Strange Flora

Briar's ears perked as he sat on soggy grass covered bank. A sound beyond the idle chirp of crickets and croak of frogs was just barely audible. Curious, Briar listened intently. The sound came again but no less faint than the last time. He looked around at his surroundings. The nearest muddy island into the bog was less than six feet away. Even with his injuries, Briar felt confident he could make it. He scooted forward to the waters edge, looking at the pony skeletons and swallowing his fear.

He backed up to the mouth of the cave to get a running start and leaped to the island, he kept his injured hoof close to his chest. He landed sloppily, his legs starting to crumble underneath him and throw him into a roll forward. The roll ended with Briar on his back non to pleased at now being covered in mud.

The mud seeped into the shallow gashes and scratches that squeezing into the cave's cranny had created. The pain was a fresh reminder that he was hardly in the shape to be adventuring out into an unknown bog. Briar shook his head and sat upright on his haunches. He waited for the sound again. A few seconds passed and the sound reached his ears again. It was easier to recognize now. He wasn't sure what was being said, but he now realized it was Heartstrings.

In a fit of panic and worry Briar took to his hooves and made another jump to a nearby knoll. The concerned stallion continued jumping, each time failing to stick the landing properly. As he leaped through the bog he only stopped to listen and try to determine the direction of his companion.

In a brief moment of triumph Briar's hooves finally managed to land without slipping in the mud or getting stuck in the grass and falling forward onto his face. He was now on an island with a tree on it. The roots crawled over the edges of the grass and mud, sinking themselves into the bog. He took a few deep breaths. Lyra's voice was clear now, not only could he make out what she was saying, but she sounded very close.

“If I ever get out of this I'm going to see you banished!” she screamed, though at what Briar couldn't tell.

“That's the best part though isn't it? You wont get out of this. Even now you're still sinking. You're barely keeping your head above the rotten waters that flow through this place,” a mysterious voice Briar had never heard before spoke with malice and satisfaction.

Briar peaked his head around the trunk of the tree, spying a glowing ball of silver fire floating above a particularly large patch of grass sitting just above the water level. The ball of flame seemed to have a mouth permanently affixed in a smug and cruel smile. Briar ducked back behind his tree. He hadn't seen Lyra. He placed his good front hoof over his heart in his chest. It was thumping like a drum, but out of rhythm. He shook his head and peaked back around the corner.

Lyra's face was tilted skyward, barely above water. Her ears seemed to be the only thing not close to disappearing under the water completely. Her eyes were filled with anger and fear. It was clear by the discoloration still visible just under them that she had been crying. Her breathing was getting out of control as she started to gasp for oxygen trying to stave off the water that seemed to be rising around her.

Briar looked at himself one last time, then examined the gap between his current position and the island the silver flame was floating over. It was only twelve feet away. With enough of a running start he could have made it if he had all his legs, now though there was no chance.

“Please Celestia, let me make this jump.” He prayed quietly against the tree.

“Let me be of assistance dear.” A soft feminine voice came from overhead. Briar looked up, his horn glowing brightly. The tall tree that stretched upward to the canopy was offering its assistance. She sounded old and wise, but kind.

Thick muddy and gnarled roots rose from the bog creating a bridge between the two small landmasses. Briar cried a small tear of joy and walked out onto the bridge whispering a word of thanks to the tree as he crossed briskly.

“Briar!” a yelp of excitement and happiness escaped Lyra's mouth as the last of the sea-foam green pony disappeared under the water.

“Twilight, don't you think you should be resting?” Nurse Redheart fretted. Twilight stood next to the window in her hospital room. Her entire flank was drenched in sweat and colored sickly green. Her legs shook not wanting to hold her weight. Twilight's eyes were filled to the brim with the sadness of the setting sun.

“I'm worried, you know? Neither of those ponies have ever been to Zecora's. Plus, Briar seemed particularly scared when he left. I hope they're alright.” Twilight managed to walk back to her bed with Redheart's help.

“I don't really think it'll be a problem. Heartstrings is pretty smart, and Zecora's isn't that far in. They're probably already on their way back with the good news right now.” Redheart made an attempt to comfort her, but they both knew it was unlikely that a cure was that simple.

Twilight gave a loud wheezing cough that nearly knocked her out of her bed. Redheart quickly rushed to put Twilight's head gently against the pillow and stick a thermometer in her mouth. A cold towel was placed on her head a few moments later to cool her down. Twilight slowly closed her eyes for some much needed rest.

It was Redheart's turn to look out the window with a worried look. She feared the worst even if she outwardly was hoping for the best. Her patients were getting sicker, and the hospital was full, yet there were still ponies who needed to be seen. For now her colleagues were attending to them. Redheart heaved a heavy sigh as she passed through the door to Twilight's room, closing it behind her as she left.

She walked down the white halls of the hospital to the filly's section. Seeing children usually made her happier, and right now she could use the mood booster. As she entered the wing, her mood became even more bitter and down, realizing that many of the fillies had been affected as well.

Pip, one of the younger colts got her attention by tugging gently on one of her front hooves. “Nurse Redheart, are you ok?” His question was innocent and filled with genuine concern. Redheart knew that if she was going to help people get better, she would have to have outward positivity, otherwise everypony would give up hope. She put on a smile and looked down at the white and brown spotted colt.

“Of course Pip. Everything is going to be fine.” She spent the next hour playing with the various younger ponies, helping them forget that some of them were dying. The time couldn't pass fast enough though, as everyone waited desperately for whatever miracle Heartstrings and Briar would bring back.

Briar panicked as Lyra vanished under the water. He charged the flame still limping. The flame danced out of the way and laughed at him. “Do you know how much of a bother you are. All my fun is ruined. You've given her hope. And now, I'm going to burn you to a crisp,” the flame's words were a hate filled spew of anger. They were quickly followed with a blast of silver flame.

Briar quickly ducked to avoid the jet of fire, only barely moving out of the way in time. His mane nearly caught fire as the jet flew off into the water not too far from where Lyra was holding her breath. The water boiled instantly and started to steam. Quickly mixing with the rest of the bog, the spot cooled down.

Another jet of flame came at him, and Briar rolled to the side as best he could. Without his fourth hoof, he couldn't readily jump to dodge. He scrambled to his hooves and made his way back to the bridge of roots. He backed out to the middle of it slowly. He misplaced a hoof and looked behind himself quickly, placing his hoof back on the bridge. The flame closed in on him out near the center of the bridge itself. Briar smiled, letting his back end slip off of the roots and into the swamp. The water splashed up into the air, quickly extinguishing the Will-o-wisp.

Briar used his forelegs to pull himself back onto the bridge of roots and quickly rush over to where bubbles were popping on the surface of the water. He tried reaching a hoof out into the water, but Lyra wasn't reaching back, and he couldn't reach her on his own. He scooted his front half out into the water, diving it below the surface, his hind legs and pelvic region flat against the ground. He wrapped his front hooves around Lyra's neck tugging as hard as he could. His hind legs sunk into the mud of the knoll and his back half shifted an inch closer to the water as he tried to pull both Lyra and his upper body to the surface.

Forced to come up for air Briar gasped loudly before diving his front half back in. The muddy water stung his eyes as he opened them to take a look around. The blurred environment barely let him see the mud built up around Lyra's body. Taking a moment to figure out what was going on, he realized he would have to dig her out.

His hooves desperately pushed the mud from around her chest and body. For every scoop he managed to push away another seemed to fill its place as mud shifted over and over again undoing the work he had done and stopping him from making progress.

Briar's horn began to glow brilliantly. “Hold still young one,” the soft and feminine voice of the tree echoed in his head. Roots wrapped around his stomach and chest, as well as digging into the mud around Lyra. In surprise Briar inhaled the pungent water.

Set upon the shore Briar coughed up the vile water and his mane sopped into his eyes..

“Hurry young one. I have no breath to give her,” the tree spoke again.

Briar stumbled over to Lyra's limp body in the mud, still choking out his own water he was barely able to hold himself up next to her as he pried open her mouth, and placed his mouth over hers, giving her the air he had just barely collected for himself. He removed his mouth to take another breath, but before he went to give it to her again, Lyra began coughing up the water she had inhaled moments before.

Lyra was thrown into a coughing fit, as mud water, and bog weeds ejected from her throat and mouth, out onto the muddy slop she had been placed on. After a few moments of heaving, she looked herself over, still mid coughing fit. Everything seemed to be in tact. She flopped over onto her back, her eye lids heavy.

As soon as Lyra closed her eyelids, she felt a wet weight on her chest. She opened her eyes in surprise as Briar wrapped his hooves around her in embrace. She offered a smile to the canopy above them, and returned the hug. The hug felt minutes long but neither pony seemed to care. Once it was over and they separated Lyra was the first to speak.

“Where were you?” she asked concerned as well as upset.

“I fell into a hole, I called for help but you didn't hear me I guess,” he gave his response regretfully.

“I'm sorry. I guess I didn't notice. The Will-o-wisp took your place, and pretended to be you. I should have noticed though. He never even used my name, or made any sort of mention of anything personal. He just agreed with whatever I said, or left me to make up the details.” Lyra let out a long sigh of disappointment.

“How'd you end up here?” Briar asked hesitantly.

“He lead me here to kill me. You?” She looked up at him inquisitively.

“The hole I fell into left me in some cave. The entrance happened to be on the other side of the bog.” He looked down at his hooves and started examining himself.

“Are you ok?” Lyra already seemed to be making a quick recovery despite her brush with death only moments before.

“I split my head, tore my hoof, gouged my belly, and was nearly set ablaze.” He rose to his hooves, pulling the injured one in close to his chest and shook himself off. “All of that considered, I think I'll be ok. Are you going to be alright?” For once Briar was going to try to play the tough stallion. He didn't want to mention that there was a giant snake that nearly ate him. “We'd be trashed and dead right now if not for this tree.” He said placing his hoof softly back on the wooden bridge.”

“Yeah I'll be alright. Neither of us are faring as bad as those back home. Let's just find Zecora's and get out of here.” Lyra turned towards where the light had been before and froze in terror. The light was gone.

Briar's voice finally brought her back from her daze. “Lyra, Lyra, Lyra you ok? You there?” She shook her head tears starting to form in her eyes.

“I just realized.,” she sniffled a few times. "We're completely lost," her voice cracked as tears started streaming from her eyes. She collapsed to the ground sobbing. Briar sat down on his hind quarters next to her and gently patted her mane.

“It's ok, let's just rest here for a bit. We'll find our way in the morning ok?” Briar said as he looked around. Little more than the light of dusk was left. The two ponies scooted close to each other for warmth and lay down against the mushy grass.