Soul Fire

Amber looked up to the moonlight as she walked through the Everfree forest. The beauty of that soft light never seemed to phase her from feeling enlightened and somewhat bright despite her low mood. She sighed as she opened up, scanning the atmosphere, which was surprisingly devoid of any and all energies bearing malicious intent anywhere around her. It seemed too quiet, but she had still decided to continue walking towards where her animal friends were. She could tell where they were based upon her senses, like how the timber-wolves, squirrels, rabbits, cougars, bobcats, panthers, wolves, birds, deer, eagles, and every critter around her that ever been friends with her, including a few snakes or two, were all gathered in safety. Walking into the moonlit grass of the meadow, she could feel their energy on the fringes, so she knew that they were there, even though no pony besides her had ever stepped into the grass of this hidden meadow. Amber looked around to see her friends, each group clamoring in a different corner of the meadow; each species in their own group. It was like this so that they would try not to bug each other, even though the foxes were nipping at the rabbits into a fearful frenzy a little bit, or how the timber wolves were howling at the moon as the birds screeched at their noise in disapproval.

She laughed; at least she could still laugh despite how scared she was, and at least she could still enjoy herself amongst friends, and enjoy their company and companionship. Amber stopped in the midst of the wildflowers of the meadow and looked to the rabbits, who ran at the moment of her first step towards them.  Why were they running from her? This had never happened before, ever. She looked to the Timberwolves who just growled at her, looking as if they were at the ready to bite her and tear her into shreds. As she looked to the birds, the flock took off and flew up into higher trees, ignoring her very presence. She found herself looking all over the meadow, in the trees, in the brush, amongst the grass, and in the wildflowers, all to see if she could find if any of her friends would spend some time with her, but for some reason they all ignored her.

They all shunned her, and she knew why. It was because she wasn't the same anymore. They didn't know her or her energy. Did she really change so much from the determined proud and stand tall pony she used to be? Was she really so weak and meek to long to be able to depend on somepony for once, and yet to still be so stubborn as to not want to depend on somepony? Even though she needed to simply feel something of comfort for once. When she had in the past time let them depend on her, and then thereafter had asked for the same in return, and yet none of them did anything. She guessed that some of her friends actually weren't her friends anymore. She had changed too much. They didn't know who she had become, or that she finally had broken some of her walls. She had finally had let a bridge of trust be built to where she felt that she could finally relax and be selfish in asking for something for once. They apparently didn’t... and never wanted to give her that.

Amber walked through the small stream that weaved through the meadow’s green damp grass caused by the currently melting snow. Large patches of grass and snow covered the now empty meadow. Only a solitary apple tree stood by the stream of the meadow. Just as Amber reached the base of the trunk, she slouched and ka-plunked down onto the grass. As silent as the tears that fell on her face, Amber remained still and quiet while she  tried to regain that stone exterior that she once had. Meanwhile in the background, a select three walked out of the forest brush and into the edge of the meadow that all the animals had left. The only three that came towards her were the wolves. She looked up, wiping her tears with her hoof. The white wolf walked up to her and licked her tears that had not been wiped away. Amber was almost in a state of shock. She had never thought that she had made friends that would stay by her despite how weak she was. She laughed a little as the white wolf made a face at her salty bitter tears. The reddish brown one growled at her a little, as the other darker brown one nibbled at her tail a little bit.

She burst out laughing and smiled as the tears began to fall anew from feeling so blessed and undeserving; she had never had any friends like these before. She froze at the thought of losing them. These were her true friends where no matter what you were still considered to be a member of the family or in this case, of the pack. Amber broke apart in that moment and truly cried. Something that she hadn’t done in a while, and something that she needed to do more often just to relieve the pressure of her own conflictions. Meanwhile, without realizing it, the bandages were soon removed by the wolves. She could feel the warm wet tongues of the wolves who cared for her as they licked her wounds clean. Wolves’ saliva carried an antiseptic that assisted in healing. They were caring for her, and wanted her to get better. Even the reddish brown one who growled at her also licked her wounds as she continued to cry.

She wasn't crying because she felt like she had lost some of her friends or because she couldn't bottle it in anymore, although that was a factor, but because she didn't know that she had such good friends who would still stay by her even if she was crying and weak. She was crying from happiness. She had no idea, and through all of her senses and knowledge, she still didn't know anything really, and that alone made her feel vulnerable, made her feel scared. She didn't know what was going to happen and she was terrified in that moment. Scared of the unknown. If it weren't for her good friends, to keep her holding onto that rope that she desperately clung to. So long as she knew that she had good friends, and could spend time with those friends, and feel that comfort she felt that she didn’t have to live fighting. She was terrified of the unknown and of losing herself down the chasm she could fall into, but that's what being brave is. It’s facing what makes you scared. She realized that she could live alive, and not just live fighting.

She stopped herself for a moment. Luna, she did nothing but go around in circles. She always had to remind herself of each and every lesson she learned, some days more than others. Was it all for not? Was she forever trapped in this recurring circle? Would she ever be free? She didn’t know. She wished like hell that she did know how, but she didn’t. She didn’t know the answer, but did she really need to right now? Well, yes she did, but certain answers are meant to come when they came too. Maybe she just needed to roll with the punches until she found those answers. Maybe I don’t know doesn’t mean that you have given up. It just means that you haven’t found the right answers. She may still be conflicted, figuring things out, in that same cycle, and in pain, but it didn’t mean that even though her spirit slumped that she had given up. She wasn’t going to let herself. She was going to keep pushing herself and moving forward.

Looking down, her tears had dried up. Her composure was back, for how long she didn’t know. She knew that it would hit her again and that she would have to lift herself up again as if she was fighting to stand in the high waves of the shifting tides of the sea in Pony Edward Island, Vanhoover, or Manehatten. Her face was clean, the once salty drying tears licked away by her true animal friends. Leaning against the trunk of the apple tree, she looked up to the moon, like she had before entering the meadow. Feeling better than once she had, despite everything else, she realized probably for the thousandth time that then again, even without these good friends, she was never truly alone. Even without good friends, she would still lift herself up and keep her feet moving.

Through the dark trees of the Everfree forest and into the fog where the cracked stonewalls of the ruins lay, a malevolent force resided, plotting for another chance at grabbing hold of Equestria and all that lay within it. Seen only by the stars that lit up the rooms and halls via the holes in the cracked and broken ceiling, as piece by piece each shifting grain of stone broke away from the ruined unintended skylights.

“We have them now,” laughed Sombre. “I didn't expect for them to be so strong, or for the Captain to have taken out so many of us. We may have been hit harder than expected, but don’t worry. I will have a plan that will grant us our powers and reclaim our land. We have also impacted our enemy greatly as well. If we hurry, we can strike while they’re still healing. We should hit them again harder and not stop until they fall apart. What say you, my daemons?”

Howls, screeches, growls, screams, yips, and cries filled the clear starlit sky, as the melting snow bled, glistening water drops with a twinkle that added to the sparkle of the stars in the sky.

“We have our required warriors ready. Do you who are chosen have enough energy to take on this task?” Sombre turned away from the ballroom audience and to the five obake standing behind him. They stated their response by bowing to him while keeping their eyes on him, to show that they were warriors who did not trust anyone and that they would keep their eye on every possible opponent. He knew they were ready, for they even considered him to be a possible threat or they would not have the courage to dare look him in the eye.

He chuckled, “Good. Then we should have our prey, and they will not be able to keep our bloodlust from devouring them, because we are strong and we are numerous. And that weak and petty love will not save them. Not when we can put fear into their hearts and make them doubt themselves and each other. We will prevail, and we will take all of Equestria.”

Sombre laughed as his minions wailed sounds of defiance and victory as the new battle was soon to be declared. So long as their prey kept pushing themselves apart, the better that Sombre could make them fear themselves and in turn break them. The trees rustled and moved through the glimpse of the broken stain glass windows as if terrified by every spirit that had stepped upon the ruins. The energy that they had kept in had fully emanated into every corner and crack in the dark damp stonewalls during that final battle cry. In order to not show that they become stronger after the last battle, they had held and sealed in their strength. The spell placed on the remaining walls kept their power in check as they celebrated so as to continue holding their soon to be realized secret. Everything in its wake moved in that ballroom as the energy grew, making even the earth beneath them tremble.

Looking to the moon, Sombre laughed and chuckled as he called out, “Luna. You shall not prevail this time, my sweet night-light. You shall not prevail. I will take it all over and you will not be able to do a thing. And the best thing is that I shall do it, for now we go to Canterlot and we shall kill everypony starting with your sister.” The moon was, for that night, showing it's glow throughout the forest. The moon was illuminating the darkness around Sombre and his minions as if in defiance, as if in doubt that he would be able to succeed. Most certainly not when there are ponies who continue to fight fear. The night was cold and silent and she waited for things to balance themselves out as the battle continued.