Dark Forest: A Friendshp is Magic Fanfictionby ArCana_ChaptersChapter One: The Mysterious VisitorChapter Two: Tales of WoeChapter Three: Pleasant CompanyChapter Four: An Enemy LurkingChapter Five: RemembranceChapter One: The Mysterious VisitorA cloaked figure raced blindly through the darkness of the Everfree Forest. Her breathing labored as she began to lose strength. Another figure followed swiftly at her heels and maintained a steady tireless pace unlike her own. How long could she go on? The sensation to black out was becoming stronger by the second and eventually, she gave into it. Her hooves gave out from underneath as she collapsed into an untidy heap right on the forested pathway. But, luckily for her, she was somehow still conscious. She weakly wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to regain herself, but she was having some great difficulty in the action. The shadowy figure that had been accompanying her, crept closer into a lone ray of moonlight and into full view. The creature was a Timberwolf of exceptional size, but despite its seeming ferocity at a first glance, a second glance would take notice of it's gentle and intelligent eyes. Taking action to assist her, It carefully acted as a support for the girl to rise to her legs. "Thank you, Nightshade. I'm alright now," she said softly. Nightshade gave a small grunt of satisfaction. The girl was grateful to be back on her hooves, but the darkness would surely swallow her whole if she lingered much longer. She desperately scanned wildly through the dense flora and hoped to find some small glimmer of civilization. To her utter relief, she did manage to spot an extremely small speck of apparent lamp-light in the distance. Just a bit farther! I must seek help! With every last ounce of strength that she could muster within, the girl followed the light. She could almost taste her freedom as it came closer and closer. It's getting so close, that I can almost touch it. With one last good thrust of speed, she kicked her legs into full gear and shot out of the forest's mouth. She was finally free of that dreadful place, and she glanced around to find herself now residing on a pleasant little meadow. Her contained joy, while not outwardly obvious, was apparent through her shining golden eyes. But there was no time to rest just yet. She focused her attention back to the task at hand and confirmed that the light source she had followed was coming from what looked to be a rather tall tree-house scattered with many whimsical little windows, all of them oozing that same comforting light that had guided her to this place. "Rumble." She started at the sudden growl of thunder in the distance, which promptly summoned the expected lightning bolt overhead, followed thus by an intense downpour of rain to bring up the rear. The girl cursed under her breath and bolted for the tree-house. In her haste to escape the rain, she tossed her manners aside for the moment and crudely rapped at the door. A very confused and albeit, slightly disturbed lavender-colored unicorn answered it. She eyed the tired and bedraggled stranger with an odd dual sensation of discomfort and pity. However, she kept to her usual manner of greeting visitors. "May... I help you?" The girl attempted to open her mouth to respond, but her vision suddenly went black. She awoke to the familiar voice of the unicorn talking in a hushed tone to someone else, whose voice she didn't recognize. "There's nothing to worry about Spike, now go back to sleep." Who is Spike? She didn't ponder too long on that thought, however. Her tiredness was currently more important than her curiosity right now, and she was grateful to be on such a warm and comfortable bed. She closed her eyes and listened around herself for a moment. She could hear the unicorn trotting close to her bedside at first; she supposed that this was just to check in on her. Then her hoof-steps got farther away, going all the way down the stairs until everything was quiet again. Satisfied, she relaxed and fell into a deep sleep once more. The rain had finally stopped, and the sun was out shining the very next day. Its rays of warmth cascaded through the window panes of the tree-house and came to rest upon the girl's placid, concealed face. Her eyes slowly opened and she let out a soft yawn. She sat upright in her bed and scanned the area for a minute. Shelves of books upon books surrounded the entire room. This must be a library. Best place to pass out- EVER! She found it rather difficult to contain her excitement. She was grinning from ear to ear, and her eyes were glittering with hunger for those pages; and the knowledge that lied inside of them. Eventually, she just couldn't resist herself any longer. She hopped out of bed and quickly tip toed on over to the vast selection that covered each and every shelf. She hungrily eyed the various titles that were stamped onto the spines and she picked out the ones that seemed like they would be the most interesting. She selected about five to start with, and gingerly carried them back to her bed. Once she got herself situated inside the covers, she decided to start with a book whose title read: "Spells and Potion Making for Experts." It was a massive book, and she took in every page at a brisk pace. By mid-morning she was already halfway through, when the unicorn returned to check in on her again. She was so invested in her reading, that she didn't even hear nor notice her presence in the room. "I'm glad you're feeling well," she said cheerfully. The girl jumped and almost dropped the book onto the floor. She fumbled around with it in her hooves for a bit until she regained her grip on it. The unicorn laughed at her antics. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." "It's quite alright," the visitor responded politely. The unicorn nodded her head and eyed her warmly. "May I ask your name?" she inquired. The girl removed the hood of her cloak, and long strands of dark green hair cascaded down over her eyes. "Xenoelos," she uttered. The unicorn seemed taken aback. "Oh, I thought you were a pony!" was all she could say. Xenoelos shook her head. "Definitely not a pony," she said flatly, twitching her small black nose and fixing her long, dark-green mane back into a ponytail. "I'm a ram." She raised up a cloven hoof and brushed it across one of her large, elegantly curved horns. They were both black like obsidian, as were her hooves. "See these? Definitely not a pony," she repeated. Even with that verification, the unicorn still seemed surprised by it all. "Well, you're the first ram I have ever seen," she finally spoke. Xenoelos cast a mysterious look. "We prefer peace and quiet, so we keep ourselves a secret." "Then what in Equestria are you doing here in Ponyville?!" Ponyville? Then, she remembered her mission. "I came here seeking help," she said. Her tone was serious. "What's the matter?" the unicorn asked. Though she already had a feeling that it wasn't just a simple problem. The gray ram cast her golden eyes to the wooden floor boards as she began to tell of her plight. "My homeland has become shrouded in darkness. And while I was escaping with Nightshade, I was being chased by foreboding black clouds, looming overhead." "I believe that those black clouds are causing the problem," the unicorn deduced. "But, the question is, who conjured them up?" Xenoelos nodded her head in agreement. "Yes. They're definitely not natural," she said. "And I remember sensing a very powerful magical aura in the area as I fled." The unicorn's ears perked up with interest. "Wait, are you saying that you can sense and use magic?" The ram just sat there idle, and looked rather unimpressed at her astute discovery. "Almost everyone in my village uses magic," she said, as matter of fact. "We are also the only known race to have ever completely tamed a Timberwolf." Thoughts of Nightshade suddenly flashed through her mind. She hadn't seen him since last night, and she was beginning to get worried. "Where is Nightshade?" she questioned the unicorn wildly. The lavender pony just stood frozen for a moment. She was a little startled by her visitor's sudden outburst. "Nightshade? Who in the hoof is Nightshade?!" she eventually managed to ask the seething ram. "My Timberwolf!" she snapped. "He's outside, I think." Xenoelos got up and walked over to the small red circular window by the bed. To her utter relief, she saw Nightshade down below, whining a small greeting and gently swishing his thick pine needle tail in contentment. She smiled down at him and then proceeded to close the window. She suddenly felt so ashamed of herself for how she had spoken to her host a few moments ago, and profusely apologized for her completely unacceptable behavior. She feared that her host was angry with her, but to her surprise, the unicorn didn't seem angry with her at all. In fact, she was smiling at her again. "Twilight Sparkle," she said warmly. "Huh?" "My name is Twilight Sparkle," her host repeated. "Oh. Well, it suits you." was all Xenoelos could say. And the two of them politely exchanged hoofs. All was forgiven. Twilight had errands to do and left the library for most of the day, leaving the whole place under Xenoelos' care. She was very grateful for some time alone, and used it to finish up on her reading. But it was hard to read knowing in the back of your mind that your entire homeland was being engulfed in darkness. As she was just about to finish up the final book, her eyes suddenly became very heavy and she unexpectedly fell asleep. Xenoelos was awakened from her nap by a din. Voices of many accents shook the entirety of the library. From within the vast sea of voices, the only one she could seem to make out was Twilight's. She sat up straight and stacked the books that lay askew on the covers into a neat an orderly pile. Then she waited for the inevitable. Sure enough moments later, a gaggle of colorful ponies burst into the room and gathered around her bed like a zoo exhibit, and began to assault her with many, many questions. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I just love making new friends! What's your name?" the pink pony screeched excitedly. Xenoelos wasn't so sure that she was going to like her too much. "Pinkie Pie, please," the white unicorn chided. She blinked her lashes elegantly at Xenoelos. "Don't mind her darling, she just gets so excited about everything." "Are you supposed to be like a goat or something?" the rainbow-maned one poked at her horns curiously, like a foal poking at a rock with a hoof. "I'm a ram, actually," Xenoelos replied defensively. "Never seen one round these here parts, where ya' from?" the orange pony asked. Xenoelos was getting sick of all these questions by this point, so she simply said, "Far away from here." "Not much of an answer," the orange pony muttered. Another pony slowly walked over to the bed, her face was half hidden by a shroud of long light-pink hair. "Um, I'm Fluttershy. I'm sorry if we are making you feel uncomfortable." She spoke so softly that Xenoelos almost didn't quite hear what she had just said. "It's fine, honestly," she replied, politely. She liked this pony's calm demeanor in opposition to the others hyperactivity. Xenoelos didn't care much for animated folks, but that was just personal preference. She didn't hate these ponies though. On the contrary, they all seemed friendly enough. As the ponies continued to gab, Twilight's imperative voice suddenly rang throughout the room, getting all of their attentions. Xenoelos looked relieved. My Savior! "Do you know why I asked you all to come?" she asked her friends. Who in response, just stood silent and shook their heads. Twilight walked over to Xenoelos' bedside. "The reason is because she is in need of our help." She gestured a hoof to the gray ram. "Her name is Xenoelos, and something terrible has happened to her home." She looked at the ram enthusiastically. "Xenoelos, before we begin, let me introduce you to my friends." She went down the line, pointing her hoof at each one of them as they made their own introductions. "You've already met me, silly!" the pink pony said. "I'm Pinkie Pie!" The pale yellow pegasus was next. "I'm Fluttershy. But um, you already knew that," she whispered. Now the next one. "The name's Rainbow Dash!" the blue peagasus said proudly. She puffed out her chest, making an epic pose. Twilight pointed to the pony next to her. "Rarity. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the white unicorn. And finally, Twilight pointed to the orange earth pony. "Howdy, ah'm Applejack," she said. Her tone was incredibly good-natured. Xenoelos eyed them all warmly and dipped her head. "It's nice to meet all of you," she said. Twilight nodded in approval, then spoke again. "Now that everypony has been introduced, I suppose you would all like to know what's been going on now?" Pinkie Pie bounced in place and raised her hoof. "Oh, oh, is it story-time?" She glanced to Xenoelos. "Are you gonna tell us a story?" she asked the confused ram eagerly. "I uh..." She didn't really know what to say, and soon the others joined in. "Yeah, I wanna know what happened," Rainbow Dash said. "Me too, um, if you don't mind that is?" Fluttershy inquired politely. Xenoelos had no choice now. "Very well," she said. "I will tell you everything." To be continued... Chapter Two: Tales of WoeMy people and I live very far away from here. It's a secret place, safe from prying eyes. It is there, nestled deep within the heart of a lush forest, where my village, Timberhaven resides. It has been kept safe from harm for thousands of years by our guardian. A massive Oak tree that my people have named, the Mother Tree. Under the watchful gaze of our benefactor, Timberhaven was a peaceful place. The flora and Fauna thrived, so food was always plentiful. Monsters dislike healthy forests, so evil would dare not lay it's choking grasp there. That is, however; until that day. The day that the darkness suddenly appeared. I was the first one to notice its beginnings. I was currently practicing a spell that would turn mud into water, when something strange caught the corner of my eye. Nightshade could sense something was wrong as well. He growled menacingly as I looked up at the sky with intent eyes. I spied a small expanse of dark, inky blackness creeping my way. At first I thought it to be nothing more than an approaching storm, but as the shroud became bigger and bigger, I became alarmed. I had to tell someone what was happening. The first person that had crossed my mind was Elder Mooneyes, the village leader. Not only was she incredibly wise, but she was like my grandmother. I knew that she would listen to me. I rushed over to her hut as quickly as I could and raced inside. I was too frantic to request permission to enter, and of course, she chided me for it. "Xenoelos, how many times must I tell you to speak before making an entrance?" she questioned me. Despite being blind, she knew that it was me who had entered the room before I had even spoken a word to her. "I'm sorry Elder, but this is terribly urgent!" I said quickly. The old white ram slowly rose to her legs, and turned to face me with her glazed blue eyes. "What is so terribly urgent, that you must find it in yourself to forget your manners?" she inquired good-naturedly. "I was practicing my spellcasting, when I noticed what looked to be black clouds, gathering in the distance," I said. "Storm clouds?" she asked. I shook my head. "That's what I thought at first, until they started growing abnormally bigger. And now, they're headed right this way. We have to do something!" Elder Mooneyes rubbed her chin with a hoof. "I Believe that this requires immediate attention." She was so calm despite all the bad news. I really admired that in her. "These clouds could be evil things. I shall assemble our finest mages immediately," she said. "I want to help," I offered. But Elder Mooneyes shook her head. "No. You're still an apprentice, and I don't want you to hurt yourself. Leave this to the mages." Her tone was stern, and I didn't want to argue with her. But I was still feeling really disappointed. I exited her hut and spotted Nightshade laying amongst some brambles. "Come on boy," I called. "Let's go find the mages." As I suspected, the mages had already begun to gather near the village border where I had first seen the darkness. They were all dressed in their finest red satin robes laced with gold, and standing in a perfect row formation. I still wished that I could help them. I practiced magic every single day almost. I mean, I wasn't the greatest or anything, but I wasn't terrible either. At least, that's what I thought anyway. I looked on intently as the mages began to gather magic energy in their fore-hooves, and fire it in perfect unison at the looming threat above. At first, the blackness seemed to disperse; and everything seemed to be going according to plan. But oh, was I foolish. The darkness suddenly reformed and began to increase in size at an exponential rate, as if it had relished the spell that had just been cast on it. The mages had stunned expressions on their faces, and they turned to flee. The cowards! Nightshade and I flagged them down, and I was fuming. "How dare you run from battle!" I spat. "Your job is to protect the forest from danger! The Elder gave you her direct orders!" The mages could only shrug. One of them, who I knew as Oden said, "Our magic isn't strong enough to stop them." He gestured his hoof to the other six mages. "And we all value our lives." "Many years of safety provided by the Mother Tree has made you soft! I scoffed." Despite what the Elder had said to me earlier, I decided to try and face the danger by myself. It was pretty obvious that the mages were of no help. Are race was a proud and courageous species that fought to the death to defend our own; they had insulted me with their antics. I took my leave of them and stood firm at the border. My hooves dug into the earth, and I felt a surge of energy flow through me. Nightshade stood by my side and I had nothing to fear. I focused hard, creating a decent sized aura of green energy. With all of my strength, I shot it straight for the darkness. It made impact successfully, and knocked it back a decent length away from the village. I felt proud of myself, but it was too early to celebrate. The dark clouds retaliated, taking me by surprise. I tried to fend it off again, but the last spell had drained most of my stamina greatly. I partly blamed my inexperience. The clouds crossed the border, and a dark shadow covered everything in its wake. As I lay panting, I saw plants withering and dying all around me, and I felt a stinging pain in my chest as my eyes welled up with tears. I could hear the forest crying out in pain, and I feared for the Mother Tree. But I felt as drained as the dying plants, and couldn't seem to get up. That was when Nightshade came to my rescue again. He prodded and nudged at my side, encouraging me. I had to oblige. I wearily got to my feet and somehow managed to make it to the Mother Tree. Elder Mooneyes was there, fighting the dark clouds! Her magic was powerful, but even I knew that she didn't stand a chance against it. Even though I was still feeling weak, I desperately tried to hobble to her aid. But she only reprimanded me. "Stay away!" she called to me. I could barely hear her over the howling winds. The darkness was now in the center of the village, directly above the Mother Tree. It swirled madly like a vortex, which explains where all of that wind was coming from. I looked on helplessly as she encased the mother tree in a yellow bubble, saving it from harm. She was far more experienced than I was, but I could see her strength waning. Her old age was finally catching up with her. At her advances, the clouds seemed to become enraged and sent down a powerful bolt of red magic. Elder Mooneyes didn't have enough time to react. "Elder Mooneyes!" I cried. She blindly looked back in my direction. The look on her face disturbed me. It was completely serene, as if she knew her death was imminent. The bolt struck and she collapsed to the ground. I feared the worst. Nightshade and I rushed to her side. I knelt down beside her, and she looked up at me weakly. Blood ran down her maw, staining the once white fur of her chest. Her blue eyes fought to stay open and her breath was thinning. "G... get help," she gasped. I shook my head furiously. "I can't leave you or the village like this!" I shot back. I was close to sobbing. Nightshade whined in agreement. "Listen to me, you must flee. Th... that is a direct order," she said. Her weak voice still managed to carry an imperative edge. She grasped my hoof tightly and eyed me intensely. "Find help, and return t... to the forest, b... before all is lost." I nodded respectfully. "I promise I will return; whoever did this shall pay dearly." She smiled weakly, and I could feel her grip slipping away. "I... I know you will succeed. You will make a fine mage someday." She rolled her eyes twice, shuddered, and was still. I lay her lifeless body down respectfully, called Nightshade to my side; and fled the hell that was once my beloved home. To be continued... Chapter Three: Pleasant CompanyChapter Three: On Our Way The ponies remained speechless for some time once Xenoelos had finished her story, and It was Pinkie Pie who finally broke the silence. "What a sad story!" she wailed. Tears poured from her eyes in the manner of miniature waterfalls. Twilight eyed the floor; slightly dazed. "I knew you were in need of our help, but I never imagined it would be something of this magnitude," she said. "What's the big deal Twilight?" Rainbow Dash broke in. "We defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis; and that King Sombra guy. How bad can a bunch of dumb clouds be for us?" Rarity flipped her mane and huffed. "Obviously you weren't listening to the entire story," she said. "Hmph!" "Alright you two, that's enough," Twilight said. The room immediately got quiet again. This gave her some time to think carefully about what they were going to do next. After a moments pondering, she eventually came to a conclusion. "Spike!" she shouted. Seconds after, a little purple dragon appeared at the threshold. "Yes, Twilight?" he asked. "I need you to compile a list of things we will need for our journey," she said. "Journey?" Spike tilted his head to one side. "There is no time to explain, now please!" She sounded exasperated. Spike nodded and left immediately. Everyone else that had remained in the room eyed Twilight strangely. "But Twilight, we don't even know where in tarnation this place is!" Applejack piped up. "Of course we don't, but she knows." Twilight looked over at Xenoelos. The ram got out of bed, and clasped a cloven hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "I will gladly take you there, but it's quite a long way," she said. "Were willing," Twilight said, smiling. "The path will be fraught with danger," Xenoelos added. But Twilight couldn't be swayed even if she tried. "Doesn't matter, we will help you no matter what," Twilight replied, and her friends all nodded in agreement behind her. Xenoelos had small glimmer of gratitude her eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly. It took well over an hour or so for Twilight and everyone else to prepare for the journey ahead. Rarity wanted to pack everything under the sun, but Twilight firmly instructed her to pack essential things only. She whined of course, but ultimately in the end she obeyed. Ponies certainly take forever to ready themselves. But luckily for them, Xenoelos was a patient being. She loitered in a corner of the room, reading a new book as she waited. Eventually, they were all ready to go by the evening. But because the darkness would be setting in soon, everyone had to stay in the library overnight till the next morning. Xenoelos had roused herself before anyone else; with Twilight awakening next while getting everyone else up as well. Rainbow Dash was the only one to defy Twilight's prodding to wake. But her strong will eventually gave in, and she crankily got to her hooves. Now that everyone was finally awake, they all grabbed their saddlebags and headed for the door. Save for Xenoelos, who had never brought anything with her except for the red cloak that she was wearing. Before they could leave entirely, Spike made sure to be awake in time to see them off. "Don't worry Twilight!" he called out as they left. I promise to keep an eye on things here!" Twilight turned her head and answered back. "I know you will!" she replied. "I'll be back soon!" Then, Twilight and everyone else began on their way. Walking further and further until the tree-house melted off into the distance, and eventually vanishing from sight. They were almost at the edge of the Everfree Forest, when Rainbow Dash heard a rustle in a nearby bush. "What the heck was that?" she asked. Mostly as a query to herself. Suddenly, a Timberwolf burst through the foliage and stopped right dead in front of them. Everyone shrieked and made a fuss, except for Twilight and Xenoelos. "Settle down, everypony!" Twilight commanded her friends. They fell silent. Xenoelos stepped forward next to Twilight to speak. "This is Nightshade; he's my friend," she said, pointing her hoof at the Timberwolf. Nightshade ambled over to his master's side, and eyed the somewhat still startled ponies with a look of amusement. Despite what Xenoelos had just said, the five ponies still had their doubts. "Are you sure he won't turn on us or anything?" Rainbow Dash questioned brashly. Nightshade grunted, and Xenoelos spoke for him. "He gives you his solemn vow that he would never ever try such a thing," she said. Applejack raised an eyebrow at that. "Can you understand that critter or somethin'?" she asked. Xenoelos looked at Nightshade fondly. "We've been together for such a long time, that I can pretty much always know what he is trying to say," she said, as she patted Nightshade's head. Who in response, nudged her with affection. This gesture seemed to quell the ponies' fears drastically. Even Fluttershy mustered enough courage to approach the Timberwolf, and try to become better acquainted with him. "Hello, Nightshade. My name is Fluttershy," she said with that trademark gentleness in her tone. Then she held out a hoof for him to sniff. It was no surprise to anyone when Nightshade began to lick Fluttershy, and wag his tail vigorously. The yellow pegasus gave a soft laugh and proceeded to rub his belly. "You're such a good boy, yes you are," she cooed. As this was going on, Twilight and the others looked on up ahead with an impending sense of dread. "The Everfree Forest," Twilight said aloud. As soon as the last word had left her lips, she heard Fluttershy squeak from behind at the mere mention of it's name. Xenoelos began to walk towards the forest entrance with no trace of hesitation. "Come on everyone," she beckoned, when she noticed that no one was following her except for Nightshade. Hesitantly, they followed after her into the depths of Everfree. After a decent span of time had passed, Xenoelos began to glance over her shoulder now and then to check on her friends. It seemed as though they were no longer frightened, and they followed behind her confidently. Pinkie Pie especially exuded confidence. Perhaps maybe a little too much confidence. All that hopping and constant singing right the heck out of nowhere was beginning to grate on Xenoelos' nerves. But she somehow managed to keep her temper in check. When night began to set in later that day, morale began to slip away from the party and Twilight suggested that they lay low for the rest of the evening to recuperate. Xenoelos wanted to keep going, but even she couldn't deny how unsettling this place was. Twilight used her natural leadership skills to direct everyone to a specific task to make camp successfully. Rainbow Dash and Applejack gathered wood for the campfire, Rarity prepared dinner, Pinkie Pie fetched water, and Fluttershy and Nightshade unpacked everyone's sleeping bags. As for Xenoelos, Twilight couldn't seem to find anymore jobs that needed to be done. So she just stood alone by a gnarled little tree, and watched them as they worked. She really admired how they all worked together in harmony. It almost made her a little jealous. I wish I could help somehow... Rainbow Dash and Applejack soon returned from their task with each of them carrying a decent sized armful of sticks. They plopped them into a makeshift pit that lay in the center of their ring of sleeping bags, and constructed them into a proper campfire arrangement. Once it was finished, all they had left to do now was light it. But Applejack was having some difficulties in the process, and Twilight came over to investigate the issue. Xenoelos' face lit up. Now's my chance! "Twilight, I can help!" Xenoelos called, as she made her way over to where the three ponies stood. Applejack seemed to eye her in utter disbelief for a split second. "Are you sure you want to do it?" Twilight asked her politely. "If it's too much trouble for you I-" Xenoelos cut her off. "I don't mind," she said eagerly. She faced the woodpile, and focused. After a minute or so, a small flicker of light sputtered in her fore-hooves. She concentrated even more and closed her eyes. The small flicker soon became much larger, until it eventually burst into a decent sized little ball of flame. She tossed it carefully into the woodpile and it immediately set alight, creating a warm and merry little fire. The ponies' mouths hung open in surprise. "Amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded fervently in agreement. "That was so cool!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Like at first it was just cool, but then it became like twenty percent cooler!" Applejack tipped her hat to the ram. "It was definitely Ah' spectacle," she said humbly. Xenoelos shook her head. She was feeling a little embarrassed from all of this praise. "It was nothing, really. I was just glad I could help," she said awkwardly. Everyone just smiled. Now that the fire had been lit, Rarity could finally serve everyone the dinner that she had worked so hard to prepare. Nightshade went off for a bit to catch his own food. He wasn't exactly a vegetarian. As the they all ate, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash entertained everyone with wild stories. Xenoelos had never laughed as much as she did that night. It felt good to be surrounded by kind and friendly folk, that just wanted your friendship in return. Except for Nightshade, she had never really had any real friends back home. But now she could honestly consider these ponies as her friends, and it hurt her knowing that she would have to say goodbye eventually. After dinner, everyone settled down for sleep. Xenoelos let Nightshade sleep with Fluttershy, since she was afraid of the dark and almost everything in the forest. Xenoelos had expected to sleep on the cold ground, but Twilight had packed an extra sleeping bag just for her. She felt so grateful, as she snuggled up under the covers. She closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep. Chapter Four: An Enemy LurkingSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter Five: RemembranceSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter One: The Mysterious VisitorA cloaked figure raced blindly through the darkness of the Everfree Forest. Her breathing labored as she began to lose strength. Another figure followed swiftly at her heels and maintained a steady tireless pace unlike her own. How long could she go on? The sensation to black out was becoming stronger by the second and eventually, she gave into it. Her hooves gave out from underneath as she collapsed into an untidy heap right on the forested pathway. But, luckily for her, she was somehow still conscious. She weakly wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to regain herself, but she was having some great difficulty in the action. The shadowy figure that had been accompanying her, crept closer into a lone ray of moonlight and into full view. The creature was a Timberwolf of exceptional size, but despite its seeming ferocity at a first glance, a second glance would take notice of it's gentle and intelligent eyes. Taking action to assist her, It carefully acted as a support for the girl to rise to her legs. "Thank you, Nightshade. I'm alright now," she said softly. Nightshade gave a small grunt of satisfaction. The girl was grateful to be back on her hooves, but the darkness would surely swallow her whole if she lingered much longer. She desperately scanned wildly through the dense flora and hoped to find some small glimmer of civilization. To her utter relief, she did manage to spot an extremely small speck of apparent lamp-light in the distance. Just a bit farther! I must seek help! With every last ounce of strength that she could muster within, the girl followed the light. She could almost taste her freedom as it came closer and closer. It's getting so close, that I can almost touch it. With one last good thrust of speed, she kicked her legs into full gear and shot out of the forest's mouth. She was finally free of that dreadful place, and she glanced around to find herself now residing on a pleasant little meadow. Her contained joy, while not outwardly obvious, was apparent through her shining golden eyes. But there was no time to rest just yet. She focused her attention back to the task at hand and confirmed that the light source she had followed was coming from what looked to be a rather tall tree-house scattered with many whimsical little windows, all of them oozing that same comforting light that had guided her to this place. "Rumble." She started at the sudden growl of thunder in the distance, which promptly summoned the expected lightning bolt overhead, followed thus by an intense downpour of rain to bring up the rear. The girl cursed under her breath and bolted for the tree-house. In her haste to escape the rain, she tossed her manners aside for the moment and crudely rapped at the door. A very confused and albeit, slightly disturbed lavender-colored unicorn answered it. She eyed the tired and bedraggled stranger with an odd dual sensation of discomfort and pity. However, she kept to her usual manner of greeting visitors. "May... I help you?" The girl attempted to open her mouth to respond, but her vision suddenly went black. She awoke to the familiar voice of the unicorn talking in a hushed tone to someone else, whose voice she didn't recognize. "There's nothing to worry about Spike, now go back to sleep." Who is Spike? She didn't ponder too long on that thought, however. Her tiredness was currently more important than her curiosity right now, and she was grateful to be on such a warm and comfortable bed. She closed her eyes and listened around herself for a moment. She could hear the unicorn trotting close to her bedside at first; she supposed that this was just to check in on her. Then her hoof-steps got farther away, going all the way down the stairs until everything was quiet again. Satisfied, she relaxed and fell into a deep sleep once more. The rain had finally stopped, and the sun was out shining the very next day. Its rays of warmth cascaded through the window panes of the tree-house and came to rest upon the girl's placid, concealed face. Her eyes slowly opened and she let out a soft yawn. She sat upright in her bed and scanned the area for a minute. Shelves of books upon books surrounded the entire room. This must be a library. Best place to pass out- EVER! She found it rather difficult to contain her excitement. She was grinning from ear to ear, and her eyes were glittering with hunger for those pages; and the knowledge that lied inside of them. Eventually, she just couldn't resist herself any longer. She hopped out of bed and quickly tip toed on over to the vast selection that covered each and every shelf. She hungrily eyed the various titles that were stamped onto the spines and she picked out the ones that seemed like they would be the most interesting. She selected about five to start with, and gingerly carried them back to her bed. Once she got herself situated inside the covers, she decided to start with a book whose title read: "Spells and Potion Making for Experts." It was a massive book, and she took in every page at a brisk pace. By mid-morning she was already halfway through, when the unicorn returned to check in on her again. She was so invested in her reading, that she didn't even hear nor notice her presence in the room. "I'm glad you're feeling well," she said cheerfully. The girl jumped and almost dropped the book onto the floor. She fumbled around with it in her hooves for a bit until she regained her grip on it. The unicorn laughed at her antics. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." "It's quite alright," the visitor responded politely. The unicorn nodded her head and eyed her warmly. "May I ask your name?" she inquired. The girl removed the hood of her cloak, and long strands of dark green hair cascaded down over her eyes. "Xenoelos," she uttered. The unicorn seemed taken aback. "Oh, I thought you were a pony!" was all she could say. Xenoelos shook her head. "Definitely not a pony," she said flatly, twitching her small black nose and fixing her long, dark-green mane back into a ponytail. "I'm a ram." She raised up a cloven hoof and brushed it across one of her large, elegantly curved horns. They were both black like obsidian, as were her hooves. "See these? Definitely not a pony," she repeated. Even with that verification, the unicorn still seemed surprised by it all. "Well, you're the first ram I have ever seen," she finally spoke. Xenoelos cast a mysterious look. "We prefer peace and quiet, so we keep ourselves a secret." "Then what in Equestria are you doing here in Ponyville?!" Ponyville? Then, she remembered her mission. "I came here seeking help," she said. Her tone was serious. "What's the matter?" the unicorn asked. Though she already had a feeling that it wasn't just a simple problem. The gray ram cast her golden eyes to the wooden floor boards as she began to tell of her plight. "My homeland has become shrouded in darkness. And while I was escaping with Nightshade, I was being chased by foreboding black clouds, looming overhead." "I believe that those black clouds are causing the problem," the unicorn deduced. "But, the question is, who conjured them up?" Xenoelos nodded her head in agreement. "Yes. They're definitely not natural," she said. "And I remember sensing a very powerful magical aura in the area as I fled." The unicorn's ears perked up with interest. "Wait, are you saying that you can sense and use magic?" The ram just sat there idle, and looked rather unimpressed at her astute discovery. "Almost everyone in my village uses magic," she said, as matter of fact. "We are also the only known race to have ever completely tamed a Timberwolf." Thoughts of Nightshade suddenly flashed through her mind. She hadn't seen him since last night, and she was beginning to get worried. "Where is Nightshade?" she questioned the unicorn wildly. The lavender pony just stood frozen for a moment. She was a little startled by her visitor's sudden outburst. "Nightshade? Who in the hoof is Nightshade?!" she eventually managed to ask the seething ram. "My Timberwolf!" she snapped. "He's outside, I think." Xenoelos got up and walked over to the small red circular window by the bed. To her utter relief, she saw Nightshade down below, whining a small greeting and gently swishing his thick pine needle tail in contentment. She smiled down at him and then proceeded to close the window. She suddenly felt so ashamed of herself for how she had spoken to her host a few moments ago, and profusely apologized for her completely unacceptable behavior. She feared that her host was angry with her, but to her surprise, the unicorn didn't seem angry with her at all. In fact, she was smiling at her again. "Twilight Sparkle," she said warmly. "Huh?" "My name is Twilight Sparkle," her host repeated. "Oh. Well, it suits you." was all Xenoelos could say. And the two of them politely exchanged hoofs. All was forgiven. Twilight had errands to do and left the library for most of the day, leaving the whole place under Xenoelos' care. She was very grateful for some time alone, and used it to finish up on her reading. But it was hard to read knowing in the back of your mind that your entire homeland was being engulfed in darkness. As she was just about to finish up the final book, her eyes suddenly became very heavy and she unexpectedly fell asleep. Xenoelos was awakened from her nap by a din. Voices of many accents shook the entirety of the library. From within the vast sea of voices, the only one she could seem to make out was Twilight's. She sat up straight and stacked the books that lay askew on the covers into a neat an orderly pile. Then she waited for the inevitable. Sure enough moments later, a gaggle of colorful ponies burst into the room and gathered around her bed like a zoo exhibit, and began to assault her with many, many questions. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I just love making new friends! What's your name?" the pink pony screeched excitedly. Xenoelos wasn't so sure that she was going to like her too much. "Pinkie Pie, please," the white unicorn chided. She blinked her lashes elegantly at Xenoelos. "Don't mind her darling, she just gets so excited about everything." "Are you supposed to be like a goat or something?" the rainbow-maned one poked at her horns curiously, like a foal poking at a rock with a hoof. "I'm a ram, actually," Xenoelos replied defensively. "Never seen one round these here parts, where ya' from?" the orange pony asked. Xenoelos was getting sick of all these questions by this point, so she simply said, "Far away from here." "Not much of an answer," the orange pony muttered. Another pony slowly walked over to the bed, her face was half hidden by a shroud of long light-pink hair. "Um, I'm Fluttershy. I'm sorry if we are making you feel uncomfortable." She spoke so softly that Xenoelos almost didn't quite hear what she had just said. "It's fine, honestly," she replied, politely. She liked this pony's calm demeanor in opposition to the others hyperactivity. Xenoelos didn't care much for animated folks, but that was just personal preference. She didn't hate these ponies though. On the contrary, they all seemed friendly enough. As the ponies continued to gab, Twilight's imperative voice suddenly rang throughout the room, getting all of their attentions. Xenoelos looked relieved. My Savior! "Do you know why I asked you all to come?" she asked her friends. Who in response, just stood silent and shook their heads. Twilight walked over to Xenoelos' bedside. "The reason is because she is in need of our help." She gestured a hoof to the gray ram. "Her name is Xenoelos, and something terrible has happened to her home." She looked at the ram enthusiastically. "Xenoelos, before we begin, let me introduce you to my friends." She went down the line, pointing her hoof at each one of them as they made their own introductions. "You've already met me, silly!" the pink pony said. "I'm Pinkie Pie!" The pale yellow pegasus was next. "I'm Fluttershy. But um, you already knew that," she whispered. Now the next one. "The name's Rainbow Dash!" the blue peagasus said proudly. She puffed out her chest, making an epic pose. Twilight pointed to the pony next to her. "Rarity. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the white unicorn. And finally, Twilight pointed to the orange earth pony. "Howdy, ah'm Applejack," she said. Her tone was incredibly good-natured. Xenoelos eyed them all warmly and dipped her head. "It's nice to meet all of you," she said. Twilight nodded in approval, then spoke again. "Now that everypony has been introduced, I suppose you would all like to know what's been going on now?" Pinkie Pie bounced in place and raised her hoof. "Oh, oh, is it story-time?" She glanced to Xenoelos. "Are you gonna tell us a story?" she asked the confused ram eagerly. "I uh..." She didn't really know what to say, and soon the others joined in. "Yeah, I wanna know what happened," Rainbow Dash said. "Me too, um, if you don't mind that is?" Fluttershy inquired politely. Xenoelos had no choice now. "Very well," she said. "I will tell you everything." To be continued...
Chapter Two: Tales of WoeMy people and I live very far away from here. It's a secret place, safe from prying eyes. It is there, nestled deep within the heart of a lush forest, where my village, Timberhaven resides. It has been kept safe from harm for thousands of years by our guardian. A massive Oak tree that my people have named, the Mother Tree. Under the watchful gaze of our benefactor, Timberhaven was a peaceful place. The flora and Fauna thrived, so food was always plentiful. Monsters dislike healthy forests, so evil would dare not lay it's choking grasp there. That is, however; until that day. The day that the darkness suddenly appeared. I was the first one to notice its beginnings. I was currently practicing a spell that would turn mud into water, when something strange caught the corner of my eye. Nightshade could sense something was wrong as well. He growled menacingly as I looked up at the sky with intent eyes. I spied a small expanse of dark, inky blackness creeping my way. At first I thought it to be nothing more than an approaching storm, but as the shroud became bigger and bigger, I became alarmed. I had to tell someone what was happening. The first person that had crossed my mind was Elder Mooneyes, the village leader. Not only was she incredibly wise, but she was like my grandmother. I knew that she would listen to me. I rushed over to her hut as quickly as I could and raced inside. I was too frantic to request permission to enter, and of course, she chided me for it. "Xenoelos, how many times must I tell you to speak before making an entrance?" she questioned me. Despite being blind, she knew that it was me who had entered the room before I had even spoken a word to her. "I'm sorry Elder, but this is terribly urgent!" I said quickly. The old white ram slowly rose to her legs, and turned to face me with her glazed blue eyes. "What is so terribly urgent, that you must find it in yourself to forget your manners?" she inquired good-naturedly. "I was practicing my spellcasting, when I noticed what looked to be black clouds, gathering in the distance," I said. "Storm clouds?" she asked. I shook my head. "That's what I thought at first, until they started growing abnormally bigger. And now, they're headed right this way. We have to do something!" Elder Mooneyes rubbed her chin with a hoof. "I Believe that this requires immediate attention." She was so calm despite all the bad news. I really admired that in her. "These clouds could be evil things. I shall assemble our finest mages immediately," she said. "I want to help," I offered. But Elder Mooneyes shook her head. "No. You're still an apprentice, and I don't want you to hurt yourself. Leave this to the mages." Her tone was stern, and I didn't want to argue with her. But I was still feeling really disappointed. I exited her hut and spotted Nightshade laying amongst some brambles. "Come on boy," I called. "Let's go find the mages." As I suspected, the mages had already begun to gather near the village border where I had first seen the darkness. They were all dressed in their finest red satin robes laced with gold, and standing in a perfect row formation. I still wished that I could help them. I practiced magic every single day almost. I mean, I wasn't the greatest or anything, but I wasn't terrible either. At least, that's what I thought anyway. I looked on intently as the mages began to gather magic energy in their fore-hooves, and fire it in perfect unison at the looming threat above. At first, the blackness seemed to disperse; and everything seemed to be going according to plan. But oh, was I foolish. The darkness suddenly reformed and began to increase in size at an exponential rate, as if it had relished the spell that had just been cast on it. The mages had stunned expressions on their faces, and they turned to flee. The cowards! Nightshade and I flagged them down, and I was fuming. "How dare you run from battle!" I spat. "Your job is to protect the forest from danger! The Elder gave you her direct orders!" The mages could only shrug. One of them, who I knew as Oden said, "Our magic isn't strong enough to stop them." He gestured his hoof to the other six mages. "And we all value our lives." "Many years of safety provided by the Mother Tree has made you soft! I scoffed." Despite what the Elder had said to me earlier, I decided to try and face the danger by myself. It was pretty obvious that the mages were of no help. Are race was a proud and courageous species that fought to the death to defend our own; they had insulted me with their antics. I took my leave of them and stood firm at the border. My hooves dug into the earth, and I felt a surge of energy flow through me. Nightshade stood by my side and I had nothing to fear. I focused hard, creating a decent sized aura of green energy. With all of my strength, I shot it straight for the darkness. It made impact successfully, and knocked it back a decent length away from the village. I felt proud of myself, but it was too early to celebrate. The dark clouds retaliated, taking me by surprise. I tried to fend it off again, but the last spell had drained most of my stamina greatly. I partly blamed my inexperience. The clouds crossed the border, and a dark shadow covered everything in its wake. As I lay panting, I saw plants withering and dying all around me, and I felt a stinging pain in my chest as my eyes welled up with tears. I could hear the forest crying out in pain, and I feared for the Mother Tree. But I felt as drained as the dying plants, and couldn't seem to get up. That was when Nightshade came to my rescue again. He prodded and nudged at my side, encouraging me. I had to oblige. I wearily got to my feet and somehow managed to make it to the Mother Tree. Elder Mooneyes was there, fighting the dark clouds! Her magic was powerful, but even I knew that she didn't stand a chance against it. Even though I was still feeling weak, I desperately tried to hobble to her aid. But she only reprimanded me. "Stay away!" she called to me. I could barely hear her over the howling winds. The darkness was now in the center of the village, directly above the Mother Tree. It swirled madly like a vortex, which explains where all of that wind was coming from. I looked on helplessly as she encased the mother tree in a yellow bubble, saving it from harm. She was far more experienced than I was, but I could see her strength waning. Her old age was finally catching up with her. At her advances, the clouds seemed to become enraged and sent down a powerful bolt of red magic. Elder Mooneyes didn't have enough time to react. "Elder Mooneyes!" I cried. She blindly looked back in my direction. The look on her face disturbed me. It was completely serene, as if she knew her death was imminent. The bolt struck and she collapsed to the ground. I feared the worst. Nightshade and I rushed to her side. I knelt down beside her, and she looked up at me weakly. Blood ran down her maw, staining the once white fur of her chest. Her blue eyes fought to stay open and her breath was thinning. "G... get help," she gasped. I shook my head furiously. "I can't leave you or the village like this!" I shot back. I was close to sobbing. Nightshade whined in agreement. "Listen to me, you must flee. Th... that is a direct order," she said. Her weak voice still managed to carry an imperative edge. She grasped my hoof tightly and eyed me intensely. "Find help, and return t... to the forest, b... before all is lost." I nodded respectfully. "I promise I will return; whoever did this shall pay dearly." She smiled weakly, and I could feel her grip slipping away. "I... I know you will succeed. You will make a fine mage someday." She rolled her eyes twice, shuddered, and was still. I lay her lifeless body down respectfully, called Nightshade to my side; and fled the hell that was once my beloved home. To be continued...
Chapter Three: Pleasant CompanyChapter Three: On Our Way The ponies remained speechless for some time once Xenoelos had finished her story, and It was Pinkie Pie who finally broke the silence. "What a sad story!" she wailed. Tears poured from her eyes in the manner of miniature waterfalls. Twilight eyed the floor; slightly dazed. "I knew you were in need of our help, but I never imagined it would be something of this magnitude," she said. "What's the big deal Twilight?" Rainbow Dash broke in. "We defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis; and that King Sombra guy. How bad can a bunch of dumb clouds be for us?" Rarity flipped her mane and huffed. "Obviously you weren't listening to the entire story," she said. "Hmph!" "Alright you two, that's enough," Twilight said. The room immediately got quiet again. This gave her some time to think carefully about what they were going to do next. After a moments pondering, she eventually came to a conclusion. "Spike!" she shouted. Seconds after, a little purple dragon appeared at the threshold. "Yes, Twilight?" he asked. "I need you to compile a list of things we will need for our journey," she said. "Journey?" Spike tilted his head to one side. "There is no time to explain, now please!" She sounded exasperated. Spike nodded and left immediately. Everyone else that had remained in the room eyed Twilight strangely. "But Twilight, we don't even know where in tarnation this place is!" Applejack piped up. "Of course we don't, but she knows." Twilight looked over at Xenoelos. The ram got out of bed, and clasped a cloven hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. "I will gladly take you there, but it's quite a long way," she said. "Were willing," Twilight said, smiling. "The path will be fraught with danger," Xenoelos added. But Twilight couldn't be swayed even if she tried. "Doesn't matter, we will help you no matter what," Twilight replied, and her friends all nodded in agreement behind her. Xenoelos had small glimmer of gratitude her eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly. It took well over an hour or so for Twilight and everyone else to prepare for the journey ahead. Rarity wanted to pack everything under the sun, but Twilight firmly instructed her to pack essential things only. She whined of course, but ultimately in the end she obeyed. Ponies certainly take forever to ready themselves. But luckily for them, Xenoelos was a patient being. She loitered in a corner of the room, reading a new book as she waited. Eventually, they were all ready to go by the evening. But because the darkness would be setting in soon, everyone had to stay in the library overnight till the next morning. Xenoelos had roused herself before anyone else; with Twilight awakening next while getting everyone else up as well. Rainbow Dash was the only one to defy Twilight's prodding to wake. But her strong will eventually gave in, and she crankily got to her hooves. Now that everyone was finally awake, they all grabbed their saddlebags and headed for the door. Save for Xenoelos, who had never brought anything with her except for the red cloak that she was wearing. Before they could leave entirely, Spike made sure to be awake in time to see them off. "Don't worry Twilight!" he called out as they left. I promise to keep an eye on things here!" Twilight turned her head and answered back. "I know you will!" she replied. "I'll be back soon!" Then, Twilight and everyone else began on their way. Walking further and further until the tree-house melted off into the distance, and eventually vanishing from sight. They were almost at the edge of the Everfree Forest, when Rainbow Dash heard a rustle in a nearby bush. "What the heck was that?" she asked. Mostly as a query to herself. Suddenly, a Timberwolf burst through the foliage and stopped right dead in front of them. Everyone shrieked and made a fuss, except for Twilight and Xenoelos. "Settle down, everypony!" Twilight commanded her friends. They fell silent. Xenoelos stepped forward next to Twilight to speak. "This is Nightshade; he's my friend," she said, pointing her hoof at the Timberwolf. Nightshade ambled over to his master's side, and eyed the somewhat still startled ponies with a look of amusement. Despite what Xenoelos had just said, the five ponies still had their doubts. "Are you sure he won't turn on us or anything?" Rainbow Dash questioned brashly. Nightshade grunted, and Xenoelos spoke for him. "He gives you his solemn vow that he would never ever try such a thing," she said. Applejack raised an eyebrow at that. "Can you understand that critter or somethin'?" she asked. Xenoelos looked at Nightshade fondly. "We've been together for such a long time, that I can pretty much always know what he is trying to say," she said, as she patted Nightshade's head. Who in response, nudged her with affection. This gesture seemed to quell the ponies' fears drastically. Even Fluttershy mustered enough courage to approach the Timberwolf, and try to become better acquainted with him. "Hello, Nightshade. My name is Fluttershy," she said with that trademark gentleness in her tone. Then she held out a hoof for him to sniff. It was no surprise to anyone when Nightshade began to lick Fluttershy, and wag his tail vigorously. The yellow pegasus gave a soft laugh and proceeded to rub his belly. "You're such a good boy, yes you are," she cooed. As this was going on, Twilight and the others looked on up ahead with an impending sense of dread. "The Everfree Forest," Twilight said aloud. As soon as the last word had left her lips, she heard Fluttershy squeak from behind at the mere mention of it's name. Xenoelos began to walk towards the forest entrance with no trace of hesitation. "Come on everyone," she beckoned, when she noticed that no one was following her except for Nightshade. Hesitantly, they followed after her into the depths of Everfree. After a decent span of time had passed, Xenoelos began to glance over her shoulder now and then to check on her friends. It seemed as though they were no longer frightened, and they followed behind her confidently. Pinkie Pie especially exuded confidence. Perhaps maybe a little too much confidence. All that hopping and constant singing right the heck out of nowhere was beginning to grate on Xenoelos' nerves. But she somehow managed to keep her temper in check. When night began to set in later that day, morale began to slip away from the party and Twilight suggested that they lay low for the rest of the evening to recuperate. Xenoelos wanted to keep going, but even she couldn't deny how unsettling this place was. Twilight used her natural leadership skills to direct everyone to a specific task to make camp successfully. Rainbow Dash and Applejack gathered wood for the campfire, Rarity prepared dinner, Pinkie Pie fetched water, and Fluttershy and Nightshade unpacked everyone's sleeping bags. As for Xenoelos, Twilight couldn't seem to find anymore jobs that needed to be done. So she just stood alone by a gnarled little tree, and watched them as they worked. She really admired how they all worked together in harmony. It almost made her a little jealous. I wish I could help somehow... Rainbow Dash and Applejack soon returned from their task with each of them carrying a decent sized armful of sticks. They plopped them into a makeshift pit that lay in the center of their ring of sleeping bags, and constructed them into a proper campfire arrangement. Once it was finished, all they had left to do now was light it. But Applejack was having some difficulties in the process, and Twilight came over to investigate the issue. Xenoelos' face lit up. Now's my chance! "Twilight, I can help!" Xenoelos called, as she made her way over to where the three ponies stood. Applejack seemed to eye her in utter disbelief for a split second. "Are you sure you want to do it?" Twilight asked her politely. "If it's too much trouble for you I-" Xenoelos cut her off. "I don't mind," she said eagerly. She faced the woodpile, and focused. After a minute or so, a small flicker of light sputtered in her fore-hooves. She concentrated even more and closed her eyes. The small flicker soon became much larger, until it eventually burst into a decent sized little ball of flame. She tossed it carefully into the woodpile and it immediately set alight, creating a warm and merry little fire. The ponies' mouths hung open in surprise. "Amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded fervently in agreement. "That was so cool!" Rainbow Dash cried. "Like at first it was just cool, but then it became like twenty percent cooler!" Applejack tipped her hat to the ram. "It was definitely Ah' spectacle," she said humbly. Xenoelos shook her head. She was feeling a little embarrassed from all of this praise. "It was nothing, really. I was just glad I could help," she said awkwardly. Everyone just smiled. Now that the fire had been lit, Rarity could finally serve everyone the dinner that she had worked so hard to prepare. Nightshade went off for a bit to catch his own food. He wasn't exactly a vegetarian. As the they all ate, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash entertained everyone with wild stories. Xenoelos had never laughed as much as she did that night. It felt good to be surrounded by kind and friendly folk, that just wanted your friendship in return. Except for Nightshade, she had never really had any real friends back home. But now she could honestly consider these ponies as her friends, and it hurt her knowing that she would have to say goodbye eventually. After dinner, everyone settled down for sleep. Xenoelos let Nightshade sleep with Fluttershy, since she was afraid of the dark and almost everything in the forest. Xenoelos had expected to sleep on the cold ground, but Twilight had packed an extra sleeping bag just for her. She felt so grateful, as she snuggled up under the covers. She closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Four: An Enemy LurkingSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter Five: RemembranceSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
