Timber Thorn

by Khanathara

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Daring Do, Profanity, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Death
Length: 2423

Timber Wolves, an anomaly most would say. But most don't realize that there are other beings made of wood as well. Theirs the Timber Jack or Wooden Rabbit, The Timber Bear, and many others of the animals that inhabit the Everfree Forest.

Timber Wolves, an anomaly most would say. But most don't realize that there are other beings made of wood as well. Theirs the Timber Jack or Wooden Rabbit, The Timber Bear, and many others of the animals that inhabit the Everfree Forest. There has even been the story's of a bark skinned Hydra.

But only in myths are there stories of intelligent beings of timber. Never has there been a Timber Minotaur. Never has there been a Timber Zebra.

And never has there been a Timber Pony.

Or so is believed.

(More tags will be added as needed)

Published 2019-05-10 04:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-09-12 22:57:47 UTC

Lecture

...Timber Wolves, are an anomaly most would say. But most don't realize that there are other beings made of wood as well. However most also don't study the beings and story's of the other creatures are far less common then those of Timber Wolves." The Magic Biology Teacher, Femur, continued his lecture. "The Everfree Forest is an interesting place when it comes to both magic and biology.

"In it you can find a rather large number of plants and animals that either can't be found anywhere else in the world or can only be found halfway across the world. And Timber Wolves and the other wooden beings of the Everfree are our focus for today.

"Many a scientist have studied the Timber beings and have found, through abundant use of magic, that they are the same as their normal counter parts aside from one thing. The forest takes the souls of any animal that dies in or just outside its borders and brings them back as a creature of wood.

"Over the past two hundred years we have discovered that the beings act as guardians of the forest and that only those that seem to not relies that they have died are reborn as a Timber and yet they are very much alive. We have also found out that fifty years for us is estimated to be only around one for them, meaning that they have extraordinary long lives. How ever, aside from their long life spans they do age at what would be a normal rate for them and if they do not take care of them selves they will begin to rot and deteriorate. Such is the iconic smell of the Timber Wolves.

"Now before I continue, are there any questions?" Immediately after Femur's probe for questions a tiny lavender hoof shot into the air and was waving around excitedly. "Twilight." He called giving her the go ahead to speak, and preparing him self for a question to rival the college majors in the room or one so childish as to make him chuckle. He never knew what to expect from the young filly.

"If the Everfree takes the souls of all that die in or near it dose that mean that there are Timber Ponies?"

'Ah, a worthwhile question.' Femur thought as he smiled to himself. "While it is theoretically possible, it has not happened out side of legends and myths. That along with the fact that most Ponies, or any other sapient being for that matter, tend to know when they have died. However there are two theorized exceptions to this, If someone who would normally turn into a ghost when they died was near or in the Everfree they would most likely come back as a Timber. Or there is the sadder and more depressing theory, if a young one died some time with in the first two years of there life near the Everfree it is believed that it would come back and since Timber creatures have the same instincts as their normal counterparts, it would most likely not make it past its infancy." Femur sighed. "Now onto, well, not brighter topics but something to divert us from those thoughts."

/.'.'.'I'.'.'.\

Later in the day Twilight was lying in bed getting ready to read a new book before bed. 'Daring Do and The Heart of The Forest'. On the cover was a picture of Daring Do, an organic temple made of trees that seemed to grow into the needed shape, and a young pony made of wood.

"Oooo, a Timber Pony. I guess A.K. Yearling did some homework on this one."

1,500

Years in the Past

/.'.'.'I'.'.'.\

Shining Light was pulling a carriage, his wife and newborn laying in the back. They had planed to be to Canterlot, the former Unicorn capital city by now. But they have faced complication after complication, and now his daughter was born on the side of the road like some lowly Earth Pony.

The unicorn noble was fed up and irritated, not only were they a week late in getting home but he had to take a path along the Everfree so as to get there faster. All because his younger sister, Twilight Shimmer, refused him accesses to the family's money to hire ponies as carriage pullers and guards on his business trip to Manehattan.

If anyone asked him he would deny it, but he was currently planning a way to replace his sister as the patriarch of the family. They wouldn't be the only family with a patriarch instead of a matriarch after all.

What really bothered him now though was that his wife insisted that they follow his family tradition of naming their first born daughter Twilight, and to leave every thing in her name when they died.

Unfortunately his fuming distracted him from keeping a look out for dangerous creatures from the Forest and he was none the wiser as a pack of Timber Wolves stalked them from just out of his sight and in the shadows of the forest.

"Shine, it is getting late. How about we stop here for the night?" Pearlessence's voice came from the carriage.

Already late Shining figured that another day would do no harm and unhooked himself from the carriage. "Alright, we'll stop here for the night."

Hearing a twig snap he turned his head towards the Everfree but he couldn't see anything so he just shrugged it off and climbed into the carriage.

No one saw them again until a month latter when a ruined carriage was found in a ditch half a mile from where they stopped, a rib cage still hooked to the harness and a rotting mess inside it.

/.'.'.'I'.'.'.\

Heart of the Everfree

A young foal woke up in a room with glowing green light, she felt hungry so she began to cry trying to get her mother to come to her. For hours she cried and no one came to feed her, so still crying she attempted to stand and try to find her mom.

Looking around the room she saw only a glowing green something in the center of the room and a doorway that showed the outside, and so she went towards the door. The moment the sunlight fell on her she stopped as it felt like someone was feeding her. But there was no one there.

The foal sat there unmoving until she felt full and her infant curiosity got the best of her and she began to explore her surroundings. Her hunger no longer distracting her she felt a pull and moved towards it finding her self at the glowing green object. Reaching out to touch it she felt many things far beyond her understanding, but one stuck out among them all. She felt a mothers love.

She laid down next to it and fell asleep, the now comforting presence of the thing luring her to dreamland.

/.'.'.'I'.'.'.\

Unknown Years Later

Thorn, that's what the first one she met called her. Thorn had kept the name ever since.

Now she was watching another one of countless stumble across her home, trying to hide or looking for something. That's what they were always here for.

This one was not a young one though, so Thorn was wary of her. This one was one of the winged ones. She, based on looks and actions, was a tan color with a monochrome mane and tail. But what made Thorn wary of her was what she was wearing.

The strange headdress and coverings were things Thorn had only ever seen worn by those that search for and take her wooden allies, or to hunt and eat the non-wooden beings.

As she watched this one stumble she saw a Timber Jack cross her path and all this one did was glance at it with no other reaction.

As the light finally began to fade this one began to set up some kind of mobile shelter to rest in. It seemed flimsy and looked as if it would provide no real protection. It then went inside and stayed there.

After the light had fully faded and all Thorn was left with was her natural night vision and the glow of her eyes she moved closer to inspect the flimsy structure. It seemed to be made of the same material as what this one was wearing, and sticking her head in the flap she saw that it was holding its shape with nothing more than small sticks.

Looking at the one she was flowing showed it was asleep, or at least pretending to be. Its eyes kept trying to flutter open, but that wasn't as notice able as the fact that its breathing was wrong compared to one that was asleep. Thorn was unsure what to do, she had helped others in the past. But this one, this one was wearing the items she had learned to avoid and yet had no reaction to the Timber Jack she saw.

But before she could make a decision it spoke. "I know that you've been following me. So, who are you working for? Ahuizotl or Dr. Caballeron?"

"Who are they?" Thorn questioned in her leaf on the wind voice.

Adventurer

Daring had the feeling of being watched since she entered the Everfree. That in of itself was nothing unusual for the Everfree, but an hour ago the feeling intensified and she felt like she had a predator stalking her. She stayed on edge as an unknown predator could pounce on her at any moment or, more likely, the lackeys of one of her nemeses.

With the fact that she hadn't heard or seen anyone meant that whatever it was that is following her was highly experienced in staying unseen, which meant that Caballeron hired a professional assassin or Ahuizotl managed to convince another group (with actual talent for once) to blindly follow him. Or, more likely, it was just a forest predator.

She heard a rustling and slowed to make sure it was not a threat. A Timber Jack hopped out of a bush looked at her and scurried away back into the underbrush while also reminding her of why she was here, The Forest Heart. It was ancient legend that went back to even before the unification of the Pony Tribes and was supposedly the first source of natural magic in the world.

The feeling of being watched seemed to intensify as the Timber Jack hopped out of sight making Daring wish she could just fly over the forest, but its natural and unpredictable weather made such flights death traps. She began to move faster and with a less steady gait as the forest roots seemed to try and lunge out at her when she wasn't looking. 'What ever is tracking me isn't a predator or it would have pounced by now. So whoever is following me is likely waiting for me to drop my guard for an easy kill.

Daring stopped in a small clearing to think then began to set up camp with one of her old disposable tents. 'If you're going to wait for my to drop my guard there you go...'

After Daring had set up her tent and not been attacked she began to wonder if she was just being paranoid as the feeling began to recede, but then came back in full force. 'Ah, so that's the game. Going to wait for me to sleep, eh? Whoever this is is most definitely a professional. Guess that they finally had enough of me interfering with their plans.

She entered the tent and went to lay down on her bed roll and cuddled her survival knife close to her chest, ready to draw it at a moments notice. Looks like I'm not sleeping tonight. Come and get me pal.

Daring lost track of time as she layed there pretending to sleep facing the tent flap and thanks to the trees, her tent, and her closed eyes she couldn't see or feel any sunlight passing through her old rag of a tent. The adventurer could hear though, and the unnatural silence of the forest made it even easier to hear every rustle of a bush and shake of a branch. And after an unknown amount of time she finally heard the sound she had been listening for, the unmistakable soft crunch of hooves on foliage. So light was the sound that in any other circumstance she had no doubt that she would have missed it.

Tugging on the handle of her blade she began to ever so slowly unsheathe the knife. The flap of the tent made next to no sound as it was pushed aside and, not wanting to provoke a swift and deceive attack Daring slowed her hoof on the knife even more. The archaeologist could feel the eyes of her stalker slowly move about her shoddy shelter before they landed on her and stopped. There was no further movement as the would be assassin studied her. No movement from the cloth floor and no sound from the entrance to the small tent. 'Damn, this pony is good. The jig is up anyway, might as well figure out who it is that wants to off me.

"I know that you've been following me. So, who are you working for? Ahuizotl or Dr. Caballeron?" Daring said as she opened her eyes not expecting to see what was stood fully in her tent the flap closed behind it. She had been expecting either a Centaur, Zebra, or a Changeling possible even a Pony. And she was right, it was a Pony. A unicorn to be precise. But it had traits that any normal pony wouldn't have.

The glowing green eyes would be expected of anycreature using a night vision spell. But the glow continuing throughout the rest of the body would not be. The mane and tail seeming to be made of vines and leaves and seeming to be covered in tree bark instead of fur was something that only one type of creature would have. A Timber, just like the Jack Rabbit she saw earlier today.

But what stood before Daring Do, an Adventurer that had seen things that most couldn't even begin to believe was not a normal creature of wood. It was not a manticore, wolf, bear, or even a rabbit. It was-

"Who are they?" The Timber made Pony asked, her voice like that of wind through the trees.