Into the Everfree (Winter, rokthepony, Dunder)

[rokthepony]

Rok watched Winter's display in utter confusion. Why was he coldly glaring at her a minute ago and now is winking at her and telling her nothing's wrong? City ponies are so strange. I guess I just have to learn to deal with them though. I will drop the issue. Rok thought to himself. "so would you mind helping us with the tree, Pegasus? By the way, I never got your name," said Rok neutrally, trying not to convey as little emotion as possible.

[Dunder]

Dunder glared at Winter as he made his speech. He couldn't tell if it was an apology or an insult to anypony or hipogriff there. Dunder held the same expression all the way through the speech. As Winter finished, Dunder just calmly told him, "You know, you should take care of your own problems before pinning them on other ponies when you face the consequences." He said. "Anyway, we have a tree to take care of. Storm, lead the way."

[Winter]

Winter looked at Rok, wondering what he was feeling... This pony, so strange... "I'm Winter, Rok... Sorry for not introducing myself to you yet... I'd be more than happy to help with that tree..." His thought was cut with Dunder's response. Winter groaned loudly. This guy... he just isn't getting it! He got ready to put his hoof on the pegasus' shoulder to stop him when he realized exactly what Dunder had said. Wait... fix my own... problems first... my own... that... He looked down at the ground, growing teary eyed for a moment, thinking about it. He closed his eyes tightly before building up his resolve and reaching towards the pegasus again and lightly holding his shoulder. "Hey, I am not done talking to you. Now, we are going to resolve this, and we are going to resolve this now." His voice was tough, but his face was sad and pleading. "If we leave this, it is just a poison that will spread and rear its ugly head ten times stronger than before later. I don't blame you all at, I know I made all those mistakes myself. I didn't mean to hurt anypony... I know I have... issues... a lot of them... but get me now when I say this, I was and am sorry." He gazed into Dunder's eyes, willing him to understand.

----

Storm watched Winter give his speech in vain. As she saw him gaze at the ground near crying out loud, she knew she had to do something. She knew how it felt to hurt like that, and didn't want anypony to feel that. She was just about to get up and say something about it when she saw Winter reach out for Dunder one last time. Gosh, I hope this works... Please, no more fighting... All this over a tree?

[rokthepony]

Rok looked at the group exasperated and confused. He saw as Winter and Dunder began to have a discussion. Rok wanted to get this tree down. I will just do it without them then. Rock dug a hole next to the tree very quickly; he then ran towards the tree and rammed into it as hard as he could. Soon he began kicking it repeatedly with his hind legs. As it took these powerful kicks repeatedly, it began to weaken. After a few more kicks it suddenly uprooted and fell over onto the ground with a loud crash. Grinning deviously Rok looked up to see how the others would react to this.

[Dunder]

Dunder looked into Winter's eyes. Dunder knew ponies could set up a convincing facade, but Dunder would believe this one. He looked away and nodded, "I forgive you, Winter. Now you should ask Storm for her forgiveness." He said. His eyes wandered to Rok walking up to the tree. Watch out...we've got a badflank over here. Dunder said and sighed lightly. He silently took off into the air. By the time he had flown over, Rok was kicking it and headbutting to no effect. Dunder began to push on it on the tree and it started to give way. It soon fell over. Dunder looked down at Rok, "Good job." He said as he landed next to him.

[Winter]

Winter was ecstatic he was forgiven. He smiled to Dunder before looking back towards Storm. "Storm, I am truly, honestly sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

----

Storm looked up to the pegasi, glad the fighting was over. As Winter apologized, her feeling of happiness grew. Well, it is about time... "It is okay... Winter..." She turned to Dunder, "Thank you." Moments later she noticed the crashing behind her and turned to see Rok trying to kick down the tree, but to no avail. Well, at least he is trying... She saw Dunder go up behind him and help him get the last bit of force needed to kick down the tree. As the tree fell, Rok gave a devious smile, apparently not noticing Dunder had helped. Storm laughed out and trotted up to Rok, "Thanks, Rok. Good job." She turned to everypone else. "Now, how are we going to break this up into smaller pieces?"

[rokthepony]

Rok knew something was strange. He had barely exerted himself when that tree came down. This was not normal, usually he had to use most of his inherent Earth Pony strength to take down a tree, however, this had been far too easy. He wasn't even tired. He looked up, "you're welcome, but I think there might be something wrong with that tree. This tree was way too easy to take down," Rok said. "So how are we going to cut this into individual pieces of firewood?"

[Dunder]

"You say 'you're welcome' like it wasn't a team effort." Dunder said to Rok, He smiled and spoke again, "We'd still be watching your weakling self trying to kick down this tree if I hadn't helped you." Dunder said. He examined the fallen tree as he thought of a way to break it into pieces. His eyes lit up, he smiled, and his wings flew out when he thought of one. "I have an idea. We just need to bring the log to a hill or incline or something..." He said as he glanced around.

[Winter]

"We'd still be watching your weakling self trying to kick down this tree if I hadn't helped you."

Storm couldn't help but laugh at that. It was true, teamwork was the best work, and she knew it. She wasn't always good at it, but still, she knew its worth. She looked at Rok and smiled, "It was a good try, Rok, I'm glad you helped." She thought a moment about Dunder's idea before turning to him and saying with a smile, "Alright, Dunder, sounds like a plan..." She turned and stepped back so she could see everypony at once, "Now has anyone actually seen something like that?"

----

Winter thought for a moment trying to understand what Dunder was planning. Oh well, best not to question. It should be fun to do anyways! "Uh... hills, hills, hills... Sounds fun... uh... hills... hills... Aha! I saw a small cliff on my way over, follow me!" he exclaimed, starting to head north. He turned back to make sure everypony was following. "It is just over here, come on!"

[rokthepony]

"I didn't notice you helping," Rok laughed, "no wonder this tree was so easy to take down. The work of the entire community makes the work very easy," he added. Rok looked around for an incline, but only saw trees and grass. "Why am I the one looking? I'm not the one with wings!" he jokingly said to the others, although still making his point clear. Then he heard Winter, "It is just over here, come on!", and began to rush to the sound of his voice.

[Dunder]

Dunder watched Winter as he began to lead them away, "Rok, help me pick up th log." He said as he lifted his end and put it on his back. "We're going to carry it there. It shouldn't bee too hard for you, right?" He asked.

[Winter]

Storm got up and grabbed the log, and flashed a smile at Dunder. "It's okay, Dunder, I got it." She looked towards Rok. "You go ahead and help us find Winter. He flew off a bit too fast for us to carry this heavy log after him and still keep up... that silly pegasus... I hope he didn't go too far..."

----

Winter had been flying at top speeds for less than a minute when he shot into a clearing. There it was, in all its magnificence. A pool of muddy water with a small waterfall coming down from a short pile of rocks that rose a total of five ponies high. What an incline... Oh well, still be enough for that log, probably. He turned back to tell everypony about how he found it when he realized nopony was there. "Hey! Hey, this isn't funny! Where'd you go!" It began to dawn on him that he had flown too fast, leaving everypony else behind with the log. "Oh... oh no..." He began to worry before calling out again. "Hey! Over here! I am over here! Rok, Dunder, Storm, somepony!"

[rokthepony]

Rok was a bit reluctant to have Storm and Dunder carry the weight, knowing that as an Earth Pony he inherently had more physical strength, however he did as Storm asked him. Rok ran towards where Winter had flown as fast as he could, and after about 3 minutes of running, sweating and panting, he looked up at Winter. "Hey! What do you see from up there!!!" he called out loudly.

[Dunder]

Dunder carried the weight well. He didn't oppose to Storm carrying part of the weight, he knew that she was strong. "Alright. Let's move." Dunder said, Rok had ditched them as well. "For.... Celestia's sake." He muttered to himself. "Let's begin moving." Dunder said to Storm as he began to walk carefully, not to let the log fall. He flapped out his wings to help keep the log on his back. He followed the hoofsteps of Rok.

[Winter]

Storm struggled with the weight at first, trying to stay in rhythm with Dunder's steps. "Don't... Worry... Dunder... I... Am stronger... Than... I look..." She panted as she carried the tree with him. "We... Will be... Fine..." She groaned in exertion. Gosh, I hope that cliff isn't too far...

----

Winter heard a voice in the distance. His humor got the best of him, and he decided to make light of the situation. "Oh sweet Celestia, what angel is this, that dost call to my ever weak heart? Shall you gift me this day, bless mine eyes with the site of another pony? Alas, happier days may not be found." He looked down and saw Rok standing there, in all his glory. "Happy days, oh happy days, Rok, hark, I can hear your voice from above! 'Tis a beautiful site up here, the muddy water sloshing against the rocky shore. Honestly, this place is a dump. At least we have the incline, though. Are Dunder and Storm with you?"

[rokthepony]

"Tis not the fact that Dunder and Storm be approach'n that worry me. But tis, oh Winter, the fact that you, my lover, hadst strayed from the group far into the den of shadows and trees, yet seeing that thou hast not been close to the small herd of friendships for awhile, I began to feel worry. You hast not wronged me, though I durst think that thou shouldst tell me of thy truly noble plans regarding said location." Rok said, triumphantly showing off his knowledge of the culture in question.

[Dunder]

Dunder could hear the two ponies talking through the thick Everfree forest. He pressed on through the trail. As he heard them more and more, he thought they had both gone crazy.... or maybe he was the one going crazy and hearing things. He shook his head of the thoughts. He looked back at Storm, "Are you okay?" He asked. Although, he kept moving because he knew giving her a rest would make her harder to get working again.

[Winter]

Winter looked down at Rok, puzzled. "How'd you learn to talk like THAT? I just said whatever sounded funny, but you look like you really know what you are doing!" He paused a second, "And I am not your lover! My love is reserved for my very special somepony, which happens to be..." He paused, then a sad look crossed his face as it drooped towards the ground. "Nopony..." He quickly snapped his head back up and remembered the task at hand. "Oh, right, so, I, uh, flew off trying to find that incline I was talking about before... Y'know, this cliff... I guess I got a little too excited and went a bit too fast... Sorry." He looked back towards the waterfall, then to Rok. "Come on over here, it isn't really that bad. It is kind of beautiful, if you look at it..."

----

Every step was agonizing for Storm. She was strong, but this tree was a whole new level of heavy. She groaned with each step. In response to Dunder's question, she looked up at him, "Yeah... Just... Fine... Holdin'... In... Here..." She squeezed her eyes shut with the effort of one more step before trying to speak to Dunder again. "How... Far... Away... Are they?"

[rokthepony]

Rok laughed, "I studied the old writings from Canterlot to understand ponies from the city better. I like the talking.... but it didn't help." Rok then climbed up a bit to see what Winter was talking about. Rok stood in silence, and then said, "the beauty of the world outside of the city.... Imagine a world where there is more city than great sites like this? That would be horrible." Rok shuddered just thinking about it, but was calmed by the site he saw below.

[Dunder]

Dunder felt bad, but he knew it was for the best that he'd push her. He knew that Rok should have just been the one to stay back, but it was too late and he had to death with the problems on his hoof right now. They approached the cliff where Winter showed. When they got near the top. He got down and rolled the log off his back. It felt good to release the weight off his back. He walked back to Storm and handed her a canteen from one of his saddlebags, "Drink." He said, "And don't worry, I don't have cooties." He said and stuck his tongue out at her and smiled.

He turned around, "ROK! WINTER!" He cried, he was still a little bit away from them.

[Winter]

Winter cringed at the thought of no more wilderness. "Rok, I need this place out here. Celestia, I am so happy someone else out here loves it..." The thought was interrupted by a familiar voice calling out to him. "DUNDER, STORM!" Winter cried out. "I found that cliff, like you wanted! Oh, I am so happy to see you both!" He looked at Storm. "Oh, you don't look so good... You should take a rest. I'll help out for you." He said to her, concern in his eyes.

----

Storm looked at the two pegasi trying to help here. Ugh... I am... too weak... She thought sadly. She looked at the canteen Dunder offered her, smiled up at him, and took it in her claw. "Thanks..." She managed to say between gasps before drinking it.

[rokthepony]

Rok was happy that Winter felt the same way about nature, but before he could respond he was interrupted from his staring by Dunder's call. Rok was ready to hear whatever Dunder was going to say, realizing that Dunder seemed to be a good leader and he was the one who had devised a plan in his mind. Rok thought that Dunder's leadership skills were admirable.

[Dunder]

Dunder pat Storm's head, "You did good. Rest a while, you deserve it." He said. "I'm glad we found the way. We're here with the log now, so now we need to lean it over the side. When it is over the side, I'm going to fly a rock over here and drop it on the part of the log sticking out. and I'll just do that until the while log is broken into carryable pieces." He said. "First, we need to pull the log up the rest of the way." Dunder said.

[Winter]

Winter heard instruction and grabbed hold of the log and prepared to move it into place. "Alright, Rok, help me get it in position so Dunder can break it."

[rokthepony]

Rok grabbed hold of the other side of the log and a called over to Winter, "Ready! Lets move it!" They heaved and groaned as they were able to lift and move the huge log into place and prepare it for Dunder's "onslaught". This will be fun to watch Rok thought.