# Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone

## by David Silver

### 63 - Wet Camping

The next day, the song drawn to the fore, Tree sang it to the slaughtered shark, and its body lept up and became something new again. Its skin was treated and drawn free, creating several sheets of sandpaper and a pair of roughly-formed shoes made specifically to fit on Tabitha's reformed hooves/feet.

Tabitha looked surprised as Tree slipped them onto her. With a smile, Tree nodded at her. "It should give you some grip and protection. Though he had to go, at least we can remember him fondly.

Tabitha reached down and ran a hand over the shoes carefully. "They have a rough texture on the outside, but smooth on the inside. I'm sure I would have paid good money for these, were we in a proper city. Thank you, going barefoot was a new thing."

Paul shrugged softly. "Why would you want to remember something that wanted to eat you?"

"Why not?" Tree tilted her head. "It's all part of the cosmic circle, man. Shark eats smaller fish, which eat plants, which eventually eat the sharks. Everything eats everything. Isn't it radical?"

"What? How's grass eat a shark?" Paul frowned at Tree. "I don't get that even a little."

Tree rose up on her hind legs and spread her hooves out. "Alright, the sun comes down and feeds the plants. That's how they grow and get strong. With me, man?"

"Sure, alright." Paul nodded. "Get to the part where they eat sharks."

Tree held up a hoof. "The sun isn't all they need. They need food, just like us, but different. When we die and fall over, all that yummy food we'd been building up over our life leeches into the ground, and the grass gobbles it right up." She fell back to all fours. "You'll eventually be a tree, and something that eats a tree, and everything. We're all part of everything, just not at the same time, you dig?"

Tabitha leaned forward suddenly. "That's a wild way of looking at it."

"It's the truth," replied Tree with a gentle smile. "Nature is amazing."

Fast chuckled softly. "Of course a druid would say that, but you're not wrong. Let's not look forward to feeding the grass, however. We've all got years left in us to get our jobs done." She looked away a moment. "Some more than others."

Maud tilted her head at Fast. "What was that?"

Fast waved it off. "Nothing. I thought camping on a floating raft would be more troublesome, but you did well, Tree, securing us before you turned back."

Tree gave a light nod. "A pleasure. Swimming like a squid was very enlightening. So trippy... They see everything so differently, and move differently." She began waving a leg in a poor imitation of the undulations of a squid. "Way trippy... Maybe I'll try something else today."

Tabitha stuck out her tongue a little. "You were all slimy! Why not something cuter?"

Tree tilted her head. "I'm sure another squid would have thought I was very fetching."

"Possibly."

Tree nodded at Bright. "See, he knows."

Paul slapped his knee. "Put in your place by a damn bird."

Tabitha turned up her nose. "Not just any bird. Bright Feathers is a part of our family."

"Possibly." Bright hopped up onto Tabitha's shoulder and perched there.

Fast gave the rope a light pull. "Alright, we're all up and ready to resume." She brought it up sharply and with a great whipping, the rope came loose from where it was attached on the shore and she began reeling it in swiftly. "Let's try to get as much distance as we can. Shame you can't stay aquatic for longer, Tree. It definitely helps."

Tree sat on her haunches and spread her forehooves. "Or larger, but I'm still learning." She smiled gently. "We're all learning."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Could you get some of that learning over here? I'm a mighty wizard that can patch holes in dresses. How pathetic is that?"

Fast took one of the oars. "You can also read the unreadable, and banish offensive smells and tastes. Most 'wizards' spend years reaching that point." She began working the oar, silencing herself. Maud took the other oar, and together they propelled the raft further along, working their way slowly along.

Paul shrugged. "I don't got a single spell to my name, and you don't hear my bellyachin' about it."

"Sure." Tabitha squinted at him. "You just got hands strong enough to choke an ox."

Tree swayed softly, a little more than the raft's natural motions. "We all have our talents. We should celebrate them all." She turned her eyes on Tabitha. "You'll get better, keep practicing and learning yourself."

"Myself?" Tabitha looked confused. "I want to learn magic, not myself."

"You are magic." She clopped her forehooves together once. "Learn yourself. Nobody can do that for you."

"I am?" Tabitha looked at her reflection in the water, seeing a pony-eared woman looking back at her. After a moment, she smiled. "You're right, I do look kind of magic." She made her ears twitch with some effort and giggled. "I'm a pony princess."

Paul wobbled a hand. "Sure sure, so learn how to be a better princess." He looked to Tree. "Hey, are you alright with her claimin' to be your princess?"

Tree tilted her head at Paul. "She's a friend, and she doesn't mean any bad karma by it, and she doesn't try to boss me around, man. Why would I be upset?" She rose and approached Tabitha. "If she wants to be my princess specifically, she'll have to earn it."

Paul suddenly burst into laughter. "The way you were looking at her, I almost thought you were making a romantic overture."

Tree blinked and backed up, coming down on her rump. "What? Dude, not cool..."

Tabitha quirked a smile, then sighed. "No romantic overtures for me..." She sat down with crossed legs. "Say, Tree Hugger, you know the circle of life pretty well, right?"

"For sure."

Tabitha wobbled a hand at her in a vaguely circular way. "What should a good partner do, when their, you know, dies?"

Tree recoiled a bit at the suddenly serious question. "Woah, way to lay it on me, extra heavy..." She tapped her chin. "You should remember the good times, and celebrate them, and be happy. They'd want you to be happy, right?"

Tabitha smiled a little. "He would... He was a good man."

Tree rolled a hoof. "Perhaps you'd like to lay out something about him? Tell us about him."

Tabitha took a slow breath. "Well, alright, if you all want to hear?" Tree and Paul were watching her, while Fast and Maud were working the oars busily. "Alright... He was born to commoners, like his parents before them and before that, for as long as we're both aware, and he wasn't upset about that."

She leaned back on the raft. "He always said so long as he had a place to call home, food to fill a larder, and a wife at his side, well, he had nothing to complain about, and he didn't complain, much... He was a hard worker and a kind man." She smiled at Paul a little. "A little like you. Strong, simple, and honest. You have to respect the sort."

"You respect me?"

"Course not." She stuck out her tongue. "It's a jest, of course I do, Paul. You're a good person. Anyway, we made a nice little living for ourselves, and we had privacy. We liked not being crowded in, and thought we were safe enough, but then the orcs showed up and you know how that turned out..." She let out a slow sigh. "Bastard didn't even ask. He just threw himself between me and the orcs and ordered me to run, and I ran... I kept right on running until I ran right into another brave and simple man." She closed her eyes a moment. "I'm not sure I deserve the good luck I do run into."

Tree waved it off. "You either believe in destiny, or you do not. I think you totally do, girl, little sister. If you do, then you have met what you needed to. The magic's woken up now." She stepped in, violating Tabitha's personal space as she went right in and nipped one of those long pony ears. "You're a pony princess."

Paul smiled a little. "By the hells, one year ago I was ready to live and die a farmer, barely making any money I could keep to myself. I had a friend, and a lady or two I fancied but never had the bravery to speak a word to." He drew his great sword free and gave it a few swings. "Now here we are, escorting some ponies back to their home, to save an entire nation. I'm beholden to no man but myself, and any money I make is mine to keep as I see fit. I wouldn't have guessed this! The best I hoped for was for the fey to whisk me away to a better life."

Maud paused rowing a moment to speak, "We did that."

Paul laughed softly. "You did. By the gods above and below, you did that." He put his sword back on his back. "Thank you, all of you."

Tree put a hoof on her chest. "Though a friend of mine is worried for me, I'm not unhappy to be here. I'm seeing new creatures I've never seen before that totally blow my mind. I've made new friends, who will be my friends even if we end up a world apart. You're all part of me now, my new family." She dipped her head. "It's a little far out, but I am happy to be here, with you all now."

With their statements given in turn, eyes began to be drawn to the one that hadn't spoken. Fast went stiff as she realized they were waiting on her. "Hmm? Well, yes. Thank you for coming with me... I'll be glad when this task is over..."

Paul swatted her across the withers. "Where's your adventurin' spirit? Just glad when it's over?"

Fast pulled the oar free of the water. "I'm getting tired. Can you take over for me, Paul?"

"Oh, sure." He accepted it, and took her place as she circled up on the raft and closed her eyes, lapsing into a nap instantly, or at least refusing to acknowledge them for the moment.

Tree leaned in towards Maud, whispering gently. "I don't think all is well with Fast Shadow. We should cheer her up."

"How?" Maud hiked a brow lightly.

"I'm not sure... We need her to lay it out for us. Something's bothering her." She gently clopped the wood. "We should start by making sure she knows we love having her as our leader."