Druids and the Wooden Heart

They continued to walk for a few minutes. Until Darren stopped suddenly.

Darren looked at a few trees and nodded. "We reached our destination." He turned to them. "Now let's find out what is happening here."

Everyone nodded and they all looked around, except Spirit and Bite. The two walked to Darren and asked. "What exactly are we looking for?"

Darren pointed at a dead tree. "Do you see this? This tree didn't died naturally. We are looking for the cause. I have an idea what it is but I wait with that till the others find more evidence."

Spirit nodded and walked to the dead tree followed by Bite. "Do you smell something?"

Bite sniffed at the tree then at the surrounding trees. "There is something, something strange. It smells dark!"

Spirit looked at the trees and thought for a moment. "Dark?" He said more to himself. Suddenly it hit him. "Leaf could you come for a second?"

Leaf who was a few feet away looked up. "Yeah what is it?"

Spirit waved her to him and pointed at the dead tree. "Could you look at this?" Leaf walked to them followed by Switch who was now also curios.

Leaf closed her left eye and looked closely with her rune eye at the tree. "There is something dark on this tree. Very dark but nothing natural. Somepony or something had caused this."

Darren nodded. "Dark magic. I hoped... I would be wrong."

Switch reached in his bags and searched for something. "Ok Leaf try to make an energy rune I have something." He pulled out a bunch of seeds. Leaf began to draw lines in the ground with her magic next to the area with the dead tree and Switch buried the seeds in the middle.

Switch turned to Leaf. "Ready?"

Leaf nodded and Switch turned to the place where he buried the seeds. His hooves began to glow and he pressed them on the earth. Leafs horn began to glow and the rune around also began to glow.

Spirit wanted to walk to them but was stopped by Leaf. "No, if you step on one line we have to start again."

Spirit bowed in apology and walked back again. "I am sorry."

Leaf rolled her eyes annoyed but didn't said anything. After one minute stood Switch up again and nodded to Leaf who stopped with her magic. Spirit looked in the middle of the rune where now was a small sapling. "So what is this plant for?"

Darren gave Spirit one of the seeds. "This seeds is from a rare plant that needs magic to grow. With this rune we helped the plant to grow till it's a sapling. From now the plant will absorb all not natural magic. It should clean the area from dark magic, but we have to stop the pony or thing that has done this!"

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "Was that all we going to do here?"

The others nodded and Bite and Spirit looked at each other raising an eyebrow. "I have to admit I have expected more." Bite nodded.

Darren put down his bag down and pulled out his tent. "Ok we will rest here for the rest of the day. Remember not to build your tent near the plant or the area with the dark magic."

They all nodded and began to build their tents. Switch was the first who was finished his tent. "So then good ni-" He began to chough and quickly drank his medicine. "I hate this!" Switch walked in his tent and they could her snoring after two minutes.

Spirit bowed with zebra manners. "Good night to you all." He and Bite walked in their tent while Darren and Leaf stayed outside.

As Leaf finished her tent turned to Darren. "So what now?"

"We will go back. Spirit probably wants to meet his friends in Ponyville. I will go directly to the archdruid, you and Switch can diced what you want to do in that time. I will contact you when we get another task." Leaf nodded and Darren walked in his tent. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." With that they all went to sleep.

On the next morning.

"WAKE UP!"

Spirit and Bite jumped up from their sleep and walked outside. They looked around and saw Darren drinking soup and Switch with a wide smile. Spirit looked to his left to see that Leaf also just awaked. Switch chuckled. "I said I would wake you up."

They dismantled their tents and each of them got a bowl of soup. Spirit strew a bit of magic powder in ne bowl and gave it Bite.

As they finished their soup stood Darren up. "So we a have a few days till we get our next task. I am going to go straight to the archdruid. Does one of you want to come with me?"

They all shook their heads and stayed silent.

Daren nodded and said. "Ok then I'll go alone. I will contact you when we get our next mission." And with that flew Darren off.

Switch turned to the others. "So what do you do now?"

Leaf shrugged and Spirit turned to Bite. "I would say we go to Ponyville meet our friends again, what do you think Bite?"

Bite nodded and Switch walked to them. "I come with you I want to see the ponies that would spent time with you."

"Hey!"

Switch ignored him and chuckled. "Leaf do you come too?"

Leaf nodded. "I would like to come."

Switch smiled and pointed in the direction where they came from. "Then lets head back to Ponyville."

The four began to walk in direction of Ponyville. Just before they reached the town stopped and put on his disguise. As they entered the town it was noon and the ponies were walking around.

The ponies who noticed them just looked at them but didn't said anything. Switch leaned to Spirit and whispered. "Not very welcoming here, aren't they?"

Spirit whispered back. "We are three ponies in cloaks and a Timberwolf, what did you expect?"

Switch chuckled. "I guess you are right."

Leaf walked between them. "Do we even have to wear these cloaks at all?"

They stopped and Switch nodded. "Good idea maybe then we won't look so strange and they stop staring at us."

So they took off their cloak and just a few seconds later a few ponies seems to recognize Spirit and Bite. They continued to heading forwards the castle as they were suddenly stopped.

"Hey Spirit!"

Spirit looked up to see Rainbow Dash standing on a cloud above them. "Hello Rainbow Dash. Nice to see you again."

Rainbow flew down and landed in front of them. "So you are back then. What is with the druids and who are your friends?"

"Well the druids-" Spirit wanted to began but Switch punched him with his wing the side and shook his head. 'Oh right the druids are a secret.'

He looked back to Rainbow Dash who was still waiting for an answer. "Well, um I haven't found them yet but to my friends, this here is Leaf, she was part of my tribe back at the Zebras. And this here is Green Wing."

Switch stepped forward. "Professor Green Wing if I might add. I am professor of changelings, their history, biology and behavior. I am helping Mr. Spirit Wood with his investigations about druids."

Rainbow looked at Switch for a few second then shook her head and turned to Spirit. "Guess you want to visit the others too? They are probably in the castle at the moment. I will fly ahead and tell them that you are coming." She flew away not waiting for Spirit to answer.

Spirit turned to the other three and shrugged. "I guess we'll go to the castle."

The others nodded and the headed to the castle. As they reached the door knocked Spirit at it. After a few seconds opened Spike the door. "Oh hey Spirit. Rainbow already told me that you would come. Come in the others are in the dining hall."

They walked in the dining hall and saw 6 ponies. Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and two ponies who Spirit didn't expected. One was a young mare who Spirit recognized her as Fallens sister and Twilight student Bright Side. She had a dark yellow coat, gold yellow hair and blue eyes. The last pony was a stallion that neither Spirit nor Bite were familiar with. He had a white coat, a dark blue mane and yellow eyes.

Spirit walked in the room and bowed. "It is very pleasant to see all my friends again." He greeted them in the zebra way.

Twilight smiled at them. "Spirit you know that you don't have to bow here in Equestria before any of us but it is nice to see you again. So who are your friends?"

Spirit stepped a bit forward and began to introduce them. "This here is Leaf, she was that zebra I was befriend with back at the zebra tribe. This here is.."

Switch interrupted him and stepped forward. "I am professor Green Wing, I am professor of changelings, their history, biology and behavior and it is an honor to meet you your highness."

Spirit looked at Leaf confused. Leaf leaned to him and whispered. "He is just playing his role. Just let him do, normally he knows what he is doing."

Spirit looked again through the room. "Is Fallen not going to eat with us. Is he working on an experiment?"

As he said that they all looked a bit down. Twilight sighed and explained. "This is a long story. We will tell you later, ok?"

He nodded and Spirit Leaf and Switch sat down while Bite laid down behind Spirits chair. As Spirit had sat down the male pony turned to him. "So you are Spirit Wood. Bright here told me that you tried to make peace between ponies and Timberwolves and that you can read the minds of animals. It is nice to meet you."

Spirit smiled. "Nice to meet you. You are... you're..." He looked behind him at Bright who pointed at the cloak that was hung over his chair. Which confused Spirit only more.

The pony just looked at him with a cracked smile. "She never mentioned me, did she? No problem, so I am Rising I am the archmage."

Meanwhile began Twilight to talk with Switch. "So, you are a professor for changelings. I had make some notes based on one encounter with them, you probably heard of the attack at the weeding in Canterlot. I wanted to ask if you would mind looking over them?"

"Um I don't think we should do that now. I mean we are going to start with eating soon."

Twilight just smiled. "Oh that shouldn't be the problem. We still have almost an hour till we start so would you mind?"

Switch wanted searched for an excuse but couldn't find one. He sighed in defeat and nodded. Twilight smiled happily. "Thank you. Follow me." With that the two headed to the library.

Leaf who was sitting between Spirit and Switch stayed quiet and just looked what the others did while she pet Bite on the head.

Spirit turned to Bright and his expression turned serious. "So what happened with Fallen. It had something to do with the summer sun celebration last year, right?"

Bright instantly stopped smiling and looked a bit down but nodded. She took a deep breath and began to explain.

Meanwhile in the library had Twilight given Switch a bunch of paper which he now looked through. He was surprised who much information they actually had. "You got all this information after the one attack?"

She shook her head. "We had one or two changelings who had impersonated a few ponies. We have invented a spell that revealed the true self of a changeling."

Switch continued to read through the document and nodded. "Very interesting . What do these spells if they hit a non changeling?"

Twilight looked at him as if the answer was obvious. "Well nothing of course. That reminds me, I was working on a spell that reveals the changeling and paralyzes the body too. I haven't a chance to try if it has any effects on pony. Would you mind if I try the spell on you?"

Switch hadn't listened really and just nodded. Twilight began to charge the spell and just then realize Switch what she was doing and dropped the bunch of paper. "No! No! No! " But it was too late. The spell hit Switch directly.

As Bright finished the story nodded Spirit just slowly. "I am sorry to hear that. Maybe I try to talk with him. I mean may not been the best of friends with him but I know what it means to be called monster." While he said that he looked at Bite.

Bright nodded. "Maybe you could..." They stopped as they heard a sudden noise.

"No! No! No!"

Leaf and Spirit looked at each other knowing that that was Switchs voice. They jumped up and ran in direction of the library, followed by the others.

As they opened the doors from the library they saw Switch lying on the ground and a confused Twilight in front of him. Twilight saw Spirit and raised an eyebrow. "Why is the professor a changeling?"

Spirit tried to think of something. "Well that is because..." He looked to Leaf who also had no plan.

Switch lifted his head. "You can tell them who I am." After he said that he let his head on the floor again.

Spirit nodded. "Well ok then. You know I told once a story about a changeling I met years ago?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes Applejack told us that you encountered a changeling who came through you village. You said that he was friendly."

Spirit nodded again. "Yes, well he is the changeling from back then. He helps me with the druids. He left the swarm years ago, even before the attack on Canterlot."

Switch lifted his head again. "Yes I am one of the good now. Could you be please so kind now and let me go?"

Before Twilight could say anything stepped Rising forward." Before you do that let me check the rest of them." Twilight nodded and Rising stepped in front of Leaf and Spirit and performed his spell.

They both glowed a second and Rising nodded. "I am sorry but I had to make sure."

They both nodded understanding and Twilight broke the spell on Switch. Who stood up and nodded to Twilight. "Thanks."

Twilight nodded. "Ok then let us all go back to the dining hall. The others should arrive soon."

They all went back to the hall and sat down again.