My Little Pony: The Life and Times of Forestsong

“Wake up, Sweetie Belle. The day’s half over, darling,” Rarity said, gently shaking her sister's shoulder.

Sweetie Belle groaned a little, before pushing herself up as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then slowly looked around. She was in her and her sisters tent, how did she get here? Looking around, she tried to find the young male she had been with, however he was nowhere to be found.

“You must have stayed up late last night, you were sleeping really deep. It’s almost noon,” Rarity said as she drew the curtains to the balcony, letting the sunlight in. “You must have had a lot on your mind, you were sleeping so peacefully I couldn’t bear to wake you this morning. So I let you sleep,” the older unicorn said with a smile, “but it’s lunch time and I bet you’re hungry. So when you’re ready, come down stairs and we’ll all get lunch together.”

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Y.. yeah. I did a lot of thinking last night. Also I kinda watched the rainstorm we had. I’m sorry for worrying you, sis. ”

“No worries darling, I’m just glad you got it out of your system. Now get freshened up,” Rarity said, giving Sweetie Belle a hug and then moved to the doorway leading to the downstairs. “You know how impatient Rainbow Dash can be.” She left her sister as she walked downstairs and out to the center of the campsite.

Sweetie Belle just sat there in the bed. How had she gotten here, and had it all been a dream? Getting up, she walked to the window and looked out of it, hoping to catch some sign that what she had experienced was real. Looking about, the young mare turned back and looked at the room. Everything was exactly as she had left it the night before, she even walked to the bathroom and saw a full set of towels. Not one missing, yet she was certain she had taken one when she had gone outside.

“Did I just dream it?” she muttered and brought a hoof to her lips. She could still feel his lips on hers, the soft moistness and her heart fluttered like it had when he had kissed her. “No, I couldn’t have dreamed it. How did I get here?” Walking toward the bed, her hoof bumped into something. Looking down her heart stopped cold. It was a plush doll. She didn’t sleep with dolls, she was too old for that even though she loved collecting them. Looking at them carefully, she caught the same scent off of them that had come from him. Looking toward her bed again, there were three more plush dolls under the blanket.

She recognized them, these were the dolls that had been in his room. Each one was made to resemble his sisters. Why would she have them? Levitating the doll on the floor up, she put it on the bed with the others and looked out the window again. He must have brought her here while she had still been asleep. He had kept his promise, as apparently Rarity didn’t know she had been gone all night. But why did she have his prized possessions? He loved these dolls as much as he did his sisters, he had even told her as much.

She decided to think about this later, so she took a quick shower and put on a designer camping vest that she and her other crusaders made for their own cutie mark camp. She walked outside just as she heard Rainbow Dash and the others talking about something that she found odd.

“Iit’s true, that path leading up the waterfall is gone. The only way up is to fly now. And even then it’s treacherous. Lots of loose boulders and vines all over the place,” Rainbow Dash said excitedly. “Aand here I was hoping we could all do a diving contest. I guess that’s out now.”

“Oh that’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack said as she sat there with a basket over a large fire, filled with plenty of vegetables. “I’m sure there’s a lot more we can do.”

“Yeah, but I was hoping we could have explored up there today,” Scootaloo said as she came up to Sweetie Belle and joined not too long by Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, I heard the view from the top of that mountain is amazing,” Apple Bloom said with disappointment in her voice

“Well girls unless you can fly, we’ll all just have to find other things to view down here,” Rarity said as she took a skewer of vegetables from Applejack once they were finished cooking.

“It’s odd though, I looked yesterday and I swear those rocks and vines weren’t there then,” Rainbow Dash said, munching on her kebab. “It’s like they just sprung up overnight.”

Sweetie Belle looked over at the waterfall, while everyone talked about that mystery of the blocked path. Did he do that? Does he want to keep others from his hideaway?

That thought and many others continued to plague the young mare as the week passed. While they couldn’t get access to the waterfall anymore. They all had a wonderful time hiking and exploring the wooded area, hiking along the other cliffs and playing games of all sorts. And while Sweetie Bell was having a wonderful time, her thoughts kept going back to that first night and her time spent in the cave behind the waterfall.

Without anypony knowing, she had walked around the lake to the waterfall and saw that it had been completely blocked off. It was the night that everyone was packing up, and her thoughts continued to go back to Kohaku. Where was he? She wanted to see him again. She took special care to pack away the plush dolls away without her sister knowing. She didn’t want to have to explain why she had four dolls that she had never had before. At least back at home she could explain that she had made them herself, a small lie but it would keep him secret.

“Is everything okay, Sweetie Belle? You’ve been rather distracted lately,” Rarity said softly and came up beside her sister.

“Rarity, what would you say if I met somepony out here around my age?” Sweetie Belle said looking up at her sister. She wanted to pour her heart out right then and there, but she wasn’t certain how anypony would react. “A special somepony.”

“Oh? Did my little sister find love out here in the woods?” Rarity said leaning in, she did love hearing about these things.

“Sorta. I... it was a few days ago. I keep thinking it was a dream, but I know it wasn’t,” she said and lowered her head. “I haven't seen him since that first night. But he left such a wonderful impression on me. We just laid together and talked our hearts out. We even had a few laughs, he has a wonderful sense of humor.”

“Oh Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said and caressed the young mares hair. “A chance meeting in the moonlight. Sounds very romantic. Was he another camper? Maybe on the other side of the woods?”

“No, it.. he lives out here. Well, nearby.” Sweetie Belle said softly, choosing her words carefully.

“Oh, well this is a beautiful place to live, he must be very lucky that his family chose such a wonderful place as their home,” The fashionista said. “Well, if you found love out here, I’m very proud of you, Sweetie Belle. You’re growing up every day. I’m sure he wants to see you, but you’ve been busy with all of us. And you never know, he might want to just avoid an awkward situation.”

Looking up Sweetie Belle smiled at her sister, she usually did know the right things to say “Yeah you're probably right. It would have been rather awkward. I just wanted to see him one more time before we all left tomorrow morning.”

“Well, regardless if you do or don’t. Will he be on your mind and in your heart?” Rarity said, putting a hoof under Sweetie Belle’s cheek.

The young mare just nodded. “I don’t think I could ever forget him. How he looks, how he sounds, his smell.”

“Then even if you don’t see him again before tomorrow, I’m sure you’ll always see him in your dreams.” Rarity said as she took off her robe and crawled into her bed. “I’m going to sleep. Don't’ stay up too late, darling. Remember, we have to pack up the tents at dawn.”

“Okay, sis,” Sweetie Belle said softly as she walked to the balcony and folded her legs on the edge, laying her head down on them. Looking around, she saw everyone else had gone to bed early. Not surprising as they were leaving in the morning. A week of fun and now it was over. In a few days she’d be back in Ponyville, then back in school a week later.

“I need a walk,” she said softly to herself, knowing her sister was asleep. Slipping on her bathrobe, which of course matched her sister's, she left the tent. Looking up, she saw that the moon was full and bright, just like the night she first met him. Walking to the lake, she looked at waterfall, marveling at how the light of the moon made it look like a sheet of falling crystals.

“Oh Kohaku, where are you?” she asked aloud, hoping that he would show himself. Or she would find at least some sign of the young fox.

“Waiting for you to come to the spot where we met.” A soft voice came from behind her as a tail tip brushed up the back of her neck. The voice, and the upward stroke of his tail, startled her so badly that she turned so fast that her own tail slapped the young Kitsune in the face. Looking forward, Sweetie Belle saw Kohaku sitting on the ground rubbing his cheek where her tail had struck him. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. It’s the trickster in me.” Kohaku said with a chuckle.

“Oh Kohaku, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?” she asked, kneeling down in front of him.

“It’s okay, I’m fine, Sweetie Belle.” Kohaku asked as he stood up and helped her stand up again. The pair looked at each other with smiles on their muzzles.

“Where have you been? I didn’t think you’d show yourself again,” she said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, I wanted too but… I..”

“You were scared, you weren’t sure of how the others would react to you.” Sweetie Belle said, finishing his thought. Even after one day, she felt that close that she knew what he was thinking.

“Well, given your first reaction, can you blame me?” he asked softly as he ever so lightly rubbed his body up against her side and nuzzled his head up against hers as she did the same.

“No, I can’t,” she said softly, the reminder of their first meeting making her blush, “but I’m glad you're here now.” Looking into his eyes, she blushed again “I… I told my sister about you. She knows I met someone out here, but thinks you’re a pony.”

A light chuckle escaped his lips. “That’s okay. You shouldn’t keep secrets from family. My family never did. We always kept everything out in the open. I have no problems with you telling her about me, or with her thinking, I’m a pony. It would be easier to handle than a creature she probably never heard of.”

Nodding softly, she just leaned against him, her head on his shoulder as she felt one tail rest on her shoulder while the other two wrapped around her tail. She still found his prehensile tails a little marvelous.

“You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question, she knew it from the facts that presented themselves this past week. “That’s why you covered the waterfall path, isn’t it?”

“Mhmm. Yeah, I am.” Kohaku said sadly as he held her close. “And why I gave you my dolls. I need to learn to live in this world. And I can’t do that from my room.”

“You could come to Ponyville. Learn there,” Sweetie Belle said softly, and hopefully. She wanted him close by and hoped he’d join her.

“I could and I might one day, but not right now. I can’t go with you tomorrow morning,” he said sadly and looked down.

“Why not? Just come back to camp with me. Let me talk to my sister and our friends. They’ll like you.”

“It’s not that easy, I can’t go to the camp with you,” he said as he got up and walked a few steps away.

“Why not? It’s just over there,” she said, pointing with her hoof.

Sighing softly, he turned around and looked at her tenderly. The moon reflected in his amber eyes. “It’s because I've already left.”

Blinking she looked at him. A smirk crossed her lips. This had to be another trick of his, he couldn’t have left because he was right there in front of him. “Okay, then why are you standing right here with me? You couldn’t have left because we’re still here together.”

“Sweetie Belle,” he started. He adored her simple naivety, as well as her playful mischievousness that matched his own. “Do you notice something rather odd about tonight? That we’re talking, and we’re both not touching my sphere. I can’t speak your ponish, and you certainly don’t speak Old Ponish or my language,” he said, tapping the leaf green sphere on the front of his bandanna. “And look up, the moon is full. It was also full the night we met. After a week’s time, it should be starting to move into a waning crescent.”

Looking up she saw the moon, it wasn’t unusual for Luna to keep her moon in a particular phase if she wanted too. Looking over at the lake she saw the moon again, and for a brief moment saw Princess Luna in that reflection, and then she blinked. They were talking, just normally like he could speak ponish. However, she didn’t even question it, why didn’t she, was she dreaming?

“That’s right, my sweet, you’re dreaming, or rather, we’re dreaming. I left earlier this week after blocking off the waterfall. At the moment I’m asleep in the woods on the other side of the mountains,” he said looking at her, answering her thoughts. Moving in closer, he nuzzled her cheek. “I wanted to say goodbye, and I couldn’t do it in person.”

“Why not?” the young mare whispered painfully. She felt as if her heart was breaking in two. “Why can’t you tell me goodbye in person?”

“Because, the last time I did that, It was the last time I saw my father alive, it was the last time I saw my sisters alive.” he said with his head bowed. “I’ve lost so many people, I don’t want to lose you too. I wanted us to have the hope we would meet again,” he finished sadly with a deep sigh.

“Well, at least you care enough to let me see you in some way,.” she said, nuzzling back. “How far are you going to go?”

“I don’t know. I want to search for some sign of my people. If nothing else, I want to learn what has been going on in this world. And the only real way to do that, is first hand experience. Something I learned from my father and my big brother.”

“I understand, we’ll meet again when we’re awake again. Right?” Sweetie Belle asked weakly. She did understand why he was doing it this way, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

“I promise,” he said positively as he leaned in to kiss her one final time.

“Good, I’ll introduce you to my sister, and all my friends,” the mare said and closed her eyes, leaning in and pressing her lips against his. Even though it was a dream, the kiss was as real as it had been the first time, and when she opened her eyes again she was back in her room, laying out on the balcony. She had fallen asleep right there, a blanket was around her shoulders. Looking up at the moon she closed her eyes and prayed.

“Oh Princess Luna, please look after Kohaku,” she whispered to the moon as a tear fell down her cheek.

On the other side of the foal mountains, young Kohaku stretched as he woke from his sleep. The moon was just slowly going down as the sun was rising. Looking at the moon he smiled softly and whispered with a light melody.

“Oh mother moon hear my plea,

guard my Sweetie Belle and keep her safe for me.

Lead her with your softest light,

and keep her always within your sight.”

He was pleased to find that the moon shimmered as it slowly lowered into the western horizon. Hitching up his rucksack, he moved onward through the forest. He was unsure of his destination, and even less certain about his future.

“Ponyville, huh? I’ll have to make a note of where that is, once I can read their maps.” Kohaku smiled with a chuckle as he continued on down the forest path, his three tails swinging casually behind him.