Dark Forest: A Friendshp is Magic Fanfiction

My 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...