Chapter 4 - Forest

Twilight trudged through the Everfree forest, following the light of her brother's illumination spell. The early night had caused their journey to become much more difficult than they had originally expected. Even though the risen moon created some light for the outside world, the forest canopy ruined any chances of a reprieve. Though some small rays of moonlight had managed to slip by the canopies radar unchecked, they did little to ease the strain on Twilight's eyes.

Twilight was unsure of how long it had been since they had started their trek, she was certain it had to have been close to an hour, if not more. They had to be traveling somewhere, but as to where, she had yet to be told.

The cold darkness that flooded the forest, was only further enforced, by a bone chilling breeze, that had somehow managed to slither its way through the densely packed trees. The light purple aura that guided Twilight's trusting gaze, did little to support her uninformed hooves. She found it difficult to traverse the forest floor, finding thick mud, and stray tree roots.

Another breeze blew through the petrified forest, rustling the overhead leaves. Twilight hadn't noticed how quiet the journey truly had been. She suspected that during the night, the Everfree Forest would come alive, from its dead state it resided in during the day. This suspicion being refuted quickly, by the complete silence of the overwatching trees, and motionless bushes.

Twilight heard thunder off in the distance, directly in their path of travel. Looking up, she noticed that the subtle rays of lunar light, were growing fewer in number, and dimmer with each passing minute.

Twilight's eye reflexively closed, as a single drop of water fell onto her eyelid. She stopped mid step, and felt another drop of water contact her right hip. Sudden realization overtook her, and she galloped ahead to her lighting guide's side.

She found it even more difficult to gallop through the immense darkness, fumbling over rocks, roots, and dense mud. She nearly tripped, stepping into a deep puddle. It took only moments, but it felt like an hour long struggle. She stepped up beside Shining, not once ripping her eyes from his revealing light. "I think it's starting to rain." Twilight looked up to the sky. "When are we going to get to...wherever it is we're going?"

Twilight finally focused her eyes on his face, trying again, to read for any signs of inner emotions. Shining's face remained mostly the same, except his eyes looked tired, and they seemed darker than usual. Whether it was due to the recent events, or just the light's angle, she was unsure. The corners of his mouth were dropped into a slight frown. His face wreaked of exhaustion. Twilight was certain.

"Hey...are you...are you okay?"

Shining must have been lost in thought. A drop of rain fell directly onto the center of his nose. Shining's eyes widened quickly, before focusing on the sudden intruder. He closed his eyes, and shook his head violently. "Uhhhh...oh, hey Twi. What did you say?"

Twilight only grew worried about her brother's lack of concentration. "I asked if you were okay."

"Oh, umm...yeah. Just a little tired."

Twilight squinted at him, showing him that the answer was not very satisfying.

"I'm just...it's just...ugh there's a lot on my mind right now."

Twilight tripped over another stray tree root, but was righted by Shining's hoof.

"Hehehe...um...thanks." Twilight said sheepishly, as they continued their never ending travels.

"You should really pay attention to where you're stepping."

"Yea I know, it's just that your light only shows so much."

"Why aren't you using your own illumination spell?"

Twilight stopped. Why aren't I using my own illumination? "I guess I just never thought about it."

Twilight lit her horn, now several feet behind the safety of Shining's light. A purple glow painted over every rock, root, blade of grass, leaf, and tree, within about five feet of her horn. Twilight chose to close the distance on her brother, and picked up into a trot.

Thunder shook the sky once again, and more droplets began to fall from the canopy. The sound of rain was becoming more and more audible from the forest canopy. It was obvious that a storm was brewing, and they were walking directly into it.

Twilight continued to follow Shining through the forest. Thankful of her own illumination, she found it easier to traverse the blackened forest. The sound of rain colliding with the forest canopy grew to an almost deafening volume. Light began flashing through the forest at random, casting various shadows, while sending light, to charge in all directions. Twilight shielded her eyes with a hoof from the rays, trying to spare her eyes from the pain of sudden lighting changes.

The canopy began to feel the weight of the constant onslaught of water, and had to release most of it to the underlying earth. Twilight gasped as the occasional, little droplets of rain water, suddenly became a viscous torrent, that instantly soaked her fur. She quickly forced more magic into her horn, and created a body length magical umbrella. She looked to see if she was still following Shining's path, and saw that he had done the same. A quick gust of wind pushed the rain to an angle, allowing some to slip under the umbrella, and hit Twilight's hooves, as well as chilling her to the bone.

Another flash of lightning, and roar of thunder, pushed Twilight's patience to its limit. Once again she galloped up to her brother's side, but was careful this time, to watch where she stepped.

"Shining, where are we going, and how much longer will it be until we get there?!"

"Calm down. Discord is up ahead scouting, and clearing a path. Once we're close enou-"

Shining was cut off by a bright white flash directly in their path. "There you two are! I was wondering when I'd finds you. We aren't that far away, only about another five miles or so." Discord stated, wearing a rain coat, and holding a matching yellow umbrella over his head.

Twilight stopped trudging, followed by Shining Armor. "Five miles?! That will take another hour! Can't you teleport us to...wherever it is?"

"Relax, Twilight of course I can, and we're going to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters."

Before Twilight could respond, Discord snapped his fingers. Twilight was slightly more prepared for it this time, unlike her previous, life rescuing teleport. She felt the warm pricks of the magic wash over her, followed by the sensation of her body being stretched and squeezed. An audible 'pop' sounded through the air, as the spell finished. Twilight looked around, and found herself in the center of a field. She wasn't certain where exactly she was standing, but confirmed it was a field, by a flash of lightning, that gave light to a field full of tall grass and weeds. To her left was Shining, and Discord was still in front of them.

Shining began to walk off, followed by Discord. Twilight chose to wait and see where exactly they were walking. Her doubts soon faded away, as another strike of lightning struck the earth. Twilight was quick to notice a dilapidated castle off towards the edge of the same field they were in. She began to follow Discord towards the castle, but stopped as a weird sensation came over her body.

The fur on her face and fore hooves stood on end, followed by the sensation of static electricity filling her body. Without a split second to react, a bright flash absorbed all of Twilight's vision. She screamed at the sheer amount of pain the extreme brightness had caused her eyes. The earth in front of her quickly exploded, sending her flying onto her back. She landed, wincing, as her wings were crushed awkwardly under her body. A massive boom soared through the resounding area, consuming all silence in its path.

Twilight groaned, opening her eyes. She was unable to see clearly, as the blur of light still burned her eyes.

"Twilight!" Shining yelled from some distance away. She could hear quickened hooves, heading for her from the sound of his voice. "Are you okay?!" Shining asked, standing right next to her.

"Y-yea. What w-was that?"

"Twilight," she could hear Discord say, "you were almost struck by lightning."

"Here, lets get you back on your hooves." Shining said, grabbing his sister's fore hooves, and helping her up.

Once Twilight was upright, she took a step back toward the castle, but found her hooves shaky, and legs wobbly and uncertain.

"Are you okay to walk?" Shining asked, concern finally altering his expressions.

"I-I-I don't know. I should be fine after a moment."

"Okay...well," Discord spoke up sitting down in the grass, "we could just wait here for a few moments."

"Sounds good to me." Shining remarked, casting a large barrier over their heads, protecting them from the relentless rain, or any more close calls of deadly lightning.

Twilight sighed, and sat down into the soaking wet tall grass. She looked behind her, and all around. The field appeared to be much larger than she had originally inspected. As flashes of electricity flew throughout the sky, the surrounding landscape was revealed.

The field they sat in, appeared to stretch on and on in the opposite direction of the castle, occupied by endless stalks of tall grass, that swayed violently in the breeze of the storm. Off to their left, was the edge of what looked like the Everfree Forest. Directly in front of that was a rather out-of-place mountain. The face of the mountain facing the field, was a straight cliff. The top of the mountain seemed to also be covered in tall grass.

Twilight's eyes continued to survey the field for as far as she could see through the random fits of illumination. She was shocked to find a tree, that she had not seen before. It sat atop one of the rolling hills of the fields. The tree seemed rather unnerving, considering it was the only tree in the field for what seemed like over a mile.

A slight gasp escaped through Twilight's lips, as an extremely violent bolt of lightning slammed down through the sky, and punctured the tree, splitting it cleanly in half. The resulting clap of thunder was monstrously deep, and prolonged. Another bolt of lightning broke down through the sky, and punched down into the ground at the tip of the cliff.

The resulting thunder was nowhere nearly as intense as the one that struck the tree, but it was just as lasting. Another cold breeze, blew through the fields and collided with Twilight's fur, eliciting shivers from deep within her body.

"M-m-maybe we sh-should go to the c-castle now?" Twilight barely whispered through chattering teeth.

"Y-yea...okay let's g-go." Shining answered, standing up, and recasting his barrier.

Discord nodded, standing as well, and began to float away toward the castle. Shining waited for Twilight to stand as well, before they continued off on their journey, albeit slower than before.

They approached the doors of the castle, drenched in rain, and chilled beyond numbness. The rain fell heavy from the sky pelting Twilight with ever intensifying, ice cold droplets. Brushing her mane off of her face with a hoof, she gawked at the sight of the decaying structure.

The gigantic wooden doors, that separated the safety inside, from the unforgiving environment outside, were warped, and splintered on the surface. The once, well recognized banner of the two regal sisters, that was embedded in the surface of the two doors, was worn to an almost unrecognizable state.

Twilight remembered visiting the castle many times before, but never remembered the doors being in this state of disrepair. Looking further up, she brightened her illumination spell so she could see. The edges of the wooden barriers were split, and in some places, large chunks of the doors were missing.

She was unable to see much further. She didn't have the energy to make the illumination any brighter. She looked back down, to see shining approach the right door, and tap a rhythm on the door's surface.

To Twilight's surprise, a response rhythm sounded from the other side of the door. Followed by three evenly spaced taps from shining. The door was quickly wrapped in a light blue magical aura. The door creaked and shuttered as it moaned to life, and swung inward. The door stopped only slightly ajar. Light spilled out from the inside of the castle, followed by the sound of hushed voices.

Twilight stood still, looking through the torrent of rain, to find any sign of who, or what was inside. Twilight felt her body relax, and Princess Cadence's head peeked around the gap in the doors.

Twilight watched as Cadence's eyes soared through the group, passing over Shining, herself, and Discord. Cadence gasped, and her eyes quickly shot from Discord, back to Twilight.

Cadence felt her heart flutter and sink at the same time. Twilight looked downright horrible. Her fur was soaked and matted, and her mane and tail drooped, and clung to her body. Her eyelids were only barely open, and what little Cadence could see of Twilight's eyes, was bloodshot. Her body was visibly shaking, and Cadence wasn't even sure how she was still standing.

Twilight didn't have a second to react, before Cadence pounced on her, hugging her with what felt like the strength of ten manticore. Cadence didn't say a word, and she picked up Twilight in a magical grip, and quickly made her way inside, followed by Shining armor, and finally Discord, who closed the door behind him, shutting out the misery of the night.

Author's Note

At long last. Here it is! The next chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to get out, but I had some real life issues that were higher up on my priority list. I honestly do apologize though for the almost two week long wait.

As promised though, I am trying really hard, to add a lot more description, and feeling to my chapters as I upload them, as well as longer chapters, that some of you have asked for. You know who you are ;). Perhaps this one had too much? Meh...It's done. Sadly to say, well not so much, you will all have to wait around just as long for the next chapter, because I will be putting all of my effort into a story medical emergency.

If you haven't read it yet, Romance Of The Seven Hearts, is the story of a very good fimfiction friend of mine. I'm going to be helping him overhaul his story. As soon as it is finished, I will let all three of you readers know, and suggest you check it out. You can check it out now if you wish.

Anywho, I worked on this chapter for quite some time on and off. I hope you all enjoyed what I composed on your computer screens!

Thanks for reading,
BattleMaestro