Spirit of The Mountain

"Holy shit!" I shout suddenly opening my eyes shooting upright in my massive sized bed. My body is trembling whole heartedly and my heart is threatening to beat out of my chest as the world around me is made up of a bunch of blurs and oddly shaped objects. But without even having to think about it, I gently slide to the edge of my bed and scoot until I am sitting at the edge of my bed with my feet dangling onto the cool floor below, making the intense blurring in my eyes almost completely disappear. Now sensing that my eyes were back to the way that they should be, I wipe a thin layer of sweat off my forehead and look quizzically around my room. The first things my eyes come upon is what they stop and stair at for even after having seen it a million times, I was still intrigued by its lavish nature. Straight ahead of me merely a foot away from my bed stands a massive open window with a thin red and orange fabric blowing gently in early morning breeze. Into the fabric is sow lavishly designed designs of various colors that move like massive walls of flame across the thin fabric. Just on the outside of the fabric is a stretch of majestic woodland that seems to go on for many miles until it reaches the base of the volcano where it disappears and is replaced with the rocky terrain of an ancient lava flow now long solidified. "Wow, I have lived here for my entire life and that still captures my attention...such beauty." I think to myself as I lazily come to standing, stretching my massive wings out and wiping the sleep from my eyes. Once I feel that I have sufficiently removed the remaining sleep from my eyes, I walk over to the window and gently lift the fabric so I can get a better view of my surroundings.

The rising sun has barely started to appear over the distant horizon and the moon is still shining brightly high in the sky. The combination of lights from the two celestial bodies mix into a strange light that bathes the surrounding landscape in a dim whitish gold color. The gentle breeze is warm and full of life energy hard at work to prepare for the oncoming summer day. It is the polar opposite of the energy located inside the crater of the volcano, with that energy being ripe with the tell of death and destruction. But the energy in the air also triggers something inside me that makes me wonder as to the familiarity.

"This feels very similar to the energy the other day I felt when The Daughter of The Nature Spirit was around...strange." I think to myself easily as I take a deep relaxed inhale of air and start to walk towards the lavishly designed heavy wooden door that leads out of my room. On the door, a lavish carving of the volcano hand crafted thousands of years ago by Star Swirl The Bearded depicting the crater spewing forth ash and fire in a cataclysmic eruption. This eruption to me more specific was the last eruption in recorded history, the one where my mother completely destroyed the surrounding 200 miles of landscape and killed The Nature Spirit. But because spirits cannot die, she was reborn from her ashes and rebuilt the landscape to its former glory, thus completing the cycle of nature as it always has been. It was something that Luna had specifically go to me in tribute to my heritage as the only son of Mazama The Firebird and Celestia agreed I should have it as well. However, to me things such as this have been common place since I could first remember and so I pay it little attention as I push open the door, the only thought on my mind is meditating so I may relieve myself of some tension. Once I step out of the room I gently shut the door and start down a long elaborately designed corridor towards a small shrine room with a pool of molten lava and a statue of elaborate arrows forming a large triangle. I think to myself as I quickly move to the wide open room and give a quick bow to the statue and eye the pool of molten lava with eagerness. "Alright, time to soothe my mind and body." I tell myself in a relaxed tone as I draw close to the lava and allow the warm heat to impact my skin. Now had anypony besides myself done this, they would have been instantly set on fire but for me the rules are slightly different.

Because of my mother being a fire destruction spirit and having inherited her traits, I am 100% resistant to all forms of fire, poisonous gas and many other forms of harmful elements. Lava is no exception to the rule. The hot sensation rolling over my skin excites me and I find myself quickly checking to see if I was clothed before I would enter the bath because while my body may be immune, my clothing was most certainly not, a lesson I had learned once before when I lost a pair of good trunks. Feeling that I had no clothes on my naked body, I quickly take a delicate step into the bath. Instantly a low shiver of relaxing pleasure runs through my body and I quickly bring the rest of my body into the pool while completely relaxing my wings so I can lay back and get comfortable.

"I need this, so many questions plague my mind and yet I have little to no answers. What did mother mean by what she says last night and why is this Daughter so important?" I ask myself seriously looking up at the statue. "Why do I feel a great cataclysmic event is going to transpire soon?" This question is what scares me the most as it was the front of a very vivid nightmare that I had received over the course of my sleep. However, thankfully because of the lava I am able to keep the fear to just barely over a fleeting thought, enough to keep my body calm but not my mind. "Maybe I should meditate on this." I think in surrender as I move myself to the center of the lava and come to seat in an Indian position and extend my wings out of the lava until they are fully extended to the sides of me and close my eyes.

Eventually, I manage to get my a lot of the tension in my mind to subside enough for me to focus my energy inward towards myself. As I do this the lava I am sitting in grows hotter and more relaxing. This builds for a few seconds and then subsides as I take a slow deep breath in and start to hum.

"Mons spiritus invoco te!" (Spirit of The Mountain, I call on you!) I sing quietly. "Sicut ignis vestri natus iam mitescere ignis vestri mihi. (As I was born of your fire, now let your fire calm me!) Ure confusionis silva meo. (Burn the dense woods of confusion from my mind.) Invoco ut ignis in opus." (I invoke the fire within to do this task.) I finish chanting and open my eyes to find the confusion that was once present in my mind was now completely gone. However, in its place was the dream I had and it was even more terrifying this time. The volcano spewing ask and fire high into the sky, mother in her completely awakened form towering within the massive clouds with wings spread to their full extent raining fire from the sky onto the surrounding landscape. The surrounding completely engulfed in ash, flame and death. Terrifying roars of other destruction spirits obliterating everything in their paths. However, in one lone corner something I recognized as the Spring Spirit trembles atop a massive tree as mother descends from the clouds to right in front of her. The terrified spirit starts to cry, but no mercy is show as mother engulfs her in her mouth. Then...nothing. "What happens after that I wonder, hmm maybe if I meditate some more then it may come to me." I tell myself as I get ready to repeat the process as to gain some more possible insight into the dream.

I repeat this process for well over an hour with no luck getting any farther than where my dream ends. Much to say this infuriates me to no end.

"Damn it all why can't I see further!" I say angrily standing up quickly from the lava, spilling some over the edge onto the stone floor below it. "This is not a good dream, especially if this past is trying to warm me of something in the future!" With that I quickly remove my naked body from the pool of lava and head for a small exit towards an open exterior hallway to the very front of my manor. "This is not good, especially with mother telling me The Spring Spirit is around not to mention her daughter and we know how that may play out." I tell myself in a less harsh tone than I had before as I step out into the hallway and stop just outside of the entryway. If the sun and moon were the highlights of the cosmos then where I am would be the highlight for Equis. This side of the manor is dominated by a sheer cliff that drops 200 feet down to a small river below that is highlighted with the colorful signs of summer along its banks. Birds sing their melodies and various woodland creatures scamper across the landscape. It has a feeling of warmth to it that is almost indescribable. "Damn, I love it out here, feels like nature is truly alive."

But that is where something within me snaps to attention and suddenly I feel a strange feeling start to grow in the pit of my stomach.

"Wait, I know this feeling...it's the same feeling I got the other day when... I start to say, but the sound of somepony gently humming coming from the woods catches my attention. It is a female voice with a hum so beautiful that not even Fluttershy could ever come close to matching. This humming then suddenly comes to a complete stop and with it, all the activity of the entire surrounding woods. Now with the silence even from where I am, can still hear the sound of footsteps gently walking along the bank of the river down below. They're soft and delicate, as if the one walking was afraid to step too loudly and wake something up. Then without warning, the energy in the air grows much more intense as I hear a distant bird give one solid chirp followed by a small inhale of breath.

"Fair...is, the white star of twilight, and the sky clearer at days end." The sweet sounding voice goes gently echoing off into the forest, making my entire body tremble with feelings of warmth and rebirth. "Fair...is, the white star of twilight, and the sky clearer at days end. But he is dearer, he is fairer, he...my heart's friend!" The voice cuts out for a second, giving me enough time to shake my head and refocus my attention on trying to find the source of the voice. "Fair...is, the white star of twilight, and the moon...roving to skies end. Fair...is, the white star of twilight, and the moon...roving to skies end. But he is dearer, more worth loving, he...my hearts friend!" With the end of the last line I spot something come into the opening and instantly I am completely blow away. It is the exact same mysterious girl from the other day just completely different. Now, I am used to seeing nudity, since everypony besides myself did not wear clothing most of the time (still do not know why) I got to see everything. But for some reason I find that this is different in some regards. It makes my cheeks flush red and I have to shake my head to stop myself from starring at her rather attractive female body.

"Come on Clay, everypony is naked!" I try to tell myself in attempt to explain my fascination, but nothing suffices. It was something completely new to me as I had never before seen a mare who had looked like this. But it was not only her body, but her knee long green hair, slightly tanned skin and her gentle eyes that reminded me of the brightest summer skies. With that gentle song of hers she has attracted the attention of many woodland creatures who follow her to a small rock near the bank where she sits and gently crosses her legs in an Indian style facing away from the manor blocking any frontal view of her. "That is the Nature Spirit's Daughter alright, but what is she doing here of all places?" I ask myself quizzically as without a thought crossing my mind, my wings gently unfurl and get ready for me to stealthfully glide down to the bottom of the cliff. Then, before I could think of something that may stop me from doing what I am doing, I slowly step up on the edge of the siding and cast myself out into the air. As soon as I start to fall my wings silently snap to a gliding position and with the precision of an eagle I start to descend towards the riverbank below. It takes me very little time to reach the bottom and I come to a silent rest 10 feet behind the mare. She is dead quiet right now, minus for the occasional shallow breath of air that would make her frame rise and fall. My nervousness is now at an all time high and I can feel myself starting to sweat slightly, but despite my body's protest I swallow my fear and gently clear my throat. "T-that was nice singing you know." I say in a quiet voice, causing the Daughter to quickly whirl around towards me, a look of confusion quickly being replaced with one of extreme happiness.

"Thank you my love." She says cheerfully, causing me to blush and quickly kick my mind into a high gear.

"What the hell did she just say?" "Uh...no problem." I state nervously, causing her to laugh and point to a space on the rock next to her.

"Come and sit for awhile love, enjoy nature at its finest!" The warmth in her voice is truly amazing and even with my feelings of weariness I feel myself compelled to sit with her. Slowly one foot is put in front of another until I am up next to her where she had motioned for me to sit at. I slowly slide into the spot beside her and then look to her with a warm smile. She returns the gesture then does something completely unexpected. She gently places one of her hands on my cheek and with a gentle force, pulls lips into mine. This action immediately causes my wings to shoot outwards and my now confused mind to start processing what is happening.

"What the hell have I gotten into!?"