Author's note: Since the history of Equestria isn't well defined yet, I am just going off my own thoughts.

I also credit fan Q, for the stone idea.

Chapter 23: The Stone

I have been living with Star and Clover for a few weeks now, and honestly I have come to like it.

Star is what I believe to be the ponified version of Albert Einstein. So far he has nearly discovered all there is to the tree of life, his books show a great insight of how far more advance he is compared to the time, and he isn't a stick in the mud.

Clover on the other hand reminds me a great deal of Twilight. She is dedicated to her teacher, has a great thirst for knowledge, and is an obsessive book worm.

I am still a little mad at her from last week. During one of her experiments, I caught on fire. Thankfully my things remained relatively untouched, but my suit was gone. Clover apologized profusely for destroying it, and got me a temporary replacement.

So right now, I was dressed in one of those old looking cloaks that Clover wears, and covered in gauze. I look like the mummy from the north.

While Clover and I were downstairs, we heard Star suddenly show off his colorful language at some project of his upstairs.

"Not it," Clover said, not looking up from her book. Dang it.

I floated up the stairs to see what had Star upset. I saw him bent over one of his work tables cursing at some red powder infront of him.

"What did you do know?" I asked, causing him to stop his swearing and look at me.

"I am trying to get these blasted materials to mix, but they keep falling apart!" Star shouted.

"What are you trying to make?" I wondered. Star tended to make some of the oddest things you ever seen. He is also the reason why manticores exist due to one of his failed experiments. So this experiment could possibly be a hazard to all ponies around.

"I am trying to create a magic amplifying stone," Star stated. "But my ingredients just won't bond together!" He shouted in frustration. An amplifying stone? That sounds vaguely familiar, but where… Oh you got to be kidding me!

"Blood," I stated, gaining a quizzical look from Star. "You are missing the blood."

Star stared at me for a bit longer, but he has come to trust me since I showed him the tree of life. He magiced over a scalpel from one of his may jars, and cut his hoof and held if over the powder.

Once the first drop of blood touched the powder, it began to turn muss and gather together. Star watched at as the powder reacted to his blood, and it began to come in on itself. The finished product was a liquid like substance that was deep red, and murky.

"Ha, it worked!" Star shouted in triumph. "Come get a closer look Spirit," he said, beckoning me over.

I walked over with caution. "Yes, you have done well in making the stone," I said looking down at it. I don't know what drew me to do it, but I reached out and touched the blob.

The moment I touched the stuff, it latched on to me. What the bucking hell? I tried to shake it off, but it began to seep into the gauze.

I phased my hand out of it, but the stuff remained attached. I couldn't take it off.

"What in the world?!" Star shouted as he saw I couldn't shake the stuff.

There was nothing I could do. The stone began to spread across my spiritual form until it completely covered me. I couldn't see anything!

I tried everything I could to get the stuff off, but nothing happened.

After a few minutes trying to get the stuff off, I could finally see again.

The first thing I saw was Star and Clover as they stared at me. "What the buck was that?!" Clover shouted.

"I-I can honestly say I have no idea," I said. I looked over myself, but didn't see anything on my outfit. I then fazed out of it, and I couldn't believe what I saw. My form was completely covered in that red liquid. I moved my arm, and the stuff followed.

"The stone has bonded to you," Star finally said, and I looked at him. "The stone must require some form of host." He said, looking at my liquid body. "Spirit, you have become one with the Philosopher's Stone."

It has now been a few months since I have become one with the Stone, and it has been interesting.

Star has been experimenting on me, trying to find out all he could on the Stone he made. We found out that the Stone is like a form of mutualistic symbiosis. The stone thrives on the magic that permeates the air, and gems when provided. As it stores the magic that is gathered, it allows its host, me, to use this magic. The only problem is that I don't know how to use magic.

Star has a rather easy solution for my dilemma, become one of his a student of his. So for the past few months, I have been learning magic from both Star, and Clover.

I was practicing my magic, in a unicorn form, when somepony knocked on the door. Clover went to open it, and was greeted by some brown unicorn.

"Greetings," the brown unicorn started. "I have come on behalf of Princess Platinum. She wishes that Star Swirl the Bearded to accompany her to the gathering of the three tribes."

"I am not going!" Star shouted from above. "I'll send my two students instead," he said, volunteering me and Clover to do this crazy thing.

The unicorn thought this over. "That would be acceptable," he stated. "Come along you two," He said, leading Clover and I somewhere. Thank god I'm wearing my outfit.

The unicorn led us to the small looking castle. We walked past the two unicorn guards posted at the door, and continued inside.

We were lead to a room, where I saw a light purple unicorn, with a white mane, dressed at royalty sat on a pillow.

"Hm? What is this?" She asked the unicorn.

"My apologies my Princess, but Star Swirl is unable to come," the unicorn bowed. "But he has sent two of his student in his place."

"Hmm," Platinum thought this over. "This is acceptable, you are dismissed," she told the unicorn and turned to us. "What are your names?"

"I am Clover the Cleaver," Clover said, bowing to her.

"I am Sprit Chaser," I said simply, and didn't move.

"I take it you are both powerful unicorns if you are students of Star Swirl," Platinum said before pausing. "Very well then, follow," she said as she got up, and went out the door.

Clover and I followed her outside, to a carriage awaited us. The three of us go in, and rode off to meet the tribes.

We arrived at a snow covered build that had numerous ponies arriving at. Once we left the carriage, we followed. We did have to separate from Platinum at one point, and ushered up to the booths up above.

Clover and I got our seats near the front so that we could watch this meeting of the tribes.

Suddenly some fanfare played, and somepony began to speak.

"Daughter of the unicorn king, Princess Platinum," was declared as she entered down below.

The fanfare repeated. "Ruler of the Pegasi, Commander Hurricane," A large black pegasus with a light blue tail entered, wearing roman gear. "And lastly..." Suddenly a fanfare of kazoos was heard. "...leader of the Earth ponies, Chancellor Puddinghead." A light brown mare entered, with a dark brown mane, and tail, and in outfit made for Pinkie.

The three ponies approached the table, and set down their head gear, and Tartarus broke loose as they argued at one another.

"All I wanna know is why the Earth ponies are hogging all the food!" Hurricane demanded, and the pegasus in the shouted in agreement.

"Us?! We're not hogging all the food, you are!" Puddinghead claimed. "Oh, wait. You're right. It's us. Well, it's only 'cause you mean old Pegasusususes are making it snow like crazy!"

"For the hundredth time, it's not us! We're not making it snow! It must be the unicorns! They're doing it with their freaky magic!" Hurricane said, pointing at Platinum.

"How dare you!" Platinum shouted, "Unlike you Pegasi ruffians, we unicorns would never stoop to such a thing! H-m-ph!" And the unicorns around Clover and I repeated that noise.

"Well, if you non-Earths aren't gonna stop using your weirdo powers to freeze us all, then I'm just plum out of ideas," Puddinghead stated.

"What a shocker. An Earth pony with no ideas," Hurricane mocked.

"Commander Hurricane, please cease with the insults!" Platinum stated, defending Puddinghead, surprisingly.

"You're not the boss of me, your royal snootiness!" Hurricane stated, getting into Platinum's face.

"I beg your pardon?! I am a princess! I won't be spoken to that way!" Platinum stated, placing her crown on to her head, and leaving.

"Well, I'm leaving first!" Hurricane declared as he made for the door.

"No, I'm first!" Puddinghead shouted as she left as well.

"That went nothing like I thought it would," Clover said sadly next to me.

"This is politics Clover," I told her, as we got up to meet Platinum.

Once we reached the carriage, I didn't enter with Clover and Platinum. "Spirit, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Clover, but I have to go do something," I told her.

"Alright, just be back soon," She said as the carriage door closed. Once the carriage was out of sight, I pulled out the red book.

"After the tribal meeting, head west till you hear screaming," It doesn't matter how many times I read that, it sounds bad.

I traveled west for a great many miles. I didn't know what I was looking for, so I just continued. I flew through the night, and day, and a night again, and still nothing.

I finally just landed, and decided to walk. I found flying for so long to be mind-numbing. So I walked for another day. By evening I had entered a forest, but not like the Everfree, it looked tropical, a Rainforest perhaps?

I continued walking but stopped when I heard something in the distance. I walking in the direction of the noise, and is began to grow clearer. It was screaming.

Without a second thought, I rushed towards the screaming. I soon broke through the foliage, and came across what looked like a Mayan city. I looked around, and saw ponies all around, running away from something to the east.

I rushed to where this thing that scared the ponies was. As I got closer, I saw ponies on the ground, stiff on the ground, in odd possess. Paralyzed?

I finally reached a river to the east where many more paralyzed ponies were, but I didn't see what the others were running from.

I decided to jump across the river, but the moment I did, something slammed into me from above, sending me into river.

I quickly stopped my decent in to the river, and flew out of the river to see what hit me. Once I left the water, I saw what hit me. Infront of me was a large 60 foot snake with bright yellow eyes: I found a basilisk.

The basilisk the lunged at me, trying to bite me with its many rows of teeth, but I phased through its attack, and took my clothing. The beast reared back its head in confusion to why I wasn't dead, and why I looked so different.

Ok, I hope this thing is somewhat intelligent, or I am about to sound real stupid.

"Cease this mindless behavior snake!" I yelled at it, causing it to cock its head in confusion. "Leave these ponies along, or I will be forced to take action against you," I threatened. At this, the basilisk bared its teeth at me, as if to intimidate me, but I didn't back down.

"Leave beast, or die!" I told him, give it one finally warning. The beast replied by swinging its tail at me, but a phased through it. "Very well then," I said. I had given it a chance to live, but has chosen to attack.

I suddenly flew straight towards the basilisk's head, and phased into its skull. I solidified my hand, and began to rake through the beast brain, causing it to thrash around in pain. I continued to swipe at its mind until I no longer felt movement. Once the beast was dead, the stone suddenly reacted; it began to take in some of the parts of snake, and my form rippled. It soon stopped, and I phased out of the dead snake, and landed on the ground.

I looked at my body, and saw that the stone changed. I looked up and down my body, and saw what appeared to be scaled armor. It was the same dark green color as the basilisk. I poked at one of the pieced, and saw that it didn't have any resistance. It may look different, but it is still just the stone.

"Hello?" I heard a voice call out behind me. I turn around to see a young foal, and the now recovering ponies. "Is it dead?" the foals asked.

"The snake is dead," I told him, and the ponies before me cheered. I could hear them celebrating. Some of them hugged one another, other cried tears of joy.

"Thank you, our savior," one of the ponies said as he bowed to me. Soon, all of the ponies bowed to me as well. This is a little awkward.

Soon the ponies began to pull me through the group, and towards the large temple pyramid. Once I was at the steps of it, the ponies stood back from me, and I looked around confused. I then saw somepony come walking down the stairs. This pony was dressed in leaves, like the other, but he also had white face paint on his brown fur.

"I thank you, our savior," The pony said in a booming voice. "You have saved my people from a terrible fate, and killed the beast that has hunted us for centuries!" At this, the ponies around me cheered again. "How can we repay you for you bravery?" He asked.

"The knowledge that you are all now save from that beast is all I need," I told him and the crowd. "It is simply not in my nature to take for doing something that was right."

"If you, don't want anything, may you at least tell us who you are?" the leader asked.

I then felt the stone's armor I was wearing to separate from my body. It felt as if it was now an outfit.

"I am Spirit," I said to him. "That is both the who, and whom I am." I removed my mask to reveal the red stone liquid, gaining gasp from the crowd. "The reason I refuse to take anything from you is because what I did is simply in my nature. I keep the balance, and restore the peace of the ponies I find." The ponies in the crowd bowed their head to me once again.

"You are a great and powerful spirit then," The leader said as he keeled before me. "We have asked for help from those above to help us, and you are the answer to our and our ancestor's prayers."

"Raise," I said, and the ponies obeyed my words. "I have defeated the foe that cursed your lands for so long, but I am not of this land, and must leave," I said, causing the ponies the look depressed. "So I must take leave, but I leave you with a gift. The armor created from the very beast that tormented you," I then turn to face the crowd. "Let it show what you have all survived! Let it show what you all together can live through! Let show that no matter what the threat maybe, it cannot take your home!" I said, causing the ponies to cheer loudly.

With that, I phase into the ground, leaving behind only the snake armor, and a legend.

I phased back out of the ground after a few thousand feet, just to make sure I was out of the city.

Once there, I circle around to where the eastern river was, and approached the dead body. I moved towards the head, and entered its mouth. I looked around, and found what I was looking for: lodged in between its teeth was the red book. The metal binding saved it from getting crushed.

I remove the book from its teeth, and head back into the jungle.

Once I was out if sight of the city, I opened the book to see what else I was to do.

"Head north till you hit something."

Bucking hell, back to the snow.