Rain Shine imagined living happily with her family in their small village for her entire life. But times change, and she has to change too, drastically.
Even though the threats of the greater world existed, they weren't a concern to Rain Shine. Until once day those threats came to her small village seeking her. She had two choices, to take the easy and profitable path of capitulation, or the hard, and dangerous path of resistance. Either way, nothing will ever be the same for her.
Her grandmother, tucked the young unicorn, Rain Shine, into bed for that night. The little filly squirmed but smiled happily up at her aging grandparent. "Story?"
The wizened unicorn nodded, sitting next to her granddaughter. "Of course little one. I don't believe I've told you of the Mage Lords, have I?"
Rain Shine shook her head, sitting up a little so she wouldn't fall asleep listening. Normally she'd be corrected, bed time stories were meant to make you fall asleep, but not this time. Her grandmother actually nodded. Though Rain Shine was sure it wasn't in approval, it had to be regarding something else. Normally bed time was quite strict. Almost the only thing in her family enforced strictly. And even her wider village had few rules, let others be and be yourself was their motto. However, as her grandmother started talking Rain Shine refocused, she didn't want to miss a story.
"Long ago, a kingdom of unicorns rose up in the south. Their leaders were called the Mage Lords, masters of all kinds of magic. They spread their influence and might far. So far that they even reached us here. They sent their stallions to collect taxes, and took our most skilling young ones to train in their schools, and serve in their lands."
Rain Shine shook her head. "No grandma! They can't make us!"
Shaking her head the old mare smiled sadly. "Oh, but they did young one. Through strength of arms and magic they took what they wanted, and those who fought were killed." Rain Shine gasped and covered her mouth. "Yes, a terrible thing indeed. Be glad that you don't live in that time little one. For you are quite good at magic."
Rain Shine stuck her tongue out at her grandmother. "Well if they tried I'm just make them all leave!"
Smirking and standing up the matron leaned in, kissing her granddaughter on the forehand. "That's my fiery spirited granddaughter. Now go to sleep dear, we'll finish the story tomorrow."
Rain Shine grumbled but her grandmother was already leaving, and there was nothing she could really do but cuddle down into her bed and try to make tomorrow come faster by falling asleep.
As she got out into the main living area the tired grandmother was rebuked. "Mother! You mustn't tell her of the Mage Lords! It will give her bad dreams, she is the greatest magic user we have seen in decades! And they were defeat..."
The stallion was interrupted with a snarl. "Do not lecture me, son. You have heard the rumblings to the south. The Mage Lords rise again. And if they are not stopped it is only a matter of years before they spread their influence here again."
Sighing the stallion looked to the side. "I know. But that could be years from now, no need to trouble..."
Interrupted again the stallion could only bow his head in obedience to the family matriarch. "But if it not, she must be told."
Rain Shine ran through the fields to get home as quickly as she could. Grinning as she felt the wheat stalks ahead of her, warning them of her coming that they could lean just out of her way, then then close in behind her. She would leave no trace as she ran through the field. She had always been more in tune with the world around her than her kin. No unicorn could match her in magical power, natural knowledge, or navigation through the forest. She had bamboozled her friends and family multiple times by being able to navigate through the forest with her eyes closed. She didn't need to see, the trees, the leaves, the flowers, everything called to her faintly, and guided her path through.
She hopped over the nearby hedge, not wishing to impose upon it for passage. She quickly searched around for the fancy counting device that her father had bought in the city. Finding it over next to her father's bedside she snatched it up. Grinning as she turned she let out a small gasp as she saw her mother in the doorway to her parents room. She grinned as she held up the abacus and her mother could only sigh. "Did he really forget it, again? It's the reaping time."
Rain Shine grinned as she shrugged, floating the abacus behind her as she walked past her mother. "Well, that's kind of why he needs it, isn't it? He can't keep numbers in his head."
Rain Shine got caught up by the tail in her mother's magic, causing her to look back. "I don't suppose it would be any use to ask that you come home after the work day?"
Rain Shine grinned and shook her head. "That depends, do you actually need my help with something?"
Her mother shook her head, sighing. "No, but you must stop spending so much time in the forest, away from the village. We have to find you a mate, you can't pretend like you aren't of age any longer Rain Shine. We must think of your future."
Rain Shine sighed and nodded, putting on her best long suffering face. "Yes mom... But really it's not that urgent! Or important, I can always just go live in the forest if you and dad kick me out!"
That elicited the most practiced long suffering face from her mother, far outpacing Rain Shine's own in its expertise. "You know that won't happen, but really Rain Shine, if something were to happen to us..."
Rain Shine relented and bowed her head slightly. "Yes mother, I will think on it. But we have a season of work, no time for courting this season!" She grinned and her mother considered.
"Yes, this season is busy. So, then the time for courting will be next season, will it not?" Rain Shine sighed but nodded, inclining her head to affirm her consent in a formal manner, dipping her horn below her mother's. Smiling her mother nodded. "Very well then, have a pleasant day, Rain Shine."
Rain Shine turned and raced out of the house. Making excellent time by weaving through an outcropping of trees and over a small patch of brambles that, begrudgingly, granted her passage she made record time, which was why she was sent. Though her family and friends couldn't explain how she managed to be only of average speed on a road, but the fastest through the fields or the forest they knew better than to not make use of her skills. Skidding to a halt next to a middle aged unicorn, her father, Rain Shine deposited the abacus on a nearby bundle of wheat. "And there you are. In record time I might add."
Her father hoisted the abacus with his own magic as he raised an eyebrow. "Record time?" He started to count the bundles of wheat on his abacus. Despite Rain Shine's earlier comment he was actually excellent at math, but one could only keep so many numbers in place in his head. He calculated not only the bundles of wheat, but their likely yield of grain in the harvest. One never knew quite how many bad stalks there were in a harvest until one harvested. Some that looked good ended up bad, and some that looked stunted still yielded usable grain.
"Well if mom hadn't waylaid me with talk of getting married it would have been!" Rain Shine grinned as she started towards the wheat field and the reaping to help but...
"And did you two come to an agreement?"
Rain Shine sighed, rolled her eyes. "Yes, father." She could almost hear the smirk behind her, from her use of the f word he knew she was being petulant. "Next season is the agreement." And after a pause, without her father asking a follow up or anything she bounded into to wheat field to help with the reaping.
When she was younger, and first discovered the full extent of her powers she feared that working in a farm would be horrible. It wasn't, plants were supremely practical things. They didn't fear or object to being harvested, despite it being their death. Even as they died they knew that there would be another planting. Another piece of them going on and growing in an eternal cycle. To be honest they didn't really think in the first place, but they had a sense of acceptance about them at the harvest time.
The days work went quick to Rain Shine. She didn't like to think about it too much because it made her feel dirty, but the reaping was always an... invigorating time. She shuddered a bit as she looked at the bundled wheat. She licked her lips as she felt more power inside of her than at the start of the day. It was like eating a hearty meal, but with her magic. She had just eaten an entire field of wheat, and needed to go deposit it.
Rain Shine arrived at the pool, deep inside of the forest. She leaned down, putting the tip of her horn in the water, and let out the massive flood of energy she had stored. It had taken a week for them to reap all their fields. They didn't all belong to her parents of course. The entire community of their little village came together to do all the threshing in one big event. Her parents actually had the fewest fields because they specialized in high quality wheat. Most others raised barley, oats and buckwheat. The other one that raised wheat raised an inferior but more hard wearing strain of wheat, and used an inferior but faster threshing method.
On top of that her father grew summer wheat. It grew faster and was harvested earlier, hence the name. Usually one would either grow another quick crop or let the field lay fallow after that. But that has never been a problem for her family. Rain Shine always uses a bit of her stored up power to coax another crop of wheat out, despite it not being the right season. She also made sure her town's fields never became exhausted, despite their not getting to properly lay fallow like they should have.
Rain Shine pulled back and let out a small gasp. Shaking her head she blinked rapidly to get rid of the stars moving over her vision. Sitting down hard she let out a sigh. She always felt so tired after dumping magic into the pool. But it was just in ratio from when she was just absolutely brimming over with extra magic. She always kept a bit more than she had before the reaping. It jet her slowly expand her own powers without any chance of simply knocking of a, metaphorical, bucket of magic and getting it everywhere, again, metaphorically. She'd done that once. It's how her father ended up with a brand new barn in less than an hour, that then burned down in the same time.
She laid down next to the pool, peering into it and letting her mind wander. Not in the sense that she was thinking about random things. In the sense that as she gazed into the pool her mind took flight. Her soul, whatever it was that caused on to be more than a plant, flew over the trees. It sped towards her village. A dozen homes in all. Twelve unicorn families that had long ago traveled to the north out of the unicorn city states in search of a simpler life. Settling next to the forest surrounding a small mountain range. They had started as eight families, gained one through migration and slowly three families grew large enough to split into their own. A small and close knit community.
She came down to soar through the small of the city. Having their homes relatively close together was slightly inconvenient for the layout of their fields, but more than made up for it with the community and security it offered. Bandits might look at a single farm house as a target. Twelve houses, not so much. Ten farming family's, a blacksmith and a forester. She sped past and circled every house as she flew faster than any pony could match even at full gallop. She had a purpose here, but first she shot up into the sky, simply enjoying the sensation of being free from her body.
Leveling out as she finally was done with her flying and returned to the reason she had come. Floating around their main square, at least, what they called the main squad. It was really just the open are their houses clustered vaguely around. She floated amongst the chatting ponies, considering them all. She could hear them, but she ignored it. Her intent wasn't eavesdropping, it was considering her village. She wasn't even considering what she had spoken to her mother in earlier. She was thinking about her people, they lived a working but pleasant life. They were beholden to no master. They sold their goods at a nearby city and paid for the privilege. That was fair and good. She, like usual, failed in her intent. But that was alright.
She stood up as her soul snapped back into her body. Well, she wasn't sure it was her soul but she always thought of it as that. She could travel long distances very quickly, but whenever she went back to her body, no matter how far away that was, she was back instantly. She gazed down at the pool, brimming with magical energies from innumerable wisps she'd gathered from dying plants during the reaping. Even as a fully she'd gathered the pieces together, without even knowing how. After every reaping she set out to view her village, and sometimes beyond. But every time she came back, unable to think of what to do with this resource she hid deep in the forest. The sprinkling she sent over the fields to refresh them took so little of its power. It had another small use, and it was a good use, she just wished it had more use, it's current use wouldn't drain even the pools current magic in a thousand years.
Thinking of said use she looked up to see her visitors. Smiling she gave a small bow to the floating lights that trailed out of the tree line. "A fresh delivery for your dining pleasure." Most of the lights simply floated to the pool, alighting on its surface for a short time before floating back into the forest. A few, however, floated over to Rain Shine. "Hello there, how had the forest been this week?"
Though the forest spirits didn't talk they did let off a small pulse of energy. One that Rain Shine could somehow interpret. Causing her to smile gently. "Oh, you scared off a unicorn from the forest? It wasn't one of mine, was it?" A few more energy bursts , and Rain Shine shook her head. "One in armor. Probably a city guard. Was he chasing anyone?" More energy. "Guess he was just curious." The forest spirit expressed its concern. "Don't worry about it. You didn't hurt him. And even by his own laws the city has no claim on this forest. It's too far away from their territory."
To Rain Shine's surprise she'd found the forest was very concerned with pony legality. They didn't make their own laws, besides one. Otherwise they simply adapted to the ones around them, as was their nature she supposed. Their law was simple. Don't take more than had been generated last year. Don't cut down more trees than saplings had survived the year before and don't hunt more than newborns survived the year before. The entire pint the forest has was to survive and grow. It wasn't too concerned about losing parts of itself to pony axes or arrows.
Rain Shine turned to one of the forest spirits and smiled. "How goes the trees?" She nodded as it answered. "Oh, excellent." She grimaced. "I always hate having to try and convince the foresters to make due with already dead wood for their needs." She looked to another spirit. "And the deer?" She nodded, grinning. "Excellent!"
Rain Shine continues to hold a small court between herself and the forest spirits. It wasn't really anything formal. She was a well respected member of the community who allowed the village to use all its land to its maximum potential. If she leaned on someone they would usually capitulate. And that way both her village and the forest that they depended on prospered.
While there were only one family that were officially foresters, the entire village used the forest. Berries, nuts, fruits, the lesser unintelligent animals, firewood and everything. Without it their little village couldn't prosper as it did, and might not have survived at all. But from all the reports she was getting, the forest was in excellent health.
Rain Shine rolled her eyes as she got a long stream of energy relatively shouted at her. While they were always the minority they tended to be the loudest. Ill pleased spirits cane to complain about the chopping of trees, the stealing of nuts, and the hunting of animals. Rain Shine calmly listened, or rather, understood their complaints, since the spirits didn't actually speak. She calmly pointed out how hypocritical the spirits always were since they never complained about squirrels taking nuts, wolves eating animals, or termites eating trees. The angry spirits always grumbled but took their fill from the pool anyway. They disliked the ponies, but not enough to pass up free magic.
Rain Shine looked about as she waited a few more minutes, but no one else wanted to speak to her. Or maybe, nothing else perhaps. It was very unclear if the spirits were actually people or not. But either way, their meeting was over, so she got up and left the spirits to their feast, turning to go home.
Rain Shine hummed happily as she and her father neared the city. It had been a good harvest this year. They had enough to fill all their standing orders from their regular customers and about that much again to sell on the open market. It would take them a few days to do so but that was usual at market time, unless it'd been a bad year where they could only cover their existing customers, if that.
As they got to the gate however one of the guards stepped forward. Some of the guards gave them a hard time but they never caused real problems. Turning away a respected seller that paid taxes was not popular with the higher ups. This was one of the nice ones though. He didn't look happy though. "Friend, send your daughter back to your village. That she may go unnoticed. The Mage Lords have returned and claimed this land."
Rain Shine frowned, she vaguely remembered that name from somewhere, but didn't have much time to think on it as her father whirled on her. "Run back to the village!" He motioned back down the road with his hoof. "Take all the children, and the younger adults. Hide them in your forest."
Surprised, Rain Shine could only gape for a few moments before recovering. "But da..."
The furious stamping of her father interrupted her as she protested. "No argument today! I lost my sister to them, I will not lose more."
Rain Shine's eyes widened. And then the old story her grandmother told her of the Mage Lords returned to her. She knew that her aunt, as a foal, had been taken She had not remembered very well. But now she knew all too well the threat to her village. She nodded and turned, making break neck speed back to her village. Galloping as fast as she could before she went off trail, short cutting her way through the forest. She had to believe that the soldiers or whoever was coming would stall in the city at least for the morning. And even if not, she could cut through the forest like no one else could. She'd make it back to the village in time.
Though out of breath Rain Shine reported the events, and the flurry of activity was intense. They gathered up everyone under middle age, anyone who could be useful to the Mage Lords to take. And within an hour of her return they had all been sent off to hide in the forest. Rain Shine herself was leading the pack. She was by no means the eldest, but the entire village, even the foresters recognized that Rain Shine was the authority on the forest. She led the group to a small clearing with a nice spring in it so the ponies could at least drink. And if they got hungry there were enough berries nearby to sate it for the next day or so.
Rain Shine huffed ready to simply lay down and take a rest until this all resolved itself. If there wasn't anything of value for the Mage Lords to take they'd leave. It was that simple, or so she hoped. But at this point there wasn't a lot she could do. She could go to her pool and spy but right now she needed to make sure that everyone was settled and wouldn't try to follow her further in. She looked up and saw everyone staring at her now, waiting for something. She hesitated before speaking. "Yes...?"
With that, the flood gates were unleashed. "Rain Shine! What do we do?" "How long do we have to be out here?" "I'm cold..." "Will mommy be ok?" "What if they're still there when we go back!?" "Are they going to take our stuff!?" "What're we going to do!?"
Rain Shine blinked as she was bombarded with questions. Apparently everyone thought that since she was in charge of the forest, she was in charge of the group. She didn't know the answer to any of the questions! She shook her head and raised her hooves. "Hold on! I can't... I don't know!" Half the group stared at her in horror, mostly the younger ponies. The older ones just looked sad. She shook her head as she realized that like it or not she was in charge. She had to do something, at least something to reassure everyone. "Ok. I'm going to go... See what's going on. Everyone stay here!"
After making significant eye contact with any of the trouble makers Rain Shine turned and made her way through the forest. She double checked behind her to ensure that she wasn't being followed. After she was positive she made her way to her pool, brimming with magic and with a few hungry forest spirits meandering about. She didn't pay them any mind, despite their inherent surprise that she was there at such an odd time. Sitting next to her magical pool she stared down into it, casting herself to her village.
Not wasting any time she didn't enjoy her free flight. She flew immediately and straight to her town. Finding a number of heavily armed earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. They were obviously the guards of the smaller number of finely dressed unicorns arguing with her parents. She floated down to listen, the foreign unicorn.
"I have already told you, the old ways are no more!" He motioned to his pegasi and earth pony guards. "As you can see we are unifying the tribes!" He sighed, shaking his head. "As you are now in land that is ours, you must pay taxes, to contribute to the protection of your lands."
Her father bristled a bit, but didn't raise his voice. "Yes, sir," the way he said sir made it almost an insult, "and as I said that's all well and good. We will pay you the taxes you wish. I assume that a week will be soon enough for us to gather our resources?"
The Mage Lord growled, raising his voice in anger. "It would be, if you weren't trying to hide the future of our nation, and keep it to yourself!" Her paused a moment and sighed, forcing himself to calm down. "Like I said, I understand your reticence here. But your children will be safe, and will be able to return to visit. But you are blocking them from far greater things!" The Mage Lords attempt at reason and calm failed as he saw the unshakeable denial in the other's face. "There are only three we are interested in from what we've heard, likely only one will be deemed powerful enough to conscript, and you and yours will be well compensated! That would be the taxes from this village for at least ten years! And if the others choose to enlist as well that will probably be another ten years! WE ARE HELPING YOU!"
Rain Shine's father took the outburst stoically and shook his head. "Nay. We'll pay your taxes, we'll pay double. But we won't give you our children. You can kill us, but you'll never find them." As the Mage Lord looked around he saw the other villagers nodding in agreement. They remembered the old times too well to trust this new lord of the land.
The Mage Lord sighed, slumping his shoulder and shaking his head. "We won't kill you, that would only embitter the ones we seek." A few of the villagers started to look hopeful before the unicorn waved his hoof to the villagers houses. "Go, get your valuables."
After surprise crossed his face then Rain Shine's father scowled. "Very well, rob us..."
The lord shook his head. "Oh, we're not robbing you, you're going to want those valuable items. Because we're burning down your village."
"WHAT!?" The astonishment was plain on all the villagers faces.
"That should tell you how much we value the magical talent that we've heard lives in this village. Now, do you want to go get them instead?" The stony silence of the villagers was the Mage Lord's only answer and he sighed. "Very well. When they are hungry and cold they will come to the city, then we will retrieve them. Go get your things, you have one hour." The leader who had been talking to Rain Shine's father returned to his council of nine others.
Rain Shine snapped her soul back into herself as she stood up. They had a short period of time, but it wasn't much, she could get back to the village in time, but the other couldn't, and she couldn't fight off thirty some guards and whatever the "Mage Lords" could do. Even with the others they were only twenty strong, and none were trained warriors. Rain Shine leaped over a stump she didn't even see as she weaved her way through hidden ways back to the group to deliver the terrible news.
The revelation hit Rain Shine like a thunderbolt, and she nearly tripped over a tree root as she skidded to a halt. The Mage Lords were after her! She shook her head as she looked in three different directions, her three paths, all leading onwards away from the pool. She could easily survive in the forest all alone, ignoring the outside world. She could go return to the others and then she and the village would have to weather whatever future came to them. Or, she could return to the village, give herself up and hopefully that would satisfy the Mage Lords. She obviously wouldn't go with the first path, but he others were both possible for her.
Rain Shine looked towards the clearing where she'd left the others. She didn't want the village to burn, obviously. But neither was she so blithe as to disregard the sacrifice her elders were willing to make to protect them. She could return to the others, and respect that her parents and the others were willing to die to protect them from these strangers. She knew that would be their wishes. But Rain Shine had to make up her own mind, her people lived out here specifically for their own freedom, for the ability to make up their own mind on all things.
Thinking of that Rain Shine looked towards the village. She could save everyone. And apparently let them get ten years off form the taxes. That would be an amazing windfall for her village. Though her being gone might damage the crops a bit the village would survive, others did without her intervention. She took a deep breath and nodded. She had to do this. It wasn't something she wanted to do, but from the moment she realized she was the target she wasn't going to take any other path. She smiled sadly as she turned towards the village and started to gallop towards it. She couldn't just let others suffer when she could help, no matter if it was just or not.
Rain Shine ducked and dodged through the vegetation in a way no other creature could have. She could easily make it within the hour and at least tart negotiations. While the Mage Lord was a right bastard, he also seemed to be reasonable. He would be amenable to a deal that got him what he wanted and kept the village safe. She realized she'd have to work some kind of deal to protect the forest too since she wasn't going to be here anymore. She grimaced as that would likely cost her a fair bit more than the sparing of the village. Villages were useful they provided food. Forests were only useful when they could be exploited. She was going to have to sign away a fair bit of her life to serving in this army to protect he forest, but she'd do what she had to to protect everyone.
For the second time in as many minutes Rain Shine skidded to a halt, as she thought of something.
Rain Shine blinked as she realized a fourth path. She looked back, not at the group of other ponies though, at the pool of power. She had stored up this power after so many reapings. All the slivers of power she'd collected from the dying plants. She didn't need to bargain with the pool she could use the pool!
Turning Rain Shine made all haste back to the pool. Leaping into it she concentrated in absorbing the energies resting inside of it. It took only a short time before she stopped. She didn't do it purposely she simply couldn't take more from the pool. She was full. She was a multitude stronger, but not ten times stronger. She sighed, there was only so much power she could hold... It had been a good idea. She turned her head to look in the direction of the group, then shook her head. Most were foals, not ready for any kind of fighting.
Right as Rain Shine was getting ready to return the energy and go to negotiate, she noticed one of the forest spirits floating into the clearing to absorb some magic and her eyes widened. The forest spirits absorbed a lot more magic than they normally held, far more in ratio than she could! Rain Shine raises her head, pushing her horn into the air and closing her eyes as she started to expel magic. Doing something she'd never done before, not even knowing if it would work she called to the spirits of the forest to come to her.
They came, oh how they came. Not by pairs, not by dozens, but by hundreds, by thousands. The tiny blinking lights filled the clearing, crowding each other all around the pool. Rain Shine continued to call until she had emptied her current magical power and she opened her eyes. Taking a momentary step back, she had not expected such a response. She had hoped for a good number of them, but this was more than she had even known existed. Both the happy and the angry spirits had come to her call.
She took a deep breath and spoke to them. "New rulers come to our lands. They will not respect the forests' law. They will only care about what they can get from the forest. They come to threaten my people and your forest. If nothing else they will take me from here. I can no longer tell others if the proper rates of harvesting." She paused a moment to let the spirits process the information. "Can you help me? If I can harvest enough of the magic from the pool I might be able to fight them off!"
There was absolute silence for a few moments before one spirit started to pulse gently. Though to Rain Shine's surprise it wasn't trying to communicate with her. But then another started to pulse, and another, until they were all pulsing in rhythm. Now they all spoke, the will of the spirits to communicate surrounding Rain Shine. Staggering as she was hit with the massive surge of energy Rain Shine just barely managed to remain standing. Feeling like a physical force was pressing down on her.
"I... I will pay whatever price you speak of. I love this forest! I wouldn't wish to leave it anyway!" Another bombardment if will and she nodded again. "Anything! Even if..." she hesitated for a moment then shook her head, determined. "Even if it cost me my life! If I can protect my people I will do it!"
With that, it was done, the spirits were satisfied. They floated towards Rain Shine who eyed them nervously. She had been telling the truth, she was willing. Though this was still more than slightly disturbing. One of the spirits alighted on her flank, and she sighed in relief as she could only feel a slight warmth as it touched. But then another touched her, and another. They enveloped her and she felt the warmth start to burn.
Rain Shine screamed as she felt the spirits start to... Starting to burrow Into her. Not her body, the spirits weren't physical, they were spirits. They were digging into her very soul like they were ticks, planning to be parasites on her. She considered trying to fight them but she couldn't. She had no backup plan now. Live or die she'd have to see this one through. It was her last gambit.
Rain Shine tried to take deep breathes to manage the pain it didn't make any difference. The pain wasn't in her body, it was in her very soul. Though there was a small glimmer of hope in her mind as she couldn't escape the pain she was intimately aware of its presence, and when it diminished, even slightly. After an indeterminate amount of time, she didn't know if it was minutes or less than a second, but the spirits that dig into her slowly acclimated to her soul, and became a part of it. But then another spirit would come and take up residence, starting the process all over again.
So focused on her metaphysical pain, her soul being invaded Rain Shine didn't even notice the physical pain at first. She registered a cracking sound but didn't register it's source. That is until she felt her horn cracking, malforming. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it. Her eyes were screwed shut as she continued to scream, unsure of when she had started screaming. Feeling not only her horn, but her body being changed. Feeling like she was being pulled, pulled up as her legs shifted and changed. Her hooves feeling like someone took a scythe down their centers. Not only was she pulled up, but she was also pulled out. Feeling her body getting extended, she was becoming larger all around. She was sweating so much from the exertion her fur on her back felt as though it was becoming matted.
So painful and intense was it that Rain Shine wasn't able to tell stood there, getting tortured. Then the very concept of time itself slipped away from her as she began to tremble where she stood. It had gone on for so long she didn't even know what it meant to not be in pain. Something whispered to her to give up. Let go, and the pain would stop. But she would not, she gritted her teeth. If she was going to die she was going to die, but it wouldn't be because she gave up!
Rain Shines trembling had progressed to outright shaking. As she grew more spirits flooded onto and into her, faster and faster. She couldn't count them any more. She just knew that the fire in her was growing brighter and brighter. She feared that it would somehow consume her mind and leave her a husk. It felt as if the spirits were forming some kind of horrible shell of their power around her spirit, and was crushing her with it. Like she was being forced into some shape she wasn't meant to be, and that if she didn't fight to resist it, it would crush her. But, for as long as she could, she would endure it!
Moment to moment it was all pain. It was all fire in her world. All agony all over her body. All crushing down on her spirit. Straining on her mind, pushing her towards the precipice of madness. The next moment it was over. All the pain, gone. The fire, doused. The agony, fled. The crushing, released. The straining, relieved. Instantaneous relief flooded through Rain Shine's body, soul, and mind. All the pain gone like a bad dream. Any doubts she'd had became, in an instant, ridiculous. The labors of the trial over, and now all was bright light to her.
Rain Shine hadn't even opened her eyes yet and she could already feel the difference. She had a vast emptiness inside her that she could feel trickling full. But with a grin she started to pull magic up from the pool, able to feel the new, vast dry sea inside of her starting to fill. As she did so she didn't even need to open her eyes to feel the forest around her. She had always had the ability in a small way, to feel the forest around her as she traveled. But now she could feel more of it, all of it. She could feel every plant and tree as it grew, as it soaked in the sunlight, sucked in water and nutrients, spread their roots. She could, to a lesser extent feel the creatures of the forest as well, sheltering in the flora of the forest. No, not the forest, her forest.
Rain Shine opened her eyes as she had exhausted almost the entire pool so quickly. She was impressed by her new body's ability to absorb and store the magical energies. She took a moment to examine this new body of hers. She was a unicorn no longer, now she was something else. She was certainly taller, and larger in general, but that was the least of her differences. She'd heard of some unicorns of such stature, or at least closer to it. She now had cloven hooves, a few patches of fur hair that stuck out on her legs. Her tail was not a part of her body with only some bushel of hair at the end of it. She had scales down her back all the way up her neck even to her nose. And her horn, she had felt like it was breaking, but it wasn't broken, it had grown into an antler.
Rain Shine ran out of the magic she'd stored in the pool, frowning slightly as she looked down at it. She was still not quite full... She surged out and sought to take from the pool its small supply of magic inherent in all things. Her eyes flaring as the very nature of the water strained against her, unwilling to give up something it felt it should have, as much as water could feel something. Rain Shine frowned, but understood the water in a way she never thought possible, as it was a part of nature and now, more than ever, so was she. She nodded and her antler flashed, opening up the bubbling well that naturally filled the pool, letting the break free from its bounds and spill fourth in a stream. In exchange for its freedom the water freely gave Rain Shine its magic to fill up her last reserves. She stepped out of the remains of the pool, now turning into a stream. She marked the oddity that now the steam, forging a new path for itself, did so in complete silence.
Turning towards the path to her village, Rain Shien Smiled. She began to run, making time she would have never thought possible. Her new size more than doubled her stride, and beyond that she knew every single hidden path in the forest, like she had never before. As she ran she could use her power to outright move plants, and even trees out of her way. Such power beyond her wildest imaginations before, but now, she could feel she only dipped into her strength. With such skills and speed she reached the edge of her new territory in mere moments. The forest was hers, she was no longer a creature of the plains and fields. She would lay no claim to the village of her birth, the Mage Lords could have it. But she would reclaim her people. She was the first of this brand new species, but she would not be the last. Any that would follow her into the forest, live in her protection would make the same journey into a new form. Though, she'd make sure to be gentler than the spirits had been with her.
All of that was for the future, she had a ponies to rescue. She looked up at her village, then growled, she saw smoke.
Rain Shine watched the Mage Lord's leader recoil in horror as she, now a creature of black fire threw his last conscious guard against his barrier. He now only had two other unicorns still conscious with him. She had come into the village like a demon of fury after noticing the smoke from the village. She had been too late to save the village from the flame, and so she would avenge it. She smiled, revealing her massive fangs, perfect for tearing other ponies to shreds. Though Rain Shine hadn't any intention of doing so she had a vague notion of how this new form she'd discovered looked, and playing up how terrifying she was had definetky had a psychological value in the fight. But any chance for the Mage Lord and their guards to win, if there ever had been was long gone.
As Rain Shine considered if she should break the shield or perhaps simply ignore the remaining Mage Lords as an insult the decisions was taken out of her hands. Their leader said something, and after a moments hesitation from the other two the shield fell, catching Rain Shine completely off guards. He knelt down, bowing lowly to her, again baffling her. "Oh, great creature. We recognize your power is far beyond ours. If we have intruded onto your lands we apologize, and would seek to recompense you for the injury to your land and your people."
Rain Shine looked down at the Mage Lord, considering how easy it would be for her to simply kill him for this supposed 'recompense' he offered. A moment later she, mentally, shook her head. With a force of will she made the fire recede from her form, returning to her original new form. She would have to be careful with that other form. It's thoughts and nature were very hostile. She looked down at the Mage Lord. "This land is not mine, I have no care for it." She raised her hoof at the very concerned looking villagers. "They are mine. You will return them to me."
"Of course, great one." The Mage Lord motioned to the one remaining guard that had been left with the villagers who cautiously approached. He couldn't really compel the villagers to came as he was alone, and even arms there were thirty villagers. But they came none the less, they weren't sure what was going on, but the creature seemed to have their best interests in mind.
Rain Shine motioned to them. "Come, come, we will return to the forest, you can reunite with your children there."
Rain Shine couldn't help but smirk as her father stepped forward. "Are they safe?"
Nodding, Rain Shine agreed. "Yes, they are safe. Your daughter is the safest of them all, I should guess."
After a long moment of staring he had to confirm. "Rain... Shine...?"
She nodded. "I am not as I was, but yes. We will have much to discuss, after I deal with them." She turned her eyes back to the Mage Lord. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her father open his mouth again but was pushed onwards by her mother, knowing that this was very much not the time or the place. "I do not care what you do with the land here. But know, that if I hear of mistreatment in the city, I will return." She had no direct interest in the city, but over all its people had always been kind to her village, minus a few unpleasant people.
The Mage Lord nodded, having stood up in the intervening time. "Of course, they will know only prosperity under our rule. If I may, where are your lands, great one? We would endeavor to avoid any possible conflicts in the future."
Rain Shine turned and pointed to the forest. "That is my land. The forest and the mountains it surrounds are mine, and mine alone. The people from the city are still welcome to visit. For the rest of you, there is only peril within my forest."
The Mage Lord nodded, bowing his head. "Your warning of peril will be noted, and recorded for all our people to know."
Rain Shine glanced at the crowd behind her, then at the Mage Lord with one last demand. "You will find all who were taken from this village in the past. And you will give them the option to return."
The Mage Lord nodded again, bowing again in recognition. "We will endeavor to find those who came from here. Strict records were kept, however due to... Events, many may have perished."
Rain Shine nodded, but did not comment. She turned, done with the Mage Lords and their grab for power. "You are fortunate that you showed restraint when it came to my people. We would not be having this conversation otherwise." And with that Rain Shine led her village to the forest. The Mage Lord started to gather up his own, though waking everyone up would take a while. Rain Shine hadn't killed anyone, but quite a few of them were injured and would need time to recover.
The questions waited until Rain Shine reunited everyone with their children. It was happy, but there was the underlying concern about the future. Rain Shine waited near the edge of the clearing, her parents bombarding her with questions as the others looked after their children. But after the long conversations the clearing slowly fell into silence, with everyone starting at Rain Shine.
She smiled as she stood up and walked to the center of the clearing, letting herself be in full view of everyone. There would be much that would need to be done, and this would take time to work out and for all to decide. But it was time to take the next part of the path she had chosen to travel. "Welcome to our new home."
