The effect of the Wooden Heart

The next week Spirit trained once with Rainbow but they didn't came very much further than some basic exercises. Also he talked with Zecora about his plant and they did some experiments on the plant from Zecora. Spirit stayed there long to make his notes and came back very late.

Spirit walked directly to his tent and went to sleep but shortly after he laid down he heard someone walking outside. "Is that you Bite?" but he could sense that Bite was already asleep. Then some moments later he heard the pony walking in the direction of Fluttershys house and the doors opened and closed again. Spirit doesn't thought much about it and fall asleep.

The next morning, Spirit was watering the magic plant and cut some of the blossoms of.

After some minutes Fluttershy interrupted him. "Morning Spirit!"

"Morning Fluttershy! So what was it yesterday what you wanted to ask me?"

She was a bit surprised but continued. "What do you mean?"

He continued collecting the blossoms while talking. "I heard somepony walking outside, then turning away and entering your house!"

"How did you know that it was me?"

He turned back to her. "Well my teacher said I should train to listened careful, I did that the last days and so I was able to identify your steps. So what was it you wanted to ask?"

Fluttershy pulled out a letter. "Well Twilight got a letter that Cadence and Shining Armor are visiting and she invited you to meet them. So do you come?"

Spirit looked at the letter and read it quickly then nodded. "Of course. I always want to see reactions to Bite from other ponies. When do they arrive?"

"As far as I know they should arrive tomorrow."

Spirit nodded and turned back to his plant. "Ok then. Oh I remember, do you know if the flower store has some fertilizer?"

Fluttershy laid the paper away and nodded. "Well I think so."

He put the blossoms next to his saddlebags and looked to the town. "Then I go visit the shop. Do you want to come with me Bite?"

Bite nodded, so they both went into town to the flower store. On the way Spirit noted that almost nopony reacted to Bite only a few made a small circle. 'It seems that my work is making progress.'

As they entered the flower store he heard a scream. "TIMBERWOLF!"

'So much about progress.' He walked over to the back doors from the shop and knocked on it. "Hello? It is me Spirit, the pony with the Timberwolf!"

"Oh it is you, I forgot about you." The door opened. "So how can I help you?"

Spirit shook his head. 'Some of these ponies.' "I was just wondering if I could buy some fertilizer?"

She turned around and showed him some bags with different types of fertilizer in them."Of course, for what kind of plant do you need it?"

"Do you remember when I ask you about a stranger blossom? I found the plant and I am raising one of them so do you know a good one for magical plants?"

"I don't know anything about this kind of plant but I would recommend you this one it is the best we have!" He grabbed one of the bags on the highest shelve and laid it on the counter.

Spirit reached in his pocket and raised an eyebrow. "How many bits does it cost?"

She shook her head. "Nothing! See it as my support for your work!"

Spirit was very surprised but grabbed the bag anyway. "Well thank you!"

She chuckled and looked at Bite. "It's nothing! So tell me after a week or so how good the fertilizer worked!"

Spirit turned around and walked away. On the way Spirit talked with Bite. "Well that was strange, I hope the two we are meeting tomorrow will not start like this and also I hope she was just overreacting or my whole work wasn't as good as I thought! So what do you expect from the two?"

Spirit waited and got a huge wave of emotions from him.

Spirit shook his head and smiled at Bite while walking. "Ok I think we should work on your mental communication a bit. I would say the rest of the day we work on that and then everyday at least one hour!"

So they went back and started some mental exercises for Bite and Spirit fertilized his plant a bit. After finishing that they went to sleep.

The next morning

Bite woke up early but Spirit was still asleep so he decided to walk to Fluttershy, to see if she was awake. As he entered her home he saw Fluttershy preparing the food for the other animals and he walked over to her.

She turned around to him. "Oh good you are here we must hurry feeding the animals or we going to be late for the meeting with the others! Could you help me?"

So Bite helped bringing the food to the animals and even helped her making breakfast for them all.

"Come Bite, lets wake Spirit up!" They walked outside and saw that Spirit was awake and balancing on the edge of the bridge with one hoof.

'Concentration! Feel the earth. Listened to the Wind.' "Um Spirit?"

"What?" Spirit lost his concentration and began to struggle and was about to fall. Bite saw this and ran right under him and caught him.

Still Spirit still fall on the wood from Bite and it hurt. He groaned and stood up to feel a pain in his back. He sat down and rubbed his back. "Thank you Bite but I think I hurt my back!"

Fluttershy instantly walked over to him. "Did you got hurt Spirit? Is everything alright? I am so sorry!"

He rubbed his back and pointed to his bags. "No problem but the next time let Bite contact me first if I am meditating. Could you give me some of the white leaves and a bandage from my bag?"

"Of course!" She reached in his bag and grabbed some small white leaves "What kind of leafs is that?"

He grabbed the leaves and grated them with his hooves. Then he put the powder on his back and wrapped the bandage around his back. He tied it with his mouth then turned to Fluttershy. "This are some heal leaves the mostly works like painkillers but also speed up the healing process a bit!"

"Still I am so sorry! It was my fault that you got hurt!"

"On my travel I got hurt several times. I don't carry these leafs because I didn't expect things like these!" He stood up again but still felt some pain in his back.

Spirit turned to Bite and patted him on his back and raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss the breakfast or is there still something for me?"

"Oh of course, I prepared everything." Spirit nodded and they walked in and ate their food. They stayed in till it was noon.

Fluttershy looked at her clock. "We should go now. We don't want to be late."

"Ok then let's go." They went through the town but they had to stop sometimes because of Spirits hurting. After they had walked the half of the way, Spirit stopped. "Wait I will renew my bandage. You can go ahead Fluttershy!"

He reached in his bag and expected Fluttershy to go on but she didn't. "No I help you this was my fault after all!"

So she helped him change his bandage, it took a while because the liquid from the leafs made it difficult to remove the bandage. As they finally finished it they went on to Twilights castle to meet Cadence and Shining Armor.

Before the doors Spirit reached in his bag and put his wooden necklace on. He noticed that Fluttershy looked at him. "I am going to meet another princess and I want to show respect to the empire." Fluttershy nodded and so they opened the doors.

As they opened the doors no one was inside so they walked on to the dining room. They saw the other already sitting.

The all looked at them and Spirit explained the situation. "Sorry for being so late I had a little... accident."

Bright looked at his back. "What happened? If you want I can try to heal you."

"No no, you don't have to I already put some medical plants on it! And also I don't want to bother you!"'And also my teacher would not approve it if I let myself be healed.'

Bright protested a bit but sat down again. "It wouldn't bother me but if you don't want. Maybe you should sit down Spike is about to serve the food."

He nodded and sat down on one of the last free chairs. To his right sat Twilight and Fluttershy sat down to his left. Shortly after that Spike brought the food there were three different kinds of salad and everyone got a bowl even Bite. Spirit couldn't identify the different types so he grabbed the nearest bowl and put a bit in his bowl. Then turned to Bite.

"Which one do you want Bite?" Bite looked at the different bowls but it just confuse him. "I don't know the difference either. Here I give some of the same I eat."

Spirit filled Bites bowl with the same salad then grabbed a phial of his bags and mixed the powder in the salad. Bite instantly started eating. Spirit looked a bit at him and smile. "There you go."

He turned back to the table and looked at his salad and tasted it. 'Nothing special.' He turned to his left and saw that Twilight talked with Cadence.

Twilight noticed that and turned to him. "Ah yes Spirit you didn't met Cadence yet. Spirit this is Cadence the princess of the crystal empire and my sister-in-law and that to her right is her husband and my brother Shining Armor the captain of the royal guards. Cadence this is Spirit Wood, he comes from the Zebra lands and is here to bring ponies and Timberwolves together!"

Spirit bowed a bit. "It is nice to meet you princess of the crystal empire."

"Please, drop the title, a friend of Twilight is my friend."

'Why does no one in Equestria want to be called by their title?' "Of course. So since you are from the crystal empire the travel should have took some time?"

"Oh yes it was but it is always worth if I get the chance to visit my sister in-law and also met somepony form a different land."

"It is quiet an honor to hear something like that. But may I ask you a question?" She nodded so he continued. "What did you thought as you saw Bite came in with me?"

She stopped and thought about it a moment. "Well first of, I was surprised how big he is since Twilight said he would be only a cub."

"He is but at the last time he grew very much." He looked around to see that Bite sat there with his head high proud full. "So what was the other thing?"

"The other thing is that he seems very normal beside his appearance, just like every animal. Timberwolves can be wild but also friends from the ponies!"

Spirit over thought her words for some time then nodded. "Very wise words, the elders couldn't say it better. Now to another subject, I noticed that Shining looked a bit ... damaged, why is it so?"

Now Twilight answered him. "As they arrived he and Fallen argued a bit then Shining Armor challenged Fallen to a battle."

'What does Fallen, that everypony challenge him?' "And how did the fight end?"

"My brother lost!"

'Interesting a dark mage who is seems very strong in battle spells. I would be more concern if there wasn't her sister.' He looked over to Fallen who was talking with Shining Armor. His sister sat next to Fallen and she looked sometimes over to him.

Spirit turned to his salad. "Anyway, we should eat now before the salad gets bad!" They all chuckled and turned to their bowls.

After the meal Twilight said that she had planned something but Fallen said he had to do some research and as Twilight asked Spirit he refused. "I am sorry but I have to do my concentration exercises but I will come with you till the town hall!"

Bright looked at him now as she heard that he won't follow them. "But you still come to dinner?"

He nodded and they left the castle. On the way Spirit turned to Shining. "So you are the captain of the royal guards and Twilights brother?"

"Yes I am! And you are this new pony from the Zebra lands, Spirit right?"

Spirit nodded. "Yes I am but I have just a question!"

"What is it?"

"What do you think by looking at Bite?"

Shining stopped and looked at Bite for one moment. "I think he is just like every other animal, he can be trained like the most others as it seems."

Spirit nodded and they walked to further into town on the way Spirit continued talking with Shining Armor, Cadence and the others. As they reached the town hall Spirit turned to the direction of Fluttershys cottage and went to his tent.

He put down his bag and took off his necklace. He turned to Bite. "What do you think about this princess and her husband?"

From his feelings Spirit guessed that he liked them both. Spirit nodded and threw a small cookie to him. He smiled a moment but after some time it faded. "Bite, I don't know what I should think about Fallen. It seems that he is a very strong dark mage."

Bite looked at him and his ears hung down. "I know you don't like it but I think we can trust him, his sister seems very trustable, so...."

For the rest of the day Spirit and Bite trained on their bond and Spirit noticed that it seemed to grew stronger. 'I think what my teacher told me about our bond would grow stronger when Bite is getting older was right.'

As the time went on Spirit changed his bandage a last time and went back to Twilight castle for the dinner with the other. The dinner went very quiet, Spirit told them a bit about his live in the tribe and they told him bit about the Crystal Empire.

After the dinner Twilight said she had planned something for them but without Spirit, Bite, Shining Armor, Fallen and Spike so they went to another room and left the five guys alone.

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "So, what now?"

Spike took a stack of cards from somewhere and asked. "How about a poker game?"

All nodded and Spike shortly explained the rules. After that Spirit turned to Bite who was now sitting next to him. "Do you understand the rules?" Bite shook his head. "Me neither."

Spirit started. "I bet twenty. So you two battled this morning?"

Shinning Armor was next. "Yes and I raise to thirty."

After that it was Fallens turn. "I call. It wasn't much of an battle but still the best I had in this town." After him Spike laid the next card on the table.

After that short talk they were all silent while playing. After some rounds Fallen and Shining had the same amount of chip but Spirit was almost out.

Spirit suddenly felt a pain in his back. "I am sorry I must change my bandage, Bite will continue for me!" He stood up and walked out of the room.

As he was outside he took a deep breath and went to change his bandage and put some new leafs on the mark of his pain. As he walked back inside he saw that now Bite had all the chips on his side and the other two not a single one.

Spirit shook his head. "I won't even question that!"

"How did you do that?" But from the feelings he could read that Bite had no idea.

Some seconds late Twilight followed by the other came back. "It is really late. I think it is time that we all go to bed."

He bowed bit before Cadence and Shining Armor. "It was a pleasure to meet you princess of the crystal ponies and also you, captain of the royal guard!"

Spirit walked out of the castle followed by Bite and Fluttershy. They walked home together. After some time Fluttershy spoke up. "And how was it?"

"Cadence and Shining Armor are nice as far I could tell but I must say the poker game was a bit awkward. Its look like Fallen and Shining don't really like each other. And I was also able to hear another two opinions about Timberwolves. So I would say it was a good day."

Bite jumped a bit and bumped into Spirits side how jumped a bit. Fluttershy looked at him with guilt. "Why didn't you let Bright heal you?"

Spirit groaned a bit from the pain before answering. "Because my teacher would not tolerate if I let somepony heal me if it was my fault."

"But he is not here and it was my fault!"

"No I should listened better even when I try to concentrate and to the point with my teacher, I did the mistake to underrated him once!"

"What was it?"

"Nothing much I didn't listened and it ended I am sleeping outside with no food for the day and ten extra hours training." Bite chuckled. "And Bite slept at in my bed."

Fluttershy looked at him very confused. "As I meet him he didn't seem so bad."

"He isn't, he is actual a nice guy but he takes tradition very serious ."