"Will my daughter recover, ma'am?” The worried unicorn mother spoke in a soft yet frightened tone.
Her bright orange mane completely frazzled beyond repair. Pastel blue eyes echoed with anxiety several blacks lines formed under each lid. Her pink coat filthy from a hard day's work and tribulations of motherhood.
“The darlin’ got herself into a patch of “Wafting Willows”.” Mage Meadowbrook spoke in a collected manner, a ringlet of fiery red mane femininely bouncing in front of her turquoise hues.
The legendary healer of Equestria was an aqua-colored earth pony. Humble as she was beautiful, her braids of red mane swirled into a towering bun style. Tail braided in a similar fashion. The mare wore a piece of white cloth tied around her forehead, a brass bracelet firmly over her right hoof.
She matched it with a brass necklace draped around her slender neck, the floof of her chest protruding proudly, leading elegantly down to her favorite green skirt that fluttered about her hind hooves daintily.
“Is it deadly?” The mother asked with a shaky voice.
“Heavens no!” Meadowbrook giggled as she led the mother down the hall towards the filly's room.
“Though, she'll be waftin’ for a bit yet.” The earth pony pushed the splintered wooden frame open, inside a tiny young filly floated through the air giggling joyously.
“Mm-hmm. How long will it last?” The mother scrunched her muzzle cutely.
“Maybe two days, feed her lots of solids.” Meadowbrook reached out a hoof plucking the child out of the air, giving her a soft nuzzle on the cheek.
“Also it's pretty obvious, but keep her away from open windows.” Meadowbrook handed the smiling child to her mother who sighed.
“Thank you, ma'am. I don't have much…” The unicorn blushed a bright pink in shame.
“Hon, it's free of charge.” The mare gave the unicorn a tender hug full of compassion.
“May the sun bless you.” The mother nodded holding back a stream of tears.
The healer simply gave a knowing wink, sliding back on her satchel of potions. The mares sharing a few more kind words before finally saying their goodbyes. Meadowbrook cantering out into the welcoming sunshine of the Friday afternoon, it was still early and the perfect weather for a lovely stroll through the forest.
She enjoyed making a few house calls since her reintroduction into Modern Equestria. If she had to be completely honest, it was far more fulfilling than sitting on her haunches in the store all day. She loved to get out and see the world, find new beauty in the old and of course meet such interesting ponies along the way.
Picking up her pace, she broke into a gallop heading off towards the Dark Thorn Forest. Such a depressing name for a tranquil slice of paradise. Meadowbrook inhaled the sweet Fall air with a smile, watching the wind kiss the branches of the towering trees.
The scent of fresh dew potent upon her nostrils, tickling her muzzle softly. Losing herself in a dreamy daze of nature's beauty. She failed to notice a tall lanky mare stepping out of the berry bushes, both mares colliding to the ground below with a loud thud.
“Darlin’ are you ok!?” Meadowbrook shook her head in a daze, quick to pull herself back to her hooves.
“Nothing broken, such a pity.” The ghostly white earth pony slouched on her haunches depressingly.
“Excuse me?” Meadowbrook scrunched her muzzle up quite bewildered.
The odd mare’s pale lavender eyes locked onto Meadowbrook silently as if uncertain what to say. Her mane a dull pink color and extraordinarily flat, sapped of any sort of vibrancy. An icy chill seemed to waft off of her presence bringing forth a sense of dread.
“I'm studying to create medicinal potions.” The odd mare replied with a stoned faced expression, her eyes full of apathy or perhaps boredom.
“Oh! Who do you study under?” Meadowbrook chirped in joyous surprise, not every day she ran across another healer like herself.
“Self-taught, I work in natural remedies. To purify both body and mind.” The mare pulled a large leather saddlebag from the bushes, fishing out a tiny vial of blue powder.
“This concoction can speed up healing of minor scratches or bruises.” She handed over the vial to Meadowbrook, her eyes glancing to a tiny bruise on the blue mare’s thigh.
Meadowbrook politely accepted the medicine with a smile. Popping off the lid and giving the vial a quick sniff. The powder had a pleasantly sweet scent much like fresh blueberries, sensing no harm in it, Meadowbrook swallowed the contents swiftly.
“Ack! Arghhh!” Meadowbrook gave a loud gurgle of surprise her face contorting into an odd panicked expression.
“Of course my concoctions are far too bitter.” The mare shrugged scooping the vial off the ground lacklusterly.
“Grrr, blargah!” Meadowbrook hissed out in absolute terror.
A glance down would show that her bruise quickly vanished. The blue pony bit down on her lower lip hard, the taste of blood nearly filling her mouth as the last few waves of burning bitterness faded.
“I'm Bitter Root, by the way.” Bitter held out her hoof daintily.
“Meadowbrook…” The healer spoke exhausted giving a few soft pants.
Bitter tilted her head off to the side in interest.
“The legendary mage?” She quipped.
“Yes darlin’,” Meadowbrook spoke up a bit more collected though her lips were entirely numb.
“I know this is sudden but are you taking students?” Bitter let her gaze fall to her hooves shyly.
Meadowbrook snorted cutely, catching herself before giving a feminine cough.
“Dear, I think you might need a bit more practice in mixtures before…” Meadowbrook folded both ears back sheepishly.
“Mm-hmm. Far too bitter.” Bitter Root sighed slinging the saddlebag over her back.
“Not to say…” Meadowbrook tried to apologize, watching the mare shuffle off down the twisted forest path.
Pursing her lips gently. She could feel a ping of guilt settle deep inside her belly, the young dear still had much to learn about botany before even attempting potions. So perhaps the rejection wasn't completely uncalled for. Though it failed to prevent her from feeling a bit saddened about the ordeal.
Taking a feminine breath of relief, Meadowbrook began her own journey deep into the confines of the forest. A pleasant afternoon stroll delving into something more off-putting, a dreadful feeling of despair just on the horizon.
The sun faded behind darkened clouds. The once soothing melody of nature now replaced by the eerie sound of silence. Meadowbrook slowed her canter to a focused line of steps, her ears perked up high in case of hidden danger.
Her intuition was correct. Something insidious was upon the horizon, yet she had not the faintest clue as to what. The elegant narrowed path of the forest had become twisted, thick purple vines covered in thorns spilled out onto the road from deep within the darkness. She was quickly becoming disoriented, everything about the path turning into an enigma.
Meadowbrook slowed to a complete stop. Her exit from this nightmare valley blocked by the oddest sight, a towering wall of living thorns. The sickly vines slithered against each other in a devious dance of terror, ready to strike like a serpent if anypony dared to disturb it.
“By the stars!” Meadowbrook gasped in complete awe.
The mare turned around, ready to work her way backward. Yet to her frightful surprise, the vines had completely covered the path. The forest cast in a cloak of mystery, the exit hidden away from weary souls.
“Well, this is a prickly situation.” Meadowbrook huffed aloud, never noticing a vine latching onto her back hoof in a vice grip.
The mare screamed in horror being suddenly lifted off the ground. Her satchel slipped off before spilling out onto the forest floor, these horrid vines gobbling up her supplies in mere seconds. Meadowbrook thrashed in place a group of vines lashing out, soon constricting each of her hooves as they pulled her closer to the living wall.
“I'm not of the menu, sugar!” Meadowbrook watched herself draw near to her fate, the thorns of her makeshift chains digging into her flesh and drawing blood.
With no way to defend herself, she winced in pain for the inevitable feast to claim her. Only to hear the sudden whistle of a pony catch her attention. Blue eyes darted to the silhouette of a young pink pegasus, the child flying over to the wall draped in a filthy brown cloak.
“Leave her alone!” The filly screamed in anger.
The child removed a tiny dagger from within a hidden pocket. In a series of tiny slashes each vine binding, the healer was broken. Meadowbrook tumbling to the hard ground in a loud thud, the wall hissed in anger as a group of vines sprung out for the child.
“Back!” She yelled bravely chopping at the attacking plants, expertly defending a series of lightning-fast blows.
After losing a dozen or so limbs. The wall ceased to harass the two ponies, the filly zooming over to Meadowbrook’s side with a look of worry in her sparkling magenta eyes.
“Can you move!? Follow me!” The child nudged the mare roughly, darting off towards a tiny rabbit hole to the right.
Meadowbrook was dazed but not confused. Watching the filly vanish underground, just as the wall let a loud wail escape from deep inside. The mare had no time to waste, flinging up to her hooves she darted for the escape.
Dodging a few hissing vines that snapped at her flank. Even performing a running cartwheel through the dirt as she finally reached the hole. With a deep breath, she plunged into the claustrophobic little tunnel, the world fading to complete darkness.
“You kay ma'am!?” The child snorted sarcastically as she pulled herself out of the tunnel slowly, her cloak covered from head to hoof in the dirt.
“A bit frazzled but still among the living.” Meadowbrook groaned as her head poked out of the tunnel exit, her fiery mane completely let down and face plastered with filth.
“Mm-hmm! I'd be more than frazzled, you were a toad’s tongue away from being lunch!” The filly shook her coat wildly, a cloud of dust wafting into the sky.
“I'm eternally grateful for the assistance?” Meadowbrook kicked her slender legs behind her firmly, pressure building around her hips before she exploded out of the tunnel with a loud pop.
“Mayday! Since I got a petition for causin’ mischief!” The pegasus pulled her cloak down slowly, a bright blue mane washed over her eyes in messy waves.
“Mayday, quite a peculiar name! I'm Mage Meadowbrook.” The mare softly shook her own coat free of debris.
“Aren't cha that dere healer?” Mayday narrowed her magenta-colored eyes slyly.
“Why, yes I am!” Meadowbrook giggled femininely.
“Well since I saved yer flank, I s’pose you owe me.” Mayday gave a loud snort from her nostrils cutely.
“I fear anything of value I owned, is plant food right about now.” Meadowbrook sheepishly scrunched her tiny muzzle.
“Don't want yer stuff lady, I need cha’ to talk to my aunt!” Mayday rolled her eyes with complete sarcasm, her tiny hooves galloping off into a very secluded open path, hidden amongst the underbrush.
“Oh, is she sick dear?” Meadowbrook yelled out towards the child curiously, following behind her at a hasty pace.
Mayday slowed to a near stop ahead. Shuffling her little hooves as if in deep thought, those bright magenta hues full of vigorous youth, dampening with a sense of somber despair. Meadowbrook felt her lips purse into a frown, slowing to a walk behind the filly carefully.
With a tender hoof, the mare reached out to offer a touch of compassion to the child.
“Could say that!” Mayday easily dodged the touch, taking a few steps ahead.
“You see lady, she's tryin’ to kill me!” Mayday turned to lock eyes with the mare.
Meadowbrook could sense that this child was completely serious. Her face was full of hidden fear and uncertainty. Nodding with a feminine bat of her lashes, Meadowbrook began to follow the child once more.
Her mind filled with questions of this curious case.
Questions she intended to answer!
Both ponies soon vanished down the new path of mystery. Unaware that a pair of pink-tinted eyes watched carefully from the distance, a certain ghostly mare waiting until the perfect time to make an appearance.
