Chapters The White Leaf in the Forest
Venturing Down a Dangerous Road
A purple pegasus named Azure Evening lived in a small house down on the ground unlike most pegasi. Her father Blue Stream and her mother Flower Bed thought it was best to start their life as a family on the ground where all the life was.
They had a daily routine. In the morning, Azure's mother would go out and water her plants while her father got ready for work. Then she would come back in and double check if he had everything. Of course he always would; his hat to keep him from getting too hot, his work uniform, lunch, books just in case he had some time to read, and his work boots. Blue Stream's job is to build houses and buildings for the ponies that need to use them for whatever it is they use them for whether it be living in or selling cupcakes.
After Blue Stream would leave, Flower Bed would wake her daughter for school then get ready for her work. She made sure that the clouds were just right so that plants and crops wouldn't get flooded or not get enough water. Azure's job was to, well go to school of course.
She would earn allowance based on how well she did in class. It was 1-5 bits and if it was a special day it would go all the way to 10. Her family would receive 30 bits total for how much work they do. Azure would walk to school alone. She didn't have many friends, and the friends she did have she wouldn't interact with very often, in fact it seemed as if she talked to them only once a day. She didn't really mind not having friends; she would always go under the shade of a tree during recess and read. She would always stop by Twilight's library and borrow a book to take to school. During class, she would doodle on a piece of paper. She would get bits and pieces of what the teacher would say and put them together and guess what she was talking about. She was correct every time.
When she went home she would take a long route by stop at Sugar Cube Corner to buy a cupcake with one of her bits. Pinkie Pie would always make her laugh before she left. It was different every time.
When she would get home, she would be alone for a few hours so she would enjoy playing in the garden and reading books. Her mother would usually find her leaning against a tree with a book flopped over at her side while she was sleeping peacefully. Flower Bed would always take her inside, lay her on a bed, and set the book down on a bed side table. Blue Stream would come back home about an hour or so later and they would have dinner.
After that, Azure Evening would be tucked in bed by her father and read to by her mother. The process would repeat every day. A very ordinary family, but all ordinary things become very out of ordinary in only just a matter of time.
Azure woke up in her bed. "Azure, Azure it's time to wake up. School will be starting soon," Flower Bed whispered. Azure lifted up her covers. She stumbled off her bed and down the wooden stairs to the dining room. A piece of bread with jelly spread over it sat on a plate. It wasn't much, but who said that they were the richest? Azure picked up the toast and ate it carefully so she wouldn't drop any crumbs somewhere other than the plate. "You got everything Azure?"
"Yes mom."
"Okay, pay attention in school, make friends. I will be back a few hours after you come home."
"Okay mom." Flower Bed opened the door, she smiled at her little filly before she left the house. Azure finished her bread and started packing her saddlebag. She packed the book she had borrowed from Twilight so she could return it. Azure opened the door, and headed out towards the library.
"Hey Azure, come to pick another book?" asked Spike.
"Is Twilight here?"
"No, she had an important meeting with the princess to discuss,” he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, “something about forest spirits coming awake. I don't have any idea what it was." Azure nodded and laid the book on the table. She studied the book shelves for something to pick out. "Darkened Alley, Slumber Party Handbook, Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone..." Azure tugged on the book and it slid out with great ease.
"Thanks Spike."
"Well, you are Twilight's favorite customer." Azure left the library and headed off to school.
"I've heard that there is a castle in the Everfree Forest," a young colt said. Azure slowed her pace so she could hear the conversation between the other ponies.
"I will give thirty bits to anypony that can find it and bring back something to prove it." Thirty bits is a lot of money. Maybe enough to help her get her family to spend more time together than spread apart. The Everfree is scary, but six ponies went in there and they were fine. Besides, the castle couldn't be that far in could it? That was settled. She would venture in there after school. She should be able to get it before her mom comes back home.
When school ended, Azure raced back home, not bothering to stop by Sugar Cube Corner. She whizzed by all the ponies that were outside in the town. When she had caught a glimpse of the house, she accidentally tripped on a rock in the road. She tumbled for a second but then came to a stop. "Ow, that is going to bother me later," she groaned.
She stood back up but winced every time she put pressure on her front left leg. It shot searing pain from the hoof up to the shoulder. Not the best feeling ever, but there are worse. Azure limped into the house. She grabbed some bandages and food, quickly eating before she set off on her journey. She exited the house and started heading towards the dark, creepy Everfree Forest. It was certainly nothing like her mother's garden. None of these trees would be nice to lean against and read.
Azure stopped at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Many ponies have gone in there and came back out. One even lives in there, it can't be as dangerous as they say it is could it? Azure took one last look at her hometown. "It won't be that hard. Just grab something inside the castle and get out, okay."
Azure walked in the forest slowly. Darkness covered everything. There was no light to be seen. "HOO HOO HOO!" An owl flapped by at high speed. Azure yelped and jumped into some bushes. A good thing too because two hungry looking wolves appeared. Their fangs dripped with the blood of their latest meal. Their fur was black and dirty with spots of stale blood. They were huge, bigger than Azure's parents and herself combined. Their red eyes were threatening anything that was out there. Even the trees and plants seemed to back away at their presence.
Azure didn't breathe, didn't make a sound. She could hear them breathing, they smelled like death, their paws thumped on the leafy ground causing it to vibrate the trees and bushes. After they had walked pass, Azure waited in the bush for a while to make sure there wasn't anything else and that the wolves had passed completely.
Azure's legs shook. She walked slowly into the forest. There, over a misty canyon, was a castle. Azure saw no way to get across the fog, except from a rickety old bridge. It looked as if it were to fall if it were even to be touched. Azure took one step. The wooden board on the bridge creaked. Azure tested every board. She flapped her wings so she wouldn't put too much pressure on the board so it would snap. Finally, after crossing the bridge, she had reached the castle.
A banner on a wall served to be good proof. Azure grabbed the dusty banner and with one good yank, the banner came down. Azure rolled it up until it could easily fit in her saddle bag. A few dusty books couldn't hurt either. She grabbed a few books and put them in as well. She smiled happily and started exiting out of the castle.
"Grrr." A growl was heard behind her. Azure quickly turned around and saw a black wolf. Before she could react or even scream, she was snatched up in its jaws by the neck. The wolf swung her around a few times before it through her into a stone pillar. The last thing she saw was the hungry wolf... and a light? Azure lost too much blood and suffocated because her air tube had been crushed. She died but the wolf didn't get a snack. It ran away whimpering.
The White Leaf in the Forest
A white light appeared. The black wolf ran from the light as if it were a bigger creature seeking to kill it. The white light went over to the corpse of the filly. "You poor, foolish thing, you should've never come out here."
The white light turned into a human-like creature. It picked up the body like a baby. She moved strands of the filly's mane from the her face. The white creature walked with the body in her arms to another part in the forest. There, another bigger light that cast a red glow upon the area, casting ominous shadows, floated peacefully above the forest. "Father, this poor filly died to a black wolf at the castle.”
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Please father, let her have another chance."
"No."
"Please, she is so young and didn't get to live long."
"My answer is still no Evelyn. She died to her own foolishness therefore she must meet her fate."
"Father, I will do anything you ask, just resurrect her from this horrid death." There was silence. It seemed to be infinitely long. Evelyn's father spoke at last.
"You must take her through the forest as an earth pony. You can not use magic until you have successfully brought her back out of the forest. Only then you can use your magic again. You must start at the castle."
"I will do it."
"Now, you must know that resurrection never brings them back entirely and never always the same. She may look completely different than she does now. She will have no memory of anything. She will not be the same. I can however let her keep her name. What is it?"
"I... I don't know."
"The knowledge of not having a name and not remembering anything can tear a pony apart. We must, at the very least, give her one."
"Dream Lily."
"What is that?"
"Dream Lily, that will be her name."
"Dream Lily it is. I need your help Evelyn. Resurrecting the dead is not easy and I have become too old to do it on my own."
"I will father." Pure magic began to orbit the filly gaining speed with every revolution. A red magic sphere formed around the filly, encasing her with the magic of the two spirits. The red sphere began to close in, forcing the white magic to get closer to the filly until finally it was absorbed. An explosion was created, making a flash that could be seen from Canterlot. When the smoke had finally cleared, a sleeping white filly was in the center of the remains of the explosion with a radius of 25 meters. Her coat was white with small patches of pale sky blue, her mane and tail was white with with faint blue streaks going down.
"Quickly, she will wake soon. We don't want her to know who we are. Get to the castle. Remember your promise."
"Yes father." The white forest spirit parted from the area. She went to the old castle. Her spirit form was now the form of a blue earth pony with a pink mane and tail. One eye was pink and the other was blue. The filly was waking up.
"Where am I?"
"Come quickly, we don't have much time." Evelyn grabbed the filly's hoof and began to run. "We’ve got to hurry before the black wolves come back." Evelyn sprinted out of the eroded castle with the filly quickly following behind. She turned around and saw the red eyes of the black wolf. Her pace quickened as they ran across a path.
"Never look at their eyes, it will only make them more determined. Not just one, but every single one of them that exists will want to kill you ever y time you look at their eyes." A wolf jumped out of the bushes. Evelyn skidded across the ground right under it. The little filly froze up at the beast's presence. The black wolf was about to jump, "HEY!" A rock hit the wolf's head.
Growling, the wolf turned around. A few more appeared from the ground and some even formed from the shadows. "Run Dream Lily! RUN!" Dream Lily obeyed. It started out from a fast walk, looking back at her savior, to a fast run, dodging anything in front of her. What were shadows would collect together, forming a creature purely made of darkness.
Black wolves chased her. They got faster and faster. Dream Lily’s speed began to slow. Her legs ached and her lungs burned. Wind was picking up, slowing her down as well as making it hard to see. Dream Lily's faded golden eyes began to burn from the dust the wind picked up. She was about to give up until she saw light. The light must be the exit of this dark place.
Dream Lily pushed herself as hard as she could but her legs were becoming too weak to continue. The wolves were howling and growling. She was so close, but so were the wolves. Dream Lily couldn't go on. 'No I must get there, I am so close I am not giving up now! I must go faster!' Dream Lily's thoughts were screaming at her to go faster.
Something opened up. Lily began to go faster. If you would look closely, you would see a faint streak of white light behind the filly as she ran. All of her aching began to disappear. She was getting closer to the light, a second later she was blinded by it.
She tumbled out of the forest. Wolves were howling and barking at her, but wouldn't get any farther than the forest boundaries. All the previous pain came back and twice as worse. Dream Lily passed out on the ground. She saw a village. Three figures were running towards her, but her vision blurred too much to make out what they looked like. She fell unconscious on the grass.
The White Leaf in the Forest
Dream Lily woke up in a soft white bed. Her throat was as dry as a dessert. As if by magic, a cup was lifted up to her lips. Dream Lily drank the soothing clear liquid. The door to the hospital room opened, an audible gasp was heard. Dream Lily pushed the cup away to see what was going on. "She's awake!" Doctors and Nurses cam rushing in. "How long was I out," the weak and tired filly asked.
"I thought she was a goner. She had been unconscious for about three weeks."
"This filly is a lucky one."
"And she is in perfect condition." Three weeks, it felt like hours, not three weeks.
"What's your name?" Lily looked up.
"My, my name? It's... Dream Lily."
"Where do you live?"
"I... I don't know. All I remember is my name and a pony in the Everfree Forest that helped me get out and the wolves that were chasing us."
"Where is the pony that saved you?" Lily flashed back, "Dream Lily run!"
"I don't think she made it." Lily's head drooped.
"Dream Lily isn't recorded in any files."
"Odd... Lily I am afraid you're going to be an orphan." Lily looked up at the doctor.
"What's an orphan."
"An orphan is a filly that has no parents or guardian." That's when the doctor had made a huge mistake. Something inside the little filly snapped causing her to crumple down in the bed and cry. "She needs some time to take this is in. Everyone out." The filly sobbed for what seemed like hours if you were to sit in the same room with her. Her sobs seemed to make the whole village feel a little down.
The events of tomorrow started early in the morning. She didn't have anything so the hospital staff gave her one of their spare white blankets. Lily was taken to the orphanage by the pony that had treated her. When the orphanage came into view, all of Lily's hopes seemed to just wash away in cold depression. The orphanage's grounds was a barren waste land. An old fence that had white paint peeling off surrounded it and nothing grew inside except the sadness. No life seemed present except for a little spider, and even that seemed to be dying. Once they had stepped in the orphanages boundaries Lily felt like something had just stabbed her with an icy cold knife. She fell to her knees and breathed heavily. "Are you alright Lily?" Lily didn't respond She slowly picked herself up and began to walk closer to the building, Every step she took was a chisel chipping life off the weak filly. Lily was getting colder the closer she got in. She felt like ice was forming on her. When they had reached the door she was shivering. The doctor knocked. There was complete silence, then the door creaked open. "Are you Elizabeth, head of the Ponyville orphanage."
"Yeah, who wants to know," she said plainly. Her voice was an Icy cold storm with no mercy to any pony inside.
"This is Dream Lily, she is an orphan."
"Right, come along now." The doctor was still standing at the door.
"Well is there anything else, or are you going to make your marry way back to the hospital and do your job?"
"Right, my job. Thank you Elizabeth." The orphanage door closed.
"Alright, upstairs to the left and there you find your room on the girls side," her voice was stone cold and harsh. Strength was coming back to Lily when reached the top floor. She went down the left hallway. That hallway was like a warm spring day. There were plants and it was colorful. It gave Lily more strength. Dream Lily opened the door. The other fillies there weren't doing much but they looked nice. Lily came in.
"You get the bed right there." One of the girls pointed the the bed right next to hers. Dream Lily walked over there and placed her blanket on the bed. The bed was a lot harder then it looked. "My name is Fire Streak," said the red one with the yellow and white mane and fire ruby red eyes. She then pointed to icy blue unicorn with a pink mane and diamond blue eyes. "That right there, is Running Glacier." The blue pony waved and smiled. "How about your name?"
"Dream Lily."
"It would be our pleasure to be your friend, Dream Lily," said Fire Streak. Friends already? They didn't really know anything about each other.
"But we hardly even know each other. How can we be friends?"
"Well there is really much to know now is there? Our memories are gone, we are an entirely different pony. We call ourselves the Forest Born."
"You mean just you and Running Glacier?"
"No, us three, and the three boys that are in the room across from ours. We call ourselves the Forest Born because the first place we remember being at is a forest.
"LUNCH! Get down here and eat it!" shouted Elizabeth.
"Oh great, I can only imagine what she is serving."
"Come on, don't let it get cold, well, colder." All the orphans trotted down the stairs into the dining room. It wasn't a bad dining room, it was actually quite well made and simple. Although the food wasn't.
The food was cold mush. It had no flavor, or color. Everyone looked at the food disgusted. Dream Lily took one bite. A single tear trickled down her face. Why did this happen to her. Why is she here, what will become of her?
The White Leaf in the Forest
Dream Lily wakes up to Fire Streak shaking her awake. "Get up," Fire Streak said. She took a quick glance around the room as if someone were watching, "and be quiet." Dream Lily quietly slipped out from under her covers. Fire Streak grabbed Dream Lily's hoof and hurried out of the room. They headed towards a green wooden door. Fire Streak opened the door letting Dream Lily in first before coming in next after checking to see if anyone was coming. The door closed quietly fallowed by a voice.
"So you're the new one. Don't look like much but that's how we all were when we came into this dreaded orphanage." Dream Lily looked for the speaker but couldn't find them in this darkness.
"I can't see you." A candle lit with a welcoming flame. It revealed four other ponies. Running Glacier was at the far left. The fire Reflected of her diamond eyes making it look blue. A pegasus with a dark green coat and bluish green mane and emerald eyes smiled.
"I was the first. Everyone called me a freak. I felt alone until I saw another come out of the forest, Fire Streak. We stood together, great friends. Then more came. Coming from the same place having the same story." The green pegasus paused letting Dream Lily process this. "My name is Forest Breeze." He backed away from the fire.
Fire Streak walked up in front of the fire. "I was the second. I was scared but Forest Breeze got me through. When I had realized that there were more like us... I knew we had to stay together," Fire Stream paused letting Dream Lily have some time to think. "My name is Fire Stream." Fire Stream backed away from the fire.
An earth pony with a brown coat, teal mane, and bronze eyes came up to the fire. "I was the third. I woke up from a comma in a hospital, having no idea where I was or who I am as well as anything before. When I was brought to the orphanage, I was greeted by Fire Stream and Forest Breeze. We were picked on by the other orphans for our oddities." The earth pony paused. "My name is Dust Storm." Dust Storm backed away from the fire allowing Running Glacier to come to the front.
"I was nervous when I had arrived. Not many ponies treated me well when I arrived so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was teased a lot, but then they helped me stand up and ignore those who bully me." Running Glacier paused to let a small tear of happiness run down her face. "My name, is Running Glacier." She stepped back to allow the next pony to come to the front.
A unicorn with a yellow mane and tail, gold coat, and quarts crystal purple eyes stepped up to the front. "I was probably the worst out of all of us. I curled up in a ball in a corner and started crying. I was so scared, until these four came my way. They showed me how to have fun even though things are dark." The unicorn took a deep breath trying not to let his emotional feelings get the better of him. "My name is Gold Beam." They all stepped back letting Dream Lily come up. She was shy but went on.
"When I had come here, I was scared and sad. I felt so lost, so alone. Everything was so big, I was the small thing in the center of it. Then I met all of you. You welcomed me and made me feel like I belong here." A few tears ran down Dream Lily's cheeks. "My name, is Dream Lily."
"Welcome Dream Lily. You are our newest member to the Forest Born," said Forest Breeze.
"Me?"
"Yes, you are now an official member of the Forest Born." Dream Lily didn't know how she should react. This was so sudden, so quick.
"B-but how... what is my role in this?"
"That is for you to decide." Lily stared at the group, a warm feeling was felt inside of her. A smile was creeping on her face and her eyes
