Tragedy in Ponyville

The tree stood at around the height the book indicated and glistened with yellow leaves.

It appeared to sparkle slightly, and just as the book predicted, the leaves were stiff as the bark, not rustling or moving at all.

The ponies stood around the tree gasping at the sheer beauty of such a thing, sitting in the lonely depths of a swamp in the middle of the Everfree, it was simply unheard of.

“Ok, let me just try and get some sap from the base of the tree, I’m not sure how much I need so I’ll just fit as much as I can in the container” Twilight said as she took out a small glass bottle from her saddlebag

She stuck her hood under an upturned piece of bark and gently stripped it off and watched as this dark green sap started to flow slightly out of the hole.

Twilight held the small bottle to where the sap was falling and collected as much as the tree had to offer, before placing the lid back on and putting it back into her saddlebag.

“Ooooh, these leaves would look absolutely stunning on my Spring range” Mentioned Rarity as she tried to pluck some leaves from the tree.

Several snapped off and she placed them in her own saddlebag amongst her other things.

“There just leaves Rarity” mumbled Dash , unimpressed by the tree

“Although it Is a mighty fine tree” Said applejack tapping her hoof against the tree, inspecting it.

“And it’s pretty” Grinned Pinkie as she danced around the tree, gleefully.

“Girls we have what we need, it’s time to find the next ingredient, we can’t leave Fluttershy waiting” Twilight reminded everypony.

The other’s stopped in their tracks after realising Twilight was correct and huddled around her as she took the book from her saddlebag out and opened to the page containing information about the next item, Black Tree Bark.

“It says that Black Tree’s are found to the east of the swamp, and are , well, obviously black. The bark is said to dilute the poisons in the Silent Tree Sap and enhance the healing properties” Twilight said, reading out of the book that Zecora had given her.

“Wait wait wait...the Silent Tree Sap is...poison?!” Said Rainbow Dash Socked

“Apparently, but the black tree bark shavings are used to dilute it, so it should be safe” Twilight responded looking at Rainbow

“Still ,isn’t this risky sugercube?” Applejack said, with a tone of caution.

“Well of course, but we need to do this...for Fluttershy” Twilight said, looking at the group with serious eye’s

“So shall we push on?” inquired Rarity

“Of course. Let’s go girls, we can do this” Twilight said with a slight smile as she and the group started trotting deeper into the forest.

The night had completely fallen upon the forest and not a single ounce of light was shining into this part of the everfree, only the illumination from Twilight and Rarities horns allowed the group to see ahead of them.

The group looked around at the curious plant life that had grown in such darkness and gasps could be heard as they stumbled across increasingly odd sights.

One particular plant caused the group to stop.

It appeared to look like a rose, only its petals had a deep shine to them, slightly illuminating the area around it.

It was singular and by itself, sitting amongst rather nasty thorny bushes on a ground as cold and hard as a Griffons talon.

Rainbow Dash bent down and plucked the flower, placing it gently in her saddlebag, much to the surprise of the rest of the group.

“Fluttershy would like this....” She said looking at them with sad eyes verging on tears.

The group completely understood and were touched deeply by this show of emotion by Dash, usually known as the tough, boastful pony.

They continued along, deeper into the forest, searching for a tree, black as the darkness itself.

“So where exactly are we suppose....” Rarity was stopped as she bumped into Pinkie who was standing completely still, almost like stone

“Pinkie do you min...oh...” Rarity cut herself off as she looked ahead at a solemn tree, covered in a deeply black bark that appeared to smother it.

“So ah, how are we suppose ta get the bark shavings” Said Applejack, coking her said to one side examining this weird looking tree.

“Simple actually, just watch” Twilight said as she approached the tree, pulling out another bottle and a small knife.

She proceeded to run the knife along the bark, shaving pieces of it off and landing into the bottle.

She continued this until she had around thirteen or fourteen long shavings in her little bottle, before placing the knife and bottle, now sealed, back into her saddlebag.

“So that’s it?” Asked Rainbow Dash with a questioning look

“Don’t need any more bark or anything?” She asked again

“Doesn’t look like it, I think it’s just the other two ingredients now, before we..” Twilight was cut off by a loud and bone shaking howl.

The howl seemed to surround them in a sound that caused many of the 5 ponies to whimper.

“Was that,a....ah...Timberwolf” Asked Applejack, as Rarity held onto her with her hooves.

“I..I..think so” Replied Twilight, shaking slightly

“Come on girls we need to move incase...well...we just need to move” She said as she pulled out the book to look for the third ingredient.

“Ok, we need to find three Green Turtle flowers. They look like your average daisy, but a bright green colour with hard petals” Twilight said as she read down the page

“They usually grow somewhere towards the entrance to the....to the everfree” Twilight sighed as she read that part.

“So why didn’t we get those earlier” Said Applejack with an annoyed moan

“Well, I don’t know, we were too focused. Look, it don’t matter now, let’s just get these flowers and return to Fluttershy as quick as possible, agreed?”

The ponies quickly agreed and started back on their journey towards the entrance of the everfree once again.