Druids and the Wooden Heart

On the next morning was Spirit woke up as he heard a loud noise. He immediately stood up only to realize that it was just Switch coughing. Spirit sat down again and looked around and was surprised to see not the forest around him but the walls of a tent.

"Weren't I outside as I fall asleep?" He asked that more to himself then to anyone. He looked around again and saw Bite lying on the ground looking at him. "Did you brought me in here?" Bite nodded. "Thanks. What time is it?"

Bite shrugged then slowly stood up. Spirit also stood up. "Okay then let's go outside. Maybe we can meditate a bit before we have to go."

The walked out of the tent to see that Darren was already outside and already dismantling his tent. Bite stayed at their tent while Spirit walked to Darren. "Will we be going soon? Do I have to pack my things?"

Darren shook his head. "No you can start packing your things when the others do it. I just want to be finish with mine as fast as I can."

Spirit nodded and walked back to Bite. "Should we also start already?" Bite nodded so the two began to pack their tent back in this bag and make everything ready so that they could leave anytime.

Just as they finished came Switch out of his tent and stretched a bit. "Good morning!" He instantly dismantled his tent with is magic and shoved it in his bag.

Bite looked at Switch for a moment then poked Spirit in the side who then also looked at Switch. "You're right Bite. Switch shouldn't you put on your disguise? I mean we always can encounter a pony."

Switch just shrugged. "Don't worry I don't think we will meet anypony here. Also we can worry about that when we encounter a pony."

After a few minutes came Leaf out of her tent.

She seemed a bit surprised that everyone was ready except her and began with her tent. "How comes that I am the last one I thought that at least Spirit or Bite would be still asleep."

"Probably I would be if Switch hadn't coughed so loudly." Spirit said.

Switch spun around and pretended to be insulted. "Hey! How is it my fault that I got insect spray in my face? But don't worry next time I coughed quietly... or so loud that it wake you all up."

Leaf rolled with her eyes while Spirit turned to Switch. "That reminds me, how did you got your lungs hurt?"

Leaf nodded. "Yes and how did you became a druid? I mean as a Changeling."

Switch looked to Darren searching for help who nodded. "I think it is Switch decision if he wants to tell or not... but I would say you should tell them."

Switch mumbled to himself. "Thanks Darren." Then sigh and turned to the other three. "I guess I tell you but we should walk nevertheless."

Darren nodded. "Switch is right he can tell you the story while walking we have a job after all."

Every of them nodded and so they started to walk while Switch began. "So... I think I should start with my job in the swarm..."

Years earlier where I was still a part of the swarm I was, as you know, number 16. That came because I was the highest medical changeling. I had the responsibility for every injured changeling. It wasn't a bad job, I had to give orders to my team and heal the difficult cases, nothing more. I lived and did my job till we reached the cold area in the north of Equestria. We had stopped in a cave for some time, it was a very big cave with lots of different tunnels. The workers also dig even more to make enough space.

We got more and more ill changelings because of the cold and at one point our recourses weren't enough and I had to make decisions. One day two changelings who were near to death were brought to me. The first one was a aggressive general who was responsible for many deaths and the other was one of the other medical workers. I had to decide who should live and who should die and I picked my worker. I thought I had made the right decision but the queen thought different.

I was called to meet the queen and didn't wasted a second. I reached the part of the cave were the queen lived. She was sitting on a thorn made of stone, guards were spread in every corner of the room and one of our highest generals stood next to the queen.

I slowly walked in front of the thorn and bowed. "You ordered for me, my queen?"

The queen stood up and walked next to me. "Yes I did. One of my guards told me that a generals passed away, is that true?"

"Yes my queen."

She began to walk around me. "And is it true that a lower drone could be saved that day?"

"Y-yes my queen."

She walked in front of me and lifted my head with her magic. "Care to explain why you let one of my generals die even when you had the chance to save him?"

I knew at that point that my chances to say anything that would calm her were near to zero but I tried anyway. "Well at the moment we don't have enough recourses to maintain the injured, all the medical changelings work 24 hours the day. I saved my worker because I thought he was more needed than the general. But maybe if we ask others for help we could..." And at that moment I crossed a line I shouldn't have crossed.

The queen shouted at me in anger. "Enough! That was not your thing to decide." She quickly calm herself. "I know you care that every one of us can survive but at the moment is that simply not possible. So, I will order number 12 to watch you. He will tell me about every decision you make. One mistake and you will face the consequences."

I bowed again and turned to go. "As you wish, my queen."

Just before I about to go the queen stopped me. "And don't rely on being the only changeling with a big amount of medical experiences. That may be true... but there are others who come close enough!" I bowed again and left the room.

I went back to my workers followed by number 12. From that day on I had to make many hard decisions. Every day I had to choose whether a changeling should live or not. I hated every second of my live.

I did this for a week till three changelings were brought to me and we only had enough recourses to save one. That was enough for me. I sought for a audience with the queen and surprisingly I got one.

But on that day I made more mistakes than ever in my live again. I directly walked to her, forgot any kind of manner. "This is enough! I will not go on like this! I followed your orders! I had to choose over the death of my brothers and sisters! I did as much as I could but it can't go on like this. I got three today and only one could be saved! We die, we suffer and it will go even worse! We have to do something!"

The anger in the eyes of the queen were indescribable at that moment. "You dare to speak to me like this? You dare to point your hoof at me? You dare to disobey me? I won't tolerate this behavior! You can call yourself lucky for your ability, that I let you live but you will be no longer in charge number 12 will take over your part and you will heal the one you will be ordered to heal! And I don't want to hear anything more from you, did I made myself clear?"

I just nodded in defeat. It was over for me. I had thrown away all chances I had. I went back to work but I made a plan. A plan that was just foolish. At the night I send a message to number 12 and I fled.

Leaf stopped him there. "What was in the message?"

Switch gave a sigh. "The message was : 'I write this to warn you, we will die if it goes on like this. I won't be a part of this any longer. I will go and hope that our queen will realize that she has to change her plans or she will responsible for the death of our race!' I was so stupid this whole thing was completely stupid. Neither would our races die from this nor would the disappearance of one changeling change anything. But I did it, I ran away thinking it would help."

Darren turned around to them. "And I still think that this was one of your most wise decisions."

Switch just nodded with appreciation before continuing with his story.

I sneaked out of the cave and flew away. I flew until my wings were so frozen that I had to walk. I walked for two days straight to the south. As I reached Canterlot and did the first thing I could think of, I disguised myself and started to steal what I needed. I was barely able to survive from the emotions I could get without drawing any attention to myself.

I had to live like this for years. After a few days I decided to search for a job. The last job I had was it where I discovered something interesting.

I worked as a assistant in a pet store and my job was to take care of the animals. While I did this I realized that I was able to get emotions from them, it was much less than from a pony but enough to survive. I kept that job for a long time till one day, there was a guard control and I had to flee.

From then on I began to help every animal I could find. To get at least a bit of emotions. But that brings me to what happened with my lungs.

So one night I flew around, I didn't had a disguise on to save energy. I heard a howl from a dog, I began to look where he was and as I found him I saw that the dog had pinched his paw in a grating.

I went down to help the dog with my magic, I was able to free the dog but while doing so I didn't notices that the owner had come back. I heard a scream from behind me and spun around only to get insect spray in my face. The stupid thing was that I had my mouth open because I wanted to calm the pony but instead inhaled the gas. I grabbed the can with my magic to stop the pony.

"GUARDS!" I just heard and without wasting any more time I flew away as fast as I could.

After an hour or so flying I reached a forest and quickly flew into it. Where I nearly collapsed. I began to cough more and more. I looked at the can for a second only to read that it is very dangerous to inhaled. I began to search for a blue flower because I knew that it should help, that or if I would get the wrong one I would die immediately.

"As I found one I just ate it and I died at that day. Story end."

Leaf rolled with her eyes. "Come on. That joke is not funny."

Switch chuckled. "Alright alright... so where was I? Right I ate the plant..."

After a few second breathing got easier and I looked around I realized that I was in a forest to the east of Canterlot. I thought that they would now search for me so I decided to stay away from there for a while. I stayed in that forest for I think two years or so. While I was there I helped the animals and plants around me to get at least bit energy. I also helped travelers through the forest but that didn't get you much emotion, even when you do it for free.

After these years I got a letter, I just laid before the entrance of my hiding place. They letter said that I would get help if help them. Below that were instructions that told me to go to Vanhoover to search for a group of ponies.

Switch stopped and looked at them. "You know where Vanhoover is?"

Spirit nodded, Leaf thought for a moment. "That is somewhere in the west of Equesrtia right?"

Switch nodded and continued.

So I got the address on this letter and was told to arrest somepony. The letter also said that there would be a animal I should help. I thought to myself at this moment that this would be easy. Which it wasn't. I decided to try at least because in my situation I didn't had anything better to do. So I grabbed the bits from the ponies I guided through the forest before I stated to make it for free and bought a train-ticket. That was also the day I created the disguise Green Wing.

As I reached Vanhoover I was stopped by a group of guards. "You there identify yourself!"

Luckily I prepared a well thought excuse. "I am sorry my good sirs but I have to hurry. I was ordered to hold a lecture about changelings and I am already late."

But I overlooked one detail. "What is a changeling? Never heard of that!"

"Well that is a race of shape changer. They sneak into towns and impersonate one to gain energy from the love this pony gets."

The guards still seemed not to believe me. "Are you a professor of mythology?"

"Um ,yes? I mean yes, yes of course I am! So could I go now I am already late enough."

They looked at me for a few moments but then sighed. "Just go and tell the ponies about your dusty books." They laughed at me but let me through.

I searched for the address and as I found it, it just looked like an old house but the door was locked and the windows were barricaded. As I looked around the building to find an entrance and I found a window a bit higher which wasn't barricaded so I sneaked into the house. I walked downstairs as quiet as long as I could and saw two earthponies talking to each other.

I also saw a cage with a red bird. I didn't knew which race it is but I knew that it was the animal that I was suppose to help. As I tried to walk closer but they heard me.

"Did you heard that?" I quickly hide around the corner and thought what to do and got only one idea. I dropped my disguise and revealed myself.

I try to look as dangerous as I could and spoke to them. "Leave now or I will kill you! And don't even think of taking the bird with you!"

It didn't gave the result I wanted. "What do you think. Would somepony buy an overgrown bug?"

I got really angry at this point you should I don't like to be called bug. I jumped at the first of them and began to fight with him. After I knocked him out the other tried to run as I saw this he was already trying to unlock the door and just as it opened, vines began suddenly to move and tied up the pony.

It didn't really bothered me that the one was defeated by plants, I immediately turned to the cage and opened it pulled the bird out, which I now could identify as a phoenix and began to heal him. I was so focused on healing him that I didn't even realized that somepony entered the building. I almost got a heart attack as the pony spoke to me.

"I see that you followed my instructions. I will let you work than I want to talk with you."

I finished healing the phoenix who immediately flew off and turned to the pony who was no other than the archdruid.

Switch stopped with that and left the three behind Spirit quickly caught up again. "And then?"

Switch shrugged. "Not much else to say. He ask me if I would like to work for him and I agreed. I worked for him and after another year he made me to official part of the druids."

Spirit and Bite looked at each other. Then looked at Darren who walked a bit ahead. "And who did you joined the druids?"

"I was asked to." Darren simply stated.

Spirit wanted to ask further but was stopped by Switch. "It is really not a big deal You will hear his story at one time but for now we had enough history lecture."

Leaf, Spirit and Bite nodded and they turned back to follow Darren again.