More Than Growls and Wood.
Sticks and Magical Mysteries
Fluttershy opened the door to the library, and softly smiled at the scene of chaos. It was clear to her that Twilight was deep into another one of her projects. The floor was covered with open books and stacks of tomes that had been looked over, and discarded as useless. The central table’s surface was completely covered by books and diagrams that Twilight was currently using. Whatever the subject was, it clearly was requiring a good amount of research on Twilight’s part. It was also clear that Spike would have his work cut out for him later.
Fluttershy looked around, and did not immediately see Twilight. “Um, hello, Twilight, are you here?”
Twilight’s voice came from the upper level of the library, “Hey Fluttershy, give me a second.” There was a soft pop, and Twilight appeared near the central table. She added another book to the confusion of work materials, and turned, with a smile, to Fluttershy. “Sorry about that, I just found another possible lead as to what they could be.”
Fluttershy was confused and asked, “What who could be?”
Twilight closed her eyes, aggravated at herself. “Right, I kind of skipped a couple of things didn’t I? I need a checklist to keep everything straight.”
Fluttershy waved her hooves at Twilight. “You don’t have to go through all that trouble for me, just start at the beginning. I’m sure you will remember everything.”
Twilight had to fight the compulsion to make a list for a moment, but then nodded. “Sure. After I sent Celestia my friendship report about Spike and Applejack’s adventures with the timber wolves, Celestia wrote me back a couple of days ago. She has asked if I could look into what the timber wolves actually are.” Twilight gestured to the central table. “I have been trying to find anything that might tell me what they are, but I haven’t found anything really on point. We know they are not really wolves, and they don’t even have a body of their own, so that leaves that they are some form of magical creature. But, they don’t fit into any of the categories that are known. They’re not elementals that need to be near a source of their power, or creatures like windigos, that feed on negative emotions.”
Visions of all kinds of horrible possibilities playing through her head, Fluttershy asked, “Then what are they?”
“I don’t know, but you’re going to help me find out.”
Fluttershy recoiled, and her wings folded tight to her sides. “Twilight I would love to help, but I don’t go into the forest, unless it’s really important. I’m sure Applejack or Rainbow Dash would be a much better choice.”
Twilight shook her head. “It has to be you. Applejack has a bad history with the wolves, Rainbow and Pinkie are too impulsive and would stir things up before I could really find anything out, and Rarity would make too much noise fussing about the dirt in the forest. I need your skill with animals. If we can get them to calm down, you might be able to talk to the timber wolves.”
“I don’t know.” Fluttershy looked at the floor. “Can we handle this by ourselves?”
Twilight was not surprised by Fluttershy’s reluctance. “We’re not going to do this alone. I sent a message to Zecora, and she has agreed to help. She is curious about what the timber wolves are too.”
Fluttershy's mood brightened a little. “I guess knowing what they are will help me keep the animals from getting hurt by them.” Fluttershy slowly nodded. “Alright, I’ll help.”
Twilight gave her a hug. “I knew you would, I can always count on you. I’ll swing by, in the morning, and pick up you up at your house. Sound good?”
Fluttershy nodded again, hoping that she hadn’t gotten herself into more trouble than she could handle.
*****
Twilight knocked on Fluttershy’s door. As she waited, she adjusted her saddle bags with a magical tug. There was nothing but silence for a couple of seconds, and then a soft voice told her to come in.
Fluttershy’s cottage was as comfy as ever. Twilight was impressed that Fluttershy could keep her house so clean and welcoming, especially considering all the animals that she lived with.
Twilight poked her head into the kitchen, where Fluttershy was working on a complex salad. “Are you ready to head out, or do you need to eat breakfast?”
“Oh no, I’m ready to go. This is for Angel. Since I’m going to be gone, he asked that I make his favorite.”
Twilight gave her a disapproving look. “You allow that bunny to have a little too much control over you.” Twilight smiled menacingly, toward Angel. “I could always send Owlicious over. I’m certain that he could help teach Angel some manners.”
Angel’s ears folded back, and he trembled at the thought.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight, astonished at the malice in her friend’s voice. “Twilight, Angel is not a bad bunny! He just… knows how he wants things.” She put the salad down, and Angel scampered over to it. He immediately began tearing into a piece of lettuce, sending green bits all over the clean floor.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed at the bunny’s actions. She shrugged, knowing she would not win this particular argument. “Well, the offer still stands. Just keep it in mind.”
Angel’s eyes widened a little, and he slowly swallowed the bite he had in his mouth.
*****
Besides a brief pause for Fluttershy to take a moment to collect herself, at the edge of the Everfree Forest, the trip to Zecora’s home was not a bad experience for the two ponies. The outer portions of the forest were not as dark or dangerous as the interior. The plants would even occasionally have flowering blooms. While pretty, Twilight and Fluttershy made it a point to stay away from the blossoms. Having been dosed with poison joke before, they did not want to know what other effects the plants of the Everfree Forest could have on them.
Zecora was waiting for them, outside her house. She, like Twilight, had a pair of saddle bags prepared with supplies for their journey. She smiled as the pair of ponies came into her clearing. “My friend Twilight, it is always a delight.” She looked over to Fluttershy, and nodded kindly. “Fluttershy my dear, thank you too, for coming here.”
“Hello, Zecora. I’m glad you’re with us on this trip. We’d have a much rougher time without you.” Twilight pulled out a map, and consulted it. “There is not much known about the interior of the Everfree Forest, where should we start looking?”
Zecora did not even look at the map. “The wolves live deeper in the forest. There must be the place they rest.” She pointed beyond her home, toward the deeper, darker parts of the forest. “We will have to take an animal path. Be cautious, and don’t provoke a creature’s wrath.”
As Zecora stood up, Fluttershy asked, “Don’t the wolves bother you?”
Zecora smiled at her. “I live in the Everfree, they just leave me be.” She pondered something for a moment, before adding, “The only ones which seem to provoke, are those of the pony folk.”
Twilight looked like she was going to say something, and then decided to keep the thought to herself. “Let’s get going. We certainly don’t want to be in the woods when it gets dark.”
The trio headed deeper into the forest, Zecora leading them. They tried to stay as quiet as possible, but an occasional misplaced hoof would make noise in the undergrowth. Their walk went on for a while, before there was a break in the vegetation. They had come to a rocky area that kept the plants from growing so tightly together, and the journey got rougher for them.
At a more level spot, Zecora motioned to her companions. “Let us stop for a rest. Eating something too would be best.
Twilight unpacked her provisions, and shared them with Zecora and Fluttershy. Zecora kept calm and relaxed, enjoying her meal. Fluttershy’s nerves made it hard for her to eat, much less enjoy her food. Any little noise would make her turn its way, causing her to neglect her sandwich. Twilight pulled out her map, looked it over, and then gave up on finding their exact location. As she munched on her sandwich, she looked around at the plants that surrounded them. She slowly stopped chewing, noticing something she had not expected.
“Fluttershy, do these trees look familiar?”
Zecora and Fluttershy both looked at Twilight, puzzled by her words. Fluttershy asked, “What do you mean? I don’t think either of us has ever been in this part of the forest.”
Twilight stood up, and walked over to one of the trees that had caught her interest. She examined its bark and leaves, and then her eyes widened in recognition. “These are zap apple trees.”
Fluttershy caught a glimpse of movement, and quickly got to her hooves. “Twilight, Zecora, there is something close by.”
Twilight rushed back to them, just a several timber wolves stepped out from the forest. Their growls and raised hackles made it clear they were not pleased with finding the explorers. With a flash of her magic, Twilight put a barrier between them and wolves. The wolves circled the barrier’s bubble, but made no effort to attack it.
Fluttershy started to panic. “What do we do? We can’t run from them, they would get us before we could get out. Twilight, can you teleport us out of here?”
Twilight shook her head. “Not while keeping this barrier up, and certainly not with all three of us. Can you fly out of here? I might be able to teleport far enough with Zecora, if you can get out.”
Fluttershy looked up, and wilted. “No, the canopy is too thick.”
Zecora shrugged and returned to eating her sandwich. “They cannot get us here, so we have nothing to fear. Of this they shall soon bore, if we choose them to ignore.”
Fluttershy looked over at Zecora, as if the zebra had lost her mind.
Twilight nodded, in agreement with Zecora. “They won’t wait for us all day. When they get tired of waiting around, they’ll leave.”
What the wolves did next startled the group. All but five of the timber wolves left. The remaining wolves evenly spaced themselves around the barrier, sat down close to its edge, and waited.
Twilight’s face became grim. “That could be a problem, if they’re smart enough to go on shifts.”
Zecora seemed to have a strange mixture of concern and intrigue as she faced the wolves. “These are not dumb brutes. They are waiting like a fox waits for falling fruits.”
Twilight sighed, and then pulled out a pencil and some paper. She got close to one of the wolves, sat down, and began to sketch it. As the image began to form, the wolf looked down and tilted his head, as he watched her work. Another of the wolves came over and joined its companion, watching as the drawing took shape. When she was finished, Twilight held the sketch up, and the pair of wooden critics seemed to like it.
Twilight shook her head sadly. “I really wish I knew what they were. That would make things so much simpler. They don’t have bodies, so they don’t eat ponies or animals.”
Fluttershy suddenly recalled something, and asked, “Twilight, they’re made of magic, aren’t they?”
“I think so, why?”
Fluttershy slowly came closer to the barrier, and looked the wolves over very closely. “I remembered when Applejack was telling me about the zap apples, and when Granny Smith first found them. The timber wolves only came after Granny when she took some of the apples. Maybe they were protecting their food?”
Twilight lit up. “Fluttershy, you’re a genius! Zap apples are magical fruit. The wolves must eat them as part of their diet.” Twilight rummaged around in her bags, and pulled out a two jars of zap apple jam. “I was going to give one to each of you for helping me. I hope you don’t mind, if I use them to try something.”
Zecora tilted her head at the thought. “Having tried zap apples before, I can see why the wolves would be sore.”
Twilight undid the tops to the two jars, made a gap in the barrier just large enough for them to go through, and then pushed them just to the other side.
The pair of wolves seemed confused for a moment. Their eye’s glowed brighter as they caught the scent of the jam. They quickly lapped the jam out the jars, and then moved back from the barrier. The other three joined them, and sat down beside the fed pair.
Fluttershy swallowed, took a deep breath, and said, “Twilight, drop the barrier.”
Twilight snapped her head towards Fluttershy. “Are you crazy?”
Zecora stood up, and joined her friends. “No, we must show they have nothing to fear. For that, Fluttershy has to get near.”
“Twilight, it will be fine. If not, just throw the barrier back up really quick.” Fluttershy gave Twilight a steady, but small, smile. “They may be scary looking, but I don't remember hearing about them actually hurting anypony. I want to try to talk to them, at least.”
Twilight nodded, and let the barrier down. For a couple of tense moments neither party made a move. Fluttershy broke the ice, by taking a step towards the wolves and smiling. “Excuse us for being in your forest, we were sent by Celestia to try to find out more about you. We don’t want to hurt you, or steal any of your food.”
One of the pair that had eaten the jam began to ‘speak’ to Fluttershy. This continued for a couple of minutes, and then Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll tell them.”
Twilight’s curiosity lit up her eyes. “Tell us what?”
“They just wanted to protect the trees. The Apples, when they first started settled Ponyville, started to cut into the forest. The wolves were afraid they might end up losing all the trees. Ever since then, they have tried to keep ponies away from the forest.”
Zecora smiled, as she figured out why she was not harassed by the wolves. “Since I have caused the trees no harm, they do not treat me with alarm.”
The speaker for the wolves said something more to Fluttershy, and the five once again circled the ponies. Fluttershy looked concerned. “He said that they want to show us something, but that we have to be escorted.”
Twilight nodded. “That’s fine. They have not shown any interest in hurting us so far, it wouldn’t be logical for them to do something nasty now.”
The ponies, and zebra, were guided through the thicker parts of the forest. It was hard for them to judge how long they walked, due to the sky being obscured by the canopy, but it did not seem to be overly long. The wolves lead them through a small gap in the thorny undergrowth, and into a grove.
The sight they beheld was stunning. The grove was a large collection of pale barked trees. The tree’s leaves glowed faintly with the same magical aura that was present before a timber wolf took their forms from sticks and fallen wood. All around the grove were flowers from all parts of the forest, each having its own magical properties. The other timber wolves in the grove turned their heads, and watched the visitors with a mixture of interest and concern.
The wolf who had ‘spoken’ to Fluttershy walked near one of the trees. He looked back over his shoulder, to make sure that they were watching, and then he let loose of his collected wood form. The wolf’s green cloud of essence slid into the tree, and the tree’s leaves lit up brighter.
Twilight hopped up and down, in excitement. “They are a form of elemental! Or maybe they're the trees themselves?! Do they harvest the plants, or do they naturally grow near the trees?”
Zecora put a restraining hoof upon Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m glad that you are excited, but be little quieter while delighted. They are still cautious; we do not want them mad at us.”
The wolf slid back out from the tree, and into his body of sticks and leaves. He addressed Fluttershy again.
She nodded, and translated for her companions. “He wants us to know that they just want to keep their food and grove safe. No pony has tried to talk with them before, and the only impressions that they had of ponies were from the founding of Ponyville. They will still protect this grove, and the zap apple trees, but they will not be as aggressive around the edges of the forest.”
Zecora shook her head sadly. “I know how it is to be misunderstood. This trip will certainly do some good.”
*****
The wolves escorted them back out of the clearing, and ventured with them till they were close to Zecora’s hut. Fluttershy thanked them, on behalf of the whole group. The wolves turned, and then blended into to the forest, leaving the ponies staring after them.
Twilight smiled, content at the day's discoveries. “That was something. We didn’t get as much information as I would have liked, but at least they won’t be as protective of the forest as they have been.”
Zecora smiled at her studious friend. “This was just the first meeting; perhaps there will be more, if they are agreeing.”
Fluttershy nodded. “All we need is some treats for them. Zap apples seem to work well.”
Twilight’s shoulders sagged. “That was the last of my jam. We’ll have to wait a while before we can talk to them again.”
Zecora put a hoof to her chin, in thought. “Zap apples are quite nice, but perhaps another plant would suffice?”
Fluttershy noticed the light dimming through the leaves overhead. “Twilight, I hate to break this up, but we need to leave before it gets dark.”
Twilight nodded in agreement, before addressing Zecora, “Thank you Zecora, I owe you for this.”
Zecora shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything; the sight of the grove was amazing. Be careful as you head home, stay on the path and do not roam.”
Twilight and Fluttershy followed her advice, and made their way out of the forest. Twilight saw Fluttershy home, and then headed back to her place. As Twilight entered the library, she noticed that Spike had put away all of her books and materials. She made her way to her room, and found Spike asleep in his bed.
She pulled Spike’s blanket to his shoulder, making sure he was covered. “Thanks little guy, I owe you a couple of gems.”
She walked over to her desk and began to pen a letter to Celestia:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Zecora, Fluttershy, and I have learned that the timber wolves are some form of magical creature that has not been encountered before. They seem to share characteristics of elementals, but do not feed on basic magical forces or emotions. They depend on a grove of trees, near the center of the Everfree Forest, to survive. While we did not have the opportunity to find out that much about them, beyond that they need to eat magical plants and fruits, the wolves seem to be more comfortable with the idea of having ponies come into the forest.
What I have learned through this adventure is that ignorance of how another being lives, and what is important to them, can cause trouble and misunderstandings. The more that a pony knows about how others live, the more opportunities they have to learn from one another, and perhaps become friends.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Author's Note
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment and vote for it. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Thanks to the group Authors Helping Authors, for helping my writing improve. I encourage anyone interested to join the group.
