Snowflake stopped short, her blue eyes wide, her mouth ajar. Gingerbread chuckled politely at the birch tree's joke. Mittens frowned and gave her cutie mark a reassuring glance. The awkward silence lasted long enough that Snowflake was willing to believe that she'd been hallucinating, and was rather glad for it.
"That's a bit rude, innit?" Said Mittens, stamping her rear hoof perfunctorily, turning her gaze on the tall white tree.
"Oh I'm sorry, deary," creaked the snow covered tree. "I'm afraid I should have though my words over first. You'd think us trees would do a lot of thinking, but sometimes old rivalries get in the way. An evergreen in a perfectly lovely cutie mark."
Mittens snorted, but seemed mollified. Snowflake watched her sister, somewhat impressed that she was able to calmly talk to a birch tree. Snowflake herself still felt like she was going to start hysterically flailing and screaming oh-my-goodness-the-trees-are-talking-to-us-and-a-baby-is-missing-and-the-trees-are-watching-our-every-move-oh-my-goodness! She took a quavering breath, and sternly reminded herself that if she was going to live in a land imbued with magic she really should just get over it.
"Now then," said Gingerbread, "thank you for letting us enchant you for just a bit. My name is Gingerbread, and these are my young friends Snowflake and Mittens. We're looking for a purple baby, she vanished near these woods. Have you seen her?"
"No, I'm sorry." The tree rustled, giving an impression of discomfort. Another awkward silence settled over the group; one of the silvery leaves crumbled and fell to the ground.
Snowflake glanced from side to side. She worked up her courage, determined to find Glitterlilly, even if it meant standing in the woods talking to trees. "Or..anything?" She prompted, "anything at all? We just HAVE to find her!"
"No deary, I'm sorry. I haven't seen anything, just the gloomy spirit of the winter snow, wandering these woods like a sepulchral spirit from days of old." The tree paused as another enchanted leaf fell from her branches.
"Oh well, the, uh, what? Would he have taken her? He isn't an agent of the Dark Rainbow? Oh, heavens!" Snowflake looked like she might faint.
"Oh no, he's no more evil then the snow he brings. He's just very sad, and trying to fulfill a promise - one that did not directly have anything to do with babies, I might add." The tree almost giggled.
Gingerbread narrowed her bright crystal blue eyes in thought. "Thank you, dear Birch. Perhaps, though, you should simply tell us the story, since it seems to be one we have not heard. It might cut down on future confusion."
The branches shook, as the tree took a deep breath. "Oh, yes. It's a rather sad story..."
"That's a bit rude, innit?" Said Mittens, stamping her rear hoof perfunctorily, turning her gaze on the tall white tree.
"Oh I'm sorry, deary," creaked the snow covered tree. "I'm afraid I should have though my words over first. You'd think us trees would do a lot of thinking, but sometimes old rivalries get in the way. An evergreen in a perfectly lovely cutie mark."
Mittens snorted, but seemed mollified. Snowflake watched her sister, somewhat impressed that she was able to calmly talk to a birch tree. Snowflake herself still felt like she was going to start hysterically flailing and screaming oh-my-goodness-the-trees-are-talking-to-us-and-a-baby-is-missing-and-the-trees-are-watching-our-every-move-oh-my-goodness! She took a quavering breath, and sternly reminded herself that if she was going to live in a land imbued with magic she really should just get over it.
"Now then," said Gingerbread, "thank you for letting us enchant you for just a bit. My name is Gingerbread, and these are my young friends Snowflake and Mittens. We're looking for a purple baby, she vanished near these woods. Have you seen her?"
"No, I'm sorry." The tree rustled, giving an impression of discomfort. Another awkward silence settled over the group; one of the silvery leaves crumbled and fell to the ground.
Snowflake glanced from side to side. She worked up her courage, determined to find Glitterlilly, even if it meant standing in the woods talking to trees. "Or..anything?" She prompted, "anything at all? We just HAVE to find her!"
"No deary, I'm sorry. I haven't seen anything, just the gloomy spirit of the winter snow, wandering these woods like a sepulchral spirit from days of old." The tree paused as another enchanted leaf fell from her branches.
"Oh well, the, uh, what? Would he have taken her? He isn't an agent of the Dark Rainbow? Oh, heavens!" Snowflake looked like she might faint.
"Oh no, he's no more evil then the snow he brings. He's just very sad, and trying to fulfill a promise - one that did not directly have anything to do with babies, I might add." The tree almost giggled.
Gingerbread narrowed her bright crystal blue eyes in thought. "Thank you, dear Birch. Perhaps, though, you should simply tell us the story, since it seems to be one we have not heard. It might cut down on future confusion."
The branches shook, as the tree took a deep breath. "Oh, yes. It's a rather sad story..."
