Longness of Semper, Still I Remember

Twilight coughed at the sudden spray that came onto her and he friends. Right away she send a gust of wind with her magic, then set up a domed shield over them all.

"Great! Now what?!"

"Dance! Tail," Hunt shouted after Dash in the fray, "Get your barriers over Sparkle's!"

The pair of Unicorns did so, as plundervines and gaseous, giant pony trappers encircled the twelve ponies and Dragon. And in the midst of all that, they spotted a few sprawled equines in red pools on the ancient cobblestone floor. But still, they were not alone. There were three other occult members waiting from the worn-down threshold for the Elements to arrive. They turned first in surprise then glee in seeing the bearers trapped in the heart of the threat from out of nowhere. They had a Unicorn fire a bolt onto the Princess' forcefield to try weakening it for the ominous plants.

"I'm an Alicorn," she objected to the covering of her own bubble, "I can take it!"

"You need to get to that Tree pronto," he countered. "Once you teleport us down there, we'll give you mares suppressing fire!"

"He's right, darling! And these things took the other Princesses from Canterlot!"

"And the real deal's with the Tree in that there cave y'all saw! We're gonna need all the help we can get, Twi!"

"But how do we fight a bunch of vines, and giant pony trappers, and meanie ponies inside a big, black, gooey, icky cave?"

"I don't even know if I can fight!"

"You six get close to the Tree as you can," Hunt answered, "Streak and Lane will sweep past the Disciples once Tail and Dance make an opening! Then Agent Drops and I will hold off the ponies, while the rest focus on the vines and barriers!"

"But I don't even know what to do to save it?"

"You'll figure it out, Princess. You're smart like that." His low and even shift in tone nearly threw her off again. "Trust your gut, and your friends. They'll back you. All of us. Now, do you trust me?"

"You had me at 'Do you trust me'," Pie rumbled in her own baritone.

"Yeah," Dash grunted, "anything's better than sitting here right now!"

"I'll help as best as I can!"

"I'm with Fluttershy! Hear, hear!"

"Yeah," cheered Spike, "me too!"

"You're darn tootin' partner!"

"Alright," Twilight huffed in anticipation, "let's do this together! Ready?"

"Ready," was the unanimous shout. Twilight's horn grew brighter and more intense as she concentrated on them all to the Tree's location. The occult Unicorn mare must have caught on - that, or they all heard the plan - and decided to use that same technique in pursuit.

The lavender Princess landed them directly before the dying Tree, its limbs and branches covered in oozing vine sap. Moondancer and Comet Tail sent a sonic wave towards the cavern exit from their shields, where several more ponies joined the three Disciples from earlier.

"Go! Now's our chance!"

By Hunt's command, Fire Streak and Thunderlane swerved beneath the vines that were coming back from the shock, and tripped over the occultists who merely skidded on the floor in the blast. They maneuvered all the way towards the huge gap, and watched for anything coming at the charging cream and grey Earth Ponies. Sweetie Drops pulled out a grappling hook and tossed it onto a reaching vine, secured it, then swung over Homestead's head to hit the ponies from above. Hunt stayed low and bucked, punched and flipped over those trying to get back up. During all that, the Unicorns and Pegasi kept on the vines as planned to ensure none of them not on the Tree could get to the Elements.

"What's the plan, Changeling," a voice caught Moondancer's attention, as she recognized their leader in the center of it all.

"Concentrate on those ponies," he shouted back to his cohorts. "I'll handle the Elements!"

As the lime mare known as Cockatrice sent barrages to throw off Moondancer and Comet's efforts defending their team, the stallion with a dark mane and golden streak sent a vial of pale-grey liquid towards the ensnared Tree of Harmony. Both Hunt and Drops leapt to block or intercept, but without success. On impact, the vial shattered with a blast and puff of smoke. Just as Twilight began to tell her plan to save the Tree, more vines wrapped around it then came at her and her friends. Not only that, but even much thicker ones grew all over the terminal arbor of stone.

"No!"

"Agh! This isn't working," Rainbow growled with frustration, as more vines wrapped around her fetlocks. Too many for Applejack and Pinkie to chop with the hatchets. Thunderlane and Fire Streak were not faring any better, as three Pegasi drew their attention also.

"Don't ya give up on us now, ya hear! Keep at it!"

"But what could possibly give us a chance now," asked Rarity, desperate to entangle more vines around themselves with her blue glow.

"This isn't funny, or fun at all!"

"Damn it," snapped Homestead, as he and Sweetie were pushed back to a staggering pair of yellow Unicorns by Cockatrice and her half-dozen troops. "Where's Discord?!"

"Where do you think," answered the blue mare. "He's probably hiding after he sent us here to finish us off!"

Princess Twilight could only watch helplessly as she struggled to ward off the assault. Trying to spread her wings for a better position, she failed to concentrate enough on her wings to synchronize their beats, causing her to fall. Fluttershy and Spike jumped directly towards her, as she held her little Dragon tightly in seeing the ominous threat heading their way.

"Stop!"

At that, all the vines, bulb traps and branches obeyed the sudden command. "Release them."

Again, the plants heeded the order, gleaming from inside their black skin. Letting Rainbow free, along with the other Pegasi, and pulling back from their strike on Twilight, Spike and Fluttershy. The stranger's voice prompted even the Disciples and the Earth Ponies from engaging. All turned to see the source standing sternly over them, gracefully yet strongly placing the cloven hooves forward with each step. The majestic and mysterious presence was reinforced by those brown eyes under a set of six-point antlers that glowed from within instead of the usual Unicorn's shimmering dust around the horn. The buck stood exactly at the cave's center, where even Changeling fumbled back by this sudden appearance of might and serenity. All were still, and quiet.

"I come back to my cousin, the King's Thicket, and find this in the forest forever untamed. Ponies using our Tribe's herbal magic against their own kind who seek to restore the balance? I had hoped Discord's sudden appearance timed with my own visit was not an omen."

"And who the Hades are you," bellowed a Disciple stallion, having either the guts or lack of brain cells to speak up.

"Ah," gasped the blinking Draconequus from out of nowhere, "I see you all met my new buddy! Everpony, meet Blackthorn! Blackthorn, everypony!"

"And I suggest those of you wishing your own destruction to flee from here and rethink you life choices," the Deer so named Blackthorn stated. "Otherwise, I'm sure to deliver your doom by such devices you used, as you clearly desired."

"Isn't he a blast to hang around?"

"Changeling," quivered Cockatrice, yet trying to show defiance, "what should we do?"

"Looks like," he answered, pondering his options, "we should take this chance to regroup. Would hate to risk our operations twice in the same year."

With those words, the occult ponies skulked angrily and fearfully away, as the glowing antlers and Blackthorn's towering presence remained steadfast. As the remaining ponies and Dragon stared agape at him, they heard a bright, cheery voice sharply break the silence.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie!"

So, after that, Blackthorn explained how Discord came to this Thicket Tribe to describe the situation, as the King and his cousin were bickering how the Everfree was losing balance and containment. It turned out King Aspen, so named, believed allowing the Forest to grow rampant was necessary to reestablish that balance. Even to the point of teaching a certain Disciple Lieutenant how to make certain potions with Everfree plants and herbs to traverse through it and use it against their fellow ponies. Even if that meant those same ponies will later seek whatever means to elevate themselves over all creatures, including the Tribe. So many contradictions.

And the King's cousin, Blackthorn, happened to be the ruler of the Thicket before relinquishing that power to patrol and safeguard all creatures throughout the Everfree and outside its borders, believing Aspen to be the best candidate to lead the Tribe. Guess he failed to recognize his cousin's bitter distrust and apathy toward ponies all around. Again, self-contradictory.

Anyway, as Discord and Blackthorn were standing there and explaining all that, Was-or, Homestead sent Moondancer and Comet up into the Castle ruins, seeing as how the self-proclaimed Guardian of the Everfree still kept the vines and trappers in check. Which reminded Twilight of her solution.

"So, anyway," Rainbow said, "Twilight, any idea how we're supposed to save the damn Tree gone to crap?"

"I do, actually," she nodded, ignoring her friend's diction. "It's like Discord said, the Tree of Harmony just gave out all it's remaining power after protecting the Everfree for so long."

"Right," said Bon Bon, or Sweetie Drops, whatever she was calling herself, "And Celestia told Luna that it still held all that power to help contain the Everfree without the Elements."

"Exactly," she agreed, "which means the only way to restore the Tree's life and power is simply to...we need to give up the Elements of Harmony."

"What?!"

Her friends were all deeply troubled. And she could understand why, seeing how Discord looked very much pleased to hear that. They even voiced that concern, prompting Fluttershy to remind him their friendship still remained. Even Homestead Wa-Hunt, offered to meet and have a chat with the Draconequus now and then, reminding them all what he said about making an effort too.

"But Twi," Applejack interjected, "the Elements are what keep us together."

"You're right about what you said before, Applejack," she assured her friend, "That the Elements brought us together. But it's our bond that keeps us strong together. And forming strong bonds with others."

"I am willing to establish contact with you, Princess Twilight," Blackthorn bowed his head, "and hope to inspire the same with my Tribe. It seems we need one another for these woods to thrive."

"And I can hardly wait to work with this fellow much more in the future," Discord gleamed, prompting a simple eyeroll from the Deer.

"Plus we still got the Elements for emergencies, then bring them right back," added Rainbow, "So, no biggie."

"But what if something worse happens to the Tree before we can even use them," Fluttershy asked with worry.

"It's like the Princess said," said Homestead, "You've got each other to get through whatever happens next."

"And," she muttered, "what about you? And your team?"

"We'll see each other again soon enough," he replied, eyeing the blue Pegasus, "for better or worse. But I think now's a good time to get you fully up to speed about all this."

He then reached out a hoof for Bon Bon to place a book with his Cutie Mark on the cover. They pulled it from a satchel retrieved from the ruins, after Comet and Moondancer returned with the rest of their gear clearly left behind. After seeing the vanilla yellow mare nod to him then glance at her foalhood friend, they placed their own bags onto their backs for departure.

"I'm sure some, if not all of you, have figured out...who I was. But this'll give you a better idea of what we're dealing with. Even Agent Drops, Moondancer and Fire Streak contributed. And I hope the time spent apart again will be enough for you all to prepare and get whatever you've got off your chests next time we meet up."

As the gems were placed back into their limbs and stem, Homestead, his team, and Blackthorn quietly left them all as the former bearers watched the plundervines fading away from the Tree's restored magic. Rarity seemed upset by that, hoping to invite the Guardian to the Carousel Boutique and help inspire her for a new ensemble. But once the insidious plants disintegrated from the Tree itself, they found the Princesses safely freed from their hidden prisons at the Tree's base. And after they received a reunited hug from a relieved and elated Twilight, all remaining ponies watched as something sprouted from the roots, opening a budded flower that revealed a box with six locks on every side.

Celestia seemed to notice the book under her former faithful student’s wing, as she told her it was mystery she was confident Twilight could solve with her friends.