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// 52 - In Embrace of Dark Branches// Story: Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone// by David Silver//------------------------------//

As the trees pressed in oppressively from both sides, they dismounted from their steeds and began guiding them forward into the increasingly total gloom. Tree tapped Fast's helmet, which began to give off a vibrant green glow to push back against that shadow. Tabitha conjured her balls of light to hover around herself.

Fast snorted as she went. "We have no idea how long it'll take; torches are just a waste of resources. Can you two keep the way visible?"

Tree nodded with a placid expression. "Oh sure, man. What I make glow stays glowing forever, or it feels like it."

"More like an hour." Maud nodded softly as she stepped over a fallen log.

"That long?" Tabitha gave a nervous chuckle. "Mine flickers out a lot faster, but I just take the right little dance and they come back fast."

Paul shrugged. "Doesn't much matter, just do what yer doin' and keep us in the light. Which way are we goin'?"

Fast Shadow pointed ahead as she led the way "West." She seemed quite confident despite the lack of sky overhead. The conversation died down as more effort went into scrambling over impediments and getting the horses across than anything else. The forest, as fell as it seemed, still had some measure of deference for the druid of their party. Tree Hugger was never hampered by jutting roots or other stray vegetation, as if they parted just for her before sweeping back in behind her, undisturbed.

How long they pushed forward, they couldn't say. 'Natural' though it was, they might as well have been back underground for how detached they felt. Even Tree couldn't deviate far from the path. Where the trees did not want them to go, they were not welcome, nature priest or not.

Paul cocked his head. "Did any of you hear that?" They shook their head, but he heard it again, a familiar voice. It returned, louder, with the shrill note of pain. It was Flint. "Gods above, how can you not be hearing that?" He shoved angrily off the flimsy excuse for a path Fast had made for them and began pushing for the voice. "Flint! I'm comin'!"

Fast wheeled on him, but he was lost to darkness and overgrowth almost instantly. "Damn it all! Paul! Get back here! There's no way Flint would be out here, use your brain!" But he was gone, even the sound of his forceful shoving through the forest lost to hearing almost immediately. "Alright, stay calm. We move together, or not at all. Let's get Paul back. Follow his trail."

But try as they might, he had left little trail after the first foot. The forest had swallowed him up as surely as a hungry wolf, leaving not even bones behind to trace him.

Tabitha slid closer to Fast. "Maybe the forest doesn't like humans?"

Fast raised a brow. "I doubt it has a preference, though we don't have much to go off of." She kicked at the dense blockage. "Figures the one with the most suitable clearing weapon would be the one charging off."

Maud looked up and down at the tangle of trees. "Do we follow him?"

Fast turned to Tree. "Can you get them out of our way? You're the only one that could open a path through this."

Tree approached and placed her hooves on the tree. "Let us past. We have to save our friend. Oh, no, he didn't mean to step on your root. I'm very sorry. I'll get him to say that when I reach him. Please? No?" She pulled her hooves back with a thoughtful frown. "They said they aren't allowed to, and that he stepped on their roots. They'd forgive that, but they're sure they're not allowed to open for us."

Fast lashed out a hoof, pulling back at the very last moment before she struck a tree in fury. "F-fine... We have to reach him. I'm not ready to write the fool off for dead just yet."

Tabitha pointed to Fast's saddlebags. "Maybe the crown'll show us a way through?"

Fast smiled. "Clever thinking that, maybe it will." She pulled the crown free with her teeth and flipped it up so it landed on her head. The gloom was instantly banished from her eyes and she could see clearly, except where the trees were in the way, which wasn't much of an improvement. She caught a flash of movement from the left and spun just in time to see a familiar tail darting out of view. An equally familiar scent teased at her nose, though she couldn't place it. "Bloody hell...?"

Tapping her in the side, Maud tried to get her attention. "What are you looking at? Can you see a way forward?"

Fast felt the urge to investigate. It would save the empire, and bring her quest to completion. That pony, she had to reach her. "I need to check this out." She took a step, then stopped, delaying. "No, Not so fast..." She pulled away from the urge with a low growl. "You won't turn an earth pony's mind that easily."

Tree tilted her head. "What?" She heard a whisper in her ear, clear as crystal.

"Your friends must face their own challenges. Your mind is too strong, and your nature is close to our own. Let them face their own trials. Step this way and await them." A way seemed clear to Tree and she smiled.

"This way." She waved at it, but none of the others saw her. They were all looking in different directions. Despite Fast's own words to resist, she had started wandering away. They were lost it seemed, even if they were mere feet away from Tree Hugger. "Aw come on, you can hear me, right?"

"Possibly." Bright remained perched on her, unphased, or skipped over by whatever force was drawing the others away. "Possibly not."

Tree perked her ears. "Your second word. Now's not the right time, dude." She rushed for Maud, only to have the forest close between them, barring the way. Every time she turned to another friend, the way to them sealed tight. Her choices were removed from her silently, with only the way the voice suggested remaining available. "Not cool, trees. I thought we were friends..." There was a higher authority in this particular forest, and Tree decided she needed to meet them. She turned away from her friends, silently hoping they would be alright, and went to meet the master of the forest.