. As cowardly as it looks, it's her job to make sure the next generation lives.

As I move grab the axe, I stood motionless as I stare at the scene. There was a series of hoofsteps behind me as I feel both shock and fear overwhelm me.

Her blood, was green. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. But the one thing I noticed however, was that she was moving. Fresh corpses can move, but they can't raise their hoof and keep it there, much less try to pull something out of their skull.

Her face was contorted in pain as her hooves slowly pulled out the axe head.

Acting fast, I pulled out the axe with both hooves and raised it high. My left hind leg stepped down on her head as I locked her on the ground with her neck revealed. She hit my hind leg a few times, albeit very weakly. Right then, I executed her.

Poetic revenge on my own death, but I was more concerned over the absurdity of the situation. I never knew alicorns could just, refuse to die like that. I breathed heavily as I took a step back.

Axe in hoof, I simply observed as blood spilled out from the severed area. A dark green painted the grass. There was a surprisingly light scent of blood. Much, much lighter than it usually gave off. I stood there, just watching as more and more blood spilled out.

Then something finally happened.

Small green tendrils grew out of her neck, quickly reaching the severed head. I watch in morbid curiosity as the head is slowly pulled back and seemingly reconnects. Then she stopped.

With nothing happening, I wait for some kind of movement. A few seconds of silence passes as nothing keeps on happening.

Slowly, I let my guard down as I lower the axe. Right at that moment, she instantly rises to a sitting position as she gasps for breath.

By pure reflex, I swung the axe with one hoof from the ground. Her eyes widen as she simply stares at me. I stare back, unknowingly letting her know of my fear as I watch her bleed. The axe stayed deep in her chest. Her gaze, full of fear and confusion as she stared at me.

The seconds ticked by, feeling like years have gone by. Sweat trickled down my forehead as I watched her eyes slowly close.

She finally died. But how long would that last? How many times would I have to kill her for her to finally stay dead.

Taking deep breaths, I calm myself down from my panicked state as I take several steps back, leaving the axe in her chest. I take a look at my surroundings, hoping for anything that could potentially help me. The wolf was also gone at some point.

After finding nothing, I simply went further way from her. Keeping an eye on her, I watch as her body stays still once more. Just as it happened again and again, her body slowly rose as the axe was pushed out. I nervously watch as she rubs her head before yawning massively.

I squint a bit as I watch her. I can't see a ruler, or even a tyrant. Just some random mare waking up. Once again, I was filled with shock as I watched the next scene.

She suddenly flinches as she stands up. Her head flicked to all sides as she looked at her surroundings. I silently hide my presence as I watch from inside a bush. She finally slowed down as she breathed heavily.

She's terrified.

That fear soon disappeared as it slowly gets replaced by confusion.

How forgettable was our encounter for her to completely forget this place?

I kept observing her facial expressions as it transformed between several different versions of confusion and uncertainty. Until it finally landed on fear once again as she ran her hoof across her chest.

So she still remembers her injuries.

"PEASANT!" She suddenly shouted.

Ah. She found me.

"DOTH THOU NOT KNOW WHO WE ARE?!" She yelled at me, unfurling her wings as I walked out of the bush.

Normally, a stupid move, but her expressions allowed for an entirely different interpretation. She's scared. For her to be using her fame as a scare tactic rather than her alicorn magic, she's also desperate.

"Are you, unable to use magic right now?" I calmly ask as I frown at her.

"THOU WILL ADDRESS US WITH OUR PROPER TITLE!" She kept yelling at me.

As I step closer and closer, she slowly takes steps back, those very same wings becoming more and more limp with each step. Her face contorted in several places as she had a strained smile that gave off no confidence. A heavy grimace on her face as she keeps shouting at me.

Oh, can she not use the royal voice anymore?

As I take a rather large step, she practically leaps back as her path is now blocked. She nervously looks at me as I come face to face with her.

She's shorter? I ask myself as I tower above her.

As she's backed up to a random tree, I look down on her with an impassive face.

"IF THO-" I stopped her rant by holding my hoof against her throat.

"You, why won't you die?" I asked her.

I loosen my grip a tiny bit to allow her to speak.

She coughed a bit as a response as she took a breath.

Is she that weak right now?

"Doth not make us laugh. Are thou not the one whom has trapped us here?" She asked with a slight smirk.

Ugh, that speech is so annoying when it's not in an announcement.

"You're pretty bad at this." I simply tell her. "You can't hide that you're scared, and you've also told me that your inability to die is out of your hooves." I state as I drop her. "Talking to you anymore is pointless." I walk away as I hear her coughing for air.

She's weak.

I don't know how, but she's been weakened. If her height is anything to go by, she's stuck like that.

"WILL THEE NOT-"

"Can you shut it already? You're both weak and unaware of your situation. That's called being a dead weight." I interrupted her as I pick up the axe and head back to my camp.

Letting her get away is seemingly a bad decision, but she couldn't even beat me, a fifty year old stallion. What chance would she have with the Princess?

Well, maybe with, that one. My mood somehow drops further at the thought.

Sighing, I relax as I take a seat at the long extinguished campfire. Though I get slightly panicked as I almost fall down from leaning back. I place my hoof to stop myself from slamming into the ground as I twist my head.

Where the fuck is-

"..."

I simply stare behind me for a few seconds. My mind was empty, just for those few seconds. My head slowly looked around the empty camp.

I felt a small surge of anger, only for it to float away as I just lay on the ground.

I guess I'd gotten pretty close with them.

With a shake of my head to clear my thoughts, I got up and reached for my bag. I should boil some water and start working on the house.

With an objective to focus my mind on, I move towards the river.

Should I have really let her go though?

What if I was wrong in my assessments?

What if she does take control over Equestria?

Have I made the worst mistake possible?

Thoughts haunted me as I cut down a tree to turn to lumber, not entirely sure I actually need more. Without my mind to focus on my actions, I simply followed a routine as I stood above the fallen tree with an axe. As I strip away the tree bark, my thoughts keep muddling my mind.

I should've at least buried her.

No matter what she'd experience, I should have done something to her.

So what if she experienced death? What about the thousands that died from her actions? Was it selfish to just let her go like that? What of those that are still suffering from the war? What would their choice have been?

I kept mindlessly working as the same questions kept repeating themselves. Only the words changed, but the meaning stayed the same as if mocking me. It felt as if those that died, only rose from their graves to scorn me for my actions.

*Thud*

I forcefully slam the axe into the log I was cutting down, the tough veins used to hold it together finally snapping off. I breathed heavily as I try to calm my mind. Weirdly, my body felt completely fine.

"Doesn't matter." I mutter to the air. "She won't die, and torture isn't really my cup of tea"

Leaning on the fallen log, I lounge back as I stare at the sky.

A drink would be nice right about now.

The sun stayed high in the sky. There was a cool breeze that flowed through. The sound of fire crackling soothed my mind.

My eyes slowly start closing at the peacefulness.

The comfortable grass and the sound of trees being broken down.

My mind stops for a second as I process that information. Being too tired mentally to figure it out, I just wait as the sound keeps coming closer.

I give a light sigh, knowing I'll have to deal with it.

I just hope it's not some giant monster.

I stretch my body as I stare backwards with an upside down vision, waiting to see what it was about. I must've stayed quite still since a spider managed to climb up onto my snout and hanged down from it with a strand of web.

Then the source finally comes out.

I saw Nightmare Moon flying through the air as she flew over me. Before I could fully pull my upper body back, I hear a grunt. Finally sitting upright, I stare in time to witness her falling to the ground in a manner somepony would never expect from royalty.

I accidentally snorted as I struggled to hide my laughter at her fallen position. She somehow had her entire body folded in half as one of her wings was trapped between her hind legs.

Before I could fully reign in my laughter, she suddenly gets thrown at me. Not having enough time to dodge, I just put my hooves up for defense as I feel her slamming into me.

When I came to, I felt her on top of me as I laid on my back. With a grunt, I threw her off me as I stood up.

What's she doing back here? Is she thinking of some kind of weird revenge? Though, her method of arrival didn't exactly seem intentional. By her at least.

"If thou did not wish for us to leave, thou should'st have spoken thy mind." She said with venom in her voice as she glared at me.

"I no longer give a shit whether you leave or not, but I do want you to leave me the fuck alone." I simply state as I take a seat near the fire. "Also, are you still talking in royalty? That shit's getting pretty annoying." I almost slap myself from revealing something for her to annoy me with.

She opened and closed her mouth several times as my patience slowly wears thin. Just standing in her presence annoys me to tartarus and back. As I felt my face slowly contorting into a grimace, she finally spoke up.

"We-I, can't leave. As soon as my hoof left the barrier, I was pulled all the way here." She said in a normal voice.

I simply raise an eyebrow at her sudden behavior. She actually listened to me? Is it because she's scared of me? Or does she want something from me?

"Sure, I'll believe you. Just stay the fuck away from my camp." I coldly tell her before sitting down at the campfire.

As I hope she listens and leaves, she spoke up after a period of silence.

"W-wait, I, need help." She uttered with a nervous voice.

"Could not care less"

"What! How could you refuse to help a helpless mare?" She asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"For fucks sake. How do you not understand this?" I complain as I turn to her. "I despise you, and the only reason I'm letting you go is because I can't kill you." She backed down at that explanation.

I don't know why or how she turned from maniacally narcissistic tyrant to a clueless mare in the forest, but if she continues to stay my mood will only get worse.

I calmly stare at the crackling fire as her hoofsteps ring out.

Then I heard her shriek.

Somehow, her misery makes me laugh.

I let out a few chuckles as I hear a much louder thud.

I might've been a sadist.

Author's Note:

Alright, finally got this one out.

Honestly, not much to say.

I caught a cold at some point, and that caused me to take a small break during he middle, but I'm okay now.

So, thanks for reading.

Comments

[Valkorian67]

Okay really interesting chapter can't wait to see where this is headed.

[Eversong]

11843338
Agreed