# Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone

## by David Silver

### 61 - The Vengeful Forest

The forest grew thicker as they went from tree to tree. Tree Hugger placed her hoof on each one, listening to something, perhaps the song she mentioned at times, then moved to the next.

Fast rolled her eyes. "What are you looking for? They look perfectly serviceable."

"Nah dude. They're not ready. I'll let you know when we find the perfect one." She moved to the next and placed her hoofs on it, only to fall back to all fours and move to the next tree. "What's the hurry? It's not good for you."

Paul rolled his shoulders. "Before you make Fast explode, I'll answer that one there. We're supposed to be savin' her nation and all, so that kinda puts us in a little hurry."

"Haste makes waste." Tree gently rested on the next tree, then fell back down and trotted across the way to a specific tree, skipping a few along the way. "How are you feeling?" She set her hooves on it. "That bad? Want to be something pretty? Uh huh..."

"Can we take it?" asked Fast with a hopeful smile.

Tree drew back from the tree, making Fast's expression fall, but came back against it, nudging it right off balance and sending it to the ground. "Rest in peace."

Fast approached it quickly, circling around curiously. "Is it any good? Rotten wood won't serve us well."

Tree nodded quickly. "It's problem was in its roots. Its trunk is fine. I kind of wish I could lend a hoof instead of finishing it." She tilted her head. "It was a pretty tree."

Paul moved up to give it a onceover before he kneeled down and grabbed it near those roots, hefting it up off the ground. "Grab the other side, Fast, and we'll get moving."

Fast took her position, just for the ground to softly shake under her. She flipped her lance into ready position and looked around. "Tell me I wasn't the only one to feel that."

Tree spread her hooves, feeling the ground. "Something big and hungry is coming."

Paul released the tree, letting it fall with a thump only a falling tree could make as he drew his rapier. "Damn it all. I'd rather have my big sword 'bout now."

As if drawn by the noise, a truly great beast, larger than any horse they'd ever seen, emerged from the forest, brushing trees aside and sending a few to the ground in its path. It was covered in thick bony plates, and had a huge tail with a club-like lump at the end of it. It did not seem like any idle threat, but Tree approached it with her placid appearance. "Hello there, big momma. How righteous are you? I've never seen the like before. Totally radical to the utmost."

Fast's ears pinned on her head. "Tree! Why are you conversing with what probably wants to eat us?"

"Nah. Big momma here likes this." She grabbed a big bushel of leaves from the fallen tree and held it out to the lumbering beast, who approached with uncertainty, then snapped it up, almost taking off Tree's face with it, not that she seemed worried. "Tasty, isn't it? What are you called anyway? Fluttershy's going to be so jealous when I tell her." She sat down and clopped her hooves. "So magnificent!"

The rage that had been in the beast seemed to bleed away before the gushing praise of Tree Hugger. It allowed her to circle it and examine it curiously. It kept her away from its few sensitive places with an angry snort, but with her obeying its boundaries, it seemed content to tolerate her and her happy ramblings of its majesty.

Paul whispered quietly to Fast, "Maybe we should start takin' trees while she's busy."

"And leave her here?" Fast raised a brow. "Let's wait."

The towering dinosaur eventually grew tired of Tree's inspections and brushed her aside as it began to lumber off into the trees, knocking over two more on its way towards wherever it was going.

"I guess it's time to feed the babies," sighed out Tree Hugger, turning to her friends. "Did you see that? So large and powerful! It was like the opposite of the breezies. Totally far out! The society won't even believe me when I describe it... I wish I had a camera right now, man..."

Paul lifted his shoulders. "Camera?"

"Thing that takes pictures?"

Fast tilted her head. "You mean an artist?"

"An automatic one." She held out her hooves as she sat down, showing the size of a camera. "This big."

Fast frowned a little. "You must lack for artists if you have magic to replace them. That seems sad somehow."

"Nah, man." Tree waved a hoof. "For one there are ponies that specialize in taking perfect pictures, and some people just love drawing or painting instead. Different art for different, like, souls." She put a hoof to her chest. "It's all good."

"That's all well and good." Fast moved to work under her half of the tree and heft it up. "It's time to get moving. Good job. If you weren't here, I'm certain we would have ended that confrontation with blood, its or ours. This is a better way."

Paul grabbed his end and they began hiking back towards their camp. "What got it all riled up in the first place?"

Tree followed along after them. "We knocked over one of its favorite trees. It knew it was going to die soon, but that didn't make it less angry. It was going to smash everything to make it feel better about it." She tilted her head. "That's not how you should deal with grief, but I can't outright talk to animals like Fluttershy can, so it'll have to learn that on its own, you grok?"

Fast turned an ear to Tree as they hiked. "Have you considered using a tree song for it? I can't imagine there isn't one that lets druids speak with beasts if they wanted to. It wouldn't be as easy as you make it sound for your friend, but I suppose that's her talent, and she should be proud of it."

Tree brightened. "Oh man, that's so obvious when you say it... I'll do that, and next time we run into something new and amazing, I can ask it a few questions." She smiled as she was wont to do. "This'll be totally rad..." Her expression dimmed a little as they walked. "I wish Fluttershy was here to see this..."

Paul looked towards her, burdened by the tree, but not beyond the point of speaking. "Hey, cheer up. We'll get you back. We promised, didn't we? You'll have so many stories for her, just like you all told me to have for Flint."

She rebounded quickly. "Yeah, you're right, man, brother. You have the right idea of it."

They arrived to find Maud and Tabitha with an area cleared out, ready for work, and left the tree with them. Fast nodded at them both. "Get to it, we have a selection of trees already knocked down and we'll grab them as quickly as we can. Luck's turned in our favor for a change, but I don't want to tempt it. The sooner we move, the better."

Tabitha began inspecting the tree carefully. "Alright, but remember to grab some vines, thicker the better, and some sap if you can. Heck, maybe this tree has some, I'll check, but be on the lookout. We don't want water leaking into our boat."

"Damn sure don't." Paul turned back to the forest. "Let's get moving. I don't think it'll be wise to go in there when the sun goes down, so we have limited time for today."

Retrieving logs was a much simpler affair thanks to the presence of the club-tailed dinosaur. With the trees already knocked to the ground, it was a simple matter of claiming the ones that looked the strongest and least affected by any rotting influences. Tree Hugger found an oozing tree and poured out her water, replacing it with a plentiful supply of the stickiest sap to bring back to their boat-making camp.

"Very impressive," spoke a female voice. "I thought for certain you would bring harm to my forest, and yet here you are, assembling something without a scratch. Even the tree you felled was a hoof played gently."

Tree spun to take in a deer approaching her, tall and slender. Her horns were large and many pointed. Did female deer have antlers? She supposed that breed did. "Salutations and blessings. Are you a druid too?"

The doe nodded at Tree. "I am. You have come from the north?"

"East." Tree pointed across the plains that separated one forest from the next. "I hope we didn't disturb your energies."

"You did not." She smiled a little. "The East you say? I'm surprised... They are normally very violent."

Tree waved a hoof. "We're on an important quest, man. Even they let us go."

"Are you now?" She raised a brow. "As if our mission were less important? You're fortunate you've done nothing but please me so far, so I'll let that one slide. Consider it etiquette between druids."

Tree dipped her head. "Thanks, man. I didn't mean to tangle your chakras."

"My chakras are quite well." She looked Tree over a moment. "You've taken the right course. Do not attempt to defy my forest. Even your gentle presence will not be tolerated, and it would be a shame to see that gentle look of benign wisdom erased from this world, but my duties are clear."

Tree tilted her head with the littlest of frowns. "Why are you all like that? We're not here to hurt you, or the forest. Why get upset about us?"

"We must. Do you not understand what duty is?" The doe shook her head. "The forest must remain impenetrable, or be lost. It is that simple. I shouldn't even be speaking to you, but..."

Tree's smile returned gently. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She turned away. "Do not press further. One more step, just one, and it will turn badly. I wish you well in your journey."

"Wait! I've never seen a deer like you before. You're, like, very pretty if you don't mind my saying. Why are you hiding here? Ponies would accept you."

"Would they?" She looked over her shoulder. "At least one." With a sudden springing gait, she was lost to the forest.

Tree extended a hoof, but slowly set it back down. Chasing the deer seemed the wrong path and she turned away. "At least one." She returned to the others and helped with the tree moving, casually keeping them from pressing further into the forest.