Chapter 1
"Mr. Moochik," Twilight whined. "What exactly are we doing out here?" She had been following the Moochik for what felt like hours, wandering about the forest with no particular destination in mind. "I thought you said you had something important to do."
"We, my dear." The Moochik glanced briefly back at his companion, the ever present grin on his face only a touch smaller than usual. "Or did I forget to mention?" he stopped abruptly, scratching his beard in thought. Twilight nearly ran into him.
"No, Mr. Moochik, you told me that." With Twilight's affirmation the little creature resumed his trek with as much warning as he offered for the previous stop. "Ah, but," Caught off guard again, Twilight had to cantor a bit to catch up. "You did forget to mention why you needed me." Twilght had always been happy to help a friend and after the Moochik's help against Tirek, she felt she owed the creature to help with this at the very least. But not knowing what it even was she was helping him with after already giving up most of the day, she was beginning to get a little frustrated. "Is there something out here that’s too high for you to reach that I can wink you up too? Is there a creek that’s too deep for you that you want me to help you across?" Twilight frowned. "Oh if it’s that last one, you should know that I'm not a very strong swimmer."
"No no, child." the Moochik chuckled. "My height has nothing to do with this."
"Well," Twilight sighed. "Would you please tell me what this does have to do with?"
"Be patient, you'll see." The creature's cheer seemed to be back at full, as well as his obliviousness to Twilight's mild irritation. With a sigh, the unicorn resigned herself to quietly following her flighty little guide. With any luck, she thought, there may actually a point to all this. And the two traveled as thus for a while more before the Moochik finally stumbled into a wide clearing. Twilight was hard pressed to say whether or not the little guy had meant to find this place, but he seemed to be pleased with it.
"Ah, this'll do." The Moochik slowed his gait considerably and regarded his surroundings carefully. "Yes, this is just perfect." he laughed and hurried to what could roughly be considered the center of the clearing and got down on his knees. Twilight followed closely behind and watched form over the Moochik's shoulder as he began to dig a hole.
"What are you doing?" Twilight quirked her head to the side in curiosity.
"Well you see," the Moochik answered excitedly. "I've always wanted to plant a tree. And I thought this might be a nice place for one."
"Wha..." Twilight's jaw almost dropped off her head. "Mr. Moochik, we’re in the middle of a forest! Just look, there are already trees all over the place, that’s what a forest is. A bunch of trees." She wasn't angry quite yet, but had the Moochik looked up and been surprised to see the woods around the clearing, Twilight may very well have started yelling. To her relief, however, he had an explanation.
"Of course I know that, child, but this tree isn't like those trees." Finished with his hole, he reached into his pocket and removed a small red bag and undid the string holding it closed. As gently as he could, he emptied the contents into his hand.
"Is that," Twilight gasped. "The piece of the rainbow of light? But how, I thought it had disappeared when we used it to free the other ponies!"
"Oh it'll never disappear, Twilight." The Moochik's tone became softer, almost sad as he raised the tiny rainbow closer to his face and blew what appeared to be an oddly colored smoke into it. The rainbow began to glow white, then shrunk into an even tinier crystal cut vaguely in the shape of a seed. "Not so long as there are those like you in the world. Those who hold the rainbow's true power inside themselves."
"I don’t understand." Twilight lowered her tone to match the Moochik, unsure of what he was doing, but certain now that it was important. "What do you mean?" The Moochik didn't answer. And Twilight didn't pursue the issue. The old, little creature lowered the seed into the hole and started pushing the dirt back in.
"Yes." his voice was so low that Twilight had to strain a bit to hear him. "You'll grow into a fine tree. Or rock." he chuckled lightly. "You'll be a fine rock-tree." With a final pat of the soil, the Moochik dusted off his hands. "You'll grow tall and sturdy. And ensure this forest will remain forever free." With some effort, the Moochik rose to his feet. "You'll bloom beautiful flowers, when harmony and love melt the iciest of hearts." The Moochik raised his eyes to the sky and a breeze began to blow through the clearing. "Your fruit will feed the sun and the moon, giving them strength to seal away madness itself." The breeze changed, flowing into a small, yet fairly powerful dust devil forming overtop of where the seed had been planted. "Your chosen children will stand stalwart, wielding your might against the darkness time and time again. Never shall they fail, with your light to guide them."
The dust devil collapsed into a shockwave that rippled through the ground and nearly toppled Twilight with a powerful sense of vertigo. Once she regained her footing, she shook her head to clear away the last of the dizziness. When she opened her eyes again, the breeze had died and the clearing was brimming with all kinds of beautiful flowers, the likes of which she had never seen before.
"And one day," The Moochik declared. "After you've spread your seeds far and wide, this world will know true peace."
"Mr. Moochik…" Twilight was awestruck. "What… what was that just now?"
"Well I planted a tree." The Moochik laughed, turning to face Twilight. "Weren't you watching?" His usual, cheery disposition seemed to have returned yet again. "That was the whole reason we came out here after all."
"No, that wasn't what I-" Twilight shook her head again, to stop herself. There would be no getting it out of him. She would just have to speculate on what all that had really been. But she could at least get one answer. "Never mind. Why exactly did you need me here if you did all that on your own?"
"Some things are just easier to see, if you've already seen them once." The Moochik smiled.
"That doesn't answer my question." Twilight huffed.
"You'll understand one day." The Moochik laughed. "Now," he started waddling towards the edge of the clearing, leaning a bit more on his cane than he had on the way here. "Let’s go find your friends. It’s getting late."
At the edge of the clearing, the Moochik turned for one last look at the place. His eyes rested not on the spot where his newly planted seed lay, but rather on a figure only he could see. Twilight. But not the Twilight that he had lead here today. No, this Twilight was a darker hue than his. And not only had a unicorn's horn, but the wings of a pegasus as well. He smiled at her and she at him.
"I understand now, Mr. Moochik." The other Twilight said quietly. To which the Moochik only nodded and turned away, disappearing into the woods with his Twilight.
~*~
Twilight shook off the last remaining effects of the potion and sat up on the couch. Using alicorn magic always made her head hurt and her friends would surely be displeased to find out she tested the potion again without someone there to keep an eye on her, especially for a reason as frivolous as a whim of curiosity. But that was okay. At least the Moochik could appreciate her temporary break from her usually careful demeanor. With a content sigh, Twilight laid back down on the couch and closed her eyes, dreaming of that time lost place she'd seen and of the pony she had use to be.