Druids and the Wooden Heart

"Did you found something?" Spirit asked on the next day after nearly six hours read through Twilight books. He sat in front of a stack of twelve books. All categories as books about magical effects.

"No, nothing." Came from Twilight, who was behind a wall of books she already read over the day.

Bite came back to Spirit to bring him a few more books. Bite laid them down in front of Spirit who closed the book he just finished and laid it onto the other books.

Spirit looked around before he turned to Bite. "Have you seen Leaf?" Bite nodded and set him through his mind that Leaf was in the room to the left. "Could you see if she found something?"

Bite nodded and walked out of the room and right back into the room to the left. As Bite entered the room he saw Leaf sitting behind a pile of books and a bunch of papers next to her.

At this moment she was writing something on a piece of paper and seemed very frustrated. "Why can't I find the solution, how can it be so hard?" she threw away few papers and laid her head on a book.

As Bite walked closer rose Leaf quickly up and turned to him with a fake smile. "Oh hey Bite! I am doing good here! I think we have made great progress!"

Bite just tilted his head to the left and looked at her. Leaf let her head hung and sighed. "Ok ok, I found nothing... This rune it is so much more complicated than any rune I ever saw." She looked back down at one paper that was laying in front of her.

In the other room stood Spirit up and closed his book before he turned to Twilight. "I will go look for Leaf I get the feeling the feels pretty down right now."

Twilight flew a bit in the air so that she looked over the pile of books and looked at Spirit. "Should I come too?"

Spirit thought for a moment but then shook his head. "I am sorry but she still don't really know you very well I guess it would be better if I talk to her alone."

Twilight nodded understanding and flew down again. "It's ok. While you speak with Leaf I will look for Bright. Maybe after her lesson she can help to search for information."

Spirit nodded thankfully. "That would be nice." With that he left the room.

Meanwhile in the other room Leaf was still staring at the piece of paper in front of her. With Bite looking over her shoulder at the paper. On it was the rune with dozens of notes, some of them circled some of them crossed out.

Bite read through all the notes and was impressed by the amount of information she had gather in this short amount of time. He turned back to Leaf who was still just starring at the paper with a extremely stressed expression on her face.

Bite tilted his head to the left before poking Leaf in the side. Leaf instantly umped up and stared at Bite. "What is it ? I need to figure this out so don't fool around like this!"

Bite sighed and turned his head to the door where Spirit was standing now. "He wants that you should not worry so much, it's not good for you and will not help if you stress yourself so much."

Leaf looked at him at him unbelieving. "How can you say that if we won't figure out a way to stop this rune Bolt could destroy all nature with it."

"But remember what they told us as foals. If you concentrated not enough you won't come forward but if you concentrate too much you will lose track."

Leaf gave him just a big sigh in response. Whereupon he continued. "Yes I know you left the tribe but you know that I am right. It doesn't is any use if you get so frustrated that you don't come forward."

Leaf sighed again but nodded. "Yes I know. I won't find anything like this but I have to! We don't know when Bolt will do his next step but we have to get this done. We might not have another chance if Bolt gets the last piece..."

Spirit stopped for a moment and thought, he turned to Bite. "Bite what do you think?" Bite looked at Leaf for a second before looking back at Spirit. "She definitely needs to rest or at least relax for some time."

Spirit looked outside a window and saw that it was already noon and turned back to Leaf. "Why don't we go get something to eat? We searched the whole day and we haven't eaten yet. Bite what about you, hungry?"

Bite nodded eagerly and began to push Leaf in direction of the door. Leaf tried to stop but Bite was stronger. "No I have to read this! There might be something in it!"

Bite just continued to push her, ignoring her objections. Leaf now jumped up and turned to Bite. "Okay, okay. I will go with you eat but I can walk on my own!"

Bite smiled happily and began to walk ahead while Leaf turned to Spirit. "So where are we going to eat? Did you had something in mind?"

Spirit nodded and began to follow Bite. "We thought to go to the locale cafe and maybe get a tea and a little something to eat."

Leaf nodded even though she still wasn't really happy with that. Spirit began to lead the way towards the cafe in town.

After a few minutes they sat at cafe Leaf and Spirit each with a tea at the table and Bite laid behind Spirit with a bowl of water with a bit powder in it.

They drank they tea quiet until Spirit broke the silence. "So I wondered why did you left the Tribe? I mean I understand why you went with the druids but why did you left the tribe completely?"

Leaf sipped at her tea before sighing and answering. "I left because it was the easiest way. As a druid I only follow the nature and the archdruid and I thought it would be better to Leaf the rest behind."

Spirit nodded understanding but asked. "But what about your mother? Your job at the tribe? Or your friends there?"

Leaf sighed again and looked in the sky before answering. "Friends? I don't know if you remember but as a foal I didn't had any friends beside you."

Spirit sipped at his tea. "But what is with the time after I left?"

Leaf looked back at him with a bit anger in her eyes, her green right one even seemed to even glow a bit. "I didn't made any I was more focused about finding my job at the tribe. I spoke to a few other and meet them but I never got really close enough to really call them a friend and as I got my cutie mark I had not much time left I always was working on new runes or analyzing old one of which our tribe forgotten the use of. So I didn't had much time for social interaction with other zebras."

Bite at this point stood up and sat next to leaf down so she could pet him what seemed to calm her a bit. Spirit waited a bit before continuing. "What about the other things? You mentioned your job. Wasn't it important to you?"

Leaf now looked at Bite while she petted his back with her hoof as she answered. "To be honest it wasn't really needed. The runes I invented were almost the same as the one we already had mostly only insignificantly better. Also the old runes I analyzed were for the most part just older versions of the ones we already used, not mentioning that I am not the only one that can analyze runes. I am just faster than the most. So nothing really that would hold me there."

Spirit emptied his tea before he asked his next question. "And what about your mother?"

Leaf was frozen in place one off her hoof still on Bites back who was now also looking at her. "She is ok."

Spirit and Bite looked at her closely with curiosity in their eyes and Spirit continued to ask. "That is all you have to say? That you think she is ok?"

Leaf sighed and looked at them. "Just as Switch left we began to argue whether I should go with him or not. She was the opinion that we couldn't trust him and that he might had an evil plan or something while I was the opinion that I should try. For me I just saw a possible future for me, I didn't wanted to sit around making and analyzing runes, I wanted to do something." Leaf stopped seemingly frustrated.

Spirit raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to leave the tribe?"

Leaf shook her head slightly. "Not exactly. You see I argued with my mother for the rest of the day until night and as I went to bed I looked at the rune Switch had given me looking at it normally it just looked like a rune that would make a small light but as I looked at it with my right eye I saw the complexity it had." Leaf reached in the small bag she had with her and pulled out a small stone with simple lines on it.

Spirit and Bite both leaned over to look at it closely and they both knew that this rune would made just a light green glow but as they looked closer they saw dozens off much smaller finer lines all around the stone.

Leaf began to levitated the rune and the lines began to glow in a smooth green color. The strings began to loose from the stone and rearrange above the stone, forming a small tree made off light strings with a few in the middle forming a star.

Spirit looked at the small glowing tree for a few seconds while Bite had noticed that a few other ponies had started to stare but as soon as Bite looked in their direction quickly turned away again.

Leaf slowly let the stone down again and the green light strings began to disappear. "For me that was prove enough to believe Switch so I decided to talk to the elder the next day...

Leaf stood in front of the tent of the elder taking a deep breath before stepping inside. As she stood inside she was greeted by the warm smile of the elder who was sitting in the middle of the room on the ground.

"Ah it is you Leaf I see
so what brings you to visit me?"

Leaf held her head down and began quietly. "Do you know about the changeling that claims to be a druid?"

The elder nodded in response so Leaf continued. "Well I believe him and I wanted to ask for permission to go with him."

The elder seemed to think about something for a moment before he answered her.

"You don't have to ask my dear,
but I have to ask you for something in return I fear."

Leaf looked up, very surprised ,at him. "What is it?"

"As the druid came I asked my seer about you future here
Can you think what they saw in their magic sphere?"

Leaf shook her head confused about what the elder wanted to say her with that.

"They didn't saw you at all and not as a part of us anymore
so I have to ask if you are willing to leave the tribe and go through another door."

Leaf surprised at the elder, shocked by what she heard." But why? Why do I have to leave completely?"

"I can't say what the future has installed for you my friend
but I think It is better if you leave as it was meant.
You have to see the future with open eyes
not influenced by tribe , do will you take this advice?"

Leaf still looked confused at him. "I still don't understand!"

"I believe the burden off the tribe and the druids is not meant for you to bear
So let me take one of them off, the burden of the tribe, you don't have to share."

Leaf wanted to argue again but just sighed and nodded. "If you insist elder."

"Thank you but there is one last thing
I have to ask of you if you are willing
there might come the day a one of the tribe will join the druid as his quest
I ask you to guide this zebra as a druid and former tribe member at best."

Leaf nodded. "Of course I will do that!"

...And so I had made my decision I would leave the tribe to become a part of the druids and it even seems like I could fulfill my promise and guide one of the tribes to become a druid. Though I never thought that one would be you."

Spirit thought about what Leaf had said and looked at his empty tea cup. 'Did the elder expected that one day one of the tribe who join the druids?'

"Maybe his seer saw it? Or maybe he just ask a just in case?" Spirit nodded and looked back up at Leaf. "But what about your mother?"

Leaf looked sadly down at the table. "I never had the courage to tell her but I asked the elder about it when I was gone but I let myself sometime I stayed for the rest of the days until the third one when I had to go to Switch."

Spirit nodded. "If that is what you thought is the best I respect that."

Leaf rolled her eyes at him and shook her head with a small smile. "You are really no help. You sound too much like the Zebras from back at the tribe but thanks for listening anyway."

Spirit looked confused at her. "What did I do?"

"Nothing I just miss home from time to time and you remind me so much of it." Leaf stood up and turned in direction of the castle. "I think we should go back and continue our research."

Spirit wanted to object but was stopped by Bite. "You won't get her relax more and you have to agree that we should continue our research."

Spirit slowly nodded and they followed Leaf who already walked ahead. They walked for a few seconds when Bite suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Spirit noticed that and turned around. "What is it?"

Bite pointed with his nose towards the castle. "It's the high mage."

Spirit turned his head around to see that Leaf had stopped and in front of her stood now the high mage Ice Eruption. Ice Eruption looked at the three. "Greetings, Spirit Wood, Bite and Leaf."

Spirit bowed. "High mage. It is nice to see you again."

"You really have to drop this habit!" Whispered Leaf over her should before addressing the High mage. "How do you know who I am?"

Ice Eruption nodded at as an apology. "Oh I am sorry I didn't introduced myself first. My name is Ice Eruption, I am a high mage. The advisor of the school for gifted unicorn asked me if I could help Spirit with a problem and he also said that he would probably be accompanied by a zebra named Leaf."

Spirit raised his head again and looked at the old unicorn. "Advisor Root send you here to help us? Well we just were on the way back to our research."

The high mage nodded and stepped aside. "Of course you may lead the way then."

Spirit nodded and moved past him quickly followed by Leaf and Bite. Just after Bite walked past Ice Eruption himself turned in their direction and began to follow.

They went back to the castle and to the room where Leaf had worked. She showed Ice Eruption the rune and the notes she had done so far. She began to explain and Ice Eruption began to ask questions. Spirit and Bite both tried to follow but after the first five minutes he didn't understood anything since they talked about very complex and difficult magic so they sat back and watched them discuss.

Leaf looked at suggestion that Ice Eruption had drawn and began to nod. "So you think we should try instead of disable the rune just add another point to drain the magical energy?"

Eruption nodded and pointed with his hoof at the middle. "If you would add these lines at the outside, the middle should just begin to lighten up. It would be completely harmless if everything goes right."

Leaf began to smile. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much help this is!"

The high mage nodded politely. "No thanks to me I was just following the request from Root and besides that you were already pretty close to the solution."

Spirit now stood up and walked to them. "So you have found out an solution?" While he asked Bite turned to the paper on which the changed rune was drawn.

Leaf nodded happily at him. "Yes we finally found a way!"

Spirit nodded and gave Leaf a small smile. "I am glad to hear that you have found a solution. That means we only have to wait for Bolt to reveal his position."

Ice Eruption raised an eyebrow. "Bolt you say?"

Bite, Leaf and Spirit looked at each other before Spirit answered. "Well yes he is the one who wants to test this rune."

Eruption nodded knowing. "This may be enough information for me. I will stay here for a couple of days if you have any more questions, do not hesitate to ask me!"

Spirit and Leaf nodded simultaneously and Spirit said. "Yes we will and thank you for helping us with the rune."

Ice Eruption bowed slightly at the two and a second time, this time in direction of Bite, before leaving. Spirit turned to Leaf and sighed. "That means we have to wait now. Maybe we can relax..."

Right at this moment Leaf stopped and turned to her saddlebag opening it an pulling out a stone with her magic. The stone itself was glowing in a bright green. Leaf looked at the stone her left eye now also glowing in the gentle green. After a few seconds she blinked a few times before her left eye returned normal.

She put the stone back in her back before looking at Spirit. "The archdruid found Bolt we have to go! The archdruid said he is about to unleash something nopony can contain!"