They found Applejack in the northeast orchard, “'Smack in the middle of buckin' down half these trees”, as she put it.

Twilight embraced the farmpony tightly before flashing a smile. "Do you have a few minutes to talk, AJ? My friend here has a few things that he wants to ask you."

"Well, I'd love to Twi, but I'm kinda busy at the moment.” Applejack said, wiping the sweat from her brow before replacing her hat. “Can it wait until this evenin'? I got a lotta apples to harvest before dark.”

"It's kind of important AJ. The Princess-"

Applejack made a noise in her throat, almost like a growl. " Look Twi, I know the Princess has you doin' all kinds of things these days, but I’ve gotta get this done! I'd love to help you, but not until I’ve got this orchard finished, at least! And made sure Applebloom has done her schoolwork. And got supper cooked. And granny bedded down. And then...I'm probably forgettin' something."

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Your nightly applewhisky binge, maybe...” Twilight muttered, under her breath.

A bit more loudly than she intended. Applejack’s eyes flared.

Ritter tried to intervene, quickly stepping in front of the orange pony. “Wait, please! It’s about your brothe-”

Applejack snorted, stepping right past the gryphon and breathing hard. She poked Twilight in the chest. "Cuttin' a little close to the bone there, don't you think sugarcube?"

Twilight’s eyes were wide. "Applejack, I'm so sorry, I..."

Applejack was fuming, but instead of shouting she turned away from the purple unicorn and sat down heavily. She looked up, and ran a hoof over her face. Her hat fell off and rolled behind her. Twilight hesitantly joined her, a dejected expression on the unicorn’s face.

"Sorry?" Applejack said. The anger had drained from her face, leaving her just looking tired. "Well, don’t be.” she sighed. “You didn’t say nothin’ that ain’t true.” the farmpony stood up. “Just try not to kick me too hard while I'm down." she said finally, giving Twilight a weak smile.

She turned to the gryphon, picking up her hat while doing so. “So the Princess sent you here about my brother, huh? Well. I guess we’d better get back to the farmhouse. I don’t think I’m going to be bucking any more apples today.”

Ritter and Twilight both followed her back through the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, dodging the occasional wind-driven gust of leaves, and trying to fill the silence between all of them with the rustling of trees.

They sat in silence in the Apple family kitchen, waiting for Applejack to finish making herself a cup of coffee while the house creaked gently in the breeze. Sunlight poured in from the screen door, illuminating the otherwise-dim kitchen with the setting sun’s red glow. They were gathered around the apple family dinner table, an old, well made piece of furniture constructed out of some indestructible dark hardwood that hadn’t given in to many generations of rambunctious Apple children.

The coffee eventually boiled, and Applejack poured herself a cup. She offered one to everyone else, and after they declined, Applejack sat down across the table from Ritter, steaming mug in front of her.

“Alright, Mr. Gryphon.” she drawled. “What can I tell you about my brother?”

Coffee was not unknown to the gryphon. Prepared drinks were considered a novelty in Griffonia, with only Nobles and the pretentious drinking tea, and everyone else drinking water, if anything. Coffee disagreed with the gryphonian palette, tasting too much like mud. He suspected they were missing some of the taste buds required to appreciate it fully.

“My name is Ritter. I am a hunter, and have been asked by my superiors to investigate the recent disappearances here in Ponyville, at the behest of your Princess. Twilight has given me the basic circumstances of what occurred here, but there are some unresolved questions that I think you can help me with.”

“Well, shoot.” Applejack said. “I’ll help you if I can, but I don’t think I’d know anything Twi doesn’t.”

Ritter tapped his claws on the table. “You and your brother have always lived here, correct?”

Applejack nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip of her drink. “That’s right. Well, I went to Manehattan one summer, but that was about it.”

“What kind of person was your brother? Impulsive?”

Applejack snorted. “He was stubborn as a mule, pardon my language, but he was the most aggravatin’ly careful pony you did ever meet. Never did anything without thinking it through twice, and then thinking it through again anyways. Sometimes spent more time thinking than doin’ things. Had to get onto him about it sometimes.”

“Was he careful about the forest?”

Applejack took another sip of her drink, and gave Ritter a sideways look. “Yes, he was. Look, Mr. Ritter. I know people think that a big strong stallion like Mac must have had a brain twice as small as his muscles were large, but it wasn’t so. Nopony understood how smart he was. He was always thinkin’.”

Applejack sighed, her eyes looking at the setting sun. “If things had been different, if it weren’t for this farm and our parents and the forest and his granny and his little sister, he really could have made somethin’ of himself.” She looked back at Ritter, her green eyes strange in the sunset’s red glow. “So yes, he was always real careful around the forest. Never went near it after dark, never went in too far during the day. He wasn’t stupid.”

Ritter nodded, absently rubbing one talon against another. “Can you think of any reason why he might have gone in the forest?”

Applejack thought for a few moments. “Well. I-”

She paused, looking at the ground, before she finally sighed. “Yes. I suppose I can think of one thing.”

Twilight’s mouth gaped, but the farmpony quickly waved a hoof to cut her off.

“Now hold on a second Twi! I didn’t lie to you or nopony! I meant what I said when you talked to me about this. Ah mean, I don’t really even know if this is related. And Mac made me promise to keep it a secret. But I don’t think I have a choice anymore. He’s been gone a month. He’ll just have to forgive me.”

Applejack shifted in her seat. “They were keeping it pretty quiet, but Ditzy and Mac had... well, they’d been sweet on each other for awhile now.”

Twilight put her hoof over her mouth, but Ritter said nothing. An errant gust of wind blew the leaves from the front porch with a roar.

Applejack waited for the noise to die down before she continued. “Now I didn’t know that they’d been seein’ each other, but after Ditzy went missin’, I noticed Mac had been real quiet. More than usual. An eventually, I got tired of it, and asked him straight what was eatin’ him.”

Applejack took her hat off and set it down on the table. “So he stands there looking like a big lunk like he always does, and then he says to me, ‘It’s my fault, AJ.’”

Her face screwed up, and she sucked in a breath. A moment or two later and she’d composed herself enough to continue. “A’course, I had no idea what he was talking about, but eventually I get it out of him that he’d been seein’ Ditzy,and they’d had one heck of a fight about, oh, two and a half months ago now.”

Ritter nodded. “That would have been shortly before Ditzy took her two-weeks leave.”

Applejack nodded back. “Thats right. He hadn’t spoken to her since, and he was sure he’d upset her so bad that she’d gone off and killed herself in the forest.”

Ritter blinked. “That seems a bit extreme. Do you know what they were fighting about?”

Applejack shook her head. “He wouldn’t say. Wasn’t none of my business neither. I did what I could, told him that it was foolish to blame himself, that Ditzy was a grown mare and knew better than to run into the woods for any reason, even if she was upset. I don’t think it helped him much. I caught him staring at the woods a couple times since then.”

Applejack set her coffee down, and put her head in her hooves. “I just don’t know. Mac was smart enough to know that no good would come of tryin’ to find her now. I don’t think he would have gone in. But, maybe. Maybe.”

The sun had almost set, and darkness was falling over the fields. The three of them sat in silence for a good few minutes, before Ritter finally stood, nodding his head at Applejack.

“Well. I’m sorry, for what it’s worth, Miss Applejack. You’ve helped us out a lot, but I think we’ve learned all we can here, and we have other leads to follow. We’ll get out of your mane. If you think of anything else, please let me or Twilight know.”

Applejack nodded. “Sure. Sure. If you find him, let me know. Even if it’s just a...a body. The not knowing is, well. It’s killin’ me.” Applejack said, taking a breath and then one last drink of coffee before standing and showing them both out the door.

Twilight embraced her friend before they left, telling Applejack to come get her if she needed anything. A few goodbyes later and they left the very tired farmpony behind, and began the long walk back to the town. They both stayed as far from the treeline as possible.

Twilight waited until they were a good distance from the house, and then cleared her throat. “You said we had other leads to follow? I thought Applejack was our only lead?”

Ritter shook his head. “She was. There are no other leads. I didn’t want to say in front of her, but I think it’s pretty obvious what’s happened here.” they both stopped, the cold night wind refreshing after the oppressive heat of the Applejack’s kitchen.

“Ditzy, upset from the fight with Macintosh, went into the woods for reasons unknown. She got lost, and was eventually attacked by the creatures of the forest.” Ritter scratched the ground, feeling the dirt between his claws. “She goes missing, and Mac blames himself. While he’s alone by the forest, the guilt gets to him and he starts looking himself. He gets lost, and eventually attacked as well.”

Twilight’s expression was tight, but she couldn’t disagree with his logic. The gryphon gestured at the forest that lay not too far from them.

“It makes more sense than some new creature appearing out of thin air. That forest is a nightmare, but the native creatures don’t stray beyond the treeline. It could be a migrating creature from some deeper part of the wood, snatching up ponies, but there haven’t been any disasters, no floods or eruptions, to cause a migration.”

He shrugged. “That’s not to say it’s impossible, it’s just unlikely. It makes more sense that they were upset and acted foolishly.”

“So that’s your explanation, then? A lover’s spat?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe.” Ritter said. “It’s the only one we have so far. I’m going to sleep on it.” he looked at Twilight. “Do you mind if I stay at the library? I don’t really know where anything is in this town.”

Twilight blinked, and then nodded. “Oh, of course! I can have Spike make up the guest bedroom when we get back.”

Ritter stood silently for a moment, before turning to look back at the Everfree. “What do you think happened?” he asked.

Twilight looked unsure, but Ritter could see the gears whirring away in her head. She eventually nodded to herself and spoke. “I think we don’t have enough information.”

Ritter nodded, but Twilight continued. “Why would an argument make her run into the forest? That doesn’t make any sense.” Twilight made a noise, and stomped a hoof. “Ditzy was...strange, but even for her, that’s just ridiculous. She had a child for crying out loud! She loved Dinky with all her heart! She knew better than this! She was more responsible than this! Why would she do something so reckless?!”

Twilight realized she was shouting. Ritter listened quietly, until he was sure she was finished.

He shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

It had been a very long day for a very little filly.

She had to get up very early to go to school, since it was so far from the bakery. And school was pretty hard when all she could really think about was momma. She knew Ms. Cherilee had seen her not paying attention, but she hadn’t said anything. She probably felt bad for her.

She’d had an idea while walking back to Sugarcube Corner, and as soon as she got there she’d asked Aunt Pinkie how to make banana-nut raisin muffins, because those had been her momma’s favorite and maybe if they baked some she’d be able to smell them in the forest and find her way back.

Aunt Pinkie had looked kind of unsure at first, which was weird because Aunt Pinkie never looked unsure, but then she’d gotten really excited, and helped her bake muffins almost all night. She’d had to rush to get her homework finished, and it was splotched with flour and sugar and banana gunk now, but she was sure Ms. Cheerilee wouldn’t mind. She was pretty sure Ms. Cheerilee liked muffins too, although not as much as momma.

She’d placed a tray of muffins on the windowsill above her bed, and even though it was fall weather and too cold to keep a window open all night, Aunt Pinkie said it would be okay just this once, and gave her an extra blanket to wrap herself up in.

Dinky Doo curled up underneath her covers and and snuggled deeper into her bed, the smell of the bananas and bran wafting through her room.

It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.

The wind whistled through the streets, blowing dust and leaves alike along the cobblestone paths. It wasn’t long before the moon rose high enough to be seen, the silvery, luminous orb softly illuminating the streets of ponyville. It was beginning to get rather cold, and Dinky shivered just a bit in her covers.

“Good morning, my little muffin.”

Dinky’s eyes flew open. Outside her window, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the clouds, a gray pegasus with golden eyes and golden hair was smiling beatifically at her. Dinky, more awake than she’d ever been in her life, leapt from her bed, shrugging off covers and sheets and scrabbling over the windowsill and into her momma’s waiting hooves.

“MOMMA! YOU FOUND ME! I KNEW YOU’D COME BACK!” she cried, and buried her face in Ditzy’s golden mane. “Momma I missed you! I missed you so much! I....” her throat closed with wracking sobs, the little filly becoming very rapidly overwhelmed.

“Ssshh, it’s okay, it’s okay” Ditzy said, holding her close, and wiping a hoof over her eyes. “it’s alright, my little muffin, it’s alright. I found you. I’m so sorry I was gone.” Ditzy said, giving her daughter a tight hug. Dinky snuffled.“You’re my little muffin. I would never leave you.”

“What happened momma? Where did you go? I thought...I thought I’d never...” Dinky’s voice cracked again, and she hiccuped.

“I know, honey. I’m sorry. Momma was wrong to be gone so long. I’ll never leave you again.”, she said, kissing Dinky on the forehead once. “Never.”

“Never ever?”

“Never, ever.” Ditzy’s said, brushing a bit of her daughter's mane out of her face. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I found something in the forest, and it kept me there for a little while.” She frowned a little bit, her expression serious. “I need to go back soon, but... do you want to come with me? Come with your momma?”

Dinky cried out, nodding frantically. “Yes! Please momma, take me with you! Please don’t go again!”

Ditzy ruffled her hair, “That’s my little muffin. Come on, darling. I’ll introduce you to our new family.”

Suddenly Dinky didn’t sound so sure. Her face was crestfallen. “A new family?” She sucked in a breath. “But you’re my family, momma...”. Fresh tears boiled over, tracing lines down her cheeks.

“Oh, muffin.” Ditzy said, her face falling. She hugged her little one tight. “You’re my family too. Nothing could ever replace you.” Ditzy smiled, and blew a raspberry into Dinky’s neck, eliciting a reluctant giggle in between her tortured breaths. “That’s why I had to find my way back. But, I think you’ll like them as much as I do. They’re so smart and strong and nice. I just know they’ll love a brave little filly like you.”

Dinky sniffed, not quite convinced. Her momma planted another kiss on her forehead, and another on her cheek. “They don’t have to be our family unless you want, muffin, but I think you’ll like them.”

Dinky shuffled her hooves. They both stood there for a long, silent moment, while Ditzy stroked her daughter’s mane.

“I love you, muffin.” the gray pegasus finally said.

Dinky hiccuped, clinging to her tighter. “I love you too momma.”

Finally, the little filly seemed to make up her mind, wiping her eyes with one hoof. “I guess...I guess we can go...” she seemed a little reluctant still, and looked at Ditzy hesitantly. “Do you promise we’ll come back, momma?”

“I promise muffin,” she said, smiling. “We’ll come back.”

“Ritter!”

Ritter groaned, and turned over.

“RITTER!”

A single yellow eye opened, fixed on an animated purple blotch.

He groaned, and turned over again.

He felt hooves shake him. “RITTER! Dinky Doo has gone missing!”

He bolted upright.

Ritter, Twilight, Mayor Mare, the Cakes, and Ponyville’s only two Guardsponies, were gathered in the alleyway next to Sugarcube corner, outside of Ditzy Doo’s window. The guardsponies, having already inspected the scene and written their own report, kept watch on either entrance of the alley to keep out passers-by.

Not that there was much risk of that. It was extremely early. So early it was still dark, and the stars were only just starting to fade as the sun rose. There was hardly anyone on the streets at this hour, although that would soon change. Ritter was examining the ground while Twilight spoke with the Cakes, writing everything down on scrap parchment she’d brought with her. It was something she’d normally let her assistant take care of, but it was much too early for Spike to be awake.

“Sweetie-pie and I normally get up around 4AM, you see.” Mr. Cake said, an arm wrapped protectively around Mrs. Cake. “To get the ovens started and brew the coffee and get the store ready.”

“I go check on the twins while gummi-bear is taking his shower.” Mrs. Cake continued, putting her hoof over Mr. Cake’s. “I’ve been checking on Dinky too, lately, just because...well, it seemed like the right thing to do. When I went in to check, her covers were flipped off the bed and the window was open. At first I...well, I didn’t know what to think. But I couldn’t find her. So I told honey-bunch, and then the guard and...well. Here we are.”

“What about these muffins?” Ritter said, looking up from the dirt and cobblestones and motioning at the muffins scattered around the street.. Mrs. Cake looked up at Mr. Cake, still holding his hoof.

“She asked Pinkie to show her how to bake banana-nut raisin muffins last night. I think they were her mother’s favorite.”

Ritter nodded absently, and continued examining the cobblestones, and the windowsill.

Twilight coughed. “How was she doing? I mean, of course she wasn’t doing well. But was she getting...worse?”

Mrs. Cake shook her head. “The poor little dear. She was very brave, but her mother and her were very close. I think Ditzy was the only family she had. She was devastated, there’s no other way to say it, and it was getting worse.”

“It didn’t seem especially bad yesterday.” Mr. Cake volunteered. Twilight nodded, scribbling furiously.

“Well it sounds like the poor dear just got too homesick and couldn’t take it anymore.” Mayor Mare said, and gestured at the pastries on the ground. “The smell of those muffins all night must have just been too much.” she said, and wiped her glasses with her neckerchief. She perched them daintily on her nose again, and looked at the gryphon examining the cobbles. “Have you found anything telling, Mr. Hossenfeffer?”

“Please call me Ritter.” the gryphon said, pulling a glass vial from the satchel on his chest. It was filled with a black liquid. “None of you can pronounce my last name right. And there is nothing visible here. No sign of struggle, no scuffs from hooves scrabbling around. It looks like she left without being forced. Maybe.”

He poked a silver claw through the wax stopper, and dexterously broke the seal. “Don’t breathe this, please.” he said, and poured the contents of the glass over the windowsill.

Twilight, the Cakes and Mayor Mare stepped backwards while the gryphon held a rag over his nose. The black liquid flowed thickly and in clumps, like marmalade on a hot summer’s day, spreading over the whitewashed wood and dripping onto the pavement.

Where it struck the pavement stones, it sizzled violently and evaporated. Ritter nodded quickly and placed the vial back in his satchel.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, eyebrow raised.

“In the far north, there is a shrine called the Shrine of the Great Grey. I don’t really know much about it. It’s a graveyard in the middle of the waste. But, a very curious plant grows there, that withers in spring and flowers in winter, with black petals and black stem. I have heard it called magebane, because of how violently it reacts to magic. It can’t stand the stuff, and burns right up.” he said. He pointed to the cobbles. “Like you just saw. There’s been magic here.”

Twilight looked skeptical at first, eyebrow raised, but then stopped herself before she spoke. “Most magic doesn’t leave residue like that.” She looked thoughtful. “But some things that are inherently magical could leave behind a magic residue, like if a dragon left behind a scale, or the ashes of something burned with dragonfire. Or the hair of a monster, or something similar.”

Ritter nodded. “Ms. Sparkle is correct. There are no hairs, but something inherently magical has been here and left something behind.” he said, going to the flowerbox at the end of the street and pulling up a handful of dirt. “And she is also correct in observing that it’s almost certainly something naturally magical. A very apt choice of words. Something from that forest, almost certainly.”

He sprinkled the dirt over the remaining magebane extract, waiting for it to absorb into the dirt before wiping it off onto the street. The clods hit the ground and sizzled gently.

Mayor Mare coughed. “Erm, well. Are you...sure? I mean, we’ve never lost so many so quickly, but a foalnapping creature seems very odd.”

Ritter shook his head. “No, I’m not sure. But I think it’s time to investigate the forest.”

The Mayor’s eyes widened, but Ritter spoke before she could voice her doubts. “Yes, it is dangerous, but I’ll hardly be going in unprepared.”

He turned to Twilight. “Do you have anywhere I can mix herbs? A mortar and pestle will do, if that’s all that’s around.”

“My alchemy laboratory is capable of safely storing and handling RL5-level substances, and has facilities and space for three separate experiments at once. All-glass mixing equipment, 3000F rated calcinator and is licensed to store magical reagents.”

Ritter blinked.

“I like chemistry.” Twilight beamed.

“Clearly.” Ritter said, hiding a smile.

He turned to the rest of the ponies gathered and nodded. “Thank you, everyone. I think I’ve learned all I can here. I’m going to go prepare. Please, after you, Ms. Sparkle.”

And so they left.

Substances made from magical reagents were not known for their stability. Some could last days, others only hours. The substances that Ritter knew how to make weren’t always necessary for his job, but going into that nightmare forest, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

“What do you think left that residue?” Twilight said, carefully crushing the juice from round, strange plant into a beaker of clean alcohol. Black veins shot through the clear liquid as she crushed.

“I don’t know. That worries me.” Ritter said, stoppering a vial and placing it in his bag. “No hair, no scales, nothing to leave the residue really, nothing but leaves and dirt. Hm.” he paused. “Perhaps some kind of plant.” He shrugged. “Just blind guesses. I don’t plan on going very deep in the forest today.”

“You should see if Zecora is back, while you’re there. She may be able to provide some insight.” Twilight said, taking the black fluid she had just mixed and pouring a measure out into a mixing bowl, and then emptying a different bowl-full of red powder into it.

Ritter looked confused. “Are you saying she lives in the forest?”

Twilight nodded.

The confusion melted away, replaced by disbelief. “Why didn’t you mention this before! If she lives and survives in there, she must be aware of any kind of dramatic change in the area!”

“Because, like I just said, she’s been gone.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “She travels every now and then to visit friends and family. And gather rare ingredients.”

“She’s an alchemist?”

“Sort of.” Twilight finished mixing the bowl in front of her, and proceeded to place it in the calcinator and close the oven door. She turned on the fume hood attached to its top, and began to speak loudly over the droning noise of the venting fans. “She said she’d be gone for awhile last I saw her, and that was about...two and a half months ago. Right before Ditzy disappeared, actually.”

Ritter would have ground his teeth, if he had any. Instead he took a careful breath. “That seems a little coincidental, don’t you think?”

Twilight shook her head. “No.” She turned off the fume hood and pulled out the mixture, the substance now thoroughly charred and blackened. She put it on the table carefully and measured out a cup of water. “The timing is strange, but it’s very normal for her to take trips. She’s a good friend of mine. If she’d seen anything strange while she was leaving, I’m sure she’d have told me about it.”

“Well.” Ritter sat back in his chair, not quite mollified, and scratched his temple. “I suppose I’ll see if I can find her then. Do you have some kind of map?”

“There’s a path to her hut not far from Fluttershy’s cottage. I’ll show you the way.”

Ritter nodded. “If there’s a path, I should be able to find it. I wouldn’t recommend you go in the forest right now. I’m trained for this, and prepared. You’re not.”

Twilight gave him a disapproving look. “I may not look it, Mr. Hunter, but I am the Element of Magic. I’m pretty sure I can take care of myself.” she poured the water in, and began to mix violently.

Ritter looked hesitant. “I’m sure you can. I just, well. Let me investigate first, and we’ll both go in tomorrow. I believe you, but Princess Celestia would never forgive me if something happened to her favorite student.”

Twilight still look irritated, but she sighed and nodded her head. “All right, fine. This is done, by the way.” she passed him the bowl of finished reagent. “I don’t know what you want to use that for, but there it is. You couldn’t pay me to drink that. “

“That’s what I said at first. Then I got lost in a cave for a week and nearly died.” he carefully poured contents into a flask, which he placed in his satchel. “Being able to see in the dark is worth bleeding from your...well. The bleeding stops eventually.”

Twilight made a face.

“Oh, one more thing, Ms. Sparkle.”

“Hm?”

“If I’m not back by dark.” he said, putting the satchel around his neck. “Don’t come and find me. If I’m not back by noon tomorrow, send a letter to Celestia, telling her that the forest swallowed a hunter. She’ll likely want to investigate herself.”

Twilight showed him the way to Fluttershy’s cottage, and the small path behind it that led straight into the interior of the forest. They knocked at the cottage door, but Fluttershy wasn't in. Soon after that they parted ways, and Ritter descended into the woods.

At first the trees were thinly spaced, allowing room for the sun to shine through the canopy above, along with brief glimpses of the autumn sky and the clouds. Strangely, the cold wind that had been blowing since he’d gotten to Ponyville was still blowing, even though by all rights it should have been broken or banked by the trees all around him.

Soon, the evergreens grew thick enough that one could no longer see the sun or the sky, and he was plunged into the strange, green-tinted twilight of the deep forest. It was colder than he expected, for the month, but not unpleasantly so. He took a breath. It smelled like fresh earth, like pine and dust and water.

It was utterly silent, except for the wind, and his footsteps.

“Where are the birds?” he said to himself.

It took him an hour to get to Zecora’s hut, following the directions that Twilight had given him, following the trail when he found it, and going by landmarks when it disappeared. He passed a great log, twice as tall as him, covered with moss and rotten with teeming insects that swarmed over and through it. A great, stone statue, bleached by sun and green with ivy, lay broken and toppled next to a stream. He couldn’t tell who it was of, but he could see a crown, and a horn.

Eventually, he found Zecora’s hut standing alone in a clearing, a solitary structure amid a strange absence of trees. A small pool of clear water lay next to it. No smoke poured from the thatch roof.

He tried the door. It was locked. He considered breaking it down, but relented. He didn’t have any way to close it up again if he forced it, and he would likely ruin the structure with animals and weather if he didn’t stop to fix it. He walked around the structure and looked in the window.

It was very dark, and he couldn't see much inside. He rapped the window.

No movement, no sound. She wasn't home. Or didn't want to see him.

Ritter took a step back, and scanned the clearing. Nothing out of place, as far as he could see.

He investigated anyway. He was about to give up and search elsewhere, when a flash of red caught his eye. Past the clearing, in the brush, waving in the wind.

As he got closer, he could make it out. It was a flower, but as he got closer, his heart stuck in his chest.

“Confirm before you panic, you fool.” he said, slipping around a gnarled root and kneeling down to get a better look at it.

He calmed slightly. The hue was too pink, the stamen not true gold. It was Culve Animus Vulgaris. Common desire. A much less potent cousin of the famed True Desire, Culve Animus Nobilis, commonly called Heart’s Desire. It was what happened when Heart’s Desire did not have an incredible store of magic to devour when growing. They grew, as did all forms of Heart’s Desire, when a parent plant granted a wish, and scattered its seeds on the wind.

He’d heard it could grow here, but he didn’t think he’d ever see one.

He saw another one, a little farther into the wood. He felt his blood chilling, but he forced himself to stand, and examine this one too.

“Vulgaris.” he said to himself. “But two? That can’t be right.”

He saw another two, not thirty steps deeper into the wood.

He kept walking until he could count twenty of them, and then forty, and then a hundred. Soon the ground was covered in them. The trees themselves, evergreens every one, were streaked with red, the flowers growing up them like ivy, their leaves shining like rubies in sunlight. The air was thick with pollen, the haze making it difficult to breathe. The forest floor writhed with the flowers, moving and waving in the air, and everything was red with flowers and magic.

“By the Twin Talons.” Ritter said. His eyes were wide.

He ran away, as quickly as he could, back through the Everfree.

Author's Note

Still looking for reviewers and editors. This should be the second-to-last chapter. There will be an epilogue.