Too Good For Too Long

Chapter 15: Too Good For Too Long

Rose headed to the castle to get ready. 

Rarity and Stephen left early due to personal business, so she walked alone.

The streets of Canterlot were especially quiet today.

Nopony was there.

Nopony but Rose..... Or so she thought.

She started to feel a little nauseous as a mysterious cloaked mare came into view.

Rose's vision faded as the mare walked in.

She had another dream.

"You've had it too good for too long." A mare's voice said.

She had short black hair, red eyes, a black coat, and a sword for a cutie mark.

"You think everything is going as planned. Well, that's wrong. You are nothing compared to what controls us. You do not yet know of our power, Rose Shield. You don't know about me!"

Rose took a step back.

She looked around her to see a surplus of weapons and a furnace.

"It's best you wake up, Rose." The mare said in another pony's voice.

Rose then started to drift back to consciousness.

"Where am I?" Rose said.

"I found you in the alleyway" A mare said. " Some Spirit Dream Eaters sent you a message."

"What does that mean?"

"It means something big will happen sooner or later. Ravanta is going to take the minds of many ponies to try and stop you from saving the spirit world from utter domination." The mare said. "I am one of the ponies who can help to stop it, Rose. I am just a pony, but you are SPIRIT. Who else can look like you do?"

"Fleur dis lee?"

The mare chuckled.

"Her? She's nothing but a escapee's daughter!" She said. "She's spirit, but not enough to unlock elemental powers."

"Even so, what can YOU do to help the spirit world?"

She laughed more.

"It's because... I am special. Like you, I have something special within me."

She lowered her hood, and Rose gasped.

Half of the mare's face was pure wood.

Not carved wood, but it was as if she was half tree.

The tree part of her face even outstretched to her horn, which had a little leaf sprouting from the side.

"Now you see, Rose." She said. "You and your friends are special. But these are no words of praise. It can be a blessing AND a curse."

She then kindly smiled to me.

The part of her that was not tree was a light chocolate brown.

Her emerald eyes seemed to look though Rose's soul as she looked at her.

"I need to help you, Rose." She said. "For the sake of the Spirit kingdom, and our sake."

"The spirit world IS in major trouble, so I could use your help finding the gems for this." Rose said, and levitated the compact up for the mare to see.

She smiled with her half-tree face.

"My name is Willow Rain." She said. "It would be an honor to fight beside you."

They talked, and Rose realised the time.

"The dance!" She gasped. "I have a performance, and I have to get to Rarity to get my dress! And also theres the rehearsal, meeting with Stephen, AND going to see Hope's performance!"

Willow laughed over Rose's fretting.

"The door's that way!" She guided. "I'll see you at the dance!"

Rose exited happily, and trotted off to the castle to prepare for the big night.

Meanwhile, something happened.

"So she is going to the big dance?" A spirit asked.

"Yes. She will be there promptly." A dreameater answered.

The jingle of the armor's decorations rang as the spirit walked.

"Thank you for the information." The spirit said. "I apologise for making you take a risk.

You must know I am taking as much of a risk as you. She is dangerous. She is strong. She could mean big change to Ravanta's empire."

"I understand." The dream eater groaned.

The spirit stallion stood silently.

"May Ravanta have mercy on her."